10/12/16 V7i41

local name global coverage October 12, 2016 vol. 7 // issue 41

s o u t h

f l o r i d a

g a y

n e w s

comfort returns Transgender conference returns to Fort Lauderdale

Lexi Dee (left) with Richard Gray.

Photo by Steven Shires.

pages 38 - 40

Election Season in full swing Pages 16 - 21

SouthFloridaGayNews

LGBT history month delves into past struggles Pages 26 - 27, 30 - 36

soflagaynews

SFGN.com

The Opening Line Photos: Facebook, Twitter.

Comments from SFGN’s

online outlets

Compiled by John McDonald

Neo-Nazi Website Declares War On Breitbart Editor Milo Yiannopoulos Michael Walters –

Girls, Girls, you’re BOTH racists! Yiannopolous is a scourge on the LGBT community, and this sort of nastiness he’s managed to bring on himself. The lunatics are starting to eat their own. Perhaps that’s the only way to rid society of their nasty, hateful rhetoric is to let them have their cage match and see which ones crawl out of the slime pit when the bell rings.

Tom Carlin –

It’s best when both parties wipe each other out and you just sit there eating popcorn.....

Wilton Manors Green Market Shuts Down

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 Editorial Assistant • Jillian Melero JillianMelero@gmail.com Webmaster • Brittany Ferrendi Webmaster@sfgn.com Arts/Entertainment Editor • JW Arnold JW@prdconline.com News Editor • John McDonald John.McDonald@sfgn.com Social Media Manager • Tucker Berardi TBerardi2014@fau.edu Food/Travel Editor • Rick Karlin Gazette News Editor • Michael D'Oliveira Senior Photographer • J.R. Davis JRDavis12000@hotmail.com

Senior Features Correspondents Correspondents

WILTON MANORS MAYORAL CANDIDATE SAYS TOO MANY GAYS ON CITY BOARDS

Brian McNaught • Dana Rudolph • Wayne Besen Ric Reily • Steve Siler • Bil Browning Tucker Berardi • Terri Schlichenmeyer

Wilton Manors and Fort Lauderdale’s and time has come and gone. All that’s left is the actual funeral. The things that made the area special have are gone, no longer needed, or replaced by the Internet. Don’t worry too much Mr. Corbin, the gay community will soon be replaced by the uber-wealthy comprised of all sexual orientations and “hipsters.” This transition happened in Key West, South Beach, and now here. People have discovered paradise and in the process killed it.

MEMBER

Ian Slick –

Guess that asshole won’t get elected!

Mons Floen –

MEMBER

Nobody in wilton is awake before 10 a.m. on the weekend, lol

Phone: 954-530-4970 Fax: 954-530-7943

Dori Zinn • Andrea Richard • Donald Cavanaugh • Christiana Lilly • Denise Royal • Sean McShee • Alex Adams • Gary Kramer • David-Elijah Nahmod

Gus Kein –

Anthony Mike –

2520 N. Dixie Highway • Wilton Manors, FL 33305

“Alt-Right” a non-defined term created by the DNC and the News Media to hide the Democrats no longer refer to themselves as Liberals. That is now a four letter word.

Michael Barnard –

Sadly, most spend on booze and boyz and hit the 99 cent drive thru instead of wanting real produce.

October 12, 2016 • Volume 7 • Issue 41

Jesse Monteagudo • Tony Adams

Douglas Clark –

I stopped going there when I pulled into the PUBLIC parking lot and there were signs saying that the spots closest to Wilton Drive were for the green market. I would usually go to Out of the Closet, and then buy at the market after because who wants vegetables that have been kept in a hot car? Got a few dirty looks as I walked to the Drive and that was that.

SouthFloridaGayNews.com

Robbin Jacobs –

dump him on his a.........

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Cover:

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Lexi Dee (left), President of the Southern Comfort Conference, with Richard Gray, the LGBTQ Managing Director for the Greater Fort Lauderdale CVB. Photo by Steven Shires.

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 © 2016 South Florida Gay News.com, Inc.

NEWS highlight

Amendment One Debate Powers Up John McDonald

C

hances are you are beginning to receive messages about Amendment 1.

The first constitutional amendment on the ballot this November in Florida deals with energy policy and solar power in particular. However, like most proposed amendments, the wording can be tricky.

“Something like this should not be enshrined in our Constitution,” said Gary Farmer, a Fort Lauderdale attorney and candidate for the Florida Senate. “Energy is such a fluid policy. It is always changing.

The Constitution is not the proper document for energy or power. Once it’s in the Constitution is virtually impossible to change.”

Farmer spoke with SFGN via telephone Tuesday evening about why he is advising citizens to vote no on Amendment 1.

“The amendment itself is incredibly misleading,” Farmer said.

Proponents of Amendment 1 include utility companies such as Florida Power & Light, Duke Energy, Gulf Power and Tampa Electric. In a mailer from a group calling itself Consumers For Smart Solar, advocates claim Amendment 1 “encourages the use of clean, renewable solar energy” and “protects consumers, particularly our seniors, from scams and rip-offs that have happened in other states.”

Currently, Florida is one of a handful of states that prohibits consumers from buying power directly from thirdparty solar providers. Farmer said the amendment is a last gasp effort on the part of big energy and the Koch brothers to squash a competitive marketplace.

“The power companies know they can’t hold off the will of the people much longer,” said Farmer.

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Israeli Leader Remembered For Commitment To Peace John McDonald

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ributes continue to pour in for departed Israel President & Prime Minister Shimon Peres, who passed on Wednesday. He was 93.

“Shimon Peres led with unshakable humility and a firm commitment to our common humanity,” said Stuart Milk, Cofounder and President of the Harvey Milk Foundation. “An optimist and visionary, President Peres worked tirelessly to heal wounds and lay the foundation for peace, we have lost a giant among global leaders.”

A Nobel Prize winner, Peres was the last of Israel’s living political leaders involved in the founding of the Jewish state. He served as the ninth President of Israel from 20072014 and twice as Prime Minister.

“It is undeniably heartbreaking and poignant that we have lost Shimon Peres as we approach the Jewish High Holidays, when the Jewish people are introspective, working to renew our commitments to family, community, social justice and repairing the world,” said Hava L. Holzhauer, Florida’s Regional Director for the Anti-Defamation League, in a news release.

“May the memory of Shimon Peres be as much of a blessing for the people of Israel and the Jewish people as his life was.”

Born in what is now known as Belarus, Peres is remembered for his creativity and negotiation skills as well as transforming the Israel Defense Forces from ragtag refugees into an elite fighting force.

His planning of the Suez Canal in the mid 1950s earned Peres the highest medal of the French Legion of Honor. Peres is often cited as a driving force behind trade deals between Israel and France in regards to situations in Algeria, Egypt and development of a nuclear weapons program.

French President Francois Hollande said Peres was an “ardent defender of peace and a faithful friend of France.”

Peres won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1994 for his role in the Oslo Accords, a set of agreements between the government of Israel and the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO).

In one of his final interviews with the press, Peres told Time Magazine the Oslo Accords were a direct result of an ability to persuade France to help build a nuclear weapons facility in the Israeli city of Dimona.

“Dimona helped us achieve Oslo,” Peres told the magazine. “Because many Arabs, out of suspicion, came to the conclusion that it’s very hard to destroy Israel because of it, because of their suspicion. Well, if the result is Dimona, I think I was right.”

“Shimon’s life traced his country’s extraordinary journey,” said U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry. “He was one of Israel’s founding patriots. He was an immigrant who went on to cultivate the land and plant the seeds of a modern state. He helped ensure Israel could defend itself in times of war, but was always ready to extend a hand to former adversaries.”

In keeping with his legacy of social justice, Peres recognized the importance of lesbians, gays, bisexuals and transgender people to live with dignity in respect.

“Every LGBT person is a human being,” Peres said during a speech in Vilnuis, Lithuania in 2013. “You cannot take away someone’s rights because they are different.

We cannot take away their right to breathe or right to form a family. We must allow everyone to live as is natural to them.”

NEWS local Photo Credit: John McDonald.

Restaurant’s Sleeveless Shirt Policy Catches Men Off Guard John McDonald

T

om Carls was just hoping to have a nice guests for their embarrassment in Pompano waterfront dining experience.

Beach, thank you.”

Instead, the Fort Lauderdale man Chesney also sent a link to the Hillstone said a restaurant practicing double standards website, outlining rules for attire, family shamed him. dining, large groups, special requests and “I felt really embarrassed,” Carls told SFGN. allergies.

Carls said he and his boyfriend Dale Janni The attire section reads as follows: “We were asked to change attire at Houston’s want you to be comfortable in our restaurants. in Pompano Beach. The men were wearing Jackets or ties are not required, but we do sleeveless shirts and the restaurant manager request the following to help ensure everyone said they would not be served until they has an enjoyable experience. For men, switched tops. please avoid sleeveless shirts, flip flops, and “The manager said we needed to cover up casual athletic attire. Hats may be worn in a our shoulders,” Carls said. “He brought us conventional manner. For men and women, two Hanes tee shirts to put on. I felt really we request you avoid beach wear or active stupid.” wear that is often overly Carls said he looked revealing.” around the restaurant For Carls, an apology is to see several women, just the start. He contends with shoulders exposed, his shirt was not a “low dining and enjoying their quality tank top.” He evening. Carls said he emailed SFGN pictures did not want to change and said the restaurant shirts, but was informed should write him a by management it would formal letter of apology be the only way they and compensate he, his would be allowed to stay boyfriend and a third at Houston’s. member of their party, for “The manager said if a future dinner.

- Tom Carls customer you don’t put on your “I was pissed,” Carls shirt, you’ll have to said. “They put a lot of leave,” Carls said. “He said ‘your food is in the attention on me. This was discrimination.” kitchen, but we’re not going to serve you until Houston’s in Pompano Beach has been you are in compliance.’” engulfed in controversy of late since the SFGN contacted Houston’s in Pompano restaurant ended access by boat. Located Beach and was referred to its parent company, on the intracoastal waterway, Houston’s Hillstone Restaurant Group. In an email, Gail advertises itself as a restaurant with a modern Chesney, spokeswoman for Hillstone, said feel with meals prepared daily from scratch. the group is “glad to apologize to any of our

"“The manager said we needed to cover up our shoulders.

He brought us two Hanes tee shirts to put on. I felt really stupid."

10.12.2016 •

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NEWS local Submitted photo.

Fort Lauderdale Named as 'Best City' for LGBT Seniors Brittany Ferrendi

E

ver wanted to know the best place to retire as a member of the LGBT community? One senior housing referral service just did all the work for you.

SeniorAdvice, one of the nation’s top referral services for seniors, launched a list of the best LGBT retirement cities in the United States. Topping the list is Austin, TX, followed by Fort Lauderdale and Minneapolis-St. Paul, Minnesota.

Two other cities in Florida, Orlando and Tampa, also made the list.

It’s no surprise Fort Lauderdale made the list with the Pride Center’s ever expanding senior services programs including a soon to be built affordable housing development on their campus at Equality Park. In addition their popular Coffee and Conversations meeting on Tuesdays is a main attraction for the local senior community.

Austin, TX Ft. Lauderdale, FL Minneapolis-St. Paul, MN Atlanta, GA Phoenix, AZ Orlando, FL Tampa, FL Portland, OR

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SeniorAdvice chose their cities by first looking at SeniorScore’s best cities for seniors.

Then, the referral service crossreferenced that list with variables designed for the LGBT community such as gay-friendly establishments, LGBT festivals and more.

“SeniorAdvice.com is an invaluable resource for seniors, their family members, and caregivers to help find the most livable locations,” said SeniorAdvice. com CEO and Founder, Ryan Patterson.

“We’re also very dedicated to diversity and inclusion, and we wanted to make sure we could assist members of the gay and lesbian community in finding the best locations for retirement and senior housing.”

Check out the list of top cities for LGBT seniors below.

Seattle, WA Columbus, OH Salt Lake City, UT Dallas, TX Las Vegas, NV San Francisco, CA Houston, TX

NEWS national

Commemorating National Latinx AIDS Awareness Day Denise Royal

O

ctober 15 is National Latinx AIDS Awareness Day (NLAAD). The 2016 theme is “We’ll Defeat AIDS con Ganas! (‘With our wholehearted efforts’).

The Latino Commission on AIDS (LCOA), the Hispanic Federation and many other organizations organize this day.

Latinx (it’s not a typo) is the genderneutral alternative to Latino, Latina and even Latin@. It is quickly gaining popularity among the general public.

“South Florida is the epicenter of HIV in the nation,” says Stephen Fallon, Executive Director of Latinos Salud. “All communities are affected. Yet within the LGBT community, cases are rising faster amongst Latinos than amongst any other demographic.”

In terms of numbers, Florida’s Department of Health says there are nearly 110,000 people in Florida living with an HIV diagnosis, as of 2014. Hispanics account for 24 percent of those cases. The proportion of all newly diagnosed adult HIV infection cases among Hispanics increased from 21 percent in 2005 to 27 percent in 2014. Of the newly diagnosed adult HIV infection cases in 2014, the case rate among Hispanic men was 2.4 times higher than the rate among white men; likewise the case rate among Hispanic women was 2.2 times higher than the rate among white women. Among adults, one in every 98 Hispanic men and one in every 422 Hispanic women were living with HIV/AIDS in 2014; compared to one in every 170 white men and one in every 1,049 white women.

Latinos and African-American men in South Florida live only half to two thirds

as long after an AIDS diagnosis as their non-minority peers. The difference is simple: access to timely and effective HIV treatment.

“Latinos Salud exists to give gay Latinos a safe space to reduce their risk behaviors or, live healthier with HIV,” Fallon said.

“NLAAD marks a reminder to get tested, get linked to care, or get help sticking to your treatment plan. Whatever your need, we’re here for you.”

On Friday, Oct. 14, Latinos Salud is hosting the MiFo film festival screening of “Strike a Pose,” a film that catches up with the back up dancers from Madonna’s famous “Truth or Dare” tour and movie.

Several of the dancers were living with HIV at the time that they kept that grueling tour schedule. The screening is at 8 p.m. at the NSU Art Museum.

Next week, rounding out the NLAAD week’s activities, Latinos Salud will hold its annual Hispanic Heritage Food Bazaar for its members. On Oct. 21 at 10 p.m., an outreach and testing tent event will be held outside their Wilton Manors location.

Other testing sites can be found here:

Miami: http://bit.ly/292QFVZ Broward: http://bit.ly/2dEIrUB Palm Beach: http://bit.ly/292Ed74

For more information about National Latinx AIDS Awareness Day, visit www.LatinoAids.org

10.12.2016 •

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Compiled by Jillian Melero

amfAR Collaborates with Top Artists to Recreate Iconic Hits (EDGE) A collection of classic hits from the 1980s has been rejuvenated with re-imagined and updated versions by contemporary artists in “The Time Is Now,” a compilation album created specifically to benefit amfAR, The Foundation for AIDS Research.

The 14-track album will be released on October 7 by Republic Records and Mass Appeal.

Among the notable covers featured in “The Time Is Now” is the album’s first single: a soulful rendition of Michael Jackson’s “Billie Jean” by singer-songwriter Aloe Blacc. Those who pre-order the album receive a copy of the track instantly.

The artwork for the album cover was designed exclusively for amfAR by the talented and generous British artist Tracey Emin. “The Time is Now” is the brainchild and labor of love of executive producers Michelangelo Lacqua, internationally acclaimed

music curator, Andy Boose, longtime producer of many of amfAR’s events, and Peter Bittenbender, CEO of Mass Appeal.

“The 1980s was a decade of revolutionary changes in the music scene, with an explosion of new sounds and rhythms, the ascendance of MTV, and the emergence of new musical movements on both sides of the Atlantic,” said Bittenbender.

“Music also provided the soundtrack to people’s daily lives and was a source of inspiration and solace with the advent of HIV/AIDS. This album is a tribute to that extraordinary time,” said Lacqua. “’The Time Is Now’ is a music-driven call to action in support of amfAR’s push to end HIV/AIDS in our lifetime,” added Boose.

For more information, visit www.amfar.org.

e n t e rta i n m e n t

international

Star to Play Jeffrey Dahmer in Disney Upcoming Film

(EDGE) A Disney star best known for his role on “Teen Beach” is making headlines this week after being cast as the infamous gay serial killer Jeffrey Dahmer, to whom he has an uncanny resemblance, in an upcoming film.

The Wrap reports Ross Lynch, 20, will play the Milwaukee Cannibal in “My Friend Dahmer,” based on the graphic novel of the same name. The website notes a photo of the two men was shared on Instagram Wednesday and social media users are taking notice of their similarities.

“It’s pretty uncanny how similar they look,” the caption reads.

The film is based on Derf Backderf’s graphic novel and is set to be released in 2017. It’s directed by Marc Meyers and along with Lynch, also stars Alex Wolff, Vincent Kartheiser and Anne Heche.

Lynch is also known for his role as Austin Moon on the Disney Channel’s popular TV show “Austin & Ally.”

The real life Dahmer raped, murdered and dismembered 17 men between 1978 and 1991 before being caught. In 1994, he was beaten to death in prison by a fellow inmate.

Ross Lynch.

Photo credit: Ana Rivas.

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Upgrades Same-Sex Unions, Austria But Not to Marriage Status

Mike Pence.

Photo credit: CNN.

politics

Wants You to Know About Colbert Pence’s Anti-LGBT Voting Record

(EDGE) There wasn’t much talk about LGBT rights during the vice-presidential debate Tuesday night. As The New York Times noted, it was an opportunity for Hillary Clinton running mate Sen. Tim Kaine to call out Donald Trump’s VP pick Gov. Mike Pence over his terrible voting record on LGBT issues.

That moment came and went and Kaine, for whatever reason, didn’t grill Pence on his feelings on LGBT rights. But “Late Night Show” host Stephen Colbert picked up Kaine’s slack and blasted Pence during his opening monologue Tuesday night.

“As governor, Pence’s record was marked by his ‘religious freedom’ bill that allows businesses to refuse service to gay customers on religious grounds, because, as Jesus himself said, ‘Get out of my pizza parlor, you queers,’” Colbert said.

Watch the clip at https://youtu.be/MyjAw7-eKIs.

(AP) Austria plans to upgrade the status of same-sex unions while still stopping short of declaring them marriages.

A draft law submitted Tuesday for final review foresees that such partnerships will be registered at the district clerk’s office, as marriages now are. Up to now, homosexual unions have been registered by the district administration department, which oversees local and municipal statutes.

The draft also will allow couples to list their common names as “family names” instead of “last names.”

Austria’s government coalition is split on the issue of same-sex marriage. Social Democrats generally support it, while the center-right People’s Party is opposed.

With the two parties in the majority in parliament, passage into law is a virtual certainty later this year.

News Briefs

O

continued pride

rlando Pride Postponed Due to Hurricane Matthew

The impending Hurricane Matthew has forced the city of Orlando, Fla. to postpone its upcoming LGBT Pride event.

In a press release Thursday, event organizers said the risk of the storm to central Florida is too great and that Come Out With Pride, which was initially planned for this weekend, will be moved to November.

“The safety of participants and attendees is our highest priority,” a statement from organizers reads.

The release adds:

The Central Florida area is currently facing the possibility of widespread power outages, obstructed roadways, and high demand for Police and Fire services in the period following the storm. While the weather forecast for Saturday is favorable for our event, expected conditions today and Friday will severely impact the ability of our team to set up and prepare the park for a festival. Additionally, many non-local vendors, entertainers and supporting businesses will be unable to participate due to transportation and logistical issues.

With so many in the community looking

‘F

forward to uniting together at Pride, the Come Out With Pride board is committed to making the event happen at a later time in November. We will be working with officials on alternative plans and will announce the details as soon as possible.

