SFGN 09/02/21 V12iss35 by South Florida Gay News

LOCAL NAME GLOBAL COVERAGE

SEPTEMBER 2, 2021 VOL. 12 // ISSUE 35

PRIDE PANDEMIC DESPITE COVID, MIAMI BEACH PRIDE PLANS SURGE AHEAD PAGES 14, 15

Body Positive Pool Party

God’s Sense Of Humor

PAGE 10

PAGE 18

Excitement At Island City Stage

PAGE 31

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• 9. 2. 2021

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Editorial

John McDonald anelle Perez is ready to get some things done. Perez sees her campaign for the Democratic nomination in Congressional District 27 as an opportunity to unite families and spark the entrepreneurial spirit. A lesbian who is married with one child and another on the way, Perez was spurred into action by the partisan voting of the district’s current representative, Congresswoman Maria Elvira Salazar, a Republican from Coral Gables. “When she voted against the Equality Act that to me was the straw that broke the camel’s back in knowing that this was a representative who votes along party lines and doesn’t vote with her constituency and what benefits her constituency,” Perez told SFGN in a telephone interview. Perez, 34, describes herself as a commonsense Democrat who grew up in a Republican household. After graduating from Our Lady of Lourdes Academy and Florida International University, Perez moved to Washington, D.C. to work in the office of Congresswoman Ileana Ros-Lehtinen. “She was an amazing boss,” Perez said. “I learned so much from her and I admire her and applaud her amazing career. This was somebody who moved the LGBT community in South Florida forward. Someone who stood up for what she believed in at a time when her party was not supportive of that.” Ros-Lehtinen was District 27’s first representative and she endorsed Salazar in the 2020 election when the former television reporter ousted sitting Congresswoman Donna Shalala. Perez, who was RosLehtinen’s scheduler on the House Foreign Affairs Committee, said she has not sought

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September 2, 2021 • Volume 12 • Issue 35

Senior Feature Columnists

Brian McNaught • Jesse Monteagudo

Special to SFGN Steve Rothaus

Correspondents

Janelle Perez. Photo via Facebook.

her former boss’ endorsement. “No, I would never put Ileana Ros-Lehtinen in a situation to endorse me or even ask that of her,” Perez said. “I respect her and her career tremendously. She is somebody whose career I admire, but she does not play a role in my campaign and I can’t speak to what she would do at all.” Most analysts have the east coastal district leaning Democratic. It takes in all or parts of Miami, Miami Beach, Coral Gables and Kendall with a large Latin American population. The daughter of Cuban exiles, Perez came out as gay to her parents on the same day she received a stage four cancer diagnosis. “That was a shocking day,” she said. “I remember there was so much crying and my parents telling me, ‘We love you and we will support you.’” Six years later, Perez said she is healthier and stronger from her bout with follicular lymphoma.

“It made me extremely resilient,” she said. “There is nothing that’s going to happen throughout this campaign and the rest of my life that’s gonna be worse than fighting cancer. It made me incredibly strong, it made me a warrior and it gave me a new perspective on life ... to not sweat the small stuff and control the way I react and do that in a proud way.” Perez wants her campaign to bring families together. As part owner of a Medicare HMO company, she knows good health care can do just that. “We need more Americans to have access to quality health care and not bankrupt them if they get sick,” she said. While redistricting could change the field, Perez said she is not backing down. “I’m in this fight for the long haul no matter what redistricting looks like,” she said. “You have to fight for it. We’re going to run a campaign that’s aggressive with the idea that we gotta fight and that’s what I’m ready to do.”

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9. 2 . 20 21 •

LGBTQIA BITES

BY KENNEDY MCKINNEY

IT’S NOT ALWAYS ABOUT THE G Pansexual

POP-PUNK SINGER COMES OUT AS PANSEXUAL Pop-punk singer Yungblud opened up about being pansexual in hopes of encouraging those who are having a hard time labeling their sexuality. In an interview with Hunger magazine, the 24-year-old goes in depth on his struggle with labels. The artist first spoke out about his sexuality in December 2020 but is now discussing the process of finding himself. “‘I’m pan, you know what I’m saying?’ It doesn’t matter what genitalia you’ve got or what you identify as, if I love you, I love you and that’s it, and that’s [something] I’ve struggled with my whole life, because I didn’t know what I was,” he said. He continued by saying that he learned about pansexuality from magazines and the internet and said, “It’s so beautiful that

• 9. 2. 2021

Yungblud. Photo via Facebook.

sexuality has really come to the forefront of my generation’s mind, that you can be beautifully yourself.”

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

Lesbian OLYMPIC ROWER COMES OUT AFTER WINNING SILVER

Katarzyna Zillmann, a rower competing for Team Poland, came out following her team’s win by thanking her girlfriend during their victory speech. Afterwards, reporters asked Zillmann about that moment and she said that she’d actually been out for a while and had even told the press before, but it was never published. “The conversations with you after the medal race were not groundbreaking for me,” she said. “I’ve already talked about it in interviews before, but for some reason, it wasn’t published.” Zillmann plans to use this newfound platform of being an Olympic silver medalist to benefit the LGBT community. “I know that in this way I will help others,” she said. “It was enough that I showed up in a T-shirt with the words ‘Sport against

Katarzyna Zillmann. Photo via Facebook.

homophobia’ and I got a few messages from young girls practicing rowing. One of them opened up to me, described her difficult home situation to me, and confessed that I helped her a lot with my attitude. One such message is enough to completely forget about thousands of hate comments and disgusted faces.”

LGBTQIA BITES

Queer

QUEER ATHLETE ROBYN LAMBIRD WINS MEDAL AT THE PARALYMPICS

Robyn Lambird, a non-binary wheelchair racer, placed third in the women’s 100m T34 final. Lambird is from Western Australia and is one of three non-binary athletes competing in the Paralympics. “I just want to show all the kids out there — with disabilities or not — if you have a dream, chase it. There’s always a way, and you can find that way.” This is Lambird’s first game and they’ve dreamed of this moment for almost 10 years. “To be here and to win a medal among the best in the world … it’s awesome.” Lambird is looking to now boost visibility for people with disabilities in the media and challenge society’s perceptions of sexuality. “We have to be visible, we have to be seen. That way the community has to care and know that we’re a part of society,” said Lambird.

Robyn Lambird. Photo via Instagram.

9. 2 . 20 21 •

NEWS NATIONAL

BY COREY ROSE

THE COUNTRY ACROSS

NEW HAMPSHIRE

NEW HAMPSHIRE DMV REVISES GENDER POLICY New Hampshire Division of Motor Vehicles has begun adhering to a law that allows individuals to update the gender marking on their state-issued documents, after a student at Granite State University, Rho, was told they must obtain a doctor’s approval before updating their gender to “X.” Rho told GLAD, “As someone who is nonbinary, Indigenous and a person of color, I felt I had to stand up for all my identities. Acknowledging our name and identity is a human right. It’s a means of respecting one another.” The law was passed in 2019 without any requirements for a doctor’s approval, and went into effect the following year. Attorney Andru Volinsky of 160 Law wrote in a statement, “Being asked for a signature from a medical provider didn’t

Photo via Adobe.

make sense and added unnecessary stress to what should have been a straightforward process.” Individuals seeking to change the gender marking on their ID can now do so without a doctor’s note through the DMV’s website, or in-person for a $3 fee.

WISCONSIN GAY BAR GETS NEW MURAL Last weekend, Wisconsin’s secondoldest continually running gay bar unveiled a new mural to celebrate diversity within the LGBT community. Artist and designer LosChue “Chue” Lo told WBAY News, “There’s a middle school, a high school, and an elementary school here. And I remember growing up as a person of color fearing that I wasn’t validated or visible so this is kind of for them right? But it’s also a representation for the adults as well who are struggling through this so it’s not even for the youth it’s for people of all ages.” Lo’s work was unveiled Nepalese Bar and Grill as part of a weekend-long slate events that included drag shows, games, and more. The mural contains the 2018 Progress Pride designs, overlaid with paintings

• 9. 2. 2021

Photo via the Nepalese Bar and Grill website.

of Marsha P. Johnson and Sylvia Rivera. Lo told the Green Bay Press Gazette, “It became very personal, as well, to my identity as a queer person of color. This is no longer just about me doing artwork. This is about the community, about me giving back to the city of Green Bay.”

