SFGN 12/2/20 V11iss48 by South Florida Gay News

LOCAL NAME GLOBAL COVERAGE DECEMBER 3, 2020 VOL. 11 // ISSUE 48

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‘HOLIGAY’ PAGE 30

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December 3, 2020 • Volume 11 • Issue 48

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Correspondents

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KEEP YOUR EYES OUT FOR A RED STAND NEAR YOU! COVER 1: Ben Lewis and Blake Lee in “The Christmas Setup.” Photo courtesy of Lifetime. COVER 2: John Lennon statue in Havana, Cuba. Photo credit: Christopher Hughes, CC BY-SA 3.0 US.

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• 12. 3.2020

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 of individuals based on their names or pictorial representations. Furthermore the word “gay” in SFGN should be interpreted to be inclusive of the entire LGBT community. All of the material/columns that appears in print and online, including articles used in conjunction with the AP, is protected under federal copyright and intellectual property laws, and is jealously guarded by the newspaper. Nothing published may be reprinted in whole or part without getting written consent from the Publisher, at his law office, at Norm@NormKent.com. SFGN, as a private corporation, reserves the right to enforce its own standards regarding the suitability of advertising copy, illustrations and photographs. Copyright © 2020 South Florida Gay News.com, Inc.

12 . 3. 20 20 â&#x20AC;¢

NEWS LOCAL

PRIDE FORT LAUDERDALE HIRES NEW EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Longtime non-profit staffer Kevin Clevenger takes lead as Pride eyes 2021 with new ideas Damon Scott

he pandemic’s sting in 2020 was York City that began on June 28, 1969 — it’s devastating for those who produce a no longer confined to those 30 days as there wide array of gay Pride events. It was has been a generally growing acceptance and also more than disappointing for those who wider audience for such events. excitedly attend each year. It’s a trend that Pride Fort Lauderdale now COVID-19 has caused practically all Pride wants to use to its advantage because of the events to be postponed — but particularly uncertainty of the pandemic. large gatherings — and it has also pushed The organization named a new executive organizers to rethink operations for next year director in October — Kevin J. Clevenger — and beyond. and unveiled new ways to keep supporters Pride Fort Lauderdale was set to mark a engaged throughout the year. significant milestone in April — the very Clevenger is well-known as the tireless month the state instituted lockdown measures. events and fundraising coordinator for the The inaugural Pride of the Americas would nonprofit Poverello Center, a position he held have been a weeklong festival for many years. He was the heft from April 21-26, featuring a behind many events, including fashion show, concerts, parties, a reboot of stalwart fundraisers conferences, a beach festival and like “Bowling to Fight Hunger.” a parade down A1A. “All those years at Poverello It was an ambitious prepared me for this,” Clevenger collaboration between Pride said. Fort Lauderdale and the Greater Clevenger was also the Fort Lauderdale Convention and development director for The Visitors Bureau. It would have Smart Ride, a popular bike replaced the traditional Pride ride that benefits HIV/AIDS Fort Lauderdale for the year. organizations. The momentum was in place He’s a social media guru, too for a blockbuster event. — growing online audiences and - Kevin Clevenger Miik Martorell, the president leading website redesign. NEW EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF of Pride Fort Lauderdale, had just Clevenger spent 13 years doing PRIDE FORT LAUDERDALE come off a successful 2019 event promotional tours — as a tour (Feb. 21-24) which brought more manager and truck driver — at than 120,000 visitors to the city and a first-ever events, fairs and festivals. Pride parade along Fort Lauderdale Beach. Indeed, his experience coalesces nicely with The focus had then turned to April 2020 and the goals of Pride Fort Lauderdale — where he Pride of the Americas, which is designed to has been a volunteer since 2016, most recently rotate to a different international destination serving as the vendor marketplace director. every two years. “Kevin is dedicated to the community, Pride of the Americas was postponed in volunteering at numerous organizations and March, just as organizers were anticipating as helping to feed the community for the past many as 350,000 visitors to the area. The hope several months throughout COVID,” the was then to have it in the fall. Plans are to now organization said in an Oct. 19 announcement. host it Nov. 20-21, 2021. The organizations under Clevenger’s umbrella are Pride Fort Lauderdale, Pride of the NEW LEADER, FAMILIAR FACE Americas 2021, Trans Pride Fort Lauderdale and Caribbean PrideFest. While Pride month is officially celebrated (Pride Fort Lauderdale is the name of the each June — chosen because of the event that is produced by the Greater Fort significance of the Stonewall riots in New Lauderdale Pride organization.)

“ALL THOSE YEARS AT POVERELLO PREPARED ME FOR THIS.”

• 12. 3.2020

Kevin Clevenger and Pride Fort Lauderdale have introduced changes for next year. Courtesy photo.

‘PRIDE 365,’ SCHOLARSHIPS Clevenger and other Pride leaders recently participated in a weekend of strategic planning to talk about ways to move forward while it’s still not known what the future of large live events will be. The organization has instituted “Pride 365,” which gives Pride Fort Lauderdale a year-round event and fundraising schedule to work from. “Normally Pride is just one or two weeks of events,” Clevenger, who is a native Floridian, said. “Pride 365 will include mixers, meetups, BBQs, dining out events, food — in the same vein as the South Beach Wine and Food Fest — and a fashion show. We’re already working on planning these events — new and unique. COVID-19 is not going to go away anytime soon. It will diminish, but not go away completely even when the vaccine is available.” Clevenger said Pride Fort Lauderdale

normally donates back thousands of dollars to nonprofits each year. He wants to keep giving by launching a new scholarship program. “My vision is to provide educational scholarships for traditional and nontraditional LGBTQ students, including allies,” he said. “Strong fundraising for education, with an emphasis on the medical professions.” Clevenger said he hears people in their 30s and 40s say there aren’t any readily available scholarships that allow them to go back to school. The scholarships will be targeted to that demographic as well as younger students. He added that Pride Fort Lauderdale would also do outreach to transgender and Black individuals who drop out of high school to “give them a safe space to earn a GED.” In addition, Clevenger expects there to soon be a reworked Pride Fort Lauderdale website with all the new information. In the meantime, he said, the organization’s Facebook page is active and up-to-date.

For more information, and to buy Pride-inspired masks and flags go to PrideFortLauderdale.org. To access the group on Facebook, go to facebook.com/pridefortlauderdale.

12 . 3. 20 20 â&#x20AC;¢

NEWS LOCAL

SNAPSHOTS

OF THE

WEEK

From your life... into our pages! SFGN takes a special look at a community that is slowly waking up after a long and devastating summer.

Stratton Pulitzer and Christopher Scott Boykin celebrate a moment where they met, in Key West, 27 years ago. Photo via Facebook.

Nikki Barnes celebrates her birthday with the dapper Percy Johnson, a well-known politician. Photo via Facebook.

Kristian Cosme celebrates his 21st birthday last Saturday with Fab Scoutâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Howard Andrews. Photo via Facebook.

â&#x20AC;˘ 12. 3.2020

12 . 3. 20 20 â&#x20AC;¢

NEWS INTERNATIONAL

BY AVRAHAM FORREST

THE WORLD AROUND

OCEANIA

AFRICA

INDONESIA REJECTS LGBT APPLICANTS FOR CIVIL SERVICE POSITIONS

LGBT COMMUNITY HIT HARD BY #ENDSARS PROTESTS IN NIGERIA

In Indonesia, the Attorney General’s Office is receiving criticism for rejecting LGBT applicants for civil service positions, the Jakarta Post reported. When questioned about the rejections, AGO spokesperson Mukri said the office wanted “just the normal ones,” the Jakarta Post reported. The action was also criticized by the Indonesian Ombudsman, an independent state institution that supervises public services, who said the rejections were discriminatory, the Jakarta Post reported. Other groups included in the ban are pregnant and disabled applicants, Agence France-Presse reported. The country is receiving millions of applications for around 200,000 civil-service jobs throughout Indonesia. Usman Hamid, the executive

Illustration credit: Indonesian Government.

director of Amnesty International Indonesia, said that the ban was against Indonesia’s constitution and the country’s international human rights law obligations, the Jakarta Post reported. House of Representatives member of the Islamic-based United Development Party Arsul Sani said that lawmakers plan to ask for clarification on the ban during the next working meeting with the House, the Jakarta Post reported.

NoStringsNG, a Nigerian site that promotes and supports the LGBT community, provided financial assistance to those impacted by the #EndSARS protests, the African Human Rights Media Network reported. LGBT Nigerians lost income and became stranded from home as the government imposed 24- to 48-hour curfews to curb the protests, the African Human Rights Media Network reported. Fifteen members of the LGBT community in Nigeria received funds for food and rent, the African Human Rights Media Network reported. The funds came from an initiative launched by NoStringsNG in October, which raised around $393. NoStringsNG also runs youth development programs that provide

An End SARS protest. Photo credit: TobiJamesCandids.

