local name global coverage January 13, 2016 vol. 7 // issue 2
s o u t h
f l o r i d a
g a y
n e w s
I don’t know where I’m going from here, but I promise it won’t be boring.
a star is lost throughout his career Gender Bender David Bowie Opened the minds of americans - Pages 14, 15
SOUTHFLORIDAGAYNEWS
SOFLAGAYNEWS
SFGN.COM
the openinG line Photos: Facebook.
wal-mart proposes addinG riverside reCreation easement For oakland park proJeCt kristofer storm –
Wish they would hurry up and get it built so those of us who can’t afford the more expensive stores won’t have to travel all day on public transit to get the items we need to live.
steven alan –
Recreation.... Oh I sure can’t wait to hang out behind. Walmart.
Comments from sFGn’s
online outlets
Compiled by John McDonald
porn aCtor Jasper roBinson Commits suiCide drake markos – It’s inappropriate for common decency for you to take a dig at his life choices after he has passed away. It’s inappropriate for you to claim to know that porn was the reason he chose to end his life. It’s inappropriate for you to believe that “another job” is superior to the one he had. Do you know if he was still doing porn? Or maybe he did it to get off the streets? Maybe he did it to put himself through school so he could get “another job.” Maybe he spent years being bullied and denied rights for being gay? Maybe he was depressed and always had been and it finally took its toll? No sir, what is inappropriate for Facebook is you playing morality police and shaming a dead man for choosing to engage in sex work for whatever reason. You are no better.
daniel nistal –
When the LGBT organizations are going to start addressing this issue of young, drugs and prostitution combo?
James morotti –
Has to be another job he could have done... Sad
Frank zurek –
Walmart should move to the old Pearl site so traffic will stay out of Wilton Manors.
FiJi prime minister tells Gay Couples to move to iCeland iF they want to Get married Jason dottley –
I’ve been to Fiji. It’s boring as fuck and not the beauty it’s portrayed to be. Go to Mallorca or Ibiza or the Canary Islands. Screw Fiji.
phillip Brownell –
The prime minister should move to Iceland and stay the hell out of other ppl’s personal business!
Frank Cotugno – MEMBER
There goes tourism. Gay people travel a lot. With all of the Fiji’s natural resources they do not need tourism money.
SouthFloridaGayNews.com
JANUARY 13, 2016 • VOLUME 7 • ISSUE 2 2520 N. DIXIE HIGHWAY • WILTON MANORS, FL 33305 PHONE: 954-530-4970 FAX: 954-530-7943
PUBLISHER • NORM KENT NORM.KENT@SFGN.COM
CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER • PIER ANGELO GUIDUGLI
ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER / EXECUTIVE EDITOR • JASON PARSLEY JASON.PARSLEY@SFGN.COM
Editorial
ART DIRECTOR • BRENDON LIES ARTWORK@SFGN.COM DESIGNER • CHARLES PRATT INTERNET DIRECTOR • DENNIS JOZEFOWICZ DENNIS.JOZEFOWICZ@SFGN.COM EDITORIAL ASSISTANT • JILLIAN MELERO JILLIANMELERO@GMAIL.COM ARTS/ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR • JW ARNOLD JW@PRDCONLINE.COM NEWS EDITOR • JOHN MCDONALD JOHN.MCDONALD@SFGN.COM FOOD/TRAVEL EDITOR • RICK KARLIN GAZETTE NEWS EDITOR • MICHAEL D'OLIVEIRA SENIOR PHOTOGRAPHER • J.R. DAVIS JRDAVIS12000@HOTMAIL.COM
Senior Features Correspondents
JESSE MONTEAGUDO • TONY ADAMS
Correspondents
DORI ZINN • ANDREA RICHARD • DONALD CAVANAUGH CHRISTIANA LILLY • DENISE ROYAL • SEAN MCSHEE ALEX ADAMS • GARY KRAMER • DAVID-ELIJAH NAHMOD
Contributing Columnists
BRIAN MCNAUGHT • DANA RUDOLPH • WAYNE BESEN RIC REILY • STEVE SILER • BIL BROWNING TERRI SCHLICHENMEYER
Associate Photographers
POMPANO BILL • STEVEN SHIRES
Sales & Marketing
DIRECTOR OF SALES & MARKETING • MIKE TROTTIER MIKE.TROTTIER@SFGN.COM SALES MANAGER • JUSTIN WYSE JUSTIN.WYSE@SFGN.COM ADVERTISING SALES ASSOCIATE • EDWIN NEIMANN EDWIN.NEIMANN@SFGN.COM ADVERTISING SALES ASSOCIATE • CINDY CURTIS CINDY.CURTIS@SFGN.COM ADVERTISING SALES ASSOCIATE • JIM ALBRIGHT JIM.ALBRIGHT@SFGN.COM SALES ASSISTANT • DEVON WOODS DEVON.WOODS@SFGN.COM DISTRIBUTION SERVICES • BRIAN SWINFORD NATIONAL ADVERTISING RIVENDELL MEDIA 212-242-6863 SALES@RIVENDELLMEDIA.COM ACCOUNTING SERVICES BY CG BOOKKEEPING PRINTING BY SUN COAST PRESS
Cover: David Bowie, legendary star, passed away this week at age 69.
MEMBER
SFGN WINNER of
MEMBER
• 01.13.2016
And runner-up for
NLGJA Journalist of the Year
Associated Press
2
& 3 FLORIDA PRESS CLUB Awards
MEMBER
South Florida Gay News is published weekly. The opinions expressed in columns, stories, and letters to the editor do not represent the opinions of SFGN, or the Publisher. You should not presume the sexual orientation of individuals based on their names or pictorial representations. Furthermore the word “gay” in SFGN should be interpreted to be inclusive of the entire LGBT community. All of the material/columns that appears in print and online, including articles used in conjunction with the AP, is protected under federal copyright and intellectual property laws, and is jealously guarded by the newspaper. Nothing published may be reprinted in whole or part without getting written consent from the Publisher, at his law office, at Norm@NormKent.com. SFGN, as a private corporation, reserves the right to enforce its own standards regarding the suitability of advertising copy, illustrations and photographs. Copyright © 2015 South Florida Gay News.com, Inc.
news highlight
Chinese Firm Buys Grindr John McDonald
Over 1,000 SQ FT. GLASSROOM!
LARGEST SELECTION
HOOKAHS • SHISHA • ROLLING PAPERS • VAPORIZERS • ELECTRIC CIGARETTES • ELIQUIDS • ZIPPOS • TOBACCO ACCESSORIES
DIESEL • LEFT COAST • MEDICALI • ROOR • GRAV LABS • SILIKA • PULSE • TSUNAMI & MORE!
T
he Chinese are hooked on Grindr. The notorious gay hook-up app, which has suffered a brutal string of bad press while racking up copious amounts of user information, is soon to become majority owned by a Chinese investment firm. Beijing Kunlun Tech Co. is buying a 60 percent stake in Los Angeles-based Grindr, the companies announced Tuesday. Grindr, which caters to gay and bisexual men, says it has built up its base of more than two million daily users in 196 countries without taking money from outside investors. But now it’s turning to China to step up its expansion. “We have taken this investment in our company to accelerate our growth,” Grindr’s founder and chief executive, Joel Simkhai, said in a blog post. Beijing Kunlun, one of China’s largest game developers, said it was paying $93 million for the majority stake in Grindr, which launched in 2009. In a statement, the Chinese company said the investment would improve its strategic position. But it remained vague about its plans for Grindr in China, the world’s most populous country. “We will grow in the U.S. first, but we also can see our future as a global platform including China,” said Sophie Chen, a spokeswoman for Beijing Kunlun. The app is accessible in China, but its availability has been intermittent in the past, with users complaining of access problems in some cities. The main player in the Chinese market for gay dating apps is the homegrown Blued, which was started in 2013 by Geng Le, a former police officer. Geng, who says his app draws around 3 million daily users, welcomed Beijing Kunlun’s investment in Grindr. “It shows the Chinese capital market’s acceptance of LGBT social networks and their huge potential,” he said. “And it may make us rethink our strategy by considering going public in the Chinese
PEACE PIPE
LOWEST PRICES • LARGEST SELECTION GUARANTEED • YOUR ONE STOP SHOP FOR ALL YOUR VAPOR NEEDS!
INCENSE + CANDLES + TAPESTRIES • ASHTRAYS • TORCH LIGHTERS • FLASKS • BODY JEWELRY • GAMES • ROLLING TOBACCO • POSTERS • STATUES • FIGURINES • T-SHIRTS • LOTS MORE!
stock market instead of overseas ones.” Lu Xun, of San Francisco based Community Marketing & Insights, Inc. estimates there are 70 million LGBT people in China. The Chinese government decriminalized homosexuality in 1997 and removed it from a list of mental illnesses in 2001 yet propaganda and culture officials often take a conservative line, removing gay-themed TV shows from the Internet and allowing homophobic sex education textbooks. In a presentation at the Fort Lauderdale Beach Westin Resort last month, Lu revealed results from a survey showing LGBT mobile apps are the most effective means of communication for the LGBT population in China. The government hasn’t objected to gay dating apps as long as they stick to its Internet rules that restrict the dissemination of pornography and politically sensitive information. Investors appeared to welcome Beijing Kunlun’s move for Grindr, driving the Chinese company’s stock in Shenzhen up 10 percent on Tuesday to its maximum daily limit. Founded in 2008, Beijing Kunlun is barely older than Grindr. It went public last year and employs more than 1,000 people, according to its website. In the U.S., Grindr is often associated with stories such as closeted anti-gay politicians; robberies or sexually transmitted diseases. The app has long been a punchline for comedians, such as Conan O’Brien who created his own profile to explore the gay scene during a bit on his late night talk show.
OPEN MON - SAT: 10AM - 9PM • SUN: 12 - 6 PM EVERYTHING YOU NEED! MORE THAN YOU EXPECT! The Best Since 1996
954-267-9005
15 Minutes From The Beach or I-95 754-779-7007
4800 N. DIXIE HIGHWAY, FORT LAUDERDALE JUST SOUTH OF COMMERCIAL BLVD
Two Locations!
FACEBOOK.COM/PEACEPIPEFL
821 N. FEDERAL HWY., FORT LAUDERDALE JUST SOUTH OF SEARS TOWN NEXT TO CUBBY HOLE @PEACEPIPEFORTLAUDERDALE
Additional reporting provided by CNN’s Jethro Mullen and Steven Jiang.
01.13.2016 •
3
Submitted photo.
news local
Ballz is Not A Strip Club The new sports bar features football
John McDonald
A
new bar on Wilton Drive is battling misconceptions as to its theme. Ballz Bar opened for business just after New Year’s with more than 1,300 people attending the celebration. The bar, occupying the same space once known as Sidelines, fancies itself a “sports bar with a kick.” “The core of the business is a sports bar,” said owner Sean David in an interview with SFGN from the bar’s outside patio area adorned by palm trees, metal lockers and colorful murals of athletes. David said because the opening festivities featured shirtless bartenders, muscled men in wrestling trunks and dainty cheerleaders, it left some with the impression Ballz intends to operate as a strip club. Not so said David. “We wanted to create excitement with the grand opening like celebrations should be,” David said. “We’re taking a space, upgrading
it, making it fresh and modern for people who enjoy sports to come and have a good time.” David though has owned other gay male strip clubs in the past including Le Boy in Fort Lauderdale, which may have led some to assume Ballz would also be a strip club. Making nightlife memorable is David’s expertise. He arrived in South Florida from Israel as a 22-year-old photographer and through two decades has built a successful career in bar management. “You must have passion and love what you do,” David said. “The satisfaction comes from seeing people enjoying themselves and having a good time.” David said Ballz plans to host live bands and special events to coincide with championship sporting games and is already reaching out to local leagues. Teams or leagues seeking sponsorships should contact David.
What: Ballz Bar Where: 2031 Wilton Drive, Wilton Manors Hours: Open seven days a week at 2p.m. (4 p.m. Mondays) There is no door charge. More Info: 954-368-5094 or www.ballzbar.com
Scandals Owner Fights Judgment in Court Jason Parsley
D
id the owner of Scandals, Ken Kelley, know that his bar was being sued for tens of thousands of dollars? According to what he told SFGN last week, yes he did. But that’s not the same story he and his lawyer have been telling in court. “At the time of the incident in 2011, The Stable, which ceased operations August 1, 2015, contacted local authorities and Broward County Sheriff’s deputies responded. After their investigation, they determined the allegations by Dinsmore were not warranted and no further action was taken on their part,” Kelley wrote in an email to SFGN. “Dinsmore proceeded with a lawsuit against The Stable. Along with Broward County Sherriff’s deputies, I determined the incident was a non-issue and elected to not defend the case. End of story.” Come to find out that isn’t the end of the story by a long shot. While Kelley insisted this is a “non-issue,” it turns out, according to documents filed last month, it’s a big issue. In December a jury awarded $39,787 to Jeffrey Dinsmore, a patron at the now closed Stable Bar in Oakland Park, which was owned by Scandals. Because Kelley did not defend against the lawsuit the plaintiff, Dinsmore, automatically won. Now Kelley is telling the court he had no knowledge of the lawsuit and wasn’t properly notified, a story that is decidedly different than the one he told SFGN. In the case, Dinsmore had alleged he was injured in 2011, when Ray Alley, a bouncer
in the bar, violently threw him to the ground causing a concussion. Due to his injuries Dinsmore was out of work for over three months. Lawyers for both sides went back and forth until early last year, when Kelley’s law firm asked to withdraw, claiming they had “irreconcilable differences” with the Scandal’s owner. The court ordered Kelley to find new counsel. When Kelley failed to comply with the judicial directive, Judge Rodriguez-Powell entered a default judgment against Scandals on the merits of the claim. A jury was then called to determine damages. It reached its verdict on Nov. 5. Kelley was then subpoenaed in for post trial depositions filed by the plaintiff in December to try to collect on the judgment. Now he’s in court desperately trying to overturn the verdict. His lawyers argued in a ten-page memorandum that he had no knowledge that his pleadings on the case were being struck. They also argued the plaintiff’s lawyer failed to notify them about a required mediation conference, and that “it was the defendant’s intention to attend a mediation conference in an attempt to resolve the case,” and the plaintiff “did not contact by any means of communication Kenneth Kelley, to discuss any of the issues raised.” But that’s not what Kelley told SFGN. As mentioned above he wrote, “I determined the incident was a non-issue and elected to not defend the case.”
Editor’s Note: In last week’s edition, SFGN inadvertently published a picture of a Scandals bartender, instead of Ken Kelley. We apologize for the error. See updated news story on page 22. 4
• 01.13.2016
news local
Reverend Grant Ford.
Luigi Ferrer
Photo: Facebook.
Pompano Bill.
Florida Youth Pride Coalition’s Annual Gala on Jan. 23 Denise Royal
Event will honor 9 folks who make a difference
F
lorida Youth Pride Coalition holds its annual Icon on about my son but I am so honored and humbled. This is Awards Gala on Saturday Jan. 23. This year’s theme is why I am assisting the youth organization because I know Celebrate Unity and the event will honor nine people what he went through. If I can help just one person, I am who make a difference in the community, including youth happy and fulfilled.” and adults. This year’s Spiritual Leadership Award goes to the They come from diverse backgrounds and in their Reverend Grant Ford. Thirty years ago, Ford became pastor own way each has contributed greatly to of Florida’s MCC Fort Lauderdale, which later improving the world around them. became Sunshine Cathedral and went on to “We have an amazing group on honorees become the MCC’s largest congregation. this year,” says William Falce, of the Florida He ultimately served as dean of the cathedral Youth Pride Coalition. “Both the adult until 2008. During which time Sunshine group and the younger group have made a Cathedral helped to serve the community real impact in our state.” with its many religious, educational and Georgia Foster will receive this year’s Ally social programs, as well as through its Award. Webster’s Dictionary defines foster derivative organizations, Light University and as to care for or cherish. When it comes to SunServe. When he left Sunshine Cathedral, caring for people with HIV/AIDS, Georgia Grant moved to Jacksonville where he became lives up to her surname. lead pastor of the Odyssey Church. Prior to In 1990 she co-founded a nonprofit becoming such an influential figure in South organization that provided housing for Florida, Ford help organize fundraisers in people with HIV. Foster began her nonprofit Chicago to help fight the Anita Bryant-back - Georgia work following the death of her HIV positive gay referendum in Miami-Dade County. Foster son Gerry. Proving you can triumph over “Broward County will always have a special tragedy, Foster named it “Think Life” to place in my heart,” Reverend Ford said. “Being inspire those with HIV/AIDS to think about honored by a new generation is very special to living, not dying. The group also opened a childcare center me. It makes everything worthwhile.” in Broward County for the families of those who are HIV Luigi Ferrer is another honoree. He is a bisexual HIV/ positive. In addition, she began a transportation program AIDS activist who currently works as Program Director that included 2 passenger vehicles and 4 passenger buses. and Director of HIV Services at Pridelines Youth Services; “Being honored with this year’s Ally Award is one of the Vice President of BiNet USA, a national bisexual advocacy most awesome things that has happened to me having organization; a member of the National Bisexual Leadership raised a son who was an intelligent, religious young man Roundtable; and Board member of the Unitarian Universalist who was gay…” Georgia Foster told SFGN. “I could go on and Congregation of Miami.
“If I can help just one person, I am happy and fulfilled.”