COVERING LGBT NEWS SWEEPING THE NATION

WASHINGTON MAN FOUND GUILTY IN MURDER OF TRANS TEEN

More than two years after trans teen Nikki Kuhnhausen was reported missing in 2019, a jury in Vancouver has found 27-year-old David Bogdanov guilty of second-degree murder and malicious harassment. Deputy Prosecuting Attorney Kristen Arnaud told KXL News, “This was an act of rage, not an act of self-defense. The defendant’s version of how it happened is not consistent with the evidence. Nikki died because he found out she was transgender.” Activists say that Bogdanov’s claim of self-defense upon discovering that Kuhnhausen was transgender amounted to the same trans “panic defense” that was banned statewide in March 2020 with the passage of House Bill 1687 — The Nikki Kuhnhausen Act.

Nikki Kuhnhausen. Photo via Facebook.

Organizers at Justice 4 Nikki wrote in a statement, “We came together to help each other heal and cope. While that healing will take a lifetime for some of us, this verdict, in its own way, offers a sense of closure.”

VIRGINIA SCHOOL BOARD PAYS $1.3 MILLION IN BATHROOM CASE A school board in Virginia has been court-ordered to pay out 1.3 million dollars in what became a landmark case over transgender student rights. In 2014, Gavin Grimm was a sophomore in a Gloucester County high school. Officials denied him access to the boy’s bathroom, and then proposed a bathroom just for Grimm to use, rather than allowing him free and equal access to the school’s public facilities. Grimm sued the school board, and the case almost went up to the Supreme Court, which declined the case two months ago. “Rather than allow a child equal access to a safe school environment, the Gloucester School Board decided to fight this child for five years in a costly legal battle that they lost,” Grimm wrote in

Photo via Gavin Grimm, Twitter.

a statement. “I hope that this outcome sends a strong message to other school systems, that discrimination is an expensive losing battle.”

NEWS INTERNATIONAL

BY EVERITT ROSEN

THE WORLD AROUND

EXPLORING LGBT NEWS EVENTS ACROSS THE GLOBE

ASIA

EUROPE

LGBT AFGHANS FEAR THE TALIBAN

IRELAND CELEBRATES LGBT PARALYMPIC AFTER WINNING SILVER MEDAL

The Taliban has allegedly asked people to give them the names of known homosexuals, putting LGBT Afghans in a condition of dread. The Taliban reclaimed control of Afghanistan earlier this month, claiming that the nation will be governed according to a strict interpretation of Sharia Law. According to Sky News, many LGBT community members are said to be hiding or seeking to escape the country as the Taliban hunt for them. Nemat Sadat, a gay Afghan-American author, journalist and activist based in San Diego tweeted that LGBT Afghans would be living in more fear now than ever. “It’s not hyperbole to say that the Taliban will do what Nazis did to homosexuals: weed them out and

Photo via PxHere.

exterminate them from Afghan society. Please help,” he tweeted.

Katie-George Dunlevy, a queer paracyclist, earned a silver medal at the Paralympic Games, bringing joy to Ireland’s LGBT community. Dunlevy said she was “speechless” after she and her riding partner Eve McCrystal took silver in the B 3000-Meter Individual Para Cycling event. According to PinkNews, the pair set a new world record, finishing the round in 3.19.946, but the British team of Lora Fachie and Corinne Hall beat their time and claimed the gold medal. “If someone said to me before that I would get a medal in the pursuit I would never have thought it in my wildest dreams. We were hoping to do a good ride and get a PB,” said Dunlevy. “To get that and a world record, I’m just speechless.”

Photo via Katie-George Dunlevy, Twitter.

AFRICA

AUSTRALIA

VIOLENCE IN CONGO DRIVES OUT ACTIVISTS

GAY TEACHERS FACE DISCRIMINATION

Homophobic locals of Kamituga, on the Democratic Republic of the Congo’s eastern border, assaulted, intimidated, and drove out six LGBT activists. According to Erasing 76 Crimes, the victims were able to flee and seek sanctuary with one of their own in Kamituga, but they were unable to stay owing to continuing threats. “The victims were forced to rent a house where they live together, because having been driven out by their respective families due to their sexual orientation. Now we learn they are in Lugushwa,” a local source said on condition of anonymity. The Mayor of Kamituga town, Alexandre Bundya M’pila, said he had not heard about this incident. Rainbow Sunrise Mapambazuko

Rainbow Sunrise Mapambazuko. Photo via Twitter.

(RSM), a local group of LGBT activists in South Kivu, denounces the persecution of its members and requests that they be relocated to Bukavu to ensure their safety.

Steph Lentz, an ex-English teacher at a small low-fee Christian School in Australia, was fired under state and federal law. Lentz’s story is one of many stories of discrimination against LGBT teachers dismissed or pushed out of their jobs, or pressured into remaining silent about their sexuality. According to The Sydney Morning Herald, under these laws, religious organizations, which includes government funded evangelical schools, have exemptions from antidiscrimination legislation. However, as the federal government prepares to present the third draft of its divisive Religious Discrimination Bill to Parliament later this year, LGBT employees and students fear that they

Phtoo via PxHere.

may face even harsher punishment. “Australian law already allows the kind of discrimination that got me sacked for what I believe and who I am,” said Lentz. “The new bill will only reinforce that religious schools can continue to discriminate with outdated, stagnant views and processes.”

9. 2 . 20 21 •

IMPORTANT FACTS FOR BIKTARVY®

This is only a brief summary of important information about BIKTARVY and does not replace talking to your healthcare provider about your condition and your treatment.

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MOST IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT BIKTARVY

POSSIBLE SIDE EFFECTS OF BIKTARVY

BIKTARVY may cause serious side effects, including:  Worsening of hepatitis B (HBV) infection. Your healthcare provider will test you for HBV. If you have both HIV-1 and HBV, your HBV may suddenly get worse if you stop taking BIKTARVY. Do not stop taking BIKTARVY without first talking to your healthcare provider, as they will need to check your health regularly for several months, and may give you HBV medicine.

BIKTARVY may cause serious side effects, including:  Those in the “Most Important Information About BIKTARVY” section.  Changes in your immune system. Your immune system may get stronger and begin to fight infections that may have been hidden in your body. Tell your healthcare provider if you have any new symptoms after you start taking BIKTARVY.  Kidney problems, including kidney failure. Your healthcare provider should do blood and urine tests to check your kidneys. If you develop new or worse kidney problems, they may tell you to stop taking BIKTARVY.  Too much lactic acid in your blood (lactic acidosis), which is a serious but rare medical emergency that can lead to death. Tell your healthcare provider right away if you get these symptoms: weakness or being more tired than usual, unusual muscle pain, being short of breath or fast breathing, stomach pain with nausea and vomiting, cold or blue hands and feet, feel dizzy or lightheaded, or a fast or abnormal heartbeat.  Severe liver problems, which in rare cases can lead to death. Tell your healthcare provider right away if you get these symptoms: skin or the white part of your eyes turns yellow, dark “tea-colored” urine, light-colored stools, loss of appetite for several days or longer, nausea, or stomach-area pain.  The most common side effects of BIKTARVY in clinical studies were diarrhea (6%), nausea (6%), and headache (5%). These are not all the possible side effects of BIKTARVY. Tell your healthcare provider right away if you have any new symptoms while taking BIKTARVY. You are encouraged to report negative side effects of prescription drugs to the FDA. Visit www.FDA.gov/medwatch or call 1-800-FDA-1088. Your healthcare provider will need to do tests to monitor your health before and during treatment with BIKTARVY.

ABOUT BIKTARVY BIKTARVY is a complete, 1-pill, once-a-day prescription medicine used to treat HIV-1 in adults and children who weigh at least 55 pounds. It can either be used in people who have never taken HIV-1 medicines before, or people who are replacing their current HIV-1 medicines and whose healthcare provider determines they meet certain requirements. BIKTARVY does not cure HIV-1 or AIDS. HIV-1 is the virus that causes AIDS. Do NOT take BIKTARVY if you also take a medicine that contains:  dofetilide  rifampin  any other medicines to treat HIV-1

BEFORE TAKING BIKTARVY Tell your healthcare provider if you:  Have or have had any kidney or liver problems, including hepatitis infection.  Have any other health problems.  Are pregnant or plan to become pregnant. It is not known if BIKTARVY can harm your unborn baby. Tell your healthcare provider if you become pregnant while taking BIKTARVY.  Are breastfeeding (nursing) or plan to breastfeed. Do not breastfeed. HIV-1 can be passed to the baby in breast milk. Tell your healthcare provider about all the medicines you take:  Keep a list that includes all prescription and over-the-counter medicines, antacids, laxatives, vitamins, and herbal supplements, and show it to your healthcare provider and pharmacist.  BIKTARVY and other medicines may affect each other. Ask your healthcare provider and pharmacist about medicines that interact with BIKTARVY, and ask if it is safe to take BIKTARVY with all your other medicines.

HOW TO TAKE BIKTARVY Take BIKTARVY 1 time each day with or without food.

