03/26/14 V5i13 by South Florida Gay News

COMPASS’ PALM BEACH PRIDEFEST TURNS 21 THIS YEAR • 11

VP BIDEN ASK CONGRESS TO ‘PASS ENDA’ • 4

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march 26, 2014 // vol. 5 // issue 13

ARE ComING to Fort Lauderdale for the Florida AIDS Walk This Sunday, March 30 Page 14

Women In Network Insert In This Issue! FRED PHELPS DIES • 9 & 20

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SYLVIA TOSUN PERFORMS AT WMC 2014 • 36

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LAKE WORTH CELEBRATES MARRIAGE EQUALITY • 7

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G O A L L O U T a t t h e ye a r ’s m os t i n c l u s ive s p o r t i ng event www. 20 1 4 G ay G a m e s .co m

Pages 25 - 28

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Last week’s hottest items couldn’t wait to be printed... Compiled by John McDonald

Obama Appoints New AIDS Policy Director President Obama, on Monday, appointed Douglas M. Brooks, MSW, as Director of the White House Office of National AIDS Policy (ONAP). As the Director of ONAP, Brooks will lead the Administration’s work to reduce new HIV infections, improve health outcomes for people living with HIV and eliminate health disparities in the United States. Brooks, a person living with HIV, received his Master of Social Work degree from Boston University and was Chair of the Board of Trustees of AIDS United in Washington, D.C.

Neon Trees Lead Singer Comes Out Tyler Glenn, lead singer for the pop group Neon Trees has come out as gay in the new issue of Rolling Stone. Neon Trees, a new wave pop quartet from Provo, Utah, lit up the music charts with their hit single “Everybody Talks.” On coming out, Glenn, 30, tells the magazine, “I’ve always felt like I’m an open book, and yet obviously I haven’t been completely.”

Milk Awarded Irish Society Gold Medal

Stuart Milk, nephew of the late civil rights leader Harvey Milk, was awarded the Irish Society Gold Medal by the President of Trinity College in Dublin. Milk, 53, is now the first LGBT rights campaigner given the green light to go into Irish public elementary schools (5th & 6th Grade Assemblies) to talk about LGBT rights with children. While in Ireland, Milk met and addressed all of the Irish LGBT national leaders together, and the national Irish Youth Council (non LGBT) at the U.S. Embassy.

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news highlight

Gay Student Denied Readmission to Baptist School John McDonald

jeanmichelmcdonald@gmail.com

An honors-caliber college student who recently disclosed publicly that he’s gay said he was denied readmission to a northern Missouri Baptist school because of that declaration. Chase Martinson, 20, of Jefferson County in suburban St. Louis, spent his first two years at Hannibal-LaGrange University, which has about 1,200 students. He temporarily withdrew in October due to illness but hoped to return this fall. School documents show that in January he was initially accepted to return and then offered a spot in the private college’s honors program in early March before recently receiving another letter saying his application was inactive. That letter alludes to a school morals clause that forbids homosexuality as a “misuse of God’s gift.” The student conduct code also forbids incest, adultery and fornication. Martinson said he was told by the school’s admissions director that “it was brought to his attention that I was outside the moral guidelines of the school.” Martinson, a nursing major and member of the dean’s list who was recruited to the Hannibal campus as a men’s volleyball player, came out on Facebook in December.

“I know one student who became pregnant on campus and all they had to do was recommit their life to the Lord and they were able to continue their education,” he said in an interview Thursday. “It’s ridiculous. If they’re so firm upon their Christian views as biblically founded, they should be more accepting of everyone.” Martinson, who grew up in a Baptist household but doesn’t identify with the denomination, said he now plans to attend the University of Missouri-St. Louis in the fall semester rather than pursue the two options presented by his former school: appeal the decision directly to its president or write a statement renouncing his homosexuality.

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News Briefs Compiled by John McDonald

Veep: ‘Congress Pass ENDA’

U.S. Vice President Joe Biden called on Congress on Saturday to pass a measure to outlaw workplace discrimination against gays, saying it’s outrageous that the country is even debating the subject. Speaking to supporters of the gay advocacy group Human Rights Campaign, Biden said it’s “close to barbaric” that in some states, employees can be fired because of their sexual orientation or gender identity. “Imagine 20 years from now as America looked back and say, ‘How in the hell can that ever been allowed?’ The country’s moved on, the American people have

ichigan Gay Weddings in Limbo The weddings have happened — but will they count? A day after a federal judge struck down a Michigan state amendment restricting marriage to between one man and one woman, gay and lesbian couples lined up Saturday to make their unions official. “We never thought that we’d see this day,” said Ann Watson, who wed her partner of more than 23 years. “In that sense, it’s amazing.” Watson — who works for Turner Broadcasting System, an entity that includes CNN — and her partner were one of 57 couples to get same-sex marriage licenses in Ingham County, according to county clerk Barb Byrum. Byrum, a Democrat elected to the county clerk post, said that she personally performed 30 ceremonies in Mason. Not all county clerks followed suit by taking the abnormal step of opening up their offices on a weekend. But there were a few others, such as in Oakland County, according to CNN affiliate WDIV. There, in Pontiac, Frank Colasonti and James Ryder arrived early for the chance to marry after 26 years together. Colasonti told WDIV that “we wanted to

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moved on,” he said. He said it was time for Congress to pass the Employment Non-Discrimination Act — known as ENDA — which would bar employers with 15 or more workers from using a person’s sexual orientation or gender identity as the basis for making employment decisions, including hiring, firing, compensation or promotion. Religious institutions and the military would be exempted. Biden also criticized Russia’s ban on socalled gay “propaganda” and its military actions in Ukrainian territory. “The great anti-Soviet dissident Andrei

get married as soon as possible” in the wake of the court ruling issued late Friday afternoon. Their motivation was simple: “We love each other, and we want to make sure that we protect each other.” Michigan Attorney General Bill Schuette, a Republican whose term expires later this year, announced on Friday evening he’d filed an emergency request for U.S. District Judge Bernard Friedman’s order to be stayed and appealed. “In 2004, the citizens of Michigan recognized that diversity in parenting is best for kids and families because moms and dads are not interchangeable,” Schuette said. “Michigan voters enshrined that decision in our state constitution, and their will should stand and be respected.”

pending in Gay Press at Record High Rivendell Media has released its popular, annual Gay Press Report to reveal that spending in America’s “Gay Press” for 2013 is at a record high of $381.4 million, up 18.2 percent from 2012 and showing that LGBT community media is as strong as ever. Spending and circulation in LGBT print media is up for 2013 — bucking the trends in the mainstream press. Actual spending is up just over 18 percent from 2012 to $381.4 million, making a new all-time high. Circulation and readership of LGBT media is also up a healthy 15.1 percent. “What a nice surprise to see both sales and circulation up by double digits,” says Todd Evans, President and CEO of Rivendell Media. The LGBT print media once thought to be recession proof, was significantly affected by the recession and advertising showed wide swings from its previous high soflagaynews //

Sakharov said, ‘A country that does not respect the rights of its citizens will not respect the rights of its neighbor.’ And we’re seeing that today in Ukraine,’’ Biden said. In Florida, a similar piece of legislation is making its way through the halls of Tallahassee. The Florida Competitive Workforce Act, HB 239, sponsored by Reps. Joe Saunders (D-Orlando) and Holly Raschein (R-Key Largo) and SB 348, sponsored by Sen. Joe Abruzzo (D-Royal Palm Beach) is an effort to add the LGBT community to statewide employment protections.

in 2009 of $349.6 million. Rivendell Media, the leading media representation firm for most LGBT publications in the US, reports that spending for 2014 should continue its growth based on impressive first quarter sales for print advertising. “Print media remains an important part of the toolkit for any company trying to reach the diverse LGBT community,” said Tracy Baim, publisher of Windy City Times in Chicago. “This report shows that regional LGBT print media are especially key to national advertising campaigns. The LGBT community is among the most loyal of consumers, and they pay attention to brands that are creative and inclusive in their marketing efforts. Brands need to dedicate marketing dollars to this niche, to fully communicate their diversity goals and to see a return on investment.” The Gay Press Report has been produced annually since 1994 and provides a unique historical perspective on the gay and lesbian press and consumer market.

.I. Speaker of the House resigns The openly gay speaker of the Rhode Island House of Representatives, Gordon Fox, abruptly resigned his leadership position Saturday following a police raid on his home for a criminal investigation. The subjection of the investigation has yet to be disclosed. The Providence Journal reported Saturday night that federal and state police agents with search warrants entered Fox’s home and State House office Friday and took away “boxes of evidence.” The local NBC affiliate said Fox issued a statement saying he was resigning the speaker position so that “yesterday’s events” would not “distract my colleagues from addressing the challenges facing Rhode Island.” He said he would serve out the

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Major Florida employers endorsing the Act, include Walt Disney World Resorts, Wells Fargo, University of North Florida, Darden Restaurants, Inc., Florida Blue, Home Shopping Network (HSN), Raymond James Financial of St. Petersburg and Winn Dixie Stores in Jacksonville.

remainder of his term as state representative, adding, “I do not intend to seek another term in the House. “My personal focus going forward will be on my family and dealing with the investigation,” said Fox. “Because of the nature of this matter, I will not be commenting further.” According to various news reports, Fox has twice been ordered to pay civil fines to the state ethics commission. One involved a failure to disclose that his law firm would benefit from his vote for a lottery vendor seeking a state contract. The other, just this year, involved his failure to report that his law firm profited from work done for Providence’s economic development agency. He also suffered political backlash for supporting a $75 million state loan guarantee for a former Red Sox player’s video game company that went bankrupt. Fox won a seat in the House of Representatives in 1992 and rose to become speaker in 2010. According to the Boston Globe, Fox came out as gay in 2004 “in an unplanned announcement, while addressing a gay marriage rally at the Statehouse.”

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news bites

by John McDonald

Swimmer Doesn’t Dance Long

Long distance swimmer Diana Nyad was one of the first participants eliminated from season 18 of “Dancing with the Stars.” Last year, Nyad, 64, became the first person to swim from Cuba to Florida without the assistance of a shark cage. She is a lesbian and for the show’s season 18 premiere, Nyad danced a foxtrot with her professional partner, Henry Byalikov. While she showed no fear in the water, Nyad told TVGuide.com her televised dance routines left her “mortified.” “Dancing with the Stars” airs Mondays at 8 p.m. on ABC.

Crist: Government Should Stay Out of Personal Lives

Lambda Legal Honors Boo

Speaking at the home of Fort Lauderdale Commissioner Dean Trantalis last week, Florida gubernatorial candidate Charlie Crist echoed President Barack Obama’s comments on marriage equality. “Who am I to tell other people who to love and who to marry,” Crist said. Crist, 57, is campaigning to return to the office he once occupied as a Republican from 2007-2011. This time around he is seeking the Democratic nomination. Joining Crist at the Trantalis home were South Florida Gay News Publisher Norm Kent, former Broward County Commissioner Ken Keechl, former Broward Sheriff Al Lamberti and Lauderdale Lakes Commissioner Levoyd L. Williams.

Robert Boo, Chief Executive Officer for The Pride Center at Equality Park, is the honoree at Sunday’s Lambda Legal cocktail party in Fort Lauderdale. Headquartered in New York, Lambda Legal is the nation’s oldest and largest legal organization whose mission is to achieve full recognition of the civil rights of LGBT people and those with HIV through impact litigation, education and public policy work. Boo has a distinguished career. In addition to his work at the Pride Center, Boo volunteered with the Howard Brown Hotline Crisis Center and helped found Stop AIDS Chicago while living in the Windy City during the 1980s. Sunday’s cocktail party is from 5-7 p.m. at the Bonnet House Museum & Gardens, 900 North Birch Road in Fort Lauderdale.

Idaho Activist Hides in the Closet

Lesbian Voted Off ‘Idol’

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MK Nobilette, the first openly gay contestant on the television talent show “American Idol,” was eliminated during last week’s broadcast. The San Francisco singer was voted off the show after a less than stellar rendition of Pink’s “Perfect.” The Los Angeles Times said Nobilette lost her grip on the melody and lyrics midsong and never quite recovered. Nobilette, 20, told reporters during a conference call that coming out on the show was the honest approach. “I feel like if I want America to get to know me and who I am, they should know my sexuality,” she said.

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In Boise, Idaho sometimes one must resort to political theater to get a point across and Nicole LeFavour has been doing a lot of acting lately. Idaho’s first openly gay state lawmaker, LeFavour has organized several protests, sitins and blockades at the Idaho Statehouse this month. LeFavour, 50, wants legislators to add protections based on gender identity and sexual orientation to Idaho’s Human Rights Act. Last week, LeFavour hid inside a closet in the Senate lounge for five hours before being asked to leave by Senate Pro-Tem Brent Hill. LeFavour has been arrested by Idaho police four times this year.

news local

Lake Worth Celebrates Marriage Equality with Protest Donald Cavanaugh

On Sunday, Mar 23, between 150 and 200 people gathered at the front steps of Lake Worth City Hall to encourage state legislators to overturn anti-gay legislation and a constitutional amendment denying same sex couples the right to marry in Florida. Orchestrated by gay Lake Worth City Commissioner, Andy Amoroso (Dist. 3), Mayor Pam Triolo read a proclamation declaring March 23, 2014, a day to commemorate Marriage Equality. The proclamation had passed unanimously. In her opening remarks Mayor Triolo noted that it wasn’t so long ago that women didn’t have the vote and not so long ago that bi-racial marriages were illegal, and that she is only the third woman to hold the mayor’s office in Lake Worth’s one hundred year history. She called on Florida to learn from history and not continue to repeat it. Other city officials in attendance on Sunday were Vice Mayor Scott Maxwell and City Manager Michael Bornstein. Newly hired events coordinator Dottie Carson was also there helping out and providing a “wedding cake” inscribed “Marry Me Florida.” “We want Tallahassee to understand that it’s bad business to deny gay Floridians the right to marry in their own state,” Amoroso said. “We’ve got a beautiful beach and a great party facility that lots of straight couples can use for weddings but our gay couples have to go elsewhere to spend their money.” Later in the program, Amoroso called attention to his own sister’s situation. “These issues are close to home for me,” he said. “Not just because I’m gay, but because my own sister, who is also gay, and who has worked for the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office for 23 years can’t leave her pension to her wife whom she married in Canada because Florida doesn’t recognize marriages performed elsewhere, either.” In contrast, Amoroso noted that the City of Lake Worth has been a leader in supporting gay employees with a partner’s benefits program for many years. He went on to say that the city is now establishing a domestic partnership registry and has

voted to reimburse same sex partners of city employees for the taxes levied on unmarried beneficiaries — a savings to the employee of about $500 a year. The organizers provided markers and paper for attendees to display the amount of money they spent and the place where they spent it. Signs displayed amounts from a few thousand to tens of thousands of dollars. When the speakers were done, sign holders assembled on the steps of City Hall to show the amounts of money that left the state because of its anti-gay policies. Tony Plakas, President and CEO of Compass Gay & Lesbian Community Center, raised a point to the crowd of his 2011 marriage in Cambridge, MA, to long-term partner Jamie Todd Foreman, saying, “When I tried to put the numbers together, I couldn’t account for all the family members who couldn’t accompany us.” Speakers included Mary Lindsey, president of the Neighborhood Association Presidents’ Council, representatives from Congresswoman Lois Frankel’s office (Fl Dist 22) and West Palm Beach Mayor Jeri Muoio’s office, Julie Seaver, Center Director at Compass who read an endorsement from State Senator Jeff Clemens (Dist 27), County Commissioner Shelley Vana (Dist 3), Tony Plakas, Rand Hoch, Founder and President of Palm Beach County Human Rights Council, and Rev. Dr. Lea Brown, Senior Pastor at the Metropolitan Community Church of the Palm Beaches who was loudly applauded when she said “Millions of people around the world are done with having ‘sacred’ defined in an exclusionary manner.” During his closing remarks, Amoroso said, “Many others elected supporters would have liked to come to support the City’s objectives for marriage equality. “Unfortunately, they are in session right now and couldn’t make it.” Amoroso also invited everyone to participate at the upcoming PrideFest of the Palm Beaches at Bryant Park in Lake Worth and to march as a group in the parade on Sunday.

No cheesy taglines, just results.