LGBT youth with support and knowledge to “challenge unfavorable and oppressive systems that aim to silence them,” according to the NoStringsNG website. The Nigerian non-profit works with St. Paul’s Foundation for International Reconciliation, a charity in the U.S., to receive donations, according to the NoStringsNG website.

NORTH AMERICA

EUROPE

PENGUIN RANDOM HOUSE MOVES FORWARD ON BOOK BY TRANSPHOBIC AUTHOR

GAY CONVERSION THERAPY SPREAD TO EASTERN EUROPE

Penguin Random House Canada has decided to publish “Beyond Order: 12 More Rules for Life” by author Jordan Peterson, Newsweek reported. Employees of the publisher have anonymously spoken out against the author and book, with one junior employee, who is a member of the LGBT community, describing Peterson as “an icon of hate speech and transphobia,” Vice reported. Employees said that the publisher kept news about the book’s release secret, Vice reported. The book did not appear on an internal database of future releases, one employee said. Penguin Random House Canada said in a statement that it is open to feedback and committed to publishing a range of viewpoints, Vice reported.

EXPLORING LGBT NEWS EVENTS ACROSS THE GLOBE

• 12. 3.2020

Photo credit: Penguin Random House.

Peterson, a clinical psychologist, also wrote “12 Rules for Life,” which has sold more than five million copies, according to the Penguin Random House website. The employees said that the publisher should consider donating the book’s profits to LGBT organizations, Vice reported. Peterson’s new book will be published in March 2021, Newsweek reported.

An online gay conversion therapy conference took place Nov. 27 and 28 in Hungarian, Polish and Slovakian — languages commonly spoken in reportedly homophobic countries like Poland and Hungary, Truth Wins Out reported. The Alliance for Therapeutic Choice and Scientific Integrity, a U.S. organization, is responsible for the conference, Truth Wins Out reported. The conference included presentations such as “Rethinking Transgenderism” and “Pastoral Care to Men and Women Struggling with Hurt Sexuality,” according to the International Federation for Therapeutic and Counseling Choice website. The ATCSI was previously known as the National Association for Research

Photo via PxHere.

and Therapy of Homosexuality (NARTH), which had been connected to multiple controversies, Truth Wins Out reported. Dr. Mike Davidson, IFTCC Chairman, said in a video that “pansexual humanism” is becoming a “driver of values” in the West. “The result is confusion and frightening sexual anarchy,” he said.

NEWS STATE

WEEKLY TRACKING OF COVID-19 IN SOUTH FLORIDA Sean McShee

CUMULATIVE KNOWN COVID-19 CASES IN THREE SOUTH FLORIDA Cumulative Known COVID-19COUNTIES: Cases in Cumulative Known COVID-19 Cases in1 Three South Florida Counties: NOVEMBER 25 THROUGH DECEMBER

Three South Florida December Counties: 1 November 25 through November 25 through December 1 Percent Increase in cumulative COVID-19 cases from 11/25 to 12/01 Palm Beach 4.4%,inBroward 4.7%, and Miami Dade 5.1% Percent Increase cumulative COVID-19 cases from 11/25 to 12/01 Palm Beach 4.4%, Broward 4.7%, and Miami Dade 5.1% 220,414

220,414

103,440

224,166

225,632

227,656

229,618

231,761

224,166

225,632

227,656

229,618

231,761

105,084

105,877

105,084

105,877

106,698

107,524

108,325

106,698

107,524

108,325

63,146

64,300

64,670

65,011

65,372

65,936 65,936

63,146

64,300

64,670

65,011

65,372

65,936

11/25

11/26

11/25

11/26 Palm Beach 11/27

11/27

Palm Beach

11/28

11/29

11/28 Broward

11/29

11/30

12/1

11/30 12/1 Miami-Dade Source Fl DOH Dashboard Miami-Dade

Broward

Source Fl DOH Dashboard

Source: Florida DOH Dashboard.

CUMULATIVE KNOWN COVID-19 DEATHS IN THREE SOUTH FLORIDA COUNTIES: Cumulative Known COVID-19 Deaths Cumulative Known COVID-19 Cases in in Three South Florida Counties: 1 NOVEMBER 25 THROUGH DECEMBER Three South Florida Counties:

November 25 through December 1 November 25 through December 1

Percent Increase in cumulative COVID-19 deaths from 11/25 to 12/01 Percent Increase in cumulative COVID-19 cases from 11/25 to 12/01 Palm Beach 1.6%, Broward 1.6%, and Miami Dade 1.2% Palm Beach 4.4%, Broward 4.7%, and Miami Dade 5.1% 220,414

103,440 1,670

1,638 63,146

11/25 11/25

103,440

1,670 1,638

105,877

105,084

1,676 1,648

11/26 11/26

Palm Beach

11/27 11/27

1,678 1,659

11/28 11/28

Palm Beach Broward Broward

11/29 11/29

3,839

3,835

107,524

1,694 1,664 65,372

65,011

64,670

64,300

63,146

106,698

1,678 1,652

231,761

229,618

3,834

3,823

3,799

3,792

227,656

225,632

224,166

220,414

3,792

108,325

1,697

1,664

65,936

11/30 11/30

12/1 12/1

Miami Dade Miami-Dade Source Fl DOH Dashboard Source Fl DOH Dashboard

Source: Florida DOH Dashboard. 12 . 3. 20 20 â&#x20AC;¢

LGBTQIA BITES

Lesbian

BLACK LESBIAN NAMED DEPUTY PRESS SECRETARY IN BIDEN ADMINISTRATION Karine Jean-Pierre is no stranger to political affairs. Her experience ranges from “presidential campaigns to grassroots activism, to local politics, to working in the White House,” according to her website. She currently serves as the chief public affairs officer for MoveOn. org and as a political analyst for MSNBC and NBC. Vice President-elect Kamala Harris announced that Jean-Pierre would be her new chief of staff back in August and she has recently been named principal deputy press secretary in the White House. “She will be part of an all-woman senior communications team,” said Trudy Ring in an article for the Advocate. This will be the first time that the White House communications staff will be run exclusively by women. Jean-Pierre will be the first Black woman and first gay woman to take on this role in the White House. This is her second time making history, her first being when she became the first Black woman to become chief of staff to a vice presidential candidate.

Karine Jean-Pierre. Photo via Facebook.

BY KENDALL LITTLE

Bisexual

LADY GAGA NABS TWO GRAMMY NOMINATIONS Though Lady Gaga was not nominated in any of the top Grammy categories, she secured nominations in two: Best Pop Duo/Group Performance and Best Pop Vocal Album. Her duet with Ariana Grande, “Rain On Me” was the song nominated for Best Pop Duo and her album “Chromatica” was the work nominated for Best Pop Vocal Album. “Rain On Me” has accumulated over 452 million streams on Spotify as of Nov. 30 and the music video currently has over 254 million views. The Guardian has even declared it “the best song of 2020.” Gaga and Grande performed the song live for MTV at the 2020 Video Music Awards and it was later posted to YouTube and has gotten over 25 million views as of Nov. 30. “Chromatica” was released on May 29 of this year and brought a whole new era for Gaga. The album “is a return to Gaga’s dance-pop days,” according to a review written by Katherine St. Asaph for Pitchfork. While the sound is similar to her debut album, “The Fame,” the lyrics are powerful and cover intense issues such as PTSD and sexual assault.

Lady Gaga. Photo via Facebook.

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LGBTQIA BITES

Pansexual

‘OUTER BANKS’ BEAUTY SHARES HOW IT FELT TO COME OUT Madison Bailey, star of Netflix’s hit drama series “Outer Banks,” came out as pansexual on TikTok earlier this year. During an Instagram Live, Bailey shared that “being open and honest feels so good.” The 21-year-old actress said that coming out was “worth it” and that she “feel[s] lighter [and] happier.” She said that her family and friends were very accepting along with the industry she works in. Though her character, Kiara, in “Outer Banks” is caught between boys, Bailey certainly is not. She is in a relationship with University of North Carolina at Charlotte basketball player Mariah Linney. The two ladies share affectionate Instagram posts frequently, which always bring in supportive comments. Bailey said, “if you’re gay, tell everybody that you’re gay. It’s worth it.”

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SERIES BIPOC

BIPOC LEADERS MAKING A DIFFERENCE BRIELLE ROUNDTREE’S BOOK CLUB INSPIRES WHILE SPARKING CONVERSATIONS Carina Mask

rielle Roundtree, founder of Bridging The Gap, prides herself in finding impactful and thought-provoking literature which sparks introspection and riveting conversations among queer and trans youth of color on a biweekly basis.

