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‘Owlcatraz’ & LGBT Rights 22

Introducing: Dixon Diaries 40

#LoveWins Photo Campaign 74

Local name, global coverage.

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The Bible Belt Can Be Gay 18

SouthFloridaGayNews.com

mar. 6, 2013 // Vol. 4 // Issue 10

The Criminality Behind HIV 70

Top 3 on SFGN.com

SouthFloridaGayNews.com

March 6, 2013 • Volume 4 • Issue 10 2520 N. Dixie Highway • Wilton Manors, FL 33305 Phone: 954-530-4970 Fax: 954-530-7943

Last week’s hottest items couldn’t wait to be printed

Sergio N. Candido

sergio.candido@sfgn.com

Publisher • Norm Kent norm.kent@sfgn.com

Mars Chocolate Sued for Gay Discrimination

Chief Executive Officer • Pier Angelo Guidugli

Editorial

The M&M makers were sued for allegedly firing a manager after she came out A New Jersey woman is suing M&M producer Mars Chocolate, claiming she was terminated after supervisors found out she was a lesbian.

Theresa Kwiecinski, 46, is suing the chocolate maker for wrongful termination, according to the suit filed in the town of Belvidere and quoted by The Express-Times.

The woman, who served as commercial manager for external

manufacturing, said colleagues began treating her differently after she introduced them to her partner and daughter at a 2011 work conference in Florida.

After the conference, Kwiecinski said she was handed an “unreasonable” workload; when she complained about it she was told “‘well that’s the business now, we all have to work bigger jobs,’” according

to the lawsuit.

Her sexuality, coupled with performance issues due to a pregnancy, culminated in her dismissal, the lawsuit states.

“My client is very disturbed for how she was treated at Mars, and we look forward to her day in court,” attorney William Koy Jr. said. Mars has not issued a response on the matter.

Obama Joins Gays in Supreme Court Fight

Editor in Chief • Jason Parsley

jason.parsley@sfgn.com

Managing Editor • Gideon Grudo

Webmaster • Dennis Jozefowicz Web Editor • Sergio N. Candido

gideon.grudo@sfgn.com

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sergio.candido@sfgn.com

Asst. Web Editor • Ryan Dixon ryan.dixon@sfgn.com

Graphic Specialist • Mark Pauciullo

Arts/Entertainment Editor • JW Arnold

International Travel Editor • Joey Amato Business Editor • Richard Gary

jw@prdconline.com

Senior Features Correspondents Jesse Monteagudo Tony Adams

Correspondents

The President urged the U.S. Supreme Court to side with the gay community The Obama administration filed amicus briefs in the Supreme Court cases against the Defense of Marriage Act and California’s same-sex marriage ban.

On Feb. 28, the Justice Department urged the high court to side with two gay couples who started a legal fight to get married four years ago, when Proposition 8 was passed in California, according

to NBC News. Proposition 8 took away the right to marry from gays and lesbians in California.

Earlier that week, the Obama administration filed a friendsof-the-court brief in support of a challenge to DOMA, a 1996 federal law that defines marriage as the union between a man and a woman thus depriving gay couples of rights and privileges

granted to heterosexual couples, like filing tax returns together and maintaining estate rights after widowing.

The Supreme Court is set to hear oral arguments on the Proposition 8 case (named Hollingsworth v. Perry) on March 26. The following day the high court will hear arguments in the case challenging DOMA.

Parents Demand Marriage Equality in China

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Andrea Dulanto Donald Cavanaugh Dori Zinn Dylan Bouscher Sean Little

Contributing Columnists

Editorial Cartoonists • Karl Hampe Brian McNaught Dana Rudolph Darryl Smith David Webb Ric Reily Victoria Michaels Wayne Besen Staff Photographers J.R. Davis Pompano Bill Steven Shires

Sales & Marketing

The parents of Chinese gays and lesbians are asking the government for equal rights More than 100 parents with the group PFLAG China (Parents and Friends of Lesbians and Gays of China) recently wrote an open letter to delegates of China’s National People’s Congress, demanding marriage equality for their children, the South China Morning Post reports.

“The fact that they can’t legally marry puts them in a

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difficult situation when they try to adopt children, sign for their partners’ operations, inherit assets from a deceased partner, or even buy a flat,” part of the letter, signed Feb. 25, read.

The letter also argues that the current Chinese laws likely “encourage homosexuals to marry heterosexuals” and they ask: “Won’t this produce bigger social problems?”

According to a 2012 report published in China Daily, as many as 16 million Chinese women are married to closeted gay men.

Homosexuality is legal in China. But the country currently bans gay marriage and any type of civil union between people of the same sex.

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Three More Quickies to Wake You Up Bisexual Florida Middle Schooler Won’t Give Up On a GSA

Bayli Silberstein has been trying to establish the club at Carver Middle School for over a year.

Gay Republican Groups Left Out of Conservative Political Action Conference The Log Cabin Republicans and GOProud were not invited to the annual conservative gathering.

British Gay Man Embezzles $250K to Pay Off His Wife

A man who claims his wife was blackmailing him over his sexual orientation was sent to jail.

// 3.6.2013 // SFGN.com //

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Artwork@sfgn.com

SouthFloridaGayNews.com

Community Outreach Coordinator • John Fugate Advertising Sales Manager • Mike Trottier Assistant Advertising Sales Manager • Justin Wyse Classifieds Sales Associate • Adrian Evans Advertising Sales Associates • Edwin Neimann National Sales Representative • Rivendell Media todd@rivendellmedia.com

Accounting Services by CG Bookkeeping Cover

Illustration of upcoming Pride South Florida.

By Laura May Jockers.

South Florida Gay News is published weekly. The opinions expressed in columns, stories, and letters to the editor do not represent the opinions of SFGN, or the Publisher. You should not presume the sexual orientation of individuals based on their names or pictorial representations. Furthermore the word “gay” in SFGN should be interpreted to be inclusive of the entire LGBT community. All of the material/columns that appears in print and online, including articles used in conjunction with the AP, is protected under federal copyright and intellectual property laws, and is jealously guarded by the newspaper. Nothing published may be reprinted in whole or part without getting written consent from the Publisher, at his law office, at Norm@NormKent.com. SFGN, as a private corporation, reserves the right to enforce its own standards regarding the suitability of advertising copy, illustrations and photographs. Copyright©2013 South Florida Gay News.com, Inc.

Associated Press Florida Press Association National Gay and Lesbian Journalists Association

news world Fort Lauderdale Tops List of Hottest Spring Break ‘Gaycations’ Sergio N. Candido

sergio.candido@sfgn.com

Fort Lauderdale will likely be swarming with gay college students this year.

Nearly half of the top 10 traveling destinations for LGBT college students this Spring Break are located in Florida, with Fort Lauderdale heading the list, according to a recent survey.

MissTravel.com, a travel-dating website, determined the ranking based on its most booked locations for March among its approximately 15,400 users who identify as gay college students.

Fort Lauderdale tops the list with 902 trips booked. Other Florida destinations to make the top 10 include Key West (ranked third), Panama City (ranked eighth) and Miami (ranked ninth).

The website also mentions that at least one in five gay college members will travel for Spring Break this year, with 2,926 trips currently scheduled for March.

“Florida is clearly this year’s most popular

gay spring break destination with four different locations on our list,” Brandon Wade, founder and CEO of MissTravel.com, said in a statement.

“Since launching in 2012, MissTravel’s LGBT community has grown exponentially to over 38,000 members, many of which are actively planning for the spring break season.”

Here’s the full list of “Top 10 Spring Break Gaycations”

1. Fort Lauderdale, Florida (902 Trips) 2. Palm Springs, California (633 Trips) 3. Key West, Florida (569 Trips) 4. Las Vegas, Nevada (154 Trips) 5. South Padre Island, Texas (117 Trips) 6. Cancun, Mexico (93 Trips) 7. San Diego, California (85 Trips) 8. Panama City, Florida (80 Trips) 9. Miami, Florida (74 Trips) 10. Puerto Vallarta, Mexico (62 Trips) soflagaynews //

SouthFloridaGayNews.com // SFGN.com // 3.6.13 //

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News Briefs

Sergio N. Candido

sergio.candido@sfgn.com

+Miami Beach Selected to Host 2017 World OutGames Miami Beach has been selected to host the 2017 World OutGames, an international sporting event that could bring thousands of athletes and tourists to South Florida.

Daniel Vaudrin, president of the Gay and Lesbian International Sports Association, made the announcement on Feb. 28. This will mark the first time that the World Outgames has been held in the U.S. “We are extremely honored that GLISA chose Miami Beach-Miami for the 2017

World Outgames. This is a major leap forward for our community,” Bruce Townsend, co-chair of the Miami BeachMiami Sports and Cultural League, the volunteer coalition that entered the bid on behalf of Miami, said in a statement.

“This experience has been unbelievable for our team and we are grateful to represent Miami Beach and Miami for this once-in-alifetime opportunity. We are ecstatic about being able to showcase Miami Beach and Miami on this world stage.”

While Miami Beach will be the headlining city, events will be held throughout Miami-Dade.

Lummus Park, Flamingo Park, Tamiami Park, the University of Miami, the Ransom Everglades School Aquatic Center and Miami Beach Convention Center were all presented as venues in the bid.

There is no need to be athlete to participate in the games. Competitors are “arranged according to the skill level of the athletic.”

+

The Supreme Court is set to hear oral arguments on the case (named Hollingsworth v.

Perry) on March 26. The following day the high court will hear arguments in a case challenging the federal Defense of Marriage Act. In their brief, the companies also argue that besides believing gay marriage is a constitutional right, they think it makes sense from a business standpoint.

“By singling out a group for less favorable treatment, Proposition 8 impedes businesses from achieving the market’s ideal of efficient operations -- particularly in recruiting, hiring, and retaining talented people who are in the best position to operate at their highest capacity. Amici are competing domestically and internationally with companies inside and outside the United States in places where all couples, regardless of whether they are of the same sex, are afforded equal access to marriage,” part of the brief reads.

Over 75 Republicans Sign Legal Brief Supporting Gay Marriage in DOMA Court Case

A battalion of influential Republicans is throwing its support behind gay marriage in an amicus brief to the Supreme Court with sights on next month’s gay rights court discussions.

At least 75 conservative politicians signed the document, which argues that gay marriage is a constitutional right. While friend-of-the-court briefs are not deciding factors in court cases, legal analysts said the brief has the potential to sway conservative justices based on the prominent names of the Republicans who have signed it, the New York Times writes.

Republicans who signed the brief include former Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman, former Rep. Deborah Pryce (R-Ohio), former New Jersey Gov. Christine Todd Whitman, Reps. Richard Hanna (N.Y.) and Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (Fla.).

“Like a lot of the country, my views have evolved on this from the first day I set foot in Congress. I think it’s just the right thing, and I think it’s on solid legal footing, too,” Pryce told the Times.

This March, the Supreme Court will take on one challenge to the federal Defense of Marriage Act, a law that defines marriage as the union between a man and a woman, and Proposition 8, a California law that banned gay marriage in the state in 2008.

The effort against gay marriage is primarily being carried out by House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio), who has green lit $3 million to spend on lawyers defending in DOMA. Passed in 2008, Proposition 8 took away the right to marry from gays and lesbians in California. The law was challenged by two gay couples, who got a historic decision on On

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Miami Beach, Ocean Drive photo courtesy of Luis Miguel Contreras Alvarez

Feb. 7, 2012, when the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit found Proposition 8 unconstitutional. The proponents of the anti-gay law then took that decision to the Supreme Court.

DOMA is a 1996 law that defines marriage as a union between a man and a woman, thus depriving gay couples of the rights and privileges granted to heterosexual couples, like filing tax returns together and maintaining estate rights after widowing.

The Supreme Court is set to start oral argument on these cases on March 26 and March 27.

+ Apple, Facebook, and Dozens of Companies to File Brief Against Prop 8

At least 60 companies, including Apple, Facebook, and Morgan Stanley filed an amicus soflagaynews //

Miami Beach and Miami will be hosting the games around Memorial Day Weekend 2017. The event takes place every four years in different cities throughout the world. The first World Outgames was held in 2006 in Montreal and attracted more than 12,000 participants.

The 2013 games will take place in Belgium from July 31 through Aug. 11.

The city of Reykjavík, in Iceland, was a finalist along with Miami Beach in the bid to host the games for 2017.

brief to the U.S. Supreme Court on Feb. 28 arguing against California’s gay marriage ban.

According to a draft copy obtained by Fortune, the corporations say in the friendof-the-court brief that laws like Proposition 8, which banned same-sex marriage in California, “send an unmistakable signal that same-sex couples are in some way inferior to oppositesex couples, a proposition that is anathema to amici’s commitment to equality and fair treatment to all,” as quoted by Bloomberg.

Passed in 2008, Proposition 8 took away the right to marry from gays and lesbians in California. The law was challenged by two gay couples, who got a historic decision on Feb. 7, 2012, when the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit found Proposition 8 unconstitutional. The proponents of the anti-gay law then took that decision to the Supreme Court.

SouthFloridaGayNews.com

+ Student Sues After Being Suspended for Wearing AntiBullying Shirt

A Florida student is suing her high school in Arcadia after she was suspended for wearing a t-shirt with an anti-gay bullying message.

Amber Hatcher, an openly lesbian 16-yearold, filed a lawsuit on Feb. 26 against the DeSoto County High School arguing the school interfered with her First Amendment rights when they suspended her last year.

In the lawsuit, Hatcher said she was wearing a t-shirt with the message “DOS April 20, 2012: Shhhhh” and communicated with peers and teachers by dry erase board.

DOS is the abbreviation for “Day of Silence,” a national day of observance that takes place every year since 1996 to protest the bullying and harassment of LGBT teens. The event was started by the Gay, Lesbian and Straight

Education Network and takes place every April.

After repeated warnings from school administrators and a rotund disapproval from DeSoto County School Superintendent Adrian Cline, Hatcher decided to wear the t-shirt and proceed with her plan to protest last year. She was suspended from school later that day.

“DeSoto County Schools is practicing the very kind of harassment and discrimination the Day of Silence is designed to address in schools,” Eliza Byard, GLSEN’s executive director, said in a statement.

“By participating in the Day of Silence, students across the country are directing attention to the reality that LGBT youth experience a disproportionate amount of bullying and harassment in schools. We stand

by Amber’s right to express her belief that she and the rest of her peers deserve a safer learning experience regardless of their sexual orientation or gender identity/expression.”

For its part, the school has not issued a response on the case.

+ Poll: Most Oppose Renaming San Francisco Airport After Gay

an online petition to change the name of the airport in memory of his uncle; the petition has garnered over 20,000 signatures as of publication. He also spearheaded a rally on the steps of City Hall that drew about 100 supporters.

+ Study: It Gets Better, Gay Bullying Decreases Over Time

Gay blogger and activist Dan Savage was right when he decided to share on YouTube his story of growing up gay: It does get better.

A new study published in the medical journal Pediatrics has found that gay bullying decreases as teens get older.

British researchers Joseph Robinson and Dorothy Espelage and Ian Rivers followed the progress of over 4,000 English teens every year, from 2004 to 2010.

Results showed that at least 87 percent of gay, lesbian and bisexual teens between the ages of 13 to 14 were bullied. But when the teens were interviewed again at ages 19 and 20 only 6 percent

Better Project in 2010, the researchers believe it already has had a positive impact on the lives of bullied kids, helping to change perceptions and gain acceptance for gay teens.

“Since 2010 the ‘It Gets Better’ project has started, same-sex marriage has become legal in several additional states, and the gay rights movement has picked up additional momentum. So I would expect to see more of an effect of the gay-rights movement on antigay bullying after 2010,” Robinson said.

+ Transgender Candidate to Run for Office in Pakistan

Two years after transgender people were given the right to vote in Pakistan, the first trans candidate will make a run for office in the Muslim country.

Sanam Fakir, a 32-year-old activist, will run to gain a seat in the Sindh provincial assembly, Agence France-Presse reports.

“It is not our destiny to merely dance for others and hold begging bowls. We have a life to live,”

Icon Harvey Milk

Despite San Francisco being one of the most gay-friendly cities in the country, a majority of residents oppose a proposal to rename the city’s airport in honor of gay rights advocate Harvey Milk, according to a recent poll.

The study, done by David Binder Research and commissioned by the San Francisco Chamber of Commerce this February, found that about two-thirds of the 500 registered voters polled do not support the idea.

What’s interesting is that even within the LGBT community the support for the name change was rather lukewarm. Only 45 percent of respondents who identified as LGBT were in favor of the idea. In San Francisco’s District 8, where Milk became the first openly gay public official in the U.S., the support was at 50 percent. “[We find the poll] to be reflective of voter turnout, not necessarily the entire demographic of the city,” Jim Lazarus, Chamber of Commerce senior vice president, told the San Francisco Chronicle.

The Huffington Post writes that the poll is skewed because it focuses on “likely voters,” a sample of the population who are older and more conservative than the city as a whole.

Supervisor David Campos introduced the proposal. Supervisor Scott Weiner said that renaming the airport after the gay icon would cement the San Francisco’s reputation as the mecca for the gay community. “[Milk] is the most important figure in the history of the LGBT community, and he played such a critical role in modern San Francisco politics,” Weiner told Chronicle in January.

“San Francisco has always been at the forefront of the fight for LGBT equality, and so people come here from around the country and around the world because of that, and for 40 million people a year to land at Harvey Milk International Airport sends an incredible message to the world.”

Milk’s nephew, Stuart Milk, had started

+ Go-Go Dancer at Phoenix Gay Bar Subdues Man Wielding Ax

An unnamed go-go dancer prevented what could have been a tragedy at a gay bar in Phoenix, Arizona, when an irate man wielding an ax entered the venue.

“I really thought my life was in danger, I’m pretty sure everybody else did too,” Adrian Carlos Maldonado, manager at Oz bar, told Fox Phoenix.

According to police, 40-year-old Lawrence Aguirre was at the bar on Feb. 17 when he got into an argument with his girlfriend. Sensing Aguirre might be drunk, Maldonado escorted him out.

Minutes later, the man went to his car, grabbed an ax, hit the bar’s door with it and stormed in, threatening to kill Maldonado and putting in danger the lives of about 30 patrons.

It was at this moment that a go-go dancer at the establishment grabbed Aguirre from behind and then Maldonado hit him in the head with a pool cue.

“Once that happened, I threw the pool stick to the side, I had somebody else grab the ax and we just held him on the ground,” Maldonado said.

Police charged Aguirre with two counts of aggravated assault and one count of criminal damage.

+ Jersey Shore’s JWoww Poses Topless for NOH8 Campaign

Jersey Shore’s JWoww Poses Topless for NOH8 Campaign photo courtesy of JWow’s Facebook page

of lesbian and bisexual girls and 9 percent of gay and bisexual boys reported being bullied.

“Our research provides strong evidence that it gets better, and yet, there is still room for improvement,” Robinson told Windy City Times.

Robinson also clarified that while the study took place in England, similar results would be expected in the U.S. “It’s highly probable that we would see similar patterns in the U.S. Our hypothesis about the different trends among males and females was based on prior research [mainly conducted in the US],” he said.

He said the study also found a direct link between gay bullying and higher risks of suicide.

“We find that bullying during high school is related to emotional distress during young adulthood, which suggests we should focus on reducing bullying early on because these experiences during high school can have lasting consequences,” he said.

Even though Savage started the It Gets

Fakir, who runs a charity, told AFP by telephone from the town of Sukkur.

Transgender individuals in Pakistan fall under the broader term “eunuch” which is used to refer to hermaphrodites, transsexuals, transvestites and homosexuals in addition to castrated men.

In 2011, eunuchs became eligible to seek office after a Supreme Court decision, which also allowed them to register to vote.

The AFP writes that eunuchs are usually hired to dance at parties, and “are treated as sex objects and often become the victims of assault, ending up as beggars and prostitutes.”

While Fakir’s chances to win may be slim due to Pakistan’s patronage-based political system, she believes some people will want to support someone who does not belong to the rich class.

“We are not corrupt. We have no need to be corrupt. We have no families and our own needs are limited. We are contented people,” Fakir said.

The elections are due by mid-May.

soflagaynews //

Jersey Shore’s Jenni “JWoww” Farley is taking a stand for equality—breasts first.

The reality star is the latest celebrity to pose for the NOH8 campaign, a photographic protest against Proposition 8.

Passed in 2008, Proposition 8 took away the right to marry from gays and lesbians in California.

The law was challenged by two gay couples, who got a historic decision on Feb. 7, 2012, when the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit found Proposition 8 unconstitutional. The proponents of the anti-gay law then took that decision to the Supreme Court.

JWoww took the photo shoot up a notch, not only wearing the silver NOH8 duct tape across her mouth, but also sporting it across her bare breasts.

“It was a great experience,” she told MTV. “The story blew up because of human kindness. Don’t hate on your fellow man. It’s very inspirational.”

She added that she decided to contact the campaign and get involved to support her best friend, who is gay.

“My best friend, Joey, is gay and he was with his boyfriend, Eric, for seven years,” the 27-year-old said.

“He wanted to get married so bad for like the last four years. Three months before the law was passed, he went to a courthouse for the common law, and I don’t want to say they disrespected him, but they just treated him like another number ... I think everyone, gay, straight, should be able to have that and cherish that and have all the pictures, the family, everything. It’s really important to me.”

SouthFloridaGayNews.com // SFGN.com // 3.6.13 //

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news local

Pride South Florida Returns Annual event celebrates 36 years Dylan Bouscher

dylanjbouscher@gmail.com

South Florida Pridefest at War Memorial Auditorium at Holiday Park Photo Courtesy of Elvert Barnes

Break out your parade floats, rainbow flags and dancing shoes. Pride South Florida’s weekend-long PrideFest returns to Fort Lauderdale this weekend.

And not only is the two day celebration of the LGBT community returning to The War Memorial Auditorium in Holiday Park for its second year, 2013 marks the 36th year since the South Florida-based, non-profit company started organizing pride parades.

So how is one of the largest LGBT pride parade in the southeastern United States, marching on more than three decades after the struggle for equal rights began?

There is still a need for it, according to Pride South Florida Co-Chair Marc Hansen.

“Although we’ve gotten a lot of rights made available to us, we’re still not free,” said Hansen, who started organizing this year’s feastival in January 2012 and started working on 2014’s festival last month. “And we need to remind ourselves that we don’t have all our rights.”

To make sure the message for this year’s PrideFest resonates with partygoers this year, Pride South Florida is also packing some positive reinforcements: the headlining American pop duo Karmin, live DJs arriving from across the country, more than 150 vendors, 25 food booths, beer and cocktails, a Children’s Pride Park, and a karaoke tent.

“In all honesty, for the price of our festival, we are a lot of fun, provide a lot of education and information. We stepped up our entertainment, so it’s not stuff we used to see 5 years ago,” Hansen said.

“And if you really, really, want to see part of the community and learn on top of having a great time, then come to PrideFest.

It’ll turn you around and make you want to come every year.”

IF YOU G What

Pride South Florida

When

Saturday March 9 at Noon to Sunday March 10 at 6p.m.

Where

War Memorial Auditorium, 800 N.E. Street, Fort Lauderdale, Fla. 33304

How Much

$10 for a PrideFest one day ticket, $15 for a PrideFest two-day ticket

More Info.

PrideSouthFlorida.org

Continued on page 20

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SouthFloridaGayNews.com

WEDNESDAYS IN MARCH 9AM - 9PM

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news local

Meet the Board of Pride South Florida Marc Hansen: Co Chair/President

Compiled from Pride South Florida

PrideFests don’t happen by themselves. It takes legions of volunteers to put them on each year, with a dedicated board of directors at the helm.

In order to highlight the individuals that make this happen SFGN is running their bios this week in honor of Pride South Florida this weekend.

Marc Scharphorn: Co-Chair/ Vice President Born and raised in Grand Rapids, Michigan, Marc came to Florida 4 years ago after spending 20 plus years in College Athletic Administration in Michigan.

He spent all of that in Facility and Event Operations.

Marc and his partner Jim are co-owners of the Depot Cabana Bar & Grill in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, a friendly neighborhood bar with a pool and full kitchen. This is Marc’s first year on the Board of Pride South Florida. Marc is the Co-Chair of the Entertainment Committee. Marc likes to spend his free time with his partner and their three dogs, and is an avid college sports fan!

Tim Towey: Treasurer I am an honorary FL native and local for the past 10 years. I volunteered with the annual festival for two years and then joined the board. This has proven to be the greatest opportunity for me to give back to our incredible South Florida community. A community which has given me great pleasure to be a part of over the past decade. The past year we saw many local and national huge equality gains for our community that as a young Florida teenager I thought may not occur in my lifetime. While I am only a small part of an effort to bring equality to all, I could not be any prouder that I am with Pride South Florida.

It is an honor I take seriously and to heart and with each day.

John Fugate John Fugate is the Marketing Co-Coordinator with Pride South Florida. This is his first year on the board.

Outside of Pride South Florida he is the Marketing Director of the South Florida Gay News, National Gay News and national quarterly magazine The Mirror. He’s been with SFGN since its inception in January 2010. Before taking over as Marketing Director he served as the sales manager and distribution manager for the company. In 2008 he graduated from Everest Institute as a Patient Care Technician.

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soflagaynews //

SouthFloridaGayNews.com

Marc Hansen moved to Fort Lauderdale in 1989, after Eric Lawrence brought him here to MC a contest at the Marlin Beach. Eric told Marc I would be an adventure living here and yes he was right. I have MC’d. Performed and helped out with almost every HIV/AIDS organization, here and gone, since I arrived.

I have done so with many of the most wonderful talents on Nicki Adams, Dana Manchester and others. I am a U.S. Air Force Veteran, that loves this community with all his heart and being…almost to his detriment. I am fortunate to have the most wonderful, loving and caring husband, partner in the world. I have had over 15 surgeries for cancer and he ( Mark Maybe Bar Manager at Rosie’s Bar & Grill ) has been at my side for each and every one of them. I love you honey!

Rocky Bowell: Secretary Rocky Bowell has been extremely active in the community since he first arrived in Fort Lauderdale back in 1999. This year as secretary of the Board and a member of the Sponsorship, Merchandise, Logistics and By Laws committees, Rocky has again become very active with Pride South Florida as he was during his original stint from 2005-2008. In the past he was a founding board member of Pride of Greater Fort Lauderdale and the Green Dog Day Festival. Rocky has served as the General Manager of Pride Factory since 1999, where he enjoys serving the community here in South Florida.

Miss Vicky Keller: Board Member Emeritus Ms Vicky is starting her 32nd year with Pride South Florida. She has filled every executive chair at least once, (with the exception of Treasurer). She has opened our weekends by singing the “Star Spangled Banner” and closed them by doing the last “walkthrough” to ensure that nothing’s been left behind. She was honored as an “Emeritus” member and, in recent years, has brought in over $5,000 for Pride South Florida to grant to the community by chairing the silent auction table. Pride South Florida is proud to know that she has always gone “Beyond the Rainbow” in her endeavors.

Roger Handevidt

Scott Holland

I moved to Fort Lauderdale from Minneapolis Minnesota and took over the Orton Terrace Guesthouse Jan. 24, 1980. I have been active in the GLBT oriented tourism and other community functions until the end of June 2011 when I sold the Orton Terrace. I bought a house in Dania Beach in 2004 and reside there today. I served on the board of directors of the Greater Fort Lauderdale Hotel & Motel Association for 22 years and on the Fort Lauderdale Beach Redevelopment Board 6 years from 1992 to 1998. I also served on the Board of Directors of the Rainbow Alliance from 2003 until June 2011. I also served on the Pride South Florida Board 2007 through 2009. I rejoined Pride South Board in June 2011.

Scott Holland, who was on the board of Pride South Florida for 4 years (3 of them being co-chair) in the mid 2000’s, was happy to return to the board last year for one of the best PrideFest’s ever. In his time away, he achieved one of the most important goals in his life; obtaining his Masters of Business Administration, graduating with honors. In August 2008 Hotspots Magazine hired Scott as their Associate Publisher.

Working together with the new owner, Peter Clark, they have catapulted Hotspots to the leading gay magazine in the State of Florida. Scott has even bigger plans for Hotspots Media Group, so watch out world – here he comes!

Sonia Mitchell

Sonia Aguero

I moved to South Florida in the late 1980s from one of the most homophobic country in the world: Jamaica. Searching to find my way I have stumbled upon a community that seems so far away, but yet has so much in common with me. A community that has experienced hate, and prejudice. I have been with Pride South Florida for over 16 years. I started out serving as a volunteer and eventually worked my way up to member-at-large, treasurer, secretary, and co-chair. I have also served on all committees.

I have also served on the international GLBTQA human rights committee for 5 years, and received several awards for my activism in community affairs. I love people and it gives me great joy to be a part of something that brings people such joy.

I came to U.S. in 1962 and lived in Northern Indiana for many years and then moved to Fort Lauderdale in the early 90’s. I started volunteering for GLCC (what it was called then), joined the glow project (gay & lesbians offering warmth), an outreach program to the community, where I served as chair for 8 years.

After that I continued on my own collecting toys at Christmas for another 3 years. I wanted to start helping our community and decided to join Pride South Florida for all the wonderful work and involvement for awareness they bring to everyone.

Mel Yarpi

Shawn Manning

I was born and raised in Fort Lauderdale and have lived here all my life. I enjoy softball, fishing, canoeing.

Have been active in supporting the community for several years relating to HIV/AIDS. Joined the board to add to my support of the community.

I Moved to Fort Lauderdale from Burlington, Vermont in 1988 when I was 21. I love it here. I have been on the Pride South Florida board for 2 and a half years on the entertainment committee. I’m in the tour business and music business. I love to travel around the U.S. Happy pride everyone.

Dan Byers I’ve been a resident of Wilton Manors for 2 years.

I moved here to hang out with friends and escape the cold climate in the Midwest. I was born and raised in Columbus, Ohio. After graduating from Ohio State University, I worked several years at Nationwide Insurance. I then migrated to Chicago where I continued my IT career for several years at

Kraft Foods, Chicago Board of Trade and PepsiCo. Since moving to Fort Lauderdale, I co-owned and operated a local pizzeria with a good friend. We recently closed the restaurant so we could each pursue different careers. I am now a licensed Florida Home Inspector with my own business. I am currently single, living in Wilton Manors with my best friend, his dog and my 2 cats. When I have time, I enjoy the dining and nightlife of Wilton Manors and Fort Lauderdale with friends.

Bonnie Majcher

After moving from Long Island, New York to South Florida in 1979, I attended Florida Atlantic University.

I also have advanced studies in Management and am a Certified Behavior Analyst. My work experience is varied and ranges from private practice to Juvenile Justice Program oversight to Health Center Administration, mostly in the Public

Joel S. Slotnick: Chair of Advisory Board A 41-year resident, Joel moved to Florida in 1971 from Chicago. He is the youngest of 3 brothers, one being his twin. After a 27-year career in the banking industry (where he was an operations manager and Assistant V.P. among other things), Joel is currently a digital court reporter for the State of Florida. Joel has volunteered in Broward County for over 3 decades. Joel has been in ministry for close to 22 years. He was ordained as a Deacon in 2005 and as a Reverend in 2011. His passion for ministry has been in worship and also the Pastoral Care area doing home and hospital visits officiating marriages, memorial services, and baptisms. Joel first was involved with Pride South Florida as a volunteer in 1995 and served as Treasurer from 1996-97. Joel returned to Pride South Florida in 2009 and served as Secretary/Treasurer in 2010 and 2011. soflagaynews //

Health arena. I have, and do, as much volunteer work in the community as time allows.

Currently, I live in Boca Raton with my wonderful son, 2 cats, and 2 young adults that have adopted me!

Always seeming to gravitate to some form of person centered service I made a decision to become a member of the board of Pride South Florida. I hope my experience and optimism will be an addition to a Board that is determined to move “into the future.”

Bryan C. Wilson Ortega Bryan Wilson is originally from Odessa, Tx. He currently works as director of training and development for SunServe, a nonprofit serving the gay community from adolescents to seniors. He is getting his Master’s degree from UM and enjoys outdoor activities, church, traveling and Fort Lauderdale tourism in his spare time.