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news national

Gay Bar in Seattle Lit on Fire; Community Wants More Changes Should alleged arsonist be charged with hate crime? Ryan Burr Seattle Correspondent

The man charged with lighting a gay nightclub on fire in Seattle on New Year’s Eve has plead not guilty, while club owners are perturbed that additional federal charges haven’t yet been filed. Musab Mohamed Masmari, 30, was apprehended Feb. 1 outside of Seattle while he was traveling to Sea-Tac Airport, according to the Seattle Police Department online blotter. Detectives then interviewed Masmari and booked him into King County Jail as a suspect in the arson investigation. With about 750 patrons inside Neighbours nightclub on New Year’s Eve, Masmari allegedly poured gasoline down a stairwell inside and lit it on fire. Neighbours spokesman Shaun Knittel said in a statement March 19 that no injuries took place during the incident and mass evacuation due to “our response and the quick actions of two men who are heroes in our book.” Knittel said Neighbours is aware of reports that the FBI has an informant that claims Masmari said he wanted to “exterminate

homosexuals” and that, after he had committed arson, said he had “bought a gun” and wanted help with his cause and that he would possibly “return to the club.” The Neighbours staff and some members of the gay community have repeatedly pressed questions about a single charge against Masmari. With such anti-gay statements, Knittel said this should be a clear case of a hate crime. “What more should it take? While we are cooperating with investigators and the prosecution, we are also calling for more charges, by federal authorities especially.” Knittel laid out a detailed account of how Masmari entered the nightclub. Although security checks bags, Masmari avoided the proper screening by jumping a gate and entered Neighbours through a door he sneaked into that belongs to an adjoining business. He disguised the gasoline container, Knittel said, by wrapping it with a jacket or long-sleeved shirt, based on video surveillance footage. For a nightclub that routinely sees 500

people inside at once on weekend nights, Neighbours has “an impeccable record” of safety and security procedures. The place is more than just a nightclub, Knittel said, “it is a place where the community comes to raise money for LGBTQ orgs, HIV/AIDS prevention/

cure, and more.” In addition to pleading not guilty, Masmari has fired his initial attorney, according to documents in King County Superior Court. Police reports also show he is believed to have been a regular in the Capitol Hill area.

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Fred Phelps’ Death: ‘Don’t celebrate,’ say some David-Elijah Nahmod It’s highly unlikely that any LGBT identified person will be mourning the passing of the virulently anti-gay Rev. Fred Phelps, who spent decades spewing anti-gay hate. Phelps, founder of Westboro Baptist Church, was best known for picketing funerals and taunting the mourners. Church members participated in these actions. Many LGBT people have posted comments around the web celebrating Phelp’s passing, with some hoping he “burns in hell.” But a smaller group of people is calling for a different reaction. SFGN spoke to David Robinson of Keshet, an outreach, support and networking organization for LGBT Jews and friends. “The Jewish religion wrestles with the question of whether or not you should rejoice at the death of your enemy,” Robinson said. “It’s not an easy question. Many Jews cite a passage from the Talmud about the Jews’ exodus from Egypt, after the parting of the Red Sea. ‘When the

Egyptians were drowning in the Red Sea, the angels wanted to sing. God said to them, the work of my hands is drowning in the sea, and you want to sing?’ With that teaching in mind, I’m not rejoicing at Phelps’ death but I’m not mourning it either. He spread such intense hatred of LGBT people. As far as I can see, the world is a better place without him.” Wallace McBride runs The Collinsport Historical Society, a website dedicated to the classic TV series Dark Shadows, which has a huge LGBT fan base. McBride is urging his site members to commemorate Phelps’ death by donating to your local LGBT community center, wherever you might be. “I don’t see any payoff in celebrating someone’s death,” McBride told SFGN. “Especially a man who lived almost a century trapped in the throes of ignorance and bigotry. Yes, he was a jerk who caused more suffering than any good society should have allowed. But he wasted his

own life celebrating hatred. I don’t plan on following him into that downward spiral.” Downward spiral indeed. Many news outlets are reporting that Phelps died in a hospice, excommunicated from the church, which he founded. His own son, now an advocate for LGBT equality, had not spoken to the Reverend in decades.

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5/10/2013 5:40:28 //PM9 SouthFloridaGayNews // SFGN.com // 3.26.2014

news national

Students React to New ‘Gender Option’ on Facebook Nicole Wiesenthal

Students who use Facebook no longer have to choose between being male and female. In fact, now they can choose from more than 50 new gender options. Although most people are unfamiliar with many of the new gender options released Feb. 13, to some students it could mean the world. Facebook’s decision will help college-aged transgender students feel more accepted on campus and help bring awareness to others about the different gender identities. “It’s a sign that society is more aware,” said Reilly-Owen Clemens, a transgender graduate student at the University of Florida in Gainesville, Fla. “It’s probably a critical stepping stone and will help people move from sympathy to support.” The new gender options provide multiple opportunities for the transgender community to gain acceptance said LB Hannahs, director of LGBT affairs for UF. It would help people who identify differently than cisgender or normative

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gender to come out and make their transitions public and provide others with the opportunity to learn more about different ways to identify with gender, Hannahs said. “When I mention the 50 plus gender options, people’s heads explode,” Hannahs said. “They’re like what do you mean 50 options to identify your gender, so there’s

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an opportunity for people to learn more about the different ways to identify with gender.” Students, like Emily Legault, a first year mechanical engineering major, were amazed when they heard about the new gender options. “They opened my eyes to how uneducated many people are of the LGBT community and helped me appreciate the complexity of gender and the struggle many people go through to identify with themselves,” Legault said. For other students like Clemens, a women’s studies major, the change was important in other ways. “It shows that at least these people, I, exist,” Clemens said. “If you don’t acknowledge, you can pretend that they don’t exist or choose not to pay attention to their needs.” Clemens, who had previously stopped using Facebook because she believed she could not identify with either previous gender, believes that the change will help people find each other and build a support network. “It will allow for a dialogue inside and in between the community,” Clemens said. Hannahs says that the gender changes will allow for discussion outside of the LGBT community as well. “With something that public and popular in people’s minds and consciousness validating all these gender options, it can only help solidify the progress and avenues for people to engage in LGBT issues and gender issues in a more normative, mainstream way,” Hannahs said. Kristen Carson, founder and president of Freshman Support, a college-planning website, says that the new options will help transgender students feel more comfortable in college. “When students go to college, they can reinvent themselves and make entirely new friends and scenarios,” Carson said. “Allowing them to express themselves on social media sites gives them more freedom to figure out who they are and helps them with the transition into college.” Because Facebook is so mainstream, it could bring changes regarding the LGBT community to the university level, especially regarding housing, Carson said. It could create a drive for other sites to change their gender options, Clemens said. “People put a lot of value in something like Facebook,” Hannahs said.

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The new gender options aren’t actually listed under the gender question on Facebook. Instead a user must click “custom” and then as they type the new “genders” will appear. Facebook, however, said they would not be releasing a comprehensive list of the options. ABC News, though, was able to identify 58 of those options. Below is the list they compiled: Agender Androgyne Androgynous Bigender Cis Cisgender Cis Female Cis Male Cis Man Cis Woman Cisgender Female Cisgender Male Cisgender Man Cisgender Woman Female to Male FTM Gender Fluid Gender Nonconforming Gender Questioning Gender Variant Genderqueer Intersex Male to Female MTF Neither Neutrois Non-binary Other Pangender Trans Trans* Trans Female Trans* Female Trans Male Trans* Male Trans Man Trans* Man Trans Person Trans* Person Trans Woman Trans* Woman Transfeminine Transgender Transgender Female Transgender Male Transgender Man Transgender Person Transgender Woman Transmasculine Transsexual Transsexual Female Transsexual Male Transsexual Man Transsexual Person Transsexual Woman Two-Spirit

news local Palm Beach Pride Fest Returns; Turns 21 This Year Entertainers include Crystal Waters and Karina Iglesias of ‘The Voice’ Anthony Lanni

rystal Waters

As Palm Beach County steadily approaches it’s 21st annual PrideFest weekend, local residents prepare for this year’s decorative theme of “Fanta-Sea” to represent the city’s close proximity and relationship with the beach. The event be held at Bryant Park Saturday March 29 and 30 in Lake Worth from noon to 6 p.m. “The festival exemplifies the strength and growth in the gay and lesbian community” said Jimmy Zoellner, director of development and event coordinator for compass. This year’s festival will provide a variety of live musical entertainment for all ages, including a Saturday afternoon performance by four time Billboard Award Winner Crystal Waters known for her famous 90s dance hits and 91 smash success “Gypsy Woman.” Saturday performances also include the young and talented powerhouse singer Michaela Paige along with Teri Catlin and the rising stars from Compass’ Youth Group, Allied Nations. Sunday’s stage features Miami native, Karina Iglesias, the runner up of last season’s “The Voice.” Sunday will also feature Grammy Showcase Finalists, The Kinected and local young rap artist, Jemiini. The rest of the weekend will include musical performances by live singers Rychy Neil, Dayja La Dama and Lacey along with local celebrities Melissa St. John and Ricky Rollick who have been entertaining Florida crowds for over 20 years. More than 140 local business vendors will be setting up shop with jewelry, art and specialty items along with the finest selection of dishes from local restaurants. Many noted non-profit organizations including the AIDS Healthcare Foundation will be providing testing services free of cost. The festival, which began in 1992 was originally held at the Armory Arms Center in West Palm beach. The event started as a small gathering and has grown to be the largest visible LBGT festival in Palm Beach

arina Iglesias

County with more than 15,000 thousand attendees each year. This pet friendly two-day event held by Compass, the largest LGBT community center in Florida and the Southeast United States, will be celebrating 26 years of providing community centered services to Palm Beach County. Compass’ mission statement “aims to diminish stereotypes by challenging long-standing misconceptions about the character of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community” More than 25,000 individuals utilize Compass’ 14,000 square foot facility, services which include healthcare management, both social and support groups along with youth services. The annual parade will begin Sunday in downtown Lake Worth at Lucerne and & M street at 11:30 a.m. Earlier this month, as part of a PrideFest tradition dating back to 2000, the Lake Worth City Commission read an inclusive proclamation, the mayor of Lake Worth, Pam Triolo, raised the gay pride flag with Compass’ Chief Executive Officer, Tony Plakas, at Lake Worth’s City Hall. The symbolic gesture emphasizing the growth, acceptance and diversity in the community while highlighting the importance each individual contributes to the community and society as a whole. Well’s Fargo will be providing it’s historic Stagecoach, which has appeared in many of the largest pride festivals around the nation. This year’s PrideFest Grand Marshal will be West Palm Beach mayor Jeri Muoio and Lake Worth mayor Triolo. Advanced tickets can be purchased for $6 at Compass, Roosters, The MadHatter Lounge, Studio 205 and Penny’s at the Duke. Tickets will be $8 at the gate. Guests are encouraged to buy advance tickets to avoid the line. For more information, call 561-533-9699 or visit CompassGLCC.com. soflagaynews //

SouthFloridaGayNews // SFGN.com // 3.26.2014 //

news local

Fighting for Women’s Health Champion MMA fighter, Jessica Aguilar, advocate for LBTHealth.org John McDonald jeanmichelmcdonald@gmail.com

At 5-foot-4 and 115 pounds Jessica Aguilar is classified as a “straw weight” in the mixed Martial Arts world. And yet Aguilar is proving in many ways that ‘might’ can be indeed be light. The champion fighter talked to women’s groups recently at the Pride Center in Wilton Manors to encourage them to take control of their healthcare through a new online directory. Aguilar, 31, sported her gold plated championship belt as she discussed the directory — LBTHealth.org. “Everyone deserves to have quality health care,” Aguilar said. “We hope the directory opens doors for women in the LBT community who would otherwise not have sought out medical or mental health treatment in fear of shame or being misunderstood.” More than 300 South Florida (MiamiDade, Broward and Palm Beach Counties) doctors are listed in the directory, which was made possible by a grant from the Aqua Foundation for Women. Just getting women to the doctor is half the battle, said activists. “So many times women do not consult a physician until it’s too late,” said Robin Schwartz, executive director for Aqua Foundation for Women. “They are embarrassed for whatever reason.” LBTHealth.org is a free online searchable directory where lesbian, bisexual and transgender women can find healthcare without fear or social stigma by accessing these culturally competent providers, including gynecologists, primary care physicians and mental health professionals. The initiative represents a true nonprofit community collaboration, said Denise Spivak, president of Women in Network. “This directory is a vital need within the LBT women’s community,” Spivak said. Many of the women at Thursday’s event talked about the importance of being open and honest about their sexuality with their doctors. One of the first questions a woman is often asked by their doctor is if they are sexually active and what kind of birth control they are using. “I’m a proud lesbian,” Aguilar said. “I’ve been out since I was 15 years old.” Aguilar took the World Series of Fighting straw weight championship in a January bout at the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino. She trains out of Coconut Creek with American Top Team and is dating a tall brunette, Elena Rodriguez. Aguilar was born in Houston, Texas where

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her family emigrated from Mexico. She lost her father when she was just six and later, at the age of 10, tragedy took her brother in a car accident. She draws on her tough childhood experiences to provide strength when fighting in the cage and acknowledges she is a marked woman. “I’m the target,” she says with a smile. “Everybody wants me.” Aguilar’s fighting style is Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and she has a record of 16 wins and four losses with seven wins by submission and two technical knockouts. “When I punch it’s for real,” she said.

news local Catch a Glimpse Into Time

Wilton Drive gallery hosts preview of museum exhibit John McDonald

jeanmichelmcdonald@gmail.com

The Stonewall National Museum & Archives has a timely new gallery space but you better act fast to see it. Members of the museum, which promotes LGBT culture, were treated to a VIP reception Friday night at its new gallery in Wilton Manors. In between bites of pulled pork sandwiches, mozzarella cheese slices and garlic hummus, patrons gathered to relive some keys moments throughout gay history. “This gallery is the manifestation of our board’s commitment to our mission,” said Stonewall executive director David Jobin. The gallery, at 2157 Wilton Drive in the heart of gay South Florida, has unveiled a sneak peek into what the museum will display for two months beginning in April. Titled, “The Time of Our Lives,” the exhibit recognizes LGBT people and issues on the cover of Time Magazine. “It’s wonderful,” said Hugh Beswick as he toured the gallery during Friday night’s invitation only soriee. Stopping at the cover of the late Illinois Governor Adlai Stevenson, a two-time Presidential candidate, Beswick remarked, “I’ve heard about him.” Jack Cunningham, a doucet at the museum, said in Stevenson’s time (19001965) homosexuality was a political taboo and rumors regarding Stevenson’s lifestyle abounded. Still, that did not stop the Governor

from running for President, losing twice to five-star general Dwight D. Eisenhower. “Stevenson fathered three children and yet was often rumored to be homosexual,” Cunningham said. Other Time covers featured American violinist Van Cliburn, a man who the magazine touted had “conquered Russia” and Pulitzer prize winning playwright Tennessee Williams, who reportedly referred to his lover, Frank Merlo as his “long time secretary.” Friday night’s preview was made possible by many generous donations, including $30,000 apiece by Charles L. Ross, famed art director of publications such as Architectural Digest and Veranda, and Mona Pittenger, a philanthropist from Oklahoma. Jobin said the exhibit, at its Wilton Drive location, has been permitted for just one week and then the gallery will be “sealed up” until June. “The Time of Our Lives” exhibit then transitions to Stonewall National Museum & Archives in Fort Lauderdale, which recently received a $60,000 grant from the John C. Graves Foundation to aid its programming efforts. “The Times of Our Lives” exhibit opens April 1 at 1300 East Sunrise Blvd. For more information, call 954-763-8565 or visit www.Stonewall-Museum.org.

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news local

Florida AIDS Walk Sunday Organizers hope to raise $800,000 Denise Royal

Thousands of people will gather at South Beach Park on Fort Lauderdale Beach to raise awareness and money in the fight against HIV/AIDS in Florida on Sunday, March 30. This year’s Florida AIDS Walk and Music Festival will feature a performance by the Go-Go’s! Elvis Duran, host of the syndicated radio show, Elvis Duran and the Morning Show, will bring Bethany, Alex and Uncle Johnny from his popular program and head to the beach. If you are interested in walking, folks can still register online FloridaAIDSWalk.org. Participants can arrive on the day of the event and register at the beach, but they’re encouraged to register beforehand to save time and effort. The 5K run/walk begins at 9 a.m. As in years past, participants are encouraged to wear t-shirts and costumes to honor those living with HIV/AIDS. There are some new changes added this year as well. “Because people tend to get hot and tired faster than I expected, I’ve added large shade-tents and misting machines to keep participants comfortable and cool,” says

Mark Martin, regional director, community relations and development for the AIDS Healthcare Foundation. Martin would like to raise $800,000 this year. He hopes the beach will be full of walkers on March 30. “Every person that attends is one more person who can learn a bit more about this community, contribute to the cause, and even be tested for HIV if they so desire. The money we raise on this event stays right here in Florida to give to Floridians living with HIV/AIDS, so I encourage people to come out and support their own!” Martin said. One-hundred percent of the funds from the event stay in Florida and will benefit the AIDS Healthcare Foundation, AHF Northpoint Medical Center, Broward House, the Pride Center at Equality Park, SunServe and the Children’s Diagnostic and Treatment Center. Power walkers (those raising more than $1,000) will be eligible to win a brand new Vespa. Visit their website at FloridaAIDSWalk.org for more information.

Top Fundraising Teams & Individuals (So far) Teams

*10% Bonus Credited To All Deposits Made During 1st Year.