As the Advocate points out, a party planned for Saturday was to benefit those impacted by the Orlando massacre at the Pulse nightclub in June.

Come Out With Pride also posted about the postponement via Facebook.

To check on updates for Come Out With Pride, visit the organization’s website at www.ComeOutWithPride.com.

Photo: Facebook.

HIV

inding Prince Charming’ Suitor Opens Up About HIV Status

[Spoiler alert: This story contains spoilers about the most recent episode of “Finding Prince Charming.”]

Weeks before Logo’s controversial “Bachelor”-style gay dating show “Finding Prince Charming” was set to air, TMZ reportedone of the suitors vying for the titular prince charming revealed he is HIV-positive.

Host Lance Bass, along with Prince Charming himself Robert Sepulveda Jr., both confirmed one of the contestants is HIVpositive.

“It’s true,” the former *NSYNC singer told People magazine. “This is one of the things I love about the show - it’s a fun reality show, it’s dramatic, but there’s a lot of heart in it and amazing story lines that you’re going to shed a tear over. And one of those is finding out about this guy’s HIV.” On the Thursday night episode of the reality show, Eric Leonardos, a 35-year-old celebrity hairstylist in Los Angeles shared his status with a fellow suitor Justin Roisom before telling Sepulveda.

“Ten years ago I found out that I was HIVpositive,” Leonardos told Roisom. “When I realized I was gay I was so ashamed, the way that I was raised, the way that I was brought up-it wasn’t an option. Then when I found out I was HIV-positive, I was so ashamed.”

Leonardos also opened up to People magazine in a lengthy interview, saying he was nervous about revealing his status on TV. “I’m sharing this not only with Robert, I’m sharing it with my peers on the show, I’m essentially sharing this information with anybody who’s going to watch the show,” he said. He added that the experience was “very freeing” and he hopes he raises HIV awareness.

Read the full People magazine piece at (http://bit.ly/2dShQG0).

Also, watch the clip of Leonardos speaking with Rosiom at (http://bit.ly/2dEYQXI).

KEEP YOUR EYES ON

South Florida Gay News

SFGN.com @SoFlaGayNews

SouthFloridaGayNews 10.12.2016 •

9

NEWS national

Backpage.com Raided, CEO Arrested for Sex-Trafficking Don Thompson and Terry Wallace Associated Press

Carl Ferrer.

Photo credit: Texas Police.

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(AP) State agents raided the Dallas of $500,000 bond and will face an offices of adult classified ad portal extradition hearing before he can be Backpage.com and arrested Chief returned to California.

Executive Officer Carl Ferrer following Under California’s law, felony pimping allegations that adult is defined as making money and child sex-trafficking off prostitutes or soliciting victims were forced into customers for prostitution.

"Backpage and prostitution through “Raking in millions of escort ads posted on the dollars from the trafficking its executives site. and exploitation of purposefully Ferrer, 55, was arrested vulnerable victims is on a California warrant outrageous, despicable and after arriving Thursday in and illegal,” said Harris, a Houston on a flight from unlawfully Democrat who is running Amsterdam. Authorities for the U.S. Senate in designed also issued warrants for next month’s election. the arrest of the site’s “Backpage and its Backpage to be controlling shareholders, executives purposefully the world’s Michael Lacey, 68, and and unlawfully designed James Larkin, 67.

Backpage to be the world’s top online “Making money off top online brothel.” brothel." the backs of innocent Backpage.com advertises human beings by allowing a wide range of services, - Kamala Harris them to be exploited for but the California arrest California modern-day slavery is attorney general warrant alleges that not acceptable in Texas,” internal business records Texas Attorney General obtained through a search Ken Paxton, a Republican, said in a warrant show that 99 percent its revenue statement. came from its adult services section California Attorney General Kamala between January 2013 and March 2015.

Harris said that Ferrer was arrested California officials said the site collects on felony charges of pimping a minor, fees from users who use coded language pimping, and conspiracy to commit and nearly nude photos to offer sex for pimping. He is being held in lieu money.

News Briefs

continued sports

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CAA Relocates 7 Events Pulled from NC Due to LGBT Law Photo: Facebook.

(AP) The NCAA has relocated its men’s basketball regional tournament to Greenville, South Carolina, after withdrawing the event from Greensboro, North Carolina, because of that state’s law restricting the rights of LGBT people.

The NCAA announced the move Friday after pulling seven championship events from North Carolina last month. The first and second rounds of the men’s basketball tournament will be played at the Bon Secours Wellness Arena.

The NCAA also announced the relocation of the following events: ▶ the Division I women’s soccer championship to San Jose, California. ▶ the Division III men’s and women’s soccer championships to Salem, Virginia. ▶ the Division I women’s golf regional championships to Athens, Georgia.

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▶ the Division III men’s and women’s tennis championships to Chattanooga, Tennessee. ▶ the Division I women’s lacrosse championship to Boston. ▶ the Division II baseball championship to Grand Prairie, Texas.

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history

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ark Service Releases LGBTQ History Study

(John McDonald, SFGN) The department of American government tasked with telling stories is admittedly playing catch up in minority communities.

An effort, however, has launched to correct these deficiencies.

On Tuesday, the National Park Service released its groundbreaking LGBTQ history study. Results of the study were released to coincide with National Coming Day, first celebrated in 1988 following the first organized march on Washington, D.C. for lesbian and gay rights.

“For far too long, the struggles and contributions of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer-identified Americans have been ignored in the traditional narratives of our nation’s history,” said U.S. Department Interior Secretary Sally Jewel.

“This theme study is the first of its kind by any national government to identify this part of our shared history, and it will result in an important step forward in reversing the current underrepresentation of stories and

places associated to the LGBTQ community in the complex and diverse story of America.

Jewell joined NPS Director Jonathan B. Jarvis and Gill Foundation Founder Tim Gill on a conference call with reporters to discuss the study. One monument, one landmark and eight other historic places have been designated for the National Registry.

The list is as follows: Stonewall National Monument, NYC, Henry Gerber House, Chicago, The Furies Collective, Washington, D.C., Julius’ Bar, NYC, Bayard Rustin Residence, NYC, Cherry Grove Community House & Theatre, New York, Carrington House, New York, James Merrill House, Connecticut, Dr. Franklin E. Kameny Residence, Washington. D.C.

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11

LGBTQIA bites

L

B

Lesbian

Juneau Says She Would Change Discourse on Gays and Lesbians (AP) Montana’s first openly gay federal candidate said Wednesday that electing her to Congress would be a historical event that could change the discourse about gay, lesbian, bisexual and transsexual people.

Denise Juneau, a Democrat, made her comments near the end of a debate against incumbent Republican U.S. Rep. Ryan Zinke and Libertarian Rick Breckenridge that also touched on issues such as gun rights and agriculture.

Juneau, the outgoing superintendent of public instruction, and Zinke, who is seeking a second term, have met in two other debates.

However, the question of the candidates’ attitudes toward protections for gays and lesbians had not been previously asked.

Electing her to Congress would replicate what happened in the Montana Legislature when more American Indians were elected to office, she said. There, stereotypes broke down and policy discussions changed, she said.

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Denise Juneau.

“Representation matters, and I’ve watched the discourse change at the state Legislature,” Juneau said. “With me at the table in Congress, the discourse changes again.”

Juneau, 49, is a member of the Mandan and Hidatsa tribes who was raised in Browning on the Blackfeet Indian Reservation.

She has served two terms as Montana’s superintendent of education, becoming the first Native American woman to be elected to statewide office.

Compiled by Jillian Melero Bisexual

Oregon Governor Kate Brown Talks about Her Experience with Domestic Violence (SFGN) Kate Brown, governor of Oregon, is one of few openly bisexual women holding office in the U.S., and last week Brown came out again, this time as a survivor of domestic abuse, AutoStraddle reports (http://bit.ly/2dOCmlt).

The admission came during a debate with Republican opponent Dr. Bud Pierce, after Pierce commented “A woman that has a great education and training and a great job is not susceptible to this kind of abuse by men, women or anyone.”

Brown replied “I’m honestly not even sure where to start. I grew up in a middle class family. I went to law school… This is not just about [having access to] power.

This is about making sure women are not discriminated against because of their gender, because of their race, and because of their sexual orientation.”

The Williams Institute, a UCLA think tank that researches sexual orientation

Kate Brown.

and gender identity law found that 56.9% of bi women reported experiencing intimate partner violence in their lifetimes compared to 32.3% of heterosexual women and 40.4% of lesbians (http://bit.ly/1l2WseS).

Brown is running for re-eleciton in November, and hopes to retain office where she can address the issue that “more than half of Oregon women and girls experience domestic or sexual violence during their lifetime.”

LGBTQIA bites

continued

T

Transgender

Transgender Students Sue Pennsylvania District Restroom Rule (AP) Three transgender seniors at a Pennsylvania high school are suing the school district over a new policy that requires students to use restrooms corresponding to their biological sex.

The Pine-Richland School District previously allowed transgender students to use restrooms corresponding to their “gender identity.” But the school board last month passed a resolution that students must use restrooms that “correspond to their biological sex” or use unisex facilities.

Two 18-year-old plaintiffs were born biologically male but identify as female; one 17-year-old was born biologically female and identifies as male. They say they are being discriminated against by the new policy, which their federal lawsuit filed Thursday seeks to reverse.

Judges in North Carolina and Wisconsin have agreed such policies violate federal law.

The district declined to comment on the lawsuit.

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13

NEWS health

Denise Royal

O

Antibiotic Resistant STDs On Rise

ver the past few years, STDs including syphilis, gonorrhea, and chlamydia, have been on the rise in both the U.S. and South Florida. And according to a recent report by the World Health Organization (WHO), these diseases are also becoming less treatable.

Antibiotics could typically take care of these three infections, but growing resistance to antibiotics and a lack of new drugs means doctors and patients could soon run out of treatment options.

Since 2013, the rate of syphilis infections reported in Miami-Dade and Broward counties has risen faster than the rest of the state and much of the nation. The two counties accounted for nearly 42 percent of the 5,340 syphilis cases reported in Florida from 2013-2015, according to the state health department. In Florida, syphilis infections continue to increase among gay and

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bisexual men. According to the state health department, more than 50 percent of these men are co-infected with HIV. U.S. health officials also warned recently that like syphilis, gonorrhea appears to be developing resistance to the two antibiotics that constitute the last available treatment option for the sexually transmitted bacteria.

Gonorrhea is a bacterial infection that spreads through unprotected vaginal, anal and oral sex. From 2013-2015, the number of gonorrhea cases in Miami-Dade and Broward counties accounted for about a quarter of the cases in Florida, according to the state health department.

“The emerging resistance to azithromycin is an early indicator that time is running out before the last recommended treatment for gonorrhea is no longer effective,” says Brian Katzowitz, Health Communication Specialist from the Centers for Disease

Control and Prevention (CDC). “It’s vitally important for doctors to treat gonorrhea with dual therapy (azithromycin combined with ceftriaxone) and that individuals take steps to protect themselves. STD prevention is the cornerstone for containing antibiotic resistant gonorrhea.”

The WHO has released new guidelines on how to treat three sexually transmitted infections such as a single dose of benzathine penicillin to cure syphilis and continue to recommend doxycycline and azithromycin as the best choices to treat chlamydia. The WHO does not recommend quinolones (a class of antibiotic) for the treatment of gonorrhea due to widespread high levels of resistance. These new guidelines bring WHO in line with recommendations from the CDC that were issued in 2015.

Fort Lauderdale’s Dr. Gary Richmond treats patients with STDs. “To date, I have

not seen multidrug resistant gonorrhea in my patient population,” he told SFGN. “Per guidelines, we treat our patients with dual therapy because of the emerging risk of drug resistance. Syphilis has always been more problematic within the HIV coinfected patient. Patients with latent syphilis frequently need retreatment for the initial infection. Benzathine penicillin is frequently on backorder and not available to treat syphilis infections. Often we are forced to use 2nd line therapy with tetracycline due to the drug shortage.”

The statistics for chlamydia are very similar to syphilis and gonorrhea. From 2013-2015, about 60,000 of the state’s nearly 255,000 cases were in Broward and Miami-Dade counties. While those numbers are huge, the spread of antibiotic-resistant STDs could have consequences that reach far beyond Florida. The WHO estimates that 131

NEWS health million people in the world have chlamydia, the two-drug regimen recommended for 78 million have gonorrhea, and 5.6 million treating gonorrhea by the CDC. However, have syphilis. For women, these infections laboratory tests by the Hawaii State can increase the risk of miscarriage, ectopic Department of Health showed that the pregnancy (when the fetus develops outside patients’ gonorrheal infections did not the womb), and pelvic inflammatory succumb as easily to the antibiotics as disease. For both men infections have in the and women, they past.

"I feel there is can contribute to Someday, these an emerging infertility and increase antibiotics may no susceptibility to HIV. longer work to cure complacency “I feel there is an gonorrhea, which, regarding emerging complacency over the years, has sexual disease regarding sexual disease developed resistance transmission... transmission,” Dr. to nearly every class of individuals Richmond said. “With antibiotics used to treat the availability and it. have stepped more frequent use of So far, no cases of up their unsafe PrEP and misconception drug resistant sexually sexual practices, that HIV cannot be transmitted infections abandoning transmitted when one in Florida.” We are condoms and barrier closely monitoring is on Highly Active Anti-Retroviral Therapy this situation and have precautions."

(HAART), individuals been working with - Dr. Gary Richmond have stepped up their labs to ensure they Fort lauderdale unsafe sexual practices, are routinely testing abandoning condoms specimens for drug and barrier precautions.” susceptibility,” said Sarah Revell of the Recently in Hawaii, seven gonorrhea Florida Department of Health. patients had the first reported cases The CDC will be bolstering state and local of gonorrhea in which the sexually STD programs and introducing laboratory transmitted infection showed reduced tools and services to more rapidly respond susceptibility to the single available to outbreaks. When asked to describe what effective treatment option, the Centers for it would be like if syphilis, gonorrhea and Disease Control and Prevention said. The chlamydia became completely resistant to six men and one woman were all eventually antibiotics, Dr. Richmond had one word, cured by ceftriaxone and azithromycin, “disastrous.”

politics out on the trail

Florida Dems LGBTA Caucus Endorses Candidates John McDonald

F

lorida’s LGBTA Democratic Caucus released an updated list of endorsements on Friday.

The caucus, chartered by the Florida Democratic Party, is endorsing 24 Democrats at various federal, state and local levels.

The endorsements are as follows: Hillary Clinton, President, Patrick Murphy, U.S. Senate, Corry Westbrook, U.S. Congress, Darren Soto, U.S. Congress, Jim Lange, U.S. Congress, April Freeman, U.S. Congress, Alina Valdes, U.S. Congress, Linda Stewart, Florida Senate 13, Victor Sims, Florida House 39, Bob Doyel, Florida House 41, Beth Tuura, Florida House 47, Carlos Guillermo Smith, Florida House 49, Lisa Montelione, Florida House 63, Jennifer Webb, Florida House 69, Ken Keechl, Florida House 93, David Richardson, Florida

House 113, Robert Asencio, Florida House 118, Jeffrey Doc Solomon, Florida House 115, Paula Bartlett, Duval County Clerk of Court, Dave Kerner, Palm Beach County Commission, Jeff Riveria, Osceola County Commission, Cathy James, Hillsborough County School Board, Eleuterio Salazar, Bradenton Mayor, Daniel Antonio Wall-DeSousa, Palm Beach City Commission.

The caucus represents the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and allies community within the FDP. Its mission, said President Terry Fleming, is to educate, advocate, support and elect.

For more information, visit www.floridalgbtademocrats.org

The spread of antibiotic-resistant STDs could have consequences that reach far beyond Florida. Photo: CDC, Facebook.

10.12.2016 •

15

ELECTION • hillary clinton

Photo by CNN.

PGN Exclusive

Hillary Clinton addresses LGBT equality

Philadelphia Gay News reached out to the Democratic and Republican candidates for president, Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump, to discuss LGBT issues in advance of next month’s election. Clinton provided PGN this exclusive op-ed detailing her LGBT-rights record and her goals for future LGBT-equality efforts. The offer remains open for Trump. This is the first time a major-party presidential candidate has written an op-ed for an LGBT newspaper.

Hillary Clinton

M

ore than half a century ago, at Independence Hall, participants at the first Annual Reminder march picketed, chanted and sang.

They did this to show their fellow Philadelphians that the LGBT community lacked fundamental civil rights.

In the decades since those protests, our country has come a long way. Marriage equality is the law of the land. This year, the last state law prohibiting same-sex couples from adopting was finally struck down. And President Obama signed an executive order protecting federal workers from discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity. We should celebrate that progress.

But the simple truth is that even now, in 2016, there are still too many states in America where LGBT people can be fired or evicted from their home because of who they are or who they love.

Pennsylvania is one of them. Here, you can get married on Sunday and fired on Monday, just for being gay or transgender.

That goes against everything we stand for as a country.

We need to act on the federal level to take on discrimination in all its forms. That’s what I’ll do as President — with your help.

But first, we have to win this election. Donald Trump must not be elected president. He would rip away so much of the progress we’ve made. He would appoint Supreme Court justices who would overturn marriage equality and rescind many of President Obama’s executive orders — including those protecting LGBT people.

It’s not just Trump’s policies that reveal the kind of president he would be. So does his choice of running mate. Mike Pence is one of the most anti-LGBT public officials in America. As governor of Indiana, Pence supported a bill that legalized discrimination against LGBT people. As a member of Congress, he voted against expanding the definition of hate crimes to include sexual orientation and gender identity. He opposed the repeal of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,” saying doing so would be “social experimentation.” And he’s said that homosexuality would bring about “societal collapse.”

That’s why the stakes in this election are so high.

If I’m fortunate enough to be elected president, I’ll protect the progress we’ve fought so hard to achieve — and I’ll keep fighting until every American can live free from discrimination and prejudice.

That means working to pass the Equality Act. It would finally provide LGBT people full federal nondiscrimination protections in housing, employment and so much more. I know that

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differences of opinion on LGBT equality still exist in the hearts of some Americans, but they should not exist under our laws. As president, I’ll be your partner in bringing about the vision of the inclusive nation that advocates, activists and allies have been seeking for decades.

I also believe we must address the ongoing issue of violence against the LGBT community. LGBT people are now more likely than any other group to be the target of a hate crime. America saw the effects of hate in Orlando, with the attack on the Pulse nightclub — the deadliest mass shooting by a single person in our history. The danger is compounded for LGBT people of color, who face intersectional pressures and dangers, particularly transgender people of color. Last year, more than 20 transgender women were killed in America. Recently, three were murdered right here in Philadelphia.

We need to stop the violence and save LGBT lives. We need to collect more data around gender identity and sexual orientation in hate crimes, so we can stop them in a smarter, more effective way.

And we need to finally pass common-sense reforms to address the gun violence epidemic. Along with the vast majority of Americans, I believe that we can protect the rights of law-abiding gun owners while still making sure that guns don’t fall into the wrong hands.

Finally, we need to continue our fight to achieve our goal of an AIDS-free generation. HIV and AIDS still disproportionately impact gay and bisexual men, communities of color, transgender people and young people. We need to increase research, expand the use of effective prevention medications like PrEP, cap out-of-pocket drug costs and reform outdated HIV-criminalization laws.

Like many, I’ve lost friends and loved ones to AIDS. We owe it to them — the people we love and miss, and the people whose names we’ll never know — to continue this fight.

As First Lady and Senator, I fought to significantly expand funding for AIDS research. As Secretary of State, I changed the rules so that State Department employees in same-sex relationships were treated the same as their colleagues and so that transgender Americans could obtain passports that reflected their true gender identity. So these fights aren’t new to me.

