SFGN 10/28/21 V12iss43 by South Florida Gay News

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OCTOBER 28, 2021 VOL. 12 // ISSUE 43

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BROWARD GROUP AIMS TO HELP LGBT STUDENTS IN COLLEGE

2520 N. Dixie Highway • Wilton Manors, FL 33305 Phone: 954-530-4970 Fax: 954-530-7943

Publisher • Norm Kent Norm.Kent@sfgn.com

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Editorial

Art Director • Brendon Lies Artwork@sfgn.com Webmaster • Kimberly Swan Webmaster@sfgn.com Social Media Director • Christiana Lilly Arts/Entertainment Editor • J.W. Arnold JW@prdconline.com Food/Travel Editor • Rick Karlin Gazette News Editor • John McDonald HIV Editor • Sean McShee Community Editor • John Hayden Senior Photographer • J.R. Davis JRDavis12000@hotmail.com Copy Editor • Will Fairless

John Hayden

he saying goes: “Education is the great equalizer.” But access to education is far from equal. A group in South Florida is working to change that. A few years ago, four gay friends came up with the idea for the Broward LEADS Scholarship. LEADS stands for Leadership, Education, Achievement, Diversity, and Scholarship. Today they continue to bring their vision to life, one student at a time. “All four of us [founders] are retired,” Terry Gaw tells SFGN. “One of the things you think about when you’re entering retirement is there’s activity which is learning to play bridge, long road trips, whatever. But then there’s purpose or value. What are you doing with your time?” They saw the need to help young students in the LGBT community who are long on determination but short financially. What helps set this scholarship apart is that they work to help students in community college continue pursuing four-year degrees. While they set the criteria and raise money to fund the scholarships, they teamed up with the Point Foundation to select worthy candidates. “It’s hard enough to be LGBTQ+,” Gaw said, “It’s nice every once in a while to have some extra energy put in your direction. A little helping hand.”

@SFGN

October 28, 2021 • Volume 12 • Issue 43

Senior Feature Columnists

Brian McNaught • Jesse Monteagudo

Special to SFGN

WHILE THEY SET THE CRITERIA AND RAISE MONEY TO FUND THE SCHOLARSHIPS, THEY TEAMED UP WITH THE POINT FOUNDATION TO SELECT WORTHY CANDIDATES.

Steve Rothaus

Correspondents

Kendall Little • Everitt Rosen • Donald Cavanaugh Deon Jefferson • David-Elijah Nahmod Aurora Dominguez • Gillian Manning Denise Royal • Corey Rose • Kennedy McKinney

Contributing Columnists

Shay Mattison, a recipient of the Broward LEADS Scholarship in 2021. Photo via Facebook.

That reflects their goal to promote positive change through education, mentoring, leadership development and community service. “I want to see people who are underserved and maybe struggling and might not see a way forward to help impact and hopefully create a road so they can get on it and be successful,” co-founder John Ferrari said. To help raise money and let donors see

how their money is put to use, the group likes to hold fundraisers so the students can meet their benefactors. Now that COVID is receding enough to have big gatherings again, they hope to restart those meetings and help more students. “There’s a sense of giving back,” Ferrari said. “There are many ways you can go about that, and one of the ways is by impacting others. We might never know the full impact that small donation and scholarship makes to a person’s life. But you have to think that somewhere along the line that that kind of work makes an impact.”

The group is about to award its fourth round of scholarships. To learn more about their efforts and the students they’ve helped, visit Broward-LEADS.org.

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COVER: Members of NVEEE’s peace ambassador leadership program (PALP) attend a retreat in Miami last summer. Photo courtesy of NVEEE.

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NLGJA Journalist of the Year SOUTH FLORIDA GAY NEWS.COM, INC. — — FOUNDED, DECEMBER, 2009 BY PIER GUIDUGLI AND NORM KENT 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 or gender identity of individuals based on their names or pictorial representations in SFGN. SFGN contracts with independent entities for stock images. 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.

10 . 28 . 20 21 •

LGBTQIA BITES

BY KENNEDY MCKINNEY

IT’S NOT ALWAYS ABOUT THE G Transgender

DC COMICS INTRODUCES FIRST TRANS CHARACTER Last week, DC comics introduced Bia, a Black trans woman, in the first issue of the DC Comics series “Nubia and The Amazons.” The comic takes place in Themyscira, the island home of Wonder Woman and her Amazon sisters. Bia is one of five women who are welcomed to the island through the Well of Souls, “a portal through which women who have died as a result of the terror of ‘Man’s World’ are reborn, given new life among the immortal women,” Screen Rant reports. On Twitter, Stephanie Williams and Vita Ayala, the writers of the series, confirmed that Bia is trans. They also said she “isn’t a box to tick ... [she] is important to her community. Just as Black trans women are important to us in real life.”

• 10 . 28.2021

Bia in “Nubia and The Amazons.” Credit: DC.

Lynda Carter, who played Wonder Woman in the 1970s TV series, tweeted, “Trans women are Wonder Women. End of Story” after the new series was released. The addition of Bia to the DC universe follows another inclusivity milestone as earlier this month it was revealed that Jon Kent, the new superman and the son of Clark Kent, is bisexual.

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

Lesbian

DABUR’S KARWA CHAUTH AD FEATURES LESBIAN COUPLE

Dabur’s advertisement for this year’s Karwa Chauth, a Hindu festival that is observed by married women for the “safety, prosperity, happiness, and the long-lasting lives’ of their husbands” featured a lesbian couple for the first time ever. In the commercial, a lesbian couple is preparing for their first Karwa Chauth, and at first they appear to just be friends, but in the scene it is revealed that they are a couple. One Twitter user said, “Well done, Fem/Dabur! A nice film for a traditional, often-criticized festival by an otherwise conservative brand.” Another said, “This is such a great ad and a move towards acceptance. Can’t understand why regressive thinkers are getting all spiced up about it. Hats off to the

Credit: Dabur, via Twitter.

courage of the ad maker and this concept.” While Dabur is getting pushback for this ad, overall the response has been positive, and people are happy to see this push toward inclusivity.

LGBTQIA BITES

Bisexual

‘MARRIED AT FIRST SIGHT’ ALUM SPEAKS OUT ON SEXUALITY

Alexis Economou appeared in episode four of this year’s season of “Married at First Sight.” After failing to find love, Economou spoke out about her sexuality and how the show cut out a scene in which she spoke openly about dating women. Alexis revealed that she is open to dating women in an interview with FUBAR Radio’s Access All Areas, “I also have dated females, so for me, it’s a vibe … I have been in a serious relationship with a woman in the past.” She also noted that she spoke about this on the show but those scenes never aired. This is not the first time a reality star has had their conversations about their sexuality cut from airing. “Love Island” star Sharon Gaffka shared in August that she had several conversations about her sexuality but they were never shown. “A lot of the conversations I had about modern dating on the show were never aired, but I was very open about sexuality

Alexis Economou. Photo via Twitter.

and being a mixed-race woman in modern dating,” said Gaffka. As of right now, Economou is still single and on the hunt for love.

10 . 28 . 20 21 •

NEWS LOCAL

J.R.’s SNAPSHOTS

OF THE

From your life... into our pages! SFGN takes a weekly look at a community that has stood together through countless trials and victories in the past year alone.

WEEK Photos by J.R. Davis

Owner of Jetfire Technologies Inc. Will Portalatin with partner and realtor Mike Trottier, owner of Plant Life Wilton Manors inside Wilton Collective.

Paul Hugo, owner of Kraft Bistro Deli and also The Manor-Venue, with Legendary Bartender Vickie Bennett of The New Boardwalk Happy Birthday this past Sunday.

Raine Thut in healthcare with wife Toni Barone, affiliated broker at Patricia Burnside Realty.

Pet Legacy Program Director Rex Vacca with Executive Director of Pet Project Sue Martino.

• 10 . 28.2021

One Person Can Make a Difference With legacy gifts your impact lives forever. Paul Fasana

July 20, 1933 – April 1, 2021

Dedicated to Service

After serving in the U.S. Army during the Korean War, Paul attended UC Berkeley and received a B.A. and a Masters of Library Science. His remarkable career was dedicated to library administration and he proudly worked at Columbia University Libraries and the New York Public Library where he served as senior vice president and director of the Research Libraries until his retirement.

Keeping LGBT History Alive

Paul served as the chief archivist at the Stonewall National Museum & Archives, where he volunteered for more than 20-years. He loved sharing his knowledge with others and his many contributions enabled the LGBT community to thrive by keeping its history alive. “There is no one who has been more generous toward LGBT causes in South Florida over the past 10 years than Paul Fasana. Following the passing of his longtime partner, Robert Graham, in 2010, Paul not only continued – but he accelerated – the number and size of gifts directed to LGBT-supportive agencies and causes,” said David Jobin, president and CEO Our Fund Foundation. “As generous as he was during his lifetime, Paul took great care to endow funds at Our Fund so that causes that he and Robert cared about will be supported in perpetuity.”

A Life Well Lived

Paul and his late partner Robert Graham were devoted to one another for almost 50 years. They supported many causes by volunteering their time and through charitable giving. In January of 2020, Our Fund Foundation presented Paul with the inaugural Dick Schwarz Award for Lifetime Achievement for his extensive philanthropic contributions. Thanks to his endowed fund at Our Fund Foundation, Paul’s legacy will live on through his continued financial backing for various LGBT-supportive programs for seniors and youth, as well as support for the Sunshine Cathedral, which has a chapel named after the couple, and the Stonewall National Museum & Archives.

The quality of life and opportunities afforded to LGBT people in South Florida are directly correlated to the impact that Paul has made on the community.

Our Fund Foundation’s mission is to secure the LGBT community’s future by promoting and increasing responsible philanthropy, strengthening community organizations and their leaders, and connecting donors to causes that matter To learn more about how Our Fund Foundation can help you establish a legacy plan, please contact Our Fund at DJobin@Our-Fund.org or call 954-565-1090. A sampling of South Florida LGBT-supportive agencies Our Fund Foundation is proud to support. Alzheimer's Association Aqua Foundation Broward House Chainless Change Compass LGBT Community Center Equality Florida

Gay Men's Chorus of South Florida Gilda's Club Island City Stage Jewish Community Services of South Florida Latinos Salud

Museum of Science and Discovery OUTShine Film Festival Pride Center at Equality Park South Florida Institute on Aging Stonewall National Museum & Archives

SunServe Sunshine Cathedral Thou Art Woman TransInclusive Group Urban League of Broward County

10 . 28 . 20 21 •

NEWS NATIONAL

BY GILLIAN MANNING

THE COUNTRY ACROSS

TEXAS

TEXAS REPRESENTATIVE SAYS GAY MARRIAGE IS STILL ILLEGAL

On Oct. 19, Texas State Rep. James White sent a letter to Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton seeking clarification on the landmark U.S. Supreme Court case Obergefell v. Hodges, which made marriage equality U.S. law, and how it impacts pre-existing Texas law. The letter was shared on Twitter. In it, White argues that Texas’ laws should trump the SCOTUS decision. “The State of Texas has not amended or repealed its marriage laws in response to Obergefell v. Hodges,” White wrote. “The Supreme Court has no power to amend formally or revoke a state statute or constitutional provision.” Lauren McGaughy, a Dallas Morning News reporter, noted on Twitter that Texas also never repealed a statute that classifies “homosexual misconduct” as a

Texas State Rep. James White. Photo via Facebook.

misdemeanor. White wrote in his letter that Texas still classifies marriage as a union between a man and a woman. State Rep. Julie Johnson, a Democrat and married to a woman, also responded to the situation on Twitter. She wrote, “Now, [Texas Legislature] Republic colleagues don’t think the love my wife and I have is good enough to make a lifetime commitment to each other.”

TENNESSEE LESBIAN SUES BIDEN ADMIN. FOR DISCRIMINATION IN FOSTER PROGRAM

Kelly Easter is a 47-year-old Realtor who lives alone in Nashville, Tennessee, in a two-bedroom apartment. Easter became extremely concerned by the conditions unaccompanied migrant children face at the U.S.-Mexico border and decided she wanted to do something about it. “I have the resources. I thought, ‘Why not? Let me help,’” Easter told TIME. She contacted the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), which places migrant children in foster care, and was directed to Bethany Christian Services, a nonprofit that runs the HHS program in Easter’s area. She reached out to Bethany in September 2020. Easter, a lesbian, was told by Bethany on Aug. 12, 2021 that she couldn’t participate in the program because of her sexual orientation.