Team Club Us — $62,070 SunServe — $28,963 Happy Hiney’s — $10,569 Latinos Salud — $7,220 Sunshine Cathedral MCC — $7,126 Team Broward House — $6,616 The Pride Center at Equality Park — $6,410 American Express PRIDE & Friends — $6,065 Team AHF - Southern Bureau HQ — $5,635 Alibi/Bill’s/PrideFactory — $4,920

*R ATES EFFECTIVE 9/5/2013 SUBJECT TO CHANGE.

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Individuals

Michael Hisey — $20,600 Mark Ketcham — $6,260 William Bedwell — $4,755 Richard Gould — $4,675 Rocky and Don Slonaker — $3,366 Keith Myers Lovett Taylor — $3,225 Scott Galvin — $3,210 Roger Hicks — $3,144 Michael Kahane — $3,000 Bryan Wilson — $2,585

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letters to the editor SFGN Please Stop Using Bibles & Crosses in Stories on Religious Discrimination

Words We Shouldn’t Hear I don’t want to be tolerated

As I sit down to write this, my mind is filled with a jumble of different thoughts. The attorney part of my brain can’t believe I just wrote those words; the gay part of my brain is angry thinking about them; and the just plain human part of my brain is sad. This internal conflict goes directly to the heart of the issue — all of us: gay, straight, white, black, Latino, young, or old, have words that act as triggers. Words that fill us with strong emotions and influence our interactions with other members of the human race. Whoever first said “sticks and stones can break my bones but words can never hurt me” was tragically wrong. While it may be technically true and an appropriate show of bravado in the face of schoolyard taunts, in the modern world of cyberbullying, it is just plain wrong. A quick review of history will show that words are much more powerful than swords and bullets. If a leader cannot command respect and attention with words, they will not have much to command in battle. The ability to tell someone what they want to hear is the key to selling anything, whether it is words of hate or words of love. From people who enjoy the subtleties of language or appreciate a powerful speaker, to those people who simply follow directions, we all are at the mercy of words. So what words prompted me to write this? What are my trigger words? Tolerance and lifestyle. Tolerance, because as my good friend Stuart Milk often says “Because I choose to live in Florida, I must tolerate mosquitos, but in many ways the LGBT community are the butterflies, ladybugs and dragonflies of the world. We should be celebrated, not simply tolerated.” I don’t know a single Floridian who wouldn’t want to eradicate mosquitos completely if given the opportunity. I do not want to be tolerated, I want to be accepted. And I would never describe my lifestyle as gay. Gay is not a lifestyle, gay is what I am. I am also a woman, I am also white, I am also Jewish, I am a lot of things. I wouldn’t say that any of those classifications is a lifestyle either. Lifestyle is a word that describes habits, attitudes, tastes, moral standards, economic level, and other attributes that together constitute the mode of living of an individual or group. Many of these attributes are ones, which we can control through the choices we make and I think all rational people have moved on from that discussion. Anytime we try to group or classify people, we move into dangerous territories. I am not saying we should ignore our differences; in fact we should embrace them and celebrate our differences because that is what makes us human. Just don’t tolerate my lifestyle. Miriam Richter

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There is No Animal Cruelty at Our Rodeo

My name is James T. Young, Trustee for the Florida Gay Rodeo association. I found the letter your paper printed in the March 19th issue by one Chris Murphy to be not factual and full of wrong information. I have been a part of IGRA [International Gay Rodeo Association] for twenty plus years. Not once have I witnessed animal cruelty. I have seen numerous injuries to contestants though. This organization puts on these events to raise monies for charities and build up our communities not tear them down. I would invite Mr. Murphy to actually attend one of our rodeos before he tried to tell us what we are doing wrong. For one the animals in your pictures are not calves and they weren’t being roped and tied. We take great stakes to provide safety of our animals, volunteers and contestants. FGRA, [Florida Gay Rodeo Association] for the first time in its 8 years of rodeo, has 57 different sponsors and have almost the entire rodeo paid for before we open the gates. Because of that fact, everything that comes from our entry fees goes right back to charity. So I say to Chris Murphy, spend more time building your community up and less tearing it down. We will all be better for it. Sincerely James T. Young FGRA trustee

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SouthFloridaGayNews

Thank you for the excellent coverage your paper provides regarding the state of LGBTQIA discrimination, and the victories we have had in overcoming it. Thank you too for the excellent international coverage. Metropolitan Community Churches has been on the front lines advocating for love, tolerance, and legal protections for LGBTQIA people for many decades. We are currently active in Eastern Europe, Africa, and parts of Asia with staff on the ground, risking their lives daily. That said, however, I would like to know if you could consider using something other than the bible or cross when reporting on discrimination by certain denominations, religious groups and organizations, or their members who support such discrimination and laws that violate basic human rights. As a Christian and an MCC deacon, I wince when I see the symbols of my faith being used to paint a broad indictment of people of faith, not all of whom support such actions. Might I suggest for example, when reporting on these issues, you might use the logo for the particular denomination, organization or group that is supporting or speaking out against such discriminatory polices. There are currently many denominations/congregations that fully welcome and include everyone, no exceptions. Unfortunately there are many that discriminate and support/advocate for public policy that also discriminates. To use symbols common to both for most articles does not help people understand that there are substantial differences. I know this is a difficult issue as is my request. However, there are many people of faith and goodwill who are our allies, families, and friends. It is important to let them know that they and the gospel of love and inclusion that they preach are respected. I do not believe for a moment that you (or SFGN) do not respect them. However, we are also the body of Christ and need to stop letting our faith (and its symbols) get hijacked by religious extremists. You may wish to solicit the thoughts of some other people of faith and goodwill on this topic. Thank you in advance for your consideration of this request. I hope this letter may start a conversation about this matter. Sincerely, thankfully, and peacefully yours, Ed Kaczperski, Servant Member Church of Our Savior, MCC, Boynton Beach, Florida

news national

U.S. Deploys Aircraft to Uganda

Security council calls new anti-gay law ‘abhorent’ John McDonald jeanmichelmcdonald@gmail.com

he CV-22 Osprey refueling aircraft is on its way to Uganda to support the African Union (AU) Regional Task Force

The United States is beginning a counter mission in Uganda. To counter the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA), an insurgent force with a long history of terror and violence, President Barack Obama has directed the Air Force to deploy CV-22 Ospreys to augment support for the African Union (AU) Regional Task Force. This directive comes after Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni signed a law that criminalizes homosexuality in the East African country. The White House, according to members of the National Security Council, is urging Museveni to repeal this “abhorrent” law. Meanwhile, to protect LGBT individuals from violence and discrimination, a security operation is underway. The CV-22 Osprey is a refueling aircraft, to be based in Uganda, that will provide important airlift to African partners as they pursue the LRA across large and difficult swaths of terrain. The U.S. State Department notes the deployment of the Ospreys are in accordance with the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) Disarmament and Northern Uganda Recovery Act, signed into law by President Obama in May of 2010. In that piece of legislation, the United States reaffirmed its commitment to supporting regional partners’ efforts to end the atrocities of the LRA in central Africa. In a statement, issued jointly by NSC

members Grant Harris and Stephen Pomper, the White House declares, “As we move forward with the deployment of the Ospreys to support the AU, we are cognizant that there are many who share our concerns about Ugandan President Museveni’s recent enactment of the Anti-Homosexuality Act. Ensuring justice and accountability for human rights violators like the LRA and protecting LGBT rights aren’t mutually exclusive. We can and must do both.” To demonstrate its support for the LGBT community in Uganda, the White House has set forth a set of priorities that includes shifting funding to protect tourists while reaching and treating at-risk populations. Central Africa has a large concentration of reported cases of people living with HIV/ AIDS. However, the White House maintains the new Ugandan Anti Homosexuality Act only complicates its mission. “The act’s provisions against ‘promotion’ and abetting homosexuality leave questions about what researchers, health workers, and others may do under the law. As a result, we are suspending the start of a survey to estimate the size of key at-risk populations that was to be conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and Uganda’s Makarere University. Proceeding with the survey could pose a danger to respondents and staff.” soflagaynews //

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letters to the editor Fred Phelps Motivated the Gay Rights Movement

The death of arch-homophobe, Fred Phelps — founder of the Westboro Baptist Church, deserves a brief moment of silent meditation and reflection on that man’s contribution to the evolution of our struggle for equal rights and acceptance in society. He powerfully crafted himself as the scapegoat that represents hate, bigotry and evil in our society, and hid behind the cross while doing it. His iconic God Hates Fags signs became the most visible and revolting symbols that clearly and simply encapsulated so much of what LGBTQ people have endured. God Hates Fags became our swastika. Our white hoods. Our burning cross. Instead of turning society against us, his symbols and actions were a pivotal moment that moved society in our favor. That moment, with Matthew Shepard tortured and crucified on a wooden fence, with Phelps as the hellion on the sidelines, gleefully picketing while the family and community mourned, did more to advance the cause of LGBTQ equality than all of our marches, than all of our friends in Washington. We would not have hate crimes protections or marriage equality without Fred Phelps. For that, dear soul, I thank you. I recall fondly the heady days when the spirit of San Francisco was thriving with our spontaneous response to the Westboro folks attempting to picket Randy Shilts’ funeral. Who knew rotten eggs could give such a sense of power and solidarity. I had found my people and we weren’t going to take it anymore. I recall my mid-nineties gay glee when we surreptitiously redirected the god-hates-fags website to our very own god-loves-fags. Oh, the sense of accomplishment my youngish gay self felt in those moments. I was finally standing up for myself. We were finally standing up for ourselves against the Christian bullies. For me, I will not be picketing any funerals. I do not have time for that distraction. Instead, I will dedicate this day to honor the sacrifice of Matthew Shepard and the legacy of Fred Phelps, by working to alleviate LGBTQ suffering. Today, I am working in my office with Dr. Tom Muyunga-Mukasa, who escaped Uganda after being kidnapped, tortured and having his HIV clinic burned to the ground, to help other LGBTQ victims of state-sanctioned terror relocate to safety and acceptance in San Francisco. Instead of picketing Fred Phelp’s funeral, let’s focus our attention on stopping his modern-day successor, Scott Lively — the instigator of Uganda’s “Kill The Gays” bill and President of Abiding Truth Ministries in Temecula, CA. Brian Basinger, Executive Director of the AIDS Housing Alliance in San Francisco

The Miami LCR Hosts Reception for Gay Republicans

The Miami Log Cabin Republican (LCR) Club, hosted an historic reception for two Gay Republican Congressional candidates: Carl DeMaio and Richard Tisei, from San Diego, CA and Lynnfield, MA, respectively Both Gay Republican candidates are well-respected by their State GOP Parties, and are the presumptive nominees to win in the California and Massachusetts GOP Primaries, says Mimi Planas, the gallant LCR Club President . Carl DeMaio, is an immediate past San Diego Councilman, who helped force the recent resignation of the Democratic Mayor over a plethora of sexual harassment charges. Richard Tisei, started his political career supporting Ronald Reagan and was a member of the Massachusetts State Legislature. They are considered serious GOP challengers in the Blue states and possible favorites to win in the General Election. Tisei is endorsed by the Gay and Lesbian Victory Fund in February, whom the National Log Cabin office pressured 25 years ago to stop endorsing only Gay Democrats. “CNN political commentator, Ana Navarro, and Miami GOP Congressman Mario Diaz-Balart also attended and spoke to our enthusiastic crowd of South Florida Gay conservatives,” adds Ms. Planas. The prolific role-model Miami Log Cabin Gay Republican Club is the national epicenter for all Gay GOP activity promoting well-attended events featuring elected Republican office-holders and candidates, while garnering substantial local media coverage from the Miami Herald. Mimi Planas reports that her group of young conservative Gay professionals invited Governor Rick Scott, and hoped to host another reception in June with the Miami Young Republicans, and the other Log Cabin Clubs in Tampa and Fort Lauderdale. “Governor Rick Scott singularly distinguished himself by cutting taxes 18 times, resulting in the highest drop in a state’s unemployment rate nationally — from 12 percent to 6.3 percent. Performance matters,” says Gina Sosa, a Miami realtor and Treasurer of the Miami LCRs. Ms. Sosa, who earned a Masters of Business Administration, stresses that, Governor Scott created an unprecedented $1.5 billion state surplus in Tallahassee, and gave public school teachers a significant pay raise”. The Miami Log Cabin Group is credited with producing the nation’s largest Gay Republican vote in the Tri-County area, as confirmed by a 2011 study from a Florida university political science professor. The study, commissioned by Lisa Keen Gay News Services, determined that 2010 mid-term election South Florida Gay voters went 48 percent Republican to 47 percent Democrat, more than any metropolitan area with a large concentration of Gay voters in the national electorate. Conservatives and Republicans around the country give a hearty thumbs-up salute to the Miami LCR Club for exceptional and early grassroots leadership for all to emulate in 2014. Matthew Tsien Broward Republican Party Committeeman

DO YOU HAVE SOMETHING TO SAY? To submit your own Letters to the Editor, please e-mail Jason.Parsley@sfgn.com 18

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SouthFloridaGayNews

Florida’s Lack of Coordination With Obamacare is Hurting HIV Positive People

I wanted to bring attention to the fact that while millions of people across the country are being enrolled in affordable health insurance plans there is a systematic effort underway in and by the State of Florida to discriminate against a segment of the population most in need and largely affecting the GLBTQ community. I am a gay HIV positive male currently enrolled in the RyanWhite program. While I am grateful for what this program offers to me it does not provide comprehensive health care coverage. For example almost all non-HIV related services are not covered by Ryan-White and even HIV related ER or Inpatient services are not covered. For example I fell off my bicycle and was injured enough to be taken by ambulance to the ER. My $14,000 plus bill was not covered and remains unpaid. Several months later I was admitted through the ER for a 3 day staff with a nonHIV related diagnosis. That $28,000 bill was also not covered and remains unpaid. Medications that I need to stay healthy and out of the hospital for that diagnosis are also not covered. When I stop taking those medications I get sick again and could end up back in the hospital. I’ve been trying to get enrolled through the Marketplace like everyone else but since I have no little to no incomes would need assistance in paying the premiums and other out of pocket costs. The State Department of Health who is responsible for the ADAP and AICP program (pays premiums and out of pocket expenses for qualified enrollees) have made no movement to date with providing that assistance to those of us who cannot afford the out of pocket costs. Instead they point us back to the Ryan-White program for basic HIV only outpatient and drugs. As I stated that is not enough. I recently was able to get assistance with enrolling into an individual health plan which was going to be purchased off the Marketplace and would therefore qualify for the AICP program. When I went in today to complete the paperwork I was advised that the State Department of Health would no longer accept applications for the AICP program for individual policies off the Marketplace although they have been providing this type off assistance for quite some time. Again I was referred back to the Ryan White program for care although as I stated is not a comprehensive plan. The government of the State of Florida continues to openly discriminate against those of us with HIV/AIDS who do not have the resources to get the same comprehensive health coverage afforded everyone else across the country. We are discriminated against by not expanding Medicaid, discriminated against by not assisting with Marketplace enrollment and costs and now by systematically denying assistance through eliminating help to those able to enroll in Individually purchased health plans by no longer accepting those enrollment a in the AICP program. The end of Marketplace enrollment is a few short weeks away. How many of us will be sick or die because the State is refusing to care? How many will die? Do they even understand that they save money - BIG MONEY - by allowing enrollment into health plans by shifting all those medical costs to the plans? Who pays the bill now, including the $40,000 I’ve incurred the past few months - TAXPAYERS. People everywhere should know and be outraged. Sincerely, Robert B. Ettinger

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opinion publisher’s editorial

Love Him or Hate Him Fred Phelps helped us all Norm Kent

norm.kent@sfgn.com

It was hard to hate Fred Phelps. You could feel sorry for him, remark that all the croutons were not in the salad, but he was so much of a showman, you never took him seriously enough to really hate him. Laugh at him, yes, make fun of him for sure, but hate him? Why bother? On a personal level, Fred Phelps was the classic preacher, an effervescent and entertaining man, whose barnstorm and brimstone evangelical enthusiasm made him a classic, yet comical creature. On a professional level, he pushed the envelope so far he tore at the fabric and threads of the First Amendment, with callous, offensive and sometimes obscene actions. I am used to obscenity. I know it when I see it. I saw it all the time with Phelps.