And as president, I’ll keep fighting for LGBT rights, because — as I told the world in one of the most important speeches I gave as Secretary — they are human rights. And I won’t quit until all our laws reflect that basic reality.

10.12.2016 •

17

ELECTION • quotes on trump

Photos by Gage Skidmore.

Two Weeks Ago SFGN Endorsed

Hillary Clinton For President But we understand you may still have doubts, so if you don’t trust us, just take a look at what other Republicans have said about their nominee

SFGN Staff

A pathological liar A narcissist at a level I don’t think this country has ever seen Utterly amoral

TED CRUZ

A bully A sniveling coward

A nutjob A loser as a person Race-baiting, xenophobic, religious bigot

"Very dishonest" RICK PERRY

LINDSEY GRAHAM

His comments … should completely and immediately disqualify him from seeking our nation’s highest office.

Lacks the temperament to be president A phony A fraud

BEN CARSON 18

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Playing the American people for suckers

MITT ROMNEY

ELECTION • quotes on trump

A jerk One part unhinged and one part foolish Not qualified to be president

JEB BUSH

The most vulgar person ever to aspire to the presidency Absurd Offensive Ridiculous

MARCO RUBIO

A con artist An embarrassment

Unserious and unstable narcissist Has no understanding of policy He’s full of bluster but has no substance. He lacks the intellectual curiosity to even learn.

CHRIS CHRISTIE

BOBBY JINDAL

Showtime is over. We are not electing an entertainer-in-chief.

Showmanship is fun, but it is not the kind of leadership that will truly change America.

10.12.2016 •

19

ELECTION • vice presidential debate

VP debate a missed chance to expose Pence’s anti-LGBT record White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest declined to criticize the VP debate moderator for the lack of an LGBT question.

LGBT advocates frustrated, but White House won’t ‘second-guess’ moderator

Photo: Michael Key.

Chris Johnson

Washington Blade

A

ny political observers are expressing disappointment and frustration with the failure of the vice presidential debate moderator to ask Mike Pence about signing into law a “religious freedom” bill enabling anti-LGBT discrimination in Indiana, but White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest isn’t among them.

In response to a Washington Blade inquiry about whether a question on the law would have highlighted Pence’s extensive anti-LGBT record, Earnest said Wednesday he won’t “second-guess the efforts” of debate moderator Elaine Quijano.

“She came prepared with a long list of very serious, direct questions for each of the candidates and I suspect, based on the sharpness of her questions, that that was almost certainly one of the questions that she had in her stack,” Earnest said. “She probably just didn’t get around to it.”

Earnest added presidential debate moderators have “a very difficult job” and the responsibility to “be fair and ask tough questions, and it seems to me that’s exactly what Ms. Quijano did last night.”

Last year, Pence signed into law a measure that would have enabled businesses and individuals to deny services to LGBT people in the name of “religious freedom,” propelling him to the national stage as he unsuccessfully sought to defend the law. Following outcry from LGBT advocates, business leaders — as well as condemnation from the White House — Pence was forced to sign a “fix” to the measure limiting its discriminatory impact.

Asked by the Blade whether voters should be reminded of Pence’s anti-LGBT record regardless of whether or not the debate moderator posed a question about it, Earnest conceded such a question would have been fair because the records of candidates are “worthy of scrutiny.”

“It certainly would have been a relevant and fair question to have been asked because his actions as governor should weigh on a decision that voters make, but ultimately, it’ll be up to voters to decide how they factor that criteria into their decision,” Earnest said.

Earnest said he’s spoken out “with some rather sharp criticism” of the law, not only for its discriminatory impact, but for the economic harm it’s caused the state. Although Pence likes to brag about the economic growth of Indiana

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under his tenure, the law cost the state an estimated $60 million.

“The business climate of Indiana does not benefit from laws that open up potential customers or employees to being discriminated against, and North Carolina has gotten some attention for the negative economic consequences of signing those bills into law,” Earnest said.

Earnest said he recalls “vividly” a 2015 interview with Pence on ABC News in which he refused to say eight times whether the “religious freedom” law allowed discrimination against gay people, and attempted to defend the statute.

“He struggled mightily to do so in part because it’s hard to make a case that’s good for the state,” Earnest said. “But again, in terms of what impact this has in terms of people’s decision in the presidential election, people are going to have to weigh these factors for themselves. They’re obviously a number of things to consider, but it certainly would be legitimate in the mind of the president for somebody to consider that aspect of Gov. Pence’s record in determining whether or not to support the Republican ticket this fall.”

A look on Twitter reveals LGBT advocates aren’t as charitable as Earnest in their assessment of the absence of the question from the debate. Frustration over the omission was expressed by not only gay bloggers, but Human Rights Campaign President Chad Griffin.

Before Trump picked him as his VP, @ mike_pence was notorious for attacking LGBTQ people. But not 1 question about his hateful views tonight.

— Chad Griffin (@ChadHGriffin) October 5, 2016

Last criticism of moderator: why no question to pence re: does Trump support your anti-lGBT agenda? Pence claim to fame last year #VPDebate — Mike Signorile (@MSignorile) October 5, 2016

I feel a little insulted that Pence’s discrimination against #LGBT people isn’t deemed important enough to discuss. #VPDebate — Lucas Grindley (@lucasgrindley) October 5, 2016

Pence’s two biggest blunders -legalizing anti-LGBT discrimination and enabling a massive HIV outbreak -- went unaddressed. #VPDebate — Zack Ford (@ZackFord) October 5, 2016

Griffin expounded on his objections to the lack of a question on Pence’s anti-LGBT law in an email statement to the Washington Blade.

“Donald Trump’s vice presidential pick, Mike Pence, has made anti-LGBTQ activism a cornerstone of his political career,” Griffin said.

“That was worthy of debate and discussion, but there wasn’t a single question about his hateful views. The vast majority of fair-minded voters in this country deserve answers, and the debatewas a missed opportunity to demand them.”

CBS News didn’t respond to the Washington Blade’s request for comment Wednesday on why a question on Pence’s anti-LGBT record or the “religious freedom” law weren’t among those asked during the vice presidential debate.

Gregory Angelo, president of Log Cabin Republicans, shifted the blame to Democratic vice presidential nominee Tim Kaine for not bringing up the issue.

“In the absence of any specific question on RFRA from the moderator, one would have expected Kaine to make mention of it among his 70 interjections last night, but I guess he was too busy trying to remember the canned one-line zingers he was coached to deliver to focus on an issue that offered perhaps the greatest contrast between himself and Trump’s running mate,” Angelo said.

The Washington Blade has placed a call to the Clinton campaign to ask why Kaine — who focused during the debate on attacking Trump, not Pence — ignored Pence’s anti-LGBT law.

In the aftermath of the debate, LGBT organizations are declaring the upcoming town hall debate between Clinton and Trump must be a venue in which the first LGBT question is posed to the candidates.

Roddy Flynn, executive director of Equality PAC, said LGBT issues must be addressed in future debates to make up for the lack of attention to Pence’s anti-LGBT record in the vice presidential forum.

“It was disappointing that Gov. Pence’s extreme anti-LGBT record was not raised in last night’s debate questions,” Flynn said. “Gov. Pence has supported some of the most insidious anti-LGBT legislation in this country, designed to ensure that LGBT people can be turned away from shops, hotels, and restaurants and disallowing samesex couples from adopting children. The kind of bigotry that the Trump/Pence ticket supports is out of line with American values and should have been a topic in the first two debates. We hope future debates will be more inclusive of the concerns of LGBT Americans.”

Aisha Moodie-Mills, president of the Gay & Lesbian Victory Fund, agreed the lack of a question on Pence’s anti-LGBT record was “disappointing” and said future debates must expose those views.

“Pence opposes recognition of our relationships, opposes LGBT soldiers serving openly in the military, and opposes prohibiting restaurants and other businesses from refusing service to LGBT customers,” Moodie-Mills said.

“It is important the Trump campaign’s extremist anti-LGBT positions be exposed in future debates — along with its attacks on women, immigrants, Latinos, Muslims and veterans recovering from war. Their entire campaign has been built on fear and bigotry, and we believe voters will reject their attempts to turn back the clock on progress.”

ELECTION • donald trump Donald Trump decried transgender military service as “political correctness.”

Photo: Michael Key.

Trump Slams Trans Military Service As

‘Political Correctness’ Derides ‘ridiculous’ changes seen in military in recent years Chris Johnson

Washington Blade

S

lamming changes made to foster LGBT inclusion in the U.S. military during the Obama administration, Donald Trump pledged Monday to “get away from political correctness” when asked about openly transgender military service and women serving in combat roles.

The candidate made the comments in Herndon, Va., alongside Tony Perkins, president of the anti-LGBT Family Research Council, in the same forum where he raised eyebrows for suggesting veterans who kill themselves after suffering from posttraumatic stress disorder did so because they couldn’t handle the pressures of war.

After an audience member asked Trump what he’d do about women in combat and openly transgender troops, comparing their inclusion in the military to political correctness, he replied, “We’re going to get away from political correctness, and we are going to have to do that.”

Trump compared movement toward greater inclusion in the armed forces to opposition to “the whole concept of profiling” in law enforcement. The candidate has defended the controversial practice of racial profiling, including after the terrorist acts last month in

Minnesota, New Jersey and New York.

“I mentioned the other day profiling,” Trump said. “Everyone goes, ‘Oh, profiling, profiling!’ Well, profiling, in Israel they’re doing it and they’re doing it well, and we may have to do that and we have to do other things.

But you’re right. We have a politically correct military and it’s more and more politically correct every day, and a lot of the great people in this room don’t even understand how it’s possible to do that.”

Trump asserted confusion over why the military is moving forward with greater inclusion is the result of “intelligence, not ignorance,” saying the changes U.S. troops have to endure in the name of political correctness are “ridiculous.”

In June, Defense Secretary Ashton Carter announced after a nearly year-long review the U.S. military would end its ban on transgender people serving in the U.S. armed forces “effective immediately.” The announcement came months after the Pentagon announced it would begin to allow women to serve in combat roles.

While Trump stopped short of committing himself to reverse those changes, he said he’d allow senior military officials — and noting a recommendation from a lawmaker in the

Trump’s deference to military leaders conceivably could lead to a reinstatement of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.”

audience, even low ranking troops — to review the changes and take guidance on appropriate policy.

“I will say I would leave many of the decisions of some of the things you mentioned to the generals, the admirals, the people on top, and we get some — the congressman just mentioned to me, and I think it’s true, 100 percent — you get your top enlisted people in that and you have discussions with top enlisted people who know it better than probably anybody. But we get our military people to come back and make recommendations to me, and I will follow those recommendations.”

One of Trump’s leading military advisers, Lt. Gen. Michael Flynn, has already suggested he would advise Trump to roll back the changes.

On the first night of the Republican National Convention, Flynn in apparent criticism of transgender military service criticized the preoccupation of U.S. troops with “trivial matters about what words to use, what terminology is politically correct and what bathroom door to open up.”

“My God, my God, war is not about bathrooms, war is not about political correctness or words that are meaningless,” Flynn said.

Trump’s deference to military leaders conceivably could lead to a reinstatement of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.” When Congress repealed the statute, lawmakers left nothing in its place addressing gay people in the armed services, allowing the Pentagon to decide the policy. Although such a change would be extraordinary given the U.S. military has

accepted gay service members in the last five years, a Trump administration could undo that.

Matthew Thorn, executive director of the LGBT military group OutServe-SLDN, said greater inclusion in the armed forces, including transgender service, isn’t a matter of being politically correct but instead preserving “the foundation of our freedoms.”

“Our service members and veterans have risked and continue to risk their lives for the fundamental rights that our democracy is built on, the freedoms that allow Mr. Trump to even stand before an audience and make absurdity out of our armed forces and veterans,” Thorn said. “Transgender service members and veterans have earned the same respect and honor as any other soldier, airman, sailor or Marine and Mr. Trump should be mindful that the leadership of the Pentagon has agreed, everyone who is able to serve should be allowed to serve regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity.”

Thorn said belittling transgender military service members and veterans afflicted with post-traumatic stress disorder is consistent with his criticism of a Gold Star family as well as “disgusting and vile and unbecoming of any individual who would want to hold the highest office in our government.”

“It is very difficult to imagine after today how Mr. Trump can proclaim his love and support for our military and veterans when in the same breath he can willfully admonish those who serve and protect this country with honor and their lives,” Thorn said.

10.12.2016 •

21

NEWS national coming out day Trey Pearson

Aubrey Plaza

Submitted photo.

David Hernandez

Charlie Carver

Brian Anderson

5 Celebrities That Came Out This Year Brittany Ferrendi

O

ct. 11 was National Coming Out Day, and what better way to celebrate it than by appreciating the people in the limelight to publicly declare their sexual orientation to the world? Here are five celebrities that came out this year.

Trey Pearson — Christian Music Singer “Everyday Sunday’s” Trey Pearson shook Christian music fans back in June after releasing an open letter to fans, friends and family to tell everyone that he is gay.

“Happy #NationalComingOutDay!” he wrote Tuesday on Facebook. “I suppose this is my first. I hope my voice can give strength for others that haven’t been able to come out yet, and also for those that have. Thanks for all of the love. I wish I could tell you how much strength it has given me in this season.”

He received mixed responses once coming out, with some fans praising him for his courage while others chose to “mourn” and ask for repentance.

“I had never before admitted to myself that I was gay, let alone to anyone else,” he wrote at the time. “I never wanted to be gay. I was scared of what God would think and what all of these people I loved would think about me; so it never was an option for me.”

“Love yourself and be who you are unapologetically.

If you are going through dark times, I promise you will get through.”

- David Hernandez

"AMErican Idol" finalist

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Aubrey Plaza — “Parks and Recreation” Actress

Charlie Carver — “Teen Wolf” Actor

From “Parks and Recreation” to “Mike and Dave Need Wedding Dates,” Aubrey Plaza is known as an actress and comedian, often playing the roles of openly blunt characters. So there was little surprise when she candidly came out as bisexual in an interview with The Advocate back in July.

“Girls are into me — that’s no secret,” she said after being asked if she gets hit on by women. “Hey, I’m into them too. I fall in love with girls and guys. I can’t help it.”

Also in the interview, Plaza admitted she had a crush on co-star Natasha Lyonne, despite the fact that Lyonne is straight in real life. “[Taking on the role of a lesbian] was less about pretending to be a lesbian and more about portraying a human being with a massive crush on Natasha Lyonne’s character,” she said. “Natasha’s a friend, and she called me up, like, ‘Do you want to come do a movie and make out with me?’ I have a major crush on her in real life, so it was fun.”

Known in the past for his child-star role with his twin brother on “Desperate Housewives” and more recently “Teen Wolf,” actor Charlie Carver claims he’s never “really ever been in” the closet — but his homosexuality comes as a surprise to most of his fans anyway.

Back in January, Carver took to Instagram with a photo of the text “Be who you needed when you were younger.”

In the image description, he told a story of how he came to terms with his sexuality.

Feeling like he was different from the other boys, he experienced “feelings of despair and alienation, ending in a climax of saying three words out loud: ‘I am gay.’”

“They rang true, and I hated myself for them,” he continued. “It would take me a few years before I could repeat them to anyone else, in the meantime turning the phrase over and over in my mouth until I felt comfortable and sure enough to let the words pour out again, this time to my family.”

David Hernandez — “American Idol” Finalist Just last month, 33-year-old “American Idol” finalist David Hernandez came out of the closet as gay.

“It was really cool to be part of that turn in history and to be able to celebrate and be on the right side of it” Hernandez said. “It was also incredible to sing next to two of my favorite artists, John Legend and Adam Levine.”

And with his sexuality out in the open, Hernandez can just focus on his next full-length album, followed by a tour.

“Love yourself and be who you are unapologetically,” he encouraged fans. “If you are going through dark times, I promise you will get through. Hurting yourself or others is never the way to solve your issues and there is always help out there, you just have to ask.”

Brian Anderson — Professional Skateboarder Just last month, professional skateboarder Brian Anderson shocked the skateboarding community by being one of the first legends to come out as gay.

“Hearing ‘faggot’ all the time made me think at a young age that it was really dangerous to talk about it,” he said in an interview with Vice Sports. “I figured out how to balance it to where nobody questioned it and I was a big tough skateboarder, of course they’re not going to question that. Nobody thought anything.”

Despite his fears, his friends and family were overwhelmingly supportive.

“It’s about skateboarding,” said Jake Phelps, Editor-InChief of Thrasher Magazine, at the time of the Vice Sports interview. “Who gives a fuck if you’re gay.”

10.12.2016 •

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NEWS health

Photo: Facebook.

Gates Foundation Funds AIDS Vaccine Initiative Edge Media Network

T

he International AIDS Vaccine Initiative (IAVI) was recently awarded two new grants by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to expedite development of promising AIDS vaccine candidates and other new biomedical HIV prevention tools.

“Accelerating the translation of innovative research into promising vaccine candidates for clinical testing is a real urgency. With more than 2 million people becoming infected with HIV in 2015 alone there is no time to lose. Collaborative and efficient AIDS vaccine development today means more lives saved in the future,” said Mark Feinberg, President and CEO of IAVI. “We are very pleased to expand the provision of vaccine product development expertise to support Gates Foundationsponsored AIDS vaccine programs.”

The grants provide for funding in an amount of almost $60 million (U.S. dollars) over three and a half years. Under these awards, IAVI will provide extended services in pre-clinical development, regulatory affairs, data analysis, project management, quality assurance, manufacturing and clinicaltrial implementation to a broad range of investigators through the Collaboration for AIDS Vaccine Discovery (CAVD) to expedite the development of around a dozen promising AIDS vaccine candidates or biologics toward clinical testing.

The Gates Foundation has been a longstanding partner in this critical work of IAVI. The new awards build on initial awards granted in 2013 to establish key product development services at IAVI for the CAVD with an original slate of three to five proposed pilot projects. However, the support rapidly expanded to a current total of 17 projects.

In August 2016, IAVI was awarded a contract from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), part of the U.S. National Institutes of Health (NIH) to provide product development services to advance the development of AIDS vaccine candidates of NIAID-supported scientists.

A Vaccine Is Needed To Conclusively And Sustainably End HIV/AIDS Despite remarkable advances in treatment and prevention, HIV/AIDS is neither contained nor manageable. In 2015 alone, AIDS killed more than 1.1 million people globally and HIV newly infected 2.1 million people, with two-thirds of them in sub-Saharan Africa.

Although treatment rates have doubled in the

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past five years annual new infections with HIV have not decreased.

Access and adherence to available prevention and treatment remain challenging for many. Recent modeling data show that even with massively expanded use of current treatment and prevention options, hundreds of thousands of people in low- and middleincome countries will be newly infected with HIV and die from AIDS for decades to come.

An efficacious, well-adopted vaccine could prevent the majority of new annual HIV infections in low- and middle-income countries, averting millions of infections and savings millions of lives. Founded in 1996, the International AIDS Vaccine Initiative (IAVI) is a nonprofit organization working to accelerate development of broadly effective AIDS vaccines accessible to all.

IAVI works with partners in 25 countries to research, design and develop promising vaccine candidates. We collaborate with governments, partner with pharmaceutical and bio-tech companies, universities, hospitals and civil society organizations, and conduct and support research in North America, Europe, Africa, and India.

NEWS national

Rentboy.com CEO Pleads Guilty to Promoting Prostitution

Jeffrey Hurant.

Photo: Facebook.

Tom Hays

Associated Press

T

he chief executive officer of a oncepopular male escort website pleaded guilty on Friday to promoting prostitution in a federal case that prompted accusations of anti-gay bias.

Jeffrey Hurant admitted in federal court in Brooklyn that he broke the law by promoting “the exchange of sexual conduct in return for a fee” on his Rentboy. com site.