John William Calcaterra is better known around South Florida as Pompano Bill. He is best known for as a popular photographer who’s taken pictures at countless events around South Florida. His photos have been published in magazines such as SFGN, Scoop, Outlook, 411, Buzz and Hotspots. Community advocate Miss Vicky Keller is another of this year’s honorees. As a straight ally in the gay community, Keller’s accomplishments are plentiful. Over the past three decades her work includes serving on the board of Pride South Florida, but being one of the founders of the county’s first AIDS agency, Center One. A member of SAGE since 1993, Keller has also served as the Regional Director of the International Association of Lesbian and Gay Pride, founded Womynsong: Lesbian Chorus. Last year, Keller learned how much she is revered by the community when her financial struggles came to light – and a GoFundMe page was created and raised more than $9,000 to help. Other 2015 Icon Honorees include Lindsy (Sitca) Campbell, Jasmine Chandler, Mariah Rivera, and Elijah Alexis-Range. The Annual Icon Awards Gala takes place Saturday, Jan. 23 from 7 p.m. ¬– 11 p.m. at Signature Grand, 6900 West State Road 84, Davie. The Afterhours party is from 11 p.m. – 3 a.m. at Stonewall National Museum, 2157 Wilton Drive, Wilton Manors.
Tickets can be purchased online at FloridaYouthPride.org or by calling 954-8421008. For more information visit Facebook.com/ FloridaYouthPrideCoalition. 01.13.2016 •
5
Compiled by Jillian Melero
ohio secretary of state sued over delay on drug pricing initiative (AHF) A lawsuit was filed in the Supreme Court of Ohio (Case # 2016-20) late Wednesday afternoon against Ohio Secretary of State John Husted over, Husted’s, “... failure to fulfill his clear statutory obligation to certify and transmit a proposed initiative. The lawsuit came about in response to Secretary Husted’s unprecedented actions—or lack thereof—regarding The Ohio Drug Price Relief Act , a citizen driven ballot initiative that will revise Ohio law to require state programs pay the same or less for prescription medications as the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. V.A. pricing is generally believed to be 20% to 24% lower than for almost any other government program. Backers of the initiative, who intend to have it appear on Ohio’s November 2016 presidential election ballot, submitted 116,015 voter signatures, far more than the 91,677 needed to qualify the initiative. As of late last week, local election officials Ohio’s 88 counties had certified their respective signatures, and backers were eagerly awaiting the formality of the Secretary’s official certification of signatures and his subsequent transmission of the
E
x-Sen. George Mitchell to Lead NYC St. Patrick’s Day Parade
(EDGE) A former U.S. Senate majority leader who helped broker peace negotiations in Northern Ireland has been picked to lead New York City’s St. Patrick’s Day Parade. George Mitchell tells the New York Times on Monday (http:// nyti.ms/1RhRrNm ) he agreed to serve as grand marshal after being assured gay and lesbian groups’ issues “had been fully resolved.” Last year the parade ended its controversial ban on permitting such groups and a gay delegation from parade sponsor NBCUniversal participated. A second group, The Lavender & Green Alliance, will participate this year on March 17. Mayor Bill de Blasio (dih BLAH’-zee-oh) didn’t march last year, saying including one group wasn’t open enough. Mitchell, an 82-year-old Democrat, led negotiations in Northern Ireland from 1995 to 2001 that eventually lead to the Good Friday Agreement. George Mitchell
6
• 01.13.2016
proposed [initiative] language to Ohio’s General [Assembly] for its review and possible legislative action. The proposed initiative language should have been transmitted to the General Assembly Monday, January 4th, the opening day of the 2016 legislative session, for its consideration. However, in a move that served as catalyst for this lawsuit, Secretary Husted failed to transmit the initiative to the Assembly and instead returned the signature petitions to local election officials in all 88 counties, issuing a directive instructing them to, “... recertify their findings to the Secretary of State’s Office no later than January 29, 2016.” Secretary of State Husted’s actions came after a formal complaint about the initiative’s signature gathering and certification process was filed December 30th by attorneys representing the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufactuers of America (PhRMA), the drug industry’s powerful and deep-pocketed trade group. Since 1999, Bricker & Eckler LLC, PhRMA’s law firm, has regularly contributed to Secretary Husted’s various political campaigns.
N
ew Army Website Will Assist LGBT Discharged Vets
(AVERUSA) The US Army has created a website to establish online assistance in applying for discharge upgrades. An upgrade of a discharge classification for a veteran could mean access to benefits that were previously denied by the veteran’s other than honorable status, including disability compensation, separation pay, and education benefits under the GI Bill. The Army Review Boards Agency (ARBA) “reviews discharges of former soldiers, except those given by reason of a sentence of a General Court Martial or over 15 years since discharge. The purpose of the review is to determine if the discharge was granted in a proper manner, i.e. in accordance with regulatory procedures in effect at the time, and that it was equitable, i.e. giving consideration to current policy, mitigating facts, and the total record.” According to the New York Times, “a 2011 Obama administration policy generally grants an honorable discharge to any veteran who was kicked out for homosexuality unless there were ‘aggravating’ factors, such as misconduct. Records from the Department of Defense show 80 percent of the nearly 500 requests submitted since 2011 received an upgrade.” In 2014, Stars and Stripes quoted AVER spokesman Denny Meyer, saying “LGBT veterans who served and sacrificed in silence during World War II, Korea, and Vietnam, as well as those who served before and during ‘Don’t Ask Don’t Tell’ in the Gulf War, Iraq, and Afghanistan, deserve to see their service recognized and honored at long last.” You can visit the Army Discharge Review Board at: http://arba. army.pentagon.mil/adrb-overview.cfm
G
roup Urges Gay Marriage Supporters to Attend Meetings
(AP) Members of the Tennessee Equality Project are urging those who support gay marriage to attend upcoming county commission meetings in East Tennessee. Equality Project Director Chris Sanders told the Johnson City Press (bit.ly/1O7inMe) that the organization is trying to organize groups to present dissenting opinions at meetings in Carter County and Unicoi County. Officials in both places are expected to consider resolutions later this month that call for state lawmakers to recognize marriage as being between only one man and one woman. Some other counties in East Tennessee have passed similar measures since the U.S. Supreme Court ruled over the summer that states had to recognize same-sex marriages.
01.13.2016 •
7
Compiled by Jillian Melero
Continued
mormon leader: policy against Gay marriage was word from God (AP) A high-ranking Mormon leader says the church policy against same-sex marriage was a revelation from God. Apostle Russell M. Nelson, head of the religion’s governing body and next in line for the Mormon presidency, said in a worldwide speech Sunday that Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints President Thomas S. Monson received instructions regarding same-sex couples directly from God. Nelson said that led the church to consider gay
marriage a sin worthy of expulsion and forbid children of such couples from becoming members of the church. Those children can become Mormons once they are 18 if they renounce samesex marriage. Nelson, a 91-year-old apostle, described how church leaders arrived at the decisions during a live-streamed speech from the campus of churchowned Brigham Young University-Hawaii.
L
ambda Legal Mourns the Passing of Former NY Chief Judge Judith Kaye
(LAMBDALegal) Judith Kaye, the first woman to sit on and to serve as chief judge of the New York Court of Appeals, passed away last Thursday. Kaye served as the chief judge for the state’s highest court from 1983 to 2008; during her tenure she was a strong and wise voice on LGBT issues. Susan Sommer, Lambda Legal’s Director of Constitutional Litigation, issued the following statement: “We mourn the loss of Chief Judge Kaye, a powerful jurist who recognized the need of LGBT New Yorkers and many others for equality and dignity under the law. She was a prescient voice for where New York -- and the nation -- should have been on such issues as marriage equality and the rights of same-sex parents and their children, taking positions in cases like Hernandez v. Roblesthat presaged the U.S. Supreme Court’s later rulings in constitutional landmarks. We honor her as a jurist and champion of human rights, and express our deepest condolences on her loss. “We are saddened at the passing of this judicial icon. During her over 25 years on the bench, she set a high standard for justice. Our thoughts and condolences are with her
8
• 01.13.2016
family and loved ones. We have lost a great trailblazer, but we will honor her memory by continuing to work for equality.” Judith Kaye.
news Briefs
(AP) A Reno commercial depicting two women getting engaged has been playing on local TV stations and in movie theaters and drawing little backlash, according to the jeweler who sought the advertisement. “If anything, it was a risk on me being a small business in Nevada,” BVW owner Britten Wolf said. “I love our state but you don’t know how that’s going to hit people here. Being a small business, it takes a few people here and there and you could have some adverse effects.” Still, Wolf was afraid his company might get blacklisted from industry events. So far, a small number of complaints have been from women who saw the ad on TV, he told the Reno Gazette-Journal (http://on.rgj. com/1OaeGmQ ). The ad mostly airs during commercial breaks during broadcasts of Ellen DeGeneres’ talk show. The commercial shows a same-sex couple riding through Reno in a Mercedes-Benz. Then one woman proposes to another on the Crystal Peak Toll Bridge overlooking the Truckee River. Jeromy Manke, president of a Reno group advocating for LGBT awareness in northern Nevada, said ads like that can help encourage acceptance. The company is part of a growing trend of companies, including Target and IKEA, recognizing the purchasing power of the gay and lesbian community. A National Gay & Lesbian Chamber of Commerce report released in June 2015 estimates the combined buying power of the LGBT population to be worth more than $880 billion. According to the Pew Research Center, 35 percent of Americans opposed same-sex marriage in 2001. Today, 55 percent support it.
Photo: Reno Jewelers.
R
eno Jeweler’s Commercial Features Same-Sex Couple
B
Continued
ill Aims to Replace Indiana’s Religious Objections Law
(AP) Indiana lawmakers will consider a proposal that would throw out the state’s contentious religious objections law and replace it with a statute its sponsor says aims to protect six fundamental rights. It is unclear how much support the bill might garner as legislators face a debate over a push to extend LGBT civil rights protections following last spring’s uproar over whether the religious objections law would permit discrimination against gays and lesbians. Under the new bill, state government and courts would give “the greatest deference” on six issues: the state constitutional rights to worship, religion, exercise of religion, speech, assembly and bear arms. Bill sponsor Sen. Michael Young, a Republican from Indianapolis, said the religious objections law became too convoluted and should be replaced by recognizing the importance of multiple rights. “We want those protected at the highest standard,” Young said. “It protects our freedom.” Advocates of civil rights protections for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people maintain that Young’s bill is aimed at derailing their push. Peter Hanscom, of the business-backed pro-LGBT group Indiana Competes, said the proposal isn’t a solution for concerns that the Legislature was legally permitting discrimination. “Let’s not address this by creating, potentially, another problem,” Hanscom told WISH-TV. Indiana University law professor Robert Katz, who testified against adoption of the religious objections law last year, questioned why the bill would enshrine only six of 37 sections of the state Constitution’s Bill of Rights - including several religious rights - and leave out others, such as the right to equal privileges and immunities. “It would effectively amend the Indiana Bill of Rights to create a two-tiered system of rights,” Katz told The Indianapolis Star.
HOMEOWNERS
HURRICANE
FLOOD
FREE Policy Review FREE Quotes Fast and Courteous Call or Come In Today
954.522.3800 www.PallantInsurance.com 1800 N.E. 26th Street Fort Lauderdale, FL 33305 01.13.2016 •
9
Compiled by Jillian Melero
Continued
trans activist michaela mendelsohn Joins Board of trevor project (EDGE) After competing in the Ms. Senior California Pageant and serving as a consultant to Jenji Kohan in the development of Laverne Cox’s character on “Orange is the New Black,” most people would be content to rest on their laurels. But not Michaeala Mendelsohn. This beauty dove right in to the important work of keeping our LGBT youth safe, becoming the first transgender board member of The Trevor Project. And it wasn’t just for show; this Southern Californian parent of three grown children (plus a two-year-old son with her partner Carmel) recently accepted a position with Trevor, and is on three standing committees there: Finance, Programming and Board
B
ears of South Florida give back to the Community
Submitted photo.
(BOSFL) At the recent Bears of South Florida annual holiday dinner held in the Pride Center, over 100 BOSFL members and guests gathered to celebrate the holiday season and donate to other local LGBT nonprofit organizations. This year the Bears of South Florida donated to four local groups, including, Island City Stage, the Pride Center at Equality Park, the Gay Men’s Chorus of South Florida and the Food Pantry of Broward Country.
10
• 01.13.2016
Development. She brings with her the experience gained as a businesswoman with over 40 years of entrepreneurial leadership experience, currently serving as the CEO of Pollo West Corp, one of the largest franchisees for El Pollo Loco restaurant in the Western Region of the United States. Mendelsohn also part of their Southern Initiative, studying ways to introduce The Trevor Project’s services in the South, where the cultural and religious divide is a major barrier. Mendelsohn also works with the California Trans Workplace Project, forming a coalition with several other organizations, to promote transgender employment opportunities.
The Bears of South Florida also collected Teddy Bears, in collaboration with the Gay Men’s Chorus of South Florida, for distribution to kids in the hospital thru the Broward County Pediatric Auxiliary. Throughout the year, BOSFL holds fundraising events and donates the net proceeds to benefit local LGBT and ally organizations. For more information, visit BOSFL.Org or contact Harvey Shapiro, Director at 740.504.4050
County Resumes Issuing Alabama Gay-Marriage Licenses
Officials in Alabama’s Mobile County say marriage license operations have resumed despite an order from state Supreme Court Chief Justice Roy Moore saying judges have a “ministerial duty” not to issue licenses to gay couples. After Moore issued the order Wednesday, several probate judges suspended license operations for all couples and sought guidance. Mobile County Probate Court Chief Clerk Joe McEarchern Jr. said the county’s marriage license window reopened Friday morning “based on further review of what the law is.” Madison and Lawrence counties had also suspended marriage license operations, but resumed Thursday after getting advice from legal counsel. Moore has denied that he is defying the U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling last June effectively legalizing gay marriage nationwide. He said he’s simply trying to address confusion over conflicting orders between state and federal courts.
H
igh Court Rejects Appeal over Same-Sex Parental Rights
(AP) The Supreme Court won’t hear an appeal from a woman who claims Florida’s previous ban on same-sex marriage deprived her of the same parenting rights as married couples. The justices on Monday let stand a lower court ruling that said Peggy Willis had no parental rights to a child conceived by her former partner. Willis and Anne Marie Mobley were in an 11-year relationship, but never married. They agreed to raise a child together, and Mobley gave birth after being inseminated with donor semen purchased over the Internet. The relationship ended when the child turned one. A Florida state court threw out Willis’ claim to parental rights. Willis said the ruling violated her constitutional rights because the Supreme Court last year overturned state bans on same-sex marriage.
local Briefs
averhill Protects LGBT Town Employees
(PBCHRC) Following up on an LGBTinclusive resolution supporting freedom from discrimination adopted last year by the Haverhill Town Council, the Town has updated its Equal Employment Opportunity and Anti-Harassment Policies to include “sexual orientation” and “gender identity or expression”. The 2015 resolution and this year’s policy changes were requested by the Palm Beach County Human Rights Council, a local nonprofit organization which is dedicated to ending discrimination based on sexual orientation, gender identity and gender expression. The organization is responsible for the enactment of more than 100 gay rights laws and policies in Palm Beach County. Haverhill, one of Palm Beach [County’s] smallest municipalities, has less than 2,000 residents. “Haverhill is a great town with a diverse
D
Photo: Facebook.
H
Continued
community,” said Vice Mayor Lawrence Gordon. “The policy changes let our employees know that Haverhill has taken to ensure that all Town employees are treated equally. “There are neither federal nor state laws which prohibit discrimination against LGBT employees and job applicants,” said retired judge Rand Hoch, President and Founder of the Palm Beach County Human Rights Council. “Nor is there any likelihood that such laws will be enacted this year.” “Until the U.S. Congress or the Florida Legislature take action, local LGBT advocacy organizations such as Palm Beach County Human Rights Council must continue to work with county and municipal leaders to protect our community from discrimination,” said Charlie Fredrickson, a 30 year town resident who urged the Town Council to make the policy changes.
rawbridge Repairs to Shut Down Andrews Ave.
(HBMD) The Highway and Bridge Maintenance Division (HBMD) will be performing minor repairs on the S. Andrews Avenue Drawbridge over the New River, south of E Las Olas Boulevard in Fort Lauderdale. Work is scheduled to begin Sunday, January 17, 2016 and will conclude on or before Thursday, January 21, 2016, barring any unforeseen conditions or weather delays. The purpose of this project is to perform minor repairs to the bridge. Construction activities include repairs to the deck grating and the resistance barrier. The affected area includes S. Andrews Avenue, in both directions, between E Las Olas Boulevard and SW 5th Street.
COMMUTERS NOTES: • S. Andrews Avenue will be closed to vehicular traffic between SW 5th Street and E Las Olas Boulevard during the working hours of 9 p.m. to 6 a.m. Sunday through Thursday • Traffic will be detoured onto the SE 3rd Avenue via E Las Olas Boulevard and SE 7th Street • SW 4th/7th Avenue and US-1 should be considered as alternates to avoid delays For more information, contact Project Manager Harry Diaz at 954-577-4631 or 954931-9067 or by email at hadiaz@broward. org. You may also call the Highway and Bridge Maintenance Division at 954-3576040.