must have cut me off and hung up on me more than half, and often within ten minutes of the start of the interview. He was like riding a wild buck, screaming biblical admonitions of my being a disgraceful sodomite who would burn forever in hell. I am looking forward to meeting him there. Few people could rein him in and hold a conversation with him. I would lose it with Phelps, and his sodomite rants. But the truth that while his words were toxic and his presence poisonous, boy he could draw a crowd, from protesting at military funerals to ranting against the death of AIDS victims. The first time I met him was on Lincoln Road in 1994 when he and his family of seven disciples showed up to protest the funeral of Pedro Zamora in Miami Beach. Pedro became

destiny. When I would debate Phelps, I would try to say the difference between you and me is that I want to embrace the rights of diversity, and you are seeking to inhibit the diverse nature of liberty. He would respond by reminding me that he was a paternal soul carrying out a Biblical mission to prevent me from making the kind of choices which would cause my sodomite soul certain damnation, a most inevitable occurrence if I continued to lie naked with other men. My response was that I won’t tell him what part of his tongue he could put on his wife’s vagina if he would not tell me where I could use my tongue on my male partner’s genitalia. It was about there that he would hang up on me, after a Biblical rant warning of my eternal damnation. He saw homosexuality

out high and placing it on his dock on the Intracoastal in Pompano Beach, people were outraged. One person screamed to the Sun Sentinel, ‘Fuck him for doing that.’ Right. You can say fuck you to him, but he could not say fuck you to the world? It’s men like Phelps, who by their brazen outrageousness, forge our strength, allow us to stand up and come out, saying ‘we are just not going to take it anymore.’ It is the Fred Phelps’ of the world that probably pushed more gay men to come out of the closet than your local rabbis or priests ever did. When Phelps’ bio is written and the words are gathered, he will be known as a man who brought pain to those suffering, grief to those hurting, and evil to those who sought only to do well. It’s the kind of thing that would make

Like my friend and client Al Goldstein, who published Screw Magazine, and was prosecuted for obscenity no less than 19 times, Fred Phelps devised ways to generate publicity and become individually more of the issue than the issue itself. For Al Goldstein, he vulgarized pornography, reducing it to obscene depictions of women as sex objects, making his own sexual obsessions more pronounced than the pictures. For Fred Phelps, he so tried to demonize homosexuality, he reduced his credibility to that of a bombastic buffoon billowing mindlessly in a breeze people laughed at. What Goldstein and Phelps shared is they both got the world to pay attention to them. In the decade I spent hosting daily morning drive radio shows on WFTL 850 AM, I must have had Phelps on the air a dozen times. He

nationally known when he joined the cast of the third season of “Real World” on MTV as a young man living with HIV. It took his life, and Phelps was at the memorial service to tell the world it “served him right.” A lot of people were upset with Phelps and his traveling band of haters. The truth is they feel they were carrying out God’s mission, defending the Bible, and protecting the public from burning like Sodom and Gomorrah. Their mission was defending God from transgressors, as intense in their belief as I was in defending citizens in their right to be gay, possess pornography, or smoke dope. We had a lot in common. It was our feeling that our feelings had a right to be articulated, shared, and disseminated. For me, I just tried to accentuate personal freedom and individual liberation, the right of people to choose their own course and

as a physical invasion of male body parts into places where they should not be. He could never get over the sex acts. He could never see the same sex love. Phelps was a man of 1878 living in 1978. His church was a traveling one page fax machine sending out press releases of his latest crusades, censoring anyone and anything that he felt violated his interpretation of the Bible. We need to understand whenever he and his minions showed up at a funeral to scoff at a gay man dying or soldier killed; every time he ranted about HIV patients deservedly dying, and every speech he gave calling men like me ‘sinful sodomites,’ he was doing so under the parameters of a First Amendment that gives both of us equal rights. When Al Goldstein took a Hollywood prop of a ten foot plastic middle finger sticking

you hate him, but you will never forget him. One thing Phelps won’t be remembered for though is the breadth he brought to the First Amendment, and by doing so made it easier for Dykes on Bikes today. By protesting at military funerals of dead American soldiers, he made us realize that wars have to be questioned because they have consequences, lost human lives, consequences of foolish political decisions. By insanely attacking all things homosexual, he pushed us into the individual decisions we had to make to stand up for our own lives. So have a toast for the guy, and don’t forget to hold up a glass and use your First Amendment right to say, “Fred thanks for dropping dead. May your new roommates be a flaming queen and transgender AfricanAmerican. You might dig the switch.”

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SouthFloridaGayNews

column our words

Can SFGN Remain Impartial After Publisher Hosts Fundraiser for Crist? LGBT communuty deserves a debate between Crist and Rich Michael Emanuel Rajner, BSW

As the 2014 gubernatorial race begins to heat up in Florida, the LGBT community will be turning to our local community publications in hopes of finding an unbiased moderator to facilitate dialogue and debate between all candidates vying for the highest elected office in the Sunshine State. But last week when the publishers of the South Florida Gay News and the Florida Agenda were partying-it-up at the home of Fort Lauderdale City Commissioner Dean Trantalis, the journalistic integrity of our community’s publications was compromised. Print journalism has long struggled to survive in an intensively competitive environment, and LGBT focused publications have not been immune to the struggle. I can’t help but ask myself if the presence of these publishers at the fundraiser for former Republican Governor Charlie Crist was a betrayal of our issues in exchange for advertising in their respective publications. Remember, this is the same Charlie Crist who ushered in the Florida’s Marriage Protection Act, a constitutional amendment banning marriage equality in Florida; the same Charlie Crist that allowed Florida to have the nation’s worst wait list for HIV medications. While both publications have reported on Crist’s “evolution,” including publishing editorials that I and others have authored, are they now cheerleaders for Crist and ignore their journalistic responsibility to provide all candidates equal opportunity to communicate their policy position on issues critical to the lives of LGBT people and those affected by HIV/AIDS? Additionally, when one considers the costly pharmaceutical advertising in each publication to promote certain HIV medications, readers should demand dialogue on HIV/AIDS from gubernatorial candidates! Fort Lauderdale, including sections of the City that are a part of Commissioner Trantalis’ district, ranks 2nd in the nation in the number of new HIVinfections.

What strikes me odd is that for a region of the country known as a Gay Mecca, I fear our community’s publications have sold out too early in the primary process to ever be a viable resource for factual and unbiased information on the gubernatorial candidates. The publications have surrendered the ability

to serve as a platform that encourages critical and meaningful dialogue on issues that gravely affect our community. I’m left wondering if former Governor Charlie Crist will ever agree to debate former Senator Nan Rich? I certainly know that SFGN and Florida Agenda have officially taken sides and lost the opportunity to be unbiased facilitators of such a long overdue debate. Michael Emanuel Rajner serves as the legislative director for the Florida GLBT Democratic Caucus, was a co-author of the 2012 Florida Democratic Party Platform, served on the Florida Department of Health AIDS Drug Assistance Program Advisory Workgroup and is currently active as a Steering Committee member on the United States People Living with HIV Caucus (USPLHIV).

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opinion mcnaught’s notes

Planning for Our Final Years Brian McNaught Planning for your final years is a fascinating experience when there’s no imminent threat of death. I find myself thinking more and more about it. People in their 80s might laugh at me, feeling that at age 66 I’m still very young. And maybe I do have 20 years ahead of me to prepare for death. But I nevertheless spend an increasing amount of time imagining what it will feel like to say “good bye” to Ray, or to have him do the same to me. I brought it up with him a couple of days ago, and he replied, “Stop it. You’re going to make me cry.” Maybe it’s because I plan ahead with everything else in my life that I’m now thinking about the horror of having another person wipe my bottom. I wonder if I’m thinking about aging because I see an old man when I look in the mirror. It isn’t me, of course. I’m in my early 40s, despite what my passport says. But, when did my body start changing so dramatically? Liposuction would take care of the love handles and the belly that seem unimpressed with my exercise and diet. I could get Botox injections and have a facelift. I could dye my gray hair a darker color. But where does this war with wrinkles stop, and at what point do I hear the voice that is telling me that I’m fighting a losing battle? I feel sad when I watch other people use plastic surgery to look artificially young. Maybe that’s why they call it “plastic.” Being gay impacts how I think about aging. Gay men, like straight women, are aware we’re evaluated and rewarded by others based upon

PEACE

our youth and beauty. Handsome, young, gay men and pretty, straight women are called to the head of the line. Seeing our bodies age beyond our control confronts us with our loss of privilege, unless we’re rich. Experiencing privilege makes losing it more troubling. We fear we are becoming invisible. Not having children also impacts how I experience aging. Currently, Ray and I are

wealthy might feel that they can buy safety, comfort, and dignity in their waning years. Ray and I have tried to make sure we can afford to live securely in our old age. But money doesn’t guarantee you won’t feel “tolerated” by a nurse or home health care worker. You lose power when you depend on others to drive, cook, give you your pills and injections, and bathe you.

having a wonderful time pampering our grand nieces and nephews. As such, we feel like grandparents. But we’re not. We live with the awareness that when we age we can’t assume that anyone will feel motivated or obligated to ensure that we decline with dignity. That’s one reason why the thought of saying “good bye” to your spouse is so scary. Neither Ray nor I have felt lonely in 38 years. Older gay and lesbian people who are

Gay men who are HIV positive may have greater fears than I do about how I might be treated in an assisted living facility. Will their health care be so complicated that no one will want to keep track, or worse, make judgments about the man’s worth because of how he got infected? He probably feels safer now in the company of other HIV positive people. Do you know what makes this rumination about aging even worse? Ray and I don’t

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want to be around old, gay men, most likely because we don’t want them to think we’re like them. We go to matinees, take naps, and eat early, but we’re different from the old, gay men we see. We take lots of pills, I need eye drops, and I use a gadget to hear the television dialogue, but Ray and I prefer the company of young people because we think of ourselves as equally hip. It seems as if I’m not the only gay person who is thinking about aging. Gay senior housing projects are springing up all over the country. Some of the housing is very posh, such as that in Santa Rosa, Calif., and some is designated as affordable, like those in Philadelphia, and Minneapolis. The push for gay senior housing is due to the growing awareness that aging gay men and women, and transgender people too, want to spend their final years out of the closet, unafraid of the sentiments of other residents or of staff. We fear the horrible marginalization we experienced in our youth. We never want to have to endure such proselytizing, judgment or loneliness again. Whatever it takes, we want to feel safe and valued. Despite the often quoted Bette Davis statement, growing old is for sissies, we’re not exempt. The unique challenges we face make growing old not something we want to do without forethought. Aging and preparing to die requires awareness, honesty, acceptance, planning and gratitude. Unrealistic expectations of how good and easy it will be for us will only create suffering. Maybe it’s not silly to start thinking about it now.

SouthFloridaGayNews

column by the bi Bi Health Month Motivates Weight Loss Faith Cheltenham thefayth@gmail.com

Bisexual Health Month has me heated up! This March, I’m using #BiHealthMonth as a prod to get me exercising again. Like many bisexual women, I’m also clinically obese, but in the most delightfully curvy way (or so my husband says every time he gets into bed). In 2007, while working for Sarah Ferguson, the Duchess of York, I decided I’d had enough of a size 28 life and embarked on a personal selfchallenge to bring myself down from over 400 pounds. A team of doctors including an endocrinologist, hormone specialist, and gynecologist diagnosed me with a rare hormone syndrome. Fixing my thyroid changed my life and allowed me to stop self-medicating with sugar (no more “coffee with my sugar” indeed). In three years I dropped 175 pounds and found myself able to climb stairs without collapsing every other step. Initially, I signed up for a gym membership, but the pain and anxiety from the locker room really only fueled my stand-up comedy career, “Going to the gym on a Friday night is depressing. I had just finished tying my shoes when I looked up and saw a little person give me a disapproving shake of the head, that’s how sad I looked just getting ready! After walking around the gym three times, I considered myself pretty sweaty and went back to the locker room to rest. As I entered, I saw a thin woman weighing herself repeatedly on the scale and thought a joke might help her put it all in perspective. So I snuck up behind her and tapped her on the shoulder. When she turned around, I said in my saddest, most nostalgic voice: ‘I used to look just like you.’ The look of horror I received only confirmed my suspicion, 24hr Fitness would win yet again!” So I “cancelled” my gym membership (otherwise known as “pay for the year, go for a day”) and bought myself a Wii Fit. The instructors were mindless, but I was able to commit to a change in lifestyle that saw me fitter than I’d ever been. Fast forward several years and I’m now a mom to an adorable two-year-old boy named Storm. I’m more settled into motherhood, and am better able to juggle life as a mom, step-mom, wife, bisexual advocate, and writer. For too long I’ve relied on running after my Storm to keep my heart pumping, plus my Wii Fit trainers no longer engage me as they once did. I decided to subscribe to Men’s Fitness

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OF SOUTH FLORIDA for the latest tips (I generally subscribe to both men’s and women’s magazines, as a bisexual I find it lovely to see images of all genders, and as a wife I can cut out tips for my husband so everyone wins). Men’s Fitness tells me getting bored with your workout is quite normal and provides 10 New Ways To Overcome Workout Laziness. “Biggest Loser” trainer Jillian Michaels (a proud bisexual mom of two kids) has spoken extensively on workout fatigue as well, saying, “If you get a flat tire, you don’t get out of the car and slash all three other tires.” Jillian and her wife have a multi-racial family with two young children similar to my own, and seeing Jillian style her daughter’s hair reminds me of my husband with our son before we gave him a “Storm-hawk.” If Jillian can run an empire, and bisexuals have a whole month dedicated to discussing their health, shouldn’t I be able to Zumba? Sure the Zumba belt wouldn’t fit me if I had two of them connected, but isn’t getting my heart rate up on a consistent basis what really matters? I want to be able to run after my son and catch him. I want to be able to speak well on behalf of the bi community in clothes that fit me beautifully and someday I WILL fit more than just a single ankle into a pair of skinny jeans! To join the Bisexual Health Month campaign, follow the Bisexual Resource Center on Twitter (@BRC_Central) and use the hashtag #bihealthmonth.

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SouthFloridaGayNews // SFGN.com // 3.26.2014 //23

feature

On Grindr: Closeted Discrimination Within the Gay Community Michael Bennett

When I began to consider the possibility of coming out as a gay male, I imagined the announcement would trigger a series of predictable phases. First, there would be a bit of a shock. A handful of friends would be surprised. Some would say they knew all along. Some would simply congratulate me. Then, there would be the embrace. I would be welcomed into the gay community, a world full of rainbows and hugs and all that jazz. This all happened, to an extent. But really, the first thing I vividly remember about joining the gay community was a series of messages on Grindr. “Sorry, not into chest hair.” “You look real masc.” “Sup, otter?” Some of you are probably just as confused as I was at the time. What the hell is an otter? Why in the world are you abbreviating the term “masculine?” Is this a thing? This was my virtual introduction to the categorical homogenization of Pittsburgh’s homosexual community. It wasn’t rainbows. There were no hugs. Just a group of guys jumping to label me as a certain type of gay male. Granted, Grindr was not best place to start. For those of you unfamiliar with this whole ordeal, Grindr is a location based smartphone application that displays the closest gay/bi/closeted/married men based on their proximity. Press the orange box, and thumbnail images of torsos, height/weight statistics, and petty ramblings on personal preferences appear on your screen. As empty and dense as it was, this was initially the most convenient way for me to interact with other gay men. After performing as a straight male for upwards of 20 years, I suddenly had higher standards for my body image, speech and fashion than I had ever experienced in the heterosexual community. Was I in good enough shape? What is it, exactly, that makes someone masculine? I had this urge to mold my identity into this projected ideal image of a gay man. Why? So that so that someone’s thumbnail image of a torso would talk to me. I was getting a glimpse into the societal pressures that heterosexual women feel every day, forced to live up to the body image standards of men. And I had it easy. I wasn’t being labeled a bear or cub, or being blocked because of my skin color, or being called names like queen, fairy or fem. There are plenty of people who suffer from body image issues far worse than mine; who wake up every day thinking they’re inadequate or undesirable because some

// 3.26.2014 // SFGN.com //

anonymous profile deemed them as such; and who are driven into the same suicidal thoughts that they attempted to extinguish by coming out in the first place. As much as we can’t let Grindr represent the entire gay community, in some ways it acts as a fairly candid microcosm for the scope of homosexual categories, social behaviors and desires, perhaps presenting an even more brutal honesty than the porn industry. (Many feminist scholars, most notably Catharine MacKinnon, delve heavily into how pornography tells us a lot about pure, or at least blunt sexual desire). There are plenty of gay men don’t associate with Grindr, but many who do contribute to a terrifying introduction to the world of gay social interaction. Grindr is a virtual world of avatars, most of which strive to project that they possess the qualities of the ideal, desirable gay man. A place where black men whiteout their picture in attempts to pass as white men. Where people claim to be straight, or “straight-acting” to attract other gay men. Where femininity is masked and degraded, and masculinity is cherished and sought after. Where overweight men either embrace obesity to align with a “bear” or “cub” identity, or are told to lose weight. Where young homosexual men are told to identify as top or bottom, white or black, jock or bear, twink or otter, masc or fem. Men who spent the entirety of their childhood being bullied by straight guys, are being told that if they act straight, they’ll be more sought after in the gay community. Black men who spent their whole lives terrified in behind the closeted doors of the African-American community, and hindered by white privilege, are being asked to pass as the very race that degrades them. Tops are idealized. Bottoms are degraded. Gym regimens are requested. Height-weight proportions are mandatory. And here I am wondering: is this what Dan Savage meant by “It gets better?” Surely, coming out of the closet soflagaynews //

can be relieving, life-changing, or even lifesaving. And in reality, the gay community can be remarkably accepting. But as the movement for gay rights has reached what many consider to be the height of its progression, we still have a long way to go. Perhaps, if more men are encouraged to be open about their sexuality, we can take more steps to break down the homogenization that hinders a community that should be united in establishing a welcoming, antidiscriminatory environment for its own members.