Under a plea deal, Hurant agreed not to appeal a sentence of two years or less in prison. His company also cannot appeal a penalty of $10 million or less. Sentencing guidelines call for a maximum sentence of 21 months.

Hurant, 51, and his attorney left court without speaking to reporters. Sentencing was set for Feb. 2.

Prosecutors had alleged that Rentboy

was the equivalent of an online brothel, and what the site called escorts were actually prostitutes. They said part of the proof were in the explicit ads that featured nude photos, listings of all manner of physical attributes and pricing options ranging from $150 an hour to $3,500 for a weekend.

The takedown of the website was led by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.

Its involvement, along with an absence of any allegations that Rentboy was a menace to society beyond simple prostitution — like engaging in human trafficking or exploiting minors — stirred anger and fear in the gay community. Activists questioned why the agency would single out Rentboy when other escort websites, gay or straight, continue to do business.

U.S. Immigration and Customs

Enforcement, which participated in the investigation along with the New York Police Department and other agencies, issued a statement saying “any insinuation that a specific population was targeted is categorically false.”

Before authorities arrested Hurant and seized the Rentboy site, it had thousands of advertisers paying up to $300 a month, 500,000 visitors a day and revenues of $10 million in the past five years.

The business hosted parties and an annual awards show for escorts called the Hookies. In interviews, Hurant insisted “there is no place on this website where somebody says I’ll have sex for money because that is against the law,” but also boasted about wanting “to keep the oldest profession in the world up to date with all the latest technology.”

THE GAY MENS CHORUS OF SOUTH FLORIDA PRESENTS

HOLIDAYS AT THE HARD ROCK! SPECIAL GUEST ARTIST, LINDA EDER

DECEMBER 11, 2016 | 8PM HARD ROCK LIVE AT SEMINOLE HARD ROCK HOTEL & CASINO HOLLYWOOD For more information and tickets visit: www.gmcsf.org HOSTED BY

10.12.2016 •

25

Publisher's Editorial

Convictions

Here’s Some History For History Month

Norm Kent

norm.kent@sfgn.com

T

his is the beginning of gay history month.

So why not go back into my own history and timeline for a story this week?

I may not be one of the 40 icons selected this year by the LGBT historians, but I have a history of columns on gay rights going back, four decades to the 1980s, when I was a counsel and columnist for TWN, the Weekly News, South Florida’s original gay weekly newspaper. I remember one of the first pieces they published, in 1986, outlining the civil liability of Rock Hudson for failing to disclose to his lover of many years that he had AIDS. Today, 30 years later, the Supreme Court has on its docket as one of its oldest pending cases, a decision to make on whether the failure to disclose your sexual status to your same sex partner is a crime under Florida law. The ruling is overdue, by almost a year, and could come any day. We already know you can sue civilly if you fail to disclose your status to your partner and cause him to become ill, but can you go to jail too? We will know soon.

Well, anyway, to inaugurate LGBT history month for the South Florida Gay News, I am going to run some historical columns of my own, from the days I was a columnist for Hot Spots, Scoop Magazine, and the publisher and owner of Express Gay News, from 1999 to 2004.

Here then, to kick off the project, is one of my favorites, from 1998, entitled: ‘Just Born That Way? A Privilege, Not an Excuse’, relating the story of two candidates running for the city of Fort Lauderdale commission in 1993.

Thanks for being here to read our paper.

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Being ‘Born that way’ is a Privilege, Not An Excuse In the Fort Lauderdale Fall of 1993, the race for City Commissioner in District 2, which includes the predominantly gay community of Victoria Park, as well as my collie, Daylight, pitted a gay rights activist against a straight city commissioner. However, while the activist had played off his sexuality in the gay community, he steadfastly avoided ever mentioning to the hetero crowd that he was a dick worshipper. This upset the hard-core gay activists, who did not want to elect a squeamish gay commish.

The activists reasoned that the incumbent straight commissioner had been gay-friendly. He had not only appointed gays to positions of influence, but actually came to gay bar openings, if only to drink for free. Anyway, the District 2 elections became a hotbed of controversy, with each candidate spending enough money on the campaign to cure the common cold and Athlete’s foot.

The campaign was vicious, as our community masturbated on whether to endorse a supportive straight commissioner, or an openly gay candidate who wanted to talk political, not pubic, affairs. Commissioner Cary Keno fought hard to capture the gay vote. He took out ads in gay publications like ours. One was a classic. It will live with us forever, testimony for generations that some people just don’t get it..

The ad featured a picture of Commissioner Keno on his bicycle, pedaling for votes. Under his smiling face, the

caption rivaled the gay quote of the century: “I can’t help it that I’m heterosexual... I was born that way. Please vote for me anyway.”

Fast forward now with me to 1998, and you are playing darts at the local bar, like the greatest one ever built in this century, Georgie’s Alibi. Ever overhear the following anguished comment on gay life from some dork that goes like this: “Do you think I would ever choose this lifestyle - exposing myself to ridicule, exclusion and hurt all these years? I would much rather be a happily married heterosexual with children.” I hate when this happens.

Please stop presuming that heterosexual life is one happy rock garden of Fred and Wilma Flintstone living.

The bed can be bumpy on both sides of the fence. As an attorney, I have been to Domestic Violence court enough to know. And while gay activists are urging legislators to grant the homosexual community marital rights, breeders are getting divorced more often than they are getting married.

My buddy Al Goldstein, the world-renowned publisher of Screw Magazine, who has been married four times, and pilloried by ex-wives and lawyers and judges for his wealth, says we are out of our minds to even consider same sex-marriage: “Just go get your dick sucked,” he says: “Go get laid....”

We are all born equal. Then we sail out on our own.

Sometimes you have to leave the sureness of the shore.

There will always be threatening squalls and sparkling sunsets. A smooth sea does not make for a good sailor.

Convictions Those who succeed in life often weather life, but he was blessed with popularity, storms that make the sunshine more talent, skill, support, and eventually, the inviting. In the muddle and middle of wealth to have made things easier for every difficulty, the strong soul will find others. If he remained silent and imposed an island of creativity and opportunity. a self-inflicted torture, then learn from In truth, because so many gay men his colossal mistake. Don’t do the same and women have been unjustifiably thing to yourself. Joe, he may be a great ostracized solely because of who and diver, but he ain’t no hero. what they are, then gay men and women The more relaxed each of us become should be the stronger for it. about who we are the easier it will be to Given the way the gay lifestyle has assist the vast majority of heterosexuals been castigated, ridiculed and demeaned who are not gay, but just like to ‘fuck around over the years, we should be made of with other guys’. Our lives will be healthy iron. Mounting masses of ferrous oxide. if we manage well the circumstances Steel. Supermen. X-Men. Human Torches. we encounter every day, and respond Hulks. The Justice League. Hell, I’ve resiliently to adverse occasions as they been to Fantasy Fest in Key West. Most arise; if we do not let our own misfortunes of us already have the costumes. George become the misfortunes of others; and if Michael might need one we stand steadfast in this week, but that’s his our true identity- then doing. And apparently, we will become the he’s been doing it quite people whose character a lot. Imagine getting and strength are worthy caught like that in Will of admiration.

Rogers Memorial Park.

Within our comI suppose Michael never munity, there are met a restroom he did many such individuals. not like.

Indeed, within our lives So let’s kick the and daily interactions lamentations of despair. there are such The next time someone individuals — gay and lays a rap of self-pitiful straight, persons worth sorrow on you, slap meeting regardless of - Cary Keno him around. Tell him their sexuality. Don’t Commissioner to butch up. We don’t get trapped within the need affirmative action. walls of a ghetto most We can fight back. It was seven years people spend their lives trying to get out of. ago today that then Sheriff Navarro Expand your horizons, not your fears. Born raided the Copa, declaring falsely that that way or not, life is a gift and a garden. it was ‘awash with cocaine.’ Only four Make it grow and blossom. arrests were made. Innocent gay men Because of legal and political and and women were herded out of the club social discrimination, as well as disease by armed and hooded law enforcement and death, the gay community has forged officers at gunpoint, required to hold a new iron will that is stronger and more their hands over their head, only then to solid than any law that could ever be be humiliated by waiting TV cameras. But passed. We have stood naked against the we kicked ass in court afterwards, and cannon and survived. That my friends, is BSO wound up paying big-time. something to be proud of; not to lament, Society has been putting gay men but to praise. You’re lucky. Even if you and women through inner hells for were not born that way; even if you are generations. Hasn’t that been quite no Commissioner Cary Keno, you are enough already? So stop beating yourself stronger now than you ever have been. up, okay? What is Evita’s song: ‘Don’t cry By the by, the straight incumbent, Keno, for me, Argentina.’ I don’t want to hear prevailed in that 1993 race. So can you in how tough it was ‘being born this way.’ yours in 1998. We need only to remember Someone who is true to themselves need that in a sense we are all running for renever be a liar to anyone else. election everyday. We need to remind Greg Louganis is apparently coming to ourselves confidently, and with purpose, town for a book signing next week. Unlike that we each create the world we live in what a Scoop columnist wrote last week, with each and every choice we make he is no hero to me. He is a guy who dealt every day. If we make good ones, our lives with everything you have in your own will prosper.

Convictions

Editorial Cartoon

By Andy Marlette

“I can’t help it that I’m heterosexual...

I was born that way. Please vote for me anyway.”

FACING CRIMINAL CHARGES? JEFF DEAN

CRIMINAL DEFENSE ATTORNEY

DUI Domestic Violence Sex Offenses Drug Charges Miami Office: (305) 777-3595 1200 Brickell Avenue, Suite 1950, Miami, FL 33131 Fort Lauderdale Office: (954) 204-3633 110 SE 6th Street, Suite 1700, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33301 10.12.2016 •

27

Transforming Gender

Convictions

Rebecca Juro

rjuroshow@gmail.com

F

What’s In A Name?

or me, Feb. 20th, 2001 was a big day…

In time I came up with a list of about a really big. Bigger than the day I began hundred “maybes” and started whittling it living as a woman full time, bigger than away until I had three finalists. I liked Wendy the first time I saw Joan Jett and the Blackhearts but decided it was too Disney princessy. I liked play live (which was doubleJennifer too but eventually big because it was also the came to the conclusion it was first time I ever went to a too common, at least among Self-naming is a club and drank legally), even the trans women I knew. process that’s bigger than the day I got my After waiting another special and unique boobs and vajayjay. week or so to be sure, I It was the day I legally decided on Rebecca for a to trans people. changed my name. few reasons. First, because While cis people Most cis people likely don’t I was comfortable with it. It may rename see this as a very big deal. sounded like me, reflective themselves, for After all, people legally change of my self-image. I also liked their names all the time that my friends and family us it’s part of because of marriages, personal could call me Becky. I’d never the process preference, or a variety of other had a nickname as a guy of creating a reasons. For a trans person and always wanted one, and though, and particularly for Rebecca came with a cool completely new a trans woman with a very one built right in. What really identity for masculine-sounding first settled the question for me ourselves. It’s the name like mine was, it’s huge. though was that I liked the titling of the true It’s a key rite of passage a way it looked in print and that transitioning trans person goes fit in well with my aspiration story of our lives. through and it impacts just to be a writer. In a way, about every aspect of our lives. naming myself Rebecca was It wasn’t easy for me to find a feminine name also making a promise to myself to pursue that for myself I was comfortable with when I first goal and so I found it fitting on multiple levels. came out. I bought a book of names for baby My middle name, Leigh, is the middle name girls and went through it page by page. Many I my parents would have given me had I been discarded out of hand because I just didn’t like born a girl. I decided that I liked it and that them. it too was comfortable and appropriate on

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multiple levels. My last name is the same as it’s always been. I love my family and I’ve never felt the need to distance myself from them.

It was at that moment, when I went before a New Jersey Superior Court judge to formally present myself and my petition to legally change my name and walked out of that courtroom with a judgment affixed with a golden raised seal that declared my legal name to be Rebecca Leigh Juro, that I became legitimate in the eyes of the law.

The lengthy process of changing my driver’s license and a host of other identity documents was still to come, of course, but with that paper in my hand I was at last legally Rebecca and I could not have been happier.

That night, I took an old tie with me out in the backyard of the family home. It was a brown tie with a design of the front wheel of a Harley-Davidson, something I’d worn to Bar Mitzvahs and other special events. I tied it around a low-hanging branch of an old oak tree in the middle of the yard and set it on fire.

I stood there watching it burn, the glowing and charred bits falling to the ground as the flame climbed its way upward, eventually consuming the entire thing. It fell to the ground in a blackened smoky heap and I stood there silently until I was sure it was out. Though I understood that I’d only legally changed my name but not yet my gender, I knew then that my life as a man was officially over, that I would not, could not, ever turn back. It was probably the single most cathartic experience of my life.

My name is everything. It’s not simply how I identify myself to others, it’s who I am. I got the chance to do something out of necessity which most cis people will never do: I named myself.

I chose a name which suited me and I made it my own.

Self-naming is a process that’s special and unique to trans people. While cis people may rename themselves, for us it’s part of the process of creating a completely new identity for ourselves. It’s the titling of the true story of our lives.

Rebecca Juro is a nationally-published freelance journalist and radio talk show host who is the Media Correspondent for The Advocate website. Her work has appeared in the Huffington Post, the Washington Blade, Gay City News, the Albany Times Union, and The Advocate magazine, among others. Rebecca lives in central New Jersey and shares her life with a somewhat antisocial cat.

Guest

Convictions

My Attitude Adjustment About Sex, Gonorrhea, and Advocacy

Mark S. King

A

midst the happy haze of good news about the efficacy of PrEP in preventing new HIV infections and the growing consensus that people living with HIV who are undetectable are not infectious, there is troubling news from the CDC in two new reports about the golden oldies of sexually transmitted infections (STI’s): rates of syphilis are on the rise and antibiotics to treat gonorrhea may be nearing the end of their usefulness.

The news underscores a simmering tension between those of us who celebrate the lowered risk of HIV infection – and the diminishing role condoms might play in HIV prevention during this new era of PrEP and being undetectable – and the rise in reported cases of syphilis and gonorrhea. And I don’t mind being the first to call myself out.

RETHINKING MY GONORRHEA NOSTALGIA In my cheeky post from last year, “My Gonorrhea Nostalgia,” I argued that what was once a simple rite of passage for many gay men – finding yourself at a clinic with the clap – has been judged and scorned so harshly these days that it has “raised the bar” on what we consider to be acceptable gay sexual behavior.

From that piece: When did avoiding every possible STI become the new goal for gay sexual behavior? Syphilis, chlamydia, and gonorrhea are all easily treated and cured. Scary campfire tales of a spreading superbug impervious to all treatment have failed to materialize. The very idea of getting The Clap again just makes me feel nostalgic.

No longer is avoiding HIV the prime objective; we must also now use a condom every time so

that we are never exposed to, well, whatever. How many hoops must we jump through in order to fuck in a pleasurable way? We can’t win for losing.

While I stand by the basic tenants of my rant – gay men are held to a higher standard because we are viewed as sexual outlaws – new data runs counter to my assertion that STI’s are “easily treated and cured.”

HAZARDS AHEAD? “If current trends continue, strains of gonorrhea could become resistant to all available antibiotics, putting the 800,000 Americans who contract the sexually transmitted infection (STI) annually at risk of an untreatable case,” writes Ben Ryan for POZ, citing a new CDC report. He goes on to explain that at least one cluster of gonorrhea cases has begun to evade our current treatment arsenal and that’s why the CDC is sounding the alarm about it.

While gonorrhea remains universally treatable, there is evidence of a weakening of current treatments, and there are no other approved medications in the wings. Should untreatable strains begin to circulate, we may soon find ourselves without an effective solution, although a new drug in clinical trials is showing some promise.

Meanwhile, yet another new CDC report, this one charting syphilis cases by state, reinforces data that syphilis cases have spiked 15%. In the state-by-state comparison, a CDC graph shows the largest increases are mostly located – you guessed it – in the South (congrats on your win, North Carolina, although your victory is a hollow one since Georgia, the perennial favorite state for syphilis, is not included for lack of reporting data).

The data also indicates an increase in syphilis

diagnosis among gay men that has persisted since the year 2000.

It isn’t clear from the CDC report whether an increase in syphilis screening might account for the increase in reported syphilis cases. But still. “Although we have been treating syphilis effectively with penicillin for decades,” said CDC epidemiologist Cyprian Wejnert, the presenter of the screening data, “the risks of not being treated include visual impairment, damage to the nervous system, and stroke.”

TWO HIV ADVOCACY CAMPS OFTEN AT ODDS And herein lies the tension. There are two distinct schools of thought on modern gay sexual politics and HIV, and too often they are loathe to overlap.

First, there are those, like me, who are thrilled that after a generation of mortal fear there are now ways for us to have pleasurable sex without condoms that does not pose a risk of HIV infection.

It is just that sense of liberation that has propelled much of my writing, such as “Your Mother Liked It Bareback,” and it has led to a welcome increase in conversations about the value of sexual pleasure.

And then, there are those who have been more cautious, pointing out the risk of STI’s in general and among those using PrEP in particular. This has led to some acrimony. POZ science writer Ben Ryan, who has written quite a lot about PrEP, was blocked from the highly influential “PrEP Facts” Facebook page earlier this year for not adhering

to group guidelines. Ryan had previously posted numerous articles that have taken a more circumspect view of PrEP or have reported on the prevalence of STI’s, and his work continues to be posted and discussed in the group.

The new CDC articles on gonorrhea and syphilis do not correlate the increase in STI’s to those using PrEP or to those who may have eschewed condoms because they are HIV undetectable.

But that doesn’t mean that people on both sides of a widening chasm between the cautious and the sex-positive won’t try to score points from the CDC report or attempt to dissect its accuracy.

Advocates trying to adhere to a singular message can be touchy. Been there, wrote that.

As for me, I’ll switch to the combination platter, thanks. While I will continue to celebrate the breakthroughs that have given us more options to “fuck without fear,” as the notable and quotable PrEP advocate Damon Jacobs likes to say, I’m going to dial back my cavalier posture about the risk of being infected with an STI. In light of mounting data on STI’s, some of my own past writing makes me cringe.

The only constant in the world of HIV is change. I remember when taking an HIV test was politically incorrect, when I took AZT every four hours and, more recently, when I believed a simple case of gonorrhea was worthy of clever mirth. I’ve had an attitude adjustment.

While catching the clap might have once been an amusing rite of passage to me, it can have real and very serious consequences for someone else.

Mark S. King writes the award-winning blog, MyFabulousDisease.com.

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h i story m o nt h

SFGN

presents

History Month The Black Panthers and the

Gay Liberation Front

Perry Brass

PGN Contributor

Did Black Lives Matter then, too?

F

ew instances in the modern movement for gay and lesbian equality (what we now call the LGBT movement) produced as much controversy — and turmoil — as the New York Gay Liberation Front’s relationship with the Black Panthers, a late 1960s-early 1970s radical organization that stood for the complete overthrow of the capitalist American government to achieve equality for African-Americans.

The Gay Liberation Front was the first and most radical organization to be formed after the Stonewall Riots (or Uprising) in June of 1969. I joined GLF in mid-November 1969, and by this time there was already a definite, but not always comfortable, relationship between the two groups.

For many GLF people, the Panthers were a complete model for their own politics; both groups wanted revolutionary changes in society to effect equality for all citizens, but in particular the constituents of these two groups: African-Americans and LGBT people.

The Panthers had many branches: a social-services wing, providing breakfasts and a literacy program for poor black kids; a publishing and propaganda branch to publish Panther papers and manifestos; a military branch that planned armed rebellions against the police and the U.S. government; and a political branch that organized conferences Demonstration in Trafalgar Square, with Gay Liberation Front banner, c1972

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and meetings. It is difficult to imagine in this time of social networking and, too often, cosmetics-deep “celebrity” politics, any organization as dedicated to complete rebellion as the Panthers, or for that matter the Gay Liberation Front.