• 10 . 28.2021

Photo via PxHere.

“I literally cried,” Easter said. “Just to be turned down because of who I am, it was really surreal.” With the help of LGBTQ civil rights group Lambda Legal, Easter filed a federal lawsuit against HHS on Oct. 13. Easter alleges that by funding and operating a federal program through an organization that discriminates against sexual orientation, the HHS has violated the Constitution by enabling discrimination.

COVERING LGBT NEWS SWEEPING THE NATION

WASHINGTON

SUSPECT ARRESTED FOR MURDER OF TRANS WOMAN

Jacaree Rashad Hardy, 24, was arrested on Oct. 6 for the murder of Zoella Martinez, 20, in Seattle, Washington. Martinez wasn’t publicly recognized as trans until recently, the Advocate reported. “The news of trans homicide is routinely delayed, which underscores the heartbreaking reality that there will always be more victims than we know,” the Transgender Law Center wrote on Facebook. Martinez believed that Hardy took $1,100 from her bank account and arranged a meeting to try to get her money back, the Seattle Times reported. Prior to the meeting, Martinez sent her friend the Facebook profile of the man she planned to meet and the meeting location, and her friend stayed nearby. She saw Martinez in a vehicle parked next to Martinez’s before it sped off. Martinez’s friend attempted

Victim Zoella Martinez. Photo via Facebook.

to follow the vehicle, but the driver was speeding, and her friend lost sight of the vehicle. Martinez’s friend reported her missing that night, Aug. 31. On Sept. 1, Martinez was found with five gunshot wounds in an alley. After being at large for a month, Hardy was charged with second-degree murder and first-degree unlawful possession of a firearm.

COLORADO ‘PERFECT MATCH’ DENVER MAN GIVES UP KIDNEY FOR HIS HUSBAND

Reid Alexander was diagnosed at 17 with Alport syndrome, a genetic condition that scars the kidneys and can eventually cause them to fail. In 2020, after graduating from university, he moved to Denver, Colorado. The next week, he met Rafael Díaz on a dating app, NBC reported. They met inperson last August and both said there was an immediate spark. Alexander discussed his condition early in the relationship, and Díaz immediately offered to be tested as a potential donor. Alexander was hesitant since they had recently started dating. In April, the couple was married at a local courthouse. Alexander’s condition worsened, and Díaz insisted on getting tested despite his husband’s insistence that he not. “He really didn’t want me to do it!” Díaz

Husbands Rafael Díaz (left) and Reid Alexander. Courtesy Rafael Diaz.

said. “He was like, ‘No, no, you don’t have to.’ But I got tested anyway, and the doctors said we were a perfect match.” Almost exactly one year after their first date, Díaz’s kidney was transplanted to Alexander. The surgeries went smoothly. “To know that someone is doing this incredible thing for you, and it’s someone you love, is really an amazing feeling,” Alexander said.

NEWS INTERNATIONAL

BY EVERITT ROSEN

THE WORLD AROUND

EXPLORING LGBT NEWS EVENTS ACROSS THE GLOBE

ASIA

EUROPE

DELHI HC TO HEAR PLEAS FOR SAME-SEX MARRIAGE

EUROPE MUSIC AWARDS COMBATS HUNGARY’S ANTI-LGBT LAWS

Separate petitions, including those filed by two same-sex couples, have been scheduled for final hearing before the Delhi High Court, which seeks a ruling that same-sex weddings are recognized under the special, Hindu, and international marriage laws. The parties were given time to file comments and rejoinders in the issue by a bench of Chief Justice Dhirubhai Naranbhai Patel and Justice Jyoti Singh. According to The Wire, Joydeep Sengupta, an OCI, and Russell Blaine Stephens, a U.S. citizen, are the petitioners, as is Mario Dpenha, an Indian citizen and LGBT rights professor and activist completing a Ph.D. at Rutgers University in the United States.

The Delhi High Court. Credit: Government of India.

The case for these petitions has been set for a final hearing on Nov. 30.

The MTV Europe Music Awards will be hosted in Hungary on Nov. 14, reiterating and justifying the choice despite the country’s recent ratification of anti-LGBT laws. “The ceremony is an opportunity to make a stand for gay and trans civil rights worldwide in the central European nation that has moved to curtail them,” said Chris McCarthy, president and CEO of MTV Entertainment Group Worldwide, according to ABC News. McCarthy also stated that no government censorship will be tolerated during the telecast. MTV’s Generation Change Award, which will be granted in cooperation with the activist organization All Out to boost its international efforts for equality, will be presented during the

Chris McCarthy, president and CEO of MTV. Photo via LinkedIn.

Europe Music Awards. “Instead, we should move forward, using the show as an opportunity to stand in solidarity with the LGBTQ+ community in Hungary and around the world as we continue to fight for equality for all,” said McCarthy.

AFRICA

NEW ZEALAND

CHURCHES ACROSS AFRICA JOIN OPPOSING LGBT RIGHTS

LAUREL HUBBARD NAMED SPORTSWOMAN OF THE YEAR

Leaders of major churches in Ghana, which is home to a variety of religions, have joined in condemning homosexuality as a “perversion” and adopting legislation that, if passed, would impose Africa’s toughest antiLGBT measures. In Nigeria, the umbrella group for Christian churches portrays same-sex partnerships as a sin worthy of the harsh jail penalties imposed by current legislation. According to AP News, bishops affiliated with the worldwide United Methodist Church are ready to join an in-the-works breakaway organization in order to maintain their practice of refusing to recognize same-sex marriage or appoint LGBT clergy in many African nations.

Photo via PxHere.

“The mainstream churches — all of them — they actually are totally against it,” said Caroline Omolo, associate pastor at the Cosmopolitan Affirming Community in Nairobi, Kenya. It is a rare example of a church in Africa serving a predominantly LGBT congregation.

The University of Otago has selected New Zealand weightlifter Laurel Hubbard to be sportswoman of the year. At the Blues awards on Tuesday, she received this honor from the university in Dunedin, New Zealand’s South Island. She is the first transgender person to win the award in its 113-year history of honoring sports excellence. According to DailyMail, when she qualified for the women’s 87+ kg weightlifting category at the Tokyo Olympic Games earlier this year, Hubbard, 43, made history as the first openly transgender woman to compete in a single sport at the Olympics. “I see the Olympic Games as a global celebration of our hopes, ideals and values and I would like to thank the IOC

Photo via the University of Otago website.

for its commitment to making sport inclusive and accessible,” Hubbard said.

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NEWS LOCAL

SFGN PUBLISHER NOW DIAGNOSED WITH CANCER STARTS CHEMO THIS WEEK SFGN Staff

orm Kent, the co-founder and publisher of SFGN, has begun receiving weekly chemotherapy treatments at the University of Miami Sylvester Cancer Care Center after being diagnosed with cancer this past week. Upon sustaining a concussion last June, Kent learned he had a suffered a cerebral stroke after undergoing a precautionary CAT scan. Follow-up testing then uncovered a small brain tumor, and other warning signs, which required surgery in July. Even though the tumor proved to be benign, Kent likely contracted COVID-19 while being treated in the hospital, despite having been fully vaccinated last February. He recovered from the coronavirus after being administered doses of monoclonal antibodies. Returning to work as SFGN’s publisher and his duties as a criminal defense lawyer Norm with Dusty and Tiger on his front porch. this fall, Kent went for follow up PET scans and biopsies to address cancer warning signs found during the testing. They South Florida, which is noted for its defense revealed the new diagnosis last week. of drug cases, protecting the constitutional Kent, who turned 72 last week, and rights of the LGBTQ community, and its survived non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma 20 representation of hospitality industry years ago, stated, “Your body does not get establishments. younger as you get older. You hurt quicker, “My message to anyone dealing with any and you heal slower. You just have to stay illness is to trust the science and medicine calm and deal with it day by day. And with while keeping your faith strong and soul COVID still sharing its lethal optimistic. Every one of us force, remain cautious and face something, somewhere careful.” and somehow, in our family While undergoing or with our friends, or our chemotherapy, Kent said he own lives. You never know may still publish a weekly when, so keep a song in your editorial when up to it. heart, a smile on your lips, “The doctors have told me and an ice cream cone with today’s chemo is not your chocolate sprinkles nearby.” ‘grandmother’s chemo’ Explaining something “had anymore. It’s smarter and to give right away,” Kent has more target specific. I am however, suspended for now going to order the cherry his daily noontime radio flavored one.” show, “Talk of the Town,” on Associate Publisher WWNN. - Norm Kent Jason Parsley will continue “Let me see how the chemo SFGN PUBLISHER to manage the day-to-day treatments go for a month or affairs of SFGN’s print and two.” Kent added, “I just hope online editions with Sales and Marketing the doses are not backed up on a ship stuck Manager Justin Wyse. Kent’s law partner, offshore at sea outside a port in Oakland, Russell Cormican, will supervise their law with the new refrigerator I ordered from firm, the Criminal Defense Law Center of Brand’s Mart in August.”

“KEEP A SONG IN YOUR HEART, A SMILE ON YOUR LIPS, AND AN ICE CREAM CONE WITH CHOCOLATE SPRINKLES NEARBY.”

NEWS LOCAL

LOCAL ORG. LAUNCHES BULLYING, SUICIDE PREVENTION EFFORT Damon Scott

South Florida-based nonprofit is in the midst of a new initiative designed to prevent bullying, suicide and violence. The “Share the Care” campaign is driven by youth who are part of the National Voices for Equality, Education and Enlightenment (NVEEE) organization. “We work with youth and young adults in many areas and one is providing education on bullying, maintaining good mental health, leadership, social justice and becoming upstanders instead of bystanders,” NVEEE founder Jowharah Sanders said. “And obviously LGBTQ+ support. A lot of the youth we work with are part of the gay community.” “Share the Care” is an online guide directing people to resources related to the LGBT community, mental health, legal aid, homelessness, sexual assault, human trafficking, domestic violence, eating disorders, self-harm, substance abuse, COVID-19 and more. Youth leaders in its peace ambassador leadership program (PALP) and young adult advisory and leadership council (YALC) spearheaded the work. Access to the guide is free, and NVEEE’s youth leaders also created “Share the Care” stickers and window decals that are available for purchase on the website. Decal styles vary and feature a QR code that leads directly to the online resource catalog. The decals and stickers are meant to be used by anyone, including businesses, schools, sports teams and mental health providers. The initiative has attracted supporters like the Miami Dolphins through its Football Unites program. PANDEMIC EFFECT Sanders established NVEEE in 2009 for very personal reasons. She said she was bullied in school — called an “Oreo” because she wasn’t “black enough.” Sanders was also bullied after questioning her sexual orientation at age 15. She said she’s also a survivor of a kidnapping and sexual assault. “I was literally lost on the street trying to figure out what to do. I got to a safe place and ended up not going home — I was a runaway — afraid to talk to my parents because I felt like I did something wrong,” Sanders said. She said she eventually attempted suicide and was placed in a hospital psychiatric ward for about a month.

NVEEE founder Jowharah Sanders. Courtesy NVEEE.

“I met other kids who had the same sort of feeling, like you had nowhere to turn,” she said. “I didn’t think I was going to survive.” The Mississippi-born Sanders grew up in Miami Gardens. She later attended the University of Miami, where she would also seek counseling and receive therapy. Sanders now lives in the Oakland Park-Wilton Manors area as she has for many years. She said a catalyst for “Share the Care” was the rise in mental health issues and emotional distress brought on by the pandemic. Sanders became aware that young people in particular were struggling. There were also youth who came out as transgender or gay and were being kicked out of their homes, she said. “Some kids were in toxic households and their mental health was in a major decline,” Sanders said. “We connected them with virtual therapists and donated services throughout the pandemic. But our youth leaders said: ‘What about all the other kids who don’t know where to go?’” The youth leaders spent about six months curating information and filling out spreadsheets with resources that fit into NVEEE’s mission. “Being at home or just social distancing and all of the ways the pandemic impacted them — isolation, dealing with memories that came up that you didn’t have the time to deal with before, suicide ideation, relapse in self-harm or eating disorder — their mental health was declining at such a rapid rate,” Sanders said. “I want them to know that this is where you can go to find the help that you may be looking for and if it doesn’t help you, share it with someone else.”