SouthFloridaGayNews.com // SFGN.com // 3.6.13 //

9

news local

Pride Comedy Night Promises Plenty of Laughs J.W. Arnold

Jessica Kirson (no credit provided) & Jason Stuart Photo courtesy of Shandon Youngclaus

Get ready to laugh because the two comedians headlining Pride Comedy Night at the Parker Playhouse on Friday, March 8 are busy planning their shows, which coincide with the annual PrideFest events at Fort Lauderdale’s adjacent War Memorial Auditorium.

For Jason Stuart, a 20-year veteran with a long list of film and television credentials (The Closer, George Lopez, Will & Grace) and founder of the Screen Actors Guild LGBT Committee, there will be plenty of the usual kinds of gay jokes. “Come on, straight people, let us marry each other and we’ll stop marrying you!”

But he will also draw on a popular topic for many comedians, his Jewish mother, getting older, dating and finding a mate.

He also likes to pull material from the day’s headlines.

Hurricane Sandy provided him some fun at the expense of the cast of a certain MTV program, noting that Manhattan faced a lot of collateral damage as a result of an onslaught of “drunk orange people” who were evacuated from the Jersey Shore.

“I’ve been doing this for so long, I find myself more and more talking about dating and finding that perfect man,” he explained. “I’m also talking more to the audience. Florida is such a melting pot, it should be good.”

Stuart also warns, “Comedy is like quick sex. Sometimes it’s really great and other times you wonder why you’re even there.”

Jessica Kirson is also liable to make fun of her Jewish grandmother, but she adds her mother is just as likely a target for her caricature improvisations.

“I do a lot of characters in my show,” she said, including mom, dad and grandma, as well as a black woman, macho guy and more, many drawn from her own acquaintances.

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SouthFloridaGayNews.com

“I’ve been doing (impersonations) since I was a little kid,” Kirson said. “Some of it is rehearsed, but a lot is improv.”

While she’s not afraid to tackle LGBT issues, she is not political, preferring to talk about different kinds of people, annoying habits of others, her family and experiences with drugs.

Kirson has performed many times in South Florida over the past 14 years and she likes the audiences here.

“I think there’s going to be lots of gay people there and lots of Jewish people there,” she said. “That means I’m going to have a lot of fun. The more diverse the crowd, the better.”

Over the years, she’s noticed that comedy fans want to be entertained more and think less.

“People are stressed out with the money stuff and jobs, and they want to be given a show rather than having to figure stuff out and get the joke,” she said.

On Friday night, both Kirson and Stuart plan to deliver.

IF YOU G What

Pride Comedy Night with Jason Stuart and Jessica Kirson

When Where

Friday, March 8, 8 p.m.

How Much More Info.

Parker Playhouse, 707 NE 8th St., Fort Lauderdale Tickets $31.50 ParkerPlayhouse.com

soflagaynews //

SouthFloridaGayNews.com // SFGN.com // 3.6.13 //

11

news national

Closed for Gay Business Christiana Lilly

With just a one-lined email, countless activists and their causes were shut down.

GetGayFunded.com, a crowd-funding site for LGBT causes, had its credit card processing managed by Amazon Payments before the company abruptly halted its services on Feb. 19.

“One day I woke up to an email, ‘your site’s been closed,’” Adam Kotkin said. “My first response was that it was spam.”

Kotkin is the CEO of Apps Genius Corp., the parent company of GetGayFunded. com. About 20 projects have gone up since the site’s Kurt Edwins, right, with his mother before she passed away of inception and another 30 to 40 brain cancer in 2002. He started a project on crowd funding were waiting their turn to go site GetGayFunded.com to raise money to have her moved to a live. cemetery where he would be allowed to visit.

When he called Amazon to Photo Courtesy of Kurt Edwins straighten things out, he was When she died of glioblastoma, brain passed around to four different people, each giving him different reasons: cancer, in 2002, she was buried in her They didn’t have to say why, because they parents’ private cemetery. After her death, chose to, because they’re a nonprofit (which Edwins was told he was not welcome to visit Kotkin proved incorrect), and because it no because he is gay.

This past Christmas, with the support of longer wanted to work with crowd-funding his father’s side of the family, Edwins decided sites.

However, its sister site GetFunded.com to take a stand and have his mothers’ body continues to run without a problem. The moved to his paternal grandparents’ private only differences between the two sites are its property. There, he is welcome to visit and logos and that one is for LGBT causes. The eventually be buried next to her. The whole most troubling to Kotkin is that the almost ordeal will cost roughly $5,500.

“This is more for me so I can put flowers on $7,000 raised by supporters is locked up in her grave,” he said. “It’s closure on my end, Internet limbo.

Kotkin started GetGayFunded.com in not in any way animosity or getting even.”

Edwins’ project went up on GetGayFunded.

December 2012 after finding that a lot of crowd-funding sites were discriminatory com, where the community came out in full or did not provide the focus that his site force. Some emailed their support, and two could. The site launched a few months after young, gay church members called him to GetFunded.com, which focuses on animal talk about their contemplation of suicide.

When Amazon Payments unexpectedly activism.

The projects on GetGayFunded.com range shut down the site, Edwins’ project had the gamut, from support for volunteers at almost $2,000 raised. He’s reached out to the highly anticipated Winter Party Festival Amazon three times with no luck.

Amazon has not responded to a call and in Miami, helping a gay rugby team buy uniforms, to raising money for a man to bury email from SFGN. “The people that are suffering is the LGBT his mother.

Growing up in Charleston, South Carolina, community,” Kotkin said of projects like that Kurt Edwins was raised in a church where he of Edwins. “People are very frustrated.”

“It makes me feel disgusted when you was taught adamantly that homosexuality was a sin. When he came out to his mother have people pour their heart and soul out at 28, she struggled but eventually embraced into these projects, and working to try to get them funded,” Edwins said. “To be cut him.

“We were very, very close and she was OK off from Amazon for no reason, it‘s just with my sexuality. So that h a problem. She heartbreaking.”

“To know that I could lose all of those also said that if that side of her family ever kicked me out or anything that she would funds and start over, sometimes you just can’t start over, you know?” leave the family,” he said.

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SouthFloridaGayNews.com // SFGN.com // 3.6.13 //

13

news national

Facebook Apologizes for Banning Photo Openly gay photographer Michael Stokes’ photo went viral in response Ryan Dixon

ryan.dixon@sfgn.com

A gay Los Angeles photographer’s picture of an amputee war veteran posing almost naked has been reinstated on Facebook after it was removed due to a supposed violation of the social network’s photo policies.

The controversy started earlier this week when photographer Michael Stokes’ photo of Marine Corps veteran Alex Minsky covering his groin with an athletic cup was removed from Stokes’ Facebook wall. The photo was then shared by over 4,000 other Facebook users in protest thanks to a fan of Stokes, Frank Jones.

The photo was then removed from Jones’ wall as well, and subsequently the 4,000 others that shared it by Facebook.

Stokes told SFGN the initial reason he was given behind Facebook removing the photo was because it violated Facebook’s nudity ban.

Section 3.7 of Facebook’s terms state: “You will not post content that: is hate speech, threatening, or pornographic; incites violence; or contains nudity or graphic or gratuitous violence.”

Facebook’s community standards state that Facebook has a strict policy against the sharing of pornographic content and any explicitly sexual content where a minor is involved.

It also states that Facebook imposes limitations on the display of nudity.

SFGN contacted Facebook to ask how Facebook defines nudity. A spokesperson said in an email that, “On background, exposed genitalia and female nipples are two examples.”

When Facebook was asked how Stokes’ photo was removed since there were no exposed genitalia, Facebook told SFGN in a statement: “The photo has been republished. This was an error and we apologize for any inconvenience it may have caused.”

Stokes believes the attention the controversy has received from the media and SFGN’s inquiry to Facebook may have prompted the reversal.

SFGN received the above statement at 9:47 a.m. PST on Tuesday, Feb. 26.

It wasn’t until almost an hour later on the same day, at 10:25 a.m. PST, that

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Stokes received this message from Facebook saying they would reinstate the photograph and his suspended account: “We have restored or ceased disabling access to the content you identified in your recent counter-notification.

If you do not see the content, it is possible we were unable to restore it due to technical limitations. In this case, you may re-upload the content at your discretion.”

The above action is taken pursuant to section 512(g)(2)(C) of the DMCA. Please note that Facebook is not in a position to determine whether the content in question violates the rights of any third party.

“I never filed a counter notification,” Stokes told SFGN. “I never even reached out to Facebook after they pulled the image and I was banned.”

Stokes then received another email from Facebook at 10:39 a.m. PST from a person named Milo, identified as working for Facebook’s User Operations.

“A member of our team accidentally removed something you posted on Facebook. I wanted to let you know that this was a mistake and we sincerely apologize for this error. We’ve since restored the content, and you should now be able to see it. I’m sorry for any inconvenience.”

Stokes thought that it might be a prank, and emailed back to ask if the message was legitimate and if his account would really be restored.

“The apology was completely unsolicited,” Stokes said. “I didn’t know if I should believe it or not.”

With vague statements and definitions from Facebook, Stokes admits that this whole incident has made him wary about posting his photographs again, but said he’s content with the outcome.

“I’m surprised I got an unsolicited apology, but the apology is for removing the photo not for having blocked me for three days,” Stokes said. “I have asked them a couple questions but they do not respond.” soflagaynews //

Army veteran Alex Minsky Photo Courtesy of Michael Stokes

SouthFloridaGayNews.com

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SouthFloridaGayNews.com // SFGN.com // 3.6.13 //

15

news national

Bradley Manning Pleads Guilty To Some Charges In WikiLeaks Case Ben Nuckols, Associated Press

FORT MEADE, Md. — An Army private charged in the largest leak of classified material in U.S. history said Thursday that he sent the material to WikiLeaks to enlighten the public about American foreign and military policy and that he didn’t think it would harm the United States.

Pfc. Bradley Manning gave a detailed explanation of his actions in a military courtroom Thursday as he entered guilty pleas to some charges.

“I believed that if the general public, especially the American public, had access to the information ... this could spark a domestic debate on the role of the military and our foreign policy in general,” Manning said. He said he was troubled by counterinsurgency strategies that seemed to ignore “the complex dynamics of the people living in the environment.”

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A judge is weighing whether to accept Manning’s guilty plea to reduced charges on 10 counts, which carry a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison. But even if the plea is accepted, prosecutors can still pursue a courtmartial on the remaining 12 charges.

One of those is aiding the enemy, which carries a possible life sentence.

Manning, a 25-year-old Oklahoma native, admitted Thursday that he sent hundreds of thousands of Iraq and Afghanistan battlefield reports, State Department diplomatic cables, other classified records and two battlefield video clips to WikiLeaks in 2009 and 2010 while working as an intelligence analyst in Baghdad.

The slight, bespectacled soldier read from a 35-page statement for more than an hour, speaking quickly and evenly,

soflagaynews //

with little emotion, even as he described how troubled he was by the material he leaked.

The battlefield reports were the first documents that Manning decided to leak. He said he opted to send them to the anti-secrecy website WikiLeaks after his efforts to give them to The Washington Post and The New York Times were rebuffed.

Manning said that, in his experiences, the battlefield reports were not treated as especially sensitive, particularly after the events they documented faded into the past.

He said he was concerned about leaking hundreds of thousands of sensitive State Department cables but that he ultimately decided they would United States Army photograph of Bradley Manning not be harmful since they were Photo Courtesy of TheUnited States Army so widely distributed within the military. the Reuters news organization.

“I thought these cables were a prime “The most alarming aspect of example of the need for a more open the video to me was the seemingly diplomacy,” Manning said. “I believed delightful bloodlust the aerial weapons that these cables would not damage team happened to have,” Manning the United States. However, I believed said, adding that the soldiers’ actions these cables would be embarrassing.” “seemed similar to a child torturing The Obama administration has said ants with a magnifying glass.” releasing the information threatened WikiLeaks did not immediately valuable military and diplomatic return a text message seeking comment sources and strained America’s on Manning’s statement. The group has relations with other governments. always been careful never to confirm or The administration has aggressively deny whether Manning was the source pursued individuals accused of leaking of its cache of leaked U.S. documents, classified material, and Manning’s is and the secret-spilling site didn’t the highest-profile case. deviate from that approach Thursday.

Manning’s statements before the On its Twitter feed, WikiLeaks called hushed courtroom dovetailed with the Bradley Manning an “alleged source” position taken by his supporters around and noted that he was detailing “what the world – that leaking the documents he says” were his interactions with the was an act of conscience. Manning has online organization. been embraced by some left-leaning But WikiLeaks made no secret of its activists as a whistleblowing hero admiration for what Manning said was whose actions exposed war crimes his decision to expose the documents to and helped trigger the Middle Eastern the world. A message posted to Twitter pro-democracy uprisings known as the by the Manning supporter Nathan Arab Spring in 2010.

Fuller and retweeted by WikiLeaks Manning said he was appalled by a said: “Bradley Manning pleaded not combat video that showed an aerial guilty to aiding the enemy. Aiding the assault that killed two employees of public is not aiding the enemy.”

SouthFloridaGayNews.com

www.BradfordCohenLaw.com The hiring of a lawyer is an important decision that should not be based solely upon advertisements.

Before you decide, ask us to send you free written information about our qualifications and experience. soflagaynews //

SouthFloridaGayNews.com // SFGN.com // 3.6.13 //

17

news national

The Top 10 Gayest Cities in the Bible Belt Chris Persaud

Dixie Land may not be known as a bastion LGBT-friendliness , but there are places in it where Southern Comfort does extend to gays.

In January, the Barna Research Group, a religious research firm, ranked 96 U.S. cities by what portion of their residents recently read the Bible and think it’s accurate — or what percentage is “Bible-Minded.”

Although most top-ranking spots were in the Republican-leaning South, SFGN found that some of these cities have sizeable gay populations comparable to places like New York City or Washington, D.C. SFGN compared the Barna data to Census data that shows what portion of a city’s households contain unmarried partners of the same sex.

Then, it ranked the most Christian places by their percentage of samesex, unmarried-partner households to figure out the Bible Belt’s gayest spots.

The Barna data looks at Designated Market Areas (DMAs), which are areas

where the population receives similar radio and TV stations. SFGN used Census data on large cities and core cities within those DMAs. From the data, it seems the gayest of the most “Bible-Minded” places is Atlanta, where about 1 in 49 households contain a same-sex couple. That rate is comparable to Portland, Oregon (about 1 in 50 households have a same-sex couple), Minneapolis (1 in 50), and Washington, D.C. (1 in 52).

Bishop Jim Swilley, who is head of Church in the Now, and who came out in 2010, opines that part of the reason Atlanta is relatively gay-friendly is because so many different kinds of people move through and to the city (its airport is the country’s busiest).

And with an increasingly diverse population comes a more tolerant attitude toward different people, said the 55-year-old Atlanta native, whose church is based outside the city and has a church within it.

“Maybe if I’m more comfortable with

BAYSIDE

CAR RENTALS

THE EXPERIENCE:

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someone who speaks another language, I would also be more comfortable with someone who identifies with a different sexual preference,” he told SFGN. “No matter how different you are, you can find someone just like you around the corner.”

While lots of people-traffic might be a characteristic of gay-populous cities, relative isolation doesn’t seem to deter the 2nd-gayest city in the most “BibleMinded” places: Asheville, N.C. Located in the Blue Ridge Mountains, about 1 in 58 Asheville households contain a same-sex couple. That rate is comparable to Santa Fe, New Mexico (where about 1 in 60 households have a same-sex couple), Boston (1 in 62), and Denver (1 in 65).

Reverend Jasmine Beach-Ferrara works for Asheville’s United Church of Christ, and is Executive Director of Campaign for Southern Equality.

37-year-old Beach-Ferrara, who is gay, thinks that city-dwellers’ attitudes are to keep more to themselves. “There’s a little bit of a live and let live sensibility, that government shouldn’t intrude on personal lives.”

Asheville has several LGBT-friendly churches (including the UCC and the Warren Wilson Presbyterian Church).

UCC Reverend Joe Hoffman added that in a number of Asheville churches, “a person who is LGBTQ can hold any

City

% of DMA that are “bible-minded”

Atlanta Atlanta Atlanta Portland, Portland, Portland, Ore.Ore. Ore.

Asheville, N.C.

954-338-5600 580 East Oakland Park Blvd Fort Lauderdale, Florida 33334 WWW.BAYSIDECARRENTALS.COM 18

// 3.6.2013 // SFGN.com //

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Asheville, N.C. Asheville, N.C.Fe, Santa N.M. Santa Santa Fe, NFe, .M.N.M. St. Louis St. LSt. ouisLouis Madison, Wis. Madison, Madison, Wis.Wis. Dallas DallasDallas Harrisburg, Penn. Penn.

Harrisburg, Penn.

Harrisburg, New O rleans New New OrleansOrleans Phoenix Phoenix Durham, Durham, N.C.N.C. Angeles Los ALos ngeles Richmond, Richmond, Va. Va. St. P aul, Minn.

St. Paul, Minn.

Nashville Nashville New New York YCork ity City Indianapolis Indianapolis Miami Miami Norfolk, Norfolk, Va. Va. Manchester, Manchester, N.H.N.H.

SouthFloridaGayNews.com

Bishop Jim Swilley Photo Courtesy of Gage Skidmore

position without any problem.”

SFGN has included a chart ranking the 10 gayest cities in Barna group’s 96 surveyed DMAs. The chart includes the percentage of people in each DMA who read and believe in the bible, as well as the percentage of households containing a same-sex couple, and a comparison to a not-very “Bible Minded” city.

DMA

% of households containing samesex partners

2.04% Atlanta, 2.04% Atlanta, GA GA 2.02% Portland,OR 2.02% Portland,OR Greenville-­‐ Spartanburg-­‐ Anderson, / Asheville, Greenville-­‐ Spartanburg-­‐ Anderson, SC /S AC sheville, NC 1.73% 1.73% NC 1.67% Albuquerque/Santa 1.67% Albuquerque/Santa Fe, NFe, M NM 1.36% St L ouis, M O 1.36% St Louis, MO 1.36% Madison,PA 1.36% Madison,PA 1.34% Dallas/Fort Worth, 1.34% Dallas/Fort Worth, TX TX 1.33% Harrisburg/Lancaster/Lebanon/York,PA 1.33% Harrisburg/Lancaster/Lebanon/York,PA 1.21% Orleans, 1.21% New New Orleans, LA LA 1.21% Phoenix/PrescoV,AW 1.21% Phoenix/PrescoV,AW 1.19% Raleigh/Durham/FayeVeville, 1.19% Raleigh/Durham/FayeVeville, NC NC 1.18% Angeles, 1.18% Los ALos ngeles, CA CA 1.10% Richmond/Petersburg, 1.10% Richmond/Petersburg, VA VA 1.08% Minneapolis/St P aul,MN 1.08% Minneapolis/St Paul,MN 1.05% Nashville, 1.05% Nashville, TN TN 1.06% 1.06% New New YorkYork 1.04% Indianapolis, 1.04% Indianapolis, IN IN 1.03% Miami/Ft. Lauderdale, 1.03% Miami/Ft. Lauderdale, FL FL 0.99% Norfolk/Portsmouth/Newport News, 0.99% Norfolk/Portsmouth/Newport News, VA VA 0.99% Boston,MA/Manchester,NH 0.99% Boston,MA/Manchester,NH

38%38% 25%25%

46%46% 28%28% 31%31% 24%24% 38%38% 27%27% 35%35% 17%17% 40%40% 24%24% 33%33% 21%21% 44%44% 18%18% 36%36% 24%24% 37%37% 16%16%

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SouthFloridaGayNews.com // SFGN.com // 3.6.13 //

19

news national

Debbie Wasserman Schultz Headlines Cancer Conference Ryan Dixon

ryan.dixon@sfgn.com

Debbie Wasserman Schultz at the Iowa State Fair in Des Moines, Iowa, ahead of the Ames Straw Poll.

Photo Courtesy of Gage Skidmore

Cancer support group Gilda’s Club South Florida will host its 11th annual “Day of Research and Hope” conference on March 9 at the Signature Grand in Davie. This year’s educational conference will feature Florida Congresswoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz as the keynote speaker.

Discussion topics at the conference will include new developments in colon, rectal, prostate and breast cancer as well as updates from the San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium, da Vinci Robotic Surgery, Holistic Nutrition and Cancer, Cost of Care, Patients’ Rights, and Integrative Medicine.

Shelley Goren, president and CEO at Gilda’s Club, said the conference is a time for attendees to learn information about new research and innovation in the fight against cancer that may otherwise not be available.

“The Day of Research and Hope is a rare opportunity for the community to get answers from experts in the field of cancer research and treatment,” Goren said.

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SouthFloridaGayNews.com

In addition to Wasserman Schultz, the conference will feature a panel of top physicians presenting on advancements in cancer treatment and specialized breakout sessions.

The event is free to anyone touched by cancer, caregivers, survivors, medical professionals, and the general public. A continental breakfast and lunch will be provided.

IF YOU G What

Gilda’s Club South Florida – 11th Annual Day of Research & Hope

When

Saturday, March 9, from 8:30 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.

Where

Signature Grand, 6900 W SR 84, Davie

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SouthFloridaGayNews.com // SFGN.com // 3.6.13 //

21

news local

It’s Hard to Be Worse Than Boca GEO Group More LGBT-inclusive than Both FAU and Boca Raton Dylan Bouscher

dylanjbouscher@gmail.com

GEO Group, a prison security company, may be bad, but its policies go above and beyond to protect LGBT people — more than can be said for Florida Atlantic University and the city in which it (and GEO Group itself) was founded, Boca Raton.

Protests are continuing at the school after FAU’s president made it clear the now-famous decision to let GEO Group name the University’s $70-million football stadium was final. For $6 million, GEO will put its name on the stadium for 12 years. It’s a “gift,” according to the FAU Foundation, which funnels donations into FAU. Students are upset over the name because GEO Group has a shady past that’s marred with human rights violations, which the company denies.

Despite this, the company has more LGBT-inclusive protections for its employees than FAU or the City of Boca Raton.

In the company’s Code of Business Conduct and Ethics, GEO protects its employees from discrimination based on “sexual orientation,” and “gender identity.”

At FAU, sexual orientation became protected just in 2011. Gender identity still isn’t.

As of press time, FAU hasn’t responded to SFGN’s interview requests.

And Boca Raton doesn’t protect LGBT employees either. In January 2011, Boca became the only city in Palm Beach County to opt-out of a county ordinance that does include both protections. The Palm Beach County Human Rights Council has been trying to change that.

A quick search of the GEO Group’s open jobs shows that the company at least offers domestic partner insurance benefits to employees in other states, according to Palm Beach County Human Rights Council (PBCHRC) President Rand Hoch. Neither the City of Boca, nor FAU offer these insurance benefits.

“This is another example of how far behind the times both FAU and the City of Boca Raton are,” Hoch told SFGN. “[GEO Group] realize that it is important to offer their employees

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One of dozens of protestors holds a sign outside the FAU football stadium. March 1st 2013 Photo Courtesy of Max Jackson

domestic partner benefits, which the university and the city of Boca Raton still does not realize.”

As of press time, GEO Group hasn’t responded to SFGN’s interview requests.

The stadium itself has since been dubbed “Owlcatraz” by students opposed to the deal. The name is in reference to the school’s mascot – the burrowing owl. The “Stop Owlcatraz Coalition” of students, faculty and staff against the deal staged a two-hour sitin protest outside FAU’s President Mary J. Saunders’ office until she agreed to an open question and answer meeting Friday, March 1 at noon.

At the meeting, Saunders told the coalition, made up of students from Lambda United, FAU’s on-campus LGBT alliance, the deal was final.

Rory Padgett, a gay 23-year-old film major and former vice president of the club, claims the coalition will keep reaching out to organizations and the media for support, and plan “teach-ins” about the GEO Group and the prison industrial complex.

SouthFloridaGayNews.com

GEO’s past is closely intertwined with FAU, which graduated its founder.

FAU graduate George Zoley was also a former chair of the university’s Board of Trustees, the group which would agree to the $6 million deal.

During the latest protest, Saunders pointed to Zoley’s success as an FAU graduate for students who wondered what their job prospects would be once potential employers saw FAU on their resumes.

“This is our own graduate who has been successful,” she said.

When asked what the university’s exit strategy would be for this deal with GEO Group, Anthony Barbar, chair of the university’s Board of Trustees, said “there is no exit.” According to FAU’s contract with GEO Group, the only way the naming rights cease is if GEO stops paying the bills.

The administration’s unwillingness to budge has only strengthened the resolve of the “Stop Owlcatraz Coalition” members.

“We’re continuing,” Rory said.

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SouthFloridaGayNews.com // SFGN.com // 3.6.13 //

23

opinion finance Ric Reily

ricreily@gmail.com

Managing Retirement Assets

Managing your own retirement money can be a daunting task. Though you may be decades away from retirement, the prospect of managing your 401K, 403B, 409A, 457, IRA, RothIRA, SIMPLE, SEP, SARSEP, ESOP, or PSP can fill you with dread.

The usual and constant questions refuse to yield to answers; buy and hold or day trade, value or growth stocks, individual stocks or mutual funds or ETF’s, how much of your asset to keep in cash, buy bonds now or avoid them until later and if now what bonds? Fear of getting it wrong brings up pictures of ending up old and gay and poor.

We have each spent a lifetime in schools, schools that taught us little about everyday money management and even less if anything about wealth management. As you may recall from other columns I have written, financial success requires two pots of money: operating cash that is spent for day to day needs, and

capital investments which are never spent and used to create wealth.

Once you have gained control of your operating cash and begun to build your wealth, what do you do with it?

Surveys of workers nearing retirement prove it’s not easy to manage your wealth.

Millions of personal investors, both LGBT and straight, are living scared making it no surprise that the personal finance industry is thriving.

Personal investors who hold trillions of dollars in assets make for reliable customers. Much of the financial management advice has turned out to be unreliable, and expensive; expensive in fees paid, additional taxes due because of untimely trades and plain old bad investment decisions that lose your capital.

There is a prevailing myth in our society that if you aren’t successful creating, managing and building your wealth, then your must be doing it wrong. All around you others are getting rich

Angler Landscape, Inc. Residential and Commercial Lawn and Landscape

(954) 448-6394 Install Grass - Mulch - Rock - Hedges - Trees - Lighting Weekly and Monthly Service

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off stocks or real estate and quick to tell of their success over a beer. The real problem is actually very different. As our savings rate has cratered in the past decades the decline has been less an effect of overspending as an effect of rising costs for housing, education and medical care in coincidence with stagnant wages. These rising costs can strike LGBT even more fiendishly as our cost of housing can be higher, we tend to be better educated spending more on education, and those who live with HIV pay higher medical expenses.

What got us here was not the stock market crash or the housing collapse but three decades of growing income inequality. Tuition that rose three times the rate of inflation, medial care that grew at twice the rate of inflation and stagnant wages made paying the same mortgage more costly. A large percentage of personal bankruptcies are still caused by unexpected medical expenses.

Even more important is the fact that Americans have an income problem, and it is a big one because housing, healthcare, and education cost the average family 75% of their discretionary income in the past decade when that figure was just 50% thirty years ago. In other words, the average family spent 50% more in the last decade to go about their same daily business.

All of that does not relieve us of the personal responsibility to provide for our retirement.

There is still the simple fact that carving ten dollars out of each days spending whether from skipping a latte and a pack of cigarettes or carrying lunch to work is all that stands between you and a comfortable retirement.

When added up and compounded with historical stock returns even when you add in taxes and inflation, your savings turn out to be about $400,000 in retirement, just from ten dollars each day. The sooner you start saving and planning the easier it is when the compounding power of time is factored in.

Contributing further to the managing your own money dilemma are expensive and often poorly managed retirement plans, high cost annuities, and the myth that real estate always

SouthFloridaGayNews.com

makes you rich. Seems that no matter where you turn someone has their hand out for your hard won retirement savings.

There is a solution, a mid ground between going it alone and abdicating your financial responsibilities to another person; a person who cannot possibly care as much about your money as you do. That solution is a company such as Vanguard or Fidelity or many other high quality and more importantly low cost mutual fund companies. These companies employ financial professionals who generally work on salary not commissions. They can professionally guide you to a mix of assets that will change with time and keep you invested and balanced while costing the least in management fees.

Managing your own money can be a daunting task. No one will ever care as much about your money as you do. Take the time to learn the basics of saving and investing, stretch that knowledge to include social pressures that drive equity markets, and be wary of anyone who wants to get their hand in your pocket. With that knowledge you will gain confidence and skill and arrive at retirement with a comfortable nest egg suitably invested to return you a comfortable retirement.

Ric Reily is the author of two books, Money Is The Root Of All - Skip The Debt Habit, and Gregory’s Hero; his firm CFO On Call provides small business finance and operations consulting. Ric is married to John, his partner of 26 years, and lives in South Florida with their Havanese dog, Buckley. You can reach Ric at ricreily@gmail.com

Sunday, March 17th 5:30 – 8:00PM at the BASS MUSEUM OF ART

2100 Collins Ave, Miami Beach Please join us as we celebrate the work of Equality Florida and our Voice for Equality honorees: Richard Blanco, Robert Loupo and David Bloom. Enjoy drinks, hors d’oeuvres, music, friends, and the State of the state address by Nadine Smith.

Tickets $125

sponsorship opportunities begin at $500

RSVP at www.eqfl.org/miamigala or (305) 335-2102 YOUR 2013 EQUALITY FLORIDA MIAMI GALA STEERING COMMITTEE: Joseph H. and Florence A. Roblee Foundation

Thomas Barker & Rob Rosenwald Vanessa Brito David da Silva Cornell John Labus Anne Manning & Alesha Smith Simone W. Mayer & Mayda Perez Damian McNamara & David Bloom Equality Florida is the largest civil rights organization dedicated to securing full equality for Florida’s lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community. Equality Florida Institute is a tax-exempt 501(c)(3) organization. Contributions are deductible for income-tax purposes to the full extent of the law.

Corporate sponsors as of 02/20/13. Additional sponsorships are available.

soflagaynews //

SouthFloridaGayNews.com // SFGN.com // 3.6.13 //

25

opinion kent’s vents Norm Kent

Our Lives Are Linked on norm.kent@sfgn.com

SFGN C.E.O., Piero Guiduli

Ha! Just what this newspaper needs in the largest issue of South Florida Gay News evermore words from me.

Actually, for me, now 62 years old, and for forty years a journalist or publisher, four of which were spent here in South Florida as the owner of the Express Gay News, this issue represents a moment of particular personal pride.

In my lifetime, standing alone, it is simply and singularly the largest weekly newspaper I have ever published at any given time.

No, I can’t retire now. Actually, what will happen in this office is that next week I will first really hear it from my chief executive officer, and SFGN business partner, Piero Guidugli, the man whose faith and financial contributions underwrote this enterprise in January of 2010. He did this at a time when the nation’s economy was looking down at us all ominously, and when his own partner of many years, Jack Goodwin, was taken ill.

I had actually met Piero through Jack, a man of laughter and love, spirit and strength, family and focus. Cancer would claim him, but good fortune found and favored Piero. He is now partnered with yet another elegant and erstwhile gentleman, Tom Fillmore.

Piero and Tom were married last year during an intracoastal cruise, in a ceremony presided over by SFGN’s high priestess of column writing, one Tony Adams. Tony,

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George Castrataro

Sheriff Scott Israel and Mike Verdugo

you see was once a Roman Catholic priest, and his papal picks appeared online this week at the www.sfgn.com website. You see, folks, all our lives are bound together in one way or another.

Piero has been calling me a size queen from day one, when we inaugurated SFGN with a 48-page issue. He is going to want to know why we are so big this week. He is going to want to know whether the paper was in the black, not whether we captured every color in the freaking rainbow.

Our paper has fortunately prospered because you have placed your faith and advertising support with us. It is because we had the courage to deliver you a credible and conscientious newspaper, populated not just with ads from our advertisers, but stories about our lives. From day one, with credentialed writers and respected journalists, we have told the stories that give our lives meaning and purpose.

Take our every first paper. That edition illuminated the situation of Mike Verdugo, a distinguished gay Hollywood police officer, who was unjustifiably fired for having done gay porno films years before he even joined the force.