And, at the same time, to imagine any two organizations working together that fit less comfortably with each other.

The Gay Liberation Front took most of its cues from feminism and the feminist movement. Many of its leaders were lesbians who later formed another group of their own, Radicalesbians. The Panthers tried to uphold a street-savvy, macho, male-dominated image that often contradicted the reality that women, in the face of so much violence from the police (the “pigs” in 1960s parlance), did hold the Party together.

Nevertheless, this inspired Black Panther Party leader Bobby Seal’s famous quote about the position of women in his organization: “The position of women in the Black Panther Party is prone!”

A short time after I joined GLF, an inner circle in the group floated a proposal that was even more controversial than usual: As a Revolutionary act, “in support of our black sisters and brothers,” GLF should donate $500 to the Panthers.

(To give you an idea of how much money that was, rent on my rent-

h i story mo nt h controlled, Hell’s Kitchen fourth-floor most “normal” human feelings as well. walk-up apartment was $73 a month.)

The gift also spurred a rush for some The money was raised by a weekly gay- politically active men to join the Gay community dance at Alternate University, a Activists Alliance, a newer competing group large space on 14th Street and Sixth Avenue started by ex-GLFers who only wanted a that was home to many radical organizations single-issue, gay-focused organization that and their activities. Admission to the would appeal basically to white, middledances was $1.50. class men.

The dances were put on by a “cell,” or A short time afterwards, Huey Newton committee, of GLF that was itself split by this came out with a speech that on one hand proposal. Some cell members felt that the delighted some GLFers, while infuriating money, since it came from the community, others. He said about women and gays that, should only go back to it. There were young because of the depth of their oppression, street queens sleeping on sidewalks or out they could be as “revolutionary as anyone, on the piers on the Hudson; older gays and maybe even more so,” despite the fact that, lesbians struggling to eat; and, also, an for many black men, their first gut reaction idea floating around that we should start with women was “to tell them to shut up,” our own community center. In addition, and with gays was, well, to — “punch them many lesbians felt that our money should in the face.” be directly supporting feminist causes, This speech became a litmus test for like upholding abortion rights or providing many GLF men and women. It was as if shelters for abused women.

Newton had given us some recognition and Bob Kohler, an older very “alpha” leader spit on us at the same time. In some ways, it of the pro-Panther faction (he was in his only reinforced an image of rampant black mid-40s; I was in my rage toward others, early 20s), gave an reflecting, still, the impassioned speech endless psychological to the overwhelmingly and physical oppression What they did white GLF membership, of black men and not see was that exhorting us that we had women. this was the first to give the money to the Steve Gavin, who Panthers. “Think about worked with me on the time that an open every time you ever GLF newspaper “Come and actively gay used the word ‘nigger’ Out!” was particularly or ‘spic,’ every time you livid. He called the organization had yourself ever oppressed donation to the Panthers embraced another and the adoration of black people just by being white in a racist their macho image oppressed world. Think about that. “oppressor-sucking.” group, as part That is why we need to He had come, as I did, give this money to our from an impoverished of recognizing sisters and brothers in background, and scoffed a common the Panthers.” at many of the GLFers There was more from comfortably oppression with discussion, but we finally middle-class origins them. agreed and a check for “sucking up to the same $500 was given to them. people who oppress us.”

It was a turning point in The gift to the Panthers this explosive period of gay politics. A lot did cause many women to drop out of GLF, of older, old-school activists who had been and some men to feel that we were only Mattachine Society members were self- playing at radicalism, using a checkbook righteously sure this was going to be the instead of walking dangerous picket lines last nail in the coffin of the rambunctiously and openly confronting the cops about youthful Gay Liberation Front: These violence in minority communities. self-styled gay “radicals” were only trying What they did not see was that this was to buy a politically correct version of the first time that an open and actively “righteousness” — wrapped inside a gay organization had embraced another distorted mirror-image of tough street oppressed group, as part of recognizing credibility — by funding an organization a common oppression with them. The that was from the outset under constant history of the Black Panthers in the U.S. police surveillance. It fanned a smug was horrifying. Many of them were shot reaction also within the broader gay down by cops, had their homes burnt out community itself, that still shared an or bulldozed, were imprisoned on phony attitude that everything to do with narcotics charges, had their mail and blackness was outside us — and outside phones tampered with and were never

given credit for the good they did, at a time when it was considered normal for AfricanAmericans to live in subhuman conditions.

GLF made a practice of standing with two Black Panther women held inside the infamous Women’s House of Detention on Greenwich Avenue in the West Village, on the other side of the Jefferson Market Courthouse, which later became the Jefferson Market Library. GLFers participated in weekly vigils and protests at the Women’s House of D. The women were Angela Davis and Joan Bird. Bird was arrested in 1970 at the age of 19 for being part of the Panther 21: 21 members who were accused of trying to blow up buildings in the Bronx, including the Bronx Botanic Garden. All 21 of the Panthers were

acquitted. Bird was held in the House of D for months. Davis, a brilliant political theorist, actually was not, but the vigils outside the women’s prison were for both women, as well as for all the women inside. Davis was arrested in New York after being implicated in Panther George Jackson’s escape plot from a courthouse in Marin County, Calif. Jackson became the subject of Bob Dylan’s mournful dirge “George Jackson,” which became a hit song of the civil-rights movement. Davis was later tried in California and acquitted of all charges, but not before spending many months behind bars there.

We now understand that Black Lives Matter. The truth was the Gay Liberation Front understood this in 1970.

Perry Brass’s 19 books include fiction, nonfiction, poetry and short stories.

His latest nonfiction book is “The Manly Pursuit of Desire and Love” and latest novel is “King of Angels,” a gay coming-of-age story set in Savannah, Ga., in the Kennedy era. His work often deals with the heartfelt feelings of men and women that came from his radical roots in New York’s Gay Liberation Front. He is a founding coordinator of the New York Rainbow Book Fair and writes often for the Huffington Post. More info: www.perrybrass.com.

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The Forgotten Tragedy Before Pulse, there was the UpStairs Lounge in New Orleans

Christiana Lilly

I

The site of the Upstairs Lounge fire.

Photo by Christiana Lilly.

Johnny Townsend, the author of “Let the Faggots Burn.” Photo by Larry Graham.

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n New Orleans’ French Quarter, motivating him to write his book, “Let the countless people walk the intersection Faggots Burn.” It took more than two decades of Iberville Street and Chartres Street, before he found a publisher who thought it perhaps to grab a drink at The Jimani, a bite was a story worth telling. at the Backspace Bar & Kitchen, or breakfast Filmmaker Robert Camina learned about at Daisy Dukes. the fire after he completed his documentary But look down, and a bronze plaque is on the Rainbow Room raid, an incident eerily embedded in the brick sidewalk, one with a similar to that at Stonewall. As he looked into flame and the names of 32 perished souls. the fire, he decided to make a film and released Beneath a neon sign reading Dixie Divas, it sits “Upstairs Inferno” in 2015. at the feet of a burgundy door that houses the It took three years of poring over records story of the UpStairs Lounge. buried in archives, interviews, and multiple It was June 24, 1973, nearly four years to the trips to New Orleans to complete the day of the infamous raid at the Stonewall Inn documentary. in New York City, when a gathering of LGBT “It is as significant as Stonewall and Harvey people and their allies Milk and other benchmark were laughing over drinks. moments of LGBT history, “This story was By the end of the night, yet no one talks about it, 29 were dead and another no one knows about it,” he hidden for so long three would later die from said. “I felt that the story and the question their injuries. needed to be told.” is often asked The next day, The TimesThe Upstairs Lounge Picayune devoted its front was located on the second of me, why don’t page to the fire, headlined floor of a three-story we know about “29 KILLED IN QUARTER building that still stands it? Why was it BLAZE” and printed a today. A gay bar and also hidden for so long? photo of onlookers in front the home of gay-friendly of the charred building, as Metropolitan Community It’s important Church services, a well as a portrait of a man to preserve our gathering of LGBT people in horror as he took in the history. Because if and their allies were damage. we don’t tell our laughing over drinks. Just “I was 11 years old and before 8 p.m., a buzzer at I saw the front page of the stories, who will?” the door alerted patrons newspaper,” remembers that someone’s cab had Johnny Townsend. “There - Robert Camina arrived. When a man was that picture of Rusty Filmmaker opened the door, a wall of Quinton on the front cover fire exploded into the bar. looking up in horror at the Patrons were trapped — bar. The expression on his some attempted to jump out of the windows, face really struck me deeply.”

To this day, no one has been arrested for the but they were blocked by steel bars while others fire, and until recently, the tragedy disappeared were able to escape through a back door with the help of a bar employee. Outside, people into history.

Townsend didn’t know the UpStairs Lounge looked on as the flames engulfed the building. was a gay bar until he came out. He was curious The body of the Rev. Bob Larson hung out the to learn more, and found that the newspapers front window in his attempt to escape, his hair didn’t print too much on the incident — even and clothing burning. He would remain there a lecture on New Orleans’ devastating fires left for hours, no one bothering to cover him.

Thirty-two people in all were killed by out the tragedy.

“It killed more people than any other fire [in smoke inhalation or burns and 15 were New Orleans], including the two that almost injured. Three of the deceased are still listed simply as “unknown white male;” they may wiped out the city altogether,” he said.

People recommended he speak to one have been in town visiting or their families person after another who was there that night, may have refused to claim their bodies. It was

h i story m o nt h the largest massacre of LGBT people until the Orlando nightclub shooting earlier this year. To this day, no one has been arrested for the arson — the general consensus is that Rodger Nunez, who was thrown out of the bar just before the fire, did it. He killed himself a year later.

“There might have been some embarrassment and shame that the probable suspect was a member of the LGBT community, that it was possibly perpetrated by one of our own,” Camina said.

The next day, newspapers published graphic details and photographs from the blaze, as was customary in journalism at the time. The photo of Larson’s body in the window was published on the front page of The Times-Picayune and the writer described a man begging for help from someone to remove a nickel from his pocket to make a phone call, his fingers too badly injured to do it himself, the moans of victims in the hospital as nurses mopped up blood, and a doctor removing dead skin from a patient.

On the radio, DJs joked that the ashes of the dead could be stored in fruit jars.

Passersby made comments like “I hope it burned their dresses off.” Neither the mayor of New Orleans or the governor of Louisiana acknowledged the tragedy.

The Rev. Troy Perry traveled to the city from Los Angeles to aid the victims. He told NPR that one man, a schoolteacher, was fired from his job as he lay in the burn ward — he died the next day. The reverend called multiple churches asking for them to host the funeral services. He received laughs or hang ups until finally a Methodist church agreed.

“The main point of my book was that … I wanted to give a little capsule of what each person was like, I wanted people to know

that these were real people. They may not have been the most interesting or wonderful, but they were real,” Townsend said.

In terms of its impact on LGBT history, the plaque on the site of the fire proclaims that the tragedy gave rise to the equality movement in the Crescent City. Not everyone agrees with that sentiment — the LGBT community in the city just wasn’t ready to stand up yet.

“There wasn’t a bright silver lining in the wake of the fire, like after Stonewall,” Camina said of the motivation to fight after the iconic raid. “There wasn’t like this huge community emerging and digging their heels into the ground saying, ‘We’re not going to take this anymore.’ There wasn’t just this big activist uprising.”

Townsend agrees.

“The fire itself didn’t do it,” he said. “Gay people were still just too pressed down … I don’t know that the great community noticed anything, and it was probably just a small thing in the gay community, but it was a certainly noticed.”

Now, decades after the arson at the UpStairs Lounge, more and more people are becoming aware of what happened. In the world premiere of “Upstairs Inferno,” on the 42rd anniversary of the fire, Camina brought together survivors, witnesses, first responders, and the fire marshal for the screening. Many had not seen each other in decades.

The film has been accepted into its 35th film festival and has received rave reviews from both mainstream and LGBT festivals.

“This story was hidden for so long and the question is often asked of me, why don’t we know about it? Why was it hidden for so long?” Camina said. “It’s important to preserve our history. Because if we don’t tell our stories, who will?”

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h i story mo nt h Photos: Facebook.

Who You Gonna Call?

New web series “Queer Ghost Hunters” blends thrill with LGBT history Paige Cooperstein Philadelphia Gay News

L

ast December, seven LGBT people approached the cells that first housed inmates in 1889 at the Licking County Historic Jail in Newark, Ohio, about 40 miles east of Columbus.

They hoped to find LGBT ghosts.

It had to happen at night — not for any creeping fear, but for the ghost hunters’ ability to tune their senses. There was no traffic and no light. They came prepared with dowsing rods to ask yes or no questions and recording equipment to capture “electronic voice phenomena,” called EVP, which are noted in paranormal circles as a way to hear spirits’ speech.

Scott Priddy had come across a flier for Queer Ghost Hunters around Halloween.

He went to a meeting organized by Stonewall Columbus, the LGBT community center for central Ohio, and joined a small group that visited the jail.

“They called me ‘ghost bait,’” Priddy said. “I seem to attract the ghosts.”

In his first time ghost hunting, Priddy connected with a sheriff. He said he felt a strong tingling and buzzing. All the hair on his arms stood up. Others said the sheriff followed Priddy around and flirted with him.

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“We all really cut our teeth on Licking County Jail,” said Lori Gum, the program and pride coordinator at Stonewall Columbus.

A Series Is Born From there, the team visited several other sites in Ohio, Kentucky and West Virginia.

Stu Maddux, the filmmaker behind LGBT documentaries like “Gen Silent,” followed the Queer Ghost Hunters for a web series of the same name. In time for the kickoff of LGBT History Month, the show debuted Oct. 1 with further episodes set for release every Friday on YouTube. The first season includes six episodes, each 8-10 minutes long. A Kickstarter campaign, at http:// ow.ly/HmNe304Je6n, also launched this month to raise funds for a second season.

“We work really hard to balance the fun of the series and the thrill of the ghost hunt with the history,” Gum said. “That’s sort of our magic potion.”

Katy Detrow became the historian for the Queer Ghost Hunters, looking up records of LGBT people who lived and died in the places they investigate.

“Gay people have been around forever On the drive, Gum also rattled off a list in all walks of life,” Priddy said. “I’m sure of new programs at Stonewall Columbus, most people don’t think of a gay sheriff ending matter-of-factly with the Queer in the 1930s. Does Ghost Hunters. anybody think of She and Shane lesbian nuns? It’s a McClelland, a former staffer broad history.” from the LGBT center, had Gum and dabbled in ghost hunting Maddux had been for fun and found the discussing LGBT “presumed heterosexuality” history when she “irritating.” People would picked him up ask male spirits if they had for the LGBTFest a wife and children. That’s film festival in when Gum decided to bring Columbus last year.

Queer Ghost Hunters to He was in town to Stonewall Columbus. host a Q&A for his “I stared at her for 10 latest film, “The seconds,” Maddux said.

Reel in the Closet,” “I thought instantly this which features is going to be my next home movies of documentary.”

LGBT people dating In the last year, Maddux - Lori Gum back to the 1930s. has traveled to Ohio a Program and Pride Coordinator “It’s not history couple times a month. He’s at Stonewall Columbus so much as it is based in San Francisco and seeing ourselves in works with his husband Joe the past,” Maddux Applebaum on producing said. “It makes you feel like you’re part of the web series. Maddux said the Queer a people.”

Ghost Hunters team keeps him motivated.

“That is very attractive to me, to be digging up history from a new perspective.

We’re coming in with a queer eye”

h i story mo nt h “They’re all very smart and funny people and really into it and skeptical as well,” he said.

A Team Of History Buffs Many of the Queer Ghost Hunters described themselves as history buffs.

Before a visit to the Ohio State Reformatory — where the movie “Shawshank Redemption” takes place — Gum and Detrow went to the Ohio Historical Society.

They found records for 67 people, many teenage boys, who were convicted of sodomy and sent to the reformatory. A separate wing of the prison was dedicated to these inmates, several of whom died there, according to the records.

At the reformatory, the ghost hunters shared their own coming-out stories to encourage a connection with those inmates.

“That is very attractive to me, to be digging up history from a new perspective,” Gum said. “We’re coming in with a queer eye.”

She said it also encourages young LGBT people to take an interest in their past.

“So many of our Queer Ghost Hunters are young people, under 30,” Gum said.

“It really bridges the generation gap in our LGBT community. I’ve never seen a better way to connect these young people to the lives of their LGBT forbearers.”

She added, “There’s nothing that bonds you to someone quicker than having the bejesus scared out of you.”

Kai Stone, one of the younger members of the team, had gone on a ghost hunt about a decade ago with people who considered themselves straight and cisgender. It was before Stone transitioned.

“With queer people, I thought I’d feel comfortable,” said Stone, who’s had a longtime interest in the supernatural, but never thought about connecting with LGBT spirits.

One experience that stuck with Stone was a Valentine’s Day visit with the Queer Ghost Hunters to Prospect Place, a 19thcentury mansion in Ohio.

“A ghost named Sophie initially didn’t trust us,” Stone said. “We told our stories and she started talking about her lover Ana. [You have] these people living in a mansion, upscale lives, and still having to hide [their sexuality].”

In season two, Stone hopes to find a transgender or gender-nonconforming ghost. Stone said that might be possible by investigating sites connected to the Civil War, when some women presented as men to join the military.

“I really hope we can turn ghost hunting into a fun experience where you can connect with others,” Stone said. “I hope more folks feel comfortable to find that history.”

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Paige Cooperstein has worked as a reporter for the past five years. She graduated from the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications with a master’s degree in arts journalism.

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h i story m o nt h

Fighting With Fruit Anita Bryant’s long lasting legacy

Christiana Lilly

Images courtesy of the Stonewall Museum.

A

banana cream pie was a part of one of the most iconic moments in the gay liberation movement.

Anita Bryant, a chart-topping songstress who used her fame to fight “homosexual militants,” was speaking at a press conference in Des Moines, Iowa in 1977 when an activist, Tom Higgins, threw the pie in her face.

“Well, at least it’s a fruit pie,” she scoffed.

Her husband, Bob Green, then encouraged his wife to pray for Higgins. She prayed for him and his “deviant” lifestyle as she wiped away cream from her face, crying.

Lee Lawson, an Iowa native who was in Des Moines protesting Bryant’s visit that day, didn’t witness the incident in person, but word spread quickly.

“Some of us were excited and some of us were embarrassed,” he said of the bold move, one some felt was too bold. “One of the things you had to be aware of is there was a large anti-war movement and we were trying to keep ourselves separate from that. They were a lot bigger and a lot more active than we were. We were trying to do our own thing.”

No matter the reason, Bryant was a huge roadblock in the fight for LGBT rights.

A former beauty queen, she had a healthy music career and eventually became “the orange juice lady” as a spokeswoman for the Florida Citrus Commission.

She sang in commercials and delivered the tagline “Breakfast without orange juice is like a day without sunshine.”

She stepped onto the American main stage in 1977, however, when Miami-Dade County passed a local ordinance protecting gay people from workplace discrimination. A devout Christian, she was horrified by the thought of gay people teaching children and launched the Save Our Children campaign to repeal the ordinance.

In an ad in the Miami Herald, the group wrote, “The other side of the homosexual coin is a hair-raising pattern of recruitment and outright seduction and molestation — a growing pattern that predictably will intensify if society approves law granting legitimacy of sexual perverts.”

Her campaign, eventually renamed the Crusade for Morality, drew a large following and the ordinance was repealed with 69 percent support.

As Bryant and her husband celebrated, he kissed his wife for the cameras.

“This is what heterosexuals do, fellas!” he joked to a laughing crowd.

