Cubans have approved a new family code that extends marriage and adoption rights to same-sex couples.
Gramna, the official newspaper of the Cuban Communist Party, on Monday reported that 66.9% of Cubans who participated in the referendum voted in favor of the new family code.
“Sept. 25, 2022, is already a historic day,” said Gramna. “The island has once again demonstrated that the revolution will never stop in its quest for more justice, independent of its adversaries. The road has never been easy, but it is very worthy.”
Mariela Castro, the daughter of former President Raúl Castro who spearheads LGBTQ and intersex issues in Cuba as director of the country’s National Center for Sexual Education, is among those who support the new family code. Mariela Castro on Sunday posted on her Facebook page a picture of her voting for it in Havana, the Cuban capital.
“I voted yes for Cuban families, for a socialist Cuba, for the world’s most revolutionary and humanist family code, for a socialist state built upon rights and social justice that recognizes and protects all families,” said Mariela Castro after she voted.
The Cuban government in the years after the 1959 revolution that brought Mariela Castro’s uncle, Fidel Castro, to power, sent gay men and others to work camps. Cubans with AIDS were forcibly quarantined in state-run sanitaria until 1993.
Cuba joins Costa Rica, Colombia, Ecuador, Brazil, Argentina, Uruguay, Chile, Mexico City and several Mexican states that have extended marriage rights to same-sex couples. Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Aruba, Curaçao, Bonaire, French Guiana, Guadeloupe, Martinique, St. Barthélemy, St. Martin, Sint Maarten, Sint Eustatius and Saba also have marriage equality.
The referendum took place nearly four years after Cuban voters overwhelmingly approved their country’s new constitution. The government’s decision to remove a marriage equality amendment that religious groups had publicly criticized sparked outrage among independent LGBT and intersex activists.
LGBT and intersex Cubans and others who publicly criticize the Cuban government also continue to face harassment, discrimination and arrest.
Maykel González Vivero, editor of Tremenda Nota, the Washington Blade’s media partner in Cuba, is among the hundreds of people who were arrested
during anti-government protests that took place across the country on July 11, 2021. The U.S. in 2019 granted asylum to Yariel Valdés González, a Blade contributor who suffered persecution in Cuba because he is a journalist.
Yoan de la Cruz, a gay man who used Facebook Live to live stream the first July 11 protest that took place in San Antonio de los Baños in Artemisa province, received a 6-year prison sentence, but he was released on house arrest in May.
Brenda Díaz, a transgender woman with HIV who participated in a July 11 protest in Güira de Melena in Artemisa province, has been sentenced to 14 years in prison. The State Department has said it is “very concerned” about Díaz’s health and well-being and urged the Cuban government to release her.
“Jeopardy!” champion Amy Schneider and her partner, Genevieve Davis, have gotten married.
Schneider is the top-winning woman and top transgender contestant in the history of the show.
The pair got married on May 9 but just announced it recently via social media.
“Genevieve Davis and Amy Schneider are delighted to announce that on May 9 we were married in a small private ceremony at the Alameda County Recorder,” they said in a Facebook post.
It continued, “We will be having a traditional wedding next summer, but our lives have been much too busy this year to get very far in planning it, and we couldn’t wait that long to proclaim our love and commitment to each other.”
“House of the Dragon,” the prequel to “Game of Thrones,” may have a bisexual character.
The show has already been praised for its sexual diversity as one of the main characters is played by nonbinary actor Emma D’Arcy.
Now, fans believe that Prince Daemon Targaryen is bisexual after a deleted scene was released. In the scene, Daemon and a male server had an interesting interaction, which has led to this theory. Then, in a later scene the two are sitting close together.
Even though Daemon has been presented as so far, fans are hoping he is not since a previous LGBT character was killed off in the same episode he was introduced.
Show creators have yet to confirm or
Queer comedian Hannah Gadsby has signed a multititle deal with Netflix.
Gadsby will have a new hourlong solo special and they will also produce and host a special featuring an international cast of gender-diverse comics.
“In an effort to further open a door that I had to fight to get through myself, I will curate and host a lineup show on Netflix featuring six new, genderdiverse comedians,” Gadsby said in a Netflix press release.