SouthFloridaGayNews

Moreover, we can view this desire to homogenize the gay community as a product of childhood bullying. Growing up surrounded by straight boys who degrade femininity — whether it be women or gay men — has imprinted the masculine, muscular white man as an ideal image to the homosexual male. And now, gay men can’t help but pass on the detestation. Part of me wants to blame it all on the heterosexual community caught up in the traditional masculine/feminine gender roles. But as much as they can be held responsible, and should realize that their bullying destroys thousands of lives, the gay community should also step forward to put a stop to its own alienating habits. Why should we ask straight men to stop degrading femininity if we can’t follow our own demands? If you’re reading this and debating whether to come out of the closet, don’t let this scare you. Coming out is as relieving as it is terrifying. Just be prepared to take a stand against discrimination, and embrace your own identity. If you’re a straight male, hopefully you’ve learned a little about how you might have unknowingly contributed to discrimination in a community other than your own. Stop bullying, and start allying. If you’re an out and proud gay male, do your part to fight the norm. You can advertise your sexual preference without making others feel alienated or unwanted. It gets better, but there’s surely room for much more improvement. Michael Bennett is a 2012 graduate of Dickinson College, where he studied English and dabbled in sports writing. He currently tends bar at Eleven Contemporary Kitchen in the heart of Pittsburgh, PA. When he isn’t stirring martinis, he edits and writes for Poetic Justice, his blog on hip-hop, race, and culture at PoeticJustice.me.

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SouthFloridaGayNews

lifestyle gay history This Week in Gay History March 26 – April 1 Quistapp.com

March 26, 2000 — Hilary Swank Wins Oscar for ‘Boys Don’t Cry’

She thanks Brandon Teena during her acceptance speech. Teena’s mother takes offense at Swank’s use of the male name and reference to Teena as male: “That set me off. She should not stand up there and thank my child. I get tired of people taking credit for what they don’t know.”

March 27, 1951 — U.S. State Dept. Fires Four Gays

The four are fired from the Hong Kong office. John Wayne Williams is fired for his involvement in a bribery plot, and the other three remain unidentified and were not involved in the plot. The department statement said: “In the course of investigation, it developed that there were homosexual aspects to this case. In addition to Williams, three other homosexual cases were uncovered in Hongkong [sic]. None of these three persons were found to be involved in the visa irregularities. After the department secured their confessions, they were discharged.”

March 28, 1979 — Toronto Police Leaders Apologize for Anti-Gay Article

March 31, 1997 — Premiere of ‘Teletubbies’

The first teletubby is Tinky Winky. His purple color and triangle icon, in addition Toronto’s police chief and the police to his carrying a purse, are controversial association president both issue statements throughout the run of the show, with some apologizing after an anti-gay article, “The claiming he is a “gay role model.” Jerry Falwell Homosexual Fad,” appears in the police publically denounces Tinky Winky in 1999. association newsletter.

March 29, 2009 — First LGBTQ Bookstore Closed

The Oscar Wilde Memorial Bookstore in Greenwich Village shuts down due to financial troubles. It had opened in 1967.

March 30, 1958 — First Performance of Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater Alvin Ailey was one of the most important modern dance choreographers of the century. He was a gay man who died of AIDS in 1989.

April 1, 1998 — Coretta Scott King Calls on Civil Rights Community to Fight Homophobia

The widow of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. says in Chicago: “Homophobia is like racism and anti-Semitism and other forms of bigotry in that it seeks to dehumanize a large group of people, to deny their humanity, their dignity and personhood. This sets the stage for further repression and violence that spread all too easily to victimize the next minority group.

All of the information above has been reprinted with permission from Quist, an LGBT mobile history app that can be found on iOS and Android devices. Visit QuistApp.com for more information. The app was created by Sarah Prager and launched in July of 2013. soflagaynews //

SouthFloridaGayNews // SFGN.com // 3.26.2014 //29

lifestyle

Kitty Genovese: 50 Years Later David-Elijah Nahmod

In March 1964, 28-year-old Kitty Genovese was brutally murdered outside her apartment building in the Kew Gardens section of Queens, N.Y. A number of her neighbors heard her screams for help. No one did a thing. Had someone called the police, Genovese might have survived the attack. What was so shocking about Genovese’s murder is that she endured three separate attacks over a 30-minute period. As a locked door kept her from running into the building, Genovese was stabbed over and over, and raped. Her attacker, Winston Moseley, left the scene twice, returning both times after sitting in his car and seeing that no police — or anyone else — had come to the aid of Genovese. The young woman bled to death. Her shocking end wasn’t just reported in the press, it was written about in books and in magazine articles as an example of what can happen when good people look the other way and do nothing. Until recently, the fact that Genovese was a lesbian who lived with her girlfriend Mary Ann Zielenko was, quietly and conveniently ignored.

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At the time of her death, Genovese, was working as a bar manager at Ev’s Eleventh Hour Sports Bar in Hollis, a working class Queens neighborhood not far from Kew Gardens. At 3:15 a.m. on the night of her murder, she parked her car a mere 100 feet from the front door of her building after an evening at work. Winston Moseley, a father of two, had snuck out of his home, on the prowl for someone to kill. When apprehended by the police six days after the attack, Moseley told the police he was looking for a woman because “they were easy and didn’t fight back.” Moseley freely confessed to the killing not only of Genovese but of two other women, as well as numerous burglaries. Two weeks after Genovese’s murder, The New York Times published a story by Martin Gansberg titled “Thirty-seven who saw the murder and didn’t call the police.” Though the number of witnesses was exaggerated in that piece, the fact remains that at least a dozen people saw the attacks through their windows, heard Genovese’s cries for help, and did nothing. Why no one picked up their phones and dialed 911

soflagaynews //

remains a mystery. The horrific death of Kitty Genovese has become part of folklore. A 1964 book explored the story and its aftermath. In 1975 the TV movie “Death Scream” was based upon the murder. A 1965 episode of “Perry Mason” was also based upon Genovese’s sad tale. Two episodes of “Law and Order,” the graphic novel Watchmen, a short story by noted science fiction author Harlan Ellison, and the novel Twilight Eyes by horror author Dean Koontz all referred to Genovese’s tragic end. Whenever, wherever the story is discussed, the question that arises is why? Why did so many people do nothing as a young woman was violently attacked over and over again while she screamed for help? The story has come to represent the apathy of big city life. In December 1974, the New York Times reported the murder of 25-year-old Sandra Zahler, who was killed in an apartment, which overlooked the site of Genovese’s attack. Neighbors again admitted to hearing screams for help. Again they did nothing. Psychologist Frances Cherry has suggested that people, especially at that time, would not intervene if they believed that a man

SouthFloridaGayNews

was attacking his wife or girlfriend. It’s a sad commentary on the state of male/female power plays and relationships. After 40 years of silence, Mary Ann Zielenko finally spoke of her relationship with Kitty Genovese. At the time they were “roommates.” After decades of silence, Zielenko was finally able to admit the truth. She spoke of having to grieve privately, unable, at the time, to let it be known that she had lost her spouse. Winston Moseley today is nearly 80-yearsold. He has yet to express any regret for the murder of Kitty Genovese. He has been denied parole over a dozen times.

lifestyle gay car geek

60 Second Car Reviews

2014 Acura MDX — More than a facelift Steve Siler What’s the difference between car design and plastic surgery? When you redo a car, you want people to notice, but when you “get work done,” you don’t. Keeping with the latter, Acura seems to have taken the Brentwood housewife approach when redesigning its third-generation MDX. It looks more or less just like the last one, albeit with softer contours and a row of LED headlamps. Alas, it is new, and in pretty much every way, it’s better than before. The interior, for example, is gorgeous. The front seats are delightfully comfortable, materials are excellent and the sound system is spectacular and reads every conceivable kind of media (except for your old Debbie Gibson cassettes—sorry). Storage is everywhere, the back seat is huge and it even has an easy-access third-row seat when it’s your turn to be the designated driver on “Sunday fun day.” The standard V-6 is quiet and fuel-efficient, yet can kick up its skirts when you find out there’s a fire sale at the

2014 Acura MDX

Base Price (including destination): $43,185 ($57,400 as tested) Power: 3.5-liter V-6 (290 hp, 267 lb-ft of torque) Tranny: 6-speed automatic with manual shift control Fuel Economy, city/hwy: 18/27 mpg (FWD); 18/27 (AWD)

Or you could buy: Andrew Christian store. Even better, next to certain highly respected SUVs, like the BMW X5 and Audi Q7, it is far less expensive. In other words, it’s got enough of the stuff you want, and not too much of anything else, letting you save your money for the undies.

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SouthFloridaGayNews // SFGN.com // 3.26.2014 // 31

outeats

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Jay’s Bolognese Jay Rinaldi

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I’ve been cooking for many years. All my friends and family said I should write my own cookbook. So before I dive into that, I want to share some of my recipes with you, the SFGN reader, and see what you think of my food. I want to start with my BOLOGNESE. Truly my heart and soul goes into this signature dish from Italy. This hearty and savory “Sunday Gravy”, as known in my family history, has memory and tradition layered deeply and delicately as love, while the flavors flow through each whiff, aroma and mouthful. Although I have made a few changes here and there, the basic recipe remains. So from my family to yours, enjoy this sauce, its tradition, and its process, and may the magic of “Sunday Gravy” unite your love and family for generations to come.

vegetables don’t stick too much to the pot. Then add the flour. Let this cook for about 5 minutes to get rid of the raw flavor of the flour. Now add, one cup at a time, the red wine. Let each cup reduce to almost gone, stirring often. Then add the second cup of wine. Now add the stock, cream, 2 cans of tomatoes, & the pinch of cinnamon. Simmer for one hour, stirring occasionally, on a low heat. Then re-add meats, and simmer for another hour. This is the time to relax and enjoy the other half of the bottle of wine... Serve with your favorite pasta. When platting the dish, garnish with fresh shaved parmesan, parsley and a drizzle of Olive Oil to bring out the aromas and freshness of the dish. I know this seems complicated, but grab some friends and family and start making

In a food processor: combine onions, carrots, bell peppers, garlic, celery, basil, & oregano to puree as finely as possible... if needed, add a tbsp of water or so to keep mixture wet & loose. Set aside. In large pot on medium high-heat: olive oil & butter. Add coined chorizo to extract smokey flavored fats then remove meat, and set aside to cool. Add Sausage to brown and sear each side, this usually takes about 5 minutes each side. Then remove sausage to cool. *NOTE: Some people prefer to remove the sausage from the casing before cooking, if that sounds like you, by all means do it, and simply brown the meat and then remove it. I like my dish a bit more rustic and I leave the links to slice into smaller pieces, but do what it is you prefer... cooking is meant to be fun! Now add the ground meats to brown, season with a little salt and pepper to taste, the remove the meats when browned and set aside. Now you have a great flavorful oil base to start cooking the pureed vegetables. So add them now. Turn down the heat a little also. This is a low and slow part of the process. Brown the veggies. Stir occasionally so the

your own traditions. Before too long, this will be a snap and a favorite “get together” dish. I promise. And you will be the star of the show with this recipe. So until my next recipe... Eat, Drink, and BE MARY! Jay Rinaldi is a local resident, avid SFGN reader, bartender extraordinaire, and an awesome cook!

SouthFloridaGayNews

ed wine is the perfect compliment to a hearty bolognese sauce. Ask the professionals at Naked Grape or 13|even for their wine recommendations to enhance your meal.

soflagaynews //

SouthFloridaGayNews // SFGN.com // 3.26.2014 //33

F O R

SFGNITES

T H E

J.W. Arnold

jw@prdconline.com

THUR ART

W E E K

3/27

Join artist Joe Horton at the opening night reception for his new, one-man show, “Extremes – Lake Worth to Santa Fe,” tonight at 5:30 p.m. at Bruce Webber Gallery, 705 Lucerne Ave. in Lake Worth. Horton, who now resides in Jupiter, has been a professional artist in Santa Fe, New Mexico, since 1987. His impressionistic oil paintings reflect the diversity of his homes in Florida and New Mexico. A portion of sales will benefit Compass, the GLCC of the Palm Beaches. For more information, go to WebberGallery.com.

FRI

THEATER

O F

M A R C H

2 6

A P R I L

1 ,

2 0 1 4

W W W . S F G N . C O M

ara Shay Thomson stars as “Tosca” in the upcoming Florida Grand Opera production of Puccini’s masterpiece, opening Saturday at the Arsht Center in Miami.

3/28

You probably remember Nicholle Tom on the endless TVLand marathons of the ‘90s hit and gay fave, “The Nanny,” but the actress is all grown up and joining her sister, soap opera star Heather (“Bold and the Beautiful”) in Vanities, playing through Saturday at the Parker Playhouse, 707 NE 8th St. in Fort Lauderdale. The comedy follows the comingof-age of three friends in the ‘60s and ‘70s. Tonight’s performance benefits The Trevor Project. Performances Thursday and Friday at 8 p.m. and Saturday at 2 p.m. and 8 p.m. Tickets $28 – 66.50 at ParkerPlayhouse.org.

SAT

OPERA

3/29 SUN

Giacomo Puccini’s “Tosca,” featuring some of the most inspired and memorable music of opera, opens tonight at Miami’s Arsht Center. Kara Shay Thomson stars in the title role of the Florida Grand Opera production about an aspiring singer who strikes an unholy bargain with the evil police chief to secure the love of a young artist. Performances in Miami on March 29 and 30, April 1, 4, and 5, and at the Broward Center in Fort Lauderdale on April 10 and 12. For tickets and show times, go to FGO.org.

Photo: Richard Termine

// 3.26.2014 // SFGN.com //

CABARET

3/30 MON

Rob Russell is best known as the Entertainment Director at the Royal Room in Palm Beach’s swanky Colony Hotel, where he has shared the stage with with many of the great Grammy and Tony Award-winning Cabaret stars including Marilyn Maye, Anne Hampton and Liz Callaway, and Marilyn McCoo and Billy Davis. Tonight at 7 p.m., the stage at Arts Garage in Delray Beach is all his as he sings the classics of the Great American Songbook, backed by the acclaimed Switzer Trio, the “Rob-ettes”, and surprise special guests. Tickets $25 – 35 at ArtsGarage.org.

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MUSIC

3/31 TUE

The South Florida Symphony, under the direction of Maestra Sebrina Maria Alfonso, concludes its masterworks season tonight at 7:30 p.m. with “Summons to Life,” a vibrant musical program including symphonies by Mozart and Schumann. Pianist Jeffrey Biegel will be featured in the regional premiere of contemporary composer Ellen Taafe Zwilich’s striking “Shadows for Piano and Orchestra.” Enjoy the music Sunday at the Broward Center in Fort Lauderdale or tonight at the Delray Center for the Arts in Delray Beach. Tickets $35 – 75 at SouthFloridaSymphony.org.

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TELEVISION

4/1

We never thought it would happen, but tonight, Bravo launches an exciting new edition of the “Real Housewives” franchise: “The Real Housewives of Wilton Manors.” Yes, and they’re all men….pretty, pretty men. The network we thought couldn’t get any gayer has gone all the way, secretly filming the lives of the glitterati of Wilton Manors. The show promises to put those other “housewives” to shame with plenty of primetime drama from the queens of the Island City. And, if you believe that, we’ve got a bridge to sell you, too. Happy April Fool’s Day!

FIFTH ANNUAL INTERNATIONAL

photo by: Alex Pacheco

GAY POLO WEEKAPRIL 4-6TH Friday, April 4 GPL Polotini Party Saturday, April 5 International Gay Polo Tournament Sunday, April 6 International Polo Club Brunch For additional details, sponsorship opportunities, tailgates and tickets, please call 561.753.3389 or visit gaypolo.com

gaypolo.com

Reserve your Polo Package - Matches, Polotini Party, hand-picked hotels. Call 888.999.4613 or visit ChicGayTraveler.com soflagaynews //

SouthFloridaGayNews // SFGN.com // 3.26.2014 //35

a&e music Sylvia Tosun to Perform at Winter Music Conference Denise Royal

Dance Diva Sylvia Tosun is coming to Miami for the Winter Music Conference. She’s appearing as part of Fusion Radio’s first-ever VideoTron Miami on Friday, March 28. Tosun will be one of the featured acts during the event. The performance comes at a great time in Tosun’s career – her new single “The Dragon Flies” is burning up the Billboard Dance charts. The song’s title, “The Dragon Flies” — is a symbolic double entendre of rebirth and spiritual awakening. The Dragon and the Dragonfly, in their strength, both bend and twist with the wind, and move along with the vicissitudes of life. It represents the transformation of everyday life into something magical and hopeful. “I was always inspired by the insect the dragonfly and its meanings in different cultures,” Tosun said. “And in certain cultures, when you see a dragon flying, it’s like doing the impossible or creating a miracle,” she said.