However, they weren’t done — homosexuality wasn’t just a Miami problem, it was widespread and needed to be fought. She would travel the country to spread the message of protecting children against homosexuals and worked to overturn, sometimes successfully, other protective ordinances.

Fliers were sent to homes across the country warning parents of the dangers of having gay teachers. In one, a donation could be sent back to the Crusade for Morality with a check box showing the person was against gays being allowed to teach or be ordained, in favor of prayers in public schools, and stricter control of sex and violence on television.

“She was very strongly disliked by the liberal and gay community,” Lawson said.

And they fought back. Lawson remembers people going into supermarkets and slicing open orange juice containers.

The Florida Citrus Boycott Committee encouraged people to boycott Florida citrus products and instead purchase other fruit juices or orange products from other states. Celebrities also stood behind the equality movement.

It was in October 1977 that she made her infamous stop in Des Moines and was hit in the face by the banana cream pie. Two years later, the Florida Citrus Commission allowed her contract to lapse. Then, in 1980, Green and Bryant divorced, despite her religious convictions.

Even though her mission was over, the damage had already been done. The LGBT rights movement was weakened by Bryant, and the final blow was the HIV/AIDS crisis.

“She slowed us down because she made a direct assault,” Lawson said.

However, the silver lining in the health crisis was it brought the LGBT community together to provide support for those suffering from the disease and the formation of better-organized groups.

The movement may have been knocked down, but decades later marriage equality is the law of the land and more protections are trickling from state to state.

Little did Bryant know how lethal a little banana pie, or orange juice, could be.

It was in October 1977 that she made her infamous stop in Des Moines and was hit in the face by the banana cream pie.

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LIFESAVER useacondom.com

10.12.2016 •

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feature southern comfort conference

A Transition in Southern Comfort Famous Transgender conference returns to Broward

Two anonymous guests sit together outside the Bonaventure Resort and Spa. Photo credit: Steven Shires.

Brendon Lies

F

or twenty-six years, one thing always remained the same.

Inside the bustling halls of the convention, there was a powerful sense of relief in the air.

Whether guests were young or old, male or female, were from a small Wisconsin suburb or New York City, there was no holding back smiles or even hugs from each other.

From the shimmering poolside to the elegant dining hall, everyone chatted together fondly as though they were speaking to long-lost family.

Over the years, the Southern Comfort Conference has welcomed over 400 presenters from near and far to shed light on the transgender experience.

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There was one thing that truly held everyone together at the conference, and that was their experience in the transgender community.

For the second consecutive year, Broward County had the pleasure of welcoming the Southern Comfort Conference (SCC), one of the largest gatherings of the trans community in the world. Closeted trans women and men, allies, openly-trans activists and partners of transgender individuals alike spent the week at the Bonaventure Resort and Spa in Weston from Sept. 27 through Oct. 1.

If it weren’t for Richard Gray, the LGBTQ Managing Director for the Greater Fort Lauderdale CVB, the Southern Comfort Conference would not have made it to the welcoming arms of Broward County.

“LGBTQ spells people,” said Richard Gray, speaking on the importance of the conference. “And love knows no boundaries. It is time for the Greater Fort Lauderdale Convention and Visitor’s Bureau to emphasize the importance of the ‘T’ in LGBT.” True to his word, Gray played an essential role in carrying the conference through its second year. The bustling resort was proud to welcome guests who had been present

since the very beginning of the SCC, many of whom have traveled across the country to experience just a glimpse of authenticity year after year.

However, not everything was deja vu for the conference.

As the transgender movement has begun to see itself pushed farther into the spotlight, many members at the conference began to hint at their own eagerness for more inclusion of faces from a younger and more evolved side of the trans community.

Nonetheless for those who attended this year, whether young or old, all quickly found their sense of comfort in exploring the vast selection of events and guests that the conference once again successfully had to offer.

Guests From Near And Far Over the years, the Southern Comfort Conference has welcomed over 400 presenters from near and far to shed light on the transgender experience. These speakers range from doctors to transgender celebrity icons, all eagerly open to conversing with guests on a range of topics.

feature southern comfort conference eyes on Maloney for a new reason as she began her transition into life as a woman.

Maloney not only spent time signing personalized messages in copies of her book, “Frankly Kellie,” but she found plenty of time to mingle with other conference members, eagerly absorbing the stories of those around her.

“I loved listening to Schuyler, I thought that was brilliant,” Maloney said, reminiscing over the talk that the trans man gave earlier that week. Prior to the conference, Maloney said, she had little experience with the male side of the community – a rift that is not unusual amongst transgender people.

It is rifts such as these that the Southern Comfort conference looks to fix.

Kellie Maloney.

Photo credit: Steven Shires.

Many conference seminars involved topics relating to surgical options for physically transitioning, such as the presentation given

by Dr. Sherman Leis from Pennsylvania who spoke about his experiences performing gender confirmation surgeries. Local transgender-friendly practitioners included Dr. Russell Sassani, who was featured on an episode of TLC’s “I Am Jazz” just this summer.

Like last year, many of the conference’s topics also focused much more on psychology. A session was once again offered to help mentally assist those who do not have the support to transition at home and are forced to return to the closet. Other sessions focused on spirituality, how to practice voice modification, and even how to communicate with a cisgender partner who is not necessarily well-acquainted with the politically correct way to approach topics of transition.

Yet also like last year, the special guests stole the show.

Late Friday night, the conference showed “Uncle Gloria: One Helluva Ride.” The awardwinning film is based on the true story of the trans activist Gloria Stein, who was present at the conference during the screening. Also present during the conference was Sarah McBride, the National Press Secretary of the Human Rights Campaign.

There was even an all-levels dance workshop led by popular ftm choreographer Sean Dorsey.

Also on the trans-masculine end, the conference had the pleasure of welcoming Schuyler Bailar, a trans male athlete who swims for Harvard University. He is the first openly transgender NCAA Division I swimmer, as well as the first known NCAA Division 1 trans male to compete as a man in any sport. Thanks to the SCC, guests had the

opportunity to speak in person with him.

Perhaps none traveled farther to participate in the conference than Kellie Maloney, the British boxing manager and promoter. Maloney’s leadership is credited with guiding Lennox Lewis on his path to the Undisputed Heavyweight Championship of the World. Yet in 2014, the world turned its

A Transition For Southern Comfort In past years, the Southern Comfort Conference’s demographic typically reflected a greater number of older guests in the transfeminine spectrum. There are a number of reasons for this, as trans women face greater pressure in society to pass for their own safety. Those who discover their identity later in life have the additional struggle of making up lost time when picking up the behavioral

expectations of their gender identity, further risking their exposure as a trans person.

For so long, the Southern Comfort Conference has provided many people in these situations a chance to explore and grow comfortable in their bodies without a fear of judgment.

This year, however, marked a surprising new topic amongst those who participated in the conference.

As the times have changed, so has the typical demographic of the transgender community. Because of this, many have suggested that it may be time for some younger faces – especially from the largely invisible trans male community – to get involved with determining the programming and events at future conferences.

“The identity of the conference needs to change,” said Atticus Ranck, the Director of Transgender Services at Sunserve. “As the community changes, the conference needs to change with it.”

Much of this is an inevitable result of the paradigm shift that the trans community has undergone in the past few years. As more youth begin to feel comfortable enough to transition, there has been a rapid succession of changes within the transgender community.

Stefanie Schumacher (left), Alexis Dee, Richard Gray, Christy Anderson, and Phyllis McCall were the strongest minds behind putting this year’s conference together.

Photo credit: Steven Shires.

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feature southern comfort conference As a result of discriminatory laws such as HB-2 in North Carolina, transgender rights have undeniably hit the mainstream media, further molding the idea of what gender identity refers to in society.

“I found in a lot of conversations that people from different generations have very different perspectives,” said Sarah Nicole, a new speaker at the conference whose session delved deep into her own experience as the partner of a trans person.

Those who have already stepped forward from a younger demographic have already found Southern Comfort to be a powerful platform for change. Both young and old alike spoke of the conference as an incredible opportunity awaiting the transgender community in Southern Florida — if they choose to embrace it.

As mentioned, the SCC offers a range of engaging activities each year centered entirely around the needs of trans individuals, from a marketplace where vendors offer specialized products to meetand-greets with international transgender celebrities.

Yet there are also typically a range of entertaining activities, such as excursions to the Everglades, a trip to Las Olas Boulevard and multiple wildly successful karaoke nights, to name a few.

Ultimately the conference is a group effort,

Schuylar Bailar.

Photo credit: Steven Shires.

Amphitheatre

Excursion pick-up

Conference center

Restaurant

Ballroom Pool Marketplace

meaning it’s up to the local community how the conference is run in future years.

Anyone is welcome to get involved if they’re interested in contributing.

Lexi Dee emphasized the importance of welcoming a younger crowd, which would allow for a fresh new perspective in how to bring the trans community together.

“We need to get the younger people involved,” said Dee. “We really do.”

Home Is Where The Heart Is Even as many discussed which ways that the conference will be able to grow in the future, it was evident when walking around that the resort was above all a sanctuary.

The calm atmosphere of the Bonaventure Resort and Spa was filled to the brim with transgender guests who were able to express themselves in any way they felt comfortable.

For as far as society has come in the march for transgender equality, this is still the one week per year that many are finally able to truly express themselves.

Not only did the pool allow many guests to try on their appropriate swimming suits for the first time free of judgment, but the hugely popular karaoke night gave guests an opportunity to practice their voice in a safe atmosphere.

“It was a lot more lit than I expected,” said a first-time guest at Thursday night’s karaoke who asked to remain anonymous.

While the conference typically focuses primarily on its seminars and guests who give the trans community a chance to network with experienced professionals, it’s the warm environment that draws guests back year after year.

In fact, for many guests, Southern Comfort is their only chance to show themselves authentically. While more and more trans people have found acceptance in their lives at home, others have built lives that would be too difficult or even impossible to walk away from.

Only at the SCC were many guests finally free to dress authentically as they lounged together at the bar. Regardless of anyone’s appearance, the welcoming staff of the resort shunned not a single person’s identity.

Trans women were free to sip wine without fear of judgment, regardless of how polished their makeup skills were.

No matter what the future brings for both the trans community as well as the Southern Comfort Conference, it’s apparent that the conference will always carry its legacy as a sanctuary for anyone in need of a true home away from home.

Always Moving Forward As the transgender community continues to march forward on the shaky ground of the current political climate, one thing is still guaranteed at the end of the day.

The Southern Comfort Conference will proudly return to Broward next year, giving shelter to a community that is increasingly tossed into the limelight.

Many guests are eager to see what ways the conference will begin to grow based on those who step forward, but the Southern Comfort Conference will continue to strive for its reputation as a refreshing safe space for trans people to network and grow together.

“The only reason we do this is to help people,” Dee said proudly on Saturday, still catching her breath after Saturday night’s formal ballroom dinner. “We’ve had people here say, ‘you’ve changed my life,’ we’ve even had people say ‘you’ve saved my life.’”

For more information on attending or contributing to the Southern Comfort Conference in the coming years, visit sccfll.org

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Broward Gala The 14th Annual

2016

Join us for this sparkling, fun event in support and celebration of the inspiring and successful work of Equality Florida that includes delicious cocktails, sumptuous culinary delights, dancing, Equality Florida CEO Nadine Smith’s annual “state of the state” address, and the presentation of the Voice For Equality Award to superstar Martina Navratilova.

You’re Invited!

SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 13, 2016 5-8PM B Ocean Resort 1140 Seabreeze Boulevard Fort Lauderdale

PRESENTED BY

TICKETS $175 COCKTAIL ATTIRE

Fo r q u e st i o n s o r to RSV P v i s i t w w w. eq f l .o rg/ b rowa r d ga l a o r c a l l ( 8 1 3 ) 8 70 -3 7 3 5 S p o n s o rs h i p o p p o rt u n i t i e s b eg i n at $ 5 0 0. P l e a s e co n tac t Row I l i e s c u at row@ eq f l .o rg o r c a l l 3 0 5 -3 3 5 - 2 10 2 fo r d e ta i ls .

Equality Florida is the largest civil rights organization dedicated to securing full equality for Florida’s lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community. All net proceeds directly benefit Equality Florida Institute, a tax exempt 501c3 non-profit organization.

Statewide Sponsors

A C O P Y O F T H E O F F I C I A L R E G I S T R AT I O N A N D F I N A N C I A L I N F O R M AT I O N F O R T H E E Q UA L I T Y F LO R I D A I N S T I T U T E M AY B E O B TA I N E D F R O M T H E D I V I S I O N O F C O N S U M E R S E R V I C E S B Y C A L L I N G T O L L- F R E E W I T H I N F LO R I D A ( 1 . 8 0 0 . 4 3 5 . 7 3 5 2 ) . R E G I S T R AT I O N D O E S N O T I M P LY E N D O R S E M E N T, A P P R O VA L , O R R E C O M M E N D AT I O N B Y T H E S TAT E . R E G I S T R AT I O N # C H 7 9 9 2 .

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lifestyle photos

Bodytek’s new location Following the incredible success of Bodytek in Wynwood, the gym was recently proud to move to a new much larger facility just down the street.

J.R. Davis

Vinna Rouge Bolanos with Beatriz Cosio

The proud family at Bodytek

son, Brya udrey Edmon A , n o n a h c u Trey, Phillip B d Mikey McKinnie, an

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nt No holding

back!

lifestyle books Sending our readers warm wishes this

Yom Kippur Sincerely, the staff of SFGN

‘Accepted: How the First Gay Superstar Changed WWE’

by Pat Patterson with Bertrand Hebert, foreword by Vincent K. McMahon

Terri Schlichenmeyer

Y

ou are the champion of all-time.

Nobody can beat you; nobody can even tie your record. When it comes to thumb-wrestling, you know all the moves and you really throw your arm into it for the win. Hands-down, you’re the best. So now read “Accepted” by Pat Patterson (with Bertrand Hebert) and take it to the mat.

Pierre Clermont understood poverty.

As one of eleven children plus parents in a two-bedroom apartment in a poor Montreal neighborhood, he was acquainted with lacks of privacy, hot water and food.

He and his younger brother slept in a closet, because there was nowhere else to sleep.

Perhaps because he was one of a crowd at home, young Pierre longed to set himself apart and he loved to “create a show and get a crowd to come out and watch.” He thought of becoming a priest, joining the circus, or somehow performing, so when his mother found a ticket to a wrestling match as a premium with a loaf of bread, Pierre became determined to see that show.

He was right — it was a life-changer.

Pierre fell in love with wrestling and, because he knew someone whose father was a promoter, he began training to be a pro wrestler. He changed his name to Pat Patterson and, at around that time, he also began to understand why “girls just weren’t doing it for me.” He was gay, an ultimate admission that got him kicked out of the family home.

In Boston — his next home of many — Patterson had to learn English while he worked his way up the pro-wrestling ladder.

He became the “bad guy” on the mat, and

c.2016, ECW Press

$25.95 / $27.95 Canada

258 pages developed a ring persona. Also in Boston, he was set up with a man who “looked spectacular,” and with whom Patterson fell in love; he brought Louie Dondero into his act and his life for the next many decades, and they traveled the world on behalf of Patterson’s career. And though their relationship and their sexuality might have seemed out-of-place in an über-macho industry like pro-wrestling, says Patterson, “being gay turned out not to be an issue at all.”

Or was it? Did it have anything to do with the “scandal” to which author Pat Patterson (with Bertrand Hebert) mysteriously alludes? Plenty is said about old friends, old matches and off-work high-jinks but “Accepted” only merely bumps into that subject about which fans still argue.

But what’s in here for non-fans?

Well, not much. Patterson’s love of pranks is clear in this book, which makes it mildly entertaining, and there are many times when he points out how times have changed. That’s interesting but, for nonfans, those bits are overwhelmed by names, travels, venues, organizations and more names that might not make much sense.

Yes, you’ll find a story of an openly-gay athlete at a closeted time in history in this book, but there’s a lot to sort through to get there. Non-fans might want to think twice about reading it, but for pro-wrestling followers, “Accepted” is two thumbs up.

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lifestyle television

Photo: Turner

5 Best LGBT Moments in Kid’s Cartoons Brittany Ferrendi

Howard and Harold McBride, “The Loud House” For the first time in its history, Nickelodeon broke boundaries by featuring their first interracial gay couple.

Clyde McBride is the best friend of the main character Lincoln Loud in Nickelodeon television series “The Loud House.” Clyde has two fathers — a fact that becomes apparent during the episode titled “Overnight Success.”

In the episode, which aired in July of this year, Clyde’s parents Harold and Howard take him to a sleepover at Lincoln’s home. This is when we see that Clyde has, in fact, two dads.

“Time to make history,” Lincoln says right before he opens the door to reveal Clyde and his parents. True in more ways than one, it seems.

The best part about this scene is it pays little attention to the fact that they are a gay couple. In fact, none of the characters mention it at all — the scene focuses instead on how the two men are overprotective of their son.

“I feel like they handled that really well,” said Twitter user @ZenkaiPowuh. “Didn't make it too obvious, let it feel natural and unassuming like a regular family.”

“Not only a married gay couple, but interracial, AND a positive portrayal as loving, dutiful parents who are funny!,” user @TimberPuppers added.

The two parents give their son an assortment of things for his sleepover, such as his pajamas, a dehumidifier, earplugs and more. Then, Harold breaks down in tears when he realizes he won’t be able to tuck his son in at night.

His partner holds him and reminds him he has to let go.

Nikki and Jean, “6teen” Canadian animated sitcom “6teen” had a unique episode in 2010 revealing a minor character that had a brief will-they-won’tthey moment with main character Nikki Richardson.

Season four, episode 11 of the show featured an upcoming Sadie Hawkin’s dance at the mall (where the girls ask out the guys).

Main character Jonesy Garcia hopes that Nikki would pop the question, but she’s focusing on other things — namely, her new friend Jean.

The two girls hit it off during this episode’s subplot, sharing their love of travel and ranting about their coworkers together.

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Nikki also shares her excitement with her friends, who point out the obvious. “She’s totally into you,” her friend Caitlin Cooke tells her.

Nikki tries to figure out the truth for sure, but Jean catches on and shuts it all down.

“Nik, if you’re trying to find out if I’m gay, it’s okay to just ask,” Jean bluntly tells her.

“Yes, I’m into girls, and I’m really flattered, but I already have a date for the dance tonight.”

Nikki and Jean remain friends, and we even get to see Jean with her date at the Sadie Hawkin’s.

Sheriff Blubs and Deputy Durand, “Gravity Falls” Gravity Falls creator Alex Hirsch once told Reddit that he “would love to (have an LGBT character on the show) but I doubt they’d ever let me do it in kids T.V.” “But man I would if I could,” he added.

Well, he could — and did, in the season finale of Disney XD’s “Gravity Falls” that premiered in Feburary of this year.

The show follows siblings Dipper and Mabel Pines on their supernatural adventures during their summer vacation at their great uncle’s tourist trap in the fictional town of Gravity Falls.

Two minor characters, Sheriff Blubs and his Deputy Durand, have relatively minor appearances throughout the series. But at the very end of the season finale, the men declared love for one another.

The men, waving tasers around threateningly, claim that they are “mad with power.” Immediately after, they look into each other’s eyes, drop their tasers and embrace one another, adding that they are also “in love!” “im (sic) glad that sheriff blubs and deputy durland got the gay ending they deserved,” said user @vaportrails on Twitter.

Ruby and Sapphire, “Steven Universe” Nickelodeon isn’t the only children’s television network parading LGBT representation. Cartoon Network followed behind with coming-of-age cartoon “Steven Universe.”

The show is about Steven, who lives in a universe of both humans and “Crystal Gems’ — supernatural humanoid aliens that can fuse with one another to form even more powerful beings.

The show itself has a great backing in representation of marginalized communities.