“In a notoriously transphobic industry, I am looking to broaden the scope of opportunities for genderqueer performers from around the globe, as well as expand the diversity of offerings to audiences on one of comedy’s biggest platforms.”
The solo special will be filmed this week at the Sydney Opera House and will premiere in 2023.
The Bonny Eagle school district in Buxton is in the process of potentially banning a book that explores the author’s journey of gender identity and sexuality.
Maia Kobabe, the author of “Gender Queer: A Memoir” has received praise for her book, but parents’ concerns are centered around the graphics that are contained inside, according to Bangor Daily News
The school board has previously banned another book, “It’s Perfectly Normal” by Robbie H. Harris in the last month.
Censorship of literature and what is deemed as age-appropriate has been
The midterm elections are approaching with record numbers of LGBT candidates. As of yet, Philiy stands as the only large city in the U.S. to have not elected an LGBT candidate as a council member, according to The Philadelphia Inquirer
“Local Democratic insiders” are pulling for public interest lawyer Rue Landau to make that change.
Having a political party backing in previous elections has led candidates to go on to win, and that’s what the Democrats in Philly plan to do.
“If we want to be serious about electing an LGBTQ member of the community, that’s something that party leadership is going to have to prioritize because with their help, I think it could happen,” said Lauren Vidas, a former candidate in the
2019 election.
Landau sees her potential position as an essential “time for LGBTQ people to not only have advisory roles with the city, but to take a seat at the table” during a time when LGBT rights are being attacked.
The state of Arizona has been GOPcontrolled since the 2020 election.
Since then, the legislature have proposed countless numbers of antiLGBT laws, and hundreds of high school students had something to say about it.
“They are killing our peers. We do not need any more students hurt by your actions. We aren’t out here missing our school day and interrupting our education because we want to. We have been forced into it,” said organizer and 16-year-old Hamilton High School student Dawn Shim, according to The AZ Mirror
The law targeting transgender youth prompted Shim to create Support Equality Arizona Schools. Though the organization is run by 10 students
in Chandler, other cities like Gilbert, Tucson, and Flagstaff have all shown support for the mission they are trying to achieve.
“It is embarrassing that we live in a state and a country where people are at risk simply for being who they are and loving who they want,” Blues Patrick, a senior at Hamilton, told AZ Mirror.
This Valentine’s Day, at least 100 LGBT couples intend to participate in Thailand’s largest LGBT wedding ceremony by converging in Bangkok. It is believed that the event, which will take place at the Thai-Japan Bangkok Youth Center, would increase public awareness of the fight for marriage equality and LGBT rights.
As of right now, Thailand does not recognize same-sex marriages, civil unions, domestic partnerships, unregistered cohabitations, or any other type of samesex unions, despite the fact that the Civil Partnership Bill and the Marriage Equality Bill have both been proposed.
“We will create a new page in history to promote equal marriage as a right for people not only in Thailand but across the globe, especially those countries that do not yet accept LGBTQ+ people,” said
Brazilian congressional candidate Duda Salabert shows the newspaper clippings that were submitted to her at the offices of her campaign. On many of the sites, her picture has been covered with Nazi swastikas and vulgar language.
“You are a danger to society,” reads one, according to Reuters. “You need to be isolated as soon as possible, preferably in a concentration camp.”
Salabert, 41, claimed that all of the threats are specifically related to the fact that she identifies as a trans woman, which has made her the focus of derision from right-wing organizations.
According to researcher Bruna Benavides, over 80% of the more than 30 trans candidates being followed by the National Association of Travestis
and Transgender People (ANTRA) have experienced intimidation or threats this election season.
Brazil has seen an increase in political violence, with this year seeing a surge of threats and assaults against candidates and their followers. Incumbent President Jair Bolsonaro was almost killed in a stabbing during the 2018 campaign.
Concern among LGBT activists has been raised by the election victory of a right-wing coalition in Italy. They worry that as prime minister, nationalist leader Giorgia Meloni will implement anti-gay policies and thwart their efforts to advance equality.
Just months prior to the vote, Meloni, who is expected to become Italy’s first female premier and lead its most rightwing administration since World War Two, vehemently criticized “gender ideology” and “the LGBT lobby.”
