6/28/14 V5i26 by South Florida Gay News

PUBLISHER PROPOSES TO PARTNER IN PRINT • 15

MAYOR JACK SEILER’S BAD HAIR DAY! • 14

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June 25, 2014 // vol. 5 // issue 26

Our Day Has Come REPUBLICANS ATTACKED FOR HAVING GAY PRIDE • 7

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MARRIAGE EQUALITY RALLY IN MIAMI BEACH • 22

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

Compiled by Nicole Wiesenthal

Obama Moves to Ensure Sick Leave for Gay Couples

The Obama administration will work to ensure that gay and lesbian Americans are eligible to take leave from their jobs to care for a same-sex spouse, regardless of whether they live in a state that recognizes gay marriage, the White House said Friday. President Barack Obama is directing the Labor Department to start drafting rules making clear that the Family and Medical Leave Act applies to same-sex couples,

allowing gay and lesbian employees to take unpaid leave to care for a sick spouse regardless of where they live. The White House is promoting the move as part of Obama’s push to expand protections for gays and lesbians by allowing same-sex couples to take advantage of the same federal benefits available to married heterosexual couples. From the Associated Press.

Alleged Murderous Boyfriend was Actually a Transient

A Kentucky man accused of striking and killing his boyfriend with a hatchet told Dunedin police he isn’t gay, but was only using the victim for a place to stay, according to the Tampa Bay Times. Arthur Michael DeCarvalho was charged with murder in the First Degree for the murder of Dunedin man David Elsey, according to police. The Times reported the

two had been seeing one another for a while and had been keeping residence at Elsey’s home for the last month or so. Elsey allowed DeCarvalho to tie him up and rape him as part of a rape fantasy, after which DeCarvalho grabbed a hatchet from the garage and struck Elsey about 10 times in the head, the arrest affidavit says. From our media partner, Watermark.

Court Overturns Alabama’s Gay-Sex Ban

A state law criminalizing consensual homosexual conduct is unconstitutional, an Alabama appeals court has ruled. The Alabama Court of Criminal Appeals declared the so-called sexual-misconduct law unconstitutional based on a 2003 U.S. Supreme Court decision that overturned a similar Texas law on due-process grounds.

The judges said no other Alabama court had addressed the law’s constitutionality. LGBT rights advocates hailed the decision, while the prosecutor who had tried to convict a man under the law after the defendant allegedly forced another man to have sex said it hurts the victim. From the Associated Press.

JUNE 25, 2014 • VOLUME 5 • ISSUE 26

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ANDREA RICHARD • DONALD CAVANAUGH CHRISTIANA LILLY • DENISE ROYAL • SEAN MCSHEE DORI ZINN • GARY KRAMER • DAVID-ELIJAH NAHMOD

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Dual Covers:

1) Dennis Godfrey & Steven DeJong, owners of Humpy’s Pizza got married in New York State. - Submitted Photo 2) Schmetrice & Brooke got married in N.Y. but enjoyed a formal ceremony in Cancun, Mexico. - Submitted Photo South Florida Gay News is published weekly. The opinions expressed in columns, stories, and letters to the editor do not represent the opinions of SFGN, or the Publisher. You should not presume the sexual orientation of individuals based on their names or pictorial representations. Furthermore the word “gay” in SFGN should be interpreted to be inclusive of the entire LGBT community. All of the material/columns that appears in print and online, including articles used in conjunction with the AP, is protected under federal copyright and intellectual property laws, and is jealously guarded by the newspaper. Nothing published may be reprinted in whole or part without getting written consent from the Publisher, at his law ofﬁce, at Norm@NormKent.com. SFGN, as a private corporation, reserves the right to enforce its own standards regarding the suitability of advertising copy, illustrations and photographs.

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news highlight ‘March for Marriage’ in D.C. Fails, Again Nicole Wiesenthal

Pride Month is the perfect time to rally up your friends in opposition of same-sex marriage and march in Washington D.C. At the National Organization for Marriage’s second March for Marriage, a feeble number of people voiced their opinions that marriage should be exclusively between a man and a woman. The event would bring in thousands of people, same-sex marriage opponents boasted. But on the day of the event, only 2,000 people showed up, a number of whom actually support gay marriage, according to Media Matters for America. The event was supposed to show that despite the recent same-sex marriage legalizations, there was still a large number of people vying for traditional marriage. “We are falling behind in the struggle,” said Kansas Congressman Tim Huelskamp during NOM’s March for Marriage that took place on the West Lawn of the U.S. Capitol, according to the Washington Blade. “Those who seek to destroy marriage by redefining it to mean anything — and thus mean nothing, are hard

at work.” Speakers like Fox News host and former Gov. Mike Huckabee, former Sen. Rick Santorum and Archbishop Salvatore Codileone from San Francisco preached of the importance of proper male-female marriage. Rick Santorum stressed that they needed to “reclaim” the institution of marriage, according to the Daily Beast. The lack of attendees at the event spoke louder than any of the actual speakers.

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SouthFloridaGayNews // SFGN.com // 6.25.2014 //

News Briefs Compiled by Nicole Wiesenthal

Gender Non-Conforming Teen Forced to Alter DMV Photo

Most people dress their best when looking forward to getting their driver’s license photo. After all, they’ll be toting that picture around as a form of identification for years to come. One boy, Chase Culpepper, age 16, who wears makeup and androgynous or girl’s clothes on a regular basis, perfected his makeup and smoothed out his outfit for the photo, but was asked to change his appearance when he went to get his picture taken at the South Carolina DMV. According to the press release, DMV employees did not think that he was dressed how a boy should be. When asked about a policy or rationale that would force him to change, an employee told Chase that DMV rules prohibited license photos to be taken in “disguise.” Chase, who wanted his license, agreed to his makeup. Now with

ay Rights Groups Target World Cup For Spotlight

Gay rights activists in Brazil are using the spotlight of the World Cup to draw attention to the harsh penalties gay people face in many of the countries represented at soccer’s premier event. This week’s first-round featured a match between Iran, whose former president claimed gays don’t exist, and Nigeria, where the penalty for gay sex ranges from imprisonment to death by stoning. At a city square near the match in Curitaba, a protest led by the gay rights organization Grupo Dignidade attracted about 400 people, many brandishing signs reading “Show homophobia the red card,” and “In this World Cup, homophobia is out of bounds.” Activists also are pointing out that Brazil, itself, is not entirely gay-friendly. Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paulo long have hosted some of the biggest and best-known gay pride parades in South America, and the country was the second in the continent to legalize gay marriage, but outside of major cities, being gay continues to be a fraught existence. Last year in Brazil, there were 313 anti-gay killings, according to the watchdog organization Grupo Gay da Bahia. In 2012, nearly 10,000 anti-gay human rights violations were reported, according to a Brazilian government review. “We have made great strides here in Brazil,” said Grupo Dignidade leader Toni Reis. “But we still have a long way to go.” Reis said gay activists who attended Monday’s Iran-Nigeria match were well received by fans of those two countries and that several Iran supporters who saw the nearby protest expressed their support for its message. From the Associated Press.

uxembourg Approves Same-Sex Marriage

Lawmakers in Luxembourg, whose prime minister is openly gay, overwhelmingly approved changes in the small European nation’s legislation governing marriage on Wednesday that will allow people of the same sex to wed and to adopt children. The Chamber of Deputies voted 56-4 to adopt the bill, which is said to be part of the most fundamental rewrite of

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Luxembourg’s laws on marriage since 1804. The chamber’s website said the new rules could take effect in early 2015, or six months after their official publication. The Human Rights Campaign, a U.S.-based organization in favor of LGBT rights, commended Luxembourg on its decision. Under the reform, Luxembourg’s legislators also fixed the legal age for marriage at 18 and dropped existing legal requirements for a pre-wedding medical exam, as well as the 300-day waiting period that had been imposed on widows or widowers before they could remarry. To combat forced marriages, the lawmakers provided for fines and prison terms. Xavier Bettel, who became Luxembourg’s prime minister in December, is openly gay. Argentina, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Denmark, France, Iceland, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Portugal, South Africa, Spain, Sweden and Uruguay allow same-sex marriage nationwide. The United States, the United Kingdom and Mexico allow it in some regions. From the Associated Press.

bama at NY Fundraisers, Including Gay Donor Gala

To a raucous embrace, President Barack Obama told gay donors Tuesday that American society and its laws have advanced the cause of gay rights over the past 10 years but said the job was hardly over in the U.S. and especially abroad. He received a loud standing ovation when he declared that he had directed the White House to prepare an executive order barring discrimination by federal contractors on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity. The White House announced the initiative Monday, a long-sought measure in the gay community that Obama initially had resisted. “It’s not just laws that are changing, it’s hearts and minds,” he said before 550 supporters at a Democratic National Committee fundraising dinner for LGBT donors. Obama was courting high-dollar Democratic contributors in New York, also headlining an event for a super PAC like the ones he once decried and appearing with about 30 donors who paid up to $32,400 to dine at the home of Vogue editor Anna Wintour. Obama’s attendance at the three fundraisers underscores

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the Transgender Legal Defense and Education Fund (TLDEF), he calls upon the South Carolina Department of Motor Vehicles to allow him to retake his picture with his normal appearance. “Chase’s freedom to express his gender should not be restricted by DMV staff,” said TLDEF Executive Director Michael Silverman in a letter to the DMV. “He is entitled to be who he is and to express that without interference from government actors. Forcing Chase to remove his makeup prior to taking his driver’s license photo restricts his free speech right in violation of state and federal constitution protections.” Chase hopes that with the case, he will help ease the burden other gender non-conforming teenagers’ experiences.

his popularity as a draw for big donors and his utility in an election year building up the treasuries of the Democratic Party. Earlier Tuesday, Obama was in Pittsburgh promoting his economic policies and drawing contrasts with congressional Republicans, another midterm presidential task aimed at helping Democrats. The dinner and the fundraiser for the Senate Majority PAC were closed to the media. The news media was permitted to cover Obama’s remarks to the Democratic National Committee’s gala for LGBT donors, the centerpiece event of the evening. From the Associated Press.

anadian Trans Boy Given New Birth Certiﬁcate

After a groundbreaking ruling, a 12-year-old boy from Alberta, Canada, received a new birth certificate Sunday that identifies him as male, the Canadian Press reports. Wren Kauffman was given his new birth certificate during a Pride festival brunch in Edmonton, Alberta, which was hosted by the city’s mayor, Don Iveson. Cultural minister Heather Klimchuck presented the boy with the document. According to a spokesman for Klimchuck, the new certificate changed now has the letter “M” instead of an “F.” Wren filed a complaint with the Alberta Human Rights Commission when he was not allowed to change his gender on his birth certificate. According to Alberta law, a transgender person must have reassignment surgery before they can change their birth certificate, but Premier David Hancock said in April that the requirement will be nixed. A week after Hancock’s announcement, a judge ruled the law violates trans rights. In the 70s, most provinces in Canada changed laws so people could change their gender on their birth certificates after they had sex reassignment surgery. The new laws didn’t mention children since one must be 18 years or older to undergo the surgery. “If you’re not yourself, then it kind of gets sad and depressing,” Kauffman told the CBC last year, according to Gay Star News. “I’m glad that I told everybody.” Similar complaints have been filed in other provinces in Canada, including British Columbia, Saskatchewan and Manitoba. From our media partner, Edge.

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resbyterians Vote to Allow Same-Sex Marriage

(CNN) The Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) voted Thursday to allow pastors to marry same-sex couples in states where it is legal. The church also voted, by an overwhelming majority, to change the language about marriage in the church constitution to “two persons” from a “man and a woman,” according to More Light Presbyterians, a group that supports gay rights. To take effect, that change would need to be approved by a majority of 172 local presbyteries, which have a year to vote, the church said in a statement. However, starting Saturday, pastors can go ahead and begin marrying same-sex couples in the states that allow it, according to Toya Richards Jackson, a church spokeswoman.

ay Michigan Man Sent to Vestibule During Catholic Mass

Immediate First Year Bonus Interest Rate

(AP) A gay Upper Peninsula man says he will worship elsewhere after he was barred from his Catholic church’s sanctuary during Mass. Bobby G. Brown tells WLUC-TV that he was told he could listen to Sunday’s service from the vestibule at St. Michael Catholic Church in Marquette. On Saturday, Brown and partner Don Roberts held a backyard commitment ceremony after 31 years together. Brown began attending Mass at St. Michael eight years ago, became a member five years later and was baptized in the church. He’s served on the pastoral council, as a cantor, lector and choir member.

odern Family’ Dad Headlines Gay Event

(AP) Actor Ty Burrell from ABC’s “Modern Family” is set to headline a fundraiser Thursday in Salt Lake City for gay marriage. Burrell, who plays bumbling dad Phil Dunphy on the hit show, is lending his celebrity status to help co-star Jesse Tyler Ferguson, who plays one half of the show’s gay couple. The event is being staged by the National Center for Lesbian Rights and hosted by an organization that Ferguson and his real-life husband created two years ago to support groups that fight to make gay marriage legal. They will be selling a bow tie called “The Ty Burrell.”

ut of the Closet Scooter Sweepstakes

* R ATES EFFECTIVE 3/15/2014 SUBJECT TO CHANGE.

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(SFGN) To encourage people to get tested for AIDS, South Florida Out of the Closet Thrift Stores will be giving away four Vespa’s to those who fill out all information and participate in a one-minute HIV test in South Florida before June 29. People can gain eligibility by attending an HIV testing event, going to an AHF Mobile Testing Unit or visiting one of the four Out of the Closet store locations in Florida and taking an HIV test. “The mission is more individuals, gay men in particular, in particular, get tested and know their status,” said Will Acosta, 25, assistant manager of Out of the Closet in Wilton Manors, according to the Miami Herald.

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news local Gay Issues Tearing Broward Republicans Apart Anthony Man Sun Sentinel

Two of Broward’s top Republicans are being attacked by a faction of their own party for participating in this past weekend’s gay pride parade in Wilton Manors. The critics are going after County Commissioner Chip LaMarca, the only Republican on the nine-member commission, as he campaigns for re-election in November. They’re also targeting Heather Brinkworth, who was appointed to the School Board by Republican Gov. Rick Scott. Brinkworth is a Republican; School Board seats are officially nonpartisan. She is running to retain her seat in the Aug. 26 election. LaMarca and Brinkworth were among a contingent of federal, state and local officials – almost all Democrats – who marched or rode in the parade. The Sun Sentinel Broward Politics pictures of LaMarca and Brinkworth – along with a picture of four scantily clad young men – were lifted and put on a flier and email missive. The picture of the scantily clad men was taken before 3 p.m. – four hours before LaMarca and Brinkworth marched in the parade, which

began at 7 p.m. The headline on the flier: “Is this the Republican Party you signed up for?” The flier went on to assert that there are $15 billion in health care costs “each year due to male on male sexually transmitted disease!” “Some people just make poor decisions and need to be educated. Others will do anything to stay in POWER. Is it worth selling your soul to the devil to get maybe 10% of a 1% homosexual voting block? “Will you stand up for the 2012 Republican Plat-form values; God, traditional marriage and Families or will you follow the democrats [sic] down the path to self-destruction?” Next to Brinkworth’s picture, the flier asked, “What kind of people do you want responsible for your Child’s education?” The provenance of the flier isn’t clear. It doesn’t have a disclaimer common on political materials indicating who paid for it. The flier was circulated among some people at Monday night’s monthly meeting of the Broward Republican Party’s committeemen and committeewomen, who make up the group that

runs the local party. Danita Kilcullen, a Republican committeewoman and co-founder of Tea Party Fort Lauderdale, sent out an email version, but said she wasn’t responsible for printing the flier. She didn’t say who was responsible. Kilcullen’s email began: “Whores chasing whores, if you will.” Also on Monday night, Republican Chairman Tom Truex introduced all the Republican elected officials and candidates late in the meeting. He said LaMarca had been there but had to leave early. Someone yelled out from the area where the committeemen and committeewomen were sitting that “He had to go to a gay event.”

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Brinkworth could not be reached for comment early Tuesday before the School Board convened its meeting. LaMarca, reached before the County Commission convened, said he has participated in the parade in the past, before he was elected and since. “I represent a significant portion of Broward County’s gay community, and they like everybody else has issues that come before the County Commission,” LaMarca said. LaMarca used to represent Wilton Manors, but redistricting removed the city from his district, meaning “I didn’t go there for votes.” He said he attended to “show everybody – as attending events in the black community and attending events in less Republican areas – I’m a commissioner that’s always there. I’d much rather be educated on issues by talking to people than getting talking points from someone or some organization telling me how to think.” LaMarca, a former chairman of the Broward Republican Party, rejected suggestions that he doesn’t represent his party. “I don’t have any concerns about the kind of Republican I am. I’ve been a Republican all my life,” he said. “I don’t have any concerns about my principles.” Kilcullen said she emailed the photos and comments because “I don’t think Republicans should be marching in gay parades because our platform does not suggest that we do that. It suggests quite the opposite.” See the full story online at SFGN.com.

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news local

13th Annual Stonewall Black and White Ball on Saturday Anthony Lanni

The 13th annual Stonewall Black and White Compass ball will be honoring 45 years of LGBT accomplishments of the LBGT rights movement on Saturday June 28 at the Harriet Himmel at CityPlace, in the heart of downtown West Palm Beach. “The event recognizes not only the collective history of the LGBT movement but also sheds light on opportunities for the community’s future through full inclusive social justice,” said Compass Marketing director Ana Lucia Zagazeta. The event attracts over 1,000 people including many elected officials and community activists. The Stonewall Ball VIP wine reception will begin at 8 p.m. followed by general admission, which is set to begin at 9 p.m. The ball will feature food, dance and

its annual silent auction. General admission tickets are $30 in advance, $40 at the door and VIP reception with admission is $60. “Last year the Stonewall Black and White Ball event was voted the best social event of the year,” Zagazetta said. Visit CompassGLCC.com for more information.

PrideFest in St. Pete This Weekend More than 175,000 expected to attend Anthony Lanni

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4800 N. DIXIE HIGHWAY, FORT LAUDERDALE JUST SOUTH OF COMMERCIAL BLVD.

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Florida celebrates the largest Pride celebration of the year this weekend in St. Pete. The 12th annual St Pete Pride Street Festival and Promenade will take place June 27-29. This year’s theme, “Global Equality” was chosen by the community through an interactive Facebook poll. Pride Executive Director Eric Skains says “I feel this is a great theme for 2014. Pride is a movement that goes beyond our own boundaries, it’s a global cause of liberation, commemoration, and celebration of the LGBT community.” Organizers expect over 175,000 people to attend the weekend festivities, which will feature performances by Grammy Nominated Settle songwriter Mary Lambert. Lambert — whose vocals are featured on the gay-rights anthem “Same Love” with hip hop superstar Macklemore — have made her a household name among gay rights advocates as well as a crucial leader in dispelling negative misconceptions to LGBT youth. Highlights include the annual parade, featuring more than 150 entrants, and is only one our of five in the nation to hold it’s

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event at nighttime. The block party kicks off at 5 p.m. on Saturday in the heart of the gay nexus, the historic Kenwood Neighborhood and Grand Central District. This year grand marshals include Darden Rice, the first openly gay female to run for office in St. Petersburg, and Resource Development Manger for AIDS Service Association of Pinellas, Jay Aller. On Sunday the St. Pete Pride Festival Street Fair will begin at 11 a.m. with free admission. More than 300 exhibitors will be present, with multiple stages and a variety of musical performers. For more information visit StPetePride.com or Pride’s official Facebook page at Facebook. com/StPetePride.

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opinion publisher’s editorial

Fort Lauderdale Nearly Behind the 8 Ball Norm Kent

norm.kent@sfgn.com

Last week, city commissioners from Fort Lauderdale were called upon to endorse a simple ‘marriage equality’ resolution, one that has won support across the country from elective boards. It was entitled to nothing less than unanimous approval. A largely ceremonial resolution, it simply affirmed the city’s commitment to stand tall against Florida’s constitutional ban against same-sex marriage. This resolution would send an important and resounding message of outreach to the city’s LGBT community. The very unjust legal ban on same-sex marriage was imposed by a vote six years ago. Federal courts have since systematically disemboweled similar laws and state constitutional amendments. The Defense of Marriage Act, which prohibited the federal government from recognizing legal samesex marriages, met its legal doom last year when the Supreme Court ruled it unconstitutional. Neither a legal scholar or a rocket scientist is needed to point out that Florida’s ban will crumble this year as well, maybe as soon next week at a July 2 hearing in a Miami courtroom. These types of bans are being challenged in every state in America and one by one are being ruled unconstitutional. In reality the city commissioners of Fort Lauderdale were being asked to adopt a policy and position consistent with the emerging law. They were not being asked to abandon their religious beliefs. To its credit, the LGBT community of greater Fort Lauderdale turned out en masse last Tuesday, articulating with emotion and fact, clarity and concern, our collective voice. It was a moment in the sun for all of us. Passion and principle won the day and the vote — barely. The resolution passed by a 3-2 vote. Prior to the discussion, a majority vote was not secured.

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During the debate, we obviously knew that Dean Trantalis, the gay city commissioner who introduced the resolution, forcing the issue, would vote for it. The others though were up in the air. First of all, on principle alone, it’s not for city commissioners, or county commissioners to vote on your rights. These are your rights, and they are inalienable, sacred, and beyond the provincial reach or concern of commissioners. They are not subject to popular vote. They are warranted by constitutional guarantee. Still, last Tuesday’s vote had meaning. In our society, whether it’s the American flag, or Bald Eagle, symbols matter. They count, they have impact, and they have influence. The message in Fort Lauderdale that needed to be sent was one of inclusion. Years before, in a mayoral life thankfully gone away, Jim Naugle attempted to bastardize the gay community. The stain sores us still. This vote was a chance for redemption. Instead of making news by denigrating its LGBT citizens, the commissioners had a chance to champion them. Dozens of cities across America have already endorsed same sex marriage resolutions, so only a ‘no’ vote would have made that meeting really newsworthy. Regretfully, Mayor Jack Seiler, decided to remain consistent in his opposition to marriage equality. So too did Romney Rogers, known for his strongly religious beliefs. Lawyers by day, both presented themselves to be historical relics at night, ignoring the fact that marriage is a social contract, not a sacred scripture. We don’t elect candidates to office to interpret scriptures, but rather follow the law and lead the way to a better place for all of us. ‘All of us’ includes gays and lesbians. The law today requires you to endorse marriage equality not just because it’s the fundamentally fair thing to do, but because

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courts are saying it’s a fundamental constitutional right. How dare you as city commissioners parade a 40 foot banner across your dais celebrating Fort Lauderdale as an ‘All-American city’ and then say gays and lesbians are not equal to you, your values, or your rights? South Florida and greater Fort Lauderdale, including locales like South Beach and Wilton Manors, is the epicenter of gay life in America. On the same day as this vote the U.S. Senate confirmed, by a 97-0 vote, an African American gay man as a U.S. District Court judge. He will serve on the bench across the street from Fort Lauderdale City Hall. Go tell him, and his husband, that their marriage is not valid in your eyes. Go walk through the ArtsUnited same-sex marriage exhibit in the city’s main library down the block, and go tell those couples their love is not valid. In closing, we applaud the candor and honesty of city commissioner Bruce Roberts, who, in a telling moment last Tuesday, summarized the matter with simple eloquence. His words went something like this: “I didn’t think about these issues years ago, and I didn’t bargain for these kind of debates when I got elected to city commission. But I know the LGBT community consists of good people, fine businesspersons and principled partners of South Florida, and I know what’s right. And passing this resolution is the right thing to do.” Yes, it was.

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publisher proposes

“I Want to Marry You!” Jason Parsley

“What Are Your Thoughts on Marriage Equality?” “Speak OUT” is a weekly feature in SFGN, which is giving a voice to South Florida’s LGBT leaders. This week we asked them for their thoughts on marriage equality. Below are some of their answers: “As a religious person, I will continue working until complete marriage equality is the law of the land. Marriage is a sacred institution that elevates holiness onto couples, makes a family from two separate individuals, and inspires the community. We teach that God is delighted when two people come together in commitment and joy.” — Noah Kitty, Rabbi and Executive Director of Congregation Etz Chaim “Florida leads among southern states in support for marriage equality. Perhaps our politicians and lawmakers should be required to take a diversitytraining course. The gay marriage momentum is strong and our community is united.”

Dear Aydin, Over the last 14 years we’ve made many memories and built a life together. And through the ups and downs we’ve stayed by each other’s side no matter what. We traveled more than 21,000 miles together cross-country visiting all lower 48 states in a Honda Civic and we didn’t kill each other. It was a trip of lifetime and I got to share it with the person that I love the most — you. I want to continue making memories with you for all the days of our lives. You’ve always believed in me. And I believe in us. You’ve always looked beyond my faults — loving me for who I am — the good and the bad. I can’t promise I’ll always pick up my socks but I promise I’ll keep on trying. A few months ago as we lay in the bed you turned to me and said, “no matter what happens you’ll always be ‘the one’ for me.” And it was at that moment every fear, every insecurity, melted away and I knew in the depths of my soul there was no one else that I wanted to spend the rest of my life with. I just didn’t know it though; I felt it. When gay marriage started sweeping the nation, for whatever reason, we never felt

compelled to travel across the country to get married — just for the sake of getting married. Marriage isn’t about tax breaks and benefits; those are great and all. But ultimately marriage is about two people loving each and wanting to share life’s triumphs and tragedies together — forever. As a journalist, I’ve had to keep track of every gay marriage court case, every legislative vote and sometimes it’s so easy to get caught up in the “right” to marry, sometimes forgetting the “reason” for marriage — love. And I love you Aydin Koymen. And I want you to be my husband. Will you marry me?

— Lori Lynch, Executive Director, LGBT Visitor Center of Miami Beach “Unfortunately since Windsor, Marriage equality in Florida has not evolved beyond two distinct forms of discrimination. First is the discrimination that results from Florida’s statutory and constitutional ban, which prevents people of the same gender from getting married. Second is Florida’s refusal to recognize the lawfully entered marriages of same gender from other states and the resulting inability to divorce. From the national landscape Windsor was a major leap forward for LGBT rights but absent substantial legal changes, Florida continues to be devoid of marriage equality. The Law Offices of George Castrataro, PA is currently litigating a case against the State of Florida seeking to force the recognition of marriages validly entered in other states. Simultaneously, Liz Schartz, Esq. is diligently litigating a case seeking to force the State of Florida to allow same gender marriage. Both cases are being pursued with the diligent assistance of the Equality Florida and the National Center for Lesbian Rights.” — George Castrataro, noted attorney and LGBT activist

Visit SFGN.com/SpeakOut to see more of this week’s responses. Send an Email to Jason.Parsley@sfgn.com if you know of a LGBT community leader that should be or wants to be a part of this list. soflagaynews //

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news feature

Anniversary of U.S. v. Windsor What a difference one year can make Lisa Keen

Keen News Service

June 26 is the most historic date on the LGBT civil rights movement’s calendar. It is the day in 2003 when the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that states could not enforce laws prohibiting same-sex adults from having intimate relations. It is the day in 2013 when a Supreme Court procedural ruling enabled same-sex couples to marry in California. And it is the day in 2013 when the Supreme Court ruled that the federal government could not deny married same-sex couples the same benefits it provides to married male-female couples. While the decision that allowed couples in California to marry provided important momentum to the marriage equality movement, the decisions in the 2003 Lawrence v. Texas and 2013 U.S. v. Windsor cases are undeniably the most important Supreme Court decisions ever issued on LGBT-related matters. Lawrence brought a crashing end to the longstanding presumption by society and the law that gays were “deviate” and should be singled out for disfavor. “When homosexual conduct is made criminal by the law of the State, that declaration in and of itself is an invitation to subject homosexual persons to discrimination both in the public and in the private spheres,” wrote Justice Anthony Kennedy for the 6 to 3 majority in Lawrence. “…The State cannot demean their existence or control their destiny by making their private sexual conduct a crime. Their right to liberty under the Due Process Clause gives them the full right to engage in their conduct without intervention of the government.” And it was Justice Kennedy who wrote the 5 to 4 majority decision in Windsor last year, striking the key provision of the federal Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) that barred every federal entity from treating married same-sex couples the same as married heterosexual couples for the purpose of any federal benefit. “The Constitution’s guarantee of equality ‘must at the very least mean that a bare congressional desire to harm a politically unpopular group cannot’ justify disparate treatment of that group,” wrote Kennedy in Windsor. “….DOMA’s unusual deviation from the usual tradition of recognizing and accepting state definitions of marriage here operates to deprive same-sex couples of the benefits and responsibilities that come with the federal recognition of their marriages. This is strong evidence of a law having the purpose and effect of disapproval of that class. The avowed purpose and practical effect of the law here in question are to impose a disadvantage, a separate status, and so a stigma upon all who enter into same-sex marriages made lawful by the unquestioned authority of the States.” “….DOMA undermines both the public and private significance of state-sanctioned same-sex marriages; for it tells those couples, and all the world, that their otherwise valid marriages are unworthy of federal recognition,” wrote Kennedy. “This places same-sex couples in an unstable position of being in a secondtier marriage. The differentiation demeans the couple,

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whose moral and sexual choices the Constitution protects.... And it humiliates tens of thousands of children now being raised by same-sex couples. The law in question makes it even more difficult for the children to understand the integrity and closeness of their own family and its concord with other families in their community and in their daily lives.” Kennedy’s words in both Lawrence and Windsor have been repeated in numerous court decisions since. And the powerful influence of words and decisions has almost obscured the fact that they were narrow victories. In Lawrence, Kennedy wrote for just five of the six justices who considered sodomy laws to be unconstitutional; while Justice Sandra Day O’Connor provided a sixth vote in concurrence with the judgment, she did not join Kennedy’s opinion to the extent that it overruled the 1986 decision in Bowers v. Hardwick (which had upheld state sodomy laws). O’Connor said she would simply strike Texas’ law on equal protection grounds. (“Moral disapproval of this group, like a bare desire to harm the group, is an interest that is insufficient to satisfy rational basis review under the Equal Protection Clause.”) In Windsor, Kennedy wrote for just five justices. One of those five, Elena Kagan, had been on the bench for only two and a half years and apparently had to recuse herself from a similar DOMA challenge that had reached the high court sooner because she likely discussed it while serving as Solicitor General. If the court had taken that first case, Gill v. Office of Personnel Management, the court likely would have rendered a tie vote and DOMA would still be in effect in most states. Often forgotten, too, is the enormous influence the sitting president had on the impact of each decision. The administration of President George W. Bush took no action in 2003 to see that the Lawrence decision was quickly and thoroughly respected by various federal programs, such as the military’s “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” law banning openly gay servicemembers. It continued enforcing the ban that had been approved by a Congress that pointed to sodomy laws to justify its hostile treatment of gays. Bush said nothing about the Lawrence decision and the White House press secretary brushed it off as a “state matter.” Then, in 2004, Bush spoke in support of a Congressional bill that sought to ban marriage for same-sex couples. In contrast, President Obama spoke out quickly in support of the Supreme Court’s decision in Windsor and ordered his administration “to review all relevant federal statutes to ensure this decision, including its implications for Federal benefits and obligations, is implemented swiftly and smoothly.” Legal activists responded differently following both decisions, too. LGBT legal activists were still wary of mounting lawsuits that would wind up in front of the

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Supreme Court. Even as late as 2009, they thought it was “too early” to put another issue to a vote at the Supreme Court. But following the Windsor decision last year, legal activists filed more than 70 lawsuits in short order, challenging state laws in 30 states that banned marriage for same-sex couples. Prior to the Windsor decision, 12 states and the District of Columbia allowed same-sex couples to marry. One year later, 18 states and D.C. have marriage equality and another 14 states have had courts declare their bans on same-sex couples marrying unconstitutional. Prior to the Windsor ruling, 18 percent of the U.S. population lived in states with marriage equality. Today, not counting Wisconsin or Pennsylvania (whose bans are still subject to appeal), 39 percent of the population lives in marriage equality states. U.S. Deputy Assistant Attorney General Pam Karlan shared with DOJ Pride attendees earlier this month some of her memories of having clerked for Supreme Court Justice Harry Blackmun in 1986 when he authored the dissent to the court’s Bowers v. Hardwick decision, upholding state laws prohibiting private consensual sex between same-sex adults. Karlan said she suggested to Blackmun that the majority opinion was resting on “an unexamined assumption that gay people were different in a way that permitted denying them” the right to intimate relations. When Blackmun wrote his dissent, she said, he made a subtle change to her suggested language, saying the majority opinion was based “on the assumption that homosexuals are so different from other citizens….” “In making those changes, Justice Blackmun was doing two things,” said Karlan. “First, he was emphasizing that gay people are citizens – that is, true members of our national community. But second, and just as importantly, he was rejecting the idea that there is an ‘us’ for straight people – and that gay people are somehow a ‘them.’ And he was laying the groundwork for an understanding that the central constitutional claim is not just one about liberty; it is about equality as well.” © 2014 Keen News Service. All rights reserved.

news feature

Fort Lauderdale Commissioners Approve Marriage-Equality Resolution Larry Barszewski Sun Sentinel

In a symbolic gesture [last week], city commissioners approved a marriageequality resolution urging state leaders to take action to legalize same-sex marriage. While the measure doesn’t change the fact that the state’s Constitution bans gay marriage, supporters of the resolution said it was critical for Fort Lauderdale officials to make clear their opposition to that ban. The city has become a marquis destination for gay tourists and is home to one of the state’s largest gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender populations.

the LGBT community. “On this issue I have not changed my position. I remain committed to civil unions with full benefits,” Seiler said. But those concepts are nothing more than “separate but equal,” one speaker said, something that “doesn’t fly” anymore. Only a couple of speakers opposed the resolution. Jordan Pearl said polygamy and incest marriages would follow if same-sex marriage is legalized. “You’re mocking the beliefs of the

What do you think about Fort Lauderdale Mayor Jack Seiler voting against marriage equality? “The right to marriage equality should not be taken for granted, as we have seen with the legislative diminishment of reproductive rights. Mayor Jack Seiler should not be given a pass on his vote for “separate but equal.” Ft. Lauderdale’s LGBT community has far less political influence than it should.” — Brian McNaught, noted columnist, author and LGBT activist “Federal law does not confer the same rights to partners in civil unions as it does to married couples. By only supporting civil unions, Mayor Seiler is communicating to his constituents that he views gays and lesbians as merely second class citizens, not to be treated equally as mandated by the constitution of this country. His improvident political ambition trumps the basic, enduring principles under which this nation was founded. His cowardly abandonment of responsible legislating will cost him much more than votes from a, heretofore, favorable electorate in the next election; it will have cost him his place marker on the right side of history on a great civil rights movement of our time. The United States is moving forward with or without Mayor Seiler. I am thoroughly disgusted with his vote, and we all should question, if not doubt, whether he is worthy of representing the people of this ‘all American’ city.”

“If we’re truly going to be an All-America city, we have to be a city for all Americans,” said Commissioner Dean Trantalis, referring to the national award the city won over the weekend. The victory was not a foregone conclusion and the result was not the unanimous endorsement supporters had desired. The commission voted 3-2 to approve the resolution. Commissioners Trantalis, Bobby DuBose and Bruce Roberts supported the resolution, while Mayor Jack Seiler and Vice Mayor Romney Rogers opposed it. Rogers, whose voice cracked as he spoke, said he didn’t run for office “to be on the right side of history,” but because of his love for the community. “Certainly I’m in favor of equality. But I believe marriage is a sacred covenant,” Rogers said. Seiler said he was an early supporter of domestic partnerships and civil unions for

religious community. You’re mocking the Bible,” Pearl said. “You’re saying that God, Moses and Jesus are wrong.” About 30 people spoke in support of the resolution. “We deserve this dignity,” resident Chad Thilborger said. “It’s time that you actually recognize who we are for and what we stand for.” Many said they had been forced to marry out of state or were planning weddings elsewhere because of Florida’s ban. They said it was an economic issue as well, because the state was passing up all that wedding business. Geph Scarr said is getting married on Labor Day, but he and his fiance are going to Mexico City because they can’t tie the knot at home. “We could be having our wedding right here in Fort Lauderdale,” Scarr said. “We’re missing out on that possibility.”

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— Jason King, Advocacy and Legislative Affairs Manager in AIDS Healthcare Foundation’s southern region “At first glance, favoring civil unions as an acceptable position may seem like a step in the right direction, however looking at equality as a whole would mean equal rights for all members of the community, both straight and gay. To many civil unions and marriage are similar but not the same, even with full benefits. According the U.S. Census LGBT identified households make up 2.8 percent of the general Fort Lauderdale population — outranking Seattle (2.6 percent) and San Francisco (2.5 percent). As those percentages rise due to the area’s desirable location and affordable housing market, support for marriage equality should be a top priority for, not just the LGBT community, but advocates and elected officials as well.” — A.J. Alegria, President of Impulse Group, Fort Lauderdale SouthFloridaGayNews // SFGN.com // 6.25.2014 // 17

news feature

Three Couples: 144 Years of Love Christiana Lilly

The rain didn’t hinder the festivities of last weekend’s Stonewall Summer Pride, including the spirits of the Luminary Couples of South Florida. A group of LGBT couples who have been together for 10 years or more, from the float they waved to the crowd and showed the community their long-time loves. Times have changed since many of them fell in love, and for the better.

“When I see young people out there today, I want them to at some point stop and look and see how hard it was to get to the point where there’s any acceptance at all today,” said Mary Maguire, one of the Luminary Couples. Below are three of their stories.

Chuck Hunziker & Dr. Bob Collier Together for 51 years It was the Fourth of July in 1963 when Chuck Hunziker spotted a “beautiful man” sitting on a tiny towel at Jacob Riis Park beach, a gay beach in Queens, that their love story began. He invited that man, Dr. Bob Collier, to sit with him and a friend on a larger towel and eventually asked him out to dinner at a romantic garden restaurant in Greenwich Village. A month later, they moved in together and are still a couple to this day. “It was love at first sight,” Hunziker, 82, said of his husband, whom he married in July 2013. They seemed to be completely different. Hunziker was a Broadway dancer from New Jersey and Collier, 79, graduated from high school in Maine at 16 to head off to Cornell to become a doctor. Collier had never dated men before Hunziker. However, they were similar in many ways too. The two had both served in the military — Collier a captain in the U.S. Army Medical Corps with the Special Forces during the Vietnam War. Hunziker enlisted in the Navy in 1952 during the Korean War, where he contracted tuberculosis. He spent 18 months in Naval and VA hospitals and had part of his lung removed, ending his dance career. He went to

college on the GI Bill and worked for Mobil Oil Corp for 25 years while Collier worked in occupational medicine as vice president and medical director at MetLife. “I worried every morning going to work if I would have a job,” Hunziker says of working in the early days. Together, the couple lived in New York and New Jersey, enjoying the art scene, theater, and traveling. Upon retirement, they moved to Weston in 1997, then to Fort Lauderdale in 2000. In their 51 years together, they’ve enjoyed living in 15 different homes, many requiring major renovation and landscaping — Hunziker said they’ve loved each one, but their current home will be their last. The two registered as domestic partners as soon as it was available in Broward County. On July 15, 2013, just after their 50th wedding anniversary, they were legally married in New York City. “Our engagement of 50 years together was long enough,” Collier laughed. The two have been involved in a number of LGBT organizations, including the Pride Center, Gay American Heroes Foundation and Tuesday’s Angels.

Also, they are one of eight plaintiff couples in the ACLU federal lawsuit to end Florida’s refusal to recognize marriages of same-sex couples performed legally in another state.

Father John Joseph Reid & Father Lawrence J. Turner Together for 41 years John Joseph Reid was sitting in a 12-step recovery meeting in Boston in March 1973 when another man in the group caught his eye — Lawrence J. Turner. A week later they became a couple, having learned more about each other as people and realizing how much they had in common — the two were gay, loved the Catholic Church, and yearned to be priests, something they thought they could never do. “We wouldn’t become priests in the Roman Catholic Church because we knew we were gay and we didn’t want to lie,” Reid said of their struggle. “We didn’t want to live a life of deceit.” Instead, Reid worked as a clinical psychologist and Turner a union electrician. As the decades passed, the two men “dated” in the way most people did at the time, passing each other off as friends and then roommates. “Forty-one years ago whether you lived in Boston or whether you lived in New York it was oppression. It was the love that you dare not speak its name,” he said.

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Eventually, the couple came out to their parents, who are now supportive of their relationship. In 1997, the two moved to Florida and discovered the American New Catholic Church, where women were priests, people could remarry after divorce, and where they could fulfill their spiritual dreams. Reid was ordained as a priest and Turner followed in his footsteps a few years later. Today, they are a part of the Divine Mercy Chapel in Wilton Manors. “[It’s] freedom to be who God created us to be. Freedom to be able to be with other people, straight, gay,” Reid said. “This is the church of the future and we want to be part of it.” Then in 2004, their lives were complete when Massachusetts was the first state to legalize gay marriage and the priests exchanged vows. “The [Roman Catholic] church told us to marry our own kind. I listened to what my mother and the church said and I married my own kind,” Reid joked. “God is love and God put us together.” However, back home in Florida, their marriage is not recognized and instead they are treated as “second-class citizens,” Reid said. They two are anxiously awaiting the results of the ACLU taking the state to court on same-sex marriage on July 2.

Jackie Emmett & Mary Maguire Together for 52 years It was in 1962 that two women met the loves of their lives — in Navy boot camp. When Mary Maguire, 70, of Long Island arrived at her room in Great Lakes, she saw her roommate, Jackie Emmett, 74, of Puerto Rico — a petite woman who kept everything very neat, and was just as nice. While they hit it off, it wasn’t for another year that they actually started dating and it would be half a century before they would be out in the open. “It’s hard to be a woman in the Navy, let alone a gay woman in the Navy,” Maguire said. “We kept our private life very private.” Together for three years, Emmett wound up moving to California to marry another sailor, a man, to please her parents. Maguire says she was “heartbroken,” and knew the woman she loved was doing it for all the wrong reasons. However, it all worked out. “She wasn’t gone 30 days,” Maguire said. Maguire started working for FedEx, and the couple moved around the country whenever she was transferred to another office. For the next 50 years, the women were always together but never acknowledged to others that they were

in a relationship. Emmett’s family knew, but no one ever said anything. Maguire’s family was not supportive and cut her out of the will. Her brother said she could come to his wedding, but only if Emmett didn’t come. Maguire skipped it. However, for their 50th anniversary in 2012, they came out. Maguire took the love of her life on an Olivia cruise, where they were shocked by all the open lesbians. “It was really kind of an eye opener for us because we had never been around that many gay people or that many gay women. They were very open and out, and it was quite an experience because we were a little uncomfortable because we weren’t used to it,” Maguire said. Then, with the encouragement of a niece, the two went up to New Hampshire the next year and were legally married — Maguire’s brother was there as well. “Jackie was saying, we really don’t need to get married, we’ve been together for 50 years,” Maguire said. “We don’t need somebody else’s approval for us to know that our being together was the right thing to do.”

letters to the editor We Urge Mayor Seiler to Reevaluate His Position By Tony Lima Mayor Seiler’s vote against a symbolic resolution in support of marriage equality is disappointing for a lot of reasons, not the least of which being that he leads a city ranked by The Advocate as the fourth-gayest in America. Not only does a large and diverse LGBT population reside in Fort Lauderdale, but according to the Greater Fort Lauderdale Convention & Visitors Bureau, the greater Fort Lauderdale area is called home by the largest number of LGBT couples in the country and hosted 1.3 million LGBT visitors last year who spent a collective $1.5 billion. Think about that. Marriage equality is poised to benefit an economy, which already benefits from LGBT tourism and families in a huge way. In a region like South Florida still suffering under the effects of the Great Recession, we need local leaders who will do everything in their power to support opportunity for all — including supporting economic opportunities in the form of jobs generated by the inevitable rush of LGBT nuptials by tourists and residents alike. Setting aside the shared economic benefits of a proequality stance, Mayor Seiler has said he supports civil unions for same-sex couples with the full benefits of marriage. We appreciate his attempt to accommodate LGBT couples, but we have passed the point in the debate where this is an acceptable position. Calling marriage something else when it is performed between two loving, committed adults of the same sex creates a second-class status for LGBT married couples, regardless of whether

the status formally confers the same legal benefits as marriage between heterosexual couples. Mayor Seiler has claimed to support equality for LGBT people. In the end, his vote against marriage equality didn’t matter because the resolution passed without his support. But if Mayor Seiler believes that a vote for or against a symbolic marriage equality resolution is meaningless, and therefore he will be given a free pass to vote against LGBT people, we strongly urge him to reevaluate his position. As the mayor of a renowned LGBT destination like Fort Lauderdale, Mayor Seiler should know better than to treat equality for LGBT people as a non-issue, especially when local pressure from resolutions such as the Fort Lauderdale Commission’s can help move the needle of public opinion in our favor. We reiterate that SAVE strongly encourages Mayor Seiler and Vice Mayor Romney Rogers to reevaluate their positions on marriage equality for South Floridians, which we consider anti-equality so long as they fail to support nothing less than extension of equal marriage rights to all same-sex couples.

Reﬂections on Mayor Jack Seiler’s ‘Ungrateful’ Statement By Michael Rajner Before going out to celebrate LGBT Pride Month with my community in Wilton Manors this afternoon, I’m taking some time to write my public response to Fort Lauderdale Mayor Jack Seiler on his statements resulting from this soflagaynews //

week’s vote on marriage equality in Fort Lauderdale. Not only was Seiler’s vote Tuesday evening a slap in the face of the LGBT community, but his further statement that we are ungrateful is outrageous! Jack just doesn’t get it. But, we must pause and be mindful and thankful to both Commissioner Dean Trantalis and Mayor Seiler for the opportunity to engage in a critical public dialogue on the issues that marginalize the lives of LGBT people from the rest of the society. Mayor Seiler has failed to demonstrate empathy throughout this week’s dialogue. I appreciate and value the opportunities and times when Mayor Seiler took action on my past requests, but I reject his telling the LGBT community that we are ungrateful and treat us as some building developer that has fallen out of favor. Mayor Seiler, we are fighting for equality, not for a city contract. Mayor Seiler, you are no Nan Rich and have no justification to demean the LGBT community in calling us ungrateful! Not much has changed since 2012 when I told a former Fort Lauderdale city commissioner to “pick up the flag and carry it with pride.”

If you would like to write a Letter to the Editor, please write to Jason.Parsley@sfgn.com

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news feature

Jay Kubesch & Fermin Rojas “Getting married was emotionally empowering for me”

Getting Hitched?

What to know and expect from an out of state wedding cermony Anthony Lanni According to the 2012 U.S. Census, Fort Lauderdale has the highest concentration of gay couples in the country (within cities over 65,000 population). To the surprise of many, South Florida has “out-Gayed” two much larger U.S. Cities – Seattle and San Francisco. Those cities came in second and third for Gay-couple population. Despite the Gay-friendly atmosphere and attitude the LGBT community is accustomed to in South Florida, Seattle and San Francisco are different from the sunshine state, because samesex couples can marry legally in Washington State and California. Florida’s voting history reflects the on-going battle against LGBT discrimination. Floridians have to consider wedding ceremonies in one of the 17 states that currently recognize the union between same-sex couples. For couples planning a wedding ceremony out-of-state, there are many factors to consider. In our guide below we highlight the four most important considerations when choosing a state for that special day. Where do we need to go? How much will cost to obtain a marriage license? Are we bringing our best friends as witnesses? How long will we have to wait after applying for a license, before we can hold our ceremony?

Know the Law Gay couples should always keep a paper trail If you are currently in a domestic partnership or civil union, the recognition of that union will not dissolve under new law. The more important question to consider is the issue of legality. Federal law provides 1,100 protections for couples, which take effect they get married. Some of these protections include the sharing of health insurance through employers, tax benefits, the ability to make critical decisions in time of poor health or unforeseen circumstance, immigration, property rights, and of course, the choice to divorce. Last year the Supreme Court ruled in Windsor vs. United States, that Section 3 of the Defense of Marriage Act, the Federal law that allows states to refuse to recognize same-sex marriages, which are granted under the laws of other states, unconstitutional. “We have enormous momentum in our campaign to win the freedom to marry — but more left to do. We’ve won the freedom to marry in 19 states and DC (up from 0 a decade ago); have grown a nationwide majority for marriage (59 percent, up from 27 percent in 1996) with

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support in every region of the country, including the South; and by striking down the core of the so-called Defense of Marriage Act, assured that the federal government will respect married couples as married for federal purposes even in states that still discriminate,” Founder and CEO of the Freedom to Marriage Campaign, Evan Wolfson said. Despite the tremendous strides on the front against marriage discrimination on a federal level, couples are still faced with state-level opposition. In the Florida Declaration of rights Article 1, marriage is defined: In as much as marriage is the legal union of only one man and one woman as husband and wife, no other legal union that is treated as marriage or the substantial equivalent thereof shall be valid or recognized. “Our work is not done until we have won marriage nationwide. As we aim toward a return to the Supreme Court to bring the country to national resolution, we must continue to create the climate of support and progress that will convey to the next wave of decision-makers, including the justices, that all of America is ready for the freedom to marry,” Wolfson said. Despite Florida not recognizing the union of a same-sex couple, there are still practical measures a couple can take in order to protect the validity of there marriage being challenge. Board Certified Marital and Family Lawyer Luis Insignares suggest that couples immediately make a copy of the marriage license and have it easily available in case the status of the marriage is challenged. If couples are not averse to sharing the same last name, a name change can serve as validity of the marriage. He also suggests that it is essential to keep everything in writing and keep a paper trail. If further action is ever required you will be able to prove exactly what happened, when, where and whom was dealt with it. “Lastly, stay informed! A couple should regularly check the status of marriage equality in the state in which they reside, so that if a court decision comes down, they can obtain a copy of it and be able to assert their rights as soon as they have been recognized,” Insignares said. “There are several such cases pending in Florida right now, at least two of which appear to be up on appeal. In South Florida, the one to watch for is called Pareto vs. Ruvin. Regular web searches to keep up to date will help ensure that your rights get recognized.” To contact the Law offices of Luis E Insignares please visit (www.http://www.lei-law.com)

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We made the decision to me married in the spring of 2011. We had been together for 2 years and felt that we really wanted to pursue the legal status of marriage to cement our commitment. We were married in Massachusetts on September 17, 2011. We chose that state because we live and work there half the year. Even before being married, we had already consulted with Florida attorneys to enact living wills and power of attorney documents naming each other. Subsequent to the marriage, we also rewrote our wills to ensure our wishes would be carried out since Florida does not recognize our Massachusetts marriage. Gay Floridians should be aware of the option of filing federal tax returns jointly as married couple (albeit married in another state). This year we discussed this option with our tax advisor and realized that we would enjoy a great benefit of lessened federal tax burden. Our tax preparer will also file amendments for the two prior years that we should have been filing jointly and recover those overpayments for us as well! In addition to the tax benefits, inheritance planning, etc. the legality of getting married was emotionally empowering for me. One of the most rewarding parts of the process was applying for the marriage license. We went to City Hall in Provincetown completed the form and handed it back to the clerk. She said, “congratulations” we’ll have it ready for you in a couple of days. Having grown-up in a society where being gay was not protected under the law, it was a pleasant shock of sorts to hear a government agency say “congratulations.” Once we had the license in hand, it was a simple matter of having the ceremony performed by a registered minister or justice of the peace. This person signs the license certifying that the couple did marry. We chose a friend who was certified to perform the task and had a simple ceremony on the beach near our home accompanied by about 20 friends, then everyone was invited to our home for a brunch. I can tell you that the happiest, and one of the most life changing experiences in my life, was the when I woke up the next morning after the wedding. I looked over at Jay and realized that this was not just a chosen “partner” - this was now my husband. For the first time in my life I felt completely equal as a citizen. We had not only validated our relationship, but had legally, by definition, created a family. It made me feel like our relationship by marriage had the same status as the rest our heterosexual family members. And, I know that it made a difference for our straight family members as well. We are snowbirds, splitting our time between Massachusetts and Florida. And honestly, when we are in Florida I don’t feel the same sense of legal equality — but at least I know we are federally protected. I believe it’s only a matter of time until Florida changes its gay marriage laws. But until that happens, I will not view Florida as a state with the same legal relevance as Massachusetts.

Where to Go and What to Know

West

Washington State Location: Marriage licenses are available at the county level. Cost: Average cost $64 Waiting Period: Three days are needed after getting a license to hold a ceremony. Witness Requirement: Two persons are required to witness the exchange of vows.

Bill Wynn and Vito Skidmore “We knew at Starbucks” On Sunday, August 17, 2008, we both went to a pool party in Wilton Manors, Florida. There were over one hundred gay men and women swimming, sunning and eating at the event. That night, determined to step back into the dating pool, Bill signed up for an on-line dating service. Within a very short time, Bill received a message, “Is this the sweetest man in Fort Lauderdale?” He replied, “Vito, is that you?” We had both been at the pool party, but neither knew the other was looking to date. We had known each other through friends and had seen one another around town. After connecting on the phone, we set a dinner date for the next Saturday. A day or two later, Vito called to say he was nervous about our dinner date and asked if we could meet for coffee on Thursday. We did, and the rest is history. Our saying now is, “We knew at Starbucks!” Our relationship has been that easy ever since. When it’s right, it’s right. We had both dated plenty, and were happy to have found our own princes. We both knew early on that this was for life. By Christmas, we were talking of marriage. At that time, same-sex marriage was barely legal in the U.S. On Sept. 23 2013, when the IRS announced that all legal same-sex marriages would be recognized for federal tax purposes, providing certainty, benefits and protections under federal law, we knew we needed to move forward. Also, after watching the documentary “8: The Mormon Proposition” it inspired us to “make it legal.” People all around the country were fighting so hard for our rights. It was time for us to stand up and be counted. Our joke is, “It was the Mormons that made us marry!” I spoke to my accountant and she said it was a no-brainer. The tax benefits are significant and the protections are great. After researching, we decided to marry in New York City. Most states, which allow samesex marriage, have up to a three-day waiting period. New York has a twenty-four hour waiting period. You collect the license at the courthouse, wait one day, have the ceremony, and then, you are married. If you pre-register your marriage license on-line, you save time and trouble at the courthouse. One of the most challenging aspects was finding a wedding officiate to marry us. People charge a lot of money for the service. Plus, calls would go unreturned. We ended up posting on Facebook, asking if anyone knew of licensed wedding officiates in New York City. That’s how we found Robert Fertita. We spoke via Skype for a month before the ceremony. He wanted to know us before he married us. It made it so special. Through this process, we made a good friend. We decided to have a small ceremony in Central Park. For parties of less than 20 people, you do not need a permit. We flew up on April 25, 2014, landed at LaGuardia at 10 a.m., dropped our bags off at the hotel, taxied to the courthouse and had our license by 1 p.m. We spent the rest of the day checking out the wedding location and restaurant for the dinner after the ceremony. Oh, and we got spray tans, of course! The act of getting married was the greatest surprise. We had chosen the outfits, bought the rings, and knew the vows. But, there was something about declaring your love and intentions before God and Central Park that makes it real. We were able to say out loud, in a state where it is recognized, our vows. We had perhaps twelve friends and family in the park with us. But, as soon as we started the ceremony, a crowd gathered. By the time Robert said, “I now pronounce…” close to one hundred people cheered. Our mothers could not be there. They both wrote beautiful letters expressing their love and support. These letters were read as part of the ceremony. There were tears. It gives us great hope seeing all of the state courts ending the bans on same-sex marriage. And we look forward to the day when, in regards to New York City, if you are married there, you’re married everywhere!

California Location: County clerk’s office or recorder-registrar. Cost: $100 Waiting Period: None Witness Requirement: At least one person must witness the exchange of vows; there is no age requirement. Iowa Location: County clerk’s office. Cost: Averages $35. Waiting Period: There is a three-day waiting period prior to the ceremony. Witness Requirement: You will need two witnesses, at least 16 years old, at the ceremony. Minnesota Location: County clerk’s Office. Cost: $115. There is a $75 discount for couples who provide proof of taking a “premarital education course.” For more information visit (OurWeddingCeremony.org). Waiting Period: Five days are needed after getting a license to hold a ceremony.

East Maryland Location: Circuit courthouse. Cost: Between $35 and $60. Waiting Period: There is a two-day waiting period. Witness Requirement: Maryland does not require a wittness. Delaware Location: Clerk of the Peace office at the county level. Cost: Non-residents $100; residents $50. Cash only. Waiting Period: 96 hours. Witness Requirement: Two witnesses must be present during the ceremony. District of Columbia Location: Go to the D.C. Superior Court Marriage Bureau in the courthouse on Indiana Avenue. Cost: $35 for the license and $10 for the marriage certificate. Waiting Period: Three days. Officials suggest waiting five days at it will take five days to process the marriage certificate. Witness Requirement: No witnesses required.

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New York Location: County clerk’s office. Cost: $35 to $50. Waiting Period: It is 24 hours before the wedding ceremony. Witness Requirement: New York requires a witness, who must be at least 18. Connecticut Location: County clerk’s office Cost: $35 to $50. Waiting Period: It may take the municipal clerk a day to prepare the license, but there is no official waiting period. Special Note: The state has no residency requirement, but out-of-state couples must hold the wedding ceremony in the town where they obtain their marriage license. Witness Requirement: Connecticut doesn’t require a witness. Rhode Island Location: County clerk’s office, in county where you will marry. Cost: $24. Special Note: A justice of the peace cannot officiate at weddings. Waiting Period: No waiting period Witness Requirement: Couples need two witnesses at the ceremony. Massachusetts Location: Couples need to complete a Notice of Intention of Marriage at a town hall and swear an oath. Cost: Varies county to county from $4 to $60. Waiting Period: Three-day waiting period. Witness Requirement: Witnesses are not required. New Hampshire Location: City clerk’s office. Cost: $45. Waiting Period: No waiting period. Witness Requirement: New Hampshire does not have a witness requirement. Special Note: Although New Hampshire does not have a residency requirement, state statue may complicate the issue. The statue states that “No marriage will be contracted in the state by party who intends to reside in another jurisdiction.” Maine Location: Town hall. The marriage can solemnized in any municipality in the state. Waiting Period: No waiting period Cost: $30 Witness Requirement: Maine requires that two witnesses be present and sign the marriage license. Vermont Location: Town halls. Cost: $45. Waiting Period: No waiting period. Witness Requirement: They don’t require witnesses.

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news feature

Marriage Equality Exhibit Features Out of State Marriages ‘We Do, Too’ on display through June 30 at Broward Library

Marriage Equality Rally in Miami Beach on Saturday Denise Royal

Nicole Wiesenthal

On Saturday, June 28, a group of South Florida organizations will hold a rally calling on Florida to overturn the state’s ban on same-sex marriage. The “Countdown to Marriage” takes place at noon at the LGBT Visitor Center, 1130 Washington Avenue in Miami Beach. Last month, Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi said in court documents that recognizing same-sex marriages performed in other states would disrupt existing marriage laws and “impose significant public harm.” The reaction from the LGBT community and its allies was swift and united. Organizers of the rally hope to leverage that enthusiasm into action. Equality Florida, SAVE (Safeguarding American Values for Everyone, formerly SAVE Dade), ACLU of Florida, and the National Center for Lesbian Rights (NCLR) will be joined by numerous other local agencies and organizations at the rally. With a whirlwind of favorable rulings throughout the country, the rally will also provide the community with an opportunity to hear about the status of some of the lawsuits presently in the Florida courts, as well as how to get involved in the fight for equality. “It is important for the courts and the public to see the real people and families affected by this issue. We hope that as many families as possible will come to show their support for marriage equality and to celebrate this incredible moment in our nation’s history; a time when court after court is recognizing that same-sex couples and their children deserve the same protections and respect as others” said Shannon Minter, Legal Director at NCLR. Two of the couples who are currently suing for marriage equality — Juan del Hierro and Thomas Gantt and Karla Arguello & Cathy Pareto — will also speak at the rally, along with Row Iliescu, Equality Florida’s South Florida Development Director, Damian Pardo, SAVE board member and Daniel Tilley, ACLU staff attorney.

ArtsUnited’s “We Do, Too” gay marriage exhibition went mainstream this month with its display at the Broward Library — the first time its been shown outside of the LGBT community. The show, which is displayed at Gallery 6 in the Broward County Main Library through June 30, displays photographs of gay couples who live in Florida, but went out-of-state to get married. “We were committed to each other emotionally, and in every other aspect, and we wanted to get married just for the same reason that everybody else wants to get married,” said Amy Waxman, one half of a couple whose photo is featured in the exhibition. “You want everyone to know your commitment, and you want it to be public and recognized by everybody around you.” There are 27 couples that are featured in the exhibit. Along with their photographs, an essay on why they chose to get married, is also featured. “One day, I had a beautiful courtyard, and I said, ‘I want to do more for the artist community, especially the gay artist community,’ so I did an event in the courtyard, and I filled up the racks with art. There were 20 artists,” said Guy Le Houx, event coordinator for the exhibition. The current exhibition marks the first time the show will be displayed outside of the LGBT community. The show will continue touring and spreading its message throughout Florida, heading next to the Stonewall Museum in Wilton Manors. SFGN is a sponsor of the exhibition.

When: Saturday, June 28 Where: LGBT Visitor Center 1130 Washington Ave, Miami Beach For more info: 305-751-7283 or 954-458-3639.

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SouthFloridaGayNews

news feature

‘We Do, Too!’

Florida couples get married and share their experiences SFGN Staff

Pier Guidugli & Tom Fillmore As a gay man the choice to marry or not should be made available to me. I do not believe in the institution of marriage per se, but when a political party, a Church made up of a bunch of old men and pedophiles sitting in the Vatican, or my own Government, tell me I am banned from one of their institutions that’s when I want to join it, even though they do not have the power or moral standing to arbitrarily determine what is the union of two souls. And so, because of this, my partner and I had our own “marriage” ceremony in front of our friends and families. It is not legally recognized by the State of Florida nor by “this great country of ours” or by a religious denomination, but we gave power of attorneys to one another and we are legally each other’s health surrogates. No matter what the law says I will not accept to be a second class citizen because of my sexual orientation nor, most certainly, will I ever apologize for the urgings of my heart.

Dennis Godfrey & Steve DeJong To finally be able to formalize our relationship and call it a marriage by law was the sum total of ten years of building our life together in every way. Having met in New York, we decided to move to Florida to open a business together known as “Humpy’s Pizza” in Wilton Manors, Florida. In our hearts and in our mind we were psychologically and emotionally married to each other after mere months after we met in 2000. However, after the final exclamation point on our relationship, our wedding, we had to return to a state in which we were building our business and our life which was Florida-- contributing to its economy and growth and it saddened us terribly to know all the love and acceptance we experienced in a state that recognized and embraced us as equals, we were still very much second class citizens in our new home. I FIRMLY believe the tides are changing. And, it is JUST a matter of time. But, each of us must rise and be counted as one who believes DOMA has no place in a society that says it stands for true justice and real liberty for all.

MJ & Marty Our children encouraged us to get married after 17 years of being together. Walking into the marriage license bureau like any straight couple was exhilarating. We stood under the same chupah our children used, surrounded by those friends and family who could afford to travel to share our joy. The only sorrow was that other folks we love could not come because of the distance. Coming home to Florida married, was bitter-sweet---to be legally married one place, but not another. We look forward to the day that everyone who loves and is committed, has marriage equality.

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news feature

Shmetrice & Brooke

‘We Do, Too!’

We met in Fort Lauderdale, got married in New York and had a formal ceremony in Cancun, Mexico. Our marriage coincides on the same date that Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell was repealed. Although, we are not in the military the significance still resonates with us. Do Ask, Do Tell! We are more than partners: we have made a legal, social and spiritual commitment to honor each other even when not honored by others.

Kerri and Pamela Olah-Brennan The most beautiful day of our lives. It was a fairy tale come true. Married on the top of the Rockefeller Center in NYC and we truly were on top of the world. Being native New Yorkers it was easy to pick our home state to marry us LEGALLY only to come “home” to our state of Florida and have nothing matter ... Our names were legally changed on our wedding cert and Florida has an amendment against recognizing our wedding cert. We have spent hundreds to change our names in Florida ... Feel like 2nd class. We need equality!

Jen Keenan & Daniele Garson Daniele and I met nearly 7 years ago, and we quickly knew we wanted to be together forever. In these short years, our commitment to each other has strengthened; we have each grown to be better versions of ourselves, becoming a better team together; our love for one another has evolved into a deep, rich nectar that we nurture; we have learned to cherish each other unconditionally, and to honor each other, even in anger. We have lived every day upholding the vows that we cannot legally make in our home state, and so we decided to go to New York so that we could promise each other that we will continue to love, nurture, cherish and honor each other for the rest of our lives. We may not receive the same benefits as legally married couples, but Florida’s law cannot stop us from keeping the promise we have made to each other.

Steven Guyer & Robert Kuhn We met in Manhattan on Valentine’s Day and fell in love transitioning to full-time lives in Florida. The morning marriage became legalized in the state of New York; I awoke to individual signs coming down stairs reading “Will You Marry Me”. It was a day that neither of us thought we would ever live to see. So our “7-Year Hitch” became official as the first gay couple to be married at City Hall in New York City on Valentine’s Day. But it became REAL when 120 friends and family came to Fort Lauderdale for a weekend celebration of unconditional love.

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SouthFloridaGayNews

‘We Do, Too!’

Mr. and Mr. Jonathan & Dwayne D. Beebe-Franqui We believe getting married is the ultimate act of love. It means uniting our life, our children, our friends and our families together and showing the community the power of commitment. Marriage provides strength and stability in our relationship, companionship for life and strengthens our own personal values. We we’re legally married on January 1st 2013, just after midnight in the first few moments of legal samesex marriage in Maryland. Unfortunately, our family and friends could not be present. We traveled 1000 miles to get our marriage license in Maryland. We wanted our marriage to be real with legal authority when we have our big wedding ceremony in Pensacola on March 30th in Florida with our family and friends present. We will be the 1st same-sex couple to hold their wedding ceremony in one of the oldest churches in Florida, Old Christ Church. It is extremely disheartening that Florida does not recognize equality for gays, lesbians, transgendered and bisexuals, and their relationships, as equal to others. Harvey Milk once said “You Gotta Give’em Hope” and our hope is that young gays and lesbians will see our picture and hear our story and say....”they give me Hope for the future.” Hopefully, we can make a difference!

Andrea Presberg and Jackie Miller This year we are celebrating our 30th anniversary. Twenty years ago we were married in Washington DC, on April 24, 1993 as part of a mass wedding in front of the IRS as part of the March on Washington. It was a combination of political protest and spiritual marriage. It was beautiful, moving and inspirational to be surrounded by 6,000 lesbian and gay couples saying our vows together. But it did NOT give us our rights. We considered getting married in NY, however it will not give us our rights in Florida. So we wait, spiritually married, looking forward to the day we have our full equal rights.

Kevin R. Murdoch & Drew E. Miller Plain and simple, marriage means commitment. We celebrated our marriage by getting married in Lockport, NY on 2-11-12. We celebrated our commitment on the beaches of Kauai in 2009. Our officiant’s explanation of the word ‘Aloha’ spoke volumes to us. ‘Alo’ means sharing in the present; ‘oha’ means joy, and ‘ha’ means life energy or breath. The photo represents our ‘3rd eye connection’ and the exchange of our breath. Our commitment means Aloha or ‘joyfully sharing life.’ Whether legal in Florida or not, we will continue in our commitment joyfully sharing our life with each other and our loved ones.

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news feature

Same-sex Marriage is Issue in Florida Courts and on Campaign Trail Anthony Man Sun Sentinel

Florida’s ban on same-sex marriage is under attack in multiple courtrooms, a fight that’s spilling out onto the 2014 campaign trail. Advocates of same-sex marriage are convinced it’s a matter of when — not if — gay marriage becomes legal in Florida. “We’ll definitely have it here in Florida,” said Rand Hoch, president and founder of the gay rights group Palm Beach County Human Rights Council. “In another few years, there won’t be ‘gay marriage.’ There’s just going to be ‘marriage.’” Stephen Muffler, a Fort Lauderdale lawyer who married his husband Lisandro Depaula in New York in 2012, said, “I’m very optimistic — more optimistic now than I have ever been.” That outlook is justified, said Joseph Jackson, a University of Florida law professor who has written court briefs in cases involving same-sex couples and their family relationships. “The trend of court decisions is quite clear.” The timing is uncertain. A ruling in one of the two highest profile cases — filed in federal court by the American Civil Liberties Union of Florida and the gay rights group Safeguarding American Values for Everyone — could come at any time. A hearing in a second major case, filed by the Equality Florida gay rights group and the National Center for Lesbian Rights in state court, is set for July 2. A total of eight cases are pending in Florida circuit and appellate courts and in federal court. Rulings in favor of same-sex marriage may not produce an immediate rush to the altar. Jackson said the cases could take 18 months to two years to work their way through appeals. Supporters of the 2008 amendment that enshrined the ban on same-sex marriage in the Florida Constitution are outraged that courts might undo their work. The referendum passed with 62 percent of the vote statewide and 52 percent in Broward County. “I am hoping and praying that that’s not what’s going to happen,” said Jannique Stewart, of Coconut Creek, president of Love Protects, a Fort Lauderdale-based Christian ministry that believes in a biblical approach to sexuality. She was the South Florida spokeswoman for the amendment’s supporters. “We voted on this in 2008, we didn’t vote on this in the 1800s,” Stewart said. “I think it would be really appalling if judges chose to ignore the will of the people.” It would be “an outrage” and “un-American,” said Mark D. Boykin, senior pastor of Church of All Nations in Boca Raton, said court action would be “an outrage” and “un-American.”

Florida’s Same-sex Marriage Cases Grimsley v. Scott: Eight same-sex couples seek recognition in Florida of same-sex marriages performed in other states. Plaintiffs include Chuck Hunziger and Bob Collier of Fort Lauderdale. Brenner v. Scott: Couple married in Canada seeks Florida recognition of their marriage after government employee couldn’t designate his same-sex spouse in state retirement program. Judge ordered case consolidated with the Grimsley.

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“The people have made their wishes known,” Boykin said. “This is just a back door way to try and get what they want and circumvent the people. If they truly want this it should not come from the courts. The courts adjudicate, they don’t legislate. They have inverted our system and now if they don’t get what they want by the ballot initiative, they turn to the courts, some rogue judge.” Muffler said that’s exactly what the courts are designed to do. “Traditionally that’s where minorities seek justice,” he said. “We have to rely on the court systems to right the wrongs and protect minorities from the majority.” Stewart said she believes it is “disrespectful” for supporters of same-sex marriage to compare their cause to the civil rights movement and the U.S. Supreme Court ruling that put an end to bans on interracial marriage. “Nobody is saying that homosexuals need to sit in the back of the bus. Nobody is suggesting in any way that they need separate water fountains. No one is even telling them they can’t love,” she said. “All we’re saying is do not change the existing definition of marriage.” The U.S. Supreme Court advanced same-sex marriage in a pair of rulings on June 26, 2013, striking down the federal Defense of Marriage Act and letting stand a lower court ruling that allowed same-sex marriage in California. The justices allowed state bans on same-sex marriage to continue. A legal filing by state Attorney General Palm Bondi in the ACLU’s federal case has helped turn same-sex marriage into a 2014 political issue. She ignited a political firestorm by telling the court that “Florida’s marriage laws, then, have a close, direct, and rational relationship to society’s legitimate interest in increasing the likelihood that children will be born to and raised by the mothers and fathers who produced them in stable and enduring family units.” After Democrats and gay rights advocates hammered Republican Bondi, she said in a statement that “voters had the right to adopt this definition of marriage” and said she felt compelled to mount “the best defense of our voters’ policy preferences.” Hoch said Bondi, who has been divorced twice, has no business “saying who can and can’t get married. She’s not the poster child for marriage.” Charlie Crist and Nan Rich, candidates for the Democratic

Pareto v. Ruvin: Six-same sex couples denied marriage licenses argue that treating gay couples differently than samesex couples violates the U.S. Constitution. Plaintiffs include Summer Greene and Pamela Faerber, of Plantation; Vanessa and Melanie Alenier, of Hollywood; Juan Carlos Rodriguez and David Price, of Davie; and Todd and Jeff Delmay, of Hollywood. Huntsman v. Heavilin: Key West couple suing Monroe County clerk of the circuit court, who issues marriage licenses, seeking right to marry in Florida. soflagaynews //

nomination for governor, used Bondi’s brief to bludgeon Republican Gov. Rick Scott, who has described himself as supporter of “traditional” marriage. Rich said Bondi should stop defending the state ban. Crist called same sex-marriage “an issue of fundamental fairness … who are we to tell anyone who to love?” Scott, after a recent campaign appearance in Boca Raton, wouldn’t say if he supports Bondi’s position in the court filing. “We have traditional marriage by Constitution in our state. I don’t want anybody discriminated against. And I’ll be surprised if a court will overturn the will of the people,” he said. Scott said he opposes “discrimination against anyone in our state” but wouldn’t say if he thinks preventing gays and lesbians from getting married discriminates against them. While Democratic voters and elected officials are largely supportive of same-sex marriage, it isn’t universal. Last week, Fort Lauderdale Mayor Jack Seiler was on the losing side of a 3-2 city commission vote supporting same-sex marriage. “I have not changed or wavered on my position with respect to this issue,” said Seiler, a prominent Democrat and former state legislator. Most Republican voters are opposed to same-sex marriage, as are most of the party’s public officials. But that’s not a universal view. U.S. Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, R-Miami, is a co-chairwoman of the group Southerners for the Freedom to Marry. The lone Republican on the Fort Lauderdale commission, Bruce Roberts, voted in favor of same-sex marriage. “I don’t want to be on the wrong side of history,” he said. And Hoch said the human rights council regards state Rep. Bill Hager, R-Boca Raton, as an ally on the issue. But Stewart said the shift in public opinion and the increasing number of elected officials supporting same-sex marriage is misleading. “People almost feel forced to accept it. Because if they don’t, what happens? … People are labeled a bigot. When in reality it has nothing to do with discriminating against people.” Tony Lima, executive director of the gay rights group SAVE, which operates in Broward and Miami-Dade counties, said opponents of same-sex marriage “underestimate the temperature or the climate of this state at the moment. I think when the marriage ban was voted for it was a different time. And many polls that have been done recently really point to the fact that people in this state are ready to acknowledge same-sex couples getting married.”

Dousset v. Florida Atlantic University: Paul Rubio and Gildas Dousset want the state to recognize their 2013 Massachusetts marriage so Dousset can get in-state tuition at FAU. Shaw v. Shaw: Couple seeking recognition of their out-of-state marriage so their divorce case can proceed in Hillsborough County. Trepanier and Puente v. Heavilin: Key West couple suing Monroe County clerk of the circuit court, who issues marriage licenses, seeking right to marry in Florida.

SouthFloridaGayNews

Simpson v. Bondi: Jason Simpson suing in Palm Beach County Circuit Court seeking recognition of his marriage so he can qualify as the “personal representative” to handle the estate proceedings of his deceased husband Frank Bangor. Sources: Interviews, Sun Sentinel archives, news releases, Freedom to Marry, American Civil Liberties Union, Key West Citizen newspaper.

column for becker or for worse

A Different Kind of Pride John Becker

Earlier this month, on a Friday afternoon, something happened that feels like a weekly occurrence these days: a judge struck down a state marriage discrimination amendment, ruling that denying gays and lesbians the freedom to marry is unconstitutional. As an LGBT blogger in the post-Windsor era, I’ve covered stories like this more times than I can count. But this time was different, because the state whose marriage ban fell was Wisconsin, the place where I was born and raised. While every single one of these court victories is an exciting experience, there’s nothing like when it happens in your own state. My husband Michael and I, both Wisconsin natives, married each other in 2006, a time when there was no place in the country where same-sex couples could marry unless they lived in Massachusetts. Alas, we were Wisconsin college students, so we literally had to leave the country in order to pledge our lives to each other. That spring break, instead of taking the stereotypical trip down to Fort Lauderdale or Miami Beach, we packed up our aunt Mary’s car, drove to Toronto City Hall and said, “I do.” It was the best day of our lives. No sooner had we returned to Wisconsin, though, than we were thrust into a bitter fight against a marriage discrimination amendment that would be on the ballot in the fall. Wisconsin law already prohibited same-sex marriage, but opponents of equality in the Badger State wanted to enshrine that bigotry into the constitution. The newlywed glow hadn’t even worn off and we were knocking on doors, making phone calls, organizing and speaking at rallies, and conversing about the amendment with everyone we could possibly think of. It felt terrifying and desperate – like we were almost begging the people we’d grown up with and gone to school with and lived with for our entire lives: “please don’t erase our marriage.” But the amendment passed anyway, despite our efforts and those of so many others. The morning after the vote I felt like I’d been punched in the gut. I remember walking down the street, talking with people on the phone, and wondering in back of my mind: did this person who just smiled at me on the sidewalk, who wished me good day, just vote to insult and hurt and ban the single most important relationship I’ll ever have in my life? I’ll never forget how demoralizing, how profoundly humiliating, that felt, although if I

had to guess, I’d say that LGBT people in the dozens of other states where similar anti-marriage measures have passed – including Florida in 2008 – probably can relate. So when that Wisconsin ruling came, all those memories came flooding back: the joy of our wedding, the sting of the amendment, the way it galvanized Michael and me and so many others to stand up and fight back for love and equality. Almost eight years after Wisconsin voters passed the marriage ban, it had finally been exposed for what it is: malicious, hateful, and unconstitutional. The judge in Wisconsin did not immediately stay her ruling, so marriages began right away. For the next seven days my Facebook news feed was full of wedding announcements, photos, and relationship status updates from LGBT people in Wisconsin, including so many of

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my friends. My heart leaped with joy to see their smiles, their happy tears, the loving hugs of their families, and the wide-eyed excitement of their children. And I experienced the concept of “pride” in a new and deeper way: I was proud of how far Wisconsin and the country had come, proud that there were now legally married same-sex couples in my home state, and proud of the way people I knew and loved were helping to build a better, more equal future for the next generations of LGBT people – just by saying “I do.” While the expected stay came one week later and temporarily halted further weddings, that sense of pride did not diminish. After all, marriage discrimination in Wisconsin is now on its last legs, and the state finally has its first taste of marriage equality. And with a slew of court cases working their way through the system in states across the country – including in Florida – it’s only a matter of time before marriage discrimination is relegated to the dung heap of history where it belongs and the freedom to marry is the law of the land. For that reason and so many others, I have pride.

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news feature Judges Overturning Gay Marriage Bans Aren’t Activists; Just the Opposite Jason Parsley Over the years same-sex marriage opponents have argued against marriage equality accused judges of being “activist judges” for endorsing the rights of the LGBT community. But are these judges really activists when it comes to marriage equality? Not really. If you compare gay marriage polls through the years to interracial marriage polls it’s clear that these judges who are ruling in favor gay marriage equality are anything but activists. In 1967 when the Supreme Court overruled state laws banning interracial marriage, not even 20 percent of American’s approved of interracial marriage. In fact only about 56 percent of the black community approved of interracial marriage according to Gallup. By comparison last year when section 3 of the Defense of Marriage Act was overturned 54 percent of American’s were in favor of marriage equality with 43 percent opposed. The Supreme Court waited until a majority of American’s were in favor of marriage equality before they struck a huge obstacle to same-sex marriage. And it will most likely be at least another year before they have the opportunity to overturn gay marriage across the country — if they choose to do so. The two charts below show the changing public’s attitude to both interracial marriage and gay marriage and shows that these judges are anything but activists.

// 6.25.2014 // SFGN.com //

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news feature

Gay Marriage Since End of DOMA SFGN Staff It’s been a remarkable year for gay marriage. Since section 3 of the Defense of Marriage Act was overruled by the Supreme Court in United States v. Windsor 14 states have either legalized gay marriage, or the ban on gay marriage has been ruled unconstitutional, while two other states have been ordered to recognize of out-of-state same-sex marriages. This timeline shows the progression of gay marriage since the end of DOMA. In most, if not all, of the judicial rulings they judge’s have cited the Windsor case as one of the reasons of ruling the gay marriage bans unconstitutional.

September 27, 2013

New Jersey high court overrules the gay marriage ban in Garden State Equality v. Dow. Gov. Chris Christie later drops the state’s appeal.

April 14, 2014

A judge rules that Ohio must recognize samesex marriages from other jurisdictions.

May 9, 2014

November 13, 2013

Hawaii Marriage Equality Act passed by the Hawaii State Legislature paving the way for gay marriages in the state.

November 20, 2013

Marriage equality is passed by the Illinois General Assembly and the law goes into effect June 1.

December 19, 2013

New Mexico Supreme Court rules in favor of gay marriage in Griego v. Oliver.

December 20, 2013

United States District Court for the District of Utah overturns the gay marriage ban in Utah in Kitchen v. Herbert.

January 14, 2014

United States District Court for the Northern District of Oklahoma overturns the gay marriage ban in Oklahoma in Bishop v. Oklahoma.

February 12, 2014

U.S. District Judge John G. Heyburn rules Kentucky’s refusal to recognize same-sex marriages from other jurisdictions unconstitutional.

February 13, 2014

United States District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia overturns the gay marriage ban in Viringia in Bostic v. Rainey.

February 26, 2014

United States District Court for the Western District of Texas overturns the gay marriage ban in Texas in De Leon v. Perry.

March 21, 2014

United States District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan overturns the gay marriage ban in Michigan in DeBoer v. Snyder.

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Pulaski County Circuit Court overturns the gay marriage ban in Arkansas in Wright v. Arkansas struck down the same-sex marriage ban.

May 13, 2014

U.S. District Court overturns the gay marriage ban in Idaho in Latta v. Otter.

May 19, 2014

United States District Court for the District of Oregon overturns the gay marriage ban in Oregon in Geiger v. Kitzhaber. Oregon does not appeal the ruling so the National Organization for Marriage steps in and appeals. The Supreme Court rejects their appeal permanently legalizing gay marriage in the state.

May 20, 2014

United States District Court for the Middle District of Pennsylvania overturns the ban on gay marriage in Whitewood v. Wolf. Later Gov. Tom Corbett, a Republican, decides to not appeal the decision because it’s unlikely to succeed.

June 6, 2014

United States District Court for the Western District of Wisconsin overturns the gay marriage ban in Wisconsin in Wolf v. Walker.

SouthFloridaGayNews // SFGN.com // 6.25.2014 //33

passages Terry M. Cain Passes Away

The gay community of South Florida suffered a heavy loss this past week. Terry M. Cain, 53, the talented actor and husband of Lyman James Buff (also known as Electra), passed away at the University of Miami hospital after a long illness. Terry’s last days were documented on Facebook, with around the clock posts by Electra. Hundreds cheered them on for a recovery that never came. Hundreds of followers celebrated Terry’s life and career as an entertainer, commemorating his passing with notes of love and caring. “Terry shed such a light on and offstage to all who knew him. His smile and laughter was infectious and could instantly pull you out of a funk,” said Jayde Howard. “A true gentleman we will all cherish.” Joanna James added that the “theater community has suffered an incredible loss today, all too soon.” Kelvin Amburgery, who acted with Terry at Morehead State University, added “We loved him onstage and off... a beautiful performer and person with a heart as big and glorious as his voice.” A 1979 graduate of Paris High School in Kentucky, Terry studied theater at Morehead State. “He may be gone physically, but his light will still radiate to all of us for many years to

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come,” Sam Streich commented. While David Nagy added “Terry’s beautiful baritone voice brightened our church choir every Sunday… I would give anything to hear it one more time.” Terry passed away at the University of Miami hospital just as ‘Electra’ was getting ready to spend the summer performing in Provincetown. He was amazingly adored and loved for his kindness and professionalism, his inspiration and personality. In one of his last posts, Electra shared his faith in God, stating, “At this time can we all pray together? We thank you Heavenly Father for your many blessings and have faith that you know the best paths that we should take, Please guide our Terry through this critical time, and all of us on our journey.”

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SouthFloridaGayNews // SFGN.com // 6.25.2014 //35

column jesse’s journal

Nude Beach Etiquette

Sex on the beach should remain just a drink Jesse Monteagudo Summer is the time of year when people of all races, genders and sexual orientations shed their clothes and head for the beach. Those of us who are nudists have the advantage of enjoying the beach without worrying about whether or not our swimsuits are too long, too short, too fat, or not fashionable enough. I am more fortunate than most in the fact that my nude beach of choice, Haulover Beach in north Miami-Dade County, is only 40 minutes away, easily accessible, and condoned by the local authorities. Haulover Beach is also blessed by the fact that the warm South Florida climate allows it to be open and functional all the time, which is something that cannot be said for clothing-optional beaches in colder climates. Readers sometimes wonder why I stay in a state run by the likes of Rick Scott, Pam Bondi or Marco Rubio. My answer, among others, is Haulover Beach. I love the beach, and I am sorry that I do not go there as often as I want. Like any other public place, the beach is governed by a set of rules that hopefully will guarantee public order, mutual respect, and safety. In many clothing-optional beaches local naturist groups serve as “Beach Ambassadors” who monitor the beach to make sure that everything is copacetic. In Haulover Beach the Beach Ambassadors are members of South Florida Free Beaches/ Florida Naturist Association (www.SFFB. com), “an organization advocating for a fair share of public beaches and other suitable public commons for nude recreation in Florida, including the designation of clothing optional areas.” On its web site, SFFB/FNA lists a set of rules of “Naturist Beach Etiquette,” a few common sense rules that, if observed, guarantee a pleasurable day at the Beach for all of us:

Naturist Beach Etiquette 1. Please help keep the beach clean and remove your trash 2. Protect the dunes and do not walk on them 3. No glass containers on the beach 4. Pets are not permitted on the beach 5. The beach is not an ashtray 6. Use earphones or keep radio volume low 7. Please exercise common courtesy and ask permission before taking photos of those not in your party

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SouthFloridaGayNews

8. Gawking or staring is rude! 9. Dress before leaving posted naturist area SFFB/FNA concludes its list by reminding us that “Public sexual activity is inappropriate and illegal. Florida statutes 800.03 & 800.04 provide for misdemeanor and felony penalties for public lewd behavior.” Naturists have enough to do to preserve the few clothing-optional beaches that we have without worrying about a few bad apples spoiling the whole barrel. Though naturist groups try to convince the world that nudists have family values like everyone else, the fact is that most Americans still think nudists are weird if not perverted. From Maine to California, authorities have used public sex as an excuse to crack down on nude beaches, and we do not want to give the authorities more ammunition than they already have. Little Magens Beach, a popular gay nude beach on the island of St. Thomas in the Virgin Islands, was recently closed down because of the actions of a few “rude” people. Though I like sex as much as anyone else, for practical reasons I support the naturist groups on this matter, as long as the laws are equally enforced. Have a good time, but remember, “sex on the beach” should only be a drink.

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outeats Special Advertising Section You Can’t Stay Away From 13|Even SFGN Staff

13|EVEN has been open for almost 4 months, but when you walk in, it feels like they’ve been open for 10 years. This quaint addition to the Drive isn’t just another restaurant, they are quenching our thirst for craft beer, great wine, and amazing homemade tapas. If you don’t take notice of the décor when you walk in, you’re missing out on the handcrafted bar stools made of pallets. The bar itself is made out of kitchen cabinets and the light fixtures are made out of wine barrels. Even the food presentation is something; the flatbread is served on slate. Start off with a drink. There are 40 different kinds of beer, with 10 on tap. And both Carol and Nancy – owners of 13|EVEN – will let you try whatever you want, bottle or tap. Employees know they are serving non-traditional beer in hopes palates will be challenged. If a guest wants to try something new in a bottle, owners are happy to oblige. In fact, they encourage it. The same goes for the 40 different kinds of wine. Every single bottle is also sold by the glass. Carol says great wine shouldn’t only be offered by the bottle, and patrons can also taste any of them at their leisure as well. Wine flights are also offered for $15. The Round Pond Cabernet 2010 is one of the more popular choices by guests, and the Concannon Conservancy Crimson and Clover 2010 is a big favorite as well. The restaurant also supports local breweries, serving two from neighbor Funky Buddha: Floridian Hefeweizen and Hop Gun IPA. A couple of

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SouthFloridaGayNews

Cigar City Brewing options are available as well. Beer flights are available for $6. 13|EVEN also supports other local businesses. Carol says they buy fresh food roughly four times a week, frequently visiting Living Green Fresh Market in Fort Lauderdale for produce. But the constant visits sure pay off since you can taste the freshness in each meal. The most popular dish by far is the sautéed skirt steak ($8) – teriyaki marinated and topped with sliced green onions. Another house favorite is the BBQ chicken flatbread pizza ($8), with smoked Gouda, sliced red onions, fresh jalapenos and cilantro. For the heat lovers, delve into this flatbread. For others, it’s just as tasty without the jalapenos. Another favorite is the rigatoni macaroni and cheese ($7), covered in Brie and Gruyere, and topped with toasted panko breadcrumbs. Bacon is optional – and often encouraged – for an extra $1. The two mini Panini options ($6 each) are delicious, so if the decision is difficult, opt for the chicken, mozzarella and spinach. Desserts change every few days, but rotate through bunt cakes and tarts. Don’t be afraid to inquire about any of the dishes or drinks – all employees have tasted everything the restaurant serves in order to be fully educated on the menu. With endless amounts of delicious food, local beers and friendly staff, you can’t stay away from 13|Even for long.

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lifestyle history This Week in Gay History June 25 - July 1 Quistapp.com

an Francisco artist, Gilbert Baker, designed the very ﬁrst gay pride ﬂag in 1978.

Photo: Facebook

June 25, 1978 — First Rainbow Pride Flag Flies

a.m. and proceeded to arrest people whose gender presentation didn’t match their identification.

Designed by San Francisco artist Gilbert Baker in 1978, the design has undergone June 29, 1730 — Two several revisions to first remove, then reSoldiers Executed for add colors based on available fabrics. The original gay pride flag, created by Ryan Sodomy Jan Westhoff and Steven Klok are hanged Halliday of Eau Claire, Wisconsin, was handdyed by Blake Thielmann. It flew in the San and then buried under the gallows. Francisco Gay Freedom Day Parade on June June 30, 1919 — Film 25, 1978.

Different from the Others June 26, 1964 — Photos of Released Gay Men Cruising Included in Anders als die Andern (the film’s German title) is one of the first sympathetic portrayals Life Mag A double-page photo spread of men at gay biker bar The Tool Box ran with the caption “These brawny young men in their leather caps, shirts, jackets, and pants are practising homosexuals, men who turn to other men for affection and sexual satisfaction. They are part of what they call the ‘gay world,’ which is actually a sad, often sordid world.”

June 27, 2010 — First Legal Wedding of a Gay World Leader

of homosexuals in the cinema. Dr. Magnus Hirschfeld was one of the writers, actors, and funders of the film, using his Institute for Sexual Science to pay for part of the production.

July 1, 1823 — Buggery Act Repealed and Reenacted at Once

The act criminalizing sodomy in the UK is repealed in Section 1 of the Offences Against the Person Act of 1828 (OAPA). The same Johanna Sigurdardottir, Iceland’s prime act nonetheless specified in section 15 that minister, marries her partner, Jonina buggery would still be a capital offence. Leosdottir. They had entered into a civil All of the information above has been union in 2002. reprinted with permission from Quist, an LGBT mobile history app that can be found June 28, 1969 — The on iOS and Android devices. Visit QuistApp. Stonewall Riots com for more information. The app was Widely considered the turning point of created by Sarah Prager and launched in the gay and lesbian movement in the United July of 2013. States. Police raided the Stonewall Inn at 1:20

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F O R

SFGNITES

T H E

J.W. Arnold

jw@prdconline.com

THUR MUSIC

W E E K

O F

J U N E

2 6

J U L Y

1 ,

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

6/26

Fans of the hit NBC show, “The Voice” can see their favorite contestants perform live as the season’s talented top finalists and favorite past artists come to Fort Lauderdale’s Broward Center tonight at 7:30 p.m. on “The Voice” tour. Season Five’s champ Tessanne Chin, pop teen artist and runner up Jacquie Lee and vocal powerhouse Will Champlin will all take the stage in the Au-Rene Theater, plus Season One’s runner up Dia Frampton. Fans of the reality competition won’t want to miss this show. Tickets are $35 – $65 at BrowardCenter.org.

FRI

THEATER

6/27

Playwright Jamie Morris (“Mommie Queerest,” “The Facts of Life: The Lost Episode,” “The Silence of the Clams”) is at it again with his latest comedy parody, “Re-designing Women,” at Empire Stage, 1140 N. Flagler Dr. in Fort Lauderdale. The show, which opens June 26 for a six week run, is a loving “tribute” to the hit 1980s sitcom about the Southern belles of the Sugarbaker Design Firm in Atlanta: Julia, Suzanne, Mary Jo, Charlene, Berniece, and, of course, their buddy, Anthony. Tickets are $30 at SmartTix.com.

SAT

FUNDRAISER

urn back the clock with the cast of “Re-designing Women,” the latest 1980s television parody from Jamie Morris. The play opens Thursday, June 26 at Empire Stage in Fort Lauderdale and runs through Aug. 3.

Submitted Photo

6/28 SUN

Compass, the Gay and Lesbian Community Center of Lake Worth and the Palm Beaches, hosts its annual Stonewall Ball tonight at the Harriet Himmel Theatre at CityPlace in West Palm Beach. The black and white themed event, celebrating 40 years of accomplishments for the LGBT movement, begins at 8 p.m. with a VIP reception followed by general admission at 9 p.m. More than 1000 people are expected to attend the gala. Proceeds benefit the center’s educational, social and cultural programs in Palm Beach County. Tickets start at $30 at CompassGLCC.com.

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THEATER

6/29 MON

Girl Play 2014, the fifth annual lesbian play reading festival, returns to the Pride Center, 2040 N. Dixie Hwy. in Wilton Manors, this weekend for three completely different programs of six entertaining and provocative new plays, Friday, June 27 and Saturday, June 28 at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday, June 29 at 2 p.m. “Foreplay” begins 30 minutes prior to each performance and features music, artwork and cocktails. Tickets are $10 for one performance or $25 for all three. For tickets, call 866-811-4111. For information, go to WomensTheatreProject.org.

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THEATER

6/30 TUE

Mondays are no longer dark in professional theaters across South Florida. Every Monday through Aug. 25,the South Florida Theatre League presents Summer Theatre Fest, free readings of new plays by local playwrights at member companies. Tonight, experience “The Pot” by Glenn Hutchinson at Main Street Players in Miami Lakes, at 8 p.m. The moving play explores the plight of a young undocumented immigrant who has lived in the U.S. since the age of four. For more information and a complete list of Theatre Fest play readings, go to SouthFloridaTheatre.com.

SouthFloridaGayNews

SPORTS

7/1

Who knew there were so many soccer fans in South Florida? Could it be because so many “football” players are hot? Well, Christiano Ronaldo isn’t getting paid for his looks. Root your favorite teams on during the elimination round — the U.S. faced Germany on June 26 for the right to advance — at South Florida’s LGBT sports bar, Sidelines, 2031-A Wilton Dr., or in the sports bar at the Alibi in the Shoppes of Wilton Manors. Drinks are 2-4-1 at both bars until 9 p.m. For more information, go online to SidelinesSports.com and AlibiWiltonManors.com.

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a&e theater

From Foreplay to Girl Play

Lesbian play reading festival is a real girl’s night out Mary Damiano

“Every year there is a lot of writing about, sex, sex, sex and more sex!” That’s Genie Croft, artistic director of The Women’s Theatre Project, talking about one thing to expect from “Girl Play,” the staged reading festival which will be presented at The Pride Center at Equality Park in Wilton Manors June 27-29. “Girl Play,” now in its fifth year, presents staged readings of short plays with lesbian themes. This year, 18 plays were chosen from more than 100 submitted from all over the world. Six plays will be performed each of the three days by an ensemble cast. And even though the reception before the actual readings each day is called Foreplay and features art, music and a signature drink dubbed the Luscious Lesbian Martini, sex isn’t the only thing featured at “Girl Play.” “Most playwrights focus on what they know and experience, so there has been a noticeable shift in a lot of the ideas the various playwrights have chosen to write about,” Croft said. And even though all those play submissions come from playwrights who live all over the world, themes emerge, perhaps showing a commonality as well as an evolution in the issues of concern. “Five years ago, many of the plays focused on the coming out experience,” Croft said. “The last couple of years, there were themes of fighting for equality, marriage, and meeting new people. Last year several pieces dealt with handling losing a partner, through break-up, or death. This year many of the scripts focus on relationship issues.”

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Actor Sally Bondi has been with “Girl Play” since the beginning; in fact, the event was the brainstorm of Bondi’s former partner. “Any year I’m not in another show, I would walk thru molasses to be a part of this festival,” Bondi said. “Foreplay then Girl Play. Come on!” Bondi enjoys the challenge of crawling into the skins of lots of different characters, but also believes in “Girl Play” as a community experience for an underserved demographic. “It’s really hard to rally lesbians for any kind of event much less theatre, unfortunately,” Bondi said. “However, ‘Girl Play’ has gained a good reputation for a night of theatre that everyone can relate to and have fun with. It’s a chance to meet some really interesting people. The scripts speak to our community. How rare is that? Not all will resonate with everyone, but that’s what is interesting.” “Girl Play has always been a significant event, by offering a fresh, provocative, look at voices we generally don’t see or hear on stage,” Croft said. “The playwrights usually make bold and memorable points in these short plays. And each year we have exceptional acting talent make these pieces really come alive.” “Girl Play” will be presented by The Women’s Theatre Project Friday, June 27, through Sunday, June 29, at The Pride Center at Equality Park, 2040 N. Dixie Hwy, Wilton Manors. For tickets, call 866-811-4111. For more information about “Girl Play”, visit WomensTheatreProject.com.

a&e dance Couple Brings Israeli Folk Dancing Classes to Fort Lauderdale

J.W. Arnold

up with Lee Lichtman, manager of the Fort Lauderdale Beach Community Center, to offer the same format of classes he led in Hawaii. Circle and line dances are ideal, especially for LGBT dancers, he said, “because you don’t necessarily need a partner. Anyone can come. A man can dance with a man, a woman can dance with a woman.” Zofi and Germany draw their repertoire from nearly 6000 folk dances developed since the earliest days of Israeli statehood more than six decades ago. “We always start with classic, simple dances and go through each step,” Zofi explained, “so beginners can always join in.” Some of the dances are traditional, while others are much more contemporary and lyrical. All are set to the most beautiful music the couple can find, he said. “They are also fun for spectators to watch and we always pick the most striking music.” The couple will begin their first set of classes on Wednesday, July 2 at the City of Fort Lauderdale Beach Community Center, 3351 NE 33rd Ave. at the intersection of Route A1A and Oakland Park Blvd. The cost is $7 to cover the facility rental and required insurance. For more information or to register, dancers should call 808-280-1051 or email DanZofi@gmail.com.

Classes in Israeli folk dancing are being offered at the City of Fort Lauderdale Beach Community Center starting on July 2.

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Dan Zofi is committed to sharing the joy of Israeli folk dancing with the people of Fort Lauderdale, but unlike many from the region’s sizeable Jewish population, he took an unlikely route to South Florida. Zofi, 57, moved from Israel to the Hawaiian island of Maui 13 years ago to pursue his love of windsurfing and instead founded a vibrant community of Mediterranean dance enthusiasts. “At the time I was windsurfing, I wasn’t going to be there for a long time,” Zofi recalled. “But one thing led to another and I ended up spending half my life there.” He met his partner, Jack Germany, 49, a trained dancer and college instructor, on the beach and soon they were dancing together through life. Maui is a small island, home to just 150,000 residents, but he quickly recruited a small group of 30 dancers to learn circle and line dances. The group grew and became a social outlet for the members to also potluck dinner parties, cookouts on the beach and holiday celebrations. Last December, the couple decided to relocate to Fort Lauderdale to be closer to Zofi’s parents, residents in a Miami nursing home. While Israeli dance classes are offered in several nearby communities, there are no classes in Fort Lauderdale. He teamed

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Datebook

Theater

re you a fan of the hit CBS show, “The Voice”? See the top ﬁnalists and past stars at the Broward Center on June 26 at 7:30pm. For more information, visit BrowardCenter.org

Christiana Lilly

Calendar@SFGN.com BROWARD COUNTY broward county

The Voice Tour

June 26 at 7:30 p.m. at the Broward Center, 201 SW Fifth Ave. in Fort Lauderdale. The top finalists and past stars will be hitting the state, including Tessanne Chin and Dia Frampton. Tickets are $35 to $65. Call 954-462-0222 or visit BrowardCenter.org.

Spank! Harder

June 27 and 28 at 8 p.m. at the Parker Playhouse, 707 NE Eighth St. in Fort Lauderdale. The original “50 Shades of Gray” parody show returns for a wild night of raunchy fun. Tickets $36.50 to $46.50. Call 954-462-0222 or visit ParkerPlayhouse.com.

* Artie Lange

June 28 at 8 p.m. at the Coral Springs Center for the Arts, 2855 Coral Springs Drive in Coral Springs. Lange is best known for his nine-year stint on the Howard Stern Show, but his humor covers the gamut of laughter. Tickets $41.87 to $48.23. Call 954-344-5990 or visit CoralSpringsCenterForTheArts.com.

Re-Designing Women

June 27 to August 3 at Empire Stage, 1140 N. Flagler Drive in Fort Lauderdale. A parody of the ‘80s sitcom, when a design firm is about to go under, an exbeauty queen has the brilliant idea of turning their workplace into a reality show. Tickets $30. Call 954678-1496 or visit EmpireStage.com.

* Katy Perry

July 2 at 7 p.m. at the BB&T Center (formerly BankAtlantic Center), 1 Panther Parkway in Sunrise. The colorful pop star brings her “Prismatic Tour” to Fort Lauderdale, featuring Capital Cities as her opening act. She will be performing her hits “Roar” and “Dark Horse,” as well as many crowd favorites like “Firework” and “Teenage Dream.” Tickets $40.80 to $144.65. Call 954-835-7000 or visit thebbtcenter.com. PALM BEACH county palm beach

Zorba!

June 20 to 29 at the Don & Ann Brown Theatre, 201 Clematis St. in West Palm Beach. Zorba the Greek teaches his young American friend, Niko to embrace the little things in life as they travel to Crete. Tickets $40. Call 561-514-4042 or visit PalmBeachDramaWorks.org.

Ring of Fire: The Johnny Cash Musical

June 20 to July 6 at Arts Garage, 180 NE First St. in Delray Beach. The life of Johnny Cash is told through his extensive collection of music that has people singing along to this day. Tickets $30 to $45. Call 561-450-6357 or visit ArtsGarage.org.

The Life

Through July 27 at Delray Square Performing Arts, 4809 W. Atlantic Ave. in Delray Beach. Times Square in the 1980s comes to life with a hooker, Queen, her cocaine-addicted boyfriend, fellow streetwalkers, and other characters who have seen better days. Tickets $37.50. Call 561-880-0319 or visit DelraySquareArts. com.

Free Friday Concerts

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

* On the Run Tour: Beyonce and Jay-Z

June 25 at 8 p.m. at Sun Life Stadium, 347 Don Shula Drive in Miami. The First Couple of hip hop make their very first tour stop in Miami for a show you’re not soon to forget. Tickets $58.20 to $318.90. Visit LiveNation.com

iHeart Radio Ultimate Pool Party

June 27 to 29 at the Fontainebleau, 4441 Collins Ave. in Miami Beach. Hit the hotel’s Arkadia pool for nonstop music from Jennifer Lopez, Iggy Azalea, Tiesto, Lil Jon, Neon Trees and Ariana Grande. Hotel packages start at $479. Call 305-535-3283 or visit Fontainebleau.com.

* Denotes New Listing

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Bare Bones

Through June 28 at the Miami Theater Center, 9806 NE Second Ave. in Miami Shores. Choreographer Carlota Pradera created a dance performance that investigates the game of power. Tickets $20. Call 305-751-9550 or visit MTCMiami.org.

The Big Show

Fridays and Saturdays at 9 p.m. at Just the Funny Theater, 3119 Coral Way in Miami. A collection of comedy mixing the likes of improvisation and sketches. Tickets $12. Call 305-693-8669 or visit JustTheFunny.com.

* The Pot

June 30 at 8 p.m. at the Main Street Playhouse, 6766 Main St. in Miami Lakes. Laura, the daughter of a state legislator, bring home her boyfriend, Rick, who is an undocumented immigrant in this story that examines race, nationality, and identity. Donations accepted at door. Call 305-558-3737 or visit MainStreetPlayers.com

“

* Katy Perry

July 3 at 7 p.m. at the AmericanAirlines Arena, 601 Biscayne Blvd. in Miami. The colorful pop star brings her “Prismatic Tour” to Miami, promoting her album with hits “Roar” and “Dark Horse.” Tickets $40.80 to $144.65. Call 786-777-1000 or visit AAArena.com.

Summer Shorts

June 12 to July 6 at the Arsht Center, 1300 Biscayne Blvd. in Miami. A summer tradition at the theatre, a festival of theatrical shorts. Tickets $40. Call 305-949-6722 or visit ArshtCenter.org.

PAMM Outdoor Music Series

Third Thursdays at the Perez Art Museum Miami, 101 W. Flagler St. in Miami. Come out for live music from DJs and musicians by the bay. Drink specials available. Free with museum admission. Call 305-375-3000 or visit PAMM.org.

SouthFloridaGayNews

aty Perry comes to Fort Lauderdale and Miami

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For more information, call toll-free 1-877-777-7871 | TTY 711. To enroll in Clear Health Alliance, call Choice Counseling toll-free today at 1-877-771-3662 (866-467-4970 TDD) or go online to www.flmedicaidmanagedcare.com

Clear Health Alliance is a Managed Care Plan with a Florida Medicaid contract. The benefit information provided is a brief summary, not a complete description of benefits. For more information contact Clear Health Alliance at 1-877-777-7871 (TTY:711). Limitations, co-payments, and restrictions may apply. Benefits, formulary, pharmacy network, premium and/or 14-CHA-SOUTHFLORIDAGAYNEWS co-payments/co-insurance may change. MMA updated April 2014.

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TRAVEL AGENT PART TIME Full service travel agency located on Wilton Drive seeks experienced part time travel professional. Must have good internet and communication skills. Ability to assist clients with airline, hotel, cruise, and tour package reservations. Call 954-5652345 for an initial phone interview. 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 jthoppy@gmail.com COMPREHENSIVE AIDS PROGRAM The Comprehensive AIDS (CAP) Program of PBC is recruiting county wide (Belle Glade, Delray Beach, and WPB) 10-15 people who are HIV positive to become Peer Advocate Leaders (PALs) by completing the PAL training. For additional information and how to apply please visit: http://www.foundcare.org/ HIVServicesJobOpenings EOE/M,F/DFWP

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MEDICAL BILLING COMPANY Looking for experienced biller. Work from home. Send resume and references to: Increasecash@bellsouth.net. Call Greg for interview. 954-351-0176

furniture repair 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

home & garden

ANGLER

LAWN & LANDSCAPE Monthly Lawn Service

Install Hedges

FULL Install Trees LAWN & LANDSCAPE Debris Removal Install Grass Tree Trimming & Removal Install Rocks & Stones SERVICE Hedge Trimming & Removal

Stump Grinding

Install Mulch

Sprinkler Repair

1995 Outdoor Lighting

Fence Repair

Fertilize Grass

SINCE

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Licensed and Insured

954-448-6394

licensed massage

SWEDISH MASSAGE $50 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 www.massagebydennis.net 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

WILTONMANORSLANDSCAPING.COM FAST A/C REPAIRS! Lic and insured, CAC057837. A&H A/C. 954-392-1301. We focus on repairs, not selling you new equipment. 24 Hour Service. Evening Appointments Available. HUSBAND FOR RENT! Is he procrastinating home repairs? He says he will do it tomorrow?? After the football game?? We ﬁt right in - in the house or the yard, small or big jobs: tile, dry wall, paint, plumbing, roof leaks, broken furniture, irrigation, fences, and more!It doesn’t cost to hassle us to see the work - so why wait? Neat, clean work for a reasonable price. Call Haim at 954-398-3676, sidnalll@yahoo.com

POOL SERVICE

moving/storage

Mention this ad and receive your ﬁrst month

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www.beachcomberoutpatient.com

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

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Serving Broward Since 1999

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

ELECTRICAL CONTRACTING BY MARSON Replacing breakers and panels, service upgrades, repairing code violations, installing fans and ﬁxtures, repairs, rewiring, remodeling, surge protection and lightning damage repairs. No job too big or small. Serving Palm Beach & Broward. Licensed & insured. 561-367-1556 or 954-784-7992 - marson23@aol.com

licensed massage INCREDIBLY AWESOME BODYWORK IN WPB In-calls at a private studio 15 minutes west of PBIA. Intuitive, experienced licensed massage therapist offers affordable rates 7 days, early to late. SUMMER SPECIAL for new clients only, $40 for 1 hour! Calls only 561254-8065 for the very best massage experience you can get HANDS DOWN! #MA51008

To place an ad in the SFGN Classiﬁeds call Jason Gonzales at 954.530.4970 soflagaynews //

SouthFloridaGayNews

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.

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pets/supplies

real estate for sale

Dependable Reliable Service Delivered with Love and Respect

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real estate business opportunities

LIC # 11000106488

GAY APARTMENT RESORT HOTEL PERFECT FOR WORKING RETIREMENT Rare opportunity to enter the booming Fort Lauderdale Gay Accommodations Market. Owners retiring and offering the award winning Liberty Apartment Suites in Dania Beach, with 11 beautifully furnished apartments with full kitchens. Established 17 successful seasons with high repeat and referral guests. Currently operated as self-catering, limited service, vacation & extended stay resort hotel-potential for growth and expansion. Immaculate Condition, Turn-key business, All Inclusive. Offered at $950,000. Qualiﬁed Buyers Only - For info, contact: Joe Van Eron 954-383-5548 or Joe@LibertySuites.com NIGHTCLUB IN FORT LAUDERDALE 4-COP license, one block from new Bokamper’s and Galt Ocean Mile, full DJ booth and sound system, 2500+ sqft, double entry/exit, piano, light food possible, long lease available, asking $335,000. A must-see! Call now - Pat Burnside Realty, 305-389-5800.

rent/lease fort lauderdale

COMPLETELY RENOVATED: Super Large Fully Furnished One Bedroom With Den Facing An Amazing Butterﬂy Garden. Granite Counter Top, King Size Bed. Price Included Internet Cable TV Water And Electricity Great Central Location Min To Wilton Manors Night Life The Beaches. $1500 A Month Eli 954-638-7034

CLASSIFIED ADVERTISING WORKS!

To place an ad in SFGN’s Classiﬁeds call Jason Gonzales at

954.530.4970

COMPLETELY RENOVATED: Studio Fully Furnished With A Full Kitchen, Granite Counter Top, Stand Up Shower, Gorgeous View Of The Butterﬂy Garden. Price Included Internet Cable TV Water And Electricity Great Central Location Min Drive To Wilton Manors Night Life The Beaches. $900 a Month 954-638-7034

rent/lease broward

**PERFECT VACATION RENTALS** *4-WEEK+SPECIAL FROM $295/WEEK* Award winning gay apartment hotel. All the comforts of home. Beautifully furnished & fully equipped studio, 1 & 2 BR apartments with full kitchens. All men, clothing optional, heated pool, laundry, private parking. Central to Wilton Manors & Haulover Nude Beach. Wiﬁ, utilities, cable TV, and phone included. Long term monthly rates available for 3 months+. Pets always welcome. Gay owned & operated. Celebrating our 17th year. Call Joe or Jack at 954-927-0090 or visit www.libertysuites.com soflagaynews //

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SouthFloridaGayNews

feature

Have Pride Festivals Gone Too Mainstream? Activists in Dallas fed up with the corporatization of Pride to hold political march Christiana Lilly

There’s a gay revolution brewing in Dallas, and it’s against an unlikely foe: the Pride Parade. On June 28, a nod to the 45th anniversary of the Stonewall Riots, gay activists are planning a celebration of their own, a political march, QueerBomb Dallas, in response to the Pride Parade they say has become sanitized and corporatized. They were inspired by the original QueerBomb celebrations in Austin, which celebrated its fifth one earlier this month. The mainstream Pride Parade in Dallas is an annual event held in September and will be in its 31st year. In an effort to please sponsors and make the event more family friendly, drag queens have been asked to tone down their acts and fetish groups have been excluded. They’ve also gone above and beyond city nudity laws and don’t allow men to wear tight boy shorts, and women must have their breasts completely covered — no pasties. Also, smaller groups can barely afford the cost to be a part of the parade. Throw in corporate sponsors and advertisements, and everything Pride was has been washed away. “You don’t see Martin Luther King Day, brought to you by GoGurts Squirts,” Daniel Cates, an organizer of the QueerBomb Dallas, said. “It really is kind of a high holy day for our community, and we find it really disrespectful and distasteful that it’s covered in advertisements.”

For the last few years, some of the gay community has lashed out against the parade with the changes that were being made. Some were also unhappy that their mayor, Mike Rawlings, blocked LGBT resolutions but was still invited to participate in the parade, which he has. He has since changed his mind and voted in March to pass an equality resolution. Cates also noted that Pride in Dallas is racially segregated, to the point that there is a separate black pride event, Southern Pride. “What happened at Stonewall was not a bunch of folks wanting to fit in; it was a bunch of radical queens and twinks and gay men and dykes who were sick and tired of being oppressed and denied the right to be who they were,” wrote Hardy Haberman in the Dallas Voice, the city’s LGBT newspaper. “It is a travesty that the spirit of Stonewall is now completely lost in the corporate sponsorships and marketing opportunities the parade and ‘festival’ now offer….We should be wearing our leather, our feathers, our rhinestones and our skin, as far as is legal on the street.” QueerBomb Dallas wants to take it back old school to the days of Stonewall, when gay men and women stopped dressing up in suits and dresses to “look straight” during marches and were themselves. With no sponsors, the organizers instead held fundraisers throughout the community to raise money to hold their first QueerBomb. The day of the march, as they

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like to call it, groups from all over are invited to participate in what Cates says is “not a spectator sport.” “We want you to put your feet in the streets with us, marching hand in hand, celebrating who you are, celebrating our accomplishments, celebrating the entire experience in honesty and completely unashamed,” he said. Afterward, the organizers have planned an after party. “We are different just by our very birth, by our very experiences in this life, being marginalized people. Our world view is different, our lives are different, and there’s nothing wrong with that and we should be celebrating that rather than trying to show the world how just like them we are,” Cates said. Do you think that South Florida’s Pride celebrations are going the way of those in Texas?

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