Brielle Roundtree, founder of Bridging The Gap. Photo credit: Carina Mask.

• 12. 3.2020

“I remember [that] I had a hard time going exactly why older people can connect through through school, and I was really out of touch the literature and through the experience.” and distant,” Roundtree said. “I couldn’t The book club meets virtually every other really communicate well, but I was one of the week on Sunday nights from 7 to 9 p.m. due best writers in my class. Just didn’t know how to the pandemic. One of the recent readings to verbally express myself.” was a personal development book. Even The concept of Bridging The Gap has though it is currently meeting in a virtual always held a special place in Roundtree’s space, Roundtree wants to keep a sense of a heart. When she attended high school, she safe space so she has kept the group private took a business class which allowed her to and by invite only. explore her ideas but it took another decade Writing was Roundtree’s creative outlet for this to come to fruition. growing up. “High school is a tough “Literature has changed my period of transition, and life by allowing me to get lost in “THERAPY HELPED I wanted to make a safe the story. It gave me the voice ME BUILD A place because transitioning to narrate my own life and TOOLBOX TO BETTER into adulthood was hard,” experiences,” Roundtree said. “It Roundtree said. literally saved my life and gave DEAL WITH ISSUES, Her book club was founded me a place to vent openly and AND I WANTED TO Nov. 11, 2018 to focus on queer unapologetically.” SHARE MY TOOLS youth. Initially, most of the Roundtree wants to be WITH EVERYONE I members skewed younger intentional with the reading but now there are members in material. Her choices in literature CAME IN CONTACT their 30s and 40s. are opportunities to introduce WITH.” “I think it evolved because Black and Brown queer youth to - Brielle Roundtree of people like [Brielle], some literature written by other people FOUNDER OF people weren’t privileged of color. BRIDGING THE GAP to have the traditional high “Words Never Spoken” by Craig school experience. People later Stewart was one of the first books in life still seek that education and fulfillment she chose. “Stewart was so thrilled about the [especially when] struggling with sexual work we were doing that he decided to visit identity and gender during high school,” South Florida and donate copies of his second added Jayce Roach, the executive director and fourth books.” of Bridging The Gap. “When your needs Stewart’s memoir was released in 2012. internally aren’t met, there is no way that It detailed his journey of his careers as a you can concentrate on your papers, a quiz, songwriter, playwright and entrepreneur. or a test. You’re not in alignment, and that’s In the book he describes his inner conflicts

SERIES BIPOC surrounding his sexuality, as well as his depression and addiction to pornography. “When I was 15, I realized my true self, and then my mother put me into therapy because I was acting feminine,” Roundtree said. “I had a great relationship with my therapist and that’s where I discovered my love for writing because I couldn’t really speak to my parents about anything. Writing was the way to get it out.” But when her parents found her journal it didn’t go over well. “One day I came home from school to find out that my mother had gone through some of my journals. That day, he [my father] was very physically abusive and my mother stopped him at some point. She told me to go outside to get air. I went outside, crying. I remember we lived in a townhouse so we have a large porch and [eventually] I fell asleep,” Roundtree said. “And I woke up the next morning still on the porch; no one came to wake me up. I realized in that moment, that this was it, and I left that moment and never came back.” According to a GLSEN’s National School Climate Survey, less than 22% of students that identify as LGBT graduate high school. The study found that LGBT students who experience high levels of bullying and antiLGBT victimization were more likely to report that they had no interest in pursuing post-secondary education. There was also a correlation between high victimization and lower GPA’s, lower self-esteem and high levels of anxiety and depression. Approximately 66% of LGBT students have experienced verbal harassment and discrimination at school. Over 30% of those students who feel unsafe, uncomfortable and targeted miss at least one school a day in the previous month. In the long term, this is detrimental to their education and well-being. Gay-Straight Alliances, inclusive antibullying policies, supportive teachers and LGBT inclusive educational programs can be transformative in the outcomes for queer youth. Meanwhile, not surprisingly, hostile school environments negatively affect LGBT students’ educational outcomes. Roundtree left high school because of the constant abuse she faced at home and school wasn’t a solace or an escape for her either. Her high school’s police officer monitored her constantly and at the end of every school day made sure she went home. When Roundtree left high school, she focused all of her energy and attention on being employed. Surviving was her main concern so education became a distant goal.

“My decision to go back to school and get a GED was very personal. My parents always told me I couldn’t and I wouldn’t do it. So, I did,” Roundtree said. “To not only prove to them, but to myself and knowing I am capable.” According to New York Civil Liberties Union, the transgender population unemployment rates are staggeringly high, it’s twice the rate of unemployment as the general populace. One fourth of queer identifying youth have suffered verbal, sexual or physical assault on school property. About 14% of transgender or GNC (gender nonconforming) youth have been homeless. Over half of the transgender youth who left high school were homeless or formerly homeless. “Without education we don’t have access to [gainful] employment and without employment we aren’t able to sustain safe and healthy lives,” Roundtree said. Roundtree wants to be a conduit for growth and self-discovery. “I wanted to mentor youth who identified like me. Therapy helped me build a toolbox to better deal with issues, and I wanted to share my tools with everyone I came in contact with,” Roundtree said. “Watching it slowly develop into something [tangible] that we drop off in a resource center is amazing.” Using literature and community as tools in order to talk about difficult subjects while also having a safe place to express feelings can be essential during the COVID-19 era. People might need to come up with new and innovative ways to cope with the isolation. “I love to connect with people and to love on people,” Roundtree said.

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NEWS INTERNATIONAL

BY ELLIOT RODRIGUEZ

GAY VINE THE

KEEP UP WITH THE CELEBRITIES IN OUR COMMUNITY

CELEBRITY

63RD GRAMMY AWARDS

KRISTEN STEWART WEIGHS IN ON LGBT ACTORS PLAYING LGBT ROLES

THE GRAMMY’S GO GAY WITH LOTS OF LGBT NOMINEES

Actress Kristen Stewart recently talked about the thin line between LGBT actors only playing LGBT roles. “I would never want to tell a story that really should be told by somebody who’s lived that experience … having said that, it’s a slippery slope conversation because that means I could never play another straight character if I’m going to hold everyone to the letter of this particular law,” Stewart told E Online.” I think it’s such a gray area.” Stewart came out as gay during a “Saturday Night Live” in 2017, but then clarified later that year that she was indeed bisexual, according to News Week. Scarlett Johansson received backlash when she was cast for a role as a transgender man, in the film “Rub &

Kristen Stewart. Photo via Facebook.

Tug.” She later apologized and stepped down from the role.

The 63rd Grammy Awards is set to take place on Jan. 31, where viewers can expect to see a great share of talent. Brittany Howard had the most nominations as a member of the LGBT community. Howard received five including : Best Rock Performance for “Stay High,” Best Alternative Music Album “Jaime,” Best R&B Performance “Goat Head,” and Best American Roots Performance “Short and Sweet.” There are also a lot of new LGBT artists to look for in the upcoming Grammy Awards. The Best New Artist category is jam packed with LGBT nominees such as: Gay electronic DJ/Producer Kaytranada; Indie Singer Phoebe Bridgers, who identifies as bisexual; and queer rapper Chika, said GLAAD.

Image credit: Brendon Lies.

Doja Cat and Megan Thee Stallion are also nominated for Best New Artist. According to GLAAD their sexual orientations are “not clearly identified” and they don’t seem to identify as “exclusively straight.” Both of whose sexual orientations are not clearly identified, but neither of whom seem to identify as exclusively straight, Glaad.org reported.

FILM

‘MANDALORIAN’ ACTRESS BLASTED FOR NOT SUPPORTING TRANS COMMUNITY

“Mandalorian” star Gina Carano, has received a lot of backlash on social media due to her recent flippant posts regarding the trans community. Allies of the LGBT community asked Carano to put her preferred pronouns in her bio, as a way of supporting trans people. Carano responded to this request by putting “Boop/Bop/Beep” in her bio instead. “They’re mad cause I wont put my preferred pronouns in my bio to show my support for trans lives. After months of harassing me in every way. I decided to put 3 VERY controversial words in my bio..Beep/Bop/Boop,” Carano said. Carano wrote on Twitter that she refused to put her pronouns in her bio because she is trying to expose the “bullying mentality of the mob that has taken over the voices of many genuine cases.” Fans also asked Carano to show her support

• 12. 3.2020

for the Black Lives Matter movement, but refused saying that doing so were for “cowards and bullies,” according to Yahoo Life. According to Filmdaily.co, some Twitter users have declared Carano is transphobic. One user asked Carano to admit she was transphobic, which prompted her to answer back with “I want people to know you can take hate with a smile...So BOOP you for misunderstanding.” Carano has only gotten more controversial over time, which has prompted fans to start a #FireGinaCarano, which ended up trending on Twitter. Her supporters though countered that hashtag with #StandWithGinaCarano. It’s not yet clear if Disney will respond or fire Carano, but episode two gave Carano’s character, Cara Dune, a way out of the show, according to Deseret News.

