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NEWS highlight

What Happened to Charlot Jeudy?

LGBT Activist Found Dead In Haiti

John McDonald

A

well-known LGBT activist was found dead in Haiti and human rights organizations have called for an investigation.

Charlot Jeudy was pronounced dead on Nov. 25 in Pétion-Ville, outside the Haitian capital of Port-au-Prince. Jeudy’s death was called “suspicious.”

“We call on the police to carry out an immediate, credible and transparent police investigation into the death of Jeudy Charlot.

Haiti must protect LGBTIQ people from violence,” said Jessica Stern, Executive Director of OutRight Action International, who added she knew Jeudy to be a ‘’bold” and “fierce” advocate for his community.

The Washington Blade reports a source in the Dominican Republic said Jeudy had

Jeudy, 46, was the leader of Kouraj, a Haitian LGBT organization.

Kouraj partnered with the United Nations on a project to reduce discrimination and homophobia in Haiti, reported Radio Canada.

“received his share of death threats.” The Dominican Republic shares the Hispaniola island with Haiti in the Caribbean Sea. Michele Sison, a career foreign service officer, serves as the U.S. Ambassador to Haiti. Haiti currently has a level three travel advisory which recommends people to reconsider visiting the country. The U.S. Embassy in Port-au-Prince issued a statement on Jeudy’s passing: “The U.S Embassy in Port-au-Prince laments the untimely passing of Mr. Charlot Jeudy, President of Kouraj. We deeply regret the loss of such a tireless advocate for human rights and equality in Haiti and we believe that his memory will live on in the values and principles to which he dedicated his life. We offer our sincere condolences to his friends, family, and colleagues,” the statement, issued Nov. 25, read.

Jeudy, 46, was the leader of Kouraj, a Haitian LGBT organization. Kouraj partnered with the United Nations on a project to reduce discrimination and homophobia in Haiti, reported Radio Canada.

Haiti is a former French colony which has suffered under deforestation, a massive earthquake in 2010 and disease. In 2018, the CIA estimated Haiti’s population at 10.7 million, noting the estimate took into account the country’s “excess mortality due to AIDS.” The AIDS Healthcare Foundation put out a statement that the global healthcare provider “mourned” Jeudy’s death. AHF operates four treatment clinics in Haiti. Through

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@SFGN

December 4, 2019 • Volume 10 • Issue 49

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

Publisher • Norm Kent Norm.Kent@sfgn.com

CEO • Pier Angelo Guidugli piero@sfgn.com

Associate Publisher / Executive Editor • Jason Parsley Jason.Parsley@sfgn.com

Editorial

Art Director • Brendon Lies Artwork@sfgn.com Digital Content Director • Justin Musial Webmaster@sfgn.com Graphic Designer • Char Pratt Arts/Entertainment Editor • JW Arnold JW@prdconline.com Social Media Manager • Tucker Berardi tberardi@ufl.edu Food/Travel Editor • Rick Karlin Gazette News Editor • Sallie James HIV Editor • Sean McShee Senior Photographer • J.R. Davis JRDavis12000@hotmail.com

Senior Features Correspondents Jesse Monteagudo

Correspondents

Dori Zinn • Donald Cavanaugh • Christiana Lilly • Denise Royal • David-Elijah Nahmod

Contributing Columnists

Dana Rudolph • Ric Reily • Terri Schlichenmeyer

Associate Photographers Carina Mask • Steven Shires

Sales & Marketing

For ad placement in SFGN, contact 954-530-4970 Sales Manager • Justin Wyse Justin@sfgn.com Senior Advertising Associate • Edwin Neimann Edwin@sfgn.com Senior Advertising Associate • Clark Rogers Clark@sfgn.com

Charlot Jeudy.

Photo via Facebook.

its governmental and non-governmental partnerships, AHF supplies 19,000 Haitians with critical antiretroviral treatment.

Jeudy’s passing was felt far away in France.

French politician and HIV/AIDS activist JeanLuc Romero tweeted the conditions of Jeudy’s death are disturbing and offered condolences to the Haitian LGBT community.

“Some parts of the islands are not always very gay friendly although it’s much better than it used to be,” a source in Martinique told SFGN on Dec. 1.

COVER: It’s time for SFGN’s annual holiday shopping guide! Turn to page 12 for ideas on what to buy this season. photo via Adobe Stock.

Associated Press

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NLGJA Journalist of the Year 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 © 2019 South Florida Gay News.com, Inc.

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3

LGBTQIA bites

B

Bisexual

Authorities won’t charge people for outing bisexual teen who killed himself Channing Smith, a 16-year-old from Manchester, Tennessee died by suicide in September after classmates shared sexual text messages between him and a boy, outing him as bisexual on Snapchat and Instagram, according to Pink News.

Smith’s family urged the District Attorney Craig Northcott to prosecute the teens that outed their son, but Northcott released a statement saying the investigation found that no crimes were committed in Smith’s death, The Tennessean reported.

“Supposedly there’s not laws in place that affect minors, and harassment and bullying have to show a pattern,” Joshua Smith, Channing’s brother told the Tennessean.

“Hopefully we can get more modern laws in place. My main concern is it’s going to send a mixed message to these kids that they can do what they want and there’s not repercussions.”

Smith’s close friends knew of his bisexuality before the posts, but it wasn’t widely known.

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SFGN file photo.

T

By Cameren Boatner

Transgender

Scarlett Johansson says she ‘mishandled’ transgender role scandal When Scarlett Johansson was cast to play a transgender man in the movie “Rub & Tug,” the LGBT community criticized the studio for hiring a cisgender woman for the role.

Johansson dropped out of the movie amid the backlash, and said that she should be allowed to play any person despite her gender identity, Vanity Fair reported. Now, Johansson says she got it wrong.

“In hindsight, I mishandled that situation. I was not sensitive, my initial reaction to it. I wasn’t totally aware of how the trans community felt about those three actors playing — and how they felt in general about cis actors playing — transgender people ... I felt terribly about it. To feel like you’re kind of tonedeaf to something is not a good feeling,” Johansson told Vanity Fair.

Movie Web reported that “Rub & Tug” is still in “limbo.”

Scarlett Johansson. Photo via Scarlett Johannson, Facebook.

LGBTQIA bites

I

Intersex

Billy Dee Williams describes himself as gender fluid

Billy Dee Williams.

Photo via Billy Dee Williams, Facebook.

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Se rv ing Mi am i-D a

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Billy Dee Williams, 82, who played Lando Calrissian in Star Wars, came out as gender fluid in an interview with Esquire.

When the Esquire interviewer mentioned that Donald Glover mentioned playing the young Lando with that kind of gender fluidity in mind, Williams said he’s “brilliant.� While talking about his style and his idea of what “cool� means, Williams told Esquire he self-identifies with both feminine and masculine pronouns. “And you see I say ‘himself’ and ‘herself,’ because I also see myself as feminine as well as masculine.

I’m a very soft person. I’m not afraid to show that side of myself,�

Williams told Esquire.

Williams is set to return to his role as Lando in Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker this month.

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5

news international

By Cameren Boatner

the world around

Europe

south america

Sexual assault investigation launched over Russian gay man’s Youtube Q&A with kids

Brazilian woman kills gay son

Maksim Pankratov answered kids’ questions about his life as a gay Russian man for a YouTube video on “Real Talk.”

But a few months after the video was published, conservative lawmakers saw it, and a sexual assault investigation was launched.

Pankratov and the production team went into hiding after the investigation was launched, according to CBS News.

Police opened the investigation to determine whether the video violated the “gay propaganda ban” which prohibits information about homosexuality to be distributed to minors. Soon after, they launched a criminal investigation for sexual assault of minors.

“While doing the interview, I had no idea it could lead to something like this,” Pankratov told CBS News. “I just wanted

•

Maksim Pankratov. Photo via YouTube.

to show people that I was a normal human being like everybody else.”

No one has been charged in the investigation yet.

A Brazil jury sentenced Tatiana Ferreira Lozano Pereria to 25 years in prison for killing her gay son, according to Out. Prosecutors said Pereria’s son, Itaberli Lozano went to live with his grandmother after a fight with his mother, but Pereia welcomed him back home to reconcile, Out reported. But she hired two hitmen to kill her son when he returned. They beat him, but refused to kill him, so Pereria stabbed him with a knife, killing her son.

“He had a job, he was very polite, [and] he never quarreled with anyone. He only had problems with his mother, who did not accept that he was a homosexual,” Lozano’s uncle, Dario Rosa told police, according to Out. Pereria maintains she isn’t homophobic and is expected to appeal her sentence.

Itaberli Lozano. Photo via Facebook.

middle east

Oceania

Israeli gay dads told one has to be the “mother” to enroll children in school

Australian gay police officers win anti-discrimination case

Guy Sadaka and Hai Aviv were enrolling their 2-year-old twins in preschool, and applied for tuition assistance, but the representative for Israel’s Ministry of Labor and Social Services told them over the phone that one of them had to declare himself the children’s mother, NBC News reported.

“I understand that you are both fathers and that you run a shared household, but there is always the one who is more dominant, who is more ‘the mother,’” the representative said, Sadaka told NBC. Later that afternoon, the ministry issued an apology, saying they’d address the family’s case, and revise the policies for the call center, according to NBC. “It kind of made me laugh,” Sadaka told NBC. “But this ignorance in a government office when it’s just about

6

Exploring LGBT News Events Across the Globe

1 2 .4.2019

SFGN File Photo.

2020 just seems crazy to me. I felt frustrated that I have to give answers that don’t make any sense.”

Steven Rapisarda, Shane Housego, Christopher Sheehy, and Christian McDonald, four gay Sydney police officers, won an anti-discrimination case for being subject to drug testing because of their sexuality, The Guardian reported.

Supt. Simon Hardman, a senior officer at Newtown Police Station, said he required their drug tests because they were a “close-knit” group of gay men, and he said three of the men were know for their “promiscuity.” The officers will seek compensation for financial and emotional damages, according to The Guardian.

“This case is significant for several reasons,” the group’s lawyer, Nicholas Stewart, said in a statement. “Firstly, it shows that the NSW police force’s complaints system is vulnerable to

A police truck in Sydney, Australia. Photo credit: Tony Hisgett.

misuse and abuse without independent oversight. Secondly, it demonstrates that in an age of progressive and inclusive corporate policies, discrimination can be found alive and well in pockets of any organisation.”

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7

NEWS white house watch

South Florida Politicians Pick Up Victory Fund Endorsements John McDonald

I

Be2s0t19of DON’T MISS IT...

THE WINNERS ARE HERE!

Read and share online! sfgn.com/bestof2019 8

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Carlos Guillermo Smith, one of the new endorsees.

Photo via Facebook.

n its latest round of endorsements, the Victory Fund announced its support for Florida Representatives Shevrin Jones (D-Miami), Carlos Guillermo Smith (D-Orlando) and Jennifer Webb (D-St. Petersburg) as well as newcomers Ricky Junquera, Gabriela De Jesús and Javier Estevez.

It is the first time the organization has endorsed as many as six LGBT Florida state candidates.

“Florida voters have an opportunity to double the number of LGBTQ people in their state legislature – a dramatic increase in a state that lags the country in protections for LGBTQ people,” said Mayor Annise Parker, President & CEO of LGBTQ Victory progress of South Bend, Indiana Mayor Pete Fund, in a press release. “To have so many Buttigieg. The 37-year-old gay man is leading diverse LGBTQ voices in Tallahassee would in some polls in Iowa, an early Democratic be transformative for the state, influencing caucus state. policies and legislation and ultimately moving The fact Buttigieg is married to another the state forward on equality issues.” man has not been an automatic disqualifier Jones and Smith lead many progressive for most voters. issues in Tallahassee, but are split on a “Which lets you know that times are Democratic presidential candidate. Jones has changing and people are looking past endorsed former Vice President Joe Biden, people’s personal lives,” said Jones, who is while Smith remains uncommitted to a campaigning for a raise to Florida’s Senate. candidate.