GET MORE INFORMATION  This is only a brief summary of important information about BIKTARVY. Talk to your healthcare provider or pharmacist to learn more.  Go to BIKTARVY.com or call 1-800-GILEAD-5  If you need help paying for your medicine, visit BIKTARVY.com for program information.

BIKTARVY, the BIKTARVY Logo, GILEAD, the GILEAD Logo, KEEP ASPIRING, and LOVE WHAT’S INSIDE are trademarks of Gilead Sciences, Inc., or its related companies. Version date: February 2021 © 2021 Gilead Sciences, Inc. All rights reserved. BVYC0369 04/21

BVYC0369_BIKTARVY_B_10X10-75_SouthFloridaGayNews_Dimitri_r1v1jl.indd • 9. 2. 2021

All Pages

DIMITRI LIVING WITH HIV SINCE 2018 REAL BIKTARVY PATIENT

KEEP ASPIRING.

Because HIV doesn’t change who you are.

BIKTARVY® is a complete, 1-pill, once-a-day prescription medicine used to treat HIV-1 in certain adults. BIKTARVY does not cure HIV-1 or AIDS.

Ask your healthcare provider if BIKTARVY is right for you. See Dimitri’s story at BIKTARVY.com. Featured patient compensated by Gilead.

Please see Important Facts about BIKTARVY, including important warnings, on the previous page and visit BIKTARVY.com.

6/8/21 9. 2 .10:19 20 21AM •

NEWS LOCAL

Photo courtesy of Brendon Lies.

BODY POSITIVE PARTY OVER LABOR DAY WEEKEND John Hayden

ring your towel and leave your body issues. The Body Positive Beach Bash is back over Labor Day weekend. On Saturday, Sept. 4, the lake at Dania Beach will be a safe space for the trans and GNC (gender non-conforming) communities. The party started in 2019 as the brainchild of Misty Eyez, director of Transgender Services for SunServe. She says the event was inspired by Aidy Bryant’s character in the show “Shrill.” “Annie [Aidy] went to a Fat Girl Pool Party. She literally showed up in a long-sleeve tracksuit and was uncomfortable removing it until she became more relaxed,” Misty says. “I took the idea, modified it for the trans/GNC, and ran with it.” The free party will feature an Aqua Challenge, a barbeque, and a chance for people to have some much-needed fun. “Much needed indeed! Twenty-twenty has sucked the

“TRANS PEOPLE ARE PEOPLE, AND WE DESERVE TO LIVE AND HAVE FUN.” - Misty Eyez DIRECTOR OF TRANSGENDER SERVICES FOR SUNSERVE

life out of many of us, and we deserve to let our hair down and have a good time.” While the event is free, space is limited and you have to register online. Once your reservation is confirmed you’ll be told the exact location. Misty says staffing at the event will reflect the makeup of the guest list. Three trans and two LGBT lifeguards will be watching and transgender DJ Jessica Lam will be spinning. Since joining SunServe in 2015, Misty Eyez has worked to create small events where people could feel safe and enjoy themselves. “We have created little ‘safety-in-numbers’ events to help encourage trans people to leave their houses, go outside, and enjoy the world around them. Let’s go to the renaissance festival, let’s go to the State Fair, etc.” With the pandemic cancelling important events like Southern Comfort, an annual convention for the trans community in Fort Lauderdale, and constant attacks from lawmakers looking to score political points, Misty says events like these are more important than ever. “Trans people are people, and we deserve to live and have fun. I do understand the desire to be reclusive and hide for our safety. However, we cannot sit and watch the world revolve around us,” she said. “We need to go out and live. It took a while, but I have learned to not only love and accept myself but to live my life out in the open. I encourage other trans people to go along with me.” Self-acceptance, she says, is the key. “No matter who you are, yes, you, whoever is reading this article, it is important to love and accept yourself. You are beautiful and are worthy of love and success.”

For registration details go to SunServe.org. 10

• 9. 2.2021

NEWS NATIONAL

FBI RELEASES HATE CRIME STATS

Numbers up nationally, but down in Florida John McDonald

s hate crimes rise across the United States, part of the story has yet to be revealed. On Monday, the Federal Bureau of Investigation released its annual Hate Crimes Statistics. Crimes against LGBT people, Black, Asian and transgender Americans rose sharply in 2020. Sexual orientation alone accounted for 20% of the bias motivation in hate crimes reported by law enforcement agencies. In total, 7,759 hate crimes were reported in 2020, a 6% increase from the year before despite the country mired in the COVID-19 pandemic. Incidents of bias broke down like this: 649 anti-gay male, 279 anti-LGBT, 196 anti-transgender, 99 anti-lesbian and 16 anti-bisexual. The rise in hate crimes nationally comes as reporting dropped significantly in Florida. In 2020 only 452 of the state’s 687 law enforcement agencies reported hate crimes data to the FBI. In 2019, 638 agencies sent information to the FBI. Even with the lack of reporting by Florida law enforcement agencies, the number of hate crimes stayed nearly the same. Of the 109 hate crimes, 17 incidents involved antigay male bias. Police departments in Miami Beach, Miami-Dade County, West Palm Beach, Hialeah, Sarasota, Orlando, Tampa and Jacksonville reported incidents of bias against gay men. According to the FBI’s crime data explorer, the Broward County Sheriff’s Office, Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office, Fort Lauderdale Police Department and Wilton Manors Police Department did not report incidents of hate crimes against LGBT people in 2020. Cathy Renna, Communications Director for the National LGBTQ Task Force, said the FBI’s report has flaws due to underreporting and a lack of uniform standards. Until legislation is passed mandating state agencies report data, queer folks, Renna said, will have a hard time trusting the process. “There’s a tremendous amount that needs to be done in law enforcement,” Renna said. “It’s a lot more than just sensitivity training.

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Cathy Renna, Communications Director for the National LGBTQ Task Force. Photo via Facebook.

It’s about really changing the system.” There is no doubt, Renna said, crimes against transgender people are on the rise, a side effect of the political strategy deployed in various states to curtail trans rights. “I don’t think it’s hard to connect the dots,” Renna said. “The trans community very much has a target on its back.” Black Americans suffered the most hate crimes attacks (2,755) in 2020, followed by White Americans (773) and Jewish Americans (676). Attacks against Asian Americans increased from 158 in 2019 to 274 in 2020. Since 2014, the total number of hate crimes reported have increased 42%. A hate crime is defined by the FBI’s Uniform Crime Reporting Program as a committed criminal offense motivated — in whole or in part — by the offender’s bias(es) against the race, religion, disability, sexual orientation, ethnicity, gender or gender identity of the victim.

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9. 2 . 20 21 •

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.

WEEK Photos by J.R. Davis

Liz Dove from Tabatha Salon Take Over, who is also the security officer at Allied Universal Security, with her friend Marcia Chaver, owner of Lirios Massage as well as crew leader for The Smart Ride.

John Trindade with his friend Jeffrey Seth Selzer of Selzer Law.

Penny Johnson with wife Julie Seaver, the executive director of Compass.

Marc Martorana with husband Don D’Arminio, hosts of The Broward Fundraiser for The National LGBTQ Task Force in November honoring Rea Carey.

• 9. 2.2021

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9. 2 . 20 21 •

NEWS LOCAL

MIAMI BEACH PRIDE WRESTLES WITH COVID AS EVENT APPROACHES Masks required for indoor events; optional outdoors Steve Rothaus Special to SFGN

No masks or vaccinations, no pride. That’s the message delivered by the Miami Beach Pride committee, weeks before its first COVID-era festival and parade – when tens of thousands of LGBT people could show up to celebrate along Ocean Drive. “We need to remind them, we need to encourage them,” Pride committee chair Bruce Horwich said. “All of our staff and volunteers will be vaccinated, or they will be masked completely for anything they do inside or outside.” This year’s festival, from Sept. 10 through 19, is the first held in person since the start of the pandemic in early 2020. Miami Beach Pride usually is held in April. The first festival in 2009 attracted more than 15,000 spectators. An estimated 140,000 attended the most recent in-person festival in 2019. “It’s a lot of people,” Horwich said. “Of course, they’re hopefully going to be very spread out. But yes, it starts with people at the parade lined up down the street. We’re well aware of that. We’re encouraging, encouraging, encouraging mask-wearing as much as we possibly can. But there will be some people who refuse to wear a mask. I’m not sure how many of those people will be the kind of people that come to our Pride, but I guess we’ll find out.” Horwich said parade participants will set the tone for spectators on the sidelines. “Most people who are marching will be wearing masks. I would assume that some people on the floats, if they’re separated from each other, will probably not be wearing masks,” he said. “But the majority of the people will be wearing masks because we’ll be encouraging that.” Signs will be posted throughout the festival reminding attendees about the mask policy. Vaccination stations will also be available for people who have not yet had their shots. “Not that it will help them for the event, but at least we’re, again, encouraging people to

• 9. 2.2021

Miami Beach Pride in 2019. This year’s event will feature 30 hand-sanitizer stations and more staff to ensure hygenic practices. Photo credit: J.R. Davis.

get vaccinated if they’re not,” Horwich said. The festival will have 30 sanitizing stations, Pride Executive Director Rich Walczak said. “We’ve hired more staff and volunteers to make sure that the tables and bathrooms are cleaned on a regular process.” The festival will also be providing more than 70,000 masks for people who need them, Walczak said. Other safety changes from previous years include limiting the number of people who can go backstage at events and there will be no performing artist meet-and-greets.