A larger map of the work area can be found at http://www.broward.org/Streets/Pages/Default.aspx 01.13.2016 •
11
lgbtqia bites
l
lesbian
lesBian pioneer Jeanne Cordova dead at 67
(EDGE) Lesbian feminist activist Jeanne Cordova died at 4:30 a.m. on Monday, January 11 in her Los Angeles home. According to Frontiers, her spouse, Lynn Ballen and friend Jenny Pizer, Doreena Wong and Dina Evans from Arizona were with her when she passed. “She was home with loved ones, and her close friend Dina Evans, who some people might remember here at Dina Bachelor Evans, was on the phone with her. She is a spiritual teacher and therapist and helped Jeanne during the dying process friend,” said Jenny Pizer. Last September, Cordova sent an open letter to the community telling them that she was dying of metastasized brain cancer in her cerebellum. She bequeathed $2M to the Astraea Lesbian Foundation for Justice, and sent her thanks to those who loved and moved her. In the letter, Cordova wrote, “Being an organizer and journalist in the lesbian, gay, feminist, and women of color communities
12
• 01.13.2016
Compiled by Jillian Melero
-- and loving it -- has been the focal point, of my life. It has been a wild joyous ride. I feel more than adequately thanked by the many awards I have received from all the queer communities, and through all the descriptions and quotes in history books that have documented my role as an organizer, publisher, speaker, and author. Thanks to all of you who have given me a place in our history.” Cordova was a founder of the West Coast LGBTQ movement, and [a] Lammy Award-winning author of her memoir, “When We Were Outlaws: A Memoir of Love and Revolution.” She organized four key lesbian conferences in the ‘70s, and was a delegate to the first National Women’s Conference, helped [found] the Gay and Lesbian Caucus of the Democratic Party, and published the Community Yellow Pages in the ‘80s and ‘90s. More recently, she organized and chaired the West Coast Butch Voices Los Angeles 2010 Conference.
Bisexual
B
‘hunGer Games’ star uses CominG out as BiseXual to promote #BlaCkGirlmaGiC (CNN) You might remember actress Amandla Stenberg from her ill-fated role in the first “Hunger Games” film as Jennifer Lawrence’s endearing sidekick, Rue. The 17-year is stepping out of the franchise’s shadow and using her star power to inspire other black women to embrace their identity. Stenberg came out as bisexual in a Thursday Snapchat video for Teen Vogue. Stenberg is the subject of the magazine’s February cover story, written by entertainer Solange Knowles about her budding career in social justice activism. A sneak peek on Teen Vogue’s website is titled “How Our February Cover Star Amandla Stenberg Learned to Love Her Blackness.” “It’s a really, really hard thing to be silenced, and it’s deeply bruising to fight against your identity and to mold yourself into shapes that you just shouldn’t be in. As someone who identifies as a black bisexual woman, I’ve been through it and it hurts and
it’s awkward and it’s uncomfortable,” Stenberg said, gazing into the camera “Then I realized because of Solange and (director) Ava DuVernay and Willow (Smith) and all the black girls watching this right now, that there’s absolutely nothing to change. We cannot be suppressed. We are meant to express our joy and our love and our tears and be big and bold and definitely not easy to swallow.” Her revelation comes at a moment when messages of black female empowerment are permeating pop culture. Essence magazine this week released three covers for the February issue celebrating #BlackGirlMagic, the term used on social media to celebrate black women’s achievements. The different covers feature “Chi-raq” actress Teyonah Parris, Yara Shahidi of the ABC sitcom “black-ish” and social justice activist Johnetta “Netta” Elzie as part of the magazine’s focus on emerging stars “shaping our future.”
continued
t
transgender
new enGland sports teams support transGender proteCtions in ma (FreedomMassachusetts) New England’s professional sports teams announced their support for legislation currently before the state legislature that would provide explicit protections from discrimination in public places for transgender people in Massachusetts. The New England Patriots, New England Revolution, Boston Celtics, Boston Bruins, and TD Garden join the Boston Red Sox which announced its support of the bill in November. In all, nearly 200 businesses and organizations across Massachusetts now stand in support of the legislation. “The ever expanding support of these major business and cultural institutions signals how mainstream and widely accepted the need for this critical legislation has become,”said Kasey Suffredini, Co-Chair of the Freedom Massachusetts Coalition. “Nearly 200 local businesses now agree, there is no place in our great Commonwealth for discrimination, and our legislature must act now to make that aspiration a reality.” “We have worked hard since the
legislature broke for recess in November to keep our momentum toward our goal strong,” said Mason Dunn, Co-Chair of the Freedom Massachusetts Coalition. “Today’s announcement shows that the calls to pass this legislation have not gone quiet and that the time for action is now.” Currently, there is no explicit prohibition on discrimination against transgender people in public places in the Commonwealth. This includes parks, medical offices, restaurants and retail establishments. Equal treatment in employment, housing, K-12 education and credit has been law since 2012. Fourteen Mayors and town leaders from across the Commonwealth – including Boston Mayor Martin J. Walsh and Salem Mayor Kim Driscoll - have called on the legislation to be passed. State Representatives Byron Rushing and Denise Provost and Senator Sonia Chang-Diaz are lead sponsors of the bill (House Bill 1577/ Senate Bill 735). For more information, visit www. freedommassachusetts.org.
Photo: GoFundMe.
lgbtqia bites
01.13.2016 •
13
Photos: CNN.
news national
David Bowie, Master of Reinvention, is Dead at 69
Saeed Ahmed, Todd Leopold, Joe Sutton CNN
D
avid Bowie, whose incomparable sound and chameleonlike ability to reinvent himself made him a pop music fixture for more than four decades, has died. He was 69. Bowie died Sunday after an 18-month battle with cancer, his publicist Steve Martin told CNN. “David Bowie died peacefully today surrounded by his family after a courageous 18 month battle with cancer. While many of you will share in this loss, we ask that you respect the family’s privacy during their time of grief,” said a statement posted on his official social media accounts. Neither his publicist nor the statement elaborated on what kind of cancer the singer was fighting. Bowie’s death has been the regular subject of Internet hoaxes for the last several years. So the news came as a shock to fans and industry insiders when it was confirmed. “Very sorry and sad to say it’s true. I’ll be offline for a while. Love to all,” his son, “Moon” film director Duncan Jones, tweeted. Duncan Jones’ mother, Bowie’s first wife, Angela, was sequestered on the UK “Celebrity Big Brother.” Producers posted Monday that she had been informed of his death off-camera and had chosen to stay on the show. Bowie’s wife of 24 years, fashion model Iman, had not released a statement as of Monday morning. On Friday she retweeted several birthday wishes to her husband. British Prime Minister David Cameron expressed his sorrow to the press. “Genius is an overused word but I think musically, creatively, artistically, David Bowie was a genius,” he said. “He was a master of reinvention and one of the things that’s so incredible is almost all his reinventions were incredible successes and worked brilliantly and so we mourn the loss of a great talent.” From a mop-topped unknown named David Jones, to his
space-alien alter ego “Ziggy Stardust,” to his dapper departure as the soul-influenced Thin White Duke, Bowie married music and fashion in a way few artists have been able to master. He was theatrical, he was flamboyant, he was without parallel in his showmanship. His albums, especially after his 1972 breakthrough “Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars,” were treated as events. His songs, including “Changes,” “Fame,” “Heroes” and “Modern Love,” were anthemic hits, played constantly on the radio and inspiring generations of musicians. With a voice that soared from a baritone to a falsetto, he spoke of carrying on against the odds. Of the terror in knowing what the world is about. Of turning and facing the strange. His songs were a salve for the alienated and the misfits of the world. Bowie had just released his latest album, “Blackstar,” on Friday, his 69th birthday. It shot to No. 1 on the iTunes chart in the UK and No. 2 in the United States, underscoring his appeal even after decades in the music business. Like his past releases, the work -- generally praised by music critics -- defied genres. The influential music publication NME called it an amalgamation of “warped showtunes, skronking industrial rock, soulful balladeering, airy folk-pop, even hip-hop.” Indelible mark That in a nutshell was Bowie: There wasn’t a musical style he didn’t dabble in -- and indelibly leave his mark upon. Since his breakthrough with 1972’s “The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars,” Bowie’s reach was eclectic: glam rock, prog rock, pop rock, electronic rock. And the results? Electric. To the tune of more than 130 million records sold. Though he didn’t have his first No. 1 single in the United States
With a voice that soared from a baritone to a falsetto, he spoke of carrying on against the odds.
14
• 01.13.2016
until “Fame” in 1975, he’d already been making a mark with heavily played singles, including “Space Oddity,” “Changes,” “Suffragette City,” “Rebel Rebel” and his first Top 40 hit, 1975’s “Young Americans.” After that, he was almost as present on the singles charts as the album charts, with hits such as “Golden Years,” “Under Pressure” (with Queen), “Let’s Dance” (another No. 1), “Blue Jean” and “Never Let Me Down.” “David Bowie was one of my most important inspirations, so fearless, so creative, he gave us magic for a lifetime,” tweeted rapper Kanye West, as news of Bowie’s death made the rounds. Changing looks He was born David Jones, to a waitress and a nightclub owner in South London on January 8, 1947. Though he began his musical life with his birth name, riding the mod wave of the mid-1960s, he changed to “Bowie” to avoid confusion with Davy Jones, the lead singer of the Monkees, who was enjoying serious pop success at the time. That reinvention was the first of many. And his timing was often impeccable. He released his song about a doomed astronaut, “Space Oddity,” just days before the 1969 moon landing. Four years later he killed off his most famous creation, the other-worldly “Ziggy Stardust,” just at the point where it threatened to overwhelm him. He then transformed into the Thin White Duke, a cocksure but coked-out mad aristrocrat. While Ziggy was all arena rock, the Duke was chilled soul. While Ziggy gave him “Space Oddity,” the Duke gave him yet another timeless classic, “Fame,” a song co-written with John Lennon, one of his many admirers. With Bowie, it was difficult to separate art from reality. And as the drug-taking took its toll, he holed up in Berlin and recorded the groundbreaking “Berlin” trilogy: “Low,” “ ‘Heroes’ “ and “Lodger.” (The quotation marks around “ ‘Heroes’ “ were a deliberate ironic touch.) Musically, he kept one foot in the avant garde. On the song “Heroes,” he half-sings, half-screams, with some of the
news national atmosphere provided by white noise. Others paid attention. Composer Philip Glass used “Low” and “ ‘Heroes’ “ as the subjects of symphonies in the 1990s. “David Bowie was a true innovator, a true creative. May he rest in peace,” tweeted uberproducer Pharrell Williams. Despite the edginess, Bowie’s work still resonated with the mainstream. “Heroes,” in fact, later became a theme for many. The 2012 British Olympic team entered the stadium to the tune. He even sang a Christmas song, “The Little Drummer Boy,” with the most mainstream of American crooners, Bing Crosby, on a 1977 TV special. There were no theatrics, no frills, just Bowie’s pure voice meshing with one of the oldest of the Old Guard. The ‘80s and beyond The 1980s were a great time to be Bowie. Starting with his collaboration with Queen on “Under Pressure,” he brilliantly reinvented himself to take full advantage of the video music era. The 1983 “Let’s Dance” album, produced by Chic’s Nile Rodgers, became his most commercially successful album, its sound and his look influencing a new generation of musicians. The videos for the album’s singles, including the title cut and “China Girl,” were ubiquitous on the music video channel MTV. Bowie, by then pushing 40, was as relevant as the era’s power chord-slamming 20-somethings or synthesizer-playing Euro pop stars -- musicians for whom he’d paved the way. Through it all, his Midas touch made classics of other people’s songs. He produced Lou Reed’s “Transformer,” with its hit “Walk on the Wild Side,” and Iggy Pop’s “Lust for Life,” among others. “David’s friendship was the light of my life. I never met such a brilliant person. He was the best there is,” Iggy Pop tweeted. Bowie’s output thinned in the 1990s and the 2000s, but he was no less envelope-pushing. He experimented with heavy metal, with industrial rock, and with drum and bass. Visual artist Bowie’s theatricality wasn’t limited to performing on stage. In 1976 he played the lead in Nicholas Roeg’s film “The Man Who Fell to Earth” as -- perhaps appropriately -- an alien. Four years later, he portrayed Joseph Merrick,
who’d been deformed by a medical condition, in Broadway’s “The Elephant Man.” Bowie continued acting through most of his life, often drawn to unusual characters. He played a vampire in 1983’s “The Hunger,” the Goblin King in 1986’s “Labyrinth,” Pontius Pilate in 1988’s “The Last Temptation of Christ” and Andy Warhol (about whom Bowie had once written a song) in 1996’s “Basquiat.” He wasn’t above a little comedy, however. He had cameos in TV shows such as “SpongeBob SquarePants” and “Extras” and played himself in 2001’s “Zoolander.” His androgynous look sometimes led to questions of his sexuality that, like his music, defied classification. He told Playboy magazine in the 1970s that he was bisexual. He told Rolling Stone in the 1980s he had always been a “closet heterosexual.” In 1992, Bowie married his second wife, model Iman. They have a daughter, Alexandria, together. Bowie had some health problems in the early 2000s, including an emergency angioplasty in 2004. He also ceased touring after the “A Reality” tour in 2003-04 and, until 2013’s “The Next Day,” he hadn’t put out an album in 10 years. But recent months had seen signs of a Bowie re-emergence. Aside from “The Next Day,” he co-wrote the current stage play “Lazarus,” based on “The Man Who Fell to Earth,” and recorded and released “Blackstar.” As usual, he gave it his all. “He’d just go from zero to 60 once we walked out of the control room and into the studio,” drummer Mark Guiliana told Rolling Stone about the “Blackstar” sessions. “And his vocal performances were always just stunning, amazing.” He was always busy, always on to the next thing. Twenty years ago, interviewed by Mick Brown of the UK Telegraph, he coolly assessed his past, but -- typically Bowie -- looked to the future. At the time, he was reveling in the paintings of Damien Hirst and had plans for another project with producer Brian Eno. And there was no sense in waiting, he said. “I don’t like wasting time,” Bowie told the paper. Bowie is survived by two children, Duncan and Alexandria, and his wife, Iman.
Check out SFGN.com/BestOf2015 to see this year’s winners.
01.13.2016 •
15
Photo Credit: John McDonald.
news national
Xeomin PROMO
Xeomin, the purified Botulinum, competitor of Botox
The Battle For Out Front
Go to xperienceprogram.com to get $100 off Xeomin by using the visa gift card
Activist travels cross country for LGBT media company’s plight
Exp. 1/30/16
John McDonald
C
“When there are difficult legal decisions to be made, compassionate professionals should be at your side. Call for a free, confidential consultation with the ground-breaking firm that was the first in Florida to file and win a same sex divorce.” BANKRUPTCY Individual and Corporate Filings
FAMILY LAW Mediation, Divorce, Prenuptial Agreements and Adoptions
IMMIGRATION Family and Corporate Cases
WE PROUDLY REPRESENT THE LGBT COMMUNITY 12 SE 7th Street, Suite 704 Fort Lauderdale, FL 33301 2855 University Drive, Suite 520 Coral Springs, FL 33065
954.344.7737 www.brodzkijacobs.com We are a debt relief agency. We help people file for bankruptcy under the Bankruptcy Code. The hiring of a lawyer is an important decision that should not be based solely on an advertisement. Before you decide, ask us to send you free information about our qualifications and experience. The information presented on this site should not be construed to be formal legal advice nor the formation of a lawyer/client relationship.
16
• 01.13.2016
harlie Lanigan is standing up for the little guy and taking his fight to the people. To raise awareness of a LGBT media company’s legal battle against a corporate giant, Lanigan has become a traveling messaging machine. He arrived in South Florida last weekend in a bright red jeep sporting the logo of his new company, Hey, Buddy! “I started Hey, Buddy! because I love my dog and I decided that underdogs need help,” Lanigan said over dinner at Rosie’s in Wilton Manors. “Out Front needs our help.” Out Front is a 40-year-old LGBT media company headquartered in Denver and owned by Jerry Cunningham. The company prides itself on being one of the nation’s oldest continuously running, independently owned and operated LGBT publications. That, however, apparently means next to nothing to the suits at CBS. A division of the corporate broadcasting system, CBS Outdoor, changed its name to Outfront Media Inc. in a Nov. 2014 rebranding effort that has directly affected Cunningham’s historical gay publication. “This is David verses Goliath and the battle thus far has been unrelenting,” says Cunningham in a video posted on the website HelpOutFront.com. Enter Lanigan, who left his job as a data
warehouse analyst/architect to travel the country in support of Out Front and the legal expenses incurred from taking on a media giant. Lanigan said he believes there are ulterior motives at play. “Do you think winning the right to marry will stop homophobes?,” Lanigan asks. “No! Did racism go away with civil rights? No! The fight is not over. They want to hurt gay owned businesses.” Looking at the company logos offers a case study in confusion. In an interview published last November by the Denver Business Journal, Cunningham says he has received calls from people seeking advertisement space on one of Outfront Media’s billboards, while his advertisers have sent checks to Outfront Media’s New York headquarters by mistake. Some of the clients advertising on Outfront Media billboards (Chick-fil-A, Cracker Barrel, Salvation Army) have a track record of hostility toward LGBT community. Lanigan, meanwhile, is decrying the media giant’s attempted takeover of a beloved gay publication’s brand as dishonest and insincere. “Out Front is so gay!,” Lanigan said. “It’s a gay community built with the blood, sweat and lives of members of the LGBT community and their allies. You (CBS) may have the money and you may get away with it legally, but I must tell you, you can’t make yourself gay with money.”
