3/25/15 V6i12 by South Florida Gay News

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March 25, 2015 // vol. 6 // issue 12

EQUALITY FLORIDA CHALLENGED

QUESTIONING THE QUESTIONNAIRE SFGN ямБnds inconsistencies in group's endorsement process Pages 12 - 16

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See what news is breaking across the internet Compiled by John McDonald

Adoption Debate Stirs Tallahassee The Florida House Health and Human Services Committee approved a proposal last week that would allow private adoption agencies to object to “performing, assisting in, recommending, consenting to or participating in the placement of a child if a placement violates the agency’s written religious

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HUNGARY FACES A HISTORIC STRUGGLE

SEX POSITIVE CULTURE CHALLENGES ETHICS

‘FIRST COMES LOVE’ PHOTO FEATURE

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The Mirror

Winter 2015

Gay Businessman Convicted Of Drug Trafficking A Fort Lauderdale gay man who once owned a popular antique shop was convicted on March 16 of trafficking in crystal methamphetamine and ecstasy. Robert Joshua was found guilty by a Broward County jury and immediately

taken into custody. He faces a minimum three year sentence in Florida State Prison with no right to an appellate bond. Joshua once owned The Joshua Tree on North Andrews Avenue in Fort Lauderdale.

Russian Neo Nazi Faces More Charges

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or moral convictions or policies.” The measure, sponsored by Rep. Jason Brodeur (R-Sanford), has drawn fire from gay rights activists who claim it essentially endorses discrimination. The American Civil Liberties Union has called the proposal “unconstitutional.” See pages 18, 20-23 for more.

Maxim Martinsinkevich, known in underground circles as “The Hatchet,” is being charged in Moscow with robbery, hooliganism, property damage and inciting hate. Martinsinkevich fled Russia last year and was eventually

WINTER 2015 • Vol. 3 Issue

captured in Cuba in January. He has a long documented record of luring gay men, especially teens, into his clutches using MBER social media apps suchM Eas Vkontakte and filming their humiliation.

Winter Arts Guide Edition GUIdE bEGINS ON PAGE 21

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‘FIRST COMES LOVE’ PHOTO FEATURE SEX POSITIVE CULTURE CHALLENGES ETHICS HUNGARY FACES A HISTORIC STRUGGLE themirrormag.com

Associated Press

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MARCH 25, 2015 • VOLUME 6 • ISSUE 12 2520 N. DIXIE HIGHWAY • WILTON MANORS, FL 33305 PHONE: 954-530-4970 FAX: 954-530-7943

PUBLISHER • NORM KENT NORM.KENT@SFGN.COM

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

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Cover: Equality Florida's questionable methods for endorsing activists is ﬁnally coming under scrutiny.

South Florida Gay News is published weekly. The opinions expressed in columns, stories, and letters to the editor do not represent the opinions of SFGN, or the Publisher. You should not presume the sexual orientation of individuals based on their names or pictorial representations. Furthermore the word “gay” in SFGN should be interpreted to be inclusive of the entire LGBT community. All of the material/columns that appears in print and online, including articles used in conjunction with the AP, is protected under federal copyright and intellectual property laws, and is jealously guarded by the newspaper. Nothing published may be reprinted in whole or part without getting written consent from the Publisher, at his law ofﬁce, at Norm@NormKent.com. SFGN, as a private corporation, reserves the right to enforce its own standards regarding the suitability of advertising copy, illustrations and photographs. Copyright © 2014 South Florida Gay News.com, Inc.

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news highlight

Catholics Debate Parenting John McDonald

“We must,” Francis said, “reaffirm the right of children to grow up in a family with a father and a mother capable of creating a suitable environment for the child’s development and emotional maturity.” Reid said he welcomes all people of faith to his chapel and knows of many situations where children are being raised – lovingly and nurturing – by same-sex and single parent families. The Florida legislature is currently mulling a proposed bill that would allow state agencies to deny gay adoptions based on religious or moral grounds.

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Family structure is being hotly debated in the news with several theories being aired as to what is the best environment to raise children. In an opinion piece in Sunday’s Sun Sentinel, Archbishop Thomas Wenski of the Archdiocese of Miami acknowledged there will be disputes over sociological data on the subject of parenting. “A reasonable review of available studies recognizes that children are best raised by a mother and a father,” Wenski wrote. Father John Joseph Reid of Divine Mercy Chapel in Wilton Manors disagrees and challenged the Archbishop to sweep under his own doorstep. “Show me, show us,” Reid said in an interview with SFGN. “Go out in your community, Wenski. Go visit the families, knock on the doors and tell us what you find, because I think it will look very different than what you envision.” In his Sun Sentinel op-ed, Wenski cited Pope Francis’ support for a measure to grant adoptions exclusively to a mother and a father in the Central European country of Slovakia.

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News Briefs

Former Rep. Barney Frank

Barney Frank: Congress Has Closeted Gay Members WASHINGTON (CNN) Former Rep. Barney Frank says he believes there are still closeted gay members of Congress -and he has no problem with them staying that way, as long as they’re not hypocrites. The Massachusetts Democrat’s comments came as he discussed his new book, “Frank,” with CNN’s Gloria Borger on Sunday’s “State of the Union.” He discussed telling then-House Speaker Tip O’Neill that he is gay -- and said he thinks there are still closeted gay

members in the House. Asked if he is okay with them staying that way, Frank said: “Yes -- as long as he or she is supportive of legal protections.” “The issue where they lose me is hypocrisy,” he said. “What I think is unacceptable is to vote a certain set of rules as an elected official and then to violate them yourself. But if you are a Democrat, Republican, whatever, and you vote to allow people to do what you do, then I have no demand that you become public.”

Quinn signed legislation making same-sex marriage legal in Illinois, and called it one of his proudest accomplishments. Rauner declined to say whether he personally supported it. And while he said he had no plans to overturn the law if elected, he also said that if the same-sex legislation had landed on his desk as governor he would have vetoed it because voters should have decided the issue. Cherkasov said the campaign was not a focus of Friday’s meeting. “I think on both sides, we understand political campaigns can be difficult,” he said. “It wasn’t about looking back. This meeting was about moving forward.”

Bruce Rauner.

Gov., Gay Rights Advocates Find Common Ground Illinois

(AP) Putting election-year hostilities behind them, gay rights advocates said they emerged from a meeting with Gov. Bruce Rauner with a pledge the Republican will strictly enforce anti-discrimination laws. They also hope that he’ll also support their top legislative priority: a ban on gay conversion therapy for minors. Representatives of Equality Illinois and other advocacy groups met with Rauner Friday for the first time since he took office in January. Rauner said he’ll issue a directive that state agencies strictly enforce anti-discrimination laws. He has directed the Department of Human Rights to conduct a survey of Illinois residents to identify patterns of discrimination and provide recommendations to his office by Jan. 31. Rauner also said he’ll appoint a liaison from his office to the gay and lesbian community. Equality Illinois CEO Bernard Cherkasov said Saturday the roughly 30-minute meeting was a positive first step. A spokesman for Rauner confirmed details of the meeting but declined to comment further. Gay rights activists supported Rauner’s rival, Democratic Gov. Pat Quinn, during the campaign. They campaigned actively against the GOP businessman, calling him “an enemy of equality” and hanging a huge anti-Rauner banner along the route where thousands of people attended Chicago’s gay pride parade. A major issue was Rauner’s position on gay marriage.

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ueling Gay Rights Rallies Set In Austin

(AP) The Texas Capitol will be abuzz with talk of gay marriage as three groups hold dueling events both for and against samesex rights. Alabama Supreme Court Chief Justice Roy Moore will headline a Monday afternoon rally sponsored by Conservative Republicans of Texas. Staunchly opposed to gay marriage, Moore instructed Alabama’s state probate judges to refuse to issue same-sex marriage licenses despite a federal court ruling that Alabama’s same-sex marriage ban is unconstitutional. The group claims backing from 100-plus elected Texas officials. Also against gay marriage is the Coalition of African American Pastors, which will hold a Capitol news conference

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Monday. Inside the Capitol, meanwhile, Equality Texas will mark Family Advocacy Day by lobbying lawmakers to support gay rights. Families also will share personal stories during an ice cream social.

ob Jones III Apologizes For Saying Gays Should Be Stoned

(CNN) Three and a half decades after calling for homosexuals to be stoned, former Bob Jones University President Bob Jones III has apologized. “I take personal ownership of this inflammatory rhetoric,” Jones said. “This reckless statement was made in the heat of a political controversy 35 years ago.” The weekend apology came days after the conservative Christian school in South Carolina received a petition asking for an apology for a statement Jones made to the Associated Press in 1980 at the White House. “I’m sure this will be greatly misquoted,” Jones said at the time. “But it would not be a bad idea to bring the swift justice today that was brought in Israel’s day against murder and rape and homosexuality. I guarantee it would solve the problem post-haste if homosexuals were stoned, if murderers were immediately killed as the Bible commands.” When he made the comments, Jones was part of a group of fundamentalist ministers who went to the White House with 70,000 signatures on a petition opposed to extending provisions of the Civil Rights Act to homosexuals. “Upon now reading these long-forgotten words, they seem to me as words belonging to a total stranger -- were my name not attached,” Jones said in Saturday’s statement. “I cannot erase them, but wish I could, because they do not represent the belief of my heart or the content of my preaching.”

drslewis.org

news briefs

Continued

erry Washington Brings Cheering Crowd to its Feet in GLAAD Speech

Photo: Facebook.

(CNN) “Scandal” star Kerry Washington stood up for same-sex rights in a fiery speech Saturday night that brought a cheering crowd to its feet. Washington made the remarks in her acceptance speech at the 26th Annual GLAAD Media Awards, where she received the Vanguard Award for promoting equality. In addition to calling for more representation of the LGBT community in Hollywood, she also called out marginalized communities for turning against each other, encouraging them to come together. “Women, poor people, people of color, people with disabilities, immigrants, gay men, lesbians, bisexuals, trans people, intersex people: we have been pitted against each other and made to feel like there are

limited seats at the table for those of us who fall into the category of ‘other,’” she said. “As others, we are taught that to be successful, we must reject those other others, or we will never belong.” She also challenged black people who don’t support gay marriage to resist “messages of hate.” “We can’t say that we believe in each other’s fundamental humanity and then turn a blind eye to the reality of each others’ existence and the truth of each other’s hearts. We must be allies. And we must be allies in this business because to be represented is to be humanized. And as long as anyone, anywhere is being made to feel less human, our very definition of humanity is at stake and we are all vulnerable.

(AP) Though details are still to emerge, the Senate Regulated Industries Committee on Tuesday is expected to take up a plan that would try to move forward with the state’s new medical-marijuana industry. The agenda for the committee meeting indicates it will take up a cannabis bill (SPB 7066), though the detailed proposal had not been posted online as of Friday evening. Chairman Rob Bradley, R-Fleming Island, told The News Service of Florida on Thursday he expects the measure would set up a structure for nurseries to grow, process and distribute non-euphoric cannabis. The Legislature and Gov. Rick Scott approved a law last year that allows types of marijuana that are low in euphoria-inducing

tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC, and high in cannabadiol, or CBD. Doctors will be able to order the low-THC pot for patients who suffer from severe muscle spasms or have cancer. But the Department of Health has been delayed in carrying out the law because of legal challenges to its regulatory proposals. Those delays have frustrated lawmakers. Bradley on Thursday said he expects the committee meeting to include “a serious discussion and possible consideration of legislation that puts an end to the delays and makes sure that we get this substance in the hands of suffering families as quickly as possible.”

ot Law to Get Aired in Senate Committee

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News Briefs Continued

Photo: Facebook.

Testimony Ends In Trial Highlighting Westboro Church Pickets (AP) Testimony ended Thursday in a lawsuit challenging Nebraska’s law requiring picketers to stay at least 500 feet from funerals. Attorneys for Topeka-Kansas based Westboro Baptist Church and the state, Omaha Police Department and Douglas County District Attorney’s Office completed presenting their evidence after three days of testimony. The church protests at funerals across the country using anti-gay chants and signs because it believes God is punishing U.S. military members and others for defending a nation that tolerates homosexuality. The church says the Nebraska law is selectively

epublicans in Indiana House Defeat Proposed Changes to Religious Bill

(AP) Indiana House Republicans on Thursday deflected Democrats’ attempts to shield local civil rights ordinances and church and home day care regulations from a proposal that supporters say could allow people to cite strong religious beliefs to deny services for activities such as same-sex weddings. The debate occurred as about 100 opponents and supporters of the bill filled the House gallery and dozens held signs in the hallway outside the chamber over the measure that critics say could provide legal cover for discrimination against gays and transgender people. Democrats proposed amendments they said were aimed at ensuring the measure couldn’t be used to overturn local civil rights protections that go further than state law to protect gays and lesbians from discrimination or challenge day care rules that the Legislature approved last year after several years of opposition from conservative groups. The proposals were defeated in largely party-line votes, with just three of the 71 House Republicans supporting any of the amendments. The House could vote next week on approving the bill, which cleared the Senate in a 40-10 party-line vote last month.

enforced and unconstitutionally infringes on its free-speech rights. It presented testimony that their members are often kept much farther from funeral services than counter-protesters, who are allowed to get as close as they want. But attorneys for the state called several witnesses to try to show the law is needed to ensure public safety and prevent emotional harm to families and friends attending funerals. That included the testimony Thursday of Dr. Scott Bresler, a forensic psychologist at the University of Cincinnati. Bresler said he interviewed 15 people in Nebraska closely related to fallen soldiers whose funerals were picketed by Westboro.

ill Protecting Campus Religious Groups Passes Kansas Senate

(AP) A proposal in Kansas for protecting religious groups on public college campuses that want to restrict memberships to like-minded believers is advancing in the Republicandominated Legislature, and a leading gay-rights advocate calls it “a license to discriminate.” The state Senate approved the measure Thursday on a 30-8 vote, sending it to the House. Supporters say it allows groups to require members to adhere to common, sincerely held beliefs without having to take in non-believers. The easy progress of this year’s bill contrasts with the rocky path for another measure pursued by some religious groups and lawmakers last year. The bill last year was designed to allow individuals, groups and businesses to refuse for religious reasons to participate in same-sex marriages, but critics said it allowed widespread discrimination against gays and lesbians, even by public officials. It passed the House but died in the Senate. The bill this year would prevent state universities, community colleges and technical colleges from refusing to recognize or denying campus resources to religious groups that limit their memberships. Even supporters acknowledged the bill would require campuses to recognize and provide resources to religious groups that reject gays and lesbians as members.

ransgender Students at N.H. School Can Choose Cap, Gown Color

(AP) Students at a New Hampshire high school will now be able to choose between black and white for their graduation gowns, after a group representing transgender students asked the school board to allow that. Traditionally, boys at Kennett High School in North Conway wear black caps and gowns and girls wear white ones for graduation. WMUR-TV reports (http://bit.ly/1BWlRLl) two weeks ago, members of the Gay- Straight-Transgender Alliance asked the board to change that after transgender students were assigned robes for the gender they don’t identify with. The school board decided Wednesday night to let each person decide if they want to wear black or white. Graduation is scheduled for June 20.

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Charlie Crist.

ackroom Brieﬁng: Charlie Debbie Narrow the Field

and

With two big-name potential candidates bowing out, the field is starting to take shape in the race for the Democratic nomination for U.S. Senate in 2016. Former Gov. Charlie Crist and Congresswoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz this week removed their names from the list of possible candidates. Crist posted a message on his Facebook page, promising that he will “will not be seeking office in 2016, but I will be working alongside you.” Wasserman Schultz told CNN’s Wolf Blitzer that she thought she could do more good running for re-election to the House and filling out her term as Democratic National Committee chairwoman through the 2016 elections. Wasserman Schultz tried to talk up Democrats’ chances to take the Senate seat, currently held by Republican Marco Rubio. Rubio is considering a bid for the presidency and has said he wouldn’t run for the White House and re-election at the same time. “We have a lot of potential, really strong candidates,” Wasserman Schultz told Blitzer. “And I think, whether it’s against Marco Rubio or in an open seat, that there is a real opportunity to make sure that we can have the leadership that Floridians need to be able to count on to focus on job creation, health care, making sure we have a good strong education system and continuing to get this economy turned around and not take us backwards, like Marco Rubio has or any other Republican candidate would.”

news briefs

Continued

harlotte Rejects Long Anticipated LGBT Ordinances

ourt Motion: City Violating Atlanta Eagle Settlement Mandates On Police Reforms

Photo: Dave Connor, Flickr.

(AP) After nearly six hours of fiery rhetoric and sermon-like speeches from almost 120 citizen speakers, occasional outbursts of audience emotion, and near a full hour of City Council debate, Charlotte’s government center chambers fell silent with anxious anticipation. Mayor Dan Clodfelter called for the yeas and nays on what LGBT advocates had hoped would be a landmark and historic package of non-discrimination ordinances, protecting Charlotteans on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity. With six votes against and five in favor, the ordinances failed. If you were watching from home, you would have heard a reserved, but clearly audible “wow” on the televised version. It was a quick and shocking letdown after a raucous night of debate and weeks worth of lobbying and media frenzy — surprising even those who had opposed the ordinances.

“I was totally shocked,” said Flip Benham, perhaps the city’s most well-known anti-LGBT activist. “I knew we weren’t going to win and, then, I don’t know what happened. I don’t know how they voted it down.” Similar emotion filled local LGBT advocates’ minds in the hours and days after the March 2 meeting, when after months of discussion and planning, Charlotte City Council rejected a suite of four non-discrimination ordinances that would have added sexual orientation and gender identity, among other characteristics, to protections in public accommodations, passenger vehicles for hire, city commercial contracting and the city’s community relations committee’s regulations. “I was bummed out,” Councilmember Al Austin said two days after the vote. “I don’t know if you saw my expression when I looked around and counted the votes. I was just blown away.”

(AP) Court documents filed in federal court late Tuesday allege the Atlanta Police Department is failing to train its officers to follow court-mandated reforms that were part of the city’s settlement with Atlanta Eagle plaintiffs after the APD’s unlawful raid on the bar in 2009. The allegations are being backed by an unlikely source—the police department’s union. ‘Disheartening and depressing’ The city settled with the Atlanta Eagle plaintiffs in 2010 for more than $1 million. As part of that settlement, the city acknowledged it violated the patrons’ constitutional rights and promised to implement court-ordered reforms as part of the APD’s standard operating procedure (SOP), including: •documenting warrantless detentions, frisks and searches; •prohibiting oﬃcers from interfering with the public’s right to take photographs and videotape and make audio recordings of police

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officers and activity; •requiring uniformed oﬃcers to always wear clearly visible nametags and identify themselves when asked; •requiring the APD to rule on citizen complaints of police misconduct within 180 days; and •requiring the city of Atlanta to conduct mandatory in-person training for all police officers every two years regarding Fourth Amendment issues and the safe use of firearms. However, these reforms have not taken place, even though the city was ordered to enact them by a federal judge in the original settlement and again in 2011, according to a “motion for contempt” filed March 17. Filing the motion are the attorneys who represented the Atlanta Eagle plaintiffs: Dan Grossman, Gerald Weber of the Southern Center for Human Rights and Greg Nevins and Beth Littrell of Lambda Legal.

SouthFloridaGayNews // SFGN.com // 3.25.2015 //

news bites

by John McDonald

lesbian

enator Disciplines Staff

U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin (D-Wisconsin) demoted two staff members for their role in mishandling veteran’s affairs for her office. Baldwin, a lesbian, was elected to the Senate in 2012. She demoted Doug Hill, her state director, and cut his salary by $50,000. Baldwin also cut the salary of her veteran chief of staff, Bill Murat, by $14,000. The punishment was a result of an internal report which found mistakes in handling of complaints concerning overmedication at the Tomah VA Medical Center. Reportedly, veterans, who relied on the medical facility for care, were referring to it as “Candy Land.”

Tammy Baldwin.

gay

ather: My Son Is Not Gay

Dr. Richard Schock, father to U.S. Congressman Aaron Schock (R-Illinois) told a Chicago television station that his son is not gay. “Aaron is a little different,” Dr. Schock told the ABC7. “He wears stylish clothing and yet he is not gay…and he’s not married and he’s not running around with women, so everybody is throwing up their arms. They can’t figure out Aaron so he must be crooked. So attack him, bring him down because he doesn’t fit into our picture.” Dr. Schock’s remarks came after Aaron, 33, announced last week he is resigning his seat in the U.S. Congress amid an ethics investigation.

Aaron Schock.

bisexual

Oregon Governor Settles In

Oregon Governor Kate Brown signed into law her first piece of legislation since assuming the chief executive role for the Pacific coast state. Dubbed the “Motor Voter Bill,” HB 2177 permits Oregon’s Department of Motor Vehicles to automatically register eligible voters. Brown, an admitted bisexual, said the bill allows Oregon to be more “egalitarian” than typical voter registration drives. Brown became Oregon’s second female governor in February of 2015. She is a Democrat and an attorney, who previously served as Oregon Secretary of State. “The goal is to put a ballot in the hands of every eligible Oregonians,” she said.

transgender .S. Sailor Wants Back On Navy Ship

Landon Wilson is a former Navy sailor who, reportedly, was forced to leave the military for being transgender. Wilson was assigned female at birth and has transitioned to male. Wilson tells the CBS Evening News that he “came out” as transgender at age 21 while stationed in Hawaii. Wilson says he was deployed to Afghanistan where he trained with male members of the military. Now 23 with an honorable discharge, Wilson is seeking to re-enlist and worries “who was going to take my spot.” The report, airing on the CBS Evening News with Scott Pelley, can be accessed at cbsnews.com.

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Kate Brown. Photo: Josh Goldbert.

SouthFloridaGayNews

Landon Wilson.

news election 2016

Photo: Gage Skidmore

White House Watch:

Donald Trump

John McDonald

This week, SFGN profiles businessman and real estate tycoon Donald J. Trump in our White House Watch. Trump, 68, announced on March 18 he had formed a Presidential exploratory committee, stating the United States is in “serious trouble.” “We have lost the respect of the entire world,” Trump said. “Americans deserve better than what they get from their politicians – who are all talk and no action!” Trump is no stranger to the political circuit or South Florida for that matter. He flirted with the idea of a Presidential campaign in 2012 as he accused U.S. President Barack Obama of being foreign born and ineligible to sit in the Oval Office. “I have built a great company, created thousands of jobs and built a tremendous net worth with some of the finest and most prestigious assets in the world – and very little debt! All Americans deserve the same opportunity.” Here in South Florida, Trump’s real estate 1 3/4/2015 1:52:50 PM portfolioSFGN_Florida_House2.pdf includes the lavish Mar-A-Lago

Club in Palm Beach County and towering condominiums in Hollywood and Sunny Isles. As a golf brand, Trump oversees the world renowned Trump National Doral Golf Club in Miami, which in addition to golf tournaments, recently hosted the 2015 Miss Universe Pageant. On LGBT issues, Trump has stated that same-sex marriage isn’t “his thing,” but that he considers himself a fair minded person who is “evolving” on acceptance of marriage equality. In terms of public statements, Trump, a Republican, has never been a fire branding hater towards gays and lesbians.

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Hosted by Compass Gay & Lesbian Community Center, the 22nd annual Palm Beach PrideFest theme is “#Winning,” in celebration of the great strides made toward LGBT equality over the past year. Most notably, Florida’s newly won marriage equality. Coupled with the much anticipated celebration is the anticipation of the victories still to be won for the LGBT community. “More than 70% of Americans live in a state with marriage equality. We have more positive representation and visibility in sports, music, television, and film. We're making history every day. There's a lot to be proud of. This upcoming year, we'll continue to stand in solidarity with the transgender community against discrimination. We made our gender neutral bathrooms official last year with brand new signs. No one should be disrespected or harassed in Compass' bathrooms, within the walls of our center, or in our community,” said Ryanmarie Rice, chief of staff for Compass. “If there were nothing left to fight for then there wouldn’t be a Compass,” said Event Coordinator and Director of Outreach, Jimmy Zoellner. One thing that sets Palm Beach Pride Fest apart from other Prides, is the ongoing support and involvement of the Lake Worth and Palm Beach communities, said Zoellner. Not only Lake Worth Mayor Pam Triolo, but all the city commissioners expressed an interest in participating in the event in one form or another. “How often do you get all of the elected officials to want to be in your parade and want to speak? We’ve actually had to say no to some of them, but it’s so flattering,” said Zoellner. Triolo and Compass CEO Tony Plakas, participated in the annual raising of the Pride Flag over Lake Worth City Hall on Tuesday, in the lead up to the festival. Throughout Saturday and Sunday, guests can look forward to an extensive entertainment lineup including performances by Teri Catlin, Lime, Michaela Paige (The

Voice), Lillie McCloud (The X Factor), J.D. Danner, Joni Bottari, Katia Nicole, Aaron Salem. Also MC’d by drag celebrities Melissa St. John, Ricky Rollick, Velvet Lenore, and K-Otic Force. And featuring performances from Voices of Pride the Gay Men’s Chorus of the Palm Beaches, the South Florida Pride Wind Ensemble and the Palm Beach Makos Cheerleaders – to name a few. Some other things that set this year’s PrideFest apart from previous years are its location at the newly renovated Bryant Park, which had been undergoing construction during last year’s event. With renovations complete, the park is now 25 percent larger, which Compass hopes will help them break the record for previous attendance numbers of 20,000. But also allows for a brand new Kids’ Zone. The Kids’ Zone will feature craft projects sponsored by Home Depot, face painting and other activities and giveaways provided by the Compass Youth Program. According to Compass, Sunday’s “We’ve Got Spirit” parade will feature more than 50 LGBT and allied groups, charities, organizations, and local sponsors in their favorite champion sports gear, celebrating a victorious year for the LGBT community. That’s just one more thing that makes PrideFest a unique event to host and participate in, said Zoellner, the diversity of not only the organizations and sponsors participating, but the whole community that comes out to show its support. “I love that people don’t look at PrideFest just as a big festival strictly for gay people, everyone looks forward to it. We participated in the St. Patrick’s Day Parade last week and people there told us ‘We’re going to your parade next, because that’s the fun one.’” PrideFest of the Palm Beaches will be held at Bryant Park March 28 and 29 from 12 to 6 p.m. The pride parade will begin at Lucerne and M Street beginning at 11:30 a.m. traveling through downtown Lake Worth and ending at the park.

Tickets are $8 in advance and $10 the day of the festival. Children under 12 get free admission with parent or guardian. Tickets are available at CompassGLCC.com or from the following locations: Roosters, 823 Belvedere Road, West Palm Beach Fort Dix Bar, 6205 Georgia Ave., West Palm Beach Mad Hatter Lounge, 1532 N. Dixie Highway, Lake Worth Compass, 201 N. Dixie Highway, Lake Worth Studio 205, 600 Lake Ave., Lake Worth Penny's at the Duke, 902 N. Dixie Highway, Lantana.

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Bunnies On the Drive New Easter themed event April 4 at Richardson Park

John McDonald Glen Weinzimer and Julian Cavazos are joining forces to produce community minded events in South Florida. The two gay men will launch their brand in April at a bunny-themed party in Wilton Manors. “We’re getting a great reply,” Cavazos said. “I expect we’ll be exceeding 300 people.” Bunnies On The Drive…A Bonnet and Garden Party comes to the Historic Richardson Park and Nature Preserve, Saturday, April 4, from 1 p.m. to 6 p.m. A suggested donation of $10 is asked to benefit SunServe and the Share-A-Pet nonprofit organization. Weinzimer is recognized as the guiding hand behind the annual SMART Ride, a cycling event from Fort Lauderdale to Key West that raises money for HIV/AIDS groups. He said putting on a Bunnies party is an attempt to reach a niche market. “This is a chance to bring the community together for something other than Pride,” Weinzimer said. Inside the park, attendees can expect a family atmosphere with fun games such as

the egg toss and colorful Southern belle styled bonnets. Later in the evening, the action moves down Wilton Drive where the adults will gather at the Village Pub for a “Gym Bunny” contest. “Glen and I are both great at raising money,” Cavazos said. “This event will be a success.”

Storm Worsens for Ex-Weatherman Convicted of Sex with Underage Boys Rob Lopicola to plead guilty to fraud

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Equality Florida’s Endorsements Under Scrutiny

Inconsistencies found in way state’s largest LGBT rights org backs candidates Jason Parsley

West Palm Beach Mayor Geraldine “Jeri” Muoio

Rand Hoch, President of the Palm Beach County Human Rights Council

// 3.25.2015 // SFGN.com //

Few people would dispute that West Palm Beach Mayor Geraldine “Jeri” Muoio is a champion of LGBT rights. As mayor, and long before, she stood with the LGBT community on issues like adding more health benefits to domestic partnerships; adding gender identity and expression to the city’s equal opportunity ordinance; extending family leave benefits to domestic partners; and attending LGBT pride events. Compass, the LGBT community center of Palm Beach County, even honored the mayor with their Leadership Award in 2011 for her continuing efforts. So when the Equality Florida Political Action Committee endorsed Muoio’s opponent, one of Palm Beach County’s leading LGBT rights activists, Rand Hoch, was perplexed. And then outraged. “We worked so closely, and so hard with Jeri that for them to totally ignore her and send out this list to their 20,000 subscribers in Palm Beach County was an insult,” said Hoch, president of the Palm Beach County Human Rights Council. “I just thought ‘I can’t believe we’re going through this again.’” After examining Equality Florida’s endorsement process, SFGN found gaps and inconsistencies in the way it determines its candidates of choice, and that it relies too heavily on questionnaires, as well as a general failure to effectively work with local LGBT organizations. This isn’t the first time Hoch has been upset with an Equality Florida endorsement. His beef with them dates back to at least 2004. And over the years he’s repeatedly told them to “Stay the hell out of Palm Beach County.” In the week leading up to an election, Hoch said, it’s his job to help elect those candidates PBCHRC endorsed. Because of Equality Florida’s oversight, he instead had to shift into damage control mode explaining to supporters and candidates why another LGBT group endorsed Muoio’s opponent. Allan Hendricks, Equality Florida’s PBC representative, admits his organization made a mistake by sending out that email ignoring Muoio, but says, it was corrected within 24 hours and so there’s no harm, no foul done. “It was a misstep. We shouldn’t have sent it out,” Hendricks admitted. “I don’t know why it went out that way. I know we were quick to fix it though. We jumped into solution mode within the hour. I don’t think we’ll make that mistake again in Palm Beach County.” As for Hoch he added: “I don’t know how it spiraled out of control. We’ve been doing good for the past few years.” soflagaynews //

Hendricks, along with Stratton Pollitzer, Deputy Director of Equality Florida, believe Hoch is just blowing the whole situation out of proportion — again. “Rand Hoch is well known for voicing his opinions at full volume,” Pollitzer said. Needless to say, Hoch doesn’t see it that way. He believes Equality Florida’s endorsements are often counterproductive. After Hoch sent a flurry of emails to Equality Florida’s leadership detailing Muoio’s accomplishments, the organization quietly changed their online voter guide while sending out a new e-blast endorsing Muoio. “Thank you for sharing this information with us and for immediately bringing our attention to the deficits in our Palm Beach voting guide,” Stratton Pollitzer responded to Hoch in an email. “We have taken the Palm Beach guide off of our website and will be reissuing information once the PAC board has had the opportunity to review this additional information.”

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Endorsements, Recommendations and Checkmarks…Oh My! Equality Florida has three ways in which they endorse a candidate — even though two of them aren’t true endorsements. Sometimes they officially endorse a candidate, such as they did with Muoio. Other times, Hendricks explained, they may recommend a candidate, or just post a candidate’s answers to their questionnaire online. But you wouldn’t be able to tell these subtle differences on Equality Florida PAC’s online voter guide where it simply states: “Equality Florida Action PAC is the largest organization in Florida devoted to electing pro-equality candidates to all levels of government. Each election cycle our endorsements are a valuable source for hundreds of thousands of voters statewide.” Taking a closer look at the organization’s statewide endorsements revealed other gaps and deficiencies in its endorsement process. Only six or so — out of 67 — counties featured any endorsements at all. While it’s unclear how many elections, were or are taking place in those counties, two in particular stand out — Miami-Dade and Duval. “The website purports to have all of this information that it doesn’t have,” said Jamie

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Foreman, a former board member of Equality Florida and a current member of PBCHRC. As of press time, no endorsements have been made in Miami-Dade’s upcoming elections. The online Voter Guide only links to the county’s election website. In Duval County though, Equality Florida did, however, recommend several candidates in the Jacksonville city council race, but you wouldn’t know it by looking online at their voter guide where none of those recommendations are even listed. Instead it appears they were only sent out in e-blast saying “the following the candidates support a fully inclusive HRO and are running highly competitive campaigns.” In this email the word “endorsement” is not used. The subtle differences between Equality Florida’s endorsements, recommendations and questionnaire’s may be lost on the average voter. “When EqFL sends out notifications about elections and some candidates’ names are followed by a row of huge checkmarks in their signature green color — that makes a clear statement. Especially when other candidates' names are only followed by barely visible dashes,” Hoch explained. “They can call it a recommendation, call it an endorsement, call it a penguin if they want to. It doesn't make a difference. A picture speaks 1,000 words.” Hendricks said a candidate will only get the organization’s “official” endorsement if they feel comfortable with their members giving money to that candidate. In examining their endorsements in Broward County, two of the races had “endorsed candidates” — involving Dean Trantalis and Bryan Caletka. In three other races, only one candidate’s answers to their questionnaire are featured. It’s unclear if the other candidate’s did not fill out the survey on purpose, or it was an oversight on their part. But not filling it out doesn’t mean those candidate’s are anti-LGBT. Anything but. In fact in the case of Jeri Muoio it’s quite the opposite. “Jeri is an outspoken advocate for us,” Hoch said. And that is the inherent problem with a questionnaire-based endorsement process, as Hoch, and others point out. Hendricks though defended his group’s reliance on questionnaires. “This way we’ll have people on the record,” he said. “If they’re not willing to go on record they can tell you anything they want.”

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process,” he said. “I think we have some money then we are not going to endorse them.” really talented people on the [Political Action Committee] board.” Herman shot back: “They’re letting their As for the solution going forward there e –20 15 Florida Colle But sometimes, he admits, mistakes do community down and sending the wrong might not Th be one at least in PBC. giate Pr ide Coalitionmessage. ConfThere eren have plenty of races cebeen Hoch’s no solution for Equality Florida to happen as did with the case of the botched -a te isfro m Sa m Muoio endorsement. where money did not win the election.” simply stay out of the county. Hendricks Pollitzer is also comfortable with the Herman added that Equality Florida has said that’s not going to happen. process. forgotten the principles they were founded Commu “We’re Ou notrleaving Palmnic Beach atioCounty, ns intern, Sam iraour Obeid , attend ed the on.rida Collegiate Pride “We put candidates through a Flo that’s outCoa of the question. way too litio n ConIt’s ferall enc e wit h Fie ld Org ani “Two decades ago they did not have the rigorous review process,” he said. “Equality zer Han connected to leave. It’s not the right thing nah Willard and Transg Dirwould Inc ectorbeGin lusion a DuHendricks it end didn’ter stop them,” he said. hassum over ma 20,000 members in Palm funding, but ncan. HerFlorida to do. That harmful,” e's her ry of her exp erie nce ... The fi rst time Herman ran for office he Beach County who count on us to be a said. “It would be disrespectful to our raised little money and was not endorsed — source of election information.” membership Palm County. Floinrid a Beach Faith LeThe adertrusted s, yors agrees. andOne But Ma not everyone candidate Mo re Signeither more information we put out there – the n Brwas iefhissopponent. in Su filledorout t his of Ma rri But Herman proudly pp disputed Equality Florida’s “rigorous” to U.S. Su better. People want us to ag worke together.” preme Court questionnaire in that election, yet it still process. In the past Hoch has been amenable to “No one interviewed me,” said Scott took a phone call for them to finally post it finding aFlo wayrida to work together. voices join strong nat ionalancho online. His opponent in the race, a long time Herman, openly Broward politician, rusgay But not anymore. urg ing the U.S. Sup reme ofCou rt rights, to end ma rria ge crim LGBT who eventually has run twice for the Florida State “We cannot rely ondis what theyina saytion they natwho ionwid e Today, Friday, March 6, supporter doz ens won the election, did notor fill out a survey. House. “Everything was based on a of am ici, will do in future. Years they said “frithe end -of-th e-cago our t” brie fs questionnaire.” were filed to the U.S.... The second time he ran he infused his they would contact PBCHRC Voters Alliance own cash into his campaign and received That wasn’t Herman’s only gripe with the before they sent out anything having to do NEW ourRE LEIAS E:they Equality Florida’s endorsement — yet still either. discrimi Billprocess would with elections inS county. think nate again sthappy. transgender wasn’t along with James Eddy, a candidate did that Flo in only oneian or two rid selection cycles,” forHe, “I was an LGBT democrat, who supported Jacksonville’s city council in this election Hoch said. “They also said at one time they would provide a link to PBCHRCVA cycle, were especially upset with Equality LGBT rights across the board, but the Lawma s could crim endorsement didn’t come until I funded my Florida’s fundraising requirement – they endorsements on ker the information they sent inalize use of public they iliti es by transgcampaign, ender Flo ” heridi said.ans “Plus they didn’t send told that unlessfac raised at least out. ButBus againine they stopped sse s wodoing uld that.” face fineswere and law for ref out an e-blast or alert Even one-third ofsui thetshighest candidate’s total usi ng As for Equality Florida’s endorsement to dis crim inate (Marchthe3,community. A bill that requires businesse 5) to call after I funded my campaign I201 still had dollars not be s tothey process Hendricks doesn’t think anything diswould crimina teendorsed. against... a couple of them to find out what was going “We look at a lot of things, including the needs to change. on.” ability to raise money,” Pollitzer WS RE “I amNE completely comfortable LEASwith E: our Bill candidate’s wo uld crimi na te ag said. “If the dis candidate hasn’t raised any ainst transgend

Floridians

Continued On er Page 14

awmakers could criminalize L use of public facilities by transg ender Floridians Businesses would face fines and lawsuits for refusing to discrim inate (March 3, 2015) A bill that requires businesse s to discriminate against...

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Continued From Page 13 A History of Complaints

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PBCHRC isn’t the only organization Equality Florida has butted heads with over their endorsement process, and more generally speaking, their involvement on the county level. These complaints date back years, with the most public of such, being in 2010 when several local groups across the state came together and signed on to a letter asking Equality Florida to stay out areas that had a local LGBT group and instead focus their efforts on areas with no representation. Those groups included SAVE (formerly known as SAVE Dade), Unity Coalition, Palm Beach County Human Rights Council, Broward County Council of Gay-Straight Alliances and the Leon County GSA Council. SFGN reached out to most of the above organizations asking for an update on their relationship with Equality Florida. The Unity Coalition sidestepped the question calling the point moot as they no longer endorse candidates. SAVE also did not comment directly on the situation, only saying they do not work with, or consult with, any outsides groups on their endorsements and were not contacted by Equality Florida about this election cycle. However the founder of Broward County Council of Gay-Straight Alliances, Ryan Terrell, who now serves at the Florida Democratic LGBTA Caucus Region 1 Director, did have a few choices words. “In terms of endorsements, Equality Florida for years now has been making political decisions out of the blue without consulting local activists on the ground,” he said.

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Here’s a snippet of what the letter says: We are writing to again express our displeasure and frustration with Equality Florida’s endorsement process and unilateral engagement in local political races…win or lose on your endorsements, Equality Florida has the luxury of going home. For us, this is home. Since Equality Florida bills itself as a state organization, we’re not even certain why there is such a focus on local politics in our area. It would be a different matter, of course, if no local organization existed to review these important candidates and races. But this case, each of our local organizations is well established and respected. [See page 16 to read entire letter] “Why not focus on other counties?” Jamie Foreman asked. “Develop those relationships there like PBCHRC has been doing for the past 20 years. Make a difference. Not just piggy back off of work that’s already been done. Equality Florida has the resources to replicate this model elsewhere and help new organizations get off the ground.” When SFGN asked Hendricks if it might be a better use of Equality Florida’s statewide resources to focus on those areas Foreman mentions, he said no. “The statewide organization needs to be a part of PBC and PBC needs to be a part of the state,” he said.

Continued On Page 16

soflagaynews //

SouthFloridaGayNews // SFGN.com // 3.25.2015 //

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Continued From Page 14

New LGBT Group Forms in Northeast Florida This year Carrington “Rusty” Mead, a Jacksonville attorney and LGBT rights activist, along with others, formed a political action committee — the Northeast Florida LGBT Leadership PAC. Despite being such a new group they’ve already offered up a slew of endorsements in the Jacksonville races. “It wasn’t hard for us to do, as we all live here and are all familiar with the local politics. The board is made up of a group of very active individuals,” she said. “We just realized there wasn’t a local voice for our community or a consistent voice that could speak with knowledge and integrity. And provide a certain depth of knowledge about the candidates. We needed a more effective message to get out to folks.” One such endorsement this cycle was James Eddy, a candidate who Equality Florida passed over, because he didn’t meet the fundraising requirement. “He meets our definition of a qualified candidate,” Mead said. “He’s openly supportive of LGBT issues and has a willingness to advocate on our behalf. That was an easy endorsement.” Eddy, who’s openly gay, was disappointed that he did receive an endorsement from Equality Florida. Jacksonville does not have an LGBT-inclusive Human Rights Ordinance and so that has been a hot button issue in the city. That’s why Equality Florida’s e-blast recommendations highlighted the candidates who support an inclusive HRO and who are running — what they consider — a competitive race. “I was definitely surprised since I work hand in hand with them. And I am on the front lines of LGBT issues,” Eddy said. “I have been fighting for the HRO since 2010.” In 2012 one candidate who scored 100 percent on his questionnaire, Johnny Gaffney, a city councilman, later voted against the HRO.

Mallory Garner-Wells, Equality Florida’s public policy director, called it a fluke. “We work really hard to ensure people stick to their commitment,” she told Watermark, the LGBT newspaper of Central Florida. So who did Equality Florida choose this time around over Eddy? That would be Marc McCullough — whose history includes selling cocaine to an undercover detective, pleading guilty to motor vehicle theft, and being a felon in possession of a firearm. But, as mentioned above, these weren’t “official” endorsements anyway. Eddy said he just didn’t raise enough money to meet Equality Florida’s threshold, even though when he spoke to SFGN, he had raised more than $6,000. But Hendricks said the fundraising requirement wasn’t actually set in stone. “It’s not a requirement and it’s not the only thing we look at,” Hendricks said. “Do they have a ground game? What is their voting record? If there was a really big gap [in fundraising] we came up with a process where we would recommend and not endorse.” Hendricks said they also rely on information from local organizations when making their endorsements, pointing to groups such as PBCHRC and PBC National Organization for Women. Despite Eddy’s lack of fundraising, the Northeast Florida LGBT Leadership PAC chose to endorse him. When a pro-equality measure was up for a vote in Atlantic Beach, Mead said, Eddy “showed leadership” on the issue and was there to support the bill. “Our endorsements aren’t based on a bank account or contributions,” she said. “The candidates have to leave us with a feeling that they’re being honest about their positions

— Not just support us while they’re running.” Nor will their endorsements be based on questionnaires. “Checking the right box is not the way to go. We need to have an intense conversation with the candidate,” she said. Mead added that it is important to build relationships with candidates even if they don’t get your endorsement the first time around. Hoch agreed saying his organization builds relationships with candidates that spans years and even decades, so faceto-face interviews are an essential part of that process. “We have a long time relationship with these people,” Foreman added. “We know their strategies. Some of these things are so nuanced you can’t really get that from a survey. This isn’t about who looks best on paper.” Neither of the other two groups that SFGN spoke with, SAVE and PBCHRC, have a fundraising requirement. “SAVE has a strong and transparent endorsement process that is driven by the community that includes sen ding questionnaires to candidates and then having panel interviews with them. Members of each endorsement panel live in the municipality that we are endorsing in. This process and methodology helps us ensure that the endorsements that we offer the community are authentic and representative of the LGBT voice in each municipality,” said Tony Lima, executive director of SAVE. “We don’t rely on anyone else’s endorsement. Since our work is focused on the local community in South Florida, after we endorse, we continue to work with municipalities to be their resource and voice when it comes to LGBT issues. We’ve been doing this work for 22 years.”

SFGN News Editor John McDonald contributed to this report.

A Request of corrective action for the 2010 elections We are writing to again express our displeasure and frustration with Equality Florida’s endorsement process and unilateral engagement in local political races. As leaders of local lesbian and gay rights organizations, our membership and focus is often at the city or county level. Because of our local focus, we care deeply about who represents us in these offices and believe we have valuable experience, insights and history with many of the candidates or elected officials seeking local office. Not for the first time, Equality Florida has issued formal endorsements in some local races in our communities without discussion or even notice, even after many of us specifically reached out Equality Florida to express the importance of your attention to certain local campaigns & candidates. In some cases, we learned of Equality Florida’s endorsements from the candidates themselves who, because they had support from Equality Florida, expected our default support. In many cases, our organizations had not even concluded our screening and support process. In addition, we know in several cases where Equality Florida issued unilateral endorsements in local races, there was no process at all. Not all candidates for these local offices were even invited to seek Equality Florida’s support. While Equality Florida may not see this as a problem, we have to deal with the consequences. Win or lose on your endorsements, Equality Florida has the luxury of going home. For us, this is home. Since Equality Florida bills itself as a state organization,

// 3.25.2015 // SFGN.com //

we’re not even certain why there is such a focus on local politics in our area. It would be a different matter, of course, if no local organization existed to review these important candidates and races. But this case, each of our local organizations is well established and respected. In addition, when Equality Florida endorses a local candidate without collaboration or consultation it puts our organization in an impossible position. What are we to do when we reach a different conclusion than Equality Florida? Issuing our own, often more informed, endorsements will inevitably expose disagreements in our community and weaken our common purpose. We know collaboration is possible. When national gay and lesbian organizations such as Victory Fund or HRC are considering even national endorsements in our area, they reach out to us and seek our opinion. And yet, even on local races, Equality Florida seems to reach out by press release. To be clear, we fully support collaboration on races and political action where we have common purpose such as state legislative races in our areas. We are certain we have valuable information to share about these opportunities that we believe any thorough process would seek to include. This year, even in state legislative races, Equality Florida issued endorsements on its own exposing us to the consequences of disappointed, irate or confused candidates and ofﬁce holders. We clearly understand that Equality is not required to meet with any local group to give out endorsements, but collectively, we are again asking that Equality Florida actively seek our

soflagaynews //

SouthFloridaGayNews

input on political actions and endorsements which impact us as residents and our organizations and where possible refrain entirely from issuing exclusive endorsements in local races. With hope that Equality Florida can correct this action over the remainder of the 2010 elections and in the future, we look forward to being a continued partner in the ﬁght for equality. Sincerely, C.J. Ortuno SAVE Dade Action PAC Herb Sosa Unity Coalition|Coalicion Unida Rand Hoch Palm Beach County Human Rights Council Voters Alliance Ryan Terrell, Founder Broward County Council of Gay-Straight Alliances Brandon Young, President Leon County GSA Council

This letter was sent to Equality Florida in 2010 from SAVE Dade, Unity Coalition, Palm Beach County Human Rights Council, Broward County Council of Gay-Straight Alliances and Leon County GSA Council. Complaints about Equality Florida's endorsement process date back to at least 2004.

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special section parenting & adoption

Bill Would Allow Private Adoption Agencies to Discriminate Christiana Lilly

A committee in the Florida House passed a “conscience protection” bill that would allow private adoption agencies to choose not to work with those who conflict with their religious beliefs. The bill, PCB HHSC 15-03, passed in the Florida House’s Health & Human Services Committee 12-6, split among Republicans and Democrats. The chairman of the committee, Jason Brodeur, is a Republican representative from Sanford. He did not respond to an email request from SFGN for comment. He did speak with other newspapers and equated the bill to protecting religious institutions from having to conduct abortions and other procedures that conflict with their religious beliefs. “In some states, private child-placement agencies who have served their communities for decades have had to stop providing adoption services due to a conflict between their religious beliefs and recognition by a state of same-sex marriages and certain anti-discrimination statutes,” Brodeur told the Tallahassee Democrat. The bill would allow agencies to not “perform, assist in, recommend, consent to, or participate in any placement of a child when the proposed placement would violate the agency's written religious or moral convictions or policies.” It also protects them from legal recourse should they refuse adoptions. The Rev. Durrell Watkins of Sunshine Cathedral is both a leader in the religious and LGBT community and said that the law would “potentially keep children from having good homes.” “I'm always very concerned when our prejudices, our fears, our phobias are wrapped in the words of religious values,” he said. “It also just reinforces discrimination, it reinforces oppression, it reinforces that values and bigotry are interchangeable.” His church has liberal values and Watkins

// 3.25.2015 // SFGN.com //

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said that by one person wanting the civil government to enforce religious values, they wind up trampling on the values of another person. “I shouldn't use the civil government to enforce my religious values,” the reverend said. “It's always an embarrassment in our history when people say, ‘My faith means I have to keep you from having the same rights that I have.’ That always comes back to shame us later on down the road.”

The ACLU of Florida is working to combat the bill, saying it is unconstitutional. “This bill would be a huge blow for the children languishing in Florida’s foster care system awaiting placement in loving, permanent homes," said Michelle Richardson, the agency’s director of public policy. “Telling private agencies that they can deny children placements with qualified families based solely on the agency’s religious beliefs will keep all kinds of good parents in our diverse state from providing Florida’s neediest kids a family for any number of reasons: because they are of a different faith than the agency, they are divorced, they hunt, they are pro-life or prochoice, or they are a same-sex couple.” According to a spokeswoman from the Florida Department of Children and Families, there are about 750 children in the Sunshine State in need of forever homes.

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SouthFloridaGayNews // SFGN.com // 3.25.2015 //

special section parenting & adoption

Gay Fatherhood in the Land of Dolce & Gabbana Italian father gives insight to fashion designer’s anti-gay comments Ryan Porter, GayswithKids.com

Dads Claudio Marcelli and Manlio Sanna with their children Maddalena, Bartolomeo and Clelia

Fashion designer Domenico Dolce proved his good taste stops at the edge of the runway when he told Italian magazine Panorama that “children of chemistry” (more commonly known as children born through surrogacy) are “synthetic children.” His comments sparked an international uproar; Elton John, whose own sons were born to a surrogate, led a boycott against the Dolce & Gabbana brand. Yet in Dolce’s native Italy, his opinion that “the only family is the traditional one” is no extremist position. Rather, it’s one that’s entrenched in law, with both surrogacy and gay adoption illegal in Italy. “Surrogacy is such a taboo topic in Europe,” Claudio Rossi Marcelli, the author of “Hello Daddy!” about how he and his partner Manlio Sanna welcomed twin girls through an American surrogate, told GaysWithKids.com. “It’s always very theoretical: about principles, about ethics, moral issues. But when you put faces onto people, it all becomes more human. People change their minds so quickly.” Luigi Codecasa agrees. When he welcomed his twins Pietro and Silvia, 7, the Milan-based doctor was delighted at the way his community rallied behind his new family. Codecasa recalls showing his local baker the sonogram of his two children, who were conceived with a lesbian friend. The baker was shocked that a gay man would have children, Codecasa says,

// 3.25.2015 // SFGN.com //

but today, Pietro and Silvia are her little VIPs. “She is always inviting them to the back of the shop and giving them pizzas or croissants for free,” he says proudly. “It’s the same in the street market. Both the butcher and the grocer go crazy for the kids.” The butcher’s wife even confided in Codecasa that she had conceived through artificial insemination. “I can tell you because I know you will understand me,” she said. Codecasa is the founder of Papà Arcobaleno (Rainbow Dads), a Milan-based group of more than 150 gay fathers and prospective fathers who are located across Italy and beyond. Through their Facebook page, they share support and parenting tips with their members and other curious gay dads internationally. Codecasa contacted GaysWithKids.com via Facebook a few months ago. Through Papà Arcobaleno, Codecasa met Andrea Lorenzato, a 36-year-old sales rep and new father to an 8-month-old baby girl. Lorenzato agrees that Italian law is out of step with the spirit of the people. “The community is behaving differently than what the law says,” he notes. Along with his partner, Francesco Ineppo, he is a new father to an 8-month-old baby girl, Teresa, whom they welcomed through a surrogate. This April, Teresa will be baptized in a Catholic church. “The law of the church could say that soflagaynews //

civil unions for gay couples are expected to be legalized in some fashion by May of this year while mayors of Italian cities such as Rome, Milan and Florence have already gone rogue by recognizing the marriages of gay Italians who wed abroad. However, for gay men, the type of international surrogacy Dolce criticized is one of the few ways they can realize their dream of fatherhood. Even then it’s a minefield of legal loopholes and prohibitive expenses. Lorenzato and Ineppo immediately struck countries such as India, Thailand and China from their lists when searching for a surrogate because of concerns surrounding how the women might be treated. “We didn’t want this journey to create sadness for someone else,” Lorenzato says. They were looking closely at the Philippines, but backed off at the advice of a lawyer. “There was the possibility that one day the mother of this baby could wake up and say, ‘I want this baby back, give me money,’” he says. “And this was not a solution that we could consider.” Like many gay Italians looking to become parents, they ultimately found their surrogate in California. Teresa was conceived on their first try and had a perfectly healthy gestation. Then, three months before her due date, they don’t approve of gay people,” Lorenzato the daddies-to-be received a text from their says. “But at the end of the day no one is going surrogate’s husband. to tell you, ‘I am not going to respect this little “We are in the hospital. The baby will be baby.’” born in three hours by C-section. Come here.” Despite the momentum in the streets, They were on the first plane out of Venice the Italian government, currently lead by the next morning, and when they arrived at the center-left prime hospital in Redwoods, Calif., they minister Matteo Dads Francesco Ineppo and Andrea Lorenzato found a child fighting for her life. with their daughter Teresa Renzi, hasn’t “You see this budged when very little baby it comes to with all these updating laws tubes, all these for gay families. computers “Italians have and machines zero civic sense,” around her,” Marcelli says. Lorenzato “That’s why the remembers. country is such a The couple mess. Everyone tried to prepare is about their themselves own interests. for the worst, Even if they are telling each personally okay other, “We’ve with being gay survived so far and being a gay without this parent they don’t baby.” “But it’s go out and make impossible,” it a political Lorenzato says, statement. So “because your the political heart is inside that crib.” parties don’t feel that urge to put it in the Teresa was in the hospital for two months political agenda.” before she was well enough to travel back to Under pressure from the European Union, Lorenzato and Ineppo’s home in Vicenza, 45

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Dads Luigi Codecasa and Marco Mazza with children Pietro and Silvia minutes west of Venice. Today, she is a model than a gay couple,” says Marcelli. “When you child. “She’s sleeping all night from 8 o’clock have kids you can show your neighbors that their lifestyle is so similar to yours. When in the evening to 6 o’clock in the morning,” you have kids, the schools, the doctors, they Lorenzato says. “So far she’s so good. We are expecting her to wake up one day and say, I am welcome you into the family club.” Despite this secret pass, the lack of legal going to make your life a nightmare.” protection has meant Marcelli and his partner Surrogacy is not an option for everyone, however. “Unfortunately there’s an economic Manlio Sanna have had to improvise. Only one father can be listed on the child’s birth aspect to the situation that doesn’t allow all certificate, and with their 7-year-old twins gay couples to become dads,” he says. Expenses Clelia and Maddalena, they decided that for an international couple using a California Marcelli would be the surrogate can range from biological father: his $70,000 to more than flexible schedule as $91,000 (not including a professional writer insurance). Fees cover “If only Domenico Dolce would allow him more everything from psychological screening had a law like that to time at home during the infancy. But to agency fees to a protect his foot from children’s when it came time to housekeeping allowance getting stuck in his conceive their third child, for the surrogate. a son named Bartolomeo, Co-parenting is mouth.” now 3, Marcelli was another option. Codecasa uncomfortable. was lucky enough to meet “I always felt that Alessendra di Minno, a gay woman who was also dreaming of having the lack of a legislation over the legal status a child. They spent three months getting to of our family gave me a lot of power over the legal status of our kids,” he says. “I always told know each other, discussing their views on everything from religion to education before Manlio, ‘One day I could just freak out and decide I don’t want to see you anymore. I have they agreed to try to conceive a child they the power to keep these girls from you.’ I always could co-parent. felt this was really disproportionate. When it For five years they tried what Codecasa calls their “homemade attempts,” with a turkey was the second time around I said, ‘Let’s make baster. They also saw a doctor for artificial you the legal father of this third kid so we’re all tangled and creating a guarantee.’ It’s kind of a insemination. They finally conceived on weird thought because you don’t want to think Christmas Day and on August 15 welcomed about the worst.” not one but two babies: Pietro and Silvia. However, the issue highlights why it is so Today di Minno and Codecasa take turns coimportant for parental rights not only to be parenting: the children’s permanent residence informally recognized by knowing neighbors, is with their biological mother, but they spend but also to be enshrined in law. Wednesday nights and one afternoon a week They say that the real fight for gay marriage with Codecasa in between soccer practices and gymnastics classes, as well as every other is the fight for gay divorce,” Marcelli says. “When all of a sudden things go wrong you weekend. Despite what Dolce voiced about “traditional need the law to protect you from becoming the worst part of you.” families,” Marcelli believes it’s precisely If only Domenico Dolce had a law like that because family values are so entrenched in the culture that Italians are more willing to to protect his foot from getting stuck in his mouth. embrace gay parents in their communities. “Paradoxically, it’s even easier to be gay parents

St. Ambrose welcomes you to the 2015 Holy Week services.

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All are welcome

Palm/Passion Sunday − at St Ambrose English service − 10:00 a.m. Spanish service − 11:45 a.m. St. Ambrose will be joining Services with St. Benedicts in Plantation at their Church located 7801 Northwest 5th Street, Plantation FL 33324 Maundy Thursday Service 2 April (at St. Benedicts) Mass begins at 7:00 p.m. Good Friday − April 3 (at St. Benedicts) 3:00 p.m. − Traditional Good Friday Service with the Veneration of the Cross and Holy Communion will be immediately followed by the Service of Reconciliation and Burning of Sins. Holy Saturday Night Vigil − April 4 (at St Benedicts) 6:00 p.m. Holy Saturday Night (April 4th) Easter Sunday Liturgy at St. Ambrose − April 5 English service − 10:00 a.m. Spanish service − 11:45 a.m.

St Ambrose Episcopal Church 2250 SW 31st Ave. Fort Lauderdale, FL 33312 (954) 583-0603

SouthFloridaGayNews // SFGN.com // 3.25.2015 //

special section parenting & adoption

Gay Adoption: One Couple’s Story Meet the Allen-McDaniel family

Christiana Lilly

Stepping inside the Allen-McDaniel household, it’s very clear that two little girls reside inside. The sounds of the animated film “Rio” plays from the television, a “Frozen” table is the perfect size for little ones, and a pink kitchen playset is surrounded by dolls and toys. Laying on the floor as they wind down after dinner are Sarah, 3, and Maddie, 2, staring up at the adventures of exotic birds. Not only do two little girls live here, but two very loved little girls. “Sarah asked me just the other day for the first time, ‘Why do I have two daddies?’ And I said, ‘Because God knew that you were supposed to be with us,’” said Jim AllenMcDaniel. Jim and his husband, Chris, adopted the girls after fostering both of them, and are part of a growing number of gay couples in Florida who are adopting. Thanks to the ban on gay marriage being lifted in January, there may be more. In 1977, it was made illegal for gay people to adopt in the state of Florida. After much fighting, a judge in November 2008 overruled the ban and in 2010 it was declared unconstitutional by an appeals court. However, the rule is still on the books, even if it is not enforced. Members of the Florida House are now working to completely remove it from state law. “All people who want to adopt should be judged the same way, with the best interests of children foremost,” said Florida Rep. David Richardson (D-Miami Beach) to Equality Florida. “My amendment ensures that all suitable adoptive parents are able to offer loving homes and the support of a permanent family.” Jim, a senior credit manager at TravelZoo, met Chris, a former senior buyer for Watson Pharmaceuticals, at a gym in Wilton Manors 13 years ago. After a decade together, Jim wanted to expand the family to include children, especially after a long-time gay friend was able to successfully foster and adopt. For parents, gay or straight, who are looking to foster, they must go through MAPP (Model Approach to Partnerships in Parenting) training, a background check, and a home study. The Allen-McDaniels were concerned that they might be discriminated against because they are gay, but some of their guard was let down at the first day of parenting classes at Kids in Distress. There,

// 3.25.2015 // SFGN.com //

The Allen-McDaniel family take a photo with the mice from “Cinderella” during a recent trip to Walt Disney World. From left, Jim holds Maddie while Sarah stands in front of Chris. (Photo courtesy of the Allen-McDaniel family)

the coordinator told the class that they do place children with gay couples, who often are wonderful parents -- and if anyone had a problem with it, they might want to consider going to another agency. “Children in the foster care system need and should have unconditional love and support,” said Emilio Benitez, CEO/president of ChildNet. “It can come from adoptive parents that are gay, are straight, of different races -- the child is seeking to be adopted. The child is seeking to have unconditional soflagaynews //

love. That’s it.” ChildNet is a private agency that runs the foster and adoption system in Broward and Palm Beach Counties, working with the sheriff’s department and the Department of Children and Families. The idea to go private was a dying wish of former Florida Gov. Lawton Chiles, who asked his successor Jeb Bush to fix the system in 1998. Benitez, who was chosen as one of SFGN’s Out 50 in 2014, has been involved with ChildNet since its inception. The group won a bid with the

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state in 2003 and Palm Beach was added to its contract in 2012. The agency has long had a relationship with SunServe and participates in pride parades and events. Currently, there are roughly 750 children in Florida who are looking for forever homes, according to the DCF press office. In Broward and Palm Beach County, there are 240 children up for adoption ranging from newborn to 18 years old. Most of the time, they are taken from their homes because of drug abuse, mental illness, and domestic violence, Benitez said. Sitting on Benitez’s desk is a blackand-white photograph of his father in 1924 in a Cuban orphanage. While he describes his father’s experience with the system as an “Oliver Twist type,” his maternal grandmother had a very different experience, being adopted into a loving home in 1899 in Spain. “I was brought up by these two forces and these two factors that taught me that children by no fault of their own can easily find themselves in predicaments that can be terrible,” Benitez said. That was the case of a 7-month-old baby girl, Sarah, who was paired with the AllenMcDaniel family in 2012. At their home, the couple has a photo of Chris holding the chubby baby staring into the camera. She had been in another foster home, where the parents didn’t help her learn how to crawl, roll over, and hold up her head -- milestones she should have reached by that age. Prior to that she also had a rough home life. “There was a glint in [her eyes]. A glint of mischief and intelligence that was beyond her 7 months. I noticed that and I thought she was beautiful,” Jim said. Until she was 18 months old, the couple cared for and loved little Sarah and almost lost her when her mother changed her mind and wanted her back. After much back and forth, Sarah was able to stay with the men who had been raising her for over a year. Then, she was legally adopted by Jim as a single-parent adoption in April 2014, a route many gay couples had to take. “It definitely would not have been good for her to be moved again, because she had already been through enough. She was acting out a lot and it took her a while to bond with us. It took her a little longer,” Jim said. During the time they thought they would

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The Allen-McDaniel family takes a photo with Santa this past Christmas. From left, Jim, Maddie, Sarah, and Chris. (Photo courtesy of the Allen-McDaniel family)

lose Sarah, the couple was encouraged to take another child. They turned down multiple requests, until finally one day in February 2013 Chris received a text that there was a 4-day-old baby girl who needed a home. This time it felt different, he said, and he called Jim, who also said this time it felt different. “I said ‘Good, because I’m getting ready to drive over there,’” Chris laughed. “And thank God you did,” Jim said. Her name was Maddie, and while she turned out to be an easy baby -- Chris says she slept through the night from the beginning and rarely cried -- there were scares with her as well. The couple almost lost her when a distance aunt and uncle of hers in Texas drove to Florida for a visit, then planned to take her back home with them. They didn’t even have a car seat. The couple was learning that with the goal of reunification in mind, many times it wasn’t what was best for the child. Chris called their lawyer and guardian ad litem, who were able to vouch that it was better for her to stay in a stable home that she knew all her life. At this time, state after state was legalizing gay marriage, and laws were constantly changing regarding marriage and adoption. Trying to look ahead, the couple’s lawyer and a judge they were working with recommended that the two get married in New York to help the adoption process along. Finally, in September 2014, Jim, Chris,

Sarah, and Maddie went to the courthouse to become a family in the eyes of the law. Jim legally adopted Maddie, then was able to give consent to the courts to allow Chris to adopt both Sarah and Maddie. In a matter of 15 minutes, all the stress and anxiety of fostering and the adoption process was over. “It was just such a relief,” Chris remembered. And months later, the family takes everything one day at a time, the way Jim said they would do it when they were still toying with the idea of even having children. Sarah is energetic, walks on her tip toes, likes both Elsa and Anna from “Frozen,” and is very curious and outspoken. Maddie is a sweetheart with a chubby grin on her face and is very proud of her little stuffed mouse from “Cinderella,” Gus Gus. Sometimes the girls fight over sitting on daddy’s lap or steal a spoon from each other’s bowls, then they sit together on their pillows on the ground to play. “They’re constantly changing me. It’s still sinking in that I get to be your daddy,” Jim said, locking eyes with Maddie. Looking at a family photo they took together on Santa’s lap during Christmas, the girls giggle when they tell you who is who. This is Daddy Jim. This is Daddy Chris. This is Sarah. This is Maddie. This is the Allen-McDaniel family.

Multicultural Maundy Thursday Eucharist with Foot-Washing Thursday, April 2nd, 7:30 p.m.

Good Friday Multilingual Public Procession of the Cross Friday, April 3rd, 3:00 p.m.

Good Friday English Liturgy with Communion Friday, April 3rd, 6:00 p.m.

Good Friday Spanish Liturgy with Communion

Spanish Easter Vigil Eucharist Saturday, April 4th, 7:30 p.m.

The Great Vigil of Easter English Eucharist Sunday, April 5th, 6:00 a.m.

Service will be followed by a Champagne Toast in the Parish Hall

Festive Choral English Eucharist

Sunday, April 5th, 10:30 a.m.

Spanish Easter Eucharist

Sunday, April 5th, 12:30 p.m.

Friday, April 3rd, 7:30 p.m.

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Brazilian Portuguese Easter Eucharist

Sunday April 5th, 7:00 p.m.

Conveniently Located One Mile East of I-95 St. Nicholas Episcopal Church 1111 E. Sample Road Pompano Beach, FL 33064 (954) 942-5887 www.stnicholasfl.org

SouthFloridaGayNews // SFGN.com // 3.25.2015 //

opinion letter to the editor

Floridaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Bathroom Billâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; is a Travesty

I wanted to write this letter in response to the article about the Florida Bathroom Bill that is moving forward to becoming a law. I am terribly outraged by this entire bill because of how insane it is that they are discriminating against the transgender population. There has been protection put into place and it seems as though there should be common sense that all people are equal. I feel like the people who are for this bill passing are taking two steps backward for our society because we just legalized gay marriage and it's just another way to bring inequality to the table. I personally do not understand the point of this bill in that fact that it would be really difficult to enforce. Are there going to be security guards in the millions of bathrooms located in Florida checking our anatomy before we use the restroom? That to me is beyond measure and there are so many other issues that need to be dealt with, but this is just something

// 3.25.2015 // SFGN.com //

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to bring back inequality and to show the power struggle with people who cannot wrap their heads around what being a transgender is like. The government should not get involved with this type of bill because it also puts these people at an even higher risk for serious consequences. They are making it really difficult for these people to accept their identity with the stigma and now it will pose a new obstacle that does not need to be overcome. Suicide risks are incredible high among this population because of those already in place by society and there is one more that has terrible consequences that just does not make sense. I know that a majority of the bills that get introduced die out through time and I really hope this is one of them. Thank you for reading,

Samantha Robinson, FAU MSW Student Advocate

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SouthFloridaGayNews // SFGN.com // 3.25.2015 //

column publisherâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s editorial

Las Olas Boulevard

Norm Kent

The Heartbeat of Fort Lauderdale

norm.kent@sfgn.com

Diversity has always been the middle name of East Las Olas Boulevard. For decades, this marvelous neighborhood was the epicenter of gay life in greater Fort Lauderdale. The LGBT community has always found a warm and inviting welcome on Las Olas. An array of elegant restaurants and world class shopping venues, many are still owned and operated by gay and lesbian entrepreneurs. In fact, as a result of their initiatives, this week SFGN is privileged to publish a special insert for the Las Olas Association. Las Olas was once the home of the most popular gay bar in greater Fort Lauderdale. For over two decades, the Cathode Ray was the central meeting place for all gay locals and tourists. A narrow bar with an outdoor patio originally owned by Wayne Gibson and then John Manzi, the Cathode became so popular, it had to move to a larger venue. It is now the Italian eatery known as the Tuscan Grill. But few gay men who have been here for decades will ever forget Sunday nights outdoors on the canal. Purchased by the late philanthropist Richard Fasenmeyer, the nightclub expanded to include Bar Amici, a large corner restaurant that now houses 'Fork and Balls.' Under Fasenmeyer's stewardship, Bar Amici and Cathode grew to prominence as 'the place to be,' from monthly luncheons for Gamma Mu to daily and weekly business meetings for LGBT groups and associations. After Fasenmeyer passed away, Larry Wald continued the tradition of hosting community groups and sponsoring neighborhood functions. However, few men had the deep pockets of Fasenmeyer, a wealthy Republican who had been one of President George Bush's top 200 donors. Extravagance was his style and expense not an obstacle. A decade after his death, Fasenmeyer's legacy is a foundation that today still funds HIV causes and the Cleveland Clinic. But the private parties on his yacht and the bar are just memories. No gay venue on East Las Olas has emerged to replace it. Nevertheless, so close to the gay-driven Victoria Park neighborhood, East Las Olas Boulevard remains a gathering place regularly patronized by the LGBT community, from breakfasts at the Floridian Restaurant,

// 3.25.2015 // SFGN.com //

to dinners and parties at the Riverside Hotel. It makes sense. Las Olas hosts fine dining and safe streets, outdoor patios and indoor boutiques, chocolate shops and modern clothing stores. A wealth of contemporary art galleries, such as the Bellagio, cements the walk. The merchants make it their mission to keep the pulse vibrating with energy. For me, Las Olas has always been very special. It's where, in 1979, I opened my very first law office, at 1700 East Las Olas. It's where, in 1999, inside the Floridian Restaurant, at 1400 ELO, I hosted the 'Norm Kent Show,â&#x20AC;&#x2122; on WFTL, 1400 AM radio. It's where, in 2009, I owned and operated for 2 years, 'Norm's Newsstand.' Las Olas has been the home of art shows and holiday festivals, AIDS walks and St. Patrick's Day parades. Its

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SouthFloridaGayNews

rich history has showcased bookstores and realtors, selling million dollar yachts and multi-million dollar waterfront estates. Fashion designer Zola Keller's bridal gowns have become an institution, and now gay women can shop there, too! You can even now marry your partner at the historic Stranahan House Museum. The next major event on Las Olas will be their annual Wine and Food Festival, this year on May 1. Over 50 tables of wines from around the world, along with scores of restaurants offering signature plates will go to benefit the American Lung Association. Breathe it in. The air is clean, the atmosphere festive, and like the rest of Las Olas, you are more than likely to find it inviting and welcome. See you there.

Welcome to

EATSHOPENJOY

17 blocks of sidewalk cafes, world class shopping, internationally acclaimed art galleries, ﬁne dining, sizzling nightlife, and more.

www.LasOlasBoulevard.com • E. Las Olas Blvd. Fort Lauderdale, FL

www.LasOlasBoulevard.com â&#x20AC;˘ E. Las Olas Blvd. Fort Lauderdale, FL soflagaynews // SouthFloridaGayNews

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www.LasOlasBoulevard.com â&#x20AC;˘ E. Las Olas Blvd. Fort Lauderdale, FL soflagaynews // SouthFloridaGayNews // SFGN.com

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LAS OLAS BOULEVARD S I M P L Y

U N I Q U E

Welcome to

2015 LAS OLAS ASSOCIATION BOARD OF DIRECTORS

“Taste of the World Dining” • Specialty Retailers • Art Galleries

Luke Moorman PRESIDENT CARROLL'S JEWELERS

Vann Padgett

VICE PRESIDENT THE LAS OLAS COMPANY

Stephen Shuster SECRETARY KILWINS

Caroline Carrara

TREASURER EWM REALTY INTERNATIONAL The definition of Unique is “… being the only one of its kind; unlike anything else…” Well, that describes Las Olas Boulevard to a ‘T’! No Kidding! For close to 100 years, Las Olas (Spanish for “the waves”) has been one of the most important Boulevards in Fort Lauderdale. Not only was it the connection to the beach, but over the years it became a dining and shopping hub for locals and visitors. Today, the Boulevard is a “must visit destination” for many reasons… not the least of which is the fact that there are over three dozen bistros, clubs and restaurants, most with indoor and outdoor dining, making Las Olas a food lovers paradise. Some of the restaurants welcome dogs who like to join their human companions when visiting Las Olas. Many provide water bowls and very attentive wait staff ! If you have a sweet tooth, oh boy! There are several great confection shops with more chocolate than you can imagine as well as home-made ice cream and other treats. Specialty Retailing is a term used to denote what used to be called “mom and pop” stores… you know, the ones where you often find the owner is waiting on you. Actually, the “mom and pops” you’ll meet on Las Olas aren’t like those your grandparents knew… not by a long shot. These 21st century entrepreneurs bring their own sense of style and taste to their business, which results in an eclectic mix of merchandise, art and one-of-a-kind businesses. It’s definitely not the same-old/same-old merchandise you find at every Mall America. Although one tradition remains… old world, personalized service, which enhances the magical experience you’ll enjoy when discovering the UNIQUE delights of Las Olas! If there is a wedding in your future, you’re in luck… Several jewelry stores offer wedding rings, gifts for the bridal party and old-fashioned bridal registry’s. You can buy tuxedos and bridal gowns… order exquisite floral arrangements and most restaurants offer the perfect setting for that rehearsal dinner. Over the years, several real estate firms have opened on Las Olas, offering a delightful choice of realtors to help find the perfect new place… and help sell the old one.

And what a joy it is to visit the many art galleries, each with their own artistic DNA. Not only does art enhance your home, office or yacht, but in many cases, it offers excellent investments for the discerning collector.

Jennifer Dadario

BELLAGIO INTERNATIONAL GALLERY

Tom Maus Jr. MAUS & HOFFMAN

Wait… wait… there’s more as those popular infomercials proclaim. The Las Olas Association along with corporate and charitable partners produce numerous fun events that offer a perfect excuse to get out of the house and (re) discover the Boulevard. There are three fantastic art fairs, the popular whodunit ClueLess that just took place, perhaps Fort Lauderdale’s most cherished tradition… Christmas on Las Olas the first Tuesday after Thanksgiving and for wine and food lovers, the annual Las Olas Wine & Food Festival, taking place this year on Friday, May 1; benefitting the American Lung Association. Presented by Premier Beverage Company and Produced in part by the Las Olas Association, this street festival offers signature cuisine from more than 70 of South Florida’s most desirable dining destinations and over 45 tables of “Wine From Around the World.” Music adds a festive touch. And what ambiance! The architecture exudes an oldworld charm, with thousands of tiny lights in the branches of the Black Olive trees in the medians and soaring Royal Palm Trees. Las Olas is in the heart of Fort Lauderdale and only a few minutes from any place by car, bus, cab or in many cases, Water Taxi. It is the perfect place to take guests from out of town as well as meeting friends to dine, shop… or just stroll the Boulevard. Day or night… the Boulevard is alive with charm and a vibrant energy. With art gallery openings, new menu changes and the dozens of restaurants, sales that can save you oodles of money and a blog that is growing in popularity every day… we suggest you visit www.LasOlasBoulevard. com or call Amber VanBuren, the Las Olas Association’s dynamic Executive Director at 954-258-8382.

Ave Keller ZOLA KELLER

Mark Lohmann PLANET MASSAGE

Michael Werzer OPTICAL SPECTRUM

Erika Del Rio

GRAN FORNO PRONTO

Lisa Crawford SIT IN MY SEATS

Richard Rubits AMERICAN SOCIAL

Amber VanBuren EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

LAS OLAS ASSOCIATION, INC. PO BOX 30013 FORT LAUDERDALE, FL 33303 INFO@LASOLASBOULEVARD.COM

954-258-8382 PRODUCED IN COOPERATION WITH

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Welcome to

LAS OLAS FACTS

• With over 400 people working in the retail corridor alone, Las Olas Boulevard is a major stimulant to the local economy and is the number one shopping destination as ranked by Trip Advisor. • There are currently 180 retail businesses operating on the Boulevard. • In “season” an estimated 20,000 people visit Las Olas Boulevard each day/night and Las Olas annual events attract over 100,000 people to the street.

www.LasOlasBoulevard.com • E. Las Olas Blvd. Fort Lauderdale, FL soflagaynews // SouthFloridaGayNews

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www.LasOlasBoulevard.com â&#x20AC;˘ E. Las Olas Blvd. Fort Lauderdale, FL soflagaynews // SouthFloridaGayNews // SFGN.com

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2015 LAS OLAS ASSO

American Social

721 E. Las Olas Blvd.

(954) 764-7005

1001 E. Las Olas Blvd.

(954) 761-3334

350 E. Las Olas Suite 1400

(954) 343-9101

806 E. Las Olas Blvd.

(954) 847-1778

Ann’s Florist

Bank of New York Mellon

BELLAGIO INTERNATIONAL GALLERY

Big City Tavern

609 E. Las Olas Blvd.

(954) 727-0307

713A E. Las Olas Blvd.

(954) 764-6033

715 E. Las Olas Blvd.

(954) 467-2900

910 E. Las Olas Blvd.

(954) 763-6600

915 E. Las Olas Blvd.

(954) 463-3711

2400 E. Las Olas Blvd.

(954) 712-0580

Blue Gallery

Café de Paris Caffe Europa

Carroll's Jewelers

Chima Brazilian Steakhouse

909 E. Las Olas Blvd.

(954) 527-5900

300 SW 1st Ave

(954) 633-4665

Hoffmans Chocolates

(954) 463-9881

Jmclaughlin

623 E. Las Olas Blvd.

(954) 524-2585

Johnny V Restaurant

900 E. Broward Blvd.

(954) 667-8000

912 E. Las Olas Blvd.

(954) 763-6055

Coldwell Banker Cycle-Party

D'ANGELO REALTY GROUP

709 E. Las Olas Blvd.

Deborah James

Downtown Jewish Center E.J. Smoker & Associates, Inc.

EWM REALTY INTERNATIONAL

1700 E. Las Olas Blvd.

First Presbyterian Church

401 SE 15th Avenue

GRAN FORNO PRONTO

704 E. Las Olas Blvd

Himmarshee Surgical Partners

717 SE 2nd Street

HISTORIC NEEDHAM ESTATE & LAUDERDALE YACHT CHARTERS

828 SE 4th Street

(800) 689-2359

920 E. Las Olas Blvd.

(954) 940-6373

808E - E. Las Olas Blvd.

(954) 530-9710

625 E. Las Olas Blvd.

(954) 761-3495

KILWINS

809 E. Las Olas Blvd.

Kip Hunter Marketing

888 E. Las Olas Blvd.

(954) 765-1329

1304-06 E. Las Olas Blvd.

(954) 780-6770

(954) 306-7400

Las Olas Chabad & Judaica Store

(954) 462-6200

Las Olas Chemist

(954) 533-6276

Las Olas Fine Arts

(954) 463-5208

1201 E. Las Olas Blvd 701 E. Las Olas Blvd.

www.LasOlasBoulevard.com • E. Las Olas Blvd. Fort Lauderdale, FL soflagaynews // SouthFloridaGayNews

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(954) 523-8338

(954) 462-4166 (954) 767-0063

OCIATION MEMBERS

Levinson Jewelers

888 E. Las Olas Blvd.

(954) 462-8880

450 E. Las Olas Blvd.

(954) 772-2675

1032 E. Las Olas Blvd

(954) 482-5426

1415 E. Las Olas Blvd.

(954) 522-8888

888 E. Las Olas Blvd.

(954) 617-8400

904 E. Las Olas Blvd.

(954) 523-5001

800 E. Las Olas Blvd.

(954) 463-1472

914 East Las Olas

(954) 524-2100

Lobster Bar Sea Grille Louie Bossi

Luigis Coal Oven Pizza Macken Realty Mango's

Maus & Hoffman

New River Fine Arts

OPTICAL SPECTRUM

804 E. Las Olas Blvd.

(954) 463-1566



PLANET MASSAGE

320 SE 10th Ct, 33316

Real Living Inﬁnity International

(954) 763-1619

1209 E. Las Olas Blvd.

(954) 653-5000

1200 E. Las Olas

(954) 616-7699

620 E. Las Olas Blvd.

(954) 467-0671

350 E. Las Olas Blvd.

(954) 617-7447

Riverfront Gondola Tours Riverside Hotel Royal Pig Pub

Swimland

812 E. Las Olas Blvd.

(954) 468-9992

1016 E. Las Olas Blvd.

(954) 766-4343

Tatyana Boutique

10.

THE LAS OLAS COMPANY

600 Sagamore Road

The Mailbag

1314 E. Las Olas Blvd.

(954) 467-8085

219 S. Andrews Ave.

(954) 763-5458

450 E. Las Olas Blvd.

(954) 462-9119

1105 E. Las Olas Blvd.

(954) 766-8700

401 E. Las Olas Blvd.

(954) 463-0444

822 E Las Olas

(954) 522-4222

Tilted Kilt Pub

Shino Bay Cosmetic Dermatology

Timpano Italian Chophouse

Tuscan Grill

350 E Las Olas Blvd. St 110-120 (954) 765-3005 SIT IN MY SEATS

1263 E. Las Olas Blvd. #204 (954) 456-0419

Sky Thai Sushi

350 E Las Olas Blvd.

(954) 993-9889

1217 E. Las Olas Blvd.

(954) 769-1806

335 SE 6th Ave

(954) 524-4736

SpaJuice Bar

STRANAHAN HOUSE

(954) 463-5630

UPS Store

Wyland Gallery

11.

ZOLA KELLER

818 E. Las Olas Blvd.

www.LasOlasBoulevard.com • E. Las Olas Blvd. Fort Lauderdale, FL soflagaynews // SouthFloridaGayNews // SFGN.com

(954) 462-3222

// 3.25.2015 //

Welcome to

TWINKLING LIGHTS…

…set the stage each evening for South Florida’s most architecturally unique, authentic, and eclectic shopping and dining district. Stroll the boulevard, duck in and out of our cool breezeways, and be delighted by what you discover. Nowhere else in Florida will you find…

• Over 30 al fresco dining options • 10 major international art galleries • 2 world class museums • 1 charming historic hotel • 65 shops filled with fashion, accessories, gifts, and more • Luxury Home Rental and Yacht Charters

954-777-7777

YOUR RIDE TO THE

DRIVE!

Yellowcabbroward.com 36

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Welcome to

TRIP ADVISOR

Las Olas Boulevard 4.5 of 5 stars 2,248 Reviews #5 of 161 things to do in Fort Lauderdale Malls, Landmarks & points of interest, Shopping & Fashion, Sights & Landmarks

LA BONNE CREPE Enjoy the ambiance of a quaint French bistro with distinct flair, offering over 50 specialty crêpes, superb beef, chicken and fresh fish dishes, decadent desserts and remarkable cappuccino. Create a memorable dining experience with breakfast, lunch or dinner while sitting indoors or outside on the terrace beneath the Parisian awning on Las Olas Boulevard.

815 E. LAS OLAS BLVD. | FORT LAUDERDALE 954-761-1515 | WWW.LABONNECREPE.COM

www.LasOlasBoulevard.com • E. Las Olas Blvd. Fort Lauderdale, FL soflagaynews // SouthFloridaGayNews

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Welcome to

www.LasOlasBoulevard.com â&#x20AC;˘ E. Las Olas Blvd. Fort Lauderdale, FL soflagaynews // SouthFloridaGayNews // SFGN.com

// 3.25.2015 //

Welcome to

LOCATION

D I R E C T I O N S

P A R K I N G

“Getting Here” Las Olas Boulevard connects Downtown Ft.Lauderdale with A1A and the Atlantic Ocean. Easiest Route from North or South: Take I-95 to Broward Boulevard and travel east. Turn right onto Andrews Avenue and then left onto E. Las Olas Boulevard Parking options are plentiful and both on-street and private lot parking is available. On-

street metered parking begins at 11am in most locations and both city & private lots are on the side streets which run parallel to the boulevard. In addition, the Riverside Hotel has a 7 story parking lot with over 500 spaces. Himmarshee Landings located at 1200 E. Las Olas Blvd. ( the SW corner of Las Olas and Tarpon Drive) offers secure valet parking for 223 spaces and is open from 5pm to 11pm daily.

www.LasOlasBoulevard.com • E. Las Olas Blvd. Fort Lauderdale, FL soflagaynews // SouthFloridaGayNews

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www.LasOlasBoulevard.com â&#x20AC;˘ E. Las Olas Blvd. Fort Lauderdale, FL soflagaynews // SouthFloridaGayNews // SFGN.com

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lifestyle photojournalism

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opinion letter to the editor

Reader Responds to ‘Letter to the Editor’ Calling for a Boycott of the Gay Polo Tournament Photo: Wikipedia

Dear South Florida Gay News: SFGN recently published an article or opinion piece by Christopher Murphy, regarding the gay polo event in Wellington Florida, and the entire league, asking or telling people not to attend. It has also been brought to my attention that this may in fact be a vengeful move, due to the fact that Gay Polo has chosen because of expenses, not to advertise in your publication. I dare say, this piece would have been written with a different slant if they sent you money, the very thing that Christopher points fingers at, as if all about money! I find it disheartening that you choose to attack the group, that includes many people who are responsible for working on legislation to shut down all horse auctions, that sell to kill buyers in the entire U.S. It in fact, is people in the horse community, which includes gay polo, who are working tirelessly on the issue of horse slaughter, that you seem to broad stroke with your opinion about what happens to horses, as if those particular horses used in gay polo, will in fact go to slaughter! Horse people are doing more for rescuing animals of all types, then any

As the summer heats up, EDGE gets hotter! Check out all the LGBT News, Entertainment and Hot photos today!

// 3.25.2015 // SFGN.com //

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SouthFloridaGayNews

other single group of people in this country! They have the compassion and resources to make positive change! We are animal people, so before you go trashing an event due to your own lack of knowledge, educate yourself with facts, isn’t that what journalism is about? You as a publication should in fact encourage your readers to attend and support the event, instead of choosing to bully them, as if you are PETA! Looks bad on your part and certainly not playing fair! Oh and btw, I am a gay woman living full time in South Florida! What if I encourage your advertisers, to not advertise with you? You very well could have written a nice piece on the history of gay polo and why it was started and then asked them to distribute or plug SFGN, to many of your more affluent gays in the area! Tsk tsk! If you really had the entire truth about what you are referring, it might be different, but this article should not have made it past a good publisher’s desk!

Warmest regards, Caren Hunter

[Editor’s Note: The article that this reader is referencing was a letter to the editor, not an article written by SFGN staff]

column seeing in the dark

Why Disability is Not a Sign of Bad Luck

Belo Cipriani After losing my sight, I noticed I was engaging in conversation with random strangers a lot more often than when I could see. Most of the time, the men and women who stop me on the street with the polite, “Excuse me, Sir” are curious about my guide dog, Oslo. But once in a while, I do get the occasional person who wants to explain to me why I am blind. The folks with the unsolicited advice frequently reference lack of faith, lack of hope and lack of prayer. But most memorably, they reference bad luck as a result of a wrong I must have done. With time, I have learned not to listen. Still, sometimes, their words get under my skin and it’s in these moments that I reach out to other disabled people for words of encouragement. Lisa Larges is 51 years old, a native of Minnesota, and holds a Masters in Divinity from San Francisco Theological Seminary. Larges, who was born blind, identifies as queer and is a long time member of Noe Valley Ministry. Larges came out to friends at 19 and around 24 to her family. She admits that, like many conservative families in the mid-‘80s, her parents had a hard time with the news. “I am certain,” she said, “that part of their anxiety was worrying about my carrying the double stigma of being lesbian and being blind. My family followed that not altogether uncommon journey of growing into greater acceptance.” Additionally, Larges gives her family a lot of credit for hanging in and supporting her goal of being ordained in the Presbyterian Church. When asked about the connection between bad luck and disability, Larges said, “Stuff happens -- and that happening makes us who we are. I’m happy about who I am. I’m crazy lucky to be blind. A little less lucky to be blind at a time when we haven’t yet gotten to the place where valuing everyone’s worth, and the inherent commitment to full access and universal design, is a given.” Larges believes that growing up queer and blind was a recipe for creating rich internal worlds. “Rich internal worlds,” she adds, “are good for a certain kind of personal religion. That internal world -- that place of connection with God -- gave me a space to be fully who I was, and lessened my sense of aloneness, or alienation, or otherness.” “That faith,” Larges continues, “didn’t necessarily hold up well as I went crashing

into early adulthood and love, and rejection, and grief, and experience, and life. But, in time, I found my way back into faith.” As someone who writes a lot on disability, I was curious to know what Larges’ thoughts were on religious philosophies around pain and suffering. And while she doesn’t agree with many of them, she does believe in healing. “God won’t give you more than you can bear,” said Larges. To that, I say, “BLECCCHHH!!!!” Every day, people experience grief and affliction and loss that is simply unbearable. We want some way to soften our dread of suffering, but suffering is pretty much just dreadful. And, still, regularly enough, people tell me that I can be healed if I pray hard enough. People say it to disabled people and to queers. And for a lot of queers of my generation, plenty of us wanted to get out from under the weight of the shame and the stigma of being queer. We got our healing when we found our pride and when we started organizing. “That kind of healing I’m in for,” Larges said. Larges does not believe in good luck charms and would rather get lucky without them. However, she does believe that we are all a bit more lucky than we think: “Every living thing is, from the cosmic perspective, incredibly lucky simply to be alive. Most, 90 percent or more, of all the organisms that have ever lived have died without viable offspring, but not a single one of your ancestors, going back to the dawn of life on Earth, suffered that normal misfortune. You spring from an unbroken line of winners going back millions of generations, and those winners were, in every generation, the luckiest of the lucky, one out of a thousand or even a million.” Although technology has made disability a lot easier to manage, dealing with a lifechanging health problem is tough -- no matter what options are possible. For anyone who identifies as LGBT and has been recently diagnosed with a disability, Larges offers the following words, “It can suck, and it can be fabulous -- the trick is to try and lean a little bit more toward the side of fabulous.” The queer community isn’t without its prejudices against disabled people. But, the queer community has always made space for people to be outrageously different -- so, work it! C

CMY

Belo Cipriani is a freelance journalist, the award-winning author of Blind: A Memoir and Midday Dreams, a spokesperson for Guide Dogs for the Blind, and the career expert for the Ed Baxter Show on Talk Radio San Francisco 910AM. Learn more at BeloCipriani. com. soflagaynews //

SouthFloridaGayNews // SFGN.com // 3.25.2015 //

column

This week’s question: In celebration of Women’s History Month, name a lesbian, past or present, that has or continues to inspire you.” SFGN Staff SFGN’s “Speak OUT” is a weekly feature giving a regular voice to South Florida LGBT leaders. Below are some of their answers:

“

Gay rights pioneer Barbara Gittings was a prime mover of lesbian/gay visibility in those critical pre-Stonewall years. She taught me to swing for the fences when challenging seemingly unassailable mainstream institutions, to never give up, and to be sure I'm having fun being a "movement junkie.”

— Tori Armstrong, Founder/Director of BLAST Women of WPB

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I have no idea how on earth I, as a young girl in Iowa, encountered the work and life of Gertrude Stein, but I did. I remember thinking that she said what she wanted to say, and even men listened to her. I was delighted that she had broken away and gone to France, where she lived with Alice B. Toklas. As an adult, I visited her Paris apartment and felt deeply moved by this woman who died before I was born, but who gave me "permission" to speak my mind and be who I am, in a very real way.”

— Judy Ireland, Assistant organizer for BLAST Women of WPB

“

I can’t say there’s just one lesbian that has inspired me, if not many who have come before us and paved the way, and those who continue to blaze trails…. Women like Del Martin and Phyllis Lyon, Barbara Gittings, Audre Lourde, Roberta Achtenberg, Lorri Jean, Kate Clinton, and the women who need only one name: Chris and Meg, Ellen, Martina, Melissa… There have been, and continue to be, a great number of women from whom I derive inspiration – most of them, however are not the ‘famous’ ones… they’re the ones I’m honored to know and call my friends.” — Denise Spivak, Director of Member Relations and External Affairs for CenterLink: The Community of LGBT Centers

General & Cosmetic Dentistry Dr. David K. Warner, DDS, FAGD

“

Fellow, Academy of General Dentistry

Our community owes Robin Bodiford a debt of gratitude for her early grassroots efforts on behalf of our tribe. She helped set the stage for LGBT rights in Broward and for the political power that is now evidenced by our past and current LGBT elected officials in Broward.”

954-565-7666 1946 Wilton Drive, Wilton Manors, FL 33305

— Ken Keechl, noted trial attorney and LGBT rights activist

www.IslandCitySmiles.com Always Plenty of Free Parking • Located Conveniently on Wilton Drive New, State of the Art Facilities • Most Insurances Accepted

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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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lifestyle history

HOMO HISTORY 101 Women's History Month

Pier Angelo

Jane Addams (1860 – 1935) is known as

the mother of social work. She founded the famous Hull House Chicago, which revolutionized the field of social work. She is a Nobel Peace Prize winner and was in several long-term relationships with other women.

Gertrude "Ma" Rainey (1886 –1939) is known as the Mother of the Blues. Although Ma Rainey was not the first black woman to sing the Blues, she has been credited with its rise in popularity. She sang about loving women in the 1920s. Gladys Bentley (1907 –1960) was a popular Blues singer during the 1920s Harlem Renaissance. She dressed in men's clothing, her signature look was a tuxedo and top hat. She was very out about her sexual orientation and reputation as a 'bulldagger' or butch lesbian and she openly flirted with women in the audience. Lorraine Hansberry (1930-1965)

was an American playwright, best known for "A Raisin in the Sun,” which in 1959 became the first play by an African American woman to open on Broadway. It also won the New York Drama Critics Circle Award as the best play of the year. Although she was known as a supporter of equal rights regardless of sexual orientation, it wasn't until after her death that her own sexual orientation was revealed.

Barbara Gittings (1932 –2007) was an early gay and lesbian rights activist and was instrumental in the forming of Daughters of Bilitis, one of the first lesbian organizations in the U.S. Barbara Gittings helped organize gay rights demonstrations in front of the White House and in front of Independence Hall in Philadelphia in 1965 to protest federal employment discrimination. Barbara Jordan (1936–1996) was an accomplished U.S. congressional representative from Texas and was the first African American congresswoman to come from the Deep South. Although she was in a longterm relationship with another woman for more than 20 years, she never publicly came out. It was only after her death in 1996 that the press reported about her sexual orientation. Ann Bannon (September 15, 1932) is a

celebrated author of lesbian pulp fiction dating back to 1950 and 1960s. Although she was married and not quite

// 3.25.2015 // SFGN.com //

living a lesbian life when she penned her popular books, Ann Bannon, author of Odd Girl Out, Beebo Brinker, I am a Woman, Journey to a Woman and Women in the Shadows, struggled with same-sex attractions and came out later in life. In fact, she calls her books "love letters to the women I thought I would never get to know."

Col. Margarethe Cammermeyer (March 24, 1942) is the highest ranking military official to

come out while in the service. Prior to "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" she challenged the military policy banning gays and won the right to serve. Born in Oslo, Norway she became a U.S. citizen in 1960. She had a 15-year marriage to a man and they had four sons. In 1988, when she was 46, she met her partner, Diane Divelbess.

Kate Clinton (November 9, 1947)

describes herself as a "fumerist," a feminist humorist. She grew up Catholic in New York State and taught high school English for eight years before becoming a comedian. She began her stand-up career in 1981 using her lesbianism, Catholicism and current politics for her jokes.

Lorraine Hansberry

Melissa Etheridge (born May 29, 1961)

Grammy and Oscar winner has been out and proud since 1993. She is as well known for her activism and being a breast cancer survivor as she is for her music. Etheridge is known for her mixture of "confessional lyrics,” pop-based folk-rock, and raspy, smoky vocals. She has also been an iconic gay and lesbian activist since her public coming out in January 1993. She has received fifteen Grammy Award nominations, winning two, and an Academy Award. In September 2011, Etheridge received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

Phyllis Lyon (November 10, 1924), with her partner Del Martin (1921 – August 27, 2008) were two of the early lesbian rights activists in the U.S. On June 16, 2008, they were the first same-sex couple married in

soflagaynews //

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California. The wedding was officiated by San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom. Martin and Lyon published two books together, “Lesbian/Woman” (1972) and “Lesbian Love and Liberation” (1973).

The Dinah Shore Weekend was named after the late Dinah Shore – a singer, TV personality and renowned golfer, born Frances Rose Shore, in 1916, who lived in the Coachella Valley and is credited for having founded, in Palm Springs, the Colgate-Dinah Shore Winner's Circle. The Dinah now coincides with the Kraft Nabisco Championship women’s golf tournament. The first unofficial Dinah Shore Weekend took place in 1986 when women began to flock to Palm Springs in conjunction with the tournament. After-dinner parties following the golfing turned benefits for the Human Rights Campaign and the AIDS Service Foundation. Mariah Hanson is the promoter of the Dinah Shore Weekend party held every April that attracts thousands of women from all over the world to Palm Springs. In 1872, a law called Paragraph 175, banned sexual acts between men and sexual acts on animals, but did not mention women. Lesbians were, technically, legal in Germany. The exception was Austria, later annexed by the Germans, where sexual acts between women had been criminalized since the 19th century. While sexual acts between women were not criminalized under 175, lesbians who still did not confirm to the norms of Hitler’s society were victims of propaganda aimed at unmarried, childless women. They were also deemed ‘asocial’ defamed as prostitutes by the SS and so-called racial hygienists. German law mostly ignored women because the Third Reich considered them of so little importance, they had to conform to societal norms, which meant following their husband’s wishes, bearing children and settling in to their role as housewives and mothers (very similar, if not the same, as today’s women in Islamic countries). The image of the German mother and wife is what likely saved the majority of German lesbians from being arrested and detained in concentration camps: their sexuality was seen as 'fixable' by the Nazis. Researchers have discovered only a few cases of women who were sent to concentration camps because of their sexuality. If you want to learn more about your gay heritage and those who paved the way, through activism, sacrifice, courage and 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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Many people know that Poverello has a Thrift Store and a Food Pantry but did you know that Poverello also has a Health & Wellness Center? It is called the Live Well Center and is located just one block away from the Poverello Thrift Store at 2200 NE 12th Ave, Wilton Manors 33305. Poverello has a 12-year history of providing health and wellness services at the Live Well Center. These services are often referred to as Complementary and Alternative Medicine or CAM. CAM refers to diverse therapeutic practices that are not presently considered a part of standard medical practice in the U.S., where allopathic medicine forms the basis of the national health care system. CAM has repeatedly proven to be beneficial for people with chronic diseases like HIV/AIDS. Examples of CAM services offered at the Live Well Center include: exercise, acupuncture, chiropractic care and massage. Researchers believe that CAM, along with standard medicine and proper nutrition, produce the best health outcomes possible for People Living with HIV/ AIDS (PLWHA). Below are a series of research findings confirming the benefits of CAM. • Roenn Roubenoﬀ M.D., found that physical exercise has positive effects for PLWHA. He documented that regular physical activity results in less cardio-vascular and musculoskeletal problems. He also found HIV

progression is slowed. • Cherkin, D.C., & Eisenberg, D., et.al. found that massage is effective for a variety of illnesses such as high blood pressure and rapid heart rate; they found it enhanced weight gain in those with illness-related low body weight, relieved/reduced certain types of back pain and, reduced anxiety and relieved stress. • RAND researchers found that the chiropractic care is effective for the treatment of depression, osteoarthritis, and chronic liver disease. • Research by Patterson C., & Britten N., found beneﬁts from acupuncture among people with chronic illness. “In addition to changes in their presenting symptoms people experienced whole-person effects that were characterized by changes in strength and energy.” We encourage the HIV-positive community, living in Broward County, to come and access these free and effective, complementary and alternative therapies. While you do not need to be a Poverello Food Pantry client to access Live Well Center services, you do have to go through our standard intake process. We look forward to continuing to play a vital role in the health and wellness of the HIV-positive community in Broward County. Call the Live Well Center at 954-563-1299 for a list of services offered and hours available.

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lifestyle food

Steaking A Claim Rick Karlin Steak! For the carnivore a well prepared one is nirvana, an over-cooked or otherwise poorly prepared one is a sin. In order for a steak to be worthy of worship it must be U.S.D.A. Prime (which leaves out lower level chains, such as Outback or Longhorn as those businesses serve U.S.D.A. Choice, the same quality you’ll get a local market). Prime beef is produced from young, well-fed beef cattle and has abundant marbling (the amount of fat interspersed with lean meat). Most high-end steak restaurants also use aged meat. Choice beef is of high quality, but has less marbling than Prime and tends to come from slightly older animals. While, theoretically, any good chef can cook a steak correctly, steakhouse restaurants are specifically designed to do so. Often a steakhouse kitchen will have a special super high-temp grill to get that initial sear so vital to a well-prepared steak. The cooks will also have more experience cooking steak properly.

Top steakhouse chefs are well compensated, an indication of the emphasis these restaurants place on their inventory. That’s just one of the reasons prices at steak houses are higher. You’ll also pay more because Prime beef is much more expensive than Choice. Finally, steakhouse operators, especially the large corporate chains, have realized that people expect to pay more, so they up the charges on everything. Why else would four asparagus spears be priced at $15? So, are these up-scale chains worth the $100 plus per person you’re going to spend? That depends on a number of factors. How refined is your palate? How much of your budget are you willing to spend for a meal? How much does atmosphere mean to you? These are all factors to consider. While there are a number of independent steak houses in the Fort Lauderdale area, for this column we’re going to focus on the local outlets of the four major steakhouse chains and see what kind of bang you get for your buck.

III Forks 501 Silks Run Suite (The Villages at Gulfstream), Hallandale Beach 954-457-3920 www.3forks.com

The Dallas-based chain has been around for about a decade. It has the dark wood and lush upholstery one would expect. With a large selection of wines by the bottle, the by the glass list is surprisingly sparse. The seafood medley app featured two medium shrimp, a mini crab cake and one seared sea scallop. Not a bad selection (although the smallish size of the shrimp was a disappointment) and all well prepared, but at $19.95, ridiculously over-priced; especially when a large bowl of absolutely perfect lobster bisque goes for half that amount. On a recent visit the Prime bone-in rib eye,

(priced at $50 for the smaller 18 oz. cut) arrived completely unadorned on a room temp plate. While cooked to the ordered medium rare, it lacked seasoning and the hard sear one expects from a top-level steak house. The portion of salmon served to my dining companion was quite small considering the $31 price. Side dishes of bland six-cheese potatoes and overly salty (that’s where all the salt went) fried Brussels sprouts left us unimpressed. The three-course early bird dinner is a better buy at $35. Service is attentive and friendly, but was none too subtle in pushing higher priced menu options.

3 As one of the most established steak houses (founded in Chicago in 1978 by Arnie Morton and Klaus Fritsch) Morton’s is the blueprint for all steakhouse that have followed; the décor is all dark woods, dim lighting and tables covered in white tablecloths. The attentive waiters actually bring out a platter of raw steaks (wrapped in plastic) to explain the cuts. Of course, they lowered it right in front of my vegetarian husband. The shrimp cocktail and lobster cocktail are both good bets for apps.

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Morton's 500 E. Broward Blvd. 954-467-9720 www.mortons.com

The veal chop is my choice, it’s not something you find on every steakhouse menu and Morton’s prepares it beautifully-just the barest hint of pink in the center. The side dishes are not as varied as some places (mostly variations on potatoes) and overpriced at $12 and of course, all the portions are over the top. The dessert list is unimaginative. Morton's also offers “Power Hour” daily in its bar from 5 to 6:30 p.m. and 9 p.m. to closing with $6 apps and cocktail specials, although service in the bar area isn’t very friendly or good.

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2 After undergoing a major renovation about five years ago, Ruth’s still looks warm and clubby; the standard decor for a steakhouse. The chain’s claim to fame is that its steaks are broiled at 1,800°F and served on 500°F plates. I’ve been to quite a few locations and have never had a steak that was anything else than perfect. Start with the Crabtini, a crab cocktail made with large chunks of crabmeat or the crispy shrimp with ginger and jalapeno. My favorite entree is the bone-in rib eye or the porterhouse

for two. As with most other steakhouses everything is a la carte. There’s a daily seafood special and a couple of shrimp dishes for non-meat eaters. Vegetarians could easily make a meal out of the side dishes. The sweet potato casserole is your best bet. For dessert, which I am seldom able to order, the banana cream pie is my husband’s favorite. Its bar, which offers a lower priced bistro menu, is dominated by a big screen TV, which makes it difficult to hold a conversation.

Capital Grille 2430 E. Sunrise Blvd. (in The Galleria) 954-446-2000 www.thecapitalgrille.com

After undergoing a major renovation about five years ago, Ruth’s still looks warm and clubby; the standard decor for a steakhouse. The chain’s claim to fame is that its steaks are broiled at 1,800°F and served on 500°F plates. I’ve been to quite a few locations and have never had a steak that was anything else than perfect. Start with the Crabtini, a crab cocktail made with large chunks of crabmeat or the crispy shrimp with ginger and jalapeno. My favorite entree is the bone-in rib eye or the porterhouse

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Ruth's Chris Steak House 2525 N Federal Hwy Fort Lauderdale 954-565-2338 www.ruthschris.com

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F O R

SFGNITES

T H E

J.W. Arnold

jw@prdconline.com

THU

CABARET

W E E K

O F

3/26

M A R C H

2 6

M A R C H

3 1 ,

2 0 1 4

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

Maestra Sebrina Maria Alfonso leads the South Florida Symphony in masterworks by Faure, Brahms and Beethoven this weekend in Fort Lauderdale and Delray Beach.

The world-renowned entertainer (and a dead ringer for former Rat Pack star Sammy Davis Jr.), Dezhon Fields comes to Village Pub, 2283 Wilton Drive, with his one-man show, “Decades.” He’ll take the audience on a journey through time while performing musical hits from the ‘50s and ‘60s to today. The show starts at 9 p.m. and there’s no cover. Valet parking is $5 and includes a ticket for a complimentary drink. For more information, go to VillagePubWM. com.

FRI

DANCE

3/27

Miami City Ballet offers the world premiere of “Heatscape” by talented young choreographer Justin Peck this weekend at the Kravis Center in West Palm Beach. The program, entitled, “Points of Departure,” also includes George Balanchine’s “Raymonda Variations” and Jerome Robbins’ masterpiece, “The Concert.” The program will be repeated at the Arsht Center in Miami, April 10 – 12, and the Broward Center in Fort Lauderdale, April 17 – 19. For tickets, go to MiamiCityBallet.org.

SAT

FESTIVALS

3/28 SUN

Today is a great day to get outside and here are two options: Head to Pompano for the Mess ‘o Blues, Beer and BBQ at the Amp, the Pompano Beach Amphitheater, from 12 noon to 7 p.m. For more information, go to PompanoBeachArts.org. If you have a green thumb, check out the Plantation Woman’s Club Garden Expo, today and Sunday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Volunteer Park, 12050 W. Sunrise Blvd. Admission and parking are free. For more information, go to GFWCPlantationWomansClub.org.

Credit: Steven Shires Photography

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CONCERT

3/29 MON

CONCERT

The 2014-15 Cleveland Orchestra Miami season closes at the Arsht Center with Carl Orff’s “Carmina Burana,” an iconic cantata about love, lust, the pleasures of drinking, and the heightened moods evoked by springtime, conducted by artistic director Giancarlo Guerrero. If you do not recognize the title, you still know this music through countless quotations in sports commercials and films. Performances are Thursday, Friday and Saturday at 8 p.m. in the Knight Concert Hall. Tickets start at $36 at ArshtCenter.org. soflagaynews //

3/30 TUE

It’s a fantastic weekend for good music! The South Florida Symphony, under the baton of Maestra Sebrina Maria Alfonso, presents “Fate of a Hero,” featuring the music of Faure and Beethoven’s famed Symphony No. 5. Incredible pianist Svetlana Smolina performs the First Piano Concerto of Johannes Brahms. Enjoy the music on Sunday, March 29 at 7:30 p.m. at the Broward Center or tonight at 7:30 p.m. at the Delray Beach Center for the Arts. Tickets start at $25 at SouthFloridaSymphony.org.

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FILM

3/31

Every once in a while you just feel like staying in and watching a good movie. Here’s an interesting pick, “The Dickumentary” from Breaking Glass Pictures, coming out on DVD and video on demand today.” The Dickumentary” reveals everything you've always wanted to know about the penis, but were too afraid to ask from its biological evolution to the ways various cultures have worshipped and circumcised them. The documentary is available on cable, Ti unes, Amazon, Playstation and Xbox.

2014-15 SEASON

CARMINA BURANA MAR 26 – THU at 8PM Knight Masterworks Classical Music Series MAR 27 – F R I at 8PM MAR 28 – SAT at 8PM

The Cleveland Orchestra Giancarlo Guerrero, conductor Nadine Sierra, soprano Anthony Roth Costanzo, countertenor Stephen Powell, baritone Cleveland Orchestra Chorus Robert Porco, director Miami Children’s Chorus Timothy Sharp, director BERNSTEIN Chichester Psalms ORFF Carmina Burana

TICKETS START AT JUST $36 — UNDER 18s FREE 305-949-6722 ARSHTCENTER.ORG/CLEVELAND Presented by the Miami Music Association and the Adrienne Arsht Center

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SATURDAY SPONSOR

GIANCARLO GUERRERO

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a&e music

the

Chorus Teams Up with Symphony for Masterworks, Pops Concerts

South Florida’’SS Premier Nightclub

J.W. Arnold

Submitted photo.

MArcH 28

A Divine Evening with

cHArlES BUScH Acclaimed Actor, Tony Nominated Playwright and Drag Legend

Gordon Roberts conducts the Gay Men’s Chorus of South Florida and Symphony of the Americas in a 2013 performance at the Broward Center.

with TOM JUDSON at The Piano

The Gay Men’s Chorus of South Florida (GMCSF) will team up with the Symphony of the Americas for a four concert musical tour de force at the Sunshine Cathedral and Broward Center. This weekend, the chorus will host the symphony in performances of “Let Music Live!” on Friday and Saturday evenings at 8 p.m. at the Sunshine Cathedral. Then, the chorus will travel to the symphony’s home in the Amaturo Theater at the Broward Center for “Why We Sing,” Tuesday, April 7 at 8:15 p.m. and Sunday, April 12 at 2 p.m. “It really is a lot of fun,” commented GMCSF artistic director Gordon Roberts. “I get to have his orchestra and he gets to conduct my chorus.” Audiences can expect choral masterpieces, including Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s “Gloria in Excelsis” from the Coronation Mass and his well known “Ave Verum.” The program will also include beloved masterworks by Nicolai Rimsky-Korsakov and also pops selections. Symphony artistic director James Brooks-Bruzzese will lead the chorus and orchestra in moving renditions of “Battle Hymn of the Republic” and the jazz standard, “What a Wonderful World.” One of the highlights of the performances is the premiere of the chorus’ first commissioned work, “Music Makes Me Feel Alive,” from Mark Hayes.

April 18

Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame Inductees! America’s Original Dream Girls!

THE

SHirEllES Starring Original & Founding Member

BEVERLY LEE

MAy 15

Award Winning Singer Songwriter from TV’s Ally McBeal with Over 12 million albums sold!

VONDA SHEpArD

Grand Piano courtesy of Baldwin

CoralSpringsCenterForTheArts.com • 954-344-5990 60

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According to Roberts, the members were asked to share the reasons why they enjoy music. “Their reasons were all very different, but at the same time, definite,” Roberts said. “(Hayes) took it all and put it together in one wonderful piece of music.” Hayes will attend the premiere performances at the Sunshine Cathedral this weekend. The chorus regularly collaborates with orchestral musicians, usually ensembles of eight to 10, so the opportunity to sing with a 60-piece symphony is a treat relished by all the singers. This is the second time the chorus and symphony have shared performances on each other’s subscription series. “They love it and, when we did it the last time, to hear us singing with those strings makes the hair stand up on the back of your neck,” he said. Roberts arranges nearly all the pieces the orchestra performs with the chorus. He rarely has the budget to include a string section on the regular concerts and must rely on clarinets and flutes to cover the musical lines normally played by strings. “It’s a lot of work,” he admitted, “but its worth it because the string section makes it easier to sing, doubling what the chorus is singing, laying a groundwork, a lush cushion for the voices.”

Tickets for the Sunshine Cathedral performances have been sold out for months, but tickets are still available starting at $20 each for the Broward Center concerts at BrowardCenter.org and GMCSF.org.

SouthFloridaGayNews

a&e news

Recording Artist, Museum Support Anti-Bullying Efforts J.W. Arnold

Pop recording artist and philanthropist Sir Ivan was in Miami Beach last week to support the anti-bullying programs of Safe Schools South Florida. He was joined by his mother, Naomi Wilzig, owner of the World Erotic Art Museum, who also presented a check for $10,000 to the organization. Sir Ivan, best known for his pop-dance remakes of 1960s and ‘70s hits (“Imagine,” “San Francisco,” “Live for Today”), started his recording career relatively late in life in 2001 at the age of 45 and, following the murders Matthew Shepard and James Byrd, founded The Peaceman Foundation, named for his pseudonym, Peaceman, four years later as a means to combat hatred, violence and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. In conjunction with the release of his latest track, “Kiss All the Bullies Goodbye,” he pledged $100,000 to 10 organizations including The It Gets Better Project, PFLAG, and the Gay, Lesbian & Straight Education Network (GLSEN), in addition to $100,000 already donated to The Trevor Project in 2012. “As the son of a Holocaust survivor, I’ve always been an activist for people who have been persecuted,” explained Sir Ivan. “I was brought up with a heightened awareness of the harm that being perceived as different can cause.” Sir Ivan’s mother is very well known in the Miami-Dade LGBT community and has long been an advocate for equality. In a phone interview, Sir Ivan recalled the demands of the Miami City Council that LGBT art not be included in her new erotic art museum. “She told them to go to hell. That’s just the way she is,” he said proudly. The Wilzigs’ contribution will be used by Safe Schools South Florida to continue training for educators, LGBTQ youth panels to allow students to share their moving stories and fund Gay/Straight Alliance clubs throughout the region, reaching more than 15,000 teachers and 1.5 million students. A documentary, “Not Safe to be Me,” about the organization’s 23 year history and its co-founder, Robert Loupo, will be screened at the Classic Gateway Cinema in

Recording artist Sir Ivan, rear left, and his mother Naomi Wilzig gather with students and leaders of Safe Schools South Florida. Submitted photo.

Fort Lauderdale at 4 p.m. on April 19, and again on April 26 as part of the Miami Gay and Lesbian Film Festival. “Through my music, I want to demonstrate the importance of acceptance and understanding. Young people, especially LGBT youth, often lack a support system and are more likely to be harassed and bullied, and I, for one, will not stand for it. I hope people will unite with me against this injustice. Anti-bullying organizations provide critical support services to LGBT youth to help prevent suicide and empower young people to be proud of who they are, and I’m determined to support them in doing this,” said Sir Ivan. Also present at the presentation was former Marine Mark Frey, chair of the Safe Schools board of directors, who accepted the check and spoke about how the organization helped his gay son, Jonathan. Wilzig will continue to donate the proceeds from the new single to antibullying organizations.

FateMarch of29,a7:30Hero pm Amaturo Theater, Broward Center March 30, 7:30 pm Delray Center for the Arts

To learn more, go to SirIvan.com/Kiss-All-The-Bullies-Goodbye and SafeSchoolsSouthFlorida.org. soflagaynews //

Svetlana Smolina, piano

Brahms: Piano Concerto No. 1 Beethoven: Symphony No. 5 Fauré: Masques et bergamasques Overture

For Tickets: SouthFloridaSymphony.org Or call: 954-522-8445 SouthFloridaGayNews // SFGN.com // 3.25.2015 //

Datebook

Theater Christiana Lilly

Calendar@SFGN.com

broward county * Kawehi March 26 at 8 p.m. at the Broward Center for the Performing Arts, 201 SW Fifth Ave. in Fort Lauderdale. The one-woman band gained notoriety after her cover of “Heart-Shaped Box” went viral. Tickets $19.50. Call 954-462-0222 or visit BrowardCenter.org. The Australian Bee Gees Show March 27 at Parker Playhouse, 707 NE Eighth St. in Fort Lauderdale. The tribute band performs songs from the kings of disco. Tickets $38 to $58. Call 954-4620222 or visit ParkerPlayhouse.com. * Let Music Live! March 27 and 28 at 8 p.m. at Sunshine Cathedral (MCC), 1480 SW Ninth Ave. in Fort Lauderdale. THe Gay Men’s Chorus of South Florida performs works by Mozart, Rimsky-Korsakoff, and other famous composers, as well as a new composition by American composer, Mark Hayes. Tickets $35. Visit GMCSF. org. * A Night with Charles Busch March 28 at 8 p.m. at the Coral Springs Museum of Art, 2855 Coral Springs Drive in Coral Springs. The playwright and drag performer puts on comedic show alongside pianist Tom Judson. Tickets $30 to $50. Call 954-334-5990 or visit CoralSpringsCenterfortheArts.com. * Tabou Combo March 28 at 8 p.m. at the Miramar Cultural Center, 2400 Civic Center Place in Miramar. A high energy performance of salsa and merengue. Tickets $35 to $45. Call 954-602-4500 or visit MiramarCulturalCenter.org. * Lara Fabian March 28 at 8 p.m. at the Hard Rock Live, One Seminole Way in Hollywood. A multilingual singer (try English, French, Italian, German, Greek…), she sold more than 20 million records worldwide. Tickets $79 to $129. Visit SeminoleHardRockHollywood.com * An Evening with Sarah McLachlan March 28 at 8 p.m. at the Broward Center for the Performing Arts, 201 SW Fifth Ave. in Fort Lauderdale. In her annual visit to the Broward Center, McLachlan puts on a breathtaking performance with her moving lyrics and angelic voice. Tickets $45 to $150, also benefit tickets available. Call 954-462-0222 or visit BrowardCenter.org. 62

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* Jason Bishop March 28 at 8 p.m. at the Coral Springs Center for the Arts, 2855 Coral Springs Drive in Coral Springs. The illusionist will have you scratching your head in wonder of how he pulls off his feats. Tickets $26.50 to $37.10. Call 954-344-5990 or visit CoralSpringsCenterfortheArts.com. * Zoso: The Ultimate Led Zeppelin Experience March 28 at Parker Playhouse, 707 NE Eighth St. in Fort Lauderdale. Formed in 1995, Zoso is considered the best Led Zeppelin tribute band with their deadon sounds and looks. Tickets $36.50 to $51.50. Call 954-462-0222 or visit ParkerPlayhouse.com. * Fate of a Hero March 29 at 7:30 p.m. at the Broward Center for the Performing Arts, 201 SW Fifth Ave. in Fort Lauderdale. Russian pianist, Svetlana Smelina, joins the South Florida Symphony to perform Faure, Brahms, and Beethoven. Tickets $35 to $75. Call 954-462-0222 or visit BrowardCenter.org. * Jackie Evancho March 29 at the Broward Center for the Performing Arts, 201 SW Fifth Ave. in Fort Lauderdale. Since her debut on “America’s Got Talent,” the young songstress has wowed audiences all over. Tickets $49.50 and $119.50. Call 954-462-0222 or visit BrowardCenter. org. * Pippin March 31 to April 12 at the Broward Center for the Performing Arts, 201 SW Fifth Ave. in Fort Lauderdale. A young prince goes on the adventure of a lifetime to find his purpose. Tickets $34.75 and up. Call 954-462-0222 or visit BrowardCenter.org.

palm beach county A Far Cry Chamber Orchestra

March 25 at the Kravis Center for the Performing Arts, 701 Okeechobee Blvd. in West Palm Beach. The orchestra is joined by the Fleisher-Jacobson piano duo. Tickets $25. Call 561-832-7469 or visit Kravis.org.

Love, Loss, and What I Wore

March 25 to 29 at the Kravis Center for the Performing Arts, 701 Okeechobee Blvd. in West Palm Beach. Based on stories by Nora and Delia Ephron, tales of how our outfits shift our mood. Tickets $35. Call 561-8327469 or visit Kravis.org.

* Points of Departure

March 27 to 29 at the Kravis Center for the Performing Arts, 701 Okeechobee Blvd. in West Palm Beach. The Miami City Ballet takes a different direction with new, joyous pieces. Tickets $20 to $175. Call 561-832-7469 or visit Kravis.org. soflagaynews //

* Nickelback

March 28 at 7 p.m. at the Cruzan Amphitheatre, 601-7 Sansburys Way in West Palm Beach. Hailing from Canada, the rock band has been producing hits for over a decade since “You Remind Me.” Tickets $37 to $946. Call 561-795-8883 or visit CruzanAmphitheatre.net.

* Wizard of Oz Sing-A-Long

March 28 at 7 p.m. at the Lake Worth Playhouse, 713 Lake Ave. in Lake Worth. You know all the words, why not join in? As the cast takes the stage to act out Dorothy’s journey on the Yellow Brick Road to get back to Kansas, the audience is invited to sing along. Tickets $12. Call 561-586-6410 or visit LakeWorthPlayhouse.org

* They’re Playing Our Song

March 28 to April 12 at the Delray Beach Playhouse, 950 NW Ninth St. in Delray Beach. Inspired by the relationship between Marvin Hamlish and Carole Bayer Sager, young Sonia and Vernon are aspiring songwriters living in New York, working to make it to the top. Tickets $30. Call 561-272-1281, ext. 4 or visit DelrayBeachPlayhouse.com.

* Golden Dragon Acrobats

March 29 at 6 p.m. at the Kravis Center for the Performing Arts, 701 Okeechobee Blvd. in West Palm Beach. Cirque Ziva mixes ancient Chinese performance art with new technology. Tickets $20. Call 561-832-7469 or visit Kravis.org.

Uncertain Terms

Through March 29 at Arts Garage, 180 NE First St. in Delray Beach. When Dani divorces her husband, Harry, he winds up moving in with her mother. When she passes away, she has an ex sitting on a house she can’t seem to get rid of. Tickets $30 to $45. Call 561-4506357 or visit ArtsGarage.org.

comes to Miami for a special set of shows. Tickets $36 to $170. Call 305949-6722 or visit ArshtCenter.org. * John Daversa with the Concert Jazz Band March 27 at 8:30 p.m. at the South MiamiDade Cultural Arts Center, 10950 SW 211st St. in Cutler Bay. Students from the University of Miami’s award-winning jazz band perform alongside Daversa. Tickets $25 in advance, $30 day of show. Call 786-573-5300 or visit SMDAC.org. * Ariana Grande March 28 at 7:30 p.m. at the AmericanAirlines Arena, 601 Biscayne Blvd. in Miami. The former Disney Channel actress has made a name for herself as a singer; she will share the stage with Rixton and Cashmere Cat. Tickets $26.50 to $66.50. Call 786-7771000 or visit AAArena.com. * Cabaret Follies March 28 at 7:30 and 9:30 p.m. at the South Miami-Dade Cultural Arts Center, 10950 SW 211st St. in Cutler Bay. A night of can-can dancers, laughs, and burlesque. Tickets $30 to $37.50. Call 786-573-5300 or visit SMDAC.org. * Vanessa Hollingshead: Because I am a Lady March 28 at 8 p.m. at the Aventura Arts & Cultural Center, 3385 NE 188th St. in Aventura. The singer and comedienne is perhaps the best in observational humor. Tickets $34.50 and $39.50. Call 800-745-3000 or visit AventuraCenter. org. Winter Music Conference Through March 28 at the Deauville Beach Resort, 6701 Collins Ave. in Miami Beach. The electronic music lover’s dream, four days of parties, seminars, contests, vendors, and exhibits. Visit WinterMusicConference.com. * New Jerusalem

miami-dade county March 28 to April 26 at GableStage at the * First Date March 26 at 6:30 p.m. at the Actor’s Playhouse, 280 Miracle Mile in Coral Gables. Prior to the performance of the Broadway musical at 8 p.m., a special LGBT pre-show special from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m.Tickets $35, includes one free drink. Use promotion code “LGBT.” Call 305444-9293, ext. 1 or visit ActorsPlayhouse. org. An Intimate Evening With Dudu Fisher Through March 26 at the Aventura Arts & Cultural Center, 3385 NE 188th St in Aventura. The Israeli performer is best known for his role as Jean Valjean in “Les Miserables.” Tickets $50 to $100. Call 305-466-8002 or visit AventuraCenter. org. The Cleveland Orchestra March 26 to 28 at the Arsht Center, 1300 Biscayne Blvd. in Miami. The orchestra

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Biltmore Hotel, 1200 Anastasia Ave. in Coral Gables. It’s Amsterdam in 1656, and when a young philosopher is accused of atheism, he is shuttled into a synagogue amongst elders to defend himself. Call 305-445-1119 or visit GableStage.org. * Earl Turner’s Box of 45’s March 29 at 2 p.m. at the Aventura Arts & Cultural Center, 3385 NE 188th St. in Aventura. Since 13, the performer has wowed audiences with his music, dance moves, and vocals. Tickets $40 and $45. Call 800-745-3000 or visit AventuraCenter.org. * BT Electronic Opus March 29 at 8 p.m. at the Arsht Center, 1300 Biscayne Blvd. in Miami. Electronics turn musical with the work by Brian Transeau, aka BT. Tickets $45.52 to $383.47. Call 305-949-6722 or visit ArshtCenter.org. * Denotes New Listing

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With Special Guest Dina Martina

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Datebook

Community Christiana Lilly Calendar@SFGN.com

broward county Stonewall Author Presentation: “Forbidden Child” by James Aiello

March 26 at 7 p.m. at the Stonewall Museum - Wilton Manors Gallery, 2157 Wilton Drive in Wilton Manors. Aiello will read excerpts from his book about the illegitimate daughter of JFK and Marilyn Monroe. Free. Call 954763-8565 or visit Stonewall-Museum.org.

* No More Tears Fundraiser

March 27 from 7 to 10 p.m. at Palace Indian Restaurant, 11422 State Road 84 in Davie. A Bollywood themed fundraiser for local domestic violence and human trafficking nonprofit, No More Tears. Donation $25 for entry. Visit NMTProject.org.

Icon: Women Who Changed the World

Through March 27 at the Pride Center, 2040 N. Dixie Highway in Wilton Manors. An art exhibition of local artists celebrating women, including Kelcie McQuaid, Chris Strait, Wendy WIllis, Caren Ragan and others. Gallery reception is March 27 from 6 to 10 p.m. Free. Call 954-463-9005 or visit PrideCenterFlorida.org.

* Eggstravaganza Egg Hunt

March 28 from 10 a.m. to noon at St. Clement Church, 2975 N. Andrews Ave. in Wilton Manors. Newborns to 13 year old children are invited to hunt for thousands of colorful eggs filled with goodies, followed by a family event with bounce houses, arts and crafts, pony rides, live entertainment, photos with the bunny, and face painting. Free. Call 954390-2130.

* From Sanford to Ferguson: #AllLivesMatter March 31 at 7 p.m. at the Pride Center, 2040 N. Dixie Highway in Wilton Manors. A conversation about racial injustice in the LGBT community. Free. Call SF MakalaniMaHee at 954-463-9005, ext. 205 or email smakalani-mahee@pridecenterflorida.org.

* art = antidote to hate

Through April 10 at ArtServe, 1350 E. Sunrise Blvd. in Fort Lauderdale. A multimedia exhibition of work tackles themes of gender bias, bullying, political persecution, abuse, and racial and religious discrimination. Free. Call 954-462-8190, email information@ artserve.org, or visit ArtServe.org.

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“As Seen on TV: An Exploration of LGBT Characters: 1954-1979”

Exhibit Opening Through April 26 at Stonewall Museum – Wilton Manors Gallery, 2157 Wilton Drive in Wilton Manors. The exhibit explores gay characters in American network drama and comedy programs. Free. Call 954-763-8565 or visit Stonewall-Museum.org.

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.

GLBX Business Advantage Referral Group

First and third Wednesdays from 8 t 9 a.m. at the Greater Fort Lauderdale Chamber of Commerce, 512 NE Third Ave. in Fort Lauderdale. Call 954-462-6000, extension 8775

The Art of Pop & Comics

Through May 23 at the Coral Springs Museum of Art, 2855 Coral Springs Drive in Coral Springs. An exhibition of works by more than 30 artists known for their contributions to comics such as “Superman,” “Batman,” “The Transformers,” as well as pop art. Artistrepcetion is March 5 at 8 p.m. Admission $6. Call 954-340-5000 or visit CoralSpringsMuseum.org.

BRAIN: The World Inside Your Head

Through May 3 at the Museum of Discovery and Science, 401 SW Second St. in Fort Lauderdale. Learn more about our mysterious brain, from how it works to disorders, with special effects displays. Entry $19 adults. Call 954-467-6637 or visit MODS.org.

Kahlo, Rivera & Mexican Modern Art

Lauderdale. Mexican artists Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera created a new genre of Mexican artwork that is still influential today. Call 954-525-5500 or visit NSUArtMuseum.org.

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 * Erotica 2015

March 25 from 6 to 10 p.m. at Rolando Chang Barrero Fine Art Gallery, 711 Lucerne Ave. in Lake Worth. A collection of photography, paintings and sculptures by Joanne Urban, Ali Miranda, Allison Kotzig, and Orlando Chiang.

* PrideFest of the Palm Beaches

March 28 and 29 in downtown Lake Worth. A celebration of pride at this annual, twoday festival. Tickets $8 presale or $10 at the gate. Visit CompassGLCC.com.

* Cesar Millan Live!

April 1 at the Kravis Center for the Performing Arts, 701 Okeechobee Blvd. in West Palm Beach. The canine guru talks about training techniques and some of his secrets when dealing with difficult dogs. Please leave pets at home. Tickets $25 to $100. Call 561-8327469 or visit Kravis.org.

* “Girls School: A Disregard of a Gender”

March 26 from 6 to 10 p.m. at ActivistArtistA Gallery, 422 W. Industrial Ave. in Boynton Beach. A multimedia art presentation of gender politics. Free. Call 786-521-1199, email ActivistArtistA@gmail.com, or visit tiny.cc/girlsschool.

* Tournees French Film Festival

Through April 6 at FAU’s Performing Arts building, room 101, 777 Glades Road in Boca Raton. Indulge in a month of French films (with English subtitles) such as “Bastards,” “Berlin 1885: The Division of Africa,” “The Grand Illusion,” and others. FAU faculty will lead discussions after the showing. Contact Roderick Cooke at 561-297-0341 or cooker@ fau.edu.

Afterlife: Tombs and Treasures of Ancient Egypt

Through April 18 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 SFScienceCenter.org.

Through May 31 at the NSU Art Museum Fort Lauderdale, One E. Las Olas in Fort soflagaynews //

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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

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.

miami-dade county Miami Music Week

March 25 to 29 at Hyde Beach at SLS South Beach, 1701 Collins Ave. in Miami Beach. An awesome line up of music, including Luciano, Alesso, NERVO, R3HAB, Gareth Emery, and more. Tickets $45 and up. Visit HydeBeach. com/MiamiMusicWeek.

* Japanese Spring Festival Kimono Fashion Show

March 22 at 1 p.m. at Miami Beach Botanical Gardens, 2000 Convention Center Drive in Miami Beach. Beautiful kimonos by Hiromi Asai will be showed off on the runway. Her looks have been featured in Vogue, Verizon Wireless ads, and Nicki Minaj. The rest of the festival includes Taiko drumming, sushi, sake tastings, children’s activities, and more. Visit MBGarden.org.

* Funkshion

March 22 to 26 at the Funkshion Style Village, between 11th and 12 Streets on Ocean Drive in Miami Beach. It’s all about fashion at this annual gathering of designers, as well as pop up lounges and stores with only the trendiest of looks. Visit Funkshion.com

* Miami Music Week

* “Dale Carnegie Training on Breakthrough Leadership” Networking Breakfast

March 26 from 9:30 to 11 a.m. at Soyka Restaurant, 5556 NE Fourth Court in Miami. Business leaders can learn leadership trends, how values drive behavior, and how to gain cooperation and influence. Tickets $35 members, $45 others. RSVP to GayBizMiami. com or 305-673-4440.

* Miss Miami Beach Gay Pride

April 1 at 10 p.m. at Score Nightclub, 1437 Washington Ave. in Miami Beach. A pageant with presentation, swimwear, evening gown, and talent. The winner will ride in this year’s Miami Beach Gay Pride Parade, as well as be showered with other prizes. Tickets $15 to $180. Contact Peter Morales at 786- 368-8374 or moralpt@gmail.com.

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MASSAGE BY DENNIS $50/90 MIN (DELRAY BEACH) I give a fantastic Swedish massage for $50/90 min, out calls higher. 20 years experience, all clients are welcome including seniors, as human beings we all need to be touched in a therapeutic, loving, and nurturing way. I do body work without the attitude. Please call me at 561-502-2628.

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

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moving LOCAL AND LONG DISTANCE Icon Moving, your local licensed and insured moving company!Here to help with your moving needs,www.iconmoving. com for a free estimate! Can also do overseas 561-338-3157 $50 off when you mention ad!

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painting GREGG'S PAINTING - Interior/exterior,great rates, friendliness, reliability, neatness. No job too small. Call Gregg at 617-306-5694 or 954-870-5972

plumber AAA BLOUNT PLUMBING Kitchen & Bathroom remodeling, sewers, plugged drains, new construction and underground leaks. Over 30 years of experience. 24 HR Service. Call Dan 954-980-7499 Lic# CFCO22525

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

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