04/12/10 V1I12 by South Florida Gay News

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Ricky Martin’s Unforgettable ‘Coming Out’ Letter

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April 12, 2010 • VOLUME 1 • ISSUE 12

Sun Sta shin e mp ede

Gay Rodeo Rides into Town page 5 INSIDE THIS ISSUE

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SPECIAL REPORT

TRAILBLAZERS 8 Social Activists on Florida’s Gay Agenda for Equality

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Victory for Gays in Philippine Supreme Court

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JoeMyGod: The Florida Boy Comes Home

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Miami Gay & Lesbian Film Festival

April 12 , 2010 • SouthFloridaGayNews.com

Political News

Gay Commish Gets Windy City Gig

April 12 , 2010 • Volume 1 • Issue 12

Bittersweet Bon Voyage for Attorney and Activist Anthony Niedwiecki (L) and Waymon Hudson

By Joey Amato

akland Park Vice Mayor Anthony Niedwiecki and his husband, Waymon Hudson, have announced they will be relocating to Chicago, where Niedwiecki, an attorney, has accepted a high level administrative and faculty position at the John Marshall Law School. Over the past few years, he and Hudson have been an integral part of the gay rights movement in South Florida. “It will provide me and Waymon the opportunity to continue our activism in a big city. Chicago’s LGBT and legal communities will give me great opportunities to help our movement,” Niedwiecki told SFGN.

Niedwiecki will step down from his post at the end of May to spend the summer in Chicago preparing for his new position. “For what I teach, it is one of the best programs in the country,” he states. Niedwiecki will be supervising over 70 faculty members. Fate brought the couple together 8 years ago. They were both in New York City to celebrate Pride when a chance encounter turned into a lifelong dream. “I was living in Philadelphia and I ran in to Waymon by sheer coincidence. We ended up talking until 6 am the following morning.” Later that week, Hudson visited Niedwiecki in Philly and the couple has been together ever since. When Niedwiecki received an offer to become a law professor at Nova Southeastern University in 2003, the couple relocated to Sunny Isles. They later moved to Oakland Park, where they currently reside. “Oakland Park was more laid back and closer to the gayborhood, where we wanted to be,” says Hudson. An incident at the airport in 2007 would change their lives forever. After returning from vacation, Niedwiecki and Hudson were waiting for their luggage at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport, when an anti-gay Bible message came over a loudspeaker.

Outraged, they left the airport. The next day they contacted airport officials, who at first apologized for the inconvenience. Deeming the response unacceptable, they contacted the county commissioner and the media. “Having gone through such an eyeopening experience, and finding that there were really very few resources available to LGBT individuals who needed immediate help in situations like ours, we decided to fight back.This inspired us to form called Fight OUT Loud,” states Hudson. The non-profit has successfully provided immediate resources, support, and assistance for LGBT individuals facing situations of discrimination and hate. Hudson works on this project full-time and will continue to do so in Chicago. “As we become familiar with the city, we will become active with the same type of political and community organizations that we have supported here in Florida, including the Trevor Project and Equality Illinois,” states Hudson. The move comes with many challenges: “We might have to make some adjustments with the cold winters. The job itself is a huge undertaking, but I look forward to the opportunity. We will truly miss our friends,” Niedwiecki stated.

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April 12 , 2010 • SouthFloridaGayNews.com

The Advocate Announces “Forty Under 40”

he Advocate, recently announced its annual “Forty Under 40,” a selection of young activists, artists, and notable gay figures. The 40 accomplished LGBT men and women, all under the age of 40, work daily to ensure the advancement of the LGBT movement. This special issue, featuring California’s anti–Proposition 8 mastermind Chad Griffin on the cover, celebrates the young leaders spearheading the charge for equality, tolerance, and acceptance. The issue features such notable individuals including Alex Nicholson, the executive director of Servicemembers United, who has been aggressively lobbying Capitol Hill for a repeal of “don’t ask, don’t tell”. Also worth noting is Jillian Michaels, star of The Biggest Loser, who has built a fitness empire with workout DVDs, best-selling books, a Web community, and speaking engagements. In addition, famed comedienne Gloria Bigelow is mentioned for her dedication to working with students in New York City as is Jake Shears, lead singer of the Scissor Sisters, who will debut a new album and musical in the near future. For the complete list of celebrated individuals, pick up a copy of the Advocate, available on newsstands now or visit their Web site, Advocate.com. /JA

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April 12 , 2010 • SouthFloridaGayNews.com

Local News

Gay Realtor Dies After Being Hit by Truck on E Las Olas

ouglas Allen De Boer, a gay real estate agent from Fort Lauderdale, was struck by a truck and killed on East Las Olas Boulevard March 31. It was the second vehicular/pedestrian fatality on the popular boulevard in less than a month. De Boer, who was 53, had just gotten a haircut when he tried to cross the Boulevard at Southeast Second Avenue. Hit by a pickup, he died five hours later at Broward General Medical Center, having suffered a “severe head injury,” a punctured lung and multiple broken bones, his partner of 23 years, lawyer

Howard Kurzweil told the Herald. Michael Kornahrens, 26, was turning onto westbound Las Olas in his 2007 GMC truck when he struck De Boer. Kornahrens remained at the scene after the tragic incident, and no charges have been filed against him. Friends and colleagues interviewed by the Miami Herald said De Boer was always professional, impeccably dressed, gracious and even-tempered. “Giving personal interest to each and every customer I serve is the satisfaction received from a job well done,” De Boer said in an

already started to feed the meters when they park, officials say that actual enforcement of the Island City’s payto-park regulations is scheduled to begin on Wednesday, April 14. Bob Mays, the city’s Assistant Finance Director, told a recent meeting of the Belle Isle Homeowners Association on April 5 that the goal is to improve A happy Wilton Manors resident points out the overall parkthe new parking meters on Wilton Drive to a friend ing situation within Wilton Manors’ business district. “We really want to make the transition into paid, on-street parking as smooth as possible for our residents, businesses and visitors,” Mays said. Although official enforcement doesn’t start until Wednesday, warning notices are now being placed on vehicles parked in meBy Cliff Dunn tered spaces along Wilton Drive. Additionally, officials say that parking will esidents and regular visitors to Wilton Manors have undoubtedly taken continue to be free until 6 p.m. Monday note of the glossy black parking meters through Friday at the parking lots in Hagen which have cropped up seemingly over- and Richardson Parks. For further information, Mays suggests night along Wilton Drive and certain interthat individuals contact him or go to the secting side streets. Although some civic minded drivers have city’s Web site at WiltonManors.com.

Time Expires for Free Parking on Wilton Drive

online Coldwell Banker company profile. He served from 2001-2005 on the board of the YES Institute, a Miamibased nonprofit that works Allen De Boer to prevent the suicides of gay youngsters through family and school educational programs. “Doug was completely committed to keeping youth safe,” said YES Executive Director Rachel Sottile, who praised De Boer and Kurzweil for their unwavering support. Kurzweil called his partner “very giving, generous, upbeat, positive and funny in a quiet way. He absolutely loved cooking. He’d

just bought the new Giada De Laurentiis cookbook and we were planning to go to her signing” on April 8 in Fort Lauderdale. “My family loved him more than me,” Kurzweil added. “He was so sweet and selfless.” The couple lived at Las Olas River House, a luxury condo complex two blocks from the accident site. They loved to travel, especially to New Zealand, Kurzweil told Ellie Brecher, the Herald writer who reported about the tragedy. A graduate of Hope College in Holland, Mich., De Boer spent 17 years at Coldwell Banker’s Coral Gables office before relocating to Fort Lauderdale four years ago. Nancy Hogan, managing broker at the Gables office, said De Boer would “extend a hand to help anyone. He was polite, a true gentleman. …If he felt he couldn’t help someone for any reason, he’d give [the listing] to someone else without any hesitation.”

Manors Officer Cleared in ‘Manor’ Brouhaha By Cliff Dunn

account of the events, but none were produced for the investigating sergeant, Rick noise disturbance at the Manor on Shawver. The sergeant interviewed both Of2345 Wilton Drive in Wilton Manors, ficers Fiacco and Oliva, whose stories were which led to an investigation into the con- opposite that of Wade and Tanenbaum. The duct of a responding officer, has been con- two officers contended that no one was cluded, and the officer has been exonerated pushed or shoved, and no one threatened. No one came forward and said otherwise. of any wrongdoing. Called upon to make a conclusive deThe February 11 incident unfolded when Officers Marina Oliva and Nick Fiacco re- termination of what transpired amidst the sponded to the popular bar at about 10 pm crowd, noise, and music, armed only with during a stage performance. Witnesses at contradictory statements, Sergeant Shawver the time told the Agenda newspaper that decided that: “Due to both sides having a the female officer, Oliva, had charged the different version of what happened, no instage aggressively, purportedly “bullying dependent witnesses, and no video of the and pushing” her way to the stage in the incident- I am not able to make a positive determination of what actually happened.” crowded nightclub. As a consequence, the allegations against OfThe complainants further alleged that Oliva actually went as far as grabbing the micro- ficer Oliva were found to be “Not Sustained.” Stated Marc Lyons, a criminal defense phone from the performers on stage and attorney who once served as a prosstated “That’s how you turn the f-ing ecutor in the Broward County State music down.” One of the complainAttorney’s Office: “Historically, inants, bar employee Gary Wade, alternal affairs complaints against leged that Oliva used the ‘f’ word law enforcement officials are rarely on more than one occasion, while substantiated because, just as in threatening Roby Tanenbaum, this case, a ‘smoking gun’ is not who was disabled and on crutches readily available to support a claim. at the time. As such, it is understandable for Wade indicated to the authe Sergeant to cite a ‘lack of thorities that there were evidence’ and side with his numerous witnesses who Marc Lyons ‘own’.” could substantiate his

April 12 , 2010 • SouthFloridaGayNews.com

Sunshine Stampede Cowboy Up! Gay Rodeo Rides into Town J.W. Arnold

vice will also make it possible to enjoy all the rodeo and party venues without renting a car, saving guests money. This year, FGRA is also one of only a handful of regional gay rodeo associations offering a rodeo “school.” On Friday, April 16, aspiring cowboys and cowgirls can receive instruction in four events—goat dressing, steer decorating, chute dogging and a speed clinic—from two of the most successful competitors in the International Gay Rodeo Association (IGRA) circuit, Chuck Browning of Casper, Wyo. and Brian Helander of Santa Fe, N.M. One issue that always comes up at any rodeo, according to Mitchell, is animal safety. He points out that IGRA has the strictest animal safety guidelines. “IGRA has the most stringent regulations for animal safety,” he says, “with a separate committee that monitors all member associations throughout the association. We take care of the animals. That’s for sure.”

et out your Wranglers and boots because the rodeo is coming to town. The action will be at Bergeron Rodeo Grounds in Davie, April 16-18, when the Florida Gay Rodeo Association (FGRA) presents its annual Sunshine Stampede. According to Rodeo Director Jim Mitchell, more than 100 cowboys and cowgirls from 40 states, three Canadian provinces, and 4 countries are expected to compete in FGRA’s fifth annual rodeo. Nearly 5000 spectators are also expected for three days of competition and Country-Western themed parties. “We’re expecting a great turnout,” says Mitchell, a veteran director of all five rodeos. “Our host hotels are already 90 percent sold out. It’s going to be a great rodeo.” Mitchell emphasizes that rodeo—and gay rodeo, in particular—is not as familiar or popular in South Florida as in western states. “In other cities out west, they’re used to seeing rodeo, but Lauderdale guys (and gals) aren’t used to seeing it. We’re giving them the chance to see everything from roping and bull riding to speed races, riding and pole bending.” Mitchell points out, gay rodeos also offer spectators “specialty” events, such as the Wild Drag Race and goat dressing. The Wild Drag Race involves teams of three—a cowboy, cowgirl and third person dressed in drag—who must get the competitor dressed in drag, mounted on a steer and then coax or drag the steer across a finish line. “The camp events are definitely among the most popular and they’re a lot harder than they look,” he emphasizes. While participation is set to break previous records, the recession has taken a toll on FGRA and the Sunshine Stampede. In

Florida Gay Rodeo Association Sunshine Stampede Friday, April 16 – Sunday, April 18 Bergeron Rodeo Grounds, Davie For complete schedule and ticketing information, go to FGRA.org.

addition to arranging venues, vendors, volunteers and livestock for the rodeo, Mitchell and his 15-member committee must also work with sponsors who largely fund the $85,000 operating budget. “The economy has definitely hurt our revenue and we’ve had to tighten our belts,” he says. “Sponsorships have been tough, but everyone has been willing to help as much as they can.” He singles out the Stampede’s two primary

sponsors, Scandals Saloon and Coors Light/ Gold Coast Beverage, for vital support. “We’re trying something new this year. Scandals is putting in a giant tent, called the VIP Ranch, and $20 gets you admission all weekend with happy hour prices. There will be buffets and lots of fun,” Mitchell says. “We also figured we’d save them the hour of travel (between the host hotel and Wilton Manors) with free shuttles.” For out-of-town guests, the shuttle ser-

April 12 , 2010 • SouthFloridaGayNews.com

TRAILBLAZERS 8 SPECIAL REPORT

SOCIAL ACTIVISTS ON FLORIDA’S GAY AGENDA FOR EQUALITY IN 2010

By Jarrett Terrill

f you spend any time on Facebook or Twitter, you’ve probably realized that there are many organizations and individuals in South Florida who care deeply about the fight for Equality in the Sunshine State. It can be a daunting task to coordinate your activism between groups and get all your ducks in a row, so to speak. It can seem, at times, like there are too many stars and not enough sky. That is to say there is a sort of tug-of-war going on between different activists and the causes they represent because we all have different opinions as to what the rhetorical ‘gay agenda’ should be. In an effort to give a sense of identity to the LGBT Equality movement, I’ve interviewed 8 of my fellow activists on how to best go about this process in the upcoming election season. “What issues should be at the core of our agenda?” “Which issue would you prefer that we tackle first?” “How do we unify our movement for maximum impact?” and “Is it even important that we be unified at all?” These are the questions I had for them and I was overwhelmed with the passionate responses I received:

Nadine Smith Executive Director Equality Florida On the Issues: Nadine Smith, although the Executive Director of the largest LGBT rights organization in Florida, often takes second stage to the wide range of donors, politicians and fellow activists involved. Her calm, confident demeanor suggests that she’s on top of her game. Smith lists repealing the ban on gay adoptions as a top priority. Second to

that, she lists the Florida Competitive Workforce Act as something that needs to be passed. But she goes on to say this about the two Amendments sponsored by Fair Districts Florida: “In 2010, the most urgent issue for our community, the real political game changer is Fair Districts. We are winning the public education war: most people believe in our agenda for equality but it doesn’t translate into action in Tallahassee because the balance of power in our capitol is decided before the first vote is cast.” “Lawmakers essentially rig the election by choosing who is in their district even if getting their perfect demographic mix requires irrational, bizarrely drawn district boundaries. We have to get behind Fair Districts Florida to bring balance to Tallahassee. If we do that we will see doors to progress fly open.” On Reaching a Consensus: Smith worries that the one of the threats to having a unified and effective movement for equality is the lack of respect and confidence amongst newbies for larger, more established and experienced operations. She points out that Equality Florida, as an example, has 13 years of experience in lobbying Tallahassee, which she says can sometimes be a hostile territory that is difficult to navigate.

tions et cetera.” Smith says “As long as groups carve out their unique role and avoid undermining strategies, duplicating efforts and squandering resources,” we’ll be ok.

Mike Verdugo Law Enforcement Hollywood Police Dept. On the Issues: “Mikey V.” as he likes to be called, has become rather “Facebook famous” for standing up for his rights and being, shall we say… photogenic, always helps a good cause too. Verdugo thinks that repealing Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell should be at the top of our agenda. He says “That’s the issue that really kills me. It prohibits people from being gay in the armed forces. This needs to be changed now. How idiotic is it that a man or woman can die for our country but that same country they are defending will not accept them and will kick them out if it is learned that they are gay?” The issue is personal to Verdugo, he says, because “law enforcement is a para-military organization, I feel that this has affected me and my career with the City of Hollywood.” On Reaching a Consensus: Although Verdugo realizes that there is a lot to be said for having as many people out in the world speaking up for equality as possible, he also adds, “It would be great if we can all come together and unite in a fight for a common goal. In numbers we have power and in power we have change.”