Image via Gina Carano, Twitter.

Carano has only gotten more controversial over time, which has prompted fans to start a #FireGinaCarano, which ended up trending on Twitter.

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12 . 3. 20 20 •

CONVICTIONS

My Best Gay Self

MY FIRST HOLIGAY SEASON Meeting my Southern family as a gay man

Photo via Adobe.

Mark Turnipseed

oliday seasons are known to be highly emotional, and sometimes feared, at times. This holiday season, in particular, approaches with a lot of mixed feelings for us all. For myself, on top of the usual basket of joyously large emotions, sits a wondrously dressed cherry on top for this will be my first holiday season as an openly gay man. Missing my sons and exwife is one thing, facing my southern family is another. I guess I should start this off with saying the fact that this holiday season won’t be filled with huge family gatherings should decrease the stress. But the downside is that the family gatherings that do happen will be a whole lot more intimate. No hiding on the couch in the corner sandwiched between the grandpa that only mumbles the occasional incoherent string of words and the aunt that’s too cynical for anyone to enjoy. Pure intimacy. Vulnerability. Full exposure, well besides the mask. Everyone I’ve met in the gay community has something in common and that’s the pressure of family. Some are now considered abject and deplorable, while others may get an equally hurtful passive shoulder from their loved ones. Whatever the struggle is, we all have the same struggle together and until recently have I begun to truly respect this struggle. It’s also only recently that I’ve learned the best approach to this struggle. One that fortifies my best gay self through the hard times, and the holidays: Gratitude. A few days ago I was involved in my first hate crime and it was at my own front door. But, it hasn’t left me with fear, or anger really. Instead it filled me with gratitude. It also showed me this holiday season will be a cinch if I continue to tap into gratitude rather than fear. The event left my heart throbbing but also amazed at the strength of the men and women who walked before me in our community and who went through so much worse. I’m so profoundly grateful for their sacrifice and hard work. In the face of threats and discrimination fueled by the thorns of hate and carried on the shoulders of ignorance they have continued to rise and rise and rise so that it has now become so rare that a

EVERYONE I’VE MET IN THE GAY COMMUNITY HAS SOMETHING IN COMMON AND THAT’S THE PRESSURE OF FAMILY.

• 12. 3.2020

man in the South only got threatened once in a year since coming out. How amazing is that? But it is also sad. It shows me that we still have a lot of work to do. Instances like this need to be eliminated. If I were not a soberminded, clear-headed, confident gay man the words that he used may have destroyed me. I used to walk through life on the brink of suicide in addiction and something like that could have set me over the line. Thank God this didn’t happen when I was in this weakened state because if it did, I may be another

one of our communities’ sad statistics. According to the Trevorproject.com each act of hate against an LGBT person increases the chance of suicide by 2.5% and seeing that we are already nearly five times as likely as our heterosexual peers to attempt suicide we don’t have room for a 2.5% increase. We must continue to carry the torch that our predecessors lit. They have gotten us so very far, but if we stop now, we may only enjoy this seemingly luxurious spot of equality for a short flicker longer. So for this holiday season, may gratitude protect us and may progress strengthen and encourage us to stoke the fire’s in our heart’s hearth.

My Best Gay Self is a column by author, speaker, fitness coach and LGBTQ addiction and wellness advocate, Mark Turnipseed. He is also the Owner and CEO of Integrity Endurance, a network of personal trainers with the goal of fighting the opioid crisis through fitness. Visit www.markaturnipseed. com to learn more/contact or to find his book “My Suicide Race: Surviving the trauma of addiction, recovery and coming out.”

WMG Volume 7 • Issue 25 December 3, 2020

Wilton Manors Gazette FACEBOOK.COM/GROUPS/WMGAZETTE

COMMUNITY

City’s ‘Living Document’ On Diversity Leaves Out Trans Community By John McDonald Wilton Manors’ definition of diversity or group can feel welcomed, respected, supported and valued in order to fully needs some more work. At the Nov. 24 city commission meeting, participate.” Carson noted CAAB’s diversity the community affairs advisory board (CAAB) presented a memorandum on definition left out gender identity how to recruit and maintain diversity on and gender expression. The board’s city boards and committees. The memo recommended outreach also failed to failed to include many groups covered by include transgender groups, the NAACP, the city’s non-discrimination ordinance, aging groups, independent living said resident and former Commissioner facilities, Kids in Distress and synagogues and churches. Julie Carson. Vice Mayor Paul Rolli “I really recommend commended the board’s bringing in an expert to work and said the list consult on these very of diversity groups was important matters so a “living document” that we can move our meant for additions and community forward in a subtractions. more representative way,” “We can tweak it if we Carson said during the need to,” Rolli said. meeting’s public comments Mayor Scott Newton portion. “I’m happy to fund echoed Rolli: “I think you the cost for this.” did a great job,” Newton CAAB Chairman Michael said. “You can get too far if Sansevero read the memo you really get into this. We to the commission. could probably add 200 “Diversity is a groups. I think everything recognition of all those - Chris Caputo that he put into this covers differences that make us COMMISSIONER everyone if you look and unique, and includes, but each and every word that is not limited to race, color, ethnicity, language, nationality, sexual you put in there.” Sansevero said best practice orientation, marital status, education, religion, gender, socio-economic status, for achieving diversity in the city attitudes, opinions, age and physical or mental ability,” encompasses Sansevero said. “We recognize that approaches and strategies to ensure no individuals can affiliate as such in one groups are excluded because of their or more ways. The goal is to create an differences or by implicit bias. Fair environment by which any individual procedures and processes are important

“A LOT OF THIS IS BEING ABLE TO SEE THEMSELVES IN THE ROLE AND REFLECTING THE DIVERSE NATURE OF THE COMMUNITY.”

Wilton Manors City Hall. Photo via the City of Wilton Manors, Facebook.

to eliminate barriers that prevented full participation in the past, Sansevero said. Setting term limits for boards and committees is recommended, Sansevero said. Commissioner Gary Resnick said the city’s current boards and committees have a “heaviness to lawyers and accountants.” Resnick said he wouldn’t reach out to synagogues and churches with the exception of the JCC and Congregation Etz Chaim. Commissioner Mike Bracchi asked CAAB to identify barriers to participation. “We need to understand what the problem is and one of

them is people just aren’t applying.” Direct outreach over the phone and building self-esteem and understanding in potential applicants is a key strategy, said Commissioner Chris Caputo. “It’s going to be a growing and living document,” Caputo said. “A lot of this is being able to see themselves in the role and reflecting the diverse nature of the community.” After a lengthy discussion, commissioners voted unanimously to have staff bring draft policy based on CAAB’s diversity and inclusion memo to its January meeting. WMG

• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • www.WMGAZETTE.com • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

12 . 3. 20 20 •

OPINION

Wilton Manors Loses All LGBT Commission Designation Five white men now represent the city

By John McDonald

WMG December 3, 2020 • Volume 7 • Issue 25 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 Copyeditor • Kimberly Swan