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Tosun is looking forward to performing the song at WMC. “I’m imagining this year’s conference will be a lot more international than in the past. I think a lot more people will be visiting from overseas. I’m excited to perform this new song there,” she said. “I’m also excited to perform with people that I know and love. It feels good to have something out when the festivals are going on.” As for what’s next, Tosun plans to continue collaborating with Trance star Andrew Rayel. “It’s refreshing to work with him, because of our backgrounds,” she says. And overall, the creation of music is a really big deal for her right now. “This year is all about creativity!”

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// 3.26.2014 // SFGN.com //

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Sylvia Tosun Performs on Friday, March 28 at Mova Lounge, 1625 Michigan Ave.

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SouthFloridaGayNews // SFGN.com // 3.26.2014 //37

a&e music Out Glam Metal Rocker Carlo Infante is Back... Minus the Big Hair Tony Adams

Carlo Infante, the out gay bass player of the band White Noise, is describing their newly released “Out Of The Ashes,” an album of songs the band performed “back in the day.” Twenty-five years have passed since White Noise glam-rocked Ohio with music their fans never forgot. Those fans found Infante on Facebook and demanded his return, shocking him by quoting never-released White Noise songs they remembered from demos played on the radio. The band reunited with Infante who now lives in Oakland Park, Fla., releasing an album of their popular classics. Their patient fans do not mind the buzz cut that has replaced the huge curly mop of hair that Infante once tossed about on stage. New and younger fans, who are just now discovering pre-Nirvana music, are hungry for exactly the kind of fist-pumping metal sound this album delivers. For Infante, a music career on long hiatus is rising from its ashes, and the embers are about to burst into flame. Infante grew up in the small town of Niles, Ohio, in the kind of Italian Catholic family where it was common for their local priest to

come to dinner every Sunday. When he was 12-years-old, he won a motorcycle in a church raffle and traded it for a guitar. At that time, he read that boys develop an attraction to girls while in high school. He figured this would replace his attraction to men. He waited patiently but it never happened. He kept his sexuality a secret. Meanwhile, rock music transformed him from an unpopular kid in to a high school star. In his early 20s, his first band seemed on the verge of fame with a New York connection to Ritchie Blackmore of Rainbow and Deep Purple that ultimately resulted in their getting deceived and ripped off. Back in Ohio, they continued to write their own songs, and reconfigured themselves as White Noise. They signed with a company that already represented Bon Jovi and Cinderella. That company renamed them Noisy Mama, a change they disliked. It was at that time, Infante fell in love with a man, a married fire chief, whose disgruntled wife outed Infante to his parents who brought their anguish to the parish priest.

From Lake Worth to Santa Fe

Florida, oil on linen, 12” x 24”

New Mexico, oil on linen, 12" x 24"

Oil Paintings: Impressionism to Realism By

JOE HORTON v

Opening Reception with the Artist Thursday, March 27, 2014

5:30 – 7:30

A portion of the proceeds to benefit Compass Community Center. Exhibit continues through April 10

705 Lucerne Ave. • Lake Worth 561.582.1045 • www.webbergallery.com

// 3.26.2014 // SFGN.com //

soflagaynews //

He reminded them that Infante was still the same son whom they loved, and that they should continue to love him because he had not changed in any way. It is refreshing to receive an account in which a priest is actually helpful in the coming out process, and whose counseling resulted in Carlo’s parents’ total acceptance of their gay son. (Many years later, they also came to know and love his current partner of four years, Michael Cooper.) Infante was not out to his band mates, but they had already guessed the truth and had researched the best ways to coax Infante out of the closet. Despite their strong support, Infante quit the band to pursue his relationship and to begin a career in anesthesia. The timing of his fallback career was fortunate because the entire music industry was about to be transformed by the arrival of Nirvana. White Noise disbanded and those early songs gathered dust until now. Back in the studio, White Noise perfectly resurrects their glam metal sound for the new album. More than retro, these 12 songs seem freshly liberated from some fast moving glacier that flash froze them for later consumption. (I can easily see why the song “Rescue Me” had once been under consideration by Air Supply. They should have gone with it.) If you savored the energy of Judas Priest and

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Bon Jovi (and other related branches on that tree: Van Halen, Mötley Crüe, Def Leppard, Twisted Sister, Blue Öyster Cult, Alice Cooper, Kiss, Air Supply) you will appreciate “Out Of The Ashes.” (The album vocals on songs like “Party In The Rust,” contain hints of Sammy Hagar’s 1984 “I Can’t Drive 55.”) Infante is well aware of how the music industry has changed since the days when White Noise would perform at different venues five nights a week. Despite the current lack of performance spaces for a group like theirs, with a new album and social media connections all over the country including a strong gay network, White Noise will have no problem attracting attention. A Fort Lauderdale appearance is definitely on the horizon, and Infante looks forward to performing for all his South Florida friends. While Infante was talking, I was envisioning an all-gay super-group composed of Carlo Infante, Bob Mould (Hüsker Dü), Rob Halford (Judas Priest), Chuck Panozzo (Styx), Adam Lambert and even Ray Boltz for a dash of country. We may only dream of being able to buy a ticket for that, but we can get “Out Of The Ashes” on iTunes. For more information on White Noise, visit WhiteNoiseRocks.com.

Celebrates the Path Towards Stop by SFGN’s Booth at Pridefest Palm Beaches on Saturday & Sunday, March 29 & 30, from 12 - 6pm and have your “Wedding” photos taken!

Florida’s Largest LGBT News Publication in Print & Online soflagaynews //

SouthFloridaGayNews // SFGN.com // 3.26.2014 //39

a&e internet

“Boystown” Season One was published in November. The book is selling very well locally and nationally, and I have continued to write additional episodes. Episodes 11 to 20 will be released this spring as “Boystown” Season Two.

Jake Biondi’s “Boystown”

Chicago’s gayborhood comes to life in new series

What inspires your stories and characters? Do any of it come from your own life?

David-Elijah Nahmod Jake Biondi loves “Boystown,” the heart of Chicago’s gay community. He’s encountered many colorful characters in that world, many of whom found their way into “Boystown: the Series,” his fictional serial. Written in the style of the classic magazine serials of a century ago, with more than a few nods to the grand traditions of daytime TV dramas, “Boystown” is a fun peek inside the lives of a colorful group of gay men. First presented on the web in a continuing format, “Boystown” is now available in printed book form containing all chapters of the first season. The author’s homepage offers a glimpse into what readers can expect from “Boystown.” When Jesse and Cole move to town, they find that their new group of friends are harboring enough secrets to script another eight seasons of “Dynasty.” Biondi spoke to SFGN about his love for the real “Boystown” and how that love found it’s way onto the printed page.

and everything is just a short walk away from wherever you are. Over the years, the neighborhood has grown more diverse as more straight couples and families have moved into the ‘hood. In addition, it’s diverse in terms of race, ethnicity and age. In fact, one of the first gay retirement homes in the country is currently under construction right here in “Boystown.”

Like all authors, I draw some characters and storylines from real life. While all the characters and plots in “Boystown” are fictionalized, they are certainly inspired by people I know and events I know about.

Have any of your friends recognized themselves in “Boystown”?

I wrote the character of Cole O’Brien with my friend Aaron Savvy in mind. I didn’t tell

Before we talk about “Boystown” tell us more about yourself.

Growing up in the suburbs of Chicago, I fell in love with “the windy city” at an early age. Upon graduating from Notre Dame University, with degrees in English and business, I returned to Chicago and have been living in the “Boystown” neighborhood ever since, for over 20 years. I came out late in life, after college. While it was certainly a bumpy experience and process, I learned a great deal about myself and those around me, and wouldn’t change a thing. Everyone’s coming out process is unique and people need to do it on their own timelines, when it’s best for them.

Can you describe what “Boystown” was like in its original online format?

While studying literature, I became a huge fan of Charles Dickens, whose novels were originally published in installments. Each ending was a cliffhanger to keep readers coming back for more. Because of my love of those novels as well as television dramas such as “Dynasty,” “Knots Landing,” “Dallas” and “Revenge,” I decided to create a serialized saga for contemporary audiences. Thus, “Boystown” was born.

Can you describe “Boystown” the actual place?

Chicago’s “Boystown” is a great place to live and play. In fact, it was just named “best gay neighborhood” by Out Travel Magazine. It has amazing bars, clubs and restaurants, but it’s not just a place to party, it’s where we live as well. It has a great neighborhood feel, is located right along Lake Michigan,

// 3.26.2014 // SFGN.com //

Can you describe “Boystown” the Series/book?

Because my book takes place mostly in “Boystown” I wanted to make sure it reflected the diversity of the neighborhood and its residents. I use as many real locations in the book as possible. I began “Boystown” in June of 2013 as an online story, and intended to release one “episode” online per month, each ending in a cliffhanger. The story became so popular, and the online reading audience grew so quickly, people from all over the country began emailing me demanding to know what happened to their favorite characters and wanting the episodes to be released faster. They also had suggestions for future storylines! I was surprised and excited by the readers’ responses and began to write soflagaynews //

him ahead of time, but let him read the book to see which character he connected with most. In the end he picked Cole, and then I told him that Cole was written for him. Aaron is featured on the book’s cover. There’s a lot going on to keep readers interested: drama, romance, adventure, revenge, lust, backstabbing, love, “Boystown” has it all!

and release the installments more quickly. By November I had released 10 episodes and the audience had expanded well beyond the borders of America. Readers suggested that I publish the first 10 episodes as a book. I took their advice and

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Biondi says that he could definitely envision a “Boystown” TV series. He says that so far, there’s no end in sight. As long as people keep reading, he’ll keep writing. “Boystown” is now available at Amazon and Barnes and Noble (bn.com) and selected bookstores. To learn more about author Jake Biondi, please visit his website at www. JakeBiondi.com.

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SouthFloridaGayNews // SFGN.com // 3.26.2014 // 41

a&e television ‘From Here on Out’

Hilarious gay sitcom on Here!, the “other” gay network David-Elijah Nahmod

// 3.26.2014 // SFGN.com //

soflagaynews //

Those bemoaning the lack of good gay programming on Logo (“Drag Race” notwithstanding) or the failure of shows like “The New Normal” and “Sean Saves the World” to click with viewers, might want to head over to Here! TV.

producing a low budget series.” Irvin said that calling the shots on this new show was a strange kind of deja vu for him. “OMG! This is my life!” he said of scenes in which the cast and crew of the fictional onscreen series deal with the unreasonable,

Though it hasn’t gotten as much press than it’s MTV owned “cousin,” gay owned and operated Here! has been quietly producing all manner of gay content for years. “From Here on Out” is Here’s hilarious, R rated new sitcom which gives the “gay for pay” phenomenon a well-deserved ribbing. Terry Ray, who’s also the writer/creator, stars as Jimmy, a Hollywood writer who sells a series about a gay secret agent to a gay network. There’s a catch: the actor who plays the lead must be openly gay. When hunky, straight Sam (TJ Hoban) turns out to be the only actor with the chops to play the lead role, he’s cast. He then comes out as gay, even though he’s not. Madness and mayhem ensues. “It’s a weird world,” Ray told SFGN. “The office sofa at Here! Studios where I got the job is the set we shot the scene when Jimmy gets the job!” Both the series and the show-withinthe-series will feature lots of sexy, scantily clad guys. “There’s so many of them you get stunned,” Ray said. “It kind of plateaus out. We were glad to get guys who were that hot who could be funny.” Director Sam Irvin, who worked on Here’s horror themed series Dante’s Cove, best described what viewers could expect when tuning in to “From Here On Out.” “It’s a very sexy gay 30 Rock,” he said. “We spoof Here! the same way 30 Rock spoofs NBC. It’s all about the shenanigans of

often outrageous edicts of network suits. “I went through this directing Dante’s Cove — I’ve been to those meetings!” Ray and Irvin were delighted when British actress Juliet Mills, beloved to American TV audiences for her roles on “Nanny and the Professor” in the 70s and, more recently, as the lovably evil witch on “Passions,” agreed to play Dottie, the studio receptionist. Mills carries quite a pedigree. Her father, Sir John Mills, was one of British theater’s all time greats. Her sister Hayley was a major child star. Her godparents were actress Vivien Leigh and the great gay actor/playwright Noel Coward. “We wanted to get somebody famous,” Ray said. “She was really funny!” “It took a little persuading to get her,” Irvin said. “She said ‘as long as I don’t have to get naked!’” Terry Ray hopes that viewers can see beyond labels and simply enjoy some laughs. “I want people to have a good time, to be entertained,” he said. “Forget that it’s a gay show. There’s no message other than it’s funny and entertaining.”

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The sexy, fast paced “From Here On Out” will premiere on Here! TV on March 28 — check your cable listings for times. The show can already be viewed at Here TV Premium, the network’s subscription based You Tube channel ($7.99 per month for access to a whole array of gay-centric programs).

a&e theater

Slow Burn Plays ‘Chess’ to a Draw

D irty Blonde March 27 - April 13

J.W. Arnold

By Claudia Shear

A funny, bawdy play set in New York City about fans & their obsession with Mae West. The play combines transformation and drama with a fabulous dollop of show biz magic.

“Hands down the best new American play of the season...Take off your hats, boys, Mae West is back on Broadway...” Who could have predicted that old Cold War tensions would flare up in Ukraine when Slow Burn Theatre Co. announced a spring production of “Chess,” the ‘80s rock opera from Benny Anderrson and Bjorn Ulvaes of ABBA and lyricist Tim Rice? The musical, which got its start with a 1984 concept album that topped British charts, details a passionate love triangle between American and Soviet chess masters competing for the love of a woman in the midst of a hotly contested international championship. Like the complex geopolitical machinations currently being waged in Crimea, the plot of “Chess” is just as convoluted and that’s a battle that can’t be won. Fortunately, in a nod to opera, a brief synopsis of the story is included in the program. Read it before the lights go down. Rice has invited contemporary producers to freely tweak the show, which was a modest success on London’s West End but managed only a disappointing run on Broadway. The show is largely through composed, like opera, with songs to advance every action, introduce every character and sometimes just set the mood. With more than 30 numbers, “Chess” is one long, rarely pausing dance track. The best songs — “One Night in Bangkok,” “Pity the Child,” “Heaven Help the Heart,” Someone Else’s Story” and “I Know Him So Well” — are easily lost in the mix and a few judicious cuts would improve the show. Fortunately, music director Manny Schvartzman leads the cast and six-piece band through solid, often exhilarating performances. The triumvirate leads, Amy Miller Brennan (Florence), Matthew Korinko (Anatoly) and Rich Peña (Freddie), carry the heaviest load, offering compelling vocal and dramatic performances. Also notable are

Carla Bordonada (Svetlana), Elvin Negron (Molokov) and Conor Walton (Arbiter), each with their own agendas for the lovers. The main characters are supported by a large cast of “pawns,” who deserve to be mentioned and who are strongest vocally, especially in rich choral passages: Ann Marie Olson, Kaitlyn O’Neill, Kaela Antolino, Jaimie Kautzmann, Bruno Vida, Hugo Moreno, Elijah Davis and Spencer Perlman. The action, under the direction of Patrick Fitzwater, takes place on an abstract set marked by oversized chess pieces, time clocks, checkered squares and movable blocks designed by Sean McClelland. Peña does double duty as costume designer, outfitting the cast in black, leather barinspired outfits, some more flattering than others, but provocative still. On opening weekend, the production was at times a little rough, not surprising given the technical demands and sheer scope of the show. Several of the kinks, including several missed lighting cues, sloppy dancing and awkward transitions out of video segments, will certainly get worked out by the time the production transfers to the Aventura Arts & Cultural Center next month. Slow Burn has gained a reputation in its first five years for tackling challenging shows other companies avoid and with great success. “Chess” is certainly one of the biggest undertakings, a game they clearly play to a draw, but checkmate is within sight. The Slow Burn Theatre Co. brings you “Chess” through April 5 at the West Boca Performing Arts Center, 12811 W. Glades Rd., Boca Raton, and at the Aventura Arts & Cultural Center, 3385 NE 188th St., Aventura, April 10 - 13. Tickets $25 – $40 at SlowBurnTheater.com soflagaynews //

Winner 2000 Theatre World Award Nominee 2000 Tony Award Best Play

New York Times

Cabaret

at the Plaza April 3-5, 10-12, 8 pm

Garland!

A Tribute to Judy Garland Starring Melissa Jacobson

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Piano Bar

Thursday - Saturday, 9:30 following cabaret performances David Curtis, piano man extraordinaire

David Curtis

$40 Cabaret & Piano Bar, $30 Cabaret only $15 piano bar only *Special discount opening weekend only.

561-588-1820 | www.theplazatheatre.net 262 South Ocean Blvd. Manalapan Plays & performers subject to change.