Visit nveee.org/wecare to access the resource guide and purchase stickers or decals. Proceeds support NVEEE’s youth programs. More is at nveee.org. 10 . 28 . 20 21 •

OUT NOW! RAINY & WILD Bad Weather Can’t Stop A Good Cause NEWS LOCAL

LOOK FOR IT NEAR YOU, OR ASK FOR YOUR COPY AT SFGN

John Hayden S O U T H

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The Pride Center and Women with Pride fundraiser for the Making Strides Against Breast Cancer Walk benefiting the American Cancer Society. Photo courtesy of Nic Zantop, The Pride Center.

PICTURED: ISLAND CITY STAGE OPENS ITS 10TH ANNIVERSARY SEASON WITH A REVIVAL “TWENTIETHCENTURY WAY.” THE ORIGINAL PRODUCTION STARRED MIKE WESTRICH, RIGHT, AND CLAY CARTLAND. CREDIT: ISLAND CITY STAGE.

Vol. 10 Issue 4 • OCTOBER - NOVEMBER 2021

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• 10 . 28.2021

he saying, “When it rains, it pours,” work, Cohen said it would take more than a was never truer than Saturday morning downpour to douse their enthusiasm. in Fort Lauderdale. That didn’t stop “Rain pales in comparison, it’s water not hundreds of pink-clad people from gathering acid. What’s a little rain compared to the at Huizenga Park to raise money and struggle and pain that people go through just awareness for the fight against breast cancer. to save their lives?” By 7:30 a.m., well into check-in time, Eventually the rain let up and the sun, thunder rolled across the sky sorta, came out. The walk and rain fell straight down. But started a little late but better “WHAT’S A LITTLE late than never, because Team nothing was dampening the spirits of those determined to Proud In Pink alone raised RAIN COMPARED walk, rain or shine. Pride Center $4,000. Making Strides Against TO THE STRUGGLE Breast Cancer walks are held at Equality Park and Women With Pride’s team, Proud across the country, often in AND PAIN THAT In Pink, had about 20 team October, which is Breast Cancer PEOPLE GO members ready to go. Pride Awareness Month. Money THROUGH JUST Center’s Women With Pride raised goes to the American coordinator, Jeannette Cohen, Cancer Society and helps pay TO SAVE THEIR said this cause is personal. for innovative breast cancer LIVES?” “It’s important to me research and fund patient personally because I lost my services including free rides to - Jeannette Cohen mom 30 years ago. My sister chemo, free places to stay near WOMEN WITH PRIDE battled breast cancer, I have a treatment and a 24-hour-a-day couple of young friends that cancer helpline. continue to fight the good fight. I think it’s Breast cancer screenings are especially not a disease that affects only women. In important this year. During the height of community and humanity it is important to COVID, many skipped routine checkups and help each other and show love.” tests, with mammograms and Pap smears Proud In Pink raised money through being near the top of the list. Early detection Facebook and social media plus a drag is key to fighting and beating cancer. show at Hamburger Mary’s. After all that

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They’re celebrating all weekend long starting Friday at 9 p.m. with a PreHalloween Showcase of local artists and talent. Saturday is a bar crawl through the Lake Worth Beach neighborhood followed by a super sexy Fetish Drag Show. Sunday, which is Halloween, they’re having Kids Day, setting up a bounce house and giving out treats and a costume contest. Later is their Under the Rainbow Drag Show. In the yard behind the bar, they’re setting

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Always Plenty of Free Parking • Located Conveniently on Wilton Drive Adam Sessa outside of The Haus Lounge. Photo courtesy of Adam Sessa.

up a Haunted House Scare Zone, a pumpkin patch, parking a hearse and setting up a DJ. This weekend the Haus Lounge will expose itself to customers who may have never thought to come in. It is the only primarily LGBT lounge in Palm Beach County. Owner Adam Sessa said he wants to help bring the business community and neighbors together. When Moonfest left a hole in the area’s Halloween traditions, Sessa said he wanted to step up and do something the entire community can enjoy.

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For more on the weekend’s events, visit TheHausLounge.com.

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SFGN.COM/SCREENSAVOR 10 . 28 . 20 21 •

NEWS STATE

Photo via SMART Ride, Facebook.

RIDERS TRAINING, RAISING FUNDS FOR SMART RIDE NEXT MONTH John Hayden

‘T

is the season when glutes are a little tighter, calves are poppin’ and more and more people have “helmet head.” The season in question: SMART Ride Training Season. Hundreds of riders across South Florida have spent months training for the annual ride through the Keys. Once again, they’ll start at MM165 and start counting down the miles to MM0 in Key West. This year’s ride is Nov. 19-20. But SMART Ride is no joyride. Riders and organizers alike spend months preparing. In addition to adding in COVID safety protocols this year, organizers also make sure there is plenty of support for riders (medical, water stations, lodging, etc.). Riders and teams not only spend weekend mornings on endless bike rides, they also spend hours planning and holding fundraisers. Since its inception in 2003, SMART Ride has raised nearly $13 million, all of which is donated to HIV/AIDS services across Florida. Timothy Hart, captain of SFGN’s SMART Ride team, said his team uses social media to raise money. “We have been sending emails and posting on social media. Everyone did a great job fundraising.” More than three-quarters of a million dollars have already been raised for this year’s ride. Donald Dotzauer has led individual fundraising for several years and is atop the leaderboard again, having raised more than $56,000. One of his secrets? Just

get older! “My birthday was Saturday. I was showered with donations.” His team, The Key West Mile Markers (KWMM), has raised more than $163,000. They run a Facebook page to keep supporters engaged. There are SMART Ride facts, donation updates and more. While KWMM runs their efforts like a well-oiled bicycle, Sean Conklin of Boynton Beach is preparing for his first ride and said time flew by. “I need a time machine! I’ll hopefully get some good training during the next few weeks.” He’s also working to get on the SMART Ride’s homepage leaderboard. In addition to traditional fundraising, Conklin held an exclusive 50/50 for which only 165 tickets were sold (one per mile of the SMART Ride). On Oct. 28, he’s hosting Karaoke For A Cause, a fundraiser at the Howlin Owl in Lake Worth. “Many local businesses donated raffle prizes. The Howlin Owl is allowing me to take over their regularly scheduled Karaoke to raise funds with games, raffles and a 50/50.” Conklin said today’s work can build a beautiful tomorrow. “I believe in building the world you want to live in, and I want to live in a world where HIV is eliminated. We need to raise funds to get to that world. Plus, cycling is fun and the Florida Keys are beautiful.”

To make a donation and learn more about who benefits from this event, visit TheSmartRide.org. 16

• 10 . 28.2021

10 . 28 . 20 21 •

NEWS NATIONAL

STATE DEPARTMENT TO ISSUE PASSPORTS WITH ‘X’ GENDER MARKER Michael K. Lavers Washington Blade

he State Department on Wednesday is expected to issue the first U.S. passport with an “X” gender marker.

Jessica Stern, the special U.S. envoy for Stern added that passports with an the promotion of LGBT rights abroad, on “X” gender marker will “reflect the true Tuesday told the Washington Blade and the gender of the passport holder and make Associated Press during a conference call people safer, hopefully by reducing the the State Department will initially issue a likelihood of dehumanizing harassment gender-neutral passport to one person. and mistreatment that so often happens Stern said the State Department will begin at border crossings when a person’s legal “offering the ‘X’ gender marker option to documentation does not correspond with routine passport applicants” in early 2022. their gender expression.” A State Department official said the delay “When a person obtains identity is necessary because the U.S. Office of documents that reflect their true identity, Management and Budget needs to approve they live with greater dignity and respect,” “the required form updates.” said Stern. Secretary of State Antony The State Department’s Blinken in June announced announcement comes the State Department will a day after it publicly allow passport applicants to acknowledged Intersex “self-select their gender as ‘M’ Awareness Day, which or ‘F.’” commemorates the world’s People who identify as first-ever intersex rights intersex, non-binary or gender protection that took place “BECAUSE PEOPLE non-conforming can choose in Boston in 1996. DO NOT ALWAYS a gender-neutral gender Dana Zzyym, an intersex marker for their passports U.S. Navy veteran who FIT WITHIN A MALE and Consular Report of Birth identifies as non-binary, OR A FEMALE Abroad, a document that in 2015 filed a federal DESIGNATION, IT confirms an American who lawsuit against the State was born overseas is a U.S. Department after it DOESN’T BENEFIT citizen. The new policy that denied their application ANYONE TO HAVE Blinken announced in June for a passport with an “X” INCONSISTENCIES no longer requires “medical gender marker. The State certification if an applicant’s Department official with BETWEEN PEOPLE self-selected gender does not whom the Blade spoke on AND SYSTEMS.” match the gender on their Tuesday declined to say other citizenship or identity whether Zzyym is the first - Jessica Stern documents.” person who will receive a U.S. ENVOY “Offering a third gender gender-neutral passport in marker is a significant the U.S. step towards ensuring that “The department does not our administrative systems account for generally comment on individual passport the diversity of gender identity, gender applications due to privacy considerations,” expression and sex characteristics,” said said the official. Stern during the conference call. “Because President Biden in February signed a people do not always fit within a male or a memorandum that committed the U.S. to female designation, it doesn’t benefit anyone promote LGBT rights abroad. to have inconsistencies between people and The White House in June named Stern, systems.” who had previously been the executive

• 10 . 28.2021

Photo via Adobe.

director of OutRight Action International, a global LGBT advocacy group, to her position. Stern said the issuance of passports with “X” gender markers demonstrates the Biden administration’s commitment to LGBT rights. “I am proud that the United States seeks to protect and promote the human rights of LGBTQI+ persons globally and this is an excellent example of leading by example,” said Stern. Canada, Australia, New Zealand and

Argentina are among the handful of other countries that issue gender-neutral passports. The State Department official said their colleagues have “been coordinating with Canada and New Zealand on best practices as we work towards this goal, based on their experiences.” They said the State Department has also “coordinated with several LGBTQI+ organizations, both directly and through the White House Domestic Policy Council, throughout this process.”

Washington Blade courtesy of the National LGBTQ Media Association.

HISTORY MONTH ANGELA DAVIS A REVOLUTIONARY ACTIVIST By Victoria A. Brownworth “You have to act as if it were possible to radically transform the world. And you have to do it all the time.” So said Angela Davis, 78, America’s most famous living revolutionary. She was born in Birmingham, Alabama, one of the most incendiary of the racist Jim Crow southern cities, in a neighborhood called “Dynamite Hill,” due to attacks on Black people by Angela Davis. Credit: Gerd Eiltzer. their white neighbors. Davis would rise to become an international beacon of anti-racist and feminist radicalism over decades, expanding her vision to include LGBT civil rights, Palestinian rights and her life’s work against America’s carceral system.

READ MORE AT SFGN.COM/HISTORY2021

TEE A. CORINNE PHOTOGRAPHER OF LESBIAN SEXUALITY By Victoria A. Brownworth Over her decades as a lesbian photographer and artist, Tee Corinne said, “I’m one of the most obscure famous artists.” Famous? Yes. Obscure? Certainly not within artistic circles nor within the queer art world where she began doing groundbreaking work in the 1960s. According to “Completely Queer: The Gay and Lesbian Encyclopedia,” “Tee Corinne is one of the most visible and accessible lesbian artists in the world.” Corinne said in an interview with photographer Barbara Kyne in 2000 about why she chose photography: “I wanted to do something where content and politics could be satisfied. Fine art has problems with accessibility. I was a southerner active in the civil rights movement in the south. Printmaking was one way I could integrate art with politics. Photography is another.”

READ MORE AT SFGN.COM/HISTORY2021 Join SFGN during October for LGBT History Month and see where it all began for our community... It’s our past, you deserve to know about it.

SFGN.COM/HISTORY2021 10 . 28 . 20 21 •

LGBT HISTORY MONTH

OFF THE WALL

TRAILBLAZERS WRITING HISTORY Pier Angelo

LAUREL HUBBARD (February 9, 1978) is

a New Zealand weightlifter. Selected to compete at the 2020 Summer Olympics, she was the first openly transgender woman to compete in the Olympic Games. Prior to making her Olympic debut, Hubbard achieved a ranking of 7th in the IWF’s women’s +87 kg division.

comedians. The working-class son of a coach driver, and the youngest member of the Noel Coward Society, Tom Allen grew up in ‘90s suburbia as the eternal outsider. In these hilarious, honest and heart-breaking stories, Tom makes observations on childhood, his adolescence, the family he still lives with, and his attempts to come out and negotiate the gay dating scene. They are written with his trademark caustic wit and warmth and will entertain, surprise and move you in equal measure. Here is a quote: “When I was 16 I dressed in Victorian clothing in a bid to distract people from the fact that I was gay. It was a flawed plan.”

