4/29/15 V6i17 by South Florida Gay News

Page 14 Page 18 Page 36 Page 44

Supreme Court Hears Gay Marriage Judy Shepard at Hard Rock Dinner Dining Deals in the Manors Out in the Tropics

local name, global coverage

April 29, 2015 // vol. 6 // issue 17

cheap & impu sive NO SENIOR DISCOUNTS AVAILABLE PAGES 12-13, 28 SOUTHFLORIDAGAYNEWS

SOFLAGAYNEWS SFGN.COM SouthFloridaGayNews // SFGN.com // 4 .29.2015 // 1

soflagaynews //

SFGN WINNER of 5 SPJ AWARDS Florida Pro 2014 & 2 FLORIDA PRESS CLUB Awards

TOP

STORIES, CHOSEN BY

SFGN.COM

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

international

France’s Gay Vatican Appointment Stalls A stalemate has set in between the Vatican and the French government over placement of an openly gay man to an ambassadorship at the Holy See. In January, France nominated Laurent Stefanini, a gay man who has worked for years in the French embassy at the Vatican. However, Stefanini’s nomination has yet to be accepted. Stefanini met with Pope Francis on April 17 and it was

themirrormag.co

HUNGARY FACES A HISTORIC STRUGGLE

SEX POSITIVE CULTURE CHALLENGES ETHICS

‘FIRST COMES LOVE’ PHOTO FEATURE

Bruce Jenner. Credit: jla0379.

reported by multiple news agencies the two men prayed together. Stefanini’s nomination is sure to test Church doctrine under the new Pope. According to the Italian daily news portal, “Vatican Insider,” Stefanini’s nomination, while still unconfirmed, has not been asked to step down by Archbishop Luigi Ventura, apostolic nuncio to France.

ON STANDS NOW!

Check out

national

Log Cabin Republicans Applaud Jenner Bruce Jenner’s televised interview with ABC News reporter Diane Sawyer grabbed mega headlines and media attention all through the weekend, but along with Jenner’s disclosure as a transgender woman, the former Olympic gold medalist made the surprising admission of being a Republican. Jenner told Sawyer he has never been a “big fan” of U.S. President Barack Obama and

is “kind of more on the conservative side.” The Log Cabin Republicans, America’s only national LGBT Republican organization, issued a press release supporting Jenner, stating the 65-year-old displayed “tremendous courage” for being “true to himself both in terms of his personal identity as well as his political identity.”

local/state

MEMBER

The Mirror

Winter 2015

filed in the 2015 House session, including a “conscience clause” protection bill which would allow private adoption agencies to deny services to gay couples based on religious E M B E R oppose this or moral grounds. “I Mclearly dangerous bill,” Florida Senator Eleanor Sobel (D-Hollywood) wrote in an op-ed in Sunday’s Sun-Sentinel.

Winter Arts Guide Edition GUIdE bEGINS ON PAGE 21

MEMBER

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

PHONE: 954-530-4970 FAX: 954-530-7943

PUBLISHER • NORM KENT NORM.KENT@SFGN.COM

CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER • PIER ANGELO GUIDUGLI

ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER / EXECUTIVE EDITOR • JASON PARSLEY JASON.PARSLEY@SFGN.COM

Editorial

ART DIRECTOR • BRENDON LIES ARTWORK@SFGN.COM DESIGNER • MARTIN GOULD FOCALIZENOW@GMAIL.COM ONLINE PRODUCER • DENNIS JOZEFOWICZ DENNIS.JOZEFOWICZ@SFGN.COM SOCIAL MEDIA DIRECTOR • SERGIO CANDIDO SERGIO.CANDIDO@SFGN.COM EDITORIAL ASSISTANT • JILLIAN MELERO JILLIANMELERO@GMAIL.COM ARTS/ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR • JW ARNOLD JW@PRDCONLINE.COM NEWS EDITOR • JOHN MCDONALD JOHN.MCDONALD@SFGN.COM

Senior Features Correspondents

JESSE MONTEAGUDO • TONY ADAMS

Correspondents

The Florida House of Representatives abruptly ended its legislative session on Tuesday afternoon due to an impasse with the Florida Senate regarding Medicaid expansion. Three days before the House was to finalize Florida’s budget, speaker Steve Crisafulli ended the 2015 session much to the surprise of Capitol observers. More than 870 bills were

WINTER 2015 • Vol. 3 Issue

APRIL 29, 2015 • VOLUME 6 • ISSUE 17

2520 N. DIXIE HIGHWAY • WILTON MANORS, FL 33305

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

Florida House Abruptly Ends Session

SouthFloridaGayNews.com

Associated Press

Contributing Columnists

BRIAN MCNAUGHT • DANA RUDOLPH • WAYNE BESEN RIC REILY • STEVE SILER • BIL BROWNING TERRI SCHLICHENMEYER

Staff Photographers

J.R. DAVIS • POMPANO BILL • STEVEN SHIRES

Sales & Marketing

DIRECTOR OF SALES & MARKETING • MIKE TROTTIER MIKE.TROTTIER@SFGN.COM SALES MANAGER • JUSTIN WYSE JUSTIN.WYSE@SFGN.COM ADVERTISING SALES ASSOCIATE • EDWIN NEIMANN EDWIN.NEIMANN@SFGN.COM ADVERTISING SALES ASSOCIATE • CINDY CURTIS CINDY.CURTIS@SFGN.COM SALES ASSISTANT • DEVON WOODS DEVON.WOODS@SFGN.COM DISTRIBUTION SERVICES • BRIAN SWINFORD NATIONAL ADVERTISING RIVENDELL MEDIA 212-242-6863 SALES@RIVENDELLMEDIA.COM ACCOUNTING SERVICES BY CG BOOKKEEPING

Cover: Impulse causes controversy over alleged age discrimination.

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.

// 4.29.2015 // SFGN.com //

soflagaynews //

SouthFloridaGayNews

MEMBER

news highlight

Catholic Church Challenges DC Human Rights Act John McDonald

As the U.S. Supreme Court hears opening arguments in the case for marriage equality, the Catholic Church is challenging a human rights bill in the District of Columbia. Cardinal Donald Wuerl of the Archdiocese of Washington and Catholic University of America president John Garvey stepped up opposition to the Human Rights Amendment Act, a piece of legislation that would repeal exemptions for religious institutions from the city’s gay nondiscrimination law. The men, in an op-ed in the Washington Post, maintain human sexuality is not the same as discrimination. “The law goes too far when it demands that the Church abandon its beliefs in the pursuit of an entirely novel state of equality,” Wuerl and Garvey write. According to Zoey Di Mauro, a writer for the Catholic Standard Magazine, the Human Rights Amendment Act “would penalize Catholic and other religiously affiliated schools in the District of Columbia for not providing recognition, funding and facilities to groups that counter Church teaching on

issues like marriage and human sexuality.” The law, Di Mauro writes, would “make it illegal for a Catholic school in the District not to recognize a gay and lesbian student group.” The Archdiocese of Washington, home to 620,000 Catholics, 139 parishes and 95 Catholic schools, states it is grateful for disapproval bills that have been lodged against the HRAA. Wuerl was elevated to the College of Cardinals in 2010 by Pope Benedict XVI. He participated in the March 2013 conclave that elected Pope Francis.

Testosterone Replacement Therapy

Tired of Feeling Sluggish? Low Sex Drive? Weight Gain? These are all signs of hormonal imbalance

We can dramatically improve the negative symptoms associated with aging in men and women. Bio Identical Hormone Replacement Therapy • Vitamin & Amino Acids Therapy

For Free Consultation Call (954) 451-3566 2227 E. Oakland Park Blvd. #105 Fort Lauderdale, FL 33306 soflagaynews //

SouthFloridaGayNews // SFGN.com // 4 .29.2015 //

News Briefs

Rep. David Cicilline.

Congressman Introduces Resolution to Protect LGBT People (AP) A congressman from Rhode Island is banding with other lawmakers to introduce a resolution seeking to protect lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people from discrimination under the law as religious objection bills in other states have prompted protests. Rep. David Cicilline, one of the few openly gay members of Congress, said the resolution is a call for comprehensive federal legislation that would prohibit discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity. Crafted by Cicilline and four other Democratic members of Congress, two of whom are also openly gay, the resolution is a declaration that Congress is committed to ending discrimination, Cicilline said. “Most Americans don’t realize the enormous hole in our non-discrimination laws that LGBT people are falling through,” said Janson Wu, executive director for Gay & Lesbian Advocates & Defenders, which provides testimony

Ted Cruz. Senate TV.

2016 Hopefuls Talk Social Issues in Iowa GOP

Republican presidential hopefuls emphasized their staunch opposition to gay marriage and abortion rights Saturday before a crowd of social conservatives who hold significant sway in the state's leadoff presidential caucuses. Nine declared and prospective 2016 candidates appeared in a church in Waukee for a forum sponsored by the conservative Iowa Faith and Freedom Coalition and attended by more than 1,000 people. The forum gave candidates an opportunity to show off their conservative bona fides, with speeches on religious freedom and social issues that repeatedly brought the crowd to its feet. Texas Sen. Ted Cruz noted that the Supreme Court will hear oral arguments in four states' same-sex marriage cases on Tuesday and said that between now and then, conservatives must "fall to our knees and pray." "We need leaders who will stand unapologetically in defense of marriage and life," Cruz said in remarks that drew huge applause. On abortion, Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul encouraged conservatives to be more aggressive in their opposition, saying: "I'm tired of us retreating on this issue and I'm going to push back." He also argued that most Americans were uncomfortable with late-term procedures. The gathering offered a platform for Republican contenders to cater to social conservatives with a message that did not always address the full range of their views on social issues. Both Florida Sen. Marco Rubio and Paul, for example, have stopped short of calling for a federal ban on same-sex marriage sought by some religious conservatives.

// 4.29.2015 // SFGN.com //

and feedback to strengthen bills related to LGBT issues. Cicilline said he plans to introduce a comprehensive antidiscrimination bill later this spring that would address the gaps in current law. The resolution is a first step, he said, and it currently has over 100 sponsors, though a Republicancontrolled Congress could prevent the proposed bill from becoming legislation. Nevertheless, Wu said he and other gay-rights advocates are looking to Congress to act. “With the overwhelming majority of Americans opposing discrimination against LGBT people, what is their excuse?” Wu said. Cicilline said the legislation is inevitable; the only question is how long it will take. “I don’t think there’s any question we’ll be a country where discrimination is prohibited,” he said.

The senators have said that question should be left to the states. Many candidates spoke about their personal faith beliefs. Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal spoke about his conversion to Christianity and said he would seek to protect religious freedom. Also on the program were former Texas Gov. Rick Perry, Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker, former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum and businesswoman Carly Fiorina.

Photo: Facebook.

Grad Gives $1m to Journalism UMSchool for LGBT Education

A University of Missouri graduate has donated $1 million to the journalism school for research and education about LGBT issues. The pledge comes from Timothy Blair, who wants the money to go toward better understanding how news coverage can reinforce or break down stereotypes about people who are lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender, the Columbia Daily Tribune reported Saturday. "It became apparent that the passion I have about LGBT rights, and being a gay man myself . I wanted to put my money where my mouth is," said Blair, who is a graduate of MU's journalism school. At an announcement Friday, Blair recalled the silence surrounding HIV and AIDs in the 1980s, even as people cared for their children, friends and neighbors. "When you think about what journalists did, when everybody else wasn't talking about it, journalists were taking pictures of it," he said. "They were giving names to those faces, and that's where I think we began to see people living among us who had long lived in the shadows." The endowment will be available to faculty and students

soflagaynews //

SouthFloridaGayNews

interested in media coverage of LGBT issues as well as for curriculum content on LGBT topics, MU School of Journalism Dean Dean Mills said. Blair is a native of Joplin who started his career in journalism at age 15, working as a copy boy at The Joplin Globe. He graduated from MU in 1973 and earned a master's degree from Washington University in St. Louis before working in marketing and public relations for several St. Louis companies, the newspaper reported. He founded BlairPR Inc. in Los Angeles in 1993. MU Chancellor R. Bowen Loftin said in a news release that Blair's donation will help advance MU's journalism school. "It is of the utmost importance that our journalists be wellinformed on a wide range of topics so that they can more accurately report on all important social issues," Loftin said.

Des Moines Catholic School West Allows Gay-Straight Club

(AP) A West Des Moines Catholic high school has approved a request by students to form a school-based gay-straight alliance called “One Human Family.” The Des Moines Register reports that Dowling Catholic High School gave the approval for the club on Friday. The approval came just weeks after school officials drew criticism for opting to not hire a substitute teacher full time after learning he was gay. Dowling President Jerry Deegan sent a letter to parents on Friday saying the club will support students who may identify or have questions about same-sex attraction.

Dowling Catholic High School. Facebook.

Celebrate the differences that make us stronger You deserve every opportunity to be your full self. In body and mind. Visit www.AetnaLGBT.com to learn more.

Be proud. Be well. ÂŠ2015 Aetna Inc. Plans are offered by Aetna Life Insurance Company and its affiliates (Aetna). 2015051

CS05345.indd 2

soflagaynews //

3/2/15 2:30 PM SouthFloridaGayNews // SFGN.com // 4 .29.2015 // 5

News Briefs Continued

Zoey Tur. Photo by Wikia User Zoeytur.

Trans Activist Zoey Tur to Bruce Jenner: Be Honest, Stop Hyping The overwhelming response to Bruce Jenner's announcement on Friday on her transitioning process has been positive, but Zoey Tur, the outspoken transsexual activist, is less than thrilled with the Olympic championturned-reality television star. In the Washington Post on Friday Tur, a two-time Emmy Award winning broadcast journalist and special correspondent for Inside Edition, wrote an op-ed entitled "Trans people need an icon. But Bruce Jenner is the worst possible choice." Citing shows like "Orange Is The New Black" and "Transparent," Tur says that "the transgender community is finally having its moment" in mainstream culture." But that "positive trajectory could be derailed" if Jenner is turned into the spokesperson for the movement. The reason? That Kardashian connection. "Just as the transgender experience is beginning to be normalized in American culture, it will be swept up with the ultimate symbol of abnormality and dysfunction: the

ay Hotelier Claims Naivete of Ted Cruzâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Anti-LGBT Record

(EDGE) Gay hotelier Ian Reisner would like you to believe that he's just recently learned of Senator Ted Cruz's anti-gay record. Prompted by threats of boycotts, a deluge of criticism on social media and the very public canceling of two events by major LGBT-focused charities at one of his venues, hotelier Ian Reisner issued an apology via Facebook Sunday for hosting a "fireside chat" with notoriously anti-gay Senator Ted Cruz (RTX) last week at the Manhattan penthouse he shares with his longtime partner Mati Weiderpass. In addition to co-ownership of the Out Hotel in New York City, Reisner recently acquired close to 80 percent of the commercial property in the upscale gay resort mecca Fire Island Pines. "I am shaken to my bones by the e-mails, texts, postings and phone calls of the past few days. I made a terrible mistake. I was ignorant, naive and much too quick in accepting a request to co-host a dinner with Cruz at my home without taking the time to completely understand all of his positions on gay rights," Reisner claimed in his post. "I've spent the past 24 hours reviewing videos of Cruz' statements on gay marriage and I am shocked and angry. I sincerely apologize for hurting the gay community and so many of our friends, family, allies, customers and employees. I will try my best to make up for my poor judgement. Again, I am deeply sorry." Following the party for Cruz at Reisner and Weiderpass' apartment Monday, the Senator filed two pieces of legislation with Congress aimed to curtail the advancement of marriage rights.

Entrepreneur Ian Reisner.

// 4.29.2015 // SFGN.com //

Kardashian family. If what the transgender movement seeks is acceptance; association with the Kardashian circus is the last thing it needs. While television can help normalize the lives of marginalized people, it also can exploit their hardships and reinforce stereotypes, reducing their lives to mere entertainment." While acknowledging Jenner's struggle, Tur concludes: "But in being a public spokeswoman for the transgender community, Jenner is imperfect. So far, Jenner's transition has served only to strengthen existing stereotypes of the trans community. Everything about the Kardashian family's public image centers around shock and dysfunction -- the very image the trans people are trying to shed. To be a true idol for the transgender movement, Jenner will need to break with her reality-TV image and acknowledge the struggles of all transgender people. She needs to put the interests of the community above the interests of the Kardashian brand. Jenner is, after all, a champion -- and a champion is exactly what the movement needs."

The self-abasing tone and claims of naivety over Cruz's anti-gay record in Reisner's post was in stark contrast with a statement he released Friday where he lauded himself for his past record. Yet in spite of his self-purported record of service to the LGBT community, two major charities cancelled fundraisers scheduled to take place at the Out Hotel owned by Reisner and Weiderpass. In step with Viola, the New York City Gay Men's Chorus also issued a statement announcing the cancellation of their upcoming event. "NYCGMC has a 35-year history of campaigning for human rights through our music. Our mission must always come first," the statement reads.

Court Considers Supreme Sex Marriage This Week

Same

(AP) -- This is an important week in the battle over same-sex marriage as the Supreme Court prepares to hear arguments Tuesday in highly anticipated cases about the right of same-sex couples to marry. The cases before the court come from Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio and Tennessee, which all had their marriage bans upheld by a federal appeals court in Cincinnati. The justices are being asked to decide whether states have a right to define marriage as the union of a man and a woman, and if so, whether they must recognize same-sex marriages from other places. Just two years ago, the court struck down part of the federal anti-gay marriage law that denied a range of government benefits to legally married same-sex couples. The decision did not address the validity of state marriage bans. But courts across the country, with few exceptions, said the ruling's logic compelled them to invalidate state laws that prohibited gay and lesbian couples from marrying. The number of states allowing same-sex marriage has grown rapidly. As recently as October, just over one-third of the states permitted same-sex marriage. Now, same-sex couples can marry in 36 states and the District of Columbia.

soflagaynews //

SouthFloridaGayNews

Chief Justice John Roberts.

ohn Robertsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Big Moment: Will He Anger Conservatives Again?

(CNN) Chief Justice John Roberts is back in the spotlight. Roberts -- who shocked conservatives nearly three years ago by providing a pivotal vote to uphold Obamacare -- once again faces a judicial crossroads in a historic case. The U.S. Supreme Court will hear oral arguments Tuesday in a case that could decide whether gay and lesbian couples nationwide have the constitutional right to marry. The question at the core of Obergefell v. Hodges is one of the most consequential debates of the early 21st century, and one that is already helping to shape the 2016 presidential race. Appeals courts nationwide have moved decisively toward supporting same-sex marriage, but a split at the appellate level helped propel the issue to the nation's highest court, led by Roberts. Appointed to the bench by President George W. Bush, Roberts has a solid conservative record and would seem an unlikely vote to support a constitutional right to same-sex marriage. He dissented in United States v. Windsor, a landmark case in which a narrowly divided court struck down a key provision of the Defense of Marriage Act, which denied federal benefits to lawfully married same-sex couples. And he's expressed sympathy with legal arguments that would allow same-sex marriage bans.

news briefs

Continued

Franklin Graham Freaks Over Gay X-Men (EDGE) Marvel's Iceman from the X-Men comics came out as gay this week. What's a homo-hating Putin-loving son of a preacher man to do? Rant on Facebook, of course. After getting over the shock that the abs and pec gifted fictional cartoon was gay, Franklin Graham, son of evangelist Billy Graham took to Facebook Wednesday to voice his outrage. He posted: Today the Marvel comic character Ice Man, from the "X-Men" series, is coming out as gay. This is another attempt to indoctrinate our young people to accept this destructive lifestyle. God's Word says homosexuality is a sin, and we are to be on guard against all sin. God calls us to repent, turn from our sins, and put our trust in His Son Jesus Christ who died and

rose again to pay the penalty for sin. As Right Wing Watch pointed out, in 2014 Graham praised Russian despot Vladimir Putin for cracking down on "gay propaganda." "Isn't it sad, though, that America's own morality has fallen so far that on this issue-protecting children from any homosexual agenda or propaganda-Russia's standard is higher than our own? In my opinion, Putin is right on these issues," Graham wrote. "Obviously, he may be wrong about many things, but he has taken a stand to protect his nation's children from the damaging effects of any gay and lesbian agenda."

lorida Appeals Court Backs Divorce for Same-Sex Couple

(AP) Rejecting arguments by Attorney General Pam Bondi's office, an appeals court Friday ruled that a same-sex couple married in Massachusetts can get a divorce in Florida. The ruling by the 2nd District Court of Appeal involves Danielle Brandon-Thomas and Krista Brandon-Thomas, who were married in 2012 and subsequently moved to Florida. Danielle Brandon-Thomas filed for a divorce in October 2013, with her spouse opposing the petition. A Lee County circuit judge dismissed the petition, pointing to a state law known as the "Defense of Marriage Act," which says same-sex marriages will not be recognized in Florida. During the appeal, the attorney general's office and Krista Brandon-Thomas cited the Defense of Marriage Act and a voter-approved state constitutional amendment that defined marriage as being between "one man and one woman." But a three-judge panel of the appeals court cited the U.S. Constitution and said Bondi's office and Krista BrandonThomas had not "suggested what legitimate government interest would be served by precluding a Florida court from

exercising jurisdiction" over the divorce proceeding. "The practical impact of the trial court's order is that a validly married couple, albeit of the same sex, cannot access a Florida court to undo their marriage,'' said the ruling by Chief Judge Craig Villanti and joined by judges Darryl Casanueva and Edward LaRose. "The couple's financial affairs remain intertwined, and their joint assets, if any, are not easily transferred. The trial court's order impedes the flow of assets and capital. Particularly significant, the welfare and stability of a child parented by this couple remains in limbo. The fact that a child is involved implicates Florida's strong public policy to protect children by determining custody matters in accordance with the best interests of the child. Our decision today protects the parties' rights of access to the court for dissolution of their marriage and an opportunity to be heard regarding their claimed rights to their assets and the child." The case will go back to circuit court for consideration of the divorce petition.

(AP) Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey has overruled a legal opinion from the attorney general’s office and instructed the state’s child welfare agency to allow all legally married couples, including same-sex couples, to jointly be adoptive and foster parents. The move by the Republican governor reverses the Department of Child Safety’s decision in February to stop giving same-sex couples licenses to be foster parents and adopt those children. The department had been allowing same-sex couples to be foster parents and adopt children previously in state care since shortly after a federal judge overturned the state’s ban on gay marriage in October. “We’ve been clear and we’ve been consistent — we want to be pro-adoption,” Ducey said Thursday. “There’s 17,000 kids that are in the care of the state. I want to see them in loving homes under the legal structure.” The child safety department halted giving licenses to same-sex parents after Attorney General Mark Brnovich’s office provided what it called “clarification” on adoption because the U.S.

Supreme Court is reviewing court rulings on same-sex marriage. That legal advice mirrors the tack taken by Maricopa County Attorney Bill Montgomery, who is refusing to help same-sex couples with step-parent adoptions. Montgomery’s office provides those services for free to opposite-sex couples, a policy that led the American Civil Liberties Union of Arizona to threaten to sue him for violating the Constitution’s equal protection clause. ACLU spokesman Steve Kilar said Thursday that Montgomery failed to respond to its letter by a Monday deadline and it is preparing a lawsuit. The ACLU also had sent letters in February to the Child Safety Department demanding that it resume offering foster care licensing to same-sex couples, but there was no change in policy. Ducey’s reversal came within hours of publication of an Arizona Capitol Times story on the Child Safety Department’s policy. Ducey said he acted immediately upon learning of the policy.

Arizona Governor Gives OK to Gay Adoptions

soflagaynews //

SouthFloridaGayNews // SFGN.com // 4 .29.2015 //

ZOOM

Whitening Special!

$199

news bites

by John McDonald

lesbian

Ponders Decision to Tomlin Come Out

Actress, writer and producer Lily Tomlin, in an interview with the Huffington Post, wondered if she had disclosed her sexuality in a 1975 cover story for Time Magazine, if she would have enjoyed such a long and successful career. “It would have been an inopportune time to make such a grand statement,” Tomlin suggested. The 75-year-old Detroit native, known for comedy roles in films such as “9to-5” and “The Incredible Shrinking Woman” came out 20 years after the Time cover story. She joins Jane Fonda in the Netflix series “Grace and Frankie” which is scheduled to debut May 8 on the streaming service.

General & Cosmetic Dentistry

Lily Tomlin.

gay

Diplomats Marry at U.K. British Embassy in Japan

Dr. David K. Warner, DDS, FAGD Fellow, Academy of General Dentistry

954-565-7666 1946 Wilton Drive, Wilton Manors, FL 33305 www.IslandCitySmiles.com Always Plenty of Free Parking • Located Conveniently on Wilton Drive New, State of the Art Facilities • Most Insurances Accepted

A British couple married last week at the United Kingdom’s embassy in Tokyo. The men, employees of the British Embassy in Tokyo, told journalists they chose the location to raise awareness in Japan of the U.K.’s mission of diversity and inclusion. Diplomat Tim Johnson, 51, and embassy staffer Ryan Parkins, 41, became the fifth samesex couple to tie the knot at the embassy since June of 2014 when gay Brits were first permitted to register their marriages at a diplomatic post in 24 countries, Gay Star News reports. Selected Japanese media and guests were invited to the ceremony, which included a traditional kagami biraki ritual.

bisexual

Boo Boo’ Actors Come ‘Honey Out As Bisexual

A reality television show mother and daughter tandem announced they are bisexual. Mama June Shannon and daughter Lauryn Thompson from The Learning Channel (TLC) production, “Here Comes Honey Boo Boo,” declared in an interview with Inside Edition they both prefer men and women in their sexual encounters. Thompson, aka “Pumpkin” stated, “I’m attracted to females, I’m attracted to males, you cannot hide who you truly are.” Pumpkin then proceeded to out her mother as “gay,” only to have Mama June clarify she is “Bisexual.” Set in rural Georgia, “Here Comes Honey Boo Boo” follows the life of a child beauty pageant contestant.

Mama June. Twitter.

transgender

PR Special Broadcast Wins Peabody Award

A National Public Radio special on the plight of a 94-year-old transgender woman has captured a Peabody Award for excellence in broadcasting. The September 2014 report by NPR highlighted the story of Robina Asti, a pilot in World War II, engaged in a legal struggle with the Social Security Administration following the death of her husband, Norwood in 2012. In April of 2014, the SSA changed its policy regarding transgender spouses. Asti’s story was documented by NPR in the piece, “State of the Re:Union” and supported by Lambda Legal. A complete list of the 74th Annual Peabody Award winners can be found at www.PeabodyAwards.com

// 4.29.2015 // SFGN.com //

soflagaynews //

SouthFloridaGayNews

Robina Asti. Lambda Legal.

news election 2016

Photo: Gage Skidmore.

White House Watch:

Carly Fiorina

John McDonald

Business executive Carly Fiorina parachutes into this week’s SFGN White House Watch as it is expected she will announce plans for a U.S. Presidential campaign on May 4. Born Cara Carleton Sneed, Carly Fiorina is best known as the former chief executive officer of Hewlett-Packard, a multinational information technology corporation. She served as head of HP from 1999-2005, a tumultuous time, which featured massive layoffs and highly contentious mergers. Fiorina is expected to campaign in the Republican field where she will likely be positioned to the left of social conservatives due to her statements that gay couples deserve equal benefits and protections in the workplace. “Government needs to bestow benefits equally,” Fiorina said in an interview with USA Today adding “that it is pretty clear the majority of the nation has evolved” on the issue of marriage equality. In the same interview, however, Fiorina

condemned public reaction to Indiana’s Religious Freedom Restoration act. “It is shameful how the liberal left has used this in a typical identity politics divisive way to create a firestorm,” Fiorina said. Fiorina has also publicly criticized Apple CEO Tim Cook and social activists for failing to direct their outrage over discrimination towards nations that have no rights for LGBT people and yet do business with U.S. companies. A graduate of Stanford University with a MBA in marketing from the University of Maryland, Fiorina ran for U.S. Senate in California in 2010, but was defeated by incumbent Senator Barbara Boxer. Fiorina, 60, is married to Frank Fiorina, her second husband. The couple have been together since 1985.

LGBT SOUTH FLORIDA’S CARE FOR BEST LGBT LGBT HOME CARE SENIORS

Savings........ For New Clients only

hours

FOR FREE

LICENSED AND INSURED

GRATITUDE HOME CARE

Contact us for your free in home evaluation today Phone: 561-685-5254 Email: gratitudehomecare@gmail.com gratitudehomecare.yolasite.com

NOW HIRING soflagaynews //

SouthFloridaGayNews // SFGN.com // 4 .29.2015 //

“HIV, you won't stand between me and a long, healthy life.” Eddie - Miami, FL Living with HIV since 1987.

Encouraged by the love of my HIV-negative partner, I started HIV treatment 27 years ago. I’ve seen first hand the dramatic advancement of HIV care. When I first started treatment, I had to take 30 pills a day. Now, I just take 3 pills a day with few side effects. Initially, I started treatment to protect my partner from getting HIV. Now, I know that being healthy, taking my medication, exercising, and eating well are the reasons I have a full and productive life today.

// 4.29.2015 // SFGN.com //

soflagaynews //

SouthFloridaGayNews

HIV

TREATMENT

WORKS

Get in care. Stay in care. Live well. cdc.gov/HIVTreatmentWorks soflagaynews //

SouthFloridaGayNews // SFGN.com // 4 .29.2015 //

news national

Impulse Group:

Jason Parsley

In two weeks SAVE will honor Impulse Group South Florida at their 2015 ‘Champions of Equality’ event inducting them into their Hall of Champions. The irony though Impulse is currently being accused of age discrimination and facing a barrage of scrutiny for their practice of charging fees to older folks, while letting the younger ones in for free. SFGN requested an interview with Impulse South Florida but only received two prepared statements, both of which only appeared to add fuel to the fire, causing even more controversy. The first, sent last Friday, did not even directly address the continued accusations the group is facing. “The purpose of events like Evolution is to create a lively, fun atmosphere where these men can interact while simultaneously being exposed to information about HIV in a non-judgmental environment. Condoms, HIV testing, and linkage into medical care are provided at every Impulse event, always for free,” the first statement reads. “Impulse is supported by its partner, AIDS Healthcare Foundation, and also works with corporate sponsors. The organization operates as a non-profit, with its prime directive being to prioritize its limited funds to identifying and educating members of the targeted younger gay male audience. Impulse Group South Florida events are open to everyone and the group welcomes broad community participation.” Few people appeared to be satisfied with that response. “This was an opportunity for your organization to make things right. Instead you created a memo that failed to listen to the valid concerns from a segment in our community,” Jesse Antonio Lopez wrote on Facebook. “While it is clear that you are targeting a particular age group in your events, it does not make sense to alienate

// 4.29.2015 // SFGN.com //

the very people who marched and fought for the rights you obviously take for granted. Learn your history. Honor your history.” The second statement, received four days later, did address the brewing discontent, but still failed to answer why they charged $50 to people over 40 at their last event and allowed those under 40 in for free. “We want you to know it was never our intent to discriminate against anyone, for any reason, may it be age or any other factor,” the second statement reads. “We apologize for any misinterpretation of our intentions and would like to say once and for all, that ageism played absolutely no role in the decision towards our pricing structure for the last event.” The group has faced harsh criticism on Facebook for their decision and responses. In the second letter they go so far to say they’ve receiving threatening comments, but fail to cite anything specific. Five minutes after posting the apology letter on their Facebook page they posted a photo — which appeared to be at odds the apology — minutes earlier. The photo had the words “unapologetic and misunderstood” written across it. One commenter, who calls himself Colorful Kent on Facebook, immediately blasted the photo. “This new image calling us haters and expressing no remorse, is arrogant and insulting,” he said. “You are hearing us but soflagaynews //

CHAMPION OF EQUALITY OR DISCRIMINATION?

I'm not sure you are truly listening. This picture is stirring up the fight, rather than trying to by sympathetic.” Someone posting from the Impulse page responded with, “No where do we use the term haters, that is your word. With respect, you are stirring up the fight, not us. We will no longer entertain this circular argument with you. If you are not satisfied with what we've said, as many are, we can't help it.” President of the local group, A.J. Alegria, told SFGN that the second statement would be “the final response regarding the event.” Founder and president of the national organization, Jose Ramos, said at least one other chapter, the LA chapter, has charged different prices for different age groups. But he explained that each chapter has tried to come up with unique ways to serve their community and attract their target audience of 18 to 35 years old. For example, one chapter gave away free tickets to their event to those who got tested. “In that case the HIV positive people felt left out,” he said. “There’s always somebody that might feel offended.” The latest controversy though has prompted the group to start having internal discussions on how to make sure no one feels discriminated against in the future. “This isn’t because of the media attention,

SouthFloridaGayNews

I don’t care what they think,” he said. “I don’t want anyone in the gay community to feel that way, so moving forward we’re going to try to prevent that from happening. It was never our intention for anyone to feel discriminated against.” Ramos explained that in order to reach the group’s target audience the messaging has to be different. “The conversation cannot be the same at 22 years old and 42 years old,” he said. “We’re giving them a space where they can talk.” Ramos explained that Impulse is not a program of AHF. Instead it is fully funded by AHF and he called it an affiliate of the organization. As for why SAVE chose to honor Impulse Group in the first place Executive Director Tony Lima had this to say: “We've decided to honor AHF as our 2015 Hall of Champions inductee for ALL of the programs they develop and fund that work to balance the inequalities that affect the LGBTQ community,” he said. “AHF services and programs help fulfill vital and unique needs of LGBTQ people, including the important work of reaching younger generations which need education about testing and treatment of HIV/AIDS in order to make the best decisions about how to protect themselves. We are proud to induct them into the 2015 Hall of Champions for their hard work towards this endeavor.” While Lima did not mention Impulse by name, their ads and e-blasts for the event certainly do, and suggest they are in fact directly honoring the Impulse Group. “… as we honor… as our 2015 Champions of Equality, as well as Impulse Group South Florida as our 2015 Hall of Champions inductee!” reads one such email. Michael Weinstein, President of the AIDS Healthcare Foundation, previously told SFGN, “Prevention efforts have really

‘FIRST COMES LOVE’ PHOTO FEATURE

Photo: Impulse Group.

declined over the last 10 years. That’s part discrimination, but rather encouraging of the reason we’re pushing so hard on younger people to join in community causes. the prevention front. Such as starting the “We offered a discounted price to get them Impulse Group.” more involved and to get that age group to Many folks on Facebook and on SFGN’s participate more in community events,” Boo website though were less kind. said. “Not sure how photos of men in swimsuits Boo said he felt readers may have gotten is supposed to raise awareness/prevention the impression that the Pride Center was of HIV,” wrote Ato Apanay on Impulse’s trying to divide the community after SFGN’s Facebook page. “This page looks like a fan story last week. page for Grindr or gay sex hotel or a gay He was adamant that was not the case. cruise.” “It was not meant to And many folks divide the community,” “We apologize for see Impulse’s pricing he said. “That was not any misinterpretation structure as ageism. our intent.” “Yes I saw their ad also He said the Pride of our intentions and and was taken aback by Center did receive some would like to say once it. Free for under 40 but criticism because of the and for all, that ageism February event from $50 for over 40? Are played absolutely no you effin' kidding me?,” seniors who felt the David Balton wrote on pricing structure was role in the decision Faecbook. “No thanks; ageist. And now says towards our pricing I will hang out with he doesn’t know if they structure for the last a crowd that doesn't will choose to base the event.” engage in such blatant price on age again. age discrimination.” “It was very Some people suggested that those who are successful in attracting the younger crowd,” offended should simply not attend Impulse’s Boo said. “But I don’t know if we’ll be events going forward. While others pointed repeating it or not.” out that senior citizens frequently receive a SFGN contacted Compass, the LGBT “seniors” discount at many establishments, community center of the Palm Beaches, and and for decades women have enjoyed “ladies the LGBT center of Orlando, who both said nights” at bars. they do hold any events where price is based “That is a discount that is meant to on age. promote sales, not a fundraiser,” Ed Garcia Ed Stevens feels both organizations could wrote on Facebook. have avoided any controversy if they had While Impulse has received some harsh handled things differently. criticism for their pricing, they’re not the “The Pride Center and Impulse Group only group that has based admission fees on both do terrific and much needed work in the age. The Pride Center at Equality Park also community. I understand their commitment did so in February where they charged $50 to connect with a younger demographic for people 35 and under and $125 for those at higher risk who did not live through the over. worst part of the AIDS epidemic,” he said. Pride Center Chief Executive Officer “But when they do that in a very public Robert Boo defended his organization’s way like variable admission charges, they decision to charge less for younger folks need to explain their rationale clearly and saying it had nothing to do with age sensitively.”

ON STANDS NOW! Check out

Voted No. 1 Dry Cleaners in South Florida

The Mirror

Winter 2015

WINTER 2015 • Vol. 3

Issue 4

Winter Arts Guide Editio GUIdE bEGINS ON PAGE 21

Free Pick Up & Delivery (Home / Office)

‘FIRST COMES LOVE’ PHOTO FEATURE SEX POSITIVE CULTURE CHALLENGES ETHICS

HUNGARY FACES A HISTORIC STRUGGLE

themirrormag.co m

soflagaynews //

SouthFloridaGayNews // SFGN.com // 4 .29.2015 //

news in-depth

Supremes Listen to Marriage Equality Arguments Decision is expected in late June

Lisa Keen

Keen News Service

The very first question from the U.S. Supreme Court bench Tuesday morning was about the rights of states to regulate marriage and, though attorneys for same-sex couples tried numerous times to refocus attention to the damage that bans on same-sex marriage inflict on the rights of LGBT people, the focus stayed largely on states’ rights throughout the historic argument. For two and a half hours — more than twice the time most cases get — an animated bench grilled attorneys for same-sex couples and the four states that seek to ban their marriages. Justices Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Sonia Sotomayor, Elena Kagan, and Stephen Breyer asked most of the tough questions to challenge the governmental interest served by banning same-sex couples from marriage. Chief Justice John Roberts and Justices Antonin Scalia and Samuel Alito asked most of the tough questions to parties seeking to strike down those bans. Per his routine, Justice Clarence Thomas asked no questions, and true to his role as the court’s most unpredictable vote, Justice Anthony Kennedy asked tough questions of both sides. The packed courtroom was equally lively, laughing frequently, applauding once, and, at one point, a man at the back of the courtroom jumped up and began ranting loudly and incessantly about the Bible, “abominations” and that gays would “burn in hell.” Such outbursts have occurred in the court recently on other issues and the man’s disruption seemed well-timed, given that it did not interrupt any attorney’s allotted time before the bench. But, as is also routine, the justices engaged in a great deal of interrupting attorneys throughout the proceeding. Barely a minute into Gay & Lesbian Advocates & Defenders’ Mary Bonauto’s opening comments about how laws banning same-sex couples from marrying convey a “stain of unworthiness,” Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg asked how the “federal government’s historic deference to states when it comes to matters of domestic relations” should influence the court’s decision on whether the state bans are unconstitutional. In asking her question, Ginsburg referred to the court’s

// 4.29.2015 // SFGN.com //

2013 landmark decision in U.S. v. Windsor, in which the court emphasized states’ rights to regulate marriage as it struck down the key provision of the federal Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA), which had prohibited the federal government from recognizing marriages licensed to same-sex couples in some states. “States do have primacy over domestic relations except that their laws must respect the constitutional rights of persons, and Windsor couldn't have been clearer about that,” said Bonauto. “And here we have a whole class of people who are denied the equal right to be able to join in this very extensive government institution that provides protection for families.” Chief Justice John Roberts jumped on Bonauto’s choice of words, saying samesex couples weren’t seeking the right to “join” marriage but to “redefine” them. The comment echoed his remarks in 2013 and hinted early on that Roberts is not a likely vote in favor of striking down state bans on same-sex marriage. Bonauto attempted to make the point that many things have changed for society over time, for instance, the role of women, but that the equal protection clause of the 14th Amendment to the U.S. constitution provides “enduring guarantees” to citizens. Kennedy jumped in next, first noting that it has been about 10 years since the Supreme Court struck down sodomy laws — an amount of time comparable between the court struck down state mandated racial segregation of schools and when it struck down state laws banning interracial marriages. It was an initial ray of hope that Kennedy was heading in the direction of striking down state laws. But then he compared 10 years to the “millennia” of years during which people thought of marriage as being between a man and a woman. “This definition has been with us for millennia. And it's very difficult for the Court to say, ‘Oh, well, we know better.’” Within just a few minutes, Ginsburg seemed to respond to Kennedy’s comment when she said to Bonauto: “You wouldn't be asking for this relief if the law of marriage was what it was a soflagaynews //

millennium ago. I mean, it wasn't possible,” said Ginsburg. “Same-¬sex unions would not have opted into that pattern of marriage, which was a dominant and a subordinate relationship. Yes, it was marriage between a man and a woman, but the man decided where the couple would be domiciled; it was her obligation to follow him.” “There was a change in the institution of marriage,” said Ginsburg, “to make it egalitarian when it wasn't egalitarian.” Justice Scalia soon entered the fray to say the questions “is not whether there should be same¬-sex marriage, but who should decide the point.” “And you're ¬ asking us to decide it for this society when no other society until 2001 ever had it,” Scalia told Bonauto. Justice Alito took the discussion back even further than Ginsburg and Scalia, to ancient Greece, noting that same-sex relationships were accepted then but that there were no marriages between same-sex couples. “So their limiting marriage to couples of the opposite sex was not based on prejudice against gay people, was it?” asked Alito. Bonauto tried to make the point that a big difference between other cultures and other times is that the U.S., from its inception, made “a commitment to individual liberty and equality.” Justice Breyer brought up the states’ “wait and see” rationale for denying marriage to same-sex couples, to which Bonauto noted that states, including Virginia in Loving v. Virginia, offered that rationale to justify miscegenation laws. The Supreme Court struck down those laws, noted Bonauto, even though 80 percent of the public supported such bans and the Supreme Court’s striking down of those laws was considered a “profound change.”

SouthFloridaGayNews

Solicitor General Don Verrilli repeatedly reminded the court that a “wait and see” approach to the issue leaves “the nation as a house divided” in the same way racial segregation did. And leaving the issue to voters, he said, “will be saying is that the demeaning, second¬-class status that gay and lesbian couples now inhabit in ¬¬States that do not provide for marriage is consistent with the equal protection of the laws. That is not a wait-¬and¬-see,” said Verrilli. “That is a validation.” John Bursch, a special assistant attorney general from Michigan, urged the court to affirm “every individual’s fundamental liberty interest” to decide the meaning of marriage by ensuring that voters be able to define marriage through the democratic process. The state’s marriage laws, he said, were developed “to serve purposes that, by their nature, arise from biology.” Just as the question of whether states can ban same-sex marriage seemed to rely largely on how Kennedy will ultimately vote, the court seemed split on the question of whether a state can refuse to recognize a marriage license from another state. But the overriding concern Tuesday was how the court would rule on the first question: Does the 14th Amendment require a state to license a marriage between two people of the same sex?

Credit: Tony Adams.

Gay legal activists at the argument Tuesday expressed optimism that Kennedy will come through with the majority vote. Kate Kendell, executive director of the National Center for Lesbian Rights, which helped representing same-sex couples from Tennessee, said she thinks there’s “no doubt” the court will find that states have to recognize other states’ marriages. “I do think things look favorable” for striking down state bans on same-sex marriage, said Kendell on the plaza outside the court after the argument. “Kennedy is always the swing.” Kendell acknowledged that Kennedy seemed “more inscrutable here than he was in the DOMA case.” “He didn’t really tip his hand. He asked difficult questions of both sides,” said Kendell. “ But even if it’s sooner than he wants to or the court is not entirely comfortable with it, I believe …when push comes to shove, I do not believe this is a justice who is going to allow Romer v. Evans and Lawrence v Texas and the Windsor decision to come up full stop and not have that legacy finished.” Kennedy wrote the majority decision in all three cases, striking down a voter-approved initiative in Colorado, striking down state laws banning intimate relations between same-sex couples, and striking down DOMA. Jon Davidson, legal director for Lambda Legal, said he was encouraged by Kennedy’s comparison of Brown and Loving to Lawrence and this appeal. And he thought it “odd” that Alito “tried to make this point about Greece.” “Sometimes, it just seems like they’re playing with you,” said Davidson. “I was surprised that they focused so much at the beginning about this millennia this or that –that’s not how you decide the law. That’s not the basis for constitutional jurisprudence,” said Abby Rubenfeld, former legal director for Lambda Legal and one of the attorneys representing plaintiffs from the Tennessee case. Rubenfeld said she was pleasantly surprised to hear Chief Justice Roberts ask “an interesting sex discrimination question.” In questioning John Bursch, special assistant attorney general for Michigan, Roberts said he wasn’t sure it was necessary to get into the issue of sexual orientation discrimination to resolve the case. “If Sue loves Joe, and Tom loves Joe, Sue can marry him and Tom can't,” said Roberts. “And the difference is based upon their different sex. Why isn't that a straightforward question of sexual discrimination?” Bursch said laws banning same-sex couples from marrying do not treat classes of men and women differently. And, he said, a 2001 Supreme Court ruling in Nguyen v. INS held that “it's appropriate to draw lines based on sex if it's related to biology.” (Justice Kennedy wrote that 5 to 4 majority opinion, saying a law that provided citizenship to children if their biological mothers were American, but not if only their fathers were American, was unconstitutional. Ginsburg interjected that the reason behind that sex discrimination was that “we know who the [biological] mother is” and was intended to

During Tuesday's arguments LGBT activists rallied outside the courthouse to show their support for marriage equality. Credit: Tony Adams. avoid the possibility that a man might claim to be the father in order to gain some benefits. If the state laws were seen as sex discrimination, the court would impose a higher standard of judicial scrutiny than mere rational basis. Laws disadvantaging people based on gender must be justified with –not just a rational reason but—an important governmental interest. Evan Wolfson, head of the national Freedom to Marry organization, said Justice Kennedy’s questions “invited our advocates to make the case about the newness and relative evolution” of the issue. “He also asked key questions about the kids. He pointed out the illogic of some of the state’s positions. And at the end of the day,” said Wolfson, “arguments are arguments and what counts is what they’re going to go back and do, read these briefs, and write the arguments, build on the law, and write the opinion. And Justice Kennedy has a long and serious legacy to build on here and I hope he does the right thing.” Now the wait begins. Today, same-sex couples can obtain marriage licenses in 37 states. In June, that could quickly become 50. Or the court might split the baby and decide states can ban samesex marriage but must recognize marriage licenses lawfully obtained in marriage equality states. That would enable the 13 states which currently enforce bans to continue to do so and another 10 states which had to temporarily suspend their bans to reinstate them. On NBC’s Meet the Press Sunday, Ted Olson, who argued the Proposition 8 case against California’s ban on same-sex marriage, said he doesn’t believe the Supreme Court will issue such a split decision. And if the court follows the precedent of Loving v. Virginia, it won’t do a split. That 1967 decision said that state laws banning marriage between persons solely on the basis of racial classifications violated the 14th Amendment’s guarantees of equal protection and due process. The question now is whether state laws banning marriage between persons solely on the basis

of sexual orientation or gender violate the 14th Amendment’s guarantees of equal protection and due process. The Supreme Court will most likely take until the end of June to issue its decision. Until then, legal scholars and media will analyze the two-and-a-half-hours of argument today

to find clues for how each justice is leaning on both questions posed and to speculate how the majority will rule. The fact that six justices agreed last year not to hear appeals from states seeking to keep their bans will prompt most to predict a victory for marriage equality. (It takes the support of at least four of the nine justices to take an appeal. The court did not take an appeal until it accepted the appeal of plaintiffs challenging the same-sex marriage bans.) The fact that Kennedy has written three of the court’s decisions treating LGBT people with respect (Romer, Lawrence, and Windsor), gives marriage equality supporters hope that he’ll forge the majority once again. But his historic support for state sovereignty and his recent bond with the conservative justices to strike down the Voting Rights Act, saying the states “retain broad autonomy,” will give hope to those who support the state bans. The Washington Post reported last week that its poll with ABC found 61 percent support, 35 percent oppose, 4 percent had no opinion. Essentially that same percentage also opposed allowing individual states to ban same-sex marriage. NBC reported Sunday that its poll with the Wall Street Journal found 59 percent of Americans support marriage equality — up 18 points over 2009.

WHERE THEY STAND As the Supreme Court hears the oral arguments for and against gay marriage this week here’s a look at where the Republican candidates for president stand on this issue. Sixty-one percent of Americans support marriage equality according to a recent Washington PostABC poll now let’s check out what the candidates have said.

MIKE HUCKABEE

Changing my stance on same-sex marriage "is like asking someone who’s Jewish to start serving bacon-wrapped shrimp in their deli, or asking a Muslim to serve up something that is offensive to him, or to have dogs in his backyard."

SCOTT WALKER

I believe marriage is between one man and one woman…I believe it’s reasonable for the people of America to consider a constitutional amendment that would afﬁrm the ability of states to do just that.

RICK PERRY

“Whether or not you feel compelled to follow a particular lifestyle or not, you have the ability to decide not to do that. I may have the genetic coding that I’m inclined to be an alcoholic, but I have the desire not to do that, and I look at the homosexual issue the same way.”

JEB BUSH

"I believe in traditional marriage."

RICK SANTORUM

“When we continue to see a decline in marriage and a redeﬁnition of marriage, you get less marriage. You get families that aren’t as strong, and as a result, society generally, the economy suffers.”

TED CRUZ

"Marriage is a question for the states. That is why I have introduced legislation, to protect the authority of state legislatures to deﬁne marriage... I will be introducing a constitutional amendment to prevent the federal government or the courts from attacking or striking down state marriage laws. "

MARCO RUBIO

"There is a growing intolerance on this issue, intolerance of those who continue to support traditional marriage...Supporting the deﬁnition of marriage as one man and one woman, is not anti-gay. It is pro-traditional marriage.”

RAND PAUL

"I’m for traditional marriage, I think marriage is between a man and a woman.”

BEN CARSON

“They have no right to say to me that I must change the way I think in order to accommodate what they believe, that’s where the injustice comes from, and we have to understand that.”

BECAUSE THIS STORY CAME IN AT PRESS TIME, PLEASE CHECK OUT THE FINAL AND LATEST VERSION AT SFGN.COM/MARRIAGECASE

soflagaynews //

SouthFloridaGayNews // SFGN.com // 4 .29.2015 //

feature

HRC marks up Bobby Jindal's op-ed against gay marriage.

Equality

Losing the Fight

BATON ROUGE, La. — THE debate over religious liberty in America presents conservatives and the majority of Americans business leaders with a crucial choice.

convince

In Indiana and Arkansas, large corporations recently joined left-wing activists to bully elected that already exist (see the 1st Amendment) officials into backing away from strong protections for religious liberty. It was disappointing to see conservative leaders so hastily retreat on legislation that would simply allow for an individu- You left out the part where they al or business to claim a right to free exercise of religion in a court of law.

refuse service to gay parents Our country was founded on the principle of religious liberty, enshrined in the Bill of Rights. and their child, The business Why shouldn’t an individual or business have the right to cite, in a court proceeding, religious owner is liberty as a reason for not participating in a same-sex marriage ceremony that violates a sincere- because that's discrimination or, say, providing service at a restaurant being asked ly held religious belief? to construct a bouquet, not provide a That is what Indiana and Arkansas sought to do. That political leaders in both states quickly toast to the cowered amid the shrieks of big business and the radical left should alarm us all. the business community 70% of Americans happy couple. the right to discriminate As the fight for religious liberty moves to Louisiana, I have a clear message for any corporation that contemplates bullying our state: Save your breath.

creating jobs for your constituents

maybe more of this?

In 2010, Louisiana adopted a Religious Freedom Restoration Act, which prohibits government from unduly burdening a person’s exercise of religion. However, given the changing positions of politicians, judges and the public in favor of same-sex marriage, along with the potential for discrimination against Christian individuals and businesses that comes with these shifts, I plan in this legislative session to fight for passage of the Marriage and Conscience Act.

Not sure you’re using The legislation would prohibit the state from denying a person, company or nonprofit group a this word right license, accreditation, employment or contract — or taking other “adverse action” — based on the person or entity’s religious views on the institution of marriage. Use clear language. This bill protects those who discriminate. like IBM! Apple Angie’s List Facebook Twitter Wal-Mart 16

Some corporations have already contacted me and asked me to oppose this law. I am certain that other companies, under pressure from radical liberals, will do the same. They are free ordinary Americans to voice their opinions, but they will not deter me. As a nation we would not compel a priest, minister or rabbi to violate his conscience and perform a same-sex wedding ceremony. But a great many Americans who are not members of the clergy feel just as called to live their faith

few

// 4.29.2015 // SFGN.com //

soflagaynews //

SouthFloridaGayNews

Right, that’s already illegal. (See the 1st Amendment again.)

soflagaynews //

SouthFloridaGayNews // SFGN.com // 4 .29.2015 //

feature

Judy Shepard Carries Her Son’s Torch Hard Rock 'Diversity Honors' Dinner will honor Matthew's mom

Norm Kent

norm.kent@sfgn.com

The Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Hollywood, Florida will host the inaugural ‘Diversity Honors’ dinner, co-presented by the Harvey Milk Foundation and the Pride Center at Equality Park, from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. on Saturday, May 9. It is a unique and milestone event designed to unite the South Florida LGBT community. Stuart Milk will present the Harvey Milk Honors Medal to Judy Shepard. While the two have met infrequently, they share a mission of standing up and speaking out for LGBT equality. On a lonely cornfield outside Laramie, Wyoming in October of 1998, Judy and Dennis Shepard lost their 21-year-old son, Matthew, to a brutal murder motivated by anti-gay hate. Today, Judy is the national spokesperson keeping her son’s legacy alive, speaking out for social justice, diversity awareness, and equality for the LGBT community. In the corridors of San Francisco’s city hall in November of 1978, Stuart Milk, then only 18 years old, lost his uncle, Harvey, to a brutal murder motivated by anti-gay hate. Today, Stuart is the national spokesperson keeping his uncle’s legacy alive, speaking out internationally for social justice, diversity awareness and equality for the LGBT community. Judy Shepard and Stuart Milk have something in common. Each carries a torch that still burns brightly today. Judy Shepard spends 26 weekends a year traveling, wondering what floor her hotel room is on as she returns from one speaking engagement after another. The sometimes-tedious journey, she says, has been tempered by the spiritual rewards she has gathered. “I am honored and touched and moved everyday by young people and their stories. It breaks my heart when they might not have a mom who accepts them at home, or a family who is supportive.” With a mother’s touch, Judy’s 2009 memoir, ‘The Meaning of Matthew,’ illuminated her continuing passion to advance civil rights; to bring to justice her son’s murder. “People are really changing today,” Judy told SFGN. “Colleges are filled with students who live with conviction instead of fear.” She attributes the shift in social attitudes at least in part to President Obama’s election. “There was a sea change in Washington when Obama was elected,” she asserted. “It was like a cloud lifted over the capital. Suddenly the nation had permission to fight for social justice.”

// 4.29.2015 // SFGN.com //

It has been an effort that has yielded sweet victories. On October 22, 2009, the U.S. Congress passed the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd, Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act. President Obama immediately signed it into law. Conceived as a response to the murders of Matthew Shepard and James Byrd, Jr., the measure expanded the 1969 United States federal hate-crime law so as to include crimes motivated by a victim’s actual or perceived gender, sexual orientation, or disability. The acceptance Shepard said dawned years ago has blossomed today. This year she will speak in the Dominican Republic, accompanied by representatives from the Department of Justice and the State Department. It is a country where the church came down on the Obama administration for appointing Wally Brewster, a gay ambassador. “We are weaving together a new world.” Judy said. “People are recognizing that women’s rights and gay rights are all really human rights, and they all should be respected.” Still the journey requires more than Judy’s passion. Going into colleges requires consciousness-raising. The entering college freshman in 2015 was born the year Matthew died. “I have to tell his story over and over again, so it does not ever happen again,” Judy said. “But I am forever grateful and happy that the young boy or girl growing up today doesn’t live in the world Matthew did.” With the state department, she will go to the Dominican with a video that the Department of Justice helped put together, illuminating Matthew’s story, told for years through the renowned Laramie Project. “We have come so far, but we still have a long way to go,” Shepard noted. “We have to look forward to change the things we can change. We have to talk about tomorrow.” Working towards that day, the Matthew Shepard foundation is still based in Casper, Wyoming, with a small staff and smaller budget then you might think. The Foundation works to “Replace hate with understanding, compassion, and acceptance” by continuing to tell Matthew’s story and through education, outreach, and advocacy programs. As she prepares to come to the Hard Rock to address a crowd of 300 in South Florida, Judy will have her suitcases packed and ready. Dozens of more engagements are now scheduled for the rest of the year, including one on July 4 in Philadelphia where the organizers of the 50th Anniversary

soflagaynews //

SouthFloridaGayNews

Judy Shepard.

Celebration of the LGBT Civil Rights Movement will present her with their ‘International Role Model’ Award. Judy Shepard has now spoken to more than a million people worldwide, including addressing the United Nations and a hate crimes conference in the Polish Parliament. She has delivered addresses more than 65 times to faith communities or on campuses of religiously affiliated colleges and universities, including Notre Dame and no less than eight Jesuit schools. During Judy’s visit to Cisco Systems Headquarters in 2010, a senior executive at the IT firm was so moved by her presentation that he came out to his entire company. She has spoken more than 50 times in front of corporate audiences and Fortune 500 companies, even Walmart and Coors. “It is challenging,” she acknowledges, but Matthew’s mom finds solace “in the quiet of a hotel room, with a good book and my husband by my side… Dennis being with me makes everything doable.” Still, it’s easy to see why Judy may occasionally forget what hotel room floor that elevator key in her hand goes to. Like Stuart Milk, Judy Shepard honors the legacy of a life lost too soon; of a senseless death that might have been lost in time were it not for the passion of a loving relative. Like Stuart Milk, the story is no longer only of the life taken away, but the new history cycle generated by that tragedy. Seventeen years away from her son’s death, Judy has given birth to a legacy of her own, one that speaks for social justice and LGBT equality worldwide. The Matthew Shepard Foundation generates funds through Shepard’s speaking engagements, but you can help by shopping online, and acquiring some of their ecofriendly, popular ‘Erase Hate’ T-Shirts and wrist bands. The site is MatthewShepard.org/store.

If You Are Going Tickets for Diversity Honors are $150 per person; corporate tables of 10 are $1,500. For more information, visit DiversityHonors.com.

soflagaynews //

SouthFloridaGayNews // SFGN.com // 4 .29.2015 //

feature

CIA Work Not Like Hollywood Glam

Part 4 of SFGN’s series on LGBT life at the CIA John McDonald

Exclusive

Credible LOCAL

Groundbreaking

Original AWARD WINNING local name, global coverage

Hovering just above the parade route was an all too familiar sight for Chris. “You see that drone over there?,” he asked, motioning in the direction of the iconic art deco hotels that line Miami Beach’s famed Ocean Drive. Sure enough, just in front of the Palace steps, appeared a small aircraft. It was a GPS enabled quadcopter being used for videotaping purposes as the Miami Beach Gay Pride Parade flowed outside the Palace, a bar known for its popular drag shows. Chris, a Central Intelligence Agency officer, agreed to speak to SFGN on the condition we only disclose his first name. He was in South Florida in an outreach role so that LGBT people know they can serve openly at the agency and pursue careers in government intelligence work as their true, authentic selves -- free of discrimination. In our interview, Chris, a 40-yearold gay man, stressed that working for the nation is not as rosy as depicted by Hollywood. The drone flying over Ocean Drive, for example, is vastly different than the ones deployed in Yemen or Pakistan. “Everybody thinks it’s flashy from the movies, but there’s a real human side to it because we know people who gave their life to keep the country safe and secure,” Chris said. Charles, another CIA agent interviewed by SFGN, said intelligence work is stressful with long hours and there are times when sleep is hard to come by. “We are the government’s think tank,” said Charles, a 36-year-old gay man. “Our customer is the President.” Both Charles and Chris said the atmosphere at CIA has greatly improved for LGBT employees. “Inclusion sparks creativity…innovative breakthroughs,” Charles said. “We want everybody to feel comfortable at work.”

No one beats SFGN at LGBT content in South Florida SOUTHFLORIDAGAYNEWS

// 4.29.2015 // SFGN.com //

SOFLAGAYNEWS

SFGN.COM

soflagaynews //

SouthFloridaGayNews

In terms of transgender issues, CIA leads the way in the U.S. intelligence community in providing a safe and understanding work climate, Charles said. There have been CIA employees who have undergone gender transition while working at the agency, confirmed Lyssa Asbill, CIA spokeswoman. “The agency renovated all of the bathrooms to make them gender neutral,” she said. “This employee’s transition went incredibly smooth.” Having an employee resource group like ANGLE (Agency Network for Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and Transgender Employees and Allies), helps LGBT employees become comfortable and open up to colleagues, Charles said. “Some of the other agencies aren’t quite at that level,” Charles said. “We see it as our duty to help them get there.” While establishing a cohesive work environment is important, the overarching goal of the CIA is keeping the nation safe and secure. How that is achieved is through honesty and integrity and often times unknown to the general population. “We serve in silence,” Asbill said. “It is a choice to join the agency and we only hire people with great integrity. We may have just did something spectacular to stop a terrorist attack, but if it’s classified then you will not know we just did something spectacular.” This level of secrecy often frustrates members of the press and leads to a market of shadowy spy novels. Asbill says the agency never uses the word “spy” and is actively working to improve its public perception. Reaching out to SFGN and attending gay prides across the country are the first steps. “The best ways to change narratives is one-on-one interactions with people overseas,” she said.

Read SFGN's CIA series online at SFGN.com/CIA

soflagaynews //

SouthFloridaGayNews // SFGN.com // 4 .29.2015 //

guest column A Tale of Two Adoption Bills The Perils of Florida Lawmaking

Justin Flippen

When an organization or individual performs sex couples based on religious grounds. This a function of the state, such as solemnizing a is simply bad legislation and public policy and dangerously encroaches on already existing antilegal contract of marriage (not conferring the discrimination law. separate and distinct religious sacrament of holy If your faith doesn’t believe in equality, you matrimony) or the legal placement of orphaned children into homes, such actions must be done cannot argue that your religion gives you the without discrimination and in as neutral of a legal right to refuse people of color a place at the lunch counter or that your religion allows you to manner as possible. establish separate drinking fountains for them. For matters of children’s social services, the Let us not forget that not too long ago in many interests of the children and their well-being are paramount. As a man of faith and a Juris Doctor, houses of worship, particularly in the South, balconies were not used for better views of the I fully understand the Constitutional right of religion to discriminate, but that right of religion pastor, but a means of racial discrimination has limits. Earlier this legislative session the and segregation. Your faith doesn’t allow your business to legally bar women from positions of Florida State Legislature passed a bill (HB7013) that cleans up our State statutes, removing management or leadership. And your faith certainly doesn’t allow for language that the courts have already ruled on as legalizing homophobia. unconstitutional. If these are the deeply This statutory held tenets of your faith, language specifically The business of government is targeted homosexuals not to afford legal avenues of so be it. But might I as a group of people trafﬁc and ﬂow for discrimination, suggest another course of action? Change your and until our courts bigotry, or hatred. faith - to one of love, intervened, permitted our State to specifically discriminate against gay acceptance, and understanding. I’d be happy to share with you or anyone the God I have come to and lesbian persons who were legally able to be foster parents, but barred from the ability to fully know through my belief in Christ and my Jewish and Christian upbringing and the faith that adopt children in need of loving parents and homes. The data on this is and has been clear rejects discrimination and works for social justice - children do better in homes with parents who and equality. But just as it is not appropriate to sermonize want them regardless of those parents’ sexual or proselytize from the dais in city hall, it is orientation. I applauded the actions of our then Governor not appropriate to legalize discrimination Charlie Crist who, by refusing to appeal the based on a religious claim through the channels of government be it by ordinance by decision of the lower court, allowed for the ban on gay adoption to be removed from Florida’s law. a city commission or a bill filed with the state legislature. The legislative measure this session was more Opposition to HB7111 is reflective of the housekeeping than a legal requirement, but it still rights of the citizens I was elected to serve and had to overcome several major obstacles before consistent with the proper role of government its passage. to not engage in legislating discrimination Now, we have begun to see a new tactic against a group of people. I was pleased to see employed in the making of law – shrouding the resolution in opposition to this bill or similar discrimination under the guise of religious liberty. As an elected official and a man of faith, I find this legislation come before the Wilton Manors City to be a very disturbing policy action. Religion, Commission and was both duty-bound and voluntarily proud to support it. as I wrote earlier, has the right to discriminate, At the writing of this, HB7111 has passed the and your religion can even discriminate against Florida House of Representatives and is now people. Your faith can hate people because they are white or black, male or female, or even if they being considered by the Florida Senate. While it is unclear whether the bill will be voted upon are gay. But that is your faith. Thank God it is not by the Senate this legislative session, I would mine. nonetheless urge you to contact your State The business of government is not to afford legal avenues of traffic and flow for Senator, express your opposition to this bill, and respectfully request that she or he vote against it. discrimination, bigotry, or hatred. Another bill in our State legislature, HB7111, would allow just And should the measure die this session, contact this and permit private adoption agencies, even your State Representative and State Senator and those which receive support from the State, stress your opposition to such a bill in any future the right to refuse placing a child with same- legislative sessions. Justin Flippen is presently a Wilton Manors City Commissioner and a project manager with the Greater Fort Lauderdale Convention & Visitors Bureau, working in the travel and business industry to promote tourism-based economic development and marketing.

// 4.29.2015 // SFGN.com //

soflagaynews //

SouthFloridaGayNews

column transforming gender

The Train Station Rebecca Juro

rjuroshow@gmail.com

It’s largely because of the social and cultural stigma associated with transitioning from male to female that trans women are scrutinized and vilified much more than trans men generally are. There’s an unspoken cultural agreement that being a man, masculinity and manhood, are goals one achieves, signs of strength and competence. Conversely, femininity and womanhood are traits, which are culturally defined as lesser, indicators of weakness and subservience. Thus, those designated female at birth who behave and present like men are popularly considered ambitious and strong-willed while those designated male but present and live as women are often considered failed men who are unable to cope with the demands of being “a real man” and thus accept the “lower” status of women. In the end, it all goes back to the woman in the train station. Had I been designated female at birth and wearing a men’s suit and tie, chances are she wouldn’t have noticed or cared. Masculine affectations in someone C perceived as female aren’t generally considered a problem, and often seen as even cute and sexy. M But when a visibly trans woman says, does, or exhibits something that strays even a little bit from what’s considered the cultural normY for cis women, she’s defined as an imposter and by extension, a threat to those around her. CM Just as some heterosexuals see gay and lesbian relationships as a threat to theirMYown identities, so too do trans women have to confront not only men who see us as a threat to CY their own concept of manhood and masculinity but also women who see us as pretenders and CMY interlopers in their territory. There’s a lesson to be learned here, and as always, we’re going to have to teach it toK the rest of the world. For the most part, we’re just average, everyday women with unusual life histories. We’re not men who became or live as women because we were never really men in the first place. If trans women can successfully make those two points to the world at large, we win.

After years of attending all of those other weddings...

it is finally time for you to say

Photo: JAG Studios www.jagstudios.net

It’s about 9:30 p.m. on a Tuesday night. I’m sitting in the waiting area at Penn Station in New York waiting for a train home to New Jersey after an evening in Manhattan with a friend. An older woman and her husband are sitting about 30 feet from me. I’m reading a book on my iPad and not really paying close attention until I hear the woman say to her husband, probably quite as not quietly as she’d intended, “See Marty? Look at how she holds her hands. It’s like a man.” I peek over out of the corner of my eye, but the woman is oblivious to me as she reports her observations to her husband. I return my gaze to my iPad and listen more closely. “You can always tell with the hands, Marty. That’s the giveaway. The hands.” The woman does have a point. I have big mitts like my father did, and I generally don’t have my nails done because I do so much typing they tend to chip and get in the way. There’s a zone many trans women live in, especially those of us who have lived our lives still in possession of fully or semi-functional testosterone factories between our legs, and particularly those of us who begin estrogen later in life. It’s the zone where we’ll often pass through life unnoticed for the most part but a keen observer may detect us as trans. It’s the zone where even though someone might suspect that we weren’t designated female at birth, they’re not certain enough to risk a public comment that could be extraordinarily embarrassing if proven wrong. That’s where I live, and it’s where a lot of middle-aged trans women live. It’s the grayish life space where you’re less likely to hear “That’s a man!” and more likely to hear “Was that…?”. To be honest, it’s not such a bad place to live most of the time. It doesn’t usually involve being misgendered, and in some cases, realizing that a woman may be trans may even lead to increased courtesy in some circles. Most of the time it means trans women like me can expect to be treated the same way in our daily lives as those who began life with an F on their birth certificates, and that’s as much as a lot of us have ever really wanted.

On your big day – be it a wedding, black-tie gala, or corporate event – I DO, Custom Events is your gay owned-and-operated, boutique event planner, here in Fort Lauderdale or at the fabulous destination of your dreams. You do you, and we do the rest. .

Rebecca Juro is a nationally-published freelance journalist and radio talk show host who is the Media Correspondent for The Advocate website. Her work has appeared in the Huffington Post, the Washington Blade, Gay City News, the Albany Times Union, and The Advocate magazine, among others. Rebecca lives in central New Jersey and shares her life with a somewhat antisocial cat. Email: rjuroshow@gmail.com Twitter: @beckyjuro

www.IDOcustomevents.com (954) 626-0131 soflagaynews //

SouthFloridaGayNews // SFGN.com // 4 .29.2015 //

guest column

GAYS CONDEMNING RIOTS The Greatest of Hypocrisies

Matt Comer

Editor's note: this piece was written after the Ferguson riots but is still relevant in light of the Baltimore riots that are taking place now.

They attacked cops, after hitting them with personal items, resisting arrest and escaping detainment. They hurled bottles and other debris through the air. One cop's eye was badly cut. Police officers were forced to barricade themselves inside a business to protect them from the unruly mob, which in turn uprooted a parking meter trying to break down the locked door and then tried to burn the business down while the cops were inside — a business many considered their "home." They set garbage cans on fire. They marched through the streets blocking traffic and stopping cars and busses full of people, intimidating passengers — including a newly wedded couple — into supporting their cause. They overturned one car and used it as a barricade against a police phalanx. They set another car on fire. They smashed the windows of at least one police cruiser. They damaged other stores in the area and there were even some reports of looting, though protesters would blame that on outside agitators unassociated with their cause. A mob of as many as 1,000 threatened to burn down the

offices of the local newspaper.

No, that's not Ferguson after the failed non-indictment of officer Darren Wilson. No, it's not New York City after the failed non-indictment of officers involved in the killing of Eric Garner. No, it's not any of the other disruptive protests that occurred in the aftermaths of these systemic failures of justice. It's the Stonewall Riots — when LGBT people took to the streets, lashed out at police and waged an all-out affront against police authority, a quintessential, dictionary case of "riot." But some gays are hypocrites: They condemn the rioting in the aftermath of extreme miscarriages of justice for black people, all the while ignoring the fact they gather once a year to openly celebrate and commemorate a riot — a violent outburst that served as the so-called birth of their movement. Either that, or they're completely, utterly ignorant of their own history. "Pride celebrates equality," they'll tell you, fully unaware of the history and meaning of Stonewall. "LGBT people have gotten further with non-violence than violence," they'll add, fully unable to comprehend that the violent riot is what initiated the most widespread, coordinated, and peaceful organizing the LGBT community had ever seen — resulting in an explosion of new chapters of activist groups across the country and the very first Christopher Street Liberation Day Marches, the historic beginnings of our modern-day Pride parades and celebrations. But these types of finger-wagging, naysaying gays can take some comfort and solace in knowing they've always been in good company:

// 4.29.2015 // SFGN.com //

"We homosexuals plead with our people to please help maintain peaceful and quiet conduct on the streets of the Village" — Mattachine That was the handwritten sign left on the front of the burned out Stonewall Inn sometime after the first night of rioting began. (Yes, "first night." You read that correctly; there were multiple nights of rioting and violence). If the Mattachine Society — the older, wealthier, more established law-and-order gays (think the 1950s- and-'60sversion of the Human Rights Campaign) — had had their way, Stonewall never would have happened: "[The] screaming queens forming chorus lines and kicking went against everything that I wanted people to think about homosexuals... that we were a bunch of drag queens in the Village acting disorderly and tacky and cheap." — Randy Wicker, Mattachine member But at the very least, some upper-crust, don't-rock-the-boat gays had the brains to understand the reasons why so many, including homeless LGBT youth who called the bar and the park across the street home, were so very violently angry and upset, writing in their newsletter after the riots: "It [the Stonewall Inn] catered largely to a group of people who are not welcome in, or cannot afford, other places of homosexual social gathering... The Stonewall became home to these kids. When it was raided, they fought for it. That, and the fact that they had nothing to lose other than the most tolerant and broadminded gay place in town, explains why." And that kind of understanding and empathy, however slight, is exactly what's missing today. You don't have to like it. You don't have to think it is the "right way" to organize. You don't have to see their fully complete 10-point political agenda and their "goals" for change. You don't have to believe violence is "okay" (no one is making that argument, by the way). You just have to understand the anger. You have to step back and accept that these protests and riots over police brutality and systemic racism and failed justice might just be the very flashpoint needed for this moment in history — the same kind of flashpoint our community experienced in 1969. And instead of your finger-wagging disapproval, maybe you might take some time to educate yourself on your own history. Maybe street protests aren't your thing, so instead you

soflagaynews //

SouthFloridaGayNews

might join the chorus of people calling for change. But above all, maybe you should examine inside yourself the place of privilege that allows you to treat modern black folk's uprisings differently than you treat others, including your own, throughout American history — riots and acts of violence we now collectively, as a society, celebrate and commemorate. A thought from friend TJ Helmstetter: "We have a gay pride parade every year to commemorate the riot at Stonewall. The American Revolution was started by a riot. The eight hour workday and labor rights were brought about in part by riots. Riots occurred at pivotal points in the movements to end slavery, to end Jim Crow, to end the Vietnam War, to expand Civil Rights, and during periods of unrest like the Great Depression and the Civil War. "Riots signify a moment in history when it's time for collective change. It's time for change. It's time to recognize that Black Lives Matter. Social change isn't easy, it never is — and when you are in a position of privilege and power over others, unrest can be scary. But think about how much scarier it is on the other side, when you have nothing left to lose because your kids are getting gunned down in the streets. "So in conclusion, don't be outraged about the riots. Be outraged that black children are not safe in America, and do something about it."

Matt Comer lives in Charlotte, North Carolina where he works as editor of QNotes, the state's Charlotte-based LGBT community newspaper. Matt has been active in local, state and national LGBT and progressive educational work, journalism and advocacy since his teens.

LGBT CRUISES & TOUR EVENTS

from $599 pp MC Miss Conception

14th Annual

7 Nig Night HALLOWEEN CRUISE

Oct O 25 Nov1, 2015 Departs from Fort Lauderdale, Florida onboard the Independence of the Seas Depa Visiting San Juan, Puerto Rico, Philipsburg/St. Maarten, Basseterre, St. St Kitts with 3 days at sea

featuring Miss Coco Peru

DJ Michael Kessler

Private Group Event Includes:

Aquafest Cruise Rates Superior Private Balcony Stateroom $909 pp Ocean view Stateroom $709 pp Interior Stateroom $599 pp

Amy and Freddy

- $1,000 in Costume Prizes - Group Dining - Top GLBT Entertainment - Optional Beach Party - Private Gay Disco with - Nightly Shows & Gatherings DJ Michael Kessler & much, much more... Deposit: $250pp (suites may require a higher deposit) Final Payment: July 24, 2015

Book by May 31, 2015 for these Great Rates!

Port charges, taxes and fees: f Port charges, taxes tax and fees: are $279.80 per person additional based on double occupancy and $469.80 for single occupancy and subject to change without noti notice. All Fees, taxes, and any surcharges imposed by the cruise line are subject to change without single, quads. Ask for details. ** Rates not held in allotment and pricing subject to change. Complete notice. Charges vary ffor singl e, triples, and quad

CALL TODAY: (800) 592-9058 www.AquafestCruises.com soflagaynews //

SouthFloridaGayNews // SFGN.com // 4 .29.2015 //

Where People Get Better We treat the chemical dependency and the underlying issues that contribute to drug and alcohol addiction. Whether you are a professional, a parent, or a student, now you can get better. All calls are 100% conﬁdential. Detox

Residential

OutpatientPM

Aftercare

800.778.6792 www.FHErehab.com

100% CONFIDENTIAL All calls are confidential. Your treatment may be covered 100% by insurance. Nationally Accredited Treatment Center

opinion letters to the editor

How can SFGN support Log Cabin Republicans? Dear South Florida Gay News:

I read the Log Cabin Republican announcement about their recent fundraiser and I just can’t believe the SFGN is giving a voice to these people. The LCR groups have repeatedly placed the civil rights of LGBT on the back burner to what they consider more important issues (like cutting $143 million in funding from the Ryan White program). According to the national LCR’s own website, they have long endorsed homophobes such as Ronald Reagan, George W. Bush, Sarah Palin, Mitt Romney, and on and on... According to your announcement, they also held a silent auction which contained photos of Ronald Reagan and Margaret Thatcher memorabilia. I think anyone over the age of 35 remembers what it was like when those two were in power. Reagan ignored the AIDS epidemic while tens of thousands of our gay brothers died horrible deaths. Meanwhile, Margaret Thatcher pushed through Clause 28 in

England which actually outlawed any positive discussion of homosexuality by any government organization or even school groups. How can the SFGN support such a group that promotes politicians who would take away our rights or even imprison us if given the chance? Would the SFGN publish announcements for an antisemitic, neo-nazi, or a KKK gay group? How is this group any better if they are willing to support political leaders who would attack us at every opportunity? I really enjoy reading the SFGN but on this issue, I’m very dissapointed in the SFGN leadership. Sincerely, Christopher Gardner Wilton Manors 305.240.5422 chris10858@gmail.com

God Has Never Abandoned Us Dear South Florida Gay News: This is regarding Jason Parsley’s article “has God Removed His Blessing From America?” You ask the question: “when exactly did we have God’s blessing in America to begin with.” Everyday is a blessing from God. The examples you quote of not having God’s blessing is because all those horrid statements by those such as Jerry Falwell, Pat Robertson and Hal Lindsey, as well as the atrocities of slavery and the taking of Native American lands (just to name a few) – all of this is humankind’s doing, not God. God has given us free will to do with AS we will. God’s hope is that we would use our free will for the betterment of all and to His glory. What humankind chooses to do with our free will is not God’s doing. God has never abandoned us even in the most devastating of times. The killing of innocents, our greed, our

// 4.29.2015 // SFGN.com //

soflagaynews //

SouthFloridaGayNews

feeling of superiority and entitlement, our ignorance, our intolerance of those different than ourselves – all of this is OUR CHOICE TO MAKE, not God’s. When we learn to not blame God but rather take responsibility for our own actions, then, and only then will we know the true meaning of Gods blessings. Thank you. Ken Kelley, Owner Scandals Saloon, Wilton Manors The Stable, Oakland Park

soflagaynews //

SouthFloridaGayNews // SFGN.com // 4 .29.2015 //

column publisher’s editorial

Photos: Impulse South Florida. Facebook.

Impulse Should Be Celebrated, not Censured

Norm Kent

norm.kent@sfgn.com

Last week, the SFGN ran a story titled ‘Impulse Group Accused of Age Discrimination.’ It lit a smoldering fire. The story generated a score of comments and dozens of calls. It was picked up by two of the nation’s leading LGBT websites, Advocate.com and Qweerty.com. This week, according to my editor, another story will appear about the growing controversy. The central theme of the article was that Impulse, a group of volunteers dedicated to reaching out to young people to help stop the spread of HIV, was charging a fee at their pool parties to anyone over 40. This practice, people have protested, constitutes ageism. Nonsense! Last week’s article also noted that the Pride Center of Equality Park had earlier this year held an event titled ‘An Evening in Paradise,’ which offered a discounted price point for those between 18 and 35. The piece also stated that the purpose was to ‘divide the community.’ That subjective comment did not belong there. It too, was nonsense. In fact, both groups, Impulse and the Pride Center, are doing a remarkable job at trying to unite the community and enhance testing outreach methods for HIV. The Pride Center not only conducts HIV youth groups and educational classes, it holds community forums weekly. Underwritten by the AIDS Healthcare Foundation, Impulse is an all-volunteer organization making HIV testing a component of every one of their events. Few jobs in my own life were as rewarding as my three-year tenure as the executive director of AIDS Project Florida, which began in 2002. My primary task was not only to treat the thousands of patients who visited our clinic, but also to make sure we could stem the rates of growth of HIV in South Florida. ‘An ounce of prevention,’ we all learned as kids, ‘is worth a pound of cures.’ That is not age discrimination. That is common sense.

// 4.29.2015 // SFGN.com //

I set off a firestorm when I used some of our agency’s funds to acquire a 1966 Volkswagen van to use as a mobile testing vehicle at county fairs. I also tripled the amount of people we got tested for HIV on the weekends. The reason you put a runaway shelter on the Fort Lauderdale Beach instead of in Pembroke Pines is because that is where the kids are. But I remember almost being lynched, when, as a young college professor in 1978, I proposed building a shelter on A1A. The thing about being run out of town is that you have to get in front of the crowd and make it look like a parade. The reason you hold a beach party for HIV prevention is because 25 percent of all new infections occur between the ages of 13 and 24. Ages 24 to 35 are not much better. Infections are rising still. We must develop innovative techniques to reach out and educate this population. Whatever we are doing, we are not doing enough. Next week, SFGN will be one of the many media sponsors supporting a $150 plate dinner at the Hard Rock Hotel to benefit the Pride Center at Equality Park and the Harvey Milk Foundation. Dare I say that there won’t be many persons 25 and younger there? What you do as an AIDS advocate is try to reach your target population. The 10th annual Florida AIDS Walk got a lot more people tested bringing in Salt-n-Pepa than they would have by hosting Tony Bennett. They not only provided facilities for testing, they did so in a lively, fun, interactive environment that fostered HIV education. You reach people more with fun than with fear. It’s Basic Marketing 101. So if some HIV group wants to hold a party for young people their own age, why can’t we just leave them the hell alone? Not for profit AIDS agencies have a dual mission. They not only have to treat a disease that has spread worldwide, they have to stop it from spreading further.

soflagaynews //

SouthFloridaGayNews

AHF knows this. They are in 33 countries, places where contracting HIV, let alone being gay, is a disgrace. AHF understands a significant component of their mission is to reach out to people so they don’t get HIV. Prevention matters. If your target population is a younger demographic, you reach them with innovative techniques that go beyond expensive sit down dinners in hotels. You use social media, music, beach parties, bar crawls, and any lawful technique, which finds young people where they are and where they like to be. You do what you can to bring those persons within the paradigm of care. The argument that Impulse is practicing age discrimination is legitimately newsworthy, but fundamentally meritless. You older folks, just settle down. You can get your senior discounts at the movie theater and bagel shops, but Impulse ought to be able to freely create their own agenda without you getting on their case.

FUNERAL HOMES FOR SALE Five Funeral Establishments in South Florida

•

• Palm Beach County funeral home and crematorium – with embalming facilities 30 funerals and 2000 cremations per year • South Miami Westchester Miami, 400 cases per year, 20 years in operation • Hispanic market – over 1,200 cases annually. Includes flower shop and casket retail store • Hispanic market. New turn key facility... little Havana • Aventura Neighborhood Funeral Home, facilities for Jewish families. In neighborhood ofAnglos, Russians, Jewish, Latinos, Haitian, Asian and Chinese. Can be converted into boutique. LGBT Facility serving all the beaches and North Miami Beach

•

CONTACT Jeff Stubins Realtor (305) 389 - 0601 • Email: jstubins@stubins.com

soflagaynews //

SouthFloridaGayNews // SFGN.com // 4 .29.2015 //

feature

Christiana Lilly

Whether you are a mother, or you have one, these gifts are sure to please

Mother’s Day GIFT GUIDE

Thanks to changing laws and a society growing more of an open mind, more and more LGBT people are able to start families of their own. That means more and more women are celebrating Mother’s Day! The holiday is May 10, and we’ve compiled a few unique gifts to get you started.

3. Adopt an Animal

1. Little Figs clothing For moms-to-be or those with little ones, Little Figs is a line of adorable onesies and t-shirts for children of same-sex couples. Founded by couple Arrin and Mary, the two created the line when they had twin boys and couldn’t ﬁnd cute clothing for their sons with messages that ﬁt their family. Hand screen-printed and made in the USA, most of the items are 100 percent organic cotton. $17.50 to $18.50, Little Figs, Etsy.com/shop/LittleFigs

$85, contact Frances Pincon at 305-328-8809, email francesp@zsf.org, or visit ZooMiami.org.

2. Alex & Ani Bracelets The popular line of jewelry has always had a “mom” charm bracelet, and for this year’s Mother’s Day, they’ve launched the Pursuit of Persephone line with birth month ﬂower charms and The Guardian Angel Collection. For moms who are spiritual or just love bling, these Americanmade bracelets are sure to dazzle their wrists. $28 to $38, Alex and Ani locations throughout South Florida or online at AlexAndAni.com

// 4.29.2015 // SFGN.com //

For mamas who have a soft spot for the animal kingdom, Zoo Miami has put together a thoughtful package for those who want to symbolically adopt a critter. Moms receive a gift-wrapped charm bracelet, a photo of the adopted animal, a certiﬁcate of adoption, and a folder from Zoo Miami. Proceeds go to the care of the animals. Order by May 4 to ensure delivery in time for Mother’s Day.

4. Mamas Day E-Cards

Strong Families, lead by the multicultural organization Forward Together, created Mamas Day four years ago to celebrate mothers of all kinds, from working moms to single moms and those raising children with a samesex partner. On the site, you’ll ﬁnd beautiful e-cards designed by artists of a variety of backgrounds that’ll ﬁt just right for your unique family. Free, visit MamasDay.org

soflagaynews //

SouthFloridaGayNews

5. MAC Attack For the ladies who love playing with makeup, head over to a MAC store for loads of fun products. The VIVA GLAM collection was founded in 1994 with a portion of sales beneﬁting the company’s HIV/ AIDS program, raising more than $250 million for men, women, and children impacted by the disease. Plenty of LGBT-friendly celebrities have been the face of the campaign, including Nicki Minaj, Ricky Martin, Lady Gaga, Miley Cyrus, and Cyndi Lauper, so you know your money is going to a good place. $15 to $16, MAC Cosmetics locations throughout South Florida or online at maccosmetics.com

6. The Spa Splurge Really to go all out this holiday? The W Fort Lauderdale (a huge supporter of the Human Rights Council, by the way) is offering a Fabulous Four package at their Bliss spa. That includes a facial, 49-minute massage, hot cream manicure, and a pedicure. The 169-minute experience is one that special mom will never forget. $265, W Fort Lauderdale, 401 N. Fort Lauderdale Beach Blvd. in Fort Lauderdale, 954- 414-8200, wfortlauderdalehotel.com

column

This week’s question:

Name an issue or cause that you care about, or are involved with, and why? 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:

“

Here's something I'd like to hear more about in our community "UB2" and "clean with proof." I know firsthand health education is a focus of organizations such as The Pride Center and Broward House. We should by now know how to protect our selves and partners. Relying on fear not education will build community."

— R. J. Hadley, community activist, Pride Center Health Educator

“

I am the SouthEast Regional Director for National Organization for Women. The reason I think it is important to focus on issues that are considered Women’s issues is that we need to have equality. This country was founded on the basis of “No taxation without representation.” When women and minorities are required to follow the laws and not represented in the government that makes the rules it is wrong…and un-American! It is the right that people in this country are treated equally and fairly. It makes us a stronger nation." — Meredith L Ockman, community activist and a director of NOW

“

An issue that I care about in greatly is Civil Rights issues. In the past few years I’ve seen the world turn back to a time of my parents where to be African American/Black in America is to always have to be aware that you are. That is to always be aware that you will be treated differently and that you must aware of your surroundings at all times. Civil Rights issues are important to me as a descendant of the African Diaspora because Civil Rights issues aren’t hearsay issues, it is everyday life struggles on the forefront my reality. It is a cause I have marched and protested for adamantly and will continue to do so." — Danielle Allen, founder of the Black Women's Education Empowerment Initiative

“

Ray and I are committed to making the local Stonewall National Museum the finest in the country. We do so because we seek to preserve the heroic history of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people for this and future generations."

— Brian McNaught, noted columnist, author and LGBT activist

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

SouthFloridaGayNews // SFGN.com // 4 .29.2015 //

lifestyle books

'An American Queer:

The Amazon Trail' By Lee Lynch

Terri Schlichenmeyer

$16.95 / $18.95 Canada 258 pages c.2014, Bold Strokes Books

Ahhh, the Good Old Days. You hear that a lot from people with short memories. Life was slower in the Good Old Days, less complicated, less structured. But was it truly good? The answer isn’t easy: in your life, you’ve seen plenty of changes, positive and negative, and so has Lee Lynch. In her new collection of essays, “An American Queer: The Amazon Trail,” she remembers them… Back in 1960, when then-teenage lesbian Lee Lynch was outed to her parents, few people “were even capable of believing… that a fifteen-year-old could be sexually active.” It was obviously a more innocent time but still, Lynch says, “Hypervigilance settled deeply into my very muscles.” Dancing with someone of the same sex was illegal in some places then, and entering a lesbian bar was a nervous, gutsy move. At one point, Lynch and a girlfriend were denied a camping spot because they were lesbians. Even vacationing where she didn’t have to hide and was “surrounded for once by my own” was a gleeful, rare delight; Lynch knew other lesbians, but she knew that knowledge couldn’t be public. But the times, they were a-changing. As years went by, Lynch became an activist for gay rights and women’s issues. She noted how politics – especially those impacting the lives of certain sectors of society – became harshly divisive. She saw the beginning of the AIDS crisis, the bigotry that it brought, and the friends it killed. She later noticed with gratitude how, in preventing the loss of human rights, “People from all over are offering to help.” Lynch made friends with some straights, and marched in her first Gay Pride parade.

// 4.29.2015 // SFGN.com //

soflagaynews //

SouthFloridaGayNews

“Today,” she says, “because our history has become visible, it has also started to look more like our present.” And marriage? “What a lovely question.” I struggled for awhile with “An American Queer: The Amazon Trail,” not because of what’s said but because of how it’s arranged. Author Lee Lynch offers readers so much: written with a gentle, almost stream-of-consciousness voice, this book is partly memoir and partly LGBT history with a personal touch. Lynch’s essays are approachable, comfortable, and enjoyable to read, and how she writes about the past is more relatable for casual readers, I think, than are similar books by academics. This is the kind of thing – the kind of writing – you want on an easy curl-up-and-read day. I questioned, however, the inclusion of the books’ first few chapters. Those early essays from the beginning of Lynch’s writing career are terribly dated and, because of their conversational tone, they felt out-of-place to me, maybe a little too homey. I don’t think that’ll be an issue for older gay or lesbian readers, but it could be off-putting for younger ones - and they’re the readers who could most benefit from this book. My advice is to give it a whirl, stick with it, and you won’t be sorry. In “An American Queer: The Amazon Trail,” Lynch’s experiences and her thoughts are LGBT history at street-level, and that’s pretty good.

DISTINCTIVE HOMES

Visit us online at

JOE-JIM.COM

Presented by Joe Ando and Jim Cunningham

Wilton Manors

2825 NE 6th Avenue, $869,000 4 bedrooms

3.5 bathrooms

2825NE6Ave.com 133 NE 21st Court, $559,000 3,181 sf

10,520 sf lot

Built in 2011

Entertainer’s Dream ~ Newer Construction ~ Well Appointed Pool Home

1,880 sf

11,871 sf lot

Impact windows

Fort Lauderdale

2725 NE 21 Avenue, $579,000 2 bathrooms

2725NE21Ave.com 1741 NE 4th Avenue, #F5, $324,000

2,064 sf

8,400 sf lot

3 bedrooms

Resort Like Pool Home ~ Professional Quality in Home Movie Theatre ~ 1 Car Garage

Wilton Manors

Sold

2.5 bathrooms

1,947 sf

2.5 bathrooms

1,786 sf

Remodeled in 2008

Pet friendly

Wilton Manors

3 bedrooms

Beautiful Renovation ~ Large Open Floor Plan ~ Corner Lot

RiverLandings1741.com

End Unit Town Home ~ Gated Pool Community ~ 1 Car Garage

Sold

532NE28St.com 1724 NE 28th Drive, Sold for $425,000

532 NE 28th Street, Sold for $520,000 3 bedrooms

2 bathrooms

Spacious Renovated Home ~ Over-sized Park Like Grounds ~ 2 Car Garage

Fort Lauderdale

3 bedrooms

133NE21Ct.com

2 bathrooms

Coral Gardens Pool Home

1,862 sf

Abundant Living & Entertaining Space ~ Nicely Renovated ~ Gorgeous Pool

Joe Ando & Jim Cunningham Realtor Associates | 954.839.8800 jando@onesothebysrealty.com jcunningham@onesothebysrealty.com

401 E Las Olas Boulevard, Suite 100 Fort Lauderdale, FL 33301 ©MMXIV ONE Sotheby’s International Realty, licensed real estate broker. Sotheby’s International Realty® is a licensed trademark to Sotheby’s International Realty Affiliates LLC. An Equal Opportunity Company. Equal Housing Opportunity. Each Office is Independently Owned and Operated. The information contained herein is deemed accurate but not guaranteed. Prices subject to change without notice.

soflagaynews //

SouthFloridaGayNews // SFGN.com // 4 .29.2015 //

lifestyle history

HOMO HISTORY 101 Pier Angelo

Tallulah Bankhead

, an American actress, was known for her deep voice and liberal support. She had been known to describe herself as "ambisextrous."

Henry "Harry" Hay, Jr. (1912 –2002) was a prominent American gay rights

activist, labor advocate, and Native American civil rights campaigner. Born to a wealthy middle-class family in England, Hay was raised in Chile and California. From an early age he acknowledged his same-sex sexual attraction, and came under the influence of Marxism. He become a committed activist in left-wing labor and anti-racist campaigns. As a result of societal pressure, he attempted to become heterosexual by marrying a female Party activist in 1938, with whom he adopted two children. Recognizing that he remained homosexual, his marriage ended and in 1950 he founded the Mattachine Society. Hay's developing belief in the cultural minority status of homosexuals led him to take a stand against the “assimilationism” advocated by the majority of gay rights campaigners. He subsequently became a co-founder of the Los Angeles chapter of the Gay Liberation Front in 1969, although in 1970 moved to New Mexico with his longtime partner John Burnside. Hay's ongoing interest in Native American spirituality led the couple to co-found the Radical Faeries in 1979. Returning to Los Angeles, Hay remained involved in an array of activist causes throughout his life, and became a well-known, albeit controversial, elder statesman within the country's gay community. He has been described as "the father of gay liberation," and has been the subject of a biography and documentary film.

Tallulah Bankhead (1902 –1968)

was an American actress of the stage and screen, talk-show host, and reputed libertine. Bankhead was also known for her deep voice, flamboyant personality and support of liberal causes, which broke with the tendency of Southern Democrats at the time to support a more conservative agenda. She was inducted into the Alabama Women's Hall of Fame in 1981. Rumors about Bankhead's sex life have lingered for years, and she was linked romantically with many notable female personalities of the day, including, Greta Garbo, Marlene Dietrich, as well as writer Mercedes de Acosta and singer Billie Holiday. Actress Patsy Kelly claimed she had a sexual relationship with Bankhead when she worked for her as a personal assistant. Bankhead never publicly described herself as being bisexual. She did, however, describe herself as "ambisextrous."

// 4.29.2015 // SFGN.com //

soflagaynews //

SouthFloridaGayNews

Vito Russo (1946 –1990) was an American LGBT activist, film historian and author who is best remembered as the author of the book The Celluloid Closet (1981. Russo developed his material following screenings of camp films shown as fundraisers for the early gay rights organization Gay Activists Alliance. He traveled throughout the country from 1972 to 1982, delivering The Celluloid Closet as a live lecture presentation with film clips at colleges, universities, and small cinemas such as the Roxie Cinema in San Francisco and the Hirschfeld Biograph in Dublin. In both the book and in the lecture/film clip presentation, he related the history of gay and lesbian moments – and the treatment of gay and lesbian characters – in American and foreign films of the past. Russo was diagnosed with HIV in 1985, and died of AIDSrelated complications in 1990. His work was posthumously brought to television in the 1996 HBO documentary film The Celluloid Closet, coexecutive produced and narrated by Lily Tomlin. In 2013, GLAAD named the "Vito Russo test" after him, a set of criteria intended to analyze the representation of LGBT characters in films. 1656: New Haven passes a law that punished by death “‘men lying with men as with women and women changing the ‘natural use, into which is against nature.’” This law is unique among colonial legislation for its inclusion of women’s ‘unnatural acts.’ 1901: Influential New York politician Murray Hall dies and is revealed to have been a passing woman. 1912: At Polly Halliday’s restaurant in NYC, Heterodoxy, a feminist luncheon club for ‘unorthodox women’ begins meeting by monthly.

During the late 1980s, support for gay marriage was essentially unheard of in the US. 40 years later support is at its highest point in recorded history. 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.

, lifestyle tony s talks

Bash Held in DC for Marriage Equality Plaintiffs Across the Country

Tony Adams

Marriage plaintiffs from more than 30 states, in cases spanning 40 years, gathered in Washington DC on Monday at a special event, “National Marriage Plaintiffs Gathering,” hosted by Freedom to Marry. “This gathering on the eve of the Supreme Court's oral arguments will allow us to celebrate our decades-long work to win the freedom to marry nationwide, together,” said Freedom To Marry’s Adam Polaski. In attendance from Florida were Aaron Huntsman and his husband Lee Jones, the two Key West bartenders whose case overturned the Florida ban on same-sex marriage and trounced Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi’s efforts to block marriage equality. At the gathering, when asked what a marriage equality victory at the Supreme Court level would mean to him personally, Huntsman said, “This victory will mean that the states will not have the right to invade our privacy and to dictate our rights as Americans.” Jones added, “I am confident that the court will discard arguments full of bigotry and nonsense made by the opposition, who have tried to blame all kinds of mayhem including holes in the ozone layer on my marriage to Aaron! I am confident the Supreme Court will see through all of that and make the right decision.” Also at the event was Florida attorney Nancy Konter Brodzki, who led the state’s first winning same-sex divorce case, Brassner v Lade, in Broward Circuit Court. “Before I won my case, two Florida judges refused to grant same-sex divorces because they didn’t recognize the marriages involved,” Brodzki said. “The way I see it, the Supremes will consider two questions: is there a fundamental right to marry, and, are states forced to recognize all same-sex marriages? In the case I handled, it was terrible for a couple to be married in Massachussetts and then to be living in Florida and not able to get a divorce. It is what we refer to as being ‘wedlocked.’” At the reception, Freedom To Marry’s Executive Director, Evan Wolfson, said, “This is such an amazing gathering, where Freedom To Marry is so happy to host all of the plaintiffs we could track down from 40 years in 33 states and 55 cases of fighting and working and telling our stories, and they are all gathered in one room tonight with huge hope for tomorrow and the

Photo: Tony Adams.

win we have all worked for. I want to thank The Key West plaintiffs for having the idea for this gathering. We are honored to make it happen.” At the reception, the earliest case involving marriage equality plaintiffs involved two Hawaiians who, during the seven years it took to bring the suit to completion, had ended their relationship and moved into relationships with other women. Genora Dancel and Ninia Baehr say the case lasted seven years as did their relationship. They are still good friends, and Dancel says, “We still have a lifelong relationship. It’s just not the one we anticipated when we applied for a marriage license.” Florida’s Tony Lima, Executive Director of SAVE (Safeguarding American Values For Everyone – savedade.org) was at the reception, and said, “It’s so exciting to be here as an operational plaintiff. SAVE was the operational plaintiff in the Federal case that ultimately brought marriage equality to Florida.” Mark Phariss and Vic Holmes were plaintiffs in the Texas case. “Our case is before the fifth circuit – almost four months now - and it is still pending a decision,” Pharris said. “Mark and I love each other very much and would love to get married in our home state,” Holmes said. “We’ve been together eighteen years and he’s still so cute.” Phariss added, “We are so confident in the results of the Supreme Court hearing that we have already hired a florist, booked a venue and made all the reservations we need for the date we have chosen to get married in Texas.” The White House’s Valerie Jarrett, Senior Advisor to the President of the U.S., toasted the group, saying, “I am a recovering lawyer, so I know that you advocates and plaintiffs have to basically put your lives on hold to do what you do. Our true north in this administration is that no matter who you are, what zip code you grew up in, no matter what your parents did or what your race, or your gender identity, no matter what you believe in or who you love, you ought to be able to have equal opportunity in this country. That’s what we are fighting for. For everybody.” She drew a clear comparison to the battle for LGBT rights with the battles for rights for the disabled, African-American and Latino communities and for anyone without equal footing, saying, “The right to love who you want is a strength, not a weakness.” soflagaynews //

SouthFloridaGayNews // SFGN.com // 4 .29.2015 //

lifestyle food

Dining Deals on the Drive Rick Karlin

e all know that there are plenty of happy hour deals and drink specials to allow you to drink your way from one end of Wilton Drive to the other without breaking the bank. But, we’re here to focus on food and, if you plan it right, you can dine out every night, often

for less than it would cost you to prepare similar dishes at home. With some smart dining choices, you can eat your way down Wilton Drive and still have enough money left over for cocktails, so let’s start at the north end of the street and work our way south.

Hobo’s Café at Rumors 2426 Wilton Dr. 954-565-8851 RumorsBarWiltonManors.com

We could do a column focusing on the specials at this place alone. On Tuesdays from 4-10 p.m. you can get a 10 oz. filet mignon with a buffet’s worth of a choice of sides for $19. Wednesday features an offer you can’t refuse; the Italian combo with a choice of penne or spaghetti, marinara or meat sauce, meatballs, sausage, veal or chicken Parmesan, served with salad and

garlic bread, priced $12-$14, depending on entrée. Friday’s $12 fish fry is served all day and night. On weekends, when most places dump their specials, is when Hobo’s really cranks it up, with a $15 barbecue buffet on Saturdays and a plentiful Sunday buffet brunch for $14.50, and with the new canopied dining area, you won’t have to eat at the bar.

There’s a new owner at this community favorite, and while he’s added some new dimensions to the menu, he’s wisely left the nightly specials as they’ve been for years. On Monday through Saturdays the special will cost you $11.99. Monday’s special is a fajitas platter, Tuesday’s is bacon wrapped meat loaf, Wednesday’s features a meatball sub sandwich and on Thursdays you can

6 Happy hour (Monday through Friday from 4-7 p.m.) specials include all flatbreads for $5. With combos such as bacon with caramelized onion and goat cheese, barbecue chicken with gouda, prosciutto

Alibi/Monkey Bar 2266 Wilton Dr. 954-565-2526 AlibiWiltonManors.com

enjoy the pulled pork burrito bowl. The weekend kicks off with fish and chips on Friday, followed by taco salad on Saturday. Sunday features the most popular dish, fried chicken, which will run you a buck more. A word of warning; these specials run out, especially the fried chicken, so get there early.

13-Even 2037 N .Wilton Dr. 954-565-8550 13-even.com with arugula and a smoked salmon tostada; you’re certain to find something to tempt you. Thirteen/Even’s fantastic empanadas are also $5 during happy hour, as are select wines, while select beers are $2.50.

Although known more for its drinks, B. Bar and Grille does offer the Bill’s burger combo for $7 until 6 p.m. daily. Thursday’s

B. Bar & Grille 2209 N. Wilton Dr. 954-567-5978 BBarAndGrille.com special dishes up three crunchy beef tacos for $5 and is available all night.

Courtyard Café 2211 Wilton Dr. 954-563-2499 WiltonManorsCourtYardCafe.com

On Monday from 4-11 p.m., this popular casual spot expands its burger menu to more than double the usual choices and offers a free soft drink with each purchase. Wednesdays the special is a two for one deal on entrees, with the purchase of a

beverage. While they wouldn’t call the weekend specials anything as high-falutin’ as prix fixe, the meals do include a choice of soup or salad and start at $12. A “Two-forTuesday” special offers up two entrees and a shared appetizer for $20.

Humpy’s Pizza & Cupcakes 2244 N. Wilton Dr. (954) 566-2794 HumpysPizza.com

Not all specials are served during dinner hours. Humpy’s offers a $4.95 lunch special featuring a slice of cheese or pepperoni

pizza, salad and soft drink. If salads are too healthy for you, they’ll give you a free soft drink with the purchase of 2 slices of pizza.

Tropics 2000 Wilton Dr. 954-537-6000 TropicsWM.com

The spot, better known for its piano bar and Sunday brunch buffet, has just instituted some new specials. On Monday its “10 for $10” deal features entrees such as gnocchi, lamb stew, stuffed shells or

baby back ribs, among others. On Tuesdays and Thursdays all you’ll get one entree free with the purchase of another. No charge for feeling like a mere babe in the woods.

Next column we’ll take a look at some incredible dining deals off the Drive.

// 4.29.2015 // SFGN.com //

soflagaynews //

SouthFloridaGayNews

soflagaynews //

SouthFloridaGayNews // SFGN.com // 4 .29.2015 //

Men’s Night! EVERY WEDNESDAY NIGHT 2 for 1 dinners* and drink specials all night long *with drink purchase

PRESENT THIS AD TO RECEIVE 20% OFF ENTIRE CHECK AFTER 5 P.M. MONDAY & TUESDAY.

Santa Lucia Ristorante 2701 E Oakland Park Blvd, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33306

(954) 396-0930

SantaLuciaRistorante.com

Pita Paradise

Mediterranean, Vegetarian & Vegan Cuisine

•

4824 N. Federal Hwy, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33308 Catering For Parties Available Free Delivery

954-616-8716 Open 10 a.m. to 9 p.m.

// 4.29.2015 // SFGN.com //

soflagaynews //

SouthFloridaGayNews

Pita Paradise •

25% OFF ENTIRE BILL BETWEEN 4 p.m. - 7 p.m. or BUY ONE DINNER, SECOND 1/2 PRICE

soflagaynews //

SouthFloridaGayNews // SFGN.com // 4 .29.2015 //

F O R

SFGNITES

T H E

J.W. Arnold

jw@prdconline.com

THU

THEATER

W E E K

4/30

O F

A P R I L

3 0

M A Y

5 ,

2 0 1 5

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

The Navy lands in South Florida on Monday, May 4 for Fleet Week Port Everglades. The festivities kick off at the Seminole Paradise with the All Hands on Deck Welcoming Party.

There’s magic to do, all for you, at the Kravis Center in West Palm Beach through Sunday. The touring production of the Tony Awardwinning “Pippin” returns to South Florida this week with an all-star cast that includes actress Adrienne Barbeau (“Maude”) in the fictionalized musical tale about the relationship between Charlemagne and his son, Pippin. Don’t miss this opportunity to take in the updated acrobatic spectacle featuring cirque performers. Tickets start at $25 at Kravis.org.

FRI

PARTY

5/1

The Miami Gay and Lesbian Film Festival hosts its High Heel Party tonight after the 8:30 p.m. screening of “Jayson Bend: Queen and Country,” a gay secret agent flick from the James Bond 007 genre. There will be a high heel contest, open bar and entertainment. Who will wear them best, the guys or the girls? Don’t miss the fun at The Gleason Room, backstage at the Fillmore Miami Beach, 1700 Washington Ave. Tickets are $40 at MGLFF.com and include admission to the screening.

SAT

THEATER

5/2 SUN

Is Hollywood ready for an out leading man? That’s the premise of Douglas Carter Beane’s comedy, “The Little Dog Laughed,” presented by Island City Stage at Empire Stage, 1140 N. Flagler Drive. Carbonell Award-winning director Michael Leeds leads an all-star cast that includes a wickedly funny performance by Mia Matthews (Nickelodeon’s “Every Witch Way”). Performances Thursday through Saturday at 8 p.m. and Sunday at 5 p.m. through May 16. Tickets are $30 at IslandCityStage.org.

Credit: U.S. Navy

// 4.29.2015 // SFGN.com //

THEATER

5/3 MON EVENT

Instead of a big musical, check out the intimate play, “Vita & Virginia” at the Vanguard, 1501 S. Andrews Ave., the new home of Thinking Cap Theatre. The former church has been converted into a performance space, a perfect setting for this intimate, two woman play about the correspondence between kindred spirits Vita Sackville-West and Virginia Woolf. Thursday through Saturday at 8 p.m. and Sunday at 5 p.m. Tickets are $35 at ThinkingCapTheatre.com. soflagaynews //

5/4 TUE

Ahoy, mate! The Navy, Marines and Coast Guard are in town for Fleet Week Port Everglades, South Florida’s annual opportunity to salute our brave men and women in uniform. Tonight, our servicemen and women gather at the Seminole Paradise at the Hard Rock Casino and Hotel in Hollywood for the All Hands on Deck Welcoming Party beginning at 6 p.m. Why not stop by and thank them for their service? For a complete schedule of public Fleet Week events, go to BrowardNavyDaysInc.org.

SouthFloridaGayNews

CONCERT

5/5

As a part of Fleet Week Port Everglades, Navy Band Southeast, a talented ensemble of 40 military musicians, performs a free public concert tonight at 7 p.m. at the Pompano Beach Amphitheater, 1806 NE 6th Ave. The diverse musical program will include patriotic favorites, classics, and pops tunes. Lt. Scott Mythen conducts. The program will be repeated on Wednesday, May 6 at 7 p.m. at Arts Park on Young Circle in Hollywood. For more information, go to BrowardNavyDaysInc.org.

THE SOUTH FLORIDA SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA

IT’S HER BIRTHDAY

Summer Chamber Music Series

and you’re invited!

Dances fromthe Heart Svetlana Smolina

May 6, 7:30pm

Leiser Opera Center

Amanda

Austin

7pm Reception

Svetlana Smolina returns performing uplifting dances of J. Strauss, Chopin, Tchaikovsy, Schumann and Liszt.

SUNDAY, MAY 17 • 7 PM

June 9, World of Pride Members of the SFSO celebrate Gay Pride performing music of Gay Composers from Baroque to now. Music from Handel to Copland. July 14, Svetlana Smolina & Friends “Russian Soul” Svetlana and Friends perform Tchaikovsky and Rachmaninov

It’s Amanda’s birthday! Come celebrate at LIPS as she hosts “Dinner with the Divas” to benefit Poverello.

Make your reservation today! 954.567.0987

Leiser Opera Center • 7:00 pm Reception ~ 7:30 pm Concert

$35 General Admission To reserve your seats:

SouthFloridaSymphony.org

THE OFFICIAL KICK-OFF EVENT

Or 954-522-8445

The Ultimate in “Drag” Dining 1421 East Oakland Park Blvd. • Oakland Park, Florida 33334

soflagaynews //

SouthFloridaGayNews // SFGN.com // 4 .29.2015 //

a&e film

WINNER! BEST MUSICAL REVIVAL 2011 TONY AWARD®

Film Festival Opens to Big Audiences, Announces Name Change J.W. Arnold

Photo Credit: MGLFF

"A DELUXE CANDY BOX OF

COLE PORTER'S

BEST SONGS"

NOW ON SALE! MAY 5-17 TICKETS STARTING AT $34.75! BrowardCenter.org • 954.462.0222 For Groups 10+: 954.660.6307

ILLUSTRATION BY ROBERT RODRIGUEZ

The dark Director’s Cut of “54,” featuring deleted gay scenes, is one of the featured ﬁlms in the ﬁnal weekend of the Miami Gay and Lesbian Film Festival.

The Miami Gay and Lesbian Film Festival opened to sell-out crowds last weekend, but the big news of the weekend was the announcement of a new name for the 17-year-old festival and its fall Fort Lauderdale counterpart: MiFo. The new name, according to president and interim director of the festivals Mark Gilbert, is a nod to SoBe (South Beach), WeHo (West Hollywood) and SoHo (South of Houston) and is intended to accentuate the standing of the festivals within the international LGBT film circuit. “We believe that MiFo will become the moniker for one of the hippest, strongest and most important film festival duos in the world,” Gilbert said in an advance statement. “This new evolution of the name brings our two festivals into the 21st Century and implies the vibrancy and relevancy of the films we present to our audiences.” The name change was announced at the opening film, “Boulevard,” and is being introduced with a short trailer before each film screening. A rebranding campaign will be launched after the close of the Miami festival. The festival had already gained industry attention with a record-setting 75 features, shorts and documentaries, including 37 world,

U.S., regional and local premieres. The festival continues through May 3 with several highlights, including the Director’s Cut of Mark Christopher’s 1998 film, “54,” which reincorporates darker, drug-addled and queerer scenes. The film stars Ryan Phillipe, Neve Campbell and Mike Myers and will be screened on Thursday, April 30 at 9 p.m. at the Regal South Beach in Miami Beach. F r i d a y ’ s schedule includes two screenings in The Gleason Room Backstage at the Fillmore Miami Beach: “Guidance,” a Canadian comedy about an out of work, Facebook former child actor who falsifies his resume to land a job as a high school guidance counselor. “Jayson Bend: Queen and Country,” a film about a gay spy on a top secret mission a la James Bond, follows. Saturday’s schedule features “Xenia” at the Colony Theatre on Lincoln Road, an appealing Greek road trip film that premiered at last fall’s Fort Lauderdale festival. The women’s closing feature is “Seeking Dolly Parton” at The Gleason Room and is followed by the men’s closing feature, “Death in Buenos Aires” (“Muerte en Buenos Aires”) a dark Argentine cop thriller reminiscent of the controversial 1980 movie, “Cruising,” about a serial killer targeting gay men in New York City and starring Al Pacino.

Tickets are still available for many of the festival selections. For a complete schedule and tickets, go to MGLFF.com. 42

// 4.29.2015 // SFGN.com //

soflagaynews //

SouthFloridaGayNews

a&e art

Photography Exhibit Coming to Stonewall Promotes Social Change

J.W. Arnold

Lesbian photographer Carolyn Scherer uses her craft for social advocacy. Her criticallyacclaimed exhibits have championed the causes of the disabled, adolescents and people living with HIV/AIDS and other marginalized communities. But, when the idea of an exhibit chronicling the lives of lesbian families in her native Alabama came to mind, she immediately had second thoughts. Scherer eventually undertook the challenging project and, in the end, sparked a dialogue in her community that would change the lives of dozens of families, including her own. That exhibit, “Living in Limbo: Lesbian Families in the Deep South,” is now on display at the Stonewall National Archives and Museum’s Wilton Manors Gallery through June 18. “The exhibit changed the conversation in Birmingham,” she recalled. “It was my community’s coming out story….and my own.” Many lesbian families in the Deep South live an “invisible” life, Scherer explained. a “don’t ask, don’t tell” existence in plain view of their socially conservative, religious neighbors. After one of her friends was stricken with terminal cancer and the patient’s disapproving brother locked her longtime partner from their home, the photographer knew something had to be done. The partner had to get the police to let her into their home to retrieve clothing to attend the funeral. “At the funeral, there were a lot of people who loved this couple, but didn’t realize they were gay,” she said. “It was shocking. The whole incident not only galvanized me, but a whole lot of other privileged women who were also living in the closet.” Gay men had long been more visible in Birmingham due to the HIV/AIDS crisis of the 1980s, but Scherer decided it was time to put a face on her own community. As Scherer approached couples for the project, she was initially met with resistance. She said, “People wouldn’t call me back. Everybody thought I was crazy.” Scherer didn’t relent, offering the subjects the opportunity to pose without revealing their identities. Eventually, she collected enough images to display the exhibit. The backing of the Civil Rights Institute and

“Tessa and Tera,” two subjects of a new photography exhibit at the Stonewall Gallery, Wilton Manors. Credit: Carolyn Scherer

Birmingham Museum also lent the project credibility and she began photographing the families. “I took the photos to the Civil Rights Institute and they agreed it was the right project and I was the right person,” she said. Scherer quickly had more volunteers than she could have ever hoped. The 30 portraits covered the full spectrum of the lesbian community—socioeconomic status, age, race—and drew more than 17,000 visitors in the two months it was on display. Like many of the brave participants, the exhibit forced Scherer and her longtime partner, an associate dean of the dental school, to come out. “I remember seeing the banner on the side of the Civil Rights Institute that showed two lesbians embracing and it had my name on it. It was huge and I just wished my name was a little smaller,” Scherer said. “I had to have that conversation with my mother, but she got right on board.” Four years later, almost all of the couples in the exhibit are out and many are now married since the ban on marriage equality was struck down earlier this year. As she reflected on the risk associated with such a project, she noted that, unlike other couples, she and her partner did not have any children and didn’t risk having them taken away in a custody fight. She was also financially well off. “Fear was a memory that we were hanging on to that we didn’t need to,” explained Scherer. A gay male friend brought the exhibit to perspective with this comment that sticks with the photographer: “What’s more traditional than women and children. That’s a Southern value.”

"Living in Limbo: Lesbian Families in the Deep South" is on display now at the Stonewall National Archives and Museum's Wilton Manors Gallery through June 18. soflagaynews //

SouthFloridaGayNews // SFGN.com // 4 .29.2015 //

a&e festival

LGBT Performance Artists are Out in the Tropics Big surprises in store for Miami’s sixth annual festival

Jillian Melero

Out in the Tropics, Tuesday May 5 through Saturday May 9, is Miami’s sole festival dedicated to showcasing LGBT performance artists. This year’s selections will highlight films and performances that confront the social challenges the artist faces as an LGBT individual. Ever Chavez is the Founder and Executive Director of FUNDarte, sponsor of the event. He has 20 years’ experience producing and promoting music, theater, and fine art special events in Cuba, Europe, and the U.S. Chavez says each artist was chosen for their avant garde, experimental style, coupled with reflective and sometimes challenging approach when discussing issues such as sexuality, identity, racism or homophobia within themselves and their communities.

ABOUT THE ARTISTS/PERFORMANCES YOU’LL SEE: Storyteller, screenwriter, playwright and photographer Chely Lima will read poetry from his latest collection, “Urano purpura,” focusing on trans sexuality as a bisexual, transgender male. Lima has written 29 novels and books of poetry over the last 30 years, spanning the genres of erotica, fantasy, humor, and realism. Lima’s reading will take place Wednesday, May 6 beginning at 7 p.m. It will be an informal, open air salon style event at the newly remodeled Miami Beach Botanical Barden, 2000 Convention Center Drive, Miami Beach. The event is free to all. Please RSVP at info@fundarte.us

•

Singer, songwriter and pianist M Lamar will present “Surveillance Punishment” and the “Black Psyche,” a multimedia, music theater piece centered on the subjects of surveillance, violation, sexualizing, objectification and treatment of the black male body.

Lamar’s work examines the archetypes and imagery of the plantation overseer, the NBA, police executions of unarmed black men, layered through live and prerecorded video feeds. Through this lens, the piece explores the themes of interracial desire within our culture over time. The music and text for the piece was written by Lamar along with additional text by Tucker Culbertson and art design and live video by Sabin Calvert. “Surveillance Punishment” and the “Black Psyche” will play Friday, May 8 at 8:30 p.m. at the Gleason Room Backstage at the Filmore Miami Beach, 1700 Washington Avenue, Miami Beach. Tickets are $25 general admission and $20 for Students and Senior. Tickets are available through Ticketmaster at ticketmaster.com or by calling 800 745 3000. For more information, call the Jackie Gleason Theatre box office at 305 673 7300.

•

GLAAD award-winning comic Marga Gomez will perform her tenth solo play “Lovebirds.” Gomez’ play follows a gamut of characters romping through Greenwich Village throughout the decades, in their fumbling pursuits of love and relationships. Gomez portrays a cast of characters including Orestes, a macho matire d’, and the married object of his affection – a tone deaf singer. Gomez also plays Orestes’ daughter – who dates the captain of the women’s football team – and Polaroid Phillie, “a nightclub photographer and fixture at gay bars, Spanish restaurants, street corners and wherever sparks fly.” Gomez’s performance is the first half of a double billing on Saturday May 9, at 8 p.m. at The Colony Theater, 1040 Lincoln Road, Miami Beach. Following Lovebirds will be a performance of JARMAN (All this Maddening Beauty) Tickets are $30 for general admission for the 2 performances, or $20 each performance with $5 discounts for students and seniors. Tickets can be purchased through www.ColonyTheatreMiamiBeach.com or by phone at 305 434 7091.

•

M Lamar. Twitter.

// 4.29.2015 // SFGN.com //

John Moletress, of Washington D.C. theatre company force/collision, will perform JARMAN (All this Maddening Beauty) a live performance and video mash up inspired by mind, time, works and aesthetic of queer artist, activist and film maker Derek Jarman. Text for JARMAN was written by OBIE playwright Caridad Svich. JARMAN is the second half of a double billing on Saturday May 9, at 9:30 p.m. at The Colony Theater, 1040 Lincoln Road, Miami Beach. Following Lovebirds. Tickets are $30 for general admission for the 2 performances, or $20 each performance with $5 discounts for students and seniors. Tickets can be purchased through www. colonytheatremiamibeach.com or by phone at 305 434 7091. For fans of his work, Jarman’s classic film “Caravaggio,” a fictionalized account of the baroque painter’s life, will soflagaynews //

SouthFloridaGayNews

John Moletress. Twitter.

be screened on Thursday May 7 at 9:00 p.m. at O Cinema Miami Beach, 500 71 Street, Miami Beach. General admission Tickets are $11, $9.50 for seniors, and $7.50 for members. Tickets are available online www.o-cinema. org/venue/o-cinema-miami-beach. For more information call 786 207 1919.

•

REACHING OUT TO ALL INDIVIDUALS Gay himself, Chavez emphasizes that Out in the Tropics is inclusive and integrated beyond the LGBT community as well. The event welcomes any visitors or artists whose work touches upon important social themes and would like to broaden the scope of artists and the audience. “Artists are communicators,” Chavez says “not just for the gay community but for our community as a whole.” Out in the Tropics will kick off Tuesday with a free open panel discussion with the OITT featured artists alongside local LGBT artists and activists. The panel will give participants an opportunity to get up close and personal with the visiting artists, and a more intimate forum to discuss new ways of exploring and communicating the LGBT experience through art, intercultural exchange and community engagement. For more information on Out in the Tropics or other upcoming FUNDarte events, visit:

OITT: .fundarte.us/fundarte_event.php?id=207

FUNDARTE: www.fundarte.us/mission.html

DON’T MISS THE 2015 HONOREES!

Go to sfgn.com/2015out50

’

OUT 50

Photo by Steven Shires.

and read

Join GEPH For Two special nights TUESDAY, May 5th from 6-8pm a cocktail fundraising event for Geph Scarr Hosted by

$25 donation - includes a drink ticket and buffet style appetizers.

SATURDAY, May 16th

6:00pm - Silent Auction & Cocktail Reception 7:30pm - Dinner & Dance Competition

PURCHASE TICKETS AND VOTE ONLINE NOW GO TO: www.thepantryofbroward.org/gala/geph-scarr Make a $25 donation for May 5 tickets (Print receipt as ticket entrance)

You may also vote for Geph or purchase tickets for May 16 All proceeds benefit