Vendor tents also will be different. Instead of large crowded tents with up to 20 vendors inside, this year vendors will each have individual 10-by-10-foot spaces. The Pride committee is also requesting attendees voluntarily pre-register before showing up at the parade or street festivals. “Registering to attend our event enables us to more effectively communicate any changes in local, state and federal COVID-19 safety guidelines and allows us to increase the accuracy of our contact tracing program,” according to the website. “By registering for Pride you are protecting

yourself and the health of others.” The annual 10-day festival is marketed to both locals and tourists. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recently advised high-risk travelers to be extra cautious. Those at higher risk of getting severely ill from COVID-19 include smokers, people with HIV infection, compromised immune systems and substance abuse disorders. Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava recently told residents, “It’s important that we all get back to the basic COVID precautions we know work.”

NEWS LOCAL • Get vaccinated as soon as possible • Wear a mask in public indoor settings. We also strongly encourage you to wear a mask in all public settings including outdoors – especially when in large crowds and around people you don’t know to be vaccinated • Practice social distancing in public and socialize outdoors wherever possible • Wash your hands frequently • Stay home if you’re sick, and if you have been exposed or experience COVID symptoms – even if you’re vaccinated – get tested. Miami Beach Pride’s biggest events – its Saturday and Sunday festivals at Lummus Park on Sept. 18 and 19, and the noon parade Sunday, Sept. 19, along Ocean Drive – are held outdoors where COVID risks are reduced. A few other Pride week events, including pool parties and some nighttime soirées, will also be held outdoors. The Miami-Dade Gay & Lesbian Chamber of Commerce will hold a spotlight mixer 7 to 9 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 14, at the Mondrian South Beach under strict COVID protocols. “At this event, in order to increase your safety and comfort, we will be putting some protocols in place around contact tracing [your online RSVP and capture data with your business card] and risk mitigation such as temperature check, disposable masks, hand sanitizers, and indicators of your comfort level of your proximity to others,” according to the Chamber website. “We also very much encourage you to attend this event only after you have been vaccinated. We know the best way we can stop the spread of COVID is to vaccinate ourselves before we interact with other community members in public.” Several large-scale events, however, are scheduled indoors, including three at the windowless old Mansion site, 1235 Washington Ave. URGE Pride with Paulo and Joe Gauthreaux at 10 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 18 – a private sanctioned event that benefits Miami Beach Pride – will require attendees be vaccinated against COVID.

“For the safety of our guests and staff, everyone attending URGE events will be required to show proof of vaccination,” according to the event’s ticket sales web page. “If you aren’t already vaccinated, we URGE you to get vaccinated today and help stop the spread of COVID-19.” The Pride committee’s Legends Ball at 8 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 16, and the VIP Gala at 7 p.m. Friday, Sept. 17, both also at 1235 Washington Ave., will not require vaccinations. “We felt by law that we didn’t have the right to mandate [vaccinations],” Horwich said. “That’s according to what our legal has come up with, based on what the governor has said. But we’re strongly encouraging everybody to be vaccinated – or if they’re not vaccinated, they should reconsider coming to the event.” Everyone attending an indoor event must be masked, he said. “That part will be accomplished. The only ones who will not be wearing masks is when somebody’s performing or doing something like that.” Planning for this year’s Pride festival began well before Florida’s current Delta-variant surge, which led SAVE LGBTQ to switch its Sept. 23 Champions of Equality gala from inperson to virtual. So far, the National LGBTQ Task Force is planning its annual in-person gala on Oct. 23 at the Miami Beach Convention Center. And Pride Fort Lauderdale is planning a two-day beach festival Nov. 20 and 21. This week, however, Key West organizers canceled the island’s annual October Fantasy Fest parade, keeping small events on the calendar. Miami Beach Pride organizers hope not to cancel any of its fast-approaching festival events. “It is not an option that is off the table, but at the moment we are planning to move forward,” Walczak said. Assuming all goes as planned, will thousands of LGBT people be able to gather and successfully social distance? “Everybody’s going to be thinking about it,” Horwich said. “I don’t think you’ll see a lot of handshaking but you might see a few hugs, but I think people, even when they do the hugs, will be a little smarter about it.”

A FEW OTHER PRIDE WEEK EVENTS, INCLUDING POOL PARTIES AND SOME NIGHTTIME SOIRÉES, WILL ALSO BE HELD OUTDOORS.

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

9. 2 . 20 21 •

COLUMN LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

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An open letter to Christopher Bates, Chairman of Pride Center Board Hello Christopher It was nice talking to you last Friday and as you requested I am putting my concerns in writing after checking various resources. I am the coordinator for the Card Group at the Pride Center. Many years ago, Ted Verdone negotiated, with a pride executive, the following rates for the card group. On Tuesdays, because of coffee and conversation, we did not have to pay a fee for playing cards either downstairs or upstairs. On Sundays, we paid $2 per person for using the room upstairs. FYI: Samantha and I were in the process of increasing the rates. It has been many years at $2 and an increase is warranted. I was going to suggest a rate of $2 or $3 per person for members and $3 or $4 per person for non-members on both days. Please remember, we are just a group of guys wanting to play cards in a safe and welcoming atmosphere. The current new rate of $30 per hour should not apply to us since we are not an organization and are not sponsored by any organization. The new rate is out of our league. I’m afraid if we are not given a reasonable rate, current members will not renew their membership when their membership expires. I wanted to share some fees charged by similar organizations. At the Skolnick Center in Palm Aire members are charged $10 if they live in Palm Aire and $20 if they live outside Palm Aire. This is an annual membership which allows you to use the card room for free six days a week. The Emma Lou Olson Civic Center in Pompano Beach charges $1 per person each time you use their card room. The Coconut Creek Community Center charges $20 if you live in Coconut Creek and $30 if you live outside Coconut Creek. It covers a one-year membership.

Photo via The Pride Center, Facebook.

Christopher, to me this is a serious matter. The Pride Center is a place where LGBT men and women should be able to gather in a safe environment. The hourly rate is not conducive for individuals looking for a comfortable place to gather. Please, after discussion with the board, advise me of the outcome. A slight increase in a per person fee is warranted. The fee I mentioned above is my desired outcome. I will convince my players that this is a fair and reasonable rate. I will also do everything possible to ensure that all card players are active members of the Pride Center as this is one of my objectives. Many thanks and best regards,

Gary Florman

LET YOUR VOICE BE HEARD!  This letter follows up SFGN’s feature last week, “12-Step Groups Leave Pride Center After Drastic Rent Increases.” To read the story, visit SFGN.com/12steps.

SUBMIT YOUR OWN LETTER TO JASON.PARSLEY@SFGN.COM 16

• 9. 2.2021

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CONVICTIONS

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Off The Wall

CONVICTIONS

GOD’S SENSE OF HUMOR Pier Angelo

or decades, anti-gay organizations and their supporters have portrayed the LGBT community as child molesters, diseased, sexually aggressive miscreants whose aim is to bring about the end of democracy or civilization before being sent to the lower rings of Dante’s Inferno for our supposed sins. Through preposterous lies, distortions and overstatements, anti-gay pastors, rightwing politicians and pseudo celebrities made it difficult for laws to be passed to protect our interests, health and families. They created, and repeated ad nauseam, the false mantra that we are a dangerous public health hazard, that our lives are filled with pain, misery, sadness, loneliness and early death. And they did this “in God’s name.” They are without defense. Luckily their efforts backfired. In the long run they made people stop and think about what they were saying and in particular how these self-proclaimed moral people could mix God and Hate in the same sentences with such ease. They were exposed for what they really are: mean and divisive fascist demagogues. For years we stood against their hate, condemnation, virulence, judgment, and abuse — most of it coming from the non-affirming, behavior-focused Christian churches, but finally, we are almost...here. At this junction I want to personally thank some of our “frenemies” who helped us out with their bombastic words and bigotry; they turned out to be our best allies,

