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October 29, 2014 // vol. 5 // issue 44

The End Is Near

From Governors to Gays to Grass, Election Tides Stir Waters Pages 14-20, 26

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

R.I.P. Oscar De La Renta

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Fashion icon Oscar de la Renta passed away last week at his home in Connecticut after a long battle with cancer. He was 82. Mr. de la Renta was known for dressing the stars, socialites, ambassadors and U.S. first ladies in eye-catching outfits. “He had a genuine desire to beautify women,”

said television anchor Katie Couric. The Dominican-born de la Renta told the Associated Press in a 2004 interview that his Hispanic roots worked their way into his designs. “I like light, color, luminosity,” he said. “I like things full of color and vibrant.”

Bondi Opposes Gay Divorce Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi continues her crusade against all things gay. Last week, Bondi opposed a bid from a Florida woman to obtain a divorce from her former partner. Bondi’s office filed papers late Wednesday in Broward County Circuit Court saying a judge should not grant Heather Brassner’s petition for a divorce

from Megan Lade. The couple was united in a 2002 civil union in Vermont but broke up several years ago. Among other things, the attorney general’s filing says a civil union is not the same as a marriage and should not be the basis to declare Florida’s ban on same-sex marriage unconstitutional.

Photo: CNN

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FALL 2014

PAGE 48

Chief Executive Officer • Pier Angelo Guidugli

Associate publisher / Executive Editor • Jason Parsley jason.parsley@sfgn.com

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Cover: Elections week continues.

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 MEMBER standards regarding the suitability of advertising copy, illustrations and photographs.

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the team had too many defensive linemen. Sam was originally drafted by the St. Louis Rams, but was cut. He currently remains an unsigned free agent. To date no openly gay player has ever competed in a regular season NFL game.

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Cowboys Cut Sam The Dallas Cowboys, last week, cut Michael Sam from their practice squad, delivering another setback to the hopes of an openly gay player in the National Football League. Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said Sam “worked very hard” in practice, but

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Gay Candidate Digging In John McDonald With less than a week to go until the general election, candidates are making their final pitches to voters. In Central Florida, one race appears to be coming down to the wire. “My race is very competitive,” said Florida Rep. Joe Saunders (D-Orlando) in a telephone interview with SFGN Monday morning. “We’re running a very strong campaign. This race is close and we’re doing everything we can to win.” Saunders, 31, is seeking re-election in House District 49, which covers eastern Orlando. He is campaigning on a platform of funding for public education and higher education with an emphasis on fine arts and protecting jobs. “My district has a lot of young voters and progressive voters,” Saunders said. As the Democratic Party’s Deputy Whip in Tallahassee, Saunders has demonstrated an ability to not only rally his party faithful, but also work across the aisle to get Republicans to sign on to legislation he sponsored. The Competitive Workforce Act, a bill that provided workplace protections for the LGBT community, is an example of Saunders’ leadership.

Joe Saunders Rep.

Saunders is one of two openly gay representatives in the Florida House. The other, Rep. David Richardson (D-Miami Beach) is unchallenged and will return for another two-year term. Meanwhile, the Republican Party of Florida is targeting District 49 as a pickup and dumping thousands of dollars in the race to help high school teacher Rene “Coach P” Plasencia. Radio ads attacking Saunders are currently airing on Orlando stations. Saunders said his election team has been canvassing door-to-door in the district for months and he feels good, but added there needs to be “a spike” in Democratic votes on Election Day.

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News Briefs Compiled by John McDonald

Serena Williams says comments by the head of the Russian Tennis Federation referring to her and older sister Venus as “brothers” were bullying, sexist and racist, and that she supported the one-year suspension imposed by the WTA against the official. Shamil Tarpischev was also fined $25,000 for making the comments on Russian television. He also said the sisters were “scary” to look at. “I think the WTA did a great job of taking (the) initiative and taking immediate action to his comments,” Williams said. “I thought they were very insensitive and extremely sexist as well as racist at the same time. I thought they were in a way bullying.” Asked whether he regretted his comments, Tarpischev told The Associated Press that the program on which he spoke was “a humorous show.” When asked about his ban, Tarpischev said: “I can’t comment. I don’t understand it.”

Photo: CNN

2 Supporters Amendment Unleash Ground Game

Responding to recent polls showing support for the legalization of medical marijuana in Florida waning, supporters for Amendment 2 remain confident in victory. “We knew when Adelson wrote that second check it would hurt our numbers,” said Elias Egozi, a South Florida organizer with United for Care. The Adelson Egozi speaks of is casino magnate Sheldon Adelson, 81, who is pouring millions into the “Vote No on 2” campaign. Adelson, CEO of Las Vegas Sands Corporation, is sponsoring ads claiming Amendment 2 protects “drug dealers” as “care givers.” This media blitz has resulted in declining support for Amendment 2, according to polls conducted in the Tampa Bay area. Egozi, however, dismissed those polls, saying underground momentum is building and a ground game is underway. “We have a lot of closet supporters,” Egozi said. To amend Florida’s Constitution, voters must grant a 60 percent or higher approval. Egozi said United for Care’s internal polling is placing support for Amendment 2, “in the high 60s.” If approved, Florida would become the first state in the South to legalize medical marijuana. Egozi said the ads put forth by Adelson’s group are “irresponsible” and demonstrate a “lack of faith” in the government’s ability to regulate marijuana through the Department of Health.

.S. Recognizes Same-Sex Marriage In Six More States

The federal government is recognizing gay marriage in six more states and extending federal benefits to those couples, Attorney General Eric Holder announced Saturday. Gay marriage recently became legal in Alaska, Arizona, Idaho, North Carolina, West Virginia and Wyoming. The government’s announcement follows the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision earlier this month to decline to hear appeals from five states that sought to keep their marriage bans in place. It brings the total number of states with federal recognition of gay marriage to 32, plus the District of Columbia.

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Tennis Star: Russian Comments Offensive

Couples married in these states will qualify for a range of federal benefits, including Social Security and veterans’ benefits. “With each new state where same-sex marriages are legally recognized, our nation moves closer to achieving full equality for all Americans,” Holder said. The attorney general said the government is working “as quickly as possible” to make sure same-sex married couples in these states receive the “fullest array of benefits” that federal law allows. The Justice Department also has determined that it can legally recognize gay marriages performed this summer in Indiana and Wisconsin after federal courts declared marriage bans in the states unconstitutional. Subsequent developments created confusion about the status of those unions, but Holder said the U.S. government will recognize the marriages.

Aiken Preparing For Victory

Eleven years after becoming a national TV sensation, Clay Aiken still attracts a crowd in central North Carolina. In an hour he could only get a block or so down the street during an old textile town’s fall festival while fans stopped to talk and take pictures. “I can’t believe you’re here!” exclaimed Suzanne Strickland, 23, after she and her mother left their craft booth at Erwin Denim Days. “I saw you watching ‘American Idol’!” Finishing second for Congress won’t cut it for the 2003 runnerup on the Fox show that vaulted him to a singing career and another second-place finish on NBC’s “Celebrity Apprentice.” Rather, he would just be another Democratic candidate who failed to beat the odds on North Carolina’s congressional map since Republicans redrew it and shifted the delegation’s makeup to the right. While national Democratic groups haven’t arrived with financial support, Aiken believes there’s a path to victory in the U-shaped 2nd District over Republican Rep. Renee Ellmers. He’s trying to attract independent and Republican voters who recall his appearances as a crooner, and he’s hoping to catch breaks on the waves of unhappiness with Republican state government and gridlocked Washington politics. “People are very dissatisfied with Congress in general and getting absolutely nothing done,” Aiken said in an interview. He said Ellmers, a nurse, is wrongly fixated on repealing President

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In a statement released by the Russian Tennis Federation, Tarpischev denied any “malicious intent” and said his quotes had been taken out of context. Tarpischev is a member of the International Olympic Committee. During the 1990s, he was the personal tennis coach to Russian President Boris Yeltsin and served as his adviser on sports matters. He made his comments during an appearance on a Russian talk show this month alongside former Olympic singles champion Elena Dementieva. When Dementieva was asked what it was like playing against the Williams sisters, Tarpischev interjected and called them the “Williams brothers.” He also said that “it’s scary when you really look at them.” Williams, 33, is the world’s No. 1 ranked player.

Barack Obama’s signature health care law, rather than fixing its problems. “If after three or four years, you still haven’t gotten anything done, then what are you getting paid for?” Aiken, 35, is a gay man running in a largely conservative district. Among passers-by in Erwin, it wasn’t an issue. “That’s his choice, that’s his life. It doesn’t affect me at all,” said Susan Boggs, 38, of Erwin.

Inserts Testing Kits In AHF Bathhouse Vending Machines

AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF) is partnering with Flex Spas, a national bathhouse chain to supply in-home HIV testing kits. The kits will be available inside vending machines or through self-service kiosks inside the spas. In a press release, AHF described the partnership as “a new initiative to leverage technology and bolster HIV testing and awareness among high-risk populations.” The pilot program will launch with an electronic vending machine dedicated to HIV testing kits inside Flex Spa’s Melrose Avenue location in Los Angeles. “The innovative social science experiment marks the first time that in-home HIV testing kits will be made available through vending machines in a commercial sex venue (CSV),” the AHF press release states. The vending machines will feature OraSure Technologies’ OraQuick In-Home HIV Test, the FDA-approved oral fluid rapid OTC HIV test that can detect antibodies to both HIV-1 and HIV2 with an oral swab in as little as 20 minutes. To access the complimentary testing kits, users will anonymously answer five demographic questions via an accompanying iPad kiosk and receive an access code to enter into the vending machine; users may receive up to two testing kits with each code. Each kit will include information on HIV testing and care providers, along with AHF’s 24-hour care hotline (213) 304-8151. “AHF is excited to extend the reach of modern technology by placing at-home HIV testing kits in electronic vending machines. This innovative partnership with FLEX Spas promotes convenient HIV testing twenty-four hours a day, including after hours when healthcare workers are not testing on site,” said Lori Mizuno, Director of Public Health for AHF. “With the ease of buying a pack of gum, high-risk populations can now access free, in-home HIV testing kits from a vending machine and learn their status within minutes.”

news bites

by John McDonald

exas Republican Says Gays Can’t Fight

Photo: U.S. Gov.

U.S. Rep. Louie Gohmert (R-Texas) went on a right-wing radio program last week and said gays serving in the military “is not a good idea.” Gohmert, for some reason, believes gays would need massages before going into battle. Gohmert bases this thinking on the history of Ancient Greece. “It’s a different kind of fighting, it’s a different kind of war,” Gohmert said of the modern military. “If you’re sitting around getting massages all day, ready to go into a big, planned battle, then you’re not going to last very long.” The U.S. policy of gay and lesbian military service changed in 2011 when DADT (Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell) was repealed.

talian Leader Pushes For Civil Unions

Silvio Berlusconi is pushing for the legalization of civil unions between gays in Italy, but not same-sex marriage. In Rome, where politicians are sensitive to Vatican policy, the leader of Italy’s largest center-right party told reporters that allowing civil unions by gays would be the “right compromise” between freedom for all and “deep respect for Christian values and for traditional families.” The Catholic Church says only a man and a woman can be married. Berlusconi’s fiancé, Francesca Pascale, recently told a radio interviewer that she favors the legalization of gay marriage and civil unions.

GBT Inmates Sue Over Jail Rights

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Gay, bisexual and transgender inmates have filed a federal lawsuit against San Bernardino County and its sheriff, alleging they are kept in a segregated unit that doesn’t give them equal access to rehabilitation services and work programs that could shorten their incarceration and help them learn job skills. The lawsuit, which seeks class-action status, was filed in U.S. District Court in Los Angeles and includes 15 plaintiffs, including current and former inmates at West Valley Detention Center, where San Bernardino County houses gay, bisexual and transgender inmates in a special unit known as the “alternative lifestyle tank.”

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avy Vet Gets Burial Permission

A U.S. Navy veteran can be buried with the ashes of her late partner in a southwest Idaho military cemetery after the state legalized gay marriage. “It’s done,” 74-year-old Madelynn Lee Taylor said Wednesday after successfully completing paperwork to be buried at Idaho State Veterans’ Cemetery in Boise. Taylor was previously denied permission to have her ashes interred with Jean Mixner because of Idaho’s ban on same-sex marriage. The cemetery is owned and operated by the state. Samesex marriage became legal in Idaho on Oct. 15 when the ban was lifted by courts that determined it was unconstitutional.

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news local LBT Sorority Coming to Florida Atlantic University Dylan Bouscher Breanne Taylor is sitting on the Breezeway on Florida Atlantic University’s campus in Boca Raton. The transitioning male to female, junior psychology major only needed two letters of recommendation for the breast implants that are turning heads, but she wants 20 signatures to start the university’s first LBT-inclusive sorority on campus. Right now, she has 10. Gamma Rho Lambda, the national sorority that Taylor wants to bring to FAU, isn’t just for lesbians, bisexual, and transgender women, however. “GRL has been referred to as the first national lesbian sorority, however they strive to be inclusive of all members, whether they identify as lesbian, bisexual, ally, transgender, questioning, straight, or with no label,” the sorority’s website states. “It’s important not only because it will be the first female progressive sorority on campus, but this will be the first Gamma Rho Lambda in the whole south east region of the U.S.,” Taylor says. The campus chapter list on GRL’s website confirms that Brie’s chapter wouldn’t just be the first in Florida, but the second in the southeastern region of the United States, joining Tulane University’s chapter in New Orleans. Jas Benitez, a third-year computer science major, was one of the first students to sign Taylor’s forms to join the developing FAU chapter of Gamma Rho Lambda. “We are starting it because the students of FAU deserve to have an organization as diverse and innovative as GRL on campus,” Benitez told SFGN. “Students should join because they could help in the creation of a very special family on campus as well as add to the history of FAU by becoming apart of FAU’s first LBT greek organization.” Before GRL national recognizes these students as an official chapter in its network, they will be called a colony of GRL national. After students at Indiana University in Bloomington started this Twitter page to recruit members in September 2012, the colony had the 20 members it needed to become recognized as the Sigma Alpha Psi sorority on campus the following spring. Taylor expects FAU’s GRL chapter to grow at the same rate and be recognized as a sorority on campus by spring 2015. The biggest struggle Taylor faces as she recruits members is convincing them to pay the $150 minimum in dues, so the chapter can afford incorporating into GRL national. Gamma Rho Lambda National Sorority’s Vice President of Expansion Laura Page broke it down for Taylor like this: “$100 per member goes to national dues,

the remainder stays with your local org. Most groups set their dues a bit higher, usually $180350. Again, this is lower than almost any other Greek org out there and helps subsidize high insurance costs, expansion, and our annual convention and leadership retreat.” Page has already congratulated Taylor and her signees as an official interest group of GRL national. “As a founder, I have gone through a lot with this organization … It is one of the things I am most proud of doing in my life. I am here for anything you need. You will inevitably face challenges when founding a colony and I am here to help you every step of the way,” Page told Stewart in an email. The first challenge is getting recognized by FAU officials. The university’s Director of Student Involvement, Shontae White, told SFGN they have not recognized them yet. “As of now no formal ‘Statement of Intent to Organize’ has been filed by the organization— the first step in organizing a recognized student group.” But he’s not saying they won’t be recognized eventually. “Florida Atlantic University is committed to being one of the most culturally diverse institutions in the Florida State University System, and Student Involvement/ Fraternity and Sorority Affairs welcome all students with similar interest to form an organization on our campus,” White emailed. FAU has not only stuck to this commitment, it’s been recognized for it. In the 2013-2014 school year, US News and World Report ranked the Boca university as the most ethnically diverse public university in the state, beat only by two private schools: Nova South Eastern University and Barry University. Gay, male, FAU students like junior physics major Patrick Augello, who couldn’t join FAU’s GRL sorority, are not affected by discrimination or exclusion on campus the same way lesbians, bisexuals, and transgender females might be, but he still supports bringing the chapter to campus. “Having a progressive sorority or fraternity would help people in the LGBT community meet other people in the LGBT community,” Augello said. “It’s like a bond... could be awesome. That’s definitely a good idea.” Taylor is still sitting at a table on the Breezeway, asking passersby to stop and sign. But for a student who already signed, like Jaz Benitez, it’s clear why others should join. “GRL will help any student who join become better individuals through the values learned in the organization as well as help them succeed in all aspects of life by giving them a strong support system,” Benitez said.

Are you an FAU student interested in being one of the campus Gamma Rho Lambda chapter’s first 20 members? Visit their Facebook page to stay up-to-date as it expands before officially launching next spring: https://www.facebook.com/grlfau 6

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news local Florida Delegation Hears Status Update on HIV/AIDS Discussion includes education, prevention, testing and research

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AIDS is not to be dealt with lightly. This was the message from the Broward Legislation Delegation assembled Thursday evening at Fort Lauderdale High School. “Growing up, you were scared to death of AIDS,” said Florida State Rep. Katie Edwards (D-Plantation). Edwards, 33, said she is from the MTV generation and was educated as to the dangers of contracting the Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS). She was one of several elected officials, health care professionals, social workers and corporate spokesmen to discuss the status of HIV/AIDS in Broward County. Broward is home to nearly two million people and has the highest percentage of cases of HIV infection in the country. African-American and Latino populations continue to account for the larger percentages of new infections, particularly in the 18-24 age range. “Apathy is huge,” said David Poole of the AIDS Healthcare Foundation. “We need to do everything we can to motivate our communities. That’s the No. 1 challenge — bringing these folks to the table.” Bringing Florida health care officials into the loop and breaking outdated barriers seemed to be the theme at this discussion, which drew a sparse crowd of maybe 50 people into the Fort Lauderdale High School Auditorium. Evan Jenne was one of them. The newlyelected Dania Beach Democrat voiced his concern over Florida Statues that deal with abstinence education. Jenne, representing District 99, said those Statues only cover heterosexuals. Many of the speakers took their time to state the “Faith Based Community” was out of touch. Others said, “in denial.” Florida Senator Eleanor Sobel (D-Hollywood) ran the meeting and asked questions of the

speakers. Many organizations outlined their roles with HIV/AIDS, including doctors with the Broward department of health. Applause broke out spontaneously during the two-hour meeting, when it was announced there were no reported cases of prenatal HIV/ AIDS in Broward County this year. “That’s where we want to be,” said Sobel. “An AIDS-free generation.” Longtime activist Michael Rajner blasted Florida Governor Rick Scott and the State Department of Health for not attending the meeting. “They are sexphobic,” Rajner said. “This health department is playing politics over public health and operating by puritanical standards.” Most of those in attendance agreed prevention efforts and testing is effective. Sobel noted South Florida’s Care Resources recently won funding for a mobile unit in Broward and Miami-Dade Counties. It was parked outside Fort Lauderdale High School for all to see as legislators grapple with the idea of an “opt-out” plan for sex education instead of the current “out-in.” The opt-out plan requires parents to respond to prevent their child from receiving sex education, which could include HIV testing. Florida Rep. David Richardson (D-Miami Beach) listened attentively during discussion and informed the delegation he sits on the State’s Health Care Appropriations Committee and uses input from meetings with the public to craft the State’s multi-million dollar health budget. Rep. Edwards stated, “Condoms are expensive” but still advocated for free distribution. Last year, the Broward Dept. of Health distributed more than three million condoms at 467 sites.

