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August 16, 2017 vol. 8 // issue 33
BEGINS IN CENTER
s o u t h
f l o r i d a
g a y
n e w s
truMP’S aMeriCa ‘FUCK yOU, FAggOTS’ PAGES 5, 15
LGBT GROUPS SUE TRUMP OVER TRANS BAN PAGE 9
SOUTHFLORIDAGAYNEWS
POVERELLO BOWLING BRINGS TOGETHER HUNGER FIGHTERS PAGE 2, 40
SOFLAGAYNEWS
SFGN.COM 8.16.2017 • 1
NEWS highlight
SouthFloridaGayNews.com ▼ Photo J.R. Davis. See more on page 38.
August 16, 2017 • Volume 8 • Issue 33
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 Associate Publisher / Executive Editor • Jason Parsley Jason.Parsley@sfgn.com
Editorial
Bowling BringS together hunger FighterS John McDonald
I
n a year of changes for Poverello, one traditional event endures. People came to Sawgrass Lanes on Saturday afternoon for many different reasons. Brianna Finnk and Jasmin Henry were bowling on the National Voices for Equality, Education and Enlightenment (NVEEE) team. The teenagers were far from bowling professionals but said they were having a good time nevertheless. “The last time I went bowling, I think I scored like an 18 in total, I’m very uncoordinated,” Finnk said. “I just want to support the community and anything I can do to help others I’d like to.” Henry is a rising junior at West Broward High School. Before coming to Sawgrass Lanes, Henry said she was not aware of Poverello’s role in the community, but had - Ronny participated in Relay for Life events and understood the importance of helping those in need. NVEEE is an anti-bullying and teen suicide prevention organization. “I like helping people,” said Henry, 16, a Pembroke Pines resident. “I really like expressing myself in the arts and I feel I can
help someone in the future through dance.” While the teams bowled, Nicole Halliwell, a local drag queen announced prize winners from raffle tickets and silent auction items. Attendance and donations were down from last year, said Kevin Clevenger, Poverello Events Coordinator. “I had to give away lanes this year,” Clevenger said. Thomas S. Pietrogallo, Poverello Chief Operations Officer, estimated when the dust settled on this year’s “Bowling to Fight Hunger” the organization would clear a net gain of $40,000. When the event launched 27 years ago, bowling to raise money for HIV/ AIDS care was unique. Now that pool contains several agencies. Bowling is now a fundraising vehicle for other local organizations such as the Nadiv Pet Project and SMART Ride. Poverello’s event was held in Tamarac, 12 miles west of its headquarters in Wilton Manors. Pietrogallo said the bowling MEMBER event is Poverello’s second biggest fundraiser behind the Florida AIDS Walk. “I think there will always be a place for events like this one,” Pietrogallo said. “There’s
“i belieVe in poVerello’s cause of helping those in need and i’m proud to be here.”
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MEMBER
a reason so many people have tried to duplicate our success. People enjoy meeting together within our community. What makes it so special is that events like these are the relationships, reconnecting with old friends and making new ones.” This has been a memorable year for Poverello, which lost its founder Father Bill Collins, who died in May at the age of 86. Collins launched Poverello by giving away food out of the trunk of his car. Thirty years later Poverello has expanded its mission to provide life-saving meals to not only people living with HIV/AIDS but those suffering from chronic illnesses such as cancer and/or cardiac and kidney conditions. “I’m a cancer survivor,” Ronny Nadiv said. “I believe in Poverello’s cause of helping those in need and I’m proud to be here.” Nadiv is the director of membership for the Greater Fort Lauderdale Gay & Lesbian Chamber of Commerce. He said his team was an example of the business community’s support for Poverello’s mission. In addition to food, Poverello also provides a thrift store, gym and massage and acupuncture services. Bowling alley meetings are a great way to unwind, Pietrogallo noted. “Corporate teams get to play together and enjoy their relationships outside of work,” Pietrogallo said.
MEMBER
Associated Press
MEMBER
Cover: The gathering of white supremacists in Charlottesville, Virginia. Photo courtesy Twitter.
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Art Director • Brendon Lies Artwork@sfgn.com Designer • Max Kagno Digital Content Director • Brittany Ferrendi Webmaster@sfgn.com Associate Editor • Jillian Melero JillianMelero@gmail.com Copyeditor • Kerri Covington Arts/Entertainment Editor • JW Arnold JW@prdconline.com Social Media Manager • Tucker Berardi TBerardi2014@fau.edu Food/Travel Editor • Rick Karlin Gazette News Editor • Michael d'Oliveira HIV Editor • Sean McShee Senior Photographer • J.R. Davis JRDavis12000@hotmail.com
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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 © 2017 South Florida Gay News.com, Inc.
NEWS palm beach
Man Shot to Death For Defending Gay Cousin Colton Wooten
A
fter dining with family and friends, Juan Cruz met fatal gunfire outside the Las Flores restaurant in Lake Worth. WPTV reports 48-year-old gunman Nelson Hernandez Mena harassed Cruz and his friends on their way out of the restaurant according to witnesses, shouting a variety of homophobic epithets their way: “If we were in my country, I’d kill all of you like rats,” witnesses heard him say. “I hate you damned gays, I’m going to kill you all here.” Mena has been charged with firstdegree murder with a firearm. He also faces charges of attempted first-degree murder and aggravated assault with a firearm on another person. While Cruz was reportedly not gay, he is said to have responded in outrage to Mena’s verbal violence from a place of moral indignation — in an effort to protect his cousin Pedro Cruz, who is gay, from such abuse. As police reports and court proceedings confirm, Mena had been drinking heavily at the bar, with his tab totaling at several beers. In a statement to police, Mena confessed to consuming around 15-20 beers, claiming to no memory of the violence that he wrought or the chain of
▲ Juan Cruz. Courtesy.
events that inspired his rage. “They were having drinks at the bar when Pedro said the suspected shooter Nelson Hernandez got angry and began insulting them after Cruz’s friend exchanged numbers with someone in Mena’s group,” reports local news syndicate CBS12. Whether prosecutors will promote Mena’s charges of drunken brutality to the level of hate crime violence is not yet clear.
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Associated Press
lawmaker: Florida governor’s Office Broke Promise to lgBtQs (AP) When 49 people were killed at a gay nightclub in Florida in 2016, Gov. Rick Scott publicly offered his sympathy to the victims’ families and the LGBT community. “These are individuals. Let’s love every one of them,” he said then. Behind the scenes, gay rights advocates say his staffers went a step further, promising to pursue an executive order prohibiting discrimination against LGBTQ state workers and contractors. More than a year later, no such order has been issued. The advocates believe the order has become even more important in the past couple of weeks as the U.S. Justice Department, under Attorney General Jeff Sessions, filed court papers in a New York case saying that sexual orientation is not covered by Title VII of the 1964 Civil
INTERNATIONAL Filed in Court to australian gay Marriage Ballot Challenge
(AP) Gay-rights advocates filed a court challenge Thursday to the government’s unusual plan to canvass Australians’ opinion on gay marriage next month, while a retired judge said he would boycott the survey as unacceptable. The mail ballot is not binding, but the conservative government won’t legislate the issue without it. If most Australians say “no,” the government won’t allow Parliament to consider lifting the nation’s ban on same-sex marriage. Lawyers for independent lawmaker Andrew Wilkie and marriage equality advocates Shelley Argent and Felicity Marlowe, applied to the High Court for an injunction that would prevent the so-called postal plebiscite from going ahead. “We will be arguing that by going ahead without the authorization of Parliament, the government is acting beyond its power,” lawyer Jonathon Hunyor said. Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull said the government had legal advice that the postal ballot would withstand a court challenge. “I encourage every Australian to exercise their right to vote on this matter. It’s an important question,” Turnbull said. Gay-rights advocates and many lawmakers want Parliament to legislate marriage equality now without an opinion poll, which they see as an unjustifiable hurdle to reform. Retired High Court judge Michael Kirby, a gay man who supports marriage equality, dismissed the ballot as “irregular and unscientific polling.” “It’s just something we’ve never done in our constitutional arrangements of Australia, and it really is unacceptable,” Kirby told Australian Broadcasting Corp.
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Rights Act. The law bans workplace discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex or national origin. The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, however, enforces the law against private employers and says sexual orientation is covered. The Republican governor wouldn’t talk about the alleged commitment his staff made when asked by an Associated Press reporter on Tuesday. But he said federal guidelines protect the gay community and the state follows them. State Rep. Carlos Smith, a gay Democrat, accused Scott of using the nightclub shooting to his political advantage. “Many political leaders used the tragedy at Pulse to leverage their own political careers and to make promises to our community that they could have delivered on but they did not,” Smith said at a recent forum for Orlando’s gay and Latino communities.
▲ Rep. Carlos Smith.
Kirby would not comment on the legality of the government proceeding with the 122 million Australian dollar ($96 million) ballot without Parliament’s approval, but said: “I’m not going to take any part in it whatsoever.”
vasectomies as they are in their campaign against same-sex marriage, perhaps more Catholics would realize how urgent the need is to rethink the entirety of the church’s sexual ethics,” the board wrote.
RELIGION
NATIONAL
M
ajor Catholic news Outlet Calls for dialogue on lgBTQ acceptance, hardliner Balks
(EDGE) The rift between hardline Catholics and progressives played out online Wednesday when, in an effort to bridge-build to LGBT Catholics, the editorial board of a major Catholic news outlet published a piece calling for the church’s hierarchy to reexamine the how sex and sexuality is taught. In Wednesday’s editorial, NCR’s board called out the church’s 1500-year-old “procreative norm” from the Augustine era dictating that any sex acts between married couples must be “ordered per se to the procreation of human life.” “The institutional church’s vocal objections to samesex marriage often mask the fact that church teaching is fundamentally opposed to sexual acts that a majority of human beings participate in,” NCR’s board wrote. “The church condemns any sex acts -- including those engaged in by married couples -- that do not respect the procreative norm. Therefore, in reality, few Catholics ever live up to the church’s moral norms governing sexual activity.” Hard right wing Bishop Thomas Paprocki, who made headlines this year for instructing parish priests to deny funeral rites to Catholics in legal same-sex marriages, was singled out by NCR’s board as an example of the kind of thinking that holding the church back. “If bishops like Paprocki were more vocal about their opposition to masturbation, in vitro fertilization or
h
ouston Sued over Possible Denial of Benefits to gay spouses
(AP) Three city employees and their spouses who are concerned that Houston could be forced to stop paying benefits to same-sex spouses due to an ongoing civil case on Thursday sued the city, asking for a court order to stop any such action. The employees’ lawsuit, filed in federal court, comes after the all-Republican state Supreme Court in June overturned a lower court’s decision favoring same-sex marriage benefits and ordered the case back to a civil court in Harris County, where Houston is located. After the Supreme Court’s decision, the conservative activists who had initially sued Houston filed a motion seeking an injunction that would block the city from paying same-sex spousal benefits to its municipal employees while the case goes to trial. The activists also asked that any such benefits that have already been given be paid back by employees. Kenneth Upton, an attorney for the three city employees and their spouses, said his clients and others who have received benefits for their same-sex spouses would be greatly harmed if they lost access to health insurance, disability and other benefits and also if they were forced to pay back such benefits. One of the employees suing is a Houston police officer who is worried that if she is hurt or killed in the line of duty, her wife would not be entitled to the same benefits that the spouses of other police officers would have access to, said Upton, a Dallasbased attorney for Lambda Legal.
NEWS national Police guard the protest. Courtesy Twitter / letsgomathias.
white SuPreMaCiStS Chant ‘FuCk you FaggotS’ at CharlotteSville MarCh Brittany Ferrendi
V
iolence, racism, xenophobia and homophobia took over Charlottesville, Virginia this weekend. Huffington Post reporter Christopher Mathias released a clip of a group waving Confederate flags and Nazi memorabilia, chanting the phrase “Fuck you faggots.” The “Unite the Right” rally took place at Emancipation Park, where white supremacists and armed right-wing groups protested the removal of a statue of General Robert E. Lee of the Confederate Army. The Ku Klux Klan, who reportedly organized the march, was “outraged” the city wanted to distance itself from the Confederacy. In addition to homophobic slurs, the groups also chanted the Nazi phrase “Blood and soil!” as well as “White lives matter!” In response to the events in Charlottesville, GLAAD president Sarah Kate Ellis spoke out. “GLAAD and countless LGBTQ Americans stand firmly together with other marginalized communities to denounce these disgusting threats and cowardly fear tactics,” she told Variety. “To the young Americans in Charlottesville who are LGBTQ or people of color: You are loved and you are perfect the way you are.” Black Lives Matter counter-protesters were also present and met violently. One person was killed and at least 35 others were injured from a driver plowing his car into a counter-demonstration, The Huffington Post reports. Two troopers were also killed after their Virginia State Police helicopter crashed. THP also reported violence involving flagpoles and bats as well as fist-fighting and the use of chemical sprays. Reporters were covered in raw sewage.
Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe declared a state of emergency. “Our message is plain and simple: Go home,” he said in a message to the supremacists. “Shame on you. You pretend that you are patriots, but you are anything but patriots.” U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions opened a federal investigation with the support of the Justice Department. “The violence and deaths in Charlottesville strike at the heart of American law and justice,” he said in a statement. “When such actions arise from racial bigotry and hatred, they betray our core values and cannot be tolerated.” President Trump initially refused to call out the white supremacists by name after the violence erupted instead saying “We condemn in the strongest possible terms this egregious display of hatred, bigotry and violence on many sides, on many sides.” After mounting pressure from both the left and right he held a second press conference Monday. “Racism is evil — and those who cause violence in its name are criminals and thugs, including KKK, neo-Nazis, white supremacists, and other hate groups are repugnant to everything we hold dear as Americans,” he said. Earlier in the day Ken Frazier, the CEO of Merck Pharma, one of the nation’s top black CEOs, resigned from Trump’s manufacturing council over his failure to condemn white supremacists. Trump took time this morning to attack Frazier via twitter: “Now that Ken Frazier of Merck Pharma has resigned from President’s Manufacturing Council, he will have more time to LOWER RIPOFF DRUG PRICES.”
8.16.2017 •
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What is TRUVADA for PrEP?
Who should not take TRUVADA for PrEP?
TRUVADA for PrEP (pre-exposure prophylaxis) is a prescription medicine that is used together with safer sex practices to help reduce the risk of getting HIV-1 through sex. This use is only for HIV-negative adults who are at high risk of getting HIV-1. To help determine your risk of getting HIV-1, talk openly with your healthcare provider about your sexual health. Ask your healthcare provider if you have questions about how to prevent getting HIV. Always practice safer sex and use condoms to lower the chance of sexual contact with body fluids. Never reuse or share needles or other items that have body fluids on them.
Do not take TRUVADA for PrEP if you: ® Already have HIV-1 infection or if you do not know your HIV-1 status. If you are HIV-1 positive, you need to take other medicines with TRUVADA to treat HIV-1. TRUVADA by itself is not a complete treatment for HIV-1. If you have HIV-1 and take only TRUVADA, your HIV-1 may become harder to treat over time. ® Also take certain medicines to treat hepatitis B infection.
IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION What is the most important information I should know about TRUVADA for PrEP? Before taking TRUVADA for PrEP: ® You must be HIV-negative before you start taking TRUVADA for PrEP. You must get tested to make sure that you do not already have HIV-1. Do not take TRUVADA to reduce the risk of getting HIV-1 unless you are confirmed to be HIV-negative. ® Many HIV-1 tests can miss HIV-1 infection in a person who has recently become infected. If you have flu-like symptoms, you could have recently become infected with HIV-1. Tell your healthcare provider if you had a flu-like illness within the last month before starting or at any time while taking TRUVADA for PrEP. Symptoms of new HIV-1 infection include tiredness, fever, joint or muscle aches, headache, sore throat, vomiting, diarrhea, rash, night sweats, and/or enlarged lymph nodes in the neck or groin. While taking TRUVADA for PrEP: ® You must continue to use safer sex practices. Just taking TRUVADA for PrEP may not keep you from getting HIV-1. ® You must stay HIV-negative to keep taking TRUVADA for PrEP: ® Get tested for HIV-1 at least every 3 months. ® If you think you were exposed to HIV-1, tell your healthcare provider right away. ® To further help reduce your risk of getting HIV-1: ® Know your HIV status and the HIV status of your partners. ® Get tested for other sexually transmitted infections. Other infections make it easier for HIV to infect you. ® Get information and support to help reduce risky sexual behavior, such as having fewer sex partners. ® Do not miss any doses of TRUVADA. Missing doses may increase your risk of getting HIV-1 infection. ® If you do become HIV-1 positive, you need more medicine than TRUVADA alone to treat HIV-1. TRUVADA by itself is not a complete treatment for HIV-1. If you have HIV-1 and take only TRUVADA, your HIV-1 may become harder to treat over time. TRUVADA can cause serious side effects: ® Worsening of hepatitis B (HBV) infection. TRUVADA is not approved to treat HBV. If you have HBV and stop taking TRUVADA, your HBV may suddenly get worse. Do not stop taking TRUVADA without first talking to your healthcare provider, as they will need to monitor your health.
What are the other possible side effects of TRUVADA for PrEP? Serious side effects of TRUVADA may also include: ® Kidney problems, including kidney failure. Your healthcare provider may do blood tests to check your kidneys before and during treatment with TRUVADA. If you develop kidney problems, your healthcare provider may tell you to stop taking TRUVADA. ® Too much lactic acid in your blood (lactic acidosis), which is a serious but rare medical emergency that can lead to death. Tell your healthcare provider right away if you get these symptoms: weakness or being more tired than usual, unusual muscle pain, being short of breath or fast breathing, stomach pain with nausea and vomiting, cold or blue hands and feet, feel dizzy or lightheaded, or a fast or abnormal heartbeat. ® Severe liver problems, which in rare cases can lead to death. Tell your healthcare provider right away if you get these symptoms: skin or the white part of your eyes turns yellow, dark “tea-colored” urine, light-colored stools, loss of appetite for several days or longer, nausea, or stomach-area pain. ® Bone problems, including bone pain, softening, or thinning, which may lead to fractures. Your healthcare provider may do tests to check your bones. Common side effects in people taking TRUVADA for PrEP are stomach-area (abdomen) pain, headache, and decreased weight. Tell your healthcare provider if you have any side effects that bother you or do not go away.
What should I tell my healthcare provider before taking TRUVADA for PrEP? ® All your health problems. Be sure to tell your healthcare provider if you have or have had any kidney, bone, or liver problems, including hepatitis. ® If you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant. It is not known if TRUVADA can harm your unborn baby. If you become pregnant while taking TRUVADA for PrEP, talk to your healthcare provider to decide if you should keep taking TRUVADA. ® If you are breastfeeding (nursing) or plan to breastfeed. Do not breastfeed. If you become HIV-positive, HIV can be passed to the baby in breast milk. ® All the medicines you take, including prescription and over-the-counter medicines, vitamins, and herbal supplements. TRUVADA may interact with other medicines. Keep a list of all your medicines and show it to your healthcare provider and pharmacist when you get a new medicine. ® If you take certain other medicines with TRUVADA, your healthcare provider may need to check you more often or change your dose. These medicines include certain medicines to treat hepatitis C (HCV) infection. You are encouraged to report negative side effects of prescription drugs to the FDA. Visit www.FDA.gov/medwatch, or call 1-800-FDA-1088.
Please see Important Facts about TRUVADA for PrEP including important warnings on the following page.
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8 . 16.2017 TVDC0168_PrEP_B_10x10-75_SFloridaGayNews_Latino_p1.indd 1-2
I’m open-minded, not uninformed. I know who I am. And I make choices that fit my life. TRUVADA for PrEP™ is a once-daily prescription medicine that can help reduce the risk of getting HIV-1 when taken every day and used together with safer sex practices. ® TRUVADA for PrEP is only for adults who are at high risk of getting HIV through sex. ® You must be HIV-negative before you start taking TRUVADA for PrEP.
Ask your doctor about your risk of getting HIV-1 infection and if TRUVADA for PrEP may be right for you. Learn more at truvada.com
8.16.2017 8/7/17 2:18 PM •
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IMPORTANT FACTS
This is only a brief summary of important information about taking TRUVADA for PrEPTM (pre-exposure prophylaxis) to help reduce the risk of getting HIV-1 infection. This does not replace talking to your healthcare provider about your medicine.
(tru-VAH-dah) MOST IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT TRUVADA FOR PrEP Before starting TRUVADA for PrEP: • You must be HIV-1 negative. You must get tested to make sure that you do not already have HIV-1. Do not take TRUVADA for PrEP to reduce the risk of getting HIV-1 unless you are confirmed to be HIV-1 negative. • Many HIV-1 tests can miss HIV-1 infection in a person who has recently become infected. Symptoms of new HIV-1 infection include flu-like symptoms, tiredness, fever, joint or muscle aches, headache, sore throat, vomiting, diarrhea, rash, night sweats, and/or enlarged lymph nodes in the neck or groin. Tell your healthcare provider if you have had a flu-like illness within the last month before starting TRUVADA for PrEP. While taking TRUVADA for PrEP: • You must continue to use safer sex practices. Just taking TRUVADA for PrEP may not keep you from getting HIV-1. • You must stay HIV-negative to keep taking TRUVADA for PrEP. Get tested for HIV-1 at least every 3 months while taking TRUVADA for PrEP. Tell your healthcare provider right away if you think you were exposed to HIV-1 or have a flu-like illness while taking TRUVADA for PrEP. • If you do become HIV-1 positive, you need more medicine than TRUVADA alone to treat HIV-1. If you have HIV-1 and take only TRUVADA, your HIV-1 may become harder to treat over time. • See the “How To Further Reduce Your Risk” section for more information. TRUVADA may cause serious side effects, including: • Worsening of hepatitis B (HBV) infection. TRUVADA is not approved to treat HBV. If you have HBV, your HBV may suddenly get worse if you stop taking TRUVADA. Do not stop taking TRUVADA without first talking to your healthcare provider, as they will need to check your health regularly for several months.
ABOUT TRUVADA FOR PrEP TRUVADA for PrEP is a prescription medicine used together with safer sex practices to help reduce the risk of getting HIV-1 through sex. This use is only for HIV-negative adults who are at high risk of getting HIV-1. • To help determine your risk of getting HIV-1, talk openly with your healthcare provider about your sexual health. Do NOT take TRUVADA for PrEP if you: • Already have HIV-1 infection or if you do not know your HIV-1 status. • Take certain medicines to treat hepatitis B infection.
HOW TO TAKE TRUVADA FOR PrEP • Take 1 tablet once a day, every day, not just when you think you have been exposed to HIV-1. • Do not miss any doses. Missing doses may increase your risk of getting HIV-1 infection. • Use TRUVADA for PrEP together with condoms and safer sex practices. • Get tested for HIV-1 at least every 3 months. You must stay HIV-negative to keep taking TRUVADA for PrEP.
POSSIBLE SIDE EFFECTS OF TRUVADA FOR PrEP TRUVADA can cause serious side effects, including: • Those in the “Most Important Information About TRUVADA for PrEP” section. • New or worse kidney problems, including kidney failure. • Too much lactic acid in your blood (lactic acidosis), which is a serious but rare medical emergency that can lead to death. Tell your healthcare provider right away if you get these symptoms: weakness or being more tired than usual, unusual muscle pain, being short of breath or fast breathing, stomach pain with nausea and vomiting, cold or blue hands and feet, feel dizzy or lightheaded, or a fast or abnormal heartbeat. • Severe liver problems, which in rare cases can lead to death. Tell your healthcare provider right away if you get these symptoms: skin or the white part of your eyes turns yellow, dark “tea-colored” urine, light-colored stools, loss of appetite for several days or longer, nausea, or stomach-area pain. • Bone problems. Common side effects in people taking TRUVADA for PrEP include stomach-area (abdomen) pain, headache, and decreased weight. These are not all the possible side effects of TRUVADA. Tell your healthcare provider right away if you have any new symptoms while taking TRUVADA for PrEP. Your healthcare provider will need to do tests to monitor your health before and during treatment with TRUVADA for PrEP.
BEFORE TAKING TRUVADA FOR PrEP Tell your healthcare provider if you: • Have or have had any kidney, bone, or liver problems, including hepatitis. • Have any other medical conditions. • Are pregnant or plan to become pregnant. • Are breastfeeding (nursing) or plan to breastfeed. Do not breastfeed. If you become HIV-positive, HIV can pass to the baby in breast milk. Tell your healthcare provider about all the medicines you take: • Keep a list that includes all prescription and over-the-counter medicines, vitamins, and herbal supplements, and show it to your healthcare provider and pharmacist. • Ask your healthcare provider or pharmacist about medicines that should not be taken with TRUVADA for PrEP.
HOW TO FURTHER REDUCE YOUR RISK • Know your HIV status and the HIV status of your partners. • Get tested for other sexually transmitted infections. Other infections make it easier for HIV to infect you. • Get information and support to help reduce risky sexual behavior, such as having fewer sex partners. • Do not share needles or personal items that can have blood or body fluids on them.
GET MORE INFORMATION • This is only a brief summary of important information about TRUVADA for PrEP. Talk to your healthcare provider or pharmacist to learn more, including how to prevent HIV infection. • Go to start.truvada.com or call 1-800-GILEAD-5 • If you need help paying for your medicine, visit start.truvada.com for program information.
TRUVADA FOR PREP, the TRUVADA FOR PREP Logo, the TRUVADA Blue Pill Design, TRUVADA, GILEAD, and the GILEAD Logo are trademarks of Gilead Sciences, Inc., or its related companies. All other marks referenced herein are the property of their respective owners. Version date: April 2017 © 2017 Gilead Sciences, Inc. All rights reserved. TVDC0168 07/17
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8/7/17 2:18 PM
NEWS national
lgBt grouPS Sue truMP over tranS Ban
Photo credit: Staff Sgt. William Tremblay, U.S. Army/Released.
Lisa Keen
Keen News Service
T
wo national LGBT legal groups filed a lawsuit Wednesday in federal district court in Washington, D.C., seeking a preliminary injunction to stop President Trump from implementing his proposed ban on transgender service members. It also seeks a declaration from the court that the proposed ban is unconstitutional. The Boston-based GLBTQ Legal Advocates & Defenders and the San
“transgender serVice members haVe been blindsided bY this shift, and are scrambling to deal with what it means for their futures and their families.” - Shannon Minter lEgAl DiRECTOR, NClR
Francisco-based National Center for Lesbian Rights filed the lawsuit, with the assistance of two major national law firms –Wilmer Cutler and Foley Hoag. Shannon Minter, legal director for NCLR, issued a statement saying that President Trump’s transgender ban directive “has created a tidal wave of harms that have already been felt throughout our armed services.” “Transgender service members have been blindsided by this shift,” said Minter, “and are scrambling to deal with what it means for their futures and their families.” Jennifer Levi, GLAD’s transgender rights project director, said the policy affects over 15,000 servicemembers. President Trump issued Twitter posts on July 26, saying that the U.S. military would no longer permit transgender people from serving in the military “in any capacity.” The lawsuit, Jane Doe v Trump, asks the court to prevent the Trump administration from enforcing the ban, saying a reinstatement of the ban against transgender people violates the U.S. Constitutional guarantees of equal protection of the law and due process.
“The categorical exclusion of transgender people from the military service lacks a rational basis, is arbitrary, and cannot be justified by sufficient federal interests,” states the lawsuit. There was considerable political pushback after President Trump issued his Twitter posts announcing his plan to ban transgender service members. Although no general was ever identified as having been consulted, the Twitter posts said, “After consultation with my Generals and military experts, please be advised that the United States Government will not accept or allow…Transgender individuals to serve in any capacity in the U.S. Military. Our military must be focused on decisive and overwhelming…victory and cannot be burdened with the tremendous medical costs and disruption that transgender in the military would entail. Thank you.” General Joseph Dunford, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, issued a statement to military personnel, saying, “There will be no modifications to the current policy until the president’s direction has been received by the secretary of defense and the secretary has issued implementation guidance. In the
meantime, we will continue to treat all of our personnel with respect.” And 56 former generals and admirals issued a statement opposing the proposed new policy. According to the lawsuit, the White House counsel’s office subsequently communicated President Trump’s decision “into official guidance” to the Department of Defense, along with a plan outline for implementing it. The lawsuit represents five service members, identified as Jane Doe 1-5. One has served in the Coast Guard for 10 years, three are serving in the U.S. Army, and one Air Force. NCLR’s Minter explained that the attorneys expect to add plaintiffs but had to file the lawsuit quickly after learning, just last Friday, that President Trump had conveyed his directive to the Department of Defense in a formal way. “We are moving as quickly as possible to stop any attempt to reinstate the ban,” said Minter. Under President Obama, the Department of Defense issued a regulation in June 2016 to explicitly allow transgender persons to serve openly in the military.
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laB reSCue CharitieS to BeneFit FroM CrowDFunDing CaMPaign For late DJ wenDy hunt (EDGE) A few days after her passing, DJ Wendy Hunt’s spirit of generosity is living on. Having met its initial goal, a crowdfunding campaign set up to pay for her funeral expenses, is now continuing on and accepting donations for the dance floor legend’s favorite charitable cause -- dogs. On Tuesday, following news of Hunt’s passing, her sister Kavita appealed to the DJ’s fans to help raise funds to pay for her funeral. Donations poured in from friends and fans. And soon the campaign’s initial goal of $3,000 was exceeded, which prompted Hunt’s sister to raise the goal to $5,000 to cover additional expenses with the assurance “that all funds above and beyond the costs described above will become a gift to Lab Rescue of Florida, in honor of Wendy. She would be (and perhaps she is) delighted and grateful, as am I.” According to her sister, the pledge will be split between two lab rescue charities in Florida: Lab Rescue of Florida District 8 Pasco-Pinellas, and Lab Rescue of Florida, District 12 Broward.
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Wendy Hunt.