IN THE LONG RUN THEY MADE PEOPLE STOP AND THINK ABOUT WHAT THEY WERE SAYING AND IN PARTICULAR HOW THESE SELF-PROCLAIMED MORAL PEOPLE COULD MIX GOD AND HATE IN THE SAME SENTENCES WITH SUCH EASE. 18

• 9. 2.2021

albeit unintentionally. And in the end even God, with his sense of humor played with their minds and punished them in the way that only God can. First and foremost, Anita Bryant, the Queen of Mean. In June 1977 Bryant, a former Miss Oklahoma and publicist for the Florida Citrus Association, led a battle in Dade County against an anti-discrimination ordinance including sexual orientation. Her “Save Our Children” campaign earned a lot of attention with such rhetoric as “God puts homosexuals in the same category as murderers” and “The will of the American people is to return this country to pro-family, Bible morality.” But her vitriol galvanized the gay community nationwide to move out of the bars and bathhouses and into the streets. It was a turning point for gay men and lesbians who years later would trace their own coming out or activism to the Anita Bryant victory. She did do damage, prompting the repeal of anti-discrimination ordinances in Miami and elsewhere. But her movement was remarkably short-lived. “Anita Bryant is the best thing ever to happen to American homosexuals,” wrote The Nation at the time. Thanks Anita, you are the reason I became an activist. GOD’S SENSE OF HUMOR: As reported by SFGN a few weeks ago Anita Bryant’s granddaughter came out as gay sending Anita into a convulsion of hysterical denial. The Rev. Fred Phelps, Sr., the fiery founder of the small Westboro Baptist Church drew international condemnation for outrageous and hate-filled protests that blamed almost everything, including the deaths of AIDS victims and U.S. soldiers, on America’s tolerance for gay people. Throughout his life, Phelps tested the boundaries of free speech, violating accepted societal standards for decency in his unapologetic assault on gays and lesbians. GOD’S SENSE OF HUMOR: Phelps helped the cause of gay rights by serving as a provocative symbol of intolerance forcing people to confront their own views and rousing a protective instinct in parents and

Photo via PxHere.

friends of gays and lesbians. Thank you, sir, God Bless YOU! After the attacks of 9/11 Jerry Falwell, founder of the moral majority, appearing as a guest on Pat Robertson’s daily 700 Club program, expressed his sorrow and outrage over the attacks but he then elaborated on who, in addition to the terrorists, was responsible for them. “The pagans, the abortionists, the feminists, the gays and the lesbians who are actively trying to make that an alternative lifestyle, I point the finger in their face and say ‘you helped this happen.’” He had already descended into the absurd on February 1999, when he stated that the purple Teletubby named Tinky Winky was intended as a gay role model. “He is purple — the gay pride color; and his antenna is shaped like a triangle — the gay-pride symbol.” GOD’S SENSE OF HUMOR: His son Jerry Falwell, Jr. was recently forced to resign his

position as VP of Liberty University in the wake of a swirl of controversy over his and his wife’s personal lives. A former pool attendant at a Miami hotel, Giancarlo Granda, claimed he engaged in a lengthy affair with Becki while Jerry sometimes watched. Talk about morality. Pat Robertson on June 10, 1998, said that Orlando should beware of hurricanes, since it, and Disney World, allow Gay Days to be held there. “I would warn Orlando that you’re right in the way of some serious hurricanes, and I don’t think I’d be waving those flags in God’s face if I were you,’’ Robertson said on his TV show, “The 700 Club.” GOD’S SENSE OF HUMOR: In the months following the statement, Orlando was spared, but hurricanes Charley and Frances made landfall in Texas, dumping heavy rains, killing more than 14 people, and both hitting the town of ...Corpus Christi.

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.

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www.NormKent.com 9. 2 . 20 21 •

COLUMN LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

CHURCH OF OUR SAVIOR MCC IN BOYNTON WELCOMES 12-STEP GROUPS Church of Our Savior MCC. Photo via Facebook.

Church of Our Savior MCC, located at 2011 S. Federal Highway in Boynton Beach is host to 23 recovery programs. We have AA and NA 12 step programs and support groups meeting every day of the week. Some meet once a week, and some meet several times a week. They pay rent, which is $15 per meeting (so a group who meets 2x per week would pay $120 per month). We provide space in our building for each group to store their supplies, coffee makers, literature, and other necessary items. Our groups wipe the surfaces down with the cleaners that are provided. They also clean and leave the room in order for the next group. In addition, we are blessed to be a Palm Beach County approved site where folks needing to perform community service can complete their service to the community. Our community service workers clean our church, inside and outside. Some of the tasks they have are cleaning and maintaining our church, maintaining the outside such as lawn mowing, bush trimming, trash removal, etc. These community service workers are an asset to us. They help keep the cost of maintaining our building down. We provide cleaning products, paper towels, cups, toilet paper, etc. Water and soda are available for a donation of 50 cents a can or bottle, on the honor system. Having the community service workers, and the groups who we consider part of our church family, has worked out very well for Church of Our Savior.

Anna Maria Pieris

Vice-moderator Church of Our Savior MCC

LET YOUR VOICE BE HEARD!  Submit your own letter to Jason.Parsley@sfgn.com 20

• 9. 2.2021

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

SPIRITUALITY

Until further notice: Due to the current COVID-19 surge, our worship services are streamed on Facebook Live every Sunday at 10 AM, rather than held at our church property. 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.

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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

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9. 2 . 20 21 •

Publisher's Editorial

CONVICTIONS

WHEN CANCER IS IN SECOND PLACE What pandemic? It’s 2 for 1 Sundays

Norm Kent

norm.kent@sfgn.com

he news story on CNN this Monday of a woman with Stage 4 cancer — dying because she could not find an open ICU unit in Texas to treat her — was mind boggling. When did cancer become second place to COVID? Twenty years ago, when I had nonHodgkin’s lymphoma, the world stopped to help me. From oncologists to caregivers, from colleagues to friends, the deadly diagnosis stopped the world in its tracks. Cancer is not so important today, apparently. Not when the Emergency Room at Broward Health Medical Center in Fort Lauderdale is setting up a temporary mortuary on Andrews Avenue for its COVID-19 patients. Last week, I spent the day in the diagnostic testing labs of the University of Miami’s Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center in Deerfield Beach. I entered eerily on Friday morning, through the door on the right — that is the one for testing. The one on the left was for Radiation and Oncology treatments.Depending on the results of this day, I could be back there by next week, but entering through the door on the left. I don’t want to be a pessimist, but I thought the handwriting was on the wall. From the initial observations of the stroke in my cerebellum in June, to the small tumor diagnosed in my cerebrum in July, there were medical indicators of cancerous cells that hitchhiked their way into my brain from elsewhere in my body. But it was “only” cancer, the doctors said. “That moves slowly. First, we must deal with this cerebral stroke. Then the tumor in your brain.” Priorities, priorities. We all have priorities. Then came COVID-19, and the doctors said, First, we have to save your life from COVID-19, “then we can treat the possibility of cancer.”

Besides, “we have to quarantine you.” So, I identified with this woman of whom Chris Cuomo spoke this week. I could hear the pain of her husband, an army veteran, after she passed. How is that in the 21st century of modern America, where we are sending rich guys in private rocket ships to the Moon, we are ineffectively responding to a pandemic still? How did this happen? How did we take a worldwide pathogen that so many scientists saw coming, and warned us about for so many years and turn it into a national culture war over masks? Have we not been taking vaccines for decades, since our first polio shots 50 years ago? Hell, the chemicals in our diet sodas and air conditioners are probably worse. Last Sunday, at any bar in Wilted Manors, you could have shown up dripping wet, wearing a tank top and shorts, and ordered an unmasked 2 for 1 Molson Ale or Mimosa. In fact, I was going to enter my 1978 Lincoln Continental in the “Cobra Joe” Wilton Manors Car Show, an inaugural event with a strong initial turnout. Good show, Cobra Joe. Can’t help noticing that all the pics I saw on Facebook do not show anyone wearing masks during this event. Not criticizing, mind you. I understand. You were all out in the open. But, hey, what gives? I was sorry I could not make the show. Real life kicked in. I was at a memorial service for Dr. Howard Cunningham’s husband, a dear friend, and a happy dad, Steven Vianest. A month ago, a healthy and hearty Steven Vianest was touring Mayan Ruins with his son, taste testing homemade coconut cookies. It was the beginning of July. Steve was taken from us by COVID in less than 14 days in August. This disease comes at you quickly and can

DON’T FALL FOR THE FLUFF OF “IT WON’T HAPPEN TO ME,” AND “IT CAN’T HAPPEN HERE.”