According to NBC, Meloni has included anti-LGBT language and traditional views on family-related problems into talks. However, she has also downplayed the
post-fascist origins of her party, portraying it as a mainstream organization similar to the Conservatives in Britain.
1726 SE 3rd Ave. Ft. Lauderdale, FL 33316 (754) 701-6920
13936 NW 7th Avenue Miami, FL 33168 (786) 800-5631
4101 Nw 3rd Court, Suite 9 Plantation, Fl 33317 (754) 701-6911
427 Washington Avenue Miami Beach, FL 33139 (305) 514-0813
201 N. Dixie Hwy Lake Worth, FL 33460 (561) 867-9991
By John McDonald
The mayor’s race in Wilton Manors is a stark contrast of platforms with familiar faces.
This is Mayor Scott Newton’s second administration as mayor, having held the position from 2004 to 2008. Born and raised in the Island City, Newton , 65, won a hard-fought three-way race for mayor in 2020 and is seeking re-election on a pitch of leading a cohesive commission toward long-term goals.
“The decision to run for mayor is to continue the work our commission and I, along with the city manager, have done to move our city into the future,” Newton said. “To have financial stability. To update our current parks and to complete our infrastructure.”
Newton faces challenger Boyd Corbin, 54, who is making his fourth run for mayor. An outspoken critic of both Wilton Manors and Fort Lauderdale governance, Corbin’s focus flows from the tap.
“Annual city spending has increased by several million dollars over the past few years and our water bills are being padded to pay for it,” Corbin said. “The city commission has always said there is nothing we can do about our green/yellow/ tan city drinking water since we buy it from Fort Lauderdale. I disagree and I’ve been working on the quality of our tap water for the past four years. I’ve been talking about our outrageous water bills for eight years.”
Corbin is quick to pull out his phone
to record incidents of sewer line breaks, which have plagued the city in recent years. He’s calling for lift station repairs and sleeving of the sewer lines.
Newton doesn’t deny Wilton Manors’ aging infrastructure is in need of upgrades. He declined to lay blame on one department.
“We have had big challenges in the last few years with COVID that hurt some departments, but we are getting back to fully staffed and back on track,” Newton said.
Wilton Manors Commissioners recently voted to increase the mayor’s salary from $11,500 to $30,000 annually. Both candidates are businessmen; Newton owns an upholstery shop, and Corbin owns a vacation rental.
The lone straight man and parent on an all-gay male commission, Newton said he loves to see diverse businesses come to Wilton Manors. Having a component of affordable housing in projects for the working class is needed, Newton said.
“There is interest from developers to bring in different projects that could include workforce housing,” Newton said.
Corbin said he is taking a free market approach to commerce with one exception.
“The blood plasma center on Andrews Ave. attracts drug addicts who sell their blood,” Corbin said. “We don’t need businesses like that if we can help it.”
A little more than 7,000 Wilton Manors
residents cast votes in the 2020 mayoral election. Newton defeated former commissioner Julie Carson by 116 votes (3,161 to 3,045) with celebrity chef Josie Smith-Malave taking 873 votes. A count by the U.S. Census Bureau that same year showed the city to have a population of
11,426.
Election day is Nov. 8. Early voting begins Oct. 24 and runs through Nov. 6.
The Woman’s Club of Wilton Manors, 600 N.E. 21st Court, is the city’s early voting site. The last day for voters to request a vote-by-mail ballot is Oct. 29.
By John McDonald
Wilton Manors prides itself on life being better here, and three commission candidates are campaigning to ensure that’s the case.
The top two vote-getters will take their position on the commission. All three candidates are gay men.
Vice Mayor Paul Rolli is the lone incumbent. First elected in 2018, Rolli, 71, is a retired top-level federal government executive who directed overseas operations at the IRS.
“I am seeking a second term as city commissioner to ensure the initiatives in process are brought to fruition and to keep the momentum of the commission moving forward,” Rolli said. “This commission accomplished so much because it is a focused and cohesive team.”
professional who has served for the last six years on the city’s planning and zoning board. He moved to Wilton Manors 14 years ago from the east coast.
“I immediately felt a connection, a sense of belonging … an instant affinity with the Island City. The people were [and still are] very friendly, genuine and welcoming.”