“People need to understand, in politics, I’m “I was a Bernie guy in 2016 and very not going to Tallahassee and Pete Buttigieg is supportive of Sen. Sanders and that not going to D.C. to be your personal minister, movement that he created, but 2016 is not pastor or priest. Everyone who are in these 2020,” Smith told SFGN in a telephone call positions right now, our goal is we sincerely this summer. want to help our country or state or city and Smith won Florida’s house anything else that’s a part of the district 49 in 2016. A visit to his individual’s personal life should “Florida capital office during the 2017 be left to the individual.” voters have an session revealed a photograph Meanwhile, two candidates of Smith and Sanders together bowed out of the crowded opportunity on the campaign trail.

Democratic presidential field. to double the Sanders, the Vermont Three-star Navy admiral Joe number of socialist, pushed Secretary of Sestak and Montana Governor State Hillary Clinton to the limit Steve Bullock exit the campaign LGBTQ people in 2016. As the New York Times leaving as many as 15 major in their state notes, the Sanders campaign contenders for the nomination. legislature.” is running a “nearly identical “At this point I would vote for platform” as it did four years ago. a bologna sandwich over Donald - Mayor Annise Parker President and CEO of “I have not endorsed and its Trump,” said Smith, Florida’s LGBTQ Victory Fund because I want to take my time first Latinx LGBT lawmaker. to evaluate which one of these The next DNC debate is candidates not only is the best and progressive scheduled for Dec. 19 in Los Angeles with chance that we have to nominate a strong PBS carrying the proceedings from Loyola Democrat for President but also has the best Marymount University. Biden, Sanders, chance at defeating President Trump,” Smith Buttigieg and U.S. Sens. Elizabeth Warren of said.

Massachusetts, Kamala Harris of California Although Jones has already endorsed and Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota have Biden, he told SFGN that he is pleased with the qualified for the debate.

White House Watch is a weekly column taking a look at the state of the 2020 presidential election.

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9

NEWS national

Washington Blade courtesy of the National LGBTQ Media Association.

AIDS Quilt Moving To

San Francisco Lou Chibbaro Jr. Washington Blade

T

he Atlanta-based NAMES Project Foundation, which has served as the custodian of the massive AIDS Memorial Quilt since 1987, is turning over that task to the San Franciscobased National AIDS Memorial, officials with both organizations announced at a Washington ceremony on Wednesday.

The officials, who were joined by U.S. Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, also announced that the two organizations have agreed to donate the “care and stewardship” of the Quilt’s large archival collection of artifacts and documents to the Library of Congress’s American Folklife Center in Washington.

A joint statement released by the foundation and the National AIDS Memorial says the Quilt currently consists of over 50,000 individual 3-by-6 foot memorial panels commemorating more than 105,000 people who have died of AIDS since the start of the epidemic in the early 1980s.

Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi attends the AIDS Memorial Quilt ceremony at the Library of Congress.

Photo credit: Michael Key, Washington Blade.

“This historic decision will return the Quilt to the San Francisco Bay area, where 32 years ago during the height of the AIDS epidemic, a group of strangers gathered at a San performer Glenn Rainey were scheduled to sing during the returned to Washington in October 1996 and covered the entire National Mall from the Washington Monument to the Francisco storefront to remember the names and lives of their event.

According to its website, the National AIDS Memorial is grounds of the U.S. Capitol, the foundation states. loved ones they feared history would forget – and with that The foundation notes on its website that in 2000 its seemingly simple act of love and defiance, the first panels of the organization that operates the National AIDS Memorial Grove located at a site in San Francisco’s Golden Board of Directors elected to move its national headquarters the Quilt were created,” the statement says.

Gate Park. It also oversees various memorial and the Quilt to Atlanta, and the move was completed in “This is the culmination of decades of related programs and projects, including the December 2002. work that achieves a vision long held by The Pedro Zamora Young Leaders Scholarship The joint statement this week by the foundation and the NAMES Project leadership who, armed with program.

National AIDS Memorial announcing the transfer of custody an unwavering commitment to the Quilt, were “The mission of the National AIDS over the Quilt to the National AIDS Memorial didn’t provide determined to see that the AIDS Memorial Quilt Memorial is to provide, in perpetuity, a place a reason for the change, but further details were expected would stand the test of time,” said Julie Rhoad, of remembrance so that the lives of people to be discussed at the Library of Congress ceremony on president and CEO of the NAMES Project in the who have died from AIDS are not forgotten and Wednesday. joint statement. “With this set of new caretakers, the story is known by future generations,” the “The American Folklife Center at the Library of Congress we are confident that the legacy of the Quilt and memorial’s website says. will become the new home for the National AIDS Memorial the NAMES Project is secure,” she said.

“In 1996, through legislation signed Quilt Archive in 2020,” the joint statement says. “This The ceremony in which the AIDS Memorial

by President Bill Clinton, it was federally archival collection currently totals more than 200,000 Quilt changes were to be announced was designated a national memorial,” the website items. It includes biographical records, correspondence, scheduled to take place Wednesday morning in - Julie Rhoad President and CEO of says. photographs, tributes, epitaphs, news clippings and artifacts the Great Hall of the Library of Congress’s main The Names Project The NAMES Project Foundation’s website submitted by panel makers that add context about the lives building across the street from the U.S. Capitol. says the foundation has been in charge of memorialized on the Quilt panels,” it says.

Among those scheduled to speak and “The Library of Congress is proud to serve as the home participate in the ceremony were Pelosi; U.S. Reps. John Lewis caring for and displaying the AIDS Memorial Quilt since its (D-Ga.) and Barbara Lee (D-Calif.); Librarian of Congress Carla founding in 1987. It notes that in October 1987, the Quilt’s of the National AIDS Memorial Quilt Archive to preserve Hayden; NAMES Project Foundation CEO Rhoad; and AIDS first 1,920 panels were displayed on the National Mall in D.C., its legacy and give the memorial a home on both the East where a half million people came to see it.

Coast and West Coast,” said Librarian of Congress Hayden.

Quilt founders Cleve Jones, Mike Smith, and Gert McMullin.

An estimated 1.2 million people visited the Quilt when it The Gay Men’s Chorus of Washington, D.C. and Broadway

“...We are confident that the legacy of The Quilt and the Names Project is secure.”

More details about the Quilt can be found at AIDSmemorial.org.

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Last summer, the AIDS Healthcare Foundation presented the greater Fort Lauderdale community with a bold initiative to address the low-income housing crisis in the city.

Partnering with a coalition of nonprofit organizations, including the United Way, AHF announced plans to break ground on a housing complex for low-income residents in Fort Lauderdale. SFGN saluted the effort then, and stands by it today.

The LGBT community is a part of our city, not apart from it. There are gay and lesbian men and women in our midst who struggle to pay their rent and meet their needs. We are not all affluent. Our sunny shores radiate opportunity, but not everyone prospers and tans. Some of us get burnt.

Nearly a year has past, and AHF should have been able to launch their project. But the city staff is blocking them, neighbors are blacklisting them, and city officials, including the mayor, are retreating inexcusably and unconscionably. We won’t have it.

These are the toxic effects of the perverted “Not-In-My-Backyard-You-Won’t Syndrome,”— we love you, we love you, we love you — as long as you don’t move in next door.

The truth is that this project is not even “next door.” The housing complex proposal is for a parcel of land near many other small apartments and office buildings, not far from the county courthouse, accessible to public transportation.

Last week, the city attorney rendered an opinion that the new development should be classified as a ‘social services residential facility.’ This makes the complex a ‘non permitted use.’ I take exception to that finding. In my judgment, it is flawed. While there is a lot of legalese involved, we think it is subject to a broader interpretation, permissible under local zoning codes.

In other words, the city attorney is playing with words to tie a noose around AHF’s neck. But what is being hung instead is Justice.

One day, a vote will be cast in the public record. One day, our elected commissioners will have to put their money with their mouth is. They can’t speak out for hope and opportunity in one breath while denying it with the other.

Over 789,000 Floridians spend more than half of their income on rent each month. There is little left over for health care and insurance needs. Low-income housing frees up money for financially challenged families to use on basic necessities.

AHF is a leader in health care for our community. They understand good health starts with people having a good home, and a place to hang your hat; to be sheltered from the storm. Common sense dictates we move the project forward, not slow it down.

A caring community should embrace the opportunity to create a place where less wealthy residents find and secure clean and safe housing. A concerned city commission would endorse the AHF proposal, not run from it.

Over a history of decades, Fort Lauderdale officials disgraced themselves by subordinating the needs of its disenfranchised populations. We once even had a mayor who encouraged citizens to pour bleach in their garbage cans to discourage desperate people from poaching for food. In 2019, can we please move to a higher moral plateau?

Across America, from NY to LA, we are witnessing a growing tide of homelessness in urban communities. Tent cities are being set up. We do not have to let this happen here. We can lead the way by providing modest accommodations for those who can afford low-income housing.

The employable residents of this proposed complex would have easy access to mass transit and those scooters popping up on every corner of downtown. There will be downtown jobs in the hospitality industry and on the beach within their reach.

The Fort Lauderdale project is specifically targeted to families, along with assisting low-income and chronically ill individuals, focusing on sustainable rental-toownership models. It is designed to be a home, not a hospital.

This project will not hurt Rio Vista, but it will help those who can’t afford to live there. We can’t let the false concerns of the rich deny the legitimate concerns of those not so blessed with such good fortune.

AHF has been working to address the housing needs of the chronically ill for 30 years. They were once in the forefront of advocating ADAP housing in Miami. This is not their first rodeo. They have fought this fight before.

They should be applauded, not accosted.

An affordable roof over your head creates and fosters self-esteem. No matter how small, it gives you something you can call your own. We are all but a step away from walking in soles that are torn. But let our souls be full, caring for those who need help.

What is right is not always popular, and what is popular is not always right. The city commissioners and our mayor, particularly, should embrace this project. They cannot afford to do less.

You can’t help but notice that the city of Fort Lauderdale is redoing its Andrews Avenue Bridge. Build one low-income families can cross as well.

We bill ourselves as the Venice of America. Let’s make sure everyone has a gondola to row and paddle just above the tides, not to sink under them.

Let’s make sure Mayors who drive Mercedes-Benz Maybachs do not forget the citizens who can’t afford scooters. They are his constituency as well.

Don’t just give them your voice through lip service. Give them your vote.

Editorial published in South Florida Gay News, September 25th, 2019.

12.4.2019 •

11

Holiday shopping guide

2019 Staff

Holiday shopping guide Justin Wyse

2019 has been a wonderful year of exciting changes in our world. This year the staff at SFGN has put together a fun and varietal gift giving guide for you to explore. Buying gifts should come from the heart each year, but sometimes it’s difficult to find that perfect gift for the person who has everything.

Smart Connected Bike System by SmartHalo

Bahamas Vacation Sales Manager Justin Wyse Where: bahamasparadisecruise.com Price: $129 per person

Senior Sales Associate Edwin Neimann Where: us.smarthalo.bike Price: $149.00

Why I like it:

Why I like it:

Living in South Florida with its beautiful weather all year means lots of bicycles on the roads. Ever wish you could track all those bicycle miles so they would count towards your daily fitness goals? Or wish you had an alarm on your bike to help prevent theft? Well, now you can with the Smart Connected Bike System by SmartHalo. At just $129, this is a great gift for that friend of yours who gets around town by bicycle more than by car. The Smart Bike System mounts right at the center of the handlebars and streamlines many functions including fitness tracking, navigation, an automatic headlight and even an alarm to prevent theft. The SmartHalo App is compatible with iPhone 4S and up, iOS 9 and up, Android phones equipped with BLE and Android 4.4 and up. At only .43 lb the Smart Bike System certainly won’t help you burn any additional calories on your bike rides.