“Wherever Wendy is now, I trust that your loving words and gestures are finding her,” Hunt’s sister Kavita wrote. “I cannot think of anything that would give her greater contentment than knowing dogs in need are supported by her, through your love for her. Hunt, who was known as “The Queen Mother of DJs” died during the early hours of Monday morning of an apparent suicide. She was 64. For information on making a donation, visit www. youcaring.com/wendyhunt-898830
B
Bisexual
aaron Carter MakeS eMotional PerForManCe at gay Bar in taMPa (SFGN) Childhood pop star Aaron Carter performed for the first time in years since coming out as bisexual. Carter performed at LGBTQ-themed bar & grille Hamburger Mary’s in Tampa last Thursday. He played a set list of songs both new and old for the pub near the town where he grew up, the Tampa Bay Times reports. A video from the Daily Mail shows the emotional singer tearing up over the crowd as he thanks his fans for supporting his decision to come out: “I just want to say thank you so much for all your love and support for the LGBTQ community and my announcement. It means a lot. Yes, I am a bisexual man.” In taking to social media on August 5 to decree his bisexuality, Carter gave voice to his experience of being at war with his sexuality for years: “I grew up in this entertainment industry at a very young age and when I was around 13-years-old I
Aaron Carter.
started to find boys and girls attractive.” In an interview thereafter with the Bert Show, a nationally syndicated radio program, Carter spoke in hopeful terms about the catharsis he felt on coming out, and on looking forward, saying “it was part of a new chapter of turning 30.”
lgBTQiA bites
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continued transgender
MattiS SuggeStS tranSgenDer Military MeMBerS May Continue to Serve (CNN) Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis said Monday that the White House had still not provided policy guidance on transgender persons serving in the military, adding that they were still studying the issue, raising the prospect that transgender service members may be allowed to continue to serve despite President Donald Trump’s July announcement of a ban via Twitter. “We are going to study the issue,” Mattis told reporters at the Pentagon. “The policy is going to address whether or not transgenders can serve under what conditions, what medical support they require, how much time would they be perhaps non-deployable leaving others to pick up their share of everything. There’s a host of issues and I’m learning more about this than I ever thought I would and it’s obviously very complex to include the privacy issues which we respect,” Mattis said. “I am waiting right now to get the
Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis.
President’s guidance in and that I expect to be very soon,” he added. Trump announced his plan to ban transgender service members on Twitter last month. The move took the Joint Chiefs of Staff by surprise, and the Pentagon has said it is awaiting an official order from Trump before making a policy change. The White House has yet to send official guidance to the Pentagon on the ban.
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NEWS national
NEWS health
tranS tv CharaCterS CoulD inFluenCe viewerS Brittany Ferrendi
F
ictional television is more impactful than news coverage, new research shows. According to new research from USC Annenberg, viewing transgender characters on fictional TV shows could influence a shift in policy issues and views of trans people. “Watching TV shows with nuanced transgender characters can break down ideological biases in a way that news stories may not. This is especially true when the stories inspire hope or when viewers can relate to the characters,” said Hollywood, Health & Society Senior Research Associate Erica Rosenthal. HH&S collaborated on the study. Researchers surveyed 488 active viewers of the USA Network show, “Royal Pains.” Of them, 391 saw an episode that featured trans teen Anna, who had an 11-minute subplot dealing with “the medical profession’s historical treatment of transgender individuals as mentally ill, parental rights regarding adolescent transitions and the risks of hormone replacement therapy,” according to USC Annenberg. “We found that ‘Royal Pains’ viewers who
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saw Anna’s story had more supportive attitudes toward transgender people and policies, and we found a cumulative effect of exposure to transgender entertainment narratives,” they wrote. “The more portrayals viewers saw, the more supportive their attitudes.” They also noticed that exposure to the same issues via news coverage or through the rise of Caitlyn Jenner had no similar effect — meaning the fictional stories were more influential. Research also revealed that more exposure to shows featuring transgender characters led to “more positive attitudes toward trans people than those who saw just one.” “We’ve got to tell these stories better because lives are on the line,” said trans actress Laverne Cox at a GLAAD-sponsored panel. “Trans people are being murdered, are being denied health care, access to bathrooms and employment and housing because of all of these … misconceptions that people have about who we really are.”
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auguSt rePort FroM SFan anD the hiv Planning CounCil Sean McShee This report combines the monthly meetings of the HIV Planning Council (HIVPC) and the South Florida AIDS Network (SFAN). The HIVPC is the planning body for the Ryan White Care (RWC) Program of Broward County (Broward-RWC). SFAN is the advisory and networking body for the RWC program of the Florida Department of Health in Broward (FL-DOH RWC). Both meetings welcome newcomers.
BROWARD RWC - HIVPC On July 27, the HIV Planning Council approved budget amounts for service categories for the fiscal year that will begin March 1, 2018 (FY 2018). The HIVPC has to begin working with RWC providers now for its FY 2018 programs. The U.S. Congress, however, has failed to pass its FY 2018 budget. Given federal time constraints, Congress may have to fund everything at FY 2017 levels. The HIVPC worked under the assumption that funding would remain the same despite some threats. The Minority AIDS Initiative (MAI) funds eight percent of Broward-RWC, but the House voted to defund the MAI. As of press time, the Senate has yet to vote on a budget. According to Will Spencer of the HIVPC, the proposed defunding of the MAI would be the most significant cut ever to Broward-RWC. If funding levels change, the HIVPC can adjust funding for service categories. Leonard Jones (Broward RWC) reported on a structural funding issue. Current RWC funding formulas follow place-of-testing rather than place-of-service-delivery. These formulas fail to count for current residence. When someone tests HIV positive for the first time, that city becomes their “HIV home city.” RWC funds would only go to that “HIV home city.” Josh Rodriquez (FL-DOH RWC) reported on Broward’s Test and Treat program. That program offers people testing HIV-positive same-day antiretroviral therapy. From May 1 to July 21, that program identified 228 HIVpositives. Of those positives, 44.3 percent (101) were new HIV diagnoses. The other 55.7 percent (127) had previously tested HIV-
positive, but were not in treatment. The Florida Department of Health distributed Broward HIV data. Between 2014 and 2015, diagnoses of HIV infection declined slightly among African-American males, who still had the highest number of new diagnoses among males. New HIV diagnoses increased among Latino males. Rates remained stable among whites. Among females, almost all new HIV diagnoses occurred among AfricanAmericans. FL-DOH also distributed Continuum of Care data for Broward-RWC enrollees. About 81 percent of RWC enrollees had achieved suppressed HIV viral loads. SFAN The South Florida AIDS Network (SFAN) meeting covered much of the same material as the HIVPC. Riley Johnson and Jens Paul presented on RAD Remedy. This group provides resources for transgender, gender non-conforming, intersex, and queer (TGIQ) people and their care. Johnson is the executive director of RAD Remedy. Local trans activist, Jens Paul, works as a policy consultant. Among its other services, RAD Remedy provides a Yelp-like referral healthcare database for TGIQ people. Paul argued that providers should meet clients on the clients’ terms to keep those clients in-treatment. He called this client-driven care. Paul argued that the quality of care affects the quantity of care. If someone feels mistreated by a provider, they will not return to that provider. For many transgender people, trans care issues matter as much as HIV care issues.
NEXT SFAN MEETING: Friday, Sept. 8, 2017 at 10 a.m., at the Holy Cross Healthplex, 1000 NE 56th St., Fort Lauderdale. SFAN welcomes newcomers. HIVPC meetings occur on the last Thursday of the month (Aug. 31) at 9:30 a.m., at the Government Center, 115 S. Andrews Ave, Fort Lauderdale. For updates or meeting room locations, call 954-561-9681 ext. 1343, or visit www.brhpc.org/programs/hiv-planning-council/. To find out more about RADremedy, please visit www.RadRemedy.org. Follow Sean McShee on Twitter @SeanMcShee
NEWS local
Coffee & Conversation
Reps From Assisted Living Facilities Speak to Seniors at Pride Center John McDonald
Photo courtesy The Pride Center.
A
dministrators of three assisted living facilities spoke at Tuesday morning’s Coffee & Conversation program at Pride Center. “We’ve been in Wilton Manors for over 50 years and we’ve been supporting Pride before they came in this building,” said Lori Musto, administrator of Independence Hall, an assisted living facility on N.E. 26th Street. Musto used her time at the microphone to ask trivia questions of the audience. She was joined by Nicole Sutton, administrator of Williamsburg Landing. “We’re the Marrinson girls,” Musto quipped. Musto and Sutton were accompanied by Riley Grace, administrator of Manor Pines – another assisted living facility in what Musto referred to as a “triangle” on 26th Street. Grace, a straight man, said it was his first visit to the Pride Center, jokingly telling the audience he was a “Pride virgin.” “I’m very comfortable here,” he told SFGN afterwards. “I grew up in Fort Lauderdale. I don’t have a problem being here.” Musto said Independence Hall offers
skilled nursing care, assisted living and independent living. Independence Hall has space for 100 people who required assistance or rehabilitation. Regulations say residents must be age 18 and over, but Musto said Independence Hall caters mostly to those over age 60. Representatives for Tools for Schools, Broward Sheriff’s Office, A Celebration of Friends and AARP were also given speaking time. More than 185 people signed in for this week’s event.
Coffee and Conversation takes place weekly on Tuesdays at the Pride Center in Wilton Manors from 10 a.m. to noon. For more information, contact Bruce Williams, Senior Services Coordinator at 954-463-9005, ext. 109.
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NEWS local
Photo courtesy of the city of Oakland Park.
oaklanD Park to ConSiDer
ConverSion theraPy Ban
Tucker Berardi
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akland Park is poised to be the next South Florida city to ban the practice of conversion therapy on minors, with the City Commission agreeing to take up the discussion on whether or not to pursue the issue as an ordinance on Sept. 6. Conversion therapy is the attempt to change someone’s gender identity or sexual orientation — usually from gay, bi or transgender to straight or cisgender — using a number of questionable therapeutic methods. The practice has been labelled ineffective by the American Psychological Association, and is being combated by many LGBT groups. In South Florida, the combined efforts of the Palm Beach County Human Rights Campaign, Southern Poverty Law Center and The National Center for Lesbian Rights have helped to ban conversion therapy in a number of cities including Wilton Manors, Delray Beach, Wellington, Boynton Beach and many others. As it stands, the upcoming commission discussion on Sept. 6 could mark Oakland Park as the next city to enact the ban. While conversion therapy has little proof of its effectiveness in “fixing” or altering the sexual orientation or gender identity of patients, the therapeutic practice has been found to lead to a number of side effects which include, according to PBCHRC therapist Rachel Needle, drug and alcohol abuse, depression, trouble with intimacy, and suicide. “I will fight to protect our LGBTQ youth. I hope our Oakland Park City Commission can take a stand for our LGBTQ youth by banning this practice,” Oakland Park Mayor John Adornato wrote in an email. “We must send the correct
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message to our youth to try to curb the high rate of suicides.” the Federal Trade Commission and sending a list of letters Most of the cities in South Florida were able to pass and reports to the Oakland Park City Commission. conversion therapy bans without significant opposition. Christopher Doyle, the leader of NTFTE is also known This changed, however, when Dr. Julia Hamilton, former for running the group “Voice of the Voiceless,” a group president of National Association for Research and Therapy defending the rights of former homosexuals that hosted an of Homosexuals (NARTH) and licensed ex-gay pride in 2013. family therapist Dr. David Pickup gave “We have suffered enough abuse “minors are testimonies to the Wellington City Council in the media who sing praises to the freQuentlY against banning such a practice. lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender “Sponsors of this ban are asking to (LGBT) community, and condemn former forced into make it illegal for therapists and clients homosexuals and those who experience conVersion to have [conversations] about change unwanted [same sex attraction],” the Voice therapY of attractions, behavior, or identity,” for the Voiceless website reads. Hamilton wrote to SFGN. “Making it illegal According to Rand Hoch, president of bY parents for certain conversations to take place PBCHRC, NTFTE has sent similar letters who find it would certainly constitute a violation of to many of the other cities pursuing impossible freedom of speech. Even if you do not conversion therapy bans, including Welling to accept like the idea of some teenagers wanting and Greenacres. These letters, he states, rely to pursue options for their lives rather on false science and bad law. the fact that than embrace a gay identity, everyone in Many of the anti-ban arguments focus their children America should be greatly concerned when on freedom of speech and choice, stating identifY as gaY lawmakers consider taking away freedom that keeping conversion therapy legal or lesbian.” of speech.” would be at the best interests for children Despite the opposition, the Wellington with unwanted sexual attractions and their - Carly Cass Council ultimately voted to ban conversion parents. PBCHRC viCE PRESiDENT therapy. Now, however, conservative “Minors are frequently forced into groups National Task Force for Therapy conversion therapy by parents who find it Equality (NTFTE) and the Alliance for Therapeutic Choice impossible to accept the fact that their children identify as and Scientific Integrity have stepped up opposition, gay or lesbian,” PBCHRC Vice President Carly Cass said. “This pursuing investigations against LGBT groups involved in so-called therapy has been often shown to be extremely banning conversion therapy and submitting a complaint to harmful.”
NEWS palm beach
vigil For CharlotteSville Michael Cushman
On Aug. 13, protesters gathered in West Palm Beach in solidarity with the fight against white supremacy and the lives lost recently in Charlottesville.
TO SEE MANY MORE PHOTOS, VISIT SFGN.COM ON FACEBOOK.
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NEWS international
iCelanD PaintS rainBow outSiDe City hall For reykJavik PriDe Brittany Ferrendi
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eykjavik, Iceland is kicking off its Pride festival with a big, bright rainbow. The Reykjavik Pride board of directors and the city mayor painted the rainbow out front of the building on Tuesday. The mayor, Dagur B. Eggertsson, later tweeted:
Photo courtesy Reykjavic Pride, Facebook.
This is the third year rainbow pavement has been introduced during pride, but this is the first year at City Hall. “For the past two years we’ve chosen iconic places to paint to the rainbow by,” said
Reykjavik Pride Chair Eva María Þórarinsdóttir Lange according to Gay Star News. “It’s such a strong and symbolic way to start the Reykjavik Pride week as Reykjavik literally puts its rainbow on.” A passerby also told GSN: “It’s an amazing idea and makes us very proud to see the surprised tourist all taking selfies with the rainbow and spreading the message all over the world. People were very impressed when this was done for the first time and last year we had many copies last year when people and businesses painted smaller versions in front of their houses.”
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NEWS national
Ogilvy Survey Provides Insight Into The Rewards of LGBT Inclusion Liz Baudler
Empire State Building during 2015 NYC Pride. Photo credit: Anthony Quintano.