BILLY PORTER (September 21, 1969) is an American actor and singer. He achieved fame performing on Broadway before starting a solo career as a singer and actor. BILLY EICHNER (September 18, Porter won the 2013 1978) is an American actor, comedian, Tony Award for Best Jewish, gay and producer. He is the Actor in a Musical for star, executive producer, and creator of his role as Lola in Kinky “Funny Or Die’s Billy on the Street,” a Boots. He credits the part comedy game show that aired on TruTV. for “cracking open” his Eichner was nominated for a Daytime feminine side to confront Emmy Award for “Outstanding Game toxic masculinity. He Show Host” in 2013. In March 2021, starred in all three seasons Eichner announced that he is currently of the television series writing and starring in the film Bros, “Pose,” for which he was which tells the story of two gay men nominated for a Golden with commitment issues who decide Globe Award and won to settle down with each other. Being the 2019 Primetime Emmy produced by Universal Pictures, it is for outstanding Lead set to be the first adult-oriented LGBT - Thomas Paul "Tom" Allen Actor, becoming the first movie ever produced by a mainstream COMEDIAN gay Black man to be a film studio. In August of that same year, Primetime Emmy in any Amazon Studios announced that they lead acting category. Porter was included in Time had bought the rights to develop the film “ExMagazine’s 100 Most Influential People of 2020. Husbands,” starring Eichner and co-written by him and Paul Rudnick.

“WHEN I WAS 16 I DRESSED IN VICTORIAN CLOTHING IN A BID TO DISTRACT PEOPLE FROM THE FACT THAT I WAS GAY. IT WAS A FLAWED PLAN.”

THOMAS PAUL “TOM” ALLEN (June 14, 1983) is an English comedian, actor, writer and presenter. In 2005, Allen won the So You Think You’re Funny contest. His latest book “No Shame” is a very funny, candid and emotional ride of a memoir by one of our most beloved

THOMAS CARLYLE FORD (August 27, 1961) is an American fashion designer and filmmaker. He launched his eponymous luxury brand in 2005, having previously served as the creative director at Gucci and Yves Saint Laurent.

TO SEE MORE HISTORY MONTH STORIES, VISIT SFGN.COM/HISTORY2021 20

• 10 .28.2021

Thomas Paul “Tom” Allen. Credit: CTV Comedy Channel, via Facebook.

Ford wrote and directed the Academy Award– nominated films “A Single Man” and “Nocturnal Animals.” In 2014, Ford released a new product, called the “Penis Pendant Necklace.” The product caused some controversy, with Christians calling it offensive due to the pendant being of a shape similar to a Christian cross. Ford replied that “it was not meant to be a cross, it was a phallus” and “people read into things what they want to.” Ford married Richard Buckley in 2014, a journalist and former editor-in-chief of Vogue Hommes International; they had been in a relationship since meeting in 1986. The couple have a son, Alexander John “Jack” Buckley Ford, born in

2012 via gestational surrogate. Buckley died in 2021 after a long illness. Ford is a Democrat, he opposed the invasion of Iraq, stating that it made him feel “ashamed to be an American.” His comment drew public criticism within America. He hosted a fundraiser for Obama and voted for Hillary Clinton in 2016. Ford advocated for federal recognition of same sex marriage. In a 2009 interview, he said he preferred the term “civil partnership” for both opposite-sex and same-sex partnerships, and to leave “marriage” to religion to decide. He maintains a policy of not dressing politicians regardless of party.

Pier Angelo was born in Italy, moved to England at the age of 17 and learned English at the Nelson School of English. He attended college and graduate school in Manhattan. In 2009 he founded SFGN with Norm Kent. Now he’s retired with his husband Tom and his Affenpinscher Cabbage. He still enjoys writing his column Off The Wall for SFGN.

THE

GAZETTE VOLUME 8 • ISSUE 21 OCTOBER 28, 2021

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WILTON MANORS

A Wicked Good Time Beloved spooky festival returning to Wilton Drive

By John Hayden People strutting down Wilton Drive in eyecatching outfits, while throwing a little shade, is an everyday occurrence. But this Sunday, Halloween, it explodes into a spectacle that will feel like Sunday Funday on steroids. Wicked Manors is returning as South Florida’s premier Halloween Party. This year’s theme, Turn Back Time, invokes not only Cher’s classic song, but also reminds us we’ve lost a year or more of our lives, staying socially distant from our friends and family. This event is a chance to reconnect with family and friends during an iconic event. While last-minute logistics are still being worked out, SFGN has obtained the main plans for Wicked Manors 2021. Wilton Drive will close to motor traffic at noon and reopen at 4 a.m. The party officially starts at 6 p.m. and ends at 11 p.m. While the street cleanup will begin at 11 p.m., some bars and restaurants may stay open. Three stages will dominate the Drive. South Florida’s radio superstar Kimmy will emcee the main stage, located at Sixth Avenue. The Manor is hosting the dance stage, and the Easy 93.1 stage will be by Rosie’s Bar & Grill and Hamburger Mary’s. The Pride Center at Equality Park throws the

event, along with AHF and Hunters Nightclub. As in past years, Wilton Drive will close from around the Dairy Queen down to near Five Points. In between will be raging music, creative costumes, and enough food and drink to make you burst out of your perfectly sized costume. After a year away due to COVID, Pride Center CEO, Robert Boo, said the buzz is louder than ever. “We have gotten such an overwhelming response from the community to our plans for Wicked Manors, and people are more excited than ever before to safely gather with their friends at the biggest street festival on Halloween night in the Southeast! The final preparations are underway here at The Pride Center, and Roger Roa, director of development and our entire Center staff and crew of volunteers have been working tirelessly to ensure that this Wicked Manors will be the spookiest, most amazing one yet.” There is a $5 per person cover to attend, and there will be nine entrances. There will be four costume contests with the Kids Costume Contest starting around 6 p.m. Kids can also come at 5 p.m. and do trick or treating.

This event is a chance to reconnect with family and friends during an iconic event.

Last year’s Wicked Manors. Photo credit: J.R. Davis.

“You’ll be able to look forward to the most creative costumes you’ve ever seen that we know have been in the works for two years,” Boo said. “World-class entertainment, and a safe environment to spend a great night with friends, both old and new.” While Wicked Manors is the main event, there is a full Wicked Weekend of events. Friday night, Hagen Park will host a double feature. At 7 p.m. is the Bette Midler classic “Hocus Pocus” and at 9 p.m. is the campy classic “Rocky Horror Picture Show.” Bring a lawn chair or a blanket.

The next day is Saturday Splash at Tru by Hilton in downtown Fort Lauderdale. Tickets start at $35. Boo is ready for people to come, see the costumes, reconnect with friends and just have fun. “We are so excited to organize Wicked Manors as a fundraiser that supports the ongoing vital programs, services and community efforts of The Pride Center at Equality Park, and we look forward to a safe, festive, inclusive, memorable evening.”

For last minute updates visit WickedManor.org.

www.WMGAZETTE.com

10 . 28 . 20 21 •

WILTON MANORS

Trick or Treat

OPINION

New funds in Wilton Manors bring the tricksters forth

By Sal Torre Hopefully residents have been busy getting their jack o’ lanterns carved, costumes picked out, and are now ready for the spooktacular festivities this coming Halloween weekend here in the Island City. Step out on The Drive this Sunday night to catch a glimpse of ghost, goblins, and who knows what else to be witnessed as the night comes alive on All Hallow’s Eve. Costume-wearing children running door to door are not the only ones trick or treating this year. Many involved with local governments are salivating, already running around with their goodie bags held open looking for treats to be handed out by municipalities flush with cash from the American Relief Plan Act. The City of Wilton Manors will be receiving just over $6 million. Much of those funds will have to be used for infrastructure and broadband improvements, along with water and sewer projects throughout or city. There are no shortage of projects needing attention in those areas. Thankfully the federal government recognized the needs of cities across the nation and passed a lifeline to many communities through the appropriations known as the ARPA funds. Tricksters will be out and about looking to get hold of some of these goodies over the next few months as cities look to allocate the first round of ARPA funding. Trick or treat, be careful, you might just get tricked. Residents must stay informed and aware, so that these funds are used to make a difference in our community, to benefit residents, and to strengthen our city. With so many spirits, ghosts and wandering souls swirling around gathering strength as Halloween approaches, there is a sense of strangeness in the air. Weird things begin to happen around every corner. So was the case at the city commission meeting this past Tuesday night. On the agenda were items proposed by the Charter Review Board for placement on the ballot in the next election. The main item was that of term limits. In a three-to-two vote, the city commission voted not to put a proposal of term limits on the ballot as recommended

October 28, 2021 • Volume 8 • Issue 21 2520 N. Dixie Highway • Wilton Manors, FL 33305 Phone: 954-530-4970 Fax: 954-530-7943

Publisher • Norm Kent norm.kent@sfgn.com Associate Publisher / Executive Editor • Jason Parsley jason.parsley@sfgn.com

Editorial

Art Director • Brendon Lies artwork@sfgn.com Oakland Park Editor • Christiana Lilly Wilton Manors Editor • John McDonald

Correspondents

Sal Torre • James Oaksun

Staff Photographers

J.R. Davis • Carina Mask • Steven Shires

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Sales Manager • Justin Wyse justin.wyse@sfgn.com Advertising Sales Associate • Edwin Neimann edwin.neimann@sfgn.com Accounting Services by CG Bookkeeping

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by the Charter Review Board. The weird thing here is that Mayor Scott Newton voted for the proposal while a member of the Charter Review Board but voted against it this week as mayor. Strange, but it’s that time of year. My own feeling on time limits is that we already have them, but they go by a different name: elections. Perhaps in a Congressional seat or a statewide office, we might need term limits to counteract the millions raised by incumbents and the entrenched power of office. However, on a local level, here in our Island City, a strong candidate involved in their community and with a proven track record can touch base with the few thousand voters needed to win. Term limits impose restrictions on smaller communities, limiting the choice on who the voters want to have represent their needs in local government. Perhaps our mayor and city commission should have voted for the ballot proposal and

let our residents decide. However, we elect our city officials to make tough decisions, to make the right decisions, even when those decisions might not be that popular. I guess this might be one of those cases. We have not heard the last of term limits here in our city, but for now we get to still do it the old-fashion way and vote to keep our good public servants in office for another term or to vote the bastards out come Election Day. Another good thing about Election Day is that it signals the approaching end of Pumpkin Spice Season. This mania hits a peak during the Halloween festivities, then thankfully seems to fade toward the approach of Thanksgiving, by which time most of us are so tired of pumpkin spice that we forgo the traditional slice of pumpkin pie for some other holiday treat. Too much of a good thing rings true when it comes to pumpkin spice lattes, butter, muffins, pop tarts, vodka, candles, lip gloss, and even pet food. This weekend is no time to worry about too much spice — go ahead, spice it up and enjoy the Halloween festivities up and down The Drive and throughout our great city. Ghosts, goblins, witches, trick or treaters, celebrating and spicing it up is what makes life just better here…

www.WMGAZETTE.com • 10 .28.2021

GAZETTE

Webmaster • Kimberly Swan webmaster@sfgn.com

Tricksters will be out and about looking to get hold of some of these goodies over the next few months as cities look to allocate the first round of ARPA funding.

THE

2 •

OCTOBER 28, 2021

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. MEMBER

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The spirit of the season at Wicked Manors in 2019. Photo credit: J.R. Davis.

COMMUNITY

WILTON MANORS

COMMUNITY

New Neighborhood Association Forms In Eastside Wilton Manors By John McDonald

Wilton Manors. Photo credit: Carina Mask.