• 9. 2.2021

Norm Kent outside of the Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center at the University of Miami’s Deerfield Beach facility. Photo credit: Brian Swinford.

take you off this Earth forever with brutal finality and swiftness. You may not see it every day, but it’s out there my friends. An epidemic is ravaging our community. Our governor and some of our cities are fighting its spread by putting up a chain link fence to stop mosquitoes. This is not so much so at the Sylvester Cancer Care Clinic in Deerfield Beach — you know, that place I began writing this column about. When you spend the day in a cancer diagnostic center, you realize how the pandemic infecting and infiltrating our community is a lot more invasive than what you see as a 60 second sound bite on the evening news at 6 p.m. Just to get into the cancer care clinic you must wear their own mask on top of your own. Before stepping inside, you get your hands washed and temperature taken. And it almost goes without saying that their entire staff is garbed in protective hospital gear. You are then given seats that are socially distanced, placed in a waiting room six feet apart from the nearest guest or patient. Use a toilet, and someone might be in to clean it

shortly thereafter. When hospitals, clinics, and doctor’s offices in and about town are taking every precaution to protect their colleagues and patients, maybe it is time you realized you had better also. Maybe it is time we realized with this surge that we are not doing enough. Don’t fall for the fluff of “it won’t happen to me,” and “it can’t happen here.” It can happen to you, and it is still happening here. An average of 1,665 cases per day were reported in Broward County in the past week. Since the beginning of the pandemic, at least 1 in 6 residents have been infected, and a total of 320,837 reported cases reported. All will not survive, vaccinated or not. But being vaccinated will increase your chances. Right now, Broward County is at an extremely high risk for unvaccinated people. It could be worse. You could have cancer, and then there may be no room to treat you at all. Because cancer is now in second place, itself a victim of COVID. The world is upside down. But it forever remains a circle game, and the painted ponies go up and down. We are all captive on the carousel of time.

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9. 2 . 20 21 •

LIFESTYLE CELEBRITY

BY ELLIOT RODRIGUEZ

GAY VINE THE

KEEP UP WITH THE CELEBRITIES IN OUR COMMUNITY

CELEBRITY

TELEVISION

YAS RIHANNA!

LET’S MOVE!

RIHANNA ANNOUNCES ALL-INCLUSIVE FASHION SHOW Rihanna fans rejoice! The singer, model and icon is about to release a highly anticipated event, can you guess what it is? If you guessed the third annual Savage X Fenty Fashion Show, then you are correct! This all-inclusive fashion show welcomes all walks of life, devoid of skin color, gender or ethnicity. Rihanna dropped a teaser on her Instagram to make sure fans are ready for what’s in store, with a description reading, “Oh you think you ready?!” It is set to air Sept. 24 on Amazon Prime. PRIDE reported previous shows have included special appearances from celebrities like Cara Delevingne, Big

Rihanna. Photo via Facebook.

Sean, as well as “RuPaul’s Drag Race” superstars Shea Couleé, Gigi Goode, Jaida Essence Hall, and more. The show will be showcasing the new Savage X Fenty line, which is deemed to headline this fall.

‘DANCING WITH THE STARS’ FEATURES SAME-SEX PAIRING FOR FIRST TIME “Dancing with the Stars” fans, get ready to see the first same gender pair in the entire 30 seasons of the show. JoJo Siwa will make history by being paired with Olympic medalist Sunisa Lee. Siwa said, “I think it’s cool, I think it breaks a wall that’s never been done before … I think it’s really special that I get to share with the world that you can love who you love, but now you can dance with who you want to dance with,” according to Deadline. The news was announced Thursday during a panel, where the show will be hosted by Tyra Banks. Siwa and Lee have been huge influencers in their young careers. Siwa is an actress, singer and influencer who

JoJo Siwa. Photo via Facebook.

was named one of TimeMagazine’s 100 Most Influential People in 2020, Deadline reported. Lee won gold in the Tokyo Olympics, where she helped her team win silver. The rest of the DWTS cast is set to be released on “Good Morning America” on Sept. 8.

MUSIC

SO SWEET!

JOJO SIWA AND GIRLFRIEND SHARE THE SECRET TO A HAPPY RELATIONSHIP JoJo Siwa seems to be everywhere, and at only 18 years old she has accomplished a lot in her young career. However, how does she keep her partner happy? Siwa has talked about how she keeps her girlfriend Kylie Prew happy. According to PRIDE Prew said, “This is going to sound stupid but don’t hold grudges over stupid things because it’s dumb and it’s going to waste your time … It’s not going to matter in an hour, it shouldn’t matter then. So it’s like just let it go. Because at the end of the day, if you both really want it to work you’ll make it work. So don’t hold grudges, that’s stupid.”

• 9. 2.2021

The two said that they don’t argue too often, which many would say is nice, but in reality everyone knows that there is inevitable conflict in healthy relationships. The hardest thing Siwa said was learning to be empathetic. “That’s something that took me a second to realize that we don’t live the same lives and we have very different things in our lives and there was a learning curve for me,” Siwa said. Even though a relationship can look cookie cutter on a screen, it takes a real commitment and both parties no matter what gender to make it special.

JoJo Siwa and girlfriend Kylie Prew. Photos via Instagram.

9. 2 . 20 21 •

LIFESTYLE TWO GUYS AND A DOG

WE ALL HAVE GIFTS. WHAT’S YOURS? Brian McNaught

ou’re 7 years old, attending at school a big birthday party with all of your new friends, and their parents. The room is decorated with bountiful balloons and colorful streamers. A huge cake sits on a big round table in the middle of the room, surrounded by beautifully wrapped gifts. Your classmates are having fun playing tag, while the adults talk and laugh. You’re very excited, especially about having your gift opened. It’s time for presents. As each one is revealed, children and adults clap, and say how wonderful and thoughtful the gift is. “Wait until they see mine,” you think. The moment arrives. You hold your breath. Your eyes are big as you look around anxiously waiting for the approving response every other gift has received. But there is no applause, just awkward silence. You see grownups roll their eyes, or look away. No one likes your gift. You’re embarrassed, ashamed, and scared, especially when you hear the disapproving whispers of the children your age. “From now on,” you promise yourself, “I’m going to give them what everyone else gives them.” We all have gifts to share, and hopefully within our lifetime, we learn to give them without worrying about how they’ll be received. It wasn’t until I came out as gay that I was able to confidently acknowledge myself as a gift, and it’s only been with growing older that I’ve been able to name and acclaim the other gifts I bring to the party. For instance, for as long as I can remember, I’ve had the gift of empathy. I can sense the feelings of others. I can also communicate thoughts and feelings in ways others can understand and relate. I’m skilled in creating balance, beauty, and feelings of serenity in a house and garden. If I go on, my deceased Irish Catholic parents will appear, and drag me off by my earlobes. Sadly, as a 7-year-old gay boy, I knew that I couldn’t safely express myself. It wasn’t that I had the inclination to rearrange my first-grade classroom, nor to tell the nun that I could feel the fear a classmate had of her. But, I knew the characteristics of a “sissy,” so I pulled my natural exuberance tightly into my soul. My gifts, if fully expressed, would have caused awkward silence, and rolled eyes. My empathy was described as me being a “sensitive child.” My self-confidence could be described as “little mister know-it-all,” and “quite vocal.” The adult words for boys with great imagination were “a little easily distracted,” “perhaps a bit full of himself,” “a daydreamer.” If you giggled with delight, or cried with sadness, you were “not quite like the other boys.” If that’s how your unwrapped gifts are greeted, you keep them wrapped up. “From now on, I’m going to give to them what everyone else gives them.” What would it have been like, not just for me, but for my classmates and teachers, if I had been a kite that had been allowed to find its optimum height, rather than be controlled on a short string? What if all of us had the freedom and encouragement to show ourselves honestly at a young age? This would require a change in the manner in which children