To follow Lanigan’s cross country travels, visit Hey-Bud.com or to offer aid to Out Front’s legal defense fund, visit HelpOutFront.com
Photo: Facebook.
news national
Gay Actor Will Star in New ABC Sitcom About Catholics Associated Press
A
producer for ABC’s new sitcom “The Real O’Neals” wanted a gay actor for the role of a teenager who comes out to his shocked Catholic family but was prevented by a law designed to protect gays and lesbians from asking those auditioning about their sexual orientation. “It was very important to me and I was in a panic,” said Todd Holland, an executive producer for the series that debuts March 2 before settling into a regular Tuesday time slot a week later. Holland got his wish. Noah Galvin, the 21-year-old actor selected to play the Kenny character, is not only gay but eager to be an advocate for gay rights and defender of a show that took political heat even before ABC decided to pick up the pilot to make a series. The story is loosely based on the upbringing of Dan Savage, author of the “Savage Love” sex advice column. His very involvement infuriated conservative groups, who regard Savage as an anti-religious bigot. They launched an unsuccessful campaign last spring to convince ABC executives not to pick up the show. “As a gay man, this is a landmark role on network television,” Holland said. “It should not be played by a straight man pretending to be gay.” The law that forbade Holland from asking actors about their sexual orientation is in place to prevent casting agents from discriminating against gays and lesbians. Holland said he had a sense that Galvin was gay, and also overheard him talking to someone about coming out to his own family. Galvin, a New York theater kid who’s
taking his first regular TV role, said his own mother asked him several times whether he was gay before he told her he was at age 14. He had no acceptance issues personally, and said he noticed an age divide when he talks to people about his character: many of his young friends don’t understand why it’s an issue. He’s happy to talk about to anyone who wants to listen. “It was important to me that they have someone who is gay and is out and is willing to be a spokesman for it,” he said. Those involved in the show take pains to note that it’s about a lot more than a gay character. The family is also involved in a divorce and their religious faith is more than a punch line. Viewers “are going to see it as a really beautifully-made show, a show very much like all the shows that we do that is full of family and faith and joy and humor,” said Paul Lee, ABC Entertainment president. Like in Savage’s real life, the family patriarch is a Chicago policeman. While Savage’s story was a launching pad, “once we hired our writers, we pulled in their lives and just started exploring our own family miseries,” said David Windsor, another executive producer. Savage is listed as an executive producer. He’s kept in the loop about how the stories are going but doesn’t take an active role in the creative process, Holland said. Windsor said he looks forward to a day when a family member coming out isn’t much of an issue at all. “At the end of the day, you are going to realize that (the show) is about this family that just loves each other,” he said. “And faith is an important part of their lives.” 01.13.2016 •
17
politics out on the trail
DS, CANDY, GREETING CARLTIES, GIFTS, BASKETS, NOVE OR N A
SO
GINA RIIG L
CA
N D OM
FR
SE
5 R1
O
00
O
,0
IF
FE
RE
NT ITE MS
TO
C
H
• Over 100 types of great tasting sugar free candy • Over 40 flavors of soda (made • Sweets & snacks from over 90 countries with cane sugar) in glass bottles • Large selection of super hero gifts
To the Moon
2205 Wilton Drive, Wilton Manors, FL 33305
(954) 564-2987
ToTheMoonMarketplace.com
• 01.13.2016
Photo: Facebook.
WILT ON
E OR ST
OVE
D
18
Florida Rep. Holly Raschein (R-Key Largo)
Y
M
AND SO MUCH MORE
Republicans Introduce Bills For Competitive Workforce John McDonald
I
t’s the return of the Competitive Workforce Act in Tallahassee and this year it just might get a listen. In a surprising twist, the annual civil rights bill has been introduced by Republicans. Florida Senator Jack Latvala, (R-Clearwater) is co-sponsoring Senate Bill 120, joining Sen. Joe Abruzzo (D-Boynton Beach) to propose a law that would protect LGBT people from discrimination in the workplace, public housing and accommodations. The bill, in years past, has failed to receive a committee hearing. That could change this year with bipartisan support and extra nudging from the corporate world. Supporters of the Competitive Workforce Act include Fortune 500 companies AT&T, CSX, Darden Restaurants, Marriott, NextEra Energy, Office Depot, Tech Data, Walt Disney World Resort and Wells Fargo. “As employers competing against
other states and even other countries for top talent, they understand more than anybody that creating a welcoming environment that values diversity and a variety of perspectives and experiences gives their companies an advantage to attracting the best and the brightest,” wrote Florida Representative Chris Latvala (R-Clearwater) in an op-ed piece published last week in the Tampa Tribune. Chris Latvala is one of 19 House representatives who have gone on record as supporting the Competitive Workforce Act (House Bill 45). He co-sponsored the bill with Representative Holly Raschien (R-Key Largo). The bill seeks to add the words “sexual orientation” and “gender identity” to existing statewide nondiscrimination protections. In addition to the nine Fortune 500 companies, bill supporters claim the backing of 27 major employers and more than 400 local Florida businesses.
Photo: Wes Little/ CNN.
politics white house watch
Trump Attacks NH Paper; Sanders Surges In Iowa John McDonald
D
on’t look now but Bernie Sanders is Washington Post titled “Bernie Sanders isn’t surging in Iowa. Barack Obama and 2016 isn’t 2008.” The U.S. Senator from Vermont, who Pfeiffer goes on to note that Sanders proudly wears the socialist label on his sleeve, has “negligible support and limited name has pulled even with former Secretary of identification among black and Latino voters” State Hillary Clinton in the latest poll of likely and “faces real challenges Obama did not in Democratic caucus goers in Iowa. expanding the base of his support.” Sanders and Clinton are tied, each with 45 Sanders and Clinton will debate Sunday, Jan. percent support, in a combined survey of three 17, which is the last time before the ballots are respected polling firms, according to the news cast in February. It will air on NBC. organization Real Clear Politics. Additionally, Meanwhile, on the Republican side, real in a poll conducted by the Wall estate tycoon Donald J. Trump Street Journal, NBC News and and U.S. Senator Ted Cruz Marist College, Clinton holds a of Texas are neck-and-neck “The slim three point lead (48 to 45) in Iowa polling with each Democratic in Iowa, site of the nation’s first pulling 27 percent according caucus on Feb. 1. to Real Clear Politics. In New contests in “The Democratic contests Trump is lapping Iowa and New Hampshire, in Iowa and New Hampshire the field with more than 30 Hampshire could still go either way,” Lee percent support compared to Miringoff, Director of Marist could still go 13 percent for his nearest rival, College Institute for Public U.S. Senator Marco Rubio of either way.” Opinion told the Wall Street Florida. Journal. In New Hampshire, Trump - Lee Miringoff From Iowa, the campaign has spent more time targeting Director of Marist College shifts to New Hampshire for the state’s newspaper of Institute for Public Opinion a primary on Feb. 8 where record, The Union Leader, Sanders holds a slim lead in which is endorsing New Jersey his neighboring state. Sanders’ sudden rise in Governor Chris Christie. the polls has some analysts recalling the 2008 “If their highly unethical behavior, including campaign when a U.S. Senator from Illinois begging me for ads, isn’t questionable enough, made a rapid rise in the polls and eventually they have endorsed a candidate who can’t knocked off Clinton in Iowa. That Senator, of win,” Trump tweeted on Monday. course, is current U.S. President Barack Obama. The Republicans will debate again in South But not so fast with the comparisons, okay. Carolina on Thursday, Jan. 14, with Trump, “The most liberal voters tend to tune in Cruz, Rubio, Christie, retired neurosurgeon sooner and engage more actively, giving Ben Carson, former Florida Governor Jeb Bush an initial boost to progressive candidates,” and Ohio Governor John Kasich participating writes Dan Pfeiffer, a CNN analyst and former on the main stage. The debate airs on the Fox White House senior advisor, in a piece in the Business Network. 01.13.2016 •
19
news local
news national
Castelli wins realtor oF year award
vaCCine essential to endinG hiv/aids
SFGN Staff
EDGE
Pictured above, right, John Castelli, with his partner, Stephen Harris on Saturday night, Jan. 9 at the W on the Fort Lauderdale Beach. Castelli was given the surprise recognition of being named Realtor of the Year by the Greater Fort
20
• 01.13.2016
Lauderdale Association of Realtors, after serving a year as their president. A businessman and entrepreneur, the former night club owner, was once, from 1978-94, the owner of the world famous Copa, in Dania Beach and Key West.
A
dding a vaccine to the comprehensive characteristics. Higher efficacy, longerHIV/AIDS response is essential to lasting protection, fewer doses, lower conclusively ending the epidemic, vaccine costs and a more effective rollout according to modeling research published will increase both health impact and costeffectiveness. The data also illustrate how a Monday. “These new analyses underscore the vaccine could significantly reduce treatment costs and potentially total HIV/AIDS powerful potential of an AIDS vaccine to help save and improve the lives of millions in a response costs over time. “Adding a vaccine to a comprehensive cost-effective manner,” said Mark Feinberg, HIV/AIDS response will President and CEO of the hasten the end of the global International AIDS Vaccine epidemic and ensure that it Initiative (IAVI), which “Adding a won’t rebound,” said AVAC conducted the study in vaccine to a Executive Director Mitchell partnership with AVAC and Warren. “A safe, effective Avenir Health. “It is clear comprehensive and affordable AIDS vaccine that we must continue to HIV/AIDS response is an essential complement expedite development of to the existing treatment an effective HIV vaccine will hasten the and prevention options, and alongside the critical end of the global this study highlights why efforts to accelerate epidemic and accelerated investments and sustain broad and are needed for both equitable access to effective ensure that it implementation of what we antiretroviral therapy and won’t rebound.” have and the development of new approaches for prewhat we still need.” exposure prophylaxis.” - Mitchell Warren The new study builds on Focusing on the low- and AVAC Executive Director the UNAIDS Investment middle-income countries Framework Enhanced, which (LMICs) that are home to articulates how accelerated the vast majority of the scale-up of existing HIV/AIDS interventions world’s people living with HIV/AIDS, the study published in PLOS ONE shows that and the addition of new prevention options could significantly change the trajectory adding a vaccine could dramatically reduce new HIV infections and AIDS-related deaths of the global epidemic. The new study even if other treatment and prevention tools adds extensive analysis on the impact of key characteristics of a vaccine (efficacy, are extensively scaled up. duration of protection, number of doses) For example, the analysis shows that a and of vaccination programs (how many 70-percent-efficacious AIDS vaccine with people would be covered with how many strong uptake could reduce new annual visits, cost per regimen, etc.). HIV infections in LMICs by 44 percent in The study was funded by the United States its first 10 years and by 65 percent in 25 years, ultimately averting tens of millions of Agency for International Development (USAID), which administers the U.S. foreign infections and saving millions of lives. assistance program providing economic and The study also demonstrates that an humanitarian assistance in more than 120 AIDS vaccine would be impactful and costcountries worldwide. effective across a wide range of product
01.13.2016 •
21
CONVICTIONS
where voices Get heard
Norm Kent
the ‘sCandal’ at sCandal’s
See updated news story on page 4.
norm.kent@sfgn.com
L
ast month a Broward County jury delivered a damage award to a bar patron who claimed he was accosted by a bouncer in a nightclub. The verdict was reported in the county’s legal newspaper, the Daily Business Review. The piece of this story that caught our eye was that the victim was a gay man who was apparently struck by a gay bartender in a local gay club, now defunct, the Wilton Manors bar once known as The Stable. He sued the parent corporation, Scandals Bar & Lounge, and was awarded $39,787. It was not a major story. We tend not to cover bar fights. If we covered all the bar fights from Key West to North Palm Beach, we would become the South Florida Gay Legal News. But this story was different. This was not an unsubstantiated accusation. This was not someone calling us up screaming on Monday that a bouncer beat him on Sunday. This is a case where a gay man was hurt, his lawyer sued, the case went to trial, and a judgment was awarded. But when we called the owner of Scandals, Ken Kelley, for a comment, he launched two accusatory tirades at SFGN, as if we were doing something wrong, stating, “SFGN must be desperate for news.” Nonsense. All we were trying to do was report some simple facts about what happened. But Kelley would have none of it. He wrote to us that he determined the incident was a non-issue… end of story.” We respectfully disagree. While the incident happened four years ago, the jury verdict was last month. So it is timely and newsworthy, whether you like it or not. It certainly was for the Daily Review – and they have been around for about one hundred years longer than us. This was a real case where a bouncer was accused of attacking a gay male patron in a gay nightclub in our hometown. Broward Sheriff’s deputies may have cleared him of criminal wrongdoing, as Mr.
22
• 01.13.2016
Kelley pointed out to us, but that does not mean he wasn’t civilly negligent, or that the bar was not legally responsible for his actions. Ask O.J. Simpson. Finally, we asked Mr. Kelley if he still employs the bouncer in his present bar. We thought you had a right to know if the person is still working at a popular bar you may patronize. Here was Mr. Kelley’s unseemly and crude reply to our reporter: “The only comment I have to say to you, Norm Kent, and SFGN is that your insistence to publish a story that has absolutely no relevance and is in no way shape or form newsworthy is tabloid journalism at its worst. I will not dignify this effort to cause me and my business harm with any additional communication with you or any other person at SFGN regarding this.” Mr. Kelley, my duty as the publisher of SFGN is to the community’s interests, not yours. Reporting the facts and the truth faithfully is what we do, even if it exposes warts and wounds in our own bedroom. Telling unpleasant stories or unpopular news does not mean we have it ‘in’ for any bar, seek to target any owner, or want to cause their establishment harm. In this particular case, Jeffrey Dinsmore, 39, said a bouncer pushed him so hard that he was knocked down, and it caused him to hit his head on the floor, suffering a concussion. As reported in our story, Dinsmore claimed he later missed three months of work with post-concussion syndrome. He sued Scandal’s for failure to properly interview, train, supervise, and manage its employees. The Stable could have defended the lawsuit. They chose not to. We asked why; that’s called journalism. You had nothing to hide. You have nothing to be ashamed of. Sometimes, bad things happen. They may or may not be your fault. Regardless, we are this community’s newspaper, not your personal fluffer. Two separate newspapers reported the results.
It makes us neither a terrible paper or tabloid journalists. It keeps you honest and us real. It wasn’t a major story until you made it one. Publishing those facts in the South Florida Gay News or the Daily Business Review is simply fulfilling our obligation to report the news. That’s America; that’s a free press. That’s who we are, and what we do. Finally, as you can see in our updated news story
editorial Cartoon
on another page in this issue, Mr. Kelley has chosen to conceal the truth from SFGN. While he did not defend the case, he is now nevertheless desperately trying to overturn the verdict, ironically telling the court he was not properly noticed about the court’s proceedings. It will be very interesting to see how he reconciles the inconsistencies between what he is telling the court and what he told our reporters.
By mike luckovich
a ptsd diary
Photo: Ben Salter
CONVICTIONS
iF you Could read my mind "Frankly My Dear, They Don't Give A Damn"
David-Elijah Nahmod
S
ince the last edition of this column, I’ve been asked if I think LGBT advocacy groups like HRC, GLAAD and The Trevor Project are lying to the public about their goals and accomplishments. Yes. I absolutely believe that they are. For several years now I’ve been trying to get those organizations to take a stand against the almost continuous bullying and slandering of LGBT people which is being perpetrated not by anti-LGBT hate groups but by gay activists and bloggers. In various installments of this column and in other publications I’ve written about middle aged gay bloggers who participate in the bullying of suicidal LGBT kids. I’ve verified and documented instances in which LGBT people were hospitalized in a suicidal state or needed police intervention as a direct result of threats and attacks from within the LGBT sphere. Perpetrators of this conduct include an openly gay convicted sex offender, along with individuals who have strong ties to organizations like Southern Poverty Law Center, GLAAD and HRC, a therapist at Queer Life Space (an LGBT counseling and therapy clinic in San Francisco) and at least one
editor of an LGBT publication. None of these incidents are hearsay. I’ve personally contacted the press liaisons and executive directors of numerous LGBT advocacy groups and bully/suicide prevention organizations to show them actual threats that were emailed to a young lesbian suicide attempt survivor by a 47 year old gay man. I interviewed a transgender church pastor who needed to put their church under police surveillance after receiving threats of violence from within the LGBT sphere--that story included a screen grab of the threat in question. The Trevor Project, San Francisco Suicide Prevention and The American Foundation of Suicide Prevention have all assured me they will do nothing about this, as have social media platforms like Wordpress and Facebook.
By their own admission, gay activists are behaving this way because they’re gay, which they claim justifies everything they do.
On the rare occasions that I’ve gotten responses from gay activists regarding this issue, I was subjected to snarky references about mental illness, accusations of antigay bigotry, and no less than seven separate instances in which gay activists contacted my editors and attempted to get me fired from these publications.
By their own admission, gay activists are behaving this way because they’re gay, which they claim justifies everything they do. Every week I hear from more and more LGBT people outside of activism’s sphere who tell me of the abuse they’ve been subjected to from the community’s largely self-appointed “leadership.” A few of them were quoted in “The Buck Doesn’t Stop Anywhere Anymore,” the last edition of this column. Now there’s another who’s come forward. Frank is an openly gay artist here in San Francisco. In an inflammatory blog posting which publishes his actual home address, Frank was said to have anal warts, to be mentally ill, and to have died from AIDS--I’m not publishing Frank’s full name out of respect for his privacy. Frank still lives at the address in the posting. Frank has repeatedly flagged said posting but Google refuses to delete it-apparently posting someone’s home address without their permission isn’t a violation of community standards. Is this how sane, rational people behave? We need to face the truth about what the equality movement has become. Today’s gay activists don’t want equality, they want revenge. They want to hurt people, as they’ve
been hurt. The lengths they’ll go to in order to achieve this are often shocking. They go after people’s relationships, they go after peoples livelihoods, they try to destroy people’s lives. They do these things to other LGBT people in the name of “gay rights.” Hurt people hurt people, but nothing justifies the outrageous and blatant disregard for civility, truth and decency that has hijacked and poisoned the LGBT equality movement. Nothing justifies lies, hate and abuse, no matter if the perpetrator is a member of the Tea Party or a gay activist. We need to talk about our behavior. We need to talk about mental health. We all have PTSD and it’s killing us. If you are under age 18 and subjected to online libel or cyber bullying, you can file a complaint against your attacker--and against the platform your attacker uses for their abuse towards you--with the Child Protective Services office in your area. If you are over 18 but are living with any physical or mental disability covered by The Americans With Disabilities Act, you can file a complaint at ADA.gov, which is the Disability Rights Section of the US Department of Justice.