Market Values Climb In Wilton Manors By John McDonald Market values increased in Wilton Manors as the trend of newcomers continued even during the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. Data provided by the Broward County Property Appraiser shows market value for all city properties in 2021 is $2,429,043,190. That’s an increase of 6.37% from the 2020 market value of $2,283,633,640. Taxable value rose by 5.04% in July 1, 2021 to $1,668,224,486 from $1,588,137,599 in 2020. The city’s millage rate stayed the same at 5.8360. “Even though there’s been a significant increase in value, even though the taxable value has increased more than 6% and even though there’s more money coming in the bulk of that money is not being paid for by your homestead property owners because their value couldn’t go up more than 1.14%,” said Broward County Property Appraiser Marty Kiar. “It’s really based on the fact that a lot of people are moving from other states and making Wilton Manors their home and that’s really what’s driving up those increases.” Kiar gave a presentation to the Wilton Manors city commission at its Oct. 12 meeting. The property appraiser’s office has three important functions, Kiar said: determining property value, providing exemptions and investigating fraud. The fraud division, Kiar said, is a very aggressive unit of investigators who have put

more than $27 million in value back on the tax roll in recent years in Wilton Manors. “They are all former law enforcement people,” Kiar said. “They love this stuff and you do not want to see them at your door.” Kiar said investigators look to see if addresses on utility bills match with those listed on an owner’s property records to determine if a homesteader is in compliance. Wilton Manors, Kiar said, has 2,999 homestead exempt properties. Of that number 149 have a senior exemption, 18 are long-term senior exemptions, 19 are fully exempted veterans, two receive a veteran’s discount and one is a tax exempt first responder. In 2021, 84 Wilton Manors residents were granted portability, a transfer of their exemption from one property to another, for a value of $6,934,940. A new program is scheduled to go into effect for next year that will provide an exemption for seniors who have lived in their homes for more than 25 years and have an income below $31,100. Commissioners must approve the program before Dec. 1. Overall, there are 4,656 residential properties in Wilton Manors. Of that number, 2,986 are single family and 1,670 are condominiums. The average market value for a single family home is $472,272 and the taxable value is $291,824. A condominium’s average market value is $187,615 with a $133,716 taxable value.

A clash over development has led to the creation of a new neighborhood association in Wilton Manors’ east side. A press release dated Oct. 11 announced the formation of Three Bridges Neighborhood Association. The nonprofit presents itself as an “inclusive” organization designed to empower and support residents and businesses in east Wilton Manors. “We are a group of dedicated residents who seek to effect positive change in our community by building bridges among our neighbors and businesses,” said Roger Cruttenden, founding president of Three Bridges Neighborhood Association, in a press release. Roger Cruttenden. Photo via Facebook. Three Bridges was founded by Cruttenden and eastside residents Bryon Bowlby, Karl Lentzer, Rudy Molinet and Anthony The East Neighborhood Association holds LoGrande. In an interview with journalist four meetings a year including a holiday Kareem Awadalla, Cruttenden said the men party. Dues are $25 annually. Membership want to bring forth discussions among in a neighborhood association offers many residents and create consensus. There is a benefits, Fiore said. better path, explained Cruttenden. “It keeps you involved and informed about “What we want to do is gather the opinions what is happening in your neighborhood and consensus from the neighborhood and and allows you to have a voice on matters follow their lead,” Cruttenden said. impacting you,” he said. The new group will have to navigate Fiore said membership is around 60 people alongside the East Neighborhood Association. and the association’s boundaries have receded Under the direction of former Wilton Manors to Northeast 14th Avenue from the railroad Mayor John Fiore, the East tracks along North Dixie Hwy. Neighborhood Association In his interview with has deployed tactics to slow Awadalla, Cruttenden said “WE ARE A GROUP the rate of development. the ENA is a top down model OF DEDICATED ENA led the opposition to with tunnel vision in regard increased density calculations RESIDENTS WHO SEEK to development. He said in the city’s land use code, there is enough space for two TO EFFECT POSITIVE which eventually settled on organized associations in east CHANGE IN OUR 60 units per square acre. Wilton Manors and applauded “We want to protect our the ENA’s efforts to clean up COMMUNITY BY neighborhood,” said Fiore, Northeast 26th Street and BUILDING BRIDGES who served as mayor from neighborhood waterways. AMONG OUR 2000 to 2002 and worked for Cruttenden said development 35 years as an urban planner should not be the only issue to NEIGHBORS AND for Broward County. gain traction. Infrastructure, BUSINESSES.” Fiore told the Gazette he said, is a major concern in his group is not antieast side neighborhoods due to - Roger Cruttenden development but does object king tides flooding. Crime and FOUNDING PRESIDENT OF THREE BRIDGES to six story mid-rises in the homelessness are other topics NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATIO neighborhood. Overbuilding, that need to be addressed. Fiore said, threatens the “We don’t want to be one charm, cuteness and funkiness of the city. dimensional,” Cruttenden said. He is in favor of Wilton Manors acquiring Three Bridges will hold its first the Kiwanis Club, calling the property a membership/informational meeting Nov. “tremendous asset” that the city can afford 10 at 7 p.m. at Hagen Park Community and will bring in revenue. Center. The event coincides with Veteran’s “I’ve lived here for 53 years,” Fiore said. “I Day and refreshments will be served. love my city.”

www.WMGAZETTE.com 3 •

OCTOBER 28, 2021

10 . 28 . 20 21 •

NEWS

OAKLAND PARK

Sunnyside Dispensary Opens Its Doors in Oakland Park By Christiana Lilly

Of late, it seems like dispensaries are everywhere — but not all stores carrying cannabis products are created equal. After Sunnyside dispensary opened up shop in Fort Lauderdale this summer, the business expanded to Oakland Park with its grand opening on Friday. Owned by Cresco Labs, the No. 1 wholesaler of cannabis products in the U.S., The Gazette chatted with Cris Rivera, the regional president for Cresco Labs and Sunnyside, about the new venture — and how it’s changing the landscape of health. A quarter of your business is in Florida, with this being the 39th store nationwide. Why is Broward County an ideal location? Fort Lauderdale is one of the premier population centers in the entire state and it currently only has around four dispensaries ... It’s not a lot of dispensaries serving a large area. We’re excited to expand access, which is what this is all about — expanding access to patients so they can easily get their medicine. We’re all about making shopping for cannabis simple because we view it like going to CVS or Walgreens. It should be that easy for any patient to get.

What about Oakland Park in particular? Oakland Park is the center of the Fort Lauderdale area in essence. Its population is growing, it’s a super diverse community, and it continues to see an increase in homes. The amount of growth that Oakland Park is seeing in the last four to five years is pretty impressive. Us being part of that journey of Oakland Park growing into its new self is really exciting for us.

What sets Sunnyside apart from other dispensaries around town? It starts with the quality of the product. You’ll be hard pressed to find as good a medicine as in some of the other dispensaries. We’re really quite proud of the products we make from the flower to our raw and concentrates, which are really unseen in the marketplace outside of our stores. Second is our staff. We’re all about making the customer

experience as delightful as possible. For some people they’re experts at cannabis, and for us, we’ll meet them at their expert level. And for others they’re new and they’re trying to find the right solution for their ailment and we want to make it easy to understand instead of complicated, which it can be for some people.

What are the benefits of using your products? There are a number of conditions that the state allows one to become a patient. They can run from, unfortunately, severe cases like terminal cancer and you need help with pain management all the way to anxiety, PTSD, and restlessness. Cannabis can actually from a medical perspective help alleviate excruciating pain from terminal conditions all the way to helping one find sleep and rest so they can start their day off as perfectly as possible.

What products can customers find at Sunnyside Dispensary? We’re known for our flower, so we have premium flower. We usually sell them in an eighth of an ounce or 3.5 grams of pure flower, and they tend to be really large buds that people break up and you can put into a bong, roll your own joint, however you prefer to enjoy your product. That makes up about 50% to 60% of the product coming out the store. The other kind of subcategory that exists would be vaping. We have great vape options, so the same number of strains you would find in flower you can find in vaping. What I love about vaping is the convenience and on-

The Sunnyside building. Courtesy of Cresco Labs. the-go nature of it all. If you’re looking for a discreet way to ingest your medicine, this is an easy way to take it. Tinctures are a great way to either take it sublingual, right under your tongue and it absorbs into your bloodstream pretty fast, or you can put it into your drink and like an edible over time you can enjoy the effects of your medicine.

What about edibles? We’re very excited about our edible business that will come in January 2022. Edibles are another way to easily dose your medicine, especially for people who don’t like to smoke. Some people have lung issues so they have to look to edibles, tinctures and capsules to ingest their medicine, so we want to make sure we always look out for them.

What’s a misconception that people have about using cannabis as medicine? That cannabis is only flower. It is predominantly what people choose in which to take their medicine, but ultimately, we sell

• 10 .28.2021

4 •

OCTOBER 28, 2021

How do we get rid of the stigma of using cannabis? I think the stigma is slowly changing. We see it each and every day. There are 600,000 patients in the state of Florida and the number continues to grow at 2 to 5% monthly. As people use the product, understand the benefits, and talk to their friends and family about how cannabis is changing their life, I think we’re slowly eroding that stigma. Everyone thinks cannabis is the dark side of life. We were told that for so many years, so our goal at Sunnyside is that using cannabis is actually the sunny side of life.

Sunnyside, 499 E. Oakland Park Blvd. in Oakland Park; 877-395-1009; sunnyside.shop

www.WMGAZETTE.com 24

products from flower of course to tinctures, lotions and balms, edibles, soon to be coming to Sunnyside. So if you’re not a smoker, you can be a vaper. If you’re not a vaper, you can ingest. There’s an intake method for anyone’s preference. There’s also different dosing. Some products are really high in THC and others are really low. We’re here when you come in as a new customer to show you what we have in our portfolio.

NEWS

WILTON MANORS

LETTER TO THE EDITOR

Wilton Manors Expected To Receive $6.3M in ARPA Funds

Elijah Manley. Photo via Facebook.

Queer Activist Sues DeSantis For Elections Delay By John McDonald If Gov. Ron DeSantis does not act soon, three South Florida legislative districts will have no representation when the 2022 regular session begins in January. Elijah Manley is trying to force the governor’s hand. “This comes at the expense of communities of color,” said Manley, a 22-year-old queer activist running for the house seat in District 94. On Oct. 15, Manley and the Harvard Law School Election Law Clinic sued DeSantis for delaying the election process in Florida house Districts 88 and 94 and Senate District 33. The current elected officials of these districts are campaigning for the vacant U.S. House seat in Congressional District 20. Filed in Leon County’s Second Judicial Circuit, the lawsuit states three majority Black districts have been vacant for more than 75 days. It’s a numbers game, and Manley said DeSantis is clearly trying to hurt Democrats, who are already a small minority in Tallahassee. “This level of extreme partisanship is not what America is supposed to be about, and is

a grotesque departure from political norms,” Manley tweeted. Manley said DeSantis has moved swiftly in filling other vacancies across the state and his predecessors never took this long to call for a special election. By punishing Black districts, DeSantis is demonstrating the new tactics of an increasingly hostile Republican party, Manley said. “It’s the era of Trump extremism and DeSantis is propping himself up for a presidential bid by throwing Black people under the bus,” Manley said. In its current design, house District 94 covers western portions of Fort Lauderdale and Wilton Manors, including all of Lazy Lake and parts of Oakland Park, Lauderdale Lakes and Plantation. Redistricting will likely change the district’s boundaries, however, and Manley expects more constituents from Wilton Manors and Oakland Park. SFGN reached out to DeSantis for comment. Email and phone requests were received by the governor’s press office, but no comment was provided.

Filed in Leon County’s Second Judicial Circuit, the lawsuit states three majority Black districts have been vacant for more than 75 days.

