12/01/10 V1I45 by South Florida Gay News

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Setback in Verdugo Case

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Pictured: Attorney George Castrataro with his client, Mikey Verdugo

December 1, 2010 • VOLUME 1 • Issue 45

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2010 INSIDE THIS ISSUE

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9 13 Gay Vote 2012

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Give a Damn PSA

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David Leddick Interview

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Two Choruses, One Voice

December 1, 2010 • SouthFloridaGayNews.com

Local News

Fort Lauderdale Gay Men’s Chorus Creates an ‘It Gets Better’ Video

December 1, 2010 • Volume 1 • Issue 45

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

Norm Kent Publisher and Editor in Chief publishernorm@southfloridagaynews.com Pier Angelo Guidugli

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The Fort Lauderdale Gay Men’s Chorus produced a new video for the “It Get’s Better” campaign, featuring a memorial to “LGBT Youth Bullied to Death”, while strengthening the message for youth that it does get better. You can watch this touching video at Southfloridagaynews.com/igb

Adams Contributing Columnists. . . . Tony Wayne Besen Penn Bullock AJ Cross Susan Estrich Brian McNaught Leslie Robinson Patricia Nell Warren Editorial Cartoonists. . . . . . . D arryl Smith Steve Sack Calendar Editor. . . . . . . . . . . Matthew Clark

Sales Display Marketing Associates. . J ohn Fugate Brian Swinford Michael Vitureira National Sales Representative.Rivendell Media todd@rivendellmedia.com Distribution Manager. . . . . . . J ohn Fugate, JR Davis, Walter Franco Printing and Publication . . . . Miami Offset South Florida Gay News.com is published weekly on Wednesdays. Our paper is a member of the Associated Press. The views and opinions expressed within this publication, in bylined columns, stories, and letters to the editor are those of the writers expressing them. They do not represent the opinions of South Florida Gay News.com, Inc., or the Publisher. They are included to promote free speech and diversity of thought. You should not presume the sexual orientation of individuals based on their names or pictorial representations in SFGN, and it would be careless to do so. For the sake of readable newswriting, the word “gay” in SFGN should, when relevant, be interpreted to be inclusive of the entire gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgendered community. All of the material that appears in SFGN, both online at www. southfloridagaynews.com, and in our print edition, including articles used in conjunction with our contract with the Associated Press and our columnists, is protected under federal copyright and intellectual property laws, and is jealously guarded by the newspaper. Thus, nothing published may be reprinted in whole or part without getting written consent from the Publisher of SFGN, at his law office, Kent & Cormican, P.A., 110 Southeast 6th Street, Suite 1970, Fort Lauderdale, Fl 33301. SFGN, as a private corporation, reserves the right to enforce its own standards regarding the suitability of advertising copy, illustrations and photographs. Copyright©2010 South Florida Gay News.com, Inc.

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Florida Press Association National Gay and Lesbian Journalists Association

December 1, 2010 • SouthFloridaGayNews.com

National News

Former GOP Leader Faces 99 Years

he one time US Congressional majority leader and one-time Dancing With The Stars contestant Tom Delay has been convicted of multiple counts of money laundering. Delay was found guilty of funneling almost $200,000 to the campaigns of GOP House and Senate candidates in Texas years ago. “I still maintain that I am innocent,” DeLay told reporters. “The criminalization of politics undermines our very system. I’m very disappointed.” On the other hand, Travis County District Attorney Rosemary Lehmberg said the verdict showed no one was above the law. “This case is a message from the citi-

Tom Delay

zens of the state of Texas that the public officials they elect to represent them must do so honestly and ethically, and if not they’ll be held accountable,” Lehmberg said. DeLay’s sentencing was set for December 20, and he faces a possible maximum prison term of 99 years on the money laundering charge and 20 years on the conspiracy charge. DeLay, a conservative Republican, helped Newt Gingrich spearhead the GOP revival in 1994 that won control of the House and Senate in the first midterm election under Democratic President Bill Clinton. In 2006 Delay resigned from the House in the face of the scandal.

Prop 8 Defender Wins in California AG Race

Kamala Harris

t took weeks of the tedious counting of provisional ballots, but San Francisco District Attorney Kamala Harris has at last been named California’s Attorney General-elect. Los Angeles District Attorney Steve Cooley has conceded. Aside from completing a virtual Democratic sweep of all of California’s top offices, Harris’ win is good news for the gay community as she has vowed not to defend the overturn of Proposition 8. While Prop 8’s coming court date will occur before the incoming Attorney General takes office, there was concern that Cooley would attempt some legal maneuver like requesting the case be delayed until he was in power.

December 1, 2010 • SouthFloridaGayNews.com

NGLCC Conference Draws Record Attendance Dan Nilsen Takes Home Business of the Year Award By Joey Amato

n November 18, the National Gay & Lesbian Chamber of Commerce (NGLCC) held its seventh annual National Business & Leadership Conference: Out for Business in conjunction with their National Dinner: An Evening of Courage at the Capital Hilton in Washington D.C. Conference attendance hit nearly 400 for the four-day conference in the nation’s capital, a 60 percent jump over last year’s conference which was held in Seattle. The conference offered robust programming designed to meet the interests and needs of LGBT business owners and entrepreneurs, allied companies and NGLCC affiliate chambers from around the country. Attendees were treated to a host of keynote speeches from politicians including U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gary Locke, Senator Al Franken, Congresswoman Tammy Baldwin,

Congressman Jared Polis and Karen Mills, head of the Small Business Administration. Prior to Thursday’s event, a delegation of NGLCC members was invited to the White House on Wednesday to discuss ways in which the Administration can continue to support the LGBT community and create further economic opportunities for LGBT business owners. “The White House has been incredibly supportive of our work,” says Justin Nelson, cofounder and president of the NGLCC. “We’re so thrilled to have a partner in this administration that understands and values diversity.” In addition, representatives from IBM, Aetna, American Airlines, Ernst & Young, Hewlett Packard, JPMorgan Chase, Merck, UPS and Wells Fargo delivered powerful programming. “It’s fantastic to see some of the world’s largest companies pledge their support to the

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LGBT community,” says Chance Mitchell, cofounder of the NGLCC. “They understand that diversifying their workforce and supplier base is not only morally and ethically sound, but is just solid business.” Over 800 LGBT business owners, corporate partners and organizational allies, attended the National Dinner, which was held

Lauderdale Adapts to Recession City Will Allow Sandwich Signs By Scott Wyman Sun-sentinel.com

igns advertising lunch menus, drink specials and sales items will soon be appearing outside stores, restaurants and bars across the city. Fort Lauderdale is loosening its restrictions on public advertising so businesses can place sandwich board signs outside their entrances and hang banners in parking lots. Although such signs are common in other communities, businesses in Fort Lauderdale using them have risked the wrath of code inspectors. It’s a dramatic change for a city that fought a long legal battle to limit billboards and doled out citations just a couple years ago to businesses along ritzy Las Olas Boulevard for daring to have statues along the sidewalk, including gi-

ant bellhops and a cigar store Indian. Business owners sought the right to use sandwich signs and banners to help lure customers in a tough economy. “It’s a way for the city to help keep the smallest of its businesses here and maintain the unique character that we bring to the city,” said Donna Mergenhagen, the owner of the Well Read bookstore on Southeast 17th Street and one of the people who launched the campaign. City commissioners are expected to give final approval to a two-year pilot project next month allowing the extra signage. Under the rules that commissioners have tentatively accepted, businesses could ob-

tain a permit for one sandwich board sign as long as it is located on private property rather than a public sidewalk and as long as pedestrians still have five feet to pass. Also, shopping centers with at least 10 tenants and a 15-acre parking lot may hang advertising banners from their light poles as long as the signs cannot be seen from nearby homes. “It’s a timing issue,” Mayor Jack Seiler said. “The economy is extremely difficult, and local businesses are hurting. They came forward with a reasonable proposition to increase sales and retail activity, and I feel

Friday evening at National Building Museum. During the dinner, the 2010 NGLCC/ Wells Fargo LGBT Business Owner of the Year award, the organization’s top honor, was presented to Dan Nilsen of Bishop-McCann. The Kansas City, MO based organization is a brand experiences agency that produces meetings, incentives and live events worldwide. The company also maintains offices in Chicago, San Francisco, Philadelphia and Miami. “I am truly honored to be acknowledged by the NGLCC and Wells Fargo for this award,” said Nilsen. “The dream of creating and building Bishop-McCann has been a rewarding journey on so many levels. I’m thrilled to share this award with my team, our clients and all of our partners.” The NGLCC is the business advocate and direct link between lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) business owners, corporations, and government, representing the interests of more than 1.4 million LGBT businesses and entrepreneurs. The NGLCC is committed to forming a broad-based coalition of LGBT owned and friendly businesses, professionals, and major corporations for the purpose of promoting economic growth and the prosperity of our members. For more information, please visit NGLCC.org.

strongly we need to do what we can to help local business promote themselves.” While the businesses suggested the sandwich signs, developer Jack Loos pitched the idea of parking lot banners. He owns the Harbor Shops complex off 17th Street and said small tenants in shopping centers such as his could work with landlords to gain extra recognition from promotional banners. City planners have urged caution in pursuing the changes, fearful that the extra signage could cause too much clutter along the streets and parking lots of image-conscience Fort Lauderdale. The city has tried to avoid the garish advertising seen in some communities with tourism-heavy economies. The biggest impact will be in the city’s strip malls, but city attorneys say at least some businesses downtown and along the beach could qualify for sandwich board signs because sidewalks in parts of those areas are comprised of both public and private property. For the full article as printed in last week’s Sun-Sentinel, visit our media partner at www. sun-sentinel.com

December 1, 2010 â&#x20AC;˘ SouthFloridaGayNews.com

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Hey, have you heard the news? For eligible patients, Merck covers up to $400 on out-of-pocket costs, for each of up to 12 prescriptions.

Introducing the Savings Coupona for ISENTRESS. Eligibility restrictions, terms, and conditions apply.a To find out more, call 1-866-350-9232 or visit isentress.com.

effects of prescription drugs to the FDA. Visit www.fda.gov/medwatch, or call 1-800-FDA-1088. a For

eligible privately insured patients. Not valid for residents of Massachusetts. Restrictions apply. Please see full Terms and Conditions on isentress.com.

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You are encouraged to report negative side

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December 1, 2010 â&#x20AC;˘ SouthFloridaGayNews.com

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INDICATIONS ISENTRESS is an anti-HIV medicine used for the treatment of HIV. ISENTRESS must be used with other anti-HIV medicines, which may increase the likelihood of response to treatment. The safety and effectiveness of ISENTRESS in children has not been studied. It is important that you remain under your doctorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s care. ISENTRESS will NOT cure HIV infection or reduce your chance of passing HIV to others through sexual contact, sharing needles, or being exposed to your blood.

IMPORTANT RISK INFORMATION A condition called Immune Reconstitution Syndrome can happen in some patients with advanced HIV infection (AIDS) when anti-HIV treatment is started. Signs and symptoms of inflammation from opportunistic infections may occur as the medicines work to treat the HIV infection and strengthen the immune system. Call your doctor right away if you notice any signs or symptoms of an infection after starting ISENTRESS. Contact your doctor immediately if you experience unexplained muscle pain, tenderness, or weakness while taking ISENTRESS. This is because on rare occasions muscle problems can be serious and can lead to kidney damage. When ISENTRESS has been given with other anti-HIV drugs, side effects included nausea, headache, tiredness, weakness, trouble sleeping, stomach pain, dizziness, depression, and suicidal thoughts and actions. Rash occurred more often in patients taking ISENTRESS and darunavir together than with either drug separately, but was generally mild.

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December 1, 2010 • SouthFloridaGayNews.com

I am outgoing. I am on the go. I am a newlywed. I am HIV positive. You are special, unique, and different from anyone else. And so is your path to managing HIV. When you’re ready to start HIV therapy, talk to your doctor about a medication that may fit your needs and lifestyle. In clinical studies lasting 96 weeks, patients being treated with HIV medication for the first time who took ISENTRESS plus Truvada:

Experienced less effect on LDL cholesterol (“bad” cholesterol) — Cholesterol increased an average of 7 mg/dL with ISENTRESS plus Truvada versus 21 mg/dL with Sustiva plus Truvada

Ask your doctor about ISeNTReSS. Not sure where to start? Visit isentress.com/questions

People taking ISENTRESS may still develop infections, including opportunistic infections or other conditions that occur with HIV infection. Tell your doctor about all of your medical conditions, including if you have any allergies, are pregnant or plan to become pregnant, or are breast-feeding or plan to breast-feed. ISENTRESS is not recommended for use during pregnancy. Women with HIV should not breast-feed because their babies could be infected with HIV through their breast milk. Tell your doctor about all the medicines you take, including prescription medicines like rifampin (a medicine used to treat infections such as tuberculosis), non-prescription medicines, vitamins, and herbal supplements. 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. For more information about ISENTRESS, please read the Patient Information on the following page.