Tiki Tunes Senior Sales Associate Clark Rogers Where: gettikitunes.io Price: As Low as $25 each

Why I like it:

The coolest wireless speaker ever made! Talk about conversation starters! This new award winning, Bluetooth speakers will add the perfect touch of relaxing ambience to your patio, deck, bedroom…heck, ANYWHERE! And the only thing that matches the way cool look is the way cool sound! TikiTunes make any atmosphere way cooler!

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There’s nothing better than giving the gift of travel and relaxation. Traveling to the Bahamas is quick and easy and Bahamas Paradise offers a variety of options form a 3-day cruise trip to a cruise and stay vacation. Single passengers welcome which makes it great to travel with friends and have your own private space. Cruises leave daily from port of Palm Beach and onsite parking is available. Travel in style and upgrade to a VIP package for exclusive benefits and luxury accommodations.

Quiet On Ear Buds CEO Piero Guidugli Where: zquiet.com Price: $224.95

Why I like it:

My husband is a big loud snorer. For years every single night around 2 or 3 I would end up on the living room couch trying to catch some sleep.

We tried EVERYTHING, nothing worked until we came across these amazingly comfortable and soundproof earbuds. If your partner prevents you from having a restful night, I suggest you try them. Happy ZZZZZs

Holiday shopping guide

XP-PEN Artist Display 12 - Drawing Tablet Art Director Brendon Lies Where: Amazon.com Price: $199

Why I like it:

Thanks to the advancement in technology, tools for digital artists are becoming more affordable than ever. This is especially true for drawing tablets that feature touch screens, such as the XP-PEN Artist Display 12. This compact tablet may be on the cheaper spectrum when it comes to tablet monitors, but it will feel like a luxury for you or your giftee when they can draw directly onto this 11.6 Inch display with 8192 levels of pressure sensitivity. So say goodbye to the learning curve of drawing on a tablet without a monitor, and treat the artist in your life (even if that’s you!) to one of the most affordable touch-monitor drawing tablets on the market... it’s sure to be a life-changer.

Cuisinart ICE-21R Frozen Yogurt, Ice Cream & Sorbet Maker Executive editor jason Parsley Where: Amazon.com Price: $77

Why I like it:

Ever since this entered my kitchen, I’ve become a bit of an ice cream gourmet... my friends, family and coworkers would all agree. This convenient gadget has a paddle that makes frozen desserts and drinks in 20 minutes or less. Its large capacity makes up to one and a half quarts, and comes with a double insulated freezer bowl that eliminates the need for ice. Its easy lock transparent lid has a large spout that makes adding your fun ingredients simple and mess-free. To top it off, it’s fully automatic. Take it from me — when the day comes that your giftee begins to forcefeed you their new concoctions, you’ll be able to say it was like a gift to yourself.

Some of my own Frozen creations: Vanilla Chocolate Hazelnut - flavored / Ripples Key Lime Pie - FroYo / Sorbet Blueberry - Sherbet / FroYo Vanilla Bean Mint Chocolate Chip Vanilla with Toffee Bits Banana Blueberry FroYo with Blueberry Compote Pumpkin-Sage

Hurry as you only have 19 days of shopping available before there is no more time. Online shopping deadlines may be different but do like I do and ship it directly to their house. Sometimes we just don’t want to see those inlaws or family members we cannot stand. The endorsement of these gifts is our gift to you this year. We personally love them and enjoy them and so should you. Happy Holidays 2019!

12.4.2019 •

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Holiday books

Books, Books, & More Books Here are some great reads to give out as gifts Terri Schlichenmeyer

So, it’s a wrap.

Everything’s under paper and under the tree. You’re done with all your shopping, except for one person. Or two. Maybe four.

So what do you get for that hard-to-buy-for person who never likes anything? Well, as they say, a book is a present they’ll open again and again, so why not head to your local bookstore for these great gifts:

FICTION For the reader who loves a little bit of romance with their ghost story, “The Ghost Clause” by Howard Norman is a good choice to wrap up. It’s the story of a ghost and his reflections on his marriage, as he observes the union of the new owners of his former home. Wrap it up with “The Plus One” by Sarah Archer, a novel about a robotics engineer who needs a date for a wedding. So why not just make one?

The traveler on your list will love reading “Layover” by David Bell. It’s the story of a man who meets an intriguing stranger in an airport and falls in love with her. What happens next isn’t a love story… Wrap it up with “The Dollmaker” by Nina Allan – because it is a sort of love story.

On your list, there’s undoubtedly someone’s mom, or maybe someone who has decided not to be.

In “Motherhood” by Sheila Heti, a woman wrestles with a “to be or not to be” question and all that comes with it. Will she have children, or won’t she?

For the giftee who loves being organized, wrap up “Careful What You Wish For” by Hallie Ephron, a novel about a professional

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organizer whose husband is a hoarder.

Good for her, though, she has a couple of new clients who will give her something else to think about – except one thing leads to another and she finds herself in a much, much bigger mess. Wrap it up with another makes-you-think novel: “The Lightest Object in the Universe” by Kimi Eisele, a story of the end of the world, and a chance to rebuild society anew.

For the reader who loves historical fiction, “Quintland Sisters” by Shelley Wood will be a great gift to give.

It’s a fictionalized tale of the Dionne Quintuplets, as told by their nurse in novelized form.

Readers who enjoy crime fiction will love “The Shameless” by Ace Atkins. When a 20-year-old suicide suddenly becomes of interest to a couple of big-city reporters, Sheriff Quinn Colson wonders why – but before he can find out, he’s embroiled in another, more recent crime and an election that could send Tibbehah County into a crime-ridden tailspin.

The lover of magical novels, wrap up “The Daughters of Temperance Hobbs”

by Katherine Howe. It’s a novel about a young woman who’s keeping a secret from her colleagues and the world: she’s a descendant of a possible witch, and she possesses powers that have come down the bloodline, but can it save a loved one’s life?

ANIMALS AND PETS There are actually three kinds of people who will love seeing “No Beast So Fierce”

by Dane Huckelbridge under the tree: animal lovers, for sure, will want to read this book about deadly tigers. Conservationists will be eager to see what the author says.

And adventure lovers will thrill at the danger inside this book. Lucky are those

three people with this book. Lucky you, if they’re one in the same giftee.

No dog lover is going to want to miss “Unleashing Your Dog” by Marc Bekoff and Jessica Pierce. It’s about how your giftee can learn more about their dog by learning about the dog’s senses and how to make Doggo as happy as possible through those senses. Wrap it up with “Smoky the Brave” by Damien Lewis, the true story of a tiny Yorkie dog and his role in World War II. That cat lover on your list will yowl with joy when “Tiny but Mighty” by Hannah Shaw is unwrapped.

Filled with the cutest of kitten pictures, this book is a delight right there. Add plenty of information and tips on saving orphans, and you’ve got a book absolutely meant to give this holiday.

The lover of wildlife and the feeder of birds will squawk when they open “Saving Jemima” by Julie Zickefoose. It’s the story of a blue jay and the woman who helped raise her, who kept the bird alive, and who loved a feathered friend. For more wild book lovers, try “The Hidden World of the Fox” by Adele Brand, and let your giftee see what the fox says. (Hint, this makes a great stocking-stuffer).

Holiday books

LGBT INTEREST For the person who loves someone who doesn’t identify strictly as male-female will appreciate unwrapping “She He They Me” by Robyn Ryle this year. It’s a book that acts a bit like those old “chooseyour-own-adventure” as it examines and explains gender, its definitions, and the way it’s been perceived historically.

Hint: this is fun, and it’s also a book for someone who’s questioning…

If your giftee is exploring the ideas and limits of gender, you can’t go wrong by wrapping up “Nonbinary: Memoirs of Gender and Identity,” edited by Micah Rajunov and Scott Duane. This is a book filled with tales of those who’ve examined (or are examining) questions of gender, sexuality, age, and race.

For the child with two Mommies or two Daddies, and for the kids in that child’s preschool session, “The GayBCs” by M.L. Webb will make a great class gift. It’s the ABCs, but with terms familiar to the LGBTQ community and their families, so it’s for them, too. Or it might make a great gift for the adult who still possesses the wonder of a child. Or for an adult, just because.

For the newlywed (or the about-to-be-wed), “The Gay Marriage Generation” by Peter Hart-Brinson is the book to give. It takes a look at how same-sex marriage became law across the country, and how it changed the way America looks at gay men and lesbians.

The gay giftee might also like “Out of the Shadows: Reimagining Gay Men’s Lives”

by Walt Odets in that same wrapped gift.

The person on your list who enjoys reading short stories will love “Every True Pleasure: LGBTQ Tales of North Carolina,” edited by Wilton Barnhardt.

It’s absolutely filled with tales from the South and from the heart.

For the parent of someone who’s come out this year, consider giving “Embracing the Journey” by Greg and Lynn McDonald, with Beth Jusino, foreword

by Greg McDonald Jr. It’s a guide, really, for Christian parents who learn that their child is gay, lesbian, bisexual, or transgender, and how it fits with your spiritual beliefs.

The movie buff on your list will love reading “Hollywood Chinese: The Chinese in American Feature Films” by Arthur Dong. This beautifully illustrated book tells the story of Chinese and Chinese American actors from the first films shot in Chinatown, to modern times and contemporary film professionals. How can you go wrong?

For the giftee who is searching for new meaning in life, wrap up “My Buddha is Pink: Buddhism for the Modern Homosexual” by Richard Harrold. It’s a book of essays being a gay Buddhist and reconciling old beliefs with a new way of mindfulness and fulfillment in a new lifestyle.

GIFT CERTIFICATES AVAILABLE Give A Grand Gift This Holiday Season

Join us for our

NAKED WEEKS December 15th – 22nd January 6th – 12th grandresort.net/naked-week

And now the homework: Books change, release dates change, things get cancelled, none of this is brain surgery or set in concrete. If you have any questions, need more ideas, or need help finding things, be sure to ASK your local booksellers.

They’re the ones wearing invisible SuperHero logos, because they know things and they know how to make your giftee smile.

Seriously, they’re just that good.

Season’s Readings!

12.4.2019 •

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Holiday local shopping

Top Gifts for Foodies Rick Karlin

L

et’s face it, foodies are either the easiest or the hardest people to shop for. The easiest because you know what they like, the hardest because half the time they already have every gadget imaginable. These gadgets and gizmos will brighten their day.

Everyone love churros, but who needs all that fat?

The StarBlue Churro Maker lets you squeeze batter onto it and press to make four insanely delicious churros at a time. $32.99 on Amazon.com.

The macaron craze shows no sign of abating and this macaron baking kit has everything your foodie will need to make perfect macarons or cream puffs. The 14-piece set includes a pair of baking mats, six piping tips, two piping bags with bag ties, one coupler and more, $20.99 on Amazon.com.

For your friend who puts sriracha on everything this twin sriracha keychain pack will make certain their favorite condiment is always at hand. $19.99 at Amazon.com.

This is the appliance everyone wants right now, and even though it will probably show up on the next garage sale table (next to the bread maker and ice cream machine) the Dash Air Fryer is $45.99 at bedbathandbeyond.com.