Oh the irony. November’s general election was a small victory for diversity on the Wilton Manors Commission — but not in a way this tiny South Florida city is known for. The election of Scott Newton as mayor broke up the city’s all LGBT commission. Newton, a straight man, defeated Julie Carson, a lesbian, by 112 votes — ousting Carson from a 12-year tenure on the commission. Scott Newton taking his seat as the Mayor of Wilton Manors. Photo via the City of Wilton Manors, Facebook. Michael Rajner, former chairman of the city’s charter review board, called Newton “I want to get back to all of us working a “decent man” but added he has struggled online and some were calling for people to to understand Newton’s vision for the city. “cancel” her restaurant, Bubbles & Pearls on together,” Newton told the New Pelican. The Gazette has reached out to Newton via The presence of Josie Smith-Malave in the Wilton Drive. “Julie Carson, call off your lackeys. Call off email and telephone for comment following campaign was an undeniable factor. The reality TV chef, who like Carson is also a part your dogs. Call off your people. Be the leader the election, but there has been no response. Michael Sansevero, chairman of the Wilton of the LGBT community, received 874 votes you say you ran to be. You’re the leader of this group of people. Don’t be a sore loser. [Carson’s Manors Community Affairs Advisory Board, for 12% of the vote. “If it were a race between Scott and Julie I campaign] had a choice and opportunity to said the commission needed new blood. “It had become stagnant and deadlocked,” do believe Julie would have prevailed,” Rajner create a landslide win. If it’s this close, don’t said. “I’m not attacking Josie. Also, Trump look at me [...] look at yourself,” she said. Sansevero said. “Ever since Justin passed the voters, Celeste Ellich [Broward Republican “Scott Newton won because he was there energy was gone.” The sudden death of Mayor Justin Flippen Party vice chairwoman] mobilized Trump every single day, because he’s out there being voters to turn out for Newton and [Mike] a real guy with the community and talking in February set about a chain of events that Bracchi. That may be why Scott ran a very to the people, and being connected to the eventually led to the end of Wilton Manors’ vague campaign with no vision, maybe he people. Being a mayor of Wilton Manors is all LGBT commission. Newton’s election, about bringing the people together and clearly however, does not solve the city’s diversity wanted to court those Trump voters.” woes as the commission is now composed Scott did exactly that.” In a Facebook live post In October Carson entirely of white men with newly elected after the election Smithsuffered a deep personal Commissioner Chris Caputo, 40, being the Malave pushed back hard loss when her brother died. youngest of the five. against the narrative that her Wilton Manors losing its all LGBT She ended up leaving the candidacy sunk Caron. In commission leaves Palm Springs, California campaign trail for a week. the video she heaped praise Meanwhile, Ellich told as the nation’s lone all LGBT governing body. on Newton, while blasting the New Pelican that Trump Other South Florida municipalities with more Carson and her supporters. supporters gave Newton the than one LGBT elected official include Fort “We’re in good hands edge in the race for mayor. Lauderdale, Oakland Park and Miami Beach. with Scott Newton. I got an - Michael Rajner In 2018 Wilton Manors became an all LGBT Ellich said that since there opportunity to get to know FORMER CHAIRMAN OF THE were no Republicans in the commission when Flippen won his race for him on this campaign trail, WILTON MANORS CHARTER race she recommended they mayor while Newton lost his re-election bid and he cares about the city. REVIEW BOARD vote for Newton and Bracchi, for a commission seat. Just because he’s a straight “When you look at where we have come whom she said are both guy, he may not know about from, it’s not that long ago when we weren’t the LGBTQ issues, but that’s what we’re all fiscally conservative. “We [Republicans] have to vote for even allowed to get married or have kids. here for, and that’s what we are here to do is to support him being successful,” Smith- somebody. It’s our city, too,” she told the New In a relatively short amount of time, we are now accepted as people’s city officials,” Malave said. “Even though I lost this time, Pelican. According to the New Pelican Newton is a Commissioner Gary Resnick noted in 2018. we moved the city forward together.” Smith-Malave said the people who voted registered Democrat, who supported former While Commissioner Paul Rolli, who won in the 2018 election, said when he was sworn for her did not waste their vote while also Vice President Joe Biden. Newton did not deny to the New Pelican in, “The fact that we now have an all LGBT calling Carson and her supporters “sore losers.” In the video she said Carson’s Trump supporters may have gotten him over commission is a historical marker but not necessarily a defining moment.” WMG supporters were posting nasty messages the top.

“IF IT WERE A RACE BETWEEN SCOTT AND JULIE I DO BELIEVE JULIE WOULD HAVE PREVAILED.”

Editorial

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Accounting Services by CG Bookkeeping 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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• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • www.WMGAZETTE.com • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • 18

• 12. 3.2020

2 •

December 3, 2020

NEWS

COMMUNITY

Wilton Manors Conversion Therapy Ban Not Enforceable

Clouds looming over NE 26th Street. Photo credit: Brendon Lies.

Rainstorms Test Wilton Manors Master Plan

By John McDonald

Photo via PxHere.

A consequence of last week’s ruling on conversion therapy by a federal appeals court hit home in Wilton Manors on Tuesday night. Shana Bridgeman, an attorney with the law firm of Goren, Cherof, Doody & Ezrol, informed the Wilton Manors Commission that the city’s ban on conversion therapy is not enforceable. Bridgeman cited the Nov. 20 ruling by the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, striking down bans on conversion therapy in Boca Raton and Palm Beach County. The language in those ordinances, Bridgeman said, is almost identical to the one in Wilton Manors — passed unanimously by the commission on Aug. 23, 2016. In a 2-1 decision, the court sided with therapists Robert Otto and Julie Hamilton who argued their case for sexual orientation change efforts on the grounds of the First Amendment’s right to free speech. “The reasoning that the court used is you have to let everyone talk about everything even if it’s offensive and outrageous,” Bridgeman said. Because there is a conflict between circuits

the matter is likely to make its way to the Supreme Court, Bridgeman said. After Bridgeman explained the decision and how Wilton Manors must comply she asked for questions from the commission and there were none. WMG

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re At the commission’s Nov. 24 meeting a Climate change is here and Wilton Manors At Midway Specialty Care Center we are $300,000 contract was awarded to Sanford has to deal with it. At to Midway Specialty Care Center we day are At the next commission meeting, a based contractor Granite Inliner for repairs to day start almost everyone on same Atable Midway Specialty Care Center we are PowerPoint presentation is scheduled to lift station basin five. Crews worked around able tothose start almost on same day now now offering offering now offering PrEP, with andeveryone without insurance. review infrastructure projects relating to the the clock on the project to fix breaks at e. PrEP, those witheveryone and without able to start almost on insurance. same day city’s master plan. Recent rains and storms Northeast Fifth Ave. & 21st Ct. and on 26th St. SAME DAY PrEP SAME DAY SAME PrEP DAY PrEP “We found after the major rainstorms that saturated grounds exposing leaks and breaks we’ve had — we’ve had over three feet of rain in sewer pipes. “Our natural drainage area is being in six weeks — that we have more leaks than impacted by climate change and sea-level expected,” said David Archacki, the Wilton Manors Emergency Management/ rise,” said City Manager Leigh Utilities Director. Ann Henderson. SOUTHEAST FLORIDA The contract with Granite Inliner Southeast Florida averages AVERAGES 58 was about getting Wilton Manors’ 58 inches of rainfall a year, INCHES OF RAINFALL drainage system “tidied up.” At said Henderson. That level the request of Commissioner Mike was reached by early October A YEAR, SAID Bracchi, Archacki explained the slip and then another 40% of that HENDERSON. THAT lining process where cameras and total was added in six weeks’ LEVEL WAS REACHED devices are inserted into the pipes to time. BY EARLY OCTOBER get readings on gallons per minutes “The end of October we AND THEN ANOTHER and to seal leaks. had an intense amount of “It’s the water leaking into the rain that completely saturated 40% OF THAT TOTAL sewer line and that’s what we’re our ground just in time for WAS ADDED IN SIX having problems with,” Mayor Scott Tropical Storm Eta to arrive WEEKS’ TIME. Newton said. “There’s not a quick fix on the weekend of Nov. 7,” but with sea-level rise it needs to be Henderson said. “Our system is meant to handle a lot of rainfall, but we done.” At the next commission meeting, were at capacity.” Middle River is six inches higher than Henderson said a consultant will explain how normal and there are more frequent extreme the city can build a “resilient system meant to weather events happening, Henderson said. withstand rising sea levels and also address The recent heavy storms created intense capacity for future growth.” The next commission meeting is Dec. 8. pressure on wastewater pipes resulting in two WMG breaks.

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• 12.3.2020

HURRICANE SHOWDOWN

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Protect YPoruortseecltfP P Yarronooud ttreeY scce ottluY fYro a ou n urd rssY eeo llffuaarnnd dY Yoouurr Family fro Fm amCilO yV fF rFIoD aam m m -1iiC 9llyyO DffrV u roorID m im n-g 1 C C9O OD V VuIID D ri--n11g99 D Duurriinng g sHoolliid the HolidtahyesHolitd thhaeeyH daayyss

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LEATHER MASKED BALL Despite the pandemic, masks were no problem on Nov. 27 at the Leather Masked Ball. The event was organized by Lambda Men’s Brotherhood and hosted at the Eagle Wilton Manors. DJ Daniel Kristopherre and DJ Rentboy kept the music coming. Pictured here is Cory David as Mr. Eagle (center) with Leather Masked Ball founder Ira Smith (right), posing with another mysterious guest at the event. Photo credit: J.R. Davis. To see more, visit SFGN on Facebook.

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Off The Wall

CONVICTIONS

IT WAS FORTY YEARS AGO John Lennon’s death continues to resonate with me, while his legacy will always inspire me Pier Angelo

his month marks the 40th anniversary of John Lennon’s death. He was gunned down on Dec. 8, 1980. Alas, the world has not forgotten him. In fact, it looks as if we still can’t get enough of him. In today’s climate of pessimism, disillusion — division — economic — physical — emotional — spiritual brutality, it is difficult to grasp the optimism of the ‘60s and its calls for love and peace, something that now seems painfully naive. John Lennon’s death marked the last time popular music really mattered. He was the last musician that made us care, gave us hope in something better, and allowed us to dream. It doesn’t even matter that his hopeful messages, like the Summer of Love, never became reality. He made us feel connected and united, as part of something special and exciting, more meaningful and empowering than today’s flimsy, superficial, divisive, social networks. He was the first rock star to use his pulpit of fame to direct people’s attention to things other than music, and he never uttered the words: no comment! Lennon’s musical, artistic and humanitarian legacies are still speaking to us today, his commitment and dedication to the poor, the underprivileged and the oppressed is carried on through multiple charities, by the tireless work of his wife, Yoko Ono Lennon.

“WHY” — “WHY MAKES IT SO SAD TO BE GAY? DOING YOUR OWN THING IS OK. OUR BODIES ARE OUR OWN. SO LEAVE US ALONE. PLAY WITH YOURSELF — TODAY.“ - John Lennon

• 12.3.2020

From the “Imagine” Specialty License plate that fights to end hunger in our state, (the proceeds go to the Florida Association of Food Banks and the Florida Hurricane Relief Fund), to the Monterey Aids Project and Habitat for Humanity, the list goes on to include the Desert Aids Project, Children’s Surgery International, Make a Wish, AdoptA-Classroom and many more, too numerous to mention, spanning the globe, from North America to South America, from Africa to Asia. Before John Lennon was a Beatle, he was an artist. Music will always be remembered as his most popular form of artistic expression but he also loved his literature and his visual art, studying at the Liverpool Art Institute from 1957 to 1960. Around the time the Beatles started falling apart John Lennon began moving back to his first passion. Most of his sketches are spontaneous and loose, filled with laconic humor, the genius behind them is that they can be simultaneously informing, amusing and outraging. He drew from life and imagination where there are no boundaries. Traveling exhibits prominently include the erotic sketches that in 1970 were confiscated from the London Art Gallery by Scotland Yard because deemed obscene. At the time, the rebellious and always challenging Lennon, enjoyed the controversy and accused the establishment of hypocrisy since it reacted to lines drawn on paper but at the same time ignored the “real” pornography of the Vietnam War and starvation in Africa. I pride myself in being a “connoisseur’ of all things John Lennon but it wasn’t until I met Larry Schwartz, executive producer of Legacy Fine Arts & Productions, the defacto curator of John Lennon Art Work, that I picked up an important bit of information I had missed all these years. During an exhibit at the Delray Beach Center for the Arts I was struck by a lithograph I had not seen before, I stood in front of it for several minutes taking it all in. Walking away from it, going back to it, looking at it from afar. Then Larry approached me, we started

A former cover of SFGN that paid tribute to John Lennon. SFGN file photo.

talking and seeing my interest he gave me some background information on it. In the spring of 1972 John Lennon was asked to contribute to an anthology called “The Gay Liberation Book” (Gay Writing and Survival In the Straight World). He submitted a drawing of a naked man sitting on a cloud with the following limerick: “WHY” — “Why makes it so sad to be gay? Doing your own thing is OK. Our bodies are our own. So leave us alone. Play with yourself — today.“ The drawing is called “He Tried To Face Reality,” and it is for anyone who has ever felt different and not able to fit into the mainstream life. This piece places John Lennon among the clouds, seated in mid-air, attempting to “face his version of reality,” while the gravity of the world floating by is underscored by humor. The drawing is whimsical yet poetic because when we are free to be who we really are, the sun

shines and lifts our spirits. It shows two different states of mind at work, one dark and pessimistic and the other joyful and optimistic. It represents a glimpse of his unconventional view of life, and part of his continuous attempts to bring down taboos in a world drifting away from physical love and toward mass violence. As he once said, “If art were to redeem man, it could do so only by saving him from the seriousness of life, and restoring him to an unexpected boyishness.” Or: “All you can do is try and break down the walls and show that there is nothing there but people.” He was a true renaissance man. The gunshot that killed him might have silenced his voice but every night, from the Reykjavík’s Imagine Peace Tower, a beam of light shoots 13,000 ft into the North Pole’s sky telling us that we should hold on to the dream and imagine what it could have been.

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

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LIFESTYLE TWO GUYS AND A DOG

ARE YOU HAPPY WITHOUT THE MOVIE? Brian McNaught

“M

y life’s goal is to be on ‘Oprah!’” my friend told me when Ms. Winfrey still had her daytime talk show. Being on “Oprah!” guaranteed instant name recognition, and a best-selling book. I discouraged him from believing it would make him happy. The high you feel with such a “success” lasts a few days, and then you come up with a new goal, such as, “I’ll be happy if they make my life story into a movie.” Can you be happy without the movie? That’s important for us to consider. First, let’s laugh, if we must, at the seeming absurdity of the question, but then get honest about what we imagine will satisfy our ego’s need for meaning. Here’s a different question. “What’s my ‘Light,’ and do I have the courage to let it shine?” “This little light of mine, Lord, I’m going to let it shine, let it shine, let it shine, let it shine.” — Gospel song If we do the hard work of getting to know ourselves, name our unique manifestation of the Divine, and claim it regardless of all circumstances, they may make a movie about us, but that’s not what will make us happy. Our happiness will come from knowing, before we die, that we had fully lived to our potential. “The unexamined life is not worth living” — Socrates

HOW DO I NAME IT? WHAT DO I NEED TO DO TO CLAIM IT? AM I UP TO THE CHALLENGE, TO THE OPPORTUNITY, TO THE LOSSES IT WILL REQUIRE?

When we examine our lives, where do we start? What are we looking for? We’re looking for the whispers we’ve heard since childhood about the makeup of our soul. It’s a treasure hunt for how we’re uniquely suited to manifest the Universe. We’re not looking for what’s not so good about us, but rather our gifts. “I said to the almond tree, ‘Sister, speak to me of God,’ and the almond tree blossomed.” — Nikos Kazantzakis There are many metaphors for understanding the “Light.” I once wrote, “When I die, I imagine that God will ask me, ‘Brian, did you sing the song I taught you?’” For most of my life, I believed that my “song” was being a gay man who celebrated his sexuality as a gift from God. Indeed, my adult life has been devoted to helping others name and claim that unique part of themselves. It took courage on my part to publicly affirm my homosexual orientation. Joseph Campbell described such work as “the hero’s journey.” It is a journey that is ongoing, rather than a one-step

• 12.3.2020

process. There are stages to discernment, as well as to confronting the losses inherent in being different. Those losses can include the sudden absence of all that seemed important, from family to employment. I could die today, at 72, a man with the smile of contentment. I have not only dared to speak the name of my way of loving, but I’ve done so, to the best of my ability, with loving kindness toward myself and others. But, I’m not dying, and at this very moment, I have the inkling that I have at least one more song to sing, if not an entire album. I’m aware that my “Light” is less like a candle than it is a crystal chandelier. How so? I believe I have the power to heal. We all do, but

I’m at a place in my life that I can give more attention to the whispering I’ve heard since I was young. I’ve been very drawn to working with those who are dying, not to make them physically well, but to ease their fear of what lies ahead, to heal the anxiety of their soul. More recently, I’ve found myself interested in the ongoing need for intimacy of older adults. Are those both challenges that will reveal another prism of my Light? How do I name it? What do I need to do to claim it? Am I up to the challenge, to the opportunity, to the losses it will require? I wonder if Oprah is longing for a movie about her life, or if she instead is looking for more clues to the full dimensions of her Light?

Brian McNaught has been a leading educator on LGBTQ issues globally since 1974. He has made his many books and DVDs available for free at Brian-McNaught.com. The New York Times named him “The Godfather of gay diversity training.”

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Until further notice: Due to the 1436 NE 26th Street current COVID-19 pandemic, our Wilton Manors. 33305 worship services are streamed on Facebook.com/HolyAngelsFL Facebook Live every Sunday at www.HolyAngelsFL.org 10 AM, rather than held at our church property. 954-633-2987 https://www.facebook.com/ A home for your spirit. ChurchofOurSaviorMCC. Visit our web site for more details & updates. Mass Schedule: Sabado 6:00 PM misa en español • TEMPLE BATYAM LGBTQ.qxp_Layout 1 6/19/20 9:32 PM Page 1

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We stand with our LGBTQ brothers and sisters in celebrating the Supreme Court ruling protecting gay and transgender people from workplace discrimination. 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 2917 NE 6th Avenue Wilton Manors 954-633-2987 - HolyAngelsFL.net Sunday Mass at 11AM

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LIFESTYLE FOOD

IT’S DE-LIGHTFUL, IT’S DE-LOVELY, IT’S DE LUXE Rick Karlin

Luxe Restaurant at the Casino at Dania Beach. Credit: Pierson Grant Public Relations.

ike most businesses, the hospitality industry has been hit hard by the pandemic. Standard restaurants have been able to adapt with reduced capacity dining and increasing delivery and take-out service.

However, buffet service restaurants have been especially hard hit. Some, such as the popular Nabu have closed permanently, a casualty of the pandemic. You’d think the corporate chains would have some immunity, many have converted to take-out or cafeteria service. Garden Fresh Restaurants, parent company of the salad bar concepts Souplantation and Sweet Tomatoes, opted not to reopen at all and filed for bankruptcy. One local spot, Luxe buffet in the Casino at Dania Beach has taken a more creative approach; it has been re-imagining as a prix fixe dining room, offering a limited menu for a bargain price.

Luxe now offers a pre-set three-course meal for $19.95 served only on weekends. Holiday offerings are also available at a slightly higher price. The weekly menu offers a choice of appetizer, entrée, and dessert. On the night of our visit, my husband and I sampled the menu in its entirety, as we split the two options for each course. I began with a wedge salad with creamy bleu cheese dressing and chopped bacon. It was quite a healthy portion, easily enough for two to share. My hubby thoroughly enjoyed his trio of miniature crab cakes. After a bit of a pause between courses, I thought our server forgot about us. Then she appeared with what I thought was dessert. I informed her that we hadn’t had our entrées yet and she surprised me by announcing that this course was a palate cleanser. I’ve had palate cleansers served between courses before, but this was a nice surprise, as it wasn’t listed on the menu, and the portion of sorbet served was large enough to sub for a dessert. The entrées rely heavily on starches, with the protein acting more as an accompaniment, not a surprise given the lower price-point of the meal. My beef stroganoff over linguini was rich and flavorful with tender slices of beef and mushrooms coating the perfectly al dente pasta. My husband’s shrimp and grits provided plenty of tiny shrimp in a flavorful sauce over perfectly prepared, creamy, grits. We would have preferred larger shrimp (the

ONE LOCAL SPOT, LUXE BUFFET IN THE CASINO AT DANIA BEACH HAS TAKEN A MORE CREATIVE APPROACH.

An exterior shot of the Casino at Dania Beach. Credit: Pierson Grant Public Relations.

• 12.3.2020

ones we were served are what I like to call bait-sized), even if it meant a lesser quantity. However, the kitchen managed to cook the tiny crustaceans perfectly, not an easy feat. Although not included in the prix fixe, a variety of wines are available. The sauvignon blanc I enjoyed with my appetizer was excellent. Desserts offered just enough to satisfy without overwhelming. The menu listed a passionfruit cheesecake, which our waiter informed us was not available. A strawberry cheesecake square was a fine substitute. Chocolate layer cake was a bit dry, but the dark chocolate curls and creamy ganache more than made up for that slight drawback.

HUNGRY FOR MORE? 

Service is masked and the staff wears gloves. Tables are spaced a healthy distance apart, but not so much that you feel as if you are dining in the middle of an ocean. If I had one complaint, it would be a lack of vegetarian entrées. However, when looking at the weekly menu on-line I noticed that a third, vegetarian entrée option has been added. On the night of our visit there were about a dozen or so tables occupied. I hope that as word of the bargain meal spreads, that bookings increase. This kind of innovative reinvention of a dining experience should be encouraged.

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.

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A&E FILM

‘HOLIGAY’ MOVIES LGBT ALLY FRAN DRESCHER PLAYS MATCHMAKER FOR HER GAY SON IN ‘THE CHRISTMAS SETUP’ David-Elijah Nahmod

nce again holiday movies will abound on your TV screens for the Christmas season, but this year there’s a bit of a queer twist to the festivities.

For the first time that we are aware of there are holiday films made especially for LGBT families, and they are turning up in the most unexpected places. On Dec. 12 Lifetime TV will premiere The Christmas Setup, a holiday love story featuring two gay men as lead characters. In a romantic twist, the happy couple will be played by Ben Lewis and Blake Lee, a gay couple who are married in real life. Among Lewis’ many small screen roles are as William Clayton on the CW’s superhero series “Arrow,” while Lee attracted some attention for his recurring role on “Parks and Recreation.” In “The Christmas Setup” Lewis plays Hugo, an attorney in New York who goes home to Milwaukee for Christmas with his best friend Madelyn (Ellen Wong). Hugo’s mom, the bubbly Kate (Fran Drescher) is in charge of the neighborhood Christmas celebrations. She’s also a matchmaker, and when Hugo crosses paths with Patrick (Lee), his old high school crush, Kate does all she can to bring the two guys together. But then Hugo is offered a huge promotion which would require him to move to London. As Hugo and Patrick begin to fall in love, Hugo must decide whether or not to take a once in a lifetime job opportunity or to follow his heart. “The Christmas Setup” is not unlike the

many other holiday films that Lifetime has produced over the years. It’s sweet and wholesome, a little sappy, but ultimately uplifting and enjoyable. Lewis and Lee have amazing onscreen chemistry, no surprise since they are a couple. Drescher, best known as The Nanny in the classic sitcom, is always fun to watch. She steals every scene she’s in, here playing a variation of her famous screen persona. The actress has a long history of supporting LGBT equality. Around ten years ago she starred in “Happily Divorced,” a two-season sitcom in which she played a woman whose roommate just happened to be her gay ex-husband. That show was taken from a slice of Drescher’s own life. She created Happily Divorced with Peter Marc Jacobson, her real-life ex-husband, an out gay man. “This is a movie that is a holiday rom-com that is around a same-sex couple,” Drescher said of “The Christmas Setup” in a telephone interview. “I feel as someone who’s always been forthright on behalf of gay civil liberties that it’s a great thing. It’s important that we continue to normalize this as part of mainstream culture.” Drescher pointed out that the filmmakers created a beautiful world for the characters to inhabit and said that “The Christmas Setup” is a “feel good film.”

According to Lewis, he and Lee were shocked to find themselves in Lifetime’s first holiday movie with a

LEAD LGBT STORYLINE.

• 12.3.2020

Ben Lewis and Blake Lee in “The Christmas Setup.” Photo courtesy of Lifetime.

“I play the mother of a gay son and it’s as easy to accept him as a child with brown eyes,” she said. The actress hopes that the example she sets in the film will serve as an inspiration for Lifetime’s core viewership. The network’s programming is geared towards straight women and their families, some of whom might be surprised to see a film like “The Christmas Setup” on the Lifetime holiday schedule. Drescher has a message for anyone who might take issue with the film. “Many of you might have a gay child living in your home right now,” she said. “If you persist in alienating them and making them feel like the odd man out or afraid to come out and be their authentic self, you’re doing them a grave disservice. And you’re doing yourself one too. You’re here to be accepting and loving, and everyone deserves to live an authentic life. It’s not your responsibility to stand in judgement of them. Because if you stand in judgement of anyone, you’ve missed the point of why you’re here.”

According to Lewis, he and Lee were shocked to find themselves in Lifetime’s first holiday movie with a lead LGBT storyline. “We feel very lucky to be representing our community in that way,” he said. “Certainly it doesn’t represent the full spectrum of the community, but we hope that it’s a good and frankly overdue first step.” Lewis also spoke of what it was like to act in romantic scenes with his own husband. “In a 10 year relationship there are not a lot of firsts,” he said. “But to be acting opposite each other for the first time ever was really interesting because we’re so comfortable with each other. To try and remember what it feels like at the beginning of a relationship, when the initial sparks are flying, all the nerves and the self-consciousness that goes along with that, that was really an interesting and fun and romantic time to revisit. It was a really great experience.” The actor admits that he and Lee were a bit nervous going into the project, and that they had some fleeting moments of tension during

A&E ENTERTAINMENT the shooting, but they worked through those feelings fairly quickly. Lewis added that once it was announced that they were doing the film the reaction was overwhelmingly positive. Neither of them were familiar with made-for-TV holiday films, he noted. “You don’t really realize how many people watch these movies and love these movies until it’s announced that you’re doing one,” he said. “Then all of a sudden everyone you know is coming out of the woodwork and saying how excited they are about it, so that’s been really gratifying. I’ve seen a couple of negative tweets here and there. There’s always going to be that contingent of trolls in anything that you do. We’re definitely focusing on the positive, and the positive has really been overwhelming.” Being on the set of the film was also a positive experience for the couple. It was the first set he was on where the majority of the key players were either members of the LGBT community or fierce allies. Pat Mills, the film’s director, is gay, as is writer Michael J. Murray. Lewis spoke very highly of Drescher. “I think the LGBTQ community is truly close to her heart and a part of her soul,” he said. “She and I share a birthday which we celebrated together on set. You know how everyone has that one celebrity that you share a birthday with? They’re your celebrity birthday twin, well Fran has always been that for me. So when I heard there was a possibility of her playing my mom I thought, this is too good to be true. I knew we were going to be shooting on my birthday, and so I couldn’t believe how lucky I was to be celebrating my birthday on set, in a pandemic, with Fran Drescher and my husband. It was beyond surreal, it was such a gift.” Lewis said that all possible precautions were taken during filming to keep everyone safe amid the pandemic. Cast and crew were tested three times a week, and everyone’s temperature was taken daily when they showed up for work. A checklist of potential symptoms were crossed off each day to make sure that no one was experiencing any of them, and the crew wore masks whenever they were on set. And now that the film is complete, both Lewis and Drescher couldn’t be happier with the results. “It has no angst to it,” Drescher said of the film. “No negativity. It’s just joyful and loving and in the true spirit of the holiday, there’s absolutely no downside. I just hope that more and more people in creative positions continue to present the diversity that is the human experience.” Also worth checking out is “Happiest Season,” a lesbian holiday film now streaming on Hulu. Directed by lesbian actress/ filmmaker Clea DuVall, the film stars bisexual actress Kristen Stewart. “Happiest Season” is a charming fable about Abby and Harper (Stewart, Mackenzie Davis), a lesbian couple in Pittsburgh who have been together for about a

year. Abby thinks that Harper is “the one” and buys her a wedding ring. When Harper invites Abby to spend Christmas with her family, Abby agrees, only to find out a little too late that Harper isn’t out to her conservative parents. Abby agrees to pretend that they’re just friends for the next five days. Harper comes from a very dysfunctional family. Her parents (Mary Steenburgen, Victor Garber) have spent their lives worrying about what the neighbors will think, while their other two daughters try a little too hard to live up to Mom and Dad’s ridiculously high expectations. Abby, meanwhile, is beginning to rethink her relationship with Harper after Harper reconnects with an old boyfriend, and an old girlfriend. As her parent’s Christmas party approaches, Harper goes deeper and deeper into the closet and Abby feels increasingly left out. A far more serious film than “The Christmas Setup,” “Happiest Season” is nonetheless an enjoyable holiday story. Stewart and Davis are both superb as two young women who genuinely love each other, but who may or may not be able to overcome the obstacles now standing in their way. Steenburgen is especially good as the mom who seems to be more interested in putting her kids on display than she is in accepting them for who they are. Although it deals with the very serious themes of coming out to one’s less than accepting family and being true to oneself, “Happiest Season” is not a downbeat film. It has quite a few lighthearted moments and is cast to perfection with a group of actors who play off each other beautifully. It’s a film about learning lessons. Abby must learn to give Harper another chance, Harper must learn to fully and proudly accept herself for who she is, while her parents learn the true meaning of embracing one’s family during the holidays. It’s a lovely film, one that might stay with viewers after the final fadeout. Happy Holidays!

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“Happiest Season.” Photo credit: Hulu.

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A&E FILM

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• 12.3.2020

he OUTshine Miami LGBTQ+ Film Festival responded to the COVID-19 pandemic last August with a virtual alternative, streaming dozens of films online and turning to Zoom to stage post-screening Q&A sessions with filmmakers, actors and writers. The biannual festival returns Dec. 3 — 6 with its Fort Lauderdale edition and organizers say they learned a lot on the first attempt taking OUTshine online. According to Executive Director Victor Gimenez, the virtual festival was a financial success because film fans across the state purchased tickets to screen films from the convenience and safety of their homes. “We definitely expanded our audience. We did very well in terms of ticket sales,” Gimenez said, “especially because there was no competition between films scheduled at the same time. There was no ‘Sophie’s Choice.’” Organizers will be applying lessons learned from their first virtual festival: All films will be available throughout the entire weekend, rather than attempting to stage staggered openings. Post-screening panels and filmmaker events will also be shorter and more focused. “It was definitely a challenge to engage the audience [on Zoom],” Gimenez noted. Not all films will be enjoyed on a small screen laptop or television. In keeping with social distancing guidelines, the Fort Lauderdale festival will include a live, opening night drive-in event featuring the critically-acclaimed drama “Cowboys” on Friday, Dec. 4 at 7 p.m. at Pier 66 Marina, 2301 SE 17th Street in Fort Lauderdale. Awarded outstanding performance at Outfest LGBT Film Festival and best screenplay at the TriBeCa Film Festival, “Cowboys” stars Steve Zahn (“Treme,”

The cast of “BearCity” will reunite for a virtual 10th anniversary celebration during the OUTshine Fort Lauderdale LGBTQ+ Film Festival, Dec. 3 — 6. Credit: BearCity Limits.

“Modern Family,” “Dallas Buyers Club”) as Troy, a father who tries to liberate his young transgender son by taking him to Canada, but as a frustrated female detective spearheads an investigation, she discovers that the child’s family situation is more complicated than originally believed. Gimenez said another highlight in this year’s line-up will be a free community screening on Saturday, Dec. 5 celebrating the 10th anniversary of “BearCity,” the hilarious comedy about a group of friends laughing, loving and sex-ing in New York City. A ticketed virtual cast reunion and interactive Q&A will follow the film. Other highlights from the 21 features, documentaries and shorts include the U.S. premiere of the Nigerian romantic drama “Walking with Shadows,” the award-winning Vietnamese comedy-drama “Goodbye Mother” (“Thưa mẹ con đi”), German drama “No Hard Feelings” and American thriller “Through A Glass Darkly.” A virtual closing awards ceremony will conclude the festival on Sunday, Dec. 6 at 8 p.m. via Zoom.

Tickets for the 12th annual OUTshine Fort Lauderdale LGBTQ+ Film Festival, Dec. 3 — 6, are on sale at OUTshineFilm.com. Prices for individual films are $7.50 each and packages range from $37.50 — $100. Opening night drive-in tickets are $40 per vehicle. OUTshine members and annual passholders receive discounts on all packages.

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piano WANT TO LEARN HOW TO PLAY THE PIANO? Learn from an experienced teacher. All levels and ages welcome. Learn to play classical, popular, jazz, or show tunes. Visit www.edwinchad.com or call 954826-9555 for more information.

Classified Advertising Works!

954.530.4970 34

• 12.3.2020

PRIVATE ROOM - Mature gentleman looking for same to share my modest home 2 miles from Wilton Manor Drive. Near bus line, private bedroom with cable TV, Wi-Fi, shared bathroom, living area, den and modern kitchen. $600.00 per month, all utilities included. Must be looking for long term. No Drama. First and Last with good references and proof of income with background check. 954-202-5643 MOVE IN IF APROVED WITH FIRST & LAST.

Classified advertising WORKS!

MILO

Appointments will now be required to visit the adoption areas at the Humane Society of Broward County on weekends and select days. 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 AM — 4:30 PM 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.

Give us a call and see for yourself.

954.530.4970 rental - pompano beach

After having a home my entire life, my owner decided she no longer had time to take care of me. I’m a cat…how hard can it be? My name is Milo (ID 581882) and I’m 3 years old and I love to cuddle. I also enjoy eating, loved playing with the dog at home and am good with kids of all ages. I’m a big fan of catnip and I’ll even play fetch with toys. Do you think we can make lots of memories together?

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APARTMENT FOR RENT - PALM AIRE COUNTRY CLUB - Pompano Beach, 2 Bedrooms 2 Full Bath fully remodeled, Semi Furnished.NO Pets Allowed. $1500/month. 1st, last and security. Call Angelo 954-770-6540

OFFER EXPIRES 05.31.2020

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rental - office space CLERICAL OR ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICE SPACE FOR RENT - Single cubicles . Shared environment. Perfect for single operator. Professionals only. Contact N. Kent , 954-661-3361

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*Includes product and labor; bathtub, shower or walk-in tub and wall surround. This promotion cannot be combined with any other offer. Other restrictions may apply. This offer expires May 31, 2020. Each dealership is independently owned and operated. **Third party ﬁnancing is available for those customers who qualify. See your dealer for details. ©2020 BCI Acrylic Inc.

12 . 3. 20 20 â&#x20AC;¢

Together, we offer an affordable Medicare Advantage plan with the doctors you trust Oscar + Holy Cross Health + Memorial Healthcare System offer: $0 monthly premiums $0 medical and prescription deductibles $0 primary care visit copays $0 specialist visit copays $0 unlimited rides for visits to the doctor or pharmacy

Youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll get up to $2,700 in additional benefits each year, including dental, vision, hearing and an over-the-counter allowance. This is the Medicare Advantage plan youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve earned.

Call 1-954-793-4660 (TTY:711) or visit hioscar.com/medicare/broward to enroll today. Oscar is an HMO with a Medicare contract. Enrollment in Oscar depends on contract renewal. Other providers are available in our network. H5126_H7322_H8961_MKTSEP20025S_M