Walker, a park naturalist for Broward County, brings knowledge and experience in environmental and sustainability projects along with a millennial’s perspective. If elected, Walker, 37, would be the youngest member of the commission.
“Public service is very important to me and having lived in Wilton Manors for over 12 years, I decided the best way to improve the city and help the community is to be part of the process,” said Walker, who received the Presidential Volunteer Service Award from former president Barack Obama in 2015.
Keeping the city budget sustainable and improving water and sewer infrastructure are top issues for all candidates. By working as a team, Rolli said the commission has many accomplishments worth nothing, including managing the COVID-19 crisis without dipping into reserve funds.
sewer improvements; updated development regulations to attract new residents and businesses and increase tax revenue, initiated a rewrite of the city’s outdated code of ordinances; awarded over $4.4 million in surtax funds for city-wide transportationrelated projects; approved a state agreement to receive about $6.4 million from the American Rescue Plan Act and many others,” Rolli said.
D’Arminio touts his ability to get things done as well as his involvement in several community organizations and charities.
“This community engagement opportunity allowed me to be able to ‘pay it forward’ while also applying my extensive career/ professional/life experiences to be of even greater service to this unique city of which I so proudly call home,” D’Arminio said.
Maintaining Wilton Manors’ small town vibe is frequently mentioned by all candidates. With housing costs on the rise, Walker is proposing new developments carve out a portion of their plans for low income and elderly residents.
“Although this may not be the silver bullet for affordable housing, it is a first step in addressing the issue,” Walker said.
Rolli faces newcomers Don D’Arminio and Roy David Walker. Commissioners serve fouryear terms and earn a $25,000 annual salary.
D’Arminio, 60, is an accounting and tax
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Edwin Neimann
“The city commission adopted a five-year strategic plan with six key areas; approved a 25- to 30-year water/sewer infrastructure plan; completed over $3 million in water/
Election day is Nov. 8. Early voting begins Oct. 24 and runs through Nov. 6. The Woman’s Club of Wilton Manors, 600 N.E. 21st Court, is the city’s early voting site. The last day for voters to request a vote-by-mail ballot is Oct. 29.
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“This commission accomplished so much because it is a focused and cohesive team.”
VICE MAYOR PAUL ROLLI
With just a month to go until the midterm elections, politics is moving into the heart of Wilton Drive. A new Get Out The Vote (GOTV) Center is a joint effort between the Dolphin Democrats and the Florida LGBTQ+ Democratic Caucus and will be the only LGBTQ+ GOTV Center in Florida.
It will be located at 2348 Wilton Drive, right across the street from The Manor.
“They can register to vote. They can pick up yard signs. We can tell them where to go vote early. At the same time it’s to hold rallies,” Democratic activist Michael Albetta said.
Oct. 8 is national women’s rally, and organizers hope to have the local rally at the GOTV Center.
Organizers have been trying for a few weeks to find a spot located on The Drive, and this week, Jeffery Selzer of Selzer Law Firm helped set them up in the new space, which once was the PAC Pastries.
are 2-9 p.m. Monday-Friday, 9 a.m.-9 p.m. Saturdays, and noon until 7 p.m. on Sundays. This is an opportunity to put politics front and center to LGBT community members who don’t usually pay much attention.
“One primary goal is to educate voters on the candidates who are supportive of issues important to LGBTQ+ voters including women’s rights, trans rights, immigrants and the economy,” political activist Bud Beehler said.
“One primary goal is to educate voters on the candidates who are supportive of issues important to LGBTQ+ voters including women’s rights, trans rights, immigrants and the economy.”
The center already has signs in the windows and hopes to have a grand opening this weekend. With the election so close, there will be no days off. The center will operate every day until election day. Hours
The first goal is registering people to vote. The last day to register is Oct. 11. After that, they’ll stock a variety of yard signs, window signs and bumper stickers for local and state candidates. “We will request donations for these items,” Beehler said.
“Additionally, we’ll have for sale buttons, label pins and t-shirts. We’ll also have voters’ guides on hand as well as QR codes to websites.”
Boosting enthusiasm is key after lackluster turnout in the August primaries. Mail-in ballots are already arriving for those who are registered. Early voting runs Oct. 24 through Nov. 6 and voting day is Nov. 8.