Anyone who’s had freshly made pasta, knows there’s no comparison to the stuff in boxes (no matter how fancy they are). A true foodie will treasure the Imperia pasta machine, $59.96 at williams-sonoma.com.

A shiitake mushroom log won’t just be a conversation starter sitting prominently out in the kitchen but an excuse to whip up some tasty, mushroom-laden dishes and invite guests over for delicious home-cooked dinners, $30 at uncommongoods.com.

If you’ve got a pie-maker on your gift list, nothing would make them happier than a marble rolling pin.

Marble rolling pins keep pie dough cool while being rolled out, so your buttery pie dough won’t melt before you get it into the pie plate. Each rolling pin comes with its own rubberwood stand, $25 at crateandbarrel.com.

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Sometimes you need to skip past the gadgets and head right to the food. Everyone knows that Harry and David is a great source for food gifts, but smaller, boutique companies offer something unique, not only in the product, but often in the packaging as well.

Olive & Cocoa offers even more exotic fare with edible packages for savory, sweet or a delightful mix of the two, you’re certain to find something for the discerning foodie.

Like this assorted gift box brimming with ready to eat nibbles. Each size comes gift wrapped in a hand-crafted wood crate with ribbon. Priced from $48-$138 at oliveandcocoa.com.

Nashville’s Bang Candy Co. rainbow chocolate bark is as decadent as it is colorful, made of Belgian white and dark chocolate and topped with popping candies and rainbow sprinkles, $25 at mouth.com.

Grown in the midwestern corn belt, these Popcorn on the Cob kernels stay close to their source until you pop them.

It’s a fun and economical gift, $18 at uncommongoods.com.

Everyone knows at least one beer enthusiast. Hop to it and order them the Beer Enthusiast Crate, which comes with a Good Measure beer cocktail glass, Socks in Beer Can-Stout, a copy of the hardcover version of “Stuff Every Beer Snob Should Know” and Hops & Nuts Peppa Nuts and Hops & Nuts Shuga Hops, $69.99 at mancrates.com.

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12.4.2019 •

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Feature pets

Sugar & Spice

Seven-year-old Muffin (ID 623460) is a quiet fellow, who is quite shy at the shelter, so we are hoping to find him a home soon. Sadly his owner is ill and can no longer care for him.

She has moved to an assisted living home, so now Muffin needs to find a new family to love. He is a loveable guy who previously slept in bed with her and loved to be where she was. He is good with people of all ages and well-mannered dogs. Can Muffin go home with you?

MUFFIN

The adoption fee for dogs over 6 months is $100 and felines over 6 months are $30. When you adopt from the Humane Society of Broward County the dogs and cats are spayed or neutered, microchipped, receive preliminary vaccinations, cats are feline leukemia tested, and dogs over 7 months are tested for heartworm. They also receive a flea/tick preventative, a 10-day limited health care plan from VCA Animal Hospitals, 30 days of Trupanion Pet Insurance and a bag of Purina ONE pet food. The HSBC opens daily at 10:30 and is located at 2070 Griffin Road, a block west of I-95. For more details call 954-989-3977 ext. 6. To see who else is looking for a home visit www.humanebroward.com.

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19

LIFESTYLE photos

25th annual hurricane

! n w o d show

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take a look at some of the fun at Mills pond park on Nov. 30, where part of The hot annual lgbt softball tournament took to the field.

Carina Mask

Convictions

Editorial Cartoon

Editorial Cartoon

By Mike Luckovich

and

12.4.2019 •

21

Palm beach datebook Art After Dark Fridays from 5 to 10 p.m. at the Norton Museum of Art, 1450 S. Dixie Hwy, West Palm Beach View an exhibition, attend a talk, participate in an art activity, enjoy a performance, concert, or film, sip cocktails, and dine in the Museum’s elegant new bar and restaurant. Free admission. Visit Norton.org.

Palm Beaches Prime Timers Second Saturdays at 3 p.m. at Compass GLCC, 201 N. Dixie Highway in Lake Worth An active fraternal and social organization dedicated to bring together mature gay and bisexual men for friendship, activities, support, and personal growth for the best times of our lives.

Free. Call 561- 533-9699 or visit CompassGLCC.com.

STD Testing and Flu Vaccinations First Thursdays from 3 to 6 p.m. at Compass GLCC, 201 N. Dixie Highway in Lake Worth The Department of Health comes monthly. Call 561-533-9699 or visit CompassGLCC.com.

Free Friday Concerts Fridays at 7:30 p.m. at the Delray Beach Center for the Arts 51 N. Swinton Ave. in Delray Beach Enjoy live music from the comfort of your picnic blanket or lawn chair every week, for free! Returns in October. Call 561-243-7922 or visit DelrayArts.org.

Coffee Clatch at Compass First Monday of each month from 10 a.m. to noon at Compass, 201 N. Dixie Hwy, Lake Worth A social group focusing on the mature LGBT+ community in Palm Beach County, providing a relaxed environment for meeting friends, discussing interesting topics, and engaging in community projects.

Free to attend, email joekolb@ compassglcc.com for details.

Transcendence Meets at Compass GLCC, 201 N. Dixie Highway in Lake Worth A closed transgender youth support group for teens ages 12 to 19. For more information, email youth@compassglcc.com.

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PALM B EA C H

news

Compass Commemorates World AIDS Day Unveils their annual display of the AIDS Memorial quilt

Deon C. Jefferson

Compass’ ceremony before viewing the AIDS Memorial Quilt. Photo via Compass, Facebook.

T

he entire country commemorated World AIDS Day on Sunday — but Palm Beach County’s main celebration was Monday at Compass.

Compass, the LGBT community center of the Palm Beaches, displayed its annual AIDS Memorial Quilt exhibit on Monday to recognize World AIDS Day. This year, more than half the Quilt panels were requests from community members.

Lorenzo Lowe, Compass’ director of the HIV prevention and education, made the World AIDS Day ceremony possible.

“I’ve worked for Compass for eight years now, this happens to be my favorite event,’’ Lowe said. “This ceremony is a product of members of Compass and Palm Beach County. Each year we do this ceremony, it gets better and better.”

The goal of the night was to highlight those who have lost their battle to HIV/ AIDS. Compass proudly unveiled this year’s panels from the AIDS Memorial Quilt and celebrated medical breakthroughs over the years.

“The Quilt is a powerful visual reminder of the AIDS pandemic and remains the largest ongoing community folk art project in the world,” the official AIDS Memorial Quilt website reads. “More than 50,000 individual 3-by-6-foot memorial panels – commemorating more than 105,000

Compass proudly unveiled this year’s panels from the AIDS Memorial Quilt and celebrated medical breakthroughs over the years.

individual lives of people who have passed away from AIDS – have been sewn together by friends, lovers and family members and has transformed into one of America’s national treasures.”

“The theme for this year’s display is community,” Lowe said. “More than half the Quilt panels selected this year were requested by community members, in remembrance of friends and family who have died. It is our role to talk about the effect of the AIDS epidemic on our community, prevent the epidemic from continuing, and remember those we have lost.”

Members of Compass took turns reading the names of the 30 individuals lost this past year from HIV/AIDS. During the solemn occasion, there were several featured speakers like Compass HIV Testing Coordinator Dylan Brooks, West Palm Beach nurse Jennifer Kuretski and HIV Program Director of The Long Term Survivors Network Chris Lacharite.

The Long Term Survivors Network “helps to build and maintain a resilient community of long term survivors by providing social, educational and other activities that nurture connecting relationships with others and promotes life-affirming selfcare,” according to their website.

After the ceremony, guests were invited

to view the Quilts, take photos, and share the experience with other attendees.

A number of the Quilt panels will also be showcased at several locations in the area including the Flamingo Gallery in Lake Worth Beach, Lynn University in Boca Raton, The Metropolitan Community Church in Palm Beach Gardens, Holy Trinity Episcopal Church in West Palm Beach, The Department of Health on Clematis St., Cornell Art Museum in Delray Beach, The Lantana branch of the PBC Library System, and Seacoast Bank on Palm Beach Lakes Blvd.

“The best part about this experience is the power of community and how we sustain each other. I have a lot of long term survivors in my parish, and their resilience depends on the support of the community,” said Reverend Marie AlfordHarkey from the Metropolitan Church of the Palm Beaches. “We have two panels at my church that I’ve been praying over throughout the week, but to be here to witness more in person was eye-opening.”

Other programming for World AIDS Day this year in Palm Beach County includes two showings of the film “5B.” The film will be shown at DePuy Synthes in Palm Beach Gardens on Dec. 4 at 6 p.m., and at the Lantana branch of the PBC Library system on Dec. 12 at 6 p.m.

Following the World AIDS Day ceremony on Dec. 2nd, the quilt panels will be on display at Compass during regular business hours through Saturday, Dec. 14. Everyone is welcome to visit the center to view the quilt.

WMG Volume 6 • Issue 23 December 4, 2019

Wilton Manors Gazette Facebook.com/groups/WMGazette

community

Violations Issued to Pride Center Over Problems with Stormwater Drainage

By Sallie James A residential parking lot flooded, The violations were first spotted by sediment-filled water poured into the neighbor Matt Dreger, who noticed Middle River and construction materials murky brown water spewing from a were dumped too close to trees at a stormwater pipe that carried runoff from construction site where Broward County’s the construction project. first LGBT-friendly affordable housing “The first time there was so much project is being built. pressure it sounded like there was an Inspectors from Broward County’s engine,” said Dreger, president of the Environmental Engineering and Townhomes of Riverside HOA. “I thought, Permitting Division found if this is what happens several violations of a now, what’s going to Surface Water Management happen when they pave The violations License at 2040 N. Dixie over that area for parking were first Highway, where a 48-unit, spaces. The water has only spotted by $15 million complex is being one place to go and that’s neighbor Matt built in the parking lot of the right here.”

Pride Center at Equality Park.

Dreger, who lives Dreger, who directly south of the Pride noticed murky Center, contacted Broward According to the report: brown water County’s Environmental spewing from a • Catch basins in the Engineering Division construction site had poorly stormwater pipe in October and again in maintained inlet protection November because the that carried dumping into runoff from the runoff • Construction erosion and the south branch of the sediment control measures construction Middle River looked dirty. were not implemented in the project.

It had also flooded into temporary parking area the Townhomes’ parking lot, where units have sold • Tree protection was insufficient for up to $350,000.

Wilton Manors Utilities Director • Not all catch basins were equipped with David J. Archacki said a county inspector inlet protection discovered that the filter fabric on the • The construction entrance allowed sediment Pride Center’s storm drains had holes in it, allowing for sediment to flow into the to be tracked into an access road Middle River.

Pride Center CEO Robert Boo forwarded • Catch basins in the construction zone were several emails to the Wilton Manors filled with sediment-laden water

Submitted photo.

Gazette confirming that the filter screens had been repaired. He did not comment further.

Kayakers and paddle boarders frequently glide up and down the Middle River, a stone’s throw from where the runoff had spewed out.

The city hired engineers to inspect the Pride Center property again on Dec. 2 and discovered additional problems with a silt fence along the railroad, a silt fence along the private driveway and also along the north property line, Archacki said.

“We gave them 10 days from today to complete all of the issues,” Archacki said.

Carlos Adorisio, Supervisor for the Environmental Engineering and Permitting Division, said the Pride Center has to work with the city to ensure the sediment control measures are working. He said the county checked the drains in mid-October and late October, and again in mid-November.

Wilton Manors has to check the site

regularly to ensure compliance.

“We told them you need to visit the site more frequently,” Adorisio said. “They have to constantly maintain those [screens].

It’s not like you put them on and it’s forever.”