Plays & performers subject to change.

SouthFloridaGayNews // SFGN.com // 3.26.2014 //43

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a&e television Another Queen Down

SFGN Speaks to Vivacious and April Carrion, the latest casualities of ‘RuPaul’s Drag Race’ Michael Cook Vivacious came to “RuPaul’s Drag Race” direct from the New York City Club Kid scene, and was true to her New York City roots right up until Ru asked her to “sashay away.” SFGN sat down with Vivacious to chat about her club kid style, her favorite parts of the “Drag Race” experience, and her “fierce and gorgeous” plans to be heard on dance floors this summer! How does it feel to be the latest queen voted off “RuPaul’s Drag Race”?

You know what? I feel fine! To be honest, at first, I was mentally kicking myself, I could not believe I left so early. I really thought I was going to handle it worse mentally, but to be honest, it didn’t worry me at all.

Where were you when your departure episode aired?

Well honey, I asked God to have me traveling and performing for the children, and he granted my wish. I was out in the universe and not worried about it at all. I was actually in Los Angeles doing shows when my elimination episode aired. Honestly, I am taking it as it goes. From what I am hearing, my departure is the biggest upset next to Latrice Royale going home (she finished fourth in Season 4). Many people don’t think I should have gone home so early, but I was lucky and left in a costume of my own style, a true Club Kid!

I personally recall the era of the Club Kids, so I am very well aware of the styles of that generation. Do you feel that you represented the Club Kids accurately?

Of course I did! I was supposed to bring real costumes to “Drag Race,” but there was no way that I could, as most of my costumes are well over 30 feet long. I come from the house of Leigh Bowery based on my style, you know. I brought what I could of my style to the show, so yes, I absolutely did my job. I stayed true to my form, and while some may say it was “outdated,” that look is the look that gives you the right to be gay. As Club Kids, we walked as giants in straight society and did not blend in. We showed them art and loved it so much, the straight community became our biggest fans!

What were your favorite and least favorite parts of the “Drag Race” experience?

My least favorite part was being in my room alone and all quiet, you know, really thinking a lot. The most exciting part was meeting RuPaul, the fiercest queen who I have really modeled my whole life after.

// 3.26.2014 // SFGN.com //

soflagaynews //

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She has a beautiful aesthetic and career. She really is the physical template for how Vivacious is. You’ve been in the game for a few years longer than some of your competitors. How do you respond to those that may say that being a “veteran” you may not be as much competition?

I’ve been in the game for 21 years. Many queens will come forward and say they are “fierce” and then go right back to Nebraska because they just can’t handle and make it in New York City. Then they come to me and say, “Damn, you’re still doing the drag thing?” Darling you would be surprised at how far drag can take you!

So many queens from past seasons want to leave the show and do a single or an album. Any aspirations to hit the recording studio?

I like that many of those queens want to do a single; honey, I have a four track EP that’s coming out on iTunes very shortly. I did not come here to hit someone with one track and then walk away! I came with four tracks, and then after that, I’m doing another track every six weeks with a video. The EP is called “Pride” and it’s geared towards the upcoming pride festivals all over. The track says things like “pride on the inside, pride on the outside” and so on. My next single is a take on the “F” word. It’s about taking a negative word back for us to own. Find your inner queen and say, “Yes I am Fierce And Gorgeous Darling”! We can’t let someone throw a name on us and let them use it as a negative. Push it back on them and say, “Yes Darling!” Another track is titled “You Didn’t See Me Coming,” it’s about all the Internet “Sherlock Holmes” types who were trying to figure out who got cast this season based on queens

that may have disappeared for a few months, things like that. Darling you are destroying the fantasy. I don’t want to know who is cast on the season until I hear Ru say “meet my girls!” April Carrion comes from a long line of gorgeous Puerto Rican queens on the “Drag Race” stage. Unfortunately, her musical talents weren’t up to par during the “RuSical” and she was asked to sashay away. April I was so sad to see you leave this past week during the musical theatre challenge.

I know baby, I was too! I definitely wanted to make top three this year. I wanted to really show them that a Puerto Rican queen could get that high in the competition.

Speaking of which, why do you think that so many Puerto Rican queens, like Madame LaQueer and Yara Soﬁa, go home earlier? Do you think the language barrier could potentially be a factor?

I guess it could be the reason with some of them, it definitely could play into it. I am luckily very fluent in English and it was not a barrier for me in the least. It is what it is, because for others the language has been a problem. Then again, not being very fluent in English can be a good thing; you get to block out the chatter in the workroom and really concentrate.

What do you think the best & worst parts of being on “RuPaul’s Drag Race” were?

To be honest, I really enjoyed every single moment of my experience. I put alot of pressure on myself, which may not have been the best idea looking back. Also, I had never done drag outside of Puerto Rico, so this was a very different experience. I got to meet different types of queens and they got to experience my drag style as well. It was really so awesome and surreal.

There are already rumors that with so much talent on the past two seasons, a second season of “Drag Race All Stars” could be coming. Think you’d be up for that?

Oh absolutely! Like I said before, we need a Puerto Rican winner of “Drag Race” and I can’t wait to be the first one when I win “All Stars”!

What’s next for April Carrion? Do you plan to “Keep Calm & Carrion” like RuPaul suggested?

Oh definitely! Right now, I’m looking for that platform to do that. Maybe an art exhibition actually, I am collaborating with some really interesting artists, it’s very different from what I’m used to. I want to explore a lot of other things and have others fall in love with April Carrion. RuPaul’s Drag Race airs Mondays at 9 p.m. on the LOGO Channel.

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a&e theater

‘Dirty Blonde’

Play takes a hard look at original gay icon J.W. Arnold

Chess Multiple Tony Award and Drama Desk Award nominated Broadway Musical w Apr 10-13 Book by Richard Nelson Lyrics by Tim Rice Music by Bjorn Ulvaeus and Benny Andersson of rock group Abba

Tickets at: 877.311.7469 AventuraCenter.org @aventuracenter All programs, artists, dates and times are subject to change.

// 3.26.2014 // SFGN.com //

soflagaynews //

Long before Lady Gaga and Madonna, Bette, Cher and Liza, and even Gina, Judy and Jayne, gays worshipped Mae. The life of the original buxom bombshell, the curvy and controversial actress Mae West is the subject of “Dirty Blonde,” the Claudia Shear play opening at Plaza Theater in Manalapan. “It’s actually quite a treat,” said Moreland, who first starred as West in a production at Gablestage in 2003. “I love her beyond love her. She gave me such confidence growing up because I was a chunky girl… ‘curvy and swervy.’ She was a pioneer.” Known for her bawdy double entendres, West first achieve fame on the vaudeville stage in New York City before moving to Hollywood to become an actress and writer. Censors constantly threatened to pull her films, perhaps driving ticket sales and contributing to her iconic fame. Long after her last film, she continued stage appearances in Las Vegas and was quoted as saying, “I believe in censorship, I made a fortune out of it.” “Dirty Blonde” tells the story of Jo, an office temp and aspiring actress, and Charlie, who works in the New York Public Library’s film archives. Both are lonely and obsessive West fans who meet at her grave and form a unique relationship while swapping stories about the career of the woman they worship. To prepare for the dual roles of West and Jo, Moreland read West’s autobiography and watched as many of the film star’s movies as she could. The challenge was to capture the mannerisms and subtle sexuality without becoming a caricature, a trap West herself fell into during the twilight of her career. But just because she played the role once, it’s not quite as easy as riding a bike, Moreland said. In between, she’s starred in “umpteen thousand” productions and been on the road. But revisiting the role does put her back in touch with a “kindred spirit.” Unlike many actresses of her generation, West did have the opportunity to shape her empowered onscreen persona, pointed out director Beverly Blanchette. “The Mae West we saw was a creation, not much different from Lady Gaga or even Miley Cyrus. You can’t tell me that performance (with Robin Thicke at the Video Music Awards) wasn’t well thought out,” Blanchette said.

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Blanchette added, “We think of the past as being really prudish, but it wasn’t. What really makes the play and Mae West relevant was that she (West) wrote her own movies. Her friends were gay and black at a time when the rest of Hollywood wasn’t as accepting.” One scene in “Dirty Blonde” pays homage to West’s gay friends and the drag queens of the day who impersonated her outsize mannerisms and figure. Decades after West’s death, the play forces audiences to reflect on the lasting influence the actress’ life has left on popular culture. “She was tough, wisecrackin’ broad… a strong woman, who was not a mealy mouthed weak girl,” Blanchette said. “In her films she portrayed strong women and never the damsel in distress. Why has it taken us so long to realize this?”

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Datebook

Theater

reen Day’s ‘American Idiot’ comes to the Broward Center through April 6

Christiana Lilly

Calendar@SFGN.com

broward county

around the world to perform, including Afrojack, Avicii, Basement Jaxx, David Guetta, Empire of the Sun, Kaskade, Krewella, MIA and more. Tickets $399 three-day pass. Visit UltraMusicFestival.com.

Paradise Motel

March 28 to April 12 at the Miami Theater Center, 9806 NE Second Ave. in Miami Shores. Seven decades of Miami history comes to life in a shady motel room in Calle Ocho. Tickets $20. Call 305-7519550 or visit MTCMiami.org.

Not Ready for Primetime

* Vanities

March 28 to April 19 at the South Miami-Dade Cultural Arts CEnter, 10950 SW 211 St. in Cutler Bay. David Samson, president of the Miami Marlins, stars in this spin off of Saturday Night Live’s golden era. Tickets $26. Call 786-573-5300 or visit New-Theatre.org.

March 27 to 29 at the Parker Playhouse, 202 NE Eighth St. in Fort Lauderdale. Watch three smalltown girls come of age, meanwhile taking you back to the ‘60s and ‘70s. Tickets $28 to $66.50; 20 percent of proceeds from the March 28 show will benefit The Trevor Project. Call 954-462-0222 or visit ParkerPlayhouse.com.

Streisand: The Greatest Star

March 27 to April 27 at Empire Stage, 1140 N. Flagler Ave. The true story of a gay man running a female escort agency in Boca Raton. Tickets $20. Visit IslandCityStage.org.

March 29 at the Aventura Arts & Cultural Center, 3385 NE 188th St. in Aventura. Carla DelVillagio pays tribute to Barbra Streisand in a performance that critics say is the next best thing to see the Funny Girl herself. Tickets $39.50. Call 305-466-8002 or visit AventuraCenter.org.

Ethan Bortnick in Concert

* Tosca

Have I Got a Girl For You

March 30 at 5:30 p.m. at the Miniaci Performing Arts Center, 3100 Ray Ferrero Jr. Blvd. in Fort Lauderdale. The young performing phenom takes the stage in a fundraiser honoring Rose Miniaci. Tickets from $65 to $250. Call 954-462-0222 or visit MiniaciPAC.com.

Without a Hitch

Through March 30 at the Coral Springs Center for the Arts, 2855 Coral Springs Drive in Coral Springs. In this dinner theatre mystery, be a part of the case with Sherlock and friends to investigate a murder at the Monte Carlo nightclub in 1963. Tickets $59. Call 954344-5990 or visit CoralSpringsCenterForTheArts.com.

American Idiot

Through April 6 at the Broward Center, 201 SW Fifth Ave. in Fort Lauderdale. Based on the Gren Day album by the same name, three friends have to choose leaving the safety of the suburbs or going for their dreams. Tickets $34.50 to $114.50. Call 954-462-0222 or visit BrowardCenter.org.

palm beach county I Never Saw Another Butterﬂy

March 26 at 7 p.m. at the Delray Beach Playhouse, 950 NE Ninth St. in Delray Beach. Set in Therensienstadt concentration camp, Jewish children express the camp happenings through art and poetry. Proceeds benefit the Delray Beach Playhouse Children’s Theatre. Tickets $10. Call 561-272-1281, ext. 4 or visit DelrayBeachPlayhouse.com.

The Golden Dragon Acrobats: CIRQUE ZIVA

The Sounds of Simon

March 28 to 30 at the Delray Beach Center for the Arts, 51 N. Swinton Ave. in Delray Beach. Twentyfive performers bring together the performing arts of China past and present in this exhilarating show. Tickets $45. Call 561-243-7922 or visit DelrayArts.org

Through April 13 at the Delray Square Performing Arts, 4809 W. Atlantic Ave. in Delray Beach. A revival of the hit South Florida musical featuring the music and lyrics of Paul Simon -- due to popular demand, it has been held over an additional month. Tickets $35. Visit DelraySquareArts.com or SoundsofSimon.com.

Dividing the Estate

Free Friday Concerts

March 28 to April 27 at the Don & Ann Brown Theatre, 201 Clematis St. in West Palm Beach. The Gordon family has fallen on tough times, and the greedy children are determined to divide their 100-year-old property. Tickets $60. Call 561-514-4042 or visit PalmBeachDramaworks.org.

Ales for Anglers with JJ Grey & Mofro March 29 at 2:30 p.m. at the Sunset Cove, 12551 Glades Road in Boca Raton. Craft beer, fishing, and music comes together in a one-of-a-kind show. Tickets $35 to $40, $5 parking. Get tickets at Eventbrite.com.

The Pajama Game

An Evening With The Avett Brothers

March 29 to April 20 at the Delray Beach Playhouse, 950 NW Ninth St. in Delray Beach. Staff at a pajama party battle to get a 7.5 cent raise. Tickets $40. Call 561-272-1281, ext. 4 or visit DelrayBeachPlayhouse.org.

The Elephant Wrestler

March 31 at 7:30 p.m. at the Delray Beach Center for the Arts, 51 N. Swinton Ave. in Delray Beach. The last segment of the Master Concert Series. Call 561-2437922 or visit DelrayArts.org

March 28 at 8 p.m. at Sunset Cove,12551 Glades Road in Boca Raton. Hailing from North Carolina, the band melds together bluegrass, country, punk, pop, rock and more for a unique sound. Tickets $38.50 to $45. Purchase tickets at http://tinyurl.com/qb9m2jb. March 28 and 29 at the Kravis Center, 701 Okeechobee Blvd. in West Palm Beach. Jacob Rajan takes on multiple characters in this entertaining one-man play. Tickets $28. Call 561-832-7469 or visit Kravis.org.

Don Quixote

March 28 to 30 at the Kravis Center, 701 Okeechobee Blvd. in West Palm Beach. Miami City Ballet brings the classic Spanish story to life. Tickets $20 to $175. Call 561-832-7469 or visit Kravis.org.

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* South Florida Symphony Orchestra

* Concert & Art Show at Compass GLCC

April 5 at 8 p.m. at the Compass GLCC, 201 N. Dixie Highway in Lake Worth. Classical guitarist Karen Schoenhals plays enchanting music at an exhibition of art, photography, jewelry and other items of interest for art lovers. Tickets $10 to $30. Email Toni Jr at toniajr@earthlink.net.

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

miami-dade county Pink Martini

March 26 at 8 p.m. at the Arsht Center, 1300 Biscayne Blvd. in Miami. The 12-piece orchestra is joined by the von Trapps. Tickets $35 to $95. Call 305-949-6722 or visit ArshtCenter.org.

March 29 to April 5 at the Arsht Center, 1300 Biscayne Blvd. in Miami. Tosca has fallen in love with an artist, but policeman Baron Scarpia gets in the way. Tickets $25 to $229. Call 305-949-6722 or visit ArshtCenter.org.

* Jay Leno

March 30 at the Arsht Center, 1300 Biscayne Blvd. in Miami. See America’s favorite comedian after 22 years on “The Tonight Show.” Tickets $75 to $125. Call 305-949-6722 or visit ArshtCenter.org.

Monty Python’s SPAMALOT

Through March 30 at the Actors’ Playhouse at the Miracle Theatre, 280 Miracle Mile in Coral Gables. The hilarious play based on the classic movie, “Monty Python and the Holy Grail.” Tickets $15 to $55. Call 305-444-9293 or visit ActorsPlayhouse.org.

* South Beach Comedy Festival April 1 to 5 at the Fillmore Miami Beach, Colony Theatre, and BACKSTAGE @ The Fillmore. Experience nonstop laughter with theatrical comedy, and stand up by Chelsea Handler, Nick Swardson, Mike Epps, and other comedians. Visit SouthBeachComedyFestival.com.

Oneohtrix Point Never

Clark Gable Slept Here

March 27 at 7 p.m. at the Perez Art Museum Miami, 101 W. Flagler St. in Miami. Composer Daniel Lopatin’s work is combined with that of video artist Nate Boyce. Tickets $16 for members, $20 for nonmembers (including museum, admission). Call 305-375-3000 or visit PAMM.org.

Through April 6 at the Arsht Center, 1300 Biscayne Blvd. in Miami. Behind the scenes of Hollywood, a woman and staff try to figure out what to do with a dead male prostitute during the Golden Globe Awards. Tickets $45. Call 305-949-6722 or visit ArshtCenter.org.