Jowharah Sanders CEO / Chairman NVEE (National Voices for Equality, Education & Enlightenment) On the Issues: You can spot Sanders in the highest and lowest places in our community – whether it’s a swanky fundraiser in a nice restaurant or out videotaping riled-up activists on a street corner. Sanders definitely believes that the top issue right now should be the bullying and hate crimes perpetrated not just against the LGBT community “but also our community at large”. She says that her opinion might have been different before she was so experienced in dealing with these issues. “I’ve come to realize that the issues and obstacles we face are far deeper than we could have imagined.” She says, “Broward County leads the state in hate crimes. When our youth feel that they need to prepare for combat in their local communities and in their homes, just to feel any sense of safety, it becomes apparent that someone is not listening. I think we should protect our future generations by not just waiting for hate crimes to occur, but rather take a stand against bullying before that seed of anger is even placed.”

TRAILB

“There have always been a number of groups working on issues affecting the LGBT community,” Smith says. “Some are staff, most are not. Some are longstanding operations with a deep talent bench. Some are one-person operations, driven by an individual passionate about a particular issue.” “We’ve formed coalitions with legal groups, student groups, family organizations, and local political organiza-

On Reaching a Consensus: Sanders chooses not to take a definitive stand on whether LGBT persons should unite for a common goal or just be proactive with their own agendas. “When activists gain momentum,” she explains, “larger associations naturally form, and therein lies the power to make major strides.” “However,” she counter-points “there are always going to be people who feel

April 12 , 2010 • SouthFloridaGayNews.com more comfortable expressing themselves on their own […] which brings about a raw form of awareness which organized groups sometimes can’t achieve through their chain of command.”

Rev. Naomi King

Unitarian Minister River of Grass, Plantation, FL On the Issues: Reverend King has made it clear that she “stands on the side of love” in virtually all political issues. She thinks we need to deal with the antigay adoption ban first “because it is hurting two groups of people [at once] – kids who need parents that would like to love and raise them and parents who would like to love and raise [those kids].” On Reaching a Consensus: King lays it down like this for us: “I haven’t found that you can tell any assembly of people not to form as many groups as they like. It’s important that we can come together and work in coalition, but that’s true for all kinds of community efforts. We don’t have to agree on everything with our neighbors, but we aren’t going to have a safer, happier and more loving world if we don’t work together on a lot of key agreements.”

Ron Mills President Dolphin Democrats Broward County On the Issues: Ron Mills has a reputation for focusing on specific legislative and political issues and keeping people informed. At this time, his issue du jour is the Florida Competitive Workforce Act – an equivalent to ENDA (Employment Non-Discrimination Act).

[only] protects people based on race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, handicap or marital status.” Ron adds that, for people concerned about the adoption ban, like Rev. King above, House Bill 3 has been introduced for the 2010 legislative session by Mary Brandenburg of West Palm Beach. If passed, it would be a full repeal of Florida’s ban on adoption by same sex couples. On Reaching a Consensus: “LGBT groups and activists must unselfishly work together and understand that not one group ‘owns’ any issue or fundraising opportunity.” Mills says, “This can be accomplished by genuinely working together.”

Scott Hall Founder Gay American Heroes On the Issues: Scott Hall is somewhat of a dark horse at any gay pride event or public activism on behalf of LGBT persons. That is to say, he brings a grim message with him that might make some people uncomfortable and understandably so. But it’s a message Hall thinks people need to hear whether they want to or not. He operates Gay American Heroes, an activist network which raises awareness of LGBT persons who have been killed by hate crimes. Obviously raising awareness of hate crimes is Hall’s #1 concern. “We cannot celebrate our pride without honoring our friends and family who have been stolen from us because of hate and those who teach it,” he says. It bothers Hall a great deal that there seems to be a tendency for people to chalk hate crimes up to ‘robberies gone wrong’ or ‘another random act of violence’. He wants people to get behind his traveling exhibit project (entitled “The Rainbow Memorial”) to show people up-close and personal, the lives that have been taken by hate.

on removing hate from our community in order to have a community at all. “It’s the first step” he says, “when an oppressed population lives without equality [they begin to] oppress each other by diluting their power and the density of the group’s voice by breaking into smaller groups [against each other].” He goes on to explain that people feel they have a choice in how they want to contribute, and that’s fine but in reality we are always still one big community.

Zeke Fread Public Relations Stand-Up Florida On the Issues: Zeke Fread, a longtime gay rights activist, has taken on a number of letter-writing campaigns but he is also still comfy riding on a bus to D.C. to hold protest signs in our nation’s capitol. He narrows in on the current legislature in Florida, saying that with things being as they are, “[he doesn’t] see any pro-LGBT benefits, protection or rights legislation being passed on the state level anytime soon.” Specifically, he points to Republicans in the House and Senate as the culprits. He does, however feel optimistic about repealing the gay adoption ban and calls it a “strong possibility”. But he says the way to win it is through the courts, not the legislature because it’s already been declared “unconstitutional” by two circuit courts. He feels that Florida’s Supreme Court might just follow these rulings and “put what’s in the best interests of the children [ahead of] this antiquated law.”

no one organization has the ability to please everyone or fulfill each person’s expectations. [But if we’re willing] to collaborate and support each other, we can move forward toward achieving full equality for each segment of our community.”

Michael Rajner Law Enforcement Hollywood P.D. On the Issues: Michael Rajner operates as sort of a lone ranger for HIV/ AIDS related rights and care. In these post-ACT UP days, politicians who don’t find much reason to dampen their campaigns with the never-ending epidemic often push HIV/AIDS issues to the back burner. Rajner does his best to keep these issues in the foreground. “HIV prevention and education is the most pressing issue for LGBT Floridians,” he says without question. “Just the other week the CDC released alarming numbers regarding the disparity of new HIV and STD-infections among gay men. Despite the research and all evidence to support why our state needs to fix how it approaches sex-education, Florida, with its backward policies, only contributes to the soaring infection rates.” Rajner is concerned with the language of sex education in Florida, which denies visibility to LGBTQ youths and at the same time promotes heterosexual marriage. On Reaching a Consensus: “Even AIDS service organizations,” Rajner says, “have also slipped into the quicksand of apathy and only really engage when the issue impacts the organization and how they are funded. While I feel it is okay for organizations to be scattered and focus on different issues, I do have a problem with organizations claiming to be the one authentic voice on an issue.

BLAZERS According to Mills, the act “would add sexual orientation and gender identity expression to Florida’s existing Civil Rights codes which ban discrimination in employment, housing, and public accommodations. Currently, the law

On Reaching a Consensus: Scott Hall is adamant about focusing

On Reaching a Consensus: “There’s an old saying,” Fread begins, “that you don’t put all your eggs in one basket. So it only makes sense not to leave all of our 1,138 rights, benefits and protections in the hands of just one organization. In a perfect world, we could all agree on the direction of our LGBT rights movement. This not being the case,

“It is critical for organizations to find a way to put personalities aside and learn to always maintain open dialogue.”

April 12 , 2010 â&#x20AC;˘ SouthFloridaGayNews.com

April 12 , 2010 • SouthFloridaGayNews.com

Giving Back after You Are Gone Richard Fasenmyer Foundation Underwrites AIDS Research By Richard Gary

bution of interior wallcoverings, before moving to South Florida, purchasing the Cathode ight years after his death, philan- Ray on East Las Olas Boulevard in Fort Lauthropist and multimillionaire Rich- derdale, and involving himself in numerous ard J. Fasenmyer is still giving back philanthropic endeavors. John Baechle, CEO of RJF International to the community. Just last year, his namesake, the Richard Corporation and a director of the Richard J. J. Fasenmyer Foundation gave $5 million in Fasenmyer Foundation, said the Foundation donations to the Cleveland Clinic Center for was proud to enhance Fasenmyer’s legacy to Clinical Immunology in Ohio, which is be- conduct immunology research. “Dick Fasening used toward expansion of a facility that myer had an extraordinary commitment to focuses on clinical care and research in im- people. In both business and community, he mune deficiency disorders and chronic viral worked to make people’s lives better. This illnesses such as HIV/AIDS and hepatitis C. donation is a continuation of his dream,” acThe gift is a legacy of Richard J. Fasen- cording to Mr. Baechle. The grant helped establish The Richard J. myer, who passed away in December 2002. Fasenmyer was a Cleveland-area industrial- Fasenmyer Center for Clinical Immunology, a ist known not only for his business acumen, center dedicated to the treatment and study but also for his kindness and generosity. He of immune system disorders. It also expands founded RJF International Corporation, a the resources available for the recruitment world leader in the manufacture and distri- and retention of researchers and clinicians for patient care, research and education in immunology. The grant is also funding new research and training of physicians and allied health professionals and will allow for expanded collaboration with other organizations in the area of immunology. The Cleveland Clinic Foundation, located in Cleveland, Ohio, is a notfor-profit multispecialty academic medical center that integrates clinical and hospital care with research and education. The Richard J. Fasenmyer Foundation was established as a mechanism to channel funds where they can make a meaningful impact on the efforts of those already striving to make the world a better place to live and work. The Foundation gives liberally to charitable causes, particularly in health-care, higher educaDick and his dog Bo, in 2000 tion and the arts. Karen Conway

Do you always need an attorney to represent you when you are injured in an automobile or other accident? Even though I have over 30 years experience in representing people who have been injured dure to the negligence of others, the answer is NO. However, in order to make the decision on whether or not you need the services of an attorney, you need to be properly informed of your legal rights. For information which will allow you to make that informed decision, please contact me for a free consultation.

Robert L. Spector Personal Injury Trial Attorney

The hiring of a lawyer is an important decision that should not be based solely upon advertisement. Before you decide, ask the attorney to send you free written information about his or her qualifications and experience.

April 12 , 2010 â&#x20AC;˘ SouthFloridaGayNews.com

April 12 , 2010 • SouthFloridaGayNews.com

Legal News

U.S. Supreme Court Debates Bias Laws By Lisa Keen

Keen News Service

hen Concerned Women of America, the Boy Scouts, and Evangelical Scholars, line up on one side of a legal case, one might naturally assume that gay groups are lined up on the other side. Christian Legal Society v. Martinez is not that case—at least not perfectly. A group called Gays and Lesbians for Individual Liberty has submitted a friend-of-thecourt brief in support of a religious student group’s effort to receive public benefits while refusing full and equal membership to gays. It is the latest in a series of cases brought by conservative religious groups who challenge non-discrimination policies that prohibit discrimination based on sexual orientation. They do so by claiming that the policies interfere with the free exercise of their religious beliefs—beliefs they say require discrimination against gay people. It is also the first of such cases to be dealt with by the conservative-leaning court of Chief Justice John Roberts Jr. And it is a case that revisits a virtual golden oldies hit list of gay-related decisions from the Supreme Court: Hurley v. IrishAmerican Gay, Boy Scouts v. Dale, Gay Lib v. University of Missouri, NEA v. Finley, and Rosenberger v. UVA. In Christian Legal v. Martinez, a Christian law students’ group contests a decision by the University of California’s Hastings College of Law, headed currently by acting chancellor Leo Martinez. The case also includes a gay student group, Outlaw, at the same school as a party to the defense. The Christian Legal Society (CLS) is a national group with chapters at various universities and elsewhere with the aim of helping law students integrate their Christian beliefs with their legal work. According to the group’s petition to the Supreme Court, the group also “promotes justice, religious lib-

erty, and biblical conflict resolution.” The group does not prohibit anyone from attending its meetings, however, it requires that its officers and voting members “affirm their commitment to the group’s core beliefs by signing the national CLS Statement of Faith and pledging to live their lives accordingly,” explained the petition. And it explicitly prohibits from offices and voting anyone who engages in “fornication, adultery, and homosexual conduct.” Like many universities, UC-Hastings College has a policy against discrimination based on a wide variety of reasons, including religion and sexual orientation. When CLS applied for official status at the school, seeking to enjoy the various benefits that status provides, Hastings officials rejected its application, noting that the group appeared to violate both the religion and sexual orientation aspects of the non-discrimination policy. When CLS tried to parse its policy by noting that it allows anyone to attend its meetings—just not vote or take leadership roles— the university parsed its non-discrimination policy saying it applies to enable all students to be members and full participants of any group. Pointing to two historic Supreme Court losses for gays, attorneys for Christian Legal argue the group has a constitutional right to “control their own message and identity.” They say the denial of the group’s status as official campus groups violates its First Amendment constitutional rights to speech, association, and to free exercise of their religion. And this is where the old gay cases come in. The group’s attorneys cite the 1995 Supreme Court decision Hurley v. Irish-American Gay in which the high court said a St. Patrick’s Day parade organizer in Boston could exclude an openly gay contingent. And they cite Boy Scouts v. Dale, a 2000 decision in which the high court said the Boy Scouts had a First Amendment right to

expect its belief that homosexuality is not “morally straight” warrants greater deference than the state of New Jersey’s human rights law prohibiting sexual orientation discrimination. To make its First Amendment speech argument, Christian Legal drags out numerous other cases in which federal appeals courts have ruled that universities could not deny campus recognition to gay groups— cases such as Gay Student Services v. Texas A & M, from the 5th Circuit in 1984, Gay Lib v. University of Missouri, from the 8th Circuit in 1977, and even an obscure case, Gay Students v. University of New Hampshire, from the 1st Circuit in 1976. Not surprisingly, Evangelical Scholars and Evangelicals for Social Action submitted a brief arguing, bluntly, “Evangelical Christian churches and organizations cannot comply with such a nondiscrimination policy.” “Not only [Christian Legal], but all other evangelical organizations which similarly hold the Bible as the inspired Word of God, will find it impossible to comply with a non-

discrimination policy like the one in the case at bar, and thus they will be forced to suffer exclusion from recognized status as a student organization,” says the Evangelical groups. Gays and Lesbians for Individual Liberty (GLIL) agrees. While GLIL is not a well known national gay litigation group, it is a national group that supports the civil rights of gay people and has been in existence since 1991. And while GLIL does not agree with Christian Legal’s views regarding homosexuality, its brief says Christian Legal’s views “are entitled to First Amendment protection, including protection of [Christian Legal’s] right to preserve the integrity of its message by excluding nonadherents.” GLIL’s brief also recalls earlier cases in which universities have tried to ban gay student groups and parades have sought to ban gay contingents. “It is not the role of the government of a free people to cleanse speech and thought of all actual or perceived biases by forcing expressive groups to relinquish control of their messages,” said the GLIL, echoing the Supreme Court’s 1995 decision in Hurley. Gay & Lesbian Advocates & Defenders, which is a well-known gay litigation group, defended the right of the gay contingent in Hurley. And GLAD, along with another well-known gay litigation group –Lambda Legal Defense and Education Fund—filed a friend-of-the-court-brief in support of the UC-Hastings College position. The university, says GLAD and Lambda, is not trying to force Christian Legal to change its views concerning homosexuality or to accept members that disagree with its views. “Hastings is simply conditioning access to modest public funding and other benefits on compliance with a general nondiscrimination policy applicable to all student groups,” writes GLAD and Lambda. “Like every other student group on Hastings’ campus, it too has a choice,” says GLAD and Lambda. “It can adhere to Hastings’ general nondiscrimination policy or forego school funding.” The federal district court in San Francisco and the 9th Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals agreed with that logic and ruled for the university and Outlaw. Christian Legal, with the aid of the right-wing Alliance Defense Fund, has appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court. And in agreeing to hear that appeal, at least four justices had to indicate a willingness to consider their arguments. The case will be argued on April 19.

April 12 , 2010 â&#x20AC;˘ SouthFloridaGayNews.com

April 12 , 2010 • SouthFloridaGayNews.com

60 Year Old California Law Still on the Books Calls Gays ‘Deviant’ Legislator Crafts a Swift Repeal By Staff Reports

n archaic California law that classifies homosexuality as “deviant behavior,” purportedly to further research to facilitate the identification of sex offenders, is one step closer to being repealed thanks to a vote last Tuesday. The law was written in 1950 as a response to public outcry after a series of sex crimes in Los Angeles, which included the

rape and murder of a 6-year-old girl. The murderer, who openly confessed his crime, was not gay. The law classifies homosexuals as “sexual deviants” and required the state Department of Mental Health to conduct research on “deviations conducive to sex crimes against children.” Assemblywoman Bonnie Lowenthal, DLong Beach, who sponsored the bill which would overturn the 1950 law, said “there [is] no legal justification to say that gay

people needed to be understood and cured in the exact same way as sexual predators,” and that to leave it there would be wrong. The vote to move the bill forward was unanimous, with one Democrat and two Republicans abstaining from voting. Those legislators withheld support Tuesday saying they preferred to strip the language about homosexual behavior from the law and leave in the provisions requiring the state to conduct research into the causes of sex crimes. A group called Parents and Friends of Ex-Gays and Gays, also known as PFOX, sent a letter to Lowenthal stating that research into the causes of homosexuality is a legitimate form of science that benefits both ex-gay and gay communities. “Being able to research the cure for those types of emotions is the way we have hope,” said Jeralee Smith, the PFOX California Educational Director, in a phone interview. Mario Guerrero, a director of Equality California, a gay-rights group, says his organization supports child safety and credible research but not research that equates being gay with being a sexual deviant. “This code simply mischaracterizes and institutes bigotry against the gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender community,” Guerrero said.