T
hough it might surprise some to learn that 65 percent of Americans feel that LGBT inclusion is good for the economy, it was what Ogilvy’s Bill Berman suspected his agency’s most recent LGBT marketing survey would show. “We had a sense that the cultural landscape is shifting to be more inclusive,” Berman said. “One of the reasons why we wanted to do the survey was to learn more how that shift pertains to brands and businesses. We had this inclination that because advertising doesn’t exist in a vacuum, there must be some sort of effect on non-LGBT audiences when a brand’s advertising is LGBT-inclusive.” In a pool of over 1,000 individuals, Ogilvy took special care to isolate LGBT allies, with over 400 participants selfidentifying as such. They ranged from people who had friends and family who were LGBT to people who had politically engaged with those causes, and their reaction to inclusion efforts was often more pronounced than the total population. “We really thought the best way of quantifying that support of the LGBT community was through allies. We thought that that would help drive a more meaningful conversation and show brands that LGBT-inclusive advertising at a higher level really helps them out,” Berman said. Advertising was one of the most effective vehicles for brands to demonstrate their commitment to inclusion, and it has a profound effect on consumers. Thirty-five percent of survey respondents felt that a company’s LGBT inclusive advertising indicated an LGBT inclusive brand. Fortysix percent were more likely to consider buying a company’s product or service after viewing an ad. As an example of inclusion he called
“natural,” Berman highlighted one of Ogilvy’s campaigns, an IKEA television spot called “All Homes Are Created Equal.” Among many faces, the ad includes a same-sex interracial couple. “IKEA makes the case for the new American dream by a campaign that’s geared towards young people who have different thoughts about what it means to make it,” Berman said. “There’s less of a spotlight on one segment of the population, and just more of an image of a diverse population overall.” Based on survey results, social media and news are also great platforms for companies to talk about inclusion. Twenty-five percent of overall respondents say they got information about a company’s inclusion efforts from Facebook or Twitter; 21 percent credited print and online news as a source. Berman cautions that whatever message companies are putting out there, it has to be targeted. “I think one of the most important things is to not look as the community as this monolithic thing,” Berman said. “It really is diverse, and it’s a series of communities. You really have to do your homework and have your partners within strategy and media and research to understand the DNA of your consumer. It’s not just a blanket LGBTQ advertising. It really does have to be authentic and it has to talk to that specific consumer.” He also cautions that while consumers reward companies and brands for their inclusion efforts, they also need to
“You can’t just show up for Pride Week, and stick a rainbow on an ad that was already produced, and think that you’re going to be talking authentically to the audience.” - Bill Berman Oglivy
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see those efforts are genuine. 68% of survey respondents felt that companies needed to “walk the talk” when it came to LGBT inclusion. Those consumers might be interested in knowing about a corporation’s policies, benefits or hiring practices, or to hear that a company stood up to discriminatory legislation. “You can’t just show up for Pride Week, and stick a rainbow on an ad that was already produced, and think that you’re going to be talking authentically to the audience,” Berman said. “Over 70 percent of Americans believe that a company that’s LGBT inclusive is an ally of the community, but a similar amount purport that they want to see that businesses are not just paying lip service.” Berman said. So how can a company capitalize on these findings?
Berman thinks authenticity and not being afraid to share an inclusive message on a national scale are key. “You really have to kind of put yourself out there. Even though the political climate is a little coarse, if your brand is authentic and your brand is about inclusion, the survey does show you’ll be rewarded for it,” Berman said. “The main takeaway here is that LGBT inclusive advertising can be more than just a diversity campaign. It can more than just showing up during Pride Week. When done right, it can create a positive halo effect for the entire business. Americans and allies are telling us that they’re watching, and they’re aware of it, and they think it’s good for the economy, and they reward brands that are doing it in the right way.”
This piece was produced for the National LGBT Media Association: NationalLGBTmediAssociation.com
NEWS state
FeMale sniPer reMeMBered FOr PersOnaliTy, PerFOrManCe Officer Christine Braswell. Courtesy Facebook.
Michael d’Oliveira
O
n the Delray Beach Police Department’s shooting range, Officer Christine Braswell cracked smiles as easily as she rang-up crack shots between the eyes of the figures on her paper targets. “I met the scary side of her before I met the sweet side of her,” said Officer Bernenda Marc in an interview with SFGN. “She was a great mentor and a great friend as well. If something was wrong, she would drop everything and come to the rescue.” Marc said Braswell was humble but proud of every part of herself, including being a member of the LGBT community. “She was just beloved . . . had a million friends. If you knew her well, you loved her,” said Dani Moschella, public information manager for the Delray Beach Police Department. On April 8, Braswell and Marc were together in Key West on scooters when the two were hit by another driver. Marc was severely injured but has since been released from the hospital. The woman accused of killing Braswell, Lacy Morris, has multiple charges against her, including DUI manslaughter. A hearing over multiple motions, including medical records,
is scheduled for Thursday, Aug. 17 in Key West. At her funeral in April in Delray Beach, in video provided by ABC affiliate WPBF 25 News in Palm Beach County, Braswell, the only female sniper in Palm Beach County, was remembered for her personality as well as 12 years of police work in Delray Beach. At the funeral, Braswell’s father, Dan Braswell, recalled the conversation they had when she told him she wanted to become a police officer. “I’d spent 15 years in police work and had no illusions about the difficulties about the job.” He tried to dissuade her but her mind was made up. “The discussion ended when she said ‘Papa, you did the job for years and you’re alright. I’m your daughter and I’m just as tough as you are. I want to make a difference.’ She has made a huge difference in so many people’s lives.” Braswell described his daughter as a friend, teacher, mentor, partner, and badass “who loved her friends, her family, and co-workers.” It was a sentiment shared by more than just her father. “She was a badass, no doubt, on the defensive tactics mats,” said Delray Beach
Police Chief Jeff Goldman. “I can recall many times getting my butt kicked by her.” Goldman then asked for a show of hands of how many fellow officers also had their butts kicked by Braswell on the mats. “Amen,” said Goldman. Braswell, who became a police officer in 2005, served in S.W.A.T., the Community Patrol Division, the Honor Guard, the Crisis Response Team, and was a drill instructor. Indian River County Sheriff’s Office Deputy Brian Aguiar remembered Braswell as “my boot camp wife and fellow sniper.” He joked that Braswell constantly pushed recruits to the breaking point with her “kind, nurturing yelling and screaming” to show them how strong they were. And, he added, she was always ready to encourage them with a handshake and hug. Shortly before her death, Braswell was interviewed by NBC affiliate WPTV 5 in Palm Beach County and asked about her career in law enforcement. “I enjoy the sniper aspect. Being able to just lay down and . . . everything is still behind me. It doesn’t matter what’s going on. It doesn’t matter if shots are being fired,” she told WPTV 5. Braswell, who began shooting at age 6 or 7
when her father “gave me a little .22 long rifle,” said she felt lucky and was happy she could pass along her knowledge to new officers. “I was fortunate enough to grow up around guns and to be able to shoot all my life. I don’t consider myself special in anyway.”
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The Business of SFGN
Convictions
No Robert Boo We Are
Norm Kent
norm.kent@sfgn.com
I
Not ‘Fake News’
had an interesting conversation with a local businessman while we were discussing his advertising contract. He complimented SFGN, saying that he had been foolish for not advertising in it for years. “I just assumed gay men only read bar guides, but one month with you taught me how wrong I have been. My business has virtually doubled.” No, I cannot and will not guarantee signing an advertising agreement will double your business volume, but I can guarantee that your ad will be seen and read, and the person reading it will have a credit card in his pocket. Our demographic parallels the American marketing age- 35 to 54. Our readers hire lawyers, buy homes, and go out to eat. Our readers also know good deals when they see them, so promoting a 2-for-1 in your nightclub or restaurant won’t hurt you. It will enhance your business, while you contribute to sustaining a product which provides our LGBT community with actual news, along with a host of opinion pieces that generate honest discussion and legitimate debate. Therefore, it was shameful for the CEO of the Pride Center to deride an SFGN columnist in our bi weekly newspaper, the Wilton Manors Gazette, for publishing ‘fake news.’ No, he was not. Sal Torre was publishing a real opinion piece, one that apparently set Boo’s hair afire, so much so he needed 2,000 words and 2 pages to reply. And he got it. Where? No, not in the Pallette, Wired, Hot Spots or that worthless, crappy, gay magazine ripping off the LGBT community, Metro Guys. He got it in SFGN, because I am neither afraid of criticism or controversy. Shit happens, even in the gay community. We have to report it, and we do, all our warts and wounds. Transparency is a disinfectant. Look, I want to see all our businesses and bars prosper and grow. I would love to see everyone celebrate and promote their success on our pages with their paid ads. But I am not going to roll over for any of them. Never have and never will, and that includes nonprofits, whether it was Pride South Florida or the Pride Center. All the good they do, and all the great people they have working and volunteering there does not exempt them from honorable criticism or public debate. And trust me, along with operating one of the best pride centers in the country, they have great people working there. Hell, when I was in charge of Pride Fort Lauderdale, my own newspaper criticized me and the organization. Even I am not exempt.
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However, our columnists, and this community have an absolute right to engage the Center’s decision makers, and call into question the determinations they make on our behalf. That is diversity, that is democracy, and that is what we have a right to expect. Last month, this newspaper wrote about the closing of a local and very popular bar, Tropics, which catered to an older crowd. It was a bit of an institution on Wilton Drive. It is encouraging to hear it is reopening soon. It was discouraging to have the former owner, whose carelessness drove it into the ground, attack SFGN as one of the reasons it collapsed. No, SFGN did not shut it down. We were not the ones who failed to pay the rent, defaulted on the lease, or violated alcoholic beverage laws by unlawfully acquiring liquors from other than legitimate sources. No, Mr. Padgett, you did that on your own. We celebrated your opening, wrote about your parties, reviewed your restaurant positively and advertised your business. We did our job. Don’t go on Facebook after you close and blame us for writing about your failure. I hope you heard those words, Matt Golunga. I would like to see every nightclub in town thrive, including your new place, Johnson’s. But how dare you publicly and personally accuse me of causing your business opening to be postponed or delayed. Are you kidding me? I wasn’t the one who put the red tag and stop work order on your structure for failing to get a permit in May. Our newspaper simply reported your actions were not in compliance with the local statutes, and as a consequence, you were cited. I am not the one that held up your health license and inspection the last three months either. That’s on you, man. You finally opened last weekend. Good luck. I hope you make it. There are quite a few bars on Wilton Drive. It’s a tough market. You have your work cut out for you. My suggestion is you ought to make friends, not enemies. Own up to your errors, don’t pass them off on me. Our goal is to cultivate business relationships, develop partnerships, and report on the many great things our hospitality industry does. Think about the Manor toy drives at Christmas, the Alibi’s underwear contests for Poverello, the Boardwalk’s benefits for Miss Florida, or Hunter’s ‘Dog Days’ for Abandoned Pet Rescue. We have written about all of them. We promote. We publicize. We illuminate. That’s what we do. But we also don’t live in a vacuum or publish with blinders on. So if there’s a shooting in
your club, the cops raid it for drugs, or you get sued for screwing an employee or beating up a patron, guess what? Sad though it may be, there’s a story you may not like coming your way. It’s not because we relish ‘eating our own.’ It’s because truth matters, and that applies to non-profits as well. It is why 7 years ago SFGN exposed the leader of Pride South Florida for embezzling funds when there were people in the group that sought to cover it up. Our efforts led to him getting arrested, jailed and paying restitution of $35,000 before he died this year. That is why we exposed the Brian Neal Foundation, scams at Wilton Station, and leaders who lie rather than lead. That is what a newspaper does, regardless of who advertises in it. It is what my business partner, Pier Angelo Guidugli and I committed to 8 years ago, and we have stayed true to the principle. Let me share the reality of owning a community newspaper this way. We cover the news. We don’t cover it up. Has to do with something I learned 55 years ago when I read my first Spider-Man comic book: ‘With great power comes great responsibility.’ I hope we do
it right. With a talented associate publisher at the helm, Jason Parsley, we do our damnedest every week. SFGN uses the power of the press with restraint and caution. But to our many advertisers, you do and will get bang for your buck. We are read online and in print, picked up at hundreds of locations in 4 counties each and every week. Try us. See for yourself. I hope that Tropics can emerge again, and that Johnson’s becomes a popular and lawful speakeasy. We will be glad to write again about both. They can each enhance our lives and provide you with a memory down the road. To our many readers, whether you are looking for a bottle of liquor or a lawyer, to buy a home or get a massage, patronize our advertisers – or at least the ones in Hotspots! Both of our businesses reinvest in our community, and so do you when you invest in us. You help make free LGBT publications possible, thus enabling all of us to portray our lives professionally and in print, online and on the web, illuminating who we are and what we do. And be proud. We showcase a lot more good than bad- because that is who we are.
ConviCtions
editorial Cartoon
eDitorial Cartoon By andy Marlette
MONTHLY SPA SERVICE INCLUDED
DISCOUNTED BEER & WINE MENU
ACCESS TO RESORT AMENITIES
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WMG Volume 4 • Issue 15 August 16, 2017
Wilton Manors Gazette
Community
City Set to Lose $330,000 if New Homestead Exemption Amendment Passes By Michael d’Oliveira This year’s proposed budget is $34.9 This year, Wilton Manors’ biggest budget worry seems to be something that million, a reduction over last year’s budget of $35.8 million. won’t impact this year’s finances. Resident Paul Kuta said property owners As commissioners, city officials, and members of the Budget Review Advisory should get a break on the taxes that come Committee work on the 2017/2018 budget, with higher property values. He also everyone has an eye on a proposed praised city officials for their proposed budget. “This is the tightest budgeting that homestead exemption expansion. If passed by voters in November 2018, I have seen in the 21 years that I have been reviewing Wilton Manors’ homeowners would be city budgets.” able to take an additional Mayor Gary Resnick $25,000 in taxable value off “this is the agreed with Kuta and said their homestead, resulting tightest city officials need to show in less revenue for local governments. Officials expect budgeting that they are lowering taxes. “We had a substantial increase in it to pass. That would mean i haVe seen in property values and I agree a loss of $330,000 in revenue the 21 Years with some of the comments for the city. that I’ve been getting from “It’s something we have to that i haVe that they’re start thinking about,” said Sal been reViewing residents entitled to a little bit of a tax Torre, a member of the Budget wilton manors’ break as a result of that.” Review Advisory Committee, One cost on the rise at the July 25 commission citY budgets.” for homeowners is the fire meeting. assessment fee – up from For the upcoming budget - Paul Kuta RESiDENT $210.88 per home last year year, commissioners are to $214.72. The fees, which looking to give property are assessed to residential, owners tax relief that won’t commercial, industrial, government, and result in a huge hole in the city’s finances. On July 26, commissioners voted on a nursing homes, are based on the number of preliminary operating millage rate of 5.99 calls each classification receives. If the call mils, and a debt millage rate of .5015. The volume decreases, the cost goes down. If commission needs to vote on the millage the volume increases, the cost goes up. Commissioner Tom Green said he wants rates twice before they are approved. The first vote will take place on Sept. 13. At to get rid of the assessment fee and pay for that meeting, commissioners will also the services using property tax revenue. “I have never felt this was an vote on a budget and fire assessments. Commissioners can reduce the operating appropriate tax or fee. It is a regressive type of fee because everyone is paying the same millage from 5.99 but they can’t raise it.
Wilton Manors City Commission. Courtesy of the City of Wilton Manors, Facebook.
[even if one home is worth far more than another],” said Green. “Maybe you think that’s OK. I don’t. I think it’s very unfair.” When the commission voted on fire assessment fees, the vote failed to pass because Green, Commissioner Julie Carson, and Vice Mayor Justin Flippen voted no. Resnick and Commissioner Scott Newton both gave sarcastic comments about the failure of the vote. “Congratulations, guys,” said Resnick. Commissioners will most likely approve the assessment at a future meeting. If the fire assessment fee were to be abolished, commissioners would have to raise taxes to generate additional revenue to pay for it. Resnick said the same argument Green made about the fire assessment being
unfair also applies to property taxes because newer homeowners pay more in property taxes than individuals who have owned their homes for a longer period of time. “It’s the same argument Tom is making. It absolutely doesn’t make sense.” Newton said that even though property owners wouldn’t have to pay the fire assessment fee, they still would be against an increase in property taxes. “They’re going to go crazy.” He suggested the city look at possibly getting rid of the fee next year. I certainly will not support raising the tax rate above six mills. I won’t even support keeping it at the current rate,” Resnick said. “I’m not prepared to change the way we do business tonight, but my ears are open,” said Flippen. WMG
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Opinion
Summer Break
Robert Boo and I disagree; that doesn’t mean my column is ‘fake news’
WMG AUGUST 16, 2017 • VOLUME 4 • ISSUE 15 2520 N. DIXIE HIGHWAY • WILTON MANORS, FL 33305 PHONE: 954-530-4970 FAX: 954-530-7943
By Sal Torre
PUBLISHER • NORM KENT NORM.KENT@SFGN.COM Photo courtesy The Pride Center.
CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER • PIER ANGELO GUIDUGLI ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER / EXECUTIVE EDITOR • JASON PARSLEY JASON.PARSLEY@SFGN.COM ASSOCIATE EDITOR • JILLIAN MELERO JILLIANMELERO@GMAIL.COM COPYEDITOR • KERRI COVINGTON
Editorial
ART DIRECTOR • BRENDON LIES ARTWORK@SFGN.COM DIGITAL CONTENT DIRECTOR • BRITTANY FERRENDI WEBMASTER@SFGN.COM NEWS EDITOR • MICHAEL D’OLIVEIRA
Correspondents
JOHN MCDONALD • JAMES OAKSUN
Staff Photographers
J.R. DAVIS • POMPANO BILL • STEVEN SHIRES
Sales & Marketing
This past week in Wilton Manors was the usual summer break for our City Commission, with the first commission meeting of August cancelled by vote of our Mayor and City Commissioners. While this was undoubtedly good news to city staff who also enjoyed a break from the usual build-up to a regularly scheduled commission meeting, it might be bad news for Robert Boo, CEO of the Pride Center. Without any fresh city news, I am compelled to respond to Robert’s two-page accusations of “fake news” concerning my last Gazette article. It is rather sad that Robert Boo has to stoop to the level of Donald Trump, accusing those who honestly question issues of importance as misleading “fake news.” There is nothing fake about Florida Statutes and Federal laws. Anyone who wants to know the truth can simply look them up. Keep an eye out for late-night Tweets concerning my “unfair and misleading accusations” as confirmation that Robert is unfortunately following Donald’s path of attacking those who have differencing opinions or dare to question. This formula that Robert seems to have embraced is one that Donald Trump has perfected, but was laid out years earlier by Trump’s mentor, Roy Cohn. The formula goes like this: make up ‘fake news’, deliver it with a belligerent style, then repeat it, repeat it, and repeat it until your audience starts to believe it to be true. Robert Boo can say it over and over again until he is blue in the face, but the LGBT Senior Affordable Housing project proposed for the Pride Center at Equality Park will not be as Robert stated, “that every single unit is for seniors, no one under 55 can live in the Residences.” This is simply not true, ‘55 and over’ communities do not restrict residency to only those 55 and over. That’s not ‘fake news’, that’s reality. Now if the Pride Center would embrace a ‘62 year and older’ designation, then their case for 100 percent senior housing would be laudably believable, since this is the only
designation to fully restrict residency to actual seniors, those who are 62 years or older. Nobody is questioning the Pride Center’s mission here in South Florida. We in the LGBT community take enormous pride in our community center, a 5.5 acre campus that many have struggled for and have supported over the years. Nobody is questioning the need for affordable housing for our seniors. What many in our community are questioning is whether or not we are really getting what the Pride Center is looking to sell us. The Pride Center’s partner in this project is Carrfour Supportive Housing. We have no idea what the contractual obligations are between the Pride Center and Carrfour. What we do know is that the Pride Center will not be operating the Residences at Equality Park, Carrfour will. The press releases coming out of Carrfour seem to be more realistic and truthful. According to Carrfour’s own CEO, “The apartments will be geared toward members of the LGBT community, but there is no requirement that a person must identify as an LGBT member to live there. According to the real estate trade publication Lesbian Real Estate News, “developers are also planning to address the homelessness epidemic of those with disabilities and illness, 34 apartments will be set aside to house individuals with these needs.” The last thing I want to do is get into an ongoing public quarrel with Robert Boo. I have great respect for him, for the Pride Center, and for its mission here in our community. I also support affordable housing for seniors, along with a regional response to homelessness, those struggling with substance abuse, and others in need. I am simply asking some important questions that are being discussed by many in our community. As the process moves forward, hopefully we can stop with the sugar coating, the rhetoric, and the unfair accusations. Speaking the truth, asking for clarification, and not attacking those who disagree will only make life better here. WMG
there is nothing fake about florida statutes and federal laws.
DIRECTOR OF SALES & MARKETING • MIKE TROTTIER MIKE.TROTTIER@SFGN.COM SALES MANAGER • JUSTIN WYSE JUSTIN.WYSE@SFGN.COM ADVERTISING SALES ASSOCIATE • EDWIN NEIMANN EDWIN.NEIMANN@SFGN.COM SALES ASSISTANT • TIM HIGGINS TIM.HIGGINS@SFGN.COM ACCOUNTING SERVICES BY CG BOOKKEEPING NATIONAL ADVERTISING RIVENDELL MEDIA 212-242-6863 SALES@RIVENDELLMEDIA.COM 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
MEMBER
Associated Press MEMBER
M E M B E Gay R Copyright © 2017 South Florida News.com, Inc.
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A Rocket To Nowhere?
Real Estate Geek
By James Oaksun As you likely read this, the 101st annual Florida Realtors convention is in progress up to Orlando. Three days of workshops, presentations, and a trade show, followed by two days of committee and governance meetings. Realtors getting a little party on, with some professional components. I am now four years in the real estate industry, and it never ceases to amaze me. A couple weeks ago I had a closing for a very nice single family home. Oh it is not that this closing was any different from any others. But it is abundantly clear that this industry, practically from first customer contact through to closing, operates at one technological step above a quill pen! Piles of dead trees that make this U.S. Green Building Council member’s heart sink. And the wasted time. I mean, it is 2017, people. 2017! I don’t want you to think this column is all about throwing stones. I have made a daily commitment to “living in the solution,” as it is said. I very quickly recognized that the potential for platform disruption in the real estate industry is immense. Others have seen that, too. Consider the provision of financing for the purchase of property. While we do have many cash buyers here in South Florida (fewer than during the early part of this decade, but still quite a few), most people will borrow money to purchase real estate. And as
most know, the government provides substantial incentives for this through the generally full deductibility of mortgage interest expense. Entering into this process as a major disruptor (or, perhaps more correctly, at least for now, disrupter in utero) is Quicken Loans and their nationally advertised (at great expense) Rocket Mortgage. Just scan and email, and they will do the rest, they claim, speedily and efficiently. But my experience has been that the promise does not live up to the performance. I don’t appreciate it when my clients are misled. But when I, personally, am materially misled, in writing, I doubly do not appreciate it. And given the stories I hear from mortgage broker friends, it’s not that Quicken singled me out. I’m told that last minute Quicken Loans nightmares are more common than they should be. I can definitely see where using Quicken for a refinancing might work well. But for a primary residence, especially for a first time buyer, they in my opinion don’t quite have the rocketship fueled properly. Not just yet. Now, I do not think my mortgage broker friends should breathe a sigh of relief. In my opinion Quicken Loans is actually very close to a game-changing breakthrough. They are not there yet, but they are close. You can argue about whether pursuing primary residential business as
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aggressively as they do, without having all the bugs out, is the right business strategy when dealing with something as emotional and stressful as the purchase of a home. Software companies do this all the time, shipping product that has not been fully beta tested and then issuing a v2.0. And anything that can be digitized, computerized, is, in effect, software. Quicken might become a killer app, in my opinion, in the way that Zillow, Trulia and realtor.com have been game changers for real estate brokers and agents. Shipping product that is not fully stress tested is a proven and workable strategy. But hope is not a strategy. I predict that within five years there will be many fewer real estate brokers and agents, and many fewer mortgage brokers. Happy 101st. WMG James Oaksun, Broward's Real Estate Geek(SM), is BrokerOwner of New Realty Concepts in Oakland Park. In addition to having degrees from Dartmouth and Cornell, he is a Graduate of the Realtor Institute (GRI).
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Community
Letter To Editor Dear Sal: I read with interest your article entitled “Pride Center Needs to Come Out of the Closet.” I myself was quite disappointed with the Pride Center’s decision to build senior housing on the Pride Campus. And indeed, I terminated my participation in the Founders Circle because of it. I recently was contacted by the Chairman of the Board of the Pride Center, Mark Budwig – it was basically a form letter – asking me to renew my membership at the Center. I wrote him a letter in response explaining why I ended my participation. I’m very glad you wrote your article. It’s a tendency for people to think everything the administration of the Pride Center does is in our best interest. Especially if it’s explained using a humanitarian spin. Please keep up your good work.
Sincerely, Jack Almeleh Fort Lauderdale
let your voiCe Be hearD! Submit your own letter to Jason.Parsley@sfgn.com City
City to Review Carbon Footprint By Michael d’Oliveira As part of the city’s Biannual Strategic Plan, officials will assess the city’s greenhouse gas output. Assistant City Manager Pamela Landi told commissioners at their July 25 meeting that the city also plans to do a greenhouse gas assessment of the entire city. It’s part of an ongoing initiative by the city to become more environmentally friendly. Wilton Manors has already adopted and implemented a plan to purchase more fuel-efficient vehicles, installed car charging stations at Mickel Park and City Hall, give away trees to residents to increase the tree canopy, and encourage commercial recycling. The city also plans to minimize or eliminate the use of paper and is looking at the possibility of providing rebates to residents who purchase energy efficient appliances. The city’s economic development plan is also part of the Strategic Plan. City officials want to work with the Greater Fort Lauderdale Alliance to
x
bring new businesses here. Mayor Gary Resnick said the city should focus on economic development in the Arts & Entertainment District because Fortune 500 companies probably won’t move here. To help support any businesses that do move to the Arts & Entertainment District, the city is developing a parking master plan. The estimate is that the plan will be completed, approved, and initiated in 2018. For over a decade, the biggest complaint by business owners in the Arts & Entertainment District has been a lack of parking along Wilton Drive. Commissioners have taken various steps to address the problem, including providing new parking lots, but the problem persists. The latest strategy is free shuttles that operate on Wilton Drive during the weekends. It’s funded by the city but officials are exploring grant possibilities as a way to help pay for the service. WMG
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Business
ALL-INCLUSIVE... AS NEWS
SHOULD BE
Marijuana Clinics in Oakland Park
AS DIVERSE AS EVER
By Michael d’Oliveira
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
At least three doctor’s offices in Oakland Park offer prescriptions to individuals seeking medical marijuana. That’s in addition to the one office, Green Health, 1749 NE 26 St, Suite E, in Wilton Manors. In Oakland Park, there’s All Natural Medical Solutions, GE Health Medical, and Peace Medical. Cathy Paget, founder of GE Health Medical, 87 NE 44 St., Suite 2, said she was inspired to open her doors by her father’s losing fight with cancer. Padget said her father was on chemotherapy but could no longer take the side effects, such as nausea, fatigue, and skin discoloration, caused by treatment. “My father died of lung cancer 22 years ago. He said, ‘I can’t take this chemo anymore.’ Two weeks later, he was in the hospital. If we had medical marijuana, maybe he could have held on a little longer. He would tell me about the nausea, the pain, the humiliation. It changes your life. At the end, he was small, shriveled and gray.” She also views medical marijuana as a way to help solve the current opioid crisis facing the country. “There are so many people suffering . . . of all ages. If I can just change one life, than that’s wort a million dollars to me. It’s not about the money, it’s about the people,” said Padget, who estimated that about 180 patients have come through since she opened in April. “I found a great physician and we’re working together to help people.” In addition to helping with cancer and opioid abuse, medical marijuana can be
helpful with HIV/AIDS-related issues, diabetes, PTSD, arthritis, back muscle spasms, seizures, epilepsy, glaucoma, Parkinson’s, and more. “We’re accepting patients now. A lot of our patients come to us for a variety of reasons. We’re more than happy to see them,” said Brian Holzermer, medical assistant at Peace Medical, 5333 N Dixie Hwy. Suite 204. He estimated that at least 50 patients have been given medical marijuana prescriptions by Dr. James Milne, an osteopathic doctor. Milne was open before he started prescribing marijuana but added the service earlier this year. But although these offices can only offer prescriptions and can’t dispense medical marijuana, and the nearest dispensary is in Miami, Holzermer said patients can get their medication delivered without even traveling. “Everything is done electronically,” Holzermer said. All that’s required is for the patient to be present during delivery with an official form of state ID to prove they are the one who was prescribed the medication. He compared it to the arrival time windows used by cable companies. Medical marijuana can be prescribed in pill form, through an eyedropper administered under the tongue, and through vapor. There are also non-THC products available on the market. All Natural Medical Solutions is located at 1131 East Commercial Blvd. The Gazette was unable to reach the office for comment. WMG
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Community
Business
Check out what’s happening
Around Town By Michael d’Oliveira
Pride Center Gets Ready For Wicked Manors Annual Halloween event to go on as planned By Michael d’Oliveira
City Seeks Planning Consultant Wilton Manors officials are looking for a general planning consultant. The scope of the work the firm or person hired will undertake includes data collection and analysis, comprehensive planning, land development code amendments, code of ordinances code amendments, master planning, landscape architecture, surveying and mapping, urban design, transportation planning, public meeting facilitation, review of development applications, and other urban planning issues related to each specific project. The deadline for bid submissions is today. City staff estimate their choice for bidder will be presented to the city commission for its approval on Sept. 12 or later. WMG
Wicked Manors 2016. Photo credit: J.R. Davis.
Back To School Supplies Needed Kids In Distress, an organization in Wilton Manors which helps abused and neglected children, is holding its Back-To-School Drive. The organization is requesting donations to purchase school supplies and clothing for the upcoming school year. A backpack filled with supplies is $45, a gift card for a hair salon or barber shop is $20, new sneakers are $50, and a new outfit or school uniform is $40. WMG
Food Truck at Metropolitan The Tacosaurus food truck will be at The Metropolitan, 1220 NE 24 St., Wilton Manors, on Thursday, Aug. 17 from 5:30 to 8 p.m. The public is invited to attend. For more information about The Metropolitan’s public events, visit Facebook.com/ WiltonMetro. WMG
K9 Bowling Fundraiser A bowling fundraiser for S.H.A.R.E., Shepherd Help and Rescue Effort, will be held on Saturday, September 23 from 1:30 to 5 p.m. at Manor Lanes, 1517 NE 26 St., in Wilton Manors. The cost is $22 per player. Food, drink, and raffle tickets will be available for purchase. S.H.A.R.E. is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization which rescues, rehabilitates and finds homes for German Shepherds in Broward, MiamiDade and Palm Beach counties. To buy tickets, visit shepherdhelp.org. WMG
New Senior Citizen Resource Guide The city’s Senior Citizen Resource Guide is now available. Created by the Community Affairs Advisory Board, the free brochure includes information about resources that are available to seniors at the state, county, and local level. Included are exercise classes, transportation services, meal delivery, and non-profit assistance services. Hard copies of the guide are available at city hall or at wiltonmanors.com/ documentcenter/view/3109. WMG
For the fifth year in a row, The Pride Center has been chosen by Wilton Manors to produce Wicked Manors. Wicked Manors, one of the city’s biggest events, is held every Halloween along a closed-down Wilton Drive and attracts thousands of people in and out of costume. This year, the event will be from 7 to 11 p.m. “We’re expecting over 20,000 people,” said Robert Boo, Pride Center CEO. “We have a history of successfully putting this event on and it’s a great way for us to raise awareness about The Pride Center and our programs.” Boo said the event, which also raises money for The Pride Center, attracts gay and straight attendees and that the costumes are what brings people out. The event has a history of elaborate and flamboyant get-ups. “That’s really the big draw for everyone – parading up and down Wilton Drive. There’s lots of eye candy and characters to watch,” said Boo. This year’s theme is “Heroicons,” which was unveiled during Stonewall in June. “You can go as [comic book] heroes and icons,” said Boo. Along with the costumes and costume contests, Boo said the basics of the event will be the same, but his organization is working on
some new features, such as new stage entertainment. As part of its contribution to help facilitate the event, the city will pay $9,000 to FDOT to close Wilton Drive, waive event and temporary building permit fees, which would have cost $3,000, and give The Pride Center 50 percent of net parking revenues – $2,800. Promoting the city as a tourist destination is one of the objectives of city officials. But even with the city’s help, The Pride Center still has to shell out a big chunk of change for security. Because 49 individuals were murdered in Orlando at Pulse in June of 2016, the organizers of Wicked Manors, Stonewall, Pride Fort Lauderdale On the Beach, and other LGBT events, have had to spend a lot more money for security. “Security’s still going to be one of our utmost priorities. We’re working with the WMPD,” Boo said. He estimates the cost will be about $30,000, the same as last year. “Unfortunately, that’s the world we now live in. It’s just unavoidable, even though nothing has ever come up with Wicked Manors. There’s no credible threat. But better safe than sorry.” WMG
For more information on Wicked Manors, visit WickedManors.org.