Steven Universe" was created by Rebecca

lifestyle television

Sugar, making it Cartoon Network's first show created solely by a woman. The cast is filled with people of color, including three of the show’s four protagonists, Crystal Gems Garnet, Pearl and Amethyst.

The gems themselves don’t necessarily subscribe to the human concept of sex and gender. However, the gems appear as and identify themselves as females.

Despite not directly fitting into the “female” category, two of the show’s Gems have sparked controversy for appearing to be in a lesbian romance. Their names are Ruby and Sapphire, and they fuse to create Garnet, one of the show’s main four protagonists.

Gems can only form together correctly by sharing a strong connection, so many fans can read between the lines. When Cartoon Network Producer Ian JonesQuarterly was asked on Twitter if Ruby and Sapphire are lesbians together, he plainly and boldly replied that they are “in a romantic relationship.”

Then, he was asked if they were nonbinary femme-presenting lesbians.

In response, Jones-Quarterly tweeted: “by human standards and terminology, that would be a fair assessment!”

Technically, Ruby and Sapphire are not humans, and thus are genderless, Sugar said.

Korra and Asami, “The Legend of Korra” Spoiler warning — details for the very end of Nickelodeon’s television series “The Legend of Korra” incoming below.

Before “The Loud House,” Nickelodeon already had LGBT representation in one of their cartoons. That’s from “The Legend of Korra,” a show about a woman who can control the four elements of fire, water, earth and air. And the best part? It’s not simply a minor character who is LGBT. It’s the main character herself.

Throughout the show, Korra has an on-

and-off relationship with Mako, another central character to the series. After a strange love triangle transpiring from a brief romance between Mako and Asami, Mako and Korra’s relationship tapers off for good.

What some people didn’t expect — and what even fewer people picked up on — is in the very final moments of the show, Korra would grasp Asami’s hands and literally walk into another realm with her, solidifying their love for one another.

“Our intention with the last scene was to make it as clear as possible that yes, Korra and Asami have romantic feelings for each other,” said co-creator Mike DiMartino in a statement on his blog.

“The moment where they enter the spirit portal symbolizes their evolution from being friends to being a couple.”

The creators of the show acknowledged that their fans had mixed reviews to the final scene, with some viewers praising the decision while others attacked the LGBT-inclusive ending.

“You can celebrate it, embrace it, accept it, get over it, or whatever you feel the need to do, but there is no denying it,” co-creator Bryan Konietzko added on his own website. “Was it a slam-dunk victory for queer representation? I think it falls short of that, but hopefully it is a somewhat significant inching forward.”

The co-creators also hope that LGBT representation will become more common and normalized in media of all forms.

Konietzko added: “It is long overdue that our media (including children’s media) stops treating non-heterosexual people as nonexistent, or as something merely to be mocked. I’m only sorry it took us so long to have this kind of representation in one of our stories.”

On Twitter, Korra’s voice actress Janet Varney described feeling “whole-hearted delight” when she found out Korra and Asami would truly get together.

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lifestyle food BC Cafe.

Submitted photos.

Chicken and Waffles at the Rusty Hook Tavern.

Beefcake’s at the Boardwalk.

Rick Karlin

The Brunch Bunch

A

s my late mother once said, “You gay boys may not have invented brunch, but you sure have perfected it!”

The gay community certainly has an affinity for gathering for brunch. It may have developed because, in the past, so many of us didn’t go to church with our families on Sunday and it provided a chance to socialize on Sunday mornings when most bars were closed. In fact, a friend of mine when asked what church he attended, used to answer, “Our Lady of Perpetual Brunch.”

Whatever the reason, brunch has become a tradition in our community and, for many, brunch is synonymous with buffet. Here’s a look at some options if you choose to worship at the altar of the steam table.

Beefcake’s at Boardwalk 1721 N Andrews, Fort Lauderdale 954-463-6969 Boardwalkbar.com

BC Cafe 4801 S. University Dr., Davie.

954-801-4123, BCtacos.com.

It’s no surprise that you can get a nice piece of sausage at Boardwalk, but now, with the club’s Beefcake’s Café offering brunch every Sunday, you can get a nice pair of huevos to go with that juicy tubesteak.

Okay, enough with the double entendres, let’s talk about the incredible deal that’s being offered. Not only are they serving up a brunch buffet for $16.95 from 11-4, but that price also includes unlimited mimosas or Bloody Mary cocktails. That’s a great deal if you’re looking for standard options, such as scrambled eggs, fruit salad, potatoes, biscuits and gravy or French toast. If you want something a little more exotic, such as chicken and waffles, or eggs Benedict, you can still order off of the ala carte brunch menu. As always, the eye-candy is free.

For unusual dishes you can’t beat B.C. Café where you can order a pancake-topped burger (sweet potato pancake, egg, cheese, and bacon) or a special breakfast ramen (served with a scallion pancake, pork belly, sausage, and a sunny-side-up egg). The bananas Foster French toast and chickenand-waffle sliders (prepared with a spicy maple syrup) are dangerously addictive, and you might have a hard time choosing which craving to satisfy. Luckily, during weekend brunch (Saturday and Sunday from 10:30 to 3:30), there’s a sampler platter featuring a half-portion of each menu item. If that’s not enough of an enticement, the $12 bottomless mimosa, Bellini or the restaurant’s specialty drink, a cranberry punch will keep you coming back for a fix week after week.

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Dockside Barbecue at the Rusty Hook Tavern 125 N. Riverside Dr., Pompano Beach 954-941-2499 TheRustyHookTavern.com Rusty Hook is always a good choice for the view alone, but the barbecue brunch, served Sundays from 11:30 to 2:30, makes it a must stop for any foodie. The $26 tab includes unlimited access to an array of traditional brunch fare, a raw bar and omelet station as well as specialties such as pulled-pork eggs Benedict, chicken and waffles and house smoked meats. An additional $15 will bring on unlimited rose and Bellini or Bloody Mary cocktails, while pitchers of sangria are $25.

Beauty & The Feast The Atlantic Hotel 601 N Fort Lauderdale Beach Blvd 954-567-8070 Society8.com Consistently named one of the area’s best restaurants, Beauty and the Feast offers a weekend brunch buffet that is surprisingly reasonable given its size and scope. For just $29.95, in addition to omelet and carving stations, the beachfront restaurant’s buffet also offers salads, assorted smoked, poached and steamed fish, potatoes, bread and pastries, chicken and waffles, numerous versions of eggs Benedict, crispy chicken sliders, shrimp and grits, and a dessert bar. Bottomless bubbles and Bloody Mary drinks are available for an additional $15.

Beauty and the Feast.

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F O R

T H E

SFGNITES

W E E K

O F

J.W. Arnold

jw@prdconline.com

THU

10/13

o c to b er

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-

o c to b er

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W W W . S F G N . C O M

STRIKE UP THE BAND

books Hunky, 24-year-old gay YouTube personality and “The Amazing Race” competitor Joey Graceffa will be signing his new memoir, “In Real Life: My Journey to a Pixelated World” (Atria, $16), tonight at 6 p.m. at Books & Books, 265 Aragon Ave. in Coral Gables. He’ll be discussing his family hardships, bullying, first loves and losses and the decision to come out. For more information, go to BooksAndBooks.com.

FRI

10/14

theater Broadway star Andrea McArdle takes the stage in Neil Simon and Marvin Hamlisch’s hit 1978 musical, “They’re Playing Our Song,” at The Wick, 7901 N. Federal Highway in Boca Raton.

An established composer falls in love with an aspiring young lyricist. Their relationship works professionally, but ultimately leads to conflict at home.

But, don’t worry, there’s always a happy ending. Tickets start at $75 at TheWick.org.

Saturday

10/14

concert

“The President’s Own” U.S. Marine Band, the military musicians who provide music at the White House, will perform tonight at 7:30 p.m. at Bailey Hall on Broward College’s Davie main campus. Free tickets have already been distributed, but unclaimed seats will be released to the public at 7 p.m. For more information, go to BaileyHall.org.

Submitted photo.

SAT

10/15 SUN

10/16 MON

10/17 TUE

10/18

cabaret

film

television

music

Avery Sommers performs today at 2 p.m. at Cabaret du Jour, the monthly showcase at the Tennis Club, 600 Tennis Club Drive in Fort Lauderdale’s Middle River Terrace neighborhood.

She’ll sing her favorites, including “I Love Being Here with You,” “Feeling Good” and “Without a Song” with musical director Phil Hinton at the piano. Tickets are $20 with a two drink minimum. Reserve tickets at 954-5472819.

This is a big weekend for film: In Fort Lauderdale, the MiFo LGBT Film Festival closes this weekend with the best in gay, lesbian and transgenderthemed features and documentaries.

At Miami-Dade College, the Miami International Film Festival presents its four-day fall GEMS series, with a lineup of movies from around the world. For more information, go to MiFoFilm.com and MiamiFilmFestival. com.

It’s Monday night and the theaters are dark. Usually, we turn to the boob tube and fortunately, the CW network has a surprise for viewers tonight. “Jane the Virgin,” starring Golden Globe-winner Gina Rodriguez, is back for a third season. While the premise of a thirtysomething year old virgin in Miami is a bit far-fetched (sarcasm intended), the show is fun. Check local listings for channels and show times.

When was the last time you headed out to a club for concert? Tonight at 7:30 p.m., the rock band Rooney, led by singer/songwriter Robert Schwartzman, performs at the Culture Room, 3045 N. Federal Highway in Fort Lauderdale. Named after Ed Rooney, the principal in the ‘90s cult film, “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off,” the band features a sound reminiscent of the British invasion. Tickets are $15 at Ticketmaster.com.

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A&E theater

Shenise Nuñez and Bobby Cassell star in Slow Burn Theatre Co.’s regional premiere of Disney’s “The Hunchback of Notre Dame.” Submitted photo.

Slow Burn Premieres Disney’s “Hunchback” at Broward Center J.W. Arnold

B

ells are tolling for Slow Burn Theatre Company, but not the ominous bells that inspired Ernest Hemingway’s classic novel. Instead, the company is recreating the massive tower bells of the famed Notre Dame cathedral at the Broward Center for the southeast regional premiere of Disney’s “The Hunchback of Notre Dame.”

Unlike recent theatrical adaptations of animated films like “Beauty and the Beast,” “The Lion King” and “Aladdin,” “Hunchback” didn’t go directly to Broadway after tryouts in La Jolla Playhouse in California and Paper Mill Playhouse in New Jersey. Executives with Disney Theatricals decided instead to make the musical available to leading regional theaters.

“As soon as I heard (“Hunchback”) wasn’t going to go to Broadway, I immediately began ‘stalking’ Disney,” admitted Slow Burn’s coartistic director Patrick Fitzwater.

The Carbonell winner’s diligence paid off, making Slow Burn one of the first companies granted rights to mount a regional production.

“The musical is much closer to Victor Hugo’s novel,” said Fitzwater. “It’s darker and I think that’s one reason Disney decided not to take it to Broadway.”

The show will be the largest in the company’s eight years. Fitzwater, co-artistic director Matthew Korinko and their dedicated team of designers, actors and musicians have developed a critical and audience following for their productions of quirky, sometimes commercially unsuccessful Broadway shows.

“There’s a large cast, a chorus of 21 and the largest pit (orchestra) we’ve ever used,” explained Fitzwater. “There are so many more moving parts to this show, I really have to be on my game from day one (of rehearsals).”

Even before the scripts and scores arrived

just weeks ago, Fitzwater and his team were studying the original novel, watching the animated film, listening to the soundtrack and speaking to the handful of other companies that had undertaken the enormous challenge.

For musical director Caryl Fantel, the task involved arranging the show’s complex score for a reduced orchestra of seven and even more hours programming synthesizers to cover many of the orchestral parts.

“Our challenge is to make it sound as large and full and rich as it needs to be to support such a big show, both visually and musically, but we’ll do it,” she said confidently.

With rehearsals underway, she already likes what she hears.

“The show is filled with absolutely glorious moments that these writers know how to create with lush sound that envelops the theater and lifts audiences out of their seats,” Fantel said. “The first time we put the chorus together with the cast was absolutely magical.”

During the production, Fantel will be tasked with playing two different keyboards, leading the orchestra and conducting both the actors onstage and the chorus, which will be positioned in the two house boxes positioned in the corners of the Amaturo Theater.

Unlike their other shows, Disney does not allow companies to replicate the animated film in any way, other than the musical score. That rule even applies to the fabric colors selected for the costumes and the design of the sets.

As if he didn’t have enough to worry about, during this interview, Fitzwater was busy assisting designer Rick Pena, sewing medieval choir robes, just a handful of the dozens of original, historically-accurate costumes required for the mammoth production.

“It’s going to be amazing,” Fitzwater promised.

Slow Burn Theatre Co. presents the southeast regional premiere of Disney’s “The Hunchback of Notre Dame” at the Broward Center’s Amaturo Theater, Oct. 20 – Nov. 6. Tickets start at $47 at BrowardCenter.org.

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A&E comedy Hypnotist Gary Conrad will present an adult only show at Boca Black Box on Oct. 21. Submitted photo.

Hypnotist Brings R-Rated Show to Boca J.W. Arnold

H

ypnosis skits have long inspired laughs on sitcoms and cartoons.

We’ve all seen the episodes where a character is unknowingly hypnotized to cluck like a chicken or revert to infancy every time they hear a bell ring. But, the power of hypnotism is real, says professional hypnotist and entertainer Gary Conrad.

For nearly three decades, Conrad has entertained audiences across the country and he’ll bring his adults only hypnosis show to Boca Black Box Center for the Arts on Oct. 21.

He may not have audience members clucking like chickens or bawling like babies, but he just might convince a couple of guys they are Chippendales dancers and get them to rip off their shirts and dance on stage.

“It will be serious, sexy, maybe a little bit scatological without being too gross,” said Conrad from his New Jersey home. “Human sexuality in all its various tones and colors and shapes and forms is universal. There’s no nudity, but other than that, who knows.”

At the very least, the show will deliver plenty of subconscious double and even triple entendre.

Conrad added, “I don’t want ‘Hustler,’ I want a French postcard, but if they read ‘Hustler,’ well, you know….”

Conrad first became interested in hypnosis as a student in Catholic school. A nun assigned his class to write reports on a human organ and Conrad chose the brain. He discovered several books about how the brain functions and how hypnosis could influence both the conscious and subconscious minds.

Decades later, while working in sales, he recalled the experience and wondered what might happen if he could convince a client to send more business his way.

“I read some books about suggestibility and that led me back to hypnosis,” Conrad recalled.

After reading every book he could find on the subject, he eventually left his job and became a professional hypnosis therapist, helping clients kick smoking and manage their weights and stress levels. While he enjoyed working with patients, he was drawn to the stage with the inherent challenges of a busy nightclub.

“Initially I was pretty good at hypnotherapy, but doing it in a nightclub where people are giving orders to waiters and there are glasses clinking, well, that requires an additional skill set,” he explained.

Like every skill, practice makes perfect and, in the process of touring 49 states, he perfected his act. In every audience he has to deal with an unpredictable combination of exhibitionists and voyeurs.

“The trick with this type of show is getting them to get out of their own way and let creativity flow without embarrassment or remorse that they volunteered,” he said. “My goal at the end of the night is for them to be so happy they got up on stage and I really want the guy in the audience who didn’t volunteer to wish he had.”

Conrad added, “Once they’re on my stage and participating in my erotic circus, if they still need to quit biting their nails, we can work on that, too.”

Gary Conrad presents his R-rated hypnosis show on Friday, Oct. 21 at 10 p.m. at Boca Black Box Center for the Arts, 8221 Glades Road #10 in Boca Raton. Tickets are $20 at BocaBlackBox.com.

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Datebook

Theater Christiana Lilly

Calendar@SFGN.com

Top

Picks

I Love Being Here With You

Oct. 15 at 2 p.m. at The Tennis Club, 600 Tennis Club Drive in Fort Lauderdale. A cabaret performance by Broadway’s Avery Sommers, performing her favorite songs. Tickets $20 with two-drink minimum; club residents $15.

Contact Ken Harrison at 954-5472819 or kenh7748@yahoo.com.

Hand to God

Through Oct. 30 at GableStage at the Biltmore, 1200 Anastasia Ave. in Coral Gables. A student in a religious town in Texas finds his talent working with puppets, until one of them takes on an evil life of its own. Tickets $57 to $60. Call 305-445-1119 or visit GableStage. org.

The Mystery of Love & Sex

Through Oct. 30 at Arts Garage, 94 NE Second Ave. in Delray Beach.

Charlotte is a white Jewish girl, her boyfriend Johnny is black, and her parents are trying to keep up with their relationship. Tickets $30 to $45. Call 561-450-6357 or visit ArtsGarage.org.

* Denotes New Listing

broward county * NEEDTOBREATHE

Oct. 14 at 7 p.m. at The Amp, 1801 NE Sixth St. in Pompano Beach. The South Carolina rock band has performed on “Good Morning America, “Late Night With Jimmy Fallon,” and more. Tickets $30 to $51. Call 954-5195500 or visit TheAmpPompano.org.

* The Haitian Music Industry Awards Oct. 15 at 7 p.m. at Parker Playhouse, 707 NE Eighth St. in Fort Lauderdale. A tribute

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Oct 13 to Oct 18 to the best in the business, hosted by TJo Zenny. Tickets $41.50 to $101.50. Call 954462-0222 or visit ParkerPlayerhouse.com.

* Montgomery Gentry

Oct. 15 at 7 p.m. at The Amp, 1801 NE Sixth St. in Pompano Beach. The country duo is known for hits “Hillbilly Shoes,” “Headlines,” and “Runaway.” Tickets $28 to $98. Call 954-519-5500 or visit TheAmpPompano.org.

* Celtic Thunder Legacy

Oct. 19 at 8 p.m. at the Broward Center for the Performing Arts, 201 SW Fifth Ave. in Fort Lauderdale. The Irish singing group performs both traditional and contemporary Celtic songs. Tickets $50 to $75. Call 954-462-0222 or visit BrowardCenter.org.

* The Hunchback of Notre Dame

Oct. 20 to Nov. 6 at the Broward Center for the Performing Arts, 201 SW Fifth Ave. in Fort Lauderdale. Based on the classic novel

by Victor Hugo and performed with music from the Disney adaptation, Quasimodo is enamored by the beautiful gypsy, Esmeralda. Tickets $47 to $60. Call 954462-0222 or visit BrowardCenter.org.

The Sensuous Senator

Through Oct. 23 at Delray Beach Playhouse, 950 NW Ninth St. in Delray Beach. A senator is running for president on the grounds of his morality — but when his wife goes out of town, he immediately calls for his mistress to come visit. Tickets $30. Call 561-272-1281, ext. 4 or visit DelrayBeachPlayhouse.com.

Urinetown the Musical

Through Oct. 23 at Lake Worth Playhouse, 713 Lake Ave. in Lake Worth. A city has been in a drought for 20 years, and private toilets have been banned. One man is fed up when the city starts charging its residents to use public amenities. Tickets $35 to $72. Call 561-586-6410 or visit LakeWorthPlayhouse.org.

miami-dade county The Illusionists

Through Oct. 16 at the Adrienne Arsht Center, 1300 Biscayne Blvd. in Miami. Seven of the best illusionists on one stage. Tickets $27 to $89.

Call 305-949-6722 or visit ArshtCenter.org.

Clybourne Park

Through Oct. 23 at Main Street Players, 6766 Main St. in Miami Lakes. The sequel to “A Raisin in the Sun,” a white couple sells their home to a black couple in 1959, causing tensions in the neighborhood.

Now it’s 2009, and a white couple wants to move into the same home in the neighborhood undergoing gentrification.

Tickets $20 to $25. Call 305-558-3737 or visit MainStreetPlayers.com.