The complex is being built by Carrfour Supportive Housing Inc. The developer is receiving $11.2 million in low-income housing tax credits from Florida Housing Finance Corporation, a FHDC loan of $550,000, and $955,866 in deferred development fees.

The city is contributing $200,000 from its Affordable Housing Trust Fund. The county is contributing $900,000.

Carrfour’s affiliate Crossroads Management LLC will manage the building and have a presence on-site. The property would be leased from the Pride Center under a 65-year, long-term lease and must be maintained as affordable housing for 50 years. WMG

• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • www.WMGAZETTE.com • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •2 3 12.4.2019 •

NEWS

Wilton Manors Hosts Family Friendly Holiday Concert

December 4, 2019 • Volume 6 • Issue 23 2520 N. Dixie Highway • Wilton Manors, FL 33305 Phone: 954-530-4970 Fax: 954-530-7943

Publisher • Norm Kent norm.kent@sfgn.com Chief Executive Officer • Pier Angelo Guidugli piero@sfgn.com Associate publisher / Executive Editor • Jason Parsley jason.parsley@sfgn.com Copyeditor • Kerri Covington

By Denise Royal It’s beginning to look and sound a lot like Christmas in Wilton Manors.

The holiday lights and signs are up, there are more cars on the road, and holiday parties and performances are in full swing.

“Holiday Spectacular in the Park” takes places on Monday, Dec. 9 from 7 to 9 p.m. It’s an outdoor holiday music concert featuring internationally renowned tenor Jonathan Hawkins.

The show is performed under the stars at Wilton Manors’ own Richardson Park.

“What I am looking forward to the most is the festive transformation of Richardson Park!” said Hawkins. “It’s incredibly special to see the community come together for a good cause, and kick off the holidays in such a special way. Each volunteer, sponsor, spectator and performer play such a huge part in making this event a success. I love being on that stage, surrounded by such amazing talent, and seeing the joyful faces of each audience member. The holidays are such a wonderful time, meant to be shared with each other!

WMG

Editorial

Art Director • Brendon Lies artwork@sfgn.com News Editor • Sallie James

Correspondents

Sal Torre • James Oaksun

Staff Photographers

J.R. Davis • Carina Mask • Steven Shires

Sales & Marketing For ad placement in the Wilton Manors Gazette, contact 954-530-4970

Sales Manager • Justin Wyse justin.wyse@sfgn.com Advertising Sales Associate • Edwin Neimann edwin.neimann@sfgn.com Advertising Sales Associate • Clark Rogers clark.rogers@sfgn.com

Yoli Mayor, Jonathan Hawkins and Heather Lundstedt will all feature at the spectacle.

Photo via the Holiday Spectacular.

And this event does just that. It truly brings the whole community together, in such a spectacular way. A true embodiment of what the holidays should be.”

Several guests will join Hawkins including America’s Got Talent’s Yoli Mayor, Heather

The show is performed under the stars at Wilton Manors’ own Richardson Park.

Lundstedt, The Fort Lauderdale Gay Men’s Chorus, Jennifer McClain, Tommy Paduano, Eytan Deray and more.

There’s a VIP area with guaranteed premium seating, admission to a pre-event cocktail party from 5:30 to 7 p.m., along with a meet and greet with the performers.

There’s also an option for VIP table sponsorship with premium seating directly in front of the stage and can seat up to eight guests, as well as admission to the pre-show cocktail reception.

General admission attendees should bring their own chairs and blankets for lawn seating to enjoy the festivities.

Proceeds from the evening will benefit the Wilton Manors Children’s Fund. A cash bar with drinks, beer, wine, chips and snacks are available. WMG

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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Copyright © 2019 South Florida Gay News.com, Inc.

Ticket prices start at $20. More information is at bit.ly/2r9Ty0V Lights on the Drive are coming on Thursday, Dec. 5!

Photo via the City of Wilton Manors, Facebook.

• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • www.WMGAZETTE.com • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • 24

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December 4, 2019

#knowyourstatus BUSINESS spotlight

Boyd’s Has Arrived In Wilton Manors Press Release Boyd’s has relocated to Wilton Manors from their tony location in the heart of New York City. Founder Carol Fader and her son Marc have traveled the world to find the best and most luxurious beauty products, men’s grooming items, and gifts for Boyd’s. This carefully curated collection made Boyd’s a huge hit with celebrities like Madonna, Cher, and Jackie O. The new location in the Dixie Village carries all the customer favorites from the New York store, such as the original facelift in a bottle, No Lines, plus a great selection of new merchandise.

There are amazing men’s products from Truman New York, Plisson Shaving Brushes from France, and Regincos hairbrushes from Spain. Boyd’s has a large selection of clean beauty items such as Axiology and their own organic skincare line called Biologico. Looking for the perfect gift? How about a handcrafted Seda France or Rigaud candle? Boyd’s has something for everyone. WMG To see more, visit boydsmadisonave.com

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Founder Carol Fader and her son Marc.

2500 NE 15th Ave | Wilton Manors, FL 33305

2500 NE 15th Ave | Wilton Manors, FL 33305

3 •

December 4, 2019

12.4.2019 •

25

LISTINGS spirituality

SouthFloridaGayNews.com

All Souls Episcopal Church 4025 Pine Tree Drive. Miami Beach Sundays at 8am and 10:30am.

305-520-5410 | allsoulsmb.org 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 Christ Lutheran Church 1955 E. Oakland Park Blvd., Ft. Lauderdale (954) 564-7673 - christlutheranfl.org pastordeborah@christlutheranfl.org Worship: Sunday 10:00am Church of our Savior, MCC Church of Our Savior, MCC 2011 S. Federal Hwy. Boynton Beach. churchofoursaviormcc.org | 561-733-4000 Sunday Service 10AM

A/C RECHARGE

$3999

+ tax

Evacuate and recharge system.

Up to 1 lb. of Freon.

Most cars.

DARSHAN CENTER FOR SPIRITUAL EVOLUTION 1410 NE 26th Street Wilton Manors, Fl 33305 917-579-3750 www. darshancenterwiltonmanors.org RevDrGTelesco@gmail.com Interfaith Spiritual Services on Sundays 6:30PM Spiritual Study Group Thursdays 7PM St. Nicholas Episcopal Church 1111 E. Sample Road, Pompano Beach (954)942-5887 - stnicholasfl.org office@stnicholasfl.org Sundays 8:00AM & 10:30AM (9:30AM only from Memorial Day through Labor Day) First Congregational United Church of Christ 1415 North K Street, Lake Worth 561-582-6691 - fcclw.org office@lakeworthchurch.org Service Time: Sunday 10:30AM United Church of Christ Fort Lauderdale 2501 NE 30th Street, Fort Lauderdale (954)563-4271 - uccftl.org revpatrickrogers@gmail.com Service Times: Thursdays 10:30AM (Elliot Hall) & Sundays 10:30AM (Sanctuary)

OIL CHANGE SPECIAL

$1495 $3999

BRAKE PADS & SHOES

+ tax

Full Synthetic Oil Change

+ tax

up to 5 quarts of oil. Most cars.

Includes FREE Tire Rotation & Balance Check.

$9999 (per axle)

Lifetime Parts Warranty, FREE Brake Inspections. Install New Wagner Thermo-Quiet Brake Pads. Most cars.

No Credit Check! Financing Available

FT. LAUDERDALE

901 N. Andrews Ave.

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+ tax

954-462-7560 www.meineke.com

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

FAITH & PRIDE spirituality

Advent

All

Preparations

Souls’ Epi copal Church

All Are Welcome!

SERVICES SUNDAY AT 8 A.M. & 10:30 A.M.

Rev. Rick Rhen-Sosbe Church of Our Savior MCC

Photos via PxHere.

| ALLSOULSMB.ORG

CHURCH OF OUR SAVIOR, MCC 2011 S. Federal Highway, Boynton Beach, FL 33435

D

Christ Lutheran Church 1955 East Oakland Park Blvd.

Ft. Lauderdale, FL 33306 www.christlutheranfl.org

Sunday Service @ 10am

Wherever You Are On God’s LGBTQIA Rainbow, You Are Welcome...

and to honor those who are still living with it. And not just those who are infected but those who are affected by HIV/AIDS. It is a time to remember that our work is not finished in getting rid of the stigma that is associated with this disease. Our work is not finished until a cure is found.

If our Advent preparations are successful, the transformation that happens in us can last beyond the season and should last beyond the season! That transformation can be lifechanging not only for us, but ultimately our world. We become the light of love to a world that is often dark, lonely, and fearful. We don’t have to look further than our own neighborhoods to witness the negativity, the prejudices, and the stigma that is present.

All of us, including those who may not be on a spiritual path that acknowledges Advent or Christmas, can choose to be light in a dark world. We can all make a difference by shining forth the light of love in our communities. We can speak to injustices, prejudices and all ways of hate and evil and shine forth the light of love that will ultimately dispel that Darkness.

It is my prayer that during this busy holiday season, but part of our preparations will be a spiritual preparation and a spiritual anticipation of the arrival of Jesus, the light of the world! And may our preparations and the transformations we make, last well beyond this holy season. And may we choose to be a light of love to our world.

Holiday Blessings!

Church

4025 PINE TREE DRIVE, MIAMI BEACH 305-520-5410

ecember 1 marks the first Sunday of Advent and it is also World AIDS Day. The first Sunday of Advent marks the first Sunday of the church calendar year. I think it is fitting that the first Sunday of Advent, which is a time of joy and anticipation of the coming of the Savior, and World AIDS Day fall upon the same day.

For those whose spiritual journey follows the Christian tradition, Advent is a season of preparation. It is a time we prepare our hearts for the coming of Jesus, the Savior.

Hopefully our preparation brings about spiritual transformation for the new calendar year that is about to begin.

During Advent, there is a transformation in what we see, smell, hear, eat, and do.

We decorate our homes, try new recipes, bake cookies, invite friends over, attend holiday parties, wrap gifts and watch our favorite holiday movies. (One of my favorites is Jim Carey’s version of “How the Grinch Stole Christmas” and I enjoy some of the classics too!)

It’s easy to get caught up in the hustle and bustle of the preparations that we neglect to reflect upon what we are truly preparing for – to welcome Emmanuel, ‘God with us’ – Jesus, the Light of the World. The One who came to show the way of love, the One who brought light into the world to dispel the darkness. The One whose example, when followed, brings about transformation to our lives and ultimately our world.

We have Advent, a time of preparation and World AIDS Day a reminder not to forget or neglect all of the lives lost to this disease

Souls’ Epi copal All

Fellowship after Service

SUNDAY SERVICE 10 A.M. Rev. Rick Rhen-Sosbe, Pastor

561-733-4000

www.ChurchOfOurSaviorMCC.org MCC, Transforming Ourselves as We Transform The World

“Love without judgement” Holy Angels National Catholic Church 2917 NE 6th Ave Wilton Manors, FL 33334 Facebook.com/HolyAngelsFL www.HolyAngelsFL.org

954-633-2987

A home for your spirit.

Mass Schedule: Sabado 6:00 PM misa en español • Sunday 11:00 AM mass in English • All are welcome!

Join us for Shabbat service Every Friday night at 8pm Saturday, December 14th

$15 Door includes 7 games Specials 3 cards for $1 Food available for purchase: Hot dogs, drinks, chips Doors open 6:30pm/Play starts 7pm Cash only please

Learn more about our many programs & events www.EtzChaimFlorida.org

Congregation Etz Chaim

2038 N. Dixie Hwy, Wilton Manors, FL 33305, on the Pride Center campus For more information: www.EtzChaimFlorida.org or 954Ͳ564Ͳ9232 12.4.2019 •

27

lifestyle two guys and a dog

Bar Boys and Civil Rights?