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iN MEMORiAM
‘Queen mother’ of djs
dead at 64
DJ Wendy Hunt’s skill in crowd reading mirrored her struggle for mental stability Michael d’Oliveira
D
J Wendy Hunt knew how to work a crowd. “She could bring them back down and bring them back up. She knew how to read a crowd. Her passion was to play for her audience. She wasn’t playing for her own edification,” said Kativa Heidi Hunt, Wendy’s sister. Unfortunately, said Kativa, Wendy’s mental state was similar to her deejaying. On Aug. 7, she took her own life at the age of 64, two weeks shy of her birthday. “Wendy was an exceptional DJ whose keen ear and skillful hands brought forth music that packed dance floors and delighted flaggers from Boston to Fire Island to Florida and across the U.S.…Behind the public eye, Wendy often walked a delicate balance between living and dying. In recovery from cocaine and alcohol addictions, wrestling with the rigors of bi-polar disorder and posttraumatic stress, Wendy did what was within her power to wake up each morning and see the day through. After decades of struggle and suffering – some shared publicly, though most she endured privately – Wendy took her own life,” wrote Kativa in an email to SFGN. Music, said Kativa, was the passion that helped keep Wendy going, and her favorite crowd to play to was bears. “She loved bears and they loved her . . . just loved them. For her, spinning in gay bars was always natural.” But while it came naturally to Wendy, who’s known as “Queen Mother of DJs,” she still had to forge her way into it. “Mrs. Wendy Hunt, one of the first of three groundbreaking female DJs who made a mark in the 70s and opened up the doors to the rest of us. Her contribution and dedication to her art will never go unnoticed. A lovely lady and beautiful soul, may she rest in peace,” wrote DJ Susan Morabito on Facebook. On Pride Fort Lauderdale’s website, Wendy, who performed at the organization’s event in February, talked about how she became a DJ. “I was bit by the bug while dancing to the jukebox at the 1270 in Boston (the twelve, to the frequenters),” said Hunt. “Little did I know that moment would pave the road to a lifetime career.”
It was that career, and Wendy’s life, that many expressed gratitude for on Facebook. “I just listened to her podcast and sent a DM to tell her what a special journey it was, flawlessly mixed and evocative of so many fond memories going back to the 1270 where my own journey began. In hindsight of what happened a day after releasing that, I think she wanted to leave behind a piece of her heart and soul. It’s a truly special tribute to Wendy and her talent, which lives on eternally through the music. She touched and was loved by so many. My eyes are full of tears, my heart is filled with love . . . the memories and music keep her dancing in Eternity with us,” wrote Owen Frager. “Not only did she make us dance, but that woman could make us laugh uncontrollably. We’re going to hold on to her humor – and her love,” wrote Mark Thompson and Robert Doyle. “Heartbroken. May the heavens be full of turntables and vinyl for you to spin. Will always remember our special time together when we were still kids. Wishing on a Star tonight, Wendy,” wrote Candace Nagle. Kativa said she was amazed at the sheer number of comments of love and support. “She touched so many lives. I’m just blown away.” Wendy’s family has no plans to hold public memorial services, but is asking for financial help in paying for cremation and other funeral services.
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Publisher's Editorial
Convictions
There is Only One Right Side, and
Norm Kent
Donald Trump is Not On It
norm.kent@sfgn.com
I
am sorry, but this is just not a week for petty things. On this day, Donald Trump has to be the focus of this editorial. You see, we have racists living and working in the White House. They are embraced and empowered, and given positions of prominence and prestige. We put them there. America elected them. Now the president is re-tweeting them. As a matter of fact, less than 24 hours after not re-tweeting his daughter’s own post about the dangers of neo Nazis, Donald Trump did re-tweet the post of a neo Nazi. It is too significant not to lead with. What Trump did was post a tweet by one Jack Posobiec, a conspiracy theorist who has a reputation for lunacy and mindlessness. One might think a person like this is not even on the president’s Twitter list, but one would be wrong. This is a petulant, poisonous president, whose racist roots emerge in his statements daily. Last week, when paying homage to a woman murdered by a Nazi loving domestic terrorist, first the president spoke about how good the economy was, and how low our unemployment rate is, intimating his 180 days in office is solely responsible for that. I am sure that gave comfort to Heather Heyers’ family. But when it came to violence in Charlottesville, that comes from “many sides” and Barack Obama is partly to blame. But don’t blame Trump. He is responsible for nothing. It’s always someone else, whether Meryl Streep or Mexican judges. This is a draft dodger who has demeaned a United States Senator that was a prisoner of war. This is a man who disgraces himself and our country every day. The President of the United States had a chance to condemn and censure the neo Nazis, white supremacists, and Ku Klux Klan resurgents who rallied in the dark of night last Friday with KKK torches in Charlottesville,
Virginia. He did not do so. He said there were ‘many sides’ to this issue. No, there are not. In matters of morality, there is a right side and a wrong side, and the president, frighteningly, has aligned himself with the wrong side. Wait, aligned is too polite. He embodies and IS that side. It’s a side that needs to be skewered and scored. Pete Seeger once sung a song about the organizing of union workers, entitled, ‘Which side are you on, boys’ which side are you on?’ The irony of this should not be lost upon any of us. We know and have known which side Mr. Trump is on. It is not ours. An urbane sophisticated businessman from New York has become president of the United States and he can’t even go back to his own 5th Avenue offices in Manhattan without thousands of protesters calling him out as a fascist. He has become not the champion of Wall Street but a charlatan coddling up to the same kind of dictator he wants to be. He has more of a home in the embrace of David Duke than the metropolitan hotels he has built. You don’t even have to be part of the LGBT movement to be offended. A half dozen Republican United States senators censured and criticized Trump for his purposeful omissions of condemnation, even Orrin Hatch of Utah. But know this, Mr. Trump knew what he was doing. He meant what he said, and he said what he meant. He wanted to quietly let the racist right know he still has their back, this ugly man who gave birth to and embodied the birther movement targeting Barack Obama. Sick. Sad. Donald Trump is turning the presidency into a daily dose of despotism. He wants to compare himself to Lincoln, wants to be on Mount Rushmore, and would like a throne. I wish more of his followers could have seen the golden toilets he built at Mar-A-Lago. They would understand better how he would
He said there were ‘many sides’ to this issue.
No, there are not.
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flush them down the toilet in a heartbeat too. No one matters to him but him. It doesn’t matter if the governor of Guam is handing out cards to 160,000 American citizens on what to do in the event of a nuclear attack. Trump is too busy filling out his golf card in New Jersey. As residents worry for their very lives, he credits himself for promoting more ‘tourism’ for their Pacific island. And we can all call the show ‘Survivor.’ Is there anything more pathetic than that arguably the most powerful man in the world is tweeting everyday how unfair everyone is to him? Oh yeah, there is, and it is that he is one of the most powerful people in the world, whining, weeping wimp though he may be. The only thing you should expect going forward is more of the same. He is unstable and imbalanced, and the future will bring perils and pitfalls the likes of which this country has never seen before. Believe me. The only thing you can be sure of is that none of it will be Trump’s fault, but Hillary Clinton will somehow be partially responsible, along with some kid selling hot dogs on Dixie Highway. The man who wants to be treated like a monarch will continue to demean himself
and disgrace our country daily and blame you, transgender people in the military, and African Americans living in Chicago. This is not fake news, it is very real, and it is happening to all of us, with a fire and fury the likes of which this world has never seen. If you are not outraged, you should be. Watch—in the next day Trump will tweet how wrong it was last night for counter protesters to break the law and tear down and damage a 100 year old Confederate statue. He will say ‘look at how violent they all were.’ The neo Nazis that kicked and beat an African American to a pulp in a parking garage last Saturday you did not hear about. That won’t get a re-tweet. After all, he got what he deserved. Go watch some of the YouTube videos of last weekend racist rallies in Charlottesville. There are white supremacists with Nazi and Confederate flags chanting ‘Jews Get Out’ and ‘Faggots Go Home.’ These were from white males who call Donald Trump their friend; whose tweets the president gives life to. This is the enemy you are up against, and it is just a matter of time till they all turn their guns on the leaders of the LGBT community. They don’t need ISIS to help them. They have a president on their side. Whose side are you on?
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8.16.2017 •
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liFESTylE photos
MONA’S 20 ANNIVERSARY TH
On July 30, Mona’s Cocktail Lounge celebrated 20 years of success as a local hot spot for the LGBT community. J.R. Davis
x
TO SEE MANY MORE PHOTOS, VISIT SFGN.COM ON FACEBOOK.
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FEATURE pets
Searching The World For You Little Man (ID 580410) isn’t that little, but he hopes that doesn’t deter you from welcoming him into your home. This handsome three year old 59 pound border collie mix is sweet and will do best with an active family. He came to the Humane Society of Broward County from another shelter so he is hoping his luck will change here. Can Little Man be the new fellow in your life?
Little Man
When you adopt from the Humane Society of Broward County all pets are spayed or neutered before going home. In addition, they receive preliminary vaccinations, heartworm tests for dogs over seven months, feline leukemia tests for cats, a limited 10-day health care plan courtesy of VCA Animal Hospital, a bag of Purina ONE food and more. The adoption fee for dogs over six months is $100 and felines over six months are $30. For more information call the shelter today at 954-989-3977 ext. 6. The Humane Society of Broward County is located at 2070 Griffin Road, just a block west of I-95 and opens daily at 10:30 a.m. To see who else needs a home visit www.humanebroward.com
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liFESTylE photos
BOWLING TO FIGHT HUNGER On Saturday, August 12, the 27th annual Poverello Bowling To Fight Hunger raised over $100,000 for the many charity services that Poverello offers the local community. J.R. Davis
To see many more photos, visit South Florida Gay News on Facebook.
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First they came for the Mexicans, and I didn’t speak up
because i wasn’t mexican.
Then they came for the immigrants, and I didn’t speak up
because i wasn’t an immigrant.
Then they came for Muslims, and I didn’t speak up
because i wasn’t muslim.
Then they came for transgender people, but I didn’t speak up
because i wasn’t transgender.
when will
you speak up?
8.16.2017 •
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liFESTylE food Elotes and Tacos.
Photos courtesy Rick Karlin.
Elote.
Rick Karlin
t iS For taCo
TATTS AND TACOS 3200 ne 12th ave. oakland park 954-533-0907 tattsandtacos.com
The former Kelvin 3200 in Oakland Park had flashes of greatness but ultimately, was too inconsistent to make it. Tatts and Tacos in the same space, while far from perfect, is much better, and after a mere month has already become a popular spot with the hipster crowd. That’s no doubt due as much to the atmosphere as it is to the food and the drink. The patio has the look of a typical trailer park yard (complete with a trailer!), a lounge-y area, thumping music from a DJ (at least on weekends) and a menu of micro-brewery beers and craft cocktails to add to the appeal. The fare is a blend of MexicanAmerican fare and traditional Mexican street food, such as elotes; corn grilled on the cob, slathered with aioli and sprinkled
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with cotija cheese and a bit of cayenne (available off the cob if you’re fancy). Listed as a starter for $5 either way, it also comes with burrito bowls and taco platters. The tacos platters, burrito bowls (served with rice and beans) and salads (served in a crunchy tortilla shell) are available with classic fillings such as grilled chicken, ground beef, carne asada, fish or shrimp (pan-fried or deep fried) and some not as familiar; alambre (steak, bacon, jalapenos and cheese) and cochinita pilli (pulled pork with tangy pickled red onions). Vegetarians will be pleased with three options; grilled portobello, nopales (grilled cactus) and crunchy falafel-like balls of fried quinoa. Quesadillas, chimichangas, nachos, burritos and tostadas round out the regular menu.
Desserts include cinnamondusted churros, served with ice cream and drizzles of caramel and chocolate sauce and a cornbread pudding. Among the craft cocktails, the Jerry Apple cooler, a blend of Sailor Jerry rum, apple juice, ginger ale and a splash of lime is unique, the others, offer new takes on classics. Sunday brunch is served from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. and includes Mexican classics such as huevos rancheros, cheese enchiladas topped with two fried eggs, tamales, steak and egg torta and breakfast tacos as well as pancakes, French toast and fruit salad. Be sure to order a side of the candied bacon, drizzled with honey, almonds, brown sugar and nuts. Service is friendly, but can be overwhelmed; we had to ask three times for a soda and we were charged for a side of the elotes, when we were informed it came with our dish. There are problems in the kitchen, as well. Dishes are presented inconsistently and one of our party didn’t get his entrée until a good 10 minutes after everyone else at the table had been served. Management came over to apologize and comped the dish (as well as dessert) but it still made my friend unwilling to go back.
while tatts and tacos offers a hipster vibe, you have other options if you’re looking for something a little more laid back.
MARIA’S CANTINA 2400 wilton dr. wilton manors 954-314-7703 The tiny storefront has a dedicated following among the SFGN staff.
JALISCO 700 n federal hwy. fort lauderdale 954-462-9695 A bit divey, but authentic Mexican fare can be found at this place.
TEQUILA SUNRISE MEXICAN GRILL 4711 n dixie hwy. oakland park 954-938-4473 tequilasunrise.us Fun and friendly, with nightly specials, including fishbowlsized Margaritas.
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F O R
T H E
SFGNITES
W E E K
O F
A u g u st
J.W. Arnold
-
A u g u st
2 2 ,
2 0 1 7
W W W . S F G N . C O M
Go Wild at Island x City Stage
jw@prdconline.com
THU
1 7
8/17
film The OutShine LGBT Film Festival presents a special “954GLOW” screening of “Beach Rats” tonight at 7 p.m. at the Classic Gateway Theatre, 1820 E. Sunrise Blvd. in Fort Lauderdale. A Brooklyn teen finds himself caught up with a group of young delinquents while exploring his sexuality by cruising older men. His decisions send him hurtling toward irreparable consequences. Tickets are $10 at OutShineFilm.com.