David-Elijah Nahmod is an American/Israeli half-breed who has lived in New York City and Tel Aviv. Currently in San Francisco, his eclectic writing career includes LGBT publications, SF Weekly & monster magazines. A survivor of childhood gay conversion therapy, he lives with PTSD: Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.
01.13.2016 •
23
the mind riot
Photo: msabbath, Flickr.
CONVICTIONS
the Question oF immunity Jae Kanella
T
Queer Villains in Fiction
he antagonist is just as important In the past, if the villain’s same-sex as the hero. In the context of our attraction wasn’t stated outright, then community however, is it something they were “coded” as being gay, bisexual, to be retired? or sexually ambiguous. Many For decades, we had were given stereotypically to live with the tired old effeminate traits, as a way of when we narrative: the Sissy Villain. coding the antagonist as queer. erased the According to TV Trope’s These days, we know that lines of website, the definition femininity isn’t something to of a Sissy Villain is: “An morality as an be ashamed about, nor is it antagonist whose heart is that can be used antagonist, we something as twisted as his wrist is to visually signify someone’s also erased limp. Due to social stigmas gender or sexuality - but in against male femininity the past, this was how they the norms of and ‘unmanliness.’ there’s dehumanized us. By making conventional a strong tendency in fiction us ashamed of something that gender and to assign effeminate traits shouldn’t be. to villains: flamboyant Our community has sexuality. mannerisms, delicate appeared in popular films or voices, light builds, media as only one stereotype prissiness, femininely pretty looks, - the villain, mostly because that was grandiloquent speeches, giggling, love the only way mainstream society could for poetry and opera, impeccable fashion stomach seeing us - when we erased the sense (not always in men’s clothing), lines of morality as an antagonist, we also fondness for Persian cats, etc. Evil, it erased the norms of conventional gender seems, is swishier than a silk skirt.” and sexuality.
24
• 01.13.2016
The historical portrayal of transgender people until recent decades has been even more questionable. Many horrible interpretations in the past have caused public confusion and derision towards the understanding of our people by stereotyping us as deranged or pathological. In our modern time and era, there is great harm in portraying us as depraved, horrible people without a single strand of goodness. (Or alternatively, being shown as tragic figures who ultimately die at the end of our narration.) It’s problematic - but I disagree with retiring it entirely. Instead, I say we throw away the stereotypes and give rise to better antagonists. By doing this, we allow complex, three-dimensional characters to
exist - without censoring the entire LGBTQ community and how we as people interact with the world as a whole. By pushing a standard of untouchable goodness in LGBTQ characters, we are robbing our characters of the very thing that makes us human: Flaws. Without flaws, the people portrayed in our media would be flat. LGBTQ characters would be diminished even more because of the same thing we tried throwing out: stereotypes. In this case, it would be a stereotype of morality itself. This works whether we’re the hero or the antagonist, because the grayness of varied human morality doesn’t come in black or white. We aren’t perfect - we aren’t always heroes. And that’s OK.
Jae Kanella is 18-years-old, a South Florida native, cat parent, and avid reader. Jae’s pronoun preference is they, their, them. They enjoy writing stories, articles, and making music. Puns and the band Queen gives them life.
column off the wall
column letter to the editor
Letters to the Editor
Pier Angelo
I
in the year oF the monkey
n what could be a watershed moment of global proportions a court has agreed to hear China’s first samesex marriage case. Homosexuality is not illegal in China but same-sex couples have no legal protection. The country itself is becoming more tolerant of homosexuality, which until 2001 was listed as a mental disorder and considered “spiritual pollution.” The case will be heard within six months. Today, an emerging gay community is busting Chinese stereotypes. There are gay support groups and web sites helping people explore their sexuality and meet potential partners. Gay venues are popping up in most cities. In 2010 Shanghai held its first Gay Pride Week. There is no religious condemnation and anti-gay violence is rare. A Mr. Gay China pageant was even planned in Beijing. It did not happen. The police shut down the contest hours before it was to open, but significantly, even if not realistically, they simply said that the nightclub hosting the event had failed to follow proper permitting procedures, and no exceptions would be made. But what did not happen was as important as what happened. No one got arrested, humiliated, or hauled off in handcuffs. The police cited the bar for not having a license or permits. Change will be slow but it is in motion and gaining momentum. In China, gay rights have been progressing for a decade now. A notable change occurred during the late 1990s
and early 2000s with the removal of “hooliganism” from the criminal law, a de facto decriminalization of homosexuality. In April 20, 2001, the Chinese Classification of Mental Disorders formally removed homosexuality from its list of mental illnesses. Even the first government-backed gay bar opened in southwestern Yunnan. The Chinese Government explained that the reason behind the bar is to promote AIDS Awareness. The bar is meant to be an educational hot spot for folks to help address rising HIV rates in China’s Yunnan province. The city of Dali where the bar is located is on the top ten lists of Chinese cities with the largest number of HIV cases. The media flocked to the small city on opening night. A couple of years ago a gay dating app called Blued was launched, users can post daily messages and photos, profiles include age, height, preferred sexual positions and blood type (which is associated with compatibility in China). Most users opt for pseudonyms. Like most apps it has a geolocation feature that calculates the distance between two users. Once the closet doors start bursting open the gay community in China will be the largest in the world. Activists said that the court’s acceptance of the samesex marriage case is encouraging because signals some official willingness to address discrimination against LGBT people. From the standpoint of improving visibility and awareness this case is no doubt already a victory.
‘ahF is a sham’
Reader responds to publisher’s editorial “AHF - Stirring the National Conscience on HIV/AIDS”
A
HF is a sham. Their PrEP denialism is costing people’s lives to remain at risk. SFGN takes ad money from AHF and puts up editorials like this and writes stories backing up the misinformation spread by AHF on PrEP? I wish there were more integrity in you publications standards than this. Many of us do not support AHF wasting money in their battle on PrEP. PrEP works. AHF has been called out for running misinformation in their ads in SFGN repeatedly. Their stance is simply not backed up by scientific fact. PrEP is THE issue AHF should be focusing on — where is the outrage? Everywhere but in your pages. There are many people in the community who now refuse to patronize Out of the Closet or use AHF pharmacies. Quite frankly this op-ed stinks of cronyism.
It’s a hard time for print — but it’s a harder time in South Florida for new HIV infections. With the backing of the CDC the WHO and numerous State and local communities throughout the country the word is getting out about PrEP. SFGN might want to get on the right side of history in this debate. AHF is standing it’s ground to inflate and support the ego of their President Mr. Weinstein — to the detriment of millions of people across the globe who could be protected from HIV by PrEP. Where are the articles about the work being done to spread the word about the single greatest advancement in HIV prevention in out lifetime? Sadly not here.
oliver kamm
sFGn is GarBaGe says Bar owner
E
ffective immediately, remove Scandals Saloon from your distribution list. I cannot control what you print in your tabloid but I can control what publications I permit to be displayed at Scandals. I have a whole lot more respect for our customers than to subject them to your garbage. The only place garbage belongs is in the garbage.
ken kelley, owner scandals saloon, wilton manors
EDITOR’S NOTE: Please see related stories on pages 4 and 22.
let your voiCe Be heard Submit your own letter to Jason.Parsley@sfgn.com 01.13.2016 •
25
Photo: Warren K. Leffler.
lifestyle history
Homo History 101 History was never as straight as we are told. Recording our history means reporting the truth. Pier Angelo
FAG (short for faggot): It’s mainly used as an offensive term for homosexuals. It is considered a hateful slur. Because fag is such an offensive word, the other meanings are uncommon, but fagging has also meant working hard and getting tired, as in fagging out. A fag — especially in England — is also a cigarette, and in British boys’ schools, fags are servants for older boys. FAIRY:
homosexual.
Usually disparaging for a male
SISSY: Pejorative term for a boy or man
who violates or does not meet the standard male gender role.
BENT: A term used within the U.K. as a slang for homosexuals. It also means predisposition, abnormal or unorthodox behavior. Of late the term has been reclaimed and many groups and publications proudly use the term “Bent” as a source of gay pride. FINOCCHIO: Literally fennel, the vegetable. Italian derogatory term for gay. Used by straight men and women to insult gay men or to question the masculinity of straight men. Comparable to faggot also a crude word for transvestites, comparable to tranny but more rude. Other derogatory terms are: Frocio, Checca, Culatone, Ricchione. FIKUS: Literally ficus, the plant. Swedish derogatory slang, equivalent to faggot . PANELEIRO: Portuguese word for gay, derived from the word meaning “One who sells pots and pans.” PANDULA is another common slang for a homosexual in Portugual. ABARTIGE: Deviants, abnormal; Tunte: fairy, queer; Schwuchtel: queen; Warmer Bruder (lit. “warm brother”): homosexual, gay man. Some Germans, Austrians, and Swiss, particularly members of right-wing neo-Nazi, or other hate groups, express their dislike of gays with derogatory German slang terms like those above. 26
• 01.13.2016
PEDE: French slang for homosexual. Comes from the word Pederaste, and is considered derogatory. Other French terms are Pedale, Tapette, Tarlouse. PEDAL: From pederast in Polish . Slang of faggot. Derogative intention. Also Pedzio. PIDOR: a rude and offensive term meaning gay or homosexual. Short for pederast in Russian. OKAMA: Japanese slang for gay man, particularly in reference to very effeminate gays. The word can also mean “drag queen.” It comes from the slang for anus. It is not always considered insulting, and drag performers will sometimes-even use it in reference to themselves. VIADO: Faggot, gay, homosexual man, derogatory in Brazil, also BICHA. MARICON: Derogatory term in Spanish; crude word for a gay man, used by straight men and women to insult gay men or to question the masculinity of straight men. Comparable to faggot. Also a crude word for transvestites, comparable to tranny but more rude. ANUSRIDDER: Means “knight of the male rectum” in Dutch. Used to insult homosexuals. Interchangeable with Anaalridder, depending on the region. TONGXINGLIAN: Chinese word for homosexuality. Considered offensive as being too clinical and having pathological connotations. CHI CHI MAN: Jamaica and the Carib-
bean, slur for gay man.
JOBBY JABBER: Scottish slur, with ‘jobby’ referring to excrement. POOF: The poor man’s term for homosexual. Variations include: poofter, pouf, poove, pooftah, pooff, puff in U.K, Australia, New Zealand.
community announcement
the CampBell Foundation promotes ken rapkin to eXeCutive direCtor Photo: Facebook
Campbell Foundation
T
he Campbell Foundation, a Fort Lauderdale-based organization dedicated to funding HIV/AIDS research, is pleased to announce the promotion of Ken Rapkin to Executive Director. Mr. Rapkin has served as the foundation’s Program Officer since its inception in 1995. “Ken has made significant contributions to The Campbell Foundation, demonstrating his commitment to our mission as well as his personal desire to find a cure for HIV/AIDS,” said Campbell Foundation Trustee Bill Venuti. “Through his continued leadership and vision, The Campbell Foundation is well-positioned to achieve its goals and continue to fund ground-breaking cure research in years to come.” Prior to joining the foundation, Mr. Rapkin was office manager for Campbell Laboratories in Deerfield Beach, Fla., where he worked directly with the company and foundation’s founder, the late Richard Campbell Zahn. “It’s been a privilege to be a part of Richard’s original vision of funding novel and groundbreaking research into HIV and AIDS since we started in 1995,” said Mr. Rapkin. “The
direct interaction with researchers, our Peer Review Board and Board of Directors (as well as our End-of-Year community partners), has been among the most rewarding experiences of my life. At a time when many people think AIDS is over, our mission of funding is as important as educating the public about the ongoing need to find a cure and eradicate HIV and AIDS once and for all.” Mr. Rapkin was born in Brooklyn, N.Y., and moved to Fort Lauderdale at the age of 13 where he has lived ever since. He served in the U.S. Navy for seven years and then returned to Florida where he earned a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice from Florida Atlantic University in Boca Raton.
Celebrating our 6th Year on Wilton Drive!
New Patients
$69 ($295 Value)
Comprehensive Exam, Digital X-Rays & Cleaning*
Your smile should leave a great impression!
General & Cosmetic Dentistry New, State of the Art Facilities•Most Insurances Accepted Always Plenty of Free Parking•Located Conveniently on Wilton
954-565-7666 Dr. David K. Warner, DDS, FAGD Fellow, Academy of General Dentistry
1946 Wilton Drive •Wilton Manors • FL 33305 www.IslandCitySmiles.com *In the absense of gum disease. Not applicable to insurance benefits.
01.13.2016 •
27
community announcement
January is deClared as human traFFiCkinG awareness month
Ken Lawson
d
ear Friends,
County Sheriff’s Department has a number January is declared as Human of vendors who attend their quarterly Trafficking Awareness Month meetings, including DBPR, the Department in Florida. At DBPR, we are dedicated of Health, the Department of Children and Families and local to ensuring employees retail vendors. To ensure of licensed businesses, our inspectors can easily employed minors and Some of the identify the common signs farm workers are all protected and educated common signs of human trafficking and report it to the appropriate in the workplace. I want of human authorities, our regional to remind consumers how trafficking offices attend several important it is to be aware outreach events focusing on of the common signs of at places the detection, prevention human trafficking and of business and reporting of suspected how we can all improve include human trafficking situations the safety of employees in in multiple industries. work environments. indications DBPR’s Child Labor The best way for DBPR of employees Program was established to to help combat human specifically protect young living within trafficking in the state of workers from employment Florida is by educating our the place of situations that may inspectors who work in business. interfere with their safety, the field. DBPR inspectors wellbeing or educational statewide attend many opportunities. To accomplish human trafficking awareness trainings, either hosted by this goal, DBPR inspectors use their skills local law enforcement agencies or human to recognize signs of child labor violations trafficking experts. For example, the Lee or concerning working relationships for
28
• 01.13.2016
minors at licensed establishments. DBPR’s Farm Labor Program also ensures, through a system of compliance and enforcement, that Florida farm workers are protected from harmful work situations and exploitation. This is accomplished through routine inspections and investigations as well as partnerships with other organizations including the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, U.S. Department of Labor, Metropolitan Bureau of Investigation (MBI) and the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). Some of the common signs of human trafficking at places of business include indications of employees living within the place of business, several immigrant workers being on site and a lack of worker identification for employees. Farm labor investigators also commonly discuss the working environment with farm workers to ensure healthy working conditions are being met. In the event that DBPR inspectors suspect human trafficking is taking place at an establishment, the situation is reported immediately to the appropriate law enforcement authority. Safety is a top priority for Florida workers and consumers. At DBPR, we strive
to ensure that Florida’s licensees, employed minors and farm workers are protected from the dangers of human trafficking. For support, Florida farm workers are encouraged to disclose any information or file complaints by calling the Florida Farm Workers Helpline at 1-800-533-3572. Consumers are also encouraged to report signs of human trafficking by calling 1-800342-0820. Unfortunately, human trafficking is something that still takes place in 2016. I highly encourage Florida’s employers and citizens to become aware of the common signs of human trafficking and aid in the protection of the victims of these unfortunate situations. DBPR will continue to be proactive in making referrals to the appropriate agencies to further protect the safety of Florida’s hardworking residents.
ken lawson secretary for the department of Business and professional regulation state of Florida tallahassee, Florida
01.13.2016 •
29
lifestyle food
Rick Karlin
T
new year’s resolutions
his is the time of year when we all make promises to ourselves. Promises we sometimes keep (I haven’t had a cigarette for 22 years!), some we don’t (I’ve gained and lost the same 20 pounds so often that my fat has déjà vu!) Since so many of us are making resolutions, I think that those who work in the food service industry should do so as well. I’m not talking about the basic tenets; I have a few suggestions, starting with the first person you meet. Resolutions for Restaurant Host and Hostesses I will greet everyone who enters the restaurant warmly and promptly. I will pay attention to customers instead of my friends, my nails or my friend’s nails. I will make single diners feel as welcome as those with a group. I will not lie about the expected wait time. After I lead guests to a table, I will remove any additional place settings.
After you are seated, the waiters and busboys take over. These resolutions apply to all servers, whether the lead waiter, back waiter or busboy. Resolutions for Servers I will let the customers’ asses touch the chair before I bombard them with a request for drink orders. I will include the prices of dishes when I recite the day’s specials. I will let guests know if we’re out of something as soon as I hand them the menu. I will listen. I will listen (it bears repeating.) I will know which guest has ordered each dish before delivering the food to the table. I will not touch the rim of any glass; I will hold wine glasses by their stems. I will not put my thumb on the inner portion of a plate or bowl. I will not reach across one guest to serve another. I will bring everyone their food at the same time, unless a guest has requested otherwise. I will check back in on a table within 3-5 minutes of delivering each course; not before, not after. I will bring clean silverware for each course. I will not ask a guest if s/he is finished when others are still eating that course. I will not take an empty plate from one guest while others are still eating the same course. I will never remove a plate full of food without asking what was wrong with the dish. I will not have a personal conversation with another server within earshot of customers. I will not reek from perfume or cigarettes. I will never stack the plates on the table. I will not bring a check until someone asks for it. I will give the check to the person who asked for it. I will thank all customers.
Then of course, there are the “house rules” or restaurant guidelines, the responsibilities for those come from the general manger (or, if a corporate restaurant, even higher up the management chain.) The decisions on this level affect the dining experience as much as the interaction with your server.