Need help paying for ISENTRESS? Call 1-866-350-9232 ISENTRESS is a registered trademark of Merck Sharp & Dohme Corp., a subsidiary of Merck & Co., Inc. Copyright © 2010 Merck Sharp & Dohme Corp., a subsidiary of Merck & Co., Inc. All rights reserved. 21052250(19)(110)-10/10-ISN-CON Sustiva is a registered trademark of Bristol-Myers Squibb Truvada is a registered trademark of Gilead Sciences, Inc.

RIGHT PAGE

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Had a low rate of side effects — The most common side effect of moderate to severe intensity (that interfered with or kept patients from performing daily activities) was trouble sleeping — This side effect occurred more often in patients taking ISENTRESS plus Truvada (4%) versus Sustiva plus Truvada (3%)

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December 1, 2010 • SouthFloridaGayNews.com

Patient Information ISENTRESS ® (eye sen tris) (raltegravir) Tablets Read the patient information that comes with ISENTRESS1 before you start taking it and each time you get a refill. There may be new information. This leaflet is a summary of the information for patients. Your doctor or pharmacist can give you additional information. This leaflet does not take the place of talking with your doctor about your medical condition or your treatment. What is ISENTRESS? • ISENTRESS is an anti-HIV (antiretroviral) medicine used for the treatment of HIV. The term HIV stands for Human Immunodeficiency Virus. It is the virus that causes AIDS (Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome). ISENTRESS is used along with other anti-HIV medicines. ISENTRESS will NOT cure HIV infection. • People taking ISENTRESS may still develop infections, including opportunistic infections or other conditions that happen with HIV infection. • Stay under the care of your doctor during treatment with ISENTRESS. • The safety and effectiveness of ISENTRESS in children has not been studied. ISENTRESS must be used with other anti-HIV medicines. How does ISENTRESS work? • ISENTRESS blocks an enzyme which the virus (HIV) needs in order to make more virus. The enzyme that ISENTRESS blocks is called HIV integrase. • When used with other anti-HIV medicines, ISENTRESS may do two things: 1. Reduce the amount of HIV in your blood. This is called your “viral load”. 2. Increase the number of white blood cells called CD4 (T) cells. • ISENTRESS may not have these effects in all patients. Does ISENTRESS lower the chance of passing HIV to other people? No. ISENTRESS does not reduce the chance of passing HIV to others through sexual contact, sharing needles, or being exposed to your blood. • Continue to practice safer sex. • Use latex or polyurethane condoms or other barrier methods to lower the chance of sexual contact with any body fluids. This includes semen from a man, vaginal secretions from a woman, or blood. • Never re-use or share needles. Ask your doctor if you have any questions about safer sex or how to prevent passing HIV to other people. What should I tell my doctor before and during treatment with ISENTRESS? Tell your doctor about all of your medical conditions. Include any of the following that applies to you: • You have any allergies. • You are pregnant or plan to become pregnant. - ISENTRESS is not recommended for use during pregnancy. ISENTRESS has not been studied in pregnant women. If you take ISENTRESS while you are pregnant, talk to your doctor about how you can be included in the Antiretroviral Pregnancy Registry. • You are breast-feeding or plan to breast-feed. - It is recommended that HIV-infected women should not breast-feed their infants. This is because their babies could be infected with HIV through their breast milk. - Talk with your doctor about the best way to feed your baby. Tell your doctor about all the medicines you take. Include the following: • prescription medicines, including rifampin (a medicine used to treat some infections such as tuberculosis) • non-prescription medicines • vitamins • herbal supplements Know the medicines you take. • Keep a list of your medicines. Show the list to your doctor and pharmacist when you get a new medicine. How should I take ISENTRESS? Take ISENTRESS exactly as your doctor has prescribed. The recommended dose is as follows: • Take only one 400-mg tablet at a time. • Take it twice a day. • Take it by mouth. • Take it with or without food. Do not change your dose or stop taking ISENTRESS or your other anti-HIV medicines without first talking with your doctor.

If you fail to take ISENTRESS the way you should, here’s what to do: • If you miss a dose, take it as soon as you remember. If you do not remember until it is time for your next dose, skip the missed dose and go back to your regular schedule. Do NOT take two tablets of ISENTRESS at the same time. In other words, do NOT take a double dose. • If you take too much ISENTRESS, call your doctor or local Poison Control Center. Be sure to keep a supply of your anti-HIV medicines. • When your ISENTRESS supply starts to run low, get more from your doctor or pharmacy. • Do not wait until your medicine runs out to get more. What are the possible side effects of ISENTRESS? When ISENTRESS has been given with other anti-HIV drugs, side effects included: • nausea • headache • tiredness • weakness • trouble sleeping • stomach pain • dizziness • depression • suicidal thoughts and actions Other side effects include rash, severe skin reactions, feeling anxious, paranoia, low blood platelet count. A condition called Immune Reconstitution Syndrome can happen in some patients with advanced HIV infection (AIDS) when combination antiretroviral treatment is started. Signs and symptoms of inflammation from opportunistic infections that a person has or had may occur as the medicines work to treat the HIV infection and help to strengthen the immune system. Call your doctor right away if you notice any signs or symptoms of an infection after starting ISENTRESS with other anti-HIV medicines. Contact your doctor promptly if you experience unexplained muscle pain, tenderness, or weakness while taking ISENTRESS. This is because on rare occasions, muscle problems can be serious and can lead to kidney damage. Rash occurred more often in patients taking ISENTRESS and darunavir together than with either drug separately, but was generally mild. Tell your doctor if you have any side effects that bother you. These are not all the side effects of ISENTRESS. For more information, ask your doctor or pharmacist. How should I store ISENTRESS? • Store ISENTRESS at room temperature (68 to 77°F). • Keep ISENTRESS and all medicines out of the reach of children. General information about the use of ISENTRESS Medicines are sometimes prescribed for conditions that are not mentioned in patient information leaflets. • Do not use ISENTRESS for a condition for which it was not prescribed. • Do not give ISENTRESS to other people, even if they have the same symptoms you have. It may harm them. This leaflet gives you the most important information about ISENTRESS. • If you would like to know more, talk with your doctor. • You can ask your doctor or pharmacist for additional information about ISENTRESS that is written for health professionals. • For more information go to www.ISENTRESS.com or call 1-800-622-4477. What are the ingredients in ISENTRESS? Active ingredient: Each film-coated tablet contains 400 mg of raltegravir. Inactive ingredients: Microcrystalline cellulose, lactose monohydrate, calcium phosphate dibasic anhydrous, hypromellose 2208, poloxamer 407 (contains 0.01% butylated hydroxytoluene as antioxidant), sodium stearyl fumarate, magnesium stearate. In addition, the film coating contains the following inactive ingredients: polyvinyl alcohol, titanium dioxide, polyethylene glycol 3350, talc, red iron oxide and black iron oxide.

IMPORTANT: Take ISENTRESS exactly as your doctor prescribed and at the right times of day because if you don’t: • The amount of virus (HIV) in your blood may increase if the medicine is stopped for even a short period of time. • The virus may develop resistance to ISENTRESS and become harder to treat. • Your medicines may stop working to fight HIV. • The activity of ISENTRESS may be reduced (due to resistance).

Distributed by: Merck Sharp & Dohme Corp., a subsidiary of Merck & Co., Inc. Whitehouse Station, NJ 08889, USA

Revised June 2010 9795110 U.S. Patent Nos. US 7,169,780 21052250(19)(110)-10/10-ISN-CON

December 1, 2010 • SouthFloridaGayNews.com

Politics

Gay Vote 2010 Raises Big Questions for 2012 Keen News Service

he number seemed startling: 31 percent of voters who identified as “gay, lesbian, bisexual” in a national exit poll on November 2 said they voted Republican. Just two years ago, only 19 percent voted for Republican presidential candidate John McCain. Is the “gay vote” for Republicans really changed that much? Is it really that large – 31 percent? Keen News Service looked at the vote November 2 in precincts in heavily gay neighborhoods in six cities around the country. That data suggests the “gay vote” for Republicans was 26 percent. But that 26 percent represents a seven percent increase over how those same precincts voted in the 2006 mid-term elections. And when you consider that the national exit poll data was “re-weighted” a few days after the election so it would correspond with actual election results – meaning the estimate of the “gay vote” for Republicans is now calculated at 29 percent—then the two data sets are not that far off. Furthermore, notes Patrick Egan, a public opinion specialist and professor at New York University, both sets of data show a relatively similar shift. Between 2006 and 2010, the exit poll data showed a shift of about five points toward voting Republican. The gay precinct data showed a shift of about seven points. “The precinct data corroborates the exit poll data and indicates that gays joined the rest of the electorate in shifting slightly more toward Republicans in 2010,” said Egan, who examined both sets of data. And the “gay vote” shift between 2006 and 2010 was not so unusual. “We saw shifts among every demographic group toward Republicans,” he said, “and gays were among them.” The national exit poll data was collected by an independent firm, Edison Research, for a coalition of national news organizations called

the National Election Pool. This year’s data was based on information collected from 17,504 voters as they left 268 polling places around the country on November 2. To collect data from the many voters who vote absentee, by mail, or early, the researchers also interviewed another 1,601 voters by phone. How the “gay and lesbian” voter cast his or her ballot in the U.S. House race determined how they were scored in the exit poll. The re-weighted exit polling data can be viewed at CNN’s website. The gay precinct data was collected from

wealthy and are muddled by the votes of at least an equal number of heterosexuals. Egan said it’s hard to say which is “more accurate.” “Social scientists like to see lots of different pieces of evidence before coming to a firm conclusion about some kind of change,” said Egan. “But the fact that we’re seeing similar shifts in both [data sets], gives us much more confidence that at true change did happen between 2006 and 2010.” Other nuggets of information gleaned from Jarrett Terrill

By Lisa Keen

GAYS WHO VOTE FOR THE GOP: SOUTH BEACH MORE REPUBLICAN THAN TEXAS?

Overall percent of gays who voted Republican in 2010 elections Percent of gays who voted for John McCain in 2008 Percent of gays who voted for George Bush in 2000 Percent of South Beach gays who voted Republican in 2010 Percent of Dallas gays who voted Republican in 2010

26% 19% 32% 48.8% 41.9%

election officials and/or their websites for Boston, Chicago, Dallas, Provincetown, San Francisco, and South Beach. Precincts were chosen in neighborhoods which local gay activists or newspaper editors had identified as heavily gay populated. The data covered a total of 20,882 voters in 34 precincts. With the gay precinct data, one city, Boston, posed a problem because its House race involved an unopposed Democratic incumbent. However, a look at how gay precincts voted in the governor’s race indicated a similar increase (6.7 percent) -–from 13.9 percent Republican in 2006 to 20.6 percent in 2010. Both sets of data have their strengths and weaknesses. Exit polls capture a random sample but, when it comes to the “lesbian, gay, and bisexual” vote, tend to be more heavily bisexual. Vote tallies from “heavily gay” precincts can capture the actual vote of a much larger sample of people but tend to be more white, gay, male, metropolitan, and

Successful Republican candidate Chip LaMarca (right) talks to supporter Joe Angelo during 2010 campaign event held at Georgie’s Alibi

the heavily gay precinct data include: • South Beach precincts voted more strongly Republican than any of the other cities – 48.8 percent. The closest second was Dallas with 41.9 percent. • San Francisco precincts had the strongest Democratic vote – 84.1 percent—with Provincetown in second with 83 percent. • The biggest uptick in voting Republican occurred in South Beach, which increased its gay Republican vote by 13.4 percent. • The biggest turnouts occurred in San Francisco – with 68 percent of registered voters casting ballots. Provincetown was second with 63.3 percent of registered voters casting ballots. • There was virtually no change at all in voter turnout in gay precincts in 2010 compared to 2006 – 51.7 percent of registered voters in gay precincts turned out in 2010, compared to 51.5 percent in 2006. Perhaps the biggest surprise of all in gay

voting data, however, comes from looking at a chart published by the New York Times of all the national exit polling data collected which included “gay, lesbian, and bisexual” voter identification. It shows that the largest “gay vote” for Republicans was not in 2010, but in 1998. That’s the year voters shifted away from Republicans, many believe because of the unpopularity of the Republican-led impeachment proceedings against Democratic President Bill Clinton. But that was also just two years after Congress passed – and Clinton signed—the Defense of Marriage Act— and the exit poll data showed that 33 percent of the gay vote went to Republicans. In fact, the 29 percent for 2010 is not even the second highest gay vote for Republicans. That distinction came in 2000, when the exit polls indicated 32 percent of the gay vote went to Republican presidential candidate George W. Bush. Interestingly, the lowest gay vote for Republicans came in 2008, when only 19 percent of gay voters supported Republican presidential candidate John McCain. The lowest gay Republican vote prior to that came in 1990, the first year the national exit poll sought to identify “gay, lesbian, and bisexual” voters. Voters overall gave only a slight edge to Democrats that year (52 to 48 percent), while gay voters issued a 78 to 22 percent preference for Democrats. The majority of the gay vote this year was 69 percent Democratic, according to the reweighted exit poll data (and 69.7 percent Democratic, according to the precinct data). That contrasted to voters overall, who went 54 percent Republican. But while all voters have swung back and forth between the two parties, the gay vote has consistently given the majority of its vote to the Democrats. But there are questions that loom inside the data. Will the swing of gay voters toward Republicans again last for two election cycles – 2010 and 2012—as it did in 1998 and 2000? Will the potential failure to pass repeal of Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell act like a catalyst for gay Republican voting as DOMA did in 1998? The numbers don’t say.