• 9. 2.2021

are taught, and in how we were raised. “Mr. McNaught, you don’t create quite the impression you think you do.” That was Sister Genovefa, SSJ, speaking to me, at age 13, in front of my seventh grade class at Holy Family grade school in Grand Blanc, Michigan. I was, of course, shocked, embarrassed, confused, hurt, and ashamed, even though I didn’t know what action caused me to be so publicly humiliated. The sad thing is that I clearly remember the incident 60 years later. It turned out that a visiting nun, observing in the back of the classroom, thought I was disrespectful because of my larger-than-life exuberance. The D grade I got in conduct that quarter on my report card was nowhere as effective in reigning in my highflying kite than the reproach I got in front of my peers by an adult in religious garb. Fortunate for me, we moved, and I went to a new Catholic school where my eighth grade nun at Holy Name grade school in Birmingham, Michigan. Sr. Claire Marie, IHM, encouraged my “gay” enthusiasm for life. She told my mother that I was “a prince of a boy.” But I nevertheless picked up from my early-teen peers not to suck up to the nuns, not to call too much attention to myself, and not to let the feminine in me express itself. That meant, don’t be too empathetic, too sensitive, too “goody-two-shoes.” I shared these thoughts recently to a gay male friend who was visiting for dinner. Scott nodded his affirmation and raised his hand in recognition of his childhood experiences, as did Ray. It’s not too late for us to embrace as special gifts, as “superpowers,” the abilities we still have to easily and quickly read the mood in a room of friends or strangers. To do so, though, especially for gay Baby Boomers, may require some help in unwrapping the gifts, and in celebrating them. The more we seniors learn to identify, embrace, and toast with gratitude our unique gifts, the easier it will be for young gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, and queer people to acknowledge and use their gifts. And, the more that we older and younger LGBTQ people claim and use our gifts, the more likely it is that when they are unwrapped, the response from others will be cheering when they see what we are offering. Having gifts doesn’t mean that we don’t have to practice using them, just as a person who has an ear for languages, or for music doesn’t have to practice and practice until they master their gifts. The same is true for athletes. The parents of gifted athletes didn’t usually discourage the development of those skills in their children. They normally clapped and cheered from the sidelines as they watched their offspring practice and excel. Do you know what happened as a result of people with gifts practicing, and parents, teachers, families, and friends

Photo via Adobe.

cheering on the use of those skills? Formerly segregated high schools and colleges started seeking out those with such talent in order to win games. When someone in the culture has a gift that someone else wants, one’s skin color, religion, economic status, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression become less important to them. That’s what drives the valuing of diversity in corporations. They want the competitive edge. We gay men have a recognized gift to make things pretty. Even the most socially conservative people seek us out to cut their hair, design their clothes, and furnish their homes. And, that’s only one part of our gifts. Admittedly, not every gay man has a good eye, but they nevertheless have innate skills, and potential abilities, that will get celebrated and practiced only when they’re encouraged to believe the gift they bring to the party is magnificent. If we can convince each other of our superpowers, and can encourage each other to practice them, just wait and see what wonderful things happen when they open our gifts at the birthday party. What was your gift, anyway, the one you gave at age 7, and then, because of the response from others, decided against showing it again? I’d love to receive it.

Brian McNaught has been a leading educator on LGBTQ issues globally since 1974. He has made his many books and DVDs available for free at Brian-McNaught.com. The New York Times named him “The Godfather of gay diversity training.” Brian has a weekly YouTube/FaceBook podcast called, “Are You Happy Without the Movie?”

9. 2 . 20 21 •

LIFESTYLE FOOD

SOUTH OF THE BORDER, NORTH OF THE BORDER Rick Karlin

Shrimp at Quates. Photo courtesy of Rick Karlin.

QUATES

3701 N Andrews Ave., Oakland Park 954-635-2404 quatesmexicanrestaurant.com Quates Mexican Restaurant in Oakland Park, just north of Wilton Manors, looks like your typical Mexican take-out place, and in many ways it is. But is also outstanding in so many areas it is certainly not typical. Quates (or as it is more typically spelled cuates) means “friends” and if our experience is typical, everyone is treated as a friend. There’s nothing fancy or pretentious here, a few tables outside and about a half-dozen booths inside, all lending even more of a feeling of a fast-food joint. And service is quick, no sooner had our butts touched the seat than we were asked if we knew what we wanted, or if we needed menus. I have a feeling that almost everyone who goes in there has a favorite dish. For me, there are so many from which to choose, that I will always want to try something else. Chef Jose Oscar Villatoro has more than 20 years of experience, and brings his passion for food to create, not just a meal, but a Tex-Mex experience. And, as if on a mission to disprove that old saying, “You get what you pay for,” you’ll be hard-pressed to find much on the menu priced more than $15. I paid less for my steak entrée than I have for an appetizer at some of the fancier Mexican restaurants in town and yet the quality of the food at Quates is outstanding. I hesitate to call the nachos an appetizer as any of the various options could easily serve as a meal. Priced at $6.50 for a “plain” order of crispy corn tortilla chips topped with melted cheese, jalapenos, and lettuce, to just under $10 for those topped with grilled chicken, steak, or ground beef, with black beans and guacamole, each arrives on a huge platter. For something different try the Mexican pizza; a large crispy

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• 9. 2.2021

flour tortilla covered with refried beans, ground beef, onions, green peppers, tomatoes, mushrooms, and cheese. In places like this, salads are often more of an afterthought, but Quates offers numerous substantial choices, from an avocado salad accompanied by either steak or fried pork chunks, to a quartet of taco salads. Speaking of tacos, at Quates they come a la carte, or in pairs (continuing with the friends’ theme) in combos that include a side of yellow rice and refried beans. The protein selections are classics, shrimp, tongue, carne al pastor, ground beef, grilled chicken or steak, as well as a vegetarian version. Fajitas, enchiladas, burritos and quesadillas round out the usual suspect entrees. However, the real joy is to be had with the home-cooked style dishes such as palomilla, a pounded sirloin steak topped with chopped onions, and parsley served with churrasco (grilled skirt steak), or the delight I was lucky enough to order; top sirloin and a cheese enchilada. The steak arrived cooked to a perfect medium-rare as I ordered, with a soft and gooey cheese enchilada in a piquant verde sauce. Entrees are served with either white or yellow rice, black beans or refried beans, and often, fried plantains. Our friend Sumner raved about his masas de cerdo, which showcased chunks of pork marinated with garlic sauce, then deep-fried and topped with sauteed onions (usually this dish is served with raw onions). My buddy Milly thoroughly enjoyed her camarones en salsa shrimp cooked in Quates’ salsa criolla, while my hubby loved the veggie burro, a large flour tortilla stuffed with sauteed onions,

mushrooms, tomatoes, green/red peppers, topped with salsa verde and Monterey cheese. I can’t wait to go back to try such yummy sounding dishes as pollo a la plancha (boneless chicken breast), picadillo (seasoned ground beef cooked with olives, onions, and peppers) and, of course, ropa vieja, (shredded beef, slow-cooked to perfection). There is a wide selection of Latin American sodas and a few cocktails. My strawberry daiquiri was listed as $6.50 on the menu, but I was charged $8.25, the same as a margarita. It was so large that I could barely finish it, so I didn’t complain. Dessert options include Tres leches cake, flan, and fried ice cream, but we were too stuffed to even consider a dessert then. Although we did head over to Wilton Creamery later that night — can’t let a cheat day go to waste, even if it does go to the waist.

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KEEPING ABREAST OF THE TIMES The mountain lodge-themed sports chain Twin Peaks, which takes the objectification of women to a whole new level, has opened practically next door to Hooters. The Texas-based chain has gone into the space formerly occupied by Bistreaux, 400 North on Andrews… Thuan Lam, best known for creating Phat Boy Sushi, will open a new spot near the end of the year in a building on Progresso Drive. It will feature Japanese-Latin fusion small plates. An “old school” New York-style deli, with a website that promises, “no bearded hipster baristas here,” Mitch’s Downtown Bagel Café, will open in the fall in hipster central, Flagler Village at 540 N. Andrews Ave.

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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.

FDOT RECOMMENDS OAKLAND PARK OVER WILTON MANORS FOR TRAIN STATION, HOSTING MEETINGS THIS WEEK Visit SFGN.com to read more.

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Classic episodes of “The Golden Girls” will be shown in movie theaters across the country in September. Credit: ABC Television.

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ARTSBEAT FILMS, FILMS, FILMS J.W. Arnold

PICTURE IT: YOUR LOCAL THEATER, 2021 If you’re like most gay men, you can quote nearly every one-liner from the seven-season run of “The Golden Girls.” More than three decades since the show’s premiere, reruns can still be found on several cable channels, but you’ve probably never seen Dorothy, Rose, Blanche and Sophia together on the silver screen. This month, Fathom Events presents “Forever Golden! A Celebration of the Golden Girls” at theaters across the region on Tuesday, Sept. 14 and Tuesday, Sept. 21 at 7 p.m. The two-hour screening features five classic episodes: “The Engagement,” “The Flu,” “The Way We Met,” “Ladies of the Evening” and “Grab That Dough.” You can even come dressed as your favorite Golden Girl and whip out those zingers with Sophia. Think of it as “Rocky Horror Picture Show” for the gays. Tickets for “Forever Golden! A Celebration of the Golden Girls” are $14 at FathomEvents.com.

