5/20/15 V6i20 by South Florida Gay News

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May 20, 2015 // vol. 6 // issue 20 CHECK OUT THE NEW

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

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Homophobia On The Rise In Uganda Uganda is the subject of a new documentary presented by the Vice news organization. Released over the weekend on HBO, the video documents struggles sexual minorities face in the east African country of Uganda. Vice journalists interviewed Uganda lawmaker David Bahati, who stated homosexuals should “abandon” their way

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HUNGARY FACES A HISTORIC STRUGGLE

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national

Black Justice Org. Condemns MO Ruling The National Black Justice Coalition has come out strongly against criminalization efforts of the Human Immunodeficiency Virus. Responding to the sentencing of a Missouri man, the NBJC stated, “These horrific laws place the burden of disclosing ones HIV status solely on the shoulders of those who are living with this treatable

condition. Yet we know that sexual relations between two consenting adults are not a one-way interaction.” NBJC Executive Director and CEO Sharon Lettman-Hicks said the organization is deeply saddened, angered and frustrated by the guilty verdict of Michael L. Johnson, a young gay black male who is HIV positive.

local/state Vivien “Vicky” Keller is doing much better following the formation of her GoFundMe account. As of Tuesday, Keller, 89, a longtime Pride Fort Lauderdale committee member, had collected more than $9,000 to repair her deteriorating mobile home. Keller’s attorney, Jodi A. Fischer, said leaks had been fixed and trash cleared at Keller’s property. Keller,

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meanwhile, enjoyed a few moments with friends following Friday evening’s Shabbat Shalom ceremony at Etz Chaim Synagogue, relaying stories of her time working past Pride events in Fort Lauderdale, where she MEMBER owned the Westsider restaurant next to Tacky’s in Davie.

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of life. Also included in the documentary were clips of American activist Scott Lively, U.S. Senator Jim Inhofe (R-Oklahoma) and disturbing statements from Uganda men who expressed a willingness to rape lesbians. “Exporting Hate,” the documentary, aired in a sneak preview format on last Friday’s weekly Vice on HBO program.

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

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news highlight

Ed Asner to Attend Celebration of Friends

John McDonald

Television star Ed Asner is scheduled to join the mature gay men’s group, Celebration of Friends, for a weekend event in July in Orlando. Asner, 85, is an accomplished actor and activist. He was a two-term past president of the Screen Actors Guild (SAG), a labor union now known as SAG-AFTRA. On television, Asner is perhaps best known for his role as news station manager Lou Grant on the Mary Tyler Moore Show. “Mr. Asner is joining us for this event,” confirmed Celebration of Friends spokesman Tom Pence. Pence spoke to a crowd of about 40 men during a “working man’s classic coffee klatch” Saturday morning at the Herb Skolnick Center in Pompano Beach. Celebration of Friends, Pence said, is an incorporated mission to provide warm, comfortable, safe and engaging gatherings recognizing and promoting selfworth, dignity, kindness and friendships of and within our senior population. Asner joins the group July 16-20 at the Doubletree by Hilton Orlando at SeaWorld. Those who register before June 1 will be

placed into a drawing to win a private dinner invitation from Asner. Asner won an Emmy for his work on the Mary Tyler Moore Show (1970-77), which led to a spin-off series based and titled on his character, Lou Grant. His performance on the Mary Tyler Moore Show was described by critics as “gruff and gold hearted.” Recalled Celebration of Friends member Jeff Delray, “He (Grant) told Mary: ‘You’ve got spunk and I hate spunk.’” For more information, CelebrationOfFriends.org.

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News Briefs

Chad Marshal Wilcox.

Compiled by SFGN Staff

Plea Deal for Pennsylvania Craigslist Killing (SFGN) A man who killed another man he met through a Craigslist sex ad was sentenced last week. Chad Marshal Wilcox was sentenced to 40-80 years in prison on Monday. The 29-year-old Williamsport man pleaded guilty to third-degree murder, robbery and burglary, lesser charges than the first- and second-degree murder charges he originally faced. Prosecutors say Manual Hakimian, 36, of Norristown, posted a Craigslist ad in September seeking a male sex partner and Wilcox responded. The pair met at Hakimian’s apartment, where prosecutors say Wilcox, a heroin addict, slashed the victim’s throat and stole his credit cards, cell phone, computer and car.

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undreds Attend 'Family Picnic' for Anti-Gay SF Archbishop

(AP) Hundreds turned out for a "family support picnic" held for a Northern California religious leader who is the subject of heated debate over policy changes for Catholic high school teachers. The San Francisco Chronicle reported Sunday that San Francisco Archbishop Salvatore Cordileone posed for photographs, blessed the faithful and accepted the gratitude of the picnickers gathered in a city park. The archbishop has been the target of demonstrations organized by teachers, students, parents and others who disagree with the proposed morality clauses in teacher handbooks against homosexuality, birth control and premarital sex. "He's like a rock star," said Eva Muntean, who organized Saturday's picnic near San Francisco's iconic Ferry Building along the waterfront. Muntean said she organized the event because she feels many in the San Francisco Bay area back the archbishop, but that their support isn't being heard over the vocal protests. Cordileone is also proposing that teachers "affirm and believe" that marriage is restricted to a man and woman, a position that has upset many in gay-friendly San Francisco.

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The victim’s body was found in his apartment Sept. 21 after he failed to show up at a family function. Hakimian was a Lebanese immigrant who graduated from Drexel University last year. At the time of the murder, Wilcox was being sought for a bench warrant for a rape case. He was arrested in North Carolina a few days later, after a multi-state spending spree. He initially told investigators he had three accomplices, who killed Hakimian while Wilcox went outside to smoke a cigarette, but investigators said Wilcox acted alone. Wilcox declined to address the victim’s family in court this week, “out of respect.”

A group calling itself Concerned Parents and Students called on Cordileone to drop his attempts to alter the teachers' handbooks and contracts with the new policies. "His actions contribute to a hurtful discrimination to which true Catholic teachings stand firmly opposed," group spokeswoman Micaela Presti said in a statement before the picnic. Presti said the "archbishop's actions are far from family friendly." A small group of protesters stood on the edge of the picnic, holding a rainbow flag. Picnic attendees said the event wasn't meant to show disapproval of gays or others, but to show support for the archbishop and his values.

Seventeen activists involved in the protest were taken in by police and according to one of the event's organizers, Andrei Obolensky. As of Sunday afternoon, 16 protesters remained in police custody. "It's tough, members of the LGBT community face lots of discrimination in their lives, at work, at school... people are faced with violence in the streets," said protester Nika Yuryeva. A similar event took place in St. Petersburg on Sunday, with activists releasing balloons and waving banners. That event went undisturbed. The recent arrests in Moscow are the latest in a string of police actions against the gay community in Russia since the nation passed the "gay propaganda law" in 2013.

Activists Detained in Moscow LGBT Following Peaceful Demonstration

(EDGE) A flashmob intended to recognize International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia and Biphobia in Moscow ended with 17 activists behind bars on Sunday, Reuters reports. About 50 people gathered in a square outside of a theater in the Russian capital to release colored balloons. The peaceful demonstration was interrupted, however, when police arrived on the scene and started shoving demonstrators into a bus before any balloons were set loose or banners were unfurled.

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Photo: Andrei Obolensky, vk.com. SouthFloridaGayNews

Photo: mikehuckabee.com.

Vows to Fight Marriage Huckabee Equality in 'Pledge to the People'

(EDGE) Mike Huckabee, 2016 GOP presidential hopeful, signed his own "Pledge to the People," vowing to defend the constitution, pursue an economic agenda and turn the clock back on advancements made in marriage rights for LGBT Americans. When discussing his pledge with Fox and Friends Saturday, the former Arkansas governor said, "I'm for term limits and ending judicial supremacy." In addition to "vigorously oppose any redefinition" of marriage, Huckabee's pledge has anti-abortion language and calls for the defunding of Obamacare and Planned Parenthood. The majority of the language in Huckabee's pledge come from existing pledges from rightwing special interest groups. "I didn't want to get lost in this morass of dozens and dozens of pledges every day," he told Fox and Friends.

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News Briefs Continued

Patients Out of Time

(Press Release) The 9th annual National Clinic Conference on Cannabis Therapeutics is happening this weekend, Thursday May 21 through Saturday May 23 at the Palm Beach County Convention Center. Thursday’s focus will be on pre-conference workshops on medical applications, nursing, and patient advocacy. Friday’s program will concentrate on medical marijuana law and regulations, while Saturday’s panel discussions will include medical professionals, former pro athletes, Iraq and Vietnam

re. Man Arrested After Scaling Building to Steal Gay Flag

(EDGE) Police in Portland, Ore., arrested a man Sunday morning after he apparently tried to scale the side of a building in order to steal a gay pride flag, Oregon Live reports. Around 10 a.m., police found Daniel Svoboda, 36, climbing the side of a gay bar, Silverado, in Portland. He was about 12-to14-feet off the ground when authorities arrived at the bar. Authorities talked Svoboda down from the building and then arrested him on a suspicion of third-degree theft charge and a misdemeanor. In their investigation, police found that Svoboda climbed up a drainpipe in order to snatch the rainbow flag. According to officers, the suspect seemed "somewhat disoriented." Svoboda received a medical checkup before he was taken to jail.

Church Attendance on the Rise LGB as Overall Numbers Drop

(EDGE) While news of a drop in the faithful and rise of agnosticism among Americans have dominated the headlines in news reporting a recent Pew Research Center study on religion, one statistic from the poll has largely gone un-noted. While overall numbers have dropped, the number of LGB Christians is on the rise. As reported by Associated Press this week, between 2007 and 2014, when Pew conducted two major surveys of U.S. religious life, Americans who described themselves as atheist, agnostic or of no particular faith grew from 16 percent to nearly 23 percent. At the same time, Christians dropped from about 78 percent to just under 71 percent of the population. Conversely, the Advocate points to a statistic in the same study that shows a 6 percent jump in self-identifying

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veterans each discussing their personal experiences with medicinal marijuana. Ticket prices vary from $30 for the Welcome Reception, $40 for a lunch ticket, $175 for the benefit dinner, and $50 – $175 for specific sessions. Visit http://patientsoutoftime.org/florida-2015/ for conference schedule and ticket information. Contact the Convention Center at: (561) 366-3000

Christians among lesbian, gay and bisexual (LGB) respondents. 48 percent of LGB Americans identify as Christian, up from 42 percent in 2013. The Advocate points to a section of the Pew study that noted that "Among respondents who identify themselves as gay, lesbian or bisexual, fully 41% are religiously unaffiliated, and fewer than half (48%) describe themselves as Christians." Moreover, "Non-Christian faiths also are represented in the gay community at higher rates than among the general public, with 11% of gay, lesbian and bisexual respondents identifying with faiths other than Christianity." While the Pew study doesn't offer any reasons for the overall drop in religious Americans, theories over the LGBT factor come into play. The Friendly Atheist notes that the acceptance of LGBT churchgoers in some mainstream Protestant faiths (and corresponding anti-gay religious bigotry) may have been part of the impetus that has led Americans away from faith.

eb. Lawmakers Avoid Vote on Employee Anti-Discrimination Bill

(AP) More than a dozen opponents of a bill that would ban discrimination against gay and lesbian workers in Nebraska refused to cast votes during debate Thursday, quietly halting any further action on the issue in 2015. After more than four hours of discussion, the bill's sponsor, Sen. Adam Morfeld of Lincoln, requested it be held over until next year. Senators took a 20-12 test vote, five votes shy of the 25 the bill would need to advance to second round, indicating it would not pass. Sixteen senators were present but not voting. Morfeld said he hopes they will take a position in the coming months. "I think we have a lot of work to do on educating the new senators on this importance of this bill," Morfeld said. Morfeld and Sen. Kathy Campbell of Lincoln attempted to attract votes with an amendment to highlight and clarify religious exemptions for schools and churches. But opponents worried the language was not strong enough to protect religious organizations. Sen. Bill Kintner of Papillion said he worried the bill would create special protections for certain groups of people. Sen. Lydia Brasch of Bancroft said she believed it would lead to a disproportionate amount of legal trouble for what she believes is a very minimal problem in Nebraska. But many senators who did not support the bill remained simply remained silent. "We're really grateful it didn't turn into some horrible thing

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where people were spewing vitriol," said Sen. Patty Pansing Brooks of Lincoln, who made the bill her priority this year. "I think some of those senators were trying to be kind. I think we've built relationships. I understand why they did it that way, but it didn't necessarily help us any." Pansing Brooks made an impassioned case on behalf of her son, who is gay and is taking job offers elsewhere. "I would argue that no parent should have to encourage his child to leave the state to make sure there is no threat of discrimination," she said.

illibrand Bill Would Prevent AntiLGBT Adoption Bias

(AP) U.S. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand is announcing legislation to remove legal barriers to adoption by lesbian, gay and transgender parents. Gillibrand, a New York Democrat, said Sunday she will introduce legislation this week that would prohibit discrimination against LGBT adoptive parents. The Every Child Deserves a Family Act would prohibit any entity that receives federal funds from discriminating against adoptive or foster parents based on sexual orientation, gender identity or marital status. New York is one of seven states that explicitly ban discrimination in adoption based on sexual orientation. Louisiana, Mississippi, and Michigan prohibit same-sex couples from jointly adopting. Four other states restrict same-sex couples from using the second-parent adoption process. Gillibrand says the absence of a consistent national policy prevents thousands of children from growing up with devoted parents.

news briefs

Continued

cooter Rider Struck By Hit-Run Driver In Fort Lauderdale Dies

(SunSentinel) A 22-year-old man who was riding a motorized scooter when critically wounded by a hit-and-run driver in a white BMW has died, authorities said Friday. Joseph Deverson, of Fort Lauderdale, had been on life support since the Monday night crash in the 3100 block of Powerline Road. His family had kept a bedside vigil at Broward Health Medical Center throughout the week. The Broward Medical Examiner's Office said Deverson was declared brain dead Tuesday and his organs were donated Thursday night. Deverson, who worked at an Oakland Park lawn-mower shop, was removed from life support Thursday night after some of his internal organs were removed to help other patient's in need, family friend John Moecia said. "The suspect vehicle has been recovered, but the crash remains under investigation," Dani Moschella, a spokeswoman for the Broward Sheriff's Office, said. An observant employee of an oceanfront condominium led authorities to the white

BMW-6 series that investigators believe hit Deverson. The man, who had seen news reports of the hit-run crash, told investigators he saw a white BMW with front-end damage return to The Palms, 2100 N. Ocean Blvd., late Monday, Moschella said. Sheriff's detectives towed the vehicle, which had a missing passenger-side mirror, as well as damage to the lower-front grill and quarter panel. A side mirror was left at the scene, Moschella said. The luxury car is believed to have left Georgie's Alibi, a Wilton Manors bar, sometime after 10 p.m. Monday, Moschella said. Detectives say the driver may not have seen Deverson, who was riding a Go-Ped, before hitting him about 10:45 p.m. Investigators ask anyone with information about the BMW's driver to contact Detective Carlos DeJesus 954-321-4840. Anonymous tips can be made to Broward Crime Stoppers at 954-493-8477.

x-Missouri Student Found Guilty of Exposing Partner to HIV

(AP) Jurors in Missouri have found a 23-yearold man guilty of infecting another man with HIV and endangering four others with the disease while attending college in suburban St. Louis. Former Lindenwood University student Michael L. Johnson was convicted Thursday on one count of recklessly infecting another with HIV and four counts of recklessly risking infection of another with HIV, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported (http://bit.ly/1RMlPhe ). He was found not guilty on a sixth charge of exposing another man to the virus that causes AIDS. Johnson, a college wrestler, was expelled from the university in St. Charles and has been jailed since his arrest in 2013. During closing arguments, Assistant Prosecutor Phil Groenweghe told the jury that Johnson knew he was HIV positive but lied to his sexual partners. "What we have here is a perfect storm of malice," said Groenweghe.

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Defense attorney Heather Donovan pointed to inconsistencies between testimony from Johnson's partners and their statements to police, saying that created reasonable doubt. Earlier in the trial, prosecutors said that the former state high school wrestling champion from Indianapolis had tested positive for HIV two years before being diagnosed in Missouri. But Johnson testified that he did not remember going to a clinic in Indiana for testing or getting a positive result. Jurors deliberated for two hours and 20 minutes before returning the verdict. Sentencing is Friday, where Johnson faces a maximum punishment of life in prison, the newspaper reported. Johnson's case has drawn the attention of gay rights activists and some legal reform groups. They say laws in Missouri and dozens of other states criminalize a medical condition and deter those at risk of infection from seeking medical treatment.

SouthFloridaGayNews // SFGN.com // 5 .20.2015 //

news briefs

Continued

ruz Speaks Out Against “Threat” of “Mandatory Gay Marriage”

(SFGN) The presidential hopeful made the comments Wednesday during an interview with conservative talk radio host Eric Metaxas. "[The Democratic Party has] gotten so extreme and so radical in its devotion to mandatory gay marriage that they’ve decided there’s no room for the religious liberty protected under the First Amendment," Cruz said. "We are seeing today profound threats to religious liberty in America, I think the greatest threats we’ve ever seen.” Cruz’s comments were in regard to the

fights over Indiana’s and Arkansas’ religious freedom laws. He added that while “Democrats joined with big business in vilifying an effort to protect our religious liberty,” too many Republican leaders and presidential candidates “ran and hid in the hills.” Metaxas had recently criticized GOP presidential rival Jeb Bush, for failing to forcefully denounce marriage equality and hiring “top people in his campaign who are very aggressively pro-same-sex-marriage.”

ndiana to Spend $750K in Developing Ad Campaign to Undo Harm

Devon Sayers / CNN.

(AP) An agency that seeks to attract businesses and jobs to Indiana will pay a New York public relations firm up to $750,000 to develop an ad campaign aimed at rebuilding the state's damaged image. A contract posted Thursday to the Indiana Economic Development Corporation web site shows the quasi-governmental agency will pay that much to Porter Novelli for the first phase of the "reputation enhancement

initiative." The contract states the cost of the second phase will be determined after the scope of the work and other terms are determined. The state has previously said it would spend $2 million on a public relations strategy to try to overcome the damage done after the General Assembly passed a religious objections law that critics contended was anti-gay and was later revised.

Pride Fort Lauderdale will host the second of its three ‘Pride Honors’ programs on June 1st at the Pride Center of Equality Park. The event, from 6 to 8 p.m. will honor two LGBT Broward County jurists, the Honorable Lisa Porter and Robert Lee. Robert Lee, an administrative judge in the Broward County Court, reached national prominence 15 years ago when he was one of the jurists who had to determine the validity of presidential ballots during the contested presidential election between Al Gore and the eventual chief of state, George Bush. Amongst his many tasks, Judge Lee coordinates the traffic court program for Broward County. Judge Porter, a former Assistant State Attorney

General for the State of Florida, and an upstate environmental crimes prosecutor, presently sits on the Broward Circuit Court criminal bench. She is a former president of the Broward County Bnai’ Brith Lawyers Association. The free ceremony will honor the judges, who together on the evening same sex marriages became legal in Florida, worked from midnight to 3 a.m. in marrying LGBT couples. Over 250 couples were married and enjoyed wedding cake in the courthouse. Stated Pride Fort Lauderdale Event Chairperson, John Fugate, “Both honorees have distinguished themselves in the LGBT community and are worthy of this distinction."

ride Fort Lauderdale to Honor Out Judges at Local Pride Center

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news election 2016 White House Watch:

Jeb Bush

John McDonald

At last we come to John Ellis Bush for SFGN’s weekly White House Watch. The 43rd Governor of the State of Florida and, arguably, a leader in the Republican Party’s nominating process for the U.S. Presidency, has yet to officially declare his candidacy. Bush is running his political operations via the political action committee, Right To Rise. On its website, the PAC states it passionately believes “to move up the economic ladder based on merit, hard work and earned success – is the central moral promise of American economic life. We are optimists who believe that America’s opportunities have never been greater than they are right now. But we know America is falling short of its promise.” Bush comes from a family of leaders. His father, George Herbert Walker Bush served as the 41st President of the United States and his brother, George W. Bush served two terms as the nation’s 43rd President. Jeb’s mother, Barbara, publicly raised the question if America was full of Bush. “There are other people out there that are very qualified and we’ve had enough Bushes.” Barbara Bush’s comment was in the summer

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of 2013 at the George W. Bush Presidential Library in Dallas. Two years later, Jeb Bush is refusing to throw in the towel. On LGBT issues, Jeb Bush expressed support for both sides of the marriage equality debate in Florida. He has demonstrated inclusion by hiring an openly gay man, Tim Miller, to work campaign communications and as Florida Governor, Bush appointed LGBT people to judicial posts. He lives in Miami with his wife Columba. Together, they have three grown children and three grandchildren. This past weekend Bush took a tougher stance against same-sex marriage telling the Christian Broadcasting Network: “To imagine how we are going to succeed in our country unless we have committed family life, a committed child-centered family system, is hard to imagine. We need to be stalwart supporters of traditional marriage.”

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news national

White House Honors Two LGBT ‘Champions of Change’ Sixto Cancel and Sokhom Mao are leaders in the field of foster care

Christiana Lilly

Submitted Photos.

Sixto Cancel.

On May 19, the White House honored the 12 “Champions of Change,” including two LGBT honorees. At the event, their stories were told along with the comments given by the U.S. Sec. of Education Arne Duncan and the Deputy Assistant to the President for Urban Affairs, Justice and Opportunity Roy L. Austin, Jr. “The experience of foster care is definitely a roller coaster but it has given me the ability to practice resiliency,” said Sixto Cancel, 23, one of the honorees. Since the age of 11 months old, he was in and out of the foster care system and is working to better the outcome for others who started out life like him. “Nonprofits and government were my parents. They were the ones who raised me, they are the ones who are responsible for that development. Cancel is in his fifth year at Virginia Commonwealth University and is working on his start up, Think of Us (thinkof-us.org/). The nonprofit is a program that reaches out to those in child welfare, helping them access resources through different stages in their life and to also take online courses. He also hopes to collect data to learn more about vulnerable populations and how they can be better served. Helping others started in high school, when he helped provide SAT and remedial education programming for foster kids through Stellar Works. Not only has he busied himself with school and a nonprofit, he has also participated in a number of other nonprofits. He has sat on the board of the National Foster Care

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Sokhom Mao.

and Alumni Policy Council, American Institutes for Research LGBTQQA Advisory Board, and North American Council on Adoptable Children. Cancel is also a young adult consultant with the Center for State Capacity’s Children’s Bureau. Sokhom Mao was also honored by the White House for his leadership in higher education and foster care reform. A graduate of San Francisco State University, he studied criminal justice and was a founder of the Guardian Scholars Program to help current and foster youth in higher education. Mao is currently the juvenile justice commissioner for Alameda County and a public education specialist for the California Social Work Education Center at the UC Berkeley. He was also appointed to the National Council on Crime and Delinquency’s Alameda County LGBTQ Task Force. With his help, California passed Assembly Bill 12 (childsworld.ca.gov/ PG2902.htm), which gives foster children access to higher education, employment, and stable housing until they are 21. “It feels humbling to be honored by the White House, but at the same time I cannot say how much work there is to be done,” Cancel said. “We need to have a way where young people are allowed to go from where they are at to what they envision themselves to be or a systematic way of moving up. Right now, what we have is systematic way of a pipeline from foster care to the justice system, to other government services… the pipeline is straight to the grave.”

news bites

Compiled by Jillian Melero

lesbian

Days for Former Husker Women's Star 90Basketball

(AP) Former Nebraska women's basketball star Charlie Rogers has been sentenced to 90 days in jail for violating probation on her conviction for faking an anti-gay hate crime has been, but she can apply to serve the time on house arrest. The 36-year-old Rogers had faced up to a year after acknowledging in March that she violated her probation by not reporting to jail on Jan. 15 to finish her original 90-day jail sentence. Rogers was convicted of lying to police about being attacked by masked men and having anti-gay slurs carved into her skin. Prosecutors say she faked the attack because she thought it would inspire change in the treatment of gay people.

Charlie Rogers.

gay

S Takes Aim at Gambian President Over Violent Remarks on Gays

(EDGE) The U.S. called out Gambian President Yahya Jammeh Saturday for threats he made, saying he'd slit the throats of gay men in his country, the AFP reports. In a public speech last month, Jammeh said he would slit the throats of gay men who try to marry in the small West African country, the Human Rights Campaign reported. Last year, the president called gay people “ungodly, Satanic... vermins [sic].” U.S. National Security Advisor Susan Rice said the U.S. could take action last year the U.S. revoked its trade preferences with Gambia after reports the country was cracking down on its LGBT community. "We are reviewing what additional actions are appropriate to respond to this worsening situation," Rice said. "We repeat our call for the Gambian government, and all governments, to lead inclusively, repudiate intolerance, and promote respect for the universal rights and fundamental freedoms of all people."

Gambian President Yahya Jammeh.

bisexual

Blanchett Clears Actor Bisexual Rumors

Up Recent

(SFGN) After being quoted in an interview last week that she has had “several relationships with women” Cate Blanchett clarifies that she has never had a sexual relationship with another woman. Blanchett addressed the out of context quote over the weekend during a press conference for her new movie “Carol.” In the film, Blanchette’s character does embark on a sexual relationship with another woman but it is not central to the film. Blanchett commented that the character’s sexuality is mostly a private matter in the film. Then went on to say “What often happens these days is if you are homosexual you have to talk about it constantly, the only thing, before your work…We're living in a deeply conservative time."

Cate Blanchett. Photo: Georges Biard.

transgender Y AG Takes on Trans Discrimination in Health Care

(AP) New York's attorney general has started a program to ensure transgender individuals have equal access to health care. Eric Schneiderman's office announced the initiative Friday. Staffers with the attorney general's Civil Rights Bureau will conduct training sessions at hospitals and medical centers around the state to discuss the best ways to ensure the rights of transgender patients are respected. Schneiderman's office says too many transgender Americans report being harassed or denied care because of their gender identity. Kenneth Raske, president of the Greater New York Hospitals Foundation, says his organization's member hospitals are "proud" to work with the state to ensure all patients receive the best care. A measure to prohibit discrimination against transgender people when it comes to jobs, apartments, schools and public accommodations is pending in the Legislature. soflagaynews //

SouthFloridaGayNews // SFGN.com // 5 .20.2015 //

news national

LGBT Travel Giants Team Up for Combined Vacation

Olivia and R Family to offer Joint vacation package Nicole Wiesenthal

Two well-known travel companies have teamed up to create one of the largest landbased LGBT vacation programs. Olivia Travel, a cruise, riverboat and adventure vacations for LGBT people, and R Family Vacations, which provides a wide array of LGBT travel vacations, are offering a joint weeklong trip at the Hard Rock in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico in 2016. Both Olivia, which has an average rating of 4.3 out of 5 stars on Facebook, and R Family, which has an average of 4.5, are excited to cater to their new audience which includes young children and adults. “Many years ago, we produced two family vacations, but that’s not what we’re known for,” said Judy Dlugacz, president of Olivia Co. “That said, our clientele is evolving, and one of the key changes is that the women are looking for opportunities to travel with their family, both immediate and extended.” According to a press release, over 30 percent of Olivia Travel guests are now raising families and interested in traveling with grandchildren so they wanted to make a trip that everyone regardless of age would enjoy. “This trip is open to anyone that is LGBT friendly: moms, dads and their extended family and friends,” Dlugacz said. The trip is scheduled to take place July 9 to

Photo: Olivia Travel Facebook

16, 2016, and travel packages begin at $1,499 per adult and $399 per child which includes an eight-day and seven-night stay, meals in six restaurants, beverages and activities. A full children’s program will be available as well. The news has garnered mixed reviews on Facebook with a few people commenting that the trip seemed pricey for children while others are already making plans to purchase tickets. Gregg Kaminsky, with R Family Vacations, said that by joining forces, R Family has been able to offer the biggest land-based program they’ve ever done with over 1,000 guests. He said he’s excited to have an LGBTfriendly trip with fun activities for children. “What’s unique is that it’s a fully chartered experience for kids with gay parents,” he said. “This is an opportunity for them to meet hundreds of families just like theirs.” Because of the success they’ve had with planning this trip, Dlugacz said she looks forward to Olivia and R Family collaborating again. “It’s rare that two amazing companies come together to make the best choices for our community,” she said. “We share the same love for our guests and the same desire to create the best vacation for our LGBT families.” Packages went on sale last week.

For more information visit Olivia.com or Rfamilyvacations.com, and to make reservations call 800-631-6277 (within the U.S.) or 415-962-5700 (outside of the U.S.). 12

// 5.20.2015 // SFGN.com //

soflagaynews //

SouthFloridaGayNews

soflagaynews //

SouthFloridaGayNews // SFGN.com // 5 .20.2015 //

news local

Steel Gym Closes Up Shop

Popular establishment to relocate to Fort Lauderdale

John McDonald

Photo: John McDonald.

All through the morning on Monday they came to exercise at Steel Gym in Wilton Manors only to leave, one-by-one, disappointed and discouraged. “This is a surprise,” said Dan, a Steel Gym member as he attempted to access the gym Monday morning only to be greeted by locked doors and posted signs saying, “Closed For Relocation.” “It was fine last week,” said Dan, who declined to give his last name. “I think they went out of business.” SFGN contacted Steel Gym owner Ken Hunt for an explanation. Hunt said the franchise is in the process of moving its Wilton Drive operations to the Searstown plaza (Sunrise and Federal) in Fort Lauderdale. “This was a split second decision,” Hunt said. He further explained that if he hadn’t acted fast he would have lost the new location that, he says, will serve his customers by being larger and have ample parking. Members, like Dan, were none too pleased. “This is five minutes from my house,” said Dan, holding a water bottle and dressed in a tank top and SFGN_Florida_House3.pdf 4/9/2015 1:03:28 PMto go athletic shorts. “I don’t like to 1drive a long way workout. I’ll probably be skipping workouts now.”

A few doors down from Steel Gym’s locked doors is the Out of The Oven Baking Company, owned and operated by partners J.T. Threlkeld and Chris Messina. Threlkeld said there has been a steady stream of gym goers arriving to learn of the relocation. “This is bad business,” Threlkeld said. “To close like this and not let your members know is bad.” Threlkeld, whose baking business opened in the Shoppes of Wilton Manors three months ago, said Steel Gym’s departure would have a negative effect on his business and others. “A lot of their members would come into the bakery to buy protein bars,” Threlkeld said. “This hurts the local economy.” Hunt said a laundry list of problems contributed to the company’s decision to pull out of the Shoppes of Wilton Manors. Those problems included differences with the landlord, roofing deficiencies and inadequate parking. However according to court documents Steel Gym failed to pay their monthly payments in March and April and would have been removed from the property if they hadn’t left. SFGN received numerous complaints on Monday

from Steel Gym members claiming their credit cards were recently charged fees just days before the Wilton Drive location closure. “It’s disrespectful to close a business without any communication to your members,” said Fort Lauderdale resident Jonathan Salt. Salt said he will dispute the charge and look elsewhere for a new gym. Hunt, an AFI-certified personal trainer and fitness expert, said he was unaware of the billing department’s errors and promised to give members a free month at the new Fort Lauderdale location. “I apologize to everyone for not being prepared,” Hunt said. “When the dust settles I think people will realize that we did make the smart move.” Hunt said the new location would open the day after Memorial Day. Steel Gym also has locations in Miami and New York. Hunt’s Wilton Manor’s location has been plagued with legal issues including multiple lawsuits and bankruptcy court for the past year. Despite those troubles Hunt proclaimed to another news outlet a year ago that the gym would not be closing.

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// 5.20.2015 // SFGN.com //

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SouthFloridaGayNews

feature cover

Photos: Facebook.

You Can Still Get Fired in 29 States For Being LGBT Pride at Work fights to protect employees

Christiana Lilly

When you pull up Google and type in “fired for being,” the first item that comes up is “gay.” The numbers are sobering when it comes to discrimination of LGBT people in the workplace: in 29 states, including Florida, it is legal to fire someone based on their sexual orientation. In 32 states, including Florida, it is legal to fire someone based on their gender identity. “People are always surprised when they hear that,” Jerame Davis said. “It seems antithetical to basic American values on the one hand, and on the other hand, people are surprised that it’s not already law.”

Jerame Davis.

Davis is the executive director of Pride at Work, an advocacy group founded in 1994 and initially its goals were to fight against the passages of the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) and Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell in 1996. While labor activists tend to be supportive of the LGBT community, they were suddenly silent when then President Bill Clinton signed them into law. “It was very strange to us that labor didn’t speak out,” Davis said. The group falls under the constituency umbrella of The American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO), which has other groups that work to protect African American, Latino, Asian, seniors, and women. Even though an important part of DOMA has been struck down and Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell was repealed in 2013, the fight for equality in the workplace still persists. Right now, Pride at Work is fighting on the battlefields of benefits and workplace discrimination, especially for transgender people. The group namely works side by side with labor unions to make things happen. “The labor movement in general works toward better laws in America for workers so that contracts have some legal underpinning,” Davis said. Part of the problem is that many people don’t want to talk about it -- they’re already ashamed they lost their job, and “in a way you’re coming out twice.” While working in Illinois, Davis said was fired because he was gay. When he fought the company, the parties settled and he had to sign a stringent nondisclosure agreement. Many who oppose labor unions fear that inept employees are so protected by layers of laws that it makes them unfireable. Davis said that there are more unjust firings, and the few bad apples can’t infringe on the rights of the majority. He also noted that employers still find ways of getting rid of employees. soflagaynews //

“There are always going to be people who question the protections that other people have,” he said. “But the fact of the matter is there are far more people who are unjustly fired or never get the job in the first place because of discrimination than people who are abusing the system. We can’t deny everybody protection because there are a few people who use it to their advantage.” Pride at Work not only works to protect LGBT workers in the U.S., but abroad. One of its big projects right now is questioning members of the Trans Pacific Partnership. The trade deal consists of 12 countries, including the U.S., covering about 40 percent of the global economy. However, two members, Brunei and Malaysia, recently implemented phases of Sharia law that calls for the stoning to death of LGBT people and women who have sex outside of marriage. Ironically, Gambia was thrown out of the partnership because LGBT people can be punished for their sexuality with prison time. Pride at Work is looking for answers of why Brunei and Malaysia are allowed to stay and wants the U.S. to put pressure on those countries. “The idea that the U.S. would sign up and offer privileged trade partner status to countries that treat their LGBT citizens and women in this way is just beyond the pale,” Davis said. “We shouldn’t be lifting up countries that do this.” This year, Pride at Work chose Florida for its convention, which is held every three years. Discussions such as the trade agreement as well as elections and planning for the next three years will be integral parts of the convention. They will be meeting at Lake Buena Vista -- just outside of Orlando -- from August 26 to 29. “Collective action is more impactful than an individual yelling at the wind,” Davis said.

SouthFloridaGayNews // SFGN.com // 5 .20.2015 //

column publisher’s editorial

The New Dog in My Life

Norm Kent

norm.kent@sfgn.com

Every so often you have to stop writing about saving the world and talk about things that really matter. The world will take care of itself. Last December, I found out that my oldest dog, a 12-year-old mix aptly named Hurricane, rescued as he was a decade ago from Katrina in Louisiana, had inoperable cancer. He was given about 60 days. Here’s the thing about life and death though. We never really know. The future can be 20 years or 20 minutes. We are all day-to-day. Five months later, with the cherry flavored chemo working I guess, Hurricane is still bouncing around, grayer, thinner, but sun bathing by the pool like he was still a puppy. Meanwhile, I had been thinking how nice it would be to have a younger, second lab, to play with my older one, himself acquired a couple of years ago from our local neighbor, Animal Pet Rescue. However, I had heard of silver labs, and looked into a breeder upstate. She had a new litter that would be available in May, and by then, Hurricane would be gone. I convinced myself a new puppy would not be a burden, but provide a playful buddy for the 3 year old black lab, Shadow. He is not happy, though. He is insanely jealous,

“The difference between a man and a dog is that a dog does not bite the hand that feeds him.” Mark Twain 16

// 5.20.2015 // SFGN.com //

and thinks an intruder has stolen his bed. Will someone that specializes in the dog socialization process please call me or send a Facebook message? This is not what I intended at all. These guys were supposed to be playful pals! Still, any new puppy puts you on 24 hour alert. You can buy 2,500 pet toys and he is still going to go eat your new living room pillow, because the only real obligation of a puppy is to cause havoc in your life. Duke is doing fine with that already. In fact, I think he was bred to eat shoelaces. Meanwhile, none of the other three dogs wants anything to do with the new Duke. He is jumping, playing, running, and the rest of the dogs are looking at him and saying, “What are you doing here? We didn’t ask for you, we don’t want you and it’s 1900 degrees outside. We sleep all day. Just leave us alone.” There is another minor problem. I live in Fort Lauderdale. So technically, you are only allowed three dogs. After three, your home officially has to be licensed as a kennel. Besides, even if you have a crate or a kennel or a cage, dogs think they have a constitutional right to live outside them. They are only there for you to clean up after the fact. Anyway, what was I thinking? I forgot puppies like to chew on remotes, urinate in your living room, and think the water dish is their swimming pool. They demand special diets, immunization shots, and around the clock baby sitters. Their baby teeth are razor like sharp and their cute little paws cut like steak knives through your arms. When you want to sleep, they want to play. When you are ready to leave the house, they guilt you into thinking you are abandoning them in a petrified forest. Put them in a cage and the last thing you hear as you leave the house, knowing they are safe, is the howls of a caged animal making you out to be a sadistic beast. On the other hand, isn’t the innocence of a puppy amazingly rewarding? Like a newborn child, the world is truly their oyster. It awaits exploration. Watch the puppy stare down a lizard, pull on the tale of the German shepherd a hundred pounds bigger than him, or eat through the heel of your spanking new sneakers.

soflagaynews //

SouthFloridaGayNews

He is oblivious to it all. He is just having fun. You are the one going bananas. What have I done? I mean, this little dude could wind up living longer than me; which is something you don’t always think about it when you get a dog. But there is something you do think about- unconditional love, playful romps in the park, somebody who shares your bed and won’t ever steal your heart. A charcoal/silver lab is seeking a companion. I am just thinking can I make a million bucks if I start a Doggie Grindr app?

soflagaynews //

SouthFloridaGayNews // SFGN.com // 5 .20.2015 //

opinion letters to the editor

Reader takes issue with masculine and feminine stereotypes

I have something that is disturbing and down-right upsetting. Why is the gay community segregating other fellow homosexuals by category of masc and fem? Is one “gay” more “gay” or undesirable than the other? Allegedly the answer sadly is yes, however false. I will be turning 30 this July, have never dated another outed gay person. I have to say I have thick skin, but I am tired of the abuse. I walk out my door every day knowing people stare and place judgment. So like anyone else would, I try to find refuge within a community that should accept me. There is always a negative comment or a nasty face in our own community who ruins my safe zone. I no longer feel that I should be quiet. We ask for equality, but then don’t offer it. I understand everyone has a preference when it comes to dating: A simple “no thank you” would suffice. The funny thing is that I always land and date, unfortunately, every gay man’s fantasy — straight men. Yes the straight, curious, and closeted “str8” men. Regardless, no one is better or more macho than another. We all have differences, which makes the world

// 5.20.2015 // SFGN.com //

soflagaynews //

SouthFloridaGayNews

colorful. To simply hurt another person intentionally is morally wrong, and I won’t stand for it anymore. I do not think that it’s a phase, nor an act to get attention. I believe we were made this way for a reason. If I can help one other person who has or will face this same issue, I will stop this pursuit, however I don’t think it will happen overnight. Like our mothers said, “Treat others the way you wish to be treated.” I know who I am and I will never grow chest hair or have huge muscles, but I will stand up for my right to be who I am on the inside and out. I will not pretend to be someone I am not, nor will I allow this hypocrisy to continue. The war has started! I will not stop until I am heard from both “sides.” The gay dating scene is like a bunch of school yard bullies — dissing one another to feel more masculine. Guess what, I have bigger balls than most. I have to live in my vessel watching all the false accusations being placed on me, and keep my head high and disposition positive. Let’s stand up together, and fix this mess before it gets out of hand.

Joshua M. Whitelaw North Miami Beach

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

// 5 .20.2015 //

guest column

Hustler’s Rainbow Tom Jones

Photo: Facebook.

I stopped in the Hustler Hollywood Store to these key events, Hustler sends out weekly at Sunrise and 15th Ave. to shop for a straight Street Teams on The Drive to pass out condoms friend’s bachelor party gift. You know, located and “goodies” as well as partnering with clubs on that most wholesome corner of Walgreen’s such as Progress Bar for special drag events, and Publix. It was the logical choice. again with condoms, coupons and “goodies”! Larry Flynt’s Hustler store is the iconic The plan is to join with more bars for events heterosexual emporium known for all things such as participating in the May 20 Bachelor sexual like lingerie, videos, vibrators, and a and Bachelorette LGBT Auction at The Village very wide selection of sex toys. Hustler also Pub benefitting Deliver the Dream. Also publishes several magazines including Hustler, coming are monthly “Wednesdate Nights “ for Barely Legal and Busty Beauties plus produces the gay community when a special champagne some porn. It’s the go-to store for straight sex. and snacks party will be held at the store for That’s the Hustler I thought I knew. LGBT couples (and “date-looking singles”) with Looking out of my exclusive discounts, element and after drawings and prizes. “Who would have thought confessing that as a The first will be June you will see a big Pride gay guy I wasn’t quite 10th, 7-9 p.m. sure where to start, I And who would Window at The Hustler store received some shopping have thought you will during June with displays help from a laughing see a big Pride Window of special Pride clothing Lance, the new store at The Hustler store and towels, ﬂags, linens manager. Turns out during June with and other ‘specialty items’ I was in good hands. displays of special Lance is gay himself Pride clothing and unique to the gay and towels, flags, linens and understood where lesbian clientele” and other “specialty I was coming from. items” unique to the Gift selection made, Lance went on to share some surprising-to- gay and lesbian clientele. Biggest sellers to me information about Hustler in general and gays and lesbians are the “jewelry” and various the Fort Lauderdale store in particular. To be toys and wearables. Hustler will be donating a sure, Hustler is indeed the store for straight sex portion of their June proceeds to local LGBT “things,” but who would have known it has a organizations and HIV clinics. Speaking of those specialty items, I was in for an education. rainbow side. First there’s Larry Flint, Hustler’s founder “Who would have thought” takes on an even and owner and long time free speech advocate broader meaning. Amazing what some porn who has already come out backing Hillary stars will lend their names to. And yes, Hustler Clinton for President in 2016 and has been a very successfully advertises on Grindr! Lance said Hustler wants to build its gay long-time supporter of marriage equality. In fact Flynt’s corporate vice president of Hustler and lesbian customer base. They clearly have Retail was recently engaged to his long-time the products to fit anyone’s buying niche from pure vanilla to all fetishes. He hopes that by boyfriend! Second, a quarter of the local Hustler store’s greater participation in the gay and lesbian Fort Lauderdale community, the Hustler store employees are gay. Third, the local Hustler store is a member of will attract more customers through its doors the Fort Lauderdale Gay and Lesbian Chamber to better appreciate the Hustler corporate tag of Commerce and will be actively participating line of “Relax, it’s just sex.” Gay sex or straight, with booths at Wilton Manors’ Stonewall Pride Hustler Hollywood is there to help. Who would have thought! Really. and the Fort Lauderdale Pridefest. In addition

// 5.20.2015 // SFGN.com //

soflagaynews //

SouthFloridaGayNews

Gazette

Volume 2 • Issue 10 May 20, 2015

Wilton Manors

Twice-Monthly Neighborhood Outlook

Page 1 Mickel Field

Page 2 Beneath The Surface

Page 3

Real Estate Geek

Page 4 Pedestrians On The Drive

Page 4 Parking Problems

Community

Wilton Manors Police to Go After Dirt bikes, ATVs Residents up in arms over Sunday morning activity By Michael d’Oliveira A regular trip of noisy dirt bikes and ATV riders down Powerline Road has caught the attention of the Wilton Manors Police Department, which plans to issue tickets and hopefully discourage future rides through the city. “It’s incredibly disturbing to the neighborhood,” said Mayor Gary Resnick, who lives west of Powerline Road. Resnick said the group, which travels south towards Fort Lauderdale, comes through the city every Sunday evening. On May 12, Operations Commander Gary Blocker said police would be initiating an operation on Powerline May 17 and 24.

Per Florida law, it is illegal to drive dirt bikes and ATVs on paved public streets. “People have been screaming about it on Nextdoor,” said resident Kate Donohue, who lives east of Powerline. Nextdoor is a social media site that connects residents of specific neighborhoods. She said people have started calling it “The Blitz on Powerline.” Donohue and others also criticized the police for not responding fast enough. “Nobody has seen the police over there ticketing them,” Donohue said.

Mickel Field Set to Reopen July 25

On May 11, Nextdoor user George Tyssed wrote, “Well, once again the ‘outlaws’ paraded on Powerline on their dirt bikes and ATVs . . . non-street legal vehicles running right through Wilton Manors West without even being stopped . . . so it continues without any police stopping them. Every Sunday without fail they were an hour late but they still made it . . . like I said they are not punctual, but consistent . . . EVERY SUNDAY WMPD!” Chief Paul O’Connell said he’s optimistic the operation will be successful. If needed, he added, police officers will continue to address the situation. “These things take time.” WMG

Community

By Michael d’Oliveira

After months of construction, a grand opening date has been set for the renamed and redeveloped Mickel Park – Saturday, July 25 at 10 a.m. Once named Mickel Field, located on Powerline Road, because of its traditional use for the city’s once-popular youth baseball league, the facility was renamed Mickel Field and the small baseball diamond was removed to make way for new amenities. Officials decided to redevelop the park after years of no major improvements and declining use. The facility had also started to become more widely used by drug users, vagrants and prostitutes. It was also used by burglars more than once to stage break-ins to homes adjacent to the park. That led to residents demanding officials clean up and redevelop the park.

At a cost of $1.5 million, the improvements are funded through a $744,000 bank loan with the rest coming from general funds, impact fees and grants. The city is also spending $83,700 on a security camera system. The improvements include a walking trail, estate-style fencing, pavilion, concert performance area, volleyball court, additional bathroom, fitness equipment stations and shade canopies. Officials also want to convert the concession stand into a police substation and community meeting space. City Manager Joseph Gallegos said the city also plans to build a new playground and a splash park but those will have to be funded in future budgetsWMG

• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • www.WMGAZETTE.com • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • // 1 soflagaynews • May 20, 2015

SouthFloridaGayNews // SFGN.com // 5 .20.2015 //

Opinion

Beneath The Surface

By Sal Torre

Gazette Wilton Manors

MAY 20, 2015 • VOLUME 2 • ISSUE 10 2520 N. DIXIE HIGHWAY • WILTON MANORS, FL 33305 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 ONLINE PRODUCER • DENNIS JOZEFOWICZ DENNIS.JOZEFOWICZ@SFGN.COM EDITORIAL ASSISTANT • JILLIAN MELERO JILLIANMELERO@GMAIL.COM

Correspondents

MICHAEL D’OLIVEIRA • CHRISTIANA LILLY • DENISE ROYAL • NATALYA JONES • JOHN MCDONALD • JAMES OAKSUN

Staff Photographers

J.R. DAVIS • POMPANO BILL • STEVEN SHIRES

Sales & Marketing

Residents who attended the last City Commission Meeting experienced a very surreal situation. After entering and finding a seat, you realized something was very wrong — swarming termites. Sitting through the meeting brushing away termites or stepping on them as they landed by your feet was very unsettling. Termites go unnoticed for most of the year, doing great damage below the surface, only to be discovered once they begin to swarm. This experience started me thinking about issues in our community that we choose not to act on, pretending the problems will go away, unaware of the damage that is occurring out of sight and out of mind — problems that will only show themselves, just like termites, once tremendous damage is done. Two main problems that came to mind that night were the issues of pedestrian safety along Wilton Drive and unregulated short-term rentals popping up in our residential neighborhoods. These problems have existed for a while now, and public reaction arises when the latest incident occurs, only to return to complacency while the “termites” continue causing increasing damage to our residents, our business district, our public safety, and our community. The standard response of City Officials when it comes to public safety along Wilton Drive is to blame the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) and state ownership of Wilton Drive. They claim that their hands are tied when it comes to crosswalks, traffic lights, and other tools available because the state dictates what can be done on a state road. Having served on the Wilton Drive Task Force several years ago, I understand the limitations and barriers that the city faces in implementing needed changes along Wilton Drive. However, the time has come to stop blaming the inaction of the state and start looking for solutions. Doing nothing is no longer an option. We can no longer pretend that this damaging reality will take care of itself if only pedestrians use the existing crosswalks, most of which are not where high pedestrian traffic occur. Unless the city takes action, residents and businesses will only be confronted with more tragic news of another accident, another death, another dose of reality. One just needs to look at the success of the City of Lauderdale-

By-the-Sea. In this week’s Pelican Newspaper I had the pleasure of reading how the City of LBTS has an ongoing pedestrian/ bicycle safety project totally funded by the Florida Dept. of Transportation. This is on top of all the road improvements, crosswalks, public safety improvements, and narrowing of A1A that the City of LBTS has received from the same state agency that our city officials blame for inactivity. FDOT officials stated that the reduction in traffic lanes on A1A will reduce speed and permit more pedestrians to use A1A and visit area businesses — EXACTLY what we want on Wilton Drive! It’s time for the City of Wilton Manors to stop the blame game and take action. We can start by contacting the Chief Safety Officer of FDOT, Lora Hollingsworth, at 850-414-4177. Let her office know that we have a pedestrian safety crisis along our state roadway. Let her know that Wilton Drive is not a highway or a connecting roadway, but a thriving business district, an Arts and Entertainment District, with plenty of pedestrians and bicycles, and that the status quo means that we are at tremendous risk for more tragic accidents along Wilton Drive. FDOT has even more people to contact who are directly responsible for pedestrian safety along state roads. I am curious if anyone at City Hall has contacted any of them in the past year. Besides the Chief Safety Officer listed above, there is the State Bicycle/Pedestrian Safety Coordinator, Trenda McPherson, 850414-4025. There is also an entire agency funded by the Florida Department of Transportation, the Florida’s Pedestrian and Bicycle Safety Resource Center. I would even recommend reaching out to officials in Lauderdale-by-the-Sea to ask how their city has been so successful in addressing traffic lane reductions, pedestrian safety issues, and bicycle lanes with funding and cooperation from FDOT, when we are told by our city officials that nothing can be done because the state will not allow it. Pretending that you do not have a termite problem, not taking any corrective action, waiting until they once again swarm to do anything only leaves you with more damage and a bigger problem. It is past time for the City Wilton Manors to take action and stop turning a blind eye and blaming others for these problems. WMG

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

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// 5.20.2015 // SFGN.com //

soflagaynews //

2 •

SouthFloridaGayNews May 20, 2015

Mining for Gems in Southeast Florida

Real Estate Geek

By James Oaksun In my last column I finished describing my five criteria for finding good values in South Florida real estate. In this column, I will name some names. Now, this does not mean I don't think other areas are worthy of consideration. Quite the contrary. I think there are many fine neighborhoods throughout southeast Florida, at all price points. What I'm trying to do, is give you a few places to look that you may not have considered, where property values run below those of other similar areas, and where I think there is prospect for appreciation. AREA ONE: Deerfield Beach, roughly ¾ mile either side of Hillsboro Blvd, between Federal and the Intracoastal • • • •

Community Redevelopment Nice newer LA Fitness Beach/water access at a lower price point Boca alternative – less than 10 minutes to Mizner Park

AREA TWO: Pompano Beach, roughly ¾ mile either

side of Atlantic Blvd, between Federal and the Intracoastal • Community Redevelopment • Shopping • Beach/water access

• New Whole Foods nearby • Walkability of Atlantic Avenue area • Closer ocean access than Coral Ridge at much lower price points AREA THREE: Hollywood, area bounded by Johnson Street, Dixie Highway, the Hollywood/Hallandale line, and 14th Avenue • • • •

Walkability Downtown historic area Older homes Proximity to very nice beach/boardwalk

AREA 4: Davie, generally speaking the area bounded by Rock Island Road, Griffin Road, Davie Road and Nova Drive • • • • •

Whole Foods Community Redevelopment Nova Southeastern University and Broward College Good schools 595/441 access

AREA 5 (WILD CARD): Hallandale, area bounded by Federal, Hallandale Beach Blvd, 14th Avenue and Moffett

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• • • • •

Whole Foods nearby Cheap property Community redevelopment Aventura alternative Nice beach

Check them out and let me know what you think. As always the market will tell us the answer. WMG James Oaksun, Broward's Real Estate GeekSM, is a Realtor with the Wilton Manors office of RE/MAX Preferred. In addition to having degrees from Dartmouth and Cornell, he is a graduate of the Realtors Institute (GRI).

SouthFloridaGayNews // SFGN.com // 5 .20.2015 //

Community

Man Vows to “Block” Parking Problems Persist Latest solution: eminent domain Wilton Drive After By Michael d’Oliveira Pedestrian Accident By Michael d’Oliveira

A May 2 pedestrian accident on Wilton Drive has one man promising an act of civil disobedience. “The Drive will be blocked,” said Fort Lauderdale resident Andrew Brett at the May 12 commission meeting. He declined to provide details on when he would try and block the street. Brett said he was prompted to speak out because of the May 2 accident. According to the police report, two men were struck by a vehicle at the corner of Northeast 20 Street and Wilton Drive at 11:39 p.m. They were sent to Broward General Hospital but have since been released. The driver was given a ticket for an improper turn. Each pedestrian was given a ticket for failing to use a crosswalk. At the commission meeting, Brett accused commissioners of not doing enough to make Wilton Drive safer. Specifically, he criticized the commission for placing the traffic crosswalk signal in front of city hall instead of at Northeast 20 Street. He also stated this was the second time he has been before the commission to talk about safety on Wilton Drive. The first was after a pedestrian accident involving three of his friends. In a rare response to a public speaker from the dais, commissioners defended their past efforts. Mayor Gary Resnick and Vice Mayor Scott Newton said the city tried to get the Florida Department of Transportation [FDOT] to place the pedestrian traffic signal

at Wilton Drive and Northeast 20 Street but FDOT chose the other location. The street is owned and controlled by FDOT. Mark Plass, district traffic operations engineer for FDOT’s Fort Lauderdale office, said FDOT chose the location in front of city hall because it estimated that location would be used more by pedestrians. “Northeast 20 Street did not meet our standards. We thought it would be more useful in front of city hall,” Plass said. Newton defended the placement though. “It may not be the most convenient but it is a safe place [to cross],” Newton said. Other crosswalks have been added to the street in recent years and city officials were also successful in getting FDOT to lower the Wilton Drive speed limit from 35 to 30. Commissioners also voted recently to make it illegal for pedestrians to panhandle within 200 feet of intersections along Wilton Drive and other major streets in the city. The move was decried by some as targeting homeless individuals. Commissioners defended the move as a pedestrian safety measure. “We’ve done a tremendous amount,” Resnick said. On Walkscore.com, a site that rates how pedestrian-friendly cities are, Wilton Manors got a 71, one of the highest in Florida. Oakland Park got a 52 and Fort Lauderdale got a 54. Resnick suggested the city may go back to issuing jaywalking tickets. The city, he said, tried that strategy a few years ago but stopped after receiving a lot of complaints. WMG

As city officials plan to develop a parking master plan, Commissioner Tom Green has suggested the possible use of eminent domain to acquire land for parking. “It’s something we may have to consider in the future,” said Green at a recent commission meeting. “You always end up paying twice as much, but if there’s no other choice.” Green said he had “no specific plans. I just wanted a legal update.” Traditionally, eminent domain has been used by governments to force property owners to sell their land for a project that directly benefits the public good – roads, hospitals, water treatment plants and other structures. “To me, it is the general welfare of the city,” Green said. For that reason, Mayor Gary Resnick doubts eminent domain could work for the city’s parking problem. “I’m not aware of any city using eminent domain for parking . . . I don’t think it would be legal.” City Attorney Kerry Ezrol said more discussion needs to take place before the city could consider eminent domain. If used, he said, it would have to be as a last resort after negotiations have failed. “You can’t just go right into eminent domain.” No matter how the city acquires more land for parking, officials have at least $524,000 to buy land and develop it, as they did with the parking lot at Northeast 26 Street and Northeast 8 Terrace. Vice Mayor Scott Newton said it was essential businesses have enough parking. Although no plan has been formulated, Finance Director Bob Mays said it will most

likely be focused on Wilton Drive. “To my knowledge, it’s going to be in the Arts and Entertainment District.” Mays said the city is looking at properties near Wilton Drive, especially the north portion, but have yet to acquire a suitable parcel. Officials have tried to negotiate with the owners of the empty lot at Northeast 23 Drive and Northeast 11 Avenue, behind Bona Pizza, but the owners have not responded positively. When the parking master plan develops further, said Mays, ideas on potential parking lots and other solutions from residents and business owners will be welcome. “One of the things that is important to do is talk with the citizens. There will be lots of conversations going on. We’re not simply going to hire a consultant to tell us what they need.” Whatever residents and business owners suggest, “we’ll have to balance that with the realities we have with financing,” Mays said. As for one idea, proposed at various times by more than one commissioner, building a parking garage, Green said the city should think smaller. “The solution is not one big structure. Maybe we’ve got to have two or three smaller locations that are more convenient. People tend not to want to walk very far.” Green also hopes to expand the study beyond Wilton Drive. “As has been pointed out [by residents and business owners], we have not spent enough attention on Andrews Avenue yet,” he said. WMG

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SouthFloridaGayNews May 20, 2015

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SouthFloridaGayNews // SFGN.com // 5 .20.2015 //

lifestyle finance

Debt Isn’t the Problem; Spending Is Be wary of credit counseling and debt consolidation

Ric Reily Much is made of credit counseling and debt consolidation. Often it seems that there are more advertisements on television, radio, newspapers and billboards for debt consolidators than advertisements for cars. Knowing that, be warned there is a lot of money in the industry, your money. I preach, teach, coach, counsel, coddle, prod and push people regularly to clean up their financial lives as a primary method of lowering stress levels and providing for a more stable healthy future. Regularly, I am amazed at the level of debt many, particularly younger, gay men and women create, service and carry around. When you are ready to address your debt, credit counseling in its pure form is a good thing. We’re doing it now. The goal of credit counseling is to help you better understand how credit works, what credit is for and when and how to use credit. This is not rocket science though there is a key point to keep in mind; in almost all cases credit counseling is a business. Big business; remember they can buy all those ads. You got into financial trouble because you didn’t plan well and spent poorly. You have to figure that the business to which you give your money to help you out of your mire will require money to operate, pay your counselor, return the owners on their investment and make a profit. Before you spend one more dollar of your money,

// 5.20.2015 // SFGN.com //

make certain the organization you’re ‘hiring’ to unravel your financial mess will not simply drag you deeper into it. Be certain you will realize tangible benefits for your spending. Some gay men and lesbians need a helping hand making big changes in their life, and some hand holding along the way. If you’re one, you are a customer for a credit counselor. If you insist on going forward with a credit counselor, check out their Better Business Bureau report. Research them on the Internet. Ask for references of those who they have helped. Know up front what the total cost to you will be, and what exactly will be done for you and when. It’s your responsibility to perform due diligence upfront, before you sign up. Ask as many questions, and ask for as much proof of the answers, as you want. The goal is for you to avoid the credit counselor all together. After all, if debt reduction is your goal there is no need to incur an additional expense to reach it. And, if you are so lucky as to find someone who can truly accomplish the task of straightening out your financial mess, you will not have learned anything and will probably find yourself right back in the same place before you know it. The decision to hire a credit counselor is one I highly caution you against, and if you insist it is the right route for you, take the time to really do your homework before signing up.

soflagaynews //

Debt consolidation is an even more dangerous business. Once done it can deliver the erroneous impression that you have resolved your financial problems. The bill collectors have stopped calling, the late notices have stopped arriving and you exhale a great sigh of relief. What debt consolidation usually means is that you have swept your spending problems under the rug and gone about your life creating new debt. Unless you experience the process of paying off your debt, you are unlikely to create new spending habits that will keep you from spending your way back into debt. I know a woman who was about to get married and really wanted to clean up her financial life before dragging her new wife into her mess. Bankruptcy was her answer. She didn’t owe much, relatively speaking, but she wanted out from under the stress and went ahead with the lawyer’s recommendation to file. Of course, the lawyer got his money up front as any prudent professional in a bankruptcy would. Though, in casual conversation as she is a close friend, I strongly recommended that she work out her financial problems instead of filing bankruptcy and walking away, she insisted she understood the risks and went her way. The one risk she could not calculate, and the one that came back to haunt her soon thereafter was that she had not resolved the spending problem. Within a year of their marriage, the lovely new couple was drowning in financial despair, and staggering debt. It has been statistically demonstrated that the vast majority of those who

SouthFloridaGayNews

consolidate debt, whether by combining all the debt and taking a second mortgage or a personal loan, recreate the debt problem quickly. Then they have the consolidated debt, and a new mountain of debt. When you take a second mortgage to consolidate debt, you put your home at risk for the dubious comfort of being ‘out of debt.’ All you have actually done is put your home at risk. Don’t do it, even when the pundits and marketers insist you will save money with a lower interest rate and those interest payments are tax deductible. Here is the ludicrous logic of debt consolidation. You bought too many sweaters, because you do look so pretty in pink, a new refrigerator, a new stereo and a computer. The bills are rolling in and you are struggling to make the payments. What is the credit card company going to do, come to your house and take your sweaters? Do you think they might arrive in the night and take your refrigerator? I think not. When you consolidate all this debt into a second mortgage on your home, or a home equity line, you have secured your unsecured debt with your home. Your home is now at risk if you can’t or don’t pay the mortgage or equity line payment. Exchanging unsecured debt for a lien? You have simply risked your home. Forget about it! Putting your home at risk, running up new bills after consolidation and incurring the costs of consolidation are a false economy. Instead of consolidating your debt, pay it off. Such a novel concept; pay off your debt while at the same time not creating it anew.

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SouthFloridaGayNews // SFGN.com // 5 .20.2015 //

lifestyle books

'Bettyville: A Memoir'

By: George Hodgman

Terri Schlichenmeyer

$27.95 / $32.95 Canada 279 pages c.2015, Viking Throughout your life, your parents ignored many things. That time in high school when you snuck out to party? They knew, but they looked the other way. Same thing with wearing makeup, missing curfew, and that one regrettable hair style. They often “didn’t see” more than you’ll ever know. Problem is that sometimes, they ignored too much. Did they, for instance, know who you really were? In the new book “Bettyville” by George Hodgman, one man wondered… Elizabeth Baker Hodgman – Betty, to most people – didn’t sleep much. At age ninety, she was prone to wandering, fussing at the kitchen, piling and restacking paperwork, and playing the piano in the

Author George Hodgman

Photo: Sigrid Estrada middle of the night. She was “suffering from dementia or maybe worse.” Unfortunately, that also meant her son, George, didn’t get much sleep, either. An out of work editor and freelancer, George Hodgman had moved to Paris, Missouri from New York for what was supposed to be a week. Or a month. Or a year to take care of his mother. Betty didn’t like it; she hated needing someone. Hodgman didn’t like it, either; too much had changed. “I was Betty’s boy,” he says, and he’d been that way all his life. Hodgman loved his father fiercely, but he absolutely favored his mother. Still, he desperately wished he’d been able to tell his parents he was gay, that he'd felt alone, that he’d survived too many failed romances, and that he’d had substance

// 5.20.2015 // SFGN.com //

soflagaynews //

SouthFloridaGayNews

abuse issues. Surely, they knew but no one ever talked about it. Now, as he cared for her, there were times when Betty infuriated Hodgman. She could be rude and stubborn, prone to fits of anger for no reason, and loud. She flatly refused any thoughts of nursing homes or assisted living. The problem was her dementia, Hodgman reminded himself repeatedly. He understood that she was rightfully fearful because she knew she was losing herself and “I can only imagine how scary it is…” And yet, “I think I have survived because of Betty, more than anyone,” Hodgman said as she eased away. “There are so many things I will carry when I leave Bettyville with my old suitcase.” Without a doubt, you’d be forgiven for reaching for a tissue while you’re reading this book. Heck, you might want a whole box of them – but there’s a lot more to “Bettyville” than heartstring-tugging. I found joy inside this story, in between its inevitable sadness. Author George Hodgman keenly remembers his small town childhood from all sides: churchgoers and alcoholics, kindness and bullying, adolescent crushes, baffling foes, and off-limits subjects that no small-townie discusses. We meet, through the eyes of Hodgman, Betty’s friends and family and we’re told a story about a time past, a life well-loved, and losing a mother long before she’s really gone. Be prepared to laugh a little, but be prepared to cry, too, as you’re reading this fine memoir - especially if you’re a caretaker for an elderly parent. For you, for sure, “Bettyville” is a book that can’t be ignored.

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lifestyle photos J.R. Davis

The 17th Annual Miami Gay & Lesbian Film Festival wrapped up another successful season at the Colony Theatre on Lincoln Road, unveiling a new logo and brand identity in the process. The new name, MiFo, unites the Miami and Ft. Lauderdale festivals under a single banner. 11

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David Kato Kisule (1964 –2011) was

a Ugandan teacher and LGBT rights activist, considered a father of Uganda's gay rights movement and described as “Uganda's first openly gay man.” He served as advocacy officer for Sexual Minorities Uganda (SMUG). Kato was murdered in 2011, beaten to death outside his home, shortly after winning a lawsuit against a magazine which had published his name and photograph identifying him as gay and calling for him to be executed. News of the barbaric murder made headlines around the world. For several months he had been the target of a hatecampaign mounted by a local newspaper. He had spent much of his life courageously helping those persecuted because of their sexual orientation often repeating his mantra: “Determined to struggle till a yard done to the journey of liberating the LGBTI community from the discrimination and oppressive laws in the name of sodomy!” "David's death is a result of the hatred planted in Uganda by U.S Evangelicals in 2009," Val Kalende, the woman who heads "Freedom and Roam Uganda," a gay rights group, said in a statement. "The Ugandan Government and the so-called U.S Evangelicals must take responsibility for David's blood." The “David Kato Vision & Voice Award” was established in his memory. The 2012 recipient, Jamaican LGBT rights activist Maurice Tomlinson, was announced on 14 December 2011 and was awarded on 29 January 2012 in London. In 2014 Kato was inducted into the Legacy Walk, an outdoor public display, which celebrates LGBT history and people.

Maurice Tomlinson (born 1971) is a Jamaican attorney-at-Law and law lecturer. He has been a leading gay rights and HIV activist in the Caribbean for over 20 years and is one of the only Jamaican LGBTI human rights advocates to challenge the country's 1864 British colonially imposed anti gay Sodomy Law (known as the Buggery Law). This law predominantly affects men who have sex with men (MSM) and carries a jail sentence of up to ten years imprisonment with hard labor. He has served as legal advisor on the boards of Jamaica AIDS Support for Life (JASL) as well as the Jamaica Forum for Lesbians All-Sexuals and Gays (J-FLAG). He resides in Toronto, Canada, but he still visits Jamaica

// 5.20.2015 // SFGN.com //

soflagaynews //

SouthFloridaGayNews

regularly to participate in legal challenges to anti-gay laws. Jamaican men who have sex with men have the highest HIV prevalence rate in the western hemisphere, at 33 percent. UNAIDS, the Jamaican Ministry of Health, and other regional and international agencies involved in the HIV response have identified that the overwhelming homophobia in Jamaica drives gays underground, away from effective HIV prevention, treatment, care, and support interventions. Since 2008, Tomlinson has been working with local and international partners to increase the visibility of Jamaican LGBTI people in order to improve their access to health care and specifically HIV services. In this regard, he has led several public initiatives, including public service announcements, Jamaica’s first Walk for Tolerance, multiple public demonstrations, a successful letter writing campaign to the Jamaican newspapers, and spearheaded meetings with senior government, diplomatic and civic officials. He travels around the Caribbean for the Canadian HIV/AIDS Legal Network providing human rights documentation and advocacy training for groups working with LGBTI individuals. Maurice’s husband, Tom Decker, developed an award winning program to report homophobic violence while he worked for the Toronto Police. On behalf of AIDS-Free World, Decker revised this program for the Caribbean. He now travels with Maurice to deliver this training to Caribbean civil society groups, as well as provide LGBTI sensitization sessions for Caribbean police.

2015: Support for same-sex marriage has risen by 8 percent in the past two years and jumped 45 percent since the question was first asked in 1988. The largest shift in support since 2012 has come among Republicans, 45 percent now support marriage rights for same-sex couples. This represents a jump of 14 percent since 2012. If you want to learn more about your gay heritage and those who paved the way, through activism, sacrifice, courage and civil disobedience to give us a better and freer life you can visit The Stonewall Museum & Archives in Wilton Manors. We should all know who our gay heroes are and be thankful for what they did on our behalf.

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SouthFloridaGayNews // SFGN.com // 5 .20.2015 //

lifestyle food

Dives, He Said! Rick Karlin

here’s something wonderful about a divey seafood place, the kind of place you only find in coastal cities. Until recently, you couldn’t get fresh seafood unless you lived near the shore. But with fishing boats equipped with blast chillers dropping their catch off at the pier to be whisked away by jets, folks in Boise have just as much chance of eating fresh seafood as those of us living in coastal areas. Especially now that 90 percent of seafood consumed in America comes from other countries, according

Tark's 1317 S. Federal Hwy. Dania Beach 954-925-8275 Tarks.com

Tark's has been serving up fresh shucked raw clams and oysters since your parents were newlyweds. There’s not much more to it than a tiled counter and some bar stools where you can watch the kitchen staff whip up old school

Tarpon Bend Food & Tackle 200 SW 2nd St. Fort Lauderdale 954-523-3233 TarponBend.com

// 5.20.2015 // SFGN.com //

soflagaynews //

huge stuffed baked clams, enough for a meal for less than $7. Service is friendly is a bit harried and forgetful, but you’re not here for that anyway.

Catﬁsh Dewey's 4003 N. Andrews Ave. Oakland Park; 954-566-5333 CatﬁshDeweys.com

What’s on the menu? A little stain from the tartar sauce! Plastic checkered tablecloths, mounds of paper napkins to mop up all that melted butter and fryer grease. Early bird meals (4-6 p.m.) include Maryland crab cakes, catfish, shrimp, mahi, cod, fried oysters or clam strips and are all priced between $12.50 and $13.50 and include

4 5

favorites such as steamed clams and grilled mahi alongside some new faves such as buffalo shrimp. The lunch specials are great deals; 10 freshly shucked clams for only $6.95 or whole belly clams for $8.50 on Fridays.

Southport 1536 Cordova Rd. Fort Lauderdale 954-525-CLAM Southport.com

Sit out back on the deck overlooking the intercostal and enjoyed fried clams, scallops or raw oysters until two in the morning. Get a pound-and-a-half of snow crab legs with corn on the cob for less than $20, or a half dozen

to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Still, as my Aunt Betty used to say, “Don’t let a little something like the truth get in the way of atmosphere!” Whether the seafood is from local waters or not, these places have the feel of authentic seafood dives from the past. FYI, I limited my selection to independent spots, no national chains and also eliminated any highfalutin places that use things like cloth napkins, cause the true dives don’t even use paper napkins, just a roll of paper towels.

Dockers Restaurant & Pub 318 N Federal Hwy. Dania Beach 954-925-5962 HistoricDockers.com SouthFloridaGayNews

hushpuppies, soft drink and dessert. If you’d rather dine later check out the nightly all you can eat specials such as fried or peel and eat shrimp, fried clam strips, snow crabs, fried oysters and crawfish. Service is friendly and, often efficient, but I think that’s by more by accident than intent.

Sure, it’s a tourist trap, but that doesn’t mean it’s not good, and a good deal. Check out the conch chowder (just $5 for a large bowl), the Mediterranean chopped salad is huge with chickpeas, olives, feta and grilled shrimp for $14 or the Asian tuna sandwich ($13). However, my favorite is to stop in for brunch and savor shrimp and grits topped with a fried egg. At lunch, check out “It's 4 Free Thursday,” buy three lunches and the fourth is free. Not quite as divey anymore since it was bought by new owners last January and significantly renovated, but I’m including it anyway. The good food and reasonable prices (everything is priced less than $15) make up for the ho-hum view of the marina and inattentive service. I have just two words to say, “Lobster sliders.”

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Stronger than ever spending in america’s LGBt media is at a record high of $381.4 million, up 18.2% from 2012. circulation and readership of LGBt media are also up a healthy 15.1%* now that’s just sUper!

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F O R

SFGNITES

T H E

J.W. Arnold

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THU

CONCERT

W E E K

O F

M A Y

2 1

M A Y

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

5/21

Classic car shows, sand castle contests and live entertainment are some of the activities at the Great American Beach Party, today from 10 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. on Fort Lauderdale Beach.

Pat Benatar is going to hit South Florida audiences with her best shot tonight at the Hard Rock Live at Seminole Paradise in Hollywood. Gays and lesbians of a certain generation won’t want to miss this ‘80s rocker as she sings all her biggest hits in one performance at 8 p.m. She’ll be joined by Neil “Spyder” Giraldo for this local stop on their 35th anniversary tour, a celebration of their signature sound and classic songs. Tickets are $29, $39 and $49 at SeminoleHardRockHollywood.com.

FRI

THEATER

5/22

Miami’s Zoetic Stage at the Arsht Center presents Harold Pinter’s powerful play, “Betrayal,” tonight in the Carnival Studio Theater through May 31. A dramatic tale of obsession and deception, the inventive storyline about a steamy adulterous affair is told backwards in reverse chronological order in this new production directed by Stuart Meltzer. Catch this show Thursday through Saturday at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday matinee at 4 p.m. Tickets start at $45 at ArshtCenter.org.

SAT EVENT

5/23 SUN

Head down to Fort Lauderdale Beach today for the Great American Beach Party. Our primary tourist season may run from Thanksgiving to Easter, but this Memorial Day weekend tradition marks the official start of summer. Take in the classic car show, sand castle contest, food vendors, live bands and DJs, too. And, of course, for the best sights of the day, stop by Sebastian Beach to see some greased up bods. The free festivities run from 10 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. For info, go to FortLauderdale.gov/GABP.

Credit: Greater Fort Lauderdale Convention and Visitors Bureau.

// 5.20.2015 // SFGN.com //

NIGHTLIFE

5/24 MON

HOLIDAY

Better get out that bleach and get to work on your coolest duds because The Manor Complex, 2345 Wilton Dr. in Wilton Manors, hosts the 17th annual White Fort Lauderdale all weekend. The party tonight begins at 10 p.m. Kitty Meow is your hostess with the most-est and celebrity DJ Tony Moran will be in the booth for one of the biggest nights of the season. “RuPaul’s Drag Race” alum Pearl will be featured on stage. Tickets start at $20 and are available at TheManorComplex.com. soflagaynews //

5/25 TUE

It’s Memorial Day and you know what that means — it’s the official start of summer here in South Florida. You could salute our veterans at one of the many ceremonies around the region, but we prefer to raise a glass to our wounded warriors and fallen heroes, both past and present. Celebrate with a festive cookout and drinks with friends beside the pool or visit your favorite watering holes on Wilton Drive and in Miami-Dade for happy hour specials and promotions through the holiday weekend.

SouthFloridaGayNews

SEXUALITY

5/26

We all know “reality TV” can sometimes be anything but “real.” Since his big network interview, Bruce Jenner’s transition from male to female has encouraged public conversation about the emotions and issues felt by transgender people. On the fourth Tuesday of each month, the Pride Center at Equality Park, 2040 N. Dixie Hwy. in Wilton Manors, hosts a transgender education forum beginning at 7 p.m. Learn more at this month’s meeting. For info, go to PrideCenterFlorida.org.

soflagaynews //

SouthFloridaGayNews // SFGN.com // 5 .20.2015 //

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// 5.20.2015 // SFGN.com //

soflagaynews //

a&e cabaret

World Famous Writer, Female Impersonator Comes To South Florida

Charles Busch brings new cabaret act to Miami Beach J.W. Arnold

When playwright, screenwriter and very young age,” recalled Busch. “My mother performer Charles Busch takes the stage, died when I was seven and I was a product of he frequently dons make-up, heels and a a completely permissive childhood.” wig. But don’t mistake the creator of camp At the age of 12, Busch moved to classics “Vampire Lesbians of Sodom” and Manhattan to live with his Aunt Lillian, who “Psycho Beach Party” for any old drag queen. he described as “a character in one of those “Certainly, my career has been as a old movies, one of those elegant, noble, playwright, writing roles for myself,” he embattled women.” explained over the telephone from his home As Busch developed many of his signature in New York, “and most of those roles have characters, he paid homage to Bette Davis, been female characters, which necessitated Norma Shearer and his Aunt Lillian, a bit me dressing in drag. of “profound pop But, in every play, psychology” in his I have a different words. character. I’m not “I’m just able to dial a performer with a it up. The person on persona and a stage stage is me, but if I was name.” an old television set, Busch will be I’d dial up the contrast bringing his latest and the brightness,” cabaret show to Busch said. Miami Beach on He then elaborated, Sunday, May 31 for “All my life, I’ve been one performance at a very creative person. Edison Farrow’s My greatest love affair Cabaret South Beach. has been with my own imagination. “This cabaret thing Sometimes I get very is pretty recent, I’ve angry at that lover. It’s tiptoed into it over failed me at times, but the past two or three I come back to him.” years,” said Busch, The film who collaborated Female impersonator Charles Busch, adaptations of his with music director appearing May 31 at Cabaret South Beach plays have been Tom Judson on a show Photo credit: David Rodgers among his proudest that includes musical performances from the “Great American achievements: “At least this week, it’s looking Songbook” and lots of stories from his very good that I might make another. You got illustrious, four-decade career. He aims to me on a good week. Who knows about next give audiences the illusion of sitting in his week?” Busch, who also wrote the hit Broadway living room enjoying a lively conversation. “When I started developing this act, I comedy “The Tale of the Allergist’s Wife” asked, who am I at this particular part of and numerous “straight” one man shows, my life? I’ve been feeling a need to be as is enjoying the break from theater his unguarded and honest as possible. Since my cabaret tour affords. Touring the plays has audience enjoys seeing me in drag, how can I not always been economically feasible, so he has relished the opportunity to take the accomplish that?” he added. Busch became fascinated with Hollywood new musical act across the country and to and the “pantheon of great actresses” of the Europe. “We’ve been everywhere. I don’t want to ‘30s and ‘40s while still a young boy. “I could go into all sorts of amateur come off ‘too Norma Desmond," but it’s been psychology about why that is. My father wonderful meeting fans around the world,” loved old films and I shared that with him at a he said.

Charles Busch stars in “A Divine Evening with Charles Busch” at the Cabaret South Beach, 233 12th Street in Miami Beach, at 8 p.m. on Sunday, May 31. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. and there is a two-drink minimum. Tickets are $40 at TheCabaretSouthBeach.com.

SouthFloridaGayNews

a&e books

Matt Converse, Former Stripper, Pens Gay Erotic Thriller By David-Elijah Nahmod Matt Converse was once a stripper at The Nob Hill Theater, San Francisco’s premiere gay adult entertainment emporium. That experience, and his fondness for the horror genre, led to his new novella Behind the Velvet Curtain. “I loved it,” Converse said of his dancing days. “I liked picking out the music and putting on a show. All this is what inspired ‘Behind the Velvet Curtain.’” Like the book’s hero Matt Jaxx, Converse quit his day job and began stripping full time. “I had a creepy guy in the audience like in the book,” he recalls. “But he didn’t take it to the level of stalker like the book does.” Converse describes himself as a horror writer. “I crossed over into the ‘erotic thriller’ genre because of the subject matter of this novella,” he said. “Sex was a big part of the story, so it fell naturally into this category.” The author cites the diversity of San Francisco as among his influences. “People of all different kinds,” he said. “Straight, gay, bi, transgender, all different races and religions. Since many of my works are set in San Francisco, it’s a true reflection of the diversity here.” And what does Converse want his readers to get from “Behind the Velvet Curtain”? “Just to be entertained,” he said. “Behind the Velvet Curtain is fun and sexy, with some humor. I don’t want to try to make it into something it’s not. This is a fast, fun, erotic gay thriller.” Converse envisions hunky gay actor Matt Bomer as Matt Jaxx, the hot young stripper who finds love even as he fends off unwanted advances from a twisted stalker. And who might direct a film version Behind the Velvet Curtain? “I would only wish that Alfred Hitchcock was still around to direct it,” Converse said. “My dream director today would be someone like David Lynch, I think he’d be a good fit. The musical

UNDER THE DIRECTION OF DR. GARY KEATING

presents

Book Cover:Goodreads score would be Lady Gaga since the stripper only dances to her music. I mean, if I’m going to think big, I might as well go all the way, right?” For now, Matt Converse will be busy deciding what to write next, while he continues to enjoy the amenities of his favorite neighborhood, San Francisco’s Castro District, aka “the gayborhood.” “I have to say my favorite thing of all is a rare hot day in the Castro, when all the boys run around half naked,” he said. “The neighborhood has changed over the years but I still love it. Sometimes we forget how lucky we are to have a gay neighborhood like the Castro.”

MAY 30, 2015 8pm NSU Art Museum Fort Lauderdale TheFTLGMC.org

The Fort Lauderdale Gay Men’s Chorus presents its final concert for the season. Join us as we share some of our favorite pieces inspired by the Music of the Night.

Tickets are $40 Premium Seating and $25 General Admission. You can RSVP by visiting theftlgmc.org or by calling 954.832.0060.

Funding for this organization is provided in part by the Broward County Commissioners as recommended by the Broward Cultural Council.

Author & former stripper Matt Converse

For updated information on our concerts, events or joining our chorus, please visit our website www.theftlgmc.org or call 954.832.0060.

WHERE TO GET IT: Behind the Velvet Curtain can now be purchased in E-book form at Amazon: www. amazon.com/Behind-Velvet-Curtain-Matt-Converse-ebook/dp/B00TBPESD0 soflagaynews //

SouthFloridaGayNews // SFGN.com // 5 .20.2015 //

* Florida Georgia Line, Thomas Rhett, and Frankie Ballard

Datebook

Theater

May 28 at 7:30 p.m. at Coral Sky Amphitheatre (formerly Cruzan), 601-7 Sansburys Way in West Palm Beach. A part of Coral Sky’s 2015 Megaticket event, the second installment of a series of country acts with headliner Florida Georgia Line, known for their hit “Cruise.” Tickets $49 and up. Call 561-795-8883 or visit CruzanAmphitheatre.net.

Christiana Lilly

Calendar@SFGN.com

Top

Picks

* You Must Remember This

May 30 at 3 and 7 p.m. at the Kravis Center for the Performing Arts, 701 Okeechobee Blvd. in West Palm Beach. The Countess de Hoernle Singers perform hits from the ‘30s, ‘40s, and ‘50s. Tickets $15. Call 561-382-7469 or visit Kravis.org.

Memorial Day Weekend Party

May 23 at 10 p.m. at Revolution Live, 100 SW Third Ave. in Fort Lauderdale. The venue is hosting a party with music by Oscar G, Roland, DJ Icey, BabyAnne, Merlyn, Supernaut, Shade, Drop Zone, and DJ Hans. Tickets $10 to $20. Call 954-449-1025 or visit JoinTheRevolution.net

Free Friday Concerts

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

Barefoot in the Park

May 23 to June 7 at the Delray Beach Playhouse, 950 NW Ninth St. in Delray Beach. Neil Simon’s play features newlyweds Paul and Corie Bratter as they settle into the Manhattan apartment. Tickets $30. Call 561-272-1281, ext. 4 or visit DelrayBeachPlayhouse.com.

Jim Caruso’s Cast Party: An Extreme Open Mic

May 28 at 8 p.m. at The Cabaret South Beach, 233 12th St. in Miami Beach. Caruso brings his cabaret style show to Miami for the first time, inviting celebrities and local talent to the stage. Interested performers should email caruso212@aol.com. Tickets $25 to $45, purchase at CastParty. BrownPaperTickets.com. Visit CastPartyNYC.com. purchase at CastParty.BrownPaperTickets.com. Visit CastPartyNYC.com.

broward county Summer Jamz Concert

miami-dade county Morris Day and the Time perform at the Pompano Beach Amphitheatre May 29, where they’ll be joined by funk band Cameo. Photo: Wikipediea

* Florida Classical Ballet Gala

May 29 at 8 p.m. at the Broward Center for the Performing Arts, 201 SW Fifth Ave. in Fort Lauderdale. Dancers from the San Francisco Ballet, Orlando Ballet, and Washington Ballet dance with younger stars of the Florida Classical Ballet. Tickets $50. Call 954-462-0222 or visit BrowardCenter.org.

* Daniel’s Husband

May 28 to June 28 at Empire Stage, 1140 N. Flagler Drive in Fort Lauderdale. Mitchell doesn’t believe in gay marriage, but his partner Daniel dreams of walking down the aisle. When something catastrophic happens to them, they learn the consequences of not being legally married in this society. Tickets $30. Call 954519-253 or visit IslandCityStage.org.

palm beach county

May 23 at 8 p.m. at the BB&T Center, One Panther Parkway in Sunrise. The radio station, 99 Jamz, presents a concert with big artists like Rick Ross, Young Jeezy, Future, and more. Tickets $45.50 and up. Call 800-745-3000 or visit TheBBTCenter.com.

Stanley Jordan

* Morris Day and the Time & Cameo

Life in Color

May 29 at 7:30 p.m. at the Pompano Beach Amphitheatre, 1806 NE Sixth St. in Pompano Beach. A throwback to the ‘70s; hits like “Jungle Love” and “The Bird.” Tickets $20 to $75. Call 954-284-0141 or visit PompanoBeachArts.org.

// 5.20.2015 // SFGN.com //

May 21 at 8 p.m. at ArtsGarage, 180 NE First St. in Delray Beach. Jordan celebrates 30 years of performing jazz guitar. Tickets $25 to $50. Call 561-450-6357 or visit ArtsGarage.org. May 23 at 3 p.m. at the Kravis Center for the Performing Arts, 701 Okeechobee Blvd. in West Palm Beach. A former actress, Mrs. Wickham teaches theater and asks her students to pick a color and has them write a monologue about it. Tickets $18 and up. Call 561-382-7469 or visit Kravis.org. soflagaynews //

Darius Rucker, Brett Eldredge, Brothers Osborne and A Thousands Horses

May 23 at 7 p.m. at Coral Sky Amphitheatre (formerly Cruzan), 601-7 Sansburys Way in West Palm Beach. A part of Coral Sky’s 2015 Megaticket event, the first installment of a series of country acts with headliner Darius Rucker, the former Hootie and the Blowfish frontman who moved into the country arena. Tickets $31 and up. Call 561-795-8883 or visit CruzanAmphitheatre.net.

* Brazilian Voices

May 23 at 8 p.m. at ArtsGarage, 180 NE First St. in Delray Beach. The women’s chorus performs for charitable causes. Tickets $25 to $35. Call 561-450-6357 or visit ArtsGarage.org.

* An American Tribute

May 25 at 7 p.m. at the Mizner Park Amphitheatre, 590 Plaza Real in Boca Raton. Guests can enjoy patriotic music performed by the New Gardens Band from the comfort of their chairs and blankets. Free. Call 561-3937995 or visit MyBoca.us/pages/mizneramphi.

* Radio Theater: The Thin Man

May 27 and 28 at 7:30 p.m. at ArtsGarage, 180 NE First St. in Delray Beach. Homage to radio’s golden age; a live performance of “The Thin Man.” Nick and Nora Charles are a couple who solve murders over martinis. Tickets $20 to $30. Call 561-450-6357 or visit ArtsGarage.org.

SouthFloridaGayNews

* Leveling Up

May 29 to June 21 at the South Miami-Dade Cultural Arts Center, 10950 SW 211th St. in Cutler Bay. Three friends are addicted to their video games, and when one of them lands a job in the NSA, their online fights have a whole new meaning. Tickets $26 in advance, $31 day of. Call 786-573-5300 or visit New-Theatre.org.

* The 103.5 Beat Down

May 30 at 7:30 p.m. at the AmericanAirlines Arena, 601 Biscayne Blvd. in Miami. The local radio station hosts a show with hip hop heavyweights Lil Wayne, Fetty Wap, Rico Love, DJ Khaled, TY Dolla Sign, and more. Tickets $32 to $122. Call 786-777-1000 or visit AAArena.com.

Betrayal

Through May 31 at the Arsht Center, 1300 Biscayne Blvd. in Miami. Emma and Jerry have been having an affair for seven years -in this play, inspired by the writer’s real life, the story is told backwards. Tickets $45. Call 305-949-6722 or visit ArshtCenter.org.

PAMM Outdoor Music Series

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

The Big Show

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

soflagaynews //

SouthFloridaGayNews // SFGN.com // 5 .20.2015 //

Datebook

Community Christiana Lilly

May 21 at 7 p.m. at the Stonewall and ArtServe Auditorium, 1300 E. Sunrise Blvd. in Fort Lauderdale. Wil struggles with hiding her sexuality from her mother, who winds up pregnant and moves in. Free. Call 954763-8565 or visit Stonewall-Museum.org.

* Great American Beach Party

Calendar@SFGN.com

Top Picks

Red Hot & In Style

May 20 at 7 p.m. at The Village Pub, 2283 Wilton Drive in Wilton Manors. Electra hosts this event with the hottests bachelors and bachelorettes with date packages up for bid. The event benefits Deliver the Dream, a nonprofit serving families dealing with serious illness. Free. Call 954-564-3512 or email cgaleano@deliverthedream.org.

Palm Beach Jerk Festival

May 25 from 2 to 11 p.m. at the South Florida Fairgrounds, 9067 Southern Blvd. in West Palm Beach, A celebration of Caribbean culture, plenty of food vendors, a kids zone, and music from from Beenie Man, Morgan Heritage, Romain Virgo, Maxi Priest, and more. Tickets $25 to $100. Call 561-2471366 or visit PalmBeachJerkFestival.com.

Last Chance Xu Bing: Writing Heaven and Earth

* “Saving Face”

Between

Through May 24 at the Frost Art Museum, 10975 SW 17th St. in Miami. The Chinese artist took four years to create a 5,000 square foot exhibit of writing and text, showcasing communication through the ages -- the piece is so large it can only be exhibited in select museums. Free. Visit TheFrost.FIU.edu.

May 23 from 10 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. at Fort Lauderdale Beach. An all day Memorial Day celebration, sand sculptors will work for first place, sign up for the sand soccer and volleyball tournaments, or check out the kids games, classic car show, presentation by the US Military Parachute Team, and bands. Free. Call 954-828-5363 or visit FortLauderdale.gov/gabp.

The Art of Pop & Comics

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

Inside/OUT, Art as Healing Therapy

Through May 29 at ArtServe, 1350 E. Sunrise Blvd. in Fort Lauderdale. An examination of how art heals with works by Artists with Autism, Cove Center for Recovery, Schott Communities and Brush Strokes Art Therapy, and more. Gallery reception is May 14 from 6 to 8 p.m. Free. Call 954-462-8190 or visit ArtServe.org.

Kahlo, Rivera & Mexican Modern Art

Through May 31 at the NSU Art Museum Fort Lauderdale, One E. Las Olas in Fort Lauderdale. Mexican artists Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera created a new genre of Mexican artwork that is still influential today. Admission $8 to $12. Call 954-525-5500 or visit NSUArtMuseum.org.

Gender

broward county Chris Berman

May 20 at 7:30 p.m. at the Broward Center for the Performing Arts, 201 SW Fifth Ave. in Fort Lauderdale. Berman talks about his 30year stint as a broadcaster and commentator on ESPN. Tickets $36.36 to $53.30. Call 954462-0222 or visit BrowardCenter.org.

Pints and Palates

May 21 from 6 to 8 p.m. at NSU Art Museum, One E. Las Olas Blvd. in Fort Lauderdale. Dave Crisafi, author of the South Florida Beer Blog, leads an exploration of beers from New Belgium Brewing. Tickets $40, $25 for members. RSVP to 954-262-0204 or moareservations@moafl.org.

// 5.20.2015 // SFGN.com //

Bender

Youth

Group

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

PFLAG

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

GayWrites

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

SunServe Youth Group

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

Survivor Support

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

palm beach county * Clinical Conference on Cannabis Therapeutics

May 21 to 23 at the Palm Beach County Convention Center, 650 Okeechobee Blvd. Healthcare professionals, patients, and the public are invited to this two-day conference on medical marijuana, including expert speakers. Registration $175 and up. Visit PatientsOutOfTime.org/florida-2015.

Discover Sake

May 22 from 6 to 9 p.m. at the Morikami Museum and Japanese Gardens, 4000 Morikami Park Road in Delray Beach. Learn about the art of brewing sake with five of Japan’s most respected brewers. Tickets $55 members, $75 nonmembers. Call 561-4950233 or visit Morikami.org.

* Business Alliance

May 27 from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. at the Sundy House, 106 S. Swinton Ave. in Delray Beach. A mixer with LGBT businesspeople. Free for members, $10 nonmembers. RSVP to PBAMay.eventbrite.com.

SouthFloridaGayNews

* Tattoo Mania II

May 29 to 31 at the Palm Beach County Convention Center, 650 Okeechobee Blvd. in West Palm Beach. A celebration of body art, the event features tattoo artists, a car show, body art vendors, beer garden, pin up pageant, and contests. A portion of proceeds will benefit Blooming With Autism. Tickets $25 day pass or $60 weekend pass. Visit TattooManiaWPB.com.

miami-dade county * Parks for the People

May 20 at 6:30 p.m. at the South Dade Government Center, 10710 SW 211th St. in Miami. Commissioner Daniella Levina Cava invites the public to discuss challenging facing South Miami’s parks and suggestions to improve. Visit LiveAParkLife.org.

* Urban Beach Week

May 22 to 25 throughout Miami. The annual event draws more than 300,000 visitors every year for four days of hip hop, food, music, parties, and sexy beachwear. Visit UrbanBeachWeek.us.

* GALLA Cocktail Mixer

May 28, 6 to 8 p.m. at C1 Bank, 2632 N. Miami Ave. in Miami. The Gay and Lesbian Lawyers Association invites members, attorneys, judges, students, and legal professionals to networking over appetizers and cocktails. Free. RSVP to 305-673-4440, rsvp@ gaybizmiami.com, or GayBizMiami.com.

* Chihuly Night

May 28 , 6:30-8:30 p.m. Fairchild Tropical Botanical Garden, 10901 Old Cutler Road in Coral Gables. Garden tour, access to the Chihuly exhibition & networking. MDGLCC South and Coral Gables Chamber of Commerce. Tickets $50. RSVP to 305673-4440, rsvp@gaybizmiami.com or gaybizmiami.com.

* Denotes New Listing

Photo: ScaryFuckers.com porn pulse Hate Group's Website Redirected to Hardcore Porn Site

Hunter Houston A website once owned by a homophobic pastor and leader of the hate group, Open Door Baptist Church has been transformed into a gay porn website. As reported by Queerty.com, South Carolina pastor Randy Bryson forgot to renew his hate group’s domain name. Bryson is a recognized figure in the small Southern state for his antigay activity. He is known for picketing and protesting at gay friendly events where he condemns “unclean” homosexuals to hell, according to people familiar with the church. An Internet search for Open Door Baptist Church’s website, WarningsOfWrath.com now directs the user to a gay porn site, ScaryFuckers. com which displays a wide variety of hardcore scenes. Some of the scenes feature skin heads topping school boys as well as other advertisements for raw, breeding, bareback and hardcore XXX videos. The unidentified man who purchased the domain of WarningsOfWrath.com told Queerty. com he did so out of retaliation. “They condemned gays and rock music outside of Carolina rebellion,” said the man, referencing the annual rock music event held at Charlotte Motor Speedway in Charlotte, N.C.

MEANWHILE, in other porn news, a trial date in the case of model Jarec Wentworth vs. Republican billionaire Donald Burns is being delayed until July. In federal papers, the proposed date is July 7, 2015, reports the website Str8upgayporn.com. Burns, the alleged victim, is accusing Wentworth (aka Teofil Brank) of extortion. Wentworth, arrested outside of a Los Angeles Starbucks, remains in federal custody and has been denied bail. One of his scene partners, Colt Rivers, recently tweeted he was meeting with the FBI.

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SouthFloridaGayNews // SFGN.com // 5 .20.2015 //

SFGN Classified$ air conditioning FAST A/C REPAIRS - Licensed and insured, CAC057837. A & H A/C.954-392-1301. We focus on repairs, not selling you any new equipment. 24 Hour Service. Evening Appointments Available.

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entertainment/dj's

LIVE JAZZ FOR YOUR NEXT PARTY OR SPECIAL EVENT - Have your next special occassion be extra special with live jazz. Jazz vocalist with over 30 years experience performing in South Florida.No tapes or tracks.I work with South Florida's ﬁnest jazz musicians to make your special affair one to remember. Reasonable rates. Call Cindy at 954-298-8158 www.myspace.com/cindycurtisandcompany. LIVE JAZZ FOR YOUR NEXT PARTY OR SPECIAL EVENT - Have your next special occasion be extra special with live jazz. Jazz vocalist with over 30 years experience performing in South Florida. Can work as a duo, trio or more. No tapes or tracks. I work with South Florida's ﬁnest jazz musicians to make your special affair one to remember. Reasonable rates. Call Cindy at 954-298-8158 www.myspace.com/ cindycurtisandcompany

home & garden

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

home health care HOME HEALTH CARE AID NEEDED -PRIVATE RESIDENCE PT OR FT - Patient is an octogenarian suffering with mild dementia. Care is provided in a beautiful downtown residence. Must have clean driving record and pass background check. This is a DFWP. Excellent salary and beneﬁts. Send resume w/cover letter.Include salary requirements and availability to: PO BOX 2213, Ft.Lauderdale, Fl. 33303-2213

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health & body - yoga

PRIVATE YOGA SESSIONS - Vinyasa "ﬂowing" yoga. All levels welcome. No experience necessary. Personal instruction to your level, including any physical limitations. $70 your space. $100@studio. Contact Drew @954-817-3021. www.drewmiller. biz - fb Drew Miller

employment - full time

licensed massage

CITY OF WILTON MANORS-CODE COMPLIANCE SUPERVISOR - Position performs responsible professional technical work involving the proactive and reactive enforcement of City and State codes and local ordinances; responsible for comprehensive coordination and administration of the enforcement process; supervises daily work assignments of department's code compliance ofﬁcers and administrative staff. For full position description and application instructions, visit www. wiltonmanors.com and follow the CAREERS link.

home & garden OVER 35 YEARS EXPERIENCE! - Builder Carpenter, Remodels, Repairs, Bath, Kitchen, Handyman, Tile, Fine Painting and more. Complete plans, walkways, refurbishing and driveways. Work guaranteed for a minimum of 1 year. Call Kevin NOW to Schedule Free Estimate 954.644.3533.

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exterminator

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

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// 5.20.2015 // SFGN.com //

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SouthFloridaGayNews

licensed massage

personal care

rentals - wanted

spirituality

LOOKING FOR UNFURNISHED EFFICIENCY Single Gay Male, 60+, Looking For an unfurnished efﬁciency or studio apartment Close proximity to Wilton Manors or surrounding area. A/C, private entrance. No Pets. I have excellent references. Call Doug 954.261.9073 or Email dtrncon@aol.com.

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music lessons

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moving

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pets/supplies

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

piano lessons

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

plumber

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rentals vacation rentals

2 BD/1 BA FT. LAUDERDALE - Perfect rental house close to Wilton Manors;5 blocks west of the Boardwalk Bar; All amenities; salt water private pool. Laundry. Can sleep 6. For details check out www.vrbo/663110 or call Eli at 515-238-6023

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professional services APPRAISAL SERVICES - Appraisal services for art, furniture,antiques, household contents,etc. for insurance purposes,estates,donation and valuation for sale.Auction advisory service also available. Reasonable rates, professional service. Call 917826-5819 or email Joe@rothwarren.com

pressure cleaning

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GREGG'S PAINTING - Interior/exterior,great rates, friendliness, reliability, neatness. No job too small. Call Gregg at 617-306-5694 or 954-8705972

GAY WHITE MALE TO SHARE 2BD/2BA GATED CONDO - Furnished room, WI-FI, W/D, TV in room, pool, must have steady income and own transportation, 1st-Last $650/month, utilities included, no pets no drugs. Call Zack at 954-4018431 or 954-765-3665.

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*PERFECT LOCATION RENTALS* 4 WEEK + SPECIAL FROM $395/WEEK - Intimate 7 unit Liberty Garden Suites offering all the comforts of home. Beautifully Furnished & Full Equipped Studio & One BR Apts. with Full Kitchens, in lush tropical resort setting. 5 Min south of Airport in Dania Beach. Central to Haulover Nude Beach & Wilton Manors. Incl. WI-Fi, laundry, private parking, utilities, cable, tel. Gay Owned & Operated. Longer term Monthly rates available for 3 months + Stays. Pets Always Welcome. Celebrating Our 18th Year. Call Joe or Jack at 954-927-0090 or visit www.LibertySuites.com soflagaynews //

SouthFloridaGayNews // SFGN.com // 5 .20.2015 //

LGBT CRUISES & TOUR EVENTS

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CALL TODAY: (800) 592-9058 www.AquafestCruises.com // 5.20.2015 // SFGN.com //

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