The decision to run for mayor is to continue the work our commission and I, along with the city manager, have done to move our city into the future. To have financial stability. To update our current parks and to complete our infrastructure.
I’m running for Mayor of Wilton Manors to fix the drinking water, stormwater, sewer discharge and police problems in our city. Annual city spending has increased by several million dollars over the past few years and our water bills are being padded to pay for it. The city commission has always said there is nothing we can do about our green/yellow/tan city drinking water since we buy it from Fort Lauderdale. I disagree and I’ve been working on the quality of our tap water for the past four years. I’ve been talking about our outrageous water bills for eight years.
I am seeking a second term as city commissioner to ensure the initiatives in process are brought to fruition and to keep the momentum of the commission moving forward. This commission accomplished so much because it is a focused and cohesive team.
Since moving to Wilton Manors from the east coast nearly 15 years ago, I immediately felt a connection, a sense of belonging … an instant affinity with the Island City. The people were (and still are) very friendly, genuine and welcoming; this led Marc and I to quickly become active in numerous organizations and we encountered many causes that we were drawn to.
I believe in public services and have committed many hours to helping the communities and the environment. I have even received the Presidential Volunteer Service Award from President Obama in 2015. Public service is very important to me and having lived in Wilton Manors for over 12 years, I decided the best way to improve the city and help the community is to be part of the process. That is why I am running for Wilton Manors Commissioner. I am looking to help the city grow in a sustainable way, but keeping the small town feel.
Acold case is suddenly red hot after an arrest for the 2010 murder of an Oakland Park man.
Aaron Dobbins was arrested in Tampa last month and is charged with first-degree murder for the killing of Chad McMurray.
After years with no substantive leads, DNA found under McMurray’s fingernails was matched to Dobbins. According to reports he told investigators he doesn’t remember being there but didn’t dispute the forensic findings. He’s being held in the Broward County jail without bond.
As SFGN first reported in 2010, McMurray was found by friends in his Oakland Park home. His truck was missing and later found abandoned in Lauderhill. Details on a specific motive haven’t been released, but sex work and jealousy may be at the heart of the case. At the time of the crime, Dobbins worked as an adult entertainer under the names Trace Hunter and Trace Michaels.
According to WPLG, Dobbins’ roommate and occasional lover was John Navarro, who was also an adult worker. A BSO spokesperson said the victim and Dobbins
likely met through Navarro.
The arrest report says McMurray and Navarro met at least three times, and one of the occasions involved group sex that included Dobbins. Navarro called McMurray several times the night of the murder, but those calls didn’t raise red flags at the time. WPLG also reports that Navarro couldn’t say why Dobbins’ DNA was under McMurray’s fingernails, but said during his five-year relationship with Dobbins that the accused was very jealous.
Dobbins’ life came to a particularly violent end. He was killed “executionstyle.” He was found face down in a pool of blood with his hands bound behind his back. He had recently moved to South Florida after run-ins with the law and spending time in prison. Dobbins had moved to Broward from North Carolina looking for a fresh start. His record included doing time for drugs. He also violated his probation and was sentenced to 16 months in Florida.
Amy Schneider. Matt Bomer. Lawrence of Arabia. What do those three individuals all have in common? They’re being celebrated in Equality Forum’s annual queer icons list during LGBT History Month, which takes place each October.
The annual list launched in 2006 and has now featured over 500 queer people.
By Eric Burkett
Stephen Lachs remembers the 1970s as being a particularly wonderful era in the history of the LGBTQ liberation
83, was the first out LGBT person appointed to a judgeship in the United States. Tapped by thenGovernor Jerry Brown, the Los Angeles County
Court
as a
the county’s Superior Court.
Lachs
same work as judges but, unlike judges, who were
be
or
By Leo Cusimano
contributions of LGBT people toward the betterment of the world cannot be underestimated, and the world is a better place when LGBT people are allowed to
government and warfare to engineering and science to the humanities and the arts, LGBT people have been at the forefront. History books should be filled with stories of LGBT people exhibiting courage, intelligence, bravery, kindness and victory. But our LGBT history has been hidden from us … intentionally!