Photo via the City of Wilton Manors, At the Wilton Manor’s City Commission Facebook. meeting on Oct. 26, we shared with residents details about the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funding our city is expected to receive and outlined the proposed spending plan. Our city is expected to receive $6,388,889 in funding. The ARPA funding has a limited scope of allowable uses. It is intended to help local and state government agencies respond to the COVID-19 public health crisis and deal with the negative economic impact within our communities. The funds can be spent directly for providing services related to COVID-19, providing financial support for governmental services that were impacted by lost revenues, provide pay for eligible workers who perform essential work, as well as make necessary investments in water, sewer, and broadband infrastructure. We intend to spend most of the funding — approximately $5.6 of the $6.3 million — on infrastructure improvements that our city previously identified as critical upgrades. We are incredibly grateful for this funding which will ensure key projects are completed sooner and without tax payers having 3. COVID vaccination to cover the bill through an incentives of $500 per city increased mileage rate. employee. Any city employee We are The proposed uses for the who voluntarily gets (or has remaining funds include: incredibly grateful been) vaccinated and shows proof of vaccination will for this funding 1. Two hundred thousand receive the one-time payout. dollars to be allocated to Besides encouraging as high which will ensure Small Business Recovery a vaccination rate possible key projects are Assistance Grants that will for our staff, this exempts us be made available to Wilton from having to perform the completed sooner Manors Businesses who required costly weekly COVID and without tax qualify based on a criterion testing on each unvaccinated we will determine in the employee. payers having near future. to cover the In the coming months, we’ll 2. Providing premium provide more insight into bill through pay for much of our city’s exactly what infrastructure an increased workforce who continued projects will be funded to perform the city’s through ARPA as well as mileage rate. essential work during the details on the Small Business pandemic. This amounts Recovery Assistance Grants. As to approximately $1,000 always, if there is a particular - $2,000 in one-time pay for eligible infrastructure concern you have that you employees. Given that our city staff is wish to share with me, please email ccaputo@ already paid significantly less than the same wiltonmanors.com. job would pay at our neighboring cities, this premium pay is one way we can try to pay — Chris Caputo our staff closer to what they are worth. WILTON MANORS CITY COMMISSIONER

www.WMGAZETTE.com 10 . 28 . 20 21 •

LGBT HISTORY MONTH

TIMELINE

RAINBOW ARTISTS A TIMELINE OF CREATIVE ENDEAVORS BY THE LGBT COMMUNITY Stonewall National Museum & Archives

CREATIVE AND BOLD, LGBTQ INDIVIDUALS HAVE HAD AN EXTRAORDINARY IMPACT ON THE VISUAL ARTS. This timeline, courtesy of the Stonewall National Museum and Archives, is part of a greater LGBT History Month project and explores various LGBT landmarks throughout history. The timeline that these two pages reference has 80 entries and has been shortened for publication. To see more timelines that explore our shared LGBT history, visit www.StonewallNMA.org.

George Quaintance illustrated the first cover of the beefcake magazine Physique Pictorial.

1951

Harriet Hosmer moved to Rome to pursue a career as a sculptor and to live more independently as a woman — and openly as a lesbian.

1852

Thomas Eakins painted his realist masterpiece “The Swimming Hole,” a vivid homoerotic depiction of six men at a lake.

Imbued with homoeroticism, Paul Cadmus’ satirical painting “The Fleet’s In” captured a wild world of military men and disreputable women.

Romaine Brooks painted a striking selfportrait, fashioning herself as a confident and androgynous subject of the modern world.

1885

1934

1923

1957 1876 Edmonia Lewis, an African American expatriate sculptor based in Rome, carved her majestic work “The Death of Cleopatra.” Scholars have suggested that, like Harriet Hosmer, Lewis was a lesbian.

• 10 .28.2021

1946 1916 Painter John Singer Sargent met Thomas McKeller, who would become the primary model and muse for some of the artist’s most celebrated murals and bas-reliefs.

1926 Georgia O’Keeffe painted “Black Iris,” one of her earliest abstract works of flowers, which many scholars and critics have linked to the artist’s sexual identity.

George Tooker painted “Children and Spastics,” a Surrealist work that featured a clique of posing men.

Tom of Finland’s homoerotic illustration debuted on the cover of Physique Pictorial.

When Robert Mapplethorpe’s posthumous retrospective “The Perfect Moment” was canceled at the Corcoran Gallery of Art, it ignited a national controversy about censorship and arts funding. Alvin Baltrop started photographing gay life and sex along the West Side piers in New York City.

Del LaGrace Volcano’s “Self-Portrait with Blue Beard” marked a turning point in the photographer’s life: coming to terms with being intersex.

President Barack Obama selected Kehinde Wiley to paint his portrait for the National Portrait Gallery.

1995

2018

1989

1975 Andy Warhol produced an experimental film, Sleep, which portrayed John Giorno, the poet and his lover, asleep for over five hours.

1963 1993 1987 1967 Artist and photographer Jim French started Colt Studio, a pioneering gay erotica brand.

Responding to the mushrooming HIV/ AIDS pandemic, posters with the phrase “SILENCE=DEATH” appeared on the streets of New York City.

Gregg Bordowitz’s video “Fast Trip, Long Drip” broached illness, queer identity, and the AIDS activist movement.

2010 Due to its 11 seconds of ants crawling on a crucifix, David Wojnarowicz’s video “Fire in My Belly” was removed from the landmark show “Hide/Seek: Difference and Desire in American Portraiture,” curated by Jonathan D. Katz and David C. Ward at the National Portrait Gallery. This act of censorship was sorely reminiscent of the Culture Wars of the late 1980s and early 1990s.

2019 Kent Monkman painted two monumental works for the Great Hall of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

10 . 28 . 20 21 •

CONVICTIONS

Trans Talk

I DON’T WANT TO BE RESILIENT ANYMORE Atticus Ranck

don’t want to be told how resilient I am. I am resilient, but I don’t want to live a life where it’s required of me. Resilience is the process of overcoming adversity and the capacity to recover quickly from difficulties. Life can be difficult for trans people. Yet we’ve overcome all of it because we have to. But wouldn’t it be great if we didn’t have to live lives of resilience? What if life was soft and comfortable and easy? Recently, I was part of a meeting at work preparing for an upcoming conference. They were discussing holding a workshop about mental health with the theme of resilience. Something in my body tightened up upon hearing that. I don’t know what it was, but I didn’t like the idea of having another mental health session about fostering resilience. When I hear that, I think, “Why should life be so hard that we need to foster resilience?” Instead, I’d like to ask, “How can we make life easier so that we don’t have to teach people how to be tough?” People think of the trans community as a resilient community, which is true, but it’s not the compliment you think it is. When someone says, “You’re so resilient,” what I hear is, “You’ve lived a hard life. You can handle anything I throw at you and you won’t break. You’ll bounce right back because you’re so tough.” I’ve been through tough times. I have resilience. I can bring up those old resilience-building skills that are now ingrained in me should the need arise. When life gets tough for me, I have tools in my mental health toolbox that I can reach into and use. It’s there for me when I need it. But I don’t want to need it. When we are chronically stressed, and under-resourced, and underpaid, and overworked, and worried about life’s everyday

PEOPLE THINK OF THE TRANS COMMUNITY AS A RESILIENT COMMUNITY, WHICH IS TRUE, BUT IT’S NOT THE COMPLIMENT YOU THINK IT IS.

• 10 .28.2021

Photo via Adobe.

necessities, we constantly need to tap into our resilience to survive — making it one day more, one minute more — until things get better. To live that way, constantly being resilient, isn’t healthy. I’m not saying that resilience doesn’t have a place in our lives, because it does. It comes in handy, but it’s no way to live, and I don’t think it’s necessarily something we should be fostering at professional conferences. The audience for these conferences is health and human services professionals — the individuals who could be helping trans individuals navigate various social services programs. Should we really be teaching these professionals how to help their clients foster resilience? Shouldn’t we be striving for something better? Do you know that sometimes people who have been

through so much hardship do not know what it’s like to not be resilient? They are so used to striving and struggling and working and waiting, that the idea of living a comfortable life is beyond their realm of possibility. We’re spending time teaching people how to help members of communities who’ve gone through, or will go through, hard times how to be more resilient, when we should be changing the system so that they don’t have to live lives of resilience. Instead, we can imagine and then create lives of comfort, peace and ease, and start to live those lives without guilt. No matter what, there will always be hard times some of the time. People will die, economies will shift, relationships will end. We can foster resilience for these types of adversity. But let’s not pretend that trans people aren’t already resilient. Because we are. Just get the obstacles out of our way so we can move on.

Atticus Ranck (he/him/his pronouns) works in the Education and Training Program of the AIDS Institute for the New York State Department of Health. Atticus identifies as a trans man and he is married to a trans woman. Together, they are raising two puppies and a cat and happily live in rural upstate NY. Previously, he was the Director of Transgender Services at SunServe in Wilton Manors.

CONVICTIONS

EDITORIAL CARTOON By Mike Luckovich

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10 . 28 . 20 21 •

Column

CONVICTIONS

‘Q FILES’ PODCAST EXPLORES THE QUEERLY PARANORMAL David-Elijah Nahmod

“T

he Q Files” covers topics including an exploration of the ghostly hauntings in the town near Chernobyl, the nuclear power plant that melted down some 35 years ago, rendering the now deserted town uninhabitable. They’ve also recounted the tragic and grisly story of a mom who murdered seven of her children, and they spoke to the spirit of a long dead lesbian who was the first woman sentenced to death and executed in Ohio. They’re Shane McClelland and Lori Gum, and they’re the hosts of a podcast called “The Q Files,” a show that McClelland describes as “Queer Eye” meets “The X Files.” McClelland is a gay man who lives in Columbus, Ohio, with his boyfriend, two dogs, and, he says, at least one paranormal entity. Gum is a gender queer lesbian. They met around 2011, when Gum was employed by Stonewall Columbus, the local LGBT community center, where McClelland had stopped in to inquire about volunteering. They began working together. One fateful day Gum had a chance to go on a ghost hunt, and McClelland invited himself along. From this they formed a group called “Queer Ghost Hunters” and began filming their exploits as a documentary web series. The series became popular, but was too time consuming to continue, so eventually they agreed to start a podcast together, which became “The Q Files.” The podcast makes for a fun listen. The topics are genuinely eerie, even scary, and the two congenial hosts share these stories in a matter-of-fact way that adds to the spooky fun. “I’ve always been weird and had an interest in the supernatural and paranormal,” McClelland says. “Maybe it was just the media that was available when I was young or growing up in a haunted house. I used to devour the ‘Goosebumps’ books and things like ‘Animorphs.’ Then there were shows like ‘Sabrina the Teenaged Witch,’‘Hocus

• 10 .28.2021

Pocus,’‘The Addams Family’ and ‘The X Files.’ I feel like the ‘90s were a good time to grow up with an interest in the weird, and I don’t think I ever grew out of that.” McClelland noted that he takes such things more seriously now and doesn’t view any of it as fantasy. “I think there’s definitely something to it all that science can’t explain just yet, and even if I’m wrong, I like living in a world with a little extra magic and mystery,” he said. Gum said that she grew up with a ghost in her house. “It was very friendly and mischievous,” she recalls. “We simply thought of it as an odd family member. So from a very early age I was not afraid of the supernatural at all, just very curious about it.” McClelland added that in order for them to put a topic on the podcast, it has to interest them. “We are our target audience,” he said. “We try to tell the stories in a unique way or find stories that often aren’t told, and then tie them together in a way that relates to modern issues. A lot of stories, whether they’re paranormal, magical or folklore, have roots in basic human issues. That’s something we’re very good at discovering and telling folks about in a compelling way.” “Honestly, I think most of the stories find us,” said Gum. “Shane and I have many interests and we are always coming across stories of the spook, weird, supernatural or just lost forgotten history. We always seem to just know when the story is right.” The topics they choose indeed do work. The Chernobyl story is terrifyingly eerie as it recounts the experiences of three young men who visit the abandoned town near the nuclear reactor and encounter a strange figure among the ruins of the desolate buildings. The episode in which they contact a female entity from the spirit world may also induce some chills, and the tale of the mother who murders her children is profoundly disturbing. It’s a

Photo via Adobe.

tale that has the power to stay with listeners long after the story ends. McClelland said that while most of the stories offer a queer angle, some do not. “We’re content with being the LGBTQ angle ourselves,” he said. “I’m gay, Lori is a lesbian. Us telling a story often gives it a queer angle and perspective. But we’ve also shared the experiences of African Americans in the UFO community, stories centered on women and economically disadvantaged folks. Our goal, if there is one, is to tell the stories not often told. As we know, a lot of history is more queer, more colorful, and more female than was recorded. It’s important for us to share all of those voices.” Gum spoke of what she hopes listeners will take from the podcast.

“A sense of wonder,” she said. “A sense of awe, a sense of understanding that there are different perspectives to long told stories, natural and unnatural phenomena and history. As we say, ‘be weird, stay curious.’ We mean that very seriously. Most of all we want people to stay curious.” “I always hope that people take away that the world is magical and mysterious and complicated and that makes it beautiful,” said McClelland. “As part of that, we hope that everyone can see that they have a place at the table.” Season three of “The Q Files” is now underway. Listen at https://the-q-files. pinecast.co/ The podcast can also be found on Apple, Spotify and on every podcast app.

David-Elijah Nahmod is an American/Israeli half-breed who has lived in New York City and Tel Aviv. Currently in San Francisco, his eclectic writing career includes LGBT publications, SF Weekly & monster magazines. A survivor of childhood gay conversion therapy, he lives with PTSD: Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.

t Lauderdale Beach Resort

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10 . 28 . 20 21 •

SECOND TO NAAN LIFESTYLE FOOD

New Indian restaurant is a trip abroad for your tastebuds Rick Karlin

DECCAN SPICE

1149 S. Federal, Pompano Beach 954-366-1847 deccanspicepompano.com Finally, a good, reasonably priced, Indian restaurant has opened in the area. Don’t get me wrong there are plenty of Indian restaurants from which to choose, but many of them are mediocre, or the food is bland (a sin in Indian cuisine) or are expensive. Deccan Spice in Pompano manages to offer authentic-tasting Indian food, but it does so at reasonable prices and in a spotless dining room. On top of that, all of the servers I’ve encountered have been unfailingly efficient and polite, even warm and friendly. Oh, and by the way, even though it’s only been open a short time, it’s already developed a strong LGBT following, judging by the gaggles of gays on my visit there. Most of the dishes at Deccan are in the $14-$16 range, except for lamb, which tops $20 for a half a rack of chops, still not a bad price. Of course, if you’re like me, part of the joy of Indian food is the wide array of dishes. The best dining experiences occur with a large group that is willing to share family-style. Either that or pay a little more and have plenty of leftovers to take home. Or, if you prefer, stop in for lunch/brunch on Saturday and Sunday and check out the expansive buffet. The buffet runs about $20 a person and offers everything from appetizers (love the onion pakora and spicy tomato soup) to dozens of meat and vegetarian-based entrees, and of course, warm and fluffy naan, the Indian flatbread, with which to sop up all those wonderful sauces. The buffet even offers a trio of desserts: gulab

THERE’S MORE ONLINE! 32

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jamun (Indian donut balls, scented with rose and saffron in a honey syrup), to something called rose delight (I think I went to high school with her) and my favorite, kesari ras malai, baked yogurt, which tastes like a crustless cheesecake. If you prefer to dine a la carte, check out the variety of tandoori (clay oven) dishes featuring chicken, prepared murgh, tikka and malai style, or shrimp, paneer (Indian cheese) and lamb chops. Vegetarians will have plenty of choices with four styles of daal (lentils), kabuli chole (chickpeas), saag paneer (the classic creamed spinach and cheese combo), telangana aloo (potatoes), bagara baingan (stuffed eggplant — to die for), tawa bhindi ghatta (okra), mughlai malai kofta (vegetable and cheese croquettes), and many others. The menu is divided into categories. Under “Curry” you will find a wide variety of dishes, priced depending on your choice of protein, from $12.99 for egg to $16 for shrimp, with the other options being chicken, lamb, and goat. Andhra curry is spicy with fresh coconut, whole chiles, while chettinad is flavored with black pepper and curry leaves. Tikka masala, a creamy tomato sauce, is good for those who like things milder, as is butter chicken (despite the name the sauce pairs wonderfully with shrimp). Kadai turns up the heat a little more with a mix of spices and caramelized onions. For those who like heat, check out the goan vindaloo, with garlic, red wine vinegar, chiles and potatoes. Chintha chiguru is more

PASSAGE TO INDIA HERE’S MY TAKE ON SOME OTHER LOCAL INDIAN RESTAURANTS

BOMBAY DARBAR The Hyderabadi Royale Lamb Chop at Deccan Spice. Photo via Facebook. aromatic, with your protein cooked in tender tamarind leaves, coriander powder, cumin, aromatic spices. Biryani is India’s version of a stir-fry, slow-cooked with long grain basmati rice, saffron, and aromatic spices combined with vegetables and your choice of protein. Deccan serves nearly a dozen versions, featuring chicken, goat, lamb, fish and shrimp, as well as vegetarian versions with egg, paneer and cauliflower as the showcased ingredients. Of course, an Indian meal without naan would be like a Mexican meal without tortillas, unthinkable! The variety of Deccan is again mind-boggling, ranging from plain to butter-basted to such additions as garlic, green chiles, rosemary, herbs de Provence, onion and even a sweet version with a mix of nuts, coconut and raisins.

HUNGRY FOR MORE? 

1521 E LAS OLAS, FORT LAUDERDALE

Excellent but pricey, with a very Americanized menu.

INDIAN HARBOR 1515 SE 17TH ST., FORT LAUDERDALE

Kind of mediocre, with a lot of attitude.

BOMBAY CAFÉ 1672 E. OAKLAND PARK BLVD., OAKLAND PARK

Less than mediocre and surly waiters.

GHIZA 6880 POWERLINE RD., FORT LAUDERDALE

Great street food, good for take-out. My friends Sumner and Milton swear by this place.

GREAT INDIAN GRILL 2692 E. ATLANTIC BLVD., POMPANO BEACH

Okay, but nothing special. Certainly misnamed.

ROYAL INDIA 3801 GRIFFIN RD., FORT LAUDERDALE

The blandest Indian food I ever ate. This is to Indian food what Taco Bell is to Mexican cuisine.

VISIT SFGN.COM/FOOD!

Rick Karlin is SFGN’s food editor. Visit SFGN.com/Food to read his previous reviews. Have a culinary tip to share? Email Rick at RickKarlinFL@gmail.com.

READING WITH PRIDE | ‘THE WOLF AND THE WOODSMAN’ Visit SFGN.com to check it out, along with many other reading suggestions.

OTLIGHT BUSINESS SPO

GENTLE PET CROSSING CELEBRATES 1ST ANNIVERSARY & RIBBON CUTTING Welcome to Business Spotlight, the column that thanks advertisers who support SFGN. We invite you to support them, because without their outreach to us, we would not be here to reach out to you. We are a free newspaper that survives on the success of our advertisers so we encourage our readers to support those who support us.

PHOTOS BY PROMOTION LA, COURTESY OF GENTLE PET CROSSING.

Gentle Pet Crossing celebrating their first anniversary on Oct. 26

Our grateful client DJ Anothony Mangini

Gentle Pet Crossing owners Jacqueline “Jacque” Chadinha-Branca and Juanique Chadinha-Branca with their daughter Kai.

Jacque & Juanique, pictured here with Dr. Rachel, are the former publishers of Girl Magazine and former owners of Pet Junction.

GENTLE PET CROSSING Aquamation Services

In addition to full pet afterlife services they offer Aquamation, which is a more gentle form of cremation and is private and eco friendly.

In-home euthanasia with aquamation services

409 S Dixie Hwy Unit 2, Lake Worth 561-323-4542 10 . 28 . 20 21 •

RESERVE YOUR AD NOW! 954-530-4970, EXT. 2

E D I U G

THE

THE HA

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FLORIDA

LIFESTYLE READING WITH PRIDE

‘THINGS WE COULDN’T SAY’ Aurora Dominguez

n Jay Coles’ book “Things We Couldn’t Say,” he writes about a queer Black boy coming to terms with his sexuality as he wrestles with the world and his inner self. WHAT WAS YOUR INSPIRATION BEHIND “THINGS WE COULDN’T SAY?” Fun fact: I’m a huge James Baldwin fan. I love how Mr. Baldwin masterfully writes about the Black queer experience in ways that resonate. I’ve always wanted to attempt at doing the same. The story of my protagonist, Gio (also named after a James Baldwin book), came to me quite naturally. Right before the pandemic hit and flipped life upside down, Gio’s story came to me as I was sitting at my desk and staring at my computer screen. I knew he was a Black boy wrestling with bisexuality, family, friendship, love, identity, grief, and other complexities of teenagerhood. It didn’t take long for things to come together on the page. It was both painful and fun getting to piece together Gio’s story and I’m so excited for him to be out in the real world in a handful of months!

PLEASE DESCRIBE THE CONTENT OF “THINGS WE COULDN’T SAY” AND WHAT CAN READERS EXPECT FROM IT. This is a really good question. I mentioned some of the themes in the book earlier, but readers can expect to be taken on an emotional journey with Gio from beginning to end as he wrestles with the world and his inner self. He’s navigating parental abandonment, coming to terms with his sexuality, and trying to figure out love in all its ambiguity. Some additional things highlighted in the book include biphobia, internalized homophobia, racism, and all the ways the world tries to force us to hide our true selves. Those are heavy, I know, but I promise you that the book ends on a hopeful note. Maybe. *wink*

WHY DO YOU FEEL YA BOOKS WITH POWERFUL AND UNIQUE THEMES ARE SO POPULAR AND HAVE SUCH A VOICE RIGHT NOW? I believe that teens are not just the future heroes of the world, they’re the current heroes of the world. Books with powerful and unique themes oftentimes are popular among teens because they empower them to be who they are — brave warriors who take stands and speak up. They’re the ones who are often on the frontlines fighting for justice, raising their voices, and demanding to be heard. I remain so inspired by teens, especially my readers!

• 10 .28.2021

WHAT’S NEXT FOR YOU IN THE BOOKISH WORLD? This is another really great question, but one I’m not sure I have an answer to quite yet. I’m hard at work on a couple of really fun and exciting projects, but none I can really share publicly yet!

WHO IS YOUR CURRENT FAVORITE WRITER? WHY? Oh myyyyyy! Aside from James Baldwin, I’m currently a huge fan of anything by Renée Watson. I will forever scream about her novel “Piecing Me Together” — HIGHLY RECOMMENDED! Renée’s prose is so quiet and beautiful, but her stories always pack a punch and remind me of my childhood and adolescence.

ANY WRITING ADVICE FOR ASPIRING WRITERS? Keep at it! Writing is tricky and isn’t easy. What is easy, though, is giving up. My advice is just to never give up your craft. I’m a firm believer that there’s a story or two or 20 hidden in all of us. Be patient with yourself and give yourself the necessary time and space you need to write — there’s no need to rush things, but NEVER. GIVE. UP. YOUR. CRAFT.

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

Return Again To The Place For Your Soul

Join us! In person or online at our FB page

Join our Shabbat service every Friday night at 8pm

Congregation Etz Chaim

2038 N. Dixie Hwy, Wilton Manors, FL 33305, on the Pride Center campus www.EtzChaimFlorida.org / RSVP HERE: info@etzchaimflorida.org

Church of Our Savior MCC 2011 South Federal Hwy. Boynton Beach, FL 561-733-4000 www.churchofoursaviormcc.org

In Person Worship Resumes

SPIRITUALITY

SOUTHFLORIDAGAYNEWS.COM

LISTINGS CONGREGATION ETZ CHAIM 2038 N. Dixie Hwy (Pride Center Building B), Wilton Manors 954-564-9232 - etzchaimflorida.org RabbiNoahKitty@etzchaimflorida.org Friday Night Shabbat Service 8p.m. HOLY ANGELS CATHOLIC COMMUNITY 1436 NE 26th St Wilton Manors, FL 33305 954-633-2987 - HolyAngelsFL.net Sunday Mass at 11AM

CHURCH OF OUR SAVIOR, MCC Church of Our Savior, MCC 2011 S. Federal Hwy. Boynton Beach. churchofoursaviormcc.org | 561-733-4000 Sunday Service 10AM TEMPLE BAT YAM 5151 NE 14th Ter Fort Lauderdale, FL 33334 954-928-0410 Friday Night & Saturday Morning Streaming Online at templebatyam.org

Join us November 7th at 10 AM for services in our beautifully updated sanctuary. We will also continue streaming the service on Facebook! https://www.facebook.com/ ChurchofOurSaviorMCC. Visit our web site for more details & updates.

Join us for masked, socially distanced in person worship. 11 AM Sundays. Services also LIVE-streamed on Facebook and posted on website for safe at home viewing.

“Love without judgement” Holy Angels National Catholic Church 1436 NE 26th Street Wilton Manors. 33305 Facebook.com/HolyAngelsFL www.HolyAngelsFL.org

954-633-2987

A home for your spirit. Mass Schedule: Sabado 6:00 PM misa en español • Sunday Mass at 11 AM in English • All are welcome!

A LITTLE BIT OF FAITH AND

PRIDE ALL ARE WELCOME SFGN is here for you, no matter who — or what — keeps you going. Check out the Spirituality Section each week to stay in touch with your local religious LGBT community. The only requirement? Be yourself.