Brian McNaught

Photo via PeakPx.

T

he agitated, middle-aged, gay man on the phone wanted to know, “Are we losing ground? Will we lose everything we’ve worked so hard to accomplish? Gay men in bars don’t seem to care about our civil rights. How are you dealing with it?”

My response was possibly disappointing. “Look out another window.”

Our brain will focus on whatever we choose. If we love to watch cruel, slasher movies, our brain will work hard to find one on television. The feelings that result, and the impact they have on others, are our responsibilities.

Our brain will also do its best to find evidence to support our judgments. It’s a loyal workhorse that wants to please.

So, if we find ourselves depressed by the words and behaviors of the current president, and believe no one is doing anything to stop him, our brain will look for proof. It will choose to watch the news, and listen to all the commentary.

It will decide to hate Donald Trump as a person, as well as all GOP voters and elected officials. It will seethe with anger over the influence of Fundamentalist Christians. Every shred of evidence gathered will be thrown on the raging fire of our focus.

If we feel that most gay men are apolitical, and only interested in booze and Grindr, then we’ll get angrier and angrier when they give evidence to support our beliefs. Every bare chested hunk on gay male periodicals will be seen as part of the problem.

How do I know this? Because I know myself, and I know how it feels to hate Trump, Republicans, and seemingly stupefied gay men. It’s an awful feeling of defeat, which, for a lifetime LGBT activist, can be debilitating.

In order not to feel so angry, and awful every day, I practice and practice my spiritual beliefs, calling to mind everything I’ve learned about my relationships, body and soul, to all living things.

Like many of you, I have what’s called “Monkey Mind.” I have a monkey in my brain that runs from window to window, chattering incessantly, and judgmentally about everything it sees. If it finds a window that makes it really upset, it pulls up a seat, stares, and grumbles. In order to calm myself down, and rid myself of feelings of helplessness and anger, I tell the monkey to look out another window.

“Find something to watch that doesn’t ruin my day.”

I don’t draw the drapes on the other window, the one with “Dangerous Donald” on the other side of the glass. I know that there are many gay men who have no awareness of how hard it was to get us to this place of freedom, and who leave the bulk of their money on the bar rather than in support of anything “political.”

But, I can’t do anything about them. They are living out the stories of the lessons they need to learn. I am doing the same. Learning not to judge them, to ridicule, and shame them, is the story of the lessons I need to learn.

Donald Trump, and the “sex-crazed” gay men who so upset my telephone caller, are soul brothers whether I like it or not. Focussing on their behaviors, and needing them to change or suffer before I can be happy, is like me choosing to watch cruel, slasher films. Those movies creep me out.

That doesn’t mean I only go to see Disney productions. I watch “Succession” on HBO, for heaven’s sake. But I know that the things to which I give my attention are the things that influence my life, and form my identity. There’s chicken soup for the soul, and there’s poison. I prefer the chicken soup.

I’m not unaware of what’s going on in the world. I read four or five online news summaries each day, always with an equal number of online spiritual readings. That’s my diet of choice. If you are so distraught by what’s going on in Washington, and what’s not going on in gay bars with guys addicted to vodka and Grindr, that you wake up depressed, and you’re constantly angry and afraid, take a good look at what you give your attention.

Grant us the serenity to accept the things we cannot change, the courage to change the things we can, and the wisdom to know the difference. The ability to do that

It’s an awful feeling of defeat, which, for a lifetime LGBT activist, can be debilitating.

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consistently takes lots of practice, and lots of focus. Let’s not give our power to others. Donald Trump has no power over our self-esteem. The behavior of other LGBT people doesn’t impact our relationship with the Universe.

To seek equanimity in our lives by putting our energy into loving kindness with the people who surround us is not the path of the weak or gutless. It’s the wise journey of the spiritual warrior.

What has given me the strength to walk into the global lion’s den of heterosexism and homophobia my whole life has not been anger, frustration or fear. It has been the wisdom, understanding, and joy I get from my commitment to my spiritual trek. I have touched hearts and minds not with tantrums, but with patience, understanding, humor, and loving kindness.

Am I afraid that we LGBT people are losing ground? In some legal areas, yes, but the losses are reversible. Where it really matters, though, “No,” we aren’t sliding into oblivion.

We have climbed to the mountaintop of personal awareness. Nothing can be done to me to make me regret coming out. I have inhaled the life-giving air outside of the closet, and I’m not going to give an inch of the heights I’ve climbed. I have discovered my unique, sacred role of manifesting the will of the Universe/God that there be a gay man named Brian McNaught who is proud of, and happy with himself. No one can take away from me my dignity, my experience of deep abiding love, or my treasured spiritual awareness.

Only I can give away my serenity, my union with my angelic self, my sainthood.

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.”

12.4.2019 •

29

ALL-INCLUSIVE... AS NEWS

lifestyle photos

SHOULD BE AS DIVERSE AS EVER

Whether you are in the bisexual or transgender communities, are asexual, gender-fluid, pansexual, or maybe you still aren’t sure, SFGN is proudly here to connect you with the rest of our colorful community.

www.SFGN.com

Fall festival at the new presbyterian church

On November 16 in Wilton Manors, the New Presbyterian Church’s Fall Festival saw residents and guests from around Wilton Manors gather for food, games and even a hay ride! Photo credit: Carina Mask. To see more, visit SFGN on Facebook.

1470 AM

95.3 FM

Afternoon Drive... local and LIVE. Call-in line: 888-565-1470

3-5 P.M. MONDAY - FRIDAY

See past shows on youtube at

bit.ly/2OzWjlI

Live streaming • wwnnradio.com 30

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lifestyle photos

Document. Remember. Empower.

Be a part of our HIV/AIDS Oral History Project.

Join others from around the world as they tell their story. Let us preserve yours. Give us a call.

We want to hear from you.

1201 NE 26th St., Ste 111 Wilton Manors, FL 33305 954-390-0550 | info@worldaidsmuseum.org

United church of christ fort lauderdale’s annual interfaith thanksgiving service

/worldaidsmuseum

#ItsNotOverYet

On Nov. 21, United Church of Christ Fort Lauderdale hosted a Thanksgiving Service where all were welcome to celebrate and be thankful together.

Photo credit: J.R. Davis. To see more, visit SFGN on Facebook.

Initial Funds from Wilton Manors Community Affairs Advisory Board (CAAB)

12.4.2019 •

31

LIFESTYLE photos

The Pride Center’s annual

World AIDS day vigil On Dec. 1, the pride center hosted a gathering and candlelight vigil in solidarity for those who had lost their lives in the past as well as support those currently living with HIV/AIDS. The Pride Center joined the community in pledging its efforts in ending the epidemic and fighting against stigma.

Carina Mask Bobby Hyde (in front).

CAN community Health staff members.

Lorenzo Robertson.

To see many more photos, visit South Florida Gay News on Facebook.

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when and where possibility daytime

nighttime

any time

Whether you are ready today or in the future, John Knox Village has the life you’ve been looking for.

December 10 5:30 pm to 7:00 pm

Centre Auditorium at John Knox Village 651 SW 6th Street, Pompano Beach

plays! all the time Don’t wait to explore the possibilities.

RSVP today!

954-871-2929 jkvgrows.com

John Knox Village is committed to compliance with all federal, state and local fair housing laws. It is our policy to offer senior living to those that qualify without regard to race, color, national origin, religion, sex, sexual orientation, familial status, or handicap. The employees of John Knox Village have a legal obligation to treat each individual in a consistent and equally fair manner. In order to assist you with your decision on your new home, we are providing a list of guidelines used to qualify residents for tenancy in our community. Please note that this is our current rental/ownership criteria; nothing contained in these requirements shall constitute a guarantee or representation by John Knox Village that all residents and occupants currently residing at the community have met these requirements. There may be residents and occupants that resided at the community prior to these requirements going into effect. Additionally, our ability to verify whether these requirements have been met is limited to the information we receive from various credit and screening services used.

12.4.2019 •

SFG

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SFGNITES

F O R T H E W E E K O F De c e m b er 5 , 2 0 1 9 - De c e m b er 1 0 , 2 0 1 9 J.W. Arnold

If You Just Believe

jw@prdconline.com

THU

12/5

theater City Theatre of Miami presents Bekah Brunstetter’s comedy, “The Cake” through Dec. 22 at the Arsht Center in Miami. In this story—ripped from the headlines—a North Carolina baker must reexamine her “closely held” beliefs after she is asked to bake a wedding cake for a lesbian couple. The problem is one of the brides is the daughter of her best friend. Complicated stuff. Tickets are $50 at ArshtCenter.org.

FRI

12/6

drama Everyone’s favorite authority on basic, Stassi Schroeder from Bravo’s “Vanderpump Rules,” is taking her hit podcast, “Straight Up With Stassi” on the road for the first time ever and she’s coming to the Parker Playhouse, 707 N.E. 8th St. in Fort Lauderdale, tonight at 8 p.m. Stassi and her guests will talk pop culture, reality TV, celebrity gossip, relationships, and more. Tickets start at $27.50 at ParkerPlayhouse.com.

Saturday

12/7

concert

The Original Fort Lauderdale Gay Men’s Chorus and conductor Dr. Gary Keating present their annual holiday concert, “If You Just Believe,” tonight at 8 p.m. at All Saints Episcopal Church, 333 Tarpon Dr. in Fort Lauderdale. The heart-warming musical program includes selections from “The Polar Express,” “Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory,” and traditional Christmas and Hanukkah songs. Tickets are $25 and $40 at FTLGMC.org.

Photo Credit: Fort Lauderdale Gay Men’s Chorus.

SAT

12/7

SUN

12/8

MON

12/9

TUE

12/10

cabaret

concert

cabaret

theater

Two-time Tony-winning actress, singer and dancer Sutton Foster returns to the Parker Playhouse, 707 N.E. 8th St. in Fort Lauderdale, tonight at 8 p.m. for an intimate evening of song with music director Michael Rafter. If you only know Foster from her role as Eliza on TV Land’s “Younger,” then have a big surprise coming from this incredible Broadway. Tickets start at $47 at ParkerPlayhouse.com.

Nineteen-time Grammy Awardwinning musician Tony Bennett brings his “I Left My Heart Tour” with daughter Antonia Bennett to Hard Rock Live at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Hollywood tonight at 7 p.m. Bennett, who just turned 93, is not slowing down and his latest recording, “Love is Here to Stay” topped the jazz charts and was nominated for a Grammy. Tickets at SeminoleHardRockHollywood.com.

Head down to Tropics Grille, 2000 Wilton Dr. in Wilton Manors, for Jennifer McClain’s Cast Party, the weekly celebration of musical theater.

In addition to an evening of beloved show tunes, the popular local singer always has surprises for her loyal fans, including guest performances by touring actors and singers. You never know who might appear on stage. For more information, go to Facebook.com/TheGrilleOTD.

Imagine a mash-up of “Downton Abbey” and “Monty Python’s Flying Circus” and you just might wind up with “The Play that Goes Wrong,” the Olivier Award-winning comedy direct from London’s West End, opening tonight and running through Dec. 15 at the Kravis Center in West Palm Beach. We don’t want to spoil the surprise, but let’s just say the set is the real diva in this show. Tickets start at $36 at Kravis.org.

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SOCIAL MEDIA

NEWSLETTER

Join us in celebrating 10 years of illuminating the lives and loves of our LGBT community Benefitting

January 15, 2020 6 p.m. - 8:30 p.m.

1333 N. Federal Hwy Fort Lauderdale, FL 33304

SOUTH FLORIDA GAY NEWS

Dress: Business Casual Awards Presentation: 7 p.m.