With so much external energy focused on erasing us, we must work even harder to secure our place in history. Any marginalized community must take responsibility to record its own story. For that reason, Dallas hosted Queer History South 2022, a 13-state regional conference focused on LGBT history.
Join SFGN during October for LGBT History Month and see where it all began for our community... It’s our past, you deserve to know about it.
In case you’re unfamiliar with the names above: Schneider, a transgender woman, is best known for her history-making run on “Jeopardy!” earlier this year. Bomer, a gay man, is an actor best known for his roles in Magic Mike, and the LGBT-themed movies, “Boys in the Band” and “Normal Heart.” Lawrence of Arabia was a British army officer, best known for his role in the Arab Revolt, and whose sexuality has long been up for debate.
To honor the LGBT icons who have made history, Equality Forum will celebrate their achievements all month long.
On LGBThistorymonth.com, a new LGBT
icon will be featured every day with a video, bio, and other resources in October.
There will also be Spirit Day on Oct. 20, which is a day when people around the country wear purple in support of LGBT youth who face bullying in school.
Equality Forum is hosting a kickoff celebration Oct. 2 in Philadelphia. The organization is giving out two awards: the International Role Model awards to David Cicilline, chair of the congressional LGBTQ+ Equality Caucus and Zander Moricz, a plaintiff in a lawsuit against Florida’s “Don’t Say Gay” law.
View LGBT History stories at sfgn.com/history2022.
Lisa Keen
The U.S. Supreme Court sometimes makes significant moves long before it hears arguments in a case. Such is true in a blockbuster LGBT case pending before the court in its newly opened 2022-23 session.
In the appeal, 303 Creative v. Elenis, the antiLGBTQ group Alliance Defending Freedom asked the court to decide whether a business could claim a religious exemption to a state law prohibiting discrimination based on sexual orientation in public accommodations. The court declined to answer that question but, instead, accepted the appeal to answer a different question: whether a business could claim a free speech right to discriminate.
“This is a case about commercial conduct, not speech,” said Mary Bonauto, GLAD civil rights project director and lead author of a brief urging the court to rule that the free speech clause does not exempt businesses from complying with public accommodation laws.
By examining the free speech claim, the court is setting up its eventual decision
to have “far broader implications” than a religious exemption to civil rights laws, said ACLU attorney Amanda Shanor at a Federalist Society preview Sept. 21. And as Kelsi Corkran, Supreme Court Director at the Institute for Constitutional Advocacy and Protection, said at a Georgetown Law preview, the narrowing of the question will enable the court to decide whether any business can simply articulate “any reason” to refuse serving customers because of their sexual orientation, race, gender, or other protected status.
“If there is a free speech right to selectively choose her customers based on the messages [the web designer] wants to endorse,” said Corkran, “I assume that would apply to any protected characteristic. I think it would apply to a white supremacist who doesn’t want to provide services to people of color.”
That was the assessment of several legal experts on a number of different panels examining the 2022-23 Supreme Court docket. The new session began Oct. 3, and most panels identified the LGBT public accommodations case as one of the session’s four major conflicts. Others pertain to voting rights, gerrymandering, and affirmative action.
Klein v. Oregon: This is a copycat case on a repeat appeal, and the Supreme Court has not yet indicated whether it will take it up. In this case, the Oregon Court of Appeals ruled that a baker could not cite her religious beliefs in order to violate a state law that prohibits discrimination based on sexual orientation in public accommodations.
Read more by visiting sfgn.com/Cases.
Image via Creative Commons.
“THIS
When I was a kid, reruns of the Three Stooges were on TV constantly. I wasn’t a big fan, but one particularly campy bit stands out in my memory.
The Stooges are with their dates, and Curly’s (a big girl, natch) squeals, “Oooh look! They’ve got a car! Let’s go places and eat things.”
Sometimes my life seems to be that scene replayed all the time. I’m always going someplace to meet friends for a meal. I try to go to new places (or at least new to me) so that I can report on them for you, my dear readers. These last few weeks I’ve been to quite a few places that were either new, or new to me.