December 1, 2010 • SouthFloridaGayNews.com

SFGN BRIEFS Orange County Pass LGBT Protections

SPLC: Gays Targeted for Hate Crimes

By a 6-1 vote, Orlando’s largest county, Orange County has banned sexual orientation- and gender identity-based discrimination in employment, housing and public accommodations. Kudos to Commissioners Linda Stewart, Bill Segal and Mayor Crotty in particular for their leadership. Commissioner Fred Brummer was the lone “NO” vote. Orange County is the largest local government in Central Florida. The passage of the ordinance is the culmination of years of organizing, lobbying and education. Equality Florida is a proud member of the Orlando Anti-Discrimination Ordinance Committee aka OADO. Kudos to all OADO leaders: Michael Slaymaker, Mary Meeks, Kathryn Norsworthy, Patrick Howell, Tom Woodard, Drew Weinbrenner, Lisa Tilman-Healy along with Equality Florida Boardmember Pat Padilla and staff members Joe Saunders and Mallory Wells. The community support was tremendous. Supporters wearing red shirts filled the commission chambers.

Homosexuals are far more likely to be victims of a violent hate crime than For more information, visit www.splcenter.org any other minority group in the United States, according to a Gay Saudi new analysis of federal Prince hate crime statistics in Owes $100K the latest issue of the In addition to reSouthern Poverty Law ceiving a life sentence Center’s Intelligence for murdering his serReport, released today. vant, gay Saudi prince The SPLC’s analysis Saud Abdulaziz bin of 14 years of hate Nasser al Saud must crime data found that also pay approximately homosexuals, or those $101,000 in prosecuperceived to be gay, tion costs. are more than twice as Saud was not preslikely to be attacked in ent at Monday’s hearing a violent hate crime as regarding his expenses, Prince Saud Abdulaziz bin Jews or blacks; more according to the U.K. Nasser al Saud with victim than four times as likely Press Association. He as Muslims; and 14 times as likely as Latinos. will have to serve at least 20 years behind The findings are based on FBI hate crime bars before becoming eligible for parole. statistics from 1995 to 2008, the period for The 34-year-old prince was convicted of which there is complete data. The basic pat- killing Bandar Abdulaziz, a servant who was tern also holds true in individual years. brutally assaulted “with a sexual element”

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THE PATIENT AND ANY OTHER PERSON RESPONSIBLE FOR PAYMENT HAS THE RIGHT TO REFUSE TO PAY, CANCEL PAYMENT OR BE REIMBURSED FOR PAYMENT FOR ANY OTHER SERVICE, EXAMINATION OR TREATMENT THAT IS PERFORMED AS A RESULT OF AND WITHIN SEVENTY TWO (72) HOURS OF RESPONDING TO THE ADVERTISEMENT FOR THE FREE, DISCOUNTED FEE OR REDUCED FEE SERVICE, EXAMINATION OR TREATMENT.

The analysis is being released to coincide with the release of the FBI’s hate crime statistics for 2009.

in a London hotel in February. The two were believed to have been lovers.

Bowling Green Takes a Stand After finishing a count of provisional ballots Monday, election officials in Bowling Green, Ohio, announced that voters had approved two ordinances banning discrimination against LGBT residents, The Blade of Toledo reports. The ordinances, one covering housing and another employment and other areas, were passed by the city council in August 2009, but citizens circulated petitions to put the measures to a popular vote November 2. It initially looked as though voters had approved the housing ordinance but not the employment one. Now, after the count of all provisional ballots, both have passed, prohibiting discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity. Provisional ballots played a large role because many Bowling Green State University students had cast such ballots. “The voters of Bowling Green sent a message that affirms that we are ‘One Bowling Green’ and we are fair and wel-

December 1, 2010 • SouthFloridaGayNews.com

SFGN BRIEFS coming,” said Jane Rosser, who chaired the One Bowling Green campaign in favor of the ordinances. “We began this campaign truly believing in a community that wants every person to be treated fairly, to have a fair chance, to be able to live, work, go to school, and play in our community without fear or discrimination.” The laws take effect in 30 days.

Uganda’s Rolling Stone Bans Gays With the Makerere University newspaper Campus Nail joining Uganda’s other publications, like Red Pepper, Rolling Stone, and The Onion, in publishing anti-gay screed comes a follow-up order from a judge banning one paper from running the names or photos of suspected gays. Unlike the other rags, Campus Nail hasn’t identified nor published photographs of any gays and lesbians, but the rhetoric — about how queers are recruiting children into their “lifestyle” — is the same. But Judge Vincent Musoke-Kibuuka’s attention could soon be turned its way after he today extended a previous ban against

Rolling Stone, prohibiting the paper from Blue Crush running any more hit lists. Managing editor Takes Home 3rd Giles Muhame (pictured), a 22-year-old The women’s softball team, the Blue undergrad student who was chided by the Crush, sponsored by Sidelines Sports Bar, judge, had printed a follow-up issue after its won 3rd place in their division at the recent 100-name hit list, identifying 10 more gays. Amateur Sports Alliance of North America’s The paper plans to appeal. (ASANA) Softball World Series held in Las Pastor Solomon Male, of something called Vegas, NV. The team came to the club this the National past Sunday Coalition Against and presented Homosexualtheir trophy to ity and Sexual the owners of Abuse in Uganda, Sidelines, Laurie isn’t pleased. and Marty. The Male (who was Blue Crush is prosecuted for primarily made libel after last up of female year claiming a police officers prominent Evanfrom many of gelical pastor South Florida’s molested teen counties and Blue Crush Team boys) says the cities. During court is infringing on the media’s ability to the past year, the Blue Crush and Sidelines identify “selfish, heartless and aggressive crimi- have hosted team fundraisers, including car nal offenders.” Appearing at the court, Male washes, Jell-O shot nights, and raffles, so shouted, “How can homosexuals who deliber- players on the team could travel to play in ately break the law claim right to privacy?” the World Series. “A getaway from the everyday … without leaving the gay scene behind.” – SouthFloridaGayNews.com

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Ladies’ Home Journal Tackles Suicide Ladies Home Journal, the 127-year-old magazine that started as a one-page supplement called Women at Home, might not be the first place you’d expect to find an six-page article on the rash of suicides prompted by antigay bullying. But the magazine is receiving tons of praise for the feature, “Gay Teens Bullied to the Point of Death.” The first graph puts it plainly. Billy Lucas, Seth Walsh, Tyler Clementi, and Asher Brown were four teens who didn’t know each other, “but they did have something in common. They’d been bullied at school, and one by one, they all apparently came to the same conclusion: If you’re gay or thought to be gay, life just isn’t worth living.” Written with input from GLAAD, the Family Acceptance Project, and other gay groups, the article focuses on the power of parents in preventing bullying and teaching acceptance. The magazine made headlines earlier this year when it became the unlikely forum for Biggest Loser trainer Jillian Michaels to announce that she’s bisexual.

December 1, 2010 • SouthFloridaGayNews.com

Hate Crimes Down Gays Still at Risk By Advocate.com Editors

atthew Shepard U.S. hate crimes declined overall in 2009, according to a new FBI report, as did those motivated by bias against the victim’s sexual orientation — but those attacks represented an increased percentage of total hate crimes, and long-term numbers indicate gays remain particularly vulnerable.

According to the FBI’s Hate Crimes Statistics, 2009, released Monday, participating law enforcement agencies around the nation reported 6,604 bias-related crimes involving 8,336 victims (some crimes involve multiple victims), down from 7,783 incidents and 9,691 victims in 2008. This drop came even though the number of agencies participating increased,

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from 13,690 to 14,222. T h e re w e re 1,436 crimes motivated by sexual orientation reported in 2009, down from 1,617 President Obama at Matthew Shepard Act signing in 2008. These crimes did represent a larger percentage of hate crimes in also profiles 18 virulently antigay orga2009 than in the previous year — 18.5% nizations and debunks the myths they versus 16.7%. The number of victims was spread, such as that gays helped orchestrate the Holocaust. 1,482 in 2009, 1,706 the previous year. “As Americans become more acceptThe FBI notes that as a result of last year’s passage of the Matthew Shepard ing of homosexuals, the most extreme and James Byrd, Jr., Hate Crimes Preven- elements of the antigay movement are tion Act, the bureau has begun gathering digging in their heels and continuing to data on crimes motivated by actual or defame gays and lesbians with falsehoods perceived gender and gender identity, and will incorporate that into future reports. Gays remain more likely to be the tar“As Americans become more get of hate crimes than other minorities, accepting of homosexuals, according to the Southern Poverty Law the most extreme elements Center, which fights hate groups and bias crimes. The winter issue of the center’s of the antigay movement are digging in their heels and Intelligence Report, released Monday to coincide with the FBI report, analyzed continuing to defame gays hate-crimes data from 1995 through 2008 and lesbians...” and found that people who are gay or perceived to be are twice as likely to be – Mark Potok the victim of a violent hate crime as African-Americans or Jews, more than four times as likely as Muslims, and 14 times that grow more incendiary by the day,” Potok said. “The leaders of this moveas likely as Latinos. Antigay activists are becoming more ment may deny it, but it seems clear that extreme in the face of advances by LGBT their demonization of homosexuals plays people, said Mark Potok, editor of Intel- a role in fomenting the violence, hatred, ligence Report, which in the winter issue and bullying we’re seeing.”

December 1, 2010 • SouthFloridaGayNews.com

Give a Damn Releases PSA About Homeless Youth Features Susan Sarandon, Rebecca Romijn, Pete Wentz, Among Others By Joey Amato

their homes by their parents. “As a parent, I can’t understand those he Give a Damn Campaign, a project of Cyndi Lauper’s True Colors who would kick out their own kid simFund, has released its latest video ply because they are gay or transgender,” during National Runaway Prevention Month says Cyndi Lauper. “Your child is a part of you, throwing them out on to raise awareness about homethe street is like ripping out less LGBT youth. a part of your own soul. No Susan Sarandon, Alan Cumchild should ever be homeming, Rebecca Romijn, Pete less, especially when they Wentz, Eden Riegel and Cynhave a family that can give di Lauper speak up about the them the love and acceptance need to bring an end to this that they need. It’s time all of epidemic. us parents join together and Each year, between 500,000 let our kids know that their and 1.6 million youth in the home is always a safe place U.S. are homeless or runfor them no matter what.” aways. LGBT youth make up Once living on the streets, an estimated 3-5 percent of Pete Wentz LGBT youth have to learn to the general U.S. population. Yet they make up more than 20 percent— survive amidst a higher rate of victimizaand possibly up to 40 percent—of all home- tion and suicide that awaits them. They also have to deal with greater difficulties in less youth in the country. Family conflict is the most common finding resources that are willing or able to cause of all youth homelessness. For LGBT help them due to their sexual orientation or youth, the conflict tends to be over their gender identity, sometimes facing further sexual orientation or gender identity. Half rejection from the very people and instituof all teens get a negative reaction from tions that are supposed to assist them. their parents when they come out to them resulting in many of them running away. To learn more about the initiative, please visit More than 25 percent are thrown out of Wegiveadamn.org.

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SFGN Editorial

December 1, 2010

Thanksgiving Pride, Holiday Cheer Norm Kent, Publisher

ast week, Rabbi Greg Kanter wrote a guest editorial entitled, ‘Thank God I am Gay.’ It was actually an article we once published in the Express Gay News. Some truths last forever, though, and they deserve to be heard again. You won’t get hurt by reading Aristotle more than once. As courts debate gays in the military, gay marriage, and gay equal rights laws, we get so caught up in the here and now that we forget the past. 35 years ago, being gay in Florida could keep you out of the Florida Bar because your conduct was presumptively “immoral.” 25 years ago we had a President who would not mention the phrase HIV or AIDS in public. 15 years ago there were communities that routinely treated homosexual acts as crimes against nature. 5 years ago there was barely a city that had same sex protections statutorily codified. Our inverted Spirit on the back pages of this issue is just partial testimony to how far we have come, but it is also a reminder of just how far we have to go. Hell, we are still fighting Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell, not just in the courts but against those who want to deny us equal rights even to fight for our country. Let’s never forget how our partnerships were once branded as the love that dare not speak its name. Few persons had the courage of AM radio talk show host Neil Rogers, who came out on the air in 1976, emerging in South Florida for the next three decades as its premier broadcaster. Grave health issues have compromised his retirement, so let’s wish him well for speaking out for us when so few would dare to. Today though, gay retirees do not have to

be alone. There are senior care partners like Chris Place, who we profiled last week in SFGN, or retirement communities like Forest Trace, kind advertisers in our paper. There is Sun Serve and Sage and the elder care center on the campus of Sunshine Cathedral. We live out in the open, not behind closets. We are not yesterday’s Boys in the Band, a play you must see, still running for two weeks at the Rising Action Theater. This week, we may have lost a battle in circuit court for Mikey Verdugo to get his job back with the City of Hollywood. But we found a hero in a former cop who was willing to stand his ground and fight for his rights in a court of law. We found another gay rights hero in his pro bono counsel, George Castrataro, armed with research from Nova Law interns, pointing out the inherent bias against gay professionals in the workplace. Pride is when in the face of adversity you have the courage to make a difference. Both men this year have. Pride is more than walking down a boulevard shirtless with balloons. No, pride means maintaining the moral tenacity and the personal fortitude to raise your voices against those who would reduce you to a secondclass citizen. The politics of homosexuality is going to be won by our continued openness in classrooms, communities and our workplace. Pride is when love finds a home and bullying finds the door. Pride is when gay men and women can adopt and raise children without first having to go to court or serve openly in the military without having to wait for congressional approval. Pride is when people count us for what we do in the daytime, rather than who we

sleep with at night. What we do in our bedroom is our business. What we do in realty offices, banks, schools, courtrooms, hospitals and everywhere else is make America a better place to live for everyone. We have just celebrated Thanksgiving and we prepare for the Holidays, but let us always remember there are still battles to be won and causes worth fighting for. Whatever you do, don’t remain neutral. In the middle of the road you will only find yellow lines and dead skunks. Find the time to spread good cheer. Find the time and energy to make your community a better place. Helping others today will make your life rewarding tomorrow. On behalf of SFGN, one week after Thanksgiving, let me wish you the beginning of a great holiday season. Let me also thank you for your investment in us, and allowing us to be your credible, conscientious, community newspaper, delivering facts not fluff. This paper will never be just an agenda for advertising, but instead will always be your forum for issues and ideas. By sharing your advertising dollars with us you support a free and open gay press in a straight world. Thank you for enabling us to be your voice. We will stand by your side always.

Letters, We Got Letters Comment on: ‘The Dream Catchers’ (11/24) DEAR EDITOR: I want to thank you for publishing a great column last week, ‘The Dream Catchers,’ by Piero Guidugli. It is rare to read about the American Indian in this vein and unheard of to combine the subject with homosexuality. Today the American Indian is instantly associated with casinos and gambling. The original pioneers gave them small pox, an alien monotheistic religion, syphilis, alcoholism, guns and desperation. Now it’s payback time and they are taking us for our deserved ride, with interest. People are flocking to their almost tax free mega venues to drink, gamble, and buy cheaper cigarettes, filling up the coffers of the reservations. There is a certain cosmic beauty and justice to it. As you said,Yin and Yang. Kudos to SFGN.

Charlie

December 1, 2010 • SouthFloridaGayNews.com

Off the Wall

Are Loyalty, Friendship & Gratitude Obsolete? By Pier Angelo Guidugli “Life Is Not How You Survive The Storm, But How You Dance In The Rain” -unattributed

here is a tendency among many gay people to consider friends as their only true family. It comes from years of painful rejection from our own blood relatives who are too shocked, stupid or incapable of dealing with who and what we are. So we run to our friends and find solace in the illusion that they can fill the void we all feel. We somehow make them our surrogate or adopted brothers, sisters, parents. After all it’s not blood or Facebook that connects us, but experience. It works, up to a certain point. I would like to believe that most of the time it does. Unfortunately more often than not this is not the case. In fact, the most burning betrayals and disappointments come from the people we consider our “friends”. Help them find a job, or better, give them a job, lend them money, support them during times of trouble, be there when they need a roof, a meal or a bed, bail them out of jail, and see

what happens. It’s the kiss of death. They will walk out on you, lie to you, steal from you, find excuses for not socializing with you, stab you in the back at the first opportunity, and, of course, tell everybody how terrible you are. If you search for gratitude I suggest you rescue a dog instead, you will then know what unconditional love and loyalty really are. Europeans are always amazed when they first meet an American at how “friendly” we are. That’s all they talk about. Not how smart or cool we are, not how fun we can be, just “how friendly”. They can’t believe we immediately address each other by our first names, often turning Roberts into Bobs or Cliffords into Cliffs, Anthonys into Tonys, without a second thought. To them it is an alien concept because getting to know

Jesse’s Journal

The Story of Hanukkah By Jesse Monteagudo

o many Americans, Hanukkah is the Jewish equivalent of Christmas, perhaps because the two holidays usually fall close to one another. However, thanks to the Jewish lunar calendar, Hanukkah 2010 begins at sundown on December 1, when most folks are still digesting their Thanksgiving turkey. In any case, the Story of Hanukkah is of special significance to the Jewish people. Yet, it should be studied by all who believe in freedom. Hanukkah is the only major Jewish holiday not based on a Biblical event. The Books of the Maccabees, which chronicle the events that form the historical basis for Ha-

nukkah, are Apocrypha and hence not included in either the Jewish or the Protestant Bible. Though written in Hebrew in the first century before the Christian era, the Books of the Maccabees only survive in Greek. According to the Talmud, the Hebrews observed a festival during the early winter long before the Maccabees arrived. This precursor to Hanukkah was connected, like the Roman Saturnalia, to the increase in daylight following the winter solstice. Other, more typically Jewish motives connected with this holiday included the kindling of fire, an ancient ritual linked to the dedication of the altar in the Temple in Jerusalem.

one another and be friends with someone is considered a life-long process, a very serious and difficult endeavor. And it is true, when I came to this country I was amazed, even funeral home directors told you; “Have a nice day” as you left to bury a loved one. Unfortunately, we Americans are very superficial, often phony, we live for the moment, for instant gratification, for “what

have you done for me TODAY” and of course have no room for, or concept of, gratitude. Never expect anybody to be grateful for what you have done for them. Always prepare for the worst. In fact bank on it. And, seriously, do not take it personally. For stupidity, you know, there is no cure. I continuously suffer disappointments from people I have been nice to or people I have helped in a moment of great need,

The events that led to the transformation of this ancient holiday into Hanukkah began with Alexander the Great’s death in the year 323 BCE. Through his conquests, Alexander introduced Greek civilization to the peoples of the former Persian Empire, including the Jews. After his death, Alexander’s generals divided his empire. Judea became a bone of contention until 198 BCE, when Antiochus III took the Jewish state and made it a part of the Seleucid empire. The conquest of Judea by a Hellenistic empire led to an intellectual and spiritual struggle between Hebraic and Hellenic culture. Many Jews adopted Greek ways. Young Jews adopted Greek names, took part in nude sporting events in newly-established gymnasia, studied Greek philosophy, practiced Greek “friendship” and in some cases regained their foreskins through surgery. The Jewish high priest Jason, appointed to his post by Antiochus IV in 175 BCE, was an all-too typical example of this assimilated generation.

alas it will not stop me from doing it again. Not because I’m a masochist but because, and it might sound corny, what goes around comes around. Besides, what else am I supposed to do? I still do not understand what the purpose of life is, it becomes slightly meaningful only when I can make someone smile and lift their spirits. How many friends can you claim truly care about you? Not just the people who are fun to hang out with but those who feel good when you are happy and successful, feel bad when you are sick or going through a hard time, people who will put their lives on hold to help you with yours. How far could you count when you were four years old? So as another year comes to a close, I lick my wounds but also count my blessings. Always remember you cannot exorcise the past, it has to be remembered, thought about it, accepted, perhaps even cherished, because it teaches you how to survive. Yes, lots of people have disappointed me. Yet, once again, I welcomed them into my life, they took what they wanted and left without a second thought, but in the multitude there are still a few shiny beacons that make it all worthwhile. For that I’m grateful and will continue to nurture and hold on to even the most fragile of relationships. “What we do for ourselves dies with us, what we do for others is and remains immortal.” – Albert Einstein

On the other hand, there were many Jews who remained faithful to their traditions and prayed for the day when they would be able to re-establish the Jewish Commonwealth. Appalled by the bad example of Jason and his contemporaries, traditional Jews banded together in groups known as the Hasidim or the pious ones – not to be confused with the modern Hasidim. In 168 the Hasidim took advantage of Antiochus’s absence to seize the Temple and cleanse it of pagan idols. This didn’t go well with Antiochus IV. He returned to Jerusalem, restored Menelaus – Jason’s successor – as high priest and ordered his Jewish subjects to assimilate or else. The Temple was dedicated to Zeus in a ceremony complete with idols and the sacrifice of pigs. Antiochus forbade, under penalty of death, circumcision, Sabbath observance, Torah study and other Jewish customs. For the complete story of Hanukkah, go to: SouthFloridaGayNews.com/ hanukka

December 1, 2010 • SouthFloridaGayNews.com

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Cannabis Patient Sets a New World Record – Again! By Norm Kent

years ago a Florida patient began receiving prerolled and packaged cannabis cigarettes from a United States federal government program run by the FDA. The cigarettes, produced for the government at the University of Mississippi are supplied to Irv Rosenfeld at a dosage of seven cured ounces every 25 days. “Without therapeutic cannabis to alleviate my medical condition I would not be a productive member of society; with my medicine I am a able husband, good neighbor, working stockbroker and volunteer at Shake-A-Leg, a sailing therapy agency for the handicapped.” Irv and three other federal patients were thoroughly examined by medical professionals in 2001 over a three day period and found in excellent condition for their age and ailment. Irv is positive the cannabis is his salvation. He should know. On November 24, 2010 Irv smoked his 120,000th medical cannabis cigarette. Irvin Rosenfeld is one of only 4 medical cannabis patients in the country that receive cannabis legally from the federal government. Irv is a 57 year-old successful stockbroker from South Florida. Irv uses medical cannabis to relieve chronic pain and muscle spasms caused by a rare bone disease. When he was 10, doctors discovered that his skeleton was riddled with more than

200 tumors, due to a condition known as Multiple Congenital Cartilaginous Exostosis. Despite six operations, he still lives with scores of tumors in his bones. After a long struggle with the federal government, Irv Rosenfeld won the right to access medical cannabis in 1982. Thirteen people with debilitating conditions were allowed into the Compassionate Investigative New Drug (IND) Program to receive federallygrown medical cannabis. In 1992, President George Bush discontinued the program, but Irv still receives 9 ounces of cannabis rolled into cigarettes every 25 days from the federal government. The cannabis is grown by NIDA at the University of Mississippi. Over the 29 years in the program, Irv has received more than 120,000 medical cannabis cigarettes and is in good health because of it. Irv is also a Director of Patients Out of Time a non-profit educational charity that has taught MD’s and RN’s since 1995 of the clinical applications of cannabis. Please see: www. medicalcannabis.com “My work with Patients Out of Time and my personal experience has enabled me to put in writing the story of my physical struggles, my search for help, the friends, family and colleagues in medicine and my profession who have stood by me, but mostly it is a story of and titled “My Medicine.” To order the book go to www.mymedicinethebook.com

December 1, 2010 • SouthFloridaGayNews.com

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What to Do (and NOT to do) When It’s Time to Move On By Joey Amato

n these tough economic times, many people are struggling to find employment, but there is another group of people who may be considering changing jobs or careers. SFGN spoke with one of the area’s leading human resources executives and asked for advice on the best ways to approach your current employer if you are thinking about leaving. Sometimes employees tend to feel unwanted or unrewarded if their work goes unnoticed. If this is the case, ask for a review. If you are not sure where you stand in the organization or if you are eligible for an increase in salary, your supervisor will provide you with a clear picture of your future within the organization. After your review, if you still think there are better opportunities elsewhere, then may be time to move on, but do so in a professional manner. Always give your current employer a minimum of two-week’s notice and thank them for the opportunity they have provided you. Keep in mind that companies tend to promise the world and then don’t deliver once you move, so think carefully before you make any rash decisions. Furthermore, never think you are irreplaceable. Companies will survive without you, even though it may take awhile to find a suitable replacement. A company functions as a team, so losing a teammate effects the company as a whole, but any teammate can be replaced. Never leave a job in the last three months of a calendar year. If you do, you will blow any chance of collecting a year-end bonus. In addition, the first few months of a calendar year are waning on an organization, so if you perform below expectations in your new position, it may result in termination within the first month or two of employment. Always remember, “last in, first out.” It is imperative to never burn bridges. Always leave your employer on a positive note, as they may become a reference in the future, or one day you might want to come back. If a new opportunity presents itself, discuss it with your current employer in a

non-threatening manner. If you do decide to leave, never steal any proprietary information and bring it to your new employer. If your new employer knows that you stole information, then they know you would steal again if yet another opportunity arises. And finally, never trash the competition. Word spreads fast and nobody will benefit from this action.