FRI
8/18
film The World AIDS Museum and Educational Center, 1201 NE 26th St. #111 in Wilton Manors, will present a special screening of “Making the Boys,” tonight at 7 p.m. The documentary offers a look at the making of “The Boys in the Band,” the groundbreaking 1968 play and subsequent film that shattered gay stereotypes. Free, but $5 donation requested. Reception to follow. More information at WorldAIDSMuseum.org.
Friday
8/18
theater
What do you get when you throw together eight playwrights, six actors, and four directors? The answer is Shorts Gone Wild 5, the LGBTQ-themed short play festival from Island City Stage and Miami’s City Theatre. Every night is different as the audience selects the order of the funny 10-minute plays. Through Sept. 10 at Abyss Theatre, 2304 N. Dixie Highway in Wilton Manors. Tickets $35 at IslandCityStage.org. Photo Credit: Tracy Mendy, Shorts Gone Wild 3, 2015.
SAT
8/19 SUN
8/20 MON
8/21 TUE
8/22
television
cabaret
theater
concert
The search for the next singing superstar is coming to South Florida. Start practicing today because Fox’s “American Idol” is holding auditions today at Miami Marine Flex Park, 3501 Rickenbacker Causeway on Key Biscayne. Register online first, but hopeful singers are expected to line up beginning at 6 a.m. to audition for producers. That’s right, Simon Cowell will not be there. More information at AmericanIdol.com.
Take a trip back in time with Frank Sinatra and Liza Minelli tonight at 7 p.m. at the Boca Black Box, 8221 Glades Road #10 in Boca Raton. Dave Halston will perform the signature songs of Sinatra while Suzanne Goulet will sing all of Liza’s favorites in this fast-paced tribute performance. Halston reportedly even brought Barbra Streisand to tears with his authentic portrayal. Tickets start at $30 at BocaBlackBox.com.
Carbonell Award-winner Angie Radosh recounts her life in theater in the new one woman show, “Love is….” tonight at 7:30 p.m. at GableStage in the Biltmore, 1200 Anastasia Ave. in Coral Gables. Accompanied by Caryl Fantel, Radosh explores the relationships that shaped her career and empowered her as a woman. Free, donations accepted to benefit the Women’s Fund of Miami-Dade. Info at GableStage.org.
Mary J. Blige brings her “Strength of a Woman” tour to the Fillmore Miami Beach, 1700 Washington Ave. tonight at 8 p.m. With eight multiplatinum albums, nine Grammys and five American Music Awards, Mary J. Blige is a global superstar and a defining voice on the contemporary music scene. She’ll be singing all of her biggest hits in the Jackie Gleason Auditorium. Tickets start at $95 at FillmoreMB.com.
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Don’t miss a
tastE
A&E news Photo courtesy Gay8 Festival.
Feeling the hunger? Read SFGN’s weekly food column for an exclusive bite on local bars, restaurants, and seasonal flavors.
sFGn.com/FooD
gay8 FeStival reSCheDuleD aFter talkS with City J.W. Arnold
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rganizers of the two-year-old Gay8 LGBTQ street festival in Miami are declaring victory after meeting with city of Miami officials late last week. Co-founders Damian Pardo and Joe Cardona abruptly canceled the 2018 festival in protest after learning the planned date on Sunday, Jan. 13 during the long Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday weekend had been given to Univision for the traditional Three Kings’ Day Parade on Little Havana’s Calle Ocho. They also called for a boycott of future LGBTQ events in the city. The organizers had assumed, because their event had been held on that weekend for the past two years, that their preferred date was understood by city officials, but the local Univision affiliate filed a request for that date first and was granted a permit. “When we found out and created a stink, they said ‘first-come, first-served’. We followed every single rule known to us… never was it imaginable to us that we could lose our date,” said Pardo in a telephone interview. Pardo insisted the city’s permitting rules were misleading and organizers should have been notified of Univision’s competing application. “Once we heard there was a problem, we sent several urgent appeals and copied the mayor and the city manager. We heard nothing. During that time, we were losing
grants and community support,” he added. “We built a coalition. We were not about to lose this festival,” which drew more than 30,000 people last year. The organizers’ protests to the news media and on social media did eventually draw the attention of city officials, who met with Pardo and Cardona last week to identify a new date for the festival, Sunday, Feb. 18, during the President’s Day holiday weekend. Ironically, that particular weekend had been Pardo and Cardona’s original choice for the festival three years ago, but was not made available by the city due to conflicts with the Coconut Grove Art Festival and the Miami International Boat Show. “They gave us our original date and we took it because it’s a win-win-win all around,” said Pardo. Gay8 organizers also insisted the city release a statement acknowledging the issues with the permitting process and include organizers in efforts to improve the system. At the meeting, Pardo said the city also reiterated its support for the local LGBTQ community. “We didn’t want to belabor the error or the injustice. We wanted to highlight the problem,” he said. “We didn’t want to see another group go through what we did. Had we remained silent, there would be no festival in 2018.”
More information and a new promotional video for the event can be found at gay8Festival.com.
A&E theater
FALL CLASSES BEGIN SEPTEMBER 5
The cast of “Muscle Bears the Musical” rehearses at a local studio. Photo courtesy Empire Stage.
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‘MuSCle BearS the MuSiCal’ getS worlD PreMiere at eMPire Stage J.W. Arnold
M
ichael Bush knows a hit when he sees one. The former associate artistic director of the Manhattan Theater Club predicts “Muscle Bears the Musical,” receiving its world premiere production at Empire Stage this month, will be a hit. Bush might be a little biased—his husband, playwright Michael Aman, wrote the book and friend Michael Doers composed the score. And Bush is directing the first full-fledged production at the tiny Fort Lauderdale theater that caters to South Florida’s sizeable LGBTQ theater audience. The show was inspired during a bear night at Hunter’s nightclub in Wilton Manors. “Michael turned to me and said he could totally envision it,” recalled Bush, who connected Aman with composer Doers. Within a year, the first draft was completed. Island City Stage, which had produced two of Aman’s plays, “Poz” and “Feeding the Bear,” then hosted a staged reading last year that quickly sold out. “The title alone had its attraction,” explained Bush, “and David Gordon at Empire Stage agreed to co-produce the production based on the title alone.” Advance ticket sales are already strong, Bush noted. “It is a musical that was inspired by and created for Fort Lauderdale.” While the initial appeal might be primarily with the local bear community, many of the themes of the musical are universal, touching on love and acceptance.
A young cub (Ian Thomson) who is unsuccessful at finding a partner picks up a razor to shave his chest when his Furry God Daddy (stand up comedian Peter Bisuito) suddenly appears and orders him to “stop the madness.” The older bear then takes the cub on a guided tour of the “stimulating and sensuous world of muscle and fur” where he must embrace his identity and destiny. Along the way, he encounters three suitors, including a single father, and the show concludes with a moving anthem, “Let’s Call it a Family.” Several gay men’s choruses across the country have already expressed interest in performing the song. There’s also a twist: At the end of the first act, the audience must make a match for the young cub. Aman and Doer wrote three different duets for the show to accommodate each possible result. “It’s a bitch for me. The duets are the three best songs in the show and I really want the audience to hear all of them,” Bush said. In addition to Thomson and Bisuito, the cast includes Mike Dinwiddie, Will Kennedy, Harry Redlich and Ed Sparan. The creative team includes Peter Lovello, costumes; Christine Kellogg, choreography; and April Sirocco, set design. “The show definitely has a life outside of Fort Lauderdale. I could see it on cruise ships and every bear festival around the world,” said Bush, “but the moment at hand is to entertain audiences in South Florida and that’s what we’re out to do.”
“Muscle Bears the Musical” will be performed Aug. 24 – Sept. 24 at Empire Stage, 1140 N. Flagler Drive in Fort lauderdale. Tickets are $35 at EmpireStage.com.
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BE A PART OF THE PICTURE!
So many diverse and dedicated men make-up the Gay Men’s Chorus of South Florida. Why not join them?
GMCSF AUDITIONS
AUGUST 26, 2017 @ 10 AM Sunshine Cathedral 1480 SW 9th Ave. Ft. Lauderdale, FL 33315 Visit www.gmcsf.org to register
8.16.2017 •
45
COMMUNiTy announcement
Chamber Chat
x
the SMart riDe
Glen Weinzimer, Smart Ride Founder Member of the GLBX Council
W
hy is AIDS still relevant 36 years after the first case was discovered in 1981? Why do we still need to care? Are people really still getting infected? Why is SMART Ride still relevant 14 years since its inception and over 20 years since the first AIDS bicycle ride took place in California?
There’s a pretty simple answer … 36 years from the CDC announcing the mysterious Gay Cancer, people are still getting infected at an alarming rate. Not me you say? Not my friends you think? It’s manageable you believe? I can take Prep and not worry? Wow our head just exploded!
here are some interesting facts to share: 1 – Florida ranks No. 1 in the nation for new cases of Hiv 2 – Broward and Dade Counties are the epicenter of new infections 3 – The group once again getting infected at an alarming rate are MSM ages 16-21 … our youth and our future. 4 – Taking Prep is great, but Prep doesn’t prevent other communicable and incurable diseases including (although not a disease pregnancy … maybe wrong audience, but we all do have sisters and brothers and cousins and nieces and nephews and aunts and uncles, so pregnancy is real) 5 – NO ONE knows the long-term effects of taking prep for more than a decade. Remember, smoking used to be considered good for you. (Check out old ads on billboards, magazines, and Tv.) 6 – People still die from AiDS, not just here in South Florida or around the country, but around the world. We can’t afford to lose the next generation of leaders, potential leaders, doctors, nurses, physicians, mathematicians, psychologists, and astrophysists. (OK maybe i’ve stretched the level there a little.) AIDS is still relevant and SMART Ride is needed just as much today as it was 36 years ago. So grab a friend, dust off your bike, or borrow a bike and let’s get this show on the road. Literally on the road. Go to TheSmartRide.org to register, to ride, to crew, or to donate. Note that the opinions expressed above are those of the author, and not necessarily reflective of the glBX or the greater Fort lauderdale Chamber of Commerce. To obtain more information about the glBX, you can follow the glBX on Facebook www.facebook.com/glbxfortlauderdale/ or you can contact the glBX Council Chair, Andy Perrott at andy@lightshiptv.com to learn how to become a member.
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◀ Ne On Ra w Issue cks No w! 8.16.2017 •
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Datebook
Theater Christiana Lilly
Calendar@SFGN.com
top
broward county * Chris MacDonald’s Memories of Elvis
picks
Counting Crows and Matchbox Twenty
Aug. 16 at 6:45 p.m. at the Perfect Vodka Amphitheatre, 601-7 Sansburys Way in West Palm Beach. Both pop rocker bands will have you reminiscing for the ‘90s and early 2000s. Tickets $25 and up. Call 561-795-8883 or visit WestPalmBeachAmphitheatre.com.
Outdoor Music Series
Third Thursdays at the Perez Art Museum Miami, 101 W. Flagler St. in Miami. Come out for live music from DJs and musicians by the bay. Drink specials available. Free with museum admission. Call 305-375-3000 or visit PAMM.org.
LAST CHANCE: Big Bright Star
auguSt 16 - auguSt 23
Through Aug. 20 at Andrews Living Arts, 23 NE Fifth St. in Fort Lauderdale. Eager to become a Broadway star, Chris Harder moves to New York City but finds himself in the gay porn industry. Tickets $35 to $45. Visit RonnieLarsen.com.
Aug. 19 at Parker Playhouse, 707 NE Eighth St. in Fort Lauderdale. Back to celebrate the musical career of The King, MacDonald’s flashy show travels through decades of music and costumes. Call $33.39 to $54.59. Call 954-462-0222 or visit ParkerPlayhouse. com.
50 Shades of Felt
Through Aug. 20 at Empire Stage, 1140 N. Flagler Drive in Fort Lauderdale. A puppet parody of the erotic novels. Tickets $35. Call 954-826-8790 or visit RonnieLarsen.com.
* Muscle Bears: The Musical
Aug. 24 to Sept. 24 at Empire Stage, 1140 N. Flagler Drive in Fort Lauderdale. A young cub is about to shave his chest when his Furry God Daddy comes to him and shows him the life of a bear. Tickets $35. Call 954-678-1496 or visit EmpireStage.com
Friday Night Sound Waves Music Series
Fridays from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. at The Hub, Las Olas Boulevard and A1A in Fort Lauderdale. Enjoy live, outdoor music spanning genres and tributes every Friday evening through November. Free. Visit FridayNightSoundWaves.com
Muscle Bears: The Musical.
Photo courtesy Empire Stage.
palm beach county * Jason Aldean, Chris Young and Kane Brown
Aug. 19 at 7:30 p.m. at the Perfect Vodka Amphitheatre, 601-7 Sansburys Way in West Palm Beach. A night of great country music. Tickets $54 and up. Call 561-795-8883 or visit WestPalmBeachAmphitheatre.com.
miami-dade county 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.
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.
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Classic style... high tech platform. No room for a newspaper in your back pocket? Keep SFGN’s weekly paper on your phone. “South Florida Gay News”
8.16.2017 •
49
PORN pulse
new gay aPP ProMiSeS real tiMe Meet uPS Hunter Houston
Datebook
Community Christiana Lilly Calendar@SFGN.com
H
aving trouble hooking up on Grindr? Scruff ? Yea so are we! Introducing Hookd. This new app aims to cut through the bullshit and get straight to the punch. Rather than focusing on profiles, Hookd focuses on real time requests. Users post messages, similar to Craigslist, for what they’re looking for at that moment. “If another user’s interests align, they reply with a private message. This approach saves time as users do not have to be online for hours scouring profiles, it also increases transparency and means dating interests are more likely to align,” explains a company press release. “Whether you just want a gym buddy, cinema partner, looking for a serious date or not so serious one, connecting on a request rather than a profile basis is more up to date and thus more efficient. It also saves users the frustration of wasting time contacting irrelevant or inactive users: real time posts last for two weeks and display exactly when the post was initially made.”
top picks WAM Film Night: “Making the Boys” We’ll see how many people request a movie date. It remains to be seen how yet another hook up app can compete with the big boys like Grindr. Other apps have tried, and failed, especially the ones based on a gimmick. Here’s what a quick scroll through the feed found: “long term,” “just seeing what’s up,” “fun,” and “a great time.” Let’s hope the boys learn to get more creative with their posts. It looks like they’re stuck with a Grindr way of thinking, rather than a Craigslist mentality. Hookd has an app for iPhone and Android phones.
Please email tips (or more, if you desire) to PornPulseSFgN@gmail.com
Aug. 18 at 7 p.m. at the World AIDS Museum, 1201 NE 26th St. #111 in Wilton Manors. A documentary looking at the behind-the-scenes of making the play “The Boys in the Band.” Admission $5 donation. Call 954-390-0550 or visit WorldAIDSMuseum.com.
Kitsch and Kulture
Saturday 7PM-8PM on 850AM WFTL Streaming live on www.850WFTL.com, or by downloading the 850 WFTL mobile app
ing to in activate our form, empower, and diverse com munity” Facebook.com/getoutsouthflorida
Instagram: @getoutsflradio • Twitter: @GetOutSF For more information e-mail: TomH@GetOutSouthFlorida.com
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Mondays from 7 to 8:30 p.m. at SunServe Campus, 1480 SW Ninth Ave. in Fort Lauderdale. A group for LGBT youth 13 to 21 to discuss gender, gender expression, binary systems, friendship, family and whatever else comes up! Free. Visit SunServeYouth.com
PFLAG
Tuesdays in Fort Lauderdale, Coral Springs and Southwest Ranches. A support group for parents of LGBT youth 13 to 21. Free. Visit SunServeYouth.com for dates and locations.