753 S.E. 17th St., Fort Lauderdale 954-288-8691
mysticlobsterrollsftl.com
If you like lobster, this brand-new spot is just for you. Mystic Lobster Roll is nothing fancy, simply a storefront with a few tables and a brisk take-out business, but the options are numerous, and the staff is eager to please. In addition to the classic cold New England lobster roll and the warm Connecticut version, there are eight other versions. Try the LBI (with avocado and grape tomatoes, but oddly, no bacon, so I don’t know what the B stands for) or the Deep South version (with chipotle mayo and candied jalapenos.) The shrimp and corn chowder is great. They also offer lobster tacos and lobster mac and cheese. A diet place this ain’t! There is another location in Boca.
2460 E. Commercial Blvd., Fort Lauderdale 954-716-6875
bluesteelpizzaftl.com
Blue Steel Pizza recently opened in the space that used to be home to Gatsby’s, and not much has changed on the interior. It has that lived-in feeling (the seat cushions collapse under you).
Steel specializes in Detroit-style pizza,
and for those who like that sort of thing, it is an excellent example of it. I am a Chicagoan and a pizza snob. Detroit-style pizza to me is more of a pizza bread, but I did appreciate the crunchy edges and soft pillow center. We tried the classic pizza (tomato sauce and cheese) and the shrimp scampi (bechamel, mozzarella, garlic shrimp, bacon, and chives), and both were excellently cooked.
The pizzas are about $18 each and can easily serve two, especially if you split an order of the wonderful crab fries. The $15 dish (again, enough for two to share) features “sidewinder” fries (almost like nacho chips) topped with blue crab, butter, kimchi, yuzu aioli, scallion, and togarashi. It’s an addictive combination. Service is friendly and casual. Tuesday and Friday from 3 to 6 p.m. drinks are at reduced prices, and the second pizza ordered is halfpriced.
has been around for 20 years but seems to be a secret the locals keep to themselves, and I can see why. The waterfront dining is picture-perfect, the staff is friendly and efficient, and the food is not only delicious but reasonably priced.
The menu is extensive and seafoodcentric, with just enough meat dishes for the meat and potatoes folks (steaks, chicken, and burgers). We began our meal with seafood spinach dip, which features crab and lobster in addition to the spinach, artichoke, and cheese usually found in this recipe. It was $18 for the app, but there was easily enough for four of us. A good glass of imported sauvignon blanc was reasonably priced and featured a hefty pour.
I was, for once, listening to my doc and
eating light and had the sesame-crusted tuna steak salad, topped with a tropical pico de gallo and a wasabi, sriracha, and ginger dressing. The dressing was a little heavy on the wasabi for my taste. Luckily, I asked for it on the side and just enjoyed the salad without it. The tuna, cubed and coated in sesame seeds, was a tad too well-done. I would have preferred a steak, seared, and then sliced. But it was tasty, nonetheless. My husband opted for a seared mahi sandwich and loved it. Our dining companions, Roz and Loren, enjoyed their grilled sea bass and pasta with chicken. We passed on dessert since we were introducing our friends to Wilton Creamery later that night. (They fell in love with it. Doesn’t everyone?).
Rick Karlin is SFGN’s food editor.
SFGN.com/Food to read his previous reviews. Have a culinary tip to share? Email Rick at RickKarlinFL@gmail.com.
views Rick expresses are his own and do not represent the opinion of SFGN.
Welcome to SFGN’s Best Of 2022. The finalists have been chosen, and voting is underway. Check out this year’s nominees for Best Restaurant Outside of Wilton Manors/Fort Lauderdale. Congrats to the finalists! Make sure you cast your vote by visiting sfgn.com/bestof.
281 S. Pompano, Pompano Beach 954-210-9818 lavieflorida.com
The dining experience at La Vie is a festival of rich appealing tastes, enticing colors, live music, and warm Mediterranean hospitality. It recreates the spirit of Lebanon with an extensive menu featuring generous portions of traditional Lebanese and Moroccan dishes, including mezza, grilled kabobs, tagines, and seafood.
2821 E. Atlantic, Pompano Beach 954-783-9499
houstons.com/locations/pompanobeach
Upscale dining located on the intracoastal waterway, Houston’s features a spacious outdoor patio with soothing views of the water. Inside the dining room, the exhibition kitchen buzzes with activity. The menu is classic steakhouse fare with a good variety of seafood options. The restaurant offers complimentary valet parking.