30
• 01.13.2016
Resolutions for Managers
I will honor reservations. If a table is not ready within a reasonable length of time, I will offer a free drink to the guests. I will never refuse to seat guests if the majority of the party is present. I will make certain all tables in the dining room are level and steady. I will never refuse to substitute one vegetable for another. I will make certain that the bathrooms are clean and stocked. I will make certain that the water in the bathroom is hot enough to kill germs, yet not scald customers.
Your last experience before the leaving the restaurant is often the parking valet, I sometime end up swearing at them, especially when I get in the car and find they’ve pulled the seat so far forward that I’m singing soprano. Resolutions for Valets I will not smoke while working. Even if I don’t smoke in the car, residual smoke leaves an odor. I will not adjust the mirrors. I will not change the station or volume on the radio/music. If I must adjust the seat I will either try to put it back to its original setting or warn the driver. If I damage someone’s car, I will admit it.
I can almost see you, my dear reader, out there nodding your head in agreement. Not so fast, you are not exempt from needing to make some dining resolutions of your own. Having worked on both sides of the menu, so to speak, I am aware of some of the thoughtless behavior restaurant customers exhibit. I’ve even been guilty of the third one from time to time. Resolutions for Diners I will show up a few minutes before the time of my reservation, not a half hour before or after. I will cancel my reservation if I’m not going to show up. If I’m not ready when a waiter comes by to take our order, I will ask for a few more minutes and then I will stop my conversation and consult the menu. I will listen when the server lists the specials, soups or salad dressing options so the s/ he does not need to repeat it. If our table wants separate checks, we will ask before we order. I will be reasonable when asking for substituting accompaniments to a dish; a vegetable instead of a starch is appropriate a steak instead of fries is not. I will understand that sauces are made in advance and that they can’t just “leave it out.” I won’t say I’m allergic to something when I’m not. I will alert the server of any severe allergies when I place my order. I will be polite; the person is my server, not a servant or slave. I will never snap my fingers for a server. I will tip on the entire meal, not just the price of the entrée.
01.13.2016 •
31
F O R
T H E
SFGNITES
W E E K
O F
J a n u a r y
1 4
-
j a n u a r y
1 9 ,
2 0 1 5
W W W . S F G N . C O M
J.W. Arnold
jw@prdconline.com
THU
1/14
concert Best known for her roles as Glinda in Broadway’s “Wicked” and the plucky press secretary Annabeth on TV’s “The West Wing,” the multi-talented Kristin Chenoweth is “Coming Home” to the Broward Center tonight for one performance. She’ll be singing her favorite songs from her latest album. She also appears in West Palm Beach at the Kravis Center on Jan. 16. Tickets at BrowardCenter.org and Kravis.org.
FRI
1/15
theater Island City Stage presents the world premiere of Michael Leeds’ new comedy thriller, “Who Killed Joan Crawford?,” tonight through Feb. 14 at Abyss Stage, 2304 N. Dixie Highway, in Wilton Manors. What can happen at a costume party where the guests are dressed like iconic Joan Crawford movie characters? Murder! They aren’t pretty, but the play is pretty funny. Tickets are $35 at IslandCityStage.org.
“STAR TREK: The Ultimate Voyage” presents unforgettable footage from the iconic science fiction films and TV series, accompanied live by symphony orchestra, next week in Fort Lauderdale and West Palm Beach. Photo Credit: CineConcerts.
SAT
1/16 SUN
1/17 MON
1/18 TUE
1/19
food
concert
comedy
theater
Head to Esplanade Park in downtown Fort Lauderdale today from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. for Riverwalk’s 5th Annual Stone Crab & Seafood Festival. In addition to scrumptious seafood, enjoy drinks, live entertainment, prizes and more. You won’t want to miss the ever popular hermit crab races, either. Tasting size dishes start at $5 each and tickets to the craft beer garden are $20 in advance. Tickets at GoRiverwalk.com.
“STAR TREK: The Ultimate Voyage” goes where no concert has gone before, bringing five decades of “Star Trek” to South Florida. The show features a live symphony orchestra performance as iconic film and TV footage from the science fiction classic is beamed up in high definition to a supersized screen. Tonight at the Kravis Center and Jan. 19 at the Broward Center. Tickets at Kravis.org and BrowardCenter.org.
Enjoy a hilarious evening of comedy, personal anecdotes, show biz stories and that deadpan delivery and demeanor that have made Bob Newhart one of the most celebrated comedians in entertainment history with a career spanning more than five decades. The television legend will be appearing tonight at 8 p.m. at the Broward Center in Fort Lauderdale. Tickets are $53 – 98 at BrowardCenter.org.
Come celebrate the life of Will Rogers, the beloved American entertainer who never met a man he didn’t like. The Carbonell Award-winning Maltz Jupiter Theatre, 1001 E. Indiantown Road, in Jupiter, presents “The Will Rogers Follies,” a dynamic, crowdpleasing musical review about the famed comedian’s life and featuring a cast of 23 performers, tonight through Jan. 31. Tickets start at $55 at JupiterTheatre.org.
32
• 01.13.2016
01.13.2016 •
33
a&e dance
Photo Credit: Submitted photo.
Miami City Ballet performs Twyla Tharp’s signature ballet, “In the Upper Room.”
Miami City Ballet Offers Diverse Program, Expertly Danced J.W. Arnold
I
Everyone has a story to tell. For Wynonna Judd, her stories have always been told through music with one of the most influential and important voices of our generation. You’ll hear tales from an iconic artist who has met extraordinary people and been blessed with amazing opportunities throughout her unparalleled 32-year career. Come experience incomparable artistry as she and her band take you on a musical journey starting at the beginning with her mom as The Judds to her illustrious solo career to unprecedented new music from Wynonna & The Big Noise.
tickets at ParkerPlayhouse.com Ticketmaster | 954.462.0222 • Group Sales | 954.660.6307 Follow us:
34
• 01.13.2016
BrowardCenter
n its 2016 opener, Miami City Ballet offered a profound survey of the evolution of modern classical music and dance. Program II, performed last weekend at Miami’s Arsht Center and coming to the Broward and Kravis Centers over successive weekends, features three distinct ballets: George Balanchine’s “La Source,” set to music by Leo Delibes; followed by Peter Martins’ “Barber Violin Concerto; and Twyla Tharp’s “In the Upper Room,” with original musical score by Philip Glass. “La Source” is in all ways the epitome of classical ballet, one of the famed choreographer’s “pink ballets,” and set to the elegant music of French romantic composer Delibes. A series of short orchestral movements composed in 1866 and 1876, “La Source” opened the Sunday matinee with Tricia Albertson and Renato Penteado performing a subdued pas de deux followed by spritely solos from the dancers. Penteado was a dashing cavalier throughout, showcasing both his talents and his partner, Albertson. The ballet is classic Balanchine highlighted by his signature architectural formations as the corps joins soloist Leanna Rinaldi in later movements. Peter Martins’ 1988 “Barber Violin Concerto” offered audiences a juxtaposition of the traditional and the avant-garde. Composed in 1941, Samuel Barber’s “Concerto for Violin and Orchestra, Op. 14”—performed flawlessly by Mei Mei Luo and the Opus One Orchestra— expanded the harmonic and rhythmic bounds of a 300-year-old musical form. Simone Messmer and Rainer Krenstetter opened with the more conventional first movement, a traditional pas de deux and dressed in classical attire, tights and shoes. In the second movement, as Barber begins pushing the musical bounds, barefoot Nathalia
Arja and a bare-chested, svelte Chase Swatosh took the stage, introducing cat-like, modern motions that accentuate the musical accents in a literal manner. In the third and fourth movements, the dancers then switched partners, tempting the other with the order of traditional choreography and the spontaneous joy of contemporary dance. Surprisingly, there is no “resolution” to the curious juxtapositions with the curtain falling to thunderous applause from the small, but enthusiastic matinee audience. Artistic Director Lourdes Lopez selected Twyla Tharp’s “In the Upper Room” to close the program. While not technically the oldest (1986) ballet on the program, it was set to the minimalist composer’s 1986 suite, an experiment in calculated, undulating sound as various musical phrases are repeated incessantly with only minor changes. The audience immediately realized the creative process had taken great leaps since Barber’s concerto. Tharp’s choreography draws classical ballet, ballroom, jazz and even hip hop influences, ebbing and flowing with the slow crescendos and decrescendos in the score, danced to a recording of the impossibly difficult work. Sometimes the ballet continues during the pauses between musical movements. The performance was at times fierce and relentless like Glass’s score, a visual cacophony at times as the entire company entered and exited, marching, skipping, leaping and turning. Dancers entered the smoky Ziff stage from both wings and upstage in ensembles of twos, threes and more. All began dressed in black and white striped shirts and pants originally conceived by costume designer Norma Kamali. With successive movements, groups of dancers first entered in red toe shoes and eventually red tank tops, pants and dresses made their appearances.
Miami City Ballet repeats Program II with works by Balanchine, Martins and Tharp at the Broward Center in Fort Lauderdale, Jan. 16 – 17, and at the Kravis Center in West Palm Beach, Jan. 29 – 31. For show times and tickets, go to MiamiCityBallet.org.
01.13.2016 •
35
Photo: Alicia Donelan
a&e theater
will rogers Follies Donald Cavanaugh
T
he Will Rogers Follies: A life in Rogers, American philosopher and showman Review,” will take the stage at the who is famously credited with saying ‘I never Maltz Jupiter Theatre from Jan. 12, met a man I didn’t like. to Jan. 31 at 7 p.m. under the direction of Rogers was born on a cattle ranch in Carbonell Award winner Matt Martino joined Oologah, Oklahoma in 1897, starting his show by fellow Carbonell winners choreographer business career as “The Cherokee Kid” in Shea Sullivan and Broadway Texas Jack’s American Circus performer Matt Loehr. and Wild West Show. From Maltz regulars will there he moved on to master remember the award winning every communications/ trio in the Carbonell-winning entertainment venue from musicals,“Crazy for You” and radio to television to stage “The Music Man.” including starring in the “I cannot think of three renowned Ziegfeld Follies. artists that I’m more excited He died in an airplane crash to have collaborate for the in 1935. He was 38 years old. Maltz Jupiter Theatre’s “I’m sure this musical is production of ‘The Will something that many readers Rogers Follies: A Life in of South Florida Gay News Revue’ than Mark Martino, would love to see,” Martino Shea Sullivan and Matt said. “There are incredible Loehr,” said Andrew Kato, dance numbers with glamour the Theatre’s producing and glitz; some with tap and artistic director and chief some with cowboy ropes. -Mark Martino executive. “They are all Sets and costumes are eyeincredibly talented artists opening.” individually, and are “I can’t imagine not liking absolutely unstoppable when the show,” he continued. they join forces. Our audiences are in for an “There are show girls and strapping extraordinary treat!” handsome cowboys. It’s the perfect marriage “The Will Rogers Follies” depicts, in song of spectacle and joy, and it’s a relief to escape and dance, the bigger than life, life of Will from all the negative news for a while.”
“There are show girls and strapping handsome cowboys”
36
• 01.13.2016
The production features a cast of 23, a nine-piece orchestra, some 300 costumes, and 22 musical numbers. The musical will showcase the scenic design of Carbonell nominee Paul Tate dePoo, lighting design by Carbonell nominee Paul Black, costume design by Carbonell nominee Gail Baldoni, music direction by Carbonell winner Helen Gregory, and sound design by multiple Carbonell nominee Marty Metz. Mark Martino was born and raised in Indianapolis, Indiana. He went to college at William and Mary where he studied theater. His career has progressed through various stages of acting, producing and now directing. He loves his work and his favorite out-of-town theater is the Maltz. “It’s a totally professional organization with the feeling of family,” he said. “You can tell people care about their mission. It’s just a great place to work.” Martino and his husband, Jose Fidellino were married in 2008 in California and make their home in New York City. the Maltz-Jupiter theatre is located at 1001 east Indiantown road in Jupiter. Information and tickets are available online (www. jupitertheatre.org) or by phone at 561-575-2223
Pride at Maltz
I
n conjunction with “The Will Rogers Follies: A Life in Revue” the Maltz Jupiter Theater will hold its Seventh Annual Gay Pride Night” on Saturday, Jan. 30. Tickets for the event may be purchased for $39.00 by calling 561575-2223. The password is COWBOY. Regular seating starts at $55. Pride Night guests will enjoy hors d’oeuvres in the conservatory at 7 p.m. They will adjourn to the theatre a little before the 8 p.m. curtain. After the show, they will join the cast for a post-show dessert meet-and-greet featuring ice cream provided by Pride Night supporter Kilwins of Jupiter.’’ In addition to Kilwin’s of Jupiter, Pride Night is sponsored by Morgan Stanley and supported by South Florida Gay News, Get Out! South Florida on WBZT, and Compass Communiy Center. “As a business leader in our community, we feel it’s extremely important to welcome everyone to the Maltz Jupiter Theatre,” said Andrew Kato, the Maltz Jupiter Theatre’s producing artistic director and chief executive. “When we started our annual Pride Night initiative seven years ago, we wanted to take that invitation to the Theatre one step further by creating an annual event. Pride events in the northern Palm Beach County area are rare, so we created an exciting yearly event that mixes socializing with a show. Theater is the sort of place that should always be welcoming everyone, and we love welcoming members of our LGBT community each year for Pride Night.”
MASTERWORKS SERIES II
Thursday, January 21, 7:30pm Tennessee Williams Theatre, Key West Saturday, January 23, 7:30pm Parker Playhouse, Broward Sunday, January 24, 4:00pm Kaye Auditorium, FAU, Boca Raton Monday, January 25, 7:30pm Arsht Center, Miami PROGRAM
W. A. Mozart Symphony No. 36 In C Major (Linz) Ludwig Van Beethoven Symphony No. 9 in D Minor The Master Chorale of South Florida joins the South Florida Symphony for a performance of Beethoven’s most beloved and most played masterpiece.
The Master Chorale Of South Florida
Eileen Strempel Soprano
Jeffery Hartman Tenor
Janna Baty Mezzo-Soprano
Neil Nelson Bass Baritone
Tickets: SouthFloridaSymphony.org | 954-522-8445 Concert Sponsors:
Funding for this project is provided in part by the Broward County Board of County Commissioners as recommended by the Broward Cultural Council
Reception Sponsors:
Sponsored in part by the State of Florida, Department of State, Division of Cultural Affairs and the Florida Council on Arts and Culture
01.13.2016 •
37
a&e review
Credit: Feld Entertainment.
ChanGe is CominG soon For Famed CirCus J. W. Arnold
After a month-long holiday vacation in Sarasota, Feld Entertainment’s Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus traditionally makes its first stop of the year in Miami. On Monday, the company, which also produces Disney on Ice and other family arena spectacles, announced its 40 touring elephants would be retired to a Florida sanctuary. This would be our last chance to see the giant pachyderms perform in the ring and so my partner, his parents and I made our way to Miami’s American Airlines Arena for “The Greatest Show on Earth.” We don’t catch the show every year. The tickets themselves aren’t expensive, but when you add in the processing and “convenience” fees, parking, and then the $8 snow cones, $14 cotton candy, $12 ice cream and $5 bottles of soda, well, a trip to the circus becomes an expensive proposition. We aren’t even seduced by the $18 - $24 stuffed animals and flashing wands or tempted to get our faces painted for $8 or a computer-generated photograph for $15. Quite frankly, I don’t know how a family with children affords a trip to the circus. But there we were, seated in the arena as the
38
• 01.13.2016
lights went down for “Circus Xtreme.” Changes have been coming to the circus for decades. Ringling Bros. long ago abandoned the traveling big top, preferring to perform in urban arenas with air conditioning and sophisticated light and sound systems. The circus band ditched their spirited marches in favor of pop-infused music. The sequin-bedazzled ringmaster—we counted four costume changes—now sings as he rides around the rings on a motorized platform. The influence of Cirque-style productions has also been growing over the years with aerialists flying through the air on bungee cords a la “Believe” from one of Cher’s many farewell tours. Later they would float in the air with billowing mermaid tails. The Mongolian acrobats, a staple of Cirque du Soleil, make an appearance, too. Several traditional circus acts have survived, including the Danguir Troupe, walking the tightrope 35 feet above the arena floor; Gemma Kirby, the human cannonball; and, of course, the clowns. The animal acts included a tightly
The Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus announced Monday it would retire its famed elephants this spring.
choreographed pack of two-humped camels, trotting around the ring with beautiful Asian riders performing handstands and tricks on their backs, and the ferocious white tigers who seemed more like giant pussycats under the command of trainer Tabavara Maluenda. Finally, the elephants arrived! Perhaps in response to the animal rights activists who follow the circus train from city to city—yes, the circus still travels by train—the elephant act focused on messages of education and conservation, justifying their lives in captivity and participation in the spectacle. I’m not sure if they aren’t better off living within the circus. We hear about poachers everyday and their natural habitat continues to disappear as Asia industrializes. I do know they seemed to respond to the audience as they sat and rolled over and knocked giant beach balls
around the arena with their trunks. And I’m glad we got to see them one last time. So how will the circus survive without elephants? In keeping with the show theme, “Circus Xtreme,” producers have turned to extreme sports: daring BMX riders jumping and flipping around the arena on steel ramps and champion trampoline artists bouncing on an off of a large scaffolding, all accentuated with dazzling lighting and pyrotechnics. Oh, and I can’t forget the trained poodles. They’re definitely not exotic like elephants, but they brought the loudest applause for their antics. The elephants may be relegated to history soon, but the circus will go on from town to town, bringing smiles to “ladies, gentlemen, children of all ages” for many years to come.
The Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus presents “Circus Xtreme” at the American Airlines Arena, 601 Biscayne Blvd. in Miami, through Monday, Jan. 18. Tickets start at $10 at Ticketmaster.com.
LGBT CRUISES & TOUR EVENTS
from $599 pp
Norwegian Cruise Line - Norwegian - Gem
Oct 30 - Nov 6, 2016 7 Nights HALLOWEEN CRUISE 15th ANNUAL Private Group Event
Departs from San Juan, Puerto Rico to Grenada, St. Lucia, Dominica, Antigua, Tortola, & Back to San Juan Private Group Event Includes: - $1,000 in Costume Prizes - Top GLBT Entertainment - Private Gay Disco with DJ Michael Kessler - Group Dining - Optional Beach Parties - Nightly Shows & Gatherings & much, much more...
more in 2016: Alaska, Caribbean, Cuba, France, India, Mediterranean
CALL TODAY: (800) 592-9058 www.AquafestCruises.com 01.13.2016 •
39
a&e interview
renÉe FleminG to sinG in miami Will join Cleveland Orchestra Miami for anniversary concert
Edwin Neimann
T
en years ago, during the inaugural season of the Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts of Miami-Dade County, The Cleveland Orchestra began a residency program at the Arsht Center’s Knight Concert Hall. Each year since, through a series of subscription concerts, education programs, and community engagement activities, more than 20,000 children, students, and adults experience one of the world’s great orchestras (The New York Times hailed The Cleveland Orchestra as “… the best orchestra in America”). To celebrate the 10th Anniversary season of The Cleveland Orchestra Miami, superstar soprano Renée Fleming will join the orchestra for their gala concert on Saturday, Jan. 23. Although she has appeared with the Cleveland Orchestra in Ohio, this will be Renée’s debut with the Cleveland Orchestra Miami. She will join the orchestra for selections from Cilea’s “Adriana Lecouvreur,” Puccini’s “La Boheme,” Verdi’s “Otello,” as well as Tosti’s song “Aprile.” In addition, The Cleveland Orchestra will perform works by Mozart, Ravel, and Verdi, and will be conducted by Music Director Franz Welser-Möst. SFGN spoke with Renée Fleming recently about the upcoming concert, some of her career highlights, and what endeavors she might undertake in the future:
What would you like our readers to know about the pieces you are performing (details not in the program notes)?
Well the “Willow Song” and “Ave Maria” from Verdi’s “Otello” I’ve been singing for a long time. The “Ave Maria” I sang for my debut with Placido Domingo. I was so nervous they practically had to carry me off the stage at the end. And the song “Aprile” by Tosti was written for soprano, but lately many tenors have been performing it, so I’m taking it back!
If you met someone who is NOT a fan of opera, and they were willing to listen to one piece or go see one opera to give it a chance, what piece and what opera would you recommend?
Listen to the tenor aria “Nessun Dorma” or the soprano aria “O Mio Babbino Caro.” As far as operas, go see “La Boheme” or “Carmen.”
What do you consider your career highlight?
Performing the National Anthem at the 2014 Superbowl, singing for the Queen’s Jubilee in 2012, and performing at the Beijing Olympics and the Nobel Peace Prize ceremonies are some of the bigger events that I’ve been thrilled to be a part of. As far a career highlights, I’ve done 54 opera roles and it would be impossible to select which one or ones were highlights.
What non-classical musician would you most want to collaborate with that you have not yet already collaborated with?
That’s a tough question, I really can’t say. I love collaborating with artists outside of my genre and I’ve been fortunate to do so on many occasions. I have a project coming up with a major non-classical artist but I can’t say who yet (so stay tuned).
What classical musician would you most want to collaborate with that you have not yet already collaborated with?
At this point I think I’ve done it all, so I don’t have any names to add to that list.
If you had not pursued a career as a singer, what other field do you think you would have gone into?
Probably business. I’m very creative and I love consulting.
What advice do you have for people who are pursuing their dreams (in any field)?
Work hard, be resilient, never give up on your dreams, and always be prepared for any opportunities that come your way. The level of competition in every field is higher than it’s ever been so you really must stand out.
Where do you see yourself in 15 years?
Retired and enjoying martinis on the beach, or somewhere [laughing]. No I really can’t say. Leontyne Price was still performing into her late 60s so maybe I will too.
In addition to the 10th Anniversary Gala concert with Renée Fleming on Jan. 23, The Cleveland Orchestra Miami welcomes pianist Leif Ove Andsnes, who will perform the Schumann Piano Concerto, on concerts Jan. 21 and 22 that will also include the Tchaikovsky Romeo and Juliet Overture-Fantasy, and the Tchaikovsky Symphony No. 1 (“Winter Daydreams”). For tickets, visit ClevelandOrchestraMiami.com, or call the box office at 305-949-6722.
40
• 01.13.2016
Renée Fleming
a&e film An Undersea Tribute to Life
the Girl kinG The Queen Christina Film Garbo Wanted to Make David-Elijah Nahmod
M
ika Kaurismaki’s new film “The Girl King” might surprise viewers who are familiar with “Queen Christina,” the 1933 historical drama starring Hollywood legend Greta Garbo. The highly romanticized Garbo film presents the young 17th century queen as a heterosexual in love with a Spanish envoy, who was played by John Gilbert, Garbo’s real-life partner. Completely ignored in 1933 was the fact that the Queen was a lesbian. “The Girl King,” newly out on DVD, tells the rest of the Queen’s story. “The Girl King” is a sumptuous visual feast that transports viewers back to the days of Christina’s reign. Kaurismaki’s camera glides effortlessly through castle halls, across wintry landscapes, and into the soul of the lead character. The film paints an accurate portrait of Christina’s love for art and literature, and of her determination to lead her people to peace after the devastating “Thirty Years War” between Catholics and Protestants. Some of these themes were touched upon in the Garbo film, and Garbo, one of the most mesmerizing stars of Hollywood’s Golden Age, gave a wonderful performance in her version of the story. But the love story between the Queen and her Spanish lover was fabricated for “Queen Christina.” In “The Girl King,” the Queen (Malin Buska) turns down a marriage proposal fairly early in the film. Christina’s eyes gaze lovingly upon Countess Ebba Sparre (Sarah Gadon), the fiancé to one of her noblemen. That love is reciprocated, and the story of these two women becomes the heart of “The Girl King.” The film lets viewers know how ahead of her time the youthful queen was. A feminist by any definition of the word, Christina walks to the beat of her own drum--she wears men’s
clothing and engages in sword fights. She doesn’t care what her advisers think. She’s incapable of being anyone other than who her heart tells her she must be. “Garbo was disappointed back then,” Malin Buska, the new film’s star, told SFGN. “She wanted to make the story of this extravagant figure--MGM turned it into a heterosexual love story.” Swedish native Buska added that though there’s been a cultural shift in society since Garbo’s time, there can still be many obstacles to overcome. “The story is about love,” the actress said. “Gender and sexuality don’t matter. It’s weird that such a thing can still be so difficult. It’s important to portray the character as a free spirit who went her own way--I really wanted to tell the truth about her.” Both Buska and her director watched the Garbo version. “I saw it a couple of times,” said Kaurismaki. “I didn’t watch it again recently--I did not want my film to be a remake. I wanted to make a different film. She had a revolutionary life. It shouldn’t only be about the love story--that’s important, but it should be about her whole life.” The auteur feels that people today can see Christina as a role model. “Young people will see her as such,” he said. “Look what’s happening in the world today.” “Kids today should read about her,” said Buska. “She was into arts, science, and gardening. She would study all day long--she was interested in the world. She wanted to educate people. She’s a feminist icon--we are still fighting for what she fought for. She was before her time and is still before our time. It was fantastic to take her inside of me and to be her. And to do this part after Greta Garbo.” “I think we made the film that Garbo wanted to make,” added Kaurismaki.
The Neptune Reef is a unique and affordable destination to establish a lasting legacy, while creating life after life. Now being offered by Ask about Package Pricing specials that include cremation. Call 954-731-4321 for more info. www.browardburial.com
“The Girl King” is now available via lesbian owned Wolfe Video.
01.13.2016 •
41
Datebook
Theater Christiana Lilly
Calendar@SFGN.com
top
picks
Who Killed Joan Crawford?
Jan. 14 to Feb. 14 at Island City Stage, 2304 N. Dixie Highway in Wilton Manors. Five men dressed as Joan Crawford attend a soap opera star’s birthday party, and as the drinks start flowing -- one of the Joans goes missing. Call 954-519-2533 or visit IslandCityStage.org.
Star Trek Voyage
the
Ultimate
Jan. 17 at 8 p.m. at the Kravis Center for the Performing Arts, 701 Okeechobee Blvd. in West Palm Beach. A live symphony performs music from the franchise while footage from the show is projected onto a screen. Tickets $25 and up. Call 561-832-7469 or visit Kravis.org.
BOOM
Through Jan. 31 at the Museum of Contemporary Art, 770 NE 125th St. in Miami. A grad student invites a girl he meets through a personal ad to his subterranean research lab for a night of fun -- but after a global incident, they might be stuck together for longer. Features live music by Afrobeta. Tickets $35. Call 305-677-9200 or visit TheBasementProject.org.
* Denotes New Listing
broward county An Evening with Paul Anka
Jan. 13 at 7:30 p.m. at the the Broward Center for the Performing Arts, 201 SW Fifth Ave. in Fort Lauderdale. The songwriting master wrote Tom Jones’ “She’s a Lady,” Michael Jackson’s “This is It,” and Frank Sinatra’s “My Way.” Tickets $37.50 to $140. Call 954-462-0222 or visit BrowardCenter.org.
* Kristin Chenoweth
Jan. 14 at 8 p.m. at the the Broward Center for the Performing Arts, 201 SW Fifth Ave. in Fort Lauderdale. The Tony and Emmy Award winner makes her first performance at the Broward Center. Tickets $30 to $125. Call 954-462-0222 or visit BrowardCenter.org.
* Garth Brooks
Jan. 14 to 16 at the BB&T Center, One Panther Parkway in Sunrise. The country dynamo added a third show to his visit due to popular demand. Tickets $68.48. Call 800-745-3000 or visit thebbtcenter.com.
42
• 01.13.2016
Jan. 13 to Jan. 19
* Gold Coast Jazz: John Pizzarelli Quartet
Jan. 15 at 7:45 p.m. at the the Broward Center for the Performing Arts, 201 SW Fifth Ave. in Fort Lauderdale. Considered one of the greatest interpreters of the American Songbook, Pizzarelli’s quartet joins Gold Coast Jazz. Tickets $50. Call 954462-0222 or visit BrowardCenter.org.
* Miami City Ballet: Program Two
Jan. 16 at 8 p.m. and Jan. 17 at 2 p.m. at the the Broward Center for the Performing Arts, 201 SW Fifth Ave. in Fort Lauderdale. The ballet company performs La Source, Barber Violin Concerto, and In the Upper Room. Tickets $20 to $189. Call 954-462-0222 or visit BrowardCenter.org.
* Arlo Guthrie: Alice’s Restaurant 50th Anniversary Tour
Jan. 16 at 8 p.m. at the Coral Springs Center for the Arts, 2855 Coral Springs Drive in Coral Springs. The singer-songwriter commemorates the 50th anniversary of the song that brought him to stardom. Tickets $40.28 to $61.48. Call 954-3445999 or visit CoralSpringsCenterfortheArts.com.
* Winter Jam 2016
Jan. 17 at 6 p.m. at the BB&T Center, One Panther Parkway in Sunrise. On its 48-city tour, the show features King & Country, Matthew West, Crowder, RED, Sidewalk Prophets, and more. Tickets $10 at the door only. Call 800-745-3000 or visit thebbtcenter.com.
* Vocalosity
Jan. 17 at 6 p.m. at the Parker Playhouse, 707 NE Eighth St. in Fort Lauderdale. Deke Sharon, the artistic producer behind “Pitch Perfect” and “The Sing Off,” brings the musical genre to the stage. Tickets $35.50 to $55. Call 954-462-0222 or visit ParkerPlayhouse.org.
* Bob Newhart
Jan. 18 at 7:30 p.m. at the Parker Playhouse, 707 NE Eighth St. in Fort Lauderdale. The American legend has been making people laugh for decades. Tickets $53 to $98. Call 954-462-0222 or visit ParkerPlayhouse.org.
* The Colleen and Josh Show
The Jackie Mason Musical
Through Jan. 24 at Empire Stage, 1140 N. Flagler Drive in Fort Lauderdale. A younger Jackie Mason spots the beautiful Ginger, played by his daughter Sheba Mason, at a Miami deli and tries to woo her every winter when he returns south. Tickets $49.99, or $24.50 with discount code EARLY. Call 954-678-1496 or visit EmpireStage. com.
#UnhappyHour
Fridays and Saturdays from Jan. 8 to 24 at the Coral Springs Center for the Arts, 2855 Coral Springs Drive in Coral Springs. Claire and Charlie work at a Florida dive bar, and each night is filled with odd customers, dreams, and a complicated relationship. Tickets $39.22. Call 954-344-5999 or visit CoralSpringsCenterfortheArts.com.
Diva Diaries
Through Jan. 31 at the Broward Center for the Performing Arts, 201 SW Fifth Ave. in Fort Lauderdale. Three drag queens are on the brink of a nervous breakdown in this comedy evoking music and looks from the ‘80s, ‘90s, and ‘00s. Tickets $45. Call 954-462-0222 or visit BrowardCenter.org.
palm beach county * High Society
Jan. 16 at 8 p.m. at the Aventura Arts & Cultural Center, 3385 NE 188th St. in Aventura. Witter performs music by Elton John and Billy Joel from the ‘80s. Tickets $40 to $45. Call 305-466-8002 or visit AventuraCenter.org.
* Miami International Piano Festival: Amir Katz
Jan. 17 at 5 p.m. at the Aventura Arts & Cultural Center, 3385 NE 188th St. in Aventura. The Israeli pianist performs works by Bach, Schubert, and Liszt. Tickets $30. Call 305-466-8002 or visit AventuraCenter.org.
Ringling Bros and Barnum & Bailey: Circus XTREME
Through Jan. 18 at the AmericanAirlines Arena, 601 Biscayne Blvd. in Miami. The two traveling circuses make their way back to Miami with stunts from humans and animals alike. Tickets $16 to $75. Call 786-777-1000 or visit AAArena. com.
* Yo-Yo Ma
* Jarrod Spector
Jan. 15 at 8 p.m. at the Kravis Center for the Performing Arts, 701 Okeechobee Blvd. in West Palm Beach. The cellist has put out more than 90 albums, 18 of which have won Grammy Awards. Tickets $35 and up. Call 561-832-7469 or visit Kravis.org.
* Kristin Chenoweth
* Star Trek -- The Ultimate Voyage
Free Friday Concerts
Jan. 20 at 7:30 p.m. at the Broward Center for the Performing Arts, 201 SW Fifth Ave. in Fort Lauderdale. The singer-songwriter is known for his songs “Running on Empty,” “Here Comes Those Tears Again,” “Doctor My Eyes” and more. Tickets $49.50 to $124.50. Call 954-462-0222 or visit BrowardCenter.org.
* Jim Witter’s Still Rock n’ Roll to Me
* Macklemore & Ryan Lewis
Jan. 18 at 7:30 p.m. at the Parker Playhouse, 707 NE Eighth St. in Fort Lauderdale. The YouTube couple comes to Fort Lauderdale with their music and wit. Tickets $33 to $73. Call 954-4620222 or visit ParkerPlayhouse.org.
* An Evening With Jackson Browne
Jan. 15 at 8 p.m. at the Adrienne Arsht Center, 1300 Biscayne Blvd. in Miami. Pianist Eddie Palmieri joins up with with the Pete Escovedo Orchestra. Tickets $25 to $130. Call 305-9496722 or visit ArshtCenter.org.
Jan. 14 to 31 at the Lake Worth Playhouse, 713 Lake Ave. in Lake Worth. Oyster Bay is abuzz with the impending marriage of a high society woman to an equally pretentious man -- until her ex-husband shows up. Tickets $29 to $72. Call 561-586-6410 or visit LakeWorthPlayhouse. org.
Jan. 16 at 8 p.m. at the Kravis Center for the Performing Arts, 701 Okeechobee Blvd. in West Palm Beach. The Tony and Emmy Award winner makes her first performance at the Broward Center. Tickets $30 and up. Call 561-832-7469 or visit Kravis.org.
Jan. 19 at 7:30 p.m. at the the Broward Center for the Performing Arts, 201 SW Fifth Ave. in Fort Lauderdale. A live symphony performs music from the franchise while footage from the show is projected onto a 40-foot-wide screen. Tickets $30 to $65. Call 954-462-0222 or visit BrowardCenter.org.
* Jazz Roots: Eddie Palmieri Salsa Orchestra
Fridays at 7:30 p.m. at the Delray Beach Center for the Arts, 51 N. Swinton Ave. in Delray Beach. Enjoy live music from the comfort of your picnic blanket or lawn chair every week, for free! Call 561-243-7922 or visit DelrayArts.org.
miami-dade county * Rapture, Blister, Burn
Jan. 14 to 31 at the Adrienne Arsht Center, 1300 Biscayne Blvd. in Miami. Gwen and Catherina envy what one another has, without looking at what they have in their own lives. Tickets $50. Call 305-949-6722 or visit ArshtCenter.org.