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 305-3753000 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.

palm beach county * The Last Word

Oct. 15 at 7 p.m. at Canyon Amphitheater at Canyon District Park, 8802 Boynton Beach Blvd. in Boynton Beach. Chase Stites and The Last Word play everything from Johnny Cash to Maroon 5. Don’t forget your lawn chairs, blankets, and picnics. Free. Visit Facebook.com/CanyonAmphitheater.

* Radio Theater: Dracula

Oc. 15 at 7:30 to 9 p.m. at the Old Square Crest Theatre, 51 N. Swinton Ave. in Delray Beach. In the style of old radio shows, watch the team put together the sounds and voices of the classic horror story. Tickets $25. Call 561- 243-7922 Or visit OldSchoolSquare. org.

* Leonard Nimoy’s “Vincent”

Oct. 21 to 23 at the Kravis Center for the Performing Arts, 701 Okeechobee Blvd. in West Palm Beach. The one-man play by Nimoy investigates the life of artist Vincent van Gogh through the letters between him and his brother, Theo. Tickets $35. Call 561832-7469 or visit Kravis.org.

#OrlandoUnited: Every week, SFGN will pay tribute to one member of our community who was lost in Orlando.

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PORN pulse

Porn Actor Voting For Trump Chaos

Datebook

Community Christiana Lilly

Hunter Houston

Calendar@SFGN.com

Top Picks

C

olby Keller is a fair haired strapping young adult film actor. In scenes he can typically be found on top of his partners.

It is being reported by the Queerty website that Keller is intending to vote for Donald Trump for President. The reason, one may ask?

To “escalate the problem” Keller says.

Keller, reportedly, wants chaos. Here are his comments on the topic via Office Magazine: “I’m going to vote for Trump! I think he’s a destabilizing force. I’m skeptical of him, too, and who exactly is behind Trump. But given that there’s eternal dissent in the Republican Party, that leads me to believe that whatever he represents might be a destabilizing force.

And he’s made a lot of overtures to Russia and China, which in some ways could be thought of as an encouraging thing. I don’t support or endorse any of Trump’s policies.

I just think it’ll escalate the problem, which

Trick(s) or Treat?

Oct. 14 from 7 to 8:30 p.m. at the Pride Center, 2040 N. Dixie Highway in Wilton Manors. A workshop on dating over 40, with group talk and speed dating.

Free. Call 954-463-9905, ext. 113, email maturingtogether@pridecenterflorida. org, or visit PrideCenterFlorida.org. is the best we can hope for. I hope at the very least he’d turn the White House into a reality show. America would tune in, right?

And then he could do something nice, like give the money to the National Park Service, because they’re trying to defund it.”

There are several Twitter accounts linked to Keller, but none are verified. Many of his scenes are produced by Men.com studios.

He has appeared in films with the likes of Johnny Rapid, Paddy O’Brian, and Brenner Bolton.

SFGN_Florida_House3_Top_WP.pdf 1 4/22/2015 10:44:34 AM

Art and Culture of the South Beach Renaissance: The American Riviera

Oct. 15 at 7 p.m. at The Box Gallery, 811 Belvedere Road in West Palm Beach. A discussion and celebration of the South Beach Renaissance with Louis Canales, Liz Balmaseda, Sandra Schulman, and Manny Hernandez. Tickets $10.

Email Rolando Chang Barrero at PalmBeachFineArtGallery@gmail.com or visit Event Brite for tickets and details.

Ronaldo Peña: Black Gold

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.

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Through Nov. 13 at the Museum of Contemporary Art North Miami, 770 NE 125th St. in North Miami.

A contemporary exploration of oil and its grasp on our everyday lives.

Tickets $10. Call 305-893-6211 or visit MOCAMiami.org.

broward county * HIV Prenatal Classes

Oct. 13, Nov. 10, and Dec. 8 at 2 p.m. at Children’s Diagnostic and Treatment Center, 1401 S. Federal Highway in Fort Lauderdale.

Confidential and informative classes with lunch. Free. Contact Bisiola Fortune-Evans at 954-728-1056 or Yvette Gonzalez at 954467-4700, ext. 5541.

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800.778.6792 www.FHErehab.com All calls are confidential. Your treatment may be covered 100% by insurance.

* Full Moon Dinner & Party

Oct. 14 at 7 p.m. at Beauty & the Feast, 601 N. Fort Lauderdale Beach Blvd. in Fort Lauderdale. Enjoy a four-course, Halloweenthemed dinner, music, and a fire show.

Tickets $39.95 per person. Visit Society8. com.

* Peter Pan Pirate Party

Oct. 15 from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at Stranahan House, 335 SE Sixth Ave. in Fort Lauderdale.

Nationally Accredited Treatment Center

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* Denotes New Listing

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.

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 954384-0344 or visit FISPOnline.org.

Join Peter Pan, Wendy and the Lost Boys for an afternoon on the New River. Tickets are $20, $15 for each additional family member.

Call 954-524-4736 or visit StranahanHouse. givezooks.com.

* Queen Poetry

Oct. 16 a 4 p.m. at Stonewall National Museum - Wilton Manors, 2157 Wilton Drive in Wilton Manors. Cathleen Chambless’s debut book “Nec(Romantic)” is a look at the dark corners of our mind, a la Sylvia Plath. She is joined by Parker Phillips, Mo Tarafah, Serafima Mintz, and Autumn Barksdale. Call 954-763-8565 or visit Stonewall-Museum.org.

* Gallery Night: “Tales of Immigration”

Oct. 19 at 4:30 p.m. at the Broward College South Campus Art Gallery, 7200 Pines Blvd. in Pembroke Pines. The stories of immigrants are told through moving photographs. Free. Visit bsoca.com.

oct 13 to oct 18 * Studio 54 Dance Party

Oct. 19 from 8 to 11 p.m. at Hunters, 2232 Wilton Drive in Wilton Manors. A fundraiser for the SMART Tide, join Broward House for a night of dancing and best dressed contests hosted by Naomi Wynters. Tickets $10 to $25 in advance, $16 to $30 at the door. Cal 954-5224749, ext. 1202 or visit BrowardHouse.org.

* Boomer/Senior Health Expo

Oct. 22 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Pride Center, 2040 N. Dixie Highway in Wilton Manors. Meet with more than 60 vendors from senior living, social services, insurance, financial, legal, travel, and more. Free lunch to the first 300 attendees. Free. Visit PrideCenterFlorida.org.

* Rest Your Mind

Mondays at 6:30 p.m. at Kadampa Meditation Center, 241 W Prospect Road Ste. B in Fort Lauderdale. Start your week with relaxing meditation to center yourself. Free. Visit MeditateinFortLauderdale.org.

* Lunchtime Meditation

Wednesdays from noon to 1:15 p.m. at

Kadampa Meditation Center, 241 W Prospect Road Ste B. in Fort Lauderdale. Take a break from work with a meditation practice, followed by a vegetarian potluck lunch.

Class $10. Visit MeditateinFortLauderdale. org.

* Intro to Buddhist Meditation

Thursdays at 7:30 to 9 p.m. at Kadampa Meditation Center, 241 W Prospect Road Ste B. in Fort Lauderdale. Ever wanted to try meditation? Learn the basics of the practice and how it helps with stress relief, happiness, and relaxation. Class $10. Visit MeditateinFortLauderdale.org.

* Prayers for World Peace

Sundays at 10 to 11:30 a.m. at Kadampa Meditation Center, 241 W Prospect Road Ste B. in Fort Lauderdale. Learn to utilize modern Kadampa Buddhist meditation to find peace in yourself and the human community. Class $10. Visit MeditateinFortLauderdale.org.

palm beach county * Above the Fold

Oct. 14 to Jan. 29, 2017 at the Morikami Museum and Japanese Gardens, 4000

Morikami Park Road in Delray Beach. An impressive display of paper folding, big and small, from nine international artists.

Admission $15. Call 561-495-0233 or visit Morikami.org.

* Discovery Jewelry Making

Oct. 15 from noon to 4 p.m. at Boca Raton Museum of Art, 501 Plaza Real in Boca Raton. Learn more about classes and processes to create jewelry. Then, a talk with Jill Lavetsky on her process. Free with museum admission. Call 561-392-2500 or visit bocamuseum.org.

in Miami Shores. Pamela Kirkpatrick, a licensed Reverse Mortgage Consultant, discusses reverse mortgages, how it helps in your retirement, social security benefits, and more. Free. RSVP to 305-751-8855, info@ davidtreece.com, or FreeceFinancialGroup. com.

* Volunteer Action Day

Oct. 15 from 8:30 a.m to noon at Haulover Park, 10800 Collins Ave. in Miami Beach.

Help beautify the park by removing litter and improving landscaping. Free. Visit MiamiDade.gov/parks/volunteer.asp.

key west

* Question Bridge: Black Males

Oct. 18 to Dec. 18 at the Norton Museum of Art, 1451 S. Olive Ave. in West Palm Beach.

A look at the lives of African American men, more than 160 men in nine cities were interviewed for this visual art project. Free.

Call 561-832-5196 or visit Norton.org.

miami-dade county * Financial Topics for Retirees and Their Families

Oct. 13 and 18 from 6 to 7 p.m. at the Brockway Memorial Library, 10021 NE Second Ave.

Aqua Idol

Tuesdays from 6:30 to 8 p.m. at Aqua Key West, 711 Duval St. in Key West. Support your local artists and vote for your favorite!

Benefits Waterfront Playhouse. Call 305294-0555 or visit AquaKeyWest.com.

Hot Naked Sundays

Sundays from noon to 4 p.m. at Island House, 1129 Fleming St. in Key West. A pretea pool party. Call 305-294-6284 or visit IslandHouseKeyWest.com.

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Business Directory a&e Ft Lauderdale Gay Men's Chorus PO Box 9772, Ft Lauderdale, FL 33310-9772 954-832-0060 www.theftlgmc.org Andrews Living Arts Studio 23 NW 5th St, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33301 954.530.1879 Classcreations.com

chiropractic

Wilton Manors Family Chiropractic & Wellness Center CHIROPRACTIC • WELLNESS • NUTRITION

Dr Andreu J. Richardson, DC, DACACD

Chiropractor/Wellness Consultant BOARD CERTIFIED IN ADDICTIONOLOGY AND COMPULSIVE DISORDERS

2450 NE 13 Avenue,Wilton Manors, FL 33305

954.537.8898

Flexible Hours: Mornings, after 6:00 pm & Weekends w w w. w i l t o n m a n o r s c h i r o p r a c t o r. c o m

chiropractic

To place an ad in the Business Directory, call our sales team at 954.530.4970

florist

Coast Chiropractic Injury & Wellness Center 2608 NE 16th Ave, Wilton Manors, FL 33334 954.463.3036 www.coast-chiropractic.com

sfgn.com

dental Oakland Park Dental 3047 N Federal Hwy, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33306 954.566.9812 Oaklandparkdental.com

health MASTER HYPNOTHERAPIST AND LIFE COACH

Andrews Dental Care 2654 N Andrews Ave, Wilton Manors, FL 33311 954.567.3311 Andrewsdentalcare.com Wilton Manors Dental 2517 NE 9th Ave, Wilton Manors, FL 33305 954-564-4746 Wiltonmanorsdental.com Island City Dental 1700 NE 26th Street, Ste. 2, Fort Lauderdale, FL 954-564-7121 Islandcitydental.com

cleaning EMERALD IRISH CLEANING Established for 30 years. 3 hours of cleaning for $60.00. Use time as you wish. English speaking *hand scrubbed floors* Cleaning supplies included.

Service guaranteed 954-524-3161

handyman Miami/Broward/Palm Beach Paint/Caulk/Remove Grout/Yard Work Fix Drips & Switches/Debris removal Assembles Furniture & Appliances Repair or Fix Call "Avrom" Keith 786-227-9981

ADDICTIONS • SMOKING • WEIGHT LOSS • INSOMNIA • STRESS REDUCTION • ROAD RAGE • ANGER MANAGEMENT • PAST LIFE ANALYSIS • RELATIONSHIP COACHING Coach Bill For Life

WWW.COACHBILLFORLIFE.COM

final arrangements

954.641.8315

JOE PUNDAI Pre-Need Counselor

954-494-0366

Call For Your FREE No Obligation Consultation Budget Friendly Payment Plans Available

sfgn.com

YOUR PARTNER I N H O M E H E A LT H C A R E Private Nurse/Medical Assistant & Companion • Certified in Alzheimer’s, Dementia & Parkinson’s Disease • Responsible, trustworthy, compassionate, reliable liaison between doctors and family • Nursing care & daily administrative household needs • Worked with high visibility clients including Al Lewis (Grandpa Munster)

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health

professional services

Dr. Tory Sullivan 2500 N Federal Hwy #301, Fort Lauderdale, FL 954.533.1520 Torysullivanmd.com

Licensed & Insured

954-725-3633

custom alarm contractors, Inc.

American Pain Experts 6333 N. Federal Hwy, Ste. 250, Ft. Lauderdale, FL 954-678-1074 Americanpainexperts.com

Est. 1989 “Experience Matters” Service after the sale! ▶ residential security ▶ commercial security ▶ closed circuit tV

Natura Dermatology 1120 Bayview Dr, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33304 754.333.4886 naturadermatology.com

www.customalarmcontractors.com

Have you made your wishes known?

We’re here to help.

1-800-343-5400

www.levitt-weinstein.com

investments American Tax & Insurance 2929 E Comm. Blvd, 8th Floor Penthouse D, Fort Lauderdale, FL

954.302.3228 Americantaxandinsurance.com

legal

Law office of george castrataro 707 NE 3rd Ave #300, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33304 954.573.1444 Lawgc.com Law office of Robin bodiford 2550 N Federal Hwy #20, Fort Lauderdale, FL 954.630.2707 Lawrobin.com

law office of Gregory Kabel 1 East Broward Blvd #700, Fort Lauderdale, 33301 954.761.7770 gwkesq@bellsouth.net

law office of Selzer & Weiss 1515 NE 25th St, Wilton Manors, FL 33305 954.567.4444 Selzerandweiss.com law office of Shawn Newman 710 NE 26th St, Wilton Manors, FL 33305 954.563.9160 Shawnnewman.com

professional services

Barton & Miller Cleaners 2600 N. Dixie Hwy Wilton Manors, FL 33305 954-566-4314 Kalis-McIntee Funeral & Cremation Center

2505 N. Dixie Hwy, Wilton Manors, FL 33305 954-566-7621 Kalismcintee.com

Pre-Arrangement Discounts For All Our LGBT Friends

Income Tax Preparation

The Best Cellar

Boutique Wine Shop & Wine Bar The Ultimate Wine Tasting Experience Wed., Thurs., Fri., Sat., at 8:00 p.m.

ONLY $15 PER PERSON! 954-630-8020 1408 N.E. 26th St. Wilton Manors, FL 33334

real estate

Daoud’s Fine Jewelers 2473 E Sunrise Blvd, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33304 954.928.2437 Daouds.com

spirituality The Parish of Sts. Francis and Clare Where we welcome and appreciate diversity.

101 NE 3rd St Fort Lauderdale FL 33301

Ecumenical Catholic 954.731.8173

www.stsfrancisandclare.org

Doug Turner, Enrolled Agent Best Books and Taxes 2201 Wilton Drive bestbooksandtaxes.com

Baptisms • Weddings • Memorial Services

Integrity Palm Beach

954-565-1041

INTEGRITY PALM BEACH meets monthly, bringing together single and partnered gay women and men and their allies for fellowship and socializing. As an Episcopal LGBTQ organization, we proclaim and embody the all-inclusive love of God through worship, education, and advocacy.

Call today for appointment restaurants

IRIS SEYMOUR SALES

&

RENTALS

NOVEMBER 12TH

Jacqie Jackson Performer Extrodinaire

When: The second Saturday of each month, 7:30 p.m. program or presenter, immediately following 6:00 p.m. Communion Service and 6:45 potluck supper provided by attendees

BEEFCAKES 1721 N Andrews Ave, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33311 954.463.6969 boardwalkbar.com

Where: St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church 100 North Palmway • Lake Worth, FL 33460 FOR INFORMATION:

J. Mark’s 1245 N Federal Hwy, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33304 (954) 390-0770 Jmarksrestaurant.com

Ernie's B-B-Q 1843 S Federal Hwy, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33316 954-523-8636

Peace Pipe 4800 N Dixie Hwy, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33334 954.267.9005 Facebook.com/peacepipefl

Mass Times: Saturday 5:00 PM Sunday 10:30 AM

•Individual •Small Business •Free Consultation

Storks Bakery 2505 NE 15th Ave, Wilton Manors, FL 33305 954.567.3220 Storksbakery.com

retail

www.integritypalmbeach.org or Joe@thegraphicissue.com

veterinarian

954.610.8816

Dr. Pierre B. Bland, DVM 1332 E. Commercial Blvd., Oakland Park, FL 33334 954-673-8579 Doctorblandvet.com 10.12.2016 •

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Business Directory To place an ad in the Business Directory, call our sales team at 954.530.4970

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SFGN Classified$ To place a Classified Ad, call Tim Higgins at 954.530.4970 or email at Tim.Higgins@sfgn.com

cleaning services EMERALD IRISH CLEANING - Established for 30 years. 3 hours of cleaning for $60.00. Use time as you wish. English speaking *handscrub floors* Cleaning supplies included. Service guaranteed 954-524-3161 RESIDENTIAL CLEANING - Dependable, responsible, reliable men to do cleaning in your home or condo. Experienced. Reasonable rates!

Email rsmb1951@gmail.com or call or text 561358-0012 and leave a message.

electrician 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

handyman

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

employment full time

Looking for Part-Time help at Andee’s Creamery - 2031-D Wilton Drive (across from Tropic’s Restaurant). Must be able to work weekends. Apply in Person.

employment part time

INSURANCE AGENCY IN WILTON MANORS - Insurance Agency in Wilton Manors looking for a Full-Time employee. Please send resume to: palmbeachinsurance3@gmail.com

painting

GREGG'S PAINTING - I paint both interior and exterior. Great rates, free estimates. I am detailedoriented, friendly, reliable, punctual, and neat. No job too small. Broward and Palm Beach Counties.

Call Gregg at 617-306-5694 or 954-870-5972 Email: gmanbenn44@gmail.com

licensed massage

music lessons VOICE LESSONS & MUSIC THEATRE COACHING - Over 30 years experience. Students have performed on (and off) Broadway, in National & International tours, recorded solo albums & placed in prestigious competitions. www.kreutzmusic.com 617-967-0575

Place an ad in SFGN’s Classifieds

954.530.4970 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.

piano 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.

Daniel Ross CPA, CFE Now Preparing 2015 Form 1040’s IRS Electronic Filing Available

CPA since 1987

2015 tax returns are DUE no later than October 17, 2017 CONVENIENTLY LOCATED

In The heart of Wilton Manors

954.612.9922 danrosscpa@aol.com

rentals fort lauderdale

MIKE THE RENTAL GUY - NE Lauderdale/Wilton Manors/Oakland Park-1/1 from $990, 2/1 from $1140. Victoria Park-1/1=$1090.00 cable included.

Credit & Income Requirements-Pets okay with restrictions Call for Details Mike 561-703-5533 or miketherentalguy@aol.com

rentals 1/1.5 PALM AIRE - Designer Inspired Unit, Hand Painted Murals, Upgraded cabinets, Marble, tile, and granite. To qualified Tenant who will take exceptional Care of this unique residence. $1200 f/l/s call Debra 954-591-9730

sfgn.com

help wanted

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 MASSAGE BY DENNIS - $50 per 90 min-Out calls higher. Swedish, Deep Tissue, All clients and Body types welcome, Reflexology and Feet. Couples Discounts. Delray Beach. 22 years experience.

MA18563 Call Dennis 561-502-2628.

sfgn.com

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