270 N. Pompano Beach Blvd., Pompano Beach 954-607-6530
beachhousepompano.com
Wedged between Pompano Beach Blvd and the dunes, Beach House has a casual laid-back vibe. You can sit on the patio overlooking the dunes and the beach, but for a better view, head up to the second floor for a panoramic view of the beach and the ocean. While service is quick, you never get the feeling that you’re being rushed out to clear the table.
1157 S. Federal, Pompano Beach 754-222-2669
miyakobuffet.com
The jewel in the crown of Asian buffets! Super fresh, sushi grade fish is presented with dozens of sushi rolls, as well as a vast array of sashimi. This isn’t just the best sushi at a buffet; it’s among the best sushi in town! The hot food buffet offers the usual Asian dishes, and there’s also a hibachi station.
250 North Pompano Beach Blvd., Pompano Beach 954-366-3768
oceanicpompano.com
With views, décor, and service to rival any trendy South Beach spot, Oceanic’s menu combines locally sourced ingredients with innovative recipes. Brunch is served on weekends from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., there is a full wine and cocktail list, and the terrace bar makes for a lovely place to wait for your table. A second-floor private party room offers spectacular views.
J.W. Arnold
Credit: Thinking Cap Theatre.
More than 120 years have passed since the infamous Irish poet and playwright Oscar Wilde died, but his most popular works, including “The Importance of Being Earnest,” have endured.
Thinking Cap Theatre (TCT) at MAD Arts in Dania Beach is reexamining the legacy of the flamboyant gay writer — and convicted “bugger” — with a new production of Micheál Mac Liammóir’s 1960s era play, “The Importance of Being Oscar,” running Oct. 14 to 30.
“The play is not new,” explained TCT Artistic Director. “He wrote it at a time when gay rights were obviously not as accepted as they are today, as part of an effort to resurrect Wilde and reclaim him for a new generation.”
While attending graduate school in Ireland about 20 years ago, Stodard studied a number of plays inspired by Wilde’s life and work for her master’s thesis. That’s when she first discovered Liammóir’s one-man play, which he also performed for many years.
“There are a lot of plays about Wilde and I always wanted to return to the piece,” she added, noting, “his style was intentional. As an actor, he was not trying to impersonate Wilde but rather dignify Wilde. It had a purpose that served his cause, but it could also be boring in the way he staged it.”
In keeping with TCT’s innovative approach to reimagining traditional works and exploring experiential staging, audiences may be surprised. Stodard cast three actors in the role of Wilde, Ronnie Larsen, Bree-Anna Obst and
Travon Pierre. Obst is a woman, and Pierre is African American, and all three identify as queer.
“The LGBTQ community is now much more diverse and believe it or not, Oscar Wilde has spoken to all people, but also LGBTQ people who don’t fit the bill of Oscar Wilde, who was a gay white man. Staging it this way lets other actors besides gay white men explore Wilde’s language and life,” Stodard said. “This diverse cast is a way of making Oscar accessible to the entire community and also general audiences who appreciate Oscar Wilde and his social comedies.”
She described the play as part biography and part tribute to Wilde’s range of writing that could be both funny and express emotional depth. Even while imprisoned, Wilde embarked on an epic letter, writing for 90 days straight.
“It’s an opportunity [for audiences] to learn something that they probably didn’t know. It’s entertaining, it’s lively, but it’s also insightful into another side of Wilde,” Stodard emphasized.
In addition to the production, TCT included an educational youth program, “The Importance of Being Me,” an art exhibit and performances on Oct. 23 created by 25 young queer people from across the country.
“Just as we’ve cast this particular production as multi-generational and multi-gender, with the youth element, we’re able to create a space for LGBTQ youth to connect and make Oscar accessible to a new generation,” she said.
Tickets for Thinking Cap Theatre’s “The Importance of Being Oscar,” Oct. 14 – 30 at MAD Arts in Dania Beach, are $40, and “The Importance of Being Me,” Oct. 23 at 1 p.m., are by donation with a portion of proceeds benefiting local transgender-inclusive community groups. Tickets and more information at ThinkingCapTheatre.org.