SUNSERVE YOUTH GROUP
Tuesdays and Thursdays in Fort Lauderdale, Southwest Ranches, Coral Springs and Hollywood. A support group and night of fun for LGBT youth 13 to 21. Free. Visit SunServeYouth.com for dates and times.
TransSocial Saturdays
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.
Saturdays from noon to 3 p.m. at Pridelines, 6360 NE Fourth Court in Miami. Come hang out with others for a movie, snacks, and discussion every Saturday. Visit TransSocial.org.
SURVIVOR SUPPORT
broward county LGBTQ Appreciation Reception
*India’s Independence Day
* GLLN Happy Hour
* Fiddler on the Roof: The Singalong
Aug. 16 from 6 to 9 p.m. at Storks, 2505 NE 15th Ave. in Wilton Manors. Celebrate 20 years of Storks Bakery with a fine art raffle, 50/50 drawing and more. Tickets available at Storks and benefits The Pride Center. RSVP to storks20thevents@mail.com.
Hosted by T o • Congressmm Hantzarides with an Mark Fole y for comme • News by S ntary and insight outh Florida • Pop Culture G , Entertainmay News ent with Dana M • “Faithful & Fabulous” wunson ith Rev. Dr. Le a Brown “Aim
GENDER BENDER YOUTH GROUP
Through Aug. 30 at The Box Gallery, 811 Belvedere Road in West Palm Beach. A look at the transition period of kitsch culture in South Florida from 1960 to 1990. Free. Call 786-521-1199 or visit TheBoxGallery.info.
LGBT Radio & Podcasts
News, comm en ry, inte entertata inment rviews,
broward support serVices
Aug. 17 from 6 to 8 p.m. at Matty’s, 2100 Wilton Drive in Wilton Manors. Join the Gay and Lesbian Lawyers Network with threefor-one drinks and free appetizers. Visit GLLN.org.
Stonewall Author Series: Poet Lorenzo Robertson
Aug. 17 at 7 p.m. at the Stonewall Gallery, 2157 Wilton Drive in Wilton Manors. Robertson’s first novel, “Detached,” follows a character who can fix everyone’s problems, except for his own. Suggested donation $5. Visit Stonewall-Museum.org.
Aug. 20 from 1 to 6 p.m. at the Broward Center, 201 SW Fifth Ave. in Fort Lauderdale. Celebrate India’s independence with Indian food, vendors, a kids zone, art exhibit, virtual reality, and performances. Free. Call 561-2995978 or email info-florida@aia.ngo.
Aug. 20 at 5 p.m. at Congregation Etz Chaim, 2038 N. Dixie Highway in Wilton Manors. The Stonewall Museum partners with Etz Chaim for a night of Broadway singalongs from the film. Tickets $18 for members, $25 nonmembers. Call 954-564-9232 or visit EtzChaimFlorida.org.
Finances50+ Workshop
Aug. 22 from 12:15 to 2 p.m. at the Pride Center, 2040 N. Dixie Highway in Wilton Manors. To check out interactive workshops for handling finances after 50. Free. Call 954463-9005 or visit PrideCenterFlorida.org.
auguSt 16 - auguSt 23 * The Bias Trap
Aug. 22 at 6:30 p.m. at the Stonewall Gallery, 2157 Wilton Drive in Wilton Manors. Learn how leadership bias impacts your decisionmaking, relationships, and performance. Free. Suggested donation $5. Visit MavenLeadership.org/about.
School Supply Drive
Through Aug. 26 at the Pride Center, 2040 N. Dixie Highway in Wilton Manors. Support Broward County students and drop off school supplies or monetary donations at the center. All 954-463-9008, ext. 108 or email womenwithpride@pridecenterflorida.org.
Be
OutWrite: LGBTQ Authors From the Special Collection
Through Sept. 3 at the Stonewall National Museum - Wilton Manors Gallery, 2157 Wilton Drive in Wilton Manors. With more than 27,000 items in its collection, the museum has acquired rare and historic books from authors Oscar Wilde, Walt Whitman, Gertrude Stein, and more. Call 954-763-8565 or visit StonewallMuseum.org.
nt.
* Denotes New Listing
palm beach county Sushi & Stroll
Sept. 8 from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. at the Morikami Museum and Japanese Gardens, 4000 Morikami Park Road in Delray Beach. The summertime fete returns with sushi rolls, drumming by Fushu Daiko, tours, and more. Admission $15. Call 561-495-0233 or visit Morikami.org.
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.
Gay Men’s Chorus as they practice every week. Free. Call 561-533-9699 or visit CompassGLCC.com
miami-dade county 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.
Yoga
Mondays at 6:15 p.m. at Lambda North, 18 S. J St. in Lake Worth. A support and discussion group for female recovering alcoholics. Visit LambdaNorth.net.
Tuesdays from 6 to 7:15 p.m. at Jose Marti Park, 362 SW Fourth Ave. in Miami. Yogis 18 and older of all levels are invited to a practice lead by a certified instructor. Bring your own yoga mat, water, and towel. Free. Call 305358-7550 or visit BayfrontParkMiami.com/ Yoga.html.
Voices of Pride
Book Study
Sober Sisters
Mondays at 7 p.m. at Compass GLCC, 201 N. Dixie Highway in Lake Worth. Join the
Wednesdays from 7 to 9 p.m. at the Drolma Kadampa Buddhist Center, 1273 Coral Way in Miami. Buddhist monk, Gen Kelsang Norbu,
will lead classes on learning the foundations of Buddhism. Call 786-529-7137.
Yoga in the Garden
Wednesdays at 12:15 p.m. and Saturdays at 11:30 a.m. at the Miami Beach Botanical Garden, 2000 Convention Center Drive in Miami Beach. Hit the mat for an indoor yoga practice overlooking the garden. Tickets $10 Wednesdays, $15 Saturdays. Call 305-6737256 or visit MBGarden.org.
Prayers For World Peace
Sundays from 10 a.m. to noon at the Drolma Kadampa Buddhist Center, 1273 Coral Way in Miami. Buddhist teacher, Todd Ellenberg will lead prayers and meditation. Cost $10. Call 786-529-7137.
key west Aqua Idol
Tuesdays from 6:30 to 8 p.m. at Aqua Key West, 711 Duval St. in Key West. Support your local artists and vote for your favorite! Benefits Waterfront Playhouse. Call 305294-0555 or visit AquaKeyWest.com.
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THE
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BUSINESS DIRECTORY
attorney LAW OFFICE OF GEORGE CASTRATARO 707 NE 3rd Ave #300, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33304 954.573.1444 Lawgc.com LAW OFFICE OF ROBIN BODIFORD 2550 N Federal Hwy #20, Fort Lauderdale, FL 954.630.2707 Lawrobin.com
attorney SELZER LAW 1515 NE 25th St, Wilton Manors, FL 33305 954.567.4444 SelzerLaw.com LAW OFFICE OF SHAWN NEWMAN 710 NE 26th St, Wilton Manors, FL 33305 954.563.9160 Shawnnewman.com
To place an ad in the Business Directory, call our sales team at 954.530.4970 cleaning
attorney LAW OFFICE OF GREGORY KABEL 1 East Broward Blvd #700, Fort Lauderdale, 33301 954.761.7770 gwkesq@bellsouth.net
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FT LAUDERDALE GAY MEN'S CHORUS PO Box 9772, Ft Lauderdale, FL 33310-9772 954-832-0060 www.theftlgmc.org GAY MEN’S CHORUS OF SOUTH FLORIDA 2040 North Dixie Hwy, #218, Wilton Manors, FL 33305 954-763-2266 Gaymenschorusofsouthflorida.org
WWW.SFGN.GUIDE
bookkeeping
Facing Criminal or DUI charges? Call: Jeff Dean
Criminal Defense Attorney
-DUI -Domestic Violence -Drug Charges -Sex Offenses -All Criminal Charges
Fort Lauderdale Office - (954) 204-3633 110 SE 6th Street, Suite 1700, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33301 Miami Office - (305) 967-6311 1395 Brickell Avenue, Suite 800, Miami, FL 33131 52
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8 .16.2017
dental
financial services
pest control
health
OAKLAND PARK DENTAL 3047 N Federal Hwy, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33306 954.566.9812 Oaklandparkdental.com
Taylor & Turner
ANDREWS DENTAL CARE 2654 N Andrews Ave, Wilton Manors, FL 33311 954.567.3311 Andrewsdentalcare.com
Pest and Termite Control, Inc
ISLAND CITY DENTAL 1700 NE 26th Street, Ste. 2, Fort Lauderdale, FL 954-564-7121 Islandcitydental.com
taylorandturner@yahoo.com 2520 North Dixie Hwy Wilton Manors, FL 33305
William D. Turner
954.630.2627
final arrangements KALIS-MCINTEE FUNERAL & CREMATION CENTER
2505 N. Dixie Hwy, Wilton Manors, FL 33305 954-566-7621 Kalismcintee.com
furniture
DR. TORY SULLIVAN 2500 N Federal Hwy #301, Fort Lauderdale, FL 954.533.1520 Torysullivanmd.com
CAll US TO RESERvE SPACE!
AMERICAN PAIN EXPERTS 6333 N. Federal Hwy, Ste. 250, Ft. Lauderdale, FL 954-678-1074 Americanpainexperts.com
financial services
professional services
CAll US TO RESERvE SPACE! professional services
handyman MIAMI/BROWARD/PALM BEACH Paint/Caulk/Remove Grout/Yard Work Fix Drips & Switches/Debris removal Assembles Furniture & Appliances Repair or Fix Call "Avrom" Keith 786-227-9981
florist WE’RE HERE FOR ALL YOUR
FINANCIAL NEEDS Taxes IRS Issues Accounting
Bookkeeping Small Business Advising
TWO GUYS PAWN FREE PHONE QUOTES!
(954) 565-0727 3345A N. FEDERAL HWY. (US 1) OAKLAND PARK, FL 33306
954-667-9829 ACCOUNTING@STERLINGACCOUNTING.COM
2435 North Dixie Highway • Wilton Manors, FL 33305
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BUSINESS DIRECTORY
To place an ad in the Business Directory, call our sales team at 954.530.4970 8.16.2017 •
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THE
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BUSINESS DIRECTORY
To place an ad in the Business Directory, call our sales team at 954.530.4970
real estate Fort Lauderdale, Wilton Manors & Oakland Park REMODELED homes:
2 bedroom/2 bath condos from
spirituality
spirituality
101 NE 3rd St Fort Lauderdale FL 33301 Mass Times: Saturday 5:00 PM Sunday 10:30 AM Ecumenical Catholic 954.731.8173
www.stsfrancisandclare.org Baptisms • Weddings • Memorial Services
sports TENNIS LESSONS AT HAGEN PARK in Wilton Manors. Individual or group lessons. Call Robert 732-604-0362 for more information.
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SFGN Classified$ To place a Classified Ad, call Tim Higgins at 954.530.4970 or email at Tim.Higgins@sfgn.com
rentals wilton manors
announcement PUBLIC NOTICE - XJW Entertainment, Inc intends on filing a fictitious name in Florida, primarily used in Broward County Business named XES Lounge, Email xeslounge@gmail with any objections.
electrician
HARRY’S ELECTRIC RESIDENTIAL & COMMERCIAL - Additions, renovations, service upgrades, breaker panels,FPL undergrounds, code violations, A/C wiring, ceiling fans, recessed, security & landscaping, lighting, pools, pumps, Jacuzzis, water heaters, FREE PHONE ESTIMATES 954-522-3357 Lic & Ins. www.harryelectrician.com
MIKE THE RENTAL GUY - NE Lauderdale/Wilton Manors/Oakland Park-1/1 from $1090, 2/1 from $1140. Victoria Park-2/1=$1290.00 cable included. Credit & Income Requirements-Pets okay with restrictions Call for Details Mike 561- 703-5533 or miketherentalguy@ aol.com
opportunity
employment wanted SPECIAL HIRE NEEDED - Looking for strong males (must be able to hold up fall risk gentlemen, dementia, Parkinson's, stage 4 cancer, etc.) for LGBT seniors, must be gay-friendly, many have live-in senior partners (must enjoy the company of gay people and comfortable in gay settings, restaurants, etc.) Call 954-629-1377 and leave a message ONLY, include your contact info, name, and level of experience in senior care or your willingness to devote your time to senior care. Faxes welcome at 754-301-5802
Classified Advertising Works! Place an ad in SFGN’s Classifieds
954.530.4970
handyman HUSBAND FOR RENT - Is he procrastinating home repairs? He says he will do it tomorrow?? After the football game?? We fit right in - in the house or the yard, small or big jobs: tile, dry wall, paint, plumbing, roof leaks, broken furniture, irrigation, fences, and more! It doesn't cost to hassle us to see the work - so why wait? Neat, clean work for a reasonable price. Call Haim at 954-398-3676, sidnalll@yahoo.com
licensed massage MASSAGE BY DENNIS - $60 per 90 min-Out calls higher. Swedish, Deep Tissue, manscaping available. All clients and Body types welcome, Reflexology and Feet. Couples Discounts. Delray Beach. 22 years’ experience. MA18563 Call Dennis 561-502-2628.
music lessons VOICE LESSONS & MUSIC THEATRE COACHING - Over 30 years experience. Students have performed on (and off) Broadway, in National & International tours, recorded solo albums & placed in prestigious competitions. www.kreutzmusic.com 617-967-0575
painting
GREGG'S PAINTING - I paint both interior and exterior. Great rates, free estimates. I am detailed-oriented, friendly, reliable, punctual, and neat. No job too small. Broward and Palm Beach Counties. Call Gregg at 617-306-5694 or 954-870-5972 Email: gmanbenn44@gmail.com
WWW.SFGN.GUIDE
real estate broward county LARGE MIDDLE RIVER DUPLEX - Located in residential area near downtown Wilton Manors $305,900.00 Call Gary for details 954-736-7583.
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real estate new construction UNITED REALTY GROUP - Building in Wilton Manors, Fort Lauderdale Beach, Coconut Creek, Lauderdale Lakes and Hollywood. Starting in the 200's, 2 & 3 Bedrooms, 1 & 2 Garages available with building incentives. Call for details Michael 561-703-5533 or email mkltub@aol.com for more info.
T HE
pool service
COOL POOLS- RELIABLE POOL SERVICE Professional pool service.Covering Wilton Manors, Lighthouse Point, and eastside of Pompano Beach. 15 years experience. Licensed and insured.Free estimates. Call 954-235-0775.
2017-2018
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◀ Ne On Ra w Issue cks No w!
8.16.2017 •
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it’s time to
NOMINATE YOUR FAVORITES!
Vote for your favorite South Florida businesses
Throughout August readers will get to nominate their favorites in each “Best Of” category. In September readers will vote for the finalists
Visit sfgn.com/BestOf Best Restaurant Best Take Out Best Pizza Best Guest House Best Neighborhood Bar Best Nightclub Best Place To Shop
Best Happy-Hour Best Pet Groomers Best Coffee Shop Best Drag Queen Best Movie Theater Best City to Live In Best Non-Profit
Best Gym Best Live Theater Best Business Group Best Beach Best Hair Salon Best Spa ... And many more!