SEE MORE ONLINE AT SFGN.COM/TABLE/NEWS/RELIGION 10 . 28 . 20 21 •

A&E FILM

FLIFF SPOTLIGHTS

LGBT FILMS IN 2021 J.W. Arnold

s the arts community continues to emerge from pandemic precautions, the 36th Annual Fort Lauderdale International Film Festival (FLIFF), Nov. 4 – 21, will offer a hybrid experience with both in-theater and virtual film screenings on demand. More than 150 American independent “BEAUTIFUL DREAMER” and international films from 40 countries Amy Glazer, dir. will be presented during the 18-day festival. USA / 94 min. / English In addition to features, documentaries and shorts, a “Filmed in Broward” showcase will This contemporary dramedy explores include projects with local ties. The hybrid the messy secrets and complicated nature format will also mark the return of special of parenthood and the modern family, guest appearances by filmmakers and talent, all the while testing the boundaries of post-screening Q&A sessions and gala. love and friendship and the bioethics of FLIFF kicks off with the surrogacy. official opening night party on Nov. 5 at the Museum “FAMILIES LIKE of Discovery & Science YOURS” IMAX 3-D theater with Rodolfo Moro, dir. two screenings of the USA / 52 min. / English latest Marvel Studios saga, “Eternals,” starring Salma This documentary Hayek, Angelina Jolie and follows six families as they Richard Madden. LGBT fans attempt to balance work have been anticipating the and school, rush kids to film, which introduces Brian sports practice, and deal Tyree Henry as Phastos, an with diaper duty. The openly gay hero joined in captivating, heartfelt, notthe film by Haaz Sleiman as for-profit documentary is Ben, his husband. The two intended to accurately and have a young son, making compassionately depict them the Marvel Cinematic LGBT families. Universe’s first LGBT family. “This year’s festival “MY BEST PART” - Gregory von Hausch promises to be our most Nicolas Maury, dir. FLIFF PRESIDENT, CEO diverse to date,” promised France/ 111 min. / Gregory von Hausch, French with English FLIFF president and CEO. subtitles “Opening Night at the IMAX will kick off 18 days of great film and events with talent Up and coming actor Jérémie is going coming in from across the globe.” through an existential crisis. After In addition to the opening night event, setbacks in his career and his romantic screenings take place at Savor Cinema in life with boyfriend Albert, he flees Paris downtown Fort Lauderdale and the Gateway to “reset” in the country with his mother Cinema on Sunrise Blvd. — who turns out to be more than a little Other LGBT-themed films include: invasive.

“THIS YEAR’S FESTIVAL PROMISES TO BE OUR MOST DIVERSE TO DATE.”

• 10 .28.2021

The opening film of the Fort Lauderdale International Film Festival is Marvel’s “Eternals,” featuring the studio’s first openly gay superhero. Credit: Marvel Studios.

“NORA HIGHLAND” Ryan Spahn, dir. USA /64 min. / English Adapted from a play of the same name about the casting of a gay character in an upcoming Broadway revival, “Nora Highland” was shot entirely on computers during the COVID-19 pandemic and recently premiered at Newfest in New York.

“OPEN DIALOGUES” Freddy Rodriguez, dir. USA / 20 min / English Through a series of candid testimonials, “Open Dialogues” reveals the diverse comingout narratives of seven Broward County residents who share their insights about love and family, threats and safe havens, being intimate in public and the role of religion in the LGBT experience.

For a complete schedule and tickets, go to FLIFF.com.

A&E APPOINTMENTS

SFGN Publisher Norm Kent, pictured here with Duke and Shadow, will be honored by the Fort Lauderdale International Film Festival before the screening of “Nora Highland” on Tuesday, Nov. 9 at 7:30 p.m. at the Gateway Cinema in Fort Lauderdale. SFGN file photo.

ARTSBEAT LAUDS AND LAUGHS IN SOUTH FLORIDA J.W. Arnold SFGN PUBLISHER TO BE HONORED BY FLIFF SFGN Publisher Norm Kent will be honored by the Fort Lauderdale International Film Festival before the screening of “Nora Highland” on Tuesday, Nov. 9 at 7:30 p.m. at the Gateway Cinema in Fort Lauderdale. A reception will follow the film. A graduate of both Hofstra University in 1971 and the Hofstra School of Law in 1975, Kent moved to Fort Lauderdale in 1976, where he has maintained an independent law practice for over 40 years, practicing today as the Criminal Defense Law Center of South Florida, alongside his law partner Russell Lonnie Cormican. He is known as a fierce champion for civil liberties and free speech. Kent has been a longtime radio personality, originally serving as morning drive time host on WFTL, and later founded the Express Gay News paper in 1999. After selling Express, he launched SFGN a decade ago. His current radio program, “The Norm Kent Show” can be heard weekdays on WWNN 1470 AM and 95.3 FM. A popular comedy feature on the LGBT festival circuit, “Nora Highland” chronicles the casting process of a notable gay character in an upcoming Broadway revival and explores the phenomenon of straight performers being lauded for their work in queer roles. Adapted from a play of the same name, “Nora Highland” was shot entirely on computers during the COVID-19 pandemic. For more information and tickets, go to FLIFF.com.

HARD ROCK LIVE RESUMES LIVE PERFORMANCES An estimated 7,000 fans filled the Hard Rock Live at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Hollywood last weekend to see “Daily Show” host Trevor Noah, signaling that business is back to normal at the state-of-the-art venue closed last year by COVID, just months after opening. South African Noah, joined by rising young comedian Josh Johnson, relished the opportunity to comment on South Florida’s rapidly changing weather and residents’ driving habits, as well as the ongoing challenges of the pandemic, to a sold out audience. Because the resort is located on tribal land, COVID precautions are much less strict than at civic- or countyrun venues across South Florida. Masks are not required inside the complex, although many patrons did choose to wear them inside the casino and theater. Hand sanitizer stations and other protocols are also in place. Upcoming acts include Dan + Shay, Nov. 3; Metallica, Nov. 4; ZZ Top, Nov. 7; George Lopez, Nov. 19; Disco Ball featuring the Jackson, Tavares and The Trammps, Nov. 20; and Mannheim Steamroller Christmas, Nov. 24. For more information and tickets, go to SeminoleHardRockHollywood.com.

10 . 28 . 20 21 •

A&E MUSIC

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HAVE WHAT IT TAKES? CONTACT US! 954-530-4970 Associated Press

• 10 .28.2021

LGBT BAND CELEBRATES 35TH ANNIVERSARY J.W. Arnold

hirty-five years ago, a handful of local musicians organized the Flamingo Freedom Band to march in annual Pride parades. In the decades that followed, the ensemble grew and evolved, changed its name and expanded its mission. On Sunday, Nov. 7, the South Florida Pride Wind Ensemble (SFPWE) — more than 70 musicians strong — will celebrate both the organization’s past and its future at a special concert in the Broward Center’s Amaturo Theater. The performance will be simultaneously streamed for audiences across the country and those who may still be cautious about the COVID-19 pandemic. “We’re 35, so we’re going to have to start dying our hair, apparently,” quipped Dan Bassett, who has conducted the band for nearly half of its history. He’s planned a program of audience favorites from previous concerts and invited several past conductors, assistant conductors and guest artists to return to the Broward Center stage for the occasion. The band will perform band standards, such as the march from Gustav Holst’s “First Suite in E-flat for Military Band” and Clare Grundman’s transcription of Leonard Bernstein’s Overture to “Candide;” as well as contemporary wind ensemble compositions by Robert W. Smith and Robert Sheldon. The program will also include popular numbers, including a medley of Broadway showtunes sung by James Perkowski and “When You Believe” from “The Prince of Egypt” and sung by Marie Cowley. Perkowski will also perform Puccini’s famous aria, “Nessun Dorma.” Bassett will be joined on the podium by SFPWE’s current assistant conductor, Sara Cowley, along with former director Dr. Ron Hughes, Chris Schlenker and Jessey Andris. Adam DeRosa, a horn player and the band’s president several times over the past two decades, said the band has not only been visible in South Florida’s arts scene, but is also a leader in the international LGBT band movement. The Youth Pride Band, an outreach initiative to LGBT and allied high school musicians, has been modeled by other bands across the country. SFPWE has also hosted

Artistic Director Dan Bassett will lead the South Florida Pride Wind Ensemble in a special 35th anniversary concert at the Broward Center on Nov. 7. Credit: South Florida Pride Wind Ensemble.

the organization’s conference on a regular basis since 1989, drawing musicians from around the world for workshops, rehearsals and a concert performance. “This band has been willing to try and do new things,” explained DeRosa, who is serving his second stint as the president of the international association. “That initiative and drive is something that our group is known for.” Bassett and DeRosa advocated for the band’s name change in 2006, better reflecting the artistic achievements and the diverse range of music they performed in concert settings. A jazz ensemble was launched, as were smaller brass and woodwind groups that perform frequently throughout the year. The band’s concerts frequently integrate dancers and costumed performers, as well as video and spectacular lighting effects. Bassett noted that during the pandemic, the more intimate ensembles allowed musicians to safely gather and make music with minimal risk, and he hopes they will continue, even as the full band can now rehearse and perform. What’s next? Building on the theatricality of SFPWE’s productions, the ensemble will team up with Island City Stage in 2022 for a semi-staged concert version of “A Chorus Line.” Bassett promised singers, actors and a little bit of dance, but definitely “the largest pit orchestra ever created.”

Tickets for the South Florida Pride Wind Ensemble 35th anniversary concert on Sunday, Nov. 7 at 7 p.m. in the Amaturo Theater of the Broward Center are available at BrowardCenter.org. To watch the concert online, go to SouthFloridaPride.StreamAlly.live.

Co-produced with Dance NOW! Miami, Florida Dance Education Organization and the Duncan Theatre.

Showcasing Florida’s most dynamic companies and choreographers on one stage for over a decade, the Sampler highlights the artistry, excitement and diversity of our cultural landscape in a spectacular evening of dance. Don’t miss this powerful season preview presented for the first time at the Duncan Theatre!

10 . 28 . 20 21 •

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If you would like to meet a pet at the Humane Society of Broward County, please visit www.humanebroward.com to complete a pre-adoption application. Visit www.humanebroward.com to learn more or call 954-989-3977 ext. 6. Appointments are not necessary for the vaccine clinic, which is open Monday — Friday 9 a.m. — 4:30 p.m. credit cards only. The banners rotate, so click on the one that says COVID-19 update adoptions and essential services update and scroll down a little bit. There you will find an application for adoption and other pertinent information. Complete the application (even if you have adopted before) and submit it. Adoptions are being done by appointment only now. For more information call 954-989-3977 ext. 6. FACE MASKS ARE REQUIRED WHEN COMING TO THE SHELTER.

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www.NormKent.com 10 . 28 . 20 21 •

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rental wilton manors FOR RENT - This residence is attached to a duplex and features a private patio entranceway. The common area includes a lush courtyard with a naturally shaded tree canopy. This Pet-Friendly residence is located in a quiet neighborhood setting within walking distance to Wilton Manors Drive. Included are two parking spots. Also included with rent are water/septic utilities, central AC, and trash/recycling services. The renter is only responsible for electricity. Photos are available on Zillow/Redfin: 225 NW 23rd St, Wilton Manors, 33311. Flexible lease starts date as early as June 15th but no later than July 1st. 1st month/last month & security deposit required. If interested, please email: KennyWolf9@gmail.com

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Stonewall: Where History Comes OUT

Monday, November 8, 2021 // 6:00 – 9:00 PM Chima Brazilian Steakhouse // 2400 East Las Olas Blvd., Fort Lauderale Mark Your Calendar for a Festive Evening! The evening includes cocktail hour with hors d’oeuvres, open bar, traditional Brazilian dinner, awards, entertainment, special guests, and exciting live and silent auctions.

TICKETS ON SALE

DIAMOND SPONSORSHIP James Doan & Brad Zuckerman Richard Quadracci

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RUBY SPONSORSHIP

Scott Bennett Hunter O’Hanian & Jeffry George Maria Lescano & Jean Willey

at STONEWALL-MUSEUM.ORG

Stonewall is proud to unveil In Plain Sight, an engaging digital experience that brings to life pivotal LGBTQ milestones and achievements. In Plain Sight provides factual historic records and up-to-date information about people who have come out in different professional areas. It features more than 800 entries with brief descriptions and zoom-in capabilities for high-res photos organized in 10 categories: AIDS/HIV, Arts, Business, Film/TV, Literature, Memorials, Milestones, Music, Sports, and Theatre/Dance. Step into the most wonderful #LGBTQhistory journey. Learn your history today: https://www.stonewallnma.org.

For more information visit Stonewall-museum.org

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Made possible by the Florida Humanities Council

10/19/2021 3:42:19 AM