2/18/15 V6i7 by South Florida Gay News

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February 18, 2015 // vol. 6 // issue 7 CHECK OUT THE NEW

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

Open Bisexual Becomes Oregon Governor Kate Brown was sworn in Wednesday as Oregon’s new Governor, becoming the first openly bisexual governor in the U.S. Brown, 54, takes over for John Kitzhaber who resigned suddenly after mounting speculation of corruption charges. Brown, a Democrat, has served as

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Kate Brown, Democrat

HUNGARY FACES A HISTORIC STRUGGLE

SEX POSITIVE CULTURE CHALLENGES ETHICS

Oregon’s Secretary of State for six years. She was first elected to the Oregon State House as a lawmaker in 1991. Although she is currently married to a man, Brown disclosed her bisexuality to an Oregon newspaper in 1992.

ruling and as of last Friday, 17 counties were still holding out. Moore took to Fox News to denounce President Barack Obama and the federal government for interfering in Alabama law stating, “there is no law right now that overcomes the Alabama Constitution.”

Florida Teen Gets Penis Reduction Surgery

‘FIRST COMES LOVE’ PHOTO FEATURE

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A 17-year-old Florida boy reportedly had the world’s first penis reduction operation. The priapism of the boy’s penis was the result of his pre-existing condition, sickle cell anemia. Rafael Carrion, a urologist treating the boy told the Huffington Post that the penis had

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enlarged to 10 inches in girth before surgery and was the size of “an American football.” After the removal of tissue, the penis returned to a more normal state, EMBER slightly “longer” and M“thicker” than the average male’s, doctors said.

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

FEBRUARY 18, 2015 • VOLUME 6 • ISSUE 7 2520 N. DIXIE HIGHWAY • WILTON MANORS, FL 33305 PHONE: 954-530-4970 FAX: 954-530-7943

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ART DIRECTOR • BRENDON LIES ARTWORK@SFGN.COM ONLINE PRODUCER • DENNIS JOZEFOWICZ DENNIS.JOZEFOWICZ@SFGN.COM GRAPHIC DESIGNER • JOSUE PALACIOS SOCIAL MEDIA DIRECTOR • SERGIO CANDIDO SERGIO.CANDIDO@SFGN.COM EDITORIAL ASSISTANT • JILLIAN MELERO JILLIANMELERO@GMAIL.COM ARTS/ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR • JW ARNOLD JW@PRDCONLINE.COM NEWS EDITOR • JOHN MCDONALD JOHN.MCDONALD@SFGN.COM NEWS INTERN • NICOLE WIESENTHAL

Senior Features Correspondents

JESSE MONTEAGUDO

More Alabama Counties Marrying Gays More Alabama counties are coming into compliance with issuing marriage licenses to same-sex couples after a federal judge ordered the state to do so last month. Alabama Supreme Court Chief Justice Roy Moore continues to call for the counties to ignore the federal

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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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MEMBER

news highlight Alibi's Former Owners Slapped With Lawsuit John McDonald A complaint filed in Broward County court alleges bar owners humiliated a manager into quitting. Michael Duffy, 47, was employed at the Alibi in Wilton Manors as a manager last year, but was forced to quit when owners Jackson Padgett and Mark Negrete embarrassed him in public. Duffy spoke to SFGN via telephone about his complaint. “Jackson is a loose cannon,” Duffy said. “This is not fair. I lost a good job because the owners are a bunch of irresponsible drunks.” According to the complaint, Padgett and Negrete went on a drunken tirade through the Alibi, a bar and restaurant in Wilton Manors. Negrete allegedly threw food at the cooks and called them “monkeys.” Padgett allegedly told Duffy to get on his knees and perform fellatio on him and poured water on his head. That’s when Duffy had enough and walked out. “I was completely in shock,” Duffy said. “I’m a professional and this type of behavior was highly offensive.”

The Alibi

Duffy’s attorney, George Castrataro, said the Alibi owners have been unwilling to settle. SFGN contacted Padgett and Negrete's attorney Paul Silverberg for comment but has not received a return call. Duffy said he’s not asking for a lot, just compensation for the seven months he was out of work. “It was a great job for me,” Duffy said. “I excelled at it and I loved it.”

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News Briefs

Darren Young, Wrestler. Photo: Simon Q, ﬂickr

Compiled by John McDonald and Jillian Melero

Out Gay Wrestler Barred From Abu Dhabi WWE Match

(Edge) Openly gay professional wrestler Darren Young is not happy with the WWE organization after it was revealed that being open about his sexuality kept him from competing at an event in Abu Dhabi, where, according to United Arab Emirates law, homosexuality is illegal. BuzzFeed reports. The 33-year-old athlete took to Twitter this week to call out the WWE for refusing to let him travel to the Middle East. "Why do we bring the best entertainment into a country like abu dhabi and they look down upon women and gays? I get it! #MillionsofDollars," wrote Young, whose real name is Fred Rosser, in a nowdeleted tweet. Soon after deleting the message, the wrestler wrote: "My freedom of speech is gone. Gone but not forgotten...I feel like no none has my back and it upsets me. The struggle is real. I'm human."

Young was met with support from fans on Twitter, with many lauding him for speaking his mind and being honest about his feelings on the situation. Prowrestlers Lance Storm and Sean Waltman also backed up Young. Soon after airing his grievances to his followers, the WWE issued a statement, as Deadspin points out. "WWE does not discriminate against individuals regardless of age, race, religion or sexual orientation, and we continue to proudly support Fred Rosser (aka WWE Superstar Darren Young) for being open about his sexuality." "Unfortunately, WWE cannot change cultures and laws around the world, and thus we did not send Fred Rosser to the United Arab Emirates for our upcoming events for his own protection." "WWE also fully supports Fred Rosser's right to express his views on personal social media accounts

rather than WWE's corporate platforms." Young came out in 2013 during an apparent impromptu interview with TMZ and is reportedly the first out WWE performer.

of the House Judiciary Committee. Jamie Ensley, newly named national chairman of the Log Cabin Republicans, wrote a letter to Rep. Drenner and Rep. Willard showing support for the move, saying, “Thank you for your leadership and efforts to build bi-partisan support for nondiscrimination protections for the State of Georgia employees on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity.”

ill Bans Discrimination against LGBT State Employees

(Georgia Voice)Rep. Karla Drenner (D-Avondale Estates), along with Rep. Wendell Willard (R-Sandy Springs), introduced the Fair Employment Practices Act today which would prohibit discrimination against state employees on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity. “Now is the time for the state of Georgia to send a clear message that we will not discriminate against any employee in regard to their sexual orientation and gender identity. Everyone deserves to be treated equally, and we should value our diversity,” said Rep. Drenner, the state’s first openly gay legislator, in a prepared statement. “This bill will help us attract and retain the best and the brightest employees, not only from Georgia and across the United States, but from across the world.” HB 323 has 77 co-sponsors, including 17 Republicans and 1 Independent. Drenner says the bill does not address private employment in Georgia, which would have little to no chance of passing in the Republican-controlled legislature, but does affect state colleges and universities. Fifty-eight cities and counties in Georgia already have similar protections in place and HB 323 would expand that coverage statewide. And the bill, which has failed passage in recent years, has a powerful ally in Willard, who is chairman

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ate Crimes, Trans and Conversion-Therapy Bills H Introduced in PA

Legislators in Harrisburg have begun delivering on promises to introduce LGBT-inclusive legislation this session, including bills to combat hate crimes and conversion therapy and two to advance transgender rights. A statewide LGBT-inclusive hate-crimes bill has been referred to the House Judiciary Committee, following its introduction by state Reps. Kevin Boyle (D-172nd Dist.) and Thomas Murt (R-152nd Dist.) late last month. The bill, HB218, would expand the offense of ethnic intimidation to include actual or perceived ancestry, mental or physical disability, sexual orientation, gender or gender identity — and close the legal loophole between the municipal law here in Philadelphia and the hard-toimplement Matthew Shepherd Act federal bill to protect LGBT Pennsylvanians.

Rights Bills Introduced to Protect Students Transgender

Rep. Mark Cohen (D-202nd Dist.) introduced two transgender-rights bills Feb. 2 that would address several major concerns for transgender Pennsylvanians. The first, HB 303 or the Transgender Pupil Education Rights Act, eliminates gender-based restrictions and prerequisites

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for transgender students. The bill would allow all students who identify with a certain gender to use that gender’s spaces and would bar harassment in gender-segregated spaces. HB 303 awaits a hearing in the Committee on Education. The second bill, HB 304 or the Transgender Health Benefits Act, expands health-care coverage for transgender individuals. It requires coverage of transition-related care, including hormone therapy, mental-health care and surgery in all private, public and Medicaid plans. The bill awaits a hearing in the Committee on Health. State Sen. Anthony Williams (D-8th Dist.) introduced SB 45, or the Protection of Minors from Sexual Orientation Change Counseling Act, on Jan. 16. The bill would ban state-licensed mental-health professionals from engaging in sexual-orientation “reparative” or “conversion” therapy with minors. The bill awaits a hearing in the Consumer Protection and Professional Licensure Committee.

news briefs Continued

esley Gore, Singer/Songwriter, Dead At 68 NEW YORK (AP) â&#x20AC;&#x201D; Singer-songwriter Lesley Gore, who topped the charts in 1963 at age 16 with her epic song of teenage angst, "It's My Party," and followed it up with the hits "Judy's Turn to Cry," and the feminist anthem "You Don't Own Me," died Monday. She was 68. Gore, a nonsmoker, died of lung cancer at New YorkPresbyterian Hospital in Manhattan, according to her partner of 33 years, Lois Sasson. "She was a wonderful human being â&#x20AC;&#x201D; caring, giving, a great feminist, great woman, great human being, great humanitarian," Sasson, a jewelry designer, told The Associated Press. Brooklyn-born and New Jersey-raised, Gore was discovered by Quincy Jones as a teenager and signed to Mercury Records. She graduated from Sarah Lawrence College with a degree in English/American literature. Gore's other hits include "She's A Fool," ''Sunshine, Lollipops and Rainbows," which Marvin Hamlisch co-wrote, "That's the Way Boys Are" and "Maybe I Know." She co-wrote with her brother, Michael, the Academy Award-nominated "Out Here On My Own" from the film "Fame." She sang at the 1964 T.A.M.I. Show in Santa Monica, California, alongside future Rock and Roll Hall of Famers like the James Brown and the Rolling Stones. Gore also played Catwoman's sidekick in the cult TV comedy "Batman." "She was a serious artist that was way ahead of her time," said Ronnie Spector in a statement. "She had a certain sound. But you want to be able to do new things too, and it can be hard on an artist that is so identified with a specific sound. Although she wasn't in a girl group, Lesley was definitely a huge part of that era. But she continued to be creative, and

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kept looking ahead, and that's how I will remember her." In a Facebook post, songwriter Neil Sedaka, who attended Gore's Sweet 16 birthday party, shared his thoughts: "She was a great person and a phenomenal talent, who had opened for me on many occasions. She recorded a few of my songs ("Magic Colors" and "Summer Symphony") and was a great songwriter in her own right. I'm glad I had the chance of knowing her." In the 1990s, Gore co-wrote "My Secret Love" for Allison Anders' film "Grace of My Heart," released in 1996. A couple of years later, she appeared in "Smokey Joe's Cafe" on Broadway. Gore had been working on a stage version of her life with playwright Mark Hampton when she died. In 2005, she released "Ever Since," her first album in 30 years, but was sure to revisit older hits in front of fans. "If I've learned anything in this business," she told The New York Times that year, "how stupid would it be not to do 'It's My Party' when people come to hear it?" She officially came out to the public when she hosted several episodes of the PBS series, "In The Life," which dealt with gay and lesbian issues. During the 2012 presidential campaign, Gore turned "You Don't Own Me" into an online video public service announcement demanding reproductive rights which starred Lena Dunham and Tavi Gevinson, among others In the last few years, she performed at Feinstein's at the Loews Regency in New York and, along with Spector and LaLa Brooks, headlined the "She's Got the Power" concert outdoors at Lincoln Center in 2012. In addition to Sasson, Gore is survived by her brother and mother, Ronny. Services will be held on Thursday at the Frank E. Campbell funeral home on Madison Avenue.

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news bites

by John McDonald

international

New HIV Aggressive Discovered In Cuba

Strain

A medical study shows there is an aggressive new strain of the virus that causes AIDS. Researchers from Belgium’s Catholic University of Leuven published the study of patients at Havana’s Institute of Tropical Medicine Pedro Kouri. The study surveyed 95 people who had tested positive for the HIV-1 virus but did not seek treatment. The study found many cases in which the HIV strain left untreated, progressed to full blown AIDS within three years. There are more than 60 strains of the HIV-1 virus worldwide. The study came in response to an alarming number of clinical reports of HIV positive diagnosis coming from the Caribbean island.

national

hicago House Approved By National Historic Landmarks Committee

The Department of Interior will decide in May if the Henry Gerber House in Chicago is worthy of Landmark status. The Gerber House is named for the late German gay political activist. Gerber, founder of the Society of Human Rights, lived as a tenant in the house from 1925-26. The National Park Service’s Advisory Board must approve the house, a nine-room brick building, and so too must the Department of Interior Secretary Sally Jewell. If the Gerber House clears those hurdles it will become only the second of LGBTQ history to be honored as a National Historic Landmark.

Photo: Thshriver, Wikipedia

state

Lawmakers Propose Florida ‘Sin Taxes’ on Businesses

A bill to hike “sin taxes” on Florida businesses is headed to Tallahassee; although some claim it is dead on arrival. The Florida House Finance and Tax Committee are entertaining an increase on surcharges to patrons entering a business that is classified a “strip club” or “adult theater.” Committee chair Matt Gaetz (R-Fort Walton Beach) said the surcharges are needed for rehabilitation resources. Representative Hazel Rogers (D-Lauderdale Lakes) told the Associated Press a clear difference must be drawn between strip clubs and night clubs. The committee is trying to meet Florida Governor Rick Scott’s proposed $673 million tax cut to this year’s budget.

Matt Gaetz (R-Fort Walton Beach)

local

Councilman Gains Davie Dolphins Endorsement

Bryan Caletka, a councilman for the Town of Davie, spoke to the Dolphin Democrats last week. The Dolphins are Florida’s oldest LGBT political organization. The group holds meetings monthly on Wednesday nights at the Pride Center. Caletka announced he was an openly gay man running for re-election to the Davie Council. Caletka also stated he has helped bring the town into compliance with the Human Rights Campaign, a Washington D.C. organization. The Dolphins endorsed Caletka and also, a straight candidate, Josh Rydell of Coconut Creek. Photo: reelectbryancaletka.com

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news election 2016 White House Watch:

Ted Cruz

We go to Houston, Texas for this week’s White House Watch subject: U.S. Senator Ted Cruz (R-Texas.) Cruz is no friend of the LGBT community, most recently introducing the State Marriage Defense Act as a direct result of the U.S. Supreme Court’s rejection of an appeal by Alabama to keep its ban on same-sex marriage. “Even though the Supreme Court made clear in United States v. Windsor that the federal government should defer to state ‘choices about who may be married,’ the Obama Administration has disregarded state marriage laws enacted by democratically-elected legislatures to uphold traditional marriage,” Cruz said in a statement. “I support traditional marriage and we should reject attempts by the Obama Administration to force same-sex marriage on all 50 states,” Cruz continued. “The State Marriage Defense Act helps safeguard the ability of states to preserve traditional marriage for their citizens.” Rafael Edward Cruz, 44, is the son of

Cuban exiles and was born in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. He served in the George W. Bush administration as an associate deputy attorney general in the U.S. Department of Justice and as a director of policy planning at the U.S. Federal Trade Commission. He was on Bush’s legal team during the infamous 2000 Florida recount, filing procedural briefs with the Florida Supreme Court and recruiting legal talent to the Bush team. Cruz was rewarded for his loyalty by being appointed Solicitor General of Texas, a position he held from 2003-2008. Cruz resigned his Canadian citizenship last year in order to campaign for the U.S. Presidency.

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news local Gay Fort Lauderdale Commissioner

Kicks Off Campaign John McDonald

Fort Lauderdale Commissioner Dean Trantalis kicked off his campaign for reelection Monday night , laying out a set of priorities he intends to accomplish during another term representing District 2. “I do my best, I’m not perfect, but I know how to work with people to get things done,” Trantalis told the crowd gathered at ArtServe. Trantalis, who has served multiple terms on the Fort Lauderdale City Commission, represents a large swath of the city, including the beach. “Dean is successful working with the commission,” said Fred Carlson, President of the Central Beach Alliance, a homeowners association. Carlson spoke to the crowd inside ArtServe, encouraging them to back Trantalis, a former Vice Mayor of Fort Lauderdale, first elected to the City Commission in 2003. Trantalis is openly gay and a bachelor. “I don’t care if he’s gay or straight,” Carlson said. “Dean does a great job.” In his speech at ArtServe, Trantalis said he “knows where we’re going and what we need to do.” In its 2013 count, the U.S. Census Bureau estimated Fort Lauderdale to have a population of 172,389. The city, according to U.S. Census Bureau, has a higher overall percentage of people living below the poverty line than the State of Florida average. “We continue to have a homeless problem,” Trantalis said. Having called Fort Lauderdale home for more than 30 years, Trantalis said fighting poverty must come with a compassionate

Dean Trantalis.

component. Trantalis also signaled support for private business developers operating inside Fort Lauderdale. “How we embrace people from all walks of life enriches this city,” Trantalis said. A native of Connecticut, Trantalis has practiced law in Broward County for more than 25 years. He completed his legal studies at Stetson University School of Law and has studied abroad in London, Eastern Europe and Russia. SFGN selected Trantalis to last year’s Out 50, an annual issue highlighting 50 of South Florida’s most influential openly gay people. Additionally, on Monday, Pride South Florida announced Trantalis is the recipient of its “Medallion Award of Distinction for his lifetime of service to the LGBT community. Trantalis faces first-time candidate David Tabb in the March 10 election.

Fort Lauderdale Commissioner Dean Trantalis speaks to constituents at Art Serve. Photo: John McDonald

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news local

No Deaths On Gay Cruise By John McDonald

Photo: Facebook

But others protested the stigma of debauchery. “I’m on this cruise and I’m not drunk,” commented Rob Sweeney on SFGN’s website. Another man, Ben Carter, wrote in an email, “My partner gave me this cruise for my 55th birthday. Joe nor I have been drunk on this cruise.” The RSVP Vacations 30th Anniversary Cruise was scheduled to make stopsC at Cozumel, Mexico and Grand Cayman before returning to Fort Lauderdale Sunday. M Campbell said the urgent call for medical care took three hours due to security Y clearances before the men could reach a shore side hospital. Ellen Kennedy, Public CM Information Officer at Port Everglades, said unfortunately medical emergencies do happen aboard cruise ships andMY the procedure is always to return to the nearest port. CY “Those ships can go really fast,” Kennedy said. CMY Kennedy could not confirm allegations of heavy partying aboard the Regal Princess, K but did acknowledge that “people do over indulge on those ships.” SFGN called and left a message on the voice mail of the Port of Miami Public Affairs Office but as of press time, the call has yet to be returned. This is not the first time an Atlantis affiliated gay cruise has been snared in controversy. In 2012, two American men were arrested and charged with “buggery” on the Caribbean island of Dominica after witnesses saw them have sex on their balcony while in port. In 2011, a California man was arrested in the U.S. Virgin Islands for selling drugs while aboard another Atlantis sponsored cruise.

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

it is finally time for you to say

Photo: JAG Studios www.jagstudios.net

The Chief Executive Officer of Atlantis Events, Inc. said rumors of deaths on the RSVP Vacations 30th Anniversary Cruise are “unfounded.” The Florida Agenda had reported a guest died on the cruise, however, in an emailed statement to SFGN, Rich Campbell, Atlantis CEO, said the two guests offloaded at the Port of Miami on Feb. 10 were receiving excellent care and their conditions were improving. “For obvious privacy reasons we are not able to release their names or information about their medical condition,” Campbell wrote. “We do know that their condition is improving and they are receiving excellent care.” The cruise of mostly gay men reversed course as the result of a medical emergency. The ship, the Regal Princess, is owned by Princess Cruises. Julie Benson, Vice President of Public Relations for Princess Cruises, confirmed two men were offloaded in Miami and are “doing fine.” There is speculation that the emergencies were the result of drug use but no official source has confirmed that. The Regal Princess set sail from Fort Lauderdale on Feb. 8 with thousands of passengers, the majority of which were gay men. An employee at the Atlantis Events, Inc. office in California said a helicopter was dispatched to aid in a life-threatening emergency but could not land atop the ship due to rough seas. The ship was then forced to return to U.S. mainland with the Port of Miami being the closest option. Reports of wild partying and drinking were rampant aboard the Regal Princess. One guest on the ship initially told SFGN “It’s an all gay cruise and they’re all drunk. There’s three thousand gay men on this boat. You know what that means. There’s a lot of high risk activity associated with that.”

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

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special finance section

Finance and Investment Loss, Gains, Business, and Trade

Contents Page 16

Marriage â&#x2C6;&#x2019; More Than Just Love

Page 17

Nine Gays Ways To Become Richer

Page 18

Social Investing in Companies that Support Gay Rights

Page 19

LGBT Rights and Quality of Life

Page 20

Another Record Broken for LGBT Funding

Page 21

Planning Your Retirement

Page 22

Managing Money in an LGBT Family

Page 23

The LGBT Equality Index

Page 24

The ABC's of Real Estate Investment

Page 38

Business Bounces Back

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finance analysis

Marriage — More Than Just Love Christiana Lilly

SFGN takes a closer look at the ﬁnancial implications of tying the knot

First comes the proposal, then comes a mad rush of planning the big day, whether it’s at the courthouse or a lavish wedding with matching cummerbunds. With the ban on gay marriage lifted in Florida, same-sex couples across the state are finally able to make their relationships official under the eyes of the law. Which also means there’s lot of important, technical conversations and decisions that need to be made. “There’s an overwhelming amount of information out there and so it’s just being able to get your arms around all of it and really, really understand and make sure you’re not missing anything,” said Scott Farber, senior vice president and wealth strategist at U.S. Trust. “There’s a lot going on, there are a lot of moving pieces.” While same-sex couples by the law will be viewed the same as a heterosexual couple, for comfort’s sake, finding an attorney or accountant who has worked with LGBT couples may be best. “Ask how familiar that individual is with the federal marriage laws,” Lori Barkus, an attorney in Weston, recommended. “A good question would be, how many situations similar to mine have you handled? Are you familiar with the laws relating to tax filings for same-sex couples who are married? Couples who were previously filing single but are now married?” Perhaps the most sobering piece of advice? “Don’t rush into do anything, because there are pretty dramatic ramifications to getting married,” Farber said.

FINANCES They say money can tear a couple apart. Farber said sitting down to discuss one another’s finances, if you haven’t already, is the most important discussion to have before getting married. What kinds of financial goals do you both have? Are you coming in with credit card debt, student loans? What are your credit scores? Should a couple look to buy a home, these things will come into play. “You want to understand what each one of you is bringing to the marriage in the way of assets, in the way of debt,” he said.

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Many same-sex couples have been together for years and already act as a married unit, so issues such as who will take care of the electric and cable bills may already be a habit. However, there’s also some research to find out what other benefits married couples can receive. For example, some car insurance companies will give multicar discounts, so switching to the same company would be beneficial in that case. “When you really start to add up all the little effects that the change in legal status can have, the numbers can actually start to get fairly large,” Farber said.

BENEFITS While some companies offer partner benefits, which was great for same-sex couples and domestic partners, not all do. Being legally married allows you to take advantage of one another’s benefits. That includes retirement, health insurance, life insurance, and more. Compare the offerings side by side -- whose is cheaper? More comprehensive? Do we go onto the same health insurance plan or stick to what we already have? If you’re planning on having children, which plan is better for families? Being married also means you’ll have to update your W4 forms, adding a dependent into the mix. Farber says human resources departments tend to be very skittish about giving advice on tax information, so going to your accountant is another way to figure out what other documents need to be updated. Social Security is another benefit that couples can share -- after 10 years, couples can receive half of their spouse’s benefits, Barkus said. If a partner is receiving government benefits, that will also have to be revisited, and it’s possible that with combined salaries, you’ll no longer be eligible. This includes food stamps, homestead exemptions, and healthcare through the Affordable Care Act. “If people are married, the income of the spouse is now considered household income,” Barkus said. “They could lose those government benefits.”

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ESTATE PLANNING Aside from a prenuptial agreement, spouses have rights to 50 percent of their partner’s estate, whether it be property, money, or other belongings. “If you’re not married and your relationship ends, nobody is obligated to support the other person, “Barkus said. “However, once you get married, the law may look at the financial circumstances and if one person is in need of the financial support of the other, the court will award alimony.” In some ways, a couple’s estate is where the rules deviate from heterosexual couples because not all states recognize same-sex marriage. If a spouse owns property in another state or even another country, it could complicate legal matters. “A lot of people have homes in other places or family in other places; that can change the playing field,” Farber said. When it comes to traveling, Farber highly recommends for couples of any sexual orientation to bring important documents with them to prove their marital status. At a minimum, a dual power of attorney, health care proxy, and living will. Should one spouse be injured while on vacation, these documents will help the other be a part of end-of-life decisions and be allowed in the hospital room.

CHILDREN With the change in marriage laws for same-sex couples, the state will also have to revisit its adoption laws. Previously, many same-sex couples opted for a single-parent adoption, only giving one parent legal rights to the child. Now, the second parent can file for second-parent adoption. At Barkus’s firm, they’re already beginning this process. “Once the couple marries, the partner who didn’t adopt is now considered a stepparent and that adoption process is actually easier,” she said.

finance opinion

Nine Ways To Become Richer Ric Reily

Do you know where your money goes, are you carrying too much debt or would you like to have some freedom from worrying about your money? Saving does not mean going without, using coupons or only buying on sale. Though the latter two are great options. Here are nine ways anyone can divert spending to saving.

Logos Are a Waste of Money

Buses get paid when they advertise companies or people. However, when you wear a logo you’re not getting paid to do so; instead you’re simply paying more. Most of those “logoed” items are made in the same factories as less expensive items. Logos simply broadcast that you paid too much. Taking less expensive items and applying gay style is simply more fabulous!

Throw Out Your Junk

This one is a twofer. Do you lease a storage unit? First you spend money on stuff you don’t use and then you spend money storing it. When we sold our house we resisted putting anything in storage. We knew that within a year we wouldn’t even think about it so there was no reason to pay the rent. Instead we had an old-fashioned estate sale and put the money in the bank.

into a stainless steel water bottle and save thousands of dollars buying juice, soda, and bottled water.

Skip the Premium Channels

Some of the best LGBT shows are on broadcast TV or basic cable. With the sheer number of channels premium cable services provide, can you even find the TV station you want to watch? Put your money and time to better use. Many shows are available for viewing on the Internet. If you're a movie buff, a subscription service like Netflix may be more economical than premium channels.

Downsize the Car

A friend once posted a fancy hood ornament on his Facebook page, alluding to his new car purchase. A car is to get you from here to there. It is not a reflection of you or your success though marketing works very hard to get you to believe that. Expensive cars are expensive to buy, repair, maintain, and insure. Let someone else pay for that money guzzler and instead of looking rich — get rich. Gay intuition always sniffs out the pretenders anyhow.

Eat In, Not Out

Are you living in too much space and spending too much money filling up the space with stuff ? When we sold our house we wanted to be closer to gay friendly Wilton Manors with its LGBT community, and to downsize. Our house became too big for our evolving needs and we no longer wanted to pay utilities, insurance, taxes and maintenance for all of that unused space. Even when you can’t move, perhaps you can rent a spare room. That’s of course after you sell all the unused stuff in that spare room.

Eating out regularly is a disaster on many levels. When you don’t stock the house with food, it is easy to eat out, call for delivery, or stop for takeout after a long day at work. Easier by far is to make a menu for the week, hit the store with a list, and buy fresh food that’s easy to prepare. The obvious benefit of eating at home is that you will eat better quality, more nutritious, lower calorie and lower fat foods, which will give you additional energy. Energy you can use to stay out longer on Saturday night.

Downsize To Upsize

Drink Tap

Quench your thirst with tap water. Many big box stores sell a complete reverse osmosis system for a few hundred dollars, and many refrigerators have a built in water filtration system. Put that filtered water

Avoid the Mall

Stay out of the mall. If you are in a mall more than once a month, and only then with a specific purpose, then shopping is a pleasure not a necessity. One of the best ways to save money is to

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stay out of stores. If you stumble upon something you simply have to have, put it down, go home and if you still have to have it in a few days by all means go get it. Buy what you need, and spend your leisure time doing something good for your mind, body or soul instead. If you don't shop for entertainment, at least you will have money for the Sunday Tea Dance.

Pay Your Credit Card

Pay your credit card bill when it arrives. Forget the minimum payment. If you can’t pay the entire balance you should not make the purchase in the first place. You will be much happier never buying with a credit card what you could not have bought with cash. When gift giving for holidays, birthdays or weddings keep your budget to the cash you have on hand. If you don’t have much, give handmade items, baked goods, or the gift of your time. It will be much more appreciated than anything you bought in a store, and remembered far longer! By knowing where your money goes, not carrying debt and converting spending to saving you will have freedom from worrying about money. Ric Reily is the author of two books, Money Is The Root Of All - Skip The Debt Habit, and Gregory’s Hero; his ﬁrm CFO On Call provides small business ﬁnance and operations consulting. Ric is married to John, his partner of 26 years, and lives in South Florida with their Havanese dog, Buckley. You can reach Ric at ricreily@gmail.com.

SouthFloridaGayNews // SFGN.com // 2.18.2015 //

finance opinion

Ric Reily

Social Investing in Companies that Support Gay Rights

Socially responsible investing has its genres. Many investors avoid companies that produce or trade in weapons, cigarettes or prisons. Some investors consider environmental and social governance concerns. More and more LGBT investors prefer investing in companies with language in their Equal Employment Opportunity Statement prohibiting discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity. Companies offering health benefits to same sex partners or spouses of employees also communicate acceptance. Younger LGBT investors are even more likely than older investors to turn to socially responsible investing. We are all well served to remember that though we have come a long way in acquiring our civil rights over the past eleven years since the first state approved samesex marriage, our road is still littered with homophobia. Discrimination faces LGBT investors across the spectrum of their lives and when deciding where to put their investment dollars many opt for companies with solid records of providing anti-discriminatory workplace policies, benefits for same sex spouses and vocal opposition to governments, organizations and individuals who espouse intolerance. With the recent proliferation of discriminatory laws being discussed or outright passed by several state legislatures come the first laws to prohibit a form of discrimination that doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t exist. These laws spring from companies, churches and individuals whose goal is to legalize discrimination. Though almost certainly unconstitutional these laws are simply a backlash to the speed with which LGBT civil rights and gay marriage has advanced in the last few years.Listening to the cacophony of discriminatory rhetoric coming from the corporate world KapitallWire, a financial news and analysis website, decided to find out which companies are truly supportive of LBGT rights and issues. They began with a list of companies that purported to understand the needs of the LGBT community, from any marriage benefits they provide to health coverage for transgender people. KapitallWire created a list of socially responsible stocks by running a screen using CSRHub, which measures corporate social responsibility. Visit their website for details on each company.

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Here is their list: 1. American Airlines AAL 2. American Apparel, Inc. APP 3. Apple Inc. AAPL 4. Boeing Co. BA 5. Google Inc. GOOG 6. Green Mountain Coffee Roasters Inc. GMCR 7. The Hain Celestial Group, Inc. HAIN 8. Hartford Financial Services Group Inc. HIG 9. Health Net, Inc. HNT 10. Herman Miller Inc. MLHR 11. Hershey Co. HSY 12. Hewlett-Packard Company HPQ 13. International Business Machines Corp. IBM 14. Microsoft Corporation MSFT 15. Nike Inc. NKE 16. Starbucks Corporation SBUX Full disclosure: I donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t own any of the above listed stocks and do not suggest any of the above is appropriate for you. Any investment you make requires a broad range of consideration and social responsibility should be only

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SouthFloridaGayNews

Tim Cook, CEO of Apple. Credit: Apple Inc.

one part of your decision process. But this list can serve to show you where good places to spend our money are. Supporting those who support us makes good sense and serves to strengthen our allies while withholding resources from those who wish us ill. Even further these companies are good places for LBGT people to work; acceptance, benefits and support make any job more fulfilling. In addition to individual stocks, an Exchange Traded Fund, ETF, such as The Workplace Equality Portfolio ETF - EQLT provides a simple way for investors to invest in a variety of companies with a socially responsible focus on LGBT issues and individuals. For more than a decade EQLT has tracked the Workplace Equality Index, a stock index of America's leading equality minded corporations, including publicly traded companies that support LGBT equality in the workplace. Whatever your socially responsible genre is, be certain your social responsibility does not blind you to the financial realities of any investment you decide to make. Even more than social responsibility the point of investing is to protect and grow your assets.

finance lifestyle

LGBT Rights and Quality of Life Study ﬁnds a correlation between the two Christiana Lilly

LGBT Americans living in states without protections are more likely to have a lower quality of life, according to a study released by the Williams Institute. The report, “The LGBT Divide,” was published recently by the institute, a think tank at the University of California- Los Angeles that conducts research on LGBT issues, from family life to economics and health. “What we wanted to do was take both a regional analysis look at it and state law analysis and see whether the gaps that people were seeing were widening in certain areas of the country,” said Amira Hasenbush, a Jim Kepner Law and Policy fellow at the institute. “Some of the findings were unexpected for us.” Using population-based information, the team was able to examine how LGBT people who weren’t residing in of the 21 states with protections lived. For those in the South, Midwest, and Mountain states, they were affected both in their home life and at the bank. According to the study, same-sex couples with children were most impacted. The income gap when compared to heterosexual couples is $4,300 in the state with protections. In the 29 unprotected states, the gap is almost triple at $11,000. Also, the researchers found that while same-sex couples in the unprotected states

were more likely to have children, adoption rates were higher in the protected states. Hasenbush believes this might be the result of LGBT people being in heterosexual relationships and having children before coming out, as well as the emphasis in some regional cultures to have families. “None of us really expected the differences in the adoption rates that we saw,” Hasenbush said. The study also looks at particular troubles facing LGBT Americans in the three regions not protected. The South has the lowest index score in the country at 55, and the region also has the highest number of new HIV infections among men who have sex with men. In the Midwest, three out of 10 reported not having enough money to buy food. Finally, in the Mountain region, they were more likely than their straight peers to report having an annual income of less than $24,000. The next step, Hasenbush hopes, is to do more in-depth studies of each region, namely health, such as looking at insurance rates and HIV infection rates. “We put the information out there with the hopes that people will see where the areas of need are,” she said, especially the income gap for LGBT parents. “Hopefully people will see those numbers and it’ll motivate people to make a change where they can.”

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SouthFloridaGayNews // SFGN.com // 2.18.2015 //

finance news

Another Record Broken for LGBT Funding Sasha Razumikhin

Study reports just under $130 million in funding to LGBTQ issues

This is about 2013, not 2014, but here’s the lead-in: According to a report with a boring-sounding name, “funding for LGBTQ issues reached a record high of $129.1 million in 2013,” which is actually really, very exciting. Here’s the not-so-excellent part, though: “While the growth in 2013 represented a 6.3 percent increase, slightly outpacing the 5.5 percent increase in foundation funding in general, LGBTQ issues still only received 24 cents for every $100 foundations awarded.” In other words, we beat the national averages, but we only got .0024 of a penny on each dollar funded. The numbers come from Funders for LGBTQ’s Tracking Report: Lesbian,

Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Queer Grantmaking by U.S. Foundations. Funders identifies itself as a “network of foundations, corporations, and other donors seeking to mobilize philanthropic resources that enhance the well-being of LGBTQ communities.” "I'm delighted 2013 proved to be a record year for foundation funding of LGBTQ issues," said Ben Francisco Maulbeck, president of Funders for LGBTQ Issues. "However, we still have a lot of work to do to expand LGBTQ funding—to make sure that the resources reaching our communities are commensurate with the tremendous challenges that we face and with the great scale of our dreams for the future."

Here are the researchers’ highlights from the report: Funding for trans communities reached a record high of $8.3 million, up from $5.3 million in 2012. For the first time, a grantee from the Global South made the list of top ten grantees. Located in Johannesburg, South Africa, African Men for Sexual Health and Rights (AMSHeR) received $1.5 million in funding for LGBT issues. California was the top funded state, receiving $11 million in funding for LGBT issues. The previous year, New York was the top funded state. Outside of the United States, Sub-Saharan Africa was the top funded international region, receiving nearly $6.9 million in funding for LGBT issues. While Sub-Saharan Africa was the top funded international region last year, in 2012 it only received $3.4 million in funding for LGBT issues. Seven of the top twenty funders for LGBTQ issues increased their funding for LGBTQ communities by 25 percent or more.

And, of course, here are the “top 20 funders of LGBTQ issues by total dollar amount,” according to the report:

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Anonymous Various locations $17,112,000 Arcus Foundation New York, NY $16,837,663 Ford Foundation New York, NY $15,282,922 Gill Foundation Denver, CO $7,103,725 Evelyn & Walter Haas, Jr. Fund San Francisco, CA $6,108,025 Pride Foundation Seattle, WA $5,344,871 Open Society Foundations New York, NY $4,466,850 Wells Fargo Foundation San Francisco, CA $3,650,368

Tides Foundation San Francisco, CA $3,367,128 American Jewish World Service New York, NY $2,638,408

M.A.C. AIDS Fund New York, NY $2,549,454

H. van Ameringen Foundation New York, NY $2,459,000

Astraea Lesbian Foundation for Justice New York, NY $2,054,574

Heartland Alliance for Human Needs & Human Rights Chicago, IL $2,021,890

15 16

The California Endowment Los Angeles, CA $1,994,885 Proteus Fund – Civil Marriage Collaborative Amherst, MA $1,700,000

17 18

Calamus Foundation New York, NY $1,693,500 Elton John AIDS Foundation New York, NY $1,653,931

Harry and Jeanette Weinberg Foundation Owing Mills, MD $1,600,000

Levi Strauss & Co. Foundation San Francisco, CA $1,435,000

For more information on Funders, go to LGBTfunders.org.

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finance opinion

We All Get Old Ric Reily

After living as a gay family for a lifetime the lucky among us will retire. Age in itself is good though some in our LGBT culture have a certain disdain for the old; age is after all the reward for not dying young. Approaching retirement can be scary with its litany of changes. With age differences in the family one might be retiring while the other is still in their prime earning years. Choosing a place to live in retirement, and making the move are stressful times. Deciding how much money is required for a comfortable retirement remains a big unknown. Providing for health care between an employers group plan and Medicare has to be considered. Yet each challenge simply requires thought and a plan. Those LGBT retirees lucky enough to have a pension and retirement health coverage will often bemoan the pittance they receive monthly. To those I retort; do you know what you have? Here’s why: take the amount of your pension plus the value of your health coverage and enter it into a reverse future value calculator. If you receive benefits worth $2,000 per month you would have to have over $500,000 in wealth to generate the same $2,000 per month at today’s miserly interest rates. Consider those who do not have the benefit of pension or health coverage, such as my husband and me. The good news in our case is that we knew early on that we never would have the luxury of a pension

How to ﬁnancially prepare for retirement

and health coverage and made a plan to create our own wealth sufficient to provide similar benefits. Unlike a pensioner, we are in control of our retirement funding and not reliant on the benevolence of a corporation or tax collecting authority to honor their often generations old commitments. I consider that a particularly valuable benefit in the current uncertain economic climate. How much income do you need to retire? Though no one can give you the exact number the amount is rather simple to calculate. Much of the calculation is predicated on the life style you intend to live in retirement; our life didn’t change a great deal after I retired with the exception that I travel more. The major change is that saving for retirement is no longer required, nor are the costs associated with employment such as the commute, office lunches and work related clothing. My experience has been that I spend about what I spent while working, only now I spend it on different things. Approaching retirement is a good time to begin to spend as if retired. Retirement is a time for disposing of things, not acquiring them. Retirement is for leisure, not chasing the next great technology. Planning for retirement includes considering how life will be different the day after you no longer report to work. Those who receive pensions should check with their provider for survivor benefits for LGBT partners. Some provide them, typically with a reduced monthly benefit during the live of the pensioner; some will also

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provide partner health benefits. Knowing your options both during your lifetime and for your survivor will allow you to maximize your benefits. Sadly, with the current mix or legal protections and lack of legal protections across every governmental level LGBT persons can not rely on settled law to serve them in the event of the passing of a partner. For assets outside of pension plans LGBT persons are best served by a qualified estate advisor. Those pesky relatives will stick their noses in when they smell money; nothing changes things like money. My husband and I simply created two revocable trusts and re-titled all our existing bank and investment accounts and titled personal property as owned by the trust. The trust documents require a trustee, which in our case is each of us for our own trust. In addition, each of us is a trustee of the other’s trust. In the event of the passing of either of us the survivor is the sole trustee of both trusts. The arrangement avoids the probate process and removes any opportunity for a frisky family member to reach out a sticky little hand. Some assets cannot be re-titled to a trust, such as 401K, Roth and IRA accounts. These accounts simply require a beneficiary and naming my husband my beneficiary protects those accounts from intrusive family members. Inheritance rules related to self managed retirement accounts are changing and your estate advisor is best served to advise you on the use, management and timing of your self managed retirement accounts to minimize tax consequences both during your lifetime and for your survivor. Remember, there is no reason to wait until you are a gray gay to plan. Now is the time because you never know when the time is up.

SouthFloridaGayNews // SFGN.com // 2.18.2015 //

finance opinion

Managing Money In An LGBT Family Ric Reily

Worry takes a great deal of energy. Can you define worry? After all if you worry about money, employment, love, health or gay drama you might just as well understand what you are really doing. So, what is worry? My definition of worry: worry is interest paid on trouble before it’s due. Here is an interesting conundrum, because regular readers are aware of my abhorrence to paying interest. Thus, I simply don’t worry. Oh, I have problems like everyone does. Only my problems are usually good ones. I have to decide if I want a beer at home or a gay bar, will I wait for the rain to stop or head out into it, will I get up now or sleep for a while longer; that sort of thing. One reason that I don’t worry and generally have good problems is that I plan. Some might say I am a bit overly structured, or as my now gone mother regularly put it: “you’re a stick in the mud.” That may be true; others often see us in brighter light. Yet, planning makes it possible to get from here to there with the least effort and greatest efficiency — without worry and with good luck. Let’s say you want to go on a trip. A good first step is deciding where you want to go. Once a fun gay destination is defined a good next step might be to consult a map to see how you get to the chosen place. Obviously, you could simply get in the car and start off hoping for the best, though if it were a contest I can assure you that I would arrive first. He with the plan has the advantage. Managing your gay family’s money requires a plan also. Since you have trimmed spending and increased savings and been able to get out of the house more,

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perhaps you have found another gay man or lesbian with whom you want to spend more time; perhaps you are even in love and plan to spend the rest of your lives together. Alert, there is a big time bomb planted with the first LGBT kiss that will explode at the worst possible moment. That time bomb is money; your money, his/her money or your lack of money or his/her lack of money. Yes it all starts out so beautifully, settles to the mundane and devolves into chaos. The good news is it doesn’t have to. Perhaps the greatest impediment to a blossoming relationship is money. It is generally the single most fought over issue. The amount is irrelevant — it is the money or lack thereof that provides the fight fodder. An easy way to give yourself a leg up is to plan the use of your gay family’s money right up front. Even I would not suggest this as a first date conversation, or perhaps the second date either, though the topic can be integrated into the dialogue quickly and easily. The evening I met my husband we spent hours discussing our future dreams. He dug into my brain wanting to know who I am and now I know he was comparing my dreams to his deciding if we could be compatible. I can tell you after twenty six years that we are as opposite as two can be yet we have a series of mutual commonalities including an understanding of money that has

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removed it as an underpinning of our relationship. When it’s time to move in together it’s time to have the managing money in a gay family discussion. Everyone’s discussion is different and the outcome is unimportant to anyone except you. You may be lucky enough to earn equally and have roughly the same assets, or one may earn significantly more or own significantly more assets. It is simply important to mutually agree up front how the new family will be funded. We agreed on my money, his money and our money. We created three common bank accounts: one for general spending such as utilities, groceries, supplies, and entertainment, one for vacations, and one for the house. Then we decided how to fund each account, and in our case we simply funded them equally. Perhaps if one person earns a great deal more he or she will fund a greater portion of the whole so they might continue to live a lifestyle the other person could not otherwise afford. During our years together each of us has earned more and then less than the other; earnings move with raises, unemployment and new employment. As gays couple and settle down they must protect their assets. LGBT persons do not have the legal protections of the general population and hostile families have a legal right to swoop in at the very worst time and challenge even legal wills. All gays are well advised to seek the services of a reputable estate advisor early on in their new family as evidenced by the Shane Bitney Crone story. Don’t wait to be a gray gay before doing your estate planning. Nature calls when nature is ready. Managing money in a gay family is easy. Simply plan the funding and spending. Then if an issue arises the problem is the plan, not the money.

finance news

The LGBT Equality Index Find out how well the companies that support the LGBT community are doing in the stock market Christiana Lilly

With the craziness of the ever-changing stock market, one group has made it easier for investors to know who to put their money into. Credit Suisse, a financial services company based in Zurich, created the LGBT Equality Index, tracking the stock performance of companies that are considered to be friendly to the LGBT community. “We couldn’t find quantitative data around companies’ equity performance and their stock performance vis a vis their LGBT policies,” said Nicole P. Douillet, a vice president at Credit Suisse and co-chair of the company’s LGBT Open Network. What they did know was the LGBT community is a big part of the American economy. According to an article penned by Douillet in the Harvard Business Review, the LGBT community is responsible for about $800 billion in buying power in the United States. Therefore, Credit Suisse was interested in investigating how beneficial it was to companies big and small to be LGBT friendly. Credit Suisse, through working with the Williams Institute, an LGBT think tank at UCLA, found that no one had looked

at this before. So, they took the reins on the initiative and founded the corporate equality index in October 2013. Much like the S&P 500, the index tracks the stock performance for companies on a daily basis. Those included in the list are companies who scored 80 or higher on the corporate equality index by the Human Rights Council. Those looking to invest in the stock market can now not only see how well a company is doing, but choose to support a company that they know has good LGBT policies. Douillet said that corporate America has been a leader in LGBT rights, citing the example of an amicus brief that 278 major companies − including Goldman Sachs, Morgan Stanley, and Credit Suisse − signed stating that the Defense of Marriage Act was bad for business “All these corporations are spending money in order to offer their employees the same rights as heterosexual employees,” Douillet said. “Anything that we can do to provide more data around the LGBT experience is going to be useful and hopefully we can continue to push public policy in the right direction.”

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SouthFloridaGayNews // SFGN.com // 2.18.2015 //

finance real estate

The ABCs of Real Estate Investment James Oaksun

Property appreciation

Turn the clock back 10 years, not so long ago. “Everybody” in South Florida was a real estate investor. Real estate was the “can't miss opportunity of the century.” You could buy just about anything it seemed, with little or sometimes even no money down, and sell it for 20-30 percent profit a year later. But then... “Something Happened.” The chart shows what that “something” was. I suppose people without a long-term perspective could have looked at 2001-2006 and thought it would last forever. Most mortgage lenders and Realtors did, after all! The first rule of any kind of investing is, when you hear somebody say things like “sure thing,” “no risk,” or “guaranteed”... RUN! Now with that said, I work in the real estate business, and I have clients who have both bought and sold investment properties. I can tell you that, under certain circumstances, real estate can be an excellent investment as a component of someone's overall savings and investment planning. But there is no such thing as a sure thing, and you need to do your homework and get the right kinds of advisors on your side.

There are three major advantages to prudent real estate investment.

Cash ﬂow

Presumably you will purchase a property – whether residential or commercial – that someone will lease from you for a specified period, for a specified rent. Of course, you will have to deduct from that your expenses. There will be property taxes, maintenance and repair costs, insurances, possibly property manager fees, and your mortgage payment. However as a leveraged investment (you borrow money to buy it) the amount of your own capital that controls the property will be less than the property value. The (hopefully) positive cash flow, in comparison with the actual capital employed, can produce an attractive rate of return.

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No, property values don't always go up by 20-30 percent per year. In fact we went through a period where valuations here in South Florida sometimes dropped by that amount in one year! The long-term rate of appreciation in Greater Fort Lauderdale, looking back over the last 40 years, has been about 4.5 percent per year. Thus, if you buy investment real estate and hold it for a long enough time, you will probably be able to sell it for more than you paid for it. Several of my clients have also purchased properties that have required some rehabilitation, and sold them (sometimes relatively quickly) for a profit. While this is still possible, it is not as easy as it was 3-4 years ago.

Tax advantages

The Federal government, through the tax code, has enacted several programs to make real estate a more attractive investment than many other alternatives. First, the interest on what you borrow to buy real estate is generally fully tax deductible. In addition, gains on real estate are taxed at a favorable rate, and there are mechanisms to defer recognizing those gains for a very long time. Finally, you are allowed to depreciate (write off ) a portion of the value of the building and improvements every year (not including the land), thus reducing your taxes.

This is all about the numbers

It's not about prestige, emotion or ego. It's a hardnosed decision based on the best potential return available for your risk tolerance and circumstances. Just because you wouldn't live there or have your business there, doesn't mean it's not a great opportunity that could make you a nice return.

Have the right people on your team

You're going to need an experienced Realtor who knows the numbers to help you find properties and assist with their purchase and sale. In addition, you'll need good tax and legal advice, and knowledge of (or ability to hire) property management services.

Be a little contrarian

Don't go where everyone else is going; prices will be high and competition will be fierce. You're not going to be the only person seeking the “easy money” opportunities. Instead, look for the diamonds in the rough, properties in neighborhoods that may be a bit off the beaten path, but that have potential. James Oaksun, Broward's Real Estate Geek, 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).

It really doesn't take a lot of money to get started. More correctly, it takes a decision to make this part of your strategy. And Fort sometimes people have a hard time making decisions! You can invest in partnerships or limited liability companies with friends and relatives. You can even buy things called Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs) on the stock market. Now, I can't advise you on those; you'd have to speak with a securities advisor or financial planner about that. These are basically shares of real estate projects of various kinds. The best advice I can give you on purchasing actual investment property is:

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SouthFloridaGayNews

Lauderdale Real Estate Prices

Gazette Wilton Manors

Volume 2 • Issue 4 February 18, 2015

Twice-Monthly Neighborhood Outlook

Page 2 East Vs. West

Page 3 City's Water Rates

Page 4 New Local Boot Camp

Page 6 City's Trans Benefits

Page 7 New Parking Office

Valentine's Day "I Do" Ceremony Wilton Manors marries 50 couples at Town Hall Page 5 Photo: J.R. Davis

City Manager Gallegos Retiring Page 4 City Manager Joseph Gallegos (right), pictured with Mayor Resnick (left) and M.E. DePalma. Source:wiltonmanors.govofﬁce2.com

• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • www.WMGAZETTE.com • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • / SouthFloridaGayNews 1 • soflagaynews February 18, /2015

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Opinion

East Vs. West

Wilton Manors shouldn’t be having this discussion

By Sal Torre

Gazette Wilton Manors

FEBRUARY 18, 2015 • VOLUME 2 • ISSUE 4 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 • DAVID REPLOGLE

It is always amazing to hear residents talk about different areas of Wilton Manors like some far-off borough or section of a much larger city. Recent comments include the following: “The whole city has to pay for the upgrading of what is mostly the Westside and Main Street.” “City funds are going to Wilton Drive while nothing is spent on Andrews Avenue.” “We have no parks here on the east side, so why should we pay for Mickel Field on the west side. This thinking is both short-sighted and detrimental. Wilton Manors is a small city, just over 2 square miles, and everything that takes place inside our boundaries affects all of us. Within what is walking distance in most municipalities exist three neighborhoods that make up the city: Eastside, Central, and Westside. While these neighborhood associations are active and serve a crucial purpose, residents do not live in a bubble within one of these neighborhoods. Development projects on the east side affect everyone. Crime along Wilton Drive and Powerline Road affects everyone. Property values throughout our city definitely affect all of us. A major priority for the city has been to invest in our parks and recreational facilities. Mickel Field, one of our largest parks, had been left vacant and underutilized for many years. When the city funded the re-purposing of Mickel Field last year, it was not done just for the benefit of those living on the west side, but for the benefit and use of all residents as part of city-wide parks and recreation system. The tennis, volleyball, basketball courts, gym, playground, and community center at Hagen Park are not just for the central neighborhood surrounding that facility; nor is the boat ramp at Colahatchee Park used only by residents along East 15th Avenue. An overall city-wide parks system that is updated and re-purposed serves every resident throughout our two square miles and affects desirability, quality of life and property values for all residents.

As for “Main Street” the city has invested very little over the last few years. Local businesses have led the way in creating a vibrant commercial thoroughfare though the center of our city. With the recent creation of the Business Improvement District, local businesses along Wilton Drive will assess themselves to make improvements at no cost to the city or its residents. We should all applaud the Business Improvement District and its proactive approach that will create a very strong tax base benefitting both the city and its residents. Looking past the urban myth that the city’s main focus and funding priority is Wilton Drive, we see a city actively working throughout our entire community on major projects. A zoning study as the first step toward revitalization and redevelopment of Andrews Avenue, anticipated lane reduction and road improvements along Powerline Road, concern over the railroad crossing on 26th Street, traffic issues on 15th Avenue, improvements along Dixie Highway, public safety initiatives, and proper funding of our Police Department demonstrate that the City of Wilton Manors is focused on all areas of our two-square miles, not just “Main Street.” Together we can make Wilton Manors the best twosquare miles in South Florida! WMG

Staff Photographers

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City Moves Toward More Equitable Water Rates

Business

By Michael d’Oliveira In an effort to be more equitable in how water customers are charged, city officials plan to reduce the monthly base rates for those with 1-inch meters and raise them for those with 5/8-inch meters. “Since the costs of providing water and sewer services are paid by customers, it is essential to provide a fair and equitable method of apportioning those costs among the various classes of customers,” wrote Finance Director Bob Mays in a memo to commissioners. The combined rate for sewer and water is $45.43 for 5/8-inch meters and $118.12 for 1-inch meters. The new rate will be $47.87 for 5/8 meters and $79.78 for 1-inch meters. The rates for all other meter sizes and types, including commercial, will remain the same. “This is strictly residential,” City Manager Joseph Gallegos said. The reason for the current rate difference is the assumption that customers with smaller size meters will put less of a demand on the system; 5/8inch meters can handle up to 15 gallons of water per minute and 1-inch meters can handle up to 25 gallons per minute.

Commissioners agreed the change was long overdue. “It’s the amount of water, not how fast you can get it, that should be our main concern,” Commissioner Tom Green said. “I encountered this item when campaigning,” Commissioner Justin Flippen said. Green said he got numerous emails from residents. “I suspect it was a group that has 1-inch meters,” he joked. According to officials, base rate charges generate about $3.3 million in revenue, or 58 percent of the costs of the water and sewage system. Wilton Manors gets its water from the City of Fort Lauderdale and has to charge residents rates that will self-sustain the service. “When making adjustments to any utility rates, we must be careful to be revenue-neutral,” wrote Mays. The earliest the commission could bring the issue up for a vote would be its March 24 meeting. City Attorney Kerry Ezrol said water customers would get a notice of the meeting on the back of their bills. WMG

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Community

Wilton Manors Offer New Boot Camp Classes

By Natalya Jones

Forget about fad diets and the shake weight. Shed off unwanted pounds or simply tone up with Wilton Manor’s new Fitness Boot Camp program. The classes, which started Feb. 1, are instructed by Lucky Pericles, a Wilton Manors resident who is a certified personal trainer. In fact, Pericles has over 10 years of training experience under his belt. The classes, which target the entire body, came to life after Pericles asked Scott Holloway, president of operations at Hagen Park, about doing the classes. Needless to say, Holloway approved the idea and the Fitness Boot Camp was born. “Everyone that wants to be healthier, fitter and stronger should join,” Pericles said. “Everyone that wants to increase their stamina, endurance and self confidence should join. Everyone that wants to lose weight, lower their blood pressure or regulate their sugar levels should also join.”

Goodbye Gallegos Long time city manager to retire

By Michael d’Oliveira

Pericles also said that benefits of boot camp include the improvement of daily lives and becoming mentally stronger as well. The boot camp classes are for both beginner and intermediate athletes, so no worries if you’re not an expert yet. These classes are available on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays from 7 p.m. to 8 p.m. and Saturdays and Sundays from 8 a.m. to 9 a.m. “I do it because I love the positive changes I see in people,” Pericles added. “Insecurities turn into confidence. People doing things they thought they'd never be able to do. Seeing people beat diabetes and hypertension. Seeing people upgrade themselves is the best feeling.” Admission for the Fitness Boot Camp is $10 per class or $50 for six classes at Hagen Park in 2020 Wilton Drive, Wilton Manors.WMG

Visit WiltonManors.com or call Wilton Manors Leisure Services Department at 954390-2130 for more information. To contact Lucky Pericles, call 954-931-8711. Before and after pictures can be seen at before and after pictures and reviews at Facebook.com/ Lucksﬁtness.

It’s been a little over two weeks since City Manager Joseph Gallegos officially announced his intent to retire this coming October, but city commissioners may already have his replacement lined up – Assistant City Manager Leigh Ann Henderson. Gallegos, who will have served as city manager for 17 years this April, made the announcement in a letter to the commission on Feb. 2 and will officially retire Oct. 1. “I wanted to give the community as much time as it normally takes [to] advertise for a city manager. It’s been my pleasure and my privilege to be part of the community here. To be part of a wonderful team of city professionals and workers,” Gallegos said. Gallegos praised the volunteers and organizations that contribute to the city. He highlighted the improvements the city has made, including Highland Estates, which was plagued by crime and drugs, as well as the redevelopment of parts of the commercial areas. In particular, Gallegos said he was proud to implement furloughs and take a personal pay cut during the recession. “Because of all of our steps, we didn’t have to lay off any employees.” “I think I was the only one on the dais [who is on here now] when he was hired. He’s done a wonderful job leading our city,” Mayor Gary Resnick said. Vice Mayor Scott Newton called Gallegos one of the city’s “best ambassadors.” Henderson received strong statements of support from the commission, the majority of whom seemed ready to hire her at the commission meeting on Feb. 10. “She has the skills and the temperament,” Commissioner Julie Carson said. “Mrs. Henderson has my full support,” said Commissioner Justin Flippen. Newton said the city should choose

Henderson because she already knows the city and staff members, adding that he’s seen outside hires get the job in other cities and make drastic, disastrous changes. Resnick said he would start talks with Henderson. Commissioners could talk exclusively with her or they could advertise the job. Either way, the meeting where a decision is made will have to be announced to the public ahead of time. Resnick said it would not have been “very transparent” to make a decision at the Feb. 10 meeting because it was not advertised and no resident would have had an opportunity to speak out on the matter. Commissioner Tom Green said, no matter who is chosen, he doesn’t want to spend tens of thousands of dollars on a consultant and a big national search “so they can find someone in Oregon.” Henderson said she appreciates the nod of confidence from the commission. “I’m definitely considering it . . . my heart is here. This is the best community in South Florida.” WMG

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The Wilton Manors "I Do!" Ceremony

Community

On Valentine's Day, the City of Wilton Manors and Broward 100 successfully hosted a free marriage ceremony for ﬁfty couples at City Hall By J.R. Davis

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Community

City May Offer Sexual Reassignment Surgery for Employees By Michael d’Oliveira

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Cigna to add the procedure into the city’s policy he would recommend the city develop a policy and budget funds to pay for any requests. A decision on budgeting funds for the procedure would be determined by commissioners. To date, said Sanchez, no employee has asked the city to pay for the procedure. Sanchez compared the procedure to other city benefits, such as tuition reimbursement. “It would be an added employee benefit.” He estimates he would have a report for commissioners within a few weeks. Carson said the request was part of fulfilling a promise she made to the transgender community through Trans Equality at its awards ceremony in November of 2014. Bishop Makalani-MaHee, a trans activist and transgender man, applauded Carson. “When the commissioner made that commitment at our Trans Equality award ceremony, where she was being honored, it just really drove home to me why she was one of the evening’s honorees. This is the kind of mindset we need in the leadership.” Makalani-MaHee, 42, born female, said he has known since he was about 10 that he should have been born male. “But I didn’t make a decision until September of 2011.” Without the help of community fundraising efforts, Makalani-MaHee said he wouldn’t have been able to pay for SRS, which he estimates cost about $7,500. “I was very committed to having the surgery done as soon as possible. The reality is that without help I would have had to scrimp and save for years and deal with the dysphoria of not being comfortable in my own body for years.” WMG

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954-523-1971

Commissioner Julie Carson has asked the city’s human resources department to look into the possibility of including Sexual Reassignment Surgery [SRS] as of part the city’s employee health insurance plan. “It’s the right thing to do. Our employees are some of the most valuable assets that we have. Should an employee ask for it, and the surgery is needed to live a healthy and complete life, I can’t imagine that not being addressed,” Carson said. “Often times, the reason people are not able to have gender reassignment surgery is cost or support, and these are two matters that would be addressed in health insurance. I’m just very, very happy that it may be an option should an employee need it.” The American Psychiatric Association [APA] has classified Gender Identity Disorder [GID] as a mental health issue. GID occurs when an individual’s gender identity does not conform to their physical gender. GID can cause severe distress, anxiety and depression and the APA recommends that individuals, who have been appropriately evaluated, should receive counseling, hormone therapy and eventually undergo SRS. The APA also “calls upon public and private insurers to cover these medically necessary treatments.” Dio Sanchez, human resources manager, said he’s working with the city’s insurer, Cigna, to get the procedure added to the city’s policy. According to the company’s website, Cigna covers SRS when an individual has been diagnosed with GID and is actively participating in a GID treatment program. Sanchez said that if he can’t get

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Business

ON STANDS NOW!

City Searches for New Parking Office

By Michael d’Oliveira

Check out

The Mirror

Winter 2015

WINTER 2015 • Vol. 3

Issue 4

Winter Arts Guide Editi GUIdE bEGINS ON PAGE 21

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

HUNGARY FACES A HISTORIC STRUGGLE

themirrormag.com

GUIdE bEGINS ON PAGE 21 In the search for a new city parking office, one possible location has already been scrubbed from the list: the Woman’s Club of Wilton Manors. In an effort to save $22,460 a year on rent, city staff had recommended the kitchen in the Woman’s Club, 600 NE 21 Court, be remodeled as an office for Lanier, the firm hired by the city to oversee the parking program. Currently, Lanier occupies an office in Gables Wilton Park. Remodeling the kitchen would have cost about $60,000 but staff stated it would start to save the city money after the third year. It’s estimated that the cost of the Gables lease will increase four percent every year. But after a plea from resident Constance Ruppender, commissioners directed staff to keep looking. Ruppender, the founder of Art Gallery 21, located in the Woman’s Club, said the building is “on a path of resurgence” as a part of the city’s cultural landscape. “It’s a small, unique art-filled space,” Ruppender said. Established in July of 2012, Art Gallery 21 is used to showcase the work of local artists and is open to the public on Fridays from 7 to 9 p.m. as well as select Saturdays. Ruppender added that remodeling the kitchen as an office would reduce the revenue from rentals, interfere with the art gallery and constitute a “crime” against the historic nature of the Woman’s Club, built in 1955. “Amen,” responded Paul Kuta, Wilton Manors Historical Society treasurer. The majority of commissioners agreed with Ruppender and directed city staff to keep looking.

“This would be a terrible thing. You can go with anything else, but not that,” said Commissioner Tom Green, who suggested a parking office should be part of a redevelopment of the city hall parking lot. “What we need to do is hurry along our plans to do something with the parking lot. This should be part of a redevelopment of that.” Previous attempts by the city to form a public/private partnership, to develop the parking lot site, failed because commissioners did not like the plans proposed. City Manager Joseph Gallegos said an office in city hall was not an option because there is no space available. “We looked at every single space. It does not work.” The other options suggested are a trailer on the vacant lots behind the Hagen Park tennis courts, a trailer on the city hall parking lot or a permanent building on the city hall parking lot. Commissioners weren’t satisfied with those options either. Mayor Gary Resnick and Vice Mayor Scott Newton suggested the possibility of Island City Park Preserve, the cityowned building off Dixie Highway and commercial space along Northeast 26 Street. “In my mind it doesn’t have to be on those side streets adjacent to Wilton Drive,” said Resnick. The current parking office is located off Wilton Drive on Northeast 21 Court. Gallegos, per the direction of commissioners, said staff would look into a month-to-month lease with Gables to allow more time to find an alternative location. The current lease expires in June.WMG

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Calendar of Events

Compiled from the Wilton Manors website

Brains and Balance Past 60 Feb. 4, 11, 18, 25 from 10 a.m. – 11 a.m. at Hagen Park Brains and Balance Past 60 is designed for the unique needs of active older adults who know the importance of staying mentally sharp and physically stable. Researchers no longer believe that falling or losing your mental capacity are inevitable parts of the aging process and this fascinating class series operates based on the premise that specific exercises will decrease the risk of falling while increasing mental acuity.

Free Tax Assistance Feb. 7, 14, 21, & 28 from 10 a.m. — 12 p.m. at Richard C. Sullivan Public Library Free face-to-face tax help for those of low to moderate income from the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance and Tax Counseling for the Elderly programs.

Photo: J.R. Davis

Wilton Manors Green Market Feb. 7, 8; 14, 15; 21, 22, and Feb. 28, March 1 — 9 a.m. – 2 p.m. at Wilton Manors City Hall / Hagen Park Wilton Manors Green Market every Saturday and Sunday from 9 a.m.– 2 p.m. in the Wilton Manors City Hall / Hagen Park parking lot. The Market features Organic Produce, Regular Produce, International Baked Goods, specialty items, spices & herbs, soups, cheeses, coffees & tea, bagels, Nuts & dried fruits, baked goods, and various other international and local vendors. The Market gives residents and visitors to Wilton Manors an exciting shopping alternative and a chance to view, sample and purchase products. For more information on The Market or to become a vendor, visit GreenWilton. com or contact Frank and Ron at 954531-5363.

Community Yard Sale Feb. 14, All Day at Hagen Park

Historical Society Annual Meeting Feb. 19, 7 p.m. at City Hall Commission Chambers

Household Hazardous Waste Drop-off Event Feb. 22, 8 a.m. - 3 p.m. at Municipal Compound The City's annual drive-through dropoff event for residents to dispose of household hazardous items.

City Commission Meeting Feb. 10 & 24 at 7 p.m. at City Hall Chambers 2020 Wilton Drive, Wilton Manors, FL 33305

We Do! February 14, 4:30 PM @ City Hall and Hagen Park On Valentine's Day, the City of Wilton Manors and Broward 100 - Celebrating the Art of Community, in honor of the County's centennial, will hold FREE marriage ceremonies for 100 people (50 couples) at Wilton Manors City Hall.

Roadmap to the Stars Astronomy Program Feb. 25, 5 p.m. at Richard C. Sullivan Public Library International award-winning astronomer and former NASA consultant Kevin Manning presents “Roadmap to the Stars.” You’re invited to enjoy an educational and entertaining exploration of the universe, as well as a refreshingly large perspective gained by looking up to the stars. If weather permits, we will view the stars through a powerful custom-designed telescope after the presentation. This engaging program for all ages is sponsored by the Friends of the Wilton Manors Library.

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feature

Bisexuals Hopeful as One of Their Own Becomes a Governor

Associated Press

(AP) - “LGBT” has become a household term amid sweeping advances for gay rights, and yet the “B’’ sometimes seems like an awkward fit. The sudden advent of America’s first openly bisexual governor may provide a chance to ease the awkwardness and broaden understanding of the bi community. Kate Brown, Oregon’s secretary of state, is in line to replace Democratic Gov. John Kitzhaber when he steps down Wednesday amid an ethics scandal. Brown, serving her second term after many years in the legislature, lives in Portland with her husband and two stepchildren and has been open throughout her political career about being bisexual. Her progress has been followed closely by bisexual activists across the country, including Ellyn Ruthstrom, who now serves on the board of Boston-based Bisexual Resource Center after 10 years as its president. “There are so few bi political leaders out there, so we pay attention to them,” said Ruthstrom, citing U.S. Rep. Kyrsten Sinema of Arizona as the other prominent example. Beyond elective politics, the bi community continues to struggle to establish its appropriate place in the broader civil rights campaigns being waged on behalf of lesbians, gays and transgender people. Within that movement, there was widespread animosity toward bisexuals a couple of decades ago, Ruthstrom said. “Now it’s not as overt, but there are still issues.” She cited a phenomenon known as “bi-erasure” - in which bisexuals are not mentioned in speeches, press releases and news reports that refer to the LGT groups. Ruthstrom said she and her allies have been lobbying major LGBT-rights groups to be fully inclusive of the bisexual community’s issues. “They’re missing an opportunity to engage,” she said, citing research indicating that bisexuals make up about half of the total LGBT population. Gary Gates, a demographer at the UCLA School of Law’s Williams Institute, estimated in 2011 that about 1.8 percent of the adult population, or a little more than 4 million Americans, identifies as bisexual slightly more than the number identifying as gay or lesbian.

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However, Ruthstrom said a majority of bisexuals remain wary of disclosing their sexual orientation, except perhaps to a few close acquaintances, and suffer high rates of depression. A study released by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention two years ago said bisexual women reported a far higher rate of rape, violence and stalking by an intimate partner than either lesbians or heterosexual women. A vice president of one of the largest LGBT-rights groups, Fred Sainz of the Human Rights Campaign, said bisexuals may in some respects face greater challenges than gays and lesbians. “To the extent that they’re out, they may well be more so the victims of scorn because they get it from both gay and straight people,” Sainz said. “Gays want them to make a choice, and straights consider them gay, so in many ways they face increased amounts of stigma and discrimination.” The Human Rights Campaign’s legal director, Sarah Warbelow, who is bisexual, said one of the biggest challenges for the bi

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community is a lack of public understanding of their social lives. “On one hand, there’s assumption that bi people are never happy in any relationship and need to have multiple partners,” she said. “On the other hand, you’ve got people who say it’s not real - it’s an in-between existence until you figure out who you really are when you grow up.” Brown’s pathway to the governor’s office opened up as the Human Rights Campaign was convening a conference in Portland devoted to supporting LGBT youth. “Kate Brown is an incredible role model for bisexual youth, many of whom are grappling with the same issues that Brown dealt with when she came out in the ‘90s including feelings of not being understood by family or by their gay peers,” said Ellen Kahn, an HRC official helping organize the conference. Efforts to increase understanding have persisted over many years, In 2009, for example, activists convened a “Putting the ‘B’ in LGBT” summit in New

SouthFloridaGayNews

York City. In September 2013, the White House convened a meeting with more than 30 bisexual activists - the first such gathering of its kind. Kate Brown, after entering politics in 1991 as a member of Oregon’s House of Representatives, wrote a brief essay for “Out and Elected in the USA” about what it was like for her to come out as bisexual to her parents, her gay and straight friends, and her fellow lawmakers. Her parents’ response: “It would be much easier for us if you were a lesbian.” Some gay friends called her “half queer.” “Some days I feel like I have a foot in both worlds, yet never really belonging to either,” Brown concluded.

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column for becker or worse

Rapper Azealia Banks Just Can’t Stop Using The Word 'Faggot'

John Becker

Photo: Manfred Werner

In January 2013, Azealia Banks picked a fight on Twitter with fellow rapper Angel Haze, who had the nerve to include in her breakout single a snippet of a song praising New York City — even though Haze is totally not from New York, you guys. (Seriously.) Things escalated quickly, but they took a homophobic turn when openly gay celebrity blogger Perez Hilton jumped into the fray and weighed in on the side of Haze. “lol what a messy faggot you are,” Banks tweeted to Hilton. A Twitter firestorm ensued, with fans defending and critics slamming Banks for her use of the homophobic slur and other tweets containing derogatory words about women and people of color. (It should be noted that Ms. Banks is a woman of color herself.) For her part, Banks doubled down on her initial comments and attempted to justify them. She tweeted: “A faggot is not a homosexual male. A faggot is any male who acts like a female. There’s a BIG difference… As a bisexual person I knew what I meant when I used that word.” Needless to say, this didn’t go over well with the folks at GLAAD, the group that monitors the media for antiLGBT defamation. Matt Kane, GLAAD’s director of entertainment media, responded in a statement: Banks’ claim that the word "faggot" doesn’t mean a gay male is not true. Regardless of her intent or her personal definition, what matters is the meaning given to that word by those who hear it, and the damage it causes when they do. Undoubtedly there are gay kids who follow her on Twitter who hear this word in an entirely different context. This word is used almost universally by bullies, often as part of a larger verbal or physical assault. This word hurts those kids, no matter what Banks meant by it. Banks retorted that GLAAD was nothing but a group of “media whores” who “pick and choose when to be upset” about celebrities using anti-LGBT slurs. Over the ensuing months, an apparently publicity-hungry Banks continued to periodically resuscitate the “faggot” story,

deploying the slur again in another Twitter feud with music producer Baauer, then apologizing for her use of it after a performance at LA Pride in June 2014. The Advocate observed that Banks’s homophobic outbursts seemed to conveniently surface whenever she had new content to promote, and noted that the feud with Hilton over the word “faggot” caused her album sales to spike by 18 percent. In November, The Guardian asked Banks about the controversy, and this time, she defended her words in a different way: by claiming she’s allowed to call gay men “faggots” because gays are misogynists. "A lot of gay men are way more misogynistic than straight men,” Banks said. “The shit they say about women behind their backs, it's like: 'Wow, oh my God!' You can be a straight faggot, you can be a gay faggot. A faggot is anybody that hates women. It's like, y'all sing along to my words when I'm saying 'nigga' and 'cunt,’ but as soon as I call this one white man a faggot the whole world exploded. Listen, I didn't say all gay men are faggots; I said Perez Hilton is a faggot, so don't try and bring the rest of the gays down with your faggotry." She continued beating on the gays-are-misogynists drum in an Instagram post this month, writing, “Why is it okay.....For a gay man to colloquially use the word 'Bitch' to refer to women, but is it not okay for me to colloquially use the word 'Faggot' to refer to myself or an opponent? Do gay men get a special pass to say misogynist things simply because they Like dick? The argument is that countless gay kids hear the word 'faggot' before they are beat to death...But do you know how many women hear the word 'Bitch' before their husbands beat them to death? Before they are murdered/raped?" Banks is correct that the LGBT community, like society at large, is infected by misogyny. Men calling women “bitches,” making derogatory remarks about their appearance, and touching women’s bodies without their consent occurs with disturbing frequency, even in LGBT

spaces that are supposed to be safe. The conversation that the LGBT community is currently having about sexism and misogyny is both critically important to our continued forward progress and long overdue. But if Banks is interested in participating in that conversation in any kind of a productive way, she needs to do so without using words that oppress and hurt others. The word “faggot” isn’t hers to redefine, because she is not a gay man and has never been targeted by that word. Banks has never been called the word “faggot” on the playground, never been chased down the street by people spitting that slur at her, never been beaten within an inch of her life by mobs wielding that word, as well as their fists, as weapons. She has absolutely no business belittling others’ experiences of discrimination, even if they’re gay men (or even -- gasp! -- white gay men). So here’s the thing, Azealia: “faggot” is a word of violence against gay men. Period. You don’t get to call me by a term of such profound disrespect and then turn around and demand that I respect you and engage in dialogue with you. That’s not how this works. And no matter how salient the point might be that you’re trying to make about misogyny in the LGBT community, it doesn’t grant you a free pass on hate speech. Using bigoted, violent language doesn’t just detract from the merits of your argument, it shuts down the conversation before it even starts. One final point: as a female-identified person, Azealia, you have been personally targeted by misogyny in a way that I never have and never will. So in conversations about sexism and misogyny, I -- along with every other male who considers himself a feminist -- have an obligation to sit down, shut up, and defer to the voices and perspectives of all women who experience it. But it’s the same with homophobic, anti-gay male oppression: you don’t experience it and you never will, so in conversations about it -- and anti-gay slurs like “faggot” -- you need to do a lot less talking and a whole lot more listening.

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

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soflagaynews //

SouthFloridaGayNews

column letter to the editor

Drunken Drugged Out Messes At Sea? Far From It! RSVP passenger defends cruise

Terry DeCarlo

Bill and I had the pleasure of being on the RSVP 30th anniversary cruise, with 3,400 other LGBT men and women, this past Feb. 8 – February 15 and I felt the need to write in order to refute comments made to SFGN by another passenger about the cruise. On Monday, Feb. 9 The Regal Princess set sail from Princess Cay in the Bahamas and was on its way to Cozumel, Mexico. Bill and I were at one of the many dances happening on the ship when at about midnight, we heard a call go out over the ships PA system for medical to come to the pool deck of the ship immediately. Already on the pool deck we looked around to see what was going on. We then saw on the right side of the ship, the crew moving people away as they had a man lying on a table with an oxygen mask and their medical team was working frantically on him, we originally assumed it was a heart attack, but found out later that it had been an OD and not only he, but a friend of his was also in need of medical help. All the other guests on the deck went about what they were doing and stayed out of the way to let the cruise employees do what they are trained to do in order to help one of our fellow passengers. By 3 p.m. the next day we were pulling into the port of Miami and witnessed the two gentleman in question being brought off the ship, into ambulances, and taken away for more care (we have since heard from a very, very reputable and reliable source that the two men in question have since been released from the hospital and are doing well). The cruise line and RSVP worked feverishly to make sure the rest of the cruise would go off without a hitch. The only change was where we were supposed to dock in Cozumel on Wednesday, they would go full steam ahead and get us there on Thursday instead, one small hiccup in our schedule everything else stayed the same. The comments I have personally take offense to were those made to SFGN by another apparent passenger who stated “It’s an all gay cruise and they’re all drunk. There’s three thousand gay men on this boat. You know what that means. There’s a lot of high risk activity associated with that.” After reading that my head spun around 18 times like Raven in the exorcist! These comments were so off the mark and offensive it’s not even funny! Were cocktails available,

of course. Were people drinking, of course. It’s a damn cruise vacation for god’s sake. Do people have sex on the boat, of course, but to take what two individuals did to themselves, and to give the impression that the other 3,398 passengers were also all inebriated, drugged up, stumbling and humping fools was a totally irresponsible statement. We did not see one drunken, stumbling mess (and yes, we attended every party!). People danced, people wore costumes, people went to see the entertainment including Charo, Kathy Najimy, Anne Hampton Calloway, Jinx Monsoon, and Amy and Freddy and people dined in some fabulous restaurants! All in all, people were having a wonderful time, but drunken, falling down, drugged out messes…sorry, I am not sure what ship they were on but it surely wasn’t the one we were on! (BTW the comment on 3,000 gay men was also wrong because there were a lot of gay women on this cruise!) This was our 10th RSVP gay cruise (we like the RSVP product because it is more people our age and the parties and music are geared more to us) and we never could have imagined how many new lifelong friends we have made from around the globe. People call it a floating bathhouse. Well if you notice it’s only called that by the individual people who wish it was that way. What this actually was, is, and has been, is a way for a group of LGBT men and women, to go on a cruise, all together and feel comfortable about who they are, they can wear a costume of their choice, they can dance and drag out if they want to, they laugh, and they make new friends. In closing, any cruise, gay or straight, is going to be what you make of it. If you are there to throw caution to the wind and have a great time meeting people then that is the time you are going to have; if you are there to throw chemicals in your body then you risk not only hurting yourself but also inconveniencing your fellow shipmates. But please don’t lump all the travelers on a cruise into one group and say “well, this is it” because you will be wrong. Try a gay cruise and see for yourself, I am sure you would see what we see year after year!

— Terry DeCarlo Executive Director of GLBT Community Center of Central Florida soflagaynews //

SouthFloridaGayNews // SFGN.com // 2.18.2015 //

column publisher’s editorial

Bully! Business Bounces Back No thanks to banks

Norm Kent

norm.kent@sfgn.com

It’s February, and there is lots of snow up north, so the restaurants are crowded, the hotels are full, and the beaches are busy. There is traffic on every corner. Heck, it’s the tourist season in Florida, so business is vibrant and booming. Still, there is reason to be excited about Greater Fort Lauderdale. New businesses are opening, rentals are thriving, and real estate is selling. We are making it on our own, without the bonus we get from out of state dollars. That is news. Like the rest of the country, we were all crushed by the banking crisis years ago. The principles, all the crooks that led us into the worst global financial crisis since the stock market crash of 1929 seemed to get off free. Well, maybe not ‘seemed.’ They actually did. Greed, greed, greed killed the beast. For leading the world to the brink of financial disaster, Wall Street profiteers took home a cool $700 billion along the way. Meanwhile, the average Joe got the screws turned to him left and right. We got the crumbs. As SFGN does a finance issue, it is hard to forget those days when banks and their corporate executives pocketed million dollar payouts while their business entities were reporting billion dollar losses. A financial meltdown of global proportions, $62.2 billion in fines levied, and not a single banker went to jail. Instead of posting bail, they got bailouts. Amazing. The bankers got to watch the Super Bowls in their skyboxes and you had to give up your season seats even in the bleachers to Dolphin games. Your investment property in a west Broward condo, a warehouse, or small second home, became a bank foreclosure. In fact, local courthouses had to set up special courtrooms just for foreclosures there were so many. Lawyers stood on lines waiting to pull tickets and check in as if they were buying loaves of bread in a bakery. Of course, some homeowners made out like bandits, too, living in homes where they did not pay mortgages for years as the foreclosures were tied up in courts. First, we watched as the equity in our homes collapsed, all while the banks routinely were pulling or lowering our home equity lines. Second, we watched as our credit card interest rates soared, all while the banks then cut our credit card lines. If you were lucky enough to make your monthly

// 2.18.2015 // SFGN.com //

payment, you did nothing but pay off the absurdly high 29 percent interest rate, which if you tried to charge privately, would, be a criminal act called usury. But the banks and the IRS have first dibs on being allowed to commit crimes with impunity. They are the legal mafia. Third, we found out the fine print in all those consumer credit contracts we routinely signed meant that the banks could routinely screw you any way they wanted any time they wanted anyhow they wanted. It did not matter if you had a 48-month corporate loan you paid timely every month. There was some secret clause written in Lebanese that allowed the bank to call it in and arbitrarily debit money from your dead grandmother’s estate account because she co-signed a credit card for you while you were in college during the Reagan Administration. It did not matter how, but the banks would find a way to screw you. It’s as American as apple pie. Fourth, we watched helplessly as the banks were infused with millions of dollars in loans from the government, paying off their own debts first, instead of infusing local businesses with needed capital to enhance their posture. Essentially, the small businessman and average consumer were hung out to try. Commercial credit and small business loans became next to impossible. Banks did everything but loan money. Fifth, with credit lines cut, the average person seeking credit now had a higher debt to loan ratio, causing their credit score to drop, making their loan interest rates higher. The end result was more profit for the banks. Worse, with credit drying up, those people able to get it found themselves paying higher interest rates, infusing the banks with more capital, which they have kept and hoarded. Or is it whored? Arguably, the only benefit from the economic crisis that hit the United States a few years ago was the government-mandated program for federal backed

soflagaynews //

SouthFloridaGayNews

modifications of your home mortgages. Once you went through the million hoops to get there, filling out two years worth of forms to do so, there was a chance your mortgage got restored to the amount it should have been before the banks artificially raised it to begin with. The government sponsored HAMP and TARP were polluted with lies and deceit. Like Matt Taibbi wrote in Rolling Stone two years back, “Banks used their hundreds of billions for almost every purpose under the sun – everything, that is, but lending to the homeowners and small businesses and cities they had destroyed.” Surprise. Of course, if you were lucky enough to negotiate the paperwork and got a home refinanced, it does not mean that foreclosure won’t stay on your credit report for the next seven years, or the NSA won’t report it on Twitter sometime in the next twenty. So the next time you go to get a car loan, even if you paid off your last ten on time, expect to pay a higher interest rate, because banks are not your buddies. They are your brokers. That is, they want you to go broke. It’s the American way. Well, seven bailout years later, I don’t know what Bank of America, Citigroup, Morgan Stanley, Goldman Sachs, Merrill Lynch, or Lehman Brothers are doing today. I do know this. With nearly 15,000 subsidiaries, they are too big to be regulated. Outside of the accessibility of an ATM, they serve no useful social purpose. They are man-eating blob fish. The federal rescue of Wall Street didn’t fix the economy. If it is better today, somehow, some way, Americans did it themselves, by going back to work, picking up broken pieces, and starting over again, without any real, honest legitimate help either from the government or its bailed out banking system. You know, Thomas Jefferson had it right, “that government which governs best, governs least.

column transforming gender

Color Me Skeptical

Rebecca Juro

My idealism is gone, pounded into unconsciousness by our current government and political system

rjuroshow@gmail.com

Recently, I was talking to some folks I know who are pretty well-known and wellrespected LGBT activists and journalists about the ruling of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) that Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 forbids discrimination against trans Americans as a violation of its prohibition of discrimination based on sex. The folks who I was speaking with seemed confused as to why I wasn’t comfortable with accepting this ruling as the new permanent status quo and why I wasn’t as confident as they are that this is the law of the land now. The truth is that when I came out in 1997, I’d have probably been just as enthusiastic and confident in a ruling like this as they seem to be. Yes, it’s true, as a newly out trans woman and baby activist I was as much of an idealist as anyone. I was a believer, and I was confident that our government would eventually do the right thing by us, even if it took a while. My idealism didn’t go down easily either. I had to have it beaten out of me. My idealism was battered by a Human Rights Campaign president who said that people like me would be included in the Employment Non-Discrimination Act over her dead body. It was staggered by the discovery in 2004 that HRC representatives had encouraged members of Congress to support a bill that would protect only gays and lesbians against discrimination and leave trans people like me unprotected. It was knocked down and bloodied in 2007 by a Democratically-controlled House of Representatives that eagerly caved to wealthy and well-connected gay elites and passed a version of ENDA which extended “equal” rights only to the most politically popular and left the rest of us out in the cold

to fend for ourselves. More recently, in 2009 it was newlyelected President Obama and the fully Democratically-controlled 111th Congress who delivered the knockout blow to my idealism when they chose to renege on the promises they’d made to LGBT working families to see ENDA passed into law and instead chose to pass a hate crimes law that may have made some statisticians in Washington happy, but did nothing at all to help LGBT working families live better lives. This, we were told, was progress. We should be happy, they said, that LGBT people were included as a protected category in federal law for the first time. We should laud President Obama and the Democrats for leading on LGBT inclusion and respect. In essence, we were told that we should be eternally grateful and thankful these people had bothered to make any real effort on our behalf at all. And so, my idealism is gone, pounded into unconsciousness by a government and a political system that has repeatedly made clear that it considers helping to raise up the poorest and most victimized minority in America a low priority, only to be addressed at all when it’s politically profitable for politicians and even then only as much as is absolutely necessary to maintain the fiction that the people running our country care about us at all. Skeptical? Oh you bet. With this kind of history I have little reason to believe our political leaders will do anything to try to defend this ruling if it comes under fire from the right and every reason to believe they’ll run the other way the second we become politically inconvenient again. It’ll take some pretty strong smelling salts to get my idealism off the mat and back into the ring.

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

SouthFloridaGayNews // SFGN.com // 2.18.2015 //

lifestyle history

HOMO HISTORY 101 Pier Angelo

THE OSCARS

April 1st, 1930: The Motion Picture Producers and Distribution Association adopted a new code. Movies were to reflect “the better standards of life” and “Respect for the Flag” was demanded in movies. The love of a man and woman was a proper theme but "all sex relationships" were to be treated with “due care.” The code provided the following guideline: "The sanctity of the institution of marriage and the home shall be upheld.” As the world gets ready for the 87th Academy Awards it’s worth noting that in those 87 years, very few openly gay actors have taken home a trophy: John Gielgud (1904 – 2000) Won for Best Supporting Actor in 1981 for “Arthur” and he was nominated in 1964 as well. Despite a 1953 gay scandal in the British tabloids, Gielgud’s sexual orientation was not well-known or publicized in Hollywood. Jodie Foster (November 19, 1962) has twice won and four times been nominated for an Oscar, but she wasn't open. Maybe she wasn't out yet. Jared Leto (December 26, 1971) His performance as a transgender woman in “Dallas Buyers Club” (2013) earned him the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor. Leto is a gay rights activist. In October 2009, he raised money to the campaign against California Proposition 8. Joel Grey (April 11, 1932). He is best known for portraying the Master of Ceremonies in both the stage and film versions of the musical “Cabaret” for which he won the Oscar, in 1973, as Best Supporting Actor. In January 2015, Grey opened up about his sexuality in an interview with People, stating: "I don't like labels, but if you have to put a label on it, I'm a gay man." John Schlesinger, (1926 –2003)

was an English film and stage director, and actor. He won an Academy Award for Best Director for “Midnight Cowboy,” (1969) and was nominated for two other films (“Darling” and “Sunday Bloody Sunday”).

Scott Rudin (July 14, 1958)

In 2012, he became one of the few people who have won an Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony Award, and the first producer to do so. He won the Oscar as the producer of Best Picture “No Country for Old Men.”

GAY WRITERniSng gay writers,

ful of win There is only a hand ”), Bill Lance Black (“Milk including Dustin an Ball onsters”), and Al M & ds Go (“ on Cond the first ”). Lee Daniels was Best (“American Beauty to be nominated an ic er m -A an ric Af gay . Lincoln, us, in Januar y 2010 Director for Precio ritten rs for 2012, was w ca Os e th of g in rl the da shner. He er / activist Tony Ku cars. by openly gay writ The movie won 3 Os n. io at in m no a ed receiv

// 2.18.2015 // SFGN.com //

Ellen DeGeneres (right) with her wife, Portia de Rossi. DeGeneres was selected in 2006 to host the 79th Acadamy Awards, making her the ﬁrst openly-gay person to host the event. She returned to host the 86th Acadamy Awards in 2014. Photo: Angela George

Sir Ian McKellen (May 25, 1939) has long been out and proud. Despite multiple Laurence Olivier Awards, a Tony Award, a Golden Globe Award, five Emmy Award nominations, and two Academy Award nominations, Sir Ian has never taken home the Oscar. He was nominated, for Best Actor in 1999’s “Gods and Monsters.” Sir Nigel Hawthorne, (1929 –2001)

was nominated for Best Actor in “The Madness of King George.” An intensely private person, he was upset at having been involuntarily "outed" as gay in 1995 in the publicity surrounding the Academy Awards, but he did attend the ceremony with his long-time partner Trevor Bentham.

George

Cukor

(1899

–1983)

Homosexuality may have been the reason that he was dismissed from directing “Gone With the Wind.” He won for “My Fair Lady.” Vincent Minelli (1903 –1986) won for “Gigi” in 1958.

Midnight Cowboy (1969) The film won Academy Awards for Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Adapted Screenplay; it is the only X-rated film to win an Oscar in any category, The ‘X’ rating was given because of the "homosexual frame of reference" and its "possible influence upon youngsters." The Academy has a long history of showering accolades on straight actors for playing gay roles. Peter Finch was the first actor to be nominated (1971) for an Oscar for playing an openly gay character in Sunday Bloody Sunday. It took 14 years (1985) for a gay character to win an Oscar, when William Hurt won for “Kiss of the Spider Woman.” Tom Hanks won Best Actor in 1993 for “Philadelphia,” Hilary Swank won Best Actress in 1999 for “Boys Don’t Cry,” Nicole Kidman won Best Actress in 2002 for her portrayal of Virginia Woolf in “The Hours,” Charlize Theron won Best Actress in 2003 for “Monster,” Philip Seymour Hoffman won in 2005 for “Capote,” and Sean Penn won Best Actor in 2009 for “Milk.” Christopher Plummer won in 2012 for “Beginners. Matthew McConaughey won Best Actor in 2014 for his role in “Dallas Buyers Club.”

soflagaynews //

SouthFloridaGayNews

Straight actors nominated for playing LGBT roles include John Lithgow in “The World According to Garp” (1982). He was nominated for Best Supporting Actor at the 55th Academy Awards. John Lithgow played transgender Roberta Muldoon. Chris Sarandon nominated for Best Actor in a Supporting Role as a pre-operative transsexual whose husband’s reasons for robbing a bank is to pay for his wife’s sex reassignment surgery in “Dog Day Afternoon” ( 1975). Jude Law for “The Talented Mr. Ripley” in 1999, Javier Bardem in 2002 for “Before Night Falls” and Salma Hayek that same year for “Frida,” Heath Ledger and Jake Gyllenhaal in 2005 for “Brokeback Mountain,” Felicity

Huffman the same year for “Transamerica,” and Judi Dench in 2006 for “Notes On A Scandal.” Annette Bening for Best Actress in “The Kids Are Alright.”

TIDBITd SChris Colfer from “Glee”

Lynch an but Oscar Gay actors like Jane r their TV acting, fo es ob Gl en ld Go the Academy have won mophobic, perhaps ho ly ng di un to as s remain isn’t enough of a tor in a gay role ac y ga a s ve lie be even acting. “stretch,” or isn’t ve both won lissa Etheridge ha Me d an hn Jo n to El Sir rack awards. best song or soundt s selected Ellen DeGeneres wa , 06 20 7, r be em . This made On Sept y Awards ceremony e event. em ad Ac th 79 e th to host hosted th gay person to have ds on March 2, her the first openly ar Aw y em ad e 86th Ac Ellen would host th time. 2014 for the second

Award-winning star of stage and screen Neil Patrick Harris will host the 87th Oscars. 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.

soflagaynews //

SouthFloridaGayNews // SFGN.com // 2.18.2015 //

lifestyle music

Shagwells singer sounds off Q&A with the South Florida rocker

Jillian Melero

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If you trip onto a dance floor around Hollywood on a Saturday night, there’s a chance you might spy Danielle Schultz, belting out a rock rendition of Brittany’s, “Baby One More Time,” or a kitschy take of “Walking on Sunshine.” Schultz is lead singer of the five member group The Shagwells. Along with guitarist Joe Martinez, bassist Amy Seplia, drummer Gaspar de Valle, and keyboardist Mike Williams, the Shagwells play a mix of top 40, pop, modern, 80s and 90s rock covers to the locals. You’ll usually find the Shagwells playing to the locals at venues like O’Malley’s Sports Bar, and, Gigi’s Music Café, which feature both a stage and dance floor or Fort Lauderdale’s long standing lesbian bar, Beach Betty’s. With a set list that ranges from Adele and Amy Winehouse to the Beastie Boys, the Black Keys, U2, Van Halen and Led Zeppelin. We tried to get an idea of what Schultz has in her collection. SFGN: What are your favorite covers to perform? Schultz: Led Zeppelin. Vocally, because he has such an interesting range and I really get to span the spectrum. Also I think it

General & Cosmetic Dentistry

You can buy Danielle, Amy, Gaspar, Joe, and Mike a drink at any of these upcoming shows:

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

Beach Betty’s February 21, from 9 p.m. – 1 a.m. (954) 921-9893 Hours: Noon to 3 a.m. daily www.daniabeachbar.com

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

Gigi’s Music Café March 28, from 8 p.m. – 11 p.m.

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

// 2.18.2015 // SFGN.com //

soflagaynews //

surprises a lot of people because they don’t expect to hear a girl sing Led Zeppelin and sing it with balls. SFGN: What’s the most embarrassing thing on your Spotify? Schultz: I’d have to say “Good Bye to You,” or, “Walking on Sunshine.” I shouldn’t say that because we play that song in another band, Wild Card, but yeah, they make fun of me for it. Even “Baby One More Time,” I only sang that sarcastically until I heard the band play it and we rocked it out. SFGN: What’s the one album would you want to have with you if you were stranded on a desert island? Schultz: That’s a tough one. I like Florence + the Machine, so maybe them. And I like Amy Winehouse. SFGN: If someone wants to buy you a drink after the show, what’s your drink of choice? Schultz: Oh, easy, tequila shots. You know how you’re supposed to have warm beverages when you’re on stage? I drop them in my tea. Keeps me buzzed and lubricated. SFGN: What kind of tea do you pair with tequila? Schultz: Oh it’s a throat coat tea, it’s awful.

(954) 748 – 9494 Happy Hour Daily 5 p.m. – 7 p.m. www.gigismusiccafe.com

SouthFloridaGayNews

O’Malley’s Sports Bar April 18, from 10 p.m. – 2 a.m.

(954) 979-8540 Happy Hour:Mon-Fri: 3 p.m. - 8 p.m. Sat & Sun: 12 p.m.-8 p.m. www.omalleyssportsbar.com

* The Shagwells will be shooting some new video footage during their April 18th performance at O’Malley’s.

paid advertisement Food and Fitness A Perfect Match On Valentine’s Day Poverello engaged in a new and exciting fundraising venture. We had our first Zumba Dance Party to benefit the Poverello Food Pantry. Poverello’s signature annual fundraiser is Bowling to Fight Hunger, which will be held this year on Saturday, August 15th 2015 at Sawgrass Lanes. However, recently a group of Poverello supporters who are also Zumba enthusiasts approached us and offered to help Poverello to put on an additional fundraiser called a Zumbathon. “What a great idea!” said Poverello CEO, Thomas Smith, “Food and fitness; a perfect match.” Poverello already encourages physical fitness as an important component of the services we provide which are largely focused on feeding HIV positive clients and providing them with nutrition education. Poverello has the Live Well Center which houses a full service gym. Published scientific literature shows that physical exercise has many positive effects for the HIV positive person. But we know that physical fit-

ness is good for everyone. So Poverello was enthusiastic about a health and exercise oriented fundraising activity. This helps us make the broader point that fitness is important for our entire community. Zumba is a Latin style dace and exercise activity. According to an article written by Barbara Russi Sarnataro who writes feature articles for WebMD. Zumba was born by accident. While researching the birth of Zumba she discovered that it all started with Colombia-born Alberto "Beto" Perez. Perez was teaching an aerobics class in 1986 and realized he had forgotten his usual music. So he dug through his bag of tapes and grabbed a mix of salsa and meringue music he personally liked to dance to. In Sarnatraos article she reported that during an interview with Perez he said, "I just told everyone, class today is different, we are going to dance.” He went on to say, "Everybody loved it." Zumba's success grew steadily after Perez moved first to Bogota, Colombia and later to Miami.

SFGN_Florida_House_Ad_Final.pdf 1 1/26/2015 2:44:17 PM

Today, there are an estimated 4 million Zumba enthusiasts and 25,000 instructors in 40 countries. Barring any doctor's limitations, Zumba is safe for a range of ages and fitness levels because the steps can be modified so that it's very low-impact. Part of Zumba's appeal is its simplicity. Teachers are encouraged to forego complex cueing, and just let the students feel the music. Other dance and exercise classes do complicated choreography. You need to pay attention, Zumba uses four or five steps in one given song and you keep repeating. Sometimes, people even forget they're in a fitness class. Making fitness easy and accessible is a key to encouraging people to participate. At Poverello’s Live Well Center, which is one of our most important programs, we try to make fitness fun. The Live Well Center has all of the necessary exercise equipment that someone might need to get a good work out in a relaxed and supportive environment. The Live Well Center has at its heart the

This content was paid for by Poverello.

Drug use is “seven times” higher among the LGBT community. We treat the chemical dependency and the underlying mental health issue of drugs and alcohol. Detox I Residential l OutpatientPM

desire to assist the HIV community in its effort to enact lifestyle changes in combination with proper diet to reduce the risk of disease progression and other health problems. It has been documented in multiple studies that regular physical activity results in significantly less cardio-vascular and musculoskeletal problems among those who exercise than in those who do not work out regularly. In addition, studies have indicated that HIV disease progression is slowed and that patients enjoy a significantly better quality of life. Next year we plan to have our second annual Zumba Dance Party. It’s exciting to make fitness a key component of what we do; both as a service provided to our clients and as a fundraising activity. Even if you didn’t make it to the event you can still make a donation at www.poverello.org. And remember August 15th is our 25th annual Bowling to Fight Hunger charity event. We hope to see you there!

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soflagaynews //

SouthFloridaGayNews // SFGN.com // 2.18.2015 //

outeats

Special Advertising Section

Humpys Pizza Celebrates 8th Anniversary Natalya Jones

Humpys Pizza, a New York Style pizza joint in the Shoppes of Wilton Manors, will be celebrating their 8th anniversary on Wednesday, February 18th. The inception of the establishment was started mainly by a craving. “We walked out of the Alibi after having drinks with friends and craving a slice of pizza,” explained Steve DeJong, owner. “At that time, there were no pizza places nearby that were open late. We thought it would be great to open a fun little pizza place in the community that was also gay friendly.” And it is very gay friendly indeed. In fact, Steve and the other owner, Dennis Godfrey, are not only business partners but life partners as well. They met in New York, New York and got married in Cambridge, Massachusetts. The two faced a struggle with their pizza shop in 2008 during an economic recession, only a year after they opened. Steve described it as “very tough for us being a new business.” When asked what he thinks about his restaurant being around for 8 years, Steve replied, “Upon thinking about it, I wish we could make a reality show because even after 8 years there are constant surprises and crazy stuff that happens on a daily basis that in my wildest imagination, I could never make up or could have anticipated.” In regards to what unique dishes Humpys offers that other pizza places don’t, Steve said, “We offer a wide variety of specialty pizzas by the slice as well as traditional cheese and pepperoni slices

// 2.18.2015 // SFGN.com //

soflagaynews //

SouthFloridaGayNews

that most other pizza places that serve by the slice offer. A few of our specialty pizzas include margherita with fresh tomato and basil, wild mushroom with caramelized onion, chicken bacon and ranch, shrimp scampi with garlic and even mac & cheese pizza. Additionally, we offer some healthy pizza options such as chicken & spinach with sundried tomato, veggie and chicken and broccoli on our honey wheat crust.” Humpys Pizza also sells jumbo cupcakes in a variety of flavors available individually or in variety combo packs.

Humpy's Pizza Humpys Pizza is located at 2244 Wilton Drive in Wilton Manors. Call (954) 566-2722 for reservations and for more information, visit humpyspizza.com.

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SouthFloridaGayNews // SFGN.com // 2.18.2015 //

F O R

T H E

J.W. Arnold

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jw@prdconline.com

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

Ailey American Dance Theater returns to South Florida for ﬁve performances, Feb. 19-21, at the Broward Center in Fort Lauderdale. Alvin

The South Florida Symphony Orchestra continues its season with concerts tonight at 7:30 p.m. at the Delray Beach Center for the Arts in Delray Beach and Sunday afternoon at 4 p.m. at the Broward Center in Fort Lauderdale. Maestra Sabrina Maria Alfonso will conduct the program entitled, “Love, Loss, Redemption,” and including works by Mendelssohn and Brahms and featuring virtuoso violinist Chee-Yun performing Jean Sibelius’ violin concerto. Tickets start at $35 at SouthFloridaSymphony.org.

FRI

PAGEANT

2/20

South Florida’s most talented female impersonators will compete tonight at 7 p.m. in the Miss Pride South Florida Pageant at the Aventura Arts and Cultural Center, 3385 NE 188th St. in Aventura. The pageant, presented by “RuPaul’s Drag Race” fan favorite Latrice Royale, will pit performers against each other in creative presentation, swimsuit, evening gown, talent and Q&A categories, with the winner taking home $1500, a crown and lots of goodies. Tickets start at $30.65 at AventuraCenter.org.

SAT

DANCE

2/21 SUN

The Broward Center hosts the nation’s foremost African-American contemporary dance company, Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, Feb. 19 – 22. Headed by inspired artistic director and Miami native Robert Battle, Ailey continues to forge new horizons in physical expression through dance. Each of the programs includes Ailey’s trademark work, “Revelations,” as well as regional premieres of new works. Tickets are $35 - $95. For tickets and show times, go to BrowardCenter.org.

Submitted photo.

// 2.18.2015 // SFGN.com //

NIGHTLIFE

2/22 MON

CONCERT

Tonight is one of the biggest nights in the gay year, the Academy Awards ceremony. From the star-studded walk down the red carpet to the announcement of Best Pictures, watch with your friends at Village Pub, 2283 Wilton Drive in Wilton Manors. Joe Posa will be appearing as Joan Rivers, offering commentary throughout the evening as only the legendary comedienne could. Get your ballots in by 8 p.m. and if you make the right picks, you could win a $100 gift card. Info at VillagePubWM.com.

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2/23 TUE

Called “the world’s ambassador of the keyboard” by “The New Yorker” magazine, Chinese pianist Lang Lang returns for his third appearance tonight at the Kravis Center in West Palm Beach. The 8 p.m. recital will include “The Four Seasons,” a rarity by Tchaikovsky; a famous foursome of scherzos by Chopin, a composer who first inspired the pianist; and the landmark “Italian Concerto” by Bach, a composer Lang Lang added only recently to his huge repertoire. Tickets start at $35 at Kravis.org.

SouthFloridaGayNews

THEATER

2/24

“Motown the Musical,” opening tonight at the Broward Center in Fort Lauderdale and running through March 8, is the true story of Motown Records founder Berry Gordy's journey from featherweight boxer to the heavyweight music mogul who launched the careers of Diana Ross, Michael Jackson, Smokey Robinson and many more. Featuring classic songs such as "My Girl" and "Ain't No Mountain High Enough," this show rocks. Tickets start at $34.75 at BrowardCenter. org.

NINE #1 Billboard singles FIVE million records sold

& Judy Gold

– StandStand-up up in Stage West

March 25, 2015 @ 7:30 & 9:30PM

February 21, 2015 @ 8PM Rockin’ Country Music Concert featuring all the hits… Bye, Bye I’m Alright Stand Beside Me My Give A Damn’s Busted and many more

Visit us online and check out the entire season of exciting shows!

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Miami’s Original

GREEK FEST February 20 – 22 RS FESTIVAL HOU .m. 11a.m. to 11p ay) rd

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“YOU DON’T EAT MEAT... WE MAKE YOU LAMB!”

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(Sunday)

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Adult Admission $7 Children under 12 free! Free lunchtime admission Friday before 2 p.m.

Free Admission to active military personnel and first responders including police, firefighters and emergency service personnel with presentation of proper ID. soflagaynews //

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SouthFloridaGayNews // SFGN.com // 2.18.2015 //

a&e film

paid advertisement T HE S OUTH B EACH B ROADWAY S ERIES P RESENTS T ONY A WARD W INNER

Betty Buckley A C T T THE OLONY HEATRE F EBRUARY 27 & 28

In an award-winning career that has encompassed TV, film, stage and concert work around the globe, Betty Buckley is probably best known as the quintessential musical theatre actress. Dubbed “The Voice of Broadway,” the multitalented artist is one of a precious few who helped change the face of musical theatre acting with her realistic, naturalistic approach to roles that run the gamut from the wife of an early U.S. President (1776), which marked Buckley’s Broadway debut, through a critically acclaimed, Olivier Award-nominated performance as deluded, silent-screen star Norma Desmond (Sunset Boulevard), a part she re-created on Broadway to equal success. Buckley, it should be noted, helped revolutionize the modern musical theatre in story, song and sound. For anyone who has ever heard the Tony-winning actress sing, it is evident she possesses one of the finest, and perhaps the most unique, instruments: a voice of supple steel, capable of piercing the soul with

either its razor-edged belt or ethereal upper register. It is one that spans the dynamic range of vocal colors, a voice that has been stopping the hearts of concert and theatregoers for years. Yet, it is not just the voice that creates the magic, it is Buckley’s consummate acting skills as well as her intelligent approach to material. Like a pointillist painting, all these elements somehow combine to form a masterwork, and one can’t help but become mesmerized by the world of her artistry. Whether she’s breaking your heart with Andrew Lloyd Webber’s “Memory” in her Tony-winning turn as Grizabella the Glamour Cat in “CATS”, bringing down the house with “The Writing on the Wall” in a gender-bending performance in “The Mystery of Edwin Drood” or simultaneously frightening and moving an entire audience as religious fanatic Margaret White in the cult-classic musical “Carrie”, a Betty Buckley performance is one that remains indelibly etched into one’s mind and soul its inception to present day.

Q. Nobody sings like you. How did you develop your own style? Does it just come out of you?

Q. The gay community loves you, we love our big Broadway divas. Do you mind being called a diva?

A. I’ve worked and studied at it, I studied with a great teacher in New York for many years named Joan Lader. Before that I studied with a great man named Paul Gavert. It takes a lot of work. But I think we kind of discovered I had this voice when I was around 11 and I’ve been performing professionally since I was 15.

A. It’s a job description, it’s not who we are. But if they want to think that, that’s fine with me.

Q. Is performing for you just as much fun as it’s ever been? A. Always.

Q. Are you at a place where you can write your own ticket, do whatever you want to do? A. Well, not exactly. It’s not quite that easy. I’m more like a working girl. I think every actress-singer, if you tell the truth about it, it’s keeping yourself ready for when the opportunities strike! You can catch Betty Buckley as part of the South Beach Broadway Series on February 27 & 28 at the Colony Theatre in Miami Beach. You can purchase tickets in person at their box office (1040 Lincoln Road); by phone at (305) 434-7091 or online at ColonyTheatreMiamiBeach.com This content was paid for by Colony Theatre.

// 2.18.2015 // SFGN.com //

soflagaynews //

50 Shades of Grey My Billionaire Boyfriend’s a Sadist

J.W. Arnold After 30 weeks on The New York Times bestseller list, it was inevitable “Fifty Shades of Grey” would wind up on the big screen. It was also not lost on me that the studios ironically chose Valentine’s Day to release the overly hyped film critics dubbed “mommy porn” with an S&M twist. So, my partner and I joined the thousands of pent-up, drunk, straight women—and a few reluctant husbands/boyfriends—who forked out an estimated $90 million over the holiday weekend to see what the buzz was all about. The BDSM (bondage, discipline and sadomasochism) and leather scene has long been a visible segment of the LGBT community. Attend any gay pride to see the fetish on full display as leather daddies lead their boys around on leashes, bare asses poking out of the back of chaps. Others are clad in rubber or wearing dog masks. But, how do the straights explore their kinky fantasies? That’s exactly what “Fifty Shades of Grey” purports to enlighten us. Before delving into the film and movie’s convoluted plot, it is important to understand the story’s origins as a piece of online “Twilight Saga” fan fiction. Yes, the story originally was written as an alternate reality featuring the brooding Edward Cullen and doe-eyed Bella Swan, except he’s not a vampire, just an ordinary billionaire with a thing for whipping his girls. After the story went viral, publishers decided to cash in and, to avoid copyright issues over the “Twilight” material, and directed British author E.L. James to change the names, obviously relying on a Facebook romance novel name generator app. The film opens as naïve student Anastasia Steele (Dakota Johnson) botches a newspaper interview with impatient young billionaire Christian Grey (Jamie Dornan). It doesn’t matter because handsome Christian is instantly smitten with the way frumpy Anastasia bites her lip and the “fun” begins. Christian practically stalks Anastasia before inviting her to his modern Seattle penthouse with an offer she can refuse. He doesn’t do romance and certainly doesn’t date. He doesn’t make love, he just fucks. She learns he’s a “dominant.” This obviously takes a while for her process, until he shows his speechless amour his “playroom,” a fully equipped dungeon that would have many a gay leather man creaming in his jeans. Of course, when he’s not restraining and beating her — all for “her” pleasure, of course — he wining and dining her, wooing her with expensive gifts, taking her on romantic adventures. If he were not an incredibly handsome billionaire with a cut body, but rather a janitor or insurance salesman, she would have

Credit: Universal Pictures

run for the hills. Serial killer? It turns out Christian was introduced to his fetish as the teenaged submissive to an older woman and later he admits he is just plain “fucked up.” No shit. James is not a great author and the dialogue exposes this basic shortcoming. “What’s that,” Anastasia asks in the playroom. “It’s a flogger,” Christian responds, setting the audience of drunk straight women at the Classic Gateway downtown a giggling. The funniest scene in the movie is the protracted negotiation over Anastasia’s slave contract, a “business meeting” in Christian’s conference room. “Genital clamps? Under no circumstance,” she retorts, leading to the funniest line in the movie, “What’s a butt plug?” Under director Sam Taylor-Johnson’s eye, every overly edited and carefully lit sex scene begins the same way: Christian rips off Anastasia’s clothes and then ties her hands before “pleasuring” her. There are lots of tits, but only a rare shot of Dornan’s perfect ass. He does unbutton his pants to reveal some pubs and a momentary glimpse of the top of his shaft, what drunk straight women apparently refer to as “dick cleavage.” OK. The biggest problem with “Fifty Shades of Grey” is it is boring. Only one sex scene elicited anything close to a gasp from the audience. Nearly thirty years ago, “Nine ½ Weeks” sent virginal theatergoers into multiple orgasms in their seats with less lurid and more intense, passionate scenes while introducing the themes of dominance and submission. Innocence lost. Let’s blame it on the Internet. Time will tell if “Fifty Shades” achieves the camp status of “Showgirls,” but I doubt it. It’s made James incredibly wealthy and apparently titillated a generation of sexually frustrated housewives, but I think I’ll just head down to Ramrod when I’m in the mood for a little fetish fun.

“Fifty Shades of Grey” is currently playing at the Classic Gateway Theater, 1820 E. Sunrise Blvd., and theaters across the region. Check local listings for show times.

SouthFloridaGayNews

a&e music

Miami Gay Men’s Chorus Premieres Children’s Musical J.W. Arnold

“The Purim Superhero” a children’s book by Elisabeth Kushner, is the inspiration for a new musical being premiered in South Florida. Credit: Kar-Ben Publishing

The Miami Gay Men’s Chorus will present the world premiere of a new children’s musical on Sunday, March 1 at Temple Israel Greater Miami. “The Purim Superhero,” by composer Eric Lane Barnes and commissioned by the chorus, is based on the book by Elisabeth Kushner, the first Jewish children’s book to feature same-sex parents. According to artistic director Anthony Cabrera, the new musical is the latest initiative in the chorus’s multi-year commitment to promoting LGBT understanding and antibullying programs. “We’re very excited about (the musical) and incredibly pleased with the results of our ongoing efforts to reach out to the community,” he said. Cabrera, who is raising a daughter with his husband, called Kushner’s story an important addition to children’s literature and expects Barnes’ musical adaptation to become a popular new work in the LGBT choral repertoire. Barnes is already a well-known composer who has been commissioned to write works for gay and lesbian choruses across the country. “The Purim Superhero” is the story of Nate, a boy facing a dilemma as he looks forward to Purim festivities. His friends will all be dressing up as superheroes, but Nate really loves aliens and wants to attend as an alien for the Jewish cultural holiday. How will he fit in? With the help of his two dads, he makes a surprising decision. Kushner, a librarian who is raising a family with her wife in Vancouver, British Columbia, said of her book, “The response was actually way more positive than I’d been expecting. I was very gratified that queer families and their kids were happy about it, but was really surprised by the enthusiastic reception from more traditionally-composed families; I’ve seen a lot of messages and comments from

parents who say things like, ‘I want my child to know that there are all kinds of families,’ or ‘My kid’s best friend has two moms, and it’s great for him to see a reflection of the community he lives in’.” For Barnes, who lives nearby in Seattle and is a leader in the city’s LGBT musical community, Kushner’s book was ideal for a musical. “I have a friend here who is a librarian and she sent me a notice that a friend of hers had just done a children’s book…I got a copy and thought it would be perfect,” Barnes recalled. “Nate just happens to have two dads. It’s a very simple, but affecting story.” Purim is a festival based on the Old Testament story of Esther and Barnes composed songs to educate audiences both about the holiday and Nate’s unique family, including “The Whole Megillah,” a song Daddy sings to Nate describing the qualities that make a hero super, and “My Family,” Nate’s musical explanation about his two dads and sister and the ways they interact. Barnes also paid special attention to the book’s themes of peer pressure: “The other children are questioning him in terms of what he wants to be, but he makes the right choice in the end. It’s about understanding we have the right to be who we are.” Kushner is thrilled with Barnes’ work and plans to attend the premiere in Miami. “It’s immensely flattering and exciting to think of something I wrote having another life in performance,” she said. “The book manuscript is my work, but the musical is a separate entity; Eric has his own vision for that, and as such he worked independently. “ Miami Gay Men’s Chorus presents the world premiere of “The Purim Superhero,” by Eric Lane Barnes, based on the book by Elisabeth Kushner, Sunday, March 1 at Temple Israel Greater Miami, 137 NE 19th St. in Miami. For tickets and show times, go to MiamiGayChorus. org. soflagaynews //

SouthFloridaGayNews // SFGN.com // 2.18.2015 //

Datebook

Theater Christiana Lilly

Calendar@SFGN.com

broward county Alice Cooper

Feb. 18 at 8 p.m. at the Hard Rock Live, One Seminole Way in Hollywood. With a career spanning decades, the rocker is known for hits like “School’s Out.” $34 to $54. Visit SeminoleHardRockHollywood.com

Diana Ross

Feb. 19 at 8 p.m. at the Hard Rock Live, One Seminole Way in Hollywood. Ross has enchanted us with her vocals since the ‘70s with “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough.” Tickets $65 to $85. Visit SeminoleHardRockHollywood.com

Lauderdale. The story of Motown begins with boxer Berry Gordy, who decides to turn his life in a new direction and found a musical label, launching the careers of Diana Ross, Michael Jackson, Smokey Robinson, and other musical legends. Tickets $34.75 to $105. Call 954-462-0222 or visit BrowardCenter. org.

* The Doobie Brothers

Feb. 25 from 7:30 to 10 p.m. at the Pompano Beach Amphitheater, in Pompano Beach. The rock band boasts 14 golf albums, seven platinum, and three multiplatinum. Tickets $39 to $79. Visit PompanoBeachArts.org.

* From Broadway to Opera

Feb. 26 at 7:30 p.m. at the Miramar Cultural Center, 2400 Civic Center Place in Miramar. Performed by Teatro Lirico D’Europa, a two-hour concert of Broadway hits, Italian songs, and operatic delights. Tickets $40 to $65. Call 954-602-4500 or visit MiramarCulturalCenter.org.

Octopus

Through March 1 at Empire Stage, 1140 N. Flagler Road in Fort Lauderdale. Island City Stage presents the play of a younger gay couple that tries to keep up with an older, more experienced crowd during a * Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater night that challenges the core of their relationship. Feb. 19 to 22 at the Broward Center for the Performing Contains nudity. Tickets $30. Call 954-519-2533 or Arts, 201 SW Fifth Ave. in Fort Lauderdale. Under visit IslandCityStage.org the direction of South Florida’s own Robert Battle, the New York dance company celebrating African American culture takes over the stage. Tickets $35 to $95. Call 954-462-0222 or visit BrowardCenter.org. Yesterday and Today: The Interactive

palm beach county

* Paul Reiser

Feb. 20 at 8 p.m. at the Coral Springs Center for the Arts, 2855 Coral Springs Drive in Coral Springs. The comedian has done it all, from performing on the stage to writing book snad acting on television. Tickets $43.46. Call 954-344-5990 or visit CoralSpringsCenterfortheArts.com.

* The Fab Faux

Feb. 21 at 8 p.m. at Parker Playhouse, 707 NE Eighth St. in Fort Lauderdale. The mop top Beatles are celebrated by this tribute band. Tickets $42.93 to $95.93. Call 954-462-0222 or visit ParkerPlayhouse. com.

* Paula Poundstone

Feb. 21 at 8 p.m. at the Coral Springs Center for the Arts, 2855 Coral Springs Drive in Coral Springs. Starting as a stand up comedienne, she’s now a regular on NPR, has appeared on SNL, and is an award-winning comic. Tickets $37.10. Call 954-3445990 or visit CoralSpringsCenterfortheArts.com.

* Loss, Loss, Redemption

Feb. 22 at the Broward Center for the Performing Arts, 201 SW Fifth Ave. in Fort Lauderdale. Violinist Chee-Yun joins the South Florida Symphony to perform pieces by Sibelius and Brahms. Tickets $35 to $75. Call 954-462-0222 or visit BrowardCenter.org.

Tony n’ Tina’s Wedding

Through Feb. 22 at the Broward Center for the Performing Arts, 201 SW Fifth Ave. in Fort Lauderdale. The madness of an Italian American wedding comes to the stage in New York’s longest running comedy -- you’re a guest at the fete too, with dinner, cake, and a champagne toast! Tickets $65. Call 954-462-0222 or visit BrowardCenter.org.

Beatles Experience

Feb. 18 at 8 p.m. at the Delray Beach Center for the Arts, 51 N. Swinton Ave. in Delray Beach. Hailing from Chicago, the pianist has been tickling the ivories since he was a child. Tickets $25. Call 561243-7922 or visit DelrayArts.org.

Yesterday and Today: The Interactive Beatles Experience

* Scott Coulter in You’ve Got a Friend: Carole King, Neil Sedaka, and the Music of the Brill Building

Feb. 19 at 5 and 7:30 p.m. at the Kravis Center for the Performing Arts, 701 Okeechobee Blvd. in West Palm Beach. Coulter leads a show of music and storytelling of these great performers. Tickets $28. Call 561-832-7469 or visit Kravis.org.

* Ukulele Orchestra of Great Britain

Feb. 20 to 22 at the Delray Beach Center for the Arts, 51 N. Swinton Ave. in Delray Beach. Inspired by the music of the Hawaiian islands, the orchestra performs hits with some ukulele flavor. Tickets $45. Call 561-243-7922 or visit DelrayArts.org.

* Enemies, A Love Story

Feb. 20 to 22 at the Kravis Center for the Performing Arts, 701 Okeechobee Blvd. in West Palm Beach. It’s New York in 1948 and a Holocaust survivor is struggling to juggle his mistress and his wife, who he thought was dead. Tickets $25 to $125. Call 561-8327469 or visit Kravis.org.

* Maroon 5 with MAGIC! and Rozzi Crane * The Fabulous Fleetwoods Feb. 24 at 7:30 p.m. at the BB&T Center, One Panther Parkway in Sunrise. Maroon 5 has produced hit after hit for the last 10 years and are joined by new band, MAGIC!, known for “Rude.” Tickets $25.25 to $120.75. Call 954-835-7000 or visit TheBBTCenter. com.

* Motown: The Musical

Feb. 21 from 7 to 9 p.m. at Canyon Amphitheater, 8802 Boynton Beach Blvd. in Boynton Beach. Enjoy this tribute band for a show under the stars as they performs classic rock, blues, and original material. Free. Visit Facebook.com/CanyonAmphitheater.

* More of Loesser

Feb. 21 to 22 at the Kravis Center for the Performing Feb. 24 to March 8 at the Broward Center for Arts, 701 Okeechobee Blvd. in West Palm Beach. the Performing Arts, 201 SW Fifth Ave. in Fort

// 2.18.2015 // SFGN.com //

soflagaynews //

Best known for writing “Guys and Dolls,” Loesser perform in honor of Black History Month. Tickets also was the brains behind other Broadway and $40. Call 305-949-6722 or visit ArshtCenter.org. mainstream hits of his time. Tickets $40. Call 561* Rude Mechs 832-7469 or visit Kravis.org. Feb. 20 to March 1 at The Light Box, 404 NW 26th St. in Miami. Games and science come together in this * Lang Lang, Piano Feb. 23 at 8 p.m. at the Kravis Center for the theatrical performance of natural selection. Tickets Performing Arts, 701 Okeechobee Blvd. in West $25. Visit MCDLiveArts.org or MiamiLightProject. Palm Beach. The international pianist plays works com. by Bach, Tchaikovsky, and Chopin. Tickets $35 and * Contra Tiempo: Full. Still. Hungry up. Call 561-832-7469 or visit Kravis.org. Feb. 20 and 21 at the Arsht Center, 1300 Biscayne Blvd. in Miami. A mix of Afro-Cuban beats, salsa, and * Tom Rush Feb. 24 at 7:30 p.m. at the Kravis Center for the newer dance to tell the story about how food impacts Performing Arts, 701 Okeechobee Blvd. in West Palm us as a world. Tickets $25 to $150. Call 305-949-6722 Beach. Rush revived the folk movement in American or visit ArshtCenter.org. music and has influenced artists for decades. Tickets * Peking Acrobats $39. Call 561-832-7469 or visit Kravis.org. Feb. 21 at 8 p.m. at the South Miami-Dade Cultural Arts Center, 10950 SW 211st St. in Cutler Bay. Experience * The Kravis Center Pops Orchestra Feb. 24 at 8 p.m. at the Kravis Center for the the wonders of Chinese acrobatics. Tickets $20 to Performing Arts, 701 Okeechobee Blvd. in West $35. Call 786-573-5300 or visit SMDAC.org. Palm Beach. Conductor Michael Feinstein leads the orchestra. Tickets $27 to $135. Call 561-832-7469 or * The Seven Year Itch Feb. 21 to March 22 at the Miami Theater Center, 9806 visit Kravis.org. NE Second Ave. in Miami Shores. The inspiration for the film, Richard Sherman is at odds after seven * Ramsey Lewis and His Electric Band Feb. 25 at 8 p.m. at the Kravis Center for the years of marriage to his wife when another woman Performing Arts, 701 Okeechobee Blvd. in West catches his eye. Tickets $35. Call 305-751-9550 or visit Palm Beach. Lewis is joined by Philip Bailey of Earth, MTCMiami.org. Wind & Fire. Tickets $25 to $100. Call 561-832-7469 * The Fella Sings Ella or visit Kravis.org. Feb. 21 at 8 p.m. at the Aventura Arts & Cultural Center, 3385 NE 188th St. in Aventura. Scott Coulter, Les Liaisons Dangereuses Through March 1 at the Don & Ann Brown Theatre, nicknamed “the male Ella Fitzgerald,” performs her 201 Clematis St. in West Palm Beach. Set in Paris just music. Tickets $35 and $40. Call 800-745-3000 or before the French Revolution, two ex-lovers trapse visit AventuraCenter.org. throughout the city causing havoc on other people’s lives for their own amusement. Tickets $62. Call 561- * Nikolay Khozyainov Feb. 22 at 5 p.m. at the Aventura Arts & Cultural 514-4042 or visit PalmBeachDramaworks.org. Center, 3385 NE 188th St. in Aventura. At just 21, the young piano genius plays Haydn, Chopin, and Shenandoah Through March 1 at the Delray Square Performing Tchaikovsky. Tickets $30. Call 800-745-3000 or visit Arts, 4809 W. Atlantic Ave. in Delray Beach. A AventuraCenter.org. Virginia farmer struggles to keep his family together and alive during the throes of the Civil War in the Ragtime American answer to “Fiddler on the Roof.” Tickets Through Feb. 22 at the Actors Playhouse at the $37.50. Call 561-880-0319 or visit DelraySquareArts. Miracle Theatre, 280 Miracle Miles in Coral Gables. Set in New York City at the turn of the century, follow com. an African American couple, a white upper class family, and Eastern European immigrants as they all Stars of David Through March 15 at the Kravis Center for the vie for the American Dream. An LGBT theatre night Performing Arts, 701 Okeechobee Blvd. in West Palm is planned for Feb. 5 with a pre-shoe wine reception Beach. A musical performance of Jewish identity of from 6:45 to 7:45 p.m. Tickets $15 to $59. Call 305famous Americans.Tickets $26 to $46. Call 561-832- 444-9293 or visit ActorsPlayhouse.org. 7469 or visit Kravis.org.

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.

Twelve Angry Men

Through Feb. 22 at the South Miami-Dade Cultural Arts Center, 10950 SW 211st St. in Cutler Bay. In the 1950s, 12 men are stuck in the jury room to decide the fate of a teenager, and one juror is stirring things up. Tickets $26. Call 786-573-5300 or visit SMDAC.org.

Choir Boy

Through Feb. 22 at GableStage at the Biltmore Hotel, 1200 Anastasia Ave. in Coral Gables. Young Pharus is given the opportunity to become the new leader of his black prep school’s gospel choir, but it means Jason Mraz ignoring a gay slur, leading to an inner turmoil within Feb. 18 at 8 p.m. at the Arsht Center, 1300 Biscayne the talented singer. Tickets $42 to $45. Call 305-445Blvd. in Miami. His hit song “I’m Yours” won six 1119 or visit GableStage.org. Grammy Awards. Tickets $59 and up. Call 305-9496722 or visit ArshtCenter.org. PAMM Outdoor Music Series Third Thursdays at the Perez Art Museum Miami, 101 * The Bronx Wanderers W. Flagler St. in Miami. Come out for live music from Feb. 19 at 8 p.m. at the Aventura Arts & Cultural DJs and musicians by the bay. Drink specials available. Center, 3385 NE 188th St. in Aventura. The sounds Free with museum admission. Call 305-375-3000 or of the Bronx is brought to life by this trio of singers, visit PAMM.org. melding old favorites with newer hits. Tickets $40 and $45. Call 800-745-3000 or visit AventuraCenter. The Big Show Fridays and Saturdays at 9 p.m. at Just the Funny org. Theater, 3119 Coral Way in Miami. A collection of comedy mixing the likes of improvisation and * Soul2Soul Feb. 20 at 8 p.m. at the Arsht Center, 1300 Biscayne sketches. Tickets $12. Call 305-693-8669 or visit Blvd. in Miami. Dianne Reeves and Phil Perry JustTheFunny.com.

miami-dade county

SouthFloridaGayNews

* Denotes New Listing

30 th Anniversary

Join FoundCare in Celebrating the 30th Anniversary of the Comprehensive AIDS Program of Palm Beach County

L U N C H E O N

TO PURCHASE TICKETS OR TO UNDERWRITE:

FRIDAY, MARCH 6 12 NOON

Online: www.foundcare.org/events

Embassy Suites • 1601 Belvedere Rd • West Palm Beach

KEYNOTE SPEAKER: GREG LOUGANIS 4-time Olympic Champion

GENERAL ADMISSION $50 in advance/$75 at the door

By phone: 561-472-9160 ext. 220 In person: 2330 South Congress Avenue, West Palm Beach

VIP ADMISSION

$100 or table of 10 for $1000 Includes VIP up front seating, Specialty CAP Red Ribbon Lapel Pin and Meet & Greet with Greg Louganis at 11:30 am

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www.foundcare.org or on facebook at www.facebook.com/foundcare

SouthFloridaGayNews // SFGN.com // 2.18.2015 //

Datebook

Community Christiana Lilly Calendar@SFGN.com

broward county “Out in the Dark” Screening

Feb. 19 at 7 p.m. at the Stonewall National Museum & Archives, 1300 E. Sunrise Blvd. in Fort Lauderdale. Nimer is a Palestinian student in the West Bank who falls in love with an Israeli lawyer, Roy, one night in Tel Aviv. Free. Call 954-763-8565 or visit StonewallMuseum.org.

* The Facts of Fast-Food Life: Having it OUR Way at THEIR Expense Feb. 21 from 10 a.m. to noon at the Deerfield Century Village East activities center, 3501 West Drive in Deerfield Beach. FAU Professor Jeffrey Nall leads the discussion. Donation $5 suggested. Call 917-3440798 or visit deerfieldprogressiveforum.org.

* Mykonos: Gods & Goddesses

From Under the Mattress to the Museum Wall

Through March 8 at the Stonewall National Museum - Wilton Manors Gallery, 2157 Wilton Drive in Wilton Manors. “Stroke” and collections from the Leslie-Lohman Museum of Gay and Lesbian Art in New York City. Free. Call 954-7638565 or visit Stonewall-Museum.org.

Renaissance Festival

Through March 16 at Quiet Waters Parks, in Deerfield Beach. Take a trip back in time to the days of gypsies, knights, damsels in distress, jesters, and faeries with a special theme each weekend. Tickets $21. Call 954-776-1642 or visit Ren-Fest.com.

Gender Bender Youth Group

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

Toastmasters

Mondays 7 to 9 p.m. at the Pride Center, 2040 N. Dixie Highway in Wilton Manors. Learn the art of public speaking with positive reinforcement and encouragement from your peers. Call Ted Verdone at 954-566-2074 or email tedverdone@comcast. net.

Feb. 21 from 7 to 10 p.m. at the Richardson Historic Manor House, 1937 Wilton Drive in Wilton Manors. A night of sexy Grecian splendor, benefitting Pride Center and the Island City Foundation. Tickets $50 for 21 to 35-year-olds or $125 general admission. Visit EveningInParadise.org.

Come on GET HAPPY!

* Polynesian Cultural Fest

PFLAG

Feb. 21 and 22 from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. at Jaco Pastorius Park, 4000 N. Dixie Highway in Oakland Park. A weekend of hula dancers, fire and knife dancers, Island music, ukulele exhibition, arts and crafts, Polynesian food, and more activities. Tickets $7. Visit PolynesianCultureAssociation.com.

* Black Gay Pride: Old School Family Reunion Block Party

Feb. 22 from 1 to 5 p.m. at the Pride Center, 2040 N. Dixie Highway in Wilton Manors. Throwback jams, soul dancing, food, and card games in celebration of Black History Month and Black Pride. Free. Call 054775-2310 or email BlackGayPride@gmail.com.

* 2015 Walk Through History: Celebrating Black Lives

Feb. 24 at 6 p.m. at the Broward Performing Arts Center, 201 SW Fifth Ave. in Fort Lauderdale. Civil rights attorney, Benjamin Crump, will speak about black history in Fort Lauderdale and Broward County. Call 954-828-4742 or visit CFTLWalkThroughHistory.org.

* Know Your Rights: Trans Protections in Broward County

Feb. 24 from 7 to 9 p.m. at the Pride Center, 2040 N. Dixie Highway in Wilton Manors. The Pride Center and T-House host a talk discussing shifting LGBT legal rights and how it will impact the transgender community. Free. Call 954-463-9005 or visit PrideCenterFlorida.org.

Black Art

Through Feb. 28 at the Pride Center, 2040 N. Dixie Highway in Wilton Manors. Celebrate Black History Month with an art exhibit, with a special reception on Feb. 12 from 7 to 9 p.m. for Black Gay Pride South Florida Day. Free. Call 954-463-9005 or visit PrideCenterFlorida.org.

Mondays from 7 to 8:30 p.m. at SunServe North, 2312 Wilton Drive in Wilton Manors. It’s hard to keep a smile on your face sometimes, this group works on emotional balance and stability. Call 954764-5150 or visit SunServe.org. 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.

Personal Best: Overcoming Labels to Find the Real Me

Overcome the label of HIV/AIDS with different discussion topics every week, such as body image, disclosure, self esteem and more. Call 954-6301655 or visit S-Men.org.

GayWrites

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.

Mind Over Money

Second Wednesdays 7 to 8:30 p.m. at the Pride Center, 2040 N. Dixie Highway in Wilton Manors. Learn more about money management and breaking free of bankruptcy with Katrina Jones, director and prosperity life coach at the Satari Life Institute. Tickets $20. Call 1-800-590-0056.

palm beach county Truman’s Presidency and World War II at 70

Feb. 18 at 3:30 p.m. at FAU’s Student Union, 777 Glades Road in Boca Raton. David McCullough will lecture on the 70th anniversary of the end of World War II and President Truman’s role in American history. McCullough is the author of “Truman,” “John Adams, “1776” and “The Greater Journey: American in Paris.” Tickets $35. Call 1-800-5649539 or visit FAUevents.

* Taste of Lake Worth

Feb. 20 from 6 to 9 p.m. in downtown Lake Worth. Local restaurants and bars will showcase their delicious bites and sips. Tickets $20 in advance, $25 day of. Visit CompassGLCC.com/ TasteofLakeWorth.html.

* Street Painting Festival

Feb. 21 and 22 in downtown Lake Worth. Watch more than 600 chalk artists turn the streets into living, 3D art. Also, live music, food, and drinks. Free. Visit StreetPaintingFestivalInc.org.

Afterlife: Tombs Ancient Egypt

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Treasures

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

Zumba Fitness

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

Mondays at 6 p.m. at Compass GLCC, 201 N. Dixie Highway in Lake Worth. Get moving with a certificated Zumba instructor for an infusion of exercise and dance moves. Donation of $5 or more. Call 561-324-1626 or visit CompassGLCC.com.

Women4Women Support

Sober Sisters

Wednesdays from 6 to 7:30 p.m. at SunServe, 2312 Wilton Drive in Wilton Manors. An open meeting and discussion group of all topics brought up by participants. Call 954-764-5150 or visit SunServe. org.

SunServe Youth Group

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

GLBX Business Advantage Group

Referral

First and third Wednesdays from 8 t 9 a.m. at the Greater Fort Lauderdale Chamber of Commerce, 512 NE Third Ave. in Fort Lauderdale. Contact Ken Stolar at Kenneth.Stolar@sci-usa.com.

Survivor Support

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

Out of the Closet, Into the Light

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

Voices of Pride

Mondays at 7 p.m. at Compass GLCC, 201 N. Dixie Highway in Lake Worth. Join the Gay Men’s Chorus as they practice every week. Free. Call 561-5339699 or visit CompassGLCC.com

Out of the Closet NA Group

Mondays at 7 p.m. at Lambda North, 18 S. J St. in Lake Worth. A support and discussion group for LGBT recovering addicts. Visit LambdaNorth.net.

First and third Wednesdays from 7 to 8:30 p.m. at the

and

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Positive Connection

Tuesdays at 6:30 p.m. at Compass GLCC, 201 N. Dixie Highway in Lake Worth. Men who are HIV positive are invited to come together for support, education, and advocacy. Closed group. Call 561324-1626 or visit CompassGLCC.com.

miami-dade county * Legacy Couples Fundraiser

Feb. 19 from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. at BB&T South Beach, 1691 Michigan Ave. Suite 100 in Miami Beach. Two legacy couples who have been together for more than 50 years will be honored at the Miami Beach Gay Pride fundraiser, as well as open bar, an art exhibition, and light bites. Suggested donation $20. RSVP to marketing@miamibeachgaypride.com.

#101GayWeddings

Feb. 21 at 3:30 p.m. at The James Royal Palm, 1545 Collins Ave. in Miami Beach. Be a part of 101 samesex couples celebrating their wedding during the South Beach Wine & Food Festival, with a cocktail reception, champagne toast by Moet, and a specially made cake by celebrity chef Duff Goldman. Participate in the social media campaign to be a part of it! Tweet to @ChefArtSmith or visit SOBEFest.com.

* Xu Bing: Writing Between Heaven and Earth

Feb. 21 to 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.

Being Nicer

Feb. 22 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Miami Beach Botanical Gardens, 2000 Convention Center Drive in Miami Beach. Learn about being nicer to yourself, your body, those you love, and the planet with Rigoberto Ng, a nutritional consultant.Tickets $30. Visit UnityCoalition.org.

* Spotlight Mega-Mixer on board the Lady Windridge Yacht

Feb. 25 from 6 to 9 p.m. at the Hard Rock Bayside, 301 Biscayne Blvd. in Miami. Hop aboard the Lady Windridge with more than 200 other business leaders to mingle, network, win prizes, enjoy sips and bites, and music by DJ Vertigo. Tickets $10 members, $20 nonmembers. RSVP to GayBizMiami.com, rsvp@gaybizmiami.com or 305-673-4440.

key west * Tea on the Sea

Feb. 19 from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. at the corner of Greene and Elizabeth Streets. A new twist on the tea dance, get on this floating party with drinks and music from DJ Neil. Tickets $69.95. Call 305-8421988 or visit BourbonStPub.com. * Next Fall Through Feb. 28 at 8 p.m. at Waterfront Playhouse in Key West. Luke, a devout Christian, and Adam, an atheist, must make it work with their families when they experience an accident. Tickets $20 to $50. Call 305-294-5015 or visit WaterfrontPlayhouse. org.

Aqua Idol

Tuesdays from 6:30 to 8 p.m. at Aqua Key West, 711 Duval St. in Key West. Support your local artists and vote for your favorite! Benefits Waterfront Playhouse. Call 305-294-0555 or visit AquaKeyWest.com.

* Denotes New Listing

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SouthFloridaGayNews // SFGN.com // 2.18.2015 //

SFGN Classiﬁed$ To place a Classiﬁed Ad, call Cindy Curtis at 954.530.4970 or visit SFGN.com

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954.530.4970 furniture MATTRESSES & FURNITURE FOR SALE - Mattress Set: King $200, Queen $150, Full $130, Twin $100; 7 Piece Bedroom set: Q/F $549 includes mattress & box. Call Chris at 954-465-6498 www.bedsbestbargain.com

home improvement

cleaning services CLEAN IT RIGHT! The best cleaning for your buck. 1BD $60, 2BD $70, 3BD $80 and up. Excellent rates & references. 10 years in business. Serving Broward, North Miami-Dade & S. Palm Beach. Call Manny 954560-4443

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B & M MOVING AND CLEANING We do moving, cleaning, trash removal. Also available for your needs:Packing, storage,upholstery and carpet cleaning. We do both commercial and residential. We move local and/or long distance. Broward:754-244-2033 Dade: 305-812-3217 pbusigo@yahoo.com 10% off if you mention this ad and storage ﬁrst month free when you sign agreement.

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// 2.18.2015 // SFGN.com //

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

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

Complete in-house service Foreign & domestic including classic cars Same location since 1985 ONLY 4 BLOCKS from FAU main campus

1801 NW 1st Ct Boca Raton, FL 33432

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

Honest, Genuine Auto Maintenance and Repair

HARRY’S ELECTRIC RESIDENTIAL & COMMERCIAL - Additions, renovations, service upgrades, breaker panels,FPL undergrounds, code violations, A/C wiring, ceiling fans, recessed, security & landscaping, lighting, pools, pumps, Jacuzzis, water heaters, FREE PHONE ESTIMATES 954-522-3357 Lic & Ins. www. harryelectrician.com

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INCREDIBLY AWESOME BODYWORK IN WPB In-calls at a private studio 15 minutes west of PBIA. Intuitive, experienced licensed massage therapist offers affordable rates 7 days, early to late. ASK ABOUT WEEKLY SPECIALS!Calls only 561-2548065 for the very best massage experience you can get HANDS DOWN! #MA51008

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electrician

CITY OF WILTON MANORS - FIRE CHIEF / EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT COORDINATOR - Under executive direction, the position performs highly responsible administrative and supervisory work involving the overall management of the City’s ﬁre services contract, in-house ﬁre inspections and plan review, and emergency management operations. For a full position description and application information, visit www.wiltonmanors.com and follow the CAREERS link.

licensed massage

SouthFloridaGayNews

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pets/supplies

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

real estate broward county

CONDO IN IDEAL FT.LAUDERDALE BEACH LOCATION - Just steps to Beach Place.On A1A between Las Olas and Sunrise Blvd.Amazing balcony views of beach and intercoastal.Water taxi stops at the end of side street.2 br(converted to 1 br)2 full baths.Small pet friendly building.Garage parking.24 hour security guard on duty. $399k Call Dr. Bruce Brynes at 954-609-6666 DrBruceFL@ gmail.com

rentals fort lauderdale

BEAUTIFUL, UPDATED 2/1 NEAR WILTON MANORS Everything new in this 2 bedroom apartment near Wilton Manors. New ﬂooring, new hurricane proof windows & door, new AC,new kitchen & bathroom.New laundry facilities. Assigned parking space. Small dogs under 25 lbs.$1300 a month.Contact Tommy Forcella, Wolfe Real Estate Group 954-632-5100.

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piano lessons

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

"FILL THE VACANCY RATES" Sunday - Thursday. Need a last minute room? Take advantage of our $89 dollar rates at the NEW Calypso Inn, Wilton Manors. Not good for reservations. Good for one night only. Valid major credit card required. Phone Wes Leigh at 954.605.3561 to see if there is a vacancy.

Having an outdoor event? Want to protect your guests?

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LOOKING FOR 1 BEDROOM APARTMENT: Single Gay Male, 60+, Looking For One Bedroom Unfurnished Apartment, No Pets... Prefer N. Andrews Gardens or Nearby. Call Doug 954.261.9073 or Email dtrncon@aol.com

spiritual

tax prep HAROLD J BLOTCHER,EA Tax Preparation and Representation for Individuals and Small Business. Help with Same Sex Marriage Issues. Call 781-363-5519 or 561-429-3592 or visit our website at www.haroldjblotchertaxes.com soflagaynews //

SouthFloridaGayNews // SFGN.com // 2.18.2015 //

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