5 Resume Mistakes 1. Resume lacks focus: A sharp focus is an extremely important resume element. Given that employers screen resumes for between 2.5 and 20 seconds, a resume should show the employer at a glance what you want to do and what you’re good at. One way to sharpen your focus is through an objective statement. 2. Resume is duties-driven instead of accomplishments-driven: Resumes should consist primarily of high-impact accomplishments and statements that sell the job-seeker’s qualifications as the best candidate. 3. Resume items are listed in an order that doesn’t consider the reader’s interest: What’s generally most important is your title/position. So list in this preferred order: Title/position, name of employer, city/ state of employer, dates of employment. 4. Resume is not bulleted: Use a bulleted style to make your resume more reader-friendly. Use bullets consistently. Some job-seekers bullet most of their resume but don’t bullet the Profile/Summary section, for example. 5. Resume uses a cookie-cutter design based on an overused resume template: Most resumes created from a Microsoft Word template are instantly recognizable to employers. There’s nothing wrong with that except that employers have seen a million of them, so they don’t stand out. The employer immediately senses a certain lack of imagination in the job-seeker. Source: article by Katharine Hansen, Ph.D.

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Lambasted ichael (“Mikey”) Verdugo, the openly-gay former Hollywood Police officer who charged that he was unfairly terminated by the City of Hollywood in January 2009, lost an appeal today in a Broward County Circuit Court hearing relevant to his discrimination case. George Castrataro, handling the case on a pro bono basis, lost his argument when Judge Mark Bowman concluded that ‘the threshold to show bias in arbitration was not met.’ Mike Verdugo’s Castrataro’s petition claimed Story, Page 3 page page page page wrongful bias by the arbitrator, advocating that “The City was allowed to terminate Verdugo not for failing to list the need for passage of the stalled ENDA any specific employment prior to the com- bill that would provide critically needed job mencement of his duties, but failing to list protections. Had ENDA been in place last alleged employment that was homosexual year, Mikey’s job would have been protectin nature, and by nature of its expressive ed,” he added. Castrataro has long been active in workpersonal and intimate human contact, should have been outside the scope of ing with the Broward County Commission review.” Castrataro stated. However, he on local human rights issues. The pendacknowledged that “Overcoming arbitra- ing Employment Non-Discrimination Act tion is rare at best, but this fight was about (ENDA) is a comprehensive remedy to adrighting a wrong; not winning or losing.” dress the lack of state and local protection Stated co-counsel, Norm Kent, SFGN’s afforded to American GLBT workers. Under the Fourteenth Amendment to the Publisher, “The bottom line is that this community owes Mikey Verdugo and Constitution, all Americans have the right George Castrataro enormous gratitude for to equal protection. This protection inhaving the courage to fight this cause and cludes employment, guaranteeing that the undertake this battle. It speaks out for gay government not discriminate in its employrights in the workplace everywhere, and ment practices, but the lack of state and local protections exacerbates the widespread George argued a great case.” The Verdugo loss follows an earlier discrimination that GLBT workers experivictory when, on August 12, 2010 at a ence by all types of employers. These affecthearing in Tampa, Castrataro persuad- ed employees have no adequate remedy in ed the State of Florida Criminal Justice federal law. ENDA would provide critically Standards and Training Commission to needed job protections for the entire comuphold a negotiated Settlement Agree- munity – including those most vulnerable ment in the discrimination case. That to discrimination. There is more information about ENDA unanimous ruling allowed Mr. Verdugo to retain his State certification as a law and the Verdugo case in the archives of sfgn.com and at www.lawgc.com enforcement officer. “This long-fought battle against bias will not end here,” Castrataro said, “we must The Law Offices of George Castrataro, PA • continue to advocate and fight for GLBT 800 NE 26th Street • Wilton Manors • Florida employment rights at the state and national •33305 • Phone: 954-573-1444 • Fax: 954level. This travesty of justice underscores 573-6451 • www.lawgc.com G

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S U E IS

ohn Travolta is fuming after a US gossip website published claims that he had sex with men in saunas. Gawker.com published claims last month, made by Robert Randolph, who plans to release a tell-all book about the star – and other celebrities – having alleged gay affairs. According to Gossipcop, Travolta’s lawyer Marty Singer has demanded that the story be removed immediately and a prominent retraction issued. But it is John Travolta in younger, sexier days not happening so far. edly was “absolutely ridiculous.” In a letter sent to Gawker, Singer Gawker, which is known for refusing accused the site of publishing “blato budge on contentious stories, listed tant defamatory lies” from a “patently Randolph’s claims in detail and said: “Most unreliable source” and said Randolph had admitted suffering “permanent brain media outlets. . . were too shy to delve into the steamy details. We’re not quite damage” in 2003. as timid.” Singer said that Randolph’s claims “go Rumors about Travolta having a dual back fifteen years, yet inexplicably, he has sexual life have abounded for decades, but waited until now to peddle these phony this is one of the first times it has reached tall tales”. He added that the idea of Travolta committing adultery in public repeat- this level.

Circuit Court Denies Verdugo’s Wrongful Termination Claim P R E

Travolta Ballistic Over Gay Sex Claims

Pub lisher ’s Wel com e Pa

ge 2

January 25, 2010 • VOLuME 1 • ISSuE 1

SFGN EXCLUSIVE

INSIDE THIS ISSUE

Miami Cities Defy New Times

Alcee Hastings: Do Ask, Do Tell

Mary Damiano Reviews Sordid Lives

SFGN Profiles: Journalist Rothaus

December 1, 2010 • SouthFloridaGayNews.com

Straight People Responsible for Decline in Marriage Staff Reports

new study by the Pew Research Center shows that four out of 10 Americans believed marriage is becoming obsolete. In 1978, just 28 percent felt that way. Although the push by gay people for marriage equality goes against this trend, expect social conservatives to blame us for the decline in marriage. The real reason marriage is on the ropes: about 29 percent of children under 18 currently live with a parent or parents who are unwed or no longer married, that’s five

times more than the number from 1960. Then there’s the class angle. In 1960, people with a college degree were only 4 percentage points more likely to be married than people with just a high school education or less. By 2008, that gap widened to 16 percentage points. The rise of the welfare state has much to do with the decline of marriage and coherent families as support systems. On this as on other matters, limited-government conservatives and libertarians are correct, and social conservatives who scapegoat committed gay couples are wrong.

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December 1, 2010 â&#x20AC;˘ SouthFloridaGayNews.com

David Leddick

Life is a Banquet By A. Sebastian Fortino

avid Leddick is, resoundingly, a man of many talents. He is known for his novels and books, as well as shows he has both appeared in and co-written with his cabaret partner Andrew Sargent. Fall 2010 has already been busy for him. One novel, “I Don’t Kiss” was a selection at the Miami Book Fair. “The Male Nude,” a historical overview of nude, male photography from the nineteenth century through 1990 recently celebrated 25 years of being in print – the prestigious Taschen publishers never lets a bestseller run out of copies. “It doesn’t go out of style,” Leddick said. “Because it’s an art history book and the text has been translated into French, German, and later Italian, Portuguese and Spanish.” In addition to appearances and commitments about his books Leddick will also be “Wishing You a Very Gilda Christmas” at The Manor Complex December 9, 10, and 11 at 7:30 p.m. This is a holiday sequel to “Presenting Gilda Lily,” a story of a fading film actress. On Thursday, December 2 his latest book, “How to be Gay: in the 21st Century” with photos by David Vance, will be featured at Miami Beach’s Books and Books. With so many projects on his plate it is amazing SFGN was able to sit down with Leddick recently. “I think How to be Gay is my most major contribution to the gay community,” said Leddick when asked about his favorite recent project. “If we hadn’t been gay my friends and I say we would not have lived such interesting lives. So, it’s my favorite thing that I’m doing right now. I wrote this about eight years ago but I do two books a year and others swept past it.” In this latest book of Leddick’s, as the title implies, it is a guide with tips for being gay. The book’s cover reminds the world that, “There’s nothing wrong with being gay but a lot of people do it wrong.” He hopes to assist you

make the best of your gay life. Furthermore, in addition to witty advice the book is loaded with humorous, beautiful photos of Leddick that illustrate his points and suggestions. The book is dedicated to gay activist and wit Quentin Crisp whom he met one summer in Provincetown. “I knew him really, really well. He was so tiny and so brave and I loved him,” he said excitedly of Crisp, whom he gave a stipend of $100 a month for many years. “Gay men, you know are brave. I admire courage more than anything in a person. When you’re brave, you can do anything. The humor also seems to be an homage to the late Crisp who died at 90, while on tour. “That’s how I want to go,” said Leddick. Leddick also, is very brave. He had not performed in 40 years and only made a “come back” to the stage in 2000 after an older man who could sing and dance was needed for a show. Since then, the offers have not stopped coming in, which is fine for the 80 yearold performer and writer. Those 40 years though were very busy – with international positions with L’Oreal, Revlon, and time in France as a TV director. “I really believe that 80 to 90 is really just late middle age,” laughed Leddick who says “Hitting 90, Doing

100” is a book he would like to work on as well. With homes in France’s Loire Valley, Miami, and Montevideo, Uruguay he is able to keep himself fresh, invigorated to do the two-and-a-half hours of writing that he does per day. He says that his favorite residence, Montevideo is still an unknown city, but he already sees it becoming a boom-town. In addition to enjoying multiple homes, the wanderlust keeps Leddick from falling into a routine, and keeps his circles of friends and outlooks fresh. However, he is not homebound by any of his three addresses. “Lately I have gotten into Naples, the one in Italy of course,” Leddick said lightheartedly. “It’s very rich culturally, a little unknown by tourists, and it’s just a little dangerous.Yet, I don’t mind a touch of danger in my life.” For more information please visit, TheManorComplex.com and DavidLeddick.com

COURTESY OF DAVID VANCE

December 1, 2010 • SouthFloridaGayNews.com

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Nightlife by J.W. Arnold

Pretty Lights

he best vantage point to see the beautifully decorated homes of Fort Lauderdale is from the water and on Sunday, Dec. 5, Peter Cook will give you a chance to do so with a special Holiday Lights Tea Cruise. Board the Musette yacht at 5:30 p.m. and sail the New River and Intracoastal Waterway from 6-9 p.m. Now that the time has changed and the sun goes down earlier, we guarantee this trip will bring out your voyeuristic tendencies as you cruise along the wealthiest neighborhoods of the city. DJ Richie Rich will provide music and Cook always has plenty of surprises, too. For reservations of more information, go to GayTeaCruise.com. Here’s a look at some of the other highlights of the week ahead in South Florida nightlife: Wednesday, Dec. 1

n observance of World AIDS Day, Boom nightclub hosts the annual holiday wreath auction to benefit the Poverello Center. Judging categories include Most Wintery, Most Inventive/Creative and Best Use of Accessories.The event begins at 8 p.m. at Boom in the Shoppes of Wilton Manors. Thursday, Dec. 2

ick off the weekend with one of the legendary Thursday night Long Island Iced Teas at Georgie’s Alibi in the Shoppes of Wilton Manors. For just $3, sip or chug one of the regular or blue teas served in authentic mason jars. And while you’re there, tell bartender Pam in the Manchester Room we said,“Hello!” Friday, Dec. 3

f you haven’t seen Cher in “Burlesque,” catch the next best thing, “Boylesque” at The Manor. Florida’s hottest dancers will compete for $1000 in cash and prizes, as well as a one-year booking at the Wilton Manors nightclub. Lazaro Leon will be provid-

“THE MOST FUN YOU’LL HAVE THIS HOLIDAY!” LAUREN SANCHEZ, EXTRA

ing the music for the evening and best of all, there’s no cover. Saturday, Dec. 4

fter finishing all the leftover turkey from Thanksgiving, we’re guessing you’re looking for a little pork, for a change.You can find plenty of pigs at the Ramrod, hosting the monthly pig dance. Head down to 1508 NE 4th Ave. in Fort Lauderdale and get nasty to the sounds of London DJ Lee Majors. Sunday, Dec. 5

ne of the hottest destinations on Sunday nights in South Beach is Edison Farrow’s Jump Sundays.This week, SoBe’s glitterati will take in a performance by the legendary Amanda LePore. DJs Jarell and Bryan Zero will be in the booth and Noel Leon and Sasha Sky will also take the stage for performances. Jump down to Lux, 1439 Washington Ave. (formerly Liquid) to join the party. Monday, Dec. 6

oardwalk, one of Fort Lauderdale’s hottest strip clubs, hosts the 2010 Mr. and Miss Miami Beach pageant tonight.The show, featuring Lola Lush and Miss Miami Beach Honorary La Radison, begins at 10 p.m. sharp. In addition to the hopeful contestants, cheer on the performances of local favorites Erika Norell and Alyson Thomas. Boardwalk is located at 1721 N.Andrews Ave. Tuesday, Dec. 7

f you love live music, head to the Mustang Lounge at Bill’s Filling Station for pianist Jeff Hess. He tickles the ivories from 7 – 9 p.m. But stick around because things get really crazy with Two Guys on a Mic and karaoke. Get warmed up singing show tunes along with Jeff and then take your own turn in the spotlight. Head to 2209 Wilton Dr. in Wilton Manors.

CHECK LOCAL LISTINGS FOR THEATERS AND SHOWTIMES

Emmy-Award Winner

LESLIE JORDAN’S “Deck Them Halls, Ya’ll”

Sunday, December 5, 2010 • 7pm An outrageous and hilarious one man show, the effervescent Leslie Jordan brings colorful characters lamenting, or celebrating, the Christmas season. A flamboyant ex-stripper trying to win a trip to Vegas; a transgendered lesbian practicing to enter a competition at the local gay bar; a 10 year old that refuses to be pried out of an elaborate Christmas choir robe after being told he has potential and needs to practice for the upcoming Christmas pageant! "Deck Them Halls, Ya'll!" is like no other holiday show! Both scream out loud funny and life affirming, it roller coasters to very surprising conclusion."

For tickets call 954.462.0222 or visit BrowardCenter.org All programs, artists, dates and times are subject to change.

Facebook.com/BrowardCenter • Twitter.com/BrowardCenter

December 1, 2010 • SouthFloridaGayNews.com

Leslie Jordan The Best Presents Come in Small Packages By J.W. Arnold

omedian Leslie Jordan will be singing “Fa, la, la, la, la” when he takes the stage at the Broward Center with his new one-man show, “Deck Them Halls,Y’all,” this Sunday evening. A favorite of the gay community for his roles on “Will and Grace” and “Sordid Lives,” Jordan promises more than a little holiday joy in his latest show. “I had a couple of months off in November and December and my promoter suggested I do a Christmas show. I thought, ‘What would I do’?....then he called me up later and told me he’d booked me in Fort Lauderdale, Orlando, Atlanta and San Diego. I gulped because I hadn’t written it!” Jordan recalls. While his most recent autobiographical show, “My Trip Down the Pink Carpet,”

draws on Jordan’s experiences, he surprisingly drew a blank when it came to funny holiday anecdotes from his past. So, he decided on the next best thing—funny holiday anecdotes from others’ pasts and created a zany family with crazy antics of their own. “I met this waitress in Dallas named Natalie. She was a stripper for Jack Ruby, the guy who shot Lee Harvey Oswald and she had a whole story about why Ruby shot him,” he says. “There’s a pre-op Lesbian who wants to have sexual reassignment surgery, but she wants to keep her pussy. And Rodney Lee, who wears a Christmas robe that he insists is his dress. Believe it or not, it’s a

real departure for me. My director says it is the best thing I’ve ever written, an amazing work in progress.” In addition to his one-man shows, fans will see Jordan again on the

big screen in Steven Spielberg’s film adaptation of “The Help,” the bestselling novel chronicling the lives of servants and their employers in pre-Civil Rights-era Mississippi. The cast, including Viola Davis, Allison Janney, Frances

McDormand and Emma Stone, Jordan says is fantastic. But, don’t expect him to be on TV soon: “F*ck TV. Let the reality ‘stars’ have TV,” he says adamantly, even though he admits a few prospects might be in the works. And he doesn’t have much time for a boyfriend, either. He chuckles, “Well, I don’t want a boyfriend. I’m no good at it. I love being single. I’m happier than I have ever been. I’ve got some ‘gay for pay’ straight boys who live with me and I call them my ‘poodles’. They have the best job—they don’t have to work!” Believe it or not, Jordan is stoic about his life and achievements, claiming his career has reached a point where he’s “along for the ride” and it’s a good place to be. He’s got a movie coming out, taking his Pink Carpet show to London’s West End next spring and then going to Broadway to appear in “Lucky Guy” with Varla Jean Merman. “I’m in the line of work where any moment the phone could ring and absolutely change your life,” he says, “and I’ll go with that.”

December 1, 2010 â&#x20AC;˘ SouthFloridaGayNews.com

December 1, 2010 • SouthFloridaGayNews.com

The Walls Come Tumbling Down The Stable Expands and Raises Money for Charity

By Dennis Jozefowicz

fter years of city hall meetings and delays, The Stable bar on 205 E. Oakland Park finally has a permit to start knocking down the infamous wall that divided the bar almost in half. And as always, owners Ken Kelley and Lloyd Pagels made it a crazy event to raise money for a good cause. Thanksgiving night, everyone was encouraged to draw graffiti on the walls, with most messages exclaiming the excitement of the wall’s demise. After the bar’s wild annual Turkey Turnabout show, patrons purchased hammers for a $5 minimum to take a whack at the wall. Most that participated donated much more, as all in attendance were anxious to participate in the destruction, overflowing the donation jar. All of the proceeds went to The Broward Pantry.

Owner Ken Kelley takes a whack at the wall, starting the fundraising event.

The Lady Fancy shows off the initial breakthrough.

December 1, 2010 • SouthFloridaGayNews.com

Two Choruses, One Voice By Joey Amato

s we recover from our turkey-day celebrations or Black Friday shopping bonanzas, many of South Florida’s arts organizations are gearing up for their busiest time of the year. With fundraisers taking place virtually every day of the week, it may be difficult for people to dedicate time to spend enjoying the sounds of the season. Fortunately, we in South Florida have the privilege of attending two holiday performances sure to lift your holiday spirit. Gay Men’s Chorus of South Florida Presents Home for the Holidays

Fort Lauderdale Gay Men’s Chorus Celebrates the Season

From the opening “Hallelujah” chorus from Beethoven’s Mount of Olives to the closing “Heavy Christmas” (a spoof on the world of opera), the newly-formed Gay Men’s Chorus of South Florida is set to perform a holiday concert sure to please both serious music lovers and those whose tastes have a more popular bent. The group’s premier concert, Home for the Holidays, will take place December 17-18 at the Sunshine Cathedral (MCC) in Fort Lauderdale. The Gay Men’s Chorus of South Florida is conducted by Gordon Roberts, a Juilliard graduate who has had a successful international career as conductor, accompanist and television personality. The group was formed in September and will have approximately 70 singers on stage for its debut concert. Also on the program will be a guest appearance by Dinggin, South Florida’s Filipino choral group conducted by Harold Dioquino, who is also the assistant conductor of the Gay Men’s Chorus of South Florida.

Hang the lights, trim the tree and bring in the joy of the holiday season with the original Fort Lauderdale Gay Men’s Chorus. The holiday season has begun and the Fort Lauderdale Gay Men’s Chorus, under the direction of Todd Wiley, invites you to the first show of their 25th Anniversary Season, titled Home Is Where the Heart Is. Delight with the live orchestral accompaniment of Manny Schvartzman and the South Florida Pride Wind Ensemble. The one night event will also be highlighted by guest soloists, the St. Mark’s Handbell Choir and a showstopping performance by the dynamic Speaking Hands. Filled with everything from traditional carols to modern anthems, Home Is Where the Heart Is promises to warm your heart, touch your soul and even tickle your funny bone! The performance takes place on December 4, 2010 at 8:00 PM at the Parker Playhouse.

Tickets for the performance at $25 each ($15 for students), are available on line at Gmcsf.org or by calling (954) 851-2299.

Tickets are available online at Parkerplayhouse.com. For more information, please visit Theftlgmc.org.

December 1, 2010 • SouthFloridaGayNews.com

Local Ministry Officially Profiled as ‘Possible Hate Group’ Coral Ridge Ministry Now Monitored by SPLC By Jarrett Terrill

oral Ridge Ministries (CRM), which was a part of Coral Ridge Presbyterian Church in Fort Lauderdale until 2009, is now officially being monitored as a potential hate group along with 17 other anti-gay groups who have just landed on the Southern Poverty Law Center’s radar. The Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) is regarded as the nation’s leading expert on hate groups. Founded by civil rights lawyers Morris Dees and Joseph Levin Jr. in 1971, the SPLC is internationally known for tracking and exposing the activities of hate groups. SPLC also goes to court to ensure that civil rights are protected all over America. They have sought justice for everyone from children who were not allowed to attend public school because they were homeless, to people who were brutally attacked by the Ku Klux Klan.

When the SPLC released its Winter 2010 Intelligence Report, they added five known anti-gay advocacy groups to their Hate Group list and profiled five others including Coral Ridge Ministries (CRM). It’s important to note that CRM is not officially designated as a hate group yet and is only being profiled for now because of its connections and similarities to the others. Of the 18 groups profiled in total, the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) will be listing 13 next year as hate groups (eight were previously listed), reflecting further research into their views. CRM is not one that will be listed as of yet but another Florida anti-gay group will be: The Dove World Outreach Center – which became infamous this year for leading the charge against the so-called “ground zero mosque” by threatening to burn Korans. Dove WOC also made headlines when

Photo: Coral Ridge Presbyterian Church, which is no longer associated with Coral Ridge Ministries

they placed a sign in front of their church that read “no homo mayor” in order to protest the candidacy of an openly gay man for the mayoral seat in Gainesville. It’s difficult to say exactly what separates Coral Ridge Ministries from Dove World Outreach because both have spread lies and fear campaigns against both Muslims and Gays with great vigor. CRM sells and circulates videos which take aim at everything from socialism to gays and Obama to Muslims. However, the real bulk of their message relates to warning against “the radical homosexual agenda” which they say is a “totalitarian regime, hell-bent on coercing traditional businesses and churches into doing things that go against their morality.” This is the kind of language that clearly identifies anti-gay groups as being a source of hateful and untruthful propaganda – a major“Home point in classifying a group as a hate group.

To read more about Coral Ridge Ministries on SFGN, go here: http://www.southfloridagaynews.com/sfgncolumnists/columnists/jarrett-d-terrill/1384coral-ridge-ministries-launches-anti-gaypropaganda-campaign.html. To read more about the groups listed as Hate Groups by SPLC: http://splcenter.org/get-informed/intelligence-report/browse-all-issues/2010/winter/ the-hard-liners. To read about Coral Ridge Ministries’ response to the accusation of being a “hate group”, you can click here: http:// blogs.alternet.org/speakeasy/2010/11/26/ of tHe original uncut pizza” newly-named-anti-gay-hate-groups-pleadvictimhood-but-do-not-address-charges/

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December 1, 2010 • SouthFloridaGayNews.com

Political Analysis

One – ‘OUT’ – of – Three Gays Voted for the GOP By Matthew Tsien

e learned a lot about Gay voters, at least if you have an open mind and a discerning intellect. According to Fox News, which some Gays do watch, 31% or more of selfidentified Gay voters in exit polls said they voted for the Republican Party. That is one-out-of three Gay voters, and more than the normal GOP base in the Gay community of one-out-of-four. That means a considerable number of Gay Democrats and Independents defected to the party opposing Obama-Pelosi. Most Gays will be shocked that Gay people voted for what is so supposed to be a Party of rampant, uncontrollable, domineering, hyper-extreme homophobia. Well, at least that’s what most Gays who live in a Gay bubble all their intellectual and social

lives would think. Actually the number of Gay people who voted for the GOP even might be 5-10 percent higher as not every Gay is inclined to self-identify as Gay in an exit poll. These numbers do tell us something very profound and unshakable about the Gay political psychic. It is not about self-loathing and being in the closet. No, Gay voters going to the GOP is strong indication that

many Gays no longer believe that the world or even the GOP is nearly as homophobic as the Gay press and political class make it out to be. Simply put, many Gays have walked away from the once popular notion of homophobia dominating the world according to the Gay journalism universe. And they’re tired of being called “nut jobs” and in need of psychiatric help if they don’t vote Democratic or for more government. Furthermore, many – approximately 30-40 percent – embrace the Republican position of

less taxes, less government, less bailouts, less deficits, less massive foreign borrowing, less Obamamania – and more freedom to run your own life, even the freedom to fail. Gays know that HIV funding does not disappear with a GOP Congress; they also know that job-protection does not evaporate if Republicans take over the government. And many Gays just are not interested in marriage as it is set up for heterosexuals with all the potential traumatic divorce laws and financial devastation that accompanies traditional marriage. The trap of marriage equality is simply not a first and foremost concern to many thoughtful Gay people. Gay people were very involved with the Tea Party, phone bank operations and a multitude of effective get-out-the-vote efforts to help the Republicans win a historical election, and deliver a massive repudiation of the extreme elements that have defined the first two years of Obama. And that’s a fact worth noting. Matthew Tsien, Former Membership Chairman of the South Florida Log Cabin Republicans; Graduate, National Journalism Center, Washington, DC

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ACLU Sues Miami Beach Staff Reporters

iami Beach – The ACLU of Florida recently filed a lawsuit in federal court against the City of Miami Beach and two of its police officers on behalf of Harold Strickland, a gay former Miami Beach resident who was wrongfully arrested in March 2009 in retaliation for calling 911 to report that two Miami Beach police officers were beating and kicking a man who lay handcuffed on the ground near Flamingo Park. While the lawsuit focuses specifically on Strickland’s arrest and violations of his civil rights by two Miami Beach Police Officers, the lawsuit highlights two systemic issues that reach far beyond this case: the practices of unlawfully targeting gay men for arrest without probable cause and harassing and arresting people who observe, document, and/or report police misconduct. “For years the ACLU has received reports that Miami Beach police have targeted gay

men near Flamingo Park for nothing more than being gay,” said Shelbi Day, an attorney with the ACLU of Florida’s LGBT Advocacy Project. “When the police become the problem rather than part of the solution, the entire community suffers. It is time for the City to end the discriminatory policies and practices of its police force.” The complaint alleges that the City and arresting officers, Frankly Forte and Elliot Hazzi, violated Strickland’s rights under federal and state law. Specifically, the complaint seeks damages for violation of Strickland’s First and Fourth Amendment rights and false arrest. The evidence, including the officers’ sworn deposition testimony, the tape recording of Strickland’s 911 call, Strickland’s cell phone record, and the officers’ own arrest affidavits, indicates that the officers lied in their report of the incident in order to coverup their misconduct. Strickland was charged with “loitering and prowling.”

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Solution to Crossword Puzzle on page 32

December 1, 2010 • SouthFloridaGayNews.com

Crossword Puzzle

No More Bullying

Across 1 Invitation to a top? 5 Bottomless 9 Expressed, as farewell 13 Rupert Everett’s ___ Life 14 Proof part 15 Eurythmics’ “Would ___ to You?” 16 Founder of 37-Across 18 Milano moola 19 Diana, to the Greeks 20 Knock-down-drag-out 22 Not in the pink 23 Annapolis freshman 25 Director David 27 No, to Nureyev 29 Desert of the Heart author Jane 31 Did an encore of “Food, Glorious Food”? 32 Buffoon 35 GPS device, e.g. 37 Online video channel for bullied gay teens 40 All worked up 41 “Morally straight” org. 42 Star Wars abbr. 43 Govt. investigator 45 George O’Malley, et al. 49 Greeting for Dolly 51 Ed Wood role 54 Drag queen’s favorite snake? 55 Nathan Lane’s ___ Hunt 57 Bewitched actor Dick 59 Hairspray composer Shaiman 60 Singer who dedicated her song “Firework” to 37-Across 62 Top draft level 63 “She” to Rimbaud 64 Pride expression 65 Vegas line 66 Santa’s team, e.g. 67 They may be split

Down 1 Make like Mychal Judge, e.g. 2 Just about 3 It’s a wrap 4 Last word in a threat 5 Horny guy? 6 Rubber 7 One that gets laid 8 Countee Cullen work 9 With 50-Across, teen whose suicide helped inspire 37-Across 10 Treat like someone from Uranus? 11 Lee Daniels, for one 12 Shoe store spec 17 Part of Etheridge’s equipment 21 Succeeds a la Log Cabin 24 Stick it in your socket 26 Ship, to seamen 28 Touches with a baseball 30 Leopold’s partner 33 Heated arguments 34 Pansy supporter 36 Opposite of loads 37 Sought-after 38 Made-to-order 39 Mop with your first mate 40 Suffix denoting degree 44 Lesbian Herstory Archives cofounder Joan 46 The king of fairies 47 Poet Aiken 48 Well-endowed old goats? 50 See 9-Across 52 Put one on top of the other 53 Surrealist Jean 56 Barely managed, with “out” 58 Richard of And the Band Played On 59 Meadow murmur 61 Maugham’s Cakes and ___ See solution on page 31

December 1, 2010 • SouthFloridaGayNews.com

The Regulars Comic Comes to SFGN By A. Sebastian Fortino

inding an outlet as an artist, whether you write, paint, dance or draw, can be very challenging. Couple that with a demanding, full-time position in a corporate environment and chances are, you might not get a chance to see your artistic aspirations in print, paint or lights. Karl Hampe, originally from Louisville, KY was in such a position a few years ago when he decided to launch The Regulars. Hampe was getting a little “burnt out” in his position at an accounting and consulting firm in New York City, where he has lived since entering Columbia University in 1981. The central character in the strip, Karl, shares several similarities with Hampe. “Karl is loosely based on me, yet there are some things that are clearly different,” he told SFGN. “I still work part-time and do the comic on the side while Karl the character is a ‘part-time attorney-burnout/ part-time café owner.’ I hang out often in cafes in New York,” where he does research for the strip, yet he doesn’t own one. “I have a partner, but the character is single.” Hampe says he chose Karl to be single so that he could be more of a canvas for gay life. This also follows in the tradition of other comics. For instance, throughout most of Cathy’s run the main character looks for Mr. Right and the comic closed after a 30-year run with Cathy married and pregnant. The Mostly Unfabulous Social Life of Ethan Green chronicles Ethan’s maneuvering through gay, urban life, including

dating and awkward interaction with his ex-boyfriend. There are other differences too. Karl of the comic strip is very outspoken, while Hampe describes his “mouthing off” about current events and issues as being more of a slow burn. “Karl’s a bit of a fantasy when it comes to that,” admits Hampe. He says roughly every third or fourth issue of the strip is politically or LGBT-rights motivated. In addition to Karl, The Regulars Comic features seven other characters who come into the café he runs with the assistance of Maynard, modeled after Hampe’s real-life partner. Although to keep things varied they are not a couple in the strip, which does not seem to affect their relationship. “In fact, he loves being caricatured and would be fine with me putting him in every scene and renaming it Maynard,” laughed Hampe. In fact many of the characters are a part of the illustrator’s life in Gotham. Yet, his handling of them does not border on offensive or, offended. “My boss is in a couple of the strips and at one point he bursts into flames, but his only comment to me was that he wants to know why he’s not in more of the comic.” For more information, back issues of The Regulars please visit, TheRegularsComic.com

December 1, 2010 â&#x20AC;˘ SouthFloridaGayNews.com

World AIDS Day Address By Publisher Norm Kent South Florida Gay News

The following is the full text of the address SFGN Publisher Norm Kent will deliver this evening to the World AIDS Day Candlelight Vigil in Wilton Manors sponsored by Broward House.

e find ourselves tonight, again talking and walking, marching and speaking; lighting candles for those who are no longer with us, memorializing the lives of friends and lovers, children and brothers, mothers and fathers, who left us all too soon. We come here solemnly to recommit our energy and our spirit, so those who have fallen are never forgotten; to shed a tear, and say a prayer for the departed. But we come with souls forged in iron to fight like hell for the living. Some of us are old enough to remember when AIDS was called GRID- Gay Related Immune Deficiency syndrome, and there was no hope. But some of you are too young to understand there was a day with no protease inhibitors, steroid cocktails, or once a day pills. Some of you are old enough to remember when a librarian with HIV was fired from his job at a Broward County library, but some of you are too young to know there was a day when the people were afraid to use a public toilet seat for fear of contracting HIV. Some of us are old enough to remember Pedro Zamora, Ryan White and Freddy Mercury. But for most of us, AIDS is not about celebrities like Magic Johnson who we will never meet. It is about our family members, our friends, and sometimes, ourselves. There is no shame, however, in living with HIV. Albert Einstein once wrote that the things we do for ourselves die with us; but the things we do for others is immortal and lives forever. There is only shame if in a time of AIDS we do not come to the aid of those living with it.

There is only shame if we are in a position to help and do nothing; be in a position to educate and do not teach; be in a position to give and care and fail to care or give. It falls upon us to those who fight people with AIDS instead of fighting the disease called AIDS. It falls upon us to respond to apathetic congressmen who look the other way as patients fall off ADAP lists. It falls upon us to respond to religious leaders who brand HIV patients as

these candles need to burn no more. Tonight, you can see again you do not stand alone. Tonight, you can be proud, because by your side is a tall and brave spirit who once stood beside you, standing where we now stand. That person, whose memory you this evening cherish, once also said yes to hope, and yes to life. Tonight, we owe it to them to say a day will come when we gather to celebrate a cure and not commemorate a loss. That is why we

second class citizens. It falls upon us to remind America we must still care, we must still bother, we must still persevere, because our friends are still quietly dying, out of the limelight and far from the spotlight. We cannot let anyone go quietly into the night. So we still light candles, and we light up the night with the love of those we have lost, saying there will come a day when

stand. That is why gather. That is why we still bother. If we cannot yet find a cure, we can still cure poor treatments and advance better care. We can find ways to partner with others, to embrace compassion, as so many of you have already. Many organizations, from food banks to pet partners, have reached out to groups. But there is much we can do individually. We can be the home health care aides for

a patient alone in his home. We can be the students delivering meals on wheels. We can be the educators who teach children about HIV. We can be the readers in hospital rooms for patients who are too ill to see. We can be the companion who helps with pets. We can be the parents reuniting with children. We can be the therapists counseling against fear and the attorneys providing legal aid against discrimination. We can be the nightclubs and bar owners sponsoring one more party, yes another fund raiser for HIV facilities. We can be the caller to a talk show who wonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t let an announcer disseminate hate, and we can be the doctors working on new protocols. For all so many of you have done, there is still so much more we can all do. As we give, so do we receive. The bottom line here is that if 30 years into the epidemic we have patients on waiting lines for treatment that is not justice- that is just us being abused. And we cannot let that stand. If we have to take to the streets to let our voices be heard, then so be it, to the streets we must go. You do not have to make headlines to make a difference. You just have to make headway. You just have to bother, to care, to gather, and to be a voice for hope instead of an apologist for excuses. Your presence here tonight is testimony again that we shall be visible, not invisible. We shall prevail, not fail, and we shall one day overcome. It may or may not be within our lifetime, but when you fight an illness you become a champion for life. It does not matter how many miles there are too go. Your cause is just, your goals are righteous, and your heart and soul is in the right place at the right time.

2010

December 1, 2010 • SouthFloridaGayNews.com

Anti-AIDS Groups Hail New Drug continued from page 40

risk groups who would benefit most from the drug. Jason Meier, 32, has already made up his mind. The self-described single, sexually active gay man from Birmingham, Ala., said he would ask his doctor for the drug. Meier, a student affairs staffer at The University of Alabama at Birmingham, said taking one pill a day before contracting HIV is better than taking multiple pills after becoming infected. “Condoms aren’t 100 percent safe,” Meier said. “In this day and age, you can’t trust a partner to be honest about their sexual activity or history. At some point, you have to take responsibility for safer sexual practices.” Meier said paying for the drug now makes financial sense compared to the expense of post-infection treatment. But broad government or insurance company funding for the drug for prevention rather than treatment would not come before U.S. Food and Drug Administration approval. Even then, funding for the drug as a prevention measure could be divisive in the U.S. if such use is seen as encouraging sexual activity.

For now, the drug’s maker, Gilead Sciences Inc., is still deciding whether to seek federal approval to market Truvada as a way to prevent HIV infection. In the meantime, doctors can prescribe the drug off-label for that use. But advocates are holding off on recommending that gay men seek out their doctors for prescriptions. “I think the bigger question will be, will the FDA decide that this study is enough?” said Judy Auerbach, vice president of research and evaluation for the San Francisco AIDS Foundation. The foundation’s message to those who ask about the drug will be not to experiment with the drug on your own, Auerbach said. She called the drug promising but said all the traditional ways of preventing infection should still be emphasized. “If you really want to pursue this go talk to your medical provider, and they’ll make an assessment. I think that’s all we can say at this point.” Read more: http://miamiherald.typepad.com/ gaysouthflorida/2010/11/anti-aids-groups-haildrug-but-worry-over-cost.html#ixzz16OLskin5

New Medicare Panel Cause for Alarm continued from page 37

this minor miracle, the President could still veto their decision. It’s not certain Congress would intervene if the IPAB’s decisions were to result in fewer HIV/AIDS specialists or limited treatment options. After all, part of IPAB’s appeal is that it insulates Congress from actually having to make politically unpopular Medicare cuts. 4. IPAB will scare away funding for medical research. Medical innovations have dramatically reduced HIV/AIDS-related deaths in this country and throughout the world. But we’re still years away from an actual cure or vaccine. And while current antiretrovirals are extending some lives, not everyone can benefit from them. Around 40 percent of patients with access to these improved medications are either unable to tolerate them or cannot adhere to the com-

plex treatment schedule. We must continue to develop new treatments and work toward a cure. Developing these drugs is expensive, however. Getting a traditional pharmaceutical to the market can cost a billion dollars or more. Newer, more targeted drugs called biologics are even more expensive to make. If IPAB lowers reimbursement rates to providers in the Medicare drug benefit, biopharmaceutical researchers will find themselves with fewer resources to investigate new treatments. The HIV/AIDS community cannot forget this lesson of the past: If we’re not on top of an issue, we’ll get left behind. IPAB is just such an issue. Left unmodified, it will undo much of the progress we’ve made over the last two decades. The HIV/AIDS community must fight to protect the gains we’ve made and ensure that all patients get the care they need.

December 1, 2010 • SouthFloridaGayNews.com

GUEST COLUMN

CDC Expands Minority New Medicare Panel Leadership Initiative A Message to Activists

Cause for Alarm By David Mixner

they’ll make. But IPAB is likely to drastiver the years, HIV/AIDS activists cally cut reimbursements to physicians, and their allies have been pio- prompting many to leave the Medicare neers in creating new frontiers system. Doctors that treat HIV/AIDS are in the medical establishment. Through highly trained specialists that are particutheir efforts, the FDA drug approval pro- larly sensitive to payment cuts. Make no mistake: Pushing HIV specialists cedures were reformed so promising new therapies could reach desperate patients out of Medicare will compromise patients’ quicker. The heroic efforts of the HIV/ health. Treating HIV/AIDS is extremely AIDS community have made health care complicated. HIV specialists fight an array of progressive, often life-threatening combetter for millions of Americans. I celebrated the passage of the new health plications with multiple medications that require close and ongoreform law. It has giving monitoring. And en Americans living since many patients bewith HIV/AIDS much come resistant to their reason to hope. But medication over time, even in victory, there treatment regimens must are important details change frequently. that must be worked out. We should not 2. Patients and be afraid of making their doctors canchanges that will pronot appeal IPAB’s tect patient rights and decisions. total care. One such Patients have no rechange that is needed course to appeal any relates to the Indedecision made by IPAB. pendent Payment AdDoctors, who know betvisory Board (IPAB). ter than anyone about IPAB is a new enthe care a particular David Mixner tity comprised of 15 patient needs, are also presidential appointees and tasked with unable to appeal IPAB’s decisions. Withcutting Medicare spending. Its recom- out patient or doctor input, the HIV/AIDS mendations automatically become law community will be left at the mercy of 15 without Congressional action. And it is unelected bureaucrats who can make mawholly exempt from judicial or adminis- jor changes to Medicare. trative review. 3. There’s effectively zero ConThese are high stakes for the HIV/AIDS gressional oversight. community. In 2006, Medicare became the To prevent an IPAB recommendation from single largest source of financing for HIV becoming law, Congress can either outright care. Today, nearly 100,000 people with reject it via three-fifths majority vote, or HIV rely on Medicare for coverage. propose its own plan to achieve the same Here are four reasons why IPAB is bad amount of savings. Both these possibilities for the HIV/AIDS community. are politically unlikely. What’s more, the law requires Congress 1. IPAB will disrupt the doctorto act within an extremely short time pepatient relationship. For many people with HIV, finding the riod. And even if Congress were to achieve right doctor is the most important decision continued on page 36 FLICKR / jglsongs

he Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has initiated an expansion of its successful Act Against AIDS Leadership Initiative (AAALI), a partnership of leading national organizations designed to increase HIV prevention efforts. CDC is increasing the effort’s funding from $10 million to $16 million over six years and broadening its scope to include eight additional organizations to help fight HIV among African-Americans, Latinos, and gay and bisexual men – the populations hardest hit by HIV. When launched in 2009, the initiative brought together some of the nation’s foremost African-American organizations to intensify HIV prevention efforts in black communities, since African-Americans are the racial group that bears the heaviest burden of HIV in the United States. The new initiative, launched in October, expands AAALI to include three Latino organizations and five additional AfricanAmerican organizations, two of which focus specifically on black gay and bisexual men. The effort also directly supports the priorities identified in President Obama’s recently released National HIV/AIDS Strategy to focus on populations most affected by HIV. Within its first year, AAALI partners coordinated nearly 1,400 outreach events, engaged nearly 400 affiliates across the United States in prevention activities and reached millions more with HIV prevention messages through conferences, advertisements and media stories. “The AAALI initiative demonstrates the power of partnerships. In just one year, these leading organizations have stepped up and helped make remarkable inroads in delivering HIV prevention and awareness to communities at greatest risk,” said Kevin Fenton, M.D., director of CDC’s National Center for HIV/AIDS, Viral Hepatitis, STD and TB Prevention. “We want to move quickly to replicate our initial success so we can not only do more but reach further into more communities severely af-

Dr. Kevin Fenton

fected by this disease.” HIV takes the greatest toll among African-American and Latino men and women and gay and bisexual men of all races. The rate of new infections among blacks is seven times the rate of whites. Among Hispanics, the rate of new HIV infections is three times that of whites. And according to a recent CDC analysis, while men who have sex with men (MSM) make up only 4 percent of males aged 13 and older in this country, the HIV diagnosis rate in this population is at least 40 times that of other men. “This expansion helps us respond to the urgent need to reach communities of color and gay and bisexual men with critical HIV prevention services,” said Jonathan Mermin, M.D., director of CDC’s Division of HIV/AIDS Prevention. “AAALI partners have strong links to their communities and are committed to using these resources to help us bring an end to this epidemic.” The Leadership Initiative is part of Act Against AIDS, CDC’s nationwide campaign launched last year in partnership with the White House, which aims to increase HIV awareness among all Americans. The campaign includes a national education component and awareness efforts specifically tailored to African-American men and women, Latino men and women and gay and bisexual men of all races. For more information, visit www.actagainstaids.org or www.cdc.gov/hiv.

December 1, 2010 • SouthFloridaGayNews.com

NEWS

Koop: AIDS Is the ‘Forgotten Epidemic’ By JENNIFER C. KERR Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) Calling it the ``forgotten epidemic,’’ former Surgeon General C. Everett Koop urged Americans to end complacency about AIDS and put the deadly disease back on the radar screen. Koop, the bearded physician who sounded the alarm against AIDS nearly three decades ago, joined other doctors Wednesday at a panel discussion on the epidemic, as scientists and medical professionals prepared to open a national summit on the disease. While the number of new HIV infections has remained relatively stable, Koop says it is still far too high. An estimated 56,300 Americans become infected with HIV, the virus that causes AIDS, each year.

“This is not the time to declare victory,’’ said Koop, who’s 94. ``The war against HIV/AIDS is far from over.’’ The growing sense of complacency, Koop said, is “as dangerous as the irrational fear in the early days of the AIDS controversy.’’ During the panel discussion, Koop talked about sending pamphlets to more than 100 million American households in 1988 to educate people about how the disease was C. Everett Koop, former surgeon general

spread, who was at risk and what people could do to protect themselves. “It is vital,’’ he said, “to give Americans the facts and to do it in plain English.’’ Koop was a leading advocate for the use of condoms as the AIDS epidemic erupted in the 1980s. Today, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that more than 1 million people are living with HIV in the

United States. One in five of those with HIV is unaware of his or her infection. And more than 18,000 people with AIDS die each year. Of particular concern, said the CDC’s Kevin Fenton, are higher infection rates among gay and bisexual men, African Americans, and Hispanics. Fenton and John Bartlett of Johns Hopkins University both urged better education efforts and routine HIV screening for adults and adolescents. Routine HIV testing would go a long way toward combatting the epidemic by leading to earlier access to treatment and limiting the spread of the virus, they said. More doctors need to be offering routine screening, said Bartlett. And more patients, said Fenton, need to be demanding a test.

Positively Aware Publishes

‘A Day with HIV in America’ Pictorial By A. Sebastian Fortino

OSITIVELY AWARE, a leading magazine devoted to HIV treatment, published an awesome

Chuck Panozzo

magazine last month, entitled, “A Day With HIV In America,” a photo essay published in the new November/December 2010 issue of the magazine.

Taken in cities and towns around the country on September 21, 2010, the 26-photo pictorial – selected from over one hundred submissions – put a human face on the HIV epidemic by depicting a diverse range of HIV-positive Americans as they live their everyday lives. Among those who appeared in the pictorial are: • Chuck Panozzo, bassist and co-founder of the band Styx, as he prepares for a presentation to the Virginia Organizations Responding to AIDS; • Twin girls Mya and Sade Wright of Denver, CO, who were born HIV-positive and want to be veterinarians when they grow up; • Martin Mace, a tourist from London visiting San Francisco, who was finally able to visit the United States thanks to the

lifting of the previous travel ban on HIVpositive persons; • Jennifer Jako of Oregon, who has been HIV-positive for twenty years and is photographed with her HIV-free four-year-old daughter. Said POSITIVELY AWARE editor Jeff Berry: “By depicting HIV-positive Americans of all walks of life in everyday moments, this pictorial chips away at the stigma attached to HIV. We are not victims suffering in silence – we are a very diverse group of people living full, complete lives.” While only 26 photos were selected for the print edition, all submissions can be viewed online at www.adaywithhiv.com. POSITIVELY AWARE is an internationally known and respected magazine devoted to HIV treatment and wellness. It has a circulation of over 85,000, and is published bi-monthly by Test Positive Aware Network (TPAN) in Chicago, the only publication of its kind to be produced by a non-profit AIDS agency.

December 1, 2010 • SouthFloridaGayNews.com

GUEST COLUMN Living Out:

On Being HIV Positive in the Workplace By Tyler Helms

he Deutsch I Know– A Lesson in Gaining Tolerance and Encouraging Diversity The Deutsch I know started 5 years ago. In those 5 years, clients have come and gone, work has been good and bad, but the agency I have come to call home has not waivered in its core values. Values that in today’s environment, and on the heels of World AIDS Day, I believe should not be taken for granted. Being a professional, out, and an HIV positive gay male is no doubt easier than it was just 5 years ago. Medical advances, legislation and progressive thinking have made being gay more acceptable; what was once considered a terminal illness is now a chronic one. But as I often say, that is only half the healing and wellness that comes with HIV. The other half can be found in the social and mental challenges that diagnosis brings. I know because I am HIV-Positive, diagnosed in 2007, on medication since 2009, and in just a few weeks will mark a year since I disclosed my status in a very public way. It started as a Facebook post that encouraged a simple conversation. This quickly became the news story of the day for The Advocate. From there, the worldwide web took that conversation to places I never thought it would go. And whether they were ready or not, Deutsch had to be along for the ride. A ride that many feared would impact my career and my clients. The issue of who to tell does not stop at the bedroom door. In the work place,

while privacy is encouraged and laws are in place to protect us, it doesn’t always work. I was often conflicted, is it too personal, unprofessional, or an “over-share?” Regardless of where you work, there is an innate fear of being treated differently, being judged or simply feeling exposed. This fear ultimately leads to secrecy. But I argue the impact on my career would have been far more negative if I hadn’t disclosed my truth. Deutsch is a sayit-like-it-is transparent environment and I was lying everyday. Wo r k p l a c e discrimination exists and judgments are made that impact a person’s career path once it’s discovered that they are HIV-positive. The first time I had complications, which involved a large infection on my face, I told co-workers an elaborate story that involved a spider bite while on vacation. I told this lie out of fear, to cover my greatest truth, a truth that was manifesting on my face, one I didn’t want to impact the career I was working hard to build. When I began to get sick, I lost nearly 25 pounds at a rapid speed, struggled to go far from a bathroom – the comments around my weight loss were covered with a gay pun “being skinny for summer.” Courtesy dot429.com At 29, Tyler Helms is a former television journalist turned award-winning advertising executive. Originally from Atlanta, GA he is currently a vice president and group account director at Deutsch Inc. living fulltime in New York City. Outside of Deutsch, Helms writes a column for The Advocate called “Living the Questions.”

December 1, 2010 • SouthFloridaGayNews.com

More AIDS Stories Online at SouthFloridaGayNews.com ‘A Day with HIV in America’ Pictorial Page 38

December 2010

South Florida Gay News.com

Volume1, Number 4

Anti-AIDS Groups Hail New Drug But Worry About Pricing By Marcus Wohlsen Associated Press

SAN FRANCISCO – AIDS prevention advocates are hailing a pill newly shown to protect against HIV as a great tool for disease prevention. But they caution that no drug alone can address social factors blamed for the persistence of the epidemic. And they say concerns remain about who will pay for the costly treatment. A study released Tuesday showed that daily doses of a drug called Truvada, already used to treat HIV infection, cut the risk of new infections among healthy gay men. Kyriell Noon of the San Francisco-based Stop AIDS Project said any addition to the HIV prevention safety net is good news. But he said factors, such as lack of access to education and health care that contribute to higher infection rates, do not evaporate when a promising drug comes along. Truvada, which costs $5,000 to $14,000 a year in the United States, will do little to halt HIV’s spread if the only way to get it is to pay out of pocket, Noon said. “The history of the HIV epidemic in this country has been a story of disparities,” he

said. “I would hate to see this new exciting breakthrough enhance those disparities.” Noon’s group was among those that helped recruit participants for the study in San Francisco, which has more than one new HIV infection every day, according to the city’s Department of Public Health. The overall study involved about 2,500 men at high risk of HIV infection in Peru, Ecuador, Brazil, South Africa, Thailand and the United States (San Francisco and Boston). Dr. Susan Buchbinder, director of the San Francisco health department’s HIV research section, called the findings on the drug a “tremendous step forward.” But she took pains to point out that among the several HIV prevention studies she has overseen, this latest had especially strict requirements for making sure participants stayed on track. Men taking Truvada had to commit to monthly medical visits and received extensive counseling, including reminders about the importance of condoms. Such reminders seemed to have worked: During the study, risky sex among men taking Truvada declined. But concern exists that in the real world, some men will see Truvada as a license to

be promiscuous and shed precautions such as condoms. A follow-up study will track participants who remain on the drug to see if that happens. Ronny Nolasco, 28, of San Francisco participated in the Truvada study and said he is looking forward to being part of the follow-up. While he was pleased to hear about the study’s findings about the drug, the counseling he received was at least as important, he said. “It helped me out a lot,” Nolasco said. “It actually opened up my eyes to taking

more care of myself.” Advocates say experiences like Nolasco’s are why just handing out the drug will not be enough. “Our goal is to try to combine prevention interventions,” Buchbinder said. “It’s not about just popping a pill every day.” Yet for many healthy gay men, the question of whether to take a daily dose of Truvada will likely become an important issue. Public health officials say they are working on defining who falls into the highest continued on page 36