AMERICAN GIGOLO IN CORAL GABLES After Hours at the Coral Gables Art Cinema, 260 Aragon Ave. in Coral Gables, presents the best films you never saw on the big screen (or maybe you did) from late-night cult classics to foreign favorites and even summer blockbusters on weekends. On Saturday, Sept. 11 at 9 p.m., catch “American Gigolo,” Paul Schrader’s 1980 feature that elevated Richard Gere to bona fide leading man and eventually People magazine’s Sexiest Man Alive. Just in case you need a reminder: High-living prostitute Julian Kay (Gere) has it all: the Mercedes, the clothes, access to Beverly Hills’ swankiest establishments, and a stable of rich, older female clients. But it all falls apart after he does a favor for his former pimp (Bill Duke) and the trick turns up dead. Julian’s actual client won’t give him an alibi and police detective Sunday (Hector Elizondo) doesn’t believe the gigolo’s denials. The one person who can help him is a frustrated politician’s wife Michelle (Lauren Hutton), if only Julian could let down his defenses and accept her gesture of love. Tickets are $11.75 ($5 for After Hours members) at GablesCinema.com.

OUTSHINE IS LIVE AT THE GATEWAY OUTshine LGBT Film Festival is back at the Gateway Cinema, 1820 E. Sunrise Blvd. in Fort Lauderdale, with “Everybody’s Talking About Jamie” on Saturday, Sept. 11 at 5 p.m. This stage play turned movie-musical from director Jonathan Butterell is the story of 16-year-old Jamie New, who doesn’t quite fit into his working-class British community. Instead of pursuing a traditional career, Jamie (Max Harwood) dreams of becoming a drag queen. Uncertain about his future, Jamie knows one thing for sure — he’s going to be a sensation. Supported by his loving mother and amazing friends, Jamie overcomes discrimination and bullying to step out of the darkness and into the spotlight. For more information and free tickets (donations accepted), go to OUTshineFilm.com.

• 9. 2.2021

A&E THEATER

ISLAND CITY STAGE OPENS 10TH SEASON WITH DRAMA, CONVERSATION

SAUNA • BY RONNIE LARSEN NOW PLAYING THRU SEPT 25TH

They come, they go. In and out. Men of all ages, races and body types and sexual orientations. Relaxing. Drying off. Cruising. Touching. It’s not legal to have sex in this particular sauna. Not in this one. But does that stop them? This is just a sauna in an ordinary gym but when you get a bunch of horny naked men squeezed together in a tight, hot and sweaty box, well things are bound to happen, right? But be careful. A guy was arrested here last week. But isn’t that part of the excitement? The danger? And who wants to play and who just wants to be left alone isn’t always clear at first. So be careful. But come on in.

J.W. Arnold

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954-826-8790 Mike Westrich, left, and Clay Cartland starred in Island City Stage’s inaugural production, “The Twentieth Century Way,” in 2012. Credit: Island City Stage.

sland City Stage, the LGBT-centric theater company in Wilton Manors, will open its 10th anniversary season in October with a revival of its first production, “The Twentieth Century Way” by Tom Jacobson. The period drama that launched the company’s award-winning run in 2012 recounts the true story of two actors who hired themselves out to the Long Beach Police Department in 1914 to entrap “social vagrants.” Thirty-one men were arrested and the ensuing scandal led to an ordinance against “oral sodomy” in California. Founding Artistic Director Andy Rogow noted that oral sex became more common following the invention of the zipper. “That’s what made it the ‘Twentieth Century Way,’” he said, adding that Island City has never remounted a production. “It represents everything the company is about — the history of LGBT community, the story has relevance and it’s theatrical and entertaining. There are two great acting roles.” Multiple Carbonell Award-winner Clay Cartland reprises his role as “Warren,” and newcomer Alfonso Vieites debuts as “Brown.” Tony-nominated director Michael Leeds is once again at the helm. “It’s going to be richer and deeper than the first time,” Rogow said. “First, we’re in a much bigger space [than Empire Stage, the company’s former home]. Michael Leeds has more room to be creative with the production and the design. Clay was new to the community … and

he’s more experienced and polished.” The policing issues the play broaches are just as relevant today as they were a decade or even a century ago. Prior to the opening, the company will host a free community forum, “Law Enforcement and the LGBT+ Community — Where are we today?” on Tuesday, Sept. 14 at 6 p.m. Rogow will moderate a panel discussion with Lt. Paul Auerbach of Broward Sheriff’s Office, Asst. Chief of Police Darren Brodsky of Wilton Manors Police Department, Capt. Michael Dodson of Fort Lauderdale Police Department, FAU Professor Emeritus and author Fred Fejes, Ph.D. and trans advocate Kat Rio. “We felt that we needed to create programs that weren’t necessarily about selling tickets, but that encouraged community discussion. We have to do more than plays, especially if we’re going to attract a broader audience,” Rogow said. The panel will explore issues of policing and the evolving relationship between law enforcement and the LGBT community, especially as more attention has focused on transgender and queer people of color. The forum is supported by Equality Florida and the GLBX Council of the Greater Fort Lauderdale Chamber of Commerce. “We hope that members of the community who might never come to a play might participate,” Rogow said. “This is an important conversation for all of us to have.”

Island City Stage, 2304 N. Dixie Hwy. in Wilton Manors, hosts “Law Enforcement and the LGBT+ Community — Where are we today?” on Tuesday, Sept. 14 at 6 p.m. Admission is free. “The Twentieth Century Way” runs Oct. 1 – 31. Tickets are $35 at IslandCityStage.org.

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LGBT CRITICS NAME TOP TV SHOWS AT DORIANS J.W. Arnold

“P

ose,” “I May Destroy You” and “Hacks” were among the big winners at GALECA: The Society of LGBTQ Entertainment Critics’ Dorian TV Awards, which were awarded Sunday night on Here TV and YouTube’s PlanetOut. West Coast radio personality and LGBT rights activist Karel hosted the pre-recorded special. FX’s “Pose” earned the Best Drama honor for the third year and its star, Mj Rodriguez, was presented with the LGBTQIA Trailblazer Award “for creating art that inspires, truth and equity.” In July, Rodriguez became the first transgender performer nominated for an Emmy in the lead drama category. In her interview segment, Rodriguez embraced her status as a role model: “There’s a generation behind me that needs to know what transness looks like,” she said. “I’m going to keep trying my best and instill hope.” Michaela Coel, creator and star of HBO Max’s “I May Destroy You,” shared the Best TV Performance accolade with Jean Smart, who led the cast in the streaming service’s Best Comedy Dorian winner, “Hacks.” “I May Destroy You” also won for Best TV Movie or Miniseries and Coel tied with Bowen Yang for the Wilde Wit Award, which recognizes a “performer, writer or commentator whose observations both challenge and amuse,” one of GALECA’s unique LGBT categories. The Best Supporting TV Performance trophy went to Kathryn Hahn for Disney+’s “WandaVision,” which picked up the prize for Most Visually Striking Show. Hahn also scored the award for Best TV Musical Performance for “Agatha All Along.” This was the first year for the association’s gender-neutral performance categories with 10 nominees each for Best TV Performance and Best Supporting TV Performance. Russell T Davies’ AIDS drama “It’s a Sin” on HBO Max was named Best LGBTQIA Series, FX on Hulu’s “Framing Britney Spears” won for Best Documentary and Hulu’s “Love, Victor” earned the prize for Best Unsung Show. Olivia Newton-John presented the

LGBT critics honored transgender actor Mj Rodriguez with a special award at the 2021 Dorians TV Toast. Credit: FX.

Campiest TV Show, with the Dorian going to the latest edition of the long-running “Eurovision Song Contest,” which aired in May on Peacock. Newton-John noted during the presentation that she placed fourth back in 1974. (ABBA won that year.) Showtime’s “ZIWE” was voted Best Current Affairs Program and “RuPaul’s Drag Race” won for Best Reality Show. Accepting the prize, season 13 contestant Kade Gottlieb — without the elaborate makeup and glitter of his drag persona Gottmik — attested to just how wild and real the VH1 phenomenon’s backstage drama unfolded. Host Karel was visibly affected during his second Dorian Awards. “To hear Russell T. Davies speak of the real, incurable virus looming — Trumpism — or to hear Michaela Jaé Rodriguez talk about how she learned so much about AIDS to get her character right, well, I’m so glad I can help produce and host a show that amplifies such important voices,” he said. “When Michael Cimino from ‘Love, Victor’ — our Best Unsung TV Show winner — calls the Dorians a ‘safe space,’ I nearly cried.” SFGN Arts & Entertainment Editor J.W. Arnold is a voting member of GALECA.

GALECA: The Society of LGBTQ Entertainment Critics’ “Dorians TV Toast 2021” is available to view on demand on the Here TV app, Here.tv, and the PlanetOut YouTube channel. 9. 2 . 20 21 •

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