Hosted by Grieco Ford of Fort Lauderdale

Event Emcee: Miss Bryan

Music by VJ Cliff R.

Free Entry • Ticketed Event • Free Parking Silent Auction • 50/50 Raffle • Food • Entertainment Reserve Anniversary Party Tickets Online: bit.ly/2Q0hZbq 12.4.2019 •

35

A&E theater

Playwright/actor Michael McKeever and director Stuart Meltzer are once again collaborating on one of McKeever’s plays. Credit: Courtesy Michael McKeever and Stuart Meltzer.

Married Couple Bring Revealing Comedy to JCC J.W. Arnold

M

ichael McKeever and Stuart Meltzer are used to working together. The writer/actor and director are cofounders of the critically-successful, awardwinning Zoetic Stage in residence at Miami’s Arsht Center and they’ve collaborated on more productions of McKeever’s plays than they can count. They’re also a couple, together for 17 years and legally married for four.

“Stuart’s one of my favorite collaborators… because he knows me so well, he calls me on my tricks, when I’m taking short cuts or the easy way, which is as a writer I do sometimes,” explained McKeever. “As a writer that’s something you want, because we know each other so well, we bring that to the rehearsal hall.”

The dramatic duo, however, find themselves in a new situation with the production of McKeever’s “Charlie Cox Runs with Scissors,” opening this weekend at the West Boca Theatre Co. at Levis Jewish Community Center in Boca Raton.

The premiere production closed six months before McKeever met his future husband. It’s one of the few plays McKeever has written that didn’t benefit from the feedback and unique insight Meltzer has developed over the years.

“I certainly see a trajectory of where Michael was 17 years ago, when the play was in development,” said Meltzer, “and where he is now as an artist and a writer and a man.

He was unafraid to take chances in that part

of his career. He takes chances now, but he can afford to.”

McKeever’s plays have been produced around the world, racking up awards and rave reviews. While he often writes about LGBTQ characters and the gay experience, this play is noticeably different.

“Charlie Cox Runs with Scissors” is the story of a man who, diagnosed with a terminal illness, hits the road seeking some meaning to his life. Charlie Cox accidentally stumbles upon the one great love of his life at a broken-down motel in the middle of nowhere. Soon after, fireworks ensue as Love and Death, personified with glorious irreverence, battle for his soul.

McKeever insists that sometimes all it takes is a little death to show us how to live and notes that despite all the talk of mortality and meaning, the play really is a touching, sometimes outrageous comedy.

“The play is successful and has been successful around the world,” said Meltzer.

“My job is to interpret it with the elements that I have. Our elements are a little more humble, so we rely on physical comedy and present [Michael’s] beautiful language.”

Meltzer added, “One thing that Michael has been pretty spectacular at is his plays are so open to all audiences – gay, straight, older, younger, whatever religious denomination – it’s also an American story, right here, right now, today. It’s about choices, [whether] to live fatalistically or embrace every day of our life.”

West Boca Theatre Co. presents Michael McKeever’s “Charlie Cox Runs with Scissors,” directed by Stuart Meltzer, Dec. 5 – 22 at the Levis Jewish Community Center Sandler Center, 21050 95th Ave. South in Boca Raton. Tickets are $30 at LevisJCC.org/BoxOffice.

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900 N. Birch Road, Ft. Lauderdale bonnethouse.org • (954) 563-5393

Holiday Soirée

FRIDAY | DECEMBER 6TH 6:30 PM - 9:30 PM

Whimsical Wonderland SUNDAY | DECEMBER 8TH 5:30 PM - 7:30 PM

Evening Tours

December 7TH, 8TH, 11TH, 12TH, & 13TH 5:30 PM - 8:30 PM

a fort lauderdale tradition

GAY MEN’S CHORUS OF SOUTH FLORIDA

DECEMBER 15, 2019 7PM AT

WITH

JORDIN SPARKS For more info

Hosted by

|

GM CS F.O RG

12.4.2019 •

37

A&E music

Gay Choruses Offer Diverse Holiday Programs J.W. Arnold PATRICIA & PHILLIP FROST ART MUSEUM FIU September 14, 2019 — January 5, 2020

C

M

Y

M

L

ocal gay men’s choruses will sing in the season with festive programs of traditional holiday favorites and a few surprises, too. Here are some highlights of the concerts ahead:

Y

Original Fort Lauderdale Gay Men’s Chorus

Y

MY

K

Diana Davies, Untitled (Marsha P. Johnson Hands Out Flyers for Support of Gay Students At N.Y.U.), C. 1970, Digital print, 11 x 14 inches, Photo by Diana Davies/© The New York Public Library/Art Resource, NY

10975 SW 17th St., Miami, FL 33199 | frost.fiu.edu | 305.348.2890

Nite Club Law If you drink, don’t drive. If you drive, don’t drink. If you do both, call us.

Criminal Defense Law Center 954.763.1900 Norman Elliott Kent

Russell Cormican

2520 N Dixie Hwy Wilton Manors, FL 33305

12 S.E. 7th Street, Suite 700 Fort Lauderdale, FL 33301

www.NormKent.com 38

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The 30 members of the Original Fort Lauderdale Gay Men’s Chorus and conductor Dr. Gary Keating present their annual holiday concert, “If You Just Believe,” on Saturday, Dec. 7 at 8 p.m. at All Saints Episcopal Church, 333 Tarpon Dr. in Fort Lauderdale.

The heart-warming musical program includes “Believe” from the animated Christmas classic, “The Polar Express;” “Pure Imagination” from the classic Gene Wilder film, “Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory;” “Mary Did You Know,” a popular pop song that tells the Christmas story from Mary’s perspective; “Light the Candle” to commemorate Hanukkah; and the Latin rhythms of “Feliz Navidad.” Tickets are $25 and $40 at FTLGMC.org.

Gay Men’s Chorus of South Florida The Gay Men’s Chorus of South Florida, under the direction of Harold Dioquino, celebrate their tenth anniversary with two holiday programs. They open the weekend on Saturday, Dec. 14 at 7 p.m. at the Sunshine Cathedral, 1480 S.W. 9th Ave. in Fort Lauderdale. This concert will feature audience favorites from past holiday performances.

Tickets start at $40 at GMCSF. On Sunday, Dec. 15 at 7 p.m., the chorus returns to the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Hollywood. Featuring “American Idol” winner Jordin Sparks and a live orchestra, the chorus will fill the brand new, $150-million, state-of-the-art Hard Rock Live concert venue with the sounds of the season.

Every year, the creative team develop a storyline for their holiday concerts.

“Somewhere in my Memory” by Mark Hayes, a touching song about Alzheimer’s disease, inspired the 2019 program. It’s also a very personal cause for artistic director Harold Dioquino, whose father in the Philippines suffers from the disease, and the chorus is partnering with the Alzheimer’s Association to raise awareness. Tickets start at $40 at GMCSF.org.

The Gay Men’s Chorus of South Florida returns to the Hard Rock for their big holiday concert featuring “American Idol” winner Jordin Sparks. Credit: Ticketmaster.com.

Miami Gay Men’s Chorus Artistic director Anthony Cabrera and the Miami Gay Men’s Chorus invited audiences “Home for the Holidays” on Saturday, Dec. 14 at 8 p.m. at Coral Gables Congregational Church, 3010 De Soto Blvd. in Coral Gables, and Sunday, Dec. 15 at 6 p.m. at All Souls Episcopal Church, 4025 Pine Tree Dr. in Miami Beach.

“Home for the Holidays,” a sentimental nod to the chorus’ return to Miami Beach, will wrap the season in the music—some traditional and familiar, some brutally honest—paying tribute to “perfectly imperfect” families. The centerpiece of the concert is “The Long Christmas Dinner,” a contemporary Baroque-style oratorio about an uncomfortable holiday homecoming for a gay son and his partner. The chorus will be joined at both performances by the South Florida Jewish Chorale, under the direction of Jami Lercher. Tickets are $25 at MGMChorus.org.

Voices of Pride Voices of Pride, the Gay Men’s Chorus of the Palm Beaches, closes out the holiday season with “Voices of the Season” on Thursday, Dec. 19 and Friday, Dec. 20 at 7:30 p.m. at St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church, 100 N. Palmway in Lake Worth. Artistic director Tom Pilecki will lead a program of traditional holiday favorites. Tickets are $25 at VoicesOfPride.org.

lifestyle photos

NOVA SINGERS HOLIDAY CONCERTS

Glad Tidings FEATURING

Magnificat Kevin Memley’s Contemporary

FOR CHORUS WITH BRASS ENSEMBLE PLUS THE SOUNDS OF THE SEASON:

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Jingle Bell Rock • African Noel Light The Candles Silver Bells • Frosty the Snowman Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer Santa Claus is Coming to Town And the Season’s Glorious Choral Sounds of Ave Maria • O Nata Lux Hodie Christus Natus Est “Gloria” from “Masque of Angels”

From Nov. 28 to Dec. 2, Circuit Miami’s Thanksgiving Weekend Festival stormed Miami with seven different hot parties. Several guests here pose ready for the partying to begin. Photo credit: J.R. Davis. To see more, visit SFGN on Facebook.

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Group and non-profit rates available.

All performances at Wilton Theater Factory, Main Stage, 2304 N Dixie HWY, Wilton Manors, FL 33305

NOV 14 - DEC 15, 2019 Tickets and Flexpasses are available online at www.islandcitystage.org or by calling 954-928-9800

Chuck Stanley, Artistic Director Anthony Ciotti, Accompanist

sweet farce with a heart of gold and a drawer full of sex toys!

44

SEASON

DECEMBER 8, 2019 DECEMBER 6, 2019 SUNDAY 4:00 pm FRIDAY 8:00 pm ST PAUL LUTHERAN ST MATTHEW CATHOLIC 701 W Palmetto Park Rd 542 Blue Heron Dr Boca Raton 33486 Hallandale Beach 33009 DECEMBER 10, 2019 DECEMBER 13, 2019 TUESDAY 7:30 pm FRIDAY 8:00 pm ST SEBASTIAN CATHOLIC SUNSHINE CATHEDRAL 2000 Marietta Dr 1480 SW 9th Ave Fort Lauderdale 33316 Fort Lauderdale 33315 All performances: $15/Advance Ticket $20/Ticket on Concert Day Children 12 & Under free Students (any age) free with School I.D. Tickets at www.nova.edu/novasingers

P R E S E N T E D

B Y

(954) 683-8866/Broward • (561) 212-2112/Palm Beach

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Datebook

Theater

December 4 - December 10

Tucker Berardi

Calendar@SFGN.com

* Denotes New Listing

broward county *Thank Yule for Being A Friend

December 11 to 22 at the Empire Stage Theater, 1140 N. Flagler Dr, Fort Lauderdale.

Get ready for this Golden Girls meets Charles Dickens in this musical Christmas adventure!

Blanche, Dorothy and Rose visit their past, present and future to save the Holidays.

Tickets are &35, visit EmpireStage.com. *Women’s Choral Group Thursday, December 19 at 7:30 p.m. at the Sunshine Cathedral, Fort Lauderdale. Bring in the holidays with songs that you love as well as some new ones sure to bring Holiday cheer. Admission is free, visit SunshineCathedral.org for details!

Gay Amnesia

November 15 to December 8 at Elliot Hall, 2501 NE 30th St., Ft. Lauderdale.

Relationships are tough, but when your partner forgets that he is gay, your life and love can be a real big headache. Tickets $25.