April 12 , 2010 • SouthFloridaGayNews.com

Lesbian Prof Takes EEOC Seat Feldblum Sworn In Last Wednesday By Lisa Keen

Keen News Service

esbian law professor Chai Feldblum was sworn in today as one of five commissioners on the U.S. Equal Opportunity Commission (EEOC). President Obama nominated Feld blum in September and she was approved along with other EEOC nominees during a Senate committee vote in December. But a Republican senator, who chose not to identify himself or explain his reason, put Feldblum’s nomination, along with others, on an indefinite hold. Senate rules enable any senator to delay a floor vote on any nomination and to do so without identifying himself for several days. But senators have been able to circumvent a rule that requires them to eventually identify themselves by taking turns putting a hold in place. But rules also enable a president to get around such obstacles by putting nominees into office during a Congressional recess. President Obama used such a “recess appointment” procedure on March 27, the day after Congress went on recess. He used the

Chai Feldblum

procedure to put 11 other nominees into office as well. Feldblum had been the target of considerable opposition from right-wing conservative groups, who said she was “radical” and hostile to the rights of religious groups. Feldblum acknowledged during her confirmation hearing that she had signed onto a statement, “Beyond Same-Sex Marriage: A New Strategic Vision for All Our Families & Relationships,” that expresses support for “committed loving households in which there are more than one conjugal partner.” The statement had been developed in 2006 by a group of 20 LGBT activists who met to discuss “marriage and family politics” in

the United States. But Feldblum told the U.S. Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions that she does not support polygamy, was “sorry I signed that document,” and had asked that her name be removed. As of today, however, her name is still listed as a signatory. And though many groups had signaled they would raise opposition to her nomination, none materialized during her confirmation hearing. Instead, Feldblum took the occasion to highlight her credentials in supporting religious organizations. She has been a law professor for 19 years at the Catholic-run Georgetown University, where her Federal Legislation Clinic has represented such clients as Catholic Charities USA. She noted, too, that her father was a rabbi and survivor of the Holocaust. “I do not think it is possible to grow up as the daughter of a Holocaust survivor and not be committed to principles of pluralism and tolerance,” Feldblum said in a statement released today. “My entire professional life has been focused on civil rights and social welfare rights. In my legal work and in my scholarship, I have sought to advance the civil rights of all Americans, no matter their race, creed, gender, sexual orientation

GLSEN, Walker Fight Bullying

One Year after Son’s Suicide By Joey Amato

n the anniversary of 11-year-old Carl Joseph Walker Hoover’s suicide due to bullying, his mother Sirdeaner Walker and the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network (GLSEN) have launched a petition in support of the Safe Schools Improvement Act, a federal antibullying bill. Carl Joseph Walker-Hoover took his life on April 6, 2009, after enduring constant bullying at school, including being called “gay” and a “faggot” despite the fact he did not identify as gay. The petition can be found at Stopstudent-

bullying.org/carl.cfm. “It is difficult to put into words what it feels like to remember that terrible day,” Walker said. “But it is not difficult at all to do something positive in Carl’s memory. That is why I hope you will join me in taking a moment from your busy day to reflect on Carl’s life and his tragic suicide – and to remember that bullying in schools has very serious and life-threatening consequences.” Walker has spent the year since Carl’s death raising awareness of the fact that bullying is a national public health crisis. She has appeared on The Oprah Winfrey Show, The Ellen DeGeneres Show, ABC’s World News and Anderson Cooper 360, among

Joseph Walker-Hoover

others, to tell Carl’s story and call for action against bullying. She also has testified on Capitol Hill in support of the Safe Schools Improvement Act. The Safe Schools Improvement Act, H.R. 2262, would require schools that receive federal education funding to implement a comprehensive, enumerated anti-bullying

or gender identity. I look forward to continuing that important work as a Commissioner of the EEOC.” During her confirmation, Feldblum added that she “strongly” supports religious exemptions provided in Title VII of the Civil Rights Act, as well as in the Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA). ENDA is expected to receive a vote in both houses of Congress this year and, if it does, Feldblum’s position at EEOC will require her to help write the regulations for its implementation. Feldblum has considerable experience in drafting such legislation and regulations. In addition to helping draft ENDA, she helped draft the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), which passé din 1990 and provided landmark protections for people with HIV and other disabilities. Feldblum graduated from Barnard College and Harvard Law School, then clerked for Judge Frank Coffin of the 1st Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals and for Justice Harry Blackmun of the U.S. Supreme Court. The EEOC’s new chairperson, Jacqueline Berrien, was also sworn in today, and a fifth and final EEOC member will be sworn in later this month, bringing the commission to its full, five-member status. The agency has the authority to investigate, resolve, and file lawsuits over violations of federal laws prohibiting discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, pregnancy, national origin, age, disability, and genetic information. policy that also requires schools to report bullying incidents. Nearly two-thirds (65%) of middle and high school students reported being harassed or assaulted during the past year and more than a third (37%) said that bullying, name-calling or harassment is a serious problem at their school. However, students whose schools had a comprehensive, enumerated anti-bullying policy were less likely than other students to report a serious harassment problem at school (33% vs. 44%). “Implementing enumerated anti-bullying policies in our nation’s schools is an important first step in reducing the pervasive problem of bullying,” GLSEN Executive Director Eliza Byard said. “Schools should be safe places for all students, and passing the Safe Schools Improvement Act becomes more crucial with each tragic example of a life lost to bullying.”

April 12 , 2010 • SouthFloridaGayNews.com

International News

IGLTA Goes to Lebanon

Philippine Supreme Court Allows Gay Party in Polls By Oliver Teves (AP) MANILA, Philippines — The Philippine Supreme Court overturned a decision Thursday barring a gay rights group from contesting national elections in May and recognized it as a legitimate political party for the first time. In a unanimous ruling, the 15-member court threw out decisions by the Elections Commission denying accreditation to Ang Ladlad (Out of the Closet) on grounds that it tolerates immorality and offends both Christians and Muslims. The justices said the party had complied with all legal requirements, and that there is no law against homosexuality. “I felt vindicated,” said the group’s leader, Danton Remoto, an English professor at the Jesuit-run Ateneo de Manila University. He said that Ang Ladlad had struggled for recognition and accreditation for the past seven years. The Elections Commission caused outrage among gays and liberals in November by saying the group cannot run as a political party because it “tolerates immorality which offends religious beliefs.” Three of the commissioners cited passages from the

Bible and the Quran to justify their ruling, claiming that Ang Ladlad exposes young people to “an environment that does not conform to the teachings of our faith.” Homosexuals are generally accepted in the Philippines and many prominent Filipinos are openly gay, despite the dominant Roman Catholic religion’s rejection of samesex relations. The group has received support from Leila de Lima, head of the independent Commission on Human Rights, who denounced the November ruling as “retrogressive” and smacking of “discrimination and prejudice.” The group filed a case in January in the Supreme Court, which said that government is neutral and no legal impediment should be imposed on groups on religious grounds. “The denial of Ang Ladlad’s registration on purely moral grounds amounts more to a statement of dislike and disapproval of homosexuals, rather than a tool to further any substantial public interest,” the court said. Ang Ladlad is one of more than 100 parties seeking to win 50 of the 286 seats in House of Representatives allocated for marginalized sectors.

Saddle Up!

Organizes First Ever Visit to Beirut

By Joey Amato

hen people think of international gay travel, they usually think of cities like London, Stockholm and Barcelona. According to a recent New York Times article, Beirut is emerging as a premier LGBT destination. The article called Lebanon’s capital city, “the Provincetown of the Middle East”. Furthermore, Wing magazine, based in the Netherlands dedicated 8 pages in their 2010 edition to the city, calling Beirut “the gay party capital of the Middle East.” The International Gay and Lesbian Travel Association’s Ambassador to Lebanon, Bertho Makso, is now coordinating the first familiarization tour and symposium to Lebanon for travel professionals that work in the gay and lesbian market. “Lebanon is a very liberal country. Once you’re here, you’ll be surprised,” says Makso, who is based in Beirut. “It’s a county rich in

attractions that appeal to LGBT travelers. Beirut is like nowhere else!” Set for Oct. 13-18, 2010, the Beirut-based trip, will not only tour the capital and historic sites, it will also explore the city’s gay nightlife. Highlights include the Roman ruins of Baalbek, the ancient Phoenician city of Byblos, the beaches of Jounieh, and the underground caverns of Jeita. Also on the itinerary: the picturesque village of Deir El Qamar with its red-tiled roofs and the neighboring Beiteddine Palace, an architectural marvel dating to 1788 that now serves as the presidential summer palace. “We’re looking forward to being part of a trip to such a unique destination,” says IGLTA President/CEO John Tanzella. “Lebanon isn’t the first country that springs to mind for LGBT travel, but Beirut is getting a lot of attention from travel media right now. It’s exciting to see an IGLTA member at the forefront of this type of gay outreach.” Visit Iglta.org for more information.

The FGRA 5th Anniversary Sunshine Stampede Rodeo is just around the corner...you don’t want to miss it!

April 16 - 18, 2010

Davie, FL

Tickets, Hotel Information & VIP Ranch Passes Available NOW at www.FGRA.org.

Getting Wired with Thomas Barker

April 12 , 2010 • SouthFloridaGayNews.com

Executive Editor & Publisher of Wire Magazine By Joey Amato

homas Barker has changed the landscape of gay publishing as we know it in South Florida. He is one of Miami’s most influential young professionals and is serving on the executive committee of this year’s Miami Beach Gay Pride. In addition to that task, Barker is the executive editor and co-publisher of Wire Magazine, a company he owns with Rafa Carvajal. A Florida native, Barker grew up in Pace, Florida, a small town near Pensacola. A child of divorced parents, Barker spent a lot of time living between both of their homes. If that wasn’t difficult enough, he grew up in a town which wasn’t and still isn’t exactly gay friendly. “Like most other gay teenagers, I was so eager to get out of that small town and move to a place where I could be open about my sexuality without the worry of being beaten or, even worse, murdered.” Approximately 8 years ago, Barker packed up his belongings and made the journey to Miami to attend Florida International University, where he majored in public relations and international business. “I wanted to stay in Florida for school, and between the sun, sand, and beautiful boys, I just couldn’t think of a better place to live.” A true workaholic, Barker began his first job at 16 as a national youth spokesperson and paid public speaker on youth empowerment programs. Shortly after, he took a position with the New York Times as a corporate trainer. “I really loved to interact with people, and, of course, I love to talk, so both jobs were amazing for me.” After graduating FIU, Barker began a career in public relations, working for GolinHarris International, one of Miami’s most respected firms. Five years ago, Barker accepted a posi-

tion at Wire Magazine, the publication he now owns, as a features writer, editor and nightlife columnist. “Eventually my current business partner, Rafa and I decided to purchase the publication and utilize our past business experience to really focus on creating a gay lifestyle publication.” Wire Magazine offers readers a great mix of editorial content focusing on the arts, culture, local personalities, food, and fashion. “We really like to focus on the lifestyle features, as opposed to hard news subjects. Publications like South Florida Gay News are already doing a really great job of covering hard news.” Because the publication refuses to accept personal, massage and escort advertisements, it is able to distribute in more family friendly establishments than bar guides. As far as future plans, Barker is currently in the process of updating the publication’s website. “It should be up and running by the end of this month. It is going to be fabulous!” Barker, a member of the Miami Beach Gay Business Enhancement Committee, was a founding member of the Miami Beach Gay Pride Board of Directors. “I guess because I am a writer, everyone felt I should serve as the secretary. They didn’t realize I write everything in shorthand.” In addition, he serves as the chair of the marketing committee. The inaugural celebration was a huge success and Barker anticipates the same this year. “Pride is really important to me. This is not just a community celebration; it is a personal celebration of me as a gay man and the difficulties I endured in order to be proud of who I am.” When Barker isn’t spending time coordinating events or publishing a magazine, he devotes a lot of time to philanthropy. “There are so many charities that are important to me. I am a big supporter of Equality Florida, Care Resource and Pridelines Youth Services because they do great work with young gay

Thomas Barker

people who have little or no support.” In the past few years, Barker has helped raise hundreds of thousands of dollars for the organizations. After a hectic day of networking with Miami’s social elite, Barker enjoys hosting groups of friends at his home. “I love to cook and host dinner parties for my friends. I am not the best cook in the world, but after a few bottles of wine, my friends get through the meal!”

April 12 , 2010 â&#x20AC;˘ SouthFloridaGayNews.com

April 12 , 2010 • SouthFloridaGayNews.com

Letters, We Got Letters Comment On:

The revolution starts now (3/29):

SFGN Editorial 4/12/2010 Norm Kent Publisher

Your Turn to Step Up to the Plate

his marks the 12th issue of South Florida Gay News.com We hit the ground running and we are now in full stride. We have printed and published over 1,000 articles and 500 pages of news in less than 90 days. Our website has surpassed over 2,500 page views on Mondays, the day we publish, and we are receiving 1,000 plus visitors daily. Our South Florida Gay News.com facebook page has close to 700 fans, and we have nearly a thousand subscribers for our daily e-mail headline blast. Our publication has launched its ‘Read Red’ and ‘Read All Over’ campaign, based on our distribution of over 100 indoor news racks and 50 outdoor ones. When the paper is distributed on Monday mornings, three sets of independent contractors drop off the South Florida Gay News to over 360 locations in the tri county area, from Washington Avenue in South Beach to Worth Avenue in Palm Beach. Beginning last week, we undertook even a more costly initiative, expanding our distribution network to selected CVS pharmacies and 7-11 stores in three counties. As for content, we immediately signed a contract to be an affiliate of the Associated Press, and our reporting includes international LGBT features. We also contracted with Keen News

Service, run by the renowned former editor of the Washington Blade, for national LGBT news reporting. We anchored that by partnering with Q Syndicate, to add breadth and diversity to the paper with features including LGBT comics, crosswords, and horoscopes. Separate from the news content, starting with our very first issue, Mary Damiano and JW Arnold brought in their seasoned writing styles to inaugurate a cosmopolitan entertainment section. Already, ‘SFGN’ Nites has reviewed dozens of plays and performances from the opera to live theater. Joey Amato and A. Sebastian Fortino have also peppered the section with dining and travel reviews. We have even run a special quarterly supplement on HIV, entitled ‘The Spirit,’ testimony to the continuing struggle against AIDS. This newspaper took a leap of faith in this community that you wanted a credible, substantial and informative LGBT publication. We took the path less traveled by. We have focused on our real lives and the tough battles we experience as gay men and women in a straight world. The paper you are holding in your hand right now is free to you, but not to us. If you believe in what we are doing, then help us sustain and continue this publication by sharing your limited advertising dollars with us. We do not ask for philanthropy or charity. After all, as you are reading this paper now, so too are your friends. Making our business better can also help make your business prosper. Historically, marketing studies show that the best way to reach the LGBT consumer is to advertise and support an LGBT publication. Thus, an ad in our paper today can put a dollar in your pocket tomorrow. Help us help you by joining the team of advertisers reaching out to make SFGN the best damn gay and lesbian paper in the United States of America. After last year, there aren’t many of us left!

To the Editor: It’s the law! “The presence in the armed forces of persons who demonstrate a propensity or intent to engage in homosexual acts would create an unacceptable risk to the high standards of morale, good order and discipline, and unit cohesion that are the essence of military capability.” Anti-gay discrimination is thus codified in 10 USC 654. This injustice must end! Reputable studies show sexual orientation is not germane to any aspect of military service.The notion that gays in the military are detrimental to “unit cohesion and morale” is based solely on prejudice and bigotry.Thousands of gays are in uniform today but must lie to serve and defend the country they love. Such concealment is contrary to military integrity.To be a warrior, you must shoot straight, not necessarily be straight. Under “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,” DOD has squandered millions of taxpayer dollars.To meet quotas in the all-volunteer force, under the “moral waivers” program, DOD began recruiting high-school dropouts, convicted felons and illegal drug users while booting-out highly qualified gays. Our enlightened free-world allies are well ahead of the American military.Their openly gay soldiers have successfully fought alongside our troops in Iraq and Afghanistan. Sound off if you are dissatisfied with second-class citizen status. Contact your elected officials in Congress and urge them to support the Military Readiness Enhancement Act and lift the onerous ban on gays in the military. James F. Brodie, Jr. Wilton Manors, Florida Editor’s Note: The writer is a retired senior military officer, ship captain and Naval War College graduate who served in Southeast Asia during the Vietnam War and on the Joint Chiefs of Staff at the Pentagon.