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SouthFloridaGayNews // SFGN.com // 10.29.2014 //

news local Seniors More Accepting of Gay Couples in Assisted Living Facilities, Study Shows Christiana Lilly A new study out of Miami suggests that Americans are much more accepting of gay couples in assisted living facilities than previously thought, especially seniors. According to Miami Jewish Health Systems’ Harris Poll, some 67 percent of those surveyed saying they would be somewhat to very comfortable living in a assisted living facility where openly gay couples live. “When I saw that, I said, ‘That makes sense,’” said Dr. Brian Kiedrowski, chief medical officer at Miami Jewish Health System. “As you get into the autumn of your life, there tends to be different concerns that individuals have… what you see is that perhaps there’s more of the all inclusiveness type of deal that I’ve seen.” Miami Jewish Health Systems is an umbrella organization of independent and assisted living facilities as well as skilled nursing facilities. Despite the name and its origins, it is open to seniors of all religious backgrounds and has also been involved with the gay community. In the past, staff has participated in events with the LGBT Visitor’s Center in Miami Beach and after a story ran by SFGN about discrimination at assisted living facilities, the company reached out to the Pride Center in Wilton Manors for a

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partnership. The kids coming up today, in another 20 years, it’s going to be a non-issue. All sorts of studies prove that for the future, but I was really pleasantly a big surprised to see that that’s the situation as we speak,” said Bruce Williams, seniors services coordinator at the Pride Center. Previously, he was the executive director of an assisted living facility. In the previous article by SFGN, Williams said that he has encountered a lot of discrimination among management at various facilities in South Florida. However, this Harris Poll shows open-mindedness among current and future residents. The study included Americans across the country and ages 18 up to 65 and older. Those living on the west coast and in the Midwest were the most accepting, with 69 percent saying they would be fine with openly gay couples. The South had the lowest, but only at 62 percent of respondents. As one would imagine, younger Americans were most accepting, but the lowest level of acceptance was 60 percent in Americans 65 and older. “We’re not going to worry about who you’re sleeping with,” Kiedrowksi said. “We are trying

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to be very inclusive and open minded with things here at Miami Jewish.” As does rounds through nursing homes and hospitals, he sees a sense of comradery with seniors. Some are all alone with no family to care for them, while others are flooded with visitors and have a partner. “Individuals who have a support system are so lucky, so if they have a partner or a niece, I don’t see people getting labeled,” he said. “It’s really, ‘Boy, you’re lucky to have somebody that loves you… Florida is all walks of life have come together, especially in the Miami melting pot and we all have different support systems. Everybody is trying to do their best.” Williams said that he has been speaking with the coordinator at Five Star Premier Residences in Hollywood, and she is excited at the prospect of launching an LGBT pilot program with the Pride Center. Williams was originally hesitant, worried that something so bold would be detrimental to her business. “I sure would not want you to take a hit and all of a sudden have 50 people move out because they’re really irate over this. And of course her position is that she really doesn’t think that’s the case,” he said.

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r. Brian Kiedrowski of Miami Jewish Health System. Submitted Photo.

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SouthFloridaGayNews // SFGN.com // 10.29.2014 //

feature

Leaders Discuss Rising Meth Problem Town Hall brings gay community together

John McDonald

Photo by John McDonald.

They came together out of concern, each wearing a black T-shirt with the words “Life is My Drug” emblazoned on the front. Their stories were powerful, moving and frightening. “We’re only at the beginning stages of a meth outbreak nationwide,” said Dr. Jim Hall, one of the panelists at last week’s NoMoreMeth.org Town Hall. Inside Wilton Manors’ Pride Center, community leaders, health care professionals, law enforcement officers and recovering addicts gathered to put their heads together and dissect the methamphetamine problem in the gay community. Hall, an epidemiologist, was one of five panel speakers. Joining him were Dr. David Fawcett, a mental health counselor, HIV specialist Dr. Scott Hall and legal expert Howard Finkelstein. They all agreed, methamphetamine causes big problems. “It’s highly toxic to your brain,” Dr. Fawcett said. “It’s causing a lot of destruction to the brain.” During the two-hour program, audience members heard from Kevin, who gave only his first name and admitted to being a longtime user of what is commonly referred to as Crystal Meth. “I felt invincible,” said Kevin as he described his “Tina” lifestyle. “And the sex that came with it was incredible.” Living in Orlando at the time, Kevin said his life eventually took a downward spiral and he lost his job as a regional manager for Best Buy, fell out of touch with his family and was arrested. “This drug took me to the darkest points I’ve ever been in my life,” Kevin said. Dr. Jim Hall said the drug originates in Mexico and primarily is a problem in the western United States. He said Atlanta is the hub for distribution in the eastern United States and called those who go out to collect the pseudoephedrine, a key component

in the manufacturing of methamphetamine, “Smurfs.” Pseudoephedrine is the main ingredient in over the counter drugs like Sudafed. Because of its use in meth its been highly regulated in the U.S. and so production of the drug has been moving to Mexico. New users, Dr. Jim Hall said, run the risk of becoming psychotic in a short period of time due to meth’s potency. More than 100 people filled the Pride Center’s John C. Graves community room, to hear the horrible stories associated with methamphetamine use. Kevin said he would masturbate up to 15 hours a day and engage in anonymous sex with multiple partners. The effects of this type of risky behavior is what Dr. Scott Hall sees a lot of at South Florida’s Care Resources. “We are the Syphilis capital of the United States,” Dr. Scott Hall said. “And I’m sick of seeing it. We are also seeing a lot of new HIV infections, particularly in young African Americans.” Dr. Scott Hall said, in his 18 years of practice, he is seeing the most infected “track marks” from where methamphetamine users are injecting the drug via needles and syringes known on the street as “slamming.” Despite the scary stories, there is hope for those seeking recovery from meth use. Support groups meet weekly at the Pride Center and NoMoreMeth.org is an organization dedicated to eradicating crystal meth from the gay community. Hanging out with peers fighting a similar battle is far better than being arrested and having a public defender represent you, said Finkelstein. “By the time you see me, your life is going down the shitter,” Finkelstein said. “You’ve been arrested. You’re broke and you got me as a lawyer.” According to police figures, in Fort Lauderdale, arrests for Meth doubled this year, while 22 kilos have been seized in Broward County alone with a street value of $5 million.

Visit SFGN.com/Meth for SFGN’s continuing coverage of the meth epidemic in the gay community. Special thanks to the city of Minneapolist Health Department and the Crystal Meth Working Group, NYC.

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SouthFloridaGayNews // SFGN.com // 10.29.2014 //

feature

Queer Bloodsuckers: Vampires Come Out David-Elijah Nahmod

Queers are now everywhere, even in the crypt of the living dead. Here are three classic films, all available on DVD and/or Blu Ray, to enhance your Halloween celebration.

“The Vampire Lovers” (1970) Polish born Holocaust survivor Ingrid Pitt enjoyed a brief brush with movie stardom after the unexpected success of this Hammer horror film. Hammer Films, who recently gave us the creepy ghost story The Woman in Black, was, during the 1960s, one of the world’s most prolific and popular producers of old fashioned Gothic horror. The iconic actors Peter Cushing and Christopher Lee became household names after co-starring in Hammer’s reboots of “Dracula” and “Frankenstein,” among many others films. By 1970, the Hammer formula had grown

a bit repetitive: “The Scars of Dracula” Lee’s fifth appearance as the thirsty Count, was a box office disappointment, so the Hammer suits went looking for fresh blood. They found what they were looking for in J. Sheridan LeFanu’s novella “Carmilla.” Published during the 1870s, “Carmilla” told the dark, erotic tale of Countess Carmilla Karnstein, a centuries old noblewoman who preferred the blood of young ladies. As played by Ingrid Pitt, Carmilla went to great pains to hide her vampirism, but flirted openly with women. Her victims bore the tell tale vampire’s kiss

upon their breasts. “The Vampire Lovers” was an R rated, sexually charged film. Audiences of the period were titillated, and the film filled theaters around the world. In spite of its then daring twist, “The Vampire Lovers” was a fairly traditional chiller. The cast wore their elegant period costumes within the walls of drafty castles or as they walked through mist shrouded graveyards. Four decades later, it’s highly unlikely that The Vampire Lovers will frighten anyone, but it remains an enjoyable, fast paced flick.

“Daughters of Darkness” (1971) John Karlen had just completed a lengthy run on the horror themed soap opera “Dark Shadows” when he went to Belgium to film this kinky little vampire film, which featured graphic lesbianism and bisexuality. “DS” fans were no doubt shocked — and maybe just a wee bit excited — when hottie Karlen showed some skin in “Daughters of Darkness.” Karlen and Danielle Ouimet play Stefan and Valerie, a pair of newlyweds who are

honeymooning in a desolate seaside hotel. Stefan is soon revealed to have a wealthy ex-boyfriend/sugar daddy who wants him back. The hotel’s only other guests are a lesbian couple (Delphine Seyrig. Andrea Rau), both of whom are vampires. The two couples become fast friends as a strange game of sexual cat-and-mouse ensues. Added to the fun is the realization that the “Countess” (Seyrig) is actually Countess

Elizabeth Bathory, a real life madwoman from centuries ago who believed that bathing in virgin blood would keep her from aging. It sounds silly, but “Daughters of Darkness” is quite mesmerizing. Eerily hypnotic and unashamedly erotic, it’s one of cinemas most wildly original vampire sagas.

“The Hunger” (1983)

Many viewers’ jaws were left dropping upon the original release of “The Hunger.” About midway through the film, two thousand year old Catherine Deneuve puts “the bite” on Susan Sarandon after they kiss on the lips several times. Though French superstar Deneuve discreetly keeps her nighty on, Sarandon gets naked. Well, she wasn’t totally nude — she kept her

high heels on. This incredibly sensual and sexual sequence became the most talked about scene in a stylish film about a vampire who needs to replace her spouses every two hundred years. It’s never fully explained why Denueve’s lovers begin aging rapidly while she remains forever young, though it’s possible that this is made clear in

// 10.29.2014// SFGN.com //

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Whitley Streiber’s best selling novel, which I’ve not read. “The Hunger’s” most disturbing sequence comes when Deneuve places her previous lover (David Bowie) up in the attic with all of his male and female predecessors. They can never die, and will continue aging forever.

SouthFloridaGayNews

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SouthFloridaGayNews // SFGN.com // 10.29.2014 // 13

election publisher’s column

Norm Kent

norm.kent@sfgn.com

In the past two issues of the Gazette, the local hometown supplement of SFGN, we have listed and covered the candidates running for the Wilton Manors City Commission. Admittedly, our coverage has not been comprehensive or complete. We have, however, shared with you some basic facts about all the candidates, permitting you to make educated choices. We will tell you that some candidates are eminently qualified to serve on the commission, like Gary Resnick or Doug Blevins, both seeking to be mayor. If you want continuity and the status quo, re-elect Gary Resnick, the one time president of the Florida League of Cities, a gay leader, and a candidate who has proven himself as an able, trusted and honorable man. If you believe in turnover and not vesting a part time commission seat into a full time career position, choose Blevins over Resnick, as a new voice in an old town seeking a change in leadership. It’s your call. There is more than the Dixie Highway makeover at stake here. This city has spent too many years stalling instead of starting. For five years now, activists have fought to make ‘the Drive’ pedestrian friendly, a community center, and a safe home for an entertainment and nightlife district. There has been talk and no action, apathy

Wilton Manors Elections Offers Real Choices

and no passion. For one, everyone knows the city needs parking, but so little has been done for so long, one truth emerges undeniably: incumbency is no virtue. The only thing this city gives new nightclubs in the Arts and Entertainment district is noise ordinance violations. In the last five years, instead of working with local businesses trying to promote nightlife in this town, the city has cited the Manor, New Moon, Sidelines, Hunters, the Drive, Dream Lounge, and just about every entrepreneur who has tried to make a difference. The Stonewall Festival, which could be a national focus for gay tourism, loses money every year, because the city takes more from it than it gives back. It’s a joke. We should and could have done better. You must decide whom to hold accountable for these transparent failings. If you want to make a real difference in the life of a large part of this city, you can also ask that whoever is elected support district wide voting, so that sometime in our lifetime an African American gets elected to the city commission. Right now, two African-Americans, Naomi Parker and Lillie Harris are running against the establishment. Both eminently qualified, with real life experiences, their chances of prevailing are equally small, given the present at-large voting mechanisms. One thing the city does not need is

a commissioner who made national headlines only last June by ending a confrontation at a Publix with a group of black women by calling them ‘niggers.’ That is what candidate Ted Galatis did. Now that it is re-election time, our job is to remind you of what he did last summer. Yes, he did apologize, and it is a minor blemish on a distinguished career. Still, that does not mean we ought to re-elect him when other willing and untainted candidates are qualified to serve. Sometimes, when you screw up royally, you can make up for it by stepping down gracefully. Galatis has not, but you can do it for him by voting no to his re-election bid. Interestingly, the Wilton Manors City Commission has two other candidates who embarrass the ballot even more. You have to wonder why they are running, how many croutons short of a salad they really are. First, we have Boyd Corbin, who is only charged with battery and aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, out on bond, and awaiting trial in Broward County Circuit Court. While dressed as a Ku Klux Klan member, he allegedly attacked a wellknown drag performer at a Halloween party. The Sun Sentinel called Corbin’s candidacy ‘colorful.’ No, it’s just stupid. It is fair to say that the citizens of Wilton Manors would be better served by not electing a commissioner who may start his

term in office by serving a term in a state prison. That brings us to 22-year-old Christopher Warnig, who has two arrests on his record for impersonating a police officer. He’s serving an 18-month felony state probation until August of 2015. He lists his job as a security guard at the Alibi? Well, better there than the city commission, though the bar’s new owners may have some serious questions for him. It’s a shame we have to waste limited editorial space on some candidates who are jerks, but they put their names out there. You are entitled to know more about who they are and where they are going. Thankfully, with candidates like the eminently qualified Justin Flippen, civicminded Sal Torre, and the well-established Scott Newton, Wilton Manors still has multiple, conscientious and credible choices. All of these gentlemen have already enhanced our community in some way with their public service and charitable endeavors. We encourage you to vote for individuals who see things not as they are, but as they can be. We encourage you to vote for candidates who look at local neighborhoods and emerging businesses as partners in tomorrow’s community. We encourage you to vote not just for candidates that are gay, but candidates that are good. Most of all, we encourage you to vote.

Visit SFGN.com/Election2014 for a list of endorsements in this year's races

// 10.29.2014// SFGN.com //

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SouthFloridaGayNews

election off the wall

DON’T VOTE. POLITICIANS WILL GET IN!

Pier Angelo

On 9/11 two things happened to me: 1. I started smoking again, after having stopped, cold turkey, 17 years before. 2. In the evening of that fateful day I turned to my partner and said: “Shit, the plane that should have hit the Capitol Building, preferably with both houses in full session, is the only one that missed its target.” My partner looked at me horrified. I don’t know how the words flew out of my mouth but I know now their roots stemmed from my growing revulsion toward our political system. A revulsion that has festered, more and more, with each passing session of Congress. Used cars salesmen have gained respect in the last 25 years; they are no longer the most mistrusted people on earth. Congressmen and Senators have claimed the title of scumbags. A crown they do not want to let go. And in a few days we have a midterm election. I know this because I can’t turn the TV on without having to sit through one negative ad after another. The candidates don’t even talk about what they want to do if elected, or what their vision is, they just throws feces at their opponents. Nothing constructive is ever said. I keep blessing the inventor of the mute button on the remote control. When one thinks that they can’t sink lower than the sewers they already swim in, here comes the latest winning entry from New Hampshire State Rep. Steve Vaillancourt (R) who compared Congresswoman Annie Kuster (D) to a “drag queen” in his blog “Miscellany Blue.” “Let’s be honest,” Vaillancourt writes. “Does anyone not believe that Annie Kuster is as ugly as sin? And I hope I haven’t offended sin. If looks really matter and if this race is at all close, give a decided edge to republican challenger Marilinda Garcia.” Furthermore, in the weirdest start of a gubernatorial debate, Florida Gov. Rick Scott initially refused to take the stage because Democrat Charlie Crist insisted on using a fan to keep him cool. People like these make

Newt Gingrich appealing. I have always considered myself an intensely political man. Joined and supported a party, rejoiced in its victories, believed that its accession to power would bring the country closer to social justice and prosperity for all. But also gave the other side the backing they needed when they won, including the benefit of the doubt. I am now engulfed in a sense of helplessness which is compounded with the failure to understand what happened, what went wrong, as if body snatchers from another planet took over and imposed on us a system of Dysfunctional Pseudo Democracy. The Left came, gave space to the Right, which gave room to the Left. Nothing changed. Disillusionment wasn’t swift but I eventually reached the current state of political despair and dark cynicism. I can say with certainty that there is a preponderance of psychopaths at the top, with a clinical absence of empathy. Like creatures from a science fiction movie. Irresponsibility and total disregard for the good of the country is the norm in a game where the word bipartisan has become anathema. Obstructionism is the rule. Paralyzing the Government with blackmail is the favorite sport of the elected gasbags. The word “do jour” is negate instead of negotiate. Too many times I feel we are ruled by thieves and liars. It is as if the last remaining vestiges of restraint and shame have been overcome and it is no longer necessary, on the part of the political elite, to pretend that they are anything less than what they are: power hungry self centered monochromatic greedy narcissistic bastards. Their ego-cancer makes them unaware of the mounting disgust the population at large feel at the way we are ruled. It doesn’t even matter at this point if the people have voted for or against any politicians they now despise. We the people would be happy to lock them all up in the local church, set it ablaze, and throw away the keys.

There is very little hope for change. Although they often talk and promise a better world, especially on the campaign trail, not one of them gives evidence of having any desire to change this rotten system because it works so well to the real purpose of maintaining power for themselves, and the benefits that come with it. The people be damned. Keep them sick and poor. They are easier to control. The member of this caste are predators who use charm, money, manipulation, intimidation, religion and fear to manipulate others and to satisfy their own selfish needs. We routinely elect barbarians who take what they want and do as they please without guilt or remorse. We should start blaming ourselves for accepting the status quo because we elect these sociopaths and pay their salaries. Unless you have a permanent lapse of reason you have to admit that those who represent you belong in a three ring circus, or preferably in a loony bin. I am exhausted by how stupid everyone is getting. More to the point: you know they didn’t get up there by themselves, they don’t belong up there, they don’t know what to do while they are up there. They are elevated beyond their ability to function. Civility, class, style have gone by the wayside, hysteria has taken over, elected politicians resort to innuendos, sneers, manipulation, misrepresentation, greed, and unsubstantiated attacks of the opposite side just because it is the opposite side. I fear that the rules our nation so successfully followed for more than 200 years were designed for another time, a different breed of human beings. It’s all a facade, a big fraud perpetrated against the American people, a far too real and tragic reality show. The modus operandi is to talk about God, family and guns, preferably with southern accents, while robbing us blind and destroying what little is left of our democracy. That’s why this time I am going to pass. What can happen anyway? Another crooked politician will get in? Placing hopes and dreams in the hands of men who say they are on God’s side is never a good idea. It’s A Highway to Hell.

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SouthFloridaGayNews // SFGN.com // 10.29.2014 // 15

election

From Sea to Shining Sea

A look at gay candidates running across the country

By Lisa Keen

Keen News Service

U.S. Rep. Mike Michaud

Attorney Maura Healey

Senator Richard Tisei

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This year’s election night is likely to be an important one for the LGBT history books: Voters in Massachusetts are expected to elect the nation’s first-ever openly gay state attorney general, and voters in Maine could very well elect the nation’s firstever openly gay governor. Two candidates for Congress could well become the first openly gay Republican elected to the U.S. House and, if they both succeed, they will join what will number as the largest ever contingent of openly LGBT members of Congress — up from seven to as many as 12, if all newcomers are successful. Add to this mix a large number of openly LGBT candidates around the country for various state and local offices. These are the top 10 races to keep an eye on November 4: 1. Maine: U.S. Rep. Mike Michaud is holding onto a narrow lead over incumbent Republican Paul LePage and progressive independent Eliot Cutler in a race for the governorship. If he’s successful, Michaud will become the first ever openly gay person elected governor. (Former New Jersey Governor Jim McGreevey came out as gay in 2004 while governor, then promptly resigned.) Collectively, the latest polls (see RealClearPolitics) show a virtual tie between Michaud and LePage, with Cutler siphoning off 16 points. But interestingly, the latest poll, from Bangor Daily News, showed Michaud up by six points over LePage. Michaud came out as gay one year ago in an op-ed, saying he didn’t want his campaign for governor to be undermined by “whisper campaigns.” 2. Massachusetts: Attorney Maura Healey, a first-time candidate, won a stunning victory in the September primary against a well-entrenched incumbent Democrat –even pro-LGBT Governor Deval Patrick endorsed the incumbent. But Healey trounced former state Senator Warren Tolman by more than 24 points. She is largely expected to do the same with the Republican Party’s nominee John Miller. And, if successful, Healey will become the nation’s first openly gay person elected as a state attorney general. She is best known in the LGBT community for her work as assistant attorney general on the Massachusetts challenge to the Defense of Marriage Act, a lawsuit complementary to one led by Gay & Lesbian Advocates & Defenders. soflagaynews //

3. Massachusetts: Former state Senator Richard Tisei almost made history two years ago when he narrowly missed becoming the first openly gay Republican to be elected to Congress. He’s back this year, seeking the same seat, and he’s holding onto a slight lead in some polls. The Democratic incumbent was the surprising loser in the September primary, so Tisei’s competition is Iraq War veteran Seth Moulton, the Democrat. LGBT newspaper publisher Sue O’Connell is backing Tisei; former U.S. Rep. Barney Frank is backing Moulton. Congress has had gay Republicans before – Steve Gunderson and Jim Kolbe. If elected, Tisei would become the first openly gay Republican elected to Congress. 4. California: Carl DeMaio is the second person vying to become the first openly gay Republican elected to Congress, but his effort has lost traction –first, by failing to win the support of the LGBT community, and, second, by being waylaid by a former campaign aide’s claim that DeMaio sexually harassed him. (San Diego County prosecutors announced just this week that they would not be pressing charges.) DeMaio, a former member of the San Diego City Council, is up against incumbent Democrat Scott Peters who has won endorsement from the Human Rights Campaign. Congressional District 52 is said to be evenly split between Democrats and Republicans. The latest poll, in early October, showed DeMaio with a threepoint lead.

U.S. Rep. Carl DeMaio

U.S. Rep. Sean Patrick Maloney

5. New York: First-term U.S. Rep. Sean Patrick Maloney (D-NY18) is in a tough fight for re-election against a Republican opponent he beat two years ago. Maloney won his first-term by defeating incumbent Republican Nan Hayworth, who’s back for another round. Hayworth earned only a 71 rating from HRC in her one Congressional term. 6. North Carolina: Openly gay American Idol star Clay Aiken, a Democrat, is struggling to replace incumbent Republican U.S. Rep. Renee Ellmers, who represents the 2nd Congressional District in North Carolina, and earned a zero rating from HRC for two terms. Aiken has done well in fundraising from individuals, while Ellmers has relied on party funding, but polls still show Ellmers with a sizeable lead.

SouthFloridaGayNews

Clay Aiken

election 7. Massachusetts: A former aide to the late U.S. Senator Ted Kennedy is hoping to become the nation’s first openly gay person elected as a state lieutenant governor. Kerrigan has paid his dues through much work in both the public sector and the Democratic Party. He’s currently president of the Massachusetts Military Heroes Fund, a group that serves the families of service members who have died in action. But his fate and his campaign signs are tied closely to that of Democratic gubernatorial candidate Martha Coakley who is struggling to overcome a highlyfunded Republican bid for the so-called “corner office.” 8. New York: Sean Eldridge is making an uphill climb to become a member of the LGBT Congressional Caucus representing New York’s Hudson Valley district (No. 19). His opponent is two-term Republican Chris Gibson. Eldridge, the spouse of Facebook co-founder Chris Hughes, has been criticized repeatedly for using the couple’s personal wealth to fund his campaign, while little mention is made that Gibson’s campaign depends primarily on finance, insurance, and investment entities. Eldridge is, of course, pro-gay marriage; Gibson supports only civil unions, claiming that marriage is a religious institution. He earned a 76 rating from HRC in the last Congressional session and a zero in his first term. The Eldridge camp released a poll Tuesday showing that he had closed a 28-point lead by Gibson in September to 10 points as of October 19. 9. California: Former State Senator Sheila Kuehl is in a tight race against Bobby Shriver, a nephew of the late President Kennedy, for the District 3 seat on the powerful Los Angeles County Board. Despite her long history with the LGBT community, Kuehl is struggling to keep up with Shriver, who has raised twice the cash she has and won the backing of gay media mogul David Geffen. But she did win the most votes in the June primary. And if elected to the seat, she would become the first openly gay person to serve on the Board. 10. Washington, DC: Popular openly gay D.C. Councilman David Catania is mounting a strong campaign to become the capitol city’s first openly gay mayor. Catania has been haunted somewhat by the fact that he was a Republican in the heavily Democratic city. But he switched to independent 10 years ago after a long-standing dispute with the Republicans over their anti-gay policies. Catania has earned a good reputation in his 17 years on the Council, but his effort may be hurt by the independent campaign of another former Republican Councilmember Carol Schwartz. And both Catania and Schwartz are up against the African American Democrat Muriel Bowser, who won the endorsement of the local gay Democratic club.

Stephen Kerrigan

Sean Eldridge

Senator Shelia Kuehl

Councilman David Catania

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SouthFloridaGayNews // SFGN.com // 10.29.2014 // 17

election

Gay Candidates Urge Community to Vote

John McDonald

Civil rights at issue this election

Scott Herman and his husband. Submitted photo.

// 10.29.2014// SFGN.com //

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If you snooze, you lose. This is the basic message from gay candidates to their constituents. Not voting, is essentially, a vote for the current oppressive Republican regime in the State of Florida. “It’s vital that each person turn out and vote,” said Scott Herman, candidate for the Florida House of Representatives in District 93. “Failure to vote means that you only support whoever ends up winning.” And if Democrats, like Herman, do not show up in large numbers throughout South Florida, that means the odds of Florida Governor Rick Scott being re-elected are good. For gay couples, Republican policies under Scott and Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi have not been favorable. Bondi, for example, has consistently defended the state’s ban on same-sex marriage, at taxpayers’ cost, despite federal judges and circuit courts around the country ruling such bans were unconstitutional. “Yes, we have come very far, but there is more to be done,” said Ken Keechl, a gay candidate for Broward County Commission. Keechl is seeking to return the Commission after serving district four from 2006-2010. If anyone knows how important voter turnout is it’s Keechl, who was swept out of office by the Tea Party wave in 2010. This time around, Keechl is confident and says it feels more like 2006 than 2010, even though redistricting has made his district more Republican. “It’s primarily a coastal district,” Keechl said. The district is currently represented by Chip LaMarca, the lone Republican on the Broward Commission. LaMarca has the endorsement of the Sun-Sentinel, but Keechl has the endorsement of Broward Sheriff Scott Israel and the Broward Police Benevolent Association. “I can make a difference,” Keechl said. “A commissioner has the power to influence who gets millions of dollars worth of contracts and I understand the district’s needs.” Keechl said the county and Republicans like LaMarca can no longer stick their heads in the sand and pretend climate change and environmental issues do not exist. “I have access to the reports,” Keechl said. “We have to do something to reduce out carbon footprint.” Addressing transportation woes is part of that equation, said Keechl, Florida’s first

SouthFloridaGayNews

openly gay elected county commissioner. Broward’s roads, Keechl said, cannot sustain the increasing population. At the state level, Herman’s campaign to unseat incumbent representative George Moraitis looks promising if Democrats, particularly the LGBT community, turns out to vote. While Moraitis is not considered a far right, social conservative, Herman says gay people should not take a risk by failing to vote. “Are you willing to believe that whomever the winner is will have the same interest of your employment protections, marriage and property rights?” Herman asked. A Rick Scott victory would be disastrous to the Florida Supreme Court, Herman said, with the Governor appointing up to five new justices. “It is disheartening that our values and principles are considered wrong,” said Herman, who is married and a disabled combat veteran. In Wilton Manors, three gay candidates are running for Mayor. Current Mayor Gary Resnick is seeking re-election to the office he has occupied since 2008 and faces challengers Doug Blevins and Boyd Corbin. Gay candidates Justin Flippen, Sal Torre, Naomi Ruth Parker and Christopher Warnig are all seeking a seat on the Wilton Manors Commission. In Oakland Park, John Adornato III has won the endorsement of Equality Florida and the Sun-Sentinel. In Margate, Lesa Peerman, a lesbian, has won the endorsement of the Washington, D.C. based Victory Fund in her bid for Margate Commissioner. Further south, the Victory Fund is endorsing Florida State Rep. David Richardson (D-Miami Beach) who is unchallenged and will return to Tallahassee to once again represent district 113. Richardson, along with Rep. Joe Saunders (D-Orlando), shattered the lavender ceiling in Tallahassee during the 2012 election cycle. For more on Saunders, see page 3. North Miami Mayor Kevin Burns has also garnered the endorsement of Equality Florida. On the federal level, David Cox is running for U.S. Congress in Florida’s sixth congressional district. Cox, a director of resources at Bethune-Cookman University, is seeking to become the first openly gay man elected to Congress from Florida. His district stretches along Florida’s northern Atlantic coast from St. Augustine to Daytona Beach.

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10/23/14 9:29 AM

election

Eight States to Watch in Senate Elections But House likely to remain in GOP control

By Lisa Keen Keen News Service

Most of the pundits are saying Republicans will take over the U.S. Senate and keep the House in the November 4 elections. If they’re right — and there is some room for doubt in both chambers — the Employment Non-Discrimination Act will likely have to undergo a complete makeover.

The numbers paint the picture: Of the 36 senate seats up for grabs November 4, 21 are currently held by Democrats and they’ve all earned Human Rights Campaign scores between 80 and 100. In fact, 13 of them have earned 100. Of the 15 Republican seats up for grabs, all but the incumbents (save one) received HRC’s worst score: 0. That one is Senator Susan Collins of Maine who earned an 85. The current make-up of the overall Senate right now is 53 Democrats, 45 Republicans, and 2 independents. The two independents have been caucusing with the Democrats but have hinted they might switch to the GOP if the Republicans win enough seats to take over that chamber. Not counting the potential partyswitchers, the Republicans need six seats, and various polls identify at least eight races in which they have a chance to pick up new seats: Alaska, Arkansas, Colorado, Georgia, Iowa, Louisiana, New Hampshire, and North

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Carolina. (So far, there’s no indication that a political horse-trading scandal that broke in early October and involves Virginia’s incumbent Democrat Mark Warner imperils Warner’s re-election.) Those races involve seven “Yes” votes on last year’s ENDA roll call. (Georgia’s retiring Republican senator voted “No.”) Whether Republicans are able to secure the Senate could be known as early as 9 p.m. (EDT), if they are able to take Georgia, North Carolina, Kentucky, Arkansas, and Iowa. Those states alone account for three proENDA vote last November: Tom Harkin (D-Iowa), who is retiring; Kay Hagan (D-NC); and Mark Pryor (D-Ark.). That alone would not nix ENDA in the Senate. Last November, the Senate voted 64 to 32 to pass the bill. But there’s little doubt that the only reason ENDA got a vote last November is because the Senate Majority Leader was a Democrat, Harry Reid. The current Republican Senate leader is Mitch McConnell of Kentucky. McConnell has scored a consistent zero on the Human Rights Campaign’s Congressional Scorecards. McConnell will not schedule a vote for ENDA unless — as he proposed last fall — it’s done in a way that attaches unrelated measure to it that is so disagreeable that even ENDA supporters will vote against it. Here’s where things get interesting: McConnell is facing a serious challenge soflagaynews //

from a Democratic newcomer, Alison Grimes. Grimes has said she supports the right of every couple to marry, but she has turned off some Democrats by giving prominent play to her disagreements with President Obama on various issues; but, last week, the Lexington Herald-Leader called the race a “dead heat.” And this week, it noted that 53.5 percent of registered voters are Democrats, 38.7 percent Republicans, and 7.8 percent unaffiliated. A slightly later New York Times-CBS poll found McConnell with a six percent lead but showed the overwhelming majority (84 percent) of Democrats sticking with Grimes. But that race and all the others among the eight crucial Senate races are simply too volatile and too-close-to-call even one week out from the voting. (At deadline, only two races showed candidate support at six points or higher: Democratic incumbent Mark Begich was up by six points in Alaska; Mary Landrieu was six points behind in Louisiana.) Not as much attention is paid to the House. With 233 Republicans and 199 Democrats in the current chamber, Democrats need to keep all their existing seats and pick up 18 new seats ones. Prospects are unlikely. It appear they may pick up only three seats that are open races: in Maine’s 2nd, Hawaii’s 1st, and Iowa’s 1st. The good news in the House is that it appears at least five of the six existing

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members of the LGBT Congressional House caucus are likely to be reelected. Only Sean Patrick Maloney (D-NY) is in a tight race against the Republican he unseated two years ago. Former U.S. Senator Hillary Clinton rallied a crowd on behalf of Maloney this week. According to CBS New York, Maloney’s eight-point lead has dwindled to four in recent polling. Three new challengers seeking to join that caucus have mixed chances, according to polls. Republican Richard Tisei appears to have a good chance at winning an open seat in Massachusetts, though former U.S. Rep. Barney Frank is backing the Democrat. Early voting in North Carolina’s 2nd Congressional district has been light, where Democratic challenger Clay Aiken is trying to unseat a Republican incumbent. And in San Diego, Republican openly gay candidate Carl DeMaio had a onepoint lead over incumbent Democrat Scott Peters (who is backed by many LGBT groups) for the 52nd District seat in San Diego. HRC President Chad Griffin announced this week he would travel to four states to campaign for Democratic senatorial candidates: Colorado’s Mark Udall, New Hampshire’s Jeanne Shaheen, newcomer Democrat Michelle Nunn, and ENDA chief sponsor Jeff Merkley in Oregon.

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column letter from the editor Amendment 2 Will Save Lives

Here’s why I support it

Jason Parsley

Heath Ledger. Corey Haim. Bruce Lee. Elvis Presley. Philip Seymour Hoffman. Anna Nicole Smith. What do those celebrities have in common? They all died from overdoses that included prescription painkillers such as Vicodin. Now try googling a list a celebrities that have died from marijuana overdose? Can’t find it? That’s because it doesn’t exist. People do not overdose from marijuana alone. And that is why I support Amendment 2. This amendment would legalize medicinal marijuana in Florida. In 2008 more than 15,000 people died in the U.S. from prescription pain killer overdoses. In fact more people died from pain killers than those who died from heroin and cocaine combined. Heroin and cocaine though do kill people, so that is just one reason they should not be legal. Marijuana, on the other, does not kill people, and is a proven safer alternative to prescription painkillers. Here are just a few more pain killer facts from the Centers for Disease Control: In 2010, about 12 million Americans (age 12 or older) reported nonmedical use of prescription painkillers in the past year. Nearly half a million emergency department visits in 2009 were due to people misusing or abusing prescription painkillers. Nonmedical use of prescription painkillers costs health insurers up to $72.5 billion annually in direct health care costs. Nearly three out of four prescription drug overdoses are caused by prescription painkillers Prescription drug addition is an epidemic in this country. In fact some have characterized this as the worst drug-addition problem the U.S. has ever faced. And for that reason medical marijuana should be legalized. There’s a reason 23 states have legalized medical marijuana. Now it’s Florida’s turn. Floridians need access to choices — safer choices. Right now all they’ve got are very potent and dangerous man made chemicals that proliferate on the market today. But medical marijuana isn’t just safer — its life saving.

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soflagaynews //

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According to a new study published in JAMA Internal Medicine the states that have legalized marijuana for managing chronic pain have significantly fewer deaths from prescription painkiller overdoses each year. “We found there was about a 25 percent lower rate of prescription painkiller overdose deaths on average after implementation of a medical marijuana law,” lead study author Dr. Marcus Bachhuber told CNN. So there’s already proof out there that medical marijuana saves lives. According to the British medical journal The Lancet, “The health-related harms of cannabis use differ from those of amphetamine, cocaine, and opioid use, in that cannabis contributes little to mortality.” Yes there are drug addicts out there that will find loopholes in this amendment, but our laws should not be crafted based on drug addicts. Instead they should be based on what’s best and most humane for the population as a whole. Drug addiction will be here whether or not we pass this amendment, and drug addicts will always find a way to score their loot. And we can’t trust the government to do the right thing. Some publications have suggestion legalizing medicinal marijuana is better left off to the government. But have you ever heard of Zohydro? That’s a new drug the Food and Drug Administration gave the green light to earlier this year. This new painkiller will be one of the strongest on the market, and have 10 times more hydrocodone than Vicodin. The FDA had no problem approving this potentially lethal drug despite its own review panel recommending against approval. Many have criticized the FDA’s decision including attorneys general in 28 states, members of Congress and at least two governors. Massachusetts tried to ban the drug, but a federal judge overruled their decision. And yet the federal government refuses to approve medical marijuana. Talk about hypocrisy. How many people will end up dying because of Zohydro? Who knows? But as each previous painkiller (Vicodin in 1984, OxyContin in 1995 and Percocet in 1999) has made its way to the market we’ve seen new generations of prescription drug addicts come about So come Election Day vote yes on Amendment 2.

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letters to the editor

Readers Rip Righteous & Religious Republicans as Repugnant Stewart Lowery Response to Mimi Planas’ article in support of Rick Scott and Pam Bondi I have to admit there are a few things in life I don’t understand...I don’t understand people who vote against their own self-interests, people who give their money to religious organizations that think they are going to hell, and gay Republicans, just to name a few. How you can be gay and a member of an organization that contains people who openly hate you and has a platform that openly despises you is beyond me. I have been told by some of these gay Republicans that they aren’t one issue voters, and that they support the other “non-gay” issues of the Republican Party. I guess my question is: if you aren’t seen as equal per the Republican dogma, does anything else really matter? If you don’t have a full and equal seat at the Republican table, that means you are just on the menu. Now, Mimi Planas thinks that Scott and Bondi are getting a bad rap. Well, nowhere in her tirade does she even mention Rick Scott’s doublespeak on same-sex marriage. To quote the Governor: “I am against discrimination, but I support traditional marriage.” Huh? As for Pam Bondi, Mimi

asks if we are asking the Attorney General of Florida, or ANY state Attorney General, to ignore their own constitution, or ignore their own laws? In her indignation she fails to mention that Attorneys General in other states HAVE indeed ignored their states’ laws or constitutions in this regard when it became obvious, by recent U.S. Supreme Court actions and non-actions, that banning same-sex marriage violates the US Constitution (which, by the way, trumps a state constitution). Instead of seeing the writing on the wall, and following the lead of other Attorneys General in other states, Pam Bondi continues to spend taxpayers money defending a law that is obviously going to be found unconstitutional. Instead, Florida and Pam Bondi and Rick Scott are on the wrong side of history as 32 states and DC now allow gay marriage. They continue to pander to the more extreme elements of their party in order to get re-elected. I say vote them out and, thus, remove them as obstacles to justice and equality. Stewart Lowery Wilton Manors

Marc Paige Mimi Planas of the Log Cabin Republicans of Miami is either uninformed, or has a problem with the truth. In her letter attacking the gay media and liberals, she challenges anyone to find just one quote from Republican Attorney General Pam Bondi stating that she favors the marriage ban for gay couples. Facts are stubborn things, Ms. Planas. In recent court documents, Bondi wrote that Florida recognition of gay marriages performed in other states would “impose significant public harm” on Florida. This statement is hardly supportive; it’s not even neutral. Bondi’s words show outright contempt for gay couples and their families. For years, Republican candidates have manipulated fear of the LGBT community

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to gin up votes, routinely warning crowded churches of attacks on “family values.” Planas wants us to believe that the GOP is no longer anti-gay, and for LGBT voters to help re-elect Florida’s GOP candidates for Governor and Attorney General. Yet this year both Rick Scott and Pam Bondi worked hard to get a federal judge to throw out the challenge to Florida’s ban on same-sex marriage. Overall, in 2014, Democratic office holders remain the driving political force behind advancing LGBT nondiscrimination legislation and marriage equality, while Republicans continue to be the biggest obstacle. Marc Paige Fort Lauderdale

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In Rick Scott’s Growing Economy, There Are No Signs Saying, “Gays Need Not Apply” Matthew Taien The Florida ban on same-sex marriage will be ruled unconstitutional in accordance with the U.S. Supreme Court upholding the Log Cabin Republicans vs. the State of California case that has set in motion the legal recognition of same-sex marriages. That being said, gay marriages need to be fortified by sustained job growth and inclusive prosperity. Rick Scott has facilitated 645,000 new jobs as Governor. He is by far the superior corporate recruiter to create another 645,000 new jobs for Floridians who have not fully recovered from the financial crisis. A recent Florida university study says another 100,000 new jobs will be available by mid-2015, and 175,000 for all of next year. That would be 800,000 plus new private sector jobs in Florida since Scott’s 2011 Inaugural. And more will come. Let’s keep Rick Scott flying his own private jet around the nation and the world as he continues to inspire more Fortune 500 and 21st Century high-tech firms to employ all Floridians. After all, he does not take a salary or charge the state to fly his jet for the benefit of helping those who still need jobs. Gays want prosperity in their lives as well as the right to dignified and legal marriage. Don’t listen to the popular class-haters and class-dividers. Don’t listen to the racemongers and activists pretending to be poor as a fake virtue. Don’t listen to mindless angry class warfare rhetoric disguised as sophistication, pro-woman, and social justice. Be smart. Vote for an inclusive Florida economic renaissance already in the making. Silicon Valley, Wall Street investors and the Harvard Business School see Florida as the evolving national epicenter for Hispanic-

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owned high tech firms. And Orlando, Tampa and Fort Lauderdale are among the top 10 cities in the U.S. for veterans, professional women, and mellennials to find a career, yet so much more can be done despite this vast but incomplete progress. With four more years, Rick Scott will continue to fight for a prosperous fully-employed multicultural Florida. #letskeepworking Rick Scott’s not the perfect flawless career politician who knows every contrived campaign trick in the book, but he is lasersharp focused on bringing job creators to Florida. Not bad for a fellow who grew up in the poor federal housing projects with a single parent deprived mother, in comparison to Crist — who comes from a very privileged home that put he and his siblings through law school and medical school. Charlie Crist cultivates hundreds of thousands in his government pension as a career politician for himself. Rick Scott cultivates hundreds of thousands of jobs for the poor, unfortunate and struggling from which he came. The choice is abundantly clear. When gay marriage trumps the Florida state ban in 2015, married gay couples need rewarding careers to solidify and sustain those sacred relationships. In Rick Scott’s economy, there are no signs reading, “Gays need not apply.” Vote Rick Scott. Respectfully submitted, Matthew Tsien Broward Republican Committeeman

Executive

LGBT Republican Response Regarding Rick Scott And Alleged Medicare Fraud Shane Pagano Many LGBT voters have grown tired of the Florida Democratic Party, and it’s leadership, pushing constant lies about Governor Scott and alleged Medicare fraud. Rick Scott was never charged criminally, and was never indicted by a Grand Jury, therefore, there was no crime committed. The video shown in the Democratic ad, of Gov. Scott “pleading the 5th,” was from a civil action involving Columbia/ HCA and the “Nevada Communications Corporation.” It was not in a criminal case, as is implied by the Democratic Party of Florida. Here are the facts surrounding Columbia/HCA. Rick Scott resigned from the Board of Columbia/HCA in July 1997 after the corporate board overruled Scott and voted to settle with the Federal Government. Rick Scott wanted to fight the Federal Government’s accusations, because they weren’t true. Columbia/HCA, and other companies, were specifically targeted for payback after the defeat of HillaryCare in 1993. In a nutshell, after HillaryCare was defeated, Congress then passed 100,000 new pages

of regulations [of which 45,000 pages were for reimbursement regulations alone]. Columbia/HCA was involved in a merger, when the charges came down. Rick Scott, again, was never charged & shareholders asked for the settlement, so that the merger could be completed. It was said by someone involved in that lawsuit, that,” you could be perfect everywhere and make a mistake on page 44,362, of the new Medicare reimbursement regulations; and be guilty of violating the whole thing” [Source: “The Tampa Bay Times”] Nonetheless, the thousands of health care jobs Rick Scott created as a CEO of Columbia/HCA still flourish in Florida. Since becoming Governor, Rick Scott has helped marshal the creation of 645,000 new jobs for a modern economy, all for a salary of ONE PENNY a year. His economic record matters in my LGBT household, and I strongly back this Governor for another term. Respectfully, Shane Pagano Orlando, FL

Melissa Etheridge Supports Amendment 2 Medical marijuana helped the iconic rock star during her battle with cancer

Melissa Etheridge I did not fit the stereotype of the partying rock star. I only occasionally drank and, prior to my illness, had only rarely smoked pot. Then in 2004, I was diagnosed with breast cancer. The chemotherapy that was prescribed was called “dose dense”: a harsher, stronger chemo than the usual because I had the benefit of not having to work during the treatment. My close friends told me that, as an alternative, medical marijuana was a natural way to help with the excruciating side effects of chemo. It worked. I used it every day during chemo: It gave me an appetite so I was able to eat and keep my strength up. It also helped with the depression, and it eased the gastrointestinal pain. I have been a medicinal marijuana smoker for nine years now. I find relief from the long-term gastrointestinal effects of the chemo even now.

Please support the Yes on 2 campaign… and helping to insure other seriously ill people get access to the medicine they need. 10 years later, I’m a proud cancer survivor — and try to advocate for patients throughout the country. 23 states and DC have legalized medical marijuana — and it’s amazing to me that Florida, with such a large population of qualifying patients, has not moved quicker. That’s why we must support United for Care and the campaign to pass Amendment 2. Patients who are suffering deserve access to a medication that can provide them relief. I know, first hand, how important it was to my fight and recovery. You have the opportunity to pass this in less than two weeks. Please help in any way you can. Thank you, Melissa Etheridge soflagaynews //

SouthFloridaGayNews // SFGN.com // 10.29.2014 //25

column publisher’s editorial

Crist Campaign Shoots a Blank in LGBT Press

Norm Kent

norm.kent@sfgn.com

Visit SFGN.com/Election2014 for a list of endorsements in this year's races Will Rogers, the famous American social commentator, once remarked that “I do not belong to an organized political party. I am a Democrat.” In his latest try for political office, that is where Charlie Crist has landed. From his days as the Republican governor to his run for the U.S. Senate as an Independent, he now seeks a return to Tallahassee as a Democratic governor. Largely based on his turnaround with respect to social issues, from gay marriage equality to his support for medical marijuana, this newspaper endorsed him last April. I even cosponsored a party for him at a local city commissioner’s residence. After my editorial, Crist sent me a personal note saying he was “humbled” by our kind words. Thank you, Mr. Crist. Unfortunately, in a race oh so close, he has campaign operatives treating this newspaper cavalierly and carelessly. That is not so with the Log Cabin Republicans. Recognizing the national breadth and diversity of SFGN’s website, gay Republicans sought out our sales department to purchase advertising on www.SFGN.com. We know their ads are working to this extent — they are infuriating our readership. Day after day, the newspaper is getting emails, phone calls, and letters complaining how the Scott campaign is dominating the website of a gay newspaper which has endorsed Charlie Crist. Hey, we can’t help it if Republicans are just smarter than Democrats. Normally this isn’t something we’d write about. Anyone is free to advertise, or not advertise, in our newspaper. But because our readers are now confusing Rick Scott ads with an endorsement we felt it was something that needed to be addressed. Our sales staff reached out to the Crist campaign and they declined to advertise. Their reasoning was that while “they welcome the support of the LGBT community, they were going in another direction” with their campaign funds. So be it. Everyone has a right to shoot themselves in the foot. They have. Gay Republicans understand a swing vote in a close election can make a difference. And there is no place better

in the country that understands the importance of the mantra “every vote counts.” It was here just 15 years ago when Bush defeated Gore by a mere 537 votes. The gay community could have made the difference and changed the course of history. The ultimate irony in this multimillion dollar statewide campaign is that web advertising online on our website is very inexpensive. It would have cost the Crist campaign, or the local Dolphin Democrats, less than $500 to run a banner ad online. The Dolphin Democrats also chose not to advertise. We can’t help it if gay Republicans are more enthused — or more desperate — than their opponents to win. Just this week we became accredited members of the National Gay Media Association. We were already members of the Associated Press and Florida Press Association, and media partners with CNN and the Sun-Sentinel. But the local gay Democratic club and the Democratic gubernatorial candidate could not find less than $500 to run an ad on our website to counter those Republican ads. Maybe they take the gay vote for granted. Who knows. But the money itself is inconsequential to us. Political ads won’t make or break this paper. It was just a way for them to reach out to the gay community. Geniuses they are not. Losers in this election they very well may be. If Crist wins, which we still hope he will, it won’t be because of anything his campaign has done anywhere in the gay media. Sure he’s apologized for his transgressions against us.

But where was he during the Stonewall Street Festival? Even Chip LaMarca, a Republican no less, was there marching proudly. The Crist campaign has given verbal support to the LGBT agenda, but it has not put its money where its mouth is. Gay Republicans, on the other hand, have apparently recognized the importance of soliciting the LGBT vote, not only advertising but sending in letters to the editor on a weekly basis for the past six weeks, many of which we’ve run. They are not taking it for granted. As for us, we are open for business to Republican, Democratic and Independent candidates. We support some, but will not discriminate against any. So to those readers who want to know why Rick Scott has dominated the advertising on the SFGN website these past weeks, there is a simple answer. To paraphrase the late president, Ronald Reagan, from a famous primary debate in New Hampshire, he paid for that microphone.

Check out SFGN.com/Out50 - Nominate your choices for 2015’s OUT 50 at SFGN.com/out50Nominations 26

// 10.29.2014// SFGN.com //

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column for becker or worse Same-Sex Marriage Does Not Threaten Religious Liberty John Becker

Nobody is forcing churches to marry gay couples. Repeat after me: same-sex marriage does not threaten religious liberty. Once more: marriage equality has not and will not force churches and clergy members to marry same-sex couples. For most of you, I’m probably stating the obvious. But recent PR stunts from the religious right show that no matter how crystal-clear we think this point is, it’s one that supporters of LGBT civil rights will have to keep hammering home over and over again. In the new marriage equality state of North Carolina, for example, opponents of same-sex marriage are hopping mad over a memorandum from state officials informing magistrates that they cannot refuse to perform marriages for same-sex couples. Magistrates are public officials, nominated by county clerks of court, whose civic responsibilities include performing civil marriages. They are paid by the people of North Carolina, to serve the people of North Carolina. Yet some magistrates in the Tar Heel State want to serve only some North Carolinians, saying that they will not perform civil marriages for samesex couples because doing so would violate their religious beliefs. This refusal isn’t just repugnant, it’s also illegal. The state told magistrates earlier this month that turning away same-sex couples is a violation of their oaths of office, and that public officials who do so face suspension or dismissal from their state jobs. In response, the state’s Republican senate majority leader plans to introduce a bill that would create a special right for anti-gay state officials to opt out of performing civil same-sex marriages. It would even exempt registrars of deeds — whose offices issue marriage licenses — from serving same-sex couples. “Complying with the new marriage law imposed by the courts should not require our state employees to compromise their core religious beliefs and First Amendment rights in order to protect their livelihoods,” Senator Phil Berger said. See how that works? Current law in North Carolina requires public servants to treat all

members of the public equally. But now that that guarantee of equal treatment extends to marriage, Berger wants to change the rules to accommodate religion-based bigotry. If his proposal passes, homophobic public officials would be able to bring their private religious beliefs into their publicly funded offices — at the expense of LGBT people’s basic rights. Now we turn to Idaho, where the owners of the Hitching Post, a wedding chapel in Coeur d’Alene, are suing the city because they claim they’re being forced to either perform same-sex wedding ceremonies or face fines and jail time for violating the local non-discrimination ordinance. Prominent national homophobes from Tony Perkins and Brian Brown to Mike Huckabee and Rick Santorum have rushed to the barricades to defend the business, breathlessly decrying this alleged attack on religious freedom by those evil, radical homosexuals. The story has received considerable attention in fundraising emails, conservative blogs, and the airwaves on Fox News — hardly surprising, given the fact that it reinforces the religious right’s persecution complex and plays right into their “LGBT rights come at the expense of religious freedom” narrative. There’s only one problem: the entire thing is a lie cooked up by the religious right. The city never threatened the Hitching Post’s owners with fines, jail time, or any other retributive measures. Furthermore, when marriage equality arrived in Idaho earlier this month, the owners restructured the business as a religious organization that only offers religious wedding services, and it now falls under the religious exemption in Coeur d’Alene’s non-discrimination ordinance — a fact that city officials, which have no plans to go after the business, freely acknowledge. The stories out of North Carolina and Idaho are certainly different, but they both point to the troubling pattern of distortion and deception practiced by opponents of LGBT equality. In reality, the freedom to marry is perfectly compatible with the freedom of religion. But this delicate balance can only work if we fight back against their lies, and resist their efforts to create special rights and privileges for religion-based anti-LGBT discrimination.

John Becker is an LGBT rights activist and writer. As a writer he’s best known as a contributor to and the Editor in Chief of The Bilerico Project; his proudest moment as an activist is his undercover, hidden-camera exposé that revealed fraudulent “ex-gay” therapy at Marcus and Michele Bachmann’s Christian counseling clinic. A frequent guest on news networks including ABC, CNN, and MSNBC, Becker lives in Washington, D.C. with his beloved husband Michael and their dog Rosie. soflagaynews //

SouthFloridaGayNews // SFGN.com // 10.29.2014 //27

PEACE

column

PIPE

October is LGBT History Month. Who is someone from LGBT history that has personally inspired you? SFGN Staff 4800 N. DIXIE HIGHWAY, FORT LAUDERDALE JUST SOUTH OF COMMERCIAL BLVD.

SFGN’s “Speak OUT” is a weekly feature giving a regular voice to South Florida LGBT leaders. Below are some of their answers:

“

Katharine Lee Bates composed America the Beautiful in 1893, broke with the Republican Party in 1924, was a professor at Wellesley College and lived with her presumed lesbian partner Katharine Coman for twenty five years. It took an independent thinker to accomplish such actions. So, the next time you hear America the Beautiful, think of Katharine Lee Bates and the love she shared with Katharine Coman.” — Lori Lynch, Executive Director, LGBT Visitor Center of Miami Beach

“

I was 23 in 1971 but nevertheless wanted to be adopted by Jack Baker and Mike McConnell, a handsome Minnesota gay couple featured in the 1971 edition of Look magazine dedicated to the American Family. They are the patriarchs of the marriage equality movement.”

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— Brian McNaught, noted columnist, author and LGBT activist

“

Long before Stonewall, Barbara Gittings started organizing (in the 1950s). For decades her activism included participation in the first public gay civil rights demonstrations; going on TV as an open lesbian when others were afraid to even use their real names; convincing the American Psychiatric Association to remove homosexuality as a mental disorder; and helping the American Library Association find ways to endorse gay and lesbian content. Wow!” — Toni Armstrong, Founder/Director of BLAST Women of WPB

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Bayard Rustin (1912-1987), I find personally inspiring because his courageous actions throughout the civil movement, despite being ridiculed for his personal life. It is hard enough to be a black man in America, but to be living out loud, gay or lesbian and black, during that part of the century was rare. Still Mr. Rustin pressed on, leading on to advising Dr. King during the Montgomery boycott amongst other involvements, serving as LGBT activist.”

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— Sonya Pressley, BLAST Assistant Organizer 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.

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Training Coordinator (left)

Partner with SunServe, I feel more confident in serving the LGBTQ community. I have also

Aspen Hawke

Business Development Specialist

noticed an influx of new faces at my business!”

(954) 764 - 5150 training@sunserve.org

-September ‘14

Business Consulting and Training Services We provide professional training and consultation to address all of your LGBTQ cultural needs and requirements.

• Increase Revenue by gaining a larger presence in the LGBTQ communities • We are the experts in LGBTQ Cultural Proficiency Training having conducted hundreds of trainings within the last 12 years • Customized trainings developed specifically for your needs: ~ Individual training ~ Training for all employees ~ Group Workshops ~ New hire orientation • Consultations to assist companies in developing LGBTQ proficient practices • SunServe is a Florida Department of Health approved provider of CEU’s for Mental Health and nursing professionals • Your business is placed on our website showing the community you are a trusted partner

LGBTQ Cultural Proficiency TRAINING

LGBTQ Cultural Proficiency CERTIFICATION

Becoming a business partner and displaying one of SunServe’s recognizable seals shows that your company supports the vast and growing LGBTQ community of South Florida. // soflagaynews // Dr., SouthFloridaGayNews / 10.29.2014// SFGN.com 4 /www.sunserve.org • 954-764-5150 • 2312 Wilton Wilton Manors, FL 33305

• 32

Getting your business certified includes training from the top to the bottom and shows your commitment to providing culturally relevant service to the LGBTQ community.

Come and be a part of the fun at the center.

Noble A. McArtor senior day care Center “My partner and I are so relieved to find a safe and caring place for Mom during the day.”

“At Noble A. McArtor we don’t engage seniors to socialize, our seniors socialize because we are engaged with our seniors.”

Michael Norfleet, Program Director

We can show you better than we can tell you!

This first Adult Day Care Center of its kind celebrates diversity while specializing in the care of LGBTQ seniors. We serve all seniors over 60 who need some assistance with day-to-day activities regardless of their gender, race, religion, culture, income level or sexual orientation. Call 954-764-5055 to schedule a toursee what the center can provide for you or a loved one!

Located at 1480 SW 9th Ave., Fort Lauderdale, FL 33315 on the campus of Sunshine Cathedral MCC soflagaynews •//954-764-5150 SouthFloridaGayNews SFGN.com // 10.29.2014 www.sunserve.org • 2312 Wilton// Dr., Wilton Manors, FL 33305//33 •5

pride festivals

since volunteering with sunserve”

“My leadership skills have drastically improved

20-year-old lesbian youth Leadership opportunities

“SunServe is my safe space

14-year-old trans youth

my life has improved so much since joining!”

visit us in ft. lauderdale at

the rainbow room

(drop in/cyber center cafe)

*Check website for days/times/locations Theatre and performance

www.sunserveyouth.com // soflagaynews // Dr., SouthFloridaGayNews / 10.29.2014// SFGN.com 634• /www.sunserve.org • 954-764-5150 • 2312 Wilton Wilton Manors, FL 33305

954-764-5150

youth

Get Connected lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, questioning & straight allies

Check out what’s going on in your area youth group activities

events and outings

• fort lauderdale •SW Ranches/davie •coral springs •Gender Bender & more The Rainbow Room Drop In Center

“ we feel very fortunate to have found sunserve, now our son has a safe, non-judgemental place to be himself” -mother and father of a 13-year-old gay youth

Annual LGBTQA Youth Prom

www.sunserveyouth.com

954-764-5150

soflagaynews •//954-764-5150 SouthFloridaGayNews SFGN.com // 10.29.2014 www.sunserve.org • 2312 Wilton//Dr., Wilton Manors, FL 33305//35 •7

Mental Health Services Katy Yankie, LCSW DIrector of Clinical Services

SunServe provides a full range of outpatient mental health services, including individual, couples, family, youth, and group therapy, to the uninsured and underinsured. Since 2003, SunServe has grown a solid

and respected Counseling Program to meet the needs of the LGBTQ community in South Florida. Fees for counseling services are determined on a sliding scale, with no one turned away due to inability to pay. We

Our students, Registered Interns and staff help YOU!

also accept many Medicaid HMO plans, including Positive HealthCare, Humana, Better Health, Freedom Health, and Clear Health Alliance. Clients with insurance are linked with members of SunServe’s Therapist Collective.

senior support

Clinical Competencies Curriculum Senior Education SilverServe Luncheon (2nd Friday Monthly at ArtServe)

Phone-a-Friend Program // soflagaynews // Dr., SouthFloridaGayNews / 10.29.2014// SFGN.com 836• /www.sunserve.org • 954-764-5150 • 2312 Wilton Wilton Manors, FL 33305

LGBTQ seniors have unique needs. SunServe values YOU and supports your right to age in place with dignity.

Get Connected

Clinical EDcuation Programs

youth

support groups

Mental health and other professionals have the opportunity to gain fundamental understanding of central issues in the clinical care of LGBT clients.

lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, questioning & straight allies

SunServe offers a variety of groups that the community is welcome to attend, including:

Check outTraining what’ssessions goingareondesigned in your area to address • fort lauderdale •SW Ranches/davie •coral springs •Gender Bender & more • Regular training sessions are held at events and outings

central topics in Competency guidelines prepared by the American Psychological Association and the American Counseling Association.

youth group activities

Monday

Come On, Get Happy

-maintain & achieve self love, happiness & emotional balance

Tuesday

Safe “T” Group

-for those anywhere in the process of gender transition

Thursday

Men’s Therapy Group Gay Male Empowerment Group

SunServe offers on-site practicum placements for advanced graduate students in the helping professions through relationships with various universities in South Florida. Clinical supervision is also available for Registered Interns in: Social Work

(held at Pride Center)

Saturday

SOFFA Group

Drop In Center

Wednesday

safe, non-judgemental place to be himself”

SunServe and locations throughout the community -financial management course, registration required • The SunServe Institute Annual The Rainbow Room Intimate Partner Violence Group “ we-screening feel very required fortunatefortoparticiaption have found sunserve, now our son has a Conference is held in October and November, offering CEUs.

Mind Over Money

Mental Health Counseling Marriage and Family Therapy

-mother and father of a 13-year-old gay youth

(Significant Others, Family, Friends & Allies of Transgender People)

2nd and 4th Saturdays

Annual LGBTQA Youth Prom

Gay Grandparents Group

www.sunserveyouth.com

For more information about attending one of our groups

please go to our website at www.sunserve.org or call (954) 764 - 5150.

954-764-5150

Jim Lopresti, Ph.D., LMHC SunServe Founder and Director of Education

soflagaynews •//954-764-5150 SouthFloridaGayNews //Dr., SFGN.com / 10.29.2014 www.sunserve.org • 2312/ Wilton Wilton Manors, FL 33305///37 • 979 soflagaynews SouthFloridaGayNews / / SFGN.com / 9.18.13

Letter Mental from Our Executive Director Health Services Dear South Florida Community Members,

People often wonder why I continue to work at SunServe and not retire... (after I slap them for insinuating that I am thaaaat old), I let them know that this is the best job I have ever had. And it all has to do with the best damn staff one could ever find. When you work at SunServe we make a deal with you: develop your program to best serve our clients and we will find the resources to make your department’s vision come into focus. We hire dynamic, dedicated, driven folks who do not need to be micromanaged. These passionate people use their creativity, energy, and resourcefulness in developing programs for people in our community facing challenges. I sometimes sit in awe at the struggles confronting the people who come to us for help, and yet somehow weYankie, nearlyLCSW always find a way Katy to help our fellow community members in need. DIrectorI ofsit in gratitude as our donors continue to support SunServe year after year. I laud Clinical Services our volunteers working reception, running support groups, listening to and playing games with our seniors, and assisting with special events.

Department Directors

I thank our board for having faith in the staff to do what we do. I thank the people of South Florida for supporting SunServe. Keep an eye on SunServe as we are very aware that there are many more needs facing our community, but with your help we will continue to grow to meet these needs. And remember, at SunServe, We Help People.

Sincerely, Mark Ketcham

Our students, Registered Interns and staff help YOU!

Board of Directors

senior support

Clinical Competencies Curriculum

LGBTQ seniors have unique needs. SunServe SilverServe Luncheon values YOU and J. Coleman Prewitt, Esq., President (2nd Friday Monthly at ArtServe) supports your Ryan Schultz, MBA, Vice-President right age Gary Hensley, Mark Ketcham, MandiPhone-a-Friend Hawke, Michael Norfleet, Chad Scott, Treasurer Gregory W. Kabel,toEsq., Secretary in place with Arianna Lint, James Lopresti, Katy Yankie,Program and Bryan Wilson Deidra Bergmann Julian Cavazos Gary Farmer Todd Fogel dignity. Senior Education

Nikki Satlzburg

// SFGN.com // / soflagaynews // Dr., SouthFloridaGayNews // 9.18.2013 10.29.2014 10 / SFGN.com / • soflagaynews SouthFloridaGayNews 838 954-764-5150 • 2312 Wilton Wilton Manors, FL 33305 10 • /www.sunserve.org

Victor Warren

Rev. Durrell Watkins

The SunServe Guardian Circle

youth

Get Connected

The SunServe Guardian Circle is a team of our most generous donors. With an annual commitment to support SunServe’s overall operations, Guardians are the backbone of our organization. Their generosity enables us to meet the monthly expenses necessary to continue to offer our vital programs and services to our community. We salute them and thank them for their ongoing support of SunServe and our community. The SunServe Guardian Circle makes it possible to say, “WE HELP PEOPLE”. All Guardian Circle donations are fully tax deductible.

lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, questioning & straight allies DIAMOND LEVEL ($12,000+)

Children’s Services Council • Clifford Johnson Estate • Community Foundation of Broward • D.C. Allen & Ken Flick No Gay Hate Fund/Our Fund • Drial Foundation • George Zuber & Anthony Snyder Charitable Fund/Our Fund •Greater Pompano Beach Senior Citizens Club • Howard Greenfield Charitable Foundation - Frank Guida, Jr., Representative • Jim Stepp & Peter Zimmer Fun/Our Fund • John C. Graves Charitable Foundation • Julian Cavazos • Mona Pittenger Giving Fund/Our Fund • Oliver Kamm • Rick Case Auto Group @ Rickcase.com - Rita & Rick Case • Robert Coward The Kenneth S. Hollander Charitable Foundation • United Way of Broward County

• fort lauderdale •SW Ranches/davie •coral springs EMERALD LEVEL ($8,500+) AIDS Healthcare Foundation • CenterLink • Edward Czop • Jay Holmes • Our Fund,•Gender Inc. Bender & more PLATINUM LEVEL (Monthly Gift of $500+) events and outings

youth group activities

Check out what’s going on in your area

Aqua Foundation for Women • Coleman Prewitt & Mark Conaghan • Paul Smith & Gerald Kennedy • South Florida Gay News

GOLD LEVEL (Monthly Gift of $250+)

Drop In Center

Broward Health • George Castrataro • Gregory Kabel • June Davis • Justin Bullard & Tim Luznar • Mark Williams & John O’Connor The Rainbow Room Rocky Slonaker & Don Friedman • Wayne A. Schrebe & Roy J. Stegman Charitable Fund/Our Fund • William Lewis & Manny Ravelo

“ we feel very fortunate to have found sunserve, now our son has a

safe, non-judgemental place to be himself”

SILVER LEVEL (Monthly Gift of $100+)

AARP • Ameriprise - Tracey Cramer • Andy Rogow & Lloyd Stevens • Andy Zalman & Ray Mims • Anne Ketcham • Arthur Crispino & Anthony Timiraos Charitable Fund/Our Fund • Arthur Dochterman & Keith Neale • Bob Avian & Peter Pileski • Bryan Wilson • Chase Roofing & Contracting • Chuck Dinsmore & Mark Gruber • Charles V. Loring Charitable Fund/Our Fund • Dick Schwarz & Tom Massey Dino Georgiou & Lou Malkin • Forest Lawn Funeral Home • Frederick Odom • Gary Farmer, Jr. • Hot Flyers • Jim Pepper • Joe Pallant Katy Yankie & Laura Coogler • Ken Keechl & Ted Adcock • Kent McIntyre & John Tambasco Charitable Fun/Our Fund • Lori Parrish Marc Silverstone • Mark Ketcham & Werner Lutz • Maurice Langlois & Walter Zawislak • Mike Kaplan • Nicole & Mara Saltzburg One Magical Weekend • Park Summit, A Five Star Senior Living Community • Paul Evans & Tyrone Blakely • Ryan & Risa Schultz SBA Communications Corporation • Science Care, Inc. • Scott Simon Fehr • Seda Aktas • Senior Nannies Tim Hart/R3 Accounting • Victor Flores & Greg Hardy • Victor Warren

BRONZE LEVEL (Monthly Gift of $50+)

Arianna Lint • Atlantic Properties Int’l • Chris Truster • David Bromstad • Ernest Olivas, Jr.- Emerald Elite Senior Home Health • Fort Lauderdale Fraternal Order of Police - Lodge 31 • Gary Hensley & Bob Bernhardt • Jim & Maria Dwyer • Joe Falk • Ken Crush & Larry Prasse • Louis Benevento & Patrick Duffy Marc Grossman • Marc Labossiere • Matt Bertanzetti & Dan Jacobson • Michael Norfleet Patti Fontova & Nani Sanchez • Philip Dearborn • Richard Riche • Robert Kuhn & Steven Geyer • Robert Scardino • Scott Bennett • South Florida Guardianship Program, Inc. • Stuart Glazer & Barry Marcus • Terry Stone & Mike Bush • The Chrysalis Center The Grand Resort & Spa • Thomas Sheaffer • Tiffany Arieagus • Wilton Executive Suites, LLC

-mother and father of a 13-year-old gay youth

WE NEED YOUR SUPPORT TO CONTINUE SERVICES FOR YOUTH, SENIORS, HIV+ PERSONS, TRANSGENDER CLIENTS, & OTHERS! Name: __________________________________ Phone No.:_________________ Gift Amount: _________ Email: ________________________________ Annual LGBTQA Youth Prom Billing Address: __________________________________________________________________ Zip: _________ I am interested in:

giving monthly as a Guardian Circle Member

www.sunserveyouth.com

giving a one-time gift

954-764-5150

Card Type: ________ Card #: ___________________________ Exp: _________ CCV Code: _____ (Checks payable to SunServe) Please mail completed form to: SunServe | Attn: Bryan Wilson | 2312 Wilton Drive | Wilton Manors, FL 33305 Questions: (954) 764-5150 ext.106 Visit http://guardiancircle.sunserve.org to give online! soflagaynews SouthFloridaGayNews / /SFGN.com / 9.18.13 soflagaynews •//954-764-5150 SouthFloridaGayNews //Dr., SFGN.com / 10.29.2014 11 www.sunserve.org • 2312/Wilton Wilton Manors, FL 33305///39 • 11 7

r o F s U Mental Health Services n i oJ Annual Events d n i K a f o SUNSERVE.ORG/EVENTS One-

Julian’s Annual Reverse Quinceanera Pageant www.juliansrq.com

Katy Yankie, LCSW DIrector of Clinical Services

senior support

JOCKS -NFRIENDS

Our students, Registered Interns and staff help YOU!

Cruise

FORT LAUDERDALE TO BELIZE

www.sunserve.org/events

Clinical Competencies Curriculum Rooms start at $612.16 per person

(Includes taxes/fees - Based on double occupancy) benefitting LGBTQ social services at SunServe- a 501(c)(3) agency

Senior Education SilverServe Luncheon (2nd Friday Monthly at ArtServe) Departs the Saturday before Thanksgiving- Nov. 21st, 2015 Phone-a-Friend Back in time for Gay Days, Hurricane Program Showdown, and Thanksgiving Dinner!

// SFGN.com // / soflagaynews // Dr., SouthFloridaGayNews // 9.18.2013 10.29.2014 / SFGN.com / • soflagaynews SouthFloridaGayNews 12 812 • /www.sunserve.org 954-764-5150 • 2312 Wilton Wilton Manors, FL 33305 40

LGBTQ seniors have unique needs. SunServe values YOU and supports your right to age in place with dignity.

SFGN

presents

History Month

h istory bisexuality

Finding the ‘B’ in LGBT History Faith Cheltenham

ani Ka’ahumanu, BiNet USA cofounder and leader in the bi movement for almost 35 years, turned 70 last October. Lani’s list of accomplishments is exhaustive. As a bisexual elder, Lani now has the 1983 – Co-founded BiPOL, the first and oldest bisexual feminist political action group. 1987 – Co-founded the Bay Area Bisexual Network, the oldest and largest bisexual group in the San Francisco Bay Area. 1987 – “The Bisexual Community: Are We Visible Yet?” by Lani Ka’ahumanu is included in the official Civil Disobedience Handbook for the 1987 March On Washington For Gay and Lesbian Rights. 1989 – First bisexual appointed to the San Francisco Human Rights Commission.

Lani Ka’ahumanu, the co-founder and leader of BiNet. Photo: courtesy of lanikaahumanu.com.

1990 – Co-organized with Autumn Courtney the First National Bisexual Conference, which lead to the organizing of BiNet USA. 1991 – Co-editor with Loraine Hutchins of “Bi Any Other Name: Bisexual People Speak Out,” the seminal book on the history of the modern bi rights movement. 1993 – Spoke at the rally of the March on Washington for Lesbian, Gay and Bi Equal Rights and Liberation. 1992-2004 – Worked nationally on HIV prevention and education with organizations like AIDS LIFE Lobby and Institute, National Gay Lesbian Health Association, and the Center for Disease Control (CDC).

Stephen Donaldson was a bisexual punk legend who founded the first gay student organization, the Student Homophile League.

extreme (dis)privilege of witnessing what bisexual erasure looks like over decades. In the new BiNet USA Bisexual Media Guide, we define “bisexual erasure” as “the tendency to ignore, remove, falsify, or re-explain evidence of bisexuality in history, academia, news media and other primary sources.” These days, bi erasure is big business, both nationally and internationally. The consistent effort to discredit bisexual contributions in LGBT history often presents itself in one of two ways: Erasure of bisexual people by just not mentioning them at all. Erasure of bisexual people by incorrectly identifying them as gay, lesbian, or heterosexual. This common form of bisexual erasure is also called “misorientation” and

occurs when bisexual people are incorrectly identified as gay, lesbian or straight using current or previous relationship status instead of personal identification. Bi erasure often is rooted in biphobia, the fear or dislike of bisexual people. Biphobia differs from homophobia in the central fact that most bi people encounter strong biphobia/erasure in gay and lesbian spaces, and then turn to find homophobia in heterosexual or straight spaces. Nowhere is this truer than the history of the LGBT movement, for many bisexual people have suffered the indignity of having their contributions erased and their community needs minimized. For example, Heritage of Pride, the organizers of 2014 NYC Pride, edited out Brenda Howard, “The Mother of Pride” from historical photos on their website. They followed it up with an announcement that they had chosen a lesbian, a gay man and a transgender woman to represent the LGBT community at the NYC Pride Festival this June. In Australia, the Shout Film Festival renamed their event to the “Lesbian, Gay and Transgender” film festival because as they stated on Twitter, “biphobia is part of homophobia.” The Rockway Institute, named after Alan Rockway, a founding member of the bisexual movement, even neglects to identify Rockway as bisexual, only calling him, “a pioneering psychologist who helped write and defend the first lesbian and gay employment nondiscrimination ordinance.” Bisexual punk legend Stephen Donaldson founded the first gay student organization, the Student Homophile League, at Columbia University in 1969, but these days Columbia University calls “Donny the Punk” a lifelong gay activist. Biphobia and bi erasure support each other, as Dr. Herukhuti, bisexual sociologist, wrote recently on Bilerico.com, “By selecting which loved ones and sexual partners in someone’s life are worthy of being recognized, bi erasure is a violent amputation of a person’s chosen family and community.” LGBT history could not have been written without us, but too many bisexual icons are stripped of their identity and become someone else’s role model, instead of our own. George Santayana is quoted as saying, “Those who cannot remember the past are

condemned to repeat it.” Santayana also spoke to the larger issue of political memory saying, “Progress, far from consisting in change, depends on retentiveness. When change is absolute there remains no being to improve and no direction is set for possible improvement: and when experience is not retained, as among savages, infancy is perpetual.” As “among savages” stuck out to me, not only because of Santayana’s ignorance of oral history traditions for indigenous peoples, but also because of a recent quote from gay author and pundit, Dan Savage. Earlier this year, in response to calls for him to re-frame his conversations about bisexual people, Savage said: “The main image for the 1987 March on Washington was a banner that read ‘Come Out, Come Out, Where Ever You Are.’ Harvey Milk exhorted closeted gay people to come out while pointing out that closeted gay people, by remaining closeted, were complicit in their own oppression and the oppression of out gay and lesbians. If exhorting closeted bis to come out is biphobic, then Harvey Milk was homophobic.” Dan Savage and others consistently erase the history of bisexual people in the gay rights movement. What’s the cost of erasing Lani’s contribution to the 1987 March on Washington, or 35 years of activism? Bisexual lives, pure and simple. Bisexuals now report higher rates of suicide, cancer, smoking, depression, and sexual assault than our gay, lesbian or straight peers. Just last month the federal government launched www.NotAlone.gov and provided stats about sexual assault for LGBT people. 25 percent of transgender people report being sexually assaulted after the age of 13, while 46 percent of bisexual women report being raped in adulthood. Lani recently coined a new term, “callous disregard” after attending a 2013 LGBT Elder Training conference where bisexual community issues like bi suicide, bi poverty and bi sexual assault weren’t mentioned even once. In 1987, she authored “The Bisexual Community: Are We Visible Yet?” for publication in the 1987 March on Washington’s official “Civil Disobedience Handbook.” Twenty-seven years later we are still here, demanding bisexuals be identified with pride.

Originally from San Luis Obispo, California, Faith Cheltenham is the current President of BiNet USA, a national non-profit advocacy organization for bi people. Faith’s been an LGBT activist for 15 years and is also an accomplished writer, poet, and stand-up comic. Faith is mom to two-year-old Storm, step-mom to six-year-old Cadence, and wife to Matt in a very modern family in Los Angeles.

soflagaynews //

SouthFloridaGayNews // SFGN.com // 10.29.2014 // 41

h istory gay rights

‘Zaps’ Were Stunts to Bring Attention to Gay Rights Christiana Lilly

It was 1973 and Mark Segal, was sitting in the CBS studios watching America’s most trusted newsman, Walter Cronkite, conduct the evening news live. A journalism student, Segal was given a pass into the tiny studio to learn more about broadcast — but he had much more planned that night. With a single camera pointed at Cronkite, Segal quietly walked onto the stage after a commercial break, sat on the broadcaster’s desk, and held up a sign for all of America to see: GAYS PROTEST CBS PREJUDICE. Needless to say, CBS went black, Segal was wrestled to the floor and tied up with wires

// 10.29.2014// SFGN.com //

before being taken into a back room. “America got to hear there was a gay rights movement,” Segal said. “The following morning, we were in most American newspapers.” And that’s exactly what he wanted. Segal and his Gay Raiders participated in scores of actions like the one at CBS, called “zaps.” With the media largely ignoring the gay community or reporting on it with a negative slant, gay groups worked to get onto the news in various zaps. For Segal, this included handcuffing himself to a news camera, to the Liberty Bell, or locking his neck around the doors of the United Way building. “If the media wasn’t going to cover us, we

soflagaynews //

were going to bash them, or in my case, zap it,” Segal said. “We were about ‘In your face motherfucker!’” Zaps were a popular means to getting onto the news, and the women’s liberation movement as well as other activists in the tumultuous ‘60s and ‘70s used it successfully. “The zaps really were just one example of the kind of political action that occurred in the late 1960s in protest against the war, in protest against drug laws,” said Florida Atlantic University Professor Fred Fejes, who specializes in the LGBT community and media. “The whole action was organized around getting the media to pay attention to it.” Richard Wandel came out at 24 and left behind his goal of becoming a priest. Instead, he would become a member of the Gay Activist Alliance. Growing up in Queens, Wandel saw the discrimination against gays. On top of application for housing or employment, people would write “HCF” — high class fairy. Anyone who looked gay walking through Times Square would be harassed and arrested, especially during election years when politicians vowed to “clean up Times Square.” Walking home one day, Wandel encountered a demonstration that was organized at the square and decided to join in, including marching down to Greenwich Village. The march ended in a small riot. “The police would retaliate by picking some small person in the front and beating the shit out of them,” he said. “It gave me a real sense that something had to be done.” He became the president of the Gay Activists Alliance, participating in multiple zaps. The alliance hounded New York Mayor John Lindsay, who was running for president, and his wife at the opening of the Metropolitan Opera season in 1970, shouting gay slogans and demand that he take a public stance on gay rights. They also disrupted the taping of his weekly television program, “With Mayor Lindsay.” The GAA also invaded ABC’s headquarters after a series of homophobic episodes on “Marcus Welby, M.D.,” including one that equated pedophilia to homosexuality. In 1971, they picketed and conducted a sit-in at the Fidelifacts building — a private investigative agency that outed gays, the president claiming

SouthFloridaGayNews

“If it walks like a duck, talks like a duck, it’s a duck.” So an alliance member dressed in a duck costume in front of the office, making it onto the news and ridiculing of Fidelifacts. “We liked humor, but the aim of course is to be on the news, that’s the whole point here,” Wandel said. “You’ve got to get on the 6 o’clock news.” Wandel was arrested four times as a result of the zaps. After Segal, who zapped Cronkite, was arrested, he bailed out and went to court a month later. During a break in the trial, Segal stepped outside with his lawyer when he felt a tap on his shoulder. It was Walter Cronkite. The two talked about the bias in CBS’s reporting, with Segal giving multiple examples, such as the underreporting of gay rights legislation, that Cronkite refuted. Even so, the next week, Cronkite pulled up a map of the United States and listed off the dozens of cities that had recently passed gay rights protections. Segal was found guilty of trespassing and fined $200. Even after their odd encounter, the two remained friends. “Until his dying day he would never admit that he was wrong,” Segal laughed. And the zaps didn’t stop. Later, Segal used an ABC gold pass to interrupt taping of about eight television shows, allegedly costing $785,000 in tape delays, about $1 million today. “More than half the game is how the media represents [you], and so they found that in terms of political awareness and political action that a fair amount of the action has to be directed at the media,” Fejes said of the zaps. Today, Segal is living in Philadelphia, his hometown, where he is the founding editor of the Philadelphia Gay News. Wandel is still in New York City, running the LGBT Community Center National History Archives, which he founded 24 years ago. Two fighters in the revolution for gay rights, the two continue their advocacy by telling their stories and living through times where issues such as gay marriage and serving in the military were things they could never imagine. “It was an awful lot of fun,” Wandel said. “I’m very proud to have been a part of this, to say the least.”

soflagaynews //

SouthFloridaGayNews // SFGN.com // 10.29.2014 //43

h istory publisher’s column

The Day I Met Harvey Milk Norm Kent

his year I had the privilege of attending a White House ceremony where our nation released a United States postage stamp honoring Harvey Milk, a gay man who became the first openly gay person to be elected to public office in California, when he spectacularly won a seat on the San Francisco Board of Supervisors. Harvey’s tenure in office was short, assassinated in November of 1978, by a crazed colleague only eleven months into his term. I know, it’s a long time ago, but his life has been memorialized in a moving documentary, and then captured again in the award winning film, “Milk,” so amazingly played by Sean Penn. For me, Harvey’s life was more than a movie. In no small measure, Harvey’s life touched my own. I grew up and went to high school in Woodmere, Long Island, New York. That’s where Harvey was from. He taught at Hewlett High School, but left for the west coast in the early 1970’s. It was 1976 when I left New York and moved temporarily to South Florida. I never thought I would stay here. Except for the weather, I really hated this place. There was no sense of community or purpose. In 1977, I left for California, staying in San Diego, Venice, LA, and

San Francisco, trying to find a comfort zone on the West Coast. It was in San Francisco in 1977 that I met Dennis Peron, an openly gay man, also from Long Island. Not surprisingly, Peron was a prominent cannabis activist, and I met him through NORML, the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws. Peron was a little older than me but he showed me the Castro, openly gay life, and we hit it off and hung out at his Island Restaurant. Active in politics and the soul of the community, Peron introduced me to this fiery candidate for city hall — Harvey Milk. Ironically, as much as I wanted to learn about them and San Francisco, their eyes and ears were focused on South Florida. Milk wanted to know all about this ‘crazy lady,’ Anita Bryant, the Orange Juice Queen, a former Miss America, who wanted to repeal a Dade County human rights ordinance that prohibited discrimination based on sexual orientation. I remember giving Milk a button that read “Anita Bryant Sucks Oranges.” It was 37 years ago, a brief moment in time decades ago. On that day he was shot, less than a year later, I

remember being so stunned and shocked. It was not only Milk who was killed, it was the Mayor too, George Moscone. For me, it was Martin Luther King and Bobby Kennedy all over again; another civil rights leader slain by the bullets of false revenge. This one was more personal. This was my friend from Woodmere, a man I had just met in the last year and now would never see again. Never did I ever imagine when I was playing softball at the age of 12 at School Number 6 on Branch Boulevard in Woodmere, that at the age of 62, I would be invited to the White House to celebrate his life, the life of a gay rights leader from Woodmere. Never did I ever imagine I would become one myself. I guess life is what happens when you are making other plans. Offered a job at Florida Atlantic University as an Assistant Professor of Criminal Justice, I wound up staying in South Florida. I would teach for a few years, before deciding whether to stay here or move there. I stayed here, and visited there. Years later, I would establish dual residency with an apartment in San Francisco. It’s still my favorite place to go. Stuart Milk, Harvey’s nephew, was a teenager when his uncle was shot. Today, he stewards the Milk Foundation, a global ambassador for LGBT rights, working with an administration that has done more for our community than any other, ever. This week, SFGN features an Interim Drug Czar who is a gay man. Last week, President Obama named a gay man to be the ambassador to Vietnam. Over the past few years, he has appointed too many LGBT officials to mention,

from Navy undersecretaries to federal judges. Being gay has opened doors, not closed them. Being gay in 1978 meant breaking down those doors, at great personal risk. We scared people. Laws were lined up against us everywhere. When I applied for the Florida Bar in 1978, being gay was grounds for denial. Being open was professional suicide. Being gay made you a target. Harvey knew that. He understood that he might have to give up his life in the struggle for human rights. He understood he could be shot. But he fought on. Peron is still in San Francisco, ever the activist, having worked on Prop 215 and marijuana legalization in California for decades. He also runs Castro Castle, a guest house in the LGBT district. Today, bars as well as high schools memorialize Harvey Milk’s name. Now so does a U.S. postage stamp. Milk was a natural to become the first openly gay supervisor. His passion, his voice, made him known as the “Mayor of Castro Street.” He had started the Castro Street Fair in 1974. He helped make gay people feel safe and secure, yet visible and open to the world. He helped make San Francisco a safe haven for homosexuals. What we take for granted for today he gave his life for yesterday. Milk did not win in his first try for the board of supervisors, or his second, or third. He kept on plugging away. So must we. We only lose life when it has no purpose. Harvey Milk stood tall and died proudly, for all of us; for the cause of equal rights. There is no greater calling.

Harvey Milk, the first openly gay person to be elected to public office in California.

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community

‘FREAK SHOW - Wicked Manors 2014’ The Pride Center

The Pride Center is pleased to announce Hunters Nightclub as the presenting sponsor of Wicked Manors – FREAK SHOW to be held on Friday, October 31, 2014 starting at 7 p.m. until Midnight! Hunters owners Mark Seymour and Patrick R. Volkert state; “We are extremely pleased and excited to be a part of such an amazing event. The event places Wilton Manors, The Pride Center and Hunters on the map on such a fun holiday.” The Hunters legacy extends from Chicago to Palm Springs and now in the heart of Wilton Manors, Florida. It serves quality drinks, dancing and entertainment daily. It also offers Karaoke, country and western dancing, cabaret, large special events, happy hour and tons of friendly fun. Their mission statement is simple. Fun and Friendly. Announcing the new sponsorship arrangement, festival chair, Doug Cureton, said; “We created Wicked Manors back in 2007 to provide a fantastic Halloween celebration that would bring thousands of visitors to Wilton Manors and showcase our wonderful city. An event of this magnitude cannot happen without committed partners like Hunters, our sponsors and businesses who share this vision of investing and building a community that we all can be proud of!”

This year’s theme for Wicked Manors is “FREAK SHOW” and it is expecting to attract over 25,000 costumed revelers on Wilton Drive! Traffic will be prohibited on Wilton Drive to provide a safe area for guests to celebrate and GET THEIR FREAK ON! Wilton Drive will be closed from 1:30 p.m. until 3 a.m. from NE 21st Court to Dixie Highway. We will have eight costume contests on the main stage with over $2,000 in cash and prizes. For more information, please visit www.WickedManors. org. Additional sponsors of the event to date are: The Greater Fort Lauderdale Convention & Visitors Bureau, Divers Direct Fort Lauderdale, Alibi, Rosie’s Bar & Grill, Progress Bar, The Venue/Manor Nightclub and Village Pub. We would also like to recognize our costume contest sponsors to date: Alpine Jaguar, Selzer & Weiss and New York Grilled Cheese. For more information on the event and sponsorship levels, please contact Doug Cureton, Wicked Manors Chair at WickedManors@PrideCenterFlorida.org or Roger Roa, Director of Development at RRoa@ PrideCenterFlorida.org. All proceeds from Wicked Manors benefit the vital programs and services of The Pride Center. For more information on The Pride Center, please visit www.PrideCenterFlorida.org.

“The Pride Center’s Mission is to “provide a welcoming, safe space--an inclusive home-that celebrates, nurtures and empowers the LGBTQ communities and our friends and neighbors in South Florida.” Last year, over 30,000 people attended Center activities; outreach activities over the past year directly impacted another 30,000+ individuals in South Florida.” soflagaynews //

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history protests

Revisiting a pre-Stonewall LGBT sit-in By Ray Simon PGN Contributor

Left: Leaflet from Janus Society handout at sit-in Above: Demonstrators hand out documents about the sit-in to Dewey’s patrons

he sit-in at Dewey’s, which occurred at a Philadelphia restaurant in the spring of 1965, is not as well known as the Stonewall Riots, but it deserves wider recognition. On the evening of Sunday, April 25, 1965, staff at the diner turned away more than 150 people they believed to be LGBT. According to the August 1965 issue of Drum magazine, which mixed beefcake pictorials with news for gay men, the restaurant’s staff refused “to serve a large number of homosexuals and persons wearing non-conformist clothing.” Eventually, three teenagers — two boys and one girl — refused to give up their seats, in effect beginning a sit-in. In the week that followed, LGBT activists used tactics borrowed from the civil-rights movement to put pressure on the restaurant’s owners until the ban was lifted. On closer examination, the sit-in at Dewey’s suggests that gay militancy began at least a few years before Stonewall. It also hearkens back to a time when gays, lesbians and transgender people clearly saw their struggles as intertwined. For Marc Stein, a professor of history at San Francisco State University, the sit-in at Dewey’s not only adds to our knowledge of the past, it also prompts us to reevaluate our current understanding of LGBT history. “I think one of the important things to see is that there was a history of these episodes for at least five years before the Stonewall Riots,” Stein said during a telephone interview. “I think for a lot of us,” he continued, “if there’s one thing we want to challenge, it’s the notion that the movement began at Stonewall or the notion that Stonewall was the first time that gays and lesbians, that LGBT people, fought back.” The story of the sit-in at Dewey’s may very well have been forgotten if it were not for Stein. The mainstream media ignored the incident then and it received scant attention from scholars before Stein began his research. Fortunately, a handful of men and women mentioned the restaurant to the historian

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while he was interviewing them for his book, “City of Sisterly and Brotherly Loves: Lesbian and Gay Philadelphia, 1945-72.” Dewey’s was a small, family-owned chain of diners that operated in Philadelphia from the 1940s to the 1970s. When the chain’s owner, Farrel Yesner, passed away in 2003, his obituary stated that “Dewey’s doled out tasty comfort food to customers at restaurants that were mostly old-fashioned lunch counters.” The all-night eateries served customers from all walks of life, but its 13th Street and 17th Street locations drew many LGBT customers, especially after the bars closed. According to Laurie Barron, one of Stein’s interviewees, the restaurant was known as “Fag Dewey’s.” And another, Joan Fleischmann, told him that at Dewey’s “you’d find streetwalkers, you’d find drag queens, you would find everybody.” Why things came to a head on Sunday, April 25, 1965 is unclear. The June 1965 newsletter of the Janus Society, the local homophile organization, indicates that the diner’s management had grown tired of a group of young LGBT kids just sitting around, being rowdy and ordering little, so it encouraged its employees to shoo them away. As Stein put it, “What I do know is that in the months or years leading up to the Dewey’s sit-in, that Dewey’s had become a late-night hangout, especially for young people and for lots of people we would now call trans.” That night, staff interpreted the directive zealously. Eventually, three teens refused to budge, the police were called and so was Clark Polak, a local LGBT businessman and advocate. At the time, Polak was head of the Janus Society and also published Drum magazine. Exactly what Polak did that night is unknown. The businessman claimed that he was advising the teens of their rights, but Stein acknowledges it’s easy to imagine him getting cantankerous. “We know from other stories that Polak would scream and curse at the police, but he would also argue. He was almost fearless. So I’m sure emotions got intense,” Stein said. soflagaynews //

The police promptly arrested Polak and the three teenagers. The savvy businessman quickly organized a picket outside Dewey’s. Roughly 1,500 pieces of literature were distributed to customers and passersby over the next five days. Finally, on Sunday, May 2, just one week after the initial confrontation, a handful of teenagers began a second sit-in. The police were once again summoned, but this time they refused to arrest anyone. Both parties spoke to one another, the situation was defused and the restaurant resumed serving LGBT customers. This was no small victory. Writing in the Janus Society’s May 1965 newsletter, its editor, Barbara Horowitz (who signed her work Barbara Harris), asserted, “There is no reason to assume that this cannot be called a job well done.” That same editorial also makes it clear that Horowitz, and, by extension, Polak, recognized that what took place was about more than just being able to order a cup of coffee. As Horowitz wrote:

“All too often, there is a tendency to be concerned with the rights of homosexuals as long as they somehow appear to be heterosexual, whatever that is. The masculine woman and the feminine man often are looked down upon by the official policy of homophile organizations, but the Janus Society is concerned with the worth of an individual and the manner in which she or he comports himself.” That statement suggests that at least some LGBT activists saw the limitations of pursuing a policy of militant respectability, which was, roughly speaking, the notion that straights would accept LGBT people if only LGBT people could demonstrate that they were just like everybody else. There is still more work to be done regarding Dewey’s. Who were the three teenagers arrested that first evening? Were they the same teenagers who initiated the final night’s sit-in? Who manned the picket lines? Were the people involved in the action radicalized by it? What

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happened to them as the years passed? These remain unanswered questions. Perhaps fighting for the opportunity to sit in a diner and order a meal appears trivial, but it is important to remember that the civilrights movement had already demonstrated that seemingly mundane actions could have profound implications. Studying the sit-in at Dewey’s, Stein discerns significant implications for our understanding of LGBT history. Later in the 1960s, a new kind of LGBT activism emerged: the gay liberation movement, which was more radical than the earlier homophile movement. For many, Stonewall was the momentous beginning of that next phase of activism, but Stein believes otherwise. In the sit-in at Dewey’s, he finds evidence of LGBT militancy beginning much earlier than 1969. “The idea of fighting back, the idea of borrowing tactics from the civil-rights movement, that stretches back 20 years before Stonewall,” he said. As Stein and his fellow LGBT historians do more research, a fuller picture of LGBT life in the decades after World War II is taking shape. The sit-in at Dewey’s, for example, can no longer be dismissed as an isolated, random event, thanks to the work of transgender scholar Susan Stryker. Her 2005 documentary, “Screaming Queens: The Riot at Compton’s Cafeteria,” examines a 1966 incident in San Francisco that is strikingly similar to the sit-in at Dewey’s with one difference: at Compton’s, the drag queens literally punched, kicked and scratched to defend themselves. Obviously, more work must be done. But recognizing the significance of what a ragtag group of LGBT teenagers and the adults who supported them accomplished at Dewey’s is a good first step. Ray Simon is an editor and freelance writer in Philadelphia. He has written about everything from cryptograms to drag kings and environmental sustainability to video games.

history 101

HOMO HISTORY 101 Midterm Elections Edition

erry Studds was the first openly gay member of Congress.

Pier Angelo

Gerry Studds

(1937 –2006) was an American Democratic Congressman from Massachusetts who served from 1973 until 1997. He was the first openly gay member of Congress. In 1983 he was censured by the House of Representatives after he admitted to an inappropriate relationship with a 17-yearold page. During the course of the House Ethics Committee’s investigation, Studds publicly acknowledged his homosexuality, a disclosure that, according to a Washington Post article, “apparently was not news to many of his constituents.” Studds stated in an address to the House, “It is not a simple task for any of us to meet adequately the obligations of either public or private life, let alone both, but these challenges are made substantially more complex when one is, as I am, both an elected public official and gay.”

Jim Kolbe (born June 28, 1942) is a former Republican member of the United States House of Representatives for Arizona’s 5th congressional district, 1985–2003 and 8th congressional district, 2003–2007. Kolbe

came out as gay in August 1996 after his vote in favor of DOMA spurred efforts by some gay rights activists to out him. He won re-election that year. In 2000, he became the first openly gay person to address the Republican National Convention, although his speech did not address gay rights. He was the second openly gay Republican to serve in Congress, Kolbe’s record on gay rights even after coming out, was somewhat mixed. He was lukewarm in his support of same sex marriage but he strongly supported the availability of universal civil unions. In 2013, Kolbe was a signatory to an amicus curiae brief submitted to the Supreme Court in support of same-sex marriage during Hollingsworth v. Perry.

Steven Gunderson (born May 10, 1951) is a former Republican congressman from Wisconsin. Gunderson served in the Wisconsin State Assembly from 1975 to 1979 before being elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 1980. He served eight terms in the House and did not seek re-election to the 105th Congress in 1996. In 1994, Gunderson was outed as gay on the House floor by conservative then-representative Bob Dornan

(R-CA) during a debate over federal funding for gay-friendly curricula, making him the first openly gay Republican representative. In 1996, Gunderson was the only Republican in Congress to vote against the Defense of Marriage Act. He was appointed by President Barack Obama to the President’s Commission on White House Fellows in January 2010.

Barney Frank (born March 31, 1940) served as a member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Massachusetts from 1981 to 2013. He was re-elected every term by wide margins. In 1987, he came out as gay, becoming the first member of Congress to do so voluntarily. From 2003 until his retirement, Frank was the leading Democrat on the House Financial Services Committee, and he served as committee chairman when his party held a House majority from 2007 to 2011. In July 2012, he married his long-time partner, James Ready, becoming the first member of Congress to marry someone of the same sex while in office. Frank did not seek re-election in 2012, and retired from Congress at the end of his term in January 2013. Frank is considered the most prominent gay politician in the United States.

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Tammy Baldwin (born February 11, 1962) is the junior United States Senator from Wisconsin and a member of the Democratic Party. She previously served as the U.S. Representative from Wisconsin’s 2nd congressional district from 1999 to 2013, as well as serving three terms in the Wisconsin Assembly representing the 78th district. Baldwin defeated her Republican opponent, former Wisconsin governor Tommy Thompson, in the 2012 U.S. Senate election. She is the first woman elected to represent Wisconsin in the Senate and the first openly gay U.S. Senator in history. As of 2013, Baldwin’s voting record makes her one of the most liberal members of Congress. If you want to learn more about your gay heritage and those who paved the way, through activism, sacrifice, courage, civil disobedience to give us a better and freer life you can visit The Stonewall Museum & Archives in Wilton Manors. We should all know who our gay heroes are and be thankful for what they did on our behalf.

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history

Uncovering The Alleged LGBT Connections In The JFK Assassination Jesse Monteagudo

Left: District Attorney Jim Garrison Center: Oswald’s mother, Marguerite (from left), Ruth Paine and Marina Oswald with the Oswald children at Paine’s home the day after the assassination Credit: Allan Grant Right: President and Mrs. Kennedy arriving at Love Field in Dallas the day of the assassination Credit: Cecil Stoughton

n 1969, New Orleans District Attorney Jim Garrison prosecuted Clay Shaw for allegedly conspiring to kill President John F. Kennedy. Shaw, a gay man, was the only person ever put on trial in connection with JFK’s assassination. Garrison initially believed JFK’s murder was a sadistic “thrill killing” plotted by Lee Harvey Oswald, Shaw and David Ferrie, who was also gay. Garrison espoused that theory after investigators founds whips, chains and leather regalia inside Shaw’s residence. Ferrie died of a brain aneurysm before going on trial. Garrison later embraced a revised theory that Shaw, Oswald and Ferrie worked for the CIA. He theorized the agency masterminded JFK’s murder at the behest of the military because JFK was easing Cold War tensions and pulling out of Vietnam. While Garrison’s theory about the CIA may be true, he failed to connect Shaw to JFK’s assassination. It took a New Orleans jury less than an hour to acquit Shaw. In 1976, the House Select Committee on Assassinations determined that Shaw did have ties to the CIA. Rumors of Shaw’s involvement in JFK’s death continue to this day, though they’ve never been substantiated. A successful businessman prior to his arrest, Shaw died of cancer in 1974. He was 61. Speculation of a lesbian connection to JFK’s death also persists to this day, though there’s a similar lack of supporting evidence. At the time of JFK’s death, his accused killer, Oswald, was separated from his wife, Marina. Marina resided in suburban Dallas with

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Ruth Paine, a Quaker woman who was separated from her husband, Michael. Both women had two children, who also resided in the Paine home, while Michael resided in a nearby apartment. Paine and Marina met at a party in February 1963 and began a brief friendship. They lived together for about two months, up until Nov. 22,1963, when JFK was assassinated. Ruth never charged Marina rent, noting the benefits she received from the friendship, including learning Russian, which Marina spoke proficiently. In his 1967 best-seller “The Death of a President,” author William Manchester repeatedly insinuated that Ruth and Marina were in a lesbian relationship. Manchester quoted selectively from letters between the women, which were affectionate but could hardly be considered love letters. In one letter, Marina wrote to Paine: “I kiss and hug you and the children.” “I love you Marina and want to live with you,” Paine said in a particularly effusive reply. Manchester also claimed that Paine intended to take Marina to a Planned Parenthood clinic, for advice on achieving sexual satisfaction apart from their husbands. But his book provided no documentation for this claim. On the evening of Nov. 21, 1963, Oswald unexpectedly visited Paine and Marina at the Paine home, which is now a museum. During the visit, Marina repeatedly rebuffed his entreaties to “quit Ruth” and live with him, according to Manchester’s book. “Again and again he repeated that her preference for Ruth was unbearable for him,” wrote Manchester. Inconsolable due to Marina’s rejection, soflagaynews //

Oswald went “mad” and shot JFK the next day from a sixth-floor window at his workplace, according to Manchester. Oswald himself was killed by Jack Ruby two days later, proclaiming his innocence to the end. Manchester’s book was billed as the definitive account of JFK’s death, partly because it was commissioned by Jacqueline Kennedy, though she later dismissed it as “tasteless and distorted.” His insinuations of a lesbian relationship between Marina and Paine remain firmly entrenched in the minds of many Americans. But extensive government investigations haven’t yielded a scintilla of supporting evidence, and both women have consistently denied being in a lesbian relationship. For his part, Lee told police he was grateful for the assistance that Paine gave to his family. He described it as a “nice arrangement,” while he struggled to get on his feet financially. In a 1974 People Magazine interview, Marina said, “They called me lesbian, because I had a friendship with Ruth Paine, who isn’t that way at all. People are quick to apply names. I assure you I am normal.” Marina has also repeatedly expressed her belief that Oswald didn’t kill JFK. In 1996 on “The Oprah Winfrey Show,” Marina said Oswald had “absolutely nothing” to do with JFK’s assassination. Marina’s denials apparently didn’t hold any water with staunch anti-LGBT psychiatrist Charles Socarides. In 1978, he gave a lecture about homosexuality at Lankenau Medical Center

in Wynnewood, Pa., during which he repeated Manchester’s canard that Marina’s lesbian relationship with Paine drove Oswald to kill JFK. When informed of Socarides’ lecture, the late LGBT pioneer Barbara Gittings dismissed it as yet another attempt by Socarides to cast homosexuality in a negative light. Ironically, Gittings was friendly with Paine, and Gittings’ name appears in the exhibits released by the Warren Commission in 1964. Ruth and Gittings sang in a madrigal choral group in Philadelphia, before Paine and Michael relocated to Texas in 1959. Gittings described Paine as a very kind and generous person, who never gave any indication of being lesbian or bisexual. After Oswald was killed, Gittings added, she felt sorry for the newly widowed Marina, and sent money to Paine. “I didn’t even realize Ruth knew Marina,” Gittings continued. “But I knew Ruth lived in the Dallas area. And she’s such a caring person, I figured she’d find a way to get the money to Marina.” Today, Marina, 73, lives in suburban Dallas with Kenneth Porter, an electrician whom she married in 1965. Ruth, 82, divorced Michael in 1970, and she never remarried. She lives in a Quaker retirement village in California and has a male companion in her life. While we may never know who killed JFK, speculation about an LGBT connection to his assassination should be put to rest, once and for all.

Timothy Cwiek has written for Philadelphia Gay News since the late 1970s. He recently won a national investigative-reporting award from the Society of Professional Journalists for his morethan decade-long investigation into a Philadelphia homicide.

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h istory people

Historical Members of the LGBT Community LGBTHistoryMonth.com

LGBTHistoryMonth.com features a new profile everyday in October. Visit their website to see more.

Sylvester Singer

Singer and Songwriter

Birth: July 5, 1985, Redding, California

Birth: September 6, 1947, Los Angeles, California Death: December 16, 1988, San Francisco, California

Birth: October 28, 1987, Long Beach, California

Olympic Soccer Player

“Your personal life is less about people having to know about your sexuality than standing up for what’s right and fighting for equality.” In 2012 professional soccer player Megan Rapinoe came out publicly two weeks before she was to play for the women’s soccer team in the London Olympics. “I feel like sports in general are still homophobic in the sense that not a lot of people are out,” she said. “I feel everyone is really craving [for] people to come out. People want—they need—to see that there are people like me playing soccer for the good ol’ U.S. of A.” Being closeted made Rapinoe feel inauthentic. It was her desire to do the right thing, to “stand up for what’s right and to fight for equality.” She said that when she came out she became a better player. In the Olympic Games, she scored three goals and logged four assists, helping her team win the gold medal. “I’d like to help create more tolerance and acceptance across the board,” Rapinoe asserted. That means more people talking about it, more people coming out and, at the end of the day, making less of a massive deal about being gay. I’d like to see homosexuality become something that’s just normal to everyone.”

Visit LGBTHistoryMonth.com for more LGBT icons each day in October.

Frank Ocean

Megan Rapinoe

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“My mother said, “You’re very strange,” and I said, “That’s OK.” Before he became “Sylvester” and before he was crowned the “Queen of Disco,” Sylvester James Jr. was a member of a group of transvestites known as the Disquotays. While many Disquotays explored their identities as trans women in a cross-dressing party circuit, Sylvester identified as male. After the dissolution of the Disquotays, Sylvester joined the Cockettes, a San Francisco drag theater troupe. While Sylvester appreciated the open lifestyle of the Cockettes, he maintained a distance from their psychedelic performances. After the Cockettes, Sylvester—known by his first name only—struck out on a solo career. Songs like “You Make Me Feel (Mighty Real)” and “Dance (Disco Heat)” made it to the top of the pop music charts. Sylvester became renowned for his exquisite falsetto and soulful showmanship. When Joan Rivers called him a drag queen, a peeved Sylvester corrected her, declaring, “I’m Sylvester!” A critic of conformity, Sylvester decried Castro clones—gay men who idealized masculine attire and scorned flamboyance. Sylvester was vocal about LGBT issues, especially AIDS awareness and prevention. He wrote songs about AIDS and held AIDS benefit concerts. At age 41, he died from complications of AIDS.

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“There’s just some magic in truth and honesty and openness.” In 2012 critically acclaimed singer and songwriter Frank Ocean changed the face of hip-hop when he came out two days prior to the release of his second album, “Channel Orange.” The album shot to number two on the Billboard charts. Born Christopher Breaux in Long Beach, California, Ocean spent most of his childhood in New Orleans. His father left when Ocean was 6 years old. His song “There Will Be Tears” chronicles the pain of that abandonment. Ocean describes his childhood as solitary. He was expelled from every school he attended. Ocean buckled down just enough to finish high school. He went on to study English at the University of New Orleans. When a friend offered him time in a Los Angeles recording studio, Ocean jumped at the chance. In Los Angeles, Ocean wrote tracks for Justin Bieber and John Legend and joined the celebrated hip-hop collective, Odd Future. After a deal with recording studio Def Jam fell through, Ocean independently released his first solo album, “Nostalgia.” As the album generated buzz, Def Jam’s new chief executive convinced Ocean to sign with the label. Commenting on Ocean’s debut studio album, “Channel Orange,” music critic Alexis Petridis wrote: “Perhaps this is R&B’s Ziggy Stardust moment, where the controversy and publicity surrounding an artist’s sexuality and the brilliance of his latest album combine to give his career unstoppable momentum.” Ocean has collaborated with artists like Jay-Z, Kanye West and Beyonce. By age 26, his awards included GQ’s Rookie of the Year, GLAAD’s Outstanding Music Artist and a Grammy for Best Urban Contemporary Album.

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Special Advertising Section

Santa Lucia Ristorante SFGN Staff

Don’t be alarmed by the “Welcome home!” greeting upon arrival at Santa Lucia in Fort Lauderdale. After your meal, you’ll realize you may never actually want to leave. The restaurant opened up on Oakland Park Blvd. this summer to herds of locals looking to love this authentic Italian place with a modern atmosphere. It will not disappoint. Start with a glass of wine — the extensive list is roughly half Italian, half international. Even the homemade specialty drinks, like the Dizzy Dezi, are refreshing and tasteful. This one combines Patron Silver and pineapple juice on the rocks ($9). The Al Capone is another big favorite: whiskey, sweet vermouth, and Campari ($9). For your meal, don’t skip the grilled octopus ($16) or the calamari — lightly breaded and deep-fried, served with cherry peppers and a spicy marinara ($12). The antipasto misto carne — a combination of prosciutto, sopressata, capicola, roasted peppers, olives and mozzarella — is also a guest favorite ($14). For the main course, you’ll look to spaghetti or linguini, and both are great choices. But ask if one of the specials is the homemade gnocchi — stuffed with truffle and topped with a sage brown butter sauce ($26). You’ll think you’re eating the clouds of heaven. Try your best not to make mmm’s and ahhhh’s too loud. The Pappardelle Vesuviana is another

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wonderful option. Pappardelle is made fresh and service with ground sausage, porcini mushrooms, and a slightly spicy Bolognese ($22). If you’re looking for fresh made pasta and sauce, this is what you should be looking at. The veal scaloppini marsala, served with rosemary roasted potatoes and green beans, is also a delicious choice if available when you visit. Don’t forget the pizzas! The margherita — mozzarella, fresh tomato, and basil — is a classic ($16). But the bianco, a sauceless four cheese and prosciutto blend, is simple and delicious ($19). All desserts are made fresh in house, just like every pasta, bread, and sauce for meals. A cannoli is nice, but opt for the ricotta cheesecake or tiramisu. Rinse them both down with a fresh cappuccino, latte, or regular coffee. While you may not have felt right at home at the beginning of your meal, chances are you will after your last cup of coffee. Welcome home.

If You Go: Santa Lucia Ristorante 2701 East Oakland Park Blvd. Fort Lauderdale, FL 33306 (954) 396-0930 M-F: 11:30-11, Sat, Sun: 4 p.m.-midnight www.santaluciaristorante.com

outeats

Special Advertising Section

Naked Grape Wine & Tapas

Correction

2163 Wilton Drive Wilton Manors 954-563-5631

nakedgrapewinebar.com facebook.com/pages/Naked-Grape-Wine-andTapas/146484612063568

Remember Cheers - the TV bar where everyone knows your name? The Naked Grape Wine Bar on Wilton Drive may be as close as our area gets. The bar, which has been in business for eight years, serves a diverse crowd. “We offer a comfortable, relaxed, cozy environment where people can talk with their partners, friends, or co-workers. The vibe is intimate without the disruption of TV or overly loud music. We often think of it as a “conversation bar,” a place to relax and catch-up with those special people in your life. At night, the lights are low and the candles are lit to create an intimate environment. We also

have a covered outdoor patio that is pet-friendly. It’s a great spot to ‘people watch’ along the Drive,” said owners Caleb Ben-Avram and Tim Slivinski. The most popular wines by far are any of the red blends. Currently a red blend called “Saved” is very popular, followed closely by the Marietta Cellars Old Vine Red Blend and The Tentacle. Naked Grape also offers an amazing artisan cheese list as well as fresh, made to order tapas offerings. Everything is made fresh to order. The best nights to go are Wednesday, Thursday and Saturday. Denise Royal soflagaynews //

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F O R

T H E

J.W. Arnold

S F G N I T ES

jw@prdconline.com

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Stop by the Stonewall National Museum & Archives Wilton Manors Gallery, 2157 Wilton Drive, for the opening reception for “Queer Kids: Coming Out in America” tonight at 6 p.m. This exhibition of photographs by Michael Sharkey is the culmination of more than eight years of work in the U.S. and Europe. At a time when young people are coming out earlier, each portrait provides a powerful testament to the self-awareness and dignity of his subjects. The exhibit will remain on view through January 4. For more information, go to StonewallMuseum.org.

FRI

festival

10/31

It’s Halloween and ghosts, ghouls and all things that go bump in the night will be headed for the gayborhood. This year, the theme for one of the biggest street parties of the year, Wicked Manors, is Freak Show, presented by the Pride Center and the city of Wilton Manors. Join in the flash mob performance of “Super Freak” by Rick James and “Le Freak” by Chic choreographed by Tito Abdelredo, enjoy DJs and local performers, or just parade up and down the drive. For more information, go to WickedManors.org.

Manors, presented by the Pride Center and the city of Wilton Manors, will be Wicked hosted on Friday, Oct. 31 on Wilton Manors Drive. Submitted Photo.

SAT music

11/1 SUN

Known for his rich, fiery rock voice and passionately intense performances, David Cook—the unforgettable “American Idol” season seven winner—comes to the Broward Center for an intimate performance tonight at 8 p.m. in the Amaturo Theater. After winning the “American Idol” crown, Cook subsequently made chart history with a record-breaking 14 debuts on “Billboard” magazine’s digital songs chart. His new work is an impressive collection of tunes teeming with a restless creative spirit, yet anchored by amazing emotional depth. Tickets start at $25 at BrowardCenter.org.

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comedy

11/2 MON

theater

If you followed the hit NBC competition “Last Comic Standing,” last summer on television, then get ready to see all of your favorite comedians, live on stage tonight at the Kravis Center in West Palm Beach. All of your favorite contestants will take the stage, including winner Rod Man, Rocky Laporte, Lachlan Patterson, Joe Machi, D.C. Benny and Nikki Carr. Tickets start at $15 at Kravis.org. (You can also catch the tour on Saturday, Nov. 1 when it makes a stop at the Coral Springs Center for the Arts.)

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11/3 TUE

“East Hampton, Last Summer,” the latest work from award-winning local playwright Tony Finstrom will have its first staged reading to open Jan McArt’s New Play Reading Series tonight at 7:30 p.m. at the Wold Performing Arts Center at Lynn University in Boca Raton. Directed by Wayne Rudisill, the new play features a cast of stellar local actors including series producer McArt, Iris Acker, Beth Holland, Jeffrey Bruce, Shari Upbin and Michael McKeever. The series continues on January 12 with McKeever’s “Daniel’s Husband.” Tickets are $10 at Events.Lynn.edu.

SouthFloridaGayNews

film

11/4

Head to the local cineplex tonight for “Gone Girl,” the thriller starring Ben Affleck and our favorite gay-playing-straight leading man, Neil Patrick Harris. Word has it Doogie even goes full frontal in this one. David Fincher’s film plays like an episode of “Dateline Mystery”: On his fifth wedding anniversary, Nick (Affleck) reports his wife missing. Under pressure from the growing media frenzy, Nick’s portrait of a blissful union begins to crumble. Soon lies, deceits and strange behavior have everyone asking: Did Nick do it? Check local listings for show times and theaters.

WITH BRYNN MARIE

NOVEMBER 9 | 7PM TICKETS ON SALE NOW

Ticketmaster.com • myhrl.com or charge by phone: 1-800-745-3000

O N E S E M I N O L E WAY

H O L LY WO O D

FL, 33314

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a&e music Hundreds of Musicians Headed to South Florida for Band Convention Submitted photo.

J.W. Arnold

he South Florida Pride Wind Ensemble will once again host the Lesbian & Gay Band Association conference in Fort Lauderdale, Nov. 5 – 9.

It’s a good thing the Broward Center’s Au Rene Theatre was available next weekend. More than 275 lesbian, gay and allied musicians from across the country will be converging on South Florida, Nov. 5 – 9, for the Lesbian and Gay Band Association (LGBA) conference, which includes a massed band concert. “We’re not going to be able to fit 250 musicians on stage anywhere else,” said a relieved Alain Ortiz, president of the South Florida Pride Wind Ensemble and conference chair. “We got lucky.” For the sixth time, the Pride Wind Ensemble will be hosting the event that will attract musicians packing everything from tubas to triangles from as far away as Seattle, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Phoenix and New York City. Planning such a large event is a major undertaking for the 70-member local band— an event that seems to occur about every five years—and involves more than two years of planning and the efforts of dozens of volunteers. In addition to reserving hotels, rehearsal and concert venues, the host committee organizes business meetings and breakout workshops and coordinates the logistical challenge of compiling and distributing music for 250 musicians. LGBA board members will begin arriving in South Florida on Wednesday, Nov. 5, with the remaining musicians checking in the following day. They will attend rehearsals, breakout workshops—including a showcase of the Youth Pride Band, the hugely successful local LGBT and allies’ student honor band program—and, of course, socials, including a tea dance on Sunday, Nov. 9 at the Royal Palms resort. One LGBA musician who can appreciate the tremendous amount of work involved is tuba player Cliff Smith of the Atlanta Freedom Band. Smith chaired the convention in his hometown

last year and is a veteran of LGBA conferences for nearly 20 years. “For the host band, it’s thrilling to have 250 musicians come from 32 different bands and have the opportunity to showcase your city,” he said. Fort Lauderdale is a particularly attractive destination for the musicians, Smith noted. “The last time we were there, our rehearsal room at the hotel was on the penthouse level,” he recalled. “It was a beautiful day, looking out at the blue water and here we were inside. It’s a very strange sort of vacation, most people come to relax on the beach, but we bring our instruments and music stands.” Smith plans to arrive a few days early to enjoy the South Florida sunshine, but the concert is always the highlight of the trip, as he reunites with friends from across the country. The program for the concert is titled, “Fiesta Caliente,” and will feature Latin and Spanish music of a wide variety of genres, from classics to popular numbers like “Mambo” from “West Side Story” and Barry Manilow’s “Copacabana.” Joining the band at the performance will be Tropical Wave, the small ensemble of the South Florida Gay Men’s Chorus, guest vocalist Carla Bordonada and the Pride Steel Drum Band. Conducting the concert will be Pride Wind Ensemble artistic director Dan Bassett and assistant director Gary Hoffman and guest conductors Jadine Louie and Scott Helms from the San Francisco and Phoenix LGBA bands. Tickets are still available for the concert for $30 at the Broward Center box office. Perhaps the biggest challenge for organizers is filling the massive nearly 3000 seat theater. Music lovers are encouraged to experience the massed band, an experience that won’t happen again, at least for another five years.

The Pride Wind Ensemble and Lesbian and Gay Band Association perform “Fiesta Caliente” on Saturday, Nov. 8 at 7 p.m. in the Au Rene Theatre of the Broward Center in Fort Lauderdale. Tickets are $30 at BrowardCenter.org. For more information about LGBA conference activities, go to LGBA2014.org.

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nightlife Proud to Be Funky: Brews, Gay Men, and Food Trucks Monthly gay night at the Funky Buddha Natalya Jones

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Gay men can now network in a fun, friendly way over craft brews once a month. Through an event called Proud to Be Funky, participants meet up at Oakland Park’s Funky Buddha as a way to make new friends and meet potential partners. Those attending wear a set theme color for the night previously stated in the event the month before or in the Facebook invite. This is to make it easier for others to find the group. Proud to Be Funky was started by Stephen Grubb. “I am a big fan of the Funky Buddha Brewery in Oakland Park, and that’s why I organized a monthly get together there with my friends,” Grubb said. “I organized the gatherings on Facebook, and encouraged my friends to invite their friends to build up the group. The response has been fantastic, with usually around 30-40 people showing up for each event. The Funky Buddha staff always reserves a few tables for us.” The Funky Buddha includes beer, cider and wine. Although the brewery does not serve meals, the various food trucks outside serve tacos, hot dogs and more. Aside from its 30-barrel, three-piece brewhouse, there is a game room that includes oversized Jenga, cornhole, and other fun games. First opening in June 2013, the brewery is relatively new and is the largest brewery in South Florida. Grubb is nonetheless thrilled about the success of the event. “People attending have had overwhelmingly positive things to say about this event. The Funky Buddha Brewery is the perfect location, and it’s easy to carry on a conversation without loud music blasting in your ear. Plus, there’s always a food truck out front if you get the munchies. Special thanks goes to Funky Buddha for always making us feel welcome.” The best part about Proud to Be Funky?

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Photo courtesy of Facebook.

roud to Be Funky, the P once-a-month group that meets at the Funky Buddha

Brewery in Oakland Park, was started by Stephen Grubb (center) as a way to network.

Participants don’t have to sign up and can spontaneously attend at no cost. Well, except for all those beers you buy. As Grubb says, it is “a monthly escape from the island of Wilton Manors to make new friends and catch up with old friends.” The next event is November 4th with orange and brown as the rather appropriately themed colors for the evening. These events occur the first Tuesday every month from 7-9:30 p.m. at the Funky Buddha Brewery located at 1201 NE 38th Street Oakland Park.

suggested dress code for the rest of the year are: The

New Special

Lunch Time Laser Hair Removal

November: Orange and/or Brown (Autumnal) December: Red and/or Green (Christmas) January: Bright Blue for a Bright New Year February: Purple and/or Yellow (Mardi Gras) March: Green (St. Patrick’s Day) April: Pastels (Easter) May: Green and/or Red (Cinco de Mayo) June: Red July: Red and/or Blue (Independence Day) August: White September: Gray October: Orange and/or Black (Halloween)

For more information, visit https://www.facebook.com/events/330051423839836/. 60

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a&e theater

“Poz” at Island City Stage: Almost Ready for Prime Time J.W. Arnold Submitted Photo

HELP FEED LOCAL RESIDENTS LIVING WITH HIV/AIDS

Pierre Tannous and Larry Buzzeo star in Island City Stage’s world premiere production of Michael Aman’s “Poz.” At first, Michael Aman’s “Poz,” which received its world premiere by Island City Stage last weekend, is an unlikely comedy: An aspiring young actor, dying from leukemia, attempts to contract deadly HIV so he can qualify for a government health care program to get chemo treatments. The irony of the situation is obvious, but is it really funny? The answer is yes—albeit in a “Saturday Night Live” skit comedy sort of way. In a series of short scenes we are quickly introduced to Aman’s quirky cast of characters: Catherine (Jessica Peterson), an aging Broadway actress whose career is seemingly dead after a disastrous run as Mary Todd Lincoln in an infamous flop, “Abe: The Musical.” Robert (Larry Buzzeo), a 50-year-old, HIV positive man who proudly recounts his glory days in the baths, but lets his neuroses take charge when trying to fill out an online dating profile. Maia (Janet Weakley), a middle-aged, quasiclairvoyant—and seriously style challenged— lesbian who sees and talks to angels. Oscar (Jeffrey Bruce), Maia’s gay ex-husband with daddy issues who now serves as a case worker for HIV patients. Arthur (Christian Vandepas), the initially mute angel, a dancer who died of AIDS and seems to guard Catherine, who finally gets some dialogue well into the play. And, with that lineup, it’s easy to forget Edison (Pierre Tannous), the eager 23-year-old who quickly—quite frankly, too quickly—latches onto to the idea of chasing the bug in order to get his chemo. These folks are funny. But they’re mostly twodimensional caricatures, silly sitcom sidekicks on stage. They whip off one liners that had the full house in the intimate Empire Stage laughing constantly, but ultimately, they prove to be a

distraction to what could have been a powerfully moving—and probably still funny or at least heartwarming—story about life and death and the compromises we sometimes are forced to make. Director Michael Leeds makes the most of a confusing, convoluted script. The story is broken into a never-ending series of short, dizzying scenes that diffuse and divert the bigger story arc. And, in the process of clearing up all these supporting characters’ issues and sorting out the role of the angel, Edison’s conundrum is hurriedly resolved in a pat, convenient solution. Hint: The play is set in 2003-04, around the time Massachusetts first legalized gay marriage. Tannous is very sympathetic and likeable as Edison, and Buzzeo and Bruce always excel in roles as gay men, but it is Peterson who gives the breakout performance. She immediately lends Catherine gravitas and grounds her character as a discouraged middle-aged woman seeking redemption now by helping Edison when she could not save Arthur. Designer Michael McClain beautifully painted the spare set as a blue sky with fluffy white clouds, suggesting a heavenly setting—an abstract nod to Arthur the angel?—even though the play is firmly grounded on earth in real time. Sound designer David Hart’s use of light-hearted Swingle Singers renditions of Bach fugues provides a pleasant transition between scenes. Don’t get me wrong, despite many shortcomings, “Poz” is still entertaining and has incredible potential. Aman would do well to edit the fluff and focus on the primary storyline. And the existence of Arthur the angel still seems incidental, almost gimmicky. Perhaps he is the natural narrator. At least give him some lines earlier on, so he isn’t so creepy. Then, unlike SNL, “Poz” will be ready for prime time.

Island City Stage presents Michael Aman’s “Poz” at Empire Stage, 1140 N. Flagler Drive in Fort Lauderdale, Thursday–Saturday at 8 p.m. and Sunday at 5 p.m. through Nov. 23. Tickets are $30 at IslandCityStage.org.

The Holidays are around the corner. Poverello is in need of canned goods, nonperishable food & personal hygiene items for the local HIV/AIDS Community. You can help in several ways: · Host a donation box at your business/organization · Make a financial contribution online (poverello.org) Poverello would like to give a special THANK YOU to John B. Thorp, Jay Feldman and our

Community Partners:

2056 North Dixie Highway  Wilton Manors, FL 33305  (954) 561-3663 • www.poverello.org

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Datebook

Theater Christiana Lilly

Calendar@SFGN.com

broward county Comedicopia

Oct. 30 at 8 p.m. at the Ocean Manor Hotel, 4040 Galt Ocean Drive in Fort Lauderdale. Eight short comedies -- they say it’s perfect for those with ADD! Tickets $10. Call 954-476-2326 or visit OurTownScene.org/diamond.html

* Joshua Bell

Nov. 1 at 8 p.m. at the Broward Center, 201 SW Fifth Ave. in Fort Lauderdale. The American-born violinist is joined by Alessio Bax on the piano to perform classical favorites. Tickets $35 to $115. Call 954-462-0222 or visit BrowardCenter.org.

* David Cook

Nov. 1 at 8:30 p.m. at the Broward Center, 201 SW Fifth Ave. in Fort Lauderdale. American Idol season seven winner, Cook, broke records with 14 debt singles on the Billboard charts. Tickets $25 to $74.50. Call 954-462-0222 or visit BrowardCenter. org.

* Susan Boyle

“The Harlem Shake” is joined by Boys Noize for a * Ballet Nacional de Espana night of EDM. Tickets $40.50. Call 305-673-7300 Nov. 6 to 9 at the Adrienne Arsht Center, 1300 Biscayne Blvd. in Miami. The dance company or visit FillmoreMB.com. * BOXer Shorts 4 performs “Sorolla,” showcasing the many dance Nov. 1 at 7 p.m. and Nov. 2 at 2 and 7 p.m. at the Delray styles and music of Spain. Tickets $25 to $90. Call * Jason Derulo Beach Playhouse, 950 NW Ninth St. in Delray Beach. 305-949-6722 or visit ArshtCenter.org. Nov. 2 at 8 p.m. at the Fillmore Miami Beach, 1700 Six new short plays by two playwrights, Todd Caster and Lisa Bruna, performed by 10 actors. Tickets $15 Washington Ave. in Miami Beach. The RnB and * Detroit in advance, $18 day of. Call 561-272-1282, ext. 5 or hip hop singer is known for his hits “In My Head”, Nov. 6 to 23 at the Adrienne Arsht Center, 1300 “Whatcha Say,” “Talk Dirty,” “Wiggle” and more. visit DelrayBeachPlayhouse.com. Tickets $49.50 to $62.50. Call 305-673-7300 or Biscayne Blvd. in Miami. A couple gets to know the new neighbors next door, soon to find out it will visit FillmoreMB.com. * Last Comic Standing Live Tour threaten their lives they way they know it. Tickets Nov. 2 at 8 p.m. at the Kravis Center, 701 Okeechobee $45. Call 305-949-6722 or visit ArshtCenter.org. Blvd. in West Palm Beach. The finalists of season Rodgers and Hammerstein’s eight will have you rolling in the aisles. Tickets $15 Cinderella Hedda Gabler to $85. Tickets $15 to $95. Call 561-832-7469 or visit Through Nov. 2 at the Adrienne Arsht Center, 1300 Through Nov. 16 at the Miami Theater Center, Biscayne Blvd. in Miami. The Broadway giants Kravis.org. bring the fairy tale to the theater. Tickets $26 to 9806 NE Second Ave. in Miami Shores. Hedda has returned from her honeymoon with her new $96. Call 305-949-6722 or visit ArshtCenter.org. * Girls Night: The Musical academic husband, a man she never loved, to a Nov. 6 to 8 at 8 p.m. at the Delray Center for the home where her she thinks about how her youth Performing Arts, 51 Swinton Ave. in Delray Beach. Murder Ballad is over. Tickets $35. Call 305-751-9550 or visit Through Nov. 2 at the Actors’ Playhouse at Follow five friends through a night of partying during a well-needed girls night out. Tickets $40. the Miracle Theatre, 280 Miracle Mile in Coral MTCMiami.org. Call 561-243-7922 or visit DelrayCenterfortheArts. Gables. Sara is living in the Upper West Side, but her past as a downtown girl comes back to haunt PAMM Outdoor Music Series org. her. Tickets $15 to $53. Call 305-444-9293 or visit Third Thursdays at the Perez Art Museum Miami, 101 W. Flagler St. in Miami. Come out for live music Our Town ActorsPlayhouse.org. from DJs and musicians by the bay. Drink specials Through Nov. 9 at Palm Beach Dramaworks, 201 available. Free with museum admission. Call 305Clematis St. in West Palm Beach. Based on the novel, The Cuban Spring the ordinary day-to-day lives of Grover’s Corners’ Through Nov. 2 at the South Miami-Dade Cultural 375-3000 or visit PAMM.org. residents are the focus of this play. Tickets $62. Call Arts Center’s New Theatre, 10950 SW 211 St. in 561-514-4042 or visit PalmBeachDramaworks.com. Cutler Bay. Family drama is started by secrets, The Big Show intensified by generational differences, and Fridays and Saturdays at 9 p.m. at Just the Funny Free Friday Concerts highlights the sacrifices to live in a democracy. Theater, 3119 Coral Way in Miami. A collection Fridays at 7:30 p.m. at the Delray Beach Center for Tickets $26 to $31. Call 305-443-5909 or visit new- of comedy mixing the likes of improvisation and sketches. Tickets $12. Call 305-693-8669 or visit the Arts, 51 N. Swinton Ave. in Delray Beach. Enjoy theatre.org. JustTheFunny.com. live music from the comfort of your picnic blanket or lawn chair every week, for free! Call 561-2437922 or visit DelrayArts.org.

palm beach county

Nov. 3 at 7:30 p.m. at the Broward Center, 201 SW Fifth Ave. in Fort Lauderdale. The world fell in love with the Britain’s Got Talent alum after the surprising audition, and now she’s coming miami-dade county to Broward for a performance you’re not soon to forget. Tickets $35 to $140. Call 954-462-0222 or New World Dance Ensemble visit BrowardCenter.org. Oct. 29 at 10 a.m. and 8 p.m. at the Aventura Arts & Cultural Center, 3385 NE 188th St. in Aventura. * Diavolo: Architecture in Motion High school and college dancers from the Nov. 5 at 11 a.m. and 8 p.m. at the Broward Center, esteemed conservatory perform ballet, modern 201 SW Fifth Ave. in Fort Lauderdale. A performance and hip hop. Tickets $12. Call 305-466-8002 or seamlessly bringing together gymnastics, dance, visit AventuraCenter.org. and martial arts. Tickets $41.30 to $64.90. Call 954462-0222 or visit BrowardCenter.org Patrick Bruel

Oct. 30 at 8 p.m. at the Fillmore Miami Beach, 1700 Washington Ave. in Miami Beach. The French Through Nov. 23 at Island City Stage, 1140 N. singer is also an actor -- and professional poker Flagler Drive in Fort Lauderdale. A young man with player! Tickets $52 to $101.50. Call 305-673-7300 tuberculosis discovers that he could be covered or visit FillmoreMB.com. by insurance if is HIV+, so he sets out to date an HIV+ man. Tickets $30. Call 054-678-1496 or visit * Salsa: The Music of Celia Cruz IslandCityStage.org. Nov. 1 at 8 p.m. at the Adrienne Arsht Center,

POZ

The Marvelous Wonderettes

1300 Biscayne Blvd. in Miami. The three heirs to Cruz’s legacy honor the salsa queen in this eclectic performance. Tickets $55 to $150. Call 305-9496722 or visit ArshtCenter.org.

Through Nov. 23 at the Broward Center, 201 SW Fifth Ave. in Fort Lauderdale. Head to Springfield High School’s 1958 prom where four girls, the “wonderettes” sing hits from the ‘50s and ‘60s as * Baauer and Boys Noize they dream of their future. Tickets $45. Call 954- Nov. 1 at 9 p.m. at the Fillmore Miami Beach, 1700 462-0222 or visit BrowardCenter.org. Washington Ave. in Miami Beach. The DJ behind

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* Denotes New Listing

c a m eron m ac k i n tosh ’ s spec tac ul a r ne w produc tion of

a ndr e w l loy d w ebber ’ s

NOW ON SALE! TICKETS STARTING AT $34.75!

NOVEMBER 19-30

BROWARD CENTER

BrowardCenter.org • 800.745.3000 For Groups: 954.660.6307

by arrangement with the really useful group

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Datebook

Community Christiana Lilly Calendar@SFGN.com

broward county Professional Mixer

Oct. 29 from 5 to 7 p.m. at the Stonewall Gallery, 2157 Wilton Drive in Wilton Manors. In honor of LGBT History Month, a mixer of light snacks and refreshments with the Gay, Lesbian, and Ally School Employee Network (GLASEN). Call 954-530-9337.

“Queer Kids: Coming Out In America” Opening Reception

Oct. 30 from 6 to 8 p.m. at the Stonewall Museum – Wilton Manors Gallery, 2157 Wilton Drive in Wilton Manors. Michael Sharkey has photographed queer youth across the United States and Europe, telling a story of struggle and dignity. The exhibit will be on display through Jan. 4, 2015. Free. Call 954-763-8565 or visit Stonewall-Museum.org.

* Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show

Oct. 30 to Nov. 3 throughout Fort Lauderdale. Over seven locations, the finest marine vehicles from mega yachts to speed boats and more will be on display, with plenty of special events and fundraisers. Tickets $22, packages available. Visit Bit.ly/1xny23r.

* GrossOut Halloween at the Museum

Oct. 31 from 6 to 9 p.m. at the Museum of Discovery and Science, 401 NW Second St. in Fort Lauderdale. A family friendly event with pumpkin bowling, pirates, electricity show, EcoScapes in the dark, and more. Tickets $14 adults and $12 for children. Call 954-467MODS or visit MODS.org.

Wicked Manors: Freak Show

Oct. 31 from 7 p.m. to midnight on Wilton Drive in Wilton Manors. The drive come alive with spooky creatures in this highly anticipated event, with flash mobs, music, costume contests, and drinks. Free. Visit WickedManors.org.

* Boys N’ Toys Private Yacht Hop

Nov. 1 from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. at the Northop & Johnson Slip at the Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show. A fundraiser for Kids in Distress of Broward and Palm Beach Counties, board some of the finest yachts for a night of cocktails, hors d’oeuvres, live auction, live music, and more. Tickets $250. Visit BoysNToys.org.

* Day of the Dead

* “Mr. Angel” Screening and Talk

Nov. 3 at 7 p.m. at ArtServe Auditorium and Stonewall National Library, 1300 E. Sunrise Blvd. in Fort Lauderdale. Kicking off transgender awareness month activities, Buck Angel, a transgender porn star and activist, will speak at a screening of “Mr. Angel,” a documentary of his story. There will also be free and confidential HIV testing, condom distribution, and HIV education. Free. Call 954-763-8565 or visit Stonewall-Museum.org.

* Trans Opening Art Reception

Nov. 6 from 7 to 9 p.m. at the Pride Center, 2014 N. Dixie Highway in Wilton Manors. Work by Lukkas Wolf, a transgender artist, will be on display. Free. Call 954-463-9005 or visit PrideCenterFlorida.org.

Man2Man Discussion

Mondays 7 to 8:30 p.m. at the Pride Center, 2040 N. Dixie Highway in Wilton Manors. A weekly informal discussion group among gay men of all backgrounds. Contact John Beuscher at 954-202-4469 or email johnnybushwick@aol.com.

Gender Bender Youth Group

Mondays from 7 to 8:30 p.m. at SunServe Campus, 1480 SW Ninth Ave. in Fort Lauderdale. A group for LGBT youth 13 to 21 to discuss gender, gender expression, binary systems, friendship, family and whatever else comes up! Free. Visit SunServeYouth.com

PFLAG

Tuesdays in Fort Lauderdale, Coral Springs and Southwest Ranches. A support group for parents of LGBT youth 13 to 21. Free. Visit SunServeYouth.com for dates and locations.

GayWrites

Wednesdays at 5:30 p.m. at the Stonewall Library, 1300 E. Sunrise Blvd. in Fort Lauderdale. Come join us and write your memoir, poem, blog, novel or short story. Free. Email garri1@earthlink.net

SunServe Youth Group

Tuesdays and Thursdays in Fort Lauderdale, Southwest Ranches, Coral Springs and Hollywood. A support group and night of fun for LGBT youth 13 to 21. Free. Visit SunServeYouth.com for dates and times.

Survivor Support

First and third Wednesdays from 7 to 8:30 p.m. at the Broward Health Imperial Point Hospital cafeteria, 6401 N. Federal Highway in Fort Lauderdale. Find support from counselors and peers who have lost loved ones to suicide. Call the Florida Initiative for Suicide Prevention at 954-384-0344 or visit FISPOnline.org.

palm beach county * October Business Alliance Mixer

Nov. 1 and 2 throughout Fort Lauderdale. Celebrate the Mexican holiday honoring the dead with bands, vendors, food trucks, artists, ofrendas, a skeleton walk, and more. Visit DayoftheDeadFlorida.com

Oct. 29 at 6:30 p.m. at The Palm Beach Hibiscus, 213 S. Rosemary Ave. in West Palm Beach. Join likeminded businesses and owners for a even evening of networking. Call Will Castano at 561-533-9699.

* Taste of the Island

The Dark Side of the Museum Collection

Nov. 3 from 6 to 9 p.m. at Richardson Historic Park and Nature Preserve, 1937 Wilton Drive in Wilton Manors. The ninth annual foodie fest features food and drink from more than 50 area restaurants with food from around the world. Plus, live music from DJs. Proceeds benefit Wilton Manors Kiwanis, Wilton Manors Historical Society and the Wilton Manors Development Alliance. Tickets $30 in advance, $40 at the door. Visit TasteOfTheIsland.org.

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Oct. 30 at 6:30 p.m. at the Norton Museum of Art, 1451 S. Olive Ave. in West Palm Beach. In light of Halloween’s spookiness, learn all about the darker side of the art museum. Free with admission. Call 561832-6196 or visit Norton.org.

* Halloween Nights at the Museum

Oct. 31 from 6 to 9 p.m. at the South Florida Science Center, 4801 Dreher Trail North in West Palm Beach. Get the whole family dressed up for a night of black soflagaynews //

light ink messages, erupting pumpkins, a scorpion dissection, a spooky science trail, and other fun for the holidays. Prices $8 to $11.50 for nonmembers, $4.50 for adults for members and free for children. Call 561832-2026 or visit SFScienceCenter.org.

* Haunted: A Pop Up Gala

Mondays from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. at MCC of the Palm Beaches, 4857 Northlake Blvd. in Palm Beach Gardens. AA for the LGBT community. Free. Call 561-775-5900 or visit MCCPalmBeach.org.

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Nov. 1 from 8 to 11 p.m. at the Cornell Museum of Art, 51 N. Swinton Ave. in Delray Beach. A ghostly gala fit with light bites, open bar, music, and guest artists. Creative black tie; masks and hats encouraged. Tickets $75, proceeds benefit the Cornell Museum of Art. Visit DelrayCenterfortheArts.org or call 561-243-7922.

* Ribfest

Common Ground: Artists in the Everglades

Rainbow Circle

Through Nov. 5 at FAU’s Schmidt Center Gallery, 777 Glades Road in Boca Raton. Works by select artists from the Artists in Residence Everglades will be on display, showing what life is like to live in South Florida’s natural habitat. Free. Call 561-297-2661 or visit FAU.edu/galleries.

Mi Pajaro

Through Dec. 12 at FAU’s MacArthur Library Galley, 5353 Parkside Drive in  Jupiter. View the works of Rolando Chang Barrero, a sneak peek into his installation at Art Basel in December. Free. Contact at Diane Arrieta 561-339-9426 or email diane.arrieta@ gmail.com.

Afterlife: Tombs and Treasures of Ancient Egypt

Through April 18, 2015 at South Florida Science Museum, 4801 Dreher Trail North in West Palm Beach. Explore the world of the afterlife with a screening of “The Mummy,” activities, a mummy wrapping contest, and more. Tickets $20. Call 561-832-1988 or visit SFScienceCenter.org.

Zumba Fitness

Mondays at 6 p.m. at Compass GLCC, 201 N. Dixie Highway in Lake Worth. Get moving with a certificated Zumba instructor for an infusion of exercise and dance moves. Donation of $5 or more. Call 561-3241626 or visit CompassGLCC.com.

Sober Sisters

Mondays at 6:15 p.m. at Lambda North, 18 S. J St. in Lake Worth. A support and discussion group for female recovering alcoholics. Visit LambdaNorth.net.

Out of the Closet, Into the Light

SouthFloridaGayNews

Oct. 31 to Nov. 2 at Zoo Miami, 12400 SW 152nd. St. in Miami. The annual eating event returns with prize-winning BBQ, live music, cooking demos, a farmer’s market, and more. Tickets $10 to $75. Visit MiamiRibFest.com.

Mondays from 6 to 8 p.m. at the University of Miami Flipse Building #302, 5665 Ponce de Leon Drive in Coral Gables. An open discussion about coming out, relationships, peer pressure, bullying, depression and more. Free. Visit Pridelines.org.

HIV Support Group

Wednesdays from 7 to 9 p.m. at South Beach AIDS Project, 1234 Washington Ave. Ste. 200 in Miami Beach. A support group for those who are HIV positive. Free. Call 305-535-4733, ext. 301 or email support@sobeaids. org.

Modern Buddhist Meditation

Mondays and Tuesdays at the Drolma Kadampa Buddhist Center, 1273 Coral Way in Miami. Find inner peace with instruction on meditation with Buddhist monk, Gen Kelsang Nurbu. Cost $10 and $5 per class. Call 786-529-7137.

Book Study

Wednesdays from 7 to 9 p.m. at the Drolma Kadampa Buddhist Center, 1273 Coral Way in Miami. Buddhist monk, Gen Kelsang Nurbu, will lead classes on learning the foundations of Buddhism. Call 786-529-7137.

Prayers For World Peace

Sundays from 10 a.m. to noon at he Drolma Kadampa Buddhist Center, 1273 Coral Way in Miami. Buddhist teacher, Todd Ellenberg will lead prayers and meditation. Cost $10. Call 786-529-7137.

Miami Log Cabin Republicans

Fourth Wednesdays at 7:15 p.m. at Casa Larios, 7705 W. Flagler St. in Miami. Meet with other like-minded people and hear from speakers in the community. Visit LogCabin.org/chapter/florida-miami.

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FALL 2014

• Vol. 3 Issue

TAKING BROADWAY BY STORM PAGE 48

ASEXUALITY & AGENDERISM GAY PLAYS & QUEER COMICS BROADWAY BAB TRANS ADULTS ES &

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