Jan. 19 at 8 p.m. at the Fillmore Miami Beach, 1700 Washington Ave. in MIami Beach. The hip hop duo have put out singles like “Downtown,” “Thrift Shop,” “Same Love,” and other favorites. Tickets $59.50 to $80.50. Call 305-673-7300 or visit FillmoreMB.com. Jan. 20 at 8 p.m. at the Aventura Arts & Cultural Center, 3385 NE 188th St. in Aventura. The star of “Jersey Boys” performs in his first solo concert. Tickets $40 to $45. Call 305-466-8002 or visit AventuraCenter.org.
PAMM Outdoor Music Series
Third Thursdays at the Perez Art Museum Miami, 101 W. Flagler St. in Miami. Come out for live music from DJs and musicians by the bay. Drink specials available. Free with museum admission. Call 305-375-3000 or visit PAMM.org.
The Big Show
Fridays and Saturdays at 9 p.m. at Just the Funny Theater, 3119 Coral Way in Miami. A collection of comedy mixing the likes of improvisation and sketches. Tickets $12. Call 305-693-8669 or visit JustTheFunny.com.
porn pulse
Photo: Facebook
vine star held in solitary ConFinement
Hunter Houston
T
his week we get to write about a living subject, for a change. Bryan Silva, at last count, is still alive. The former porn actor is being held in solitary confinement pending a preliminary hearing into his role in a standoff with police. Silva, reportedly, performed in a scene for Next Door Studios under the stage name Max Payne. He gave a bizarre interview to a Virginia television station last week claiming his jailing is a “big mix up” stemming from “big confusion” while repeatedly stating “free me.” Charlottesville, Va. police arrested Silva, 25, on Jan. 3 on charges of abduction and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. Silva, allegedly, barricaded himself inside his home while holding his 17-year-old girlfriend hostage and threatening her with a firearm. SFGN_Florida_House3.pdf 1 4/9/2015 1:03:28 PM
The slim Caucasian, credited for coining the term “Gratata,” gained social media notoriety for his thuggish six-second Vine videos. In the videos, posted under the handle @OutterSpaceSwag, Silva often poses with various firearms and is quite showy with his ample amounts of cash. In one video, Silva blows his nose with twenty dollar bills. What compels an individual to behave in this manner, you ask? In an interview with the website Queerty, Silva reveals his alpha male personality led him to get into the porn business. “I’m a hood nigga,” he told Queerty. “I’m street.” Silva does have prior felony convictions for destruction of property and marijuana possession. A preliminary hearing on his new set of charges is slated for February.
Where People Get Better We treat the chemical dependency and the underlying issues that contribute to drug and alcohol addiction. Whether you are a professional, a parent, or a student, now you can get better. All calls are 100% confidential. Detox
I
Residential
l
OutpatientPM
l
Aftercare
M
Y
Y
800.778.6792 www.FHErehab.com
100% CONFIDENTIAL All calls are confidential. Your treatment may be covered 100% by insurance. Nationally Accredited Treatment Center
01.13.2016 •
43
Datebook
Community Christiana Lilly Calendar@SFGN.com
Top Picks Gay8 Festival
Jan. 17 from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. at Calle Ocho (Southwest Eighth Street) to 14th and 17th Avenues in Miami. A giant block party celebrated Miami’s dynamic and diverse community. Visit Gay8Festival.com.
Annual King Holiday Parade and Unity March
Jan. 18 from 9 to 2:30 p.m. in Fort Lauderdale. The annual parade starts at Northwest Fifth Avenue and Sistrunk Boulevard to Andrews Avenue and south to Huizenga Plaza. Following the parade, a cultural experience at the plaza, including creating love unity bags for homeless children. Free. Visit FortLauderdale. gov/MLK.
Art Synergy’s Back Alley Arts Festival
Jan. 22 from 800 to 700 block of Park Avenue in Lake Park. The first festival with live paintings, murals, and food. Free. Visit ArtSynergyPBC.com.
broward county * Time for Prayer...Time for Togetherness
Jan. 15 from 6:30 to 8 p.m. at Lincoln Park, 600 NW 19th St. in Fort Lauderdale. Celebrate the life and legacy of Martin Luther King, Jr. with an an outdoor community prayer event and musical performances. Free. Visit FortLauderdale.gov/MLK.
* South Florida Folk Festival
Jan. 16 from 11 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. and Jan. 17 from noon to 7 p.m. at Hugh Taylor Birch State Park, 3109 E Sunrise Blvd. in Fort Lauderdale. Folks music by more than 40 musicians, jam area, food, crafts, and a fire circle. Tickets $25 for Broward Folk Club members, $35 for nonmembers. Visit BrowardFolkClub.com.
“The Indestructible Lee Miller”
Through Feb. 14 at the NSU Art Museum, One E. Las Olas Blvd. in Fort Lauderdale. An exhibit showcasing the work of the first female combat photographer during
44
• 01.13.2016
Broward Support Services Gender Bender Youth Group
Mondays from 7 to 8:30 p.m. at SunServe Campus, 1480 SW Ninth Ave. in Fort Lauderdale. A group for LGBT youth 13 to 21 to discuss gender, gender expression, binary systems, friendship, family and whatever else comes up! Free. Visit SunServeYouth.com
PFLAG
Tuesdays in Fort Lauderdale, Coral Springs and Southwest Ranches. A support group for parents of LGBT youth 13 to 21. Free. Visit SunServeYouth.com for dates and locations.
GayWrites
Wednesdays at 5:30 p.m. at the Stonewall Library, 1300 E. Sunrise Blvd. in Fort Lauderdale. Come join us and write your memoir, poem, blog, novel or short story. Free. Email garri1@earthlink.net
SunServe Youth Group
Tuesdays and Thursdays in Fort Lauderdale, Southwest Ranches, Coral Springs and Hollywood. A support group and night of fun for LGBT youth 13 to 21. Free. Visit SunServeYouth.com for dates and times.
Survivor Support
First and third Wednesdays from 7 to 8:30 p.m. at the Broward Health Imperial Point Hospital cafeteria, 6401 N. Federal Highway in Fort Lauderdale. Find support from counselors and peers who have lost loved ones to suicide. Call the Florida Initiative for Suicide Prevention at 954-384-0344 or visit FISPOnline.org.
World War II. Museum entry $8 to $12. Call 954-262-0204 or email moareservations@ moafl.org to RSVP to the art talk. Visit NSUArtMuseum.org.
Life Coaching
Monday through Friday 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. at Latinos Salud Clubhouse, 2300 Wilton Drive in Wilton Manors. Get one-on-one life coaching from certified CRCS coaches. For guys living with HIV, their partners, and anyone who identifies as transgender. Free. Call 954-765-6239 or visit LatinosSalud.org.
Come On, Get Happy!
Third Mondays from 7 to 8:30 p.m. at SunServe, 2312 Wilton Drive in Wilton Manors. A discussion group designed around the mind-body connection and emotional balance. Free. Call Katy Yankie at 954-764-5150 ext. 105 or visit sunserve.org.
L.I.F.E. Project
Tuesdays from 7 to 9 p.m. at the Pride Center, 2040 N. Dixie Highway in Wilton Manors. Get the tools you need to treat
Jan. 13 to Jan. 19 your HIV positive diagnosis and live a full, productive life. Free. Call 954-463-9005 or visit PrideCenterFlorida.org.
Tuesday Night Eatin’ Meeting
Tuesdays 8 to 9 p.m. at the Alternative MC Clubhouse, 4322 NE Fifth Ave. in Oakland Park. Fun and fellowship with plenty of food to go around. Visit AlternativeMC.com/ events/florida-events.
Personal Best: Overcoming Labels to Find the Real Me
Overcome the label of HIV/AIDS with different discussion topics every week, such as body image, disclosure, self esteem and more. Call 954-630-1655 or visit S-Men.org.
Safe “T” Transgender/Gender Variant Group
Wednesdays from 6:30 to 8 p.m. at SunServe, 2312 Wilton Drive in Wilton Manors. A drop-in support group for those who identify as transgender, transsexual, and genderqueer. Trans women on the first and third Wednesdays only. Free. Call John Swan at 954-764-5150, ext. 110 or visit SunServe.org.
American Sign Language 2
Wednesdays at 7 p.m. at the Pride South Florida office, 4233 NE Sixth Ave. in Oakland Park. $30 donation to Pride South Florida and Florida Rainbow Alliance of the Deaf. Enroll to bbmpride@gmail.com.
palm beach county * ArtPalmBeach 2016
Jan. 21 to 24 at the Palm Beach County Convention Center, 650 Okeechobee Blvd. in West Palm Beach. Dozens of galleries from around the world showcase the best in art. Tickets $15. Visit ArtPalmBeach.com
* South Dixie Antique Show
Jan. 22 from 5 to 9 p.m. at Antique Row in West Palm Beach. Stroll through the row through antiques from the 17th to 20th centuries. Free. Call Jamnea Finlayson of JF Gallery at 561-478-8281 or visit ArtSynergyPBC.com.
* The Lake Worth Event: Awards Night and Art Expo
Jan. 23 from 4 to 9 p.m. at the Benzaiten Center for Creative Arts, 1105 Second Ave. South in Lake Worth. Enjoy light bites, drinks, glass blowing, entertainment, and art. Visit ArtSynergyPBC.com.
Rapid HIV Testing
Wednesdays at MCC of the Palm Beaches, 4857 Northlake Blvd. in Palm Beach Gardens. Find out your status in a safe and private way. Free. Email dropincenter@mccpalmbeach. org
Yoga Among the Orchids
Wednesdays at 9 a.m. at the American Orchid Society, 16700 AOS Lane in Delray Beach. Practice your yoga in the presence of beautiful, calming orchids. $20 a class. Call 561-404-2011 or visit OrchidWeb.org.
Overeaters Anonymous
Wednesdays from 7 to 8:30 p.m. at Compass GLCC, 201 N. Dixie Highway in Lake Worth. A safe place to discuss their eating habits and goals. Free. Call 561-533-9699 or visit CompassGLCC.com
Coming Out Support Group
Thursdays from 6:30 to 8 p.m. a Compass GLCC of the Palm Beaches, 201 N. Dixie Highway in Lake Worth. Get support as you explore your sexual identity and be your true self. Call Forrest at 561-479-8313.
miami-dade county A Day in the Life of Coral
Through Jan. 18 at Museum Park, 1075 Biscayne Blvd. in Miami. New York-based artist David Brooks presents billboards of coral around Miami and its changing atmosphere. Free. Visit FringeProjectsMiami.com
Arsht Center Farmers Market
Mondays from 4 to 8 p.m. at the Parker and Vann Thomson Plaza for the Arts, 1300 Biscayne Blvd. in Miami. Purchase fresh food from local farmers, including fruits, vegetables, meats, prepared foods, as well as chefs, live music, and cooking demonstrations. Free. Visit ArshtCenter.org/ en/Visit/Dining.
HIV Support Group
Wednesdays from 7 to 9 p.m. at South Beach AIDS Project, 1234 Washington Ave. Ste. 200 in Miami Beach. A support group for those who are HIV positive. Free. Call 305-5354733, ext. 301 or email support@sobeaids. org.
Capoeira
Saturdays from 10:30 a.m. to noon at Bayfront Park’s Tina Hills Pavilion, 1075 Biscayne Blvd. in Miami. Learn the Brazilian art of capoeira, a mix of dance and martial arts, with Mestre Ze Com Fome. Free. Call 305-989-6628 or visit mestrezeomfome. com.
Prayers For World Peace
Sundays from 10 a.m. to noon at the Drolma Kadampa Buddhist Center, 1273 Coral Way in Miami. Buddhist teacher, Todd Ellenberg will lead prayers and meditation. Cost $10. Call 786-529-7137
* Denotes New Listing
Hot ’n horny hookups.
Non-Stop
Cruising
Get up to 10 days unlimited access.
Join now for FREE. Accessible:
01.13.2016 •
45
SFGN Classified$ accounting - finance HEALTH & LIFE ADVISING INC - 14 years experience. Guaranteed issue 25K critical illness insurance rates at $36 and $50 including accidental injury coverage. Best rates for life guaranteed, from limited med to full medical underwriting. Term/ROP/ WHOLE/FINAL EXPENSE/ACA HEALTH PLANS WITH SUBSIDIES AVAILABLE. CALL 954-2000140, ask for Brian
attorney
electrician TOP DOG ELECTRIC-QUALITY CRAFTSMANSHIP AT A FAIR PRICE - Any and all types of electrical work performed by craftsmen who care about their work. 954-533-5005 guy@ topdogelectricfl.com www.TopDogElectricFL.com Lic# 97-CME-1724-X HARRY’S ELECTRIC RESIDENTIAL & COMMERCIAL - Additions, renovations, service upgrades, breaker panels,FPL undergrounds, code violations, A/C wiring, ceiling fans, recessed, security & landscaping, lighting, pools, pumps, Jacuzzis, water heaters, FREE PHONE ESTIMATES 954-522-3357 Lic & Ins. www. harryelectrician.com
entertainment/dj's
LIVE JAZZ FOR YOUR NEXT PARTY OR SPECIAL EVENT - Have your next special occassion be extra special with live jazz. Jazz vocalist with over 30 years experience performing in South Florida.No tapes or tracks.I work with South Florida's finest jazz musicians to make your special affair one to remember. Reasonable rates. Call Cindy at 954-298-8158 www.myspace.com/cindycurtisandcompany.
home health care
auto
WANTED: RN/DON FOR NEW HOME HEALTH AGENCY - Are you a Florida licensed RN with Home Health supervisory experience?Are you interested in serving the LGBT community in PBC? If so, call Craig at 954-681-2209
home & garden
POOL SERVICE Mention this ad and receive your first month
FREE! some restrictions apply
Serving Broward Since 1999
Call for a free estimate: 954-367-7007
handyman
Web: www.skimmerspools.com Email: skimmerspoolservice@gmail.com
HUSBAND FOR RENT - Is he procrastinating home repairs? He says he will do it tomorrow?? After the football game?? We fit right in - in the house or the yard, small or big jobs: tile, dry wall, paint, plumbing, roof leaks, broken furniture, irrigation, fences, and more!It doesn't cost to hassle us to see the work - so why wait? Neat, clean work for a reasonable price. Call Haim at 954-398-3676, sidnalll@yahoo.com
Place an ad in SFGN’s Classifieds
954.530.4970
46
• 01.13.2016
Now HiriNg! Call 800-DiLigENT
To place a Classified Ad, call Cindy Curtis at 954.530.4970 or email at cindy.curtis@sfgn.com
help wanted EARN $300+ PER DAY - Activists Needed To Collect signatures to get Medical Marijuana on ballot. Earn $300+ per day. 954-616-7736; 754204-0114 Make own hours. HELP WANTED! - New full service gym located on E. Sunrise Blvd., looking for part time front desk help (Tues & Wed 5am- 10am and 8am-2pm every other Sat &Sun) and fill in as needed. Contact Julian via email julian@stamina1640.com.
help wanted SEEKING FRONT DESK PERSON FOR DENTAL OFFICE - Looking to hire full time 8-5 front desk person for receptionist, answering phones, filing, making appts. Full time position with benefits and fun, relaxed working atmosphere for the right person. No previous dental experience needed. Willing to train if you have good attitude and work ethic. To apply, email opdentalung@aol. com.
licensed massage
INCREDIBLY AWESOME BODYWORK IN WPB - In-calls at a private studio 15 minutes west of PBIA. Intuitive, experienced licensed massage therapist offers affordable rates 7 days, early to late. ASK ABOUT WEEKLY SPECIALS! Calls only 561254-8065 for the very best massage experience you can get HANDS DOWN! #MA51008
SFGN.com
licensed massage AFFORDABLE AWESOME MASSAGE BY JIM Offering Swedish, Deep Tissue, Sports and LomiLomi Massage for Men; in a very comfortable, relaxed and Private Massage Studio, NOW conveniently located in Wilton Manors on NE 26th Street, with plenty of free parking. Same Day appointments are welcome; please call Jim, 954-600-5843 email: info@ massagebyjim.com or visit my website for testimonials, rates and more. GREAT OPENING SPECIAL NOW AVAILABLE! www.massagebyjim.com Licensed and Certified MM22293
classified advertising works! Place an ad in SFGN’s Classifieds
954.530.4970
rentals MIKE THE RENTAL GUY NE Lauderdale/Wilton Manors/Oakland/Victoria Park-1/1 from $950 2/1 from $1150. Credit & Income RequirementsPets okay with restriction. Call for Details Mike 561-703-5533
painting GREGG'S PAINTING - Interior/exterior,great rates, friendliness, reliability, neatness. No job too small. Call Gregg at 617-306-5694 or 954-8705972.
piano
pets/supplies
2 BD/2 BA W/POOL-A beautiful 2BD/2BA with pool duplex surrounded by lush gardens and well maintained landscaping. Updated kitchen with granite counters, terrazzo floors, large closets, central AC, washer/dryer. Small pets allowed. Nonsmoking. Perfectly suited for a roommate. Available February 1st. Phone 954-563-1576.
spiritual
FIRST GLORIOUS CHURCH OF LOVE - We are a house of prayer for ALL of God’s people!! Worship service, Sunday @ 2:30 p.m. 1200 N.E. 135th St., North Miami, Fl. 33161. www. firstgloriouschurchoflove.com 305-705-3414.
WANT TO LEARN HOW TO PLAY THE PIANO? Learn from an experienced teacher. All levels and ages welcome. Learn to play classical, popular, jazz, or show tunes. Visit www.edwinchad. com or call 954-826-9555 for more information.
pool service
COOL POOLS- RELIABLE POOL SERVICE Professional pool service.Covering Wilton Manors, Lighthouse Point, and eastside of Pompano Beach. 15 years experience. Licensed and insured.Free estimates. Call 954-235-0775.
SFGN.com
Place an ad in SFGN’s Classifieds
954.530.4970
01.13.2016 •
47