Visit Eventbrite.com for details.

palm beach county

*The Play that Goes Wrong

December 10 to 15 at the Kravis Center for the Performing Arts. This is a riotous comedy about the theatre. The play introduces The “Cornley University Drama Society” who are attempting to put on a 1920s’ murder mystery, but as the title suggests, everything that can go wrong…does, as the accident-prone thespians battle on against all odds to get to their final curtain call. Tickets $36, visit Kravis.org.

6th Annual Lynn Chamber Music Competition Finals

Thursday, December 5 at the AmarnickGoldstein Concert Hall, Lynn University.

Lynn’s chamber music program has gained national recognition through its partnership with the Lyric Chamber Society of New York, which presents the winning group of Lynn’s annual Chamber Music Competition in a New York debut recital at the Kosciuszko Foundation. Free to attend.

17th Annual Gingerbread Holiday Concert

Sunday, December 8 at 3 p.m. at the Boca Raton Resort and Hotel, 501 E. Camino Real.

This concert attracts parents, grandparents and kids of all ages to enjoy holiday classics performed by the Lynn Philharmonia. The

The 6th Annual Lynn Chamber Music Competition Finals will be ringing forth on Thursday, December 5 at the Amarnick-Goldstein Concert Hall at Lynn University. Free to attend.

Photo credit: Lynn University Conservatory of Music, Facebook.

annual event raises scholarship funds for the Conservatory’s deserving and talented student musicians from all over the world.

Tickets $35.

Ordinary Americans

Outdoor Music Series

Third Thursdays at the Perez Art Museum Miami, 101 W. Flagler St. in Miami.

Come out for live music from DJs and musicians by the bay. Drink specials

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The Big Show

Fridays and Saturdays at 9 p.m. at Just the Funny Theater, 3119 Coral Way in Miami.

A collection of comedy mixing the likes of improvisation and sketches. Tickets $12. Call 305-693-8669 or visit JustTheFunny.com.

December 6 to December 29 at the Don & Ann brown Theatre, 201 Clematis St, West Palm Beach. Ordinary Americans pays tribute to an extraordinarily talented, innovative, and courageous artist and businesswoman, Gertrude Berg. Her television show fostered the idea that, regardless of who we are, where we come from, or how we worship, people are basically the same and THIRD fundamentally good.

But then she and her wonderful, big-hearted ensemble are threatened by the Red Scare, and life is never quite the same.

Tickets $52 to $92. Visit palmbeachdramaworks. org.

miami-dade county

Full Charge Bookkeeping Services

available. Free with museum admission. Call 305-375-3000 or visit PAMM.org.

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GUIDE

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THE

Directory Call our sales team at 954.530.4970

LGBT Non-profits BROWARD Pride Center 2040 N Dixie Hwy, Wilton Manors (954) 463-9005 www.pridecenterflorida.org Latinos Salud 2330 Wilton Dr, Wilton Manors (954) 765-6239 www.latinossalud.org Poverello 2056 N Dixie Hwy, Wilton Manors (954) 561-3663 www.poverello.org Sunserve 2312 Wilton Dr, Wilton Manors (954) 764-5150 www.sunserve.org Care Resource 871 W Oakland Park Blvd, Fort Lauderdale (954) 567-7141 www.careresource.org Broward House 2800 N Andrews Ave, Fort Lauderdale (954) 568-7373 browardhouse.org Stonewall Library 1300 E Sunrise Blvd, Fort Lauderdale (954) 763-8565 www.stonewallnationalmuseum.org World AIDS MUSEUM and Educational Center 1201 NE 26th St #111, Wilton Manors (954) 390-0550 worldaidsmuseum.org

KEY WEST Key West Gay and Lesbian Community Center 513 Truman Ave, Key West (305) 292-3223 glcckeywest.org

AHF AHF Wellness Center - Wilton Manors 2097 Wilton Dr., Wilton Manors (877) 259-8727 AHF Downtown Fort Lauderdale 700 SE 3rd Ave, STE 301 (954) 767-0887 AHF Healthcare Center - Oakland Park 1164 E Oakland Park Blvd 3rd Floor, Oakland Park (954) 561-6900 AHF Wellness Center - Broward 750 SE 3rd Ave Suite 100, Fort Lauderdale (954) 767-0273

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PALM BEACH Compass GLCC 201 N Dixie Hwy (561) 533-9699 www.compassglcc.com

954-667-9829 ACCOUNTING@STERLINGACCOUNTING.COM

2435 North Dixie Highway • Wilton Manors, FL 33305

PBCHRC P.O. box 267, West Palm Beach (561) 346-1263 www.pbchrc.org

MIAMI Go Gay Miami 1130 Washington Ave, Miami Beach (305) 397-8914 m.me/LGBTVisitorCenter Pridelines 6360 NE 4th Ct, Miami (305) 571-9601 www.pridelines.org SAVE 4500 Biscayne Blvd # 340, Miami (305) 751-7283 www.savedade.org FLOPPYROOSTERFL.COM

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954-525-3344 www.clubftl.com Help Wanted!!! - Full-time Housekeeper at The Grand Resort and Spa. No Phone Calls Please!

Seeking a Full-time Housekeeper for an all-male, clothing optional resort. Must work weekends and holidays and have hotel/resort experience and references. Candidates should be efficient, detailed and dependable. Send resumes to jobs@grandresort.net GRAND RESORT AND SPA - The Spa at The Grand Resort is looking for a Licensed Massage Therapist for our day spa. Also looking for a Licensed Full Specialist. Waxing, nails (no fills, acrylic) simply buff or clear coat and a variety of facials. We’ll train you on our products and services. The right therapist and specialists can do well in our spa. We’ve been in business for 18 years and have received many awards. All equipment and materials are provided.

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personals Seeking Relationship - Single White Male, 54, decent, nice appearance, seeks educated healthy mature black male top. Call or text Jeff @ 305.781.2122. Broward County area.

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954.530.4970 12.4.2019 •

45

Datebook

December 4 - December 10

Community Tucker Berardi

Calendar@SFGN.com

Broward Support Services PFLAG

Tuesdays in Fort Lauderdale, Coral Springs and Southwest Ranches. A support group for parents of LGBT youth 13 to 21. Free. Visit SunServeYouth.com for dates and locations.

SunServe Youth Group

Tuesdays and Thursdays in Fort Lauderdale, Southwest Ranches, Coral Springs and Hollywood. A support group and night of fun for LGBT youth 13 to 21. Free. Visit SunServeYouth.com for dates and times.

Survivor Support

First and third Wednesdays from 7 to 8:30 p.m. at the Broward Health Imperial Point Hospital cafeteria, 6401 N. Federal Highway in Fort Lauderdale. Find support from counselors and peers who have lost loved ones to suicide. Call the Florida Initiative for Suicide Prevention at 954-384-0344 or visit FISPOnline.org.

broward county GLLN Holiday Party

conforming, genderqueer, agender, trans & gender questioning. Learn more at SunServe. org/ENBY.

Thursday, December 5 from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. at Spencer’s Corner Bar, 2390 Wilton Dr, Wilton Manors. Enjoy free drink tickets and appetizers as well as some amazing prizes for ugliest holiday outfit/sweater. Get ready for a good festive time!

Trans-Scend Trans and Allies Spiritual Group

Art of Wine and Food Series

Hall of Heroes

Thursday, December 5 from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the NSU Art Museum. Join us in a tasting of multiple sparkling wines to celebrate the holidays, with each wine being paired perfectly with small bites. And don’t forget to arrive early for a tour of your favorite exhibits!

Tickets $40, $30 for museum members.

Safe T Support Group

Every Wednesday from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. at SunServe, 2312 Wilton Dr, Wilton Manors.

SunServe Mental Health Services & Midway Specialty Care Center Presents: SAFE T A weekly drop in group for anyone who identifies as transgender and or gender variant. Visit SunServe.org/SafeT for details.

Nonbinary and Gender Variant Support Group

Every Thursday from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. at SunServe, 2312 Wilton Dr, Wilton Manors.

A group limited to self-identified gender marginalized & gender questioning peoples.

Gender marginalized includes cis-women, womxn, femmes, nonbinary, gender non-

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First Tuesday of every month from 8 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. at 1419 E Commercial Blvd, Ste B, Oakland Park. Enjoy spirituality, uplifting music, food, drinks and community!

July 3 to September 2 at the Museum of Discovery and Science, Fort Lauderdale. This comic book superhero exhibit immerses you in the action as soon as you enter, with fullscale statues of biggies such as Superman, Iron Man, Batman (and his Batmobile) and The Hulk. At interactive stations, visitors can see how they match up against the superheroes.

More info at MODS.org.

Lunch With Art

Every Wednesday from 12:15 to 1:15 pm at 41 NE 1st St 33060, Pompano Beach. Indulge your creative side in this free hands-on program.

Bring your own lunch or grab a bite to eat at the in-house cafe.

palm beach *Carmen Lundy and the Modern Ancestors Tour

Saturday, December 14 at 8 p.m. at the Arts Garage, 94 NE 2nd Ave, Delray Beach Fl. Carmen Lundy has always felt that

the jazz singer by definition is associated with standards from the past century, our Ancestors. The idea of “Modern” is simply to give the music she writes and sings the chance to be seen and heard in the now - authentic 21st century Jazz. Tickets $40 to $50. Visit ArtsGarage.org for details.

Diva’s Holiday Party

December 6, 2019 at the Lake Worth Playhouse, 713 Lake Avenue, Lake Worth. Join your favorite Queens dressed as your favorite holiday divas performing songs, skits and more! Tickets available at lakeworthplayhouse.org.

The Body Says I Am A Fiesta — Art Installation

October 4 to March 1 at the Norton Museum of Art, 1450 S. Dixie Hwy, West Palm Beach. This exhibition addresses ideas about the body and its symbolic and societal implications in modern Latin American cultures through the paintings, photography, sculpture, and works on paper by artists active in Latin America and the United States between the early 1900s and the present.

Palm Beaches Prime Timers

Second Saturdays at 3 p.m. at Compass GLCC, 201 N. Dixie Highway in Lake Worth.

An active fraternal and social organization dedicated to bring together mature gay and bisexual men for friendship, activities, support, and personal growth for the best times of our lives. Free. Call 561- 533-9699 or visit CompassGLCC.com.

Coffee Clatch at Compass

First Monday of each month from 10 a.m. to noon at Compass, 201 N. Dixie Hwy, Lake Worth. A social group focusing on the mature LGBT+ community in Palm Beach County, providing a relaxed environment for meeting friends, discussing interesting topics, and engaging in community projects. Free to attend, email joekolb@compassglcc.com fir details.

miami-dade Arsht Center Farmers Market

Mondays from 4 to 8 p.m. at the Parker and Vann Thomson Plaza for the Arts, 1300 Biscayne Blvd. in Miami. Purchase fresh food from local farmers, including fruits, vegetables, meats, prepared foods,

as well as chefs, live music, and cooking demonstrations. Tickets $45 to $75. Free.

Visit ArshtCenter.org/en/Visit/Dining.

POZCONNECT Support Group for Gay and Bi Men

Tuesdays from 8 to 9:30 p.m. Pridelines, 6360 NE Fourth Court in Miami. A gay and bi men’s roundtable HIV+ support group. Free.

Call Eddie at 305-571-9601, ext. 105 or visit Pridelines.org.

key west Taco Brunch and All Day Happy Hour

Every Sunday (opening at 8 a.m.) at Mellow Cafe and Gastropub, 1605 N. Roosevelt Blvd, Key West. Spend the day drinking and downing tacos at this all-day happy hour, each week on Sunday!

The Tea Dance After Party

Sundays from 7 p.m. until close at Mangoes, 700 Duval St. Upstairs Ricky Ricardo Room.

Boogie the night away with a little help from delicious drinks, great music and free admission.

* Denotes New Listing

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