The Moody Blues

PAMM Outdoor Music Series

A Summons to Life

The Big Show

March 27 at 8 p.m. at the Arsht Center, 1300 Biscayne Blvd. in Miami. The British rock band has serenaded generations with “Nights in White Satin,” “Tuesday Afternoon” and other hits. Tickets $55 to $125. Call 305-949-6722 or visit ArshtCenter.org. March 28 at 8 p.m. at the Aventura Arts & Cultural Center, 3385 NE 188th St. in Aventura. Music by Mozart and Schumann. Tickets $35 to $55. Call 305466-8002 or visit AventuraCenter.org.

Ultra Music Festival

March 28 to 30 in Bayfront Park. The most highly anticipated EDM concert with DJs flying in from

SouthFloridaGayNews

Third Thursdays at the Perez Art Museum Miami, 101 W. Flagler St. in Miami. Come out for live music from DJs and musicians by the bay. Drink specials available. Free with museum admission. Call 305-3753000 or visit PAMM.org. Fridays and Saturdays at 9 p.m. at Just the Funny Theater, 3119 Coral Way in Miami. A collection of comedy mixing the likes of improvisation and sketches. Tickets $12. Call 305-693-8669 or visit JustTheFunny.com.

* Denotes New Listing

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SouthFloridaGayNews // SFGN.com // 3.26.2014 //49

travel

Key West’s Island House to be Sold; Owner Will Retire Tony Adams

Jon Allen who is the owner of Island House, arguably the world’s premier gay men’s guesthouse and finest resort of its kind in Key West, Florida, has decided to sell his business and his home. He will be moving to an LGBT retirement community in California’s wine country. Allen describes his decision with some emotion, given the death, in December, of his husband, Martin Kay, who shared his life for 23 years. “I have made some tough decisions with my heart and with my head, about the changes in my life — at home and at work — in my adopted hometown of Key West. For one thing, I’m getting older. [Allen is 70.] I see that many of the ordinary tasks in day-to-day life that are easy now won’t be easy in the future,” he said. “Since there is no assisted living facility in Key West, my only viable option is to leave. This is my home. It’s a heartbreaking, but realistic decision. I also believe it makes sense to leave sooner rather than later so I can make a real home in a new community.” Allen has selected Fountaingrove Lodge (http:// fountaingrovelodge.com) which offers a continuum of care for its residents who may be active at the time of their purchase but look down the road to a day when they may require assistance. It is located in the wine country of California’s Sonoma County. Allen, a meticulous and customer-driven manager, describes the impressive level of service he received as a buyer. “Before you move, they fly someone out to meet with you, inventory your possessions and place things on a schematic of your new home. My residence is already constructed. All I have to do is pick out the flooring and change the paint color, because, well, I am gay.” Allen toured Fountaingrove while out west to attend the Sundance Film Festival. Of the 77 units, 55 were already sold. Fountaingrove, the only upscale LGBT development of its kind, is a success and demonstrates the strength of its market. The average age of the residents is 71. Allen is excited about embarking on a new life chapter. “Yes, it’s scary, and I feel like the kid on a roller coaster:

// 3.26.2014 // SFGN.com //

I know I’ll be fine, but I feel like I should just sit and not put my arms up,” he said. “I think there’s adventure to be had. In some ways, the region, including Calistoga, St. Helena and Healdsburg, reminds me of Key West with their quirky shops, art galleries and restaurants.” What will become of Island House? The asking price of $13.5 million has proven to be reasonable given the excellent condition of the property, the constantly low vacancy rate, the well-trained and harmonious staff, and a clientele so fiercely loyal that upon announcement of the offering, bookings for March went up 67 percent over last year. Often, such an announcement will cause customers to hesitate. Allen wonders if the increase is because his customers could not bear the thought of never again visiting Island House. Serious offers have been received in the first week of the listing. Almost all interested buyers are former Island House guests who know the property well. Allen says that his strongest wish for Island House is that it should remain a guesthouse for gay men. For him, Island House contains wonderful memories, and he often describes his work by saying, “In my workday, I am surrounded by happy naked men and a wonderful staff that know how to solve problems.” His surroundings also make him think of his departed husband at every turn. For that reason above all else, he feels the need to leave Key West, a community he will miss greatly. “I am the type of person who is predisposed to being happy. During the last few difficult months I have focused on reconnecting with supportive friends rather than obsessing about my loss,” he said. “Here in Key West I have been an activist for a community I love. I still think this town has a great run ahead of it. I look forward to returning often and I’d love to be a guest at Island House.” If the social media commentary about Allen’s decision to sell Island House is any indicator, many thousands of former guests echo those sentiments, and wish him well.

soflagaynews //

SouthFloridaGayNews

For information about the sale, contact the listing agent: Julie Fondriest Prudential Knight & Gardner Realty, Key West jfondriest@aol.com 305-587-4208. For information about Island House, visit IslandHouseKeyWest.com

Classiﬁed$

counseling/therapy

EXPERIENCED FULL SERVICE TRAVEL AGENT Agency is located on Wilton Drive. Full time position possible for the right person. Must have good internet and communication skills and be well traveled. Ability to assist clients with airline tickets, hotels, cars and cruises and tour packages. Call 954-565-2345 for an initial phone interview. May consider a sharp administrative/ sales person willing to learn the industry.

To place an ad call 954.530.4970 or visit SFGN.com dentists accommodations

PERFECT VACATION RENTALS! Winter rates from $99 per night! Award Winning Gay Hotel. Beautiful Studio, 1 & 2 BR Self Catering Apts. with Full Kitchen.Clothing optional heated pool, laundry, private parking. Central to Wilton Manors & Haulover Nude Beach. Includes Wi-Fi utilities, cable, tel. Gay Owned & Operated. Pets Welcome. Celebrating 16 Years. Call Joe or Jack at (954) 927-0090 or visit www.LibertySuites.com *Four Week+ Relocation Discounts Offered*

employment/jobs

COMPANION FOR ELDERLY GENTLEMAN WANTED - In-home care. Patient suffers from mild dementia. Position is part time to start. Exceptional working environment and conditions. Must have clean background check, mature, good natured and in good health need apply. Submit resume with cover letter, including references and pay requirements to: P.O. Box 2213, Ft. Lauderdale, FL 33303

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employment/jobs

STATE-OF-THE-ART-DENTISTRY General & Cosmetic Dentistry Sedation Dentistry

PERSONAL ASSISTANT & MALE COMPANION SEEKING a part-time job as a personal assistant & male companion in Broward County. Will take you to doctors appointments. Help you w/ your grocery shopping. Reﬁll or pick up medications. Will drive you to do all your errands & assist w/ daily household chores. Great driving record, honest, professional, reliable, trustworthy, & always willing to help and assist. If you have any further questions please call 954-548-1798 or email Ltn69@yahoo.com Thank you. HANDYMAN NEEDED!!! Part time handyman needed to with building projects. Painting, Tile work, Electrical, Construction. Wages based on experience. Call 954-892-0494

SWINGING RICHARDS NOW HIRING Quality Male Dancers & Waiters. Full nudity/upscale club environment with great income potential. Please text (865)385-9568 or email photos/info to roman@swingingrichards.com NURSING/CNA/HHA: LOOKING FOR A FEW GOOD MEN with Nursing Experience, Lic or certiﬁcation. Patient has moderate dementia and is ambulatory. Exceptional environment. Must have clean background check, be in good health and good natured. Kindly submit resume with cover letter including references, salary requirements and desired work hrs/days to: P.O. Box 2213, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33303

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antiques/collectibles WANTED!!! Stamp Collections and Accumulations. Please call John 954-467-7128 OR 954-614-2562.

cleaning services HOME AND COMMERCIAL CLEANING Residential and Commercial cleaning. Experienced with references and provide free estimates. Call 305-896-7494 or 214-356-0684 NINA’S CLEANING SERVICE Upscale and professional. Privately owned. Pet friendly. 12+ years experience. Excellent references available. Call Nina 954-707-0095

attorneys

THE PATIENT AND ANY OTHER PERSONS RESPONSIBLE FOR PAYMENT HAS THE RIGHT TO REFUSE TO PAY, CANCEL PAYMENT OR BE REIMBURSED FOR PAYMENT FOR ANY OTHER SERVICES, EXAMINATION OR TREATMENT WHICH IS PERFORMED AS A RESULT OF AND WITHIN 72 HOURS OF RESPONDING TO THE ADVERTISEMENT FOR THE FREE, DISCOUNTED OR REDUCED SERVICE, EXAMINATION OR TREATMENT.

cleaning services 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. Call Manny 954-560-4443

computers

COMPLETE COMPUTER REPAIR FREE ESTIMATES - No extra charge for in-home. FREE Computer tune-up with any service. Replacement of laptop screen & key board. Viruses, spyware, data recovery, lockouts & more. SAME DAY SERVICE - LOWEST PRICE GUARANTEE Call Ernesto: 754-234-5598 www.CCrepairservices.com HATE WINDOWS 8? We can bring back the look and feel of windows. Same day service. Call 954-986-1316 www.gaycomputerwiz.com

counseling/therapy LICENSED CHRISTIAN COUNSELOR Dr. Saul Thermidor, FACCT # LCCP 0365011212 Licensed Christian Psychologist provides Christian counseling on LGBT, anger, violence & personal issues. I speak English, French and Creole. Call 305-407-9397 day, evening & weekends! soflagaynews //

SouthFloridaGayNews // SFGN.com // 3.26.2014 // 51

employment/jobs

interior design

licensed massage INCREDIBLY AWESOME BODYWORK in WPB! Incalls @ private studio, 15 min. due west of PBIA. Intuitive, experienced LMT offers affordable rates 7 days, early to late. ASK ABOUT WEEKLY SPECIALS! Calls only, 561-254-8065 for the very best massage experience you can get, HANDS DOWN!

pets/supplies Dependable Reliable Service Delivered with Love and Respect

WILTON MANORS MASSAGE Swedish, Deep Tissue, Sports. $59 Swedish Hour. Call or text Chris Tunkus at 954-258-8779 1322 NE 4th Avenue, Fort Lauderdale, FL www.WiltonManorsMassage.com

painting

furniture repair

licensed massage

AAA FURNITURE HOSPITAL We specialize in gluing and clamping of “broken and loose” tables, chairs and occasional pieces. Other services include repair of cigarette burns,perfume stains ,dog bites, water damage,recliner and sofa bed repairs. Free estimates 954-493-5221

INTERIOR PAINTING No job to small! We offer great competitive rates. Call Gregg @ 617-3065694 or Tom @ 352-322-7139. We are reliable and honest with references!

ExpertBuild

L.L.C. The smallest things make the biggest difference.

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Andrzej Obszanski

954.933.7246

ExpertBuildLLC.com piano lessons

WANT TO LEARN HOW TO PLAY THE PIANO? Learn from an experienced teacher. All levels and ages welcome. Learn to play classical, popular, jazz, or show tunes. Visit www.edwinchad.com or call 954-826-9555 for more information.

pets/supplies handyman HUSBAND FOR RENT! Is he procrastinating home repairs? He says he will do it tomorrow?? After the football game?? We ﬁt right in - In the house or the yard, small or big jobs: Tiles, Dry walls, paint, Plumbing, Roof leaks, broken furniture, Irrigation, Fences, wood decks, trash compost bins & more. It doesn’t cost to hassle us to see the work - so why wait? Neat, clean work for reasonable price. Call Haim at 954-398-3676, Sidnalll@yahoo.com

home improvement THINGS YOU NEED TO ACCOMPLISH? Minds at ease, A+ handyman service. Prompt, Reliable & Honest. Call Keldon Keller at 954-551-3127 or email krkeller@aol.com TOP NOTCH CONTRACTING Knows all and does all!! Many years of experience and easy on the eyes! Remodeling, Trimming, Ground molding, Drywall, Painting, Landscaping, Rooﬁng, Tile work, Electrical, Windows, Doors and more. Very reasonable rates and free estimates. Call Shawn 954-549-8243

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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 AFFORDABLE AWESOME MASSAGE BY JIM Offering Swedish, Deep Tissue, Sports and LomiLomi Massage for Men; in a very comfortable, relaxed and Private Massage Studio, NOW conveniently located in Wilton Manors on NE 26th Street, with plenty of free parking. Same Day appointments are welcome; please call Jim, 954-600-5843 email: info@massagebyjim.com or visit my website for testimonials, rates and more. GREAT OPENING SPECIAL NOW AVAILABLE! www.massagebyjim.com Licensed and Certiﬁed MM22293 soflagaynews //

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LIC # 11000106488

pool services

POOL SERVICE Mention this ad and receive your ﬁrst month

FREE! some restrictions apply

Serving Broward Since 1999

Call for a free estimate: 954-367-7007 Web: www.skimmerspools.com Email: skimmerspoolservice@gmail.com

condo for sale MANOR GROVE CONDOS Spacious 2/2 corner unit, w/ wood laminate ﬂooring, new paint throughout & huge master walk-in closet. AC 2006, new water heater & rolladen storm shutter protection. Walking distance to The Drive. Low maint. fee of $316/ mo. Small pet under 20 lbs. okay. Call Jeff Sullivan, EWM Realtors, 954-383-2117

rent/lease fort lauderdale 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 941-548-7989

rent/lease fort lauderdale

I CAN HELP!

KEN EUNICE, REALTOR® CALL

rent/lease pompano beach NEWLY RENOVATED 2BR APARTMENT Very private location, all stainless appliances, tile throughout, minutes from beach, small dogs and cats ok, includes gas, water and electric $1300/ mo, ﬁrst and security. For more information, call Sean at 954-621-7009

rent/lease west palm beach 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

TWO STORY VILLA – OAKLAND PARK Use as 2/2 or 3/2, Kitchen, Living Room, TV room, Balcony, Sundeck, over 1500 sq. ft. W/D included and pets are ok. 4001 NE 14th Ave $1,800/mo Call 954-485-9440

POMPANO BEACH - 2/2 Condo - East of U.S.1, pool, elevator, 2nd ﬂ. end unit, F.L. & Sec., Application/min. 1 yr. lease, $1,100/mo. Call 954-806-8821

real estate for sale DAYTONA BEACH Gay rental complex for sale 2br home + 5 detached rental units beach side. Owner ﬁnancing real estate, trade or cash down. $420k DaytonaGayComplex.com

770.862.9397

KenEunice.com

rent/lease wilton manors

LARGE 2BR/1 BA Beautiful wood ﬂoors, private yard, single family home with canvas covered parking, amazing bonus room, washer/ dryer. Quiet neighborhood walking distance to Wilton Drive/restaurants, clubs, etc. Background check/credit check required. Available NOW!!! $1,650month Please call Terri Wright with Sea Island Realty, Inc. at 954-401-4918

real estate for sale

BUYING? SELLING? RENTING?

BEAUTIFUL LARGE 3/2 PRIVATE HOME FOR RENT IN OAKLAND PARK, FL Gorgeous and totally remodeled large 3 bedroom 2 bath private home for rent in the best Oakland Park location, centrally located just East of I-95 off Cypress Creek Road on a desirable, quiet street. Ceramic throughout, crown molding, textured walls & ceilings, new kitchen and bathrooms, new appliances, central a/c, covered patio and large private tropical fenced yard, lots of parking with paved circular driveway, Spanish tile roof and corner lot. Minutes from beach, airport, Wilton Manors & downtown. No smoking, 1 year lease with 1st, last and security. Must see! Available for May 1, 2014. Call ILAN at 561-330-0688. Asking $1,600 per month; tenant pays utilities.

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

HOUSE FOR RENT, OAKLAND PARK Beautiful 2200sf, house, 4BR/2BA. Open concept. New kitchen/Laundry/Tile/Central air/heat. Fenced yard, patio, Mango and Avocado trees $1900. Must see! By appt. 954-629-2884

real estate for sale

roommates 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 ROOM FOR RENT IN WILTON MANORS Wilton Manors 3 Bedroom pool house room for rent to Gay Professional Male. Must be dog friendly. $650 per month, includes all utilities and full access. Call 954-268-6547 or Email: gwhite5@me.com LOOKING TO RENT A ROOM Senior GWF on Social Security looking to share rent in a clean, decent, safe apartment or home for $350 to $450 per month. I am mobile, have my own car and also looking for any part time work available. Please call 954-325-7111

roommates HOME TO SHARE - WALK TO DRIVE! Mature prof. seeks roommate in 2/2 home w/ pool. Furnished room, private bath, all utilities, cable TV-WiFi internet access, W/D, C/AC, and full house and pool privileges.Only $850/mo. Min 6 mo. lease. Ref/Bkgrnd check required.No pets. Owner has cat.First and security.954-873-5321

spiritual

METAPHYSICAL CHAPEL Metaphysical Chapel of South Florida offers Sunday Divine Services, Healing, Psychic fairs & more. 1480 SW 9th Ave, FtLaud. www.MetaphysicalChapel.com

NEW YEAR... NEW WIN New events, new ideas...

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Save the Date!

WIN’s 19th Annual Charity Golf Tournament

Saturday, April 5, 2014 at Inverrary Country Club

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