Write to the Editor Please send your letters to: Letters to the Editor, SFGN 2520 N. Dixie Highway, Wilton Manors, FL 33305 OR EMAIL: editor@southfloridagaynews.com

Dear Norm, Allow me to personalize a bit in reference to your comments in your “Analysis” column of March 29, in which you write “.. the battle [for the lesbian and gay community’s civil rights] is going to be taken where it belongs, to the streets, and away from fancy cocktail parties.” I’m a 63 year old gay man who has marched in many Pride parades, taken part in street protests in the 80’s and 90’s targeting homophobic institutions and policies, and volunteered in agencies working with gay and lesbian elderly, and HIV positive patients. That was then— when I was able to do that. Now, due to medical issues I can’t do that exciting, energizing and necessary work any more. So, in addition to sedentary types of volunteering, I do go to cocktail parties (“sans” tuxedo) that raise money for organizations working for our equal rights through legislatures and the courts. My point: let’s think about ALL of the ways that members of the community do work together, in different ways, working towards the time when the LGBT community has rights and obligations equal to all other communities in this nation. Please keep up the good work you’re doing with SFGN. Charlie Isola Ft. Lauderdale Comment On:

South florida gay news: Dear Publisher: We would like to express our thanks and appreciation for the work that you and the staff do to publish the new SFGN.We have lived in South Florida now for 20 years and have read The Express and the Blade for many years.The SFGN is a great improvement over anything we have had in the past. It contains real information, is well written, and speaks to many issues in our community. We see the newspaper as an important product in our community. It not only tells us about the many social events, but also health issues, political points of view, and as a source of information about business such as restaurants and others that we might want to utilize. We hope that you will continue the good work, and wanted to be sure that you know that it is well appreciated. Our most sincere thanks again for giving us all a newspaper that we can be proud to read. Sincerely, Robert P. Richards Walter E. Lawrinson MD

April 12 , 2010 • SouthFloridaGayNews.com

Kevin Fenton, M.D., Ph.D.

CDC Expands HIV Testing Initiative

he Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is announcing this month that we will be expanding our successful HIV testing initiative by $31.5 million, for another three years. The new total program funding will be approximately $142.5 million over the next three years. This will reach more people with life-saving information on whether or not they are infected with the virus. Since the testing initiative began in 2007, more than 1.4 million Americans have been tested for HIV through this program and more than 10,000 people with HIV have been newly diagnosed. The vast majority of these people were linked to care. We know that getting people tested and diagnosed is an important step in reducing new

HIV infections. Testing is the first step in linking HIV-infected people to medical care, ongoing support, and prevention efforts to help them establish and maintain safer behaviors. In fact, studies show that once people learn they are infected with HIV, most take steps to protect their partners. However, far too many people in the U.S. are infected with HIV but unaware of their status. More than 200,000 people—or one out of every five people living with HIV in this country—may be unknowingly transmitting the virus to their partners. Additionally, many people are diagnosed with HIV late in the course of infection, when treatment and

Deb Price

For Rent— Just Not to You

transgender apartment-hunter thought he’d found a perfect place in Baltimore. But when he showed up, the woman raised the rent by $100 over the advertised price, said she would only take cash and was clearly uncomfortable. “She asked me if I was a boy or a girl, and after I explained everything, her tone noticeably changed. I then had a female friend of the same age inquire about that very apartment, and she was given the original price and was told that a check would be an acceptable form of payment.” Sadly, the experience of “Owen S.,” reported to the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force, is all too common. Last year, the Task Force joined forces with the National Center for Transgender Equality to survey 6,456 transgender people. An alarming 11 percent reported having been evicted because of their gender identity and 19 percent said they’d become homeless, the survey found. And while 68 percent of Americans own a home, only 32 percent of transgender Americans have achieved that level of security in their living arrangements. Of course, gay, lesbian and bisexual Americans are also frequently the victims of housing

discrimination. Using testers posing as wouldbe renters or buyers, the Michigan Fair Housing Centers reported in 2007 that 27 percent of same-sex couples were treated differently: “We found differences in rental rates, level of encouragement and application fees that favored the male/female test teams. We also saw behavior bordering on sexual harassment directed toward testers posing as same-sex couples,” the group noted. One Detroit landlord, for example, said, “No drugs, prostitution, homosexuality, onenight stands.” Likewise, the Kaiser Family Foundation reported in 2001 that 34 percent of lesbians, gays or bisexuals said “they or someone they know” had experienced discrimination while trying to rent an apartment or buy a house. Nothing in federal law prohibits refusing to rent or sell to those of us who are gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender. And as Rep. Jerry Nadler, a New York Democrat, recently stressed, “Housing discrimination remains a

prevention efforts cannot be maximized. The first three years of the initiative primarily focused on increasing testing and knowledge of HIV status among African American men and women. These groups bear an extremely disproportionate impact of HIV. The new threeyear effort will reach even more populations at-risk for HIV, including gay and bisexual men of all races, Latinos, and injection drug users. Thirty jurisdictions are eligible to apply for the new funding (an increase from 25 areas in the last cycle of funding), which represent the areas with the most severe HIV epidemics among these populations. The first year of the expanded program will begin in September 2010. CDC is committed to ensuring that more Americans are tested for HIV, and where necessary, linked to appropriate care. This is critical among those vulnerable populations that need it the most—including those who don’t have regular contact with the health care system. CDC has long been the nation’s leader in supporting

testing efforts as a part of HIV prevention. In 2006, we issued new recommendations to make HIV testing routine for all Americans, regardless of one’s risk for the virus. Our goal is to make HIV testing as routine as a blood pressure check. The testing initiative has helped to make those recommendations a reality in many health care settings, where opportunities to screen patients for HIV are often missed. This program represents just one example of the ways that we can help state and local health care providers make testing routine and to identify more people who are infected but unaware of their status—and ultimately reduce the ongoing and unacceptable toll of HIV on this nation. To learn more about HIV and AIDS and find out where you can receive a confidential HIV test, visit hivtest.org, call 800-CDC-INFO, or text your ZIP code to “Know It” (566948).

persistent problem in our country.” Nadler, chairman of the House Judiciary Subcommittee on the Constitution, Civil Rights and Civil Liberties, made that point at a groundbreaking hearing on March 11 devoted in part to looking at anti-LGBT bias in the housing market. “Jim Crow laws and restrictive covenants may no longer be with us, but the discriminatory attitudes and practices they represented remain,” Nadler added. Nadler recently introduced legislation to amend the Fair Housing Act to add sexual ori-

Nadler’s drive for a much-needed upgrade. Eighteen states and Washington, D.C., ban anti-gay housing discrimination, of which 12 and D.C., also prohibit housing bias based on gender identity, according to the Human Rights Campaign. That means that in more than half the nation LGBT Americans have zero protection from severely misguided landlords, real estate agents or homeowners. The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development is preparing to launch a first-ofits-kind national investigation of housing discrimination against LGBT Americans. At hud. gov, the department is collecting suggestions about smart ways to proceed. Task Force Executive Director Rea Carey, who testified at Nadler’s hearing, praises HUD’s determination to document the problem, but emphasizes the pressing need to broaden federal housing protections to include LGBT Americans. “For us, the pursuit of the American dream, including home ownership, is a risky proposition,” she said. Want to put down roots for six months or a lifetime? Want someplace to call “home sweet home”? Housing discrimination shouldn’t be allowed to get in the way. It’s wrong. And it ought to be illegal.

entation and gender identity to the protected categories. Enacted in 1968 to outlaw housing discrimination based on race, color, religion or national original, the measure has gradually been expanded to also cover sex, disability and familial status. House Judiciary Committee Chairman John Conyers, D-Mich., is co-sponsoring

Kevin Fenton, M.D., Ph.D., is the director of CDC’s National Center for HIV/AIDS, Viral Hepatitis, STD, and TB Prevention (NCHHSTP)

Deb Price of The Detroit News writes the first nationally syndicated column on gay issues. To find out more about Deb Price and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate web page at www.creators.com.

April 12 , 2010 • SouthFloridaGayNews.com

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April 12 , 2010 • SouthFloridaGayNews.com

JoeMyGod

The Florida Boy Comes Home By Tony Adams

oe Jervis, the multiple award-winning New York blogger-writer-raconteuractivist behind the wildly popular blog JoeMyGod with monthly readership over a million, has never stopped being a Floridian. He was delighted to accept an invitation from Fort Lauderdale’s Stonewall Library to participate in its annual Gay and Lesbian Literary Festival (GALLA) as a star panelist speaking about the “Art of Blogging.” Because some online personalities turn out to be fakes, the New York City gay bloggers have a rule: no one is real without face-toface verification. I met Joe online through comments we left on our respective blogs and through the subsequent brushfire of dialogue that jumps from blog to private email. Five years ago, at a blogger bash in NYC’s Hell’s Kitchen, my husband and I met Joe in the flesh. He was surprised. “Oh my God! You’re the Farmboyz? I thought for sure you’d turn out to be foofey old queens in caftans with silk fans, in a Park Avenue mansion stuffed with Chinoiserie furniture, stroking a little yappy lapdog.” We apologized for any disappointment. Having read about my Catholic background, he continued. “Oh! Oh! Guess what my Confirmation name is. You’ll never guess. It’s the gayest name ever.” “Aloysius.” Joe was stunned. In fact, that was the one time I ever saw him speechless, and

throughout the several years since then, I have barely gotten a word in edgewise. Over the years, I’ve learned what to expect when I cover a champagne event with Joe. He is especially fond of suddenly raising his voice in the sedate well-heeled crowd of a formal reception or fund-raiser. “So the doctor told me it wouldn’t bleed so much if I just kept my finger out of it.” And five minutes later, if anyone is left within earshot, they are apt to hear him say the following: “So I scrubbed and I scrubbed and I think I got them all, but then there’s the eggs.” I recalled the days when Joe would deliver gorgeous stories about his gay life that sometimes made for daylong laughter and other times for nightlong heartbreak. “In the early years, JMG was all non-fiction short stories about my life, but that sort of petered out when the people I was writing about started to see themselves in my stories. I segued into activism blogging and never dreamed that the blog would take off like it has. “The blog turns seven later this month. On most days I’m posting by 7:30am and usually finish around 6pm, depending on what news is breaking. I spend a lot of time fielding phone calls and emails from activist groups, PR flacks, and the occasional news outlet. The blog actually got its start on Manhunt, where management brusquely informed me that I

was using the service improperly because I wasn’t talking about sex.” Because Joe does not hesitate to use JoeMyGod to expose homophobic and hateful religious leaders or politicians, I wondered about retribution from extremists. “Every few days I’ll get an emailed death threat or hope that I die of AIDS, usually

Joe Jervis

accompanied by a gory Bible quote about eternal damnation. I have a gruesomely vivid stock response about the reproductive parts of the sender’s mother that usually ends it. Last year I was supposedly reported to the FBI by an anti-gay Christian group. Nothing ever came of it, but I’ll admit that there are days when I look both ways before I leave the apartment.” Joe is a Florida boy. “We moved to Orlando when I was 11. I moved to Fort Lauderdale a couple of years after I finished college up at UCF. “I’ve been gone for 15 years, so a lot of my friends from those days have passed away or moved elsewhere. Mostly, I miss those friends. “I have a few traditions when I visit. Breakfast at the Floridian. Lunch at Acapulco Lin-

do. A late afternoon drive along the beach. And at least one or two nights at the Ramrod! “I used to stay at the Marlin Beach Hotel during spring break before I lived down here, but it was rather on the wane by the time I moved here. [Ask him to tell you about swimming in the glass bottom pool unaware of his audience at the bar on the other side of the windows. That was probably the last time Joe was unaware of his audience.] My first years were mostly spent at Tacky’s, Copa, Cathode Ray, Backstreet, Club 21, and some pre-South Beach clubs in Miami like Uncle Charlies and Cheers. “If I could do it all again, I’d probably have started writing sooner, rather than just thinking about it for so many years. I have no regrets about my years in Fort Lauderdale, I wrung every last bit of available fun out the town and left absolutely nothing unadventured. I wouldn’t mind living 1987-89 over again, exactly as I did it the first time. “These days I’m a regular live-alone cat lady.” Joe does not hesitate when asked to name his favorite celebrity interview. “Rachel Maddow would definitely be at the top of that list. We drank through the entire interview and continued for two hours after we were done. She’s a party girl. Gay activists and politicians are always difficult interviews because they’re so anxious to trot out the party line. Not Rachel.” Anyone who has ever gotten into a New York taxi with Joe knows that he always turns to the driver and shouts “Take us to Fort Lauderdale.” Longing for home, he really means it. A thousand miles? And no off-switch on Joe? Ask any of his fiercely loyal friends or readers. Not one of us would decline that trip. If you are one of the last alive who has not been there: http://www.joemygod.blogspot.com

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April 12 , 2010 • SouthFloridaGayNews.com

Health

Hot Nude Yoga A New Gay Phenom By Ryan McLendon (AP) NEW YORK — Some people work out to look good naked. Others skip a step. Inside a heavily curtained fourth-floor dance studio is a male-only class specializing in “Hot Nude Yoga,” a form of sensualized tantric yoga practiced nude. A few classes are coed, but male-only gatherings tend to be more popular and have become a mini-phenomenon in the gay community, with studios in Boston, San Francisco, Los Angeles and Salt Lake City. A studioless group in Chicago practices in the apartment of a nude yoga enthusiast. Fans say the nudity aids in deepening their yoga practice while building a close, and emphatically nonsexual, community. “A lot of people, especially living in New York, don’t get the opportunity to connect with people in an intimate way,” said Aaron Star, who started the naked yoga movement. And while participants do occasionally report a frisson of excitement, Star and the practice’s aficionados make one thing clear: This is about physical fitness. “This is about yoga and appreciating your body,” said John Cottrell, 40, who teaches naked yoga classes in Salt Lake City twice a month. He calls them a safe, nonthreat-

ening space “to help men especially look at themselves in a different way. “It’s just fun. It’s a great workout,” he says. Star began the practice to appeal to a primarily gay male audience and achieved fame in the yoga world with his DVD series “Hot Nude Yoga,” which allows aspiring yogis to practice in the privacy of their homes. Hot, yes—in temperature, for starters. Awkward? That, too. At the small class I attended, an undeniable sexual charge hung in the room, making the exercise at times painfully weird and embarrassing. Many nude yoga classes revolve around partnering positions, a series of postures that put two men within striking distance of the other’s privates. Not all serious yogis think the practice makes sense. “I don’t see the point,” said Mary Dillion, who teaches clothed yoga in Manhattan. “I have a yoga practice that I like and I can be naked in my home. I don’t need to do naked yoga.” And Joshua Stein, editor-at-large for OUT Magazine, who attended a class in 2008, says the quality of the yoga was diminished by the heightened sensuality. “It’s almost as if the yoga is something between an afterthought and an excuse,” said Stein, who is heterosexual. “It gives you this

gray area where you can be intimate physically, but not so aggressively intimate as in a bath house or in a bar.” He describes being asked to do a child’s pose—a kneeling pose with arms stretched forward on the ground—while a partner draped himself on his back. “It’s not something you really need a partner to do,” he said. Star acknowledges that partner work is a popular feature of Hot Nude Yoga that “generates a certain amount of heat” and keeps his client list high. Still, practitioners say they constantly combat the notion that their classes are orgies veiled as exercise. At Nude Yoga NYC in Manhattan, nude yoga is not such a boys club. Instructor Isis Phoenix, 29, said her coed nude yoga studio attracts “a well-rounded population of ages, genders and sexual orientations.” The men usually outnumber women two-to-one, however. Phoenix sees nudity as an extra pull for men, who often need an incentive to practice yoga. Still, she nixed the idea that nudity created a sexual element, but one of comfort. “Men more often fall into a general greater ease with their bodies than women do,” she said. But the trend seems to appeal mostly to gay men. David Flewelling teaches Mudraforce Yoga at a home studio in Montreal, Canada. As at Star and Cottrell’s studios, the majority of attendees at Mudraforce are gay. Flewelling said sex is never part of the experience. Nude yoga, while extremely sen-

sual, is not sexual, he said. “There’s something fantastic about exercising without clothes,” he said. “You’re free of the restrictions that clothes put on and it puts everyone on an even keel.” Even teachers of naked yoga, while railing against the suggestion that the class is tantamount to foreplay, can send mixed signals. When my class ended, I took aside the instructor, Jeffrey Duval, and asked how he got into naked yoga. Duval acknowledged he attended his first class because he thought it was about sex. But his experience surpassed all his expectations. “You’re shedding away your clothes, but you’re also shedding away insecurities and fear,” he said. “I can’t think of a more perfect way to practice.”