The reason it is relevant today is because Mike challenged his firing and became a client of my law firm. He is now a good friend and great business neighbor. He runs Bodytek Gyms here in Wilton Manors by our SFGN office, This week, however, he is back in training with BSO. soflagaynews //

He begins that new career because another friend, George Castrataro, perhaps the most distinguished local LGBT counsel in South Florida, undertook lead representation of Mike’s case on a pro bono basis. While he did not prevail in getting Mike’s job back specifically with the city of Hollywood, George’s skill-set manifested itself so that Verdugo maintained his police license and certification statewide.

Thus, while Mike is emerging today as a fitness guru with a great gym, the law offices of George Castrataro preserved his right to become one day again a law enforcement officer. Here is where you, our readers, come into the story again.

The stature and political activism of the LGBT community is so immense in South Florida, we are influential in seeing who gets elected to office. From the Dolphin Democrats, to LGBT lobby groups, candidates come to us for their support.

From a business standpoint, that means a hell of lot to SFGN as well.

Since we started our paper three years ago, we have had over 75 political candidates advertise their aspirations for political office on our pages. That means two things, at least. First, it is testament to this newspaper’s credibility as the conscience and voice of our community. Second, it is a tribute to you and your influence in the shaping of our lives in society. Office seekers want your votes.

In 2012, both the Republican incumbent and Democratic challenger for county sheriff

SouthFloridaGayNews.com

Robert Boo

actively recruited the LGBT community for its support. Scott Israel, the winner and new sheriff, is a man I have known for over a quarter century, ever since he was a rookie police officer on road patrol working evening details on the Fort Lauderdale beach. I was a young lawyer defending the kids he arrestedparticularly the hot gay ones.

Working day and night from Weston to Wilton Manors to win the Sheriff’s race last year, Scott Israel made it a point to champion the cause of LGBT justice, actively seeking our community’s support. It was not an easy road to hoe. The incumbent he wound up defeating, Al Lamberti, had also spent much of his own term reaching out to the gay community. We had two suitors, not oneyet another tribute to our own emerging political stature.

Regardless of who beat whom, the entire gay community has still won. How? One of the very first things that Sheriff Israel has done is bring Mike Verdugo back to the force.

If you look up Verdugo’s Facebook page this week, he is in the Academy again, test driving field units to later serve our community as a reserve officer.

If Mike passes you wearing a police uniform in 2013, remember he is wearing that badge because one gutsy lawyer in 2010, named George Castrataro undertook his cause, championed his rights, and at his own expense, fought for him in the courts. And a newly elected Sheriff said that strength of character, not sexual identity, will govern his hiring practices.

the Same Pages to Each Other

Kristofer Fegenbush

There is another appointment Sheriff Israel has made that I want to share with you. Ron Gunzburger has been named the General Counsel for the Broward Sheriff’s Office.

Who is he, you may ask?

Well, one of his lesser titles is that he was once the Associate Publisher of my original newspaper, the Express Gay News, and his mom, Suzanne Gunzburger is a respected Broward county commissioner, having won just last Fall an Equality Florida Human Rights Public Service Award.

Personally, Ron, now 49 years old, has been a neighbor of mine in Victoria Park for 25 years. A spectacular free lance photographer, he is a shrewd and noted political activist, a distinguished lawyer, and a cool skateboarder. He and his partner Dana Buker, have been together since 1987, and were legally married in Canada in 2006 on their 19th anniversary. Dana is the Homestead Portability Coordinator in the Property Appraiser’s Office, and a great chef.

Today, thanks to Sheriff Israel’s belief in Ron’s stature as a leader and qualities as an advocate, he is also arguably the highestranking openly LGBT officer in the State of Florida.

Ron’s recognition and rewards comes his way because of what he does with his life when his clothes are on in the daytime, not how or who he does in his bedroom at night.

That is the way it should be.

Each of our lives has stories to be shared and told. For three years, this newspaper has

Robert Kecskemety

Robin Bodiford

illuminated so many of them. Each week, we find more to unveil. We are only able to do so because you have invested in us.

Today, I am proud to offer you the largest paper I have ever published, including the Pride Center’s Voice, showcasing the dedication and devotion of one the more remarkable LGBT Pride centers in the USA. It is led ably and honorably by two of our most distinguished citizens, CEO Robert Boo, and COO Kris Fegenbush, guys you can trust your life to; your estate with.

How can I say that so easily? When I was the Executive Director of the largest and oldest AIDS agency in Broward County 12 years ago, CenterOne, the person I turned to as my Deputy Director was that same Kris Fegenbush, who is simply one of the most passionate, trusting and enthusiastic persons you will ever want to meet.

How did I meet him? He started dating one of my next door neighbors, a good friend and real estate whiz named Robert Eldredge, who has since become Kris’s partner, and a successful gay entrepreneur in his own right.

What a lucky guy he is!

The Pride Center insertion of the Voice does not really cost them or you a dime.

You need to know how that happened, too.

It is printed for free to them because Robert Kecskemety, a quiet gay man, dying last year of cancer, who had worked with the Pride Center wanted to carry their message beyond his days.

Bob had spent his life chronicling the LGBT

community in photography and print, from videographically recording Stonewall and AIDS events to once working as the Assistant Publisher of Brad Casey’s ‘Scoop’ Magazine, back in the 1990’s. His fun column was entitled, ‘Shut Up and Focus.’

One of my dearest personal friends for many years, Kecskemety left his entire estate to the Pride Center, with a specific proviso, that they continue to publish the Voice quarterly for you, our community. Because of his acts yesterday, our community will have the ‘Voice’ constantly tomorrow.

Before he passed, he sat down with Robert Boo at a Wilton Manors hospice and shaped this arrangement, ensuring his legacy of print journalism would be carried on beyond his lifetime. He then turned to one of South Florida’s most reputable lesbian lawyers, Robin Bodiford, to draft testamentary documents to carry out his purpose.

This is the same Robin Bodiford younger members of our community probably do not know was two decades ago campaigning against reluctant county commissioners to pass human rights resolutions for our LGBT community. Few were by Robin’s side back then, people who have passed like Jamie Bludworth, Alan Terl, or Gary Steinsmith, along with so many honored leaders no longer with us. It is a list too long to record here today. Our lives are today sharing in the rewards of what they did then, because as much as we walk in the present, we are linked to our past. Like attorney Dean Trantalis,

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Ron Gunzburger

for decades by our side, many still carry the torch for reform. In 2013, we see that torch passed to new political spokespersons, such as Ken Keechl. But we also find ourselves with respectable choices in gay supportive candidates such as Charlotte Rodstrom. It’s a good day to be gay.

As the Joni Mitchell song goes, ‘life is a circle game,’ my friends. Sooner or later, we find our acts and deeds, paths and fortunes, all linked together. Each of us have histories to share and stories to tell.

Today’s feature highlights just a few distinguished people in our Rainbow City.

Tomorrow, the life we illuminate could be your own.

Friends, we are all on this planet for a very short time, but this is truly the meaning of our lives. We have to care and love, reach out and do right. SFGN is a simple newspaper that has published a few thousand stories over a few short years, but there are a million stories to yet be recorded.

When you publish and work in a newspaper, you are part of something that is more than life in the present. You record what has happened, you tell what is happening, and you preserve what will one day be shared forever.

The goal and the promise of SFGN is to be there by your side as life happens. We reach people who care; people who read. I hope we are fulfilling that promise with every issue Thank you.

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27

opinion letter to editor

HIV Isn’t Free

Anthony Johnson

Dear Editor,

My name is Anthony Johnson and I an 18-year survivor of HIV who has been through many physical, emotional, and spiritual trials living with this disease.

Around six years ago I had health issues that forced me to stop working and I had to rely solely on assistance through local services and agencies because I had no income, insurance, or other means of support. I also fought the United States government for Social Security Disability for four of those years even though I had worked since I was twelve years old and was near death.

Gratefully my health is much better and I am giving back by assisting others in getting help when they need it. I work with all aspects of the community regardless of gender/gender identity, sexual orientation, disability, socioeconomic status, etc.

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If someone needs help then I will do everything within my power to assist them because I know the battle that they face. The reason I am writing you is not to talk about me or my life. I am writing in concern for the community and some falsehoods that I have heard regarding availability of services for those living with HIV and those who do not.

There seems to be a misconception that individuals with HIV/AIDS are getting a free ride and everything is provided on a silver platter. One belief is that HIV positive individuals no longer have to work because they get a check every month from Social Security. Some other beliefs are that individuals with HIV receive free medical care or shelter when they are homeless.

There are other beliefs as well such as agencies and organizations have tons of money to help get needs met for individuals living with HIV/AIDS.

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As an advocate assisting individuals in the community, I have heard people mention these misconceptions and say that they think it would be better to have HIV so they can get help. I cannot tell you how saddened, disappointed and angry these comments make me feel. To think that someone would even suggest contracting HIV solely so they can receive services! Come on people, it does not work that way! It is also a very dangerous and self-destructive thought.

Yes, there are those who want to be HIV positive and seek it out through unprotected sex with those living with HIV but as time progresses and they start seeking help, they find that it is to no avail. Many service agencies are no longer in existence and some are losing so much funding that they can no longer support and manage the clients they have let alone take on new ones.

This is in part because many individuals, companies, and organizations are no longer supporting services due to budget restraints.

We are also in a state of economy that has not been very understanding or supportive of those with disabilities (not just HIV but others as well).

Most of the individuals I have worked with lately are those living with HIV and on the streets because they have no income.

Some are there because they lost their jobs due to an inability to work and cannot afford their rent. They apply for Social Security Disability but find that it is nearly impossible to get due to recent governmental changes and do not have access to legal assistance.

I was lucky. It only took me five years and almost losing my life before I received help and was approved for disability. Many of these individuals (like myself) are in the position NOT because they chose to be there but because of a simple error in judgment.

There are other costs that we as HIV positive individuals have that many people are unaware of such as costs of medication (mine is $35,000 per year), cost of medical care, and risk of a number of health issues due to an oppressed immune system. Many individuals are living without insurance and have difficulty getting care and medications due to a preexisting condition. No insurance company is willing to take on the costs at this time.

Also, many individuals have self-esteem issues and other mental and emotional issues and find themselves ostracized or reclusive due to stigma associated with

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Truvada, an HIV medication.

Photo Courtesy of M Viljoen

HIV/AIDS. It is a human condition but misinformation and discrimination can lead an individual into doing things that are destructive such as seclusion, alcoholism, addiction, and in some cases suicide.

Recently I assisted a person who had been HIV positive for over twenty seven years who was ready to give up his life because he could not navigate the system. I have found this scenario too common and extremely painful to think about.

I want everyone out there to realize that there is no “easy way” or “free ride” when it comes to living with a disability, especially HIV. My disease is a full-time job where I have to work diligently to maintain my physical, emotional, and spiritual health. I have to work extremely hard to find help when I need it and many times it is not available to me because there are limited funds for HIV services. I have to work even harder to find help for those who come to me with needs because many times the needs are so overwhelming that it is debilitating to them.

Please think about what it would be like for you if you lived with HIV (or any chronic illness). HIV is not a free ride and should not be taken lightly.

Anthony Johnson, Community Advocate aejtyger243@gmail.com

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29

opinion jesse’s journal

A Look Back

Jesse Monteagudo

A brief history of Florida’s gay press

In Gay Press, Gay Power: The Growth of LGBT Community Newspapers in America (Prairie Avenue Productions and Windy City Media Group), Editor Tracy Baim and her contributors chronicle the history of LGBT newspapers during the past century.

One of the most interesting features of this fascinating book is a series of first person accounts by veterans of some of our community’s leading journals: San Francisco’s Bay Area Reporter, Boston’s Bay Window, the Dallas Voice, Chicago’sWindy City Times and others. On the other handGay Press, Gay Power left out the storied and sometimes controversial history of Florida’s LGBT media. It would have made an interesting story.

I have been an active contributor to Florida’s LGBT press for most of its history (since 1975) and have written for all of the Sunshine State’s leading queer periodicals except David, Hotspots and Watermark.

Before The Express and SFGN, South Florida’s “gay community newspaper:” was The Weekly News, best-known for its initials twn. It began as a mimeographed Weekly News Bulletin on August 30, 1977, the newsletter of the Dade County Coalition for Human Rights (DCCHR). The Coalition had just lost the fight to preserve Dade County’s first human rights ordinance; South Florida did not have a gay community paper in 1977; and South Florida LGBT community was

demoralized following our recent electoral defeat. We needed a publication that would keep us informed, organized, and together as a community.

It was a daunting task that the members of the Weekly News Bulletin Committee were willing to take on. The Committee consisted of active DCCHR members; volunteers with more enthusiasm than journalistic experience: Editor in Chief Paul Guiles (who was also the Coalition’s Office Manager); Art Director-Columnist Peter J. Kiernan; News Editor Gary Grimmett; Social Events Editor Rob Johnstone; Circulation Directors Paul Butler and Keith Cantine; and Bill Watson, who later became twn’s publisher and ran the paper for much of its 29 year history.

During the fall of 1977, DCCHR used twn to publicize its programs and projects: a bulletproof vest fund; a blood bank; and the “First Annual Dove of Peace Ball.” The Coalition also convinced local bars to support its ongoing boycott of Florida orange juice products. (Anita Bryant, then the leader of the anti-gay movement, was also the spokesperson for Florida Citrus.)

In Issue # 8 (November 8), Editor Guiles expressed his vision for twn: “When I first initiated the idea of a news bulletin . . . it consisted of about six pages of copy which I ran off on our copy machines at the Coalition office . . . Since that time, we have increased our production to over 3,000

Anita Bryant

copies per week which are being distributed to every gay bar in Dade County, a few in Broward, and copies mailed to various gay publications all over the United States. . . This tremendous increase in production, coupled with the interest which has been shown in the News Bulletin these few short months, tell me there is a vast needs for some form of information and communication within the gay community here in Dade ut all over the country as well - particularly in the political arena.”

It would take a few years before twn would achieve any form of journalistic excellence. Most its early articles were reprints from other publications. A major exception was a series of articles about the local gay-bash murder of John Ward, a cause that the DCCHR took on as its own. Another memorable column was “Kiernan’s Korner,” a piece by Peter J. Kiernan “designed to bring you little tidbits of information, both local and national. We aim to do away with hearsay, and give you fact. We welcome any

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SouthFloridaGayNews.com

little tidbits you may have to share with us.”

Though “Kiernan’s Korner” lasted for only a few issues, twn was now raring to go.

It became a tabloid in 1979 and severed its ties with DCCHR in 1980. Its movie reviews - by Watson, the late Jack Sturdy, and Steve Warren - and its in-depth interviews by LoAnn Halden were justly famous. At its height,twn also produced Contax, a statewide bar guide famous for its adult film reviews and the late Jack Nichols’s “Tomcat Chronicles.”

As a writer and journalist, I owe much to twn, which took me from an amateur to a professional. In the November 15, 1977 issue (issue # 12) I began “The Book Nook,” a gay book review column which actually survived twn. I also began a personal opinion column in 1980, which began as “Hammer and Anvil” before it progressed to today’s “Jesse’s Journal.” I also wrote historical essays, news stories, interviews, and photos. Though twn “died” in 2006, during its 29 year existence this paper made an enormous impact on the lives of South Florida’s LGBT people.

Sally Struthers w Mar 8-9 Emmy-winning actress in a night of laughter & song

“Struthers is a force of nature.”

– The Florida Times Union

3385 NE 188th Street Aventura, FL 33180 877.311.7469

AventuraCenter.org soflagaynews //

SouthFloridaGayNews.com // SFGN.com // 3.6.13 //

31

THIS FRIDAY NIGHT!

opinion sex Jay Asher, Ed.D., LMHC

PRIDE COMEDY NIGHT

The One Person You Should Never Have Sex With

Starring Jason Stuart and Jessica Kirson March 8, 2013

Jason Stuart

Jessica Kirson

Jason Stuart (The Kindergarten Cop, The Closer, George Lopez, Will & Grace) and Jessica Kirson, (Comedy Central’s Premium Blend, NBC’s Last Call With Carson Daly, and Showtime’s White Boyz in the Hood). Two of the funniest comics on the scene today, bring their colorful brand of humor to Parker Playhouse for a laugh-packed Pride Comedy Night.

Adult language and content.

For tickets and group discounts call 954.462.0222 or visit ParkerPlayhouse.com

All programs, artists, dates and times are subject to change.

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1//

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Photo courtesy of Javier Delgado

You know the guy, right?

You’ve been to bed with the woman many times: same person, different faces.

We succeed at our careers, we establish a reputation for success, we have the right car, own a home near the water, and yet…

We pick someone we see across the room, eyes connect, heart thumps, this is him, she’s the one. “Let me take you to dinner.” “Let’s go on a cruise. No money?

No problem. I’ll pay.”

And so starts the journey of the Love Addict, again. “This time it’s different,” he tells his closest friends. “She promises great sex!” That’s the Love Avoidant offering emotional and sexual guarantees.

There is a need in the Love Addict to have his/her Inner Child hugged. Somewhere in childhood the Love Addict felt unloved, abandoned, and perhaps invisible. As an adult, he/she wants emotional and sexual

3/4/2013 4:54:14 PM SouthFloridaGayNews.com

acceptance. Love me, make me whole.

The Love Avoidant can’t deliver. It’s not in their DNA to move beyond words.

Problem: We pick someone who reinforces the childhood pain. I often say to clients, “Your picker is broken.”

Solution: Look at the childhood hurts.

Journal. Write about the men or women you’ve invested in. Find the patterns.

Discover your consistent role. Yes, you’re the constant. What has to change for you to “see” someone “healthy” across the room?

Dr. Asher facilitates Sex and Love Addicts Anonymous at SunServe on Wilton Drive the second and fourth Tuesday of the month from 7 till 8:30. Dr. Asher is a licensed psychotherapist socializing in couples counseling. He is also a published author and playwright. His plays, novellas and short stories deal with the GLT experience.

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33

opinion jesse’s journal

A Little Good News

Jesse Monteagudo

Sometimes it’s hard to rejoice in the positive, when there’s so much negative

Most mornings I wake up early, and start my day with a murder. To be precise, I begin my day with the early news on my local television station; and that program always starts with coverage of last night’s killings.

With an eye on the ratings, local TV news outlets are convinced that the viewers are more interested in violence and mayhem than in acts of human achievement or kindness. In other words, “if it bleeds it leads.” Watching the morning news, one might think that people in our community are too busy killing, raping, robbing or cheating one another to do much of anything else.

There is no question that journalism accentuates the negative. But so does history, which tries to cover the past as thoroughly as journalism covers the present. Since the days of Herodotus, the 5th century B.C.E. Father of History, historians have dwelled upon such unsavory topics as crime, empire, genocide, violence or war.

Voltaire and Edward Gibbon, the 18th century’s greatest historians, defined their craft as “a collection [or register] of the crimes, follies, and misfortunes’ of humanity. This is certainly true of political or economic history, which deal with the struggle between people, classes, groups or nations. However, when it comes to social or cultural history, the verdict is not quite so negative.

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One of the historians who looked into this matter was Barbara Wertheim Tuchman (1912-1989). One of the last century’s greatest historians, Tuchman won the Pulitzer Prize in 1963 for The Guns of August [1914] and in 1972 for Stilwell and the American Experience in China, 1911-45.

Though both books are historical classics, my favorite Tuchman tome is A Distant Mirror: The Calamitous Fourteenth Century (1978), which won the National Book Award.

Covering a century American historian and author, Barbara Tuckman.

French enlightenment writer, historian & philosopher, Volltaire. which, like ours, was File photos File photos full of “plague, war, taxes, brigandage, bad from recorded accounts. The fact of being often deal with positive events, whether it government, insurrection, and schism in the on the record makes it appear continuous be a coming out, an achievement by one of Church,” Tuchman realized that she had to and ubiquitous whereas it is more likely to our sisters or brothers, or even a couple’s dwell on the negative at the expense of the have been sporadic both in time and place. anniversary. positive. After all, there are many people Besides, persistence of the normal is usually So let us recognize the positive, even as who lead humdrum lives, even in that awful greater than the effect of the disturbance, we report and denounce the negative. And century. This inspired Tuchman to come up as we know from our own times. After let us agree with Canadian country pop with her own “Tuchman’s Law:” absorbing the news of today, one expects to singer Anne Murray, who in 1983 made a “Disaster is rarely as pervasive as it seems face a world consisting entirely of strikes, musical request for “A Little Good News.” crimes, power failures, broken water mains, Written by Charles Black, Rory Bourke, stalled trains, school shutdowns, muggers, and Thomas Rocco, this Grammy Awarddrug addicts, neo-Nazis, and rapists. winning, number 1 country classic begs for The fact is that one can come home in the days and news programs where the positive evening - on a lucky day - without having predominates: encountered more than one or two of these “Just once how I’d like to see the headline phenomena. This has led me to formulate say – ‘Not much to print today, can’t find Tuchman’s Law, as follows: ‘The fact of being nothing bad to say.’” reported multiplies the apparent extent “Nobody was assassinated in the whole of any deplorable development by five-to Third World today tenfold’ (or any figure the reader would care And in the streets of Ireland, all the to supply).” children had to do was play As a contributor to LGBT journals, I realize And everybody loves everybody in the that much of what I write about is negative: good old USA what we do to others and what others do to We sure could use a little good news today . . . us. Much of our print and online periodicals “Nobody robbed a liquor store on the lower deal with bad news: youth or adult suicide; part of town anti-LGBT violence; homo-, bi- or transNobody OD’ed, nobody burned a single phobic laws or attitudes; the ravages of AIDS. building down Here again, our journals do not cover the Nobody fired a shot in anger, nobody had to ordinary lives of most of our community die in vain We sure could use a little good news today . . .” members, because they are so common.

To its credit, news organizations like SFGN soflagaynews //

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SouthFloridaGayNews.com // SFGN.com // 3.6.13 //

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opinion politics

The Sequester & the Gay World Devin Cordero

Lately we’ve been hearing lots about the “sequester” – Washington-ese for automatic budget cuts resulting from the American Taxpayer Relief Act of 2012, itself a result of the Budget Control Act of 2011 passed to avert that year’s debt-ceiling crisis.

Understandably, that sentence reads as D.C. gibberish to all but the most obsessed political junkies and out-of-touch pols.

But the “sequester” will affect everyone, including the LGBT community in Florida, which benefits from funding for things like HIV/AIDS services, mental health treatment, and substance abuse programs.

How does the “sequester” relate to things like health services for at-risk populations like the LGBT community?

First, a primer on “the sequester”: •Most years, Congress passes a budget with a deficit—it promises to spend more money than it takes in.

•In order to cover the gap, Congress lets the Treasury sell bonds as a way to borrow money from people who will buy them. These bonds are promises to pay back the money, mostly to governments of other countries, but also to municipalities, businesses, and people who are confident that the Treasury will pay them back.

•Because Congress almost always passes an unbalanced budget, the Treasury sells more and more bonds (read: more money is borrowed) every year in order to pay the bills Congress has said the country owes.

This pile-up of bonds to be paid back is the national debt.

•To try to force itself to pass balanced budgets, Congress requires approval for the amount of piled-up debt. By law, the Treasury can’t sell bonds once this amount is reached.

•Incapable of passing balanced budgets, Congress has instead raised the debt limit almost every session, including seven times during the Bush administration.

Early in the Obama administration, due to a combination of a drop in tax revenue and an increase in the costs of services because of the collapsing economy, Congress approved some of the most unbalanced budgets in our nation’s history.

It also borrowed $800 billion in 2009 to pay for the Recovery Act. The deficit exploded, and the Treasury found itself approaching the debt limit faster than ever before.

Congress started to view the threat of

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soflagaynews //

Secretary of Defense, Chuck Hagel talks about the the onset of the sequester.

Photo Courtesy of Chuck Hagel

refusing to raise the debt limit as a clever way to demand budget cuts in order to shrink the deficit. Refusing this demand would result in a breach in the debt limit, making the Treasury unable to pay the obligations Congress made.

All types of experts agree that this wouldn’t just devastate the economy today, as the government wouldn’t be able to pay for basic services budgeted by Congress, but also in the future, as people would be afraid to buy U.S. treasury bonds, since they would no longer be guaranteed to be paid back on time. In effect, the government would be more likely to be denied loans.

Fast-forward to the summer of 2011, and Congress and the President are at an impasse over raising the fast approaching debt limit.

Republicans control the House and decide which bills come to a vote, and they refuse to allow a vote on a debt limit increase unless they can also pass large budget cuts in order to shrink the budget shortfall and slow the growth of the national debt.

The President refused, arguing that cuts would hurt the economy and cause more of the same issues that made the deficit explode in the first place. A last-minute compromise was reached: the debt ceiling was raised until 2013, but large automatic budget cuts known as the “fiscal cliff” were scheduled at the end of 2012. Under pressure to find a “better solution” after the President’s reelection, Congress again kicked the can down the road to March, and the cuts now became known as the “sequester.”

So here we are. March is two days away, with no “better solution” in sight. In all likelihood, the “sequester” will become a reality.

SouthFloridaGayNews.com

That brings us back to the original question: How does this relate to services

for the LGBT community in Florida?

According to a White House report issued this Sunday, the budget cuts mean huge hits to services the LGBT community desperately needs. Per the White House, impacts will include: •$275 million in cuts to the Mental Health Block Grant program resulting in over 373,000 seriously mentally ill adults and seriously emotionally disturbed children not receiving needed mental health services.

•Cuts to the AIDS Drug Assistance Program resulting in 7,400 fewer patients having access to life-saving HIV medications •$1.4 million in cuts to the Florida Health Department, resulting in 35,900 fewer HIV tests administered •$5 million in cuts to grants for substanceabuse programs, resulting in 4,500 fewer admitted for treatment With some studies finding LGBT individuals at higher-risk of developing discrimination-fueled mental health and substance-abuse issues, and the CDC finding that gay men are at the highest risk for contracting and transmitting HIV, it is clear the “sequester” would be a devastating blow to the LGBT community.

We urge you to call or tweet your representatives in Congress and urge them to work on a more balanced solution to our nation’s deficit problem, one which combines new revenues with more targeted budget cuts in order to achieve a balanced budget. If everyone participates, we can all be hopeful for a more sensible outcome.

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opinion dixon diaries Ryan Dixon

My HIV Diary

ryan.dixon@sfgn.com

Inside the body and mind of a person on HIV medication for the first time My name is Ryan Dixon, some of you may know me as “Kameron Scott” from my time in the gay porn industry. I started taking HIV medication on Aug. 31, 2012 and have been keeping this diary ever since.

Being in my mid-20’s isn’t easy, add HIV on top of that and we have one hell of a complicated life. I’m making the best out of the hand life has dealt me and the decisions I’ve made along the way. Writing helps free my mind.

I never intended to become an activist. The idea with the diaries was just to blow off some steam and get away from my duties writing news stories

for a chance. But my HIV diary, published weekly on SFGN. com, somehow started getting more attention. So much so that the Miami Herald wrote a story about me, I’ve been asked to speak to at risk youth, and given a presentation on the influences porn has on the LGBT community.

Here’s a compilation so of my diary entries – vignettes of my life that I captured in my writing since starting taking medication.

Hopefully these words will help you understand the plight of others like myself, and inspire you to live each and every day in the moment.

Day 1

It was a very surreal moment. Staring at two white and one blue pills in my hand brought a flood of thoughts that have passed my mind in the last three and a half years, most of them suppressed. I know that HIV isn’t “killing” me, but what I do know is that I finally need help to get my virus under control. On the plus side, I’m participating in a research h study that will be providing me with free medication and doctor visits for at least the next two years, and I’m giving myself to maybe help the fight against this disease. Everything is in my favor, right?

It’s a very sobering thought that I need help. I’ve always thought of myself as a trooper, able to push through anything. That’s how I approached HIV. Apparently some battles are too large for me to fight on my own. I know this isn’t me showing any signs of weakness, aside from my immune system finally giving in. I know taking these pills could induce a psychological burden that makes people feel like they’re ill, even if they’re feeling alright, and truth be told, I feeling it. The feeling sucks.

I scared the multitude of side effects that are listed on this sheet of paper are all going to hit me at once. And no matter how many times my doctor reassures me that these drugs are mild and I’ll most likely not feel anything, I can’t help but be scared as all hell.

I need to do this. I need to live. I want to live.

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Week 4 Sept. 28 marks day 30 of my study and the day before I received the best news I have ever gotten in my life, well, the best news I’ve received in the last four years.

Since I was first seeing the doctor every two weeks, the results I was receiving were from the previous visit. So my numbers from my week two visit were my base numbers from the start of the study before I had ever taken any medicine.

Yesterday was my week four visit where I got my numbers from week two. So, after two weeks on medication, my viral load went from 4781 to nearly zero. No I’m not cured, but from what the labs at Gilead said, it’s hard to detect the virus in my blood. The virus is still there, but the HIV virus is a retro virus that needs a host to replicate. Since the medicine I’m on is stopping that replication process, the copies of the virus has dropped drastically.

There you have it: I’m officially undetectable! I’m so freaking stoked. I definitely believe that all the crap I have been through the last few weeks has been worth it. My doctor said that I was probably experiencing the stomach issues because my immune system had hit a “reset switch.” Most or your immune

system fighting takes place in your digestive system. That’s not surprising since my CD4 count rose from 583 and 30 percent to 909 and 36 percent. My doctor said the percentage is the real number to be concerned about when it comes to reading your numbers. The percentage represents the saturation of CD4 cells in all of my white blood cells.

The stomach issues are going away. The real issue I’m having is having to spend the whole day at my doctor’s office sometimes and missing a day of work. I’m now down to going to the doctor once a month. I have to back and apply for Ryan White since I can’t afford to pay for my insurance that I kept from Starbucks anymore. I just want to get back with another HIV specialist so I can have some sort of primary doctor I can go to see instead of spending hundreds of dollars on the emergency room when I get sick.

I’ve gone from wondering what this virus is going to do to me, wondering if I had the strength to fight it on my own, to getting some of the best medical care in the world and having a breakthrough in my treatment for the first time in my diagnosis.

I’m a believer now. You can’t always do things by yourself.

Week 9 It doesn’t seem like it’s been two months since I’ve been on this medicine study. What I’m finding myself struggling with now is mostly my stomach. A sensitive stomach runs in my family, as least as far as my mother and I go. My experience with HIV has mostly been stomach and fatigue issues. I don’t know if the medicine has compounded my stomach problems or not.

My doctor isn’t so sure either and has recommended I see a gastroenterologist just to get things looked at.

What I wanted this entry to be about is how past decisions affect our current lives. Several things surrounding me this week have been the inspiration for this post. In this week’s issue of South Florida Gay News I wrote a story of a mother and son reuniting after 22 years. Their story is a great example of how personal decisions shape the decisions you make decades later. Benjamin Di’Costa’s mother Tara Loretan gave him up for adoption just a week after he was born. She was only 17

SouthFloridaGayNews.com

years old. Tara had told me that being so young and having no support fueled her decision to give her baby up. She admitted to abusing cocaine for five years, but has been sober for 17.

She said she wished she had never given him up because she hasn’t had another child in 22 years because she didn’t want Benjamin to have a sibling that he would have no knowledge of.

The part I can relate to this is how my past career choices have affected my life on several levels. I started filming porn in early 2007. As many of you know I contracted HIV in 2008 while still filming. I don’t blame porn for me contracting it, and I can’t say I wouldn’t have outside of it. I know how I practiced sex was dangerous and could possibly led to me getting infected anyway. My desire to have a position within a company or city has been hampered by my porn past.

I had hopes to be a city official or to be a general manager

Week 9 cont... for a professional sports team. Only places I can be honest about my porn past with no repercussions is a thrift store, a coffee shop and now at SFGN. I can’t help but think of Mikey Verdugo and what happened to him by not disclosing he did porn. Even though the outcome was in his favor, I don’t want to have to go through the same drama.

I’ve never regretted my life decisions until recently. Thinking you’re a failure in life can sure drum up some pretty deep emotions. I don’t harp on myself too much, I know I’ve done better than some people in the world, but I can’t help but dwell. Thank God I live in Florida and can just go relax by my pool in November to get my mind off of things. I really wish Bob was still around to talk to.

Week 26 It seems like just yesterday I was sitting in a doctor’s office staring down at three pills that would change my life forever. I felt so scared and so unsure of what could and what would happen. I was on the verge of tears and unable to even focus on my work. Now, as I’m nearing 200 days, my outlook on HIV treatment and the future of medicine is a little brighter.

I watched the documentary “How to Survive a Plague” a few weeks ago.

The movie is about the early years of ACT UP in New York City, and how that group was instrumental in new and better drugs being available on the market for HIV and AIDS patients. It was chilling to watch the physical transformation people went through as AIDS completely destroyed their bodies. It was sobering to see people sitting in a basement and being told the drug they were being given was experimental and there was no idea if it would save them or bring their inevitable death even closer.

Writing this diary has been and adventure as well as something therapeutic for me. I never set out to do anything other than help myself deal with the feeling and the thoughts in my head. Sitting at my desk on day one, I could focus on anything except when I was writing what was in my head. I’ve received comments on my posts and messages on Facebook, but a letter

I got in late January has made me realize that these entries are something more than me letting off some steam.

The message came from someone named “Sal.” He said he had been reading SFGN online and came across my diary entries. After reading everything I had written up to that point, he said he was deeply touched and moved by my story and what I’ve been through these last few years.

“It is striking how positive and strong you have remained despite what you are dealing with both physically and emotionally,” he wrote. “I was so glad to see in the later postings that your health seems to have improved radically over the last few months.”

Sal’s letter really put things into perspective for me. I know things for me were rough at the beginning, but there’s always someone out there who has it worse and so on.

He continued: “Reading your entries really helps put life into perspective and makes you realize never sweat the small stuff because you need to save your energy for the tough breaks life will inevitably throw at you.”

Week 17

I become a little misty eyed thinking about the last four months I’ve been on the HIV medicine study.

One hundred and twenty days may seem like a long time, but time sure has flown. I can remember sitting in my doctor’s office taking my first dose of medicine and the emotions I felt.

Fear of the uncertain was what plagued me the most in the first days of the study. I didn’t know how I would react to the medicine or if it would even work. I was honestly scared to death. If this new medicine didn’t work, how was anything else available going to help me? I thought I was dead in the water. My viral load was climbing and my CD4 count was dropping. I had been doing so well in the first years of my diagnosis so why the sudden swing for the bad? Why was I finally forced to make this life-altering decision?

The second month of the study brought along all the side effects. The side effects were there from the get go, but the second month is when they reared their ugly heads. The emotions that managed to harness paled to the physical ailments that I was suddenly hit with. I’m a huge baby when it comes to physical discomfort. I try to hide my emotions, but people could tell I was uncomfortable or not feeling well. All I could say back was, “It’s just the meds”. I’m looking forward to the day when a medicine can be made that you can take worry free. I wonder if people miss doses just to prevent the stomach pains, the diarrhea and the headaches. At least my viral load finally became undetectable and my

CD4 count increased and continues to rise.

Month number three I showed signs of adjusting.

My numbers didn’t change any, and my stomach was starting to calm down. I made diet and lifestyle adjustments such as cutting back on my alcohol intake and making myself get up in the morning to get a proper workout each day. I started dating again, which my doctor and psychologist agreed would be good for me. Aside from the fact that I seem to pick losers, dating was fun. I’m still keeping my hat in the gay dating ring, but I’ll be just as happy by myself with my amazing friends and Settlers of Catan.

So, here I am at month number four. I’ve fought off an intestinal parasite, seen my numbers make a good turn, gained and lost weight (mostly gained) and I’ve started seeing what a difference writing my thoughts down has made. I’d like to encourage everyone to keep a journal of some sort. It’s almost therapeutic to be able to channel my inner feelings and pen them as a release. Granted my thoughts are often shared for the entire world to see, but that’s okay. I enjoy getting the emails from readers who have been touched or moved is some way by my words. I started this diary as a selfish project to help myself, but it’s turned into a tool for others to better help themselves. I never want anything more than just one person to benefit from my trials and tribulations. Others have suffered and fought for me to be here today – why should I not do the same?

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opinion mcnaught’s notes Brian McNaught

Being a Gay Parent

brian@brian-mcnaught.com

The young mother was pushing her infant in the stroller in the middle of the neighborhood street. She was also texting, and listening to music through earphones.

She was in her own world, but not in that of the baby. An unfocused driver could easily have killed her and the child. I slowed my car to a crawl to go around her, and gave her the “McNaught look of disapproval,” but she paid no attention. She hadn’t finished typing her message.

Why don’t we insist that prospective parents pass competency tests? Regardless of a person’s age, gender, sexual orientation, race, spiritual beliefs, financial status, or mental and physical abilities, I want to know if they truly want to have a baby? Do they understand the responsibilities? Are they willing to make the necessary sacrifices of personal freedom in order to care for the child? Do they have the financial means to

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provide the child with proper food, shelter, clothing, and education? Do they accept that the child is not a possession to be treated as they wish, but rather a human being with legal rights?

Some people shouldn’t be allowed to have children, just as some people shouldn’t be allowed to operate heavy machinery. We penalize people who are drunk or stoned and drive a car, but anyone on heroine can have a baby. Are there no standards for parenthood?

There are some who argue that simply being a homosexual disqualifies a person from being a parent. Such individuals and organizations feel that if the state can’t stop lesbians from having babies, then they can pass laws to stop gay men from adopting infants or from being foster parents. I wish that they could see what I see.

Some of the best parents I have ever met

soflagaynews //

are gay men and lesbians.

They are individuals whose primary focus is to create their families through whatever means possible.

Pregnancy is not a surprise for a lesbian or gay male couple. Bringing a baby into their lives is a decision that requires reflection on all of the questions I feel should be posed to prospective parents.

Lesbian and gay male couples don’t abort pregnancies, unless giving birth would threaten the life of the mother. No child is unwanted.

But simply wanting to have There are some who argue that simply being a homosexual disqualifies a person from being a parent. Photo Courtesy of Leonid Mamchenkov a baby, and being qualified to do so, doesn’t make it happen involves accepting a complete change of for a gay male or lesbian couple. It requires lifestyle, including the loss of friends, and a lot of hard work, and often a lot of money. more importantly, a shift in how the couple The U.S. Government estimates that spends time with each other. it costs $235,000, not including college We urged our French friends, who went on tuition, to raise a child in this country. That a cruise prior to spending the week with us, estimate assumes that procreation is free. to focus their vacation time on the love they Two gay French men recently spent the have shared as a family of two, for within a week with us, filling time before they fly to year, the dynamics of that intimacy will be New York to freeze their sperm. They will changed for at least eighteen years. then wait for two surrogate mothers to carry Prospective parents need to understand to term individually fertilized eggs from one how bringing a third, fourth, fifth, sixth, or donor, a Catholic dental hygienist from a thirteenth human being into the relationship family of thirteen. Each man will have his will impact how they relate and experience own biological son or daughter but they will each other. raise the children as “twins.” Each surrogate I can’t imagine any of our gay friends birth will cost up to $150,000. who have children putting their infant son Before they leave us, we’re hoping to or daughter into a stroller, and allowing introduce our guests to another gay male themselves to walk down the middle of the couple who are working hard to renovate street listening to music, texting, and being a house before the birth of their triplets. oblivious to any life beyond their own. If When they began the process of surrogacy, I were an infant who had a choice today, they mixed their sperm, expecting that I wouldn’t hesitate to choose to have gay they wouldn’t know who was the biological parents. Not every gay parent is perfect, father. But their daughter soon displayed and many make the same mistakes as wellthe very curly, blond hair of one of the intentioned heterosexual parents. But, if I men. When they decided to have another were born into a gay family, I would always child, they only used the sperm of the trust that I was truly wanted. other man to ensure that each would have a Brian McNaught was named “the biological child. They didn’t plan on having godfather of gay diversity training” by The three new members of the family, but they New York Times. He works with corporate are thrilled. The triplets will cost three- executives globally, is the author of six quarters of a million dollars to raise, not books, and is featured in seven educational counting college tuition.

DVDs. He and his spouse Ray Struble divide Deciding to have a child requires an their year between Fort Lauderdale and enormous financial commitment, regardless Provincetown. Visit Brian-McNaught.com of whether you are gay or straight. More than for more information. a financial commitment, such a decision

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spring 2013

www.PrideCenterFlorida.org

Follow us! |

facebook.com/ThePrideCenter |

@PrideCenterFL

VOICE

Fabulous Facelift

Inside This Issue:

The Pride Center awarded $125,000 capital improvement grant

I

Celebrating 20 Years

PG. 3

magine: a sheltered pavilion for special cultural events. New trees, flowers and tropical foliage. New wheelchairfriendly paved walkways. Benches, lights and sculptures. Fresh spaces to gather, rest, exercise and entertain. The grounds at Equality Park will soon receive a fabulous new facelift.

The Pride Center at Equality Park recently received a $125,000 grant award from the trustees of the John C. Graves Charitable Fund at the Community Foundation of Broward. This award aims to meet the community’s need to have a safe and beautiful place for special cultural events, recreation, spirituality, educational

Rendering of new courtyard after the renovations are complete

+Continued on pg. 4

Evening in Paradise

PG. 8

Meet Our New Senior Services Coordinator He Knows a Thing or Two about Ageism and Homophobia

By Rob Saunders

White House HIV/AIDS Czar Visits Center

PG. 12

SMART Ride Check Distribution and Thank You Reception

PG.16

B

ruce Williams’ landlady in Miami Beach refused to renew his lease last year. “Feel free to enjoy your lifestyle elsewhere,” she wrote after reading an article about Bruce’s activism for gay rights. Really?

It seems incredible in this day and age -and this from an elderly Jewish woman.

Well, Bruce moved to Wilton Manors, and Miami’s loss is The Pride Center’s gain. When the new job of Senior Services Coordinator at The Pride Center opened up, he accepted. He’s ideally suited to the role, having spent most of his working life in social services, mainly for the elderly. That includes 25 years as Director of a continuing care retirement community.

Two things in this field get him hopping mad. One is the sheer waste of valuable resources that he has seen in government facilities. The other is the blatant discrimination against older LGBT individuals that still occurs. “I’ve seen long-term care from the inside, and I was very fortunate for the most part where I worked,” he said when we sat down to chat. “But I’ve seen other facilities where there’s terrible care, there’s no concern -the only concern is for the dollar -- and then there’s the hatred, the racism and the bigotry against LGBT individuals.”

“You’ve come across that?” I asked.

“Yes, absolutely -- and that is really what is part of my bucket list. I want to make sure for our current, elderly

+Continued on pg. 4

www.PrideCenterFlorida.org VOICE Spring 2013

20 Years On...

By Robert Boo

2

A letter from Robert Boo, C.E.O. of The Pride Center at Equality Park

013 marks our 20th anniversary as a community center. The opening months of fast paced activity and service to the community have been exciting, overwhelming and encouraging. We’re providing new programs, services and resources.

We held our largest fundraiser of the year, Evening in Paradise, in January and enjoyably surprised all of our guests with the over-the-top décor and theme. We collaborated with the City of Wilton Manors for the first time; a portion of the proceeds benefitted the Island City Foundation. The Center profited $35,000 from this event. We are extremely grateful to our many sponsors, media sponsors and to the eight caterers who helped make this event a huge success. Plans already are underway for 2014 to make this a bigger and better event.

We ended 2012 with one of the strongest financial outcomes in our history. We recently began the 2012 audit process; we will finish by the end of March. We also received the results of the audit for

our CDC funded HIV Prevention programs. The feedback states: “the Grantee’s performance is remarkable and noteworthy. They are meeting their objectives and in some cases exceeding goals. The Agency as a whole is client focused and dedicated to ensuring their clients receive appropriate services and are linked into care in a timely manner.” I am very proud of our team working under this grant.

The Board of Directors started working on an updated Strategic Plan last summer. Key stakeholders from the community, staff and volunteer base were surveyed. The Board evaluated the results and created the following goals:

Based on these goals, staff have determined specific methods and the deliverables for our work. Our strategy for the future needs to fluid, flexible and have the ability to adapt to current conditions. The world has become a more turbulent place. The rise of high-tech tools has increased globalization in business. At The Center, we are evaluating gaps in service to our community and securing sustainable new revenue streams for expanding programs and resources. The services we provided in the Nineties, and the strategies we utilized will not work in today’s world.

Social media continues to represent an important tool for amplifying our messages, addressing needs and connecting our community. Alan Schubert, the founding father of The Center, recently attended our Founders Reception hosted at the Riverside Hotel. His words to the group really struck me. “Twenty years ago, I had a dream. Today, all of you are making that dream come true.” What more could you ask of a community?

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Be the premier point of connection for the community through programs and services that are inclusive to all.

Increase Financial Stability by raising more revenues than our expenses through diverse funding streams.

Increase awareness of programs and services through community engagement and a sense of ownership.

2 3

About the Pride Center The Pride Center’s Mission is:

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“We provide a welcoming, safe space--an inclusive home--that celebrates, nurtures and empowers the LGBTQ communities and our friends and neighbors in South Florida.” For 20 years, the Pride Center’s programs and services have met the distinct socioeconomic, health, social and safety needs of the LGBTQ community.

More than 20,000 adult and youth attended activities at the Center over the past year. We host more than 60 regularly-meeting groups each month.

Support, social

and educational groups focus on women, seniors, youth, men, transgender, recovery, health, the arts, athletics, spirituality, games and more. Outreach activities over the past year directly impacted over 30,000 residents and visitors to South Florida. The Pride Center is a major site for HIV testing, prevention, education, support, holistic health and counseling.

Stop in and learn about all we do: a community Flea Market; women’s health initiatives; family outreach days; unique exercise classes for women, seniors, men and more; financial investment

series; art gallery openings; adult educational opportunities through Pride University; Bingo; “Coffee and Conversation” events for seniors; music events; a variety of health fairs; and a spectrum of creative symposiums, speakers, forums and events for the entire community. We own five-anda-half acres of property with 30,000 square feet of office space that provide homes for programs and services, as well as synergy among organizations. Our Vision is to be the premier point of connection for our community.

The Pride Center 2040 N. Dixie Highway Fort Lauderdale, Florida 33305 Mail Correspondence to: P.O. Box 70518 Fort Lauderdale, FL 33307-0518 (954) 463-9005 Fax (954) 764-6522 Email: info@PrideCenterFlorida.org Website: www.PrideCenterFlorida.org

Board of Directors

Ilene Berliner, Chair James Walker, Vice Chair Chris Caputo, Secretary Craig Engel, CPA, Treasurer Ted Adcock Mitchell Bloom

Mark Budwig Irwin Drucker Brenda Hartley George Kling Leslie Tipton Richard Safaty

Pride Center Staff

Robert Boo, CEO, rboo@PrideCenterFlorida.org Kristofer Fegenbush, COO, kfegenbush@PrideCenterFlorida.org Janet Weissman, Business Manager, jweissman@PrideCenterFlorida.org Jorge Gardela, Health Outreach Director, jgardela@PrideCenterFlorida.org Frank Gurucharri, PALS Project Manager, fgurucharri@PrideCenterFlorida.org Samantha McCoy, Customer Service Coordinator, smccoy@PrideCenterFlorida.org Listron “Blue” Mannix, Minority Testing Initiative Manager, bmannix@PrideCenterFlorida.org Jeff Grigsby, LIFE Coordinator, jgrigsby@PrideCenterFlorida.org Magno Morales, CHOICES Coordinator, mmorales@PrideCenterFlorida.org Andres Santofimio, CRCS Counselor, asantofimio@PrideCenterFlorida.org Emilio Aponte, RESPECT Coordinator, eaponte@PrideCenterFlorida.org Albert Taylor, Health Coordinator, ataylor@PrideCenterFlorida.org S.F. Makalani-Mahee, Data Entry Specialist, smakalani-mahee@PrideCenterFlorida.org Michael Childers, LIFE Goes On Coordinator, mchilders@PrideCenterFlorida.org Ed Garcia Social Media and Marketing Coordinator egarcia@PrideCenterFlorida.org Shanna Ratliff, Prevention Outreach Coordinator, sratliff@PrideCenterFlorida.org Bruce Williams, Senior Services Coordinator, bwilliams@PrideCenterFlorida.org Donna Woessner, Women with Pride Coordinator, dwoessner@PrideCenterFlorida.org Lorenzo Robertson, CouplesSpeak Coordinator, lrobertson@PrideCenterFlorida.org Daniel Dardenne, Testing Specialist, ddardenne@PrideCenterFlorida.org Norris Wildhagen, Facilities Specialist, facilities@PrideCenterFlorida.org Charles Dickey, Health Counselor, cdickey@PrideCenterFlorida.org Yamil Cruz, Health Educator, ycruz@PrideCenterFlorida.org Chris Douglas, Testing Specialist, cdouglas@PrideCenterFlorida.org Ebony Wilson, Testing Specialist, ewilson@PrideCenterFlorida.org William “Billy” Gall, Testing Specialist, bgall@PrideCenterFlorida.org Bryan Bowlby, Development Assistant, bbowlby@PrideCenterFlorida.org Dr. David Fawcett, CouplesSpeak Clinical/Program Consultant, dfawcett@PrideCenterFlorida.org Dr. Lincoln Pettaway, CouplesSpeak Evaluation Consultant, lpettaway@PrideCenterFlorida.org Clarence Collins, Facilities Assistant, ccollins@PrideCenterFlorida.org Robert Miller, Facilities Assistant, rmiller@PrideCenterFlorida.org Troy Brown, Facilities Assistant, tbrown@PrideCenterFlorida.org

The Pride Center Voice

Production Managers: Chris Caputo, Kristofer Fegenbush Graphic Design Specialist: Mark Pauciullo Contributing Writers: Robert Saunders, Dave Griffiths, Kevin Murdoch, Jay Mandell, Listron “Blue” Mannix, Samantha McCoy, Lorenzo Robertson, Robert Boo and Kristofer Fegenbush.

Photographers: Steven Shires, Pompano Bill, Dennis Dean, Felecia King, Eddie Garcia, Robert Saunders, Denise Spivak, Donna Woessner, Toni Herbert, Susan Mack, S.F. Makalani-Mahee, Samantha McCoy and Kristofer Fegenbush

The VOICE newsletter is published in the memory and through the donation of the Robert S. Kecskemety Trust.

The Pride Center turns 20 this year. In each issue of The Voice in 2013 we will share photographic memories of our collective history. Let’s see how we’ve weathered the aging process. Enjoy!

www.PrideCenterFlorida.org

Celebrating 20 Years

VOICE Spring 2013 3

www.PrideCenterFlorida.org

Did you know?

+Continued from pg. 1

+ Our Cyber Center provided free internet and computer access to 1,354 logged users last month. + Around 50 groups held around 250 meetings at The Pride Center last month. Our Cyber Center provided free internet and computer access to 1,354 logged users last month. + The Center hosts monthly workshops as part of a Trans E

VOICE Spring 2013

Current view of space to be renovated

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opportunities, health and fitness.

“This grant will allow us to implement the first part of a multi-phase project to improve the grounds of Equality Park,” says CEO Robert Boo. “Our community needs safe, affirming outdoor places to come together and be proud of our environment. This project will also open up new revenue streams through both naming and rental opportunities.

These funds not only will sustain the project for years to come but be applied to future projects on the campus.”

The proposal was submitted by the Equality Park Campus Planning Committee comprised of local experts

in the community, including architects, general contractors, city planners and property managers. The Master Plan was put together by architects Ted Schultz and Don Biehn. A 3-D video of the project, created by the architectural firm of PowersSchram, can be viewed on The Pride Center website, www.

PrideCenterFlorida.org. The award has a matching grant component where The Pride Center needs to raise $25,000 to receive $100,000 from the Fund. Once the project is completed, an additional $25,000 will be awarded to the Center and applied towards mortgage reduction.

Happy Healthy Hour The Center’s Women with Pride Empowerment Series hosted an interactive Holistic Health Fair in collaboration with Women in Network. Panelists, exhibitors and participants explored Reiki, Massage, Yoga, Acupuncture and more. photos by Denise Spivak

+Continued from pg. 1

generation and for future ones that we can improve some of that situation.”

Prejudice also impacted his professional life. He said he would have liked to have been more open about being gay, but at that time and in the places where he worked, it wasn’t possible -- and it took its toll, emotionally. “I’ve been working in social services for over fifty years, and this is the first time I can come to work as an openly gay man,” he said, clearly delighted at the prospect.

As for his new job, Bruce sees its creation as an affirmation of the importance of the senior segment of The Pride Center community, as well as a recognition of the needs within that group. That said, he pointed out that individual needs differ greatly.

“The older elders may want to have things done for them, while the younger boomers may say ‘thank you very much but I’ll do it myself’.”

He knows from experience about

the changes and limitations that have to be faced with increasing age, but many retirees have given it little thought. So, while the senior Pride community currently seems to enjoy entertainment and lighter fare, he’d like to offer more on the “enlightenment” side - on long-term care planning and on health issues, for instance.

The senior LGBT community may not have the family support that aging heterosexuals usually have, he said, and “we may have to rely on ourselves and our social networks.” Many people are just not prepared for the possibility of becoming incapacitated or needing assistance in some way.

As the Center’s new, full-time Senior Services Coordinator, Bruce provides education, outreach and linkage services for local LGBT Seniors as well as helps organize requested activities, events and groups. The position is funded in part through proceeds from

the Senior Health Expo and a gift from the Greenfield Foundation (see story on page 14). His work will increase the empowerment, education, comfort, connection and health of LGBT Seniors locally. He’ll link seniors to a wide variety of culturally competent services on long term care and health.

He’ll collaborate to provide to creative, affirming, educational events. He’ll help provide vital social and emotional support in a safe, welcoming space.

The Pride Center itself won’t provide every senior service, Bruce pointed out, but it can partner with agencies and programs that do. It can also evaluate them and make sure they deal respectfully and caringly for older LGBT individuals. “If we can have someone here as triage, we can assess the situation and refer the individual to the right community agency, business, or whatever,” he said -- and he hopes to be in a position to do just that.

Having met Bruce, you feel pretty certain that he will be, and he’ll be a fierce advocate for the senior LGBT community.

Did you know? + Volunteers provided 1,286 hours of service to The Pride Center last month. Contact Samantha at SMcCoy@ PrideCenterFlorida.org to volunteer! + Pride Center staff provided 356 hours of individual health counseling to people last month + The Pride Center collaborated with Meals on Wheels to provide around 400 meals to Seniors last month.

Bike It For Life to Benefit Pride Center, other HIV agencies

By Kevin Murdoch, member of Pride Pack cycling team

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a long way, I don’t know if I can do it,” and “I can’t raise THAT much money!” Thankfully, the people at TSR Adventures are giving those people a chance to try out a shorter ride with less money to fundraise.

Bike it For Life Fort Lauderdale is a one day progressive century ride in Broward County on Saturday, May 11.

The funds raised will benefit five local AIDS service organizations, including The Pride Center.

Vision 2015 Contributors JOHN GRAVES SOCIETY John C. Graves Charitable Fund of the Community Foundation of Broward

CORNERSTONE SOCIETY Gil Corwin

PILLAR SOCIETY

Anonymous Jan Carpenter & Dale Russell Mona Pittenger

LUMINARY SOCIETY

J. Michael Heider, DDS & Thom Carr Kenneth M. Goss Former Broward County Mayor Ken Keechl & Ted Adcock John Ramos Richard Schwarz & Tom Massey

STAR LEAGUE

Doug Candler James Jagielski George A. Kling, MD

Estate of James Rampe Attorney Arthur B. Smith Jim Stepp & Peter Zimmer Sunshine Athletic Association Doug Tinklepaugh & James Rickard Estate of Lawrence Zinman

EQUALITY LEAGUE

D.C. Allen & Ken Flick Hansen Reality Vince Di Pietro Paul Galluccio Mark Gordon & Aldo Buono Ed Nicholas & Chris Griswold Chuck Nicholls & Mark Turner Coleman Prewitt

VISIONARY CLUB

Anonymous Darcy Beeman Ilene Berliner & Maura Lane John Bowles Mark Budwig & Nick Scalzo Michael Dager & Harvey Shapiro Chris Dunham & Joseph Dominguez Forest Trace

Gay Bridge Cal Harrison Tyler Healis Kenneth Hollander Charitable Foundation Robert L. Hubbard & Bill Greeves Robert Joshua David Kyner & Richard Bray Dr. Christopher Manhon W. Lynn McLaughlin & David Webb David Moon & Eugene Smith Michael Preihs & Khoi Loung Herb Reis & William Coffey SAGE Men’s Drop In Jeffrey & Belinda Shover Donald Schultz Calvin Steinmetz & Brian Boyle Stork’s Bakery Dave Stubbins The Bears of South Florida, Inc. Dean Trantalis, Esq Ted Verdone & John Curtin Charles Walker Sumner T. White

VOICE Spring 2013

t’s always amazing to me how people come to participate in the SMART Ride, the two day, 165 mile ride from Miami to Key West. Friends always are there to support us, and they always say, “I should do that!” When they say that to me, I’m really quick to say, “It’s easy.

It’s not a race, it’s a ride. You will love it and the people involved are amazing.”

Then, of course, people start second guessing themselves with: “That’s

in Fort Lauderdale and travel North up the beautiful A1A waterway, past magnificent homes, beautiful vistas, ocean views and tree covered roads.

Commit to a better world, a thinner waistline, the greenest vehicle on earth and most importantly to help yourself, The Pride Center and others fighting HIV/AIDS. “AIDS continues to spread, despite the best efforts at prevention,” say Glen Weinzimer. “One of the best ways to help combat the spread and help those living with HIV/AIDS to keep the dialogue open. There are lots of ways of doing that, but for us being on the open road, telling friends and family what we are doing all acts to engage people in conversation. Conversation leads to action and awareness. We engage not just each of you, but individual donors.”

You’ve got to start somewhere.

Start with Bike it For Life in May! Join The Center’s Pride Pack team and realize just how rewarding biking for life can really be. For more information or to register, please visit: www. bikeitforlife.org

www.PrideCenterFlorida.org

Pedal Power

“We’re honored and grateful that TSR chose The Pride Center as a benefitting agency,” says Kristofer Fegenbush, Pride Center COO. “Every day I see the impact of the many HIV prevention, support and care programs and services of The Pride Center on the lives of people in our community.

Funds raised through Bike It For Life will save lives. We’re thankful to be a part of this new adventure.”

You can choose to ride 15 miles or 30. You can ride 60 or 100 miles in one day. It’s up to you, your skill, your personal pace and your ultimate goal for the day. You don’t need to be an athlete. You’ll receive support at pit stops along the way.

It’s a ride where you can bring all those who say “I’d love to ride but I can’t do 100 miles.” You can get on a bike, ride for just an hour and raise money and awareness to HIV/AIDS. The cost is also very different than The SMART Ride, it’s only $50 to register and a commitment to fundraise an additional $250.

You’ll leave the Bahia Mar

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www.PrideCenterFlorida.org

“Alive and Hot” C

HOICES is a five-week workshop for men living with HIV/AIDS offered by The Pride Center’s PALS Project. Recent graduates share their testimonials. To learn more about the PALS Project and its various programs-CHOICES, LIFE, CouplesSpeak, BUDDIES and more-contact 954.463.9011.

VOICE Spring 2013

Anonymous This past May, I went to the emergency room with symptoms, I thought, of a very bad cold that were not getting better. That same day I was admitted into the hospital so they could run more tests, including an HIV test. The next day I was told I tested positive for PCP pneumonia and was HIV positive. Pretty much everything I heard after that was “blah blah blah.”

Later that same day, another doctor came back to

CHOICES program graduates share impact on their lives

my room to try to explain things to me now that I had processed the whole HIV thing. He told me that my T-cell count was 8 and I had full blown AIDS. To me, this was a death sentence. I moved to Florida from another state, so I had no family and very few friends for support…I realized very quickly how little of a support system I really had.

After trying therapy, it just wasn’t for me. My therapist told me I should consider a support group with other HIV positive gay men. She suggested I call the PALS Project at The Pride Center and look into the support groups there. After coming to the center and meeting everyone, I came back the very next day for my intake and began the CHOICES Program just before Thanksgiving.

This short five week program and small group size was perfect for me.

I really enjoyed the personal small group and being able to share my story and hear other stories from men who were in the same situation I was in. Magno, the CHOICES Coordinator, makes everyone feel very comfortable. I highly recommend the CHOICES program for anyone dealing with the day to day stress of being HIV positive and coping with relationships, dating and disclosure. I made some good friends and good “choices” (no pun intended) …it also gave the courage to enter the LIFE Program, which is

17 weeks and a much larger group. Already enjoying that too.

James LoBello

The start for me was a choice of being silent or getting current and correct HIV information.

CHOICES allowed me to open up finally and share my new knowledge of being POZ . I was told in the hospital that I was HIV positive. Now I allowed myself to be in a safe environment with other men that were POZ to be informed, learn, and accept my new realty. Quickly, I learned that I still continue living life being HIV positive... I can still be alive and hot in my new condition and do it safely. I was never preached nor judged what not to do. WOW! I was afforded the opportunity to ask questions openly, with confidentiality, in a safe environment, with a non-judgmental small group.

Living HIV Positive added new unknown stressors to my life. There was no doubt that I was stressed about dating again, having any sex, future possible relationship or even disclosure to anyone. CHOICES taught me the tools and strategies to live a safer and richer life than I had ever known.

The role playing brought me into a new awareness of being able to have fun and laugh again. Activities were thought provoking, enjoyable and yet relaxed.

I improved my problem solving and my ability to communicate openly and raised my level of safe behaviors. It has improved my quality of overall health. This is an opportunity of a lifetime. Go for it.

Did you know? + The Pride Center distributed

over 24,400 condoms to community members over the last month alone. That’s a lot of hot, safer sex! + Pride Center staff and volunteers provided 392 HIV tests last month.

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+ Over 1000 visitors and 80 vendors attend our Flea Market on the first Saturday of every month. + Over 100 people play Bingo at the Center on the second Saturday evening of every month.

LIFETIME

Alan Schubert Bob and Hal Bernier-Peterson Gil Corwin John C. Graves Charitable Fund

PLATINUM LEVEL ($10,000 and above)

Anonymous (2) AIDS Healthcare Foundation Aqua Foundation for Women Bobby Blair / Florida Agenda Bobby Kyser / Panache Style Community Foundation of Broward Ed Garcia Designs LSeven Solutions Mona Pittenger Norm Kent / South Florida Gay News Peter Clark / HotSpots Magazine The Howard Greenfield Charitable Foundation / Frank J. Guida, Jr. Representative The Kenneth S. Hollander Charitable Foundation The Smart Ride Wells Fargo Foundation Will Spencer / CAMP Inc.

Diamond Level ($5,000 - $9,999)

GOLD LEVEL ($2,500 - $4,999)

A Celebration of Friends, Inc. Bayview Cadillac Bob Kecskemety Estate Bob Young Carlos Perez Varela / Peninsula Assisted Living Chris Dunham and Joseph Dominguez / Dunham Insurance Coffee and Conversation Dave Litty /Agel Independent Diplomat Pharmacy Don Biehn Doug Tinklepaugh and James Rickard / Pinnacle Constructors, LLC Gary Yamnitz / City County Credit Union Gerald Byers and Rudy Wengenroth Herbert Reis and William Coffey Howard Cunningham, DDS Joe Pallant / Pallant Insurance Agency, Inc. Lea P. Krauss Esq, Lee Rubin and Jim Walker, Board Vice Chair Lloyd Gill / City County Credit Union Maria Kondracki and Jim Dwyer Mark Budwig, Board Member, and Nick Scalzo / S.MarkGraphics Michael Camardello Paul Smith and Gerald Kennedy Richard Safaty, Board Member / Freedom Travel Richard Schwarz and Tom Massey Charitable Fund at Our Fund, Inc. Ronnie Pryor and Dustin Cranor / Source Salon Robert W. Eldredge / RWE Real Estate Robert Hubbard and Bill Greeves Russell Sassani MD and Michael Schneider / Take Shape Plastic Surgery PA The Peninsula Assisted Living and Memory Care Residence

SILVER LEVEL ($1,200 - $2,499)

Anonymous (4) Another Perfect Party A.J. Jabre Al Bacchi and Craig Ross Anthony Molluso and Bill Volbrecht Anthony Timiraos and Arthur Crispino AutoNation B Ocean Fort Lauderdale Bears of South Florida Bill Linehan Bill Thornton and Adam Kratochwill / Pride Carpet Cleaning Bob Collier and Chuck Hunziker Bret Johnson Brian Farley and Ron Alose Bruce Lane Bruce Presley and Chris Hedlund Bruce Walther Bruno Trambusti and Randy Grant C. Ted Wolf and Frank Decolator Cal Harrison Carmine Martorilli and Robert Poster Carol Moran / New Moon Bar Chantal Ingerson Charles Loring Dr. Charmaine Johnson-Leong, DDS Chef Judith Able / Chef of Distinction Clifford Jolley and Paul Clive Craig Benoit / Challenges Treatment Center Craig Engel and Greg Briche Dan Oropesa and DJ Harvey / Mack Multimedia Daniel Pye and Peter Mangone Daniel Wasinger and Howard Cohen Darcy Beeman and Jenn Bodner Dave Stubbins David Bebbington David Schwartzberg and Homer Enano David Treece / Treece Financial Group David Guzman and Justin Hilt Dr. David Kyner and Richard Bray David McConnell David Moon and Eugene Smith David Webb and W. Lynn McLaughlin Dennis Fitzkee and Bernie Langeluttig Dominick Destefano Don Barlow Donn Rubin and Stephen Harmon / Alterra Home Loans Donald Croxton and Douglas Pew Doug Candler Drew Miller and Kevin Murdoch Ed Nicholas and Chris Griswold / Eastside Property Management Ellen Krider / RBC Wealth Management Eric Reivik and Andy Harrison / PC Lauderdale Erich Kissel Ernest Olivas / Nautilus Senior Home Care Forest Trace Luxury Resort Senior Community Fred Wahl and Fred Marzec Gables Wilton Park Apartments GALLERYone Fort Lauderdale Gary Kempler George Kling, Board member Geph Scarr / Scarr Insurance Glenn Goldberg Greg Moore and Allan Barsky Hank Stembridge and Theron Watson Hans Hochkamp and Joseph DeBacco Harvey Chasser Hibiscus Cafe Hospice of Broward County / David King Iberia Bank Idan Eckstein Irwin Drucker, Board Member Dr. J. Michael Heider and Thom Carr / Ultimate Smile Dental Jack Kosko and John Fitzgerland Jack Schlossberg and Greg Fineman James Cox / Remora General Contrators James A. Johnson Jan Zilmer Jared Falek and Don Chorpenning Jason King Jeffrey Gross Jim Jagielski Jim Pierce / Pierce Aire, Inc. Joe Guerrero Joe McConnell Joel Schulman, Esq. John Bolton

John Jovanovich and Paul Holoweski John Leyden and Tom Valentine Julia Landis and Shawn Fanshier Justin Proffitt Karen Carol and Julie Slater / Chic Optique Ken Kalederian Ken Keechl and Ted Adcock, Board Member Ken Merrifield and Fred Berger Kristofer Fegenbush Law Office of Cal Steinmetz Law Offices of George Castrataro Law Office of Gregory W. Kabel Leslie Tipton, Board Member / Church of the Holy Spirit Song Lynn Corning / Newman Insurance Lynn McLaughlin and David Webb Louis Benevento and Patrick Duffy Marc Grossman Maria Kondracki and Jim Dwyer Mark Gordon and Aldo Buono Mark Halacy and Tom Pollock Mark Ketcham and Werner Lutz Mark Turner and Chuck Nicholls Martin Friedman and Sheldon Weinrib Martin Gould Michael Albetta Michael Alexander Michael D’Agostino Michael Dane and Alex Quintero / Assisted Living Lifestyles Michael Faerber / D’Angelo Realty Group Michael Hisey Mick Howard and Brian Jackson / Mayors Jewelry Mike Dager and Harvey Shapiro Miriam Richter and Michelle Altman Mitchell Bloom, Board Member / Wells Fargo Bank Neill Hirst MD and Greg Hughes Norman Berkowitz Northern Trust Bank Norton C. Lyman and Kimeo Sato Pamela Kirkpatrick Patricia A. Nugent, Esq. Patrick Harris and Wesley Walker Paul Alpert Paul Fasana Paul Hyman and Bill Bracker Paul Jennings Paul Rolli and W. Bennett Quade Peter Hardy-Smith and Steven Devito Peter Pileski and Bob Avian Pride Institute at Fort Lauderdale Hospital Reggie Barnes Richard Nolan and Robert Pingpank Richard Stoll, Esq. Robert Boo Robert Delehanty Robert Judd and Russell Neal Robert Kuhn and Steven Geyer Rosie’s Bar and Grill / John Zieba and Cliff Mulcahy Salvatore Torre Sam Chalfant and Tom Rouland Scott Belding and Listron “Blue” Mannix Scott L. Bennett Stephen Banigan and William Van Scoy Stephen Cox Stephen Driscoll and Robert Tocci Stephen Schram and Richard Powers / PowersSchram, LLC Steve Barnard Steve Shires Photography Steven C. Lowensten / Five Dollar Fund of the Community Foundation Steven Wetzler Sumner T. White Sun Trust Bank TD Bank Ted Emery Ted Verdone and John Curtin Terry Stone and Mike Bush Theron Watson and Hank Stembridge Tim Singer and Richard Cascarelli Timothy Hart / R3 Accounting LLC Tom Runyan / Runyan Law Firm, P.A. Tom and Steven Bergert-Clark Tomas Soto, Ph.D., MPH and Frank Lefevre, M.D. Tony Seguino and Dan Ayers Tracey Cramer / Ameriprise Tyler Healis Victor Zepka / Boardwalk Vince Di Pietro and Richard Berg

Join the Pride Center Founders Circle! Support the programs and services of The Pride Center. For more information, please contact CEO Robert Boo RBoo@PrideCenterFlorida.org

Couples Speak graduates share impact on their relationship

N

ilber Remon and Jerrod Jones confess: their relationship will never be the same.

They recently graduated from Couples Speak, the innovative program to support gay and bisexual men in relationships offered through The Pride Center’s PALS Project.

“We were looking to discover new approaches to further strengthen our relationship and expose new modes of communication that could teach us novel things about ourselves and our lives as a couple,” says Remon.

“The program provided a space for an open and honest exchange of feedback and distinct points of views that enriched our shared experience as participants and offered new insights into our relationship,” the couples says.

They learned a lot about their own relationship.

“We recognized the deep trust that formed the foundation of our relationship, the armored bonds that reinforced our love and perpetuated its steadfast strength,” says Remon.

“It only made us closer, by revealing how close we already were.”

Sessions include information, group discussion, story sharing and creative exercises that couples can practice during the next week.

Couples then report back to the group the next week on their experience.

“We learned new communication strategies and ways of expressing ourselves openly and candidly as well as practices to overcoming communicative roadblocks throughout our daily lives,” says Remon.

This cutting-edge, four-week workshop promotes HIV risk reduction and holistic health for couples, including those with different HIV status.

“Risk and sexual intimacy and

exploration developed as a major conversation throughout the workshops especially in relation to HIV,” say Remon and Jones. “We discussed the implications of sexual behaviors and limits and their potential of exposure to HIV, and how couples mediate and negotiate the risks involved.”

They both recommend the program to other couples seeking to enhance the quality of their relationship.

“Through the program, couples can potentially realize a new plane of awareness in their relationship, create new channels of communication and understanding, build on trust and honesty and more critically, discover something new about each other,” they say.

Interested couples can register today for the program. For more information please contact Lorenzo Robertson at 954.463.9011 ext. 306

VOICE Spring 2013

Anonymous (1) Arthur Smith, Esq. Brenda Hartley, Board Member / BankUnited Chris Caputo, Board Member / Metro Media Works Dale Russell, MD and Jan Carpenter David McLaren and Joe Laurino / Periodic Products D. C. Allen and Ken Flick No Gay Hate Fund at Our Fund, Inc. Greg Hardy and Rick Soloway / Solutions Insurance Ilene Berliner, Board Chair, Maura Lane Jim Stepp and Peter Zimmer Ron Ansin and Jim Stork Ted Schultz

Victor Flores / Fast Printz

“Reinforced Our Love”

www.PrideCenterFlorida.org

The Pride Center Founders Circle

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www.PrideCenterFlorida.org VOICE Spring 2013

Evening in Paradise Our largest annual fundraiser raised $35,000 for The Pride Center with its over-the-top theme and decor. We are extremely grateful to the host committee, sponsors, entertainers, event planners and caterers who helped make this event a huge success. photos by Steve Shires

The Truth About Cats and Dogs The Center’s Women with Pride Empowerment Series hosted a fascinating, candid exploration of differences and stereotypes among lesbian women, gay men, bisexual and transgender community members. Panelists included Karen Campbell, Dr David Fawcett, Leland and Carol Moran. photos by Kristofer Fegenbush and Denise Spivak

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The Pride Center once again hosted Black Gay Pride. This year’s Blackout Weekend festivities included an Art Reception, Book Signing, A Night of Rhythm and Words, a One Man Show and an Old School Family Reunion Block Party. photos by Felecia King and Kristofer Fegenbush

Riverside Hotel hosted and sponsored a recent Founders Reception on Las Olas. Funds donated by the Founders Circle underwrite life-enhancing programs and services to the community. photos by Steve Shires

VOICE Spring 2013

Founders Event at Riverside Hotel

www.PrideCenterFlorida.org

Black Gay Pride

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www.PrideCenterFlorida.org VOICE Spring 2013

The Love Guru

W

ho knew that hundreds of people biking in spandex could help couples’ relationships?

Thanks to funds raised through the annual SMART Ride to Key West, Lorenzo Robertson recently joined The Pride Center full-time as the Couples Speak Coordinator. He previously had served as a part-time facilitator for the groups. Couples Speak is an innovative program to support gay and bisexual men in relationships offered through The Center’s PALS Project.

This cutting-edge, four-week workshop promotes HIV risk reduction and holistic health for couples, including those with different HIV status.

“Since I’m here full time now, it will enhance and benefit the program greatly,” says Robertson.

“I can dedicate more energy to recruitment and outreach. We can run more cycles per month to include more participants. We can design intensive weekend retreats for couples. Expanding and

SMART Ride funds help couples program expand, hire full-time coordinator

adapting the program will benefit the needs of the community.”

Some participating couples are just starting their relationship. Others are long-term partners. Both partners can be HIV negative. Or one may be living with HIV while the other is not.

“I’ve been involved in other HIV prevention programs that have focused exclusively on sex and how to have sex safely,” says Robertson. “What makes Couples Speak unique is it addresses sex within the context of enhancing the strength and quality of the relationship. Teaching me to have sex with someone can be just about the clinical side of safety. Teaching me about relationship quality allows me to keep my partner safe in the context of emotions and connection, as well.”

The program meets once a week for four weeks in the evening. New cycles begin each month. Groups include five to six couples.

Workshops equip participants with skills to enhance their communication, lower risks, improve their health routines and strengthen their relationships.

“Couples Speak has made me realize that real, honest communication is the core of a great relationship,” says Robertson. “It doesn’t matter how long you have been together or how much you love each other, there is always room to make it better.”

Robertson is the former Minority AIDS Coordinator for Area 9 (Palm Beach County) and the Statewide Black Men-who-have-Sex-with-Men Coordinator for the State of Florida.

He also has been a tireless HIV/AIDS and Gay advocate and activist.

H e is the co-founder and facilitator of BrothasSpeak, a discussion group

Volunteer Appreciation Party The Pride Center recently hosted an appreciation party for its many volunteers. Volunteers donate more than 1,250 hours of service each month. To volunteer at The Center, please contact Samantha at SMcCoy@ PrideCenterFlorida.org photos by Kristofer Fegenbush

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for Black men in West Palm Beach, Fort Lauderdale, Tallahassee and Tampa. He is the conference coordinator for the Ujima Men’s Collective Conference for Black Gay Men.

Robertson is constantly working around the state and country conducting workshops, seminars, and lectures on a variety of topics and interventions: Stigma; Sex and Sexuality; Many Men Many Voices; D-Up!; Voices/Voces, Holistic Health and Recovery Program; and other workshops that address surrounding gay and lesbian issues.

Robertson also produced and wrote the documentary, Silence is Death: Unheard Voices and was a producer on the recently released DVDs Finding our Voices and the sequel Finding Our Voices, II. “Couples Speak builds stronger, healthier relationships through real communication with partners who are dedicated to creating a more harmonious and loving couple space,” says Robertson. “We give couples the necessary tools to build more open and loving relationships through fun, interactive activities.”

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team (Gil and Joe),” she says. “Mr. Clarence (Facilities Assistant) not only assures that there are no animals in the back woods so guests are safe, but walks around all night with the security guard Ms. Lisa, assuring our guests and staff are safe under their watch.”

Natalia admits this is the first time that she has volunteered regularly on a weekly basis.

“I have two jobs Monday-Friday, but I felt a void missing that needed to be filled,” she says. “I am heavily involved in my Sorority, Omega Phi Chi, as an Alumni Member.

One of our organization’s core values is involvement in community affairs. It is easier to find ways to contribute to local communities on an undergraduate level, but as an adult I found it difficult to find consistent opportunities that would enable me to connect with organizations that support causes I believe in.

“I am passionate about the advancement and fostering of the LGBT community and Breast Cancer Awareness,” she shares.

“I still volunteer and raise money for the Susan G. Komen Foundation as well as the American Cancer Society on a yearly basis. Once I found out that The Pride Center welcomed volunteers I knew I found my fit.”

She was determined to become a volunteer.

“Mr. Robert Boo (CEO) and Ms. Samantha McCoy (Customer Service Coordinator) can attest to my insistence regarding the processing of my application,” she laughs.

Celebrate Life at the Liveliest Spot in Town!

• Coffee & Conversation Tuesdays @ 10 am • Daily Enhance Fitness senior exercise classes • Pot lucks, fun shows, movies and Bingo • Games Days every other Tuesday afternoon • Issues, Art, History...Speaker Series on alternate Tuesdays • Healthy Aging seminars • Weekly Bridge, Hearts, Pinochle and more • AARP Driver Safety courses, CarFit and Safe Homes programs

VOICE Spring 2013

am still working on trying to figure out the vending machine,” says Natalia Tapia with a laugh.

“However, I can say that I love coming here every Monday.

I can only hope that others can sense my enthusiasm.”

Those that meet Natalia surely can sense her enthusiasm. Though she only has volunteered with The Pride Center for a few months, she’s already made an impact on the community members, staff members and other volunteers with whom she’s worked.

“I provide many smiles and strive to provide everyone who walks through the door or calls on the phone whatever they need during their visit with us,” she says.

Natalia says she reads The Voice “religiously” and is “taken aback” by the growth and development at The Pride Center since she moved to Oakland Park in 2006.

“The grants received, the hands-on work in the community as a whole, the efforts from the volunteers, the consistent appreciation that the entire center shows for each other, the guests that come and know that they have a comfortable place to be who they are.

It’s a home environment and it makes me happy to be a contributing part of that dynamic,” she says.

Natalia is quick to point out what she values most about The Pride Center.

“It provides a safe place for the entire community,” she says. “You don’t have to be gay to be welcomed and embraced.

I love that we have relationships with collaborating organizations that are ready and able to help all our guests with whatever they need. Many of our guests have nowhere to turn. But they can turn to The Pride Center where many helping hands are available to them when they may need it the most. Without questions, prejudice or judgment. Everyone has a story.

Whether their story is one of triumph or one of need- The Pride Center is there.”

She also values the relationships she has formed with other volunteers and staff.

“I value working with my front desk

SENIORS

Natalia Tapia smiles her way into Pride Center family

www.PrideCenterFlorida.org

Volunteer Spotlight

...and a faaabulous annual Senior Health Expo!

954.463.9005 www.PrideCenterFlorida.org Seniors@PrideCenterFlorida.org 2040 North Dixie Highway Wilton Manors, FL 33305

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www.PrideCenterFlorida.org VOICE Spring 2013

Elton John Loves The Pride Center $50k Grant from the Elton John AIDS Foundation Impacts South Florida

By Dave Griffiths

S

ir Elton John is one of pop music’s great survivors. He began playing piano at age four and by age eleven, he had won a scholarship to the Royal Academy of Music in London. It is no secret that he had a wild time in the ‘70s and ‘80s; just look at the way he dressed and the lavish lifestyle he lead. He became the most successful pop artist of the 1970s, and he has survived many different pop fads since.

Elton John is more than a fad at The Pride Center.

For the third year, The Pride Center has received a grant from the Elton John AIDS Foundation to provide health and wellness services to the community.

“Elton John is not only one of my favorite songwriters, but one of my favorite

White House HIV/AIDS Czar Visits Center

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The Pride Center was honored to host Dr. Grant Colifax, The White House HIV/AIDS “Czar”, for a visit to our campus. Dr. Colfax met with Pride Center staff, volunteers and program participants to discuss needs, challenges and resources to address the HIV epidemic.

This was his first meeting of this format at an agency anywhere in the United States. photos by Kristofer Fegenbush

philanthropists,” said Kristofer Fegenbush, Pride Center Chief Operating Officer. “Funding from the Elton John AIDS Foundation will continue to make lasting impacts on the lives of people within our community. Thanks to their support, we will provide practical social support, interesting workshops, vital patient navigation and innovative peer training.”

It was in 1990 when a young man, Ryan White, died of AIDS, that Elton Hercules John found his inspiration and strength. Shortly after White’s death, John entered rehab to clean up his ways and turn a new leaf. In a CBS interview, he said “I wanted redemption for the way I lived my life beforehand.

And that was, you know, the drugs, the drink, the loose sex, whatever. I wanted redemption for the fact that during the ‘80s, as a gay man, I didn’t do enough for HIV and AIDS.” Twenty years ago, he started the Elton John AIDS Foundation (EJAF) in Atlanta, to help provide services for those living with the illness all over the world. The mission of the EJAF is to reduce the incidence of HIV/AIDS through innovative HIV prevention programs, eliminate stigma and discrimination associated with HIV/AIDS, and support direct HIV-related care for people living with HIV/AIDS. Since 1992, EJAF has raised more than $300 million to support worthy projects in 55 countries across the globe.

Now, because of the grant provided by the EJAF, many more services will once again be provided to people here in South Florida through The Pride Center.

The $50,000.00 grant will help fund The Center’s PALS (Positive Action for Living Safely) Project.

It will continue the popular LIFE Goes On Health

& Wellness Self-Management Series, which has included such topics as “Happy Hiney Health” and “Becoming Mr. Right.” In 2013, PALS will offer community education dinners focused on health and risk prevention topics that are important to all, but are rarely discussed. For example, a Maturing Health Series will include topics on HIV and Aging, HIV and Brain Health. The grant will also fund the PALS Peer Partners Program, which helps train and certify peer educators to ensure high-quality service and outreach to the community. It will also help expand the current Life Goes On BUDDIES program, which offers one-on-one coaching and support for gay and bisexual men (either living with HIV or not) who feel that they are not ready for a group program. The grant also gives The Pride Center the ability to expand the PALS Living Room drop-in center; a place where people can feel welcome and safe and meet with small support groups. In addition, expanded funding will enable the PALS Project to finish an improved wireless network, a resource e-directory, an LGBTQ & HIV lending library, and an informative PALS web site with an HIV and Health & Wellness e-library.

“It is an honor to help the impact of the Elton John AIDS Foundation here in Broward County,” says Michael Childers, LIFE Goes On Coordinator.

“The generous funding we’ve received for the past three years allows me to give back to the community that helped me when I was in need.”

Today, Elton John lives a very subdued lifestyle with his partner David Furnish and their two boys, however, when he says “we have to help,” people listen! His foundation, which is now based in New York and London, is considered among the most successful AIDS charities in the world.

The Pride Center’s PALS Project offers HIVpositive men vital social support, accurate HIV information and practical strategies to lead safer, richer lives. PALS has helped more than 12,000 gay and bisexual men lead safer, healthier lives.

For more information about the PALS Project or the LIFE Goes On series, please visit the Pride Center’s website at www.pridecenterflorida.org.

Women’s History Month Activities Abound at Center

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programming for women. The Pride Center now has a fully-equipped central office where local Lesbian, Bisexual, and Transgender women can receive information, referrals, support, and much more. For additional information about women’s programs at the Pride Center, please visit www.pridecenterflorida. org or please contact me by email at DWoessner@ PrideCenterFlorida.org Follow us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/ womenwithpride or on Twitter @WomenWithPride.

www.PrideCenterFlorida.org

Hoo-Hoos and Happenings

Building B We also host Lavender Speaks the third Thursday of every month. This is an opportunity for women to share their creative work with others: Spoken word; performance; art in any media--anything

by Donna Woessner, Women with Pride Coordinator you’d like to share. e’ve got what women want.

This month is the first meeting of our book club, Women’s History Month provides Between the Covers: a new book discussion group a great opportunity to visit The Pride for women.

We will meet Thursday, March 14, 2013 Center often. We will fill the main and our first selection is “Katharine Hepburn – The Art Gallery with work from at least 15 unique and Untold Story”. talented local women artists. This is the third year Wrapping up our busy month on Thursday, March we will celebrate creativity BY and FOR women. This 28, 2013 is Hoo-hoos, Coochies and Treasure Chests: year’s theme is “Moving Forward: Women of the 21st Smiling Vagina Night. This is the third in our year long Century” and will prove to be our best display yet. The program of Women With Pride Empowerment Series. official Gallery Opening is Friday, March 22, 2013. We Hosted by Dr. Lanalee Sam this evening provides an have commissioned the creation of a live piece of art opportunity to experience and ask questions about on-site by one of our invited artists. We look forward the most wonderful and mysterious place on earth – to a fantastic display again this year. the vagina.

Don’t miss the chance to learn more than Regular weekly women’s events include Monday you ever thought you could!

Night Women’s Group (a casual and friendly gathering The Pride Center’s Women with Pride program of like- and not-so-like-minded women) and noncontinues to expand our services, resources and competitive Basketball offered 3 times weekly behind

Pride Center Cruise

photos by Robert Saunders

VOICE Spring 2013

The Center’s second annual cruise fundraiser transported guests aboard Royal Caribbean’s Liberty of the Seas. This benefit organized by Richard Safaty of Freedom Travel raised $5,000 for The Pride Center.

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www.PrideCenterFlorida.org VOICE Spring 2013

The Legacy of a Sweet and Gentle Man

By Rob Saunders oward Greenfield died four years ago, but in a sense his memory lives on through a generous gift to The Pride Center. The newly created position of Senior Services Coordinator was made possible in large part by a grant from his endowment, the Howard Greenfield Charitable Foundation.

It all came about through the good auspices of Frank Guida, who represents the trustees of the Foundation. “I have Howard’s vision, put it that way,” he said in a conversation about the man, his legacy, and the reasons for a focus on senior needs.

Frank knew Howard Greenfield for 30 years, and was his constant caregiver for the last four or five years of his life as he succumbed to Alzheimer’s disease. “He knew he had Alzheimer’s, but at the stage when his mind went he didn’t really know it.

I went through it with him for a number of years, and even at his toughest times when he couldn’t communicate with a voice or anything, he could communicate with his eyes to me. I was about one of the only people he could communicate with ... with those blue eyes, I knew what he wanted.”

In life, Howard Greenfield was always philanthropic, Frank said. “He was the sweetest, gentlest man you could have known. It was all about giving for him, helping people ‘build up’, and pretty much the Foundation is about that.”

The focus at first was on theater and the arts for children and young teenagers, but now it has broadened to include the elderly, “because of what he went through,” Frank explained. “Many others will go through that, possibly, and many don’t have

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the funds to do what you’re doing here.”

Building on Howard Greenfield’s wishes, Frank seeks out grassroots programs for the Foundation to support. He could have written a check for The Pride Center for general operations, but he wanted the grant to go to a specific project so that the money moved ‘up’ rather than ‘top down’, he said . “Some programs need an individual like you have here, so that to me is a grassroots thing that’s helping this organization do more.”

While talking to the people involved in running The Pride Center and its services, “I liked what I saw,” Guida continued. “We talked about programs, what’s going on here and we zeroed in on two or three different things -- one being this program.”

He went back to the Foundation’s trustees, who gave their blessing to support a position focused on senior needs.

“We have a lot of seniors in this community, and I’m not too far away from being a senior myself,” he pointed out. “As a senior now, even a healthy one, maybe in your 70s or late 60s, you have to make certain decisions about moving forward and how you’re going to spend those golden years.” That’s where the Senior Services Coordinator comes in.

Whether it’s about living facilities that cater to the elderly, community resources to help with disabilities, or health practitioners who understand the problems of aging, “the information you get about that is really valuable.”

He said he’s sure Howard Greenfield would believe in what he’s doing at The Center. “I’m already trying to figure what, here, is going to need

Frank Guida, representative of Howard Greenfield Charitable Foundation Trustees

funding for next year, possibly,” he concluded as he headed off for another appointment. “You know, there are wonderful people here and you want to see more.”

Mind you, he cautioned, “I will not start speaking to people until around December 15th, because then it’s really a surprise ... it’s like a gift from heaven, and that’s what Howard was about.”

Groups at the Pride Center WEEKLY RECURRING MEETINGS

AA – Attitude Adjustment Group, Recovery, Mon-Fri, 7-8a AA – Each Day a New Beginning, Recovery, Daily, 9-10a AA – Northeast Group, Recovery, Mon, 8:30-9:30p AA – Sober, Proud and Gay, Recovery, Fri, 8:30-10p AA – Pride 5:45 Meeting, Recovery, Daily, 5:45-6:45p AA-Al-anon-Recovery,Thur, 7-8p BrothasspeakFTL-Social, Wed, 7:00p-9:00p Coffee and Conversation – SAC, Social/Seniors, Tues, 10:30a-12noon Double Winners, Support, Wed, 5:45-6:45p Games Day, Social, 2nd & 4th Tues, 1-4p Gay Bridge Club, Fun, Mon & Fri, 1-4p Gay Hearts, Social, Sun, 1-3:30p Mahjong, Social, Wed, 1-5:00p Man2Man Talk, Social, Mon, 7-8:30p Monday Night Women’s Group, Social, Mon, 7:30-9p Narcotics Anonymous Rainbow Group, Recovery, Wed, 8-9p New Path Narcotics Anonymous Group, Recovery, Mon/Tue/Thu, 7-8p New Path Narcotics Anonymous Group, Recovery, Sat/Sun, 4-5p Overeaters Anonymous, Recovery, Sun, 12n-1:30p

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Overeaters Anonymous, Recovery, Fri, 7:30-9p POZ Attitudes Here and Now, HIV Support, Wed, 7-9p, Positive Connections, HIV Support, Tue, 6:30-8:00p SAGE Men’s Social, Social/Seniors, Wed, 1-3p Sex and Love Addicts Anonymous (SLAA), Recovery, Fri, 7-8p Senior Exercise Class Health, Senior, Mon-Fri, 10:10a-11:10a,11:1512:15p,1:30-2:30p Senior Gay Men’s Support Group, Support, Mon, 11a-12n Smart Recovery, Recovery, Mon, 7:30-8:30p/Thur, 6:30-8p Toastmasters, Educational, Mon, 7:15-9:15p Women’s Non-Competitive Basketball, Social,Wed/Thur,5:45p Sat, 3-5p Pride Center Young Adult Group, (23-35 yoa), Support, Thur, 8:30-9:45p

BI-WEEKLY RECURRING MEETINGS Ballet & Opera Group, Educational, 2nd & 4th Sunday, 1-4p Bereavement Group, Support, 2nd & 4th Sunday, 2-4p Broward Anti War Coalition, Support, 1st & 3rd Wed, 7:30-9:30p POZ Long-Term Survivor, Gay Men/HIV Support, 1st & 3rd Thur, 6:30-8p Senior Games Day, Social, 2nd & 4th Tue, 1-4p

MONTHLY RECURRING MEETINGS/EVENTS

Big Men’s Club: Chubbies & Chasers, Social, 3rd Sat, 1-4p Pride Center BINGO, Open to Public, 2nd Sat, 7-10p Dolphin Democrats, Mthly Meeting, 2nd Wed, 7:30-9:30p Lavender Speaks, Social, 3rd Thurs, 7:30-10p Pride Center Memorial Garden Club, Educational, 3rd Wed, 7-9p Pride Center GLEE Club,Social, Bi-Monthly Pride Center Flea Market, Open to Public, 1st Sat, 8a-2p Primetimers, Open to Public, 1st Sun, 2-4:30p SAGE Computer Club, Educational, 2nd Wed, 4-6p SAGE Movie Movie, Social, 3rd Mon, 4-6p S. F. Rainbow Alliance of the Deaf, Support, 1st Sun, 2:30-3:30p Transgender Support Group, Support, 3rd Fri, 7-8:30p TransCaringBrothers,Support, Women in Network, Social, 1st Wed, 7-9p

For further information call Samantha McCoy at 954-463-9005.Visit www.pridecenterflorida.org Calendar of Events for meeting room assignments.

Directory These businesses represent some of our valuable supporters.

To become a Business Founder, please contact Robert Boo: RBoo@PrideCenterFlorida.org 954.463.9005.

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The hiring of a lawyer is an important decision that should not be based solely upon advertisement. Before you decide, ask the attorney to send you free written information about his or her qualifications and experience.

www.PrideCenterFlorida.org VOICE Spring 2013

SMART Ride Check Distribution and Thank You Reception The Pride Center received over $135,900 from SMART Ride.

These funds will support HIV/ AIDS prevention and support programs at The Center, including HIV Testing, Couples Speak and a new Healthcare Navigator position.

The Center collaborated with CDTC to host a thank you reception for the SMART Ride Founder and Producer. photos by Chris Caputo and Kristofer Fegenbush

Spotlight: Getting to Know An HIV Testing Counselor

by Listron “Blue” Mannix, HIV Testing Manager

Ebony Wilson

Occupations: HIV Testing Specialist and Para – Professional with the School Board

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Born: Fort Lauderdale on June 9th 1984 Hobbies: Spending time with her 3 year old son; watching movies and going to the beach to bathe in the warmth of the sun.

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hy did Ebony choose the field of HIV/AIDS?

“Every time I hear that question, I immediately think of my dear aunt whose life was forever changed and ultimately taken by complications of HIV/AIDS,” said Ebony. “She was infected at the age of 18 by her first boyfriend. She, like most people at that time, thought that extreme measures should be taken when in the presence of others. For example, she would get upset if you drank after her, tried to kiss her on the cheek, or even hug her. Even though she was extreme in some instances, she would voice to her family and anyone else who knew of her situation, that HIV/AIDS is avoidable. In addition, when I was younger my aunt and I looked very similar and it admittedly disturbed me. Later, it inspired me to become an HIV tester/ educator, which presented me with a platform to promote HIV awareness transmission, screening, and prevention” Ebony started volunteering at the Pride Center in January of 2012. Very nervous at first, she had to use the bathroom every time she was called to perform an HIV test. But in a few short months, she overcame her fears, blossomed as a Testing Specialist and began part-time employment with Pride Center Testing.

Ebony embodies the true definition of a straight ally. Since beginning at The Center, she has been an advocate, volunteer and supporter of the community.

Ebony currently is assigned to train new Testing Counselors. She’s served as the main Tester and Educator for the Pride Center Testing off-site locations at Sunrise Detox and the Broward Addition Recovery Centers in Coral Springs and Downtown Fort Lauderdale. There, she’s tested about 80 clients a month. Although Ebony recently acquired a full-time position with the Broward County School Board, she continues to work and volunteer her time to HIV Testing.

“The best part of being a Testing Counselor is thinking that I might have played a small role in someone’s life, by informing them of their status (whether negative or positive). I also enjoy talking to clients about risk reduction methods, which could potentially give them a healthy sex life and future negative status,” says Ebony.

“It has been an honor working in the various communities. I have learned far more that I ever imagined, from cultural competence to increasing my ability to help people address their problems, while matching them with the resources they need to lead healthy and productive lives. Working at the Pride Center with such loving, compassionate and caring people has led me to the conclusion that I want to continue to help people professionally, so I am back in school obtaining my Bachelors in Social Work,” says Ebony.

“I Love the Pride Center because…It will always be a part of my life. I absolutely, positively love this place. “

lifestyle people

A Whole Heap Of Chad Thilborger Tony Adams

Wilton Manors resident Chad Thilborger seems to have finally found himself in the most obvious of places.

Not in the Jesuit priesthood for which he had prepared for many years. Nor in the not-for-profit world in which he has served local organizations including SunServe and Stonewall National Museum and Archives.

He has found himself in his kitchen.

Via his new cookbook A Whole Heap Of Goodness and television spots, he is finding himself in your kitchen as well.

Recalling his New Orleans childhood, Thilborger explains why he was deputized by his cousins to memorialize his grandmother’s southern cooking.

“Growing up, my nickname was “Jaws” because I would eat anything. When my grandmother was cooking and ready to test something, I was the first one to get the spoon. When we all grew up, it was obvious that I’d be the one to collect recipes.”

If South Florida is itself a “test kitchen” in which gay people discover their souls’ ingredients after having completed lives elsewhere, the Thilborger recipe is loving, playful and adventurous. For him, cooking is always a personal expression of care for friends and family, and a heartfelt gesture that uses whatever components are at hand.

He describes having concocted something out of the last two lemons and oranges on trees in his backyard combined with the last sprigs of mint and basil in his garden to create a shortbread cookie that has since been in high demand among his friends.

“Like my grandmother, I cook for the moment, and if you aren’t willing to be bold and fearless and playful in the kitchen, you won’t like my book,” he said. “It’s full of typos. If you can deal with that, and with every other page being a personal memoir or a story about a family recipe, you will like this.”

A Whole Heap of Goodness is definitely about southern cooking, but Thilborger is quick to tell me that not everything in it is fried and that there is no recipe for fried chicken.

The book does include red beans and rice (for the beginner), his Aunt Net’s boulets fricassee (Cajun meatballs with thick brown gravy), a rum cake that uses a boxed mix as its base, a popular spinach artichoke dip, his grandmother’s pralines and her “Mock Shoe

Corn,” an unusual onion/butter/pepper side dish made by cutting corn off the cob and scraping the “milk” out of the cob.

Recently, Money Talks News approached Thilborger about starring in three segments in which he would suggest and demonstrate how a family of four might enjoy a meal for less than $15. Never afraid of a challenge, he instantly agreed.

On the night before the shoot, they added an element, requesting that he include two Superbowl snacks or party ideas. No problem. The resultant “Marinated Checkerboard Cheese and Sausage balls” would have comforted any family startled by the pyrotechnics of Beyonce’s halftime show.

Thilborger is expanding his “Whole Heap Of” concept to include a line of limited run table runners and napkins made of fabric that catches his eye but is perhaps discontinued.

A second book A Whole Heap Of Love will be a party/entertaining guide full of quirky stories about dropping the turkey or setting the decorations on fire. After that, he will deliver his dessert recipe book A Whole Heap Of Trouble.

Meanwhile, Chad is dealing with the ramifications of becoming a brand.

“I am finally doing something I love, but I have learned not to put my cell phone number on my business card. I got a call from a lady in Texas who said, ‘Hi, I’m giving a party using all your recipes and I need you to walk me through this.’ I loved it and I enjoy the connection I feel with people like her,” he said. “I guess it’s because I’m gay, no kids and no plans to have any kids. These recipes are my legacy. I have to spread this thing I love. It’s not meant to be hoarded.”

Success has not changed Chad Thilborger. He is still at play in the kitchen of his home in Wilton Manors where he cooks for his partner Frank. His prize possessions are the cast iron skillet his grandmother used to make biscuits and the simple drawing she made for him when he asked her for that recipe.

“I don’t care if the house burns as long as I walk out with those two things,” he said.

For more about Chad and to order the cookbook: http://www.awholeheap.com Watch Chad on Money Talks News: http:// mtnews.co/XjglLi

Chad Thilborger in his kitchen Photo Courtesy of Tony Adams

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lifestyle history

Women’s History Month LGBT History Month

Ellen Degeneres / Comedian “For me, it’s that I contributed . . . that I’m on this planet doing some good and making people happy. That’s to me the most important thing, that my hour of television is positive and upbeat and an antidote for all the negative stuff going on in life.”

Jodie Foster / Actress

Melissa Etheridge / Singer and songwriter

“It was the job I was born into. I didn’t have an actor’s personality, it’s just what I did.”

May 29, 1961-

Popular comedian Ellen DeGeneres was the first openly gay actor to portray a gay character on a leading primetime television program.

In April 1997, Ellen DeGeneres, the star of her own popular sitcom, “Ellen,” took a step that was a turning point in her personal life and her career: she outed herself and her character on primetime television. Her coming out led to a storm of media attention, including her photo on the cover of Time Magazine with the tag, “Yep, I’m gay.” There was also criticism that the show was now “too gay.” For a time after her public declaration, her career suffered from backlash.

DeGeneres returned to the national spotlight when she was chosen to host the Emmy Awards only a few weeks after the September 11 attacks in 2001. At the ceremony she quipped, “We’re told to go on living our lives as usual, because to do otherwise is to let the terrorists win, and really, what would upset the Taliban more than a gay woman wearing a suit in front of a room full of Jews?” She was praised for her poise and decorum in emceeing the awards show.

Ellen DeGeneres attended the University of New Orleans and worked at a variety of jobs before she entered stand-up comedy. Her selection by cable channel Showtime as The Funniest Person in America led to opportunities to appear on television. During her first appearance on “The Tonight Show”, DeGeneres was the first female commedian ever invited to sit on the sofa and visit with Johnny Carson. She has been labeled a “female Seinfeld” for her quirky observational humor.

In 2003, she launched her daytime television talk show, “The Ellen DeGeneres Show.” It won 15 Emmy Awards and is the first talk show to win the Emmy for Outstanding Talk Show for its first three seasons.

In 2005, DeGeneres was again selected to host the Emmy Awards, this time just three weeks after Hurricane Katrina.

She joked, “You know me, any excuse to put on a dress.”

Jodie Foster is a celebrated actor, director and producer.

She has received two Academy Awards, two Golden Globes and a Screen Actors Guild Award.

Foster was born in Los Angeles, the youngest child of a film producer and an Air Force officer. Her parents divorced before she was born. Foster’s career began at age 3 in a Coppertone commercial. As a child, she appeared in dozens of commercials and television series, including as a co-star in “Paper Moon.”

Her breakout role was as a teenage prostitute in “Taxi Driver” (1976), for which she received an Academy Award nomination. In 1980, Foster enrolled at Yale University. She graduated magna cum laude with a degree in literature.

While at Yale, she was stalked by John Hinckley, an obsessed fan who shot President Reagan and said he did so to impress her.

Foster won her first Academy Award and a Golden Globe Award for her role in “The Accused” (1988). She earned her second Oscar and another Golden Globe Award for “Silence of the Lambs” (1991), her first blockbuster film. That same year, she made her directorial debut with “Little Man Tate,” in which she co-starred. In 1995, she directed “Home for the Holidays.”

Foster has appeared in more than 40 films, including “Maverick” (1994), “Nell” (1994), “Contact” (1997), “The Panic Room” (2002), “Inside Man” (2006) and “The Brave One” (2007).

In 2007, while accepting an award at a Hollywood Reporter “Women in Entertainment” event, she acknowledged her then long-term partner, producer Cydney Bernard, with the words, “to my beautiful Cydney, who sticks with me through the rotten and the bliss.”

That same year, Foster gave The Trevor Project its largest donation. Foster lives in Beverly Hills with her two sons.

January 26, 1958-

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November 19, 1962-

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“What do they know about this love anyway?”

Melissa Etheridge is a Grammy and Academy Awardwinning singer and songwriter. She came out at the 1993 Triangle Ball, the Clinton administration’s inaugural gala for gays and lesbians, when she exclaimed, “Gee, I’m really excited to be here, and I’m really proud to have been a lesbian all my life!”

She was born in Leavenworth, Kansas, and studied at The Berklee School of Music in Boston. Etheridge moved to Los Angeles and evolved from a bluesy sound to her renowned rock/alternative style.

Etheridge shot to stardom with her trademark blues-rock hit “Come to My Window,” for which she received a Grammy Award in 1994 for Best Female Rock Vocal Performance.

With its powerful lyrics, the song became an anthem for gay rights.

In 2004, Etheridge was diagnosed with breast cancer.

At the 2005 Grammy Awards, she gave one of her most memorable performances with Janis Joplin’s hit, “Piece of My Heart.” She exposed her head, left bald from chemotherapy.

Etheridge’s songs have not only entertained, but have helped heal in times of tragedy. Her songbook includes “Scarecrow,” a tribute to Matthew Shepard; “Tuesday Morning,” dedicated to the memory of Mark Bingham, a hero of 9/11; “Four Days,” about those devastated by Hurricane Katrina; and “I Run for Life,” an anthem for breast cancer survivors.

Julie Cypher, Etheridge’s long-term ex-partner, gave birth to their two children. After their breakup, Etheridge exchanged vows with actress Tammy Lynn Michaels. In 2006, Michaels had twins.

In 2006, Etheridge received the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD) Stephen F. Kolzak Award, which honors openly lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender media professionals who have made a significant difference in promoting equal rights for the community. “I Need to Wake Up,” featured in the film “An Inconvenient Truth,” won an Academy Award for Best Original Song (2007).

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The Quad Squad

lifestyle family

Checking in with the Bell babies

Regina Kaza

Almost one year ago on March 29, Carrie Bell gave birth to four babies in Polk County, Fla. (Left to right) Jenn, Carrie and Olivia, Noah, Sophia, and Emily Bell.

Photo courtesy of Carrie Bell

The Bell quadruplets are turning one soon and this first year for their mommies has been chaos.

Almost one year ago on March 29, Carrie Bell gave birth to four babies in Polk County, Fla. They were at 27 weeks, about 3 months short of the normal 40 week-term pregnancy.

Due to some medical complications, Bell and her partner Jenn Klawitter only got to bring the babies home about three months after they were born. Now they’re turning one — it’s been a year of both struggles and blessings for the six of them.

“It’s been very interesting and chaotic,” Klawitter says. “We’re just getting used to four babies with the ups and the downs and the health scares. But seeing the first smile or seeing them crawl is just amazing.”

Klawitter said the quadruplets are starting to show off their personalities and all four are completely different. Sophia Grace Bell was the first one they brought home and a “freakishly good baby,” according to Bell. Now she’s their little troublemaker.

“You put them on the floor,” Bell explained, “and she picks up the one little paperclip in a pile of toys that you’re not supposed to find.” Olivia Hope Bell is the brainchild, always curious and analyzing her surroundings.

“She looks at a toy and turns it around,” Bell said, laughing. “We’ll come home and she’ll be the one taking the TV part.”

Along with Olivia, Emily Faith Bell had heart surgery this year due to congenital heart defects that made holes in their hearts. She is the quietest of the bunch and always keeping to herself.

“Noah is a boy,” Klawitter laughed. “And that’s all I have to say.”

The couple described Noah Roberts Bell as always needing constant attention and causing a fuss when he doesn’t have his way. Klawitter worried about raising Noah with three sisters and two moms at first. But between Noah having two grandfathers and neighbors stepping up as male role models, he has male support.

“I grew up without a dad as did [Bell]. It’s all in how you raise your children,” Klawitter said.

“I’m not worried about him. It’s just about instilling the right values in him.”

Bell said that since the babies were born, the couple has become more religious and now attends church regularly. With support from their church, family, and friends, the couple hasn’t gotten much backlash for two moms raising quadruplets in conservative Polk County. But there is one question that Bell said always comes up whether it’s at the pediatrician, the mall, or church on Christmas Eve. “People will ask ‘Who’s the mom?’” Bell said.

“And I totally understand why I have to answer it, but I hate answering. I hate having to explain.

That gets old.”

“Who cares who’s the mom?” Klawitter said. “They’re going to be raised by two loving people.”

Besides the constant questioning, Klawitter and Bell have experienced some struggles on their own with finances and their relationship.

Klawitter currently works at Disney and Bell is taking the year off from teaching to stay with the children.

“We’re cutting where we need to cut and doing the best we can,” Klawitter says. “It’s tight, but we’re making do. The medical bills are still piling up.” She said the quadruplets go through about 30 diapers a week, but most

were donated by coworkers and a diaper drive from their church.

Besides taking them to the doctor for check

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ups and things like kidney stones and stomach viruses, taking the quadruplets anywhere public is a challenge. “I don’t take them anywhere because getting four car seats in and out is chaotic,” she said.

The quadruplets are turning one on March 29 and it’s a big deal. The couple is planning a big party with their family and friends they’ve made at Arnold Palmer hospital in Orlando.

“We’re both Disney freaks,” Klawitter said.

“We’re trying to do a Minnie and Mickey themed party.”

For now the couple is enjoying watching the babies start to crawl and enjoying the little moments.

“Every night when I pray and I say their names, I try and make myself picture a moment with each of them from that day that just made me smile,” Bell said. “And just watching them being babies. For example, Emily is obsessed with the dog. You see her little face light up when she sees the dog and it takes your breath away.”

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lifestyle fitness

Working With a Wheel Cart Michael Verdugo & Frankie Watson

Bodytek: Never The Same Workout
Bodytek is a new and revolutionary total body workout program, which is scientifically designed to improve your fitness level through interval cardio and strength training. At Bodytek we provide our clients with group personal training. Group personal training will make achieving your fitness goals more enjoyable and motivating than you ever thought possible. bodytekfitness.com Two Locations: Wilton Manors (Recently Expanded) and Davie Classes offered: Total Body, Abs Core & Cardio, Spinning, Yoga and Pilates

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1

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Knee Tucks Position your feet on the wheel cart and assume a plank position. Hold the plank position keeping your back straight and butt down which engages your core. Rolling the wheel cart, bring your knees up to your chest crunching your abs. Roll the cart back and forth completing three sets of 20 reps each.

Hamstring Rollouts

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2

One Leg Reverse Lunges Place one foot on the wheel cart and the other bent at a ninety-degree angle.

Make sure that your bent knee doesn’t extend past your foot. Lunge the other leg back; carefully balancing on the wheel cart. Complete two sets for each leg with fifteen reps each.

2

Lie down on your back and place your feet on the wheel cart. Rest your head on the floor and lift your lower body up. Roll the wheel cart towards you, keeping you body off the ground; this isolates you hamstring. Roll the cart back and forth completing three sets of twenty reps each.

1

Rollouts On your knees, grab the wheel cart in your hands and push forward. Extending your arms out, pull the cart back toward your body and wheel the cart back and forth. This will work out your core muscles. Roll the cart back and forth completing three sets of twenty reps each.

2

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lifestyle hiv

HIV Criminalization

The intent to infect, according to the law Sean McShee This February, the Presidential Advisory Council on HIV/AIDS called on the U.S. government to set guidelines to eliminate HIV -specific laws and to develop legal approaches for HIV, consistent with other health risks.

HIV -specific laws, called “HIV criminalization,” focus on perceived exposure without considering intent. Kerry Thomas is doing a 30-year sentence, despite consistent condom use and undetectable viral load. While condoms can defend against HIV, they are no defense against these laws.

Sean Strub, founder of POZ and current executive director of The Sero Project, puts the argument quite succinctly, “We can’t prevent HIV and prosecute it at the same time.”

He feels that “Intent to Infect” is criminal.

Strub uses four criteria to distinguish HIV criminalization from “intent to infect”:

1. Intent 2. Actual risk of harm 3. Actual harm inflicted 4. Similar treatment for similar harms

HIV criminalization laws do not target people infected with HIV; they target people responsible enough to test for HIV, but who tested positive. These laws require disclosure, which can discourage testing, as disclosure requires prior testing (“take the test and risk arrest”). Some of these laws require disclosure even in minimally risky situations such as mutual JO. Strub criticized the emphasis on disclosure.

“Disclosure or non-disclosure doesn’t transmit HIV. Sexual behaviors transmit HIV; that’s where the focus should be,” he said.

“But now disclosure is being promoted as a desired social norm, with little consideration given to the risk of disclosure to the person with HIV.” For example, last fall in Texas, her boyfriend murdered Cicely Bolden after she disclosed her status.

Most people would agree to an ethic of shared responsibility. These laws place the entire burden of HIV prevention on the HIVpositive partner. The HIV-negative partner,

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however, has the most to lose if transmission occurs. It’s in their interest to be supervigilant about remaining uninfected.

Absolving HIV negatives of all responsibility makes absolutely no sense as a prevention strategy.

People justified HIV criminalization as a way to protect women from men.

“These statutes have a disproportionate impact on women,” Strub stressed, “who are more likely to know their HIV status (mainly routine testing in pregnancy) are more likely to be vulnerable to violence when they disclose, and vastly less likely to transmit the virus to men.”

In a same-sex relationship, these laws place the HIV negative partner in the traditional “femme” role of “needing protection” rather than the more “butch” role of someone making adult choices and taking responsibility for those choices.

While treatments have changed greatly, HIV stigma stubbornly remains. Strub explained it this way: “The public has a blood thirst for punishment against those they see as ‘the other’. … It also is easier to make it the problem for people with HIV, which allows others to not worry about HIV, to look elsewhere, to be irresponsible in their own behaviors. It’s a way of disclaiming responsibility and indulging an arrogance of the well that is fundamentally unjust.”

Joey Wynn, Co-Chair of the Florida HIV Advocacy Network, agrees that these laws reinforce stigma and discourage testing.

“They do contribute to stigma and need to be at least updated with the basic science.”

Strub continued to discuss stigma as a “prejudgment, marginalization, and ‘othering.’”

“HIV criminalization is the most severe manifestation of stigma because it enshrines it in the law, making different laws for different parts of the population based on the viruses they carry,” he said.

Law deals in absolutes. Health deals in subtlety. We have another example of using the law to promote health in the drug laws, and we can see how that has “worked”.

Criminalization and “Here comes honey boo-boo” HIV criminalization issues have even entered the excremental swamp (apologies to guys into scat) of “reality” TV in the person of “Uncle Poodle” on the show “Here Comes Honey Boo-Boo”. This show features a rural white Southern family with a terminally “cute” rug rat (Honey Boo-Boo) and an out gay HIV-positive uncle (“Poodle”). This out gay man bragged about turning in his ex-boyfriend who allegedly infected him with HIV. The ex is now serving five years. The timeline, however, was off, causing some people to investigate, none of whom have been able to find a case which fits Uncle Poodle’s story. People are beginning to doubt his story. For more information, go to Mark King’s blog, “My Fabulous Disease” (http://bit.ly/d4MLLd) or for a more serious take go to Todd Heywood’s blog (http://bit.ly/XL6zmx).

HIV Criminalization Fact Sheet

•

Most scientists believe that HIV spreads mainly through the 20 percent of the HIV infected who do not know their current HIV status.

•

People are most infectious immediately after becoming infected; they may not even test positive at this time.

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The first HIV specific laws were passed in the U.S. in 1987.

•

In the US, 37 of the 50 states have HIV criminalization laws

•

Florida is among the 37 with HIV criminalization laws.

•

In Africa, 27 countries have HIV criminalization laws.

•

In Latin America, 11 countries have HIV criminalization laws.

•

In 2010, at least 600 people around the world were imprisoned under HIV criminalization.

•

Even without HIV specific laws, courts have interpreted the saliva of an HIV positive man as a "deadly weapon".

•

The Sero Project has advice on how to protect yourself from HIV criminalization.

•

If you want to change HIV criminalization laws urge Congress to pass HR 3053, REPEAL HIV Discrimination Act.

Useful Websites hivlawandpolicy.org

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#LoveWins lifestyle people

An SFGN photo campaign Throughout the month of February, SFGN asked couples to submit photos of themselves for our newly launched monthly photo campaign. For our first one we decided to celebrate the month of love by featuring couples, whether it be holding hands, kissing or just being together. We named the campaign #LoveWins.

We received dozens of submissions. Unfortunately we couldn’t print all of them due to space constraints and the resolution of the photos submitted.

For more visit SFGN.com/LoveWins During the month of March we will be revisiting an earlier SFGN photo campaign #ThisIsWhatALesbianLooksLike, in honor of Women’s History Month, which takes place in March.

This photo campaign was launched last year in response to Lt. Governor Jennifer Carroll’s comments: “Black women that look like me don’t engage in relationships like that.” She said those now infamous words after a staffer working under Carroll opened her boss’ door and allegedly found the politician in a compromising position with her travel aide.

Carroll’s comments inspired Atlanta-based lesbian artist Doria Roberts to start the Twitter hashtag #ThisIsWhatALesbianLooksLike.

To submit photos, send an email to Jason.Parsley@sfgn. com using the hashtag #ThisIsWhatALesbianLooksLike.

Include your name, and city you live in.

Help SFGN spread the word by sharing or re-tweeting its #ThisIsWhatALesbianLooksLike Facebook and Twitter posts.

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SouthFloridaGayNews.com

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out eats

DRIPPING WITH CHEESE! SFGN Staff

If you’re Nuts About Yogurt then you’ll be nuts about grilled cheeses. Leor Barak, who serves you the best frozen yogurt in Wilton Manors is bringing a new concept in specialty fair. Introducing New York Grilled Cheese Co. Last week we got a sample of what is to come as we were invited along with some of Nuts About Yogurt’s regulars to a tasting party. Gourmet breads, fine cheeses and other quality ingredients make for several flavorful combinations of an old American favorite.

Of course there will be many delicious

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compliments to side-car your oozing grilled cheese. Select from a wide assortment of beer, wine, gourmet coffee and other beverages to wash it all down.

For desert, walk a few feet and pop into Nuts About Yogurt for one, two or as many flavors of froyo and wonderful toppings to finish your night.

Stay tuned to SFGN.com to find out more about the soon-to-be-open New York Grilled Cheese Co. (New York Grilled Cheese Co. will be located at 2207 Wilton Drive, Wilton Manors, FL 33305 along with Nuts About Yogurt.)

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special advertising section

out eats

HUMPYS TURNS 6!

The slices don’t lie! How else could a pizzeria survive and thrive for 6 years? By not only having great pizza but excellent service as well.

A slice at Humpy’s Pizza will leave you wanting more. With its affordable prices and fresh, delicious ingredients, Humpy’s success has been high rising this year.

Steve DeJong, co-owner of Humpys Pizza, believes Humpys’ fresh ingredients are what make their most unique pizzas the tastiest.

“We do really interesting pizzas like bacon chicken with ranch, and spinach and walnut,” DeJong said. “We try to make all of our ingredients here, we make the dough here fresh every day.”

So take your dough to Humpys and try some of theirs. It’s fresh.

But they offer a whole lot more than pizza.

They have pasta, sandwiches, and about sixteen flavors of cupcakes to choose from.

That’s right, cupcakes. From pumpkin spice to chocolate peanut butter, Humpys Pizza sells these pastries just as quick as the pizza!

Stop by today to try their $4.99 lunch special, which includes a slice, salad and soda. They are open from 11:30 a.m. to 11 p.m. Sunday, 11:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday through Wednesday, and 11:30 a.m. to 2 a.m.

Thursday through Saturday.

(Humpys Pizza is located at 2244 Wilton Drive, Wilton Manors, FL)

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THUR Stage

3/7

With three world-class performing arts centers within 70 miles, South Florida audiences have many opportunities to catch the best touring productions. This week, Billy Elliott is on stage through March 10 at the Kravis Center in West Palm Beach, after a stop last season in Broward County. With a score by Elton John, Billy Elliott is the heartwarming tale of a young, working class British lad who yearns to dance ballet and must earn the approval of his father and brother.

Tickets start at $25. Visit Kravis.org.

FRI

Comedy

3/8

Chicago’s legendary sketch comedy troupe Second City appears tonight at the Broward Center at 7:30 p.m. The 52-year-old company launched the careers of Tina Fey, Stephen Colbert, Steve Carell, Gilda Radner and Bill Murray. The newest generation of Second City performers will offer a hilarious evening of sketch comedy and improvisation. Whether they’re ripping a headline from the evening news or performing one of those gems from their archives, Second City is guaranteed to deliver a laugh out loud hit. Tickets are $39 at BrowardCenter.org.

SAT Art

3/9 SUN

Second Saturdays are special in Miami’s Wynwood arts district. This up-and-coming neighborhood comes alive as thousands of art lovers converge on the district for gallery openings, special exhibitions and performances. Oh, and there are always plenty of food trucks and vendors, too. Tonight, the Florida Grand Opera will perform sections from Robert Xavier Rodriguez’s Tango and Astor Piazzolla’s Maria de Buenos Aires at The Hangar Gallery, 2235 NW 2nd Ave. Enjoy these rhythmic Latin operettas while taking in the current exhibition at Hangar, Miami Minds, a mixed media show depicting Miami’s graffiti subculture. The event is free, although RSVPs are requested to rsvp@FGO.org.

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Beware politicians! The Capitol Steps will let you have it in their new show opening this week at the Kravis Center.

Photo Courtesy of Capitol Steps

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Art

3/10 MON Music

In just two seasons, the Arts Garage in Delray Beach has become one of South Florida’s most popular nightlife destinations with an eclectic schedule of theatre, cabaret and jazz. You can support the Arts Garage and its Performing Arts Academy today at Putt Fore the Arts, a mini-golf tournament to raise funds for the scholarship program. Play for $35 or recruit a foresome for only $125. There will be entertainment, prizes and much more. The action takes place at Putt’n Around Mini Golf, 350 NE 5th Ave. (Federal Hwy.) in Delray Beach. Visit ArtsGarage.org.

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3/11 TUE Theater

Each month, the Broward Center in Fort Lauderdale hosts a Songwriters Showcase in the Abdo New River Room. The coordinator, Chrystal Hartigan, has lined up Spider John Koerner, Panama Red, J.D. Danner, Craig Greenberg and Elizabeth Andrews for the March gathering. Open mic begins at 7:30 p.m. with sign-up closing at 7:20 p.m. The featured songwriters will take the stage at 9 p.m. There is a $10 cover at the door. Tickets are not available at the box office and a keyboard is not always available for the open mic performances.

Visit ChrystalHartiganPresents.com.

SouthFloridaGayNews.com

3/12

Washington seems to be pretty dysfunctional these days and The Capitol Steps, the comedy troupe founded by former Congressional staffers, will be appearing in West Palm Beach to remind us just what a mess it is! The political parody masters will appear at the Kravis Center, from March 12 to 24. Featuring musical sketches with titles like You Just Can’t Hide this Biden Guy, Super Congress Debt Committee and the infamous Lirty Dies, the Capitol Steps’ new album, Take the Money and Run—for President, leaves no political party, scandal or world event from 2012 unsung. Tickets are $40 at Kravis.com.

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a&e film

Gun Hill Road: Coming Out Transgender in the Bronx David-Elijah Nahmod

Stills from “Gun Hill Road”, 86 minutes Rated R Photo courtesy of Gun Hill Road

Shot on a shoestring budget, Rashaad Ernesto Green’s Gun Hill Road didn’t attract much attention from the mainstream media when it was shown at film festivals a few years back. After an all too brief theatrical run, the film appeared destined for obscurity. Which should not happen.

Now available on DVD, Green’s first feature is a powerful, groundbreaking drama. The film derives its title from the rough and tumble thoroughfare in the Bronx, New York City’s Northern Borough. Stretching 3.5 miles through several neighborhoods, Gun Hill Road is home to a large, working class Latino population. It’s a traditionally conservative community that’s had its share of problems due to gang violence. Bronx native Green knows the area well.

It’s in this world that Michael (Harmony Santana) is living a double life--when not in the family home, Michael becomes Vanessa. Vanessa is not a drag persona: she is transgender, exploring and discovering her true self in a culture where a Machismo mentality rules the roost. While Michael is pressured to “bang chicks” and attend ball games, Vanessa is experimenting with make-up, hairstyles, writing poetry, and looking for a boyfriend.

Santana, a transgender actress, gives a career making performance as both personas. Though female identified, Santana courageously appears on camera as both male and female. As Michael,

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she eloquently conveys the anguish of a teenager who wants to be loved and accepted by a father who does love her, but cannot accept her.

Esai Morales, as conflicted dad Enrique, gives an equally brilliant performance.

Morales is a fine character actor who’s enjoyed a lengthy career on television and in film. On the surface, tough ex-con Enrique, on parole and unable to stay out of trouble, appears to be a gruff, uncaring, homophobe/ transphobe. His attempts to make “a man” out of Michael are often denigrating, and can border on outright cruelty.

Look closer. Enrique is confused, frightened, blindsided and unprepared for what he’s dealing with. He loves his son, and yearns for them to have a close relationship. When he takes Michael to see a prostitute, he’s not trying to hurt Michael.

Enrique’s actions are misguided but loving nonetheless. He’s unable to see that he doesn’t actually have a son, and has no idea how to react to Vanessa.

This stormy relationship is at the heart of Gun Hill Road. Morales and Santana play off each other beautifully. The tension, the resentment, and the love they feel for each other boils to the surface at a fever pitch.

Judy Reyes of NBC’s Scrubs offers able support, both as an actor, and as the long suffering wife and mother Gloria. She still loves her husband, but has grown weary of his inability to pull his life together. soflagaynews //

She’s ready to move on. Gloria also loves her child, and doesn’t care if it’s Michael or Vanessa. She just wants her child to be safe and happy.

Shot on location in the neighborhood where it’s set, Gun Hill Road captures the grit of a community where life is no walk in the park. In the small but growing canon of transgender representation on film, Gun Hill Road is a major achievement. It not only explains the transgender phenomenon to those who may not understand it, the film humanizes trans people.

The film also shows that like their gay, lesbian and bisexual brethren, transgender people indeed come from every walk of life.

Virgil Films’ DVD release of Gun Hill Road includes an interview with Rashaad Erenesto Green, which was shot at the Latino Film Festival at Indiana University.

Also of interest:

Soldier’s Girl (2003)

112 minutes Originally produced for Showtime, where it still occasionally airs, Soldier’s Girl is based on the true story of the brief, intense love affair between Barry Winchell, a sweet country bumpkin stationed at a Tennessee military base, and Calpernia Addams, a transgender woman who performs at a local club. Addams, at the time, was pre-op.

The love-struck Winchell could only see the beautiful girl he was falling in

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love with. When his fellow soldiers realized who he was dating, Winchell was brutally murdered.

Addams is now a post-op transgender actress living and working in Hollywood.

Soldier’s Girl was made with her blessing, though she no longer speaks of Winchell publicly. Beautifully shot and acted, the film paints an effective portrait of a doomed love affair. Troy Gerrity (as Winchell) and Lee Pace (as Addams) have enormous onscreen chemistry. When they first seduce each other, to the tune of Still Thrives This Love

by KD Lang, the screen nearly catches on fire. The sensuality they convey is almost embarrassing, as we, the viewers, peek in upon a very private moment.

Shawn Hatosy steals a few scenes as Justin, the virulently homophobic soldier who befriends Winchell, ultimately killing him. Justin’s escalating rage at Winchell’s love for Addams makes for a frightening visage. It’s a classic portrait of homophobia: an allegedly straight man becomes pushed over the edge because he can’t deal with the images of himself that he sees in Winchell.

Powerful viewing indeed.

An interesting post script to the film: When Troy Gerrity’s mother, screen legend Jane Fonda, saw Soldier’s Girl, she produced an all transgender production of the feminist play The Vagina Monologues. Calpernia Addams co-starred in that production.

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a&e Theater

Maltz Theatre Hosts Pride Night on Friday Jason Parsley

Jason.Parsley@sfgn.com

Cast of Thoroughly Modern Millie Photo Courtesy of Maltz Theatre

Maltz Theatre is hosting their fourth annual Pride Night on Friday, March 8.

Appetizers will be served at 6:30 p.m. The musical, Thoroughly Modern Millie, starts at 7:30 p.m.

“We feel very strongly about the power of invitation. People show up when they’re invited,” said the theater’s artistic director Andrew Kato, who’s gay. “We’re more like a community center that happens to be a theater. We believe in making everyone feel welcome and a part of what we’re doing.

And that’s why inviting the gay community is critical.”

Pride Night is being sponsored by SFGN, Compass and Kilwin’s in Palm Beach Gardens.

As for the show itself Director Mark Hoebee said “I think it’s one of the most fabulous shows I’ve worked on in a long time. It’s an uplifting fun musical with great dancing and showbiz pizazz.”

Hoebee said it’s one of those shows that both younger and older audiences will enjoy.

“It’s a new modern take on a golden age musical,” he said. “It hits in the sweet spot for what musical theater is.”

The musical tells the story of small town girl, Millie Dillmount, who moves to New York City in 1922 to find a man to marry for

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money rather than love. It’s based on the 1967 film of the same name.

Maltz Theatre is celebrating their tenth anniversary season this year. Kato said the season has thus far gone better than expected with all of their shows being at 80 percent capacity or higher. Amadeus was at 97 percent, Doubt at 80 percent and Singing in the Rain at 100 percent.

IF YOU G What

Pride Night featuring Thoroughly Modern Millie

When

Friday, March 8 (Show runs through March 24)

Where

Maltz Theatre in Jupiter 1001 E. Indiantown Road Jupiter

How Much

Tickets start at $44

More Info.

561-575-2223 JupiterTheatre.org Mention the word “Pride”

Fabulou s Frid ay s Make sure to check SFGN’s Facebook page every Friday. Find and ‘Share’ the Fabulous Fridays post -- you’ll be entered to win fabulous prizes! www.facebook.com/SouthFloridaGayNews

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a&e arts

The Norton Museum of Art Presents Annie Leibovitz Andrea Dulanto

adulanto03@gmail.com

In South Florida, celebrities are part of the scenery. So Annie Leibovitz’s photographs of the Hollywood elite hold particular resonance for us. Even if we’ve never seen anyone famous, we know the culture — larger-than-life, flashy, surreal.

Yet the Norton Museum of Art in West Palm Beach is currently displaying an intriguing exhibit of thirty-nine of Leibovitz’s photographic portraits. A-List Hollywood, bestselling authors, hip-hop artists, Supreme Court justices — they are all here. However, there are also photos of individuals who may not be well known to the general public, such as artist Agnes Martin and fife player Othar Turner.

Scott Benarde, Director of Communications at the Norton, provided insight into how the exhibit was organized: “When [Assistant Director at the Norton Charles Stainback] initially began working on this acquisition and exhibition for the Museum more than two years ago, he was the Curator of Photography. His goal was to create a collection of Leibovitz’s work that

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showcased her as one of the great portrait photographers of the 20th century.”

For forty years, Leibovitz has photographed notable figures in pop culture and politics for publications like Rolling Stone and Vanity Fair. Even more recently, she created a Disney Dream portrait series that featured celebrities as Disney characters.

However, Bernarde said that fame and celebrity did not dictate the selection of works for the Norton exhibit. “[Stainback] was concerned about the portrait’s mood, style, atmosphere, and angle, not how famous the person or the photo was/is.”

Although Bernarde asserted that Stainback “did not break [Leibovitz’s] work down into segments of society,” there are several portraits that may be particularly significant to the LGBT community.

Poet Allen Ginsberg sits on a chair next to a sink in a dilapidated bathroom. As he stares directly at the camera, he lifts his leg and ties his shoe — a mundane act in a

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Annie Leibovitz at the Norton Museum of Art Photo courtesy of Lila Photo

lackluster setting. Yet the photo captures Ginsberg in movement, evoking ideas of transition and permanence.

Artist Andy Warhol almost refuses to be seen in his portrait. He maintains his distance by pointing a camera at Leibovitz, resisting his position as the subject-matter of the photograph. The portrait of him becomes his portrait of her.

Leibovitz’s photograph of filmmaker Todd Haynes (Velvet Goldmine, Far from Heaven, I’m Not There) and actress Julianne Moore is more staged than the others in the exhibit. They are in the front seat of a car with Moore at the wheel. She stares out into the distance as Haynes warily watches her — interestingly, neither one of them seems to have control in this situation.

Women may also connect to several standout photos that emphasize empowerment, individualism, and fearlessness of emotion.

The photo of Yoko Ono is arresting — she is covered in beads of water, her hair pulled back and graying, her eyes closed. Since the photo was taken in 1981 — a year after John Lennon’s death and after Leibovitz’s famous portrait of the couple — it is a powerful portrait of grief.

Musician Lucinda Williams’ photograph speaks of freedom. She stands at the side of a highway next to an open car door. Behind her is the wide expanse of the sky, and the open road.

Leibovitz has two photographs of Las Vegas showgirl Susan McNamara — one in which McNamara is topless, holding open a gold lamé cape, wearing an elaborately beaded headdress; and the other in her everyday clothes, wearing glasses and looking very much like a suburban housewife. It is a portrait that emphasizes the different sides of an individual self, particularly the contrast and overlap between person and persona.

As Bernarde concluded, “The exhibition

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illustrates the work of a great photographer who cares about her subjects no matter who they are…[Leibovitz] sees human beings and tries to capture their essence. And that’s what this exhibition also strives to do.”

IF YOU G What

The Annie Leibovitz Exhibit at the Norton Museum of Art

When

Jan. 17, 2013 to Jun. 9, 2013 Tuesday 10 a.m. – 5 p.m.

Wednesday 10 a.m. – 5 p.m.

Thursday 10 a.m. – 5 p.m.

Friday 10 a.m. – 5 p.m.

Saturday 10 a.m. – 5 p.m.

Sunday 11 a.m. – 5 p.m.

Where

1451 South Olive Avenue West Palm Beach, FL 33401

How Much

Members: FREE Adults: $12, Students: $5 * Children 12 & under: FREE Palm Beach County residents receive FREE admission on the first Saturday of every month. * West Palm Beach residents receive FREE admission every Saturday. * * Must present valid photo ID

More Info

info@norton.org 561-832-5196 http://www.norton.org

“THE BEST MUSICAL OF 2012”

Photo © Chad Batka of Off Broadway production

— The Advocate

STARRING

JODIE LANGEL

Broadway’s Les Misérables

RAY BOLTZ

3 Out Music Awards & 2 Dove Awards

MIMI JIMENEZ

Broadway’s Rent (Joanne)

March 27 - 30 For tickets and group discounts call Broward Center’s AutoNation Box Office at 954.462.0222 or visit BrowardCenter.org. soflagaynews //

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a&e theater

Beauty is More Than Skin Deep J.W. Arnold

Island City Stage Artistic Director Andy Rogow doesn’t quite remember where he first heard about Annie Baker’s 2008 Drama Desk Award-winning play, Body Awareness, but once he did get his hands on the script, he couldn’t put it down.

“I was on a plane reading the play and was laughing out loud,” he recalls.

Rogow’s company only produced two shows and he instinctively knew Baker’s work would be a perfect fit for Island City, which aims to bridge Wilton Manors’ LGBT community and more diverse audiences.

The four character, one-act play, produced by Island City in conjunction with Empire Stage and directed by Tony Award-nominee Michael Leeds, centers around a lesbian couple dealing with a son’s possible diagnosis with Asperger’s Syndrome and a temporary house guest who happens to be a photographer who specializes in female nudes.

Phyllis (Merry Jo Cortada) is a feminist college professor who is organizing a conference on body awareness on her school’s progressive Vermont campus, while partner Joanne (Janet Weakley) is a

bodies.”

And, while Phyllis and Joanne happen to be lesbians, Rogow said Body Awareness isn’t a “gay” play, but rather a story about family. He feels it has the broadest appeal of the plays his young company has produced so far and is anxious to see The cast of Body Awareness, opening this weekend at Empire Stage, left to how audiences embrace right: Clay Cartland, Janet Weakley, Merry Jo Cortada, David R. Gordon. the show.

Photo courtesy of Island City Stage.

“I love the writing. It’s witty, very snappy, and less militant high school cultural studies teacher. Their 21-year-old son, Jared, trawls stays on point,” he said. “I’m hoping the lesbian community will be supportive, but the web for all sorts of heterosexual porn.

When photographer Frank Bonitatibus surprisingly, I’ve heard resistance from (David R. Gordon) arrives for a visit, the men. I think they will be very surprised.”

Island City’s first production, The family’s crunchy granola life gets turned on its head. Joanne considers posing for his Twentieth Century Way, dramatized a photographs to Phyllis’s fervent objections historical episode in California when police while Jared, in search of a father figure, hired actors to entrap gay men seeking sex, and landed the company a Carbonell Award begins to reach out to Frank.

“Ironically, there’s no nudity,” warns nomination. “Body Awareness definitely Rogow. “That’s not the point (of the play). has the broadest appeal of anything we’ve It’s about how people feel about their done,” Rogow said, noting plans are

already underway for the company’s next undertaking, a short play festival to be presented in August in conjunction with City Theatre, which produces the Summer Shorts play festival each year in Miami.

He concluded, “If you really want to be creative, you have to have a lot of different voices and styles.”

IF YOU G What

Body Awareness, by Annie Baker

When

Thurs - Sat, 8 p.m.; Sun, 5 p.m. through April 7

Where

Empire Stage, 1140 Flagler Dr., Fort Lauderdale Tickets $30

How Much More Info

IslandCityStage.org or EmpireStage.com

Sign up for the Pilobolus Master Class on Friday, March 22 at 10am.

No experience required.

Call 954.468.2689.

For tickets and group discounts call 954.462.0222 or visit ParkerPlayhouse.com All programs, artists, dates and times are subject to change.

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Underwritten by

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© John Kane

March 23

community announcment

Our Fund Elects Beeman and Rubin to Board Our Fund

non-profit experience, networks and talents will continue to strengthen our Foundation to benefit current and future LGBT generations.”

Our Fund’s mission is to promote a culture of philanthropy by uniting donors with organizations supporting the LGBT community. Focused on

expanding philanthropy in South Florida and working to develop stronger nonprofit organizations, South Florida’s only LGBT community foundation has been established to help build endowments that support donor’s charitable interests including organizations providing services throughout the LGBT community.

Lee Rubin and Darcy Beeman Our Fund, South Florida’s only LGBT community foundation, is pleased to announce the appointment of Darcy Beeman and Lee Rubin as new board members. Ms. Beeman and Mr. Rubin are both well known in South Florida’s LGBT community and bring to Our Fund extensive experience in business and community involvement.

Darcy Beeman, a Principal with Edward Jones, began her career as a financial advisor for them in 2000, opening a branch office and building a successful business in Fort Lauderdale. Since 2008, she serves as a regional leader for an area in Southeast Florida where she supports and guides over 60 financial advisors. Before joining Edward Jones, Ms Beeman worked for Hormel Foods for 10 years in sales and management, including serving as manager of international management for Mexico and Central America.

She is an active member of her community and currently serves on the Board of Directors of Kick for Life. She is also involved with the Greater Fort Lauderdale Chamber of Commerce, where she is past Chair of the Beach Council and received the 2004 Salute to Business Award. In addition, she is a past board member of the Sunshine Community Foundation, Pride Center and past president of the Business and Professional Group.

Lee Rubin has a B.A. in Organizational Psychology from George Washington University and more than 20 years experience in sales and marketing management at technology companies including Savvis, Digex, and France Telecom. He currently is Global Reference Program Manager at Citrix.

Mr. Rubin has always been at the forefront of National LGBT rights movement. In 2009, he was elected cochair of the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force Foundation and in 2010 was appointed Chair of the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force’s 401c3 Action Fund Board of Directors and currently serves as Development Co-Chair for the Pride Center of South Florida. Mr. Rubin was also on the National Board of Governors of the Human Rights Campaign (HRC).

He is an avid social media devotee and recently relocated to South Florida from Washington, DC with his longtime partner, Jim Walker, a member of the board of directors of The Pride Center of South Florida.

“We are delighted to have Darcy and Lee join the board and help us as we expand our mission throughout South Florida” Anthony Timiraos, CEO/President of Our Fund. “Their business backgrounds, soflagaynews //

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advertorial

Kristine W Is a SFGN Staff

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his is the record my fans have been begging me for,” says Kristine W of New & Number Ones Remixes Part 1, her new dance remix album in stores now. She’ll perform some of the songs Friday, March 8th at “The Knockouts featuring Kristine W”, the debut of Glenn Douglas Packard’s weekly Knockouts show at the Coconut Casino in Ft Lauderdale. “It took a lot of sweat, tears and money to put all these club gems together, but man, from the positive buzz we’ve received, it was all well worth it.”

New & Number Ones Remixes Part 1 features eleven of Kristine W’s most legendary tracks including Land of the Living, One More Try and Feel What You Want, remixed by some of clubland’s most explosive DJs. All were rigorously tested in front of live audiences at Kristine’s club performances. “It was cool to test the songs on fans and watch the way they caught on and spread like wild fire,” she says.

Subgroover’s remix of Land of the Living is a particular standout on the album. Club fans love how the Dutch producer latched on to the phrase ‘glad to be alive’. “I began performing Subgroover’s remix of Land of the Living at different Pride events and AIDS fundraisers, and it struck me just how relevant the song’s theme is to the gay-positive community,” says Kristine. “These men and women, living with HIV and AIDS, are not only surviving today, they are thriving.

Land of the Living has become something of an anthem, celebrating endurance and strength.”

“I’m also fascinated by the many ways people are connecting with Everything That I Got,” continues Kristine. Based on her own life’s story, as an independent artist navigating through a challenging music business, Everything That I Got has proven to touch people on many levels. “The song is about persevering and not giving up. It really sums up how people are feeling today in this down economy.”

The original version appears on Kristine’s poporiented album, New & Number Ones, released late last year. On the new album, UK remixer Bimbo Jones take the track into the peak hours with a high-energy production that encourages revelers to shower in pride with a “hey, yeah!”.

“The Bimbo Jones remix encapsulates the mood I’m trying to bring to the forefront these days,” says Kristine. “Ultimately, my hope is that my music helps lift people’s spirits and gets them moving: at the gym, in their cars and living rooms, and, of course, on the dance floor.”

Kristine W is a former beauty queen who competed in the Miss America Pageant as Miss Washington. She

has made significant accomplishments in her fifteen years in dance music.

Most notably, she has released 16 #1 dance hits, tying Mariah Carey with the third-most chart toppers on the Billboard Dance/ Club Play Songs chart. Only Madonna (with 40) and Janet (19) have scored more #1s.

Kristine also holds the world’s record for Most Consecutive #1 Billboard Club Hits. She had nine #1s in a row; Madonna and Janet Jackson trail her with seven.

In December, 2009, Billboard published both their Year End and Decade End charts, placing Kristine W in the third place position on the Decade’s Best of 2000s Dance Club Play Artists list, behind only Madonna and Beyoncé.

Kristine W performs “The Knockouts featuring Kristine W” at the Coconut Casino on Friday, March 8th. New & Number Ones Remixes Part 1 is available at all major music retailers now.

Visit KristineW.com.

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“

This is the record my fans have been begging me for.

“

“

Knockout

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DateBook Theater

By Dylan Bouscher, Calendar@SFGN.com

* Denotes new listing

Broward County *Pride Comedy Night

Friday March 8 at 8 p.m. in the Parker Playhouse.

Jason Stuart and Jessica Kirson are opening Pride South Florida’s 36th annual PrideFest with a Pride Comedy Night. Tickets are $31.50. Visit Parkerplayhouse.com

*Celtic Crossroads

Saturday March 9 at 8 p.m. in the Parker Playhouse.

Seven musicians and a group of Ireland’s most-respected step-dancers are fusing Celtic music with traditional gypsy songs, American bluegrass, classical and jazz. Tickets are $27.50 and $37.50, with group discounts available. Visit Parkerplayhouse.com

Fred Hersch Trio

Saturday March 9 at 8 p.m., South Florida Jazz presents the Fred Hersch Trio at the Miniaci Performing Arts Center. Tickets are $40. Visit SouthFloridaJazz.org

*An Evening with The Onion

Admission is $59 and $65 and includes the show, dinner with house salad and warm sourdough bread. Visit BrowardCenter.org

Yo Gabba Gabba! Live!

On March 23 and 24, at 2 p.m. and 5 p.m. both days, the Broward Center for the Performing Arts hosts the family friendly “Get the Sillies Out” tour of the TV show turned live performance. Tickets range from $26 to 46. Visit BrowardCenter.org

Palm Beach County Missy McArdle

Saturday April 13 at 8 p.m. in the Miramar Cultural center. R&B singer Howard Hewett and Michel’le Toussant, featured on the World Class Wreckin’ Crew’s single “Turn off the lights,” are joining together and bringing more soul to the center than it has heard before. Individual tickets are $35, $40, and $45. Visit Miramarculturalcenter.org

The Five Beethovens

Presented over three days, on Sunday Apr. 14 at 2 p.m., Monday Apr. 15 at 8:15 p.m and Tuesday Apr. 16 at 8:15 p.m., acclaimed pianist Conrad Tao will perform all five Beethoven concertos. The first three concertos will be played the first two nights, and the last two will be played on Tuesday. Tickets range from $50 to $75. Visit Symphonyoftheamericas.org

Laffing Matterz

Laffing Matterz continues at the Broward Center Thursdays and Fridays at 7:30 p.m., Saturdays at 8:30 p.m. and selected Sundays this season at 4:30 p.m. Taking on the latest scandal, social media, current events and everything in-between, Laffing Matterz combines dinner theater with topical satire.

*Neil Simon’s Biloxi Blues

Friday March 29 at 8 p.m. in the Aventura Arts & Cultural Center, the Tony award-winning Broadway play about Army cadets struggling through basic training in Biloxi, Mississippi is being produced

by Montana Rep. Tickets are $39.00. Visit Aventuracenter.org

Wednesday March 13 and Thursday March 14 at 7:30 p.m. in the Kravis Center for the Performing Arts, three of New York’s best vocalists will pay tribute to the late big-band legend, Frank Sinatra. Tickets are $35. Visit Kravis.org

Waist Watchers — The Musical!

*Howard Hewett

Ziff Ballet Opera House will hold the Broadway In Miami spectacle through May 12. Experience the return of Les Misérables - in its lavish new 25th anniversary production, along with the Miami premieres of Broadway’s biggest fun-filled hits including the high-stepping Mary Poppins, the outlandishly colorful Priscilla, Queen of the Desert, the Rock of Ages -- a 2010 Tony Award winner. Visit ArshtCenter.org

Saturday April 6 at 8 p.m. in the Aventura Arts & Cultural Center, the South Florida Symphony Orchestra presents talented cellist Zuill Bailey for its Master Concerts III. Tickets range from $35 to $55.

Visit Aventuracenter.org

*Broadway Unplugged

Friday March 29 and Saturday March 30 in the South Miami-Dade Cultural Arts Center, hits from classic Broadway musicals like Rent, American Idiot, and Hair will be performed acoustically. Advance tickets are $25. Visit smdcac.org

*Step Afrika!

Thursday April 4 to Saturday April in the South Miami-Dade Cultural Arts Center, the worldrenowned “Step Afrika!” is stomping, clapping, and chanting to high-energy dances linked to African traditions. Visit smdcac.org

*Fusion Brazil to Cuba

Friday April 5 and Saturday April 6 at 8:30 p.m. in the South Miami-Dade Cultural Arts Center, Cuban musician Pedro Alfonso will blend a variety of styles to take his audience on a musical journey around Latin America and the rest of the world. Advance tickets are $25. Visit smdcac.org

That’s Life — A Toast to Sinatra

150 Voices Strong!

Saturday March 30 at 8 p.m. in the Miramar Cultural Center. The Signature Series continues with international reggae performer Maxi Priest fusing R&B with reggae and gospel. Individual tickets are $30, $40, and $45. Visit Miramarculturalcenter.org

Broadway in Miami 2012-13

*From Darkness Comes the Light

DANCE MUSIC THEATRE DANCE MUSIC THEATRE DANCE MUSIC THEATRE DANCE MUSIC THEATRE DANCE MUSIC THEATR DANCE MUSIC THEATRE

The Last Romance

*An Evening with Maxi Priest

March 20 to March 24 in the Aventura Arts & Cultural Center, former staffers of U.S. Senators will rip their old bosses. Tickets are $35. Visit Aventuracenter.org

Monday March 11 at 7:30 p.m., the Plaza Theatre presents seven time Carbonell Award nominee Missy McArdle’s “A Broad’s Way with Broadway” performance. Tickets are $30. Visit theplazatheatre. net

Sunday March 10 at 7:30 p.m. in the Parker Playhouse.

The staff from “America’s finest news source,” the satirical newspaper and website the Onion, have tailored their performance to include jokes and issues relevant to South Florida. Tickets range from $29.50 to $59.50. Visit Parkerplayhouse.com Tuesday March 19 at 8:15 p.m. and Sunday March 24 at 2 p.m., the Gay Men’s Chorus of South Florida are collaborating with Symphony of the Americas to perform classical works at the Broward Center for the Performing Arts. Tickets range from $50 to $75, depending on the seat. Visit BrowardCenter.org

*Capitol Steps

Parsons Dance

March 22 to April 7, the Tony award-winning author Joe DiPietro’s new comedy is being performed at the Delray Beach Playhouse, 950 NW 9th, Delray Beach.

Tickets are $30. Call 561-272-1281 Ext. 4 or visit DelrayBeachPlayHouse.com

Friday & Saturday, March 22 & 23 @ 8PM

Through Sunday May 12, the Plaza Theatre presents a comedy with parody lyrics to popular tunes that has been selling out across the country for six years now. Set mostly in a women’s fitness center, the musical directed by Andy Rogow is starring Shelley Keelor and Missy McArdle. Call 561-588-1820 or visit ThePlazaTheatre.net

Silvia

A.R. Gurney’s comedy about life is being performed from May 17 to June 2 at the Delray Beach Playhouse, 950 NW 9th, Delray Beach. Tickets are $30.Call 561272-1281 Ext. 4 or visit DelrayBeachPlayHouse.com

The sexy athleticism, exuberant personality and joyous movement of the ten dancers in Parsons Dance returns to the Duncan Theatre for the first time since 1995! Parsons Dance is an internationally renowned contemporary dance company under the artistic direction of dancer/ choreographer David Parsons creating American works of extraordinary artistry that are both engaging and uplifting to audiences throughout the world.

Parsons Dance tours nationally and internationally, including an annual season in New York City.

Miami-Dade Eddie Palmieri

Saturday March 9 at 8 p.m. the so-called “Sun of Latin Music” and nine time Grammy Award winner is performing at the South Miami-Dade Cultural Arts Center. Tickets range from $15 to $35. Call 786573-5300 or visit smdac.org.

Tribute to Pavarotti

On Monday March 11 at 7:30 p.m. in the Miramar Cultural Center, the center’s Opera series will continue with an orchestra, chorus, and international soloists paying tribute to opera’s Luciano Pavarotti. Tickets range from $40 to $45.

Visit MiramarCulturalCenter.org.

A Chorus Line

Sunday March 17 at 3 p.m., the winner of nine Tony Awards and the Pulitzer Prize for drama, the traveling production of the musical “A Chorus Line,” is stopping at the South Miami-Dade Cultural Arts Center. Tickets range from $45 to $65. Call 786-573-5300 or visit smdac.org.

LAKE WORTH 4200 Congress Avenue (I-95 Exit #63, head west 1 mile)

TICKETS ONLINE: www.duncantheatre.org

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DateBook

Community Calendar

ATLANTA JOURNAL CONSTITUTION

By Dylan Bouscher, Calendar@SFGN.com

Broward County PrideFest

Friday March 9 to March 10, Pride South Florida’s 36th annual PrideFest returns to the War Memorial at Holiday Park at 800 NE 8th Street, Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Advance tickets are available.

Visit Pridesouthflorida.org

Floral Designs for the Holidays

“Flower Designs for the Holidays”. Janice Hamlin, Master Flower Show Judge from the Manatee River Garden Club in Bradenton, Florida will inspire us by demonstrating the creation of flower designs for the holidays. Call 954-561-8475. Visit FLGardenClub@ gmail.com

LGBT Quit Smoking Groups

Did you know that LGBT people are more likely to smoke than most other populations in the United States? Being around other smokers can make it more difficult for people to quit. But many of us are trying, and the Quit Smoking Now Program in Wilton Manors is here to show us how. Visit My.vcita.com/MyQuitCoach QuitsmokingWM.com or call 305-942-6378

Island City-Wide Yard Sale

Annual yard sales are held at Hagen Park, 2020 Wilton Drive, on the second Saturday of the month through April 2013 from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Spaces available to purchase. Last year there were 60 to 90 vendors, so register early while there is still space.

More info call the Leisure Services Department at 954-390-2115 or 954-390-2130.

The Four Noble Truths

It is our mind of attachment that continues to deceive us, causing us to relate to things in mistaken ways, leading us straight into problems and misfortune. Learn how to break this cycle. $10/class or $30/series includes vegetarian food after class, members free. Visit MeditationInFortLauderdale.org

Pozitive Attitudes

Topic driven Peer lead support group for gay and bisexual men who are infected or affected by HIV/ AIDS. Meets every Wednesday 7-9 p.m. at the Pride Center 204 N.Dixie Hwy Room 204. Refreshments, no charge, open meeting. PAHereandNow@aol.com or visit PozitiveAttitudes.com

Queer Youth Fridays

For people ages 13-21, drop-in from 6 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. This youth group meets at the SunServe building on 1480 SW 9th Ave on the second floor.

Queer Themed Movie showing at 7 p.m. on Friday nights. Free Wi-Fi, plus board games that you can bring or the ones that provided by the group. Visit Sunserve.org/youth/index.htm

GLBX Business Advantage Referral Group

GLBX Business Advantage Referral Group will be held at the chamber offices on the 1st and 3rd Wednesday of the month from 8 to 9 a.m. If you are interested joining, please contact Ken Stollar at Kenneth.Stolar@sci-us.com to see if your category is open and to attend as a guest. Visit FtlChamber. com/index.php?src=gendocs&ref=GLBX_ home&category=GLBX

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“SUPERBLY CHOREOGRAPHED, ASTONISHINGLY DANCED BROADWAY-BOUND MUSICAL.”

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Queer Youth Nights

LGBTQ & allied youth 13-21 are welcome any time after 6 p.m. at the SunServe building on Wilton Drive for a great place to meet new friends, play board games and a Queer Themed Movie at 7 p.m.

Email Afrosch@sunServe.org

Latinos Salud’s programs

Multiple programs/groups for bi/gay Latino guys.

Latinos Salud’s SOMOS for guys 18 to 30. Proceeds benefit Latinos Salud with HIV Prevention and testing. Join Core Group every Thursday night at 7 p.m., to help plan activities. 2330 Wilton Drive. Call 954-533-8681 or visit LatinosSalud.org

Man2Man Discussion

Man2Man Discussion Group meets at the Pride Center on Mondays from 7 until 8:30 p.m. Any subject may be discussed. Members regularly reassemble afterwards for ‘repast’ at The Courtyard, PeterPan Diner. Visit GLCCSF.org

Meditation After Work

On Mondays from 6-6:30 p.m. there will be Guided meditation w/ western Buddhist teacher Gui Passow.

Looking for a way to rest and re-charge before starting your evening? Come in for a free guided meditation to clear your mind at the end of the day.

This class is free at Drolma Buddhist Center. Call 954-537-9191 or visit MeditationinFortLauderdale. org

LIVE ON

STAGE!

Buddhist Meditation Classes

All the happiness there is in the world arises from wishing others to be happy. By abandoning selfcentered thoughts and replacing them with the belief that others are important, we will overcome our suffering and find true happiness inside our own hearts. $10/class or $30/series includes vegetarian food after class. Call The Drolma Buddhist Center at 954-537-9191.

Dream Car Classic

Every Sunday of the month from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Pre-1980s classic cars, modern classics and custom cars from 1981-2012 will be showcased. $10 car registration from 8 a.m. to 10 a.m. (Show Car Entrance: 20th Avenue & Tyler Street). People’s Choice Award - 2 Classes; Top Ten Vehicles Award.

Call 954-214-2457

Living Healthy

Fusion in Wilton Manors will be having a free workshop on healthy choices, and healthy living on Tuesdays from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. This workshop provides interactive learning, practice and mastery techniques for a healthier and more active life, and positive changes for quality of life. Call 954-6301655

Life Coaching

ON SALE NOW!

MARCH 5-17 • BROWARD CENTER BrowardCenter.org or 954-462-0222 Groups 10+ 954-626-7814 or 954-462-0222

Latinos Salud’s Life Coaching program is for Latino gay/bi guys ages 18-44. Come by Monday through Friday 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. for free one-on-one life coaching with certified CRCS coaches. Set your goals, and meet action steps to make them come true. 2330 Wilton Drive. Call 954-765-6239. Visit LatinosSalud.org

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Sex & Love Anonymous

Sex and love addiction may take several forms -including, but not limited to, a compulsive need for sex, extreme dependency on one or many people, or a chronic pre-occupation with romance, intrigue, or fantasy. Meets at The Pride Center at Equality Park in Bldg A, Room 200 Fridays 7 p.m. to 8 p.m. Visit SLAAfws.org

Survivor Support

On the first and third Wednesday of each month at the 211 Community Center, 250 NE 33rd Street, in Oakland Park. The Florida Initiative for Suicide Prevention (FISP) is sponsoring this free support group and is open to all family members and friends of those who have died by suicide. Call 954384-0344 to register. Meets from 7-8:30 p.m. Visit FispOnline.org.

Eating Disorder Support

Meets Friday evenings from 6 p.m. - 7:30 p.m. At Sun Serve’s Wilton Manors location at 2123 Wilton Drive, second floor. A “drop-in” psycho-educational support group. Free. No registration required.

Donations welcome. Call 954-764-5150

Sunday Jazz Brunch

First Sunday of every month. An ideal way to relax and enjoy Fort Lauderdale’s scenic Riverwalk. Live, outdoor concert series bringing the area’s best local jazz artists. Listen to the soulful sounds on four different stages. Well-behaved, leashed pets welcome. Plenty of room for chairs, blankets and picnic baskets.

Young Adult GLBT

A social group open to all LGBT people ages 18-35.

Meets Fridays at the Pride Center in Wilton Manors from 7:15-9 p.m. Meeting starts with a discussion on current events followed by introductions and then a group activity. Visit PrideCenterFlorida.org/ contact-us

Boardwalk Friday Fest

Come to Hollywood Beach Theatre East of A1A at Johnson St and the ocean. Admission: Free every Friday of every month. Live jazz, blues, pop and everything in between along Hollywood’s signature 2.5 mile boardwalk. Charming oceanfront cafes and restaurants serve up delicious innovative cuisine while you enjoy the best array of live music and tropical ocean breezes. Visit Hollywoodfl.org or call 954-924-2980

Toastmasters

Meetings are comprised of about 20 people who meet weekly for an hour or so. Participants practice and learn skills by filling a meeting role, ranging from giving a prepared speech or an impromptu one to serving as timer, evaluator or grammarian.

Toastmasters meet at the GLCC/Pride Center Monday at 7:15 p.m. Call Ted Verdone at 954-5662074 or email: Tedverdone@comcast.net

Tuesday Night Eatin Meeting

Tuesday Night Eatin’ Meeting will be held at The Alternative MC Clubhouse at 4322 NE 5th Ave in Oakland Park. Fun, food, and fellowship. There will be hamburgers, hotdogs, all the fixins, cold drinks, desserts, and snacks. Meeting begins at 8 p.m. and ends at 9 p.m. Visit Alternativemc.com/events/ florida-events

Gay Male Empowerment

Topic discussions include issues and concerns about being a gay man in South Florida. Meets Thursdays at the Pride Center from 7 - 8:30 p.m. Call 954-3539155

PFLAG

Meets on the 2nd and 4th Tues. of the month at the Sunshine Cathedral at 1480 SW 9th Avenue to support the parents of LGBTQ youth in Broward. No charge.

Visit Community.pflag.org/pflagfortlauderdale

SunServe Therapy Groups

Provided for the LGBT community at SunServe on a regular basis. Call the Intake Coordinator at 954-764-5150 to learn which therapy groups have openings. Groups Include a Gay Men’s HIV+ Long Time Survivors’ Group, a Safe “T” support group for gender variant adults, an Intimate Partner Abuse group and others. Visit SunServe.org

Fusion Wilton Manors Connections

Gay men’s group discussion. Different subject every week. Dr. David Fawcett, a gay therapist, who has been in private practice in Fort Lauderdale for the last ten years, leads the event. No charge. Starts at 7 p.m. Call 954-630-1655.

Women4Women Support

PBC Gender Support

All ages support group dedicated for transgender individuals. This meeting happens the 1st and 3rd Thursday of every month at 7:30 p.m. These meeting will take place at The Gay & Lesbian Community Center of Palm Beach County. Visit CompassGLCC.com

Good Orderly AA

These meetings now take place at Lambda North at 18 S. J Street, and geared toward recovering alcoholics. Every Tues. and Thurs. at 7 p.m. and on Sat. at 5:30 p.m. These meetings will help recovering alcoholics cope with the stress of everyday life without the use of alcohol. Email tcamie@aol.com

Seniors vs. Crime

Miami-Dade Winter Party Festival 2013

March 6 – 11, 2013. Dancers at Winter Party Festival are among the hundreds of volunteers who help make the six-day event a success. While there is no monetary compensation, free tickets to events are provided to those who volunteer their time.

Costumes will be provided. Visit WinterParty.com.

5th Annual Miami Beach Gay Pride Festival

On April 8 at 6 p.m., outside the Miami Beach City Hall, a rainbow flag raising ceremony will start the week-long pride celebration. The flag raising ceremony will be followed by a reception honoring the founders of Miami Beach Gay Pride. The parade starts at 12 p.m. on April 14, near the Art Deco district of Ocean Drive. Free to attend, visit Miamibeachgaypride.com

A safe and loving place to explore all the concerns and topics raised by group members. This open drop-in meeting is held Wednesdays at 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. at the New Sun Serve Building at 2312 Wilton Drive in Wilton Manors. Call 954-764-5150

Seniors vs. Crime is a free service that provides help to seniors who have been victimized by businesses or service providers and need assistance. This event will take place at Mae Volen Senior Center at 1515 W. Palmetto Park Road. By appointment only so call 561-736-3820 or 561-395-8920.

Man2Man Discussion

Yoga On The Waterfront

Palm Beach County

Yoga Among the Orchids

Ransom Mondays

Saturday March 23 and Sunday March 24 at Bryant Park in Lake Worth, from 12 to 6 p.m. Parade starts at 11:30 a.m. on Sunday. Visit CompassGLCC.com or call 561-533-9699

It’s time for Yoga Among the Orchids at the American Orchid Society, 16700 AOS Lane, Delray Beach. Relax and replenish the flower inside with an hour of breathing exercises, toning, and yoga poses under a canopy of lush orchids. Classes are Wed. at 9 a.m. Cost is $20 and RSVP is suggested. Call 561404-2011. Visit OrchidWeb.org

Coming Out Support Group

Jazz on the Palm

Rainbow Circle

Man-2-Man talk is an informal discussion group of gay men, with all age ranges and backgrounds welcomed. Bldg A, Room 206. Visit Glccsf.org/ calendar/

PrideFest of the Palm Beaches

Coming Out Support Group for all ages, men and women. Meets every Thursday evening at Compass, GLCC of the Palm Beaches , 201 N. Dixie Highway, Lake Worth, Florida from 6:30 to 8 p.m. Call Forrest @561-479-8313

Lake Worth Bike Night

The Lake Worth bike night is fun, and it’s for a cause. Join loads of people in downtown Lake Worth every Thursday from 7 p.m.-10 p.m.. The event is free and open to bikers and non-bikers. Visit LakeWorthBikeNight.com

Alternative Life Style Show

Featured guests contribute to the community. All are welcomed to call in. Many give aways and prizes including a contest for free buffets at Isle Capri Casino in Pompano. You can also listen by adding W4CYRADIO to SKYPE or call in at 561-623-9429.

Up coming spotlights on parties of interest and special events.

PFLAG

PFLAG is a monthly support, coming out and rap groups for families of & for Gay, Lesbian, Bi, and Transgender people. Meeting in Palm Beach County is at 6:30 on the third Wednesday of the month. Call or email Carol at 561-716-9464 Pflag@pobox.com

New Alternatives

Social group with regular outings and social mixers for LGBTQ ages 18 to 30. This meeting will take place at The Gay & Lesbian Community Center of Palm Beach County. Email matthew@compassglcc.com or Visit CompassGLCC.com.

Sober Sisters AA

Support group is dedicated for lesbians who are recovering from alcoholism. Meeting happens every Monday at 7 p.m. at Lambda North Clubhouse. Visit LambdaNorth.net

Lake Pavilion at 101 S. Flagler Drive, West Palm Beach, FL / Yoga On The Waterfront in downtown West Palm Beach on Wednesday Evenings at 5:45 p.m. Residents $40 per 8 week session, NonResidents $50 per 8 week session, Drop-ins $10 per class. To register, please call 561-804-4902.

In downtown West Palm Beach Waterfront - Gather with friends and family to enjoy the vibrant sounds of jazz under the stars every third Friday of month at the new downtown West Palm Beach waterfront concert series. Free and open to the public. Guests are encouraged to bring blankets and chairs. From 8 p.m. to 10 p.m. Visit Wpbgo.com/2010/06/jazz-onthe-palm

BrothasSpeak

This group is a black gay men’s discussion group that is held at the Compass in West Palm Beach.

Every Wednesday from 7 p.m. to 8 p.m. this group will be directed toward issues for and about black men. Visit CompassgGLCC.com

Paths

Paths is a social/discussion group held at Compass in Lake Worth. This men’s group takes place every Monday from 7:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. Paths men’s group will be discussing relationships, coming out, safer sex issues and more. Visit CompassGLCC.com

Yoga

Yoga with Deborah will change your life. Bring a mat and get ready to stretch the stress away every Tuesday at The GLCC in Palm Beach from 6 to 7 p.m.

This yoga experience will uplift and transform your life. $6 Entry Fee. You must bring your own mat.

Visit CompassGLCC.com

Living Buddhism

On the 2nd Tuesday of every month at 7 p.m.

Compass in Lake Worth will be holding a discussion group for overcoming obstacles and obtaining happiness. This group is great for getting internal enlightenment. Release your inner stress, and become free. Visit CompassGLCC.com

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4th Annual Pride Cruise

From Ocean Drive to the ocean waves, Miami Beach Gay Pride 2013 is setting sail once again with Source Events for the “Miami Beach Pride Cruise” immediately following all the Miami Beach Gay Pride festivities. The Pride Cruise takes place from Monday, April 15 to Friday, April 19. Visit SourceEvents.com

This amazing party takes place at Mokai in Miami Beach. The party, hosted by Mark Lehmkuhl, sort of takes now-defunct Bella Rose’s Black Sunday murder mystery theme but gives it a Patty Hearst twist. Every week, some prominent nightlife fixture gets held for ransom, and the only way it gets returned is if you party your ass off. Only $20 to attend. Visit Mokaimiami.com

A peer-led LGBTQ support & discussion group.

Topics often include coming out, relationships, bullying, peer pressure, drugs & alcohol, depression and self-esteem. You are able to express your thoughts and feelings without fear in a safe and supportive environment. This group takes place every Monday from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the University of Miami, Flipse Building #302. Visit Pridelines.org

Sex Talk

Conduct outreach events, record video messages, participate in a series of performances and organize special events with a purpose. This event takes place the second and fourth Thursday every month at Pridelines Headquarters located at 9526 NE 2nd Ave #104 In Miami Shores from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Visit Pridelines.org

Lambda Dade Clubhouse

A meeting place for the Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual & Transgender communities and friends in recovery. Hosts Alcoholics Anonymous (AA), AlAnon, Crystal Meth Anonymous (CMA), Debtors Anonymous (DA), Narcotics Anonymous (NA), and Sex & Love Addicts Anonymous (SLAA), meetings.

305 573-9608. 212 NE 24th Street. Miami. Visit LambdaDadeClubHouse.org

Key West

The 48th Annual Old Island Days Art Festival

A two-day juried outdoor fine art festival. That will take place on Feb. 23-24. The show is sponsored by the Key West Art Center, and was originally held to raise money for the renovation of the building at 301 Front Street. Explore beautiful art from locals in Key West. Visit KeyWestArtCenter.com/festival

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DateBook Nightlife

By Dylan Bouscher, Calendar@SFGN.com

Broward County 321-Slammer

Bathhouse. 321 W Sunrise Blvd, Fort Lauderdale, Florida, 33311. Slammer sex club the best place to cruise for the hottest gay men. Thursday’s is leather night, Friday and Saturday night live DJs. Monday & Tuesday -- $9 entry fee

Atomic Boom

2232 Wilton Drive, Wilton Manors, FL 33305, 954630-3556 Best Sound & Light Show in Broward County.

Mondays “porn bingo” with Desiree Dubois. $3 Margaritas, $1 Draft

Bill’s Filling Station

2209 Wilton Drive, Wilton Manors, FL 33305, 954-567-5978. Large bar/ nightclub, amazing drink specials in Wilton Manors! Wednesday’s after 9 p.m. $10 Miller Lite Beer Bust

Boardwalk

1721 N. Andrews Ave, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33311.

954-463-6969. A Cute Little Hangout in Fort Lauderdale.Pool-room/game room on one side and a bar/strip club on the other. Mondays $3 Well & Dom, after 9 p.m. $3 U-Call-It Shots

The Club Fort Lauderdale

Bathhouse. 110 NW 5th Ave., Fort Lauderdale, FL, 954-525-3344 Good. Clean. Fun. 1/2 price rooms...

Tuesday Nights and 1/2 price Lockers. Thursdays Nights. Always busy.

Clubhouse II

Bathhouse. 2650 E. Oakland Park Blvd, Fort Lauderdale, Florida 954-566-6750. A Private Club for Bi/Gay men.“Bear and Friends” Thursday $5 Off a room 8 p.m. to 11 p.m. Tuesday Leather Night - $5 off for those in full leather gear.

Corner Pub Bar

1915 N. Andrews Ave, Wilton Manors, FL 33311, 954-564-7335. Redefining what a bar should be.

Thursday’s margarita madness $4, Monday’s “Underwear Night. 2 for 1” until 9:30 p.m.

Cubby Hole

823 N. Federal Highway, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33304, 954-728-9001. The Cubby Hole is one of Fort Lauderdale’s most unique and popular Neighborhood bar for men. Underwear Wednesday’s. “Boxers n’ Briefs” get 2 for 1 drinks 9 p.m. to close

The Depot Cabana Bar and Grill

2935 N. Federal Hwy, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33304, 954-537-7076. Voted the “Friendliest” Gay Bar in Fort Lauderdale. Monday’s $1.99 Drinks and $.50 wings open to close

Dudes Bar

3270 NE 33rd St Fort Lauderdale FL 954-568-7777.

Sexy hot men starting to shake the booty daily from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. On Sundays enjoy karaoke with Peter Petrucci. Great drink specials every Monday with $1 well drinks from 9 p.m. to 2 a.m.

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Georgie’s Alibi

2266 Wilton Drive, Wilton Manors, FL 33305, 954565-2526. Fort Lauderdale’s best & longest happy hour. Wednesdays $2 Domestics & $1 Schnapps after 9 p.m.

Johnny’s

1116 W. Broward Blvd., Fort Lauderdale, FL 33312, 954-522-5931. Monday Dragon with TP Lords, Daisy D. and DJ Rob Sky Some of the hottest guys around with great happy hour drink specials. Bring all your friends to this sexy Bar.

The Manor

2345 Wilton Drive, Wilton Manors, FL 33305 954626 0082 - Come Dine, Dance, Drink, Mingle and of course Relax. 2 for 1 happy hour Tues-Friday 3 to 9 p.m. Indoor/Outdoor Dining. Dance the night away Thursday through Sunday. Live music Wed., Fri., Sat., Sun. Visit themanorcomplex.com

Matty’s on the Drive

2426 Wilton Drive, Wilton Manors, FL 33305 954564-1799. Matty’s is one of the few bars in Wilton Manors that’s just that –a bar. Wild Wednesday’s $.75 Drinks, 13 Drinks for less than $10. 5 p.m.

Mona’s 502 E. Sunrise Boulevard, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33304, 954-525-6662. The eclectic décor and a friendly staff makes. Mona’s a great place to have fun in Fort Lauderdale. Thursday’s College Boy’s Night 8 p.m.

Enjoy College Boy’s Choice 2 for 1 Monkey Business

2740 North Andrews Ave, Wilton Manors, FL 33311.

954-514-7819. The Monkey Business Bar is a Small Outdoor Bar Among The Shops Just off Marina Blvd.

No Frills But Comfortable and a Great Place to Stop and Meet Good People. Happy Hour 8 a.m. to 9 p.m.

Naked Grape Wine Bar

2039 Wilton Drive, Wilton Manors, FL 33305. 954563-5631. A Casual, Hip, Fun Experience and if You Have a Taste for Deliciously Unique Wines, You Need to Make This Your Next Stop! Happy Hour All Night on Thursday

New Moon

2440 Wilton Drive, Wilton Manors, FL 33305, 954563-7660. Your neighborhood lesbian bar in the heart of Fort Lauderdale and just minutes from Fort.

Lauderdale Beach. Wednesday All the fun, half the price 2-4-1 All Day, All Night

PJ’s Corner Pocket

924 North Flagler Drive, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33304, 954-533-0257. One of The Most Diverse Bars in Fort Lauderdale. $2 Drinks Every Wednesday, Spades Every Thursday

Ramrod

1508 NE 4th Ave, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33304, 954763-8219. South Florida’s Leading Levi, Leather and Uniform Bar/Club. Every night is Bear Night. Bear Happy. Hour Every Thursday. Caged Hunks Sat Night

Rosie’s Bar and Grill

2449 Wilton Drive, Wilton Manors, FL 33305, 954567-1320. Wilton Manor’s Best Burger in Town. Try the Fat Elvis. Happy Hour 5 p.m. to 9 p.m.

Scandals Country Western Bar

Club Sugar

Sidelines Sports Bar

Discotekka

Oakland Park, FL 3334, 954-567-2432. Scandals Gay and Lesbian Country Western. Dance Bar in Wilton Manors. Tuesdays Pool League, and Free Dance Lessons

2031 Wilton Drive, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33305, 954563-8001. Sidelines Sports Bar and Billiards is a unique, friendly, and accepting place to relax with a cold beer, great drinks and Martinis. Happy Hour M-F 4 p.m. to 2 a.m.

Smarty Pants

3038 North Federal Hwy, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33306, 954-561-1724. Great Local Hangout in Fort Lauderdale with Great Drink Specials. Saturday’s Free Breakfast to Order – 8 a.m.

The Stable

205 East Oakland Park Blvd., Oakland Park, FL 33334, 954-565-4506 A neighborhood bar with a different theme every night, from drag shows and bingos, to bears and underwear.

NEED WOOD Tips for Getting Timber

Torpedo

2829 W. Broward Blvd., Fort Lauderdale, FL 33312, 954-587-2500. Your Dance Destination Till Dawn.

Open Late for You To Devour The Night. Open 7 nights a week till 4 a.m.

2301 SW 32nd Ave, Miami, Florida, 33145, 305-4437657. All the sweetness you’ll need in one club.

Every Thursday “drag wars” with TP Lords. $5 house drinks & $4 Domestic beers all night.

950 NE 2nd Ave, Downtown Miami, Florida 33132,305-350-9084. One of the best night clubs In Miami. Every Saturday the hottest DJ’s from the top performers. Drink Special Every Saturday

Eros Lounge

8201 Biscayne Blvd. Miami 305-754-3444 Open 6 days a week Happy Hour 5 p.m. – 9 p.m. Free parking, and on Thursdays. Back to Paradise. A night of Soulful NYC House music. DJ David Solero

Johnny’s

Miami 62 NE 14 Street Downtown Miami Florida 305-640-8749. Open Wed. through Sun. The hottest men in the universe strip shows nightly from 6 p.m. sexy from wall to wall. Free entrance. Free parking.

Free VIP rooms. Featuring the Hottest Male Dancers

By Woody Miller and The Best VIP ROOMS and always $5 Drinks. Full Lineup at ed at Facebook.com/JohnnysMiami

Score

727 Lincoln Rd, Miami Beach, Florida, 33139. 305561-5521. Score is located in the heart of South Beach in the thriving and infamous promenade, Lincoln Road. Bigger Saturday’s sexy male dolls.

HIV DISCLOSURE SHOULD I ASK OR SHOULD YOU TELL?

Village Pub & Piano Bar

2283 Wilton Dr. Wilton Manors, FL 33305, 754-2005244 Villagepubwm.com Looking for a relaxing place to spend the early afternoon? Or perhaps you want to come in and “work?” We have incredibly fast WiFi, complimentary outlets for you to power up your HeyWoody, phone or laptop AND 2-4-1 Happy Hour MondayI know I'mtoa little Saturday from 11 a.m.

9 p.m.late on the subject but I

just got through reading my back issues of this magazine and I can't believe the bull crap you wrote about disclosing HIV. You totally let The Cottage HIV positive(Tea-Dance guys off the hook. I can't believe Sundays) you actually said it's more important that 522 Lucerne Ave, Lake Worth, Fl, 33414. 561-586negativesaskthanpositivestell.

0080 Great Service, Great Food, Full Stocked Bar, Great Professional Earth to woody! Positive guys have the Tea-Dance every Sunday moral obligation to tell people whether asked Fort Dix or not. I'm surprised at you. Since when are 6205 Georgia Ave, West Palm Beach, Florida 33405 you561-533-5355. afraid of hurting someone's feelings?

Directions, Mostly local crowd looking to mingle and relax.

Place rocks with a Fabulous DJ Anybody who gets HIV these days willfully on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sunday T-Dance. gets it. You can't plead ignorance and you can't H.G. plead Rooster innocence.

I sayPALM quit coddling 823 BELVEDERE ROAD, WEST BEACH positive guys, Woody.

Tell them theyis need FLORIDA 33405, 561-832-9119.

H.G.what Roosters West to Palms oldest club. hear:gay If you go home with someone you must Sunday’s Complimentary BBQ 5 p.m., Hot Male themKaraoke you're HIV Positive. It's time to stop Dancerstell 6 p.m., 11 p.m. with your d!*k and be more Marathinking (Thurs-Sat) 1132 North Dixie Highway, Lake Worththe FL $3 Drinks. concerned about spreading disease than No Cover.

Open till 5 a.m.

Ladies night on Thursdays spreadingyourseed. and Karaoke on Fridays.

-Stillshakingmyhead The Mad Hatter DearDixie Shaking, 1532 North Hwy ,Lake Worth, FL 33460. 561547-8860. Cheap drinks, friendly bartenders, First off, I did NOT say positive guysand shouldn't free pool Sunday-Thursday. Stop by and relax at this disclose.

Listen to Dr. Brad Thomason (my exno-attitude haunt. boyfriend, of all things) for my reasoning.

The Bar Lake Worth Thomason is a psychologist at the561-370-3954 Center of HIV 2211 North Dixie Highway Lake Worth.

Thebarlakeworth.com.

Men and this up Educational Studies.

(By women the way,share we broke mostly-locals space as a calm and friendly watering after my parrot exposed his infidelity. Every time I hole. The bar often features live music which can be camefrom homethumping the parrotbass. kept saying, “Give it to me a nice break hard before Woody comes home.”) Anyway, Thomason works with a lot of HIV patients and Club you Space wouldn't believe the horror stories they tell 34 NE 11th St ,Miami ,Florida, 33132,305-350-1956 him about disclosing. That's why he believes - and Space Miami Voted Best U.S Club IDMA 2011. The go-to convinced more important venue for any nightlifeme--that enthusiastit's in the nation, the club isfor proudly marching its second decade oftooperation. negativeson to into ask than for positives disclose. It's not because negatives should shoulder more of

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Classifieds accomodations

attorneys

AFFORDABLE DAILY ,WEEKLY & EXTENDED STAYS. CELEBRATING 15 YEARS, GAY OWNED AND OPERATED. 1998-2013 , GAY OWNED AND OPERATED! Seven year Pink Choice.com Award Winning Gay Hotel, offering spacious Self catering apartmentswith kitchens.

Located just south of the Airport and Port Everglades in Dania Beach. Minutes to Nude and Gay beaches, Wilton manors , Fort Lauderdale attractions & night life. Includes Wi-Fi, VOIP Telephone, BBQ ,parking and laundry. Clothing Optional Heated Pools and Sun Decks. (954)927-0090.Or visit www.LibertySuites.com

counseling/psychotherapy

TERRY DAVIS, LCSW, LLC #SW1079 Supportive male therapist, specializes in LGBT issues, HIV/AIDS,addictions, etc. Affordable, sliding scale. Eves/weekend. TdavisLCSW.com* (954) 731-5505

announcements

To place an ad call 954.530.4970 or visit SFGN.com/getlisted employment STONEWALL NATIONAL MUSEUM & ARCHIVES is pleased to announce that we are currently seeking an EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR to effectively lead our organization. This is an exciting opportunity with a top non-profit located in South Florida during a time of great movement in the LGBT community. Key Responsibilities: Actively work with SNMA Board of Directors to develop and implement a comprehensive development and fundraising strategy. Be the key fundraiser responsible for expanding and diversifying SNMA funder base. Forge new relationships to build SNMA visibility, impact, and financial resources. Required Skills: Bachelor’s degree and equivalent experience in field required. Minimum of 10 years documented experience in direct fund raising for a nonprofit and financial management. Experience in the development of budgets and ability to manage financial resources effectively and efficiently.

Strong understanding of non-profit management, and of organizational finance and management.

A successful and demonstrated track record of fundraising is required, as well as a proven ability to lead non-profits to high levels. SNMA offers an excellent work environment allowing employees to succeed in helping us achieve our mission and objectives. Our total compensation package is competitive and negotiable based on experience. We also offer a benefits package. For immediate consideration, please send your cover letter and resume / CV to: stonewallnationalsearch@gmail.com For more information on this position, please go to http:// www.stonewallnationalmuseum.org website.

SIDELINES SPORTS BAR POSITIONS AVAILABLE Bartenders and bar backs. Now accepting applications and resumes. Mon-Fri from 3-6PM. No Phone calls please!

cleaning services WILTON MANORS- SWEET CLEANING SERVICE! Reliable and responsible home and office cleaning at sweet rates! 1BD $55, 2BD $65 and 3BD $75. 7 years in business. Call 212-4709933 or 201-673-6190 HEAVENLY HOUSE CLEANER Upscale service that’s out of this world. Trustworthy & reliable. 10 years exp, references, not an agency, pet friendly, call Nina 954-601-6141 CLEAN IT RIGHT The best cleaning for your buck. 1BD $50, 2BD $60, 3BD $70. Excellent rates & references. 10 years in business. Serving Broward, North Miami Dade & S. Palm Beach.

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air conditioning HONEST, RELIABLE AIR CONDITIONING & HEATING SERVICES Gay owned and operated company, Eiland Air, Inc. 24 hour service. Reasonable prices. Licensed & Insured #CAC1817222 Call Mike 786-247-6022

electrician

employment ENTRY LEVEL SALES EXECUTIVE Full time Sales, Client Services, Direct Marketing, Lead Generation, Telemarketing & Email Services.

Microsoft Word & Excel experience. Competitive Salary plus Commission, Medical/Dental, 401k & Profit Sharing . Email Resume: aleen@ lighthouselist.com MEDICAL ASSISTANT –FULL TIME Natura Dermatology and Cosmetics is seeking a personable, and well educated medical Assistant.

Experience is preferred yet not required. Email resumes to bobby@NaturaDermatology.com EXPERIENCED GROOMER? Looking for a P/T experienced groomer with good scissoring skills to work on all breeds of dogs & cats. Only serious candidates apply. References will be verified. No drama!! 954-530-7216

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home improvement THINGS YOU NEED TO ACCOMPLISH? Minds at ease, A+ handyman service. Prompt, Reliable & Honest. Call Keldon Keller 954-551-3127 krkeller@aol.com

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licensed massage EXP. MATURE MALE WPB MASSEUR In-calls only, private studio setting by Belvedere/SR7 in quiet area. Highly skilled, intuitive theraputic bodywork by friendly LMT. Affordable rates but cash only. Early to late, 7 days. Call (561) 2548065 for appt. or walk-in OK. RELIEVE STRESS & TENSION WITH MAGICAL HANDS PRO MASSAGE (FL: MA51008 THE BRITISH POUND John Maroussas LMT Sports Massage, Deep Tissue, Neuromuscular, Trigger Point, Swedish, Salt or Sugar Scrubs.

Private Studio w/ Shower. Wilton Manors Location near Bill’s Lic#MA51123 954-999-2240 RECESSION RELIEF $40 per 90 MIN - Out calls higher. Swedish, Deep Tissue, Specialty Back, Lower Body & Feet. Couples Discounts.

Seniors Welcome. Delray Beach. 16 years experience. MA18563 Dennis (561) 502-2628

insurance services

Dog Walking: $10.00 starting at Pet Sitting: $40.00 In House Pet Sitting: $45.00 Training: $10.00 starting per visit Pet Taxi (FTL Area): $20.00 Dependable • Reliable Service Delivered with Love and Respect

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BEST MASSAGE & BODYWORK IN SOUTH FLORIDA READ MY REVIEWS AT WWW. SCHEDULENOW.INFO KEITH ANGEL, LMT (954) 816-7260 MA62951 MM27048

GAY FRIENDLY INSURANCE We represent 50 companies for all your auto, home, health, life and business needs. We offer affordable rates and free quotes. Available nights and weekends 24/7. dlanders@kirsteininsurance.com Diamond Landers 954-665-3375

WILTON MANORS MASSAGE Swedish, Deep Tissue, Sports. $59 Swedish Hour. call or Text Chris Tunkus 954-258-8779 1322 NE 4th Avenue Fort Lauderdale, FL www.WiltonManorsMassage.com

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plumber

Angler Landscape, Inc.

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STEVEN JAY’S LOVING PET CARE! I care for your pet in my home. One client at a time if requested. Multiple pets and all pets welcome! I have a very clean home and low rates! Call Steven Jay , 954 -565-1996

Install Grass - Mulch - Rock - Hedges - Trees - Lighting Weekly and Monthly Service

www.AnglerLawn.com

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CHRISTIAN PSYCHIC READER AND ADVISOR

BY SHAWN Reunite you with loved ones or family. Will guide you for success. Tell past, present and destiny to come. For further information call Shawn at 954-549-8243

property management

property management

rent/lease wilton manors WILTON MANORS 2BR/1BA IN SMALL QUIET COMPLEX Central AC, On-site coin-op W/D. Walking distance to 5-points, Stork’s and Pride Center. $900+ electric. $1800 for 1st and security required. No pets. 954-839-2588

rent/lease ft. lauderdale LARGE TOWNHOME WITH POOL, EAST FORT LAUDERDALE Beautiful 2BR/2BA townhome in quiet 5-plex.Large eat-in kitchen, central a/c, ceiling fans,Washer/dryer in unit, dishwasher, sparkling pool and more. All in tropical paradise within 5 minutesof the Atlantic Ocean & 1-95 & 8 minutes to Wilton Drive.

Master bedroom has walk-in closet and sliding glass doors to private balcony. Great neighbors and neighborhood. Small pet ok. $1,225/mo.

Check out photos & complete descriptions at www.YourPerfectApartment.com or call Rick at 954-253-1929

We are located at the heart of Wilton Manors easily accessible from major highways just South of Oakland Park on the east side of North Andrews avenue.

In this office you will find a warm atmosphere marked by a friendly caring staff and a very accessible Dentist. The consultations are always free. Dr. Martinez welcomes patients to inform them about their dental problems and available solutions, paying careful attention to the patient’s needs.

Make that personal commitment and allow us to restore and monitor your dental health with the latest technologies and most competent referral staff available.

Services Cosmetic Dentistry • Root Canals • Implants Teeth Whitening • Preventive Care • Restorative Dentistry

LAKERIDGE FURN. GARDEN STUDIO Central to beach/downtown/Wilton Drive.Clean newly ren. 1 rm and bath. Lg. private fenced courtyard.private entry with parking,laundry onsite, water and electric included. $765/mo. 1st and security with lease. Avail March 1st call 941-5487989

2654 North Andrews Ave. #4 Wilton Manors, FL 33311-2566

954-567-3311

MIDDLE RIVER TERRACE 1/1 efficency $675/ mo. Or $165/week, 6 mos or 1 year lease. Large 3BD house $1,250, carport, office, and all tile.

Pay your first month’s rent with an approved application and you’re in. Water & electric included* Call for details. 954-527-9225

real estate services

VICTORIA PARK - LARGE 1BD/1BA Completely renovated. Torazo floors, new kitchen apps, Walk-in closet, new paint, A/C, shared W/D. Quite 5 unit bldg in safe area. $800/Mo. Call 954-763-3222 HUGE 2/2 POOL DUPLEX - POMPANO BEACH Updated, Lushly Landscaped, East of Fed Hwy 1 Mile to Beach, D/R, Sep. Laundry W/D, Fab Lrg Pool, New Central AC, Tile Floors, Small Dog or Cat ok. $1390, Available 2/1/13 Call Tim: 754-235-2911 1BD APARTMENT UPSTAIRS 1142 NE 4th Avenue, Fort Lauderdale $700/Mo. Yearly Call 954-764-0212 or 954-581-2573 DUPLEX APT. CORAL RIDGE ISLES (close to Holy Cross Hosp. and shopping ) Newly remodeled and landscaped 2B/2B ( each bedroom with adjoining bathroom) ideal for roommates.

Spacious rooms with plenty of closet space, upgraded kitchen with micro, D/W. Your own laundry room with new W/D.Huge back yard and screened-in back porch. Small pet allowed $1250/month call 561-362-6104 or 954-2542499 $700 DOWNTOWN / SAILBOAT BEND Quiet, small complex. 1BD/1BA. Large walk-in closet, brand new carpet. Living room, dining area, kitchen, FREE hot water, NEW A/C, LOW electric bills, assigned parking, “””MOVE-IN SPECIAL””” $700/MO. Call 954-566-6251 2 ROOMS FOR RENT 1BD/1BA new carpet, kitchenette, $1,200/Mo. will reduce to $775 for experienced handyman. Also 1BD $700/Mo. will reduce to $400 for experienced handyman. No pets allowed. Preferably young and strong male.

Contact John 954-549-8243 for more info.

www.andrewsdentalcare.com

rent/lease west palm beach

salon

PB COUNTY-LAKE PARK 2/1 CONDO 2nd Floor Corner - Next to Kelsey Park across from Intracoastal Great Locations. $750 per month - 1 year Lease • No Pets • No Smoking • 1st & Security Call 561-310-0615

roommates ROOMATE NEEDED Gay ,mature man & 3 cats looking for a roommate to share a 3br duplex with myself and anotherroommate. Private room and shared bath. You will have full use of the house and utilities and included.Clean and friendly atmosphere. W/D on premises. No smokers or drama!! Located in North Wilton Manors, minutes from the drive.$475 per month, (deposit required and can be done in installments)Avail, March 1st.

Call Richard Sedlak @954-296-5633 or email sedlaki@comcast.net FREE RENT –LARGE 2BR APARTMENT Have your own BR with private bath and shower.

Needed, experienced strong mature male caretaker, capable of assisting wheelchair bound gay 55 year old male with spinal cord damage.

Smoker. Located State Rd between Oakland and Sunrise blvd . 15 minutes to Wilton Manors. Call Joe at 954-740-2155.

MALE ROOMMATE WANTED Male roommate wanted for 2/1/13. Beautiful WPB 2BD/2BA apt to share $650/Mo. Water, Elect, Waste Mgt included. Deposit + 1st. mo. Required.

Call 561-316-7236

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spirituaity MIAMI –DADE NEW THOUGHT Spirituality group has counseling , coaching to help you get past what challenges you the most. Success in any area is possible. Call us and discuss your goals . Many of our activities are low or no cost. Inspirational gatherings every Sunday 11am, group work / classes in Broward- Dade.

1:1 counseling (phone or in person.) email us with your requests info@miamicsl.org or ask to receive our E- letter (bi weekly) packed full information to change your life. www.Miamicsl. org text or message or contact us at (305) 993 9018

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