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April 12 , 2010 • SouthFloridaGayNews.com

Humor

Q Scopes By Jack Fertig

Roll with the punches, Aries! Brace yourself for rude, surprises, arguments and screw-ups. Mercury is turning retrograde in Taurus while semi-square Uranus in Pisces. Stubborn thinking will slam you against walls you didn’t see coming. Balancing practicality with adaptivity is the big challenge. ARIES (March 20 – April 19): Bad news about money is nearly inevitable these days. Do your best to roll with the punches. Resist the impulse to worry and panic. Take a deep breath, focus, relax and consider what changes are necessary. Meditation will help.

ments. Accept the opportunity to clear up problems that have been simmering. Real love is a huge challenge. This is just a little bumpy. You can handle it.

SAGITTARIUS (November 22 – December 20): Cleaning and organizing your home is TAURUS (April 20 – May 20): necessary and will help prevent You or your friends are likely to more accidents than it is likely to accidentally offend each other with precipitate. But do be careful! Also, some remark. It’s all just a stupid discuss your domestic plans with misunderstanding, but getting to roommates so as not to be at the root of it and clearing it up cross-purposes. could take some work. Be patient and forgiving! CAPRICORN (December 21 – January 19): Slips and falls are likely GEMINI (May 21- June 20): Misin sports. Not a great time for rollcommunications at work, or with erblading or skydiving! Any sort of anyone in authority, can grow from entertainment or playing with pals a simple screw-up to a Kafkaesque can also loosen your tongue. Fonightmare. Unraveling the mess cused thoughtfulness can sharpen will take calmness, patience and your brilliance, but awkward time. Admit to errors promptly to revelations are more likely. nip bigger troubles in the bud. AQUARIUS (January 20 – FebCANCER (June 21- July 22): ruary 18): Domestic accounts can Write down your ideas and be a minefield. Get those affairs in concerns to get all those bees in order. Money loaned to relatives your bonnet to calm down and is probably money you’ll never produce something sweet. It will see again. The stars just promise need lots of editing and revision. a surprise there, probably a rude That’s fine. If solitary scribbling one, but don’t rule anything out. keeps you out of arguments, you’re ahead of the game! PISCES (February 19 – March 19):Your ability to keep secrets is LEO (July 23 – August 22): now non-existent. Treat all gossip Work is a minefield these days. as odd trivia not worth response. In conversation with bosses or Keep your mind and any conversaauthorities of any sort, be ready tion focused on learning somefor corrections and revisions of thing new. Classes and lectures can plans. Sex can release tension, but keep you out of trouble. be very careful. Murphy’s Law is in Jack Fertig, a professional astrologer full force! since 1977, is available for personal VIRGO (August 23 – September and business consultations in person in San Francisco, or online every22): Something you say is likely where. He can be reached at 415to upset your partner – and vice 864-8302, through his Web site at versa. Either or both of you will be www.starjack.com, and by e-mail at shocked to have cause offense. Do QScopes@qsyndicate.com. not get defensive. Apologize, and accept it as a lesson in getting to know each other better. LIBRA (September 23 – October 22): Sexual adventurism could explode in your face. In a bad way. Be very careful now about prophylaxis, not tying ropes too tight and who you’re playing with! And when was the last time you got tested? SCORPIO (October 23 – November 21): Playful efforts with your partner (sexual or otherwise) can precipitate argu-

Solution to Crossword Puzzle on page 42

April 12 , 2010 â&#x20AC;˘ SouthFloridaGayNews.com

Benjamin Bratt

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Closing Night

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April 23rd - May 2nd Details on page 35

Joan Rivers: A Piece of Work

Bear Nation Centerpiece Screening

Is It Just Me

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Hermafrodita

Rita Moreno

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April 12 , 2010 • SouthFloridaGayNews.com

Nightlife by J.W. Arnold

Miami Beach Pride, Gay Rodeo Provide Inspiration for Busy Week Ahead

Dr. for the country-western cruise welcome home party.Yes, hundreds of cowboys and cowgirls left their horses behind for a rodeo on the high seas. DJ Herbie James will be in the booth for Ramrod’s homage to the rough rider on Friday, April 16. Located at 1508 NE 4th Ave., Ramrod has long been a favorite destination for the leather and Levi crowd. J.W. Arnold Scandals Saloon in Wilton Manors, with its VIP Ranch tent, will be the destination t’s going to be an exciting week across after the sun sets on Bergeron Rodeo South Florida as the guys and gals Grounds. Passes are $20 and include buffet, down south celebrate gay pride in dancing and hot cowboys.The tent opens at 8 Miami Beach while cowboys and cowgirls p.m. on Friday, Saturday and Sunday evenings, flock to Fort Lauderdale for country-westbut happy hour drink prices will be in effect ern themed parties in conjunction with the all night long for VIPs. Sunshine Stampede. Smarty Pants, the friendly neighOut and Proud borhood bar tucked ick off Pride away in a strip mall weekend on across from Target, is Friday evening at getting into the rodeo MOVA Lounge, spirit with its annual 1625 Washington Chili Cook-Off on Ave. Beginning at 9 Sunday, April 18. Sign p.m., Give Me a Beat up by 12:30 p.m. and Productions has lined judging starts at 1 up five hot DJs to p.m. Everybody gets build the excitement: a taste following the DJs Zheno, Nancy judging. Smarty Pants Starr, George is located at 2400 E. Figares, Fr8-0 and Oakland Park Blvd. Diaga. Performances For a spicy twist on by Geraldine begin at traditional rodeo, head 10 p.m. and Belvedere to Noche Latina, cocktails are cheap. the weekly Latin party Saturday night’s big Don Phillip at The Manor on event is at Dolce, Wilton Dr., Saturday to party with the va1500 Ocean Dr. DJs Abel and Yinon queros and vaqueras. DJ Larry Larr will be Yafel headline, along with Tamara Walspinning salsa, merengue and Latin house all lace, who will be singing her hit songs,“Raise Up” and “What U Need.” Cover is $10 from 7 night and Erika Norell will take the stage. to 9 p.m., $25 from 9 to 11 p.m. and $35 later. Wrap up the weekend beginning at 9 p.m. Blow Out Those Candles at Click Sundays featuring music by DJs irthdays are always a good excuse for Kidd Madonny and Alyson Calagna a party and there are two big birthand performances by Belaxis Bull and the days this week down in Miami. South Beach legendary Go Go Gods. The party is at promoter Edison Farrow is throwing his Nowhere, 653 Washington Ave. own birthday blow-out on Tuesday, April 13 at his weekly Martini Tuesdays gatherRide ’Em, Cowboy ing.This week, the party is at Club Play/ The Fifth, 1045 5th St. in Miami Beach. f country is your thing, then head to BroEdison pulls out all the stops with a perforward County for these parties: mance by singer Don Phillip and sounds Wednesday evening, the cowboys can be found at Rosie’s Bar and Grill on Wilton by DJ Sky.

Vincent de Paul: Doctor, Actor, Sweetheart By A. Sebastian Fortino

he multi-faceted Vincent de Paul will be back on his beloved South Beach this week to begin shooting a new film. “Walk a Mile in My Pradas” promises to be a hit with gay audiences, and anyone with a love of whimsical films. “A lot of films don’t have much heart, but this one does. It spoke to me and I knew it was right,” de Paul said from South Beach, during Miami Fashion Week. “Bruce Vilanch plays a character who has these magical powers that can turn 1 straight man gay and 1 gay man straight in Beverly Hills. It’s pure magic and set during Christmastime.” The film is written by Rick Karatis. Jason Priestly, Erhys Cooper from Mama Mia, and Tom Archdeacon headline the cast in addition to de Paul and Vilanch. De Paul is no stranger to whimsical films. He got his start in his native Baltimore in John Waters’ “Hairspray.” “I didn’t even know who John Waters and Divine were. I was in an Italian folk dance group in Baltimore and they were looking for kids who could do 1960s dances.” After doing the Mashed Potato for choreographer Ed Love of Alvin Ailey de Paul was booked.The decidedly whimsical way in which he ended up performing would not end there. His modeling career came about when he was on South Beach and was approached to model for Gianni Versace, by Versace himself. Had he not been approached that day by Versace he would have stayed in his initial profession, working with not so lively characters. His family was in the funeral home business back in Baltimore.The dashing de Paul initially embarked on a career in mortuary science at Mt. Sinai Hospital. Despite his jet setting ways, he is a good old-fashioned Italian boy at heart. “I try to get back to Baltimore to see my family quite often, every holiday. I also still work with independent producers following in the Baltimore tradition of John Waters. I believe in the work of small producers. I’d love to find the next Precious,” says de Paul. In addition to having fame, talent, a medical degree and an amazing body, de Paul possesses a genuine personality that can only be

Vincent de Paul

called simpatico.The time spent interviewing de Paul was refreshing, like talking to a Baltimore native over soft shell crabs. His insights into his career never came across as boastful. His modesty was delightful, and implies he knows the “now” is not what makes an actor. It is the ability to befriend his public and focus on craft—not celebrity. Among other projects de Paul has been involved with is—a remake of one of the gayest movies ever made. Here’s a hint, “But you are Blanche! You are in that chair!” He assures our readers Bette Davis will not roll over in her grave. “It was so much fun! The detailing was so meticulous to recreate 1962.” Billy Clift, gay icon and screen legend Montgomery Clift’s nephew,“wrote and directed it. He was amazing to work with, one of the creative types that I love to be around.” He plays Bill Kovax, a detective who has caught Baby Jane’s eye. The film is an official selection of Frameline34, San Francisco’s LGBT film festival, June 17-27. It will be shown at what de Paul describes as the “magnificent, old, Castro Theater.” You can view trailers on imdb.com. Whether he is modeling swimsuits for Keva, supporting the community in an AIDS walk, starring in a film, or merely talking to a now star-struck editor,Vincent de Paul’s career will only continue to grow.Why? Because his personality is as winning as his very talented outward appearance.

April 12 , 2010 • SouthFloridaGayNews.com

Malaysian Muslims buy movie tickets at a cinema in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia a favorite movie— declined to comment (AP Photo/Lai Seng Sin) declined to specuuntil Raja Azmi submits late on whether the film to them. censors approved But Raja Azmi—who her script only spent about 700,000 because it depicts ringgit ($200,000) to bad consequences make the film—said she be shown in the end.” KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia (AP) — for its characters. Raja Azmi submitted a preliminary script hopes to show an uncut Malaysia’s first gay-themed movie could hit She stressed version at film festivals last year to the Home Ministry’s Film cinemas within months, its producer said, the movie was “a Censorship Board, which verbally approved abroad. after government censors eased restricnonfiction tragedy Malaysian censors tions that have stifled the film industry here it after advising her not to shoot scenes of about my friend.” have faced criticism for men kissing or being in bed together. for decades. It is postrimming or banning racy Censors also told her to change the Although the Malay-language movie sible that even a movies. Banned Hollyoriginal title: “Anu Dalam Botol,” or “Penis won’t have explicit sex or even kissing, its sanitized version wood films include Sacha screening would be a huge step forward for in a Bottle.” of “Dalam Botol” Baron Cohen’s “Bruno,” The film’s two leads had trouble “getting freedom of popular media in this Muslimmay not placate loose and comfortable in the first few days,” which the board said majority country that many fear is coming some of Malaysia’s conservative Islamic under the influence of Islamic conservatism. but they adjusted to their roles before film- promoted homosexuality because it focused on a flamboyant gay fashion journalist. religious figures, who have pushed in recent “Dalam Botol,” or “In A Bottle,” centers on ing ended earlier this year, Raja Azmi said. years for yoga to be banned and people to The board recently revamped its rules, “We still shot scenes of skin-to-skin intia man whose relationship with his male partsaying themes such as homosexuality would be caned for drinking alcohol. macy, with them hugging passionately,” she ner crumbles after he undergoes sex change Sodomy—even consensual—is punishsaid. “Without that, we wouldn’t be able to no longer be forbidden. However, the surgery, said Raja Azmi Raja Sulaiman, who guidelines suggest filmmakers should rebuke able by 20 years in prison; prosecutions are show how much the characters really love produced the film and wrote the screenplay behavior that is considered immoral, includ- rare, though the country’s top opposition each other.” based on the experiences of her friend. leader, Anwar Ibrahim, is currently on trial ing gambling, consuming alcohol and being Censors are unlikely to permit such “We are taking a risk,” Raja Azmi, a longfor allegedly sodomizing a male former sexually promiscuous. scenes for Malaysian audiences, who are time movie producer, said in an interview aide in what he calls a fabricated, politically Raja Azmi—who counts the Oscar-winaccustomed to bland, generic comedies this week. “I’m very nervous. We still don’t motivated charge. ning gay-themed “Brokeback Mountain” as know if the censors will allow our movie to and romances. Censorship board officials

Filmmaker: Malaysia’s 1st GayThemed Movie in the Works, Could Hit Cinemas Before Year-End

“Pure theatrical bliss!” nytheatre.com

The hilarious, fast-talking Tupperware Lady extraordinaire, Dixie Longate throws a party you won't forget. Free giveaways, audience participation, real Tupperware for sale, and loads of laughs pack the off-Broadway sensation that's "not your grandmother's Tupperware Party.”

954.462.0222 • www.BrowardCenter.org All programs, artists, dates and times are subject to change. All special offers cannot be combined with other discounts or previous purchases. Certain restrictions apply.

hita Rivera An evening of music with two-time Tony Award winner Chita Rivera performing songs from her legendary Broadway career in her own concert Chita Rivera: My Broadway. Ms. Rivera will be accom Chita Rivera panied by an 11-piece orchestra and will perform selections from her most celebrated musicals, including numbers from West Side Story (“America”), Sweet Charity (“Where Am I Going?” and “Big Spender”), and Chicago (“All That Jazz” and “Nowadays”). April 13 at the Kravis Center for the Performing Arts.Tickets start at $25. www.kravis.org

April 12 , 2010 • SouthFloridaGayNews.com

Even bigger thrills come when young ones from the audience are invited to touch and explore the glowing interactive garden themselves. April 16 at the Carnival Studio Theater.Tickets start at $15. www. arshtcenter.org

oyal Ballet Gala Ballet Etudes Company is rounding off its 2009-2010 season with excerpts from three great ballet classics! The program will feature the Balcony Scene from Romeo and Juliet, Don Quixote Grand Suite, and Act III from The Sleeping Beauty. Don Quixote Grand Suite will be a shortened version of the original threeact ballet. Act III from The Sleeping Beauty depicts the wedding of Aurora to Prince Florimund.This act includes the well-known Fairy Pas de Trois, the dance of “Puss in Boots and the White Cat,” and the Bluebird Pas de Deux which will be performed by Taís Diana and Alysson Rocha. April 17 – 18 at the Miramar Cultural Center/Arts Park.Tickets start at $20. www.browardcenter.org

enopause the Musical Four women at a lingerie sale with nothing in common but a black-lace bra AND memory loss, hot flashes, night sweats, not enough sex, on Jovi too much sex and more! This joyful musical One of the greatest American rock parody set to classic tunes from the 60’s, 70’s bands of all time, Bon Jovi brings their unmisand 80’s such as “Puff, My God I’m Draggin’” takable sound back to South Florida for The to the disco favorite “Stayin’ Awake, Stayin’ Circle Tour.The band is known for classic Awake” will have you cheering and dancing in rock anthems including “Livin’ on a Prayer,” the aisles! It’s definitely not “The Silent Pas“You Give Love a Bad Name,” “Wanted sage” anymore! Dead or Come see what Alive,” “Bad nearly 11 million Medicine,” fans all over the and “It’s My world are laughLife.” Their ing about! April latest hit 13-18 at the single, “We Broward Center Weren’t Born for the Performto Follow” ing Arts.Tickets is off their start at $37.50. latest album, www.browardThe Circle. Bon Jovi center.org Throughout their career, the band have released 11 studio albums, 2 compilation albums and one live he Butterfly Garden album, and have sold over 120 million albums Enter a spellbinding world of Farfalle, worldwide.They have performed more than The Butterfly Garden, as beautiful botani2,600 concerts in over 50 countries for cal images and captivating rainforest sounds more than 34 million fans. April 18 at the engulf you as a simple studio morphs into Bank Atlantic Center.Tickets start at $19.50. a magical playground that responds to the graceful movement of two beautiful dancers. www.bankatlanticcenter.com

A Fairytale Ending

Mark Baker and Watermark Return to Gay Days Weekend By Matt Williams

rlando Gay Days Weekend is the biggest annual multi-day gathering of gays and lesbians in the nation, drawing an estimated 150,000 to Orlando and its theme parks. This year is the 20th anniversary, and it will feature a return appearance by two respected promoters. Legendary Atlanta-based party producer Mark Baker returns with a full slate of Thursday thru Sunday events. And on Saturday night, Baker will team up with local LGBT newspaper Watermark to create the biggest party of the weekend—Stratosphere Party at Universal Studios Orlando. Baker is back to fill the void created by Johnny Chisholm, who was cut off by local theme parks for non-payment of fees last year less than six weeks before the annual gay pilgrimage to Orlando.The result was lawsuits and last-minute venue changes. Party goers were confused, attendance dropped, and many questioned the future of the big spectacle parties that have been a staple of Gay Days Weekend for more than a dozen years. What a difference a year makes. Watermark, the originators of the first big Gay Days Weekend party, is back with the ambitious Stratosphere Party that could attract as many as 6,000 to the Music Plaza at Universal Studios. And Baker will offer an all new host hotel, produce world-class parties at classic venues on Thursday and Sunday night, and host late night parties at a familiar location. His name for the new party line-up: WONDERLAND•Orlando. To understand the ‘back-to-the-future’ significance for Gay Days Weekend, some

history is required. The first Gay Day took place in 1994, attracting a few hundred to Walt Disney World’s Magic Kingdom. Within a few years the event was drawing tens of thousands from around the globe. In 1997, Watermark and California-based promoter Jeffrey Sanker decided to launch nighttime theme park parties. Watermark’s ‘Beach Ball’ was at Typhoon Lagoon, Sanker’s ‘One Mighty Party’ was at the Disney/MGM Studios. Both attracted larger-than-expected crowds the first year and grew exponentially afterward. The theme park parties helped to turn Gay Days Weekend into a premiere gay travel destination. As the weekend grew, Baker introduced the Sunday night Colosseum party at Hard Rock Live, massive late night events at Arabian Nights and the Universal Studios based Stars Party. What was once a 1 day event at Disney World’s Magic Kingdom had transformed into a 4 day-plus multi-faceted event. In 2005 the parties were sold to Pensacola-based Johnny Chisholm, who continued to draw large crowds until last year, when the parties were forced out of their traditional theme park venues amidst allegations by Chisholm’s investors that he had mismanaged funds. Only the Typhoon Lagoon event remained in 2009 That was then. According to Baker, WONDERLAND•Orlando is now. The new event line-up includes classics like Late Night @ Arabian Nights and new parties at the House of Blues, Hard Rock Live, Holiday Inn-Walt Disney World and Universal Studios Orlando. “We all see 2010 and our new WONDERLAND•Orlando party line-up as a continued on page 30

April 12 , 2010 • SouthFloridaGayNews.com

and I really enjoyed the freshness of the fish, which was only accented by the lime. Our first entrée was the Camaron WHERE: Cantina Laredo Poblano Asada, grilled carne asada steak The Village at Gulfstream wrapped around a poblano pepper stuffed 501 Silks Run with shrimp, mushrooms, onions and MonHallandale, FL 33009 terey jack cheese. Both are served with a (954) 457-7662 wonderful chimichurri sauce. The presentation of this dish is extremely unique. I would never have expected to see a stuffed By Joey Amato pepper wrapped in steak, but it made for a great visual. The carne asada was perfectly ne of the first restaurants to cooked and seasoned, as was the pepper. debut at the magnificent Village However, the Monterey jack cheese was a at Gulfstream Park is Cantina little overwhelming in the pepper and drew Laredo. The restaurant is not your tradiaway from the taste of the other ingredients. tional Mexican restaurant when it comes My guest was talked into ordering the to décor. But you are soon reminded that Pescado Del Dia, or fish of the day, which Cantina is truly Mexican. Within minutes on our visit was sea bass. The fish was also of being seated, our host offered us their special Cabo Margarita, a delicious blend of perfectly cooked and served with a light cream sauce. Other Cantina specialty items rocker Sammy Hagar’s Cabo Wabo tequila and Grand Marnier. The drink was smooth include the Fiesta Grill, a combination of and although I am not a begin fan of tequila, shrimp, costillas, quail, carnitas, beef and chicken fajitas and Camarones Escondidos, I did enjoy the beverage and craved a seca grilled chicken breast stuffed with shrimp, ond round. topped with sautéed spinach and chipotleShortly after the first sip, our starters wine sauce. Most entrees at Cantina are arrived. Cantina’s Top Shelf Guacamole is surprisingly prepared table side to all guests. accompanied by a vegetable medley and Mexican yellow rice. The guacamole was traditional and flavorJust when we thought the food couldn’t ful, combining ripe avocado with the right get any better, our host presented their amount of herbs and spices. Alongside the Mexican Apple Pie. Words can’t describe guacamole was the restaurant’s take on ceviche, a wonderful blend of shrimp, scallops how good this dessert was but I will try my and fish marinated in lime juice. Unlike previ- best. A large slice of apple pie is placed on ous ceviche dishes I’ve sampled, the lime was a sizzling platter, accompanied by a brandy not overpowering in this selection. My guest butter sauce and topped with cinnamon ice

Dining Review

cream. To quote Rachel Ray, “yummo”! In addition, we sampled the Flan, a traditional Mexican custard served with caramel sauce. The dessert was light and creamy and the sauce wasn’t too sweet for our taste. Definitely a wonderful dish, but not

as spectacular as the apple pie. Overall, what Cantina lacks in décor, they make up for in flavor and presentation in a big way. The prices are very affordable and the restaurant will definitely become a family favorite in Gulfstream Park.

April 12 , 2010 • SouthFloridaGayNews.com

Mark Baker

Babak Movahedi

By Joey Amato

OVA owner and Miami Beach Gay Pride executive board member Babak Movahedi has sure taken Miami by storm since relocating to South Florida from Washington D.C. An international corporate law attorney by trade, Movahedi was active in the D.C. political circuit but felt the need to leave a greater impact on the community. With an MBA and Juris Doctorate from George Washington University, Movahedi was elected as Advisory Neighborhood Commissioner in 2004 by the citizens of

Halo became widely successful and in 2007, Movahedi decided to retire from practicing law and open a second location in South Beach, where he currently resides. In 2010, Movahedi changed the name and concept of his chic ultra-lounge to MOVA. The new concept is designed to further engage the local LGBT population through philanthropy, community outreach, and now includes many green and sustainable practices. Combining an upscale lounge environment, while providing an outlet for patrons to give back on a regular basis, has proven to be a successful model for Movahedi. Never content with his level of success, Movahedi plans to open 4 additional MOVA locations in the next 5 years. Cities of interest include New York and Boston, but he is still in the due diligence process and no formal plans have been announced. Movahedi does promise that all of his locations will be consistent with the current model of providing great drinks, fantastic service and a relaxed environment. In 2008, Miami Beach Mayor Matti Herrera Bower reached out to Movahedi to become cornerstone of the executive committee of the first ever Miami Beach Gay Pride. Over the next few months Movahedi assembled a strong team of Miami Beach business people who shared a similar vision; to create a Pride festival which would rival those of major cities around the globe. The event, hosted by the glorious Patti the District of Columbia. He has been LaBelle drew 24,000 people and this year, involved in Democratic politics for many Movahedi expects the crowd to top 30,000. years and has served on the Gay and On April 13, Movahedi will host a charity Lesbian Leadership Council and the Nabachelor auction to benefit Miami Beach tional Advisory Board of the Democratic Gay Pride at MOVA. The event will feature National Committee. some of South Beach’s sexiest bachelors. After a successful legal and political On Saturday, Movahedi will be welcoming career, Movahedi saw the opportunity to guests to the 2nd Annual Miami Beach Gay open an upscale gay martini lounge where he could make his straight friends and family Pride. This year, Sharon Gless and activist/ Iraq veteran Lt. Dan Choi, will serve as feel comfortable. Movahedi became partGrand Marshals of the celebration, while ners in a lounge called Halo in 2004. The multi-platinum superstars Estelle, Crystal lounge located in the trendy Logan Circle Waters, Danny Tenaglia and a host of local neighborhood was a pioneer in being the talent will entertain the crowd. areas only smoke-free gay establishment.

continued from page 28

chance to reset the Weekend and get the big events back on track,” said Mark Baker. “We want to make sure Orlando regains its reputation for unique world-class parties.” Watermark publisher Tom Dyer agrees that 2010 is significant, for many reasons. “We want to help reestablish Orlando as the gay place to be during the first week in June,” he said. “But I’m really glad we’re doing this for other reasons. The last couple years have been rough on everybody. Now is the perfect time to let loose with a big, glamorous party. Universal Studios is the perfect big venue.” Baker shared that his biggest challenge in creating WONDERLAND•Orlando is the need to re-imagine beloved events with new technology and fresh new ideas, and to also develop new parties. “Tom and I both felt like there needed to be a new party at a new theme park” Baker said. “Stratosphere Party at Universal will be at the huge Music Plaza, with a roller coaster flying around in the background, and three more awesome attractions open for everyone. We’ve got some surprises in store and we think people will be blown away.” Baker is equally enthusiastic about the new technological spectacle he is planning for Hard Rock Live on Sunday night—Fasscination.“I feel like we’re well on our way to returning Orlando to its glory years,” he said. Both Baker and Dyer hope WONDER LAND•Orlando will set a new standard for Gay Days Weekend events for years to come. Baker expects to see lots of familiar faces at the Mark Baker Events Host Hotel, the Holiday Inn-Walt Disney World at Lake Buena Vista. Friday, Mike Pope and Sean Mac kick things off at the free ‘Welcome to Wonderland’ event at the MBE Host Hotel. Saturday, Atlanta’s Joining Hearts will host the Paradiso Pool Party featuring Roland Belmares. Sunday, David Knapp will spin at the Spunk•Y Pool Party.

For information about WONDERLAND•Orlando weekend, visit MarkBakerEvents.com or GirlsInWonderland.com. For information about Stratosphere Party, visit Watermarkonline.com.

SFGN Profile:

April 12 , 2010 • SouthFloridaGayNews.com

Equality Forum 2010 It’s Always Equality in Philadelphia

For more information please visit the following websites Equalityforum.com Gaycalendar.com Visitphilly.com Visiteastpassyunk.com

A. Sebastian Fortino

of homophobia among athletes. All panels and discussions are free of charge. t should come as no surprise that The big party, on May 2, Sunday the Equality Forum makes its home Out on the Piazza takes place in in Philadelphia. After all, the city has the largest, private urban renewal always been a city of firsts: first colony space in the country. There will be without strictures against religion, first live entertainment from noon-7 lending library, first capital, and first gay and also promises a National Same rights march. Sex Commitment Ceremony. This year a trip to Philadelphia on April 26-May 2 will allow you to educate yourself Three clergy members have been confirmed to highlight Project about the state of our rights, go to some fun parties, and immerse yourself in history. 1138. This is to make the LGBT Remember the bulk of that history focuses community aware of the 1,138 on an end to tyranny, oppression, and state federal benefits we are denied without marriage. churches – something the far right in DC In addition to the Equality Forum, would like the nation to forget. early spring is an excellent time to “We began as PrideFest in 1993. After see America’s “most historic square several incarnations our Director Malcolm Lazin incorporated the group as the Equal- mile,” known as Olde City. “Philadelphia is an often ity Forum in 2003,” says Communications overlooked destination for LGBT Director Chip Alfred. A testament to how travelers. The gay rights revoluclosely related our community is, Alfred tion started with a march on before his move north, wrote with the Independence Hall 4 years before Express. “Equality Forum 2010 marks our Stonewall, not to mention great nightlife,” 18th event.” said Steve McCann of Phillygaycalendar.com, The International Equality Dinner takes the main online destination for all that’s gay place on Saturday, May 1 at the National in Philly. Constitution Center. David Boies and Ted Malcolm Lazin of Equality Forum has also Olson are the recipients of the 15th Annual produced a documentary film, “Gay PioInternational Role Model Award. CNN will neers” which examines in part the 1965 proreceive the 8th Annual International Busitest in front of historic Independence Hall. ness Leadership Award. So, check into a gay friendly hotel and Each year the Equality Forum chooses a when you’re not busy with Equality Forum different focus. This year, they have chosen events make sure to visit such historic Africa, in light of the controversial anti-gay sites as Independence Hall, the Betsy Ross bills proposed in several African nations. Equality Forum touts this year’s event as the House, and Franklin Court. On a side note: skip going into Indepen“best-ever” Global LGBT summit.” dence Hall. The actual Liberty Bell is housed “Overall we have 45 programs, parties in an elegant glass pavilion across Market and social events,” added Alfred. Street. Do go into the Betsy Ross House There are 25 panels, with unique highand decide for yourself whether her story lights such as Obama’s LGBT Appointees is apocrypha or history. Panel. For the first time the Forum will Architecturally the elegant, subtly bahost a National Sports Panel with Gail roque and gay-friendly Christ Church is not Shister the first out female sports writer in the country, highlighting the toxic effects to be missed. This is where the Founding

Philadelphia LGBT youth

Fathers—and not to “forget the ladies,” as Mrs. Adams said to John—Founding Mothers worshiped. This is also where the United States broke with the Church of England to become the Episcopalian Church. Admission is a suggested donation. Pick another afternoon to wander south from Center City, the epicenter of town, to the Italian Market, the nation’s largest outdoor assemblage of everything from pasta to Chinese eggplant. Now…what to do about that cheesesteak? In Philly – as everyone there knows – disagreeing over where to get the best cheesesteak can end friendships. Either begin your walk with a steak from my favorite, Jim’s at 4th and South Streets, or end your tour of the Italian Market on South 9th Street with a steak from Pat’s or Geno’s at the end of the market. The two rivals, across the street from each other, both claim to have invented Philly’s most

unhealthy, luscious sandwich. When you finish up your walk through the Italian Market, make sure to visit 1 of the city’s most dynamic communities. Only a few years ago East Passyunk Avenue was an unvisited relic. However, low rents and plenty of space have brought many new faces to the area. Quaint, LGBT-owned and friendly businesses sit alongside mom-and-pop Italian restaurants. The area is a testimony to how a few dreamers can vitalize and rescue an area from stagnation. Many of the restaurants however are BYOBs, so make sure your hotel points out the nearest state store if you wish to imbibe at the many casual yet upscale eateries along Passyunk. I hope you enjoy your time in Philadelphia. It should come as no surprise to you to learn that I’m a native. Granted, I might be a little biased about Philly but once you visit you’ll be too!

April 12 , 2010 â&#x20AC;˘ SouthFloridaGayNews.com

April 12 , 2010 • SouthFloridaGayNews.com

Howard Zucker Self-Image Photography Portraits by Howard Zucker

A. Sebastian Fortino

o some the phrase “everyone loves to have their picture taken” is the exact antithesis of their feelings. Photographer Howard Zucker hopes that he will be able to change the fear of being photographed into joy, and cause people to have greater self-confidence in the process. Zucker works with therapists to improve the self-image of their patients, therefore his work is an extension of the healing process. His business is called—quite simply —Self-Image Photography and his goal is to move clients forward to “increase selfesteem and boost self-confidence.” “In conjunction with therapy, the photos become more powerful. As massage relieves certain tensions and stress so do the photos,” says Zucker. “It’s exercising another modality.” The people that come to Zucker may suffer from physical ailments or fear the camera due to misgivings about themselves. In either case, these are not “glamour shots” intended as a novelty. This is a serious exploration into identity and image. “People come to me with scars from major accidents, or other physical damage. It’s a very difficult thing for them to do, initially,” Zucker’s clients frequently wait nervously in their cars before entering the studio. “But after the process, it is very much a healing experience for them.” In addition to people struggling with their appearance because of physical damage Zucker knows gay men often grow up learning a lot of negative things about themselves as children. Bullies, religion and parents often condition people to see their reflections in a negative way. Men might even feel negatively about themselves after past relationships go sour and end in angry remarks related to physical appearance. Coming out can also be a traumatic experience, as friends, peers, and

Barry Reinitz

Ted Williams

Arlen Leight Howard Zucker

loved ones could abandon you. Conversely, if you do not “fit in” with other gays you might feel alone and rejected, hating the “man in the mirror.” “Self-Image Photography offers an opportunity to not look in the mirror. This allows you to see yourself objectively, to recognize the beauty inside,” adds Zucker, as the mirror’s reflection can carry extra baggage. Dr. Arlen Leight, PhD, LLC, is one of the therapists who sends patients to Howard to further a better self-image. “We are offering a group for gay men who wish to take the work of self-discovery and growth to a new level using photography as a fresh approach to personal empowerment. Howard is an amazing photographer with years of experience helping men see themselves with fresh eyes through his lens.” Leight’s workshop helps participants change self-perception and body image. Many of the people photographed by Zucker change their minds about plastic surgery. He photographed men at the Gay

Men’s Health Summit last year and plans to do so again for their 2010 conference. For local Larry Whitt, Zucker’s portraits of him saved him from becoming a recluse in his home. Whitt suffers from facial wasting, a symptom of HIV. “I had been hiding in my apartment, leaving only to go to work or to the store. Once I got on disability I rarely left the sofa,” said Whitt. “Then my partner talked me into letting Howard take some photos.” Even though Whitt had undergone treatments for the facial wasting he was still nervous about entering the studio. “I was not sure the camera would be kind to me at all, much less Howard. He was very easy to talk to and handled me with kid gloves.” After the photos were taken Whitt’s selfimage and self-confidence were restored. He soon after joined the Gold Coast Chapter of American Veterans for Equal Rights (AVER) and – to his surprise – was appointed color guard coordinator. Whitt and his partner manned the AVER booth at South Florida Pride this past March, and

their picture ended up on the front cover of our Pride Issue. Clearly he no longer hides from the camera and is an active member of the community as well. Clinical Social Worker Ted Williams, LCSW, has sent 8 clients to Zucker’s studio. He reports nothing but positive results from those he recommended. “Before sending the first client for Howard’s services I experienced the amazing process of Self-Image Photography myself and therefore have first-hand knowledge of what my clients reported. [Howard] is patient and supportive.” Williams also believes that Howard’s services are an invaluable tool, and should be further explored. He cites the photographic therapy potential as “very beneficial for other mental healthcare professionals and their clients to experience this process in order to understand and appreciate the positive potential of Self-Image Photography.” Another client of Zucker’s, Barry Reinitz, who is in his 50s, had not had a photo taken since high school. “I restarted my therapy after relocating to South Florida, and wanted to achieve immediate results so I agreed to the new type of photographic therapy suggested by my therapist. It allowed me to address 2 of my larger issues—low self-image and having my picture taken. Plus it allowed me a new avenue to discuss my issues with my new therapist.” Reinitz went on to say he was amazed at how at ease he felt, and how comfortable the process of getting his picture taken was with Zucker behind the lens. “I would highly recommend it to anyone looking for a novel approach to their therapy.” Zucker hopes—as do Williams and Leight —that this article will draw more therapists and clients to seek out his services. “Ideally what I would like to see are more therapists giving real, psychological input about the effects the photos have on people. The 5 guys in the workshop had amazing transformations about how they view themselves in the world. If it can do just that it’s a wonderful thing.” Howard’s website also highlights 3 videos via youtube.com with testimonials by Gary, Marc and Al, which further emphasizes the importance of Zucker’s work. For more information on Self-Image Photography please visit momentumz.com

April 12 , 2010 • SouthFloridaGayNews.com

‘Just Beautiful Men’ Just One Beautiful Site By Norm Kent

ometimes you get so caught up in politics that you forget a newspaper can be individually expressive as well as politically explosive. And occasionally you come across sites which are deserving of recognition because they make a statement on their own. ‘Just Beautiful Men’ is one such vehicle. A collage of aesthetic portraits of well built men, who have taken the time to take care of themselves, and nurture what they have, their website is compelling.

It contains nudity, warnings, and disclosures, as well as a cross section of blogmates who similarly trespass openly and brazenly on the male physique. Not bad at all. If we are going to be open about our sexuality, why not own up to our sensuality?

It is not always about politics and law. Some- Top: Braeden Baade times it is about our Left: “Harkly Working Boys” own needs, the kinds depth and diversity and not be a harbor for politicians cover up. So ‘Just Beautiful Men’ is to be applauded, only politics as ususal. One of the points activists are maklinking also to agency and modeling sites, photographic studios, forums and discussion ing today is we have spent so much time trying to assimilate into society we are groups. Jump into their links and you can forgetting the importance of being unique spend hours cruising the ‘Net into homoand different about our sub culture. We erotic sexuality, nothing to be ashamed are not heterosexually submissive; we are of for sure, and something to appreciate homosexually assertive. Let’s not lose our even more. Gratuitous shirtless hunks uniqueness. After all, that is what we have everywhere. Politics nowhere. So what? A in common. newspaper such as ours has to promote

April 12 , 2010 • SouthFloridaGayNews.com

Film

Book Review

Miami Gay and Lesbian Film Festival Turns Up the Heat

All Images for this article courtesy of MGLFF

he 12th Annual Miami Gay and Lesbian Film Festival (MGLFF) beginning April 23, will feature over 80 feature and short films from 17 countries with multiple screenings and events taking place at the Regal Cinemas South Beach, Playground Theatre, FIU Biscayne Bay Campus and Tower Theater. The Festival kicks-off with the Opening Night Gala presentation of the dark comedy ‘I KILLED MY MOTHER’ from the 2009 Toronto International Film Festival with a 2009 Sundance favorite, LA MISSION starring Benjamin Bratt, as the Closing Night Gala presentation. Both of the highlighted films will be premiered at the prestigious Gusman Center for the Performing Arts. The eclectic film program includes Centerpiece Screenings of the 2010 Slamdance hit, THE FOUR- FACED LIAR and the new film BEAR NATION, from the director of ‘small town gay bar’, Spotlight Screenings include Quentin Lee’s latest film THE PEOPLE I’VE SLEPT WITH starring Karin Anna Cheung (Better Luck Tomorrow) and Wilson Cruz (Coffee Date), the North American premiere of EL CONSUL DE SODOMA, a biopic which explores the life of queer poet Jaime Gil De Biedma and the romantic drama, HANNAH FREE, starring Sharon Gless. MGLFF’s programming slate also features a strong presence of women and Latino/Hispanic focused films including the East Coast

premiere of the dance-fueled comedy LEADING LADIES, the 2010 Sundance documentary JOAN RIVERS: A PIECE OF WORK and I AM LOVE, starring queer favorite Tilda Swinton. CONTRACORRIENTE, winner of the 2010 Sundance Dramatic World Cinema Audience Award and the East Coast premiere of the Brazilian drama THE FAMOUS AND THE DEAD are just a sampling of strong, Latino/ Hispanic themed-films at the Festival. Sharon Gless will be honored with the Festival’s 2010 Career Achievement Award before the screening of HANNAH FREE along with Wolfe Releasing who will receive the 2010 MGLFF Trailblazer Award. The event will also feature the return of the inimitable Miss Coco Peru to Miami with her musical revue, a wicked tour-de-farce. As filmmakers and guests descend on Miami the Festival will host a multitude of parties, receptions and events to add additional spice to the festivities including the Opening Gala at the Calix Gustav Gallery, the Centerpiece Gala at Bar 721 and the Closing Night Gala at the ultra-chic Cafeina Lounge. For lesbian filmmakers and their fans “The Ladies Who Lunch” event, hosted by Mova Lounge and Piola Restaurants will be a hot spot and the “Beer & Bears” event at Vlada will satiate the appetites of those who are bear-inclined. For complete schedule, buy tickets and watch trailers, visit: www.mglff.com

Romy Schneider with Lilli Palmer in Mädchen in Uniform Archival Screening

called, “The Immaculate Conception” as Minnelli’s use of makeup suggested androgyny, if A Hundred or More Hidden Things not bisexuality or homosexuality. Author: Mark Griffin Minnelli’s films often focus on people facing realities that they do not wish to accept. DaCapopress.com Perhaps he was drawn to these films as a 348 pages $15.95 mirror of his own life. “Meet Me in St. Louis,” is about a family facing the sad possibility of a move. “Tea and By A. Sebastian Fortino Sympathy” chronicles an effete teenager. “Lust for Life,” captures the life of Vincent t’s impossible to be a fan of classic van Gogh. movies and not count a Minnelli masThe one running, constant experience viewterpiece among your favorites. Born in 1903 to an Italian father and French mother ers of Minnelli’s work are treated to is sheer in Ohio, christened Lester Anthony, Minnelli perfection, and attention to detail. His work was so admired, so elegant that would soon prove to be unlike Billy Wilder said of Minnelli’s other boys. approach, “I don’t shoot elegant Mark Griffin, writer of A pictures, Mr.Vincente Minnelli Hundred or More Hidden Things, he shot elegant pictures.” chronicles the life of the direcMinnelli’s direction is one of tor who would eventually those hidden things. There is exchange Lester for the more no consensus as to whether old-world Vincente. he was an actor’s director or As a boy Minnelli spent hours a designer who directed. Laudrawing, and staging elaborate ren Bacall laughingly recalled productions in his family’s barn. him paying more attention His parents were both actors, to a bowl of roses than she who ran a vaudeville troupe. Minnelli—early on—designed costumes for his thought he did the actors. Ellen Burstyn was not a fan, “I was doing his performance of mother, and told male cast members how to the character,” not, she implies, her own.Yet, apply make-up. Tony Curtis believed, “He was one of the Minnelli’s father’s criticism of his juvenile better directors I ever worked with.” works, and an, older, “slow” brother are just This book is not a biography as much as it some of the 100 or more hidden things. is about Minnelli and his films. Griffin invites Daughter Liza Minnelli for instance, didn’t you into the life of an artist of few words, know she ever had a paternal uncle. In his who invited moviegoers into worlds that he autobiography he does not mention his wanted to bring to the silver screen. Shortly mother’s French accent was from Quebec. before his death he told Liza he had always Tired of small town life and unable to lived “inside himself.” While several of his afford college, Minnelli took to Chicago in films were “botched” by editors toward the early 1920s. Minnelli soon showed his sketchbook to the window dressing manager the end of his career, he nonetheless left so many perfect films that we’re forever and was quickly hired by Marshall Field’s. indebted to him. Griffin asks what would He left to become a photographer, and have happened were he to have directed fell in love with the camera. He photomore films—Gypsy and My Fair Lady as graphed actors of the 1920s and—perhaps—assisted capturing thinly veiled erotic examples and suggests 3rd wife Denise was too demanding of the studios to get these male nudes for Chicago’s “fairies.” plumb assignments. Yet, the unscathed Despite the fey nature of window dresscanon is enough to not ponder the “ifs.” ing, Minnelli described his colleagues as being The book could easily be called, “Standstraight.This is as ridiculous as claiming that MGM’s Freed Unit, responsible for many great ing up too close, or back too far,” a line that American musicals, was not ripe with gay men. (Louis Jourdan) Gaston Lachaille sings about (Leslie Caron) Gigi Alvarez in the movie Minnelli’s sexuality has always been one “Gigi.” In it, Gaston questions whether his of speculation. He married 4 times, but wife proximity to Gigi has caused him to overnumber 1, Judy Garland, supposedly caught look something in plain view. him in bed with a man. Liza Minnelli was

April 12 , 2010 • SouthFloridaGayNews.com

A Coming Out Letter By Ricky Martin

few months ago I decided to write my memoirs, a project I knew was going to bring me closer to an amazing turning point in my life. From the moment I wrote the first phrase I was sure the book was the tool that was going to help me free myself from things I was carrying within me for a long time; things that were too heavy for me to keep inside. Writing this account of my life, I got very close to my truth. And this is something worth celebrating. For many years, there has been only one place where I am in touch with my emotions fearlessly and that’s the stage. Being on stage fills my soul in many ways, almost completely. It’s my vice. The music, the lights and the roar of the audience are elements that make me feel capable of anything. This rush of adrenaline is incredibly addictive. I don’t ever want to stop feeling these emotions. But it is serenity that brings me to where I’m at right now. An amazing emotional place of comprehension, reflection and enlightenment. At this moment I’m feeling the same freedom I usually feel only on stage, without a doubt, I need to share. Many people told me:“Ricky it’s not important,” “it’s not worth it,” “all the years you’ve worked and everything you’ve built will collapse,” “many people in the world are not ready to accept your truth, your reality, your nature.” Because all this advice came from people who I love dearly, I decided to move on with my life not sharing with the world my entire truth.Allowing myself to be seduced by fear and insecurity became a self-fulfilling prophecy of sabotage. Today I take full responsibility for my decisions and my actions. If someone asked me today, “Ricky,

what are you afraid of?” I would answer “the blood that runs through the streets of countries at war…child slavery, terrorism…the cynicism of some people in positions of power, the misinterpretation of faith.” But fear of my truth? Not at all! On the contrary, It fills me with strength and courage. This is just what I need especially now that I am the father of two beautiful boys that are so full of light and who with their outlook teach me new things every day. To keep living as I did up until today would be to indirectly diminish the glow that my kids where born with. Enough is enough. This has to change. This was not supposed to happen 5 or 10 years ago, it is supposed to happen now. Today is my day, this is my time, and this is my moment. These years in silence and reflection made me stronger and reminded me that acceptance has to come from within and that this kind of truth gives me the power to conquer emotions I didn’t even know existed. What will happen from now on? It doesn’t matter. I can only focus on what’s happening to me in this moment.The word “happiness” takes on a new meaning for me as of today. It has been a very intense process. Every word that I write in this letter is born out of love, acceptance, detachment and real contentment.Writing this is a solid step towards my inner peace and vital part of my evolution. I am proud to say that I am a fortunate homosexual man. I am very blessed to be who I am. Ricky Martin’s official Web site is www.rickymartin.com

Ricky Martin

south florida gay news 11" X 12" triM April 12 , 2010 • SouthFloridaGayNews.com

HRC and ERiC alva aRE figHting to REpEal “don’t ask, don’t tEll.” Eric Alva was the first U.S. service member wounded in Iraq. He lost his right leg to a land mine. He is a proud Marine and a gay man. “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” keeps patriotic women and men like Eric from serving openly. He is working with the Human Rights Campaign to repeal this law. Join us and help to repeal it now. ★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★ over the past months, we have worked nationwide to repeal dadt, focusing on 103 priority congressional districts. our efforts include: ★

More than 300,000 phone calls and e-mails to members of Congress.

★

275 HRC members lobbied on Capitol Hill to repeal DADT and pass ENDA and other key legislation.

★

Beyond the Beltway, our members conducted more than 250 in-district lobby visits.

★

In 41 cities, we held events that highlighted military veterans opposed to DADT, and over the next several months we will conduct dozens more.

★

On May 11, we will send hundreds of veterans to Capitol Hill to lobby for repeal.

Join HRC and Eric to repeal dadt visit www.hrc.org/Repealdadt

April 12 , 2010 • SouthFloridaGayNews.com

Spring into a World of Sports

Good Sports: Sidelines’ Laurie Whitaker and Jennifer Morales

By Jennifer Morales

here are still a few true blue football fanatics left during this time of year … yearning for the sounds of helmets crashing against shoulder pads, the roar of a boisterous crowd, and fans shouting not-so-nice words at the referees. For those enthusiasts, patience is a virtue, all in due time… touchdowns and field goals are only a few short months away! Now is the season for springtime and summertime sports—namely basketball, baseball, swimming, track & field, and softball, to name a few. There are a number of LGBT sports programs available to gay men and women athletes. The 2010 spring season of the South Florida Amateur Athletic Association (SFAAA), the LGBT softball league, has begun, with 22 Open Division (co-ed) teams and 25 Women’s Division teams. Each Sunday, if you head out to Mills Pond Park at 2201 NW 9th Avenue, Fort Lauderdale, FL, you can cheer for your favorite team or that special team member. Believe me, some of these players are really mind-blowing—their

agility and batting strength are almost as good as the pros! Come by and support gay sports at its best! Visit the league online at sfaaa.net. For you tennis buffs, watching the thrilling Sony Ericson tennis match last week may not have been enough. For those who want to get involved in the action, take your best tennis racquet over to the Tennis Center at Holiday Park on East Sunrise Boulevard on any Friday evening or Sunday afternoon for some tennis fun, no matter your level of play. For more information, contact John at (954) 828-5378. As you know, Fort Lauderdale is wellknown for its beaches, waterways and prime weather conditions. Many outdoor sports have found a rightful place among lesbians, gay men and gay friendly people. The Front Runners of Fort Lauderdale offer 3-mile walks, 4-mile & 6-mile runs for the avid fitness addict. Visit FrontRunnersFortLauderdale.org for more info. For you water lovers, there is the Hammerhead Aquatics Swim Club in Fort Lauderdale, call (954) 588-6371, or the Nadadores Swim Club in Miami at Nadadores.org. Fort Lauderdale

even has a women’s rugby team and they are recruiting new members as we speak. Practice is held on Tuesdays and Thursdays at 7:30 PM at Mills Pond Park and you can find out more information about them by calling Katrina at (954) 843-1489 or visiting them online at Ftlrugby.com. For the professional sports fans, springtime is, of course, the beginning of Major League Baseball. Whether you hail from Philadelphia, Chicago, Boston, New York, or Atlanta, you will surely find a fellow baseball groupie living here in the diverse and transient locale we call South Florida. The Florida Marlins play often at home and with today’s modern technology, you can catch any of your favorite teams’ games at any time. As for the basketball fan, whether it be college or professional basketball, there has been plenty to choose from, from March

Madness to the National Basketball Association’s (NBA) playoffs and the finals. The Miami Heat will likely go to the playoffs this season, making the middle of April an exciting time in South Florida. So, you see, just because we are members of the LGBT community, sports do have a place in our hearts and lives. Even though society is moving towards accepting gay athletes, there are many gay and lesbian athletes struggling to step OUT of the closet. For us, however, the field is wide open and thankfully, there are plenty of sports for the taking. As always, get out there, play hard and have fun! Jennifer Morales is a freelance writer and the director of marketing for Sidelines Sports Bar in Wilton Manors, FL. She can be reached at jennifer@sidelinessports.com.

April 12 , 2010 • SouthFloridaGayNews.com

F t . L a u d e r d a l e ’s N e w P l a y g r o u n d

Come Play With

Us!

April 12 , 2010 • SouthFloridaGayNews.com

By Norm Kent

ast fall, the Office of National AIDS Policy (ONAP) went across the country to fourteen different venues asking Americans to five their input in developing National HIV/AIDS Strategy, which will be released in the coming months. From the beginning, ONAP sought community feedback, and they got it big-time. In addition to launching an online portal for Americans to send their comments directly to the White House, they received over 1000 written responses from nearly every state and U.S. territory. A team of officials assimilated the results from an entire cross-section of the public, and their report was released last week. A core set of common themes emerged across all of the recommendations. Their summary: “Throughout this process we heard that

TAILORING

people want to bring the issue of HIV/ AIDS back into the forefront of the American psyche through efforts such as social marketing campaigns and comprehensive HIV prevention and education for youth, injection drug users, communities of color, and gay and bisexual men. Access to care was also commonly discussed. Specifically, expanding support services for people living with HIV and the need to diagnose and treat co-occurring conditions such as Hepatitis, substance use, mental health, and markers of economic instability.

“Even when access to treatment is available, the stigma surrounding an HIV diagnosis may be too great for people to get tested or enroll in care. We heard from many people living with HIV who spoke about the stigma associated with being HIV-positive and its effect on their daily lives. Many people discussed the ways in which stigma and discrimination contributed to HIV-related racial, geographic, and gender disparities. People also described personal accounts of discrimination and stigma from providers and difficulties in accessing a range of services, including dental care and prenatal care. “Last, many expressed the importance of coordinating HIV prevention and treatment activities across the Federal government. Many also expressed the importance of evaluating current HIV prevention and care efforts and making sure that these evaluation activities help

BAIL BONDS

guide Federal, state and local activities and funding. “These recommendations are only a subset of the input that we had received and many more recommendations for the National HIV/AIDS Strategy are detailed in the community discussions report. Not all of the recommendations, however, will appear in the National HIV/AIDS Strategy. To be effective, the strategy must include a small number of high payoff items that will address the HIV/AIDS epidemic in the United States. Nevertheless, we intend for this community report to provide a baseline for the status of the domestic epidemic and serve as a planning tool and resource for Federal, State and local agencies. “We are grateful for the many Americans who helped make this report possible and for the many insightful recommendations that will go a long way in ensuring that the National HIV/AIDS Strategy is a success.” The entire 76 page report can be downloaded online at whitehouse.gov/sites/default/files/ microsites/ONAP_rpt.pdf

White House Releases HIV/AIDS Game Plan

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April 12 , 2010 • SouthFloridaGayNews.com

J.B. Ghuman, Jr.

off. He was soon picked up by the WB in the 2004-05 season. He played the boyfriend of a character on The O’Keefe’s, which only ran for 5 episodes. Rather than being disillusioned by the show’s cancellation he found the famed “silver lining.” J.B. Ghuman, Jr. “I felt stifled—not allowed to create my own world—which as a visual artist, I was By A. Sebastian Fortino able to do. As an actor your canvas is your body and using it to interpret someone else’s Ghuman is an artistic native of story was really not for me.” Miami Beach, who began his Ghuman then penned Spork as a short journey through the arts in high school. He film. The response he got from it however has a background ripe with diverse influenccaused him to redraft it as a feature. Spork es, not limited to his North Carolina-born chronicles the life of a social outcast who— mother and India-born father. in addition to living on the poor side of the In our interview, he described himself tracks—has a very special secret. She’s a as a “gay, closeted, break dancer.” Ghuman hermaphrodite. used to attend with his African-American “We all have a phase [in adolescence] where girl friends—and perform at—the Cameo we hide a dirty secret, something we keep Theater. Like a gay Eminem, it seems he tried So, I dropped out and headed to New York inside.What better to keep in your pants,” to be the “rad-est white boy.” When he was City to be a street artist.” In the New York City of 1999 Ghuman did metaphorically and literally,“than 2 parts. I liked not break dancing he was hamming it up as a the dual role of pink and blue in Spork.” class clown, or writing poetry while listening not feel quite at home. Miming in Central The hermaphroditic identity of the film’s Park, he says, was not for him. At that time, to Enya. Quite diverse. title character is definitely a parallel for during the last days of the Clintons, he felt “I never won but they applauded and Ghuman. He knew his sexuality early on and out of place as he was neither a “rich kid, pointed, ‘Oh look, at the white boy spinthought it wasn’t appropriate for the break nor a druggie.” ning on his head.’ I was also an artist in high He decided to go back to his theater geek dance scene. His high school influences school and a huge theater geek,” said Ghucertainly come alive on screen, taking much man from LA where he is fine-tuning his new days and perform. He headed west, to LA, musical influence from his time as the only film Spork. “Imagine how popular I was. After where he says he got to perform in Grease “white boy” in his break dance crew. Music “over and over again.” However, playing in high school I went to FIU for a while but decided I wanted to be an installation artist. the show on a recurring basis must have paid from Lady Tigra, Gucci Crew II, and JJ Fad

Knows the Magic of the Magic City

J.B.

Crossword Puzzle

Ian as We Speak

Across 1 Top targets 6 Second fruit eater 10 Royal threesome 14 Butler’s burden on the stairway 15 Barneys event 16 Bus. major’s study 17 Like phone sex 18 Dangerous meat-eater 19 Greek consonants 20 With 22-Across, 2006 Ian flick 22 See 20-Across 23 Islamic ruler 24 Regis, to Kathie Lee 26 Keanu Reeves film series, with The 29 Place where a Greek would speak 31 Latin I verb 32 Land of Emma Donoghue 34 Finish with 38 1998 Ian flick 42 “Bottoms up!” 43 Anka’s “Eso ___” 44 JFK info 45 Used U-Hauls 47 Oakland tight end, e.g.

50 Heirs split it 53 Words from a non-folder 54 2000 Ian flick 55 1995 Ian flick 61 Where Boy Scouts sleep together 62 Gay nightlife district of London 63 Is bothered by 64 Too hasty 65 Lone Star sch. 66 Hollywood Squares choice 67 Drama, to Tennessee Williams 68 Like sex with a condom 69 Some people make it in bed Down 1 One tied up in Key West 2 “No way!” 3 Container weight 4 Bear or bull 5 Delicious dangler 6 No longer lying with one’s partner 7 “Nuts!” 8 Actor Mapa 9 Kahlo’s country 10 Filmmaker Ismail 11 Cold explosion 12 Incriminating evidence, with “the”

13 Atlas enlargement 21 She’s a real fox 25 Rock group? 26 Inches and Curve 27 Running wild 28 Kind of list 29 Ready to shoot off 30 Bygone GM cars 33 “Why, ___ delighted!” 35 Home paper 36 Michelangelo’s painting and sculpture 37 Peter the Great, for one 39 TV wife of two gay Dicks 40 Loads 41 Marilyn’s almost normal name? 46 In contrast with 48 Male counterpart of Earhart 49 Deep blue 50 Spear carrier 51 Accusation of pedophilia, e.g. 52 Like a nervous Nellie 53 Wishful words 56 Sappho’s “I” 57 Nick Malgieri, for one 58 Icon letters 59 Bad day for Caesar 60 Therapist’s response Solution on page 24

are all 1980/90s groups from Miami or with a similar sound. Ghuman promises tons of choreographed musical sequences, and even some new tracks by Lady Tigra and Cazwell. Cazwell—it should be noted—is also a reflection of Ghuman’s experience. He is a NYC based gay rapper, a presence in an art form often accused of anti-gay sentiments. Spork is not his only credit. Ghuman has appeared in Proposition 8—The Musical, a parody he was asked to appear in, currently an SFGN featured video. His YouTube site has about a dozen videos in which several of the gay characters he has developed come out to play as well as a delightful gay parody of Grease, called “Lube.” Ghuman has also done videos for Perez Hilton, and music videos for Dirty Sanchez. While Spork is still being perfected for the Tribeca Film Festival and SFGN was unable to view what promises to be a delightful film, we predict it will garner much acclaim. “In Tribeca my goal is to have some decent houses and distributors look at the film. People keep asking me if it’s set in the 80s or 90s,” Ghuman said. “I tell them it’s the world I came from, my influences, so it’s definitely circa 19JB.” Clearly this film and Ghuman’s work are for anyone who grew up in an urban, multicultural environment, who didn’t quite fit in, or for anyone who loves to dance.

April 12 , 2010 • SouthFloridaGayNews.com

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12th Annual ‘Healing of the Hearts’ to Benefit the Bob Rauschenberg Center for Living Bottom Line Entertainment Complex Offers Education, Entertainment and Financial Support April 12th, 2010 will mark the twelfth year that the “Healing Of The Hearts” benefit has been held at The Bottom Line at 3090 Evans Avenue in Fort Myers. Doors will open at 7 pm for a “pre-party”, with the main show starting at 9 pm. Events will include Door Prizes; 50/50 Raffle; and a Silent Auction. All is to benefit AIDS/HIV services in Lee County offered through The Bob Rauschenberg Center For Living at 3677 Central Avenue, Suite B, in Fort Myers. The Center offers primary medical care, operates a food pantry (in conjunction with The Harry Chapin Food Bank), clothing, community education, and HIV testing. It exists solely through the good will and support of our community. Dr. Robert Schwartz acts as Medical director. The Bottom Line can be reached at 337-7272, and the Bob Rauschenberg Center at 278-4272 or (720) 985-9151

Rentals VICTORIA PARK CONDO 2BR/1BA fully furnished condo for rent. Central air & heat, pool, tile floors, D/W, balcony, parking space, secured building. No Pets. $950 per month plus electric, F/S. Call 954-565-2714. ------------------------------------------------LAKE RIDGE COTTAGE 1/1 Cottage with extra sunroom, W/D, full kitchen & DW, fenced, completely private.$900/Mo. Available Last week of April. Call 754-235-6999 ------------------------------------------------2/1.5 ON EAST CYPRESS CREEK REnovated, beautiful complex. Immediately available, furnished, $400/ week (includes all) or $850/Mo. + Util. 2nd Floor corner unit. W/D on prem. Call 954-614-8733 ------------------------------------------------3/1 DOWNTOWN FORT LAUDERDALE W/ DETACHED EFFICIENCY that can be rental income, making this a 4/2, A/C, W/D, larged fenced yard, pets ok. $1,800/Mo. Call 954-270-4544 ------------------------------------------------2/2 PALM AIRE COUNTRY CLUB GREAT LOCATION Spacious, quiet, w/screened-in balcony, new wood floors, hurricane proof windows/shutters, central AC, ceiling fans, W/D on floor, elevator, pool, golf course. $1,100/Mo. Includes cable tv/water. Easygoing Landlord. Call 754-224-6146 ------------------------------------------------HOLLYWOOD Studio apartment with seperate bedroom. Fully furnished, full kitchen, cable TV, utilities included. Close to beaches and downtown. $650/Mo. 954-929-2365 ------------------------------------------------LARGE 2BD/2BA HOUSE IN NE POMPANO - 1BLK OFF US1 Great neighborhood, remodeled, tile floors, new appliances, W/D in unit, central AC, ceiling fans, big fenced-in back yard w/ patio, bbq & lanterns. $1,450/Mo. Includes All Utilities. Call 954-798-7959 ------------------------------------------------PALM AIRE COUNTRY CLUB/ POMPANO Roommate needed to share my 2000 square foot condo on the golf course. Private bed/bath. Fully Furnished. W/D in unit. Beautiful pool/recreation area. Must be professional, clean, drug free. 700/ Mo.incl.all utilities & cable in bedroom + $700 sec.Call or email Chris. 203-232-7005 cbert30@aol.com ------------------------------------------------FT LAUDERDALE - MIDDLE RIVER AREA LOW MOVE IN /EASY TERMS* 1BD/1BA in 4 unit bldg. All Tile $690/Mo. or $175/Wk*. W/D on premises. 6 or 12 Mo. Lease. 954-527-9225 ------------------------------------------------LAKERIDGE RENTAL HOME 3BD/2BA house in friendly neighborhood blocks from shopping, beach and Wilton Manors nightlife. Well maintained property, tile throughout, totally fenced yard, with ceiling fans and extra laundry/ mud room. (W/D not included). REDUCED $1,250/Mo.F/L/S. References. Call Randy for appt. 954-347-1016 ------------------------------------------------DROP-DEAD-GORGEOUS Supersized 1BD/1BA, All New!, open granite kit w/island, D/W, 15’x20’ Bdrm, central air, 1 yr. lease $915/Mo. F/S. Middle River Ter. Call 954-448-9811 ------------------------------------------------NE FT. LAUDERDALE - WILTON MANORS AREA - IMMACULATE 1/1’S PRIVATE backyard, large BR, tile floors, newer kit/bath, water/garbage/pest cont incl., cable ready, W/D avail, QUIET all gay complex. No pets. $700-$725/Mo. By appt. 954-592-3772 ------------------------------------------------731 NW 1ST AVE-OFF OF ANDREWS AVE. Completely Remodeled 1BR/1BA on beautiful street lined with new townhouses. Large fenced yard, very quet, private laudry on premises, parking. $750mo + 1/ mo security. Gino 954-551-3621

------------------------------------------------MIDDLE RIVER TERRACE Large 1BD/1BA in fourplex. Tile floors throughout, laundry facilities, parking, less than 1 mile to Wilton Drive. $750/Mo. Call 954-815-2550 ------------------------------------------------LAKERIDGE - PERFECT 1BR/1BA Newer everything, granite kitchen, icemaker. Steps to Holiday Park. $725/ Mo. F/S. Pets ok. Call 954-448-9811 ------------------------------------------------1/1 CLOSE TO BEACH & GATEWAY - GREAT LOCATION Key West style 1/1, central AC, vaulted ceilings, DW, open floor plan, private fenced courtyard, pets OK. W/D on premises. $875/Mo. 954-914-9144 ------------------------------------------------EFFICIENCY - LAKE RIDGE One person only. No pets. No children. $550/Mo. + Electricity. 1240 NE 14th Ave. Call 954-761-8987 ------------------------------------------------LET ME FIND THAT PERFECT RENTAL At no cost to you, we review hundreds of properties in Fort Lauderdale and Wilton Manor areas to meet your specifications and price range. We will even review and prepare the final lease to insure your protection. Call Dick at 954-616-7662 or our office 954-764-6061 East Side Realty Group. ------------------------------------------------SLEEPING ROOM Private entrance, private parking, $150/ week + 4WK Sec. No Pets. 954-465-4859 Leave message. ------------------------------------------------FORT LAUDERDALE - SOUTH MIDDLE RIVER Completely remodeled 3/2 house. All new appliances, fixtures, W/D, central AC, ceiling fans and wood floors throughout. $1,375/Mo. Call Brian 954-610-1320 ------------------------------------------------1441 NW 7TH AVE, FORT LAUDERDALE - 2BD/1BA LARGE PRIVATE HOME Near Wilton Manors and beaches. Newly painted, eat-in kitchen & carport. AC, terazzo floors, ceiling fans, $875/Mo. + 1mo. Sec. FREE water, landscaping & pest control. Pets OK. Call Mike 305-933-9912 ------------------------------------------------CHARMING LAKE RIDGE 1/1 In a 5 plex. Garden setting. Close to shops, transport, etc. Clean & ready now. Cent AC, tile floors, ceiling fans, W/D on prem. Small pets ok w/approv. $695/Mo. Michael 954-540-3543 ------------------------------------------------MIDDLE RIVER TERRACE 2/2 plus den; half-duplex. Less than 1 mile from Wilton Drive. Recent paint, new flooring, fenced tropical yard, pool. Offstreet parking. W/D on premises. $1,295/ Mo. Call David, 954-806-8520 ------------------------------------------------LAKE RIDGE TOWNHOUSE Lg 2BD & 2Baths 1,200sf, Hurricane Shutters, Pets OK, fenced yard, tile down stairs and carpet up, Full W/D, big kitchen, covered pkg, great for sharing, Near Beach & Galleria $1,450/mo. Call Owner/Agent 954-661-4481- Avail May 1 ------------------------------------------------MIDDLE RIVER TERRACE 1/1 Minutes to Wilton Drive, 2 miles to the beach. Nicely landscaped fourplex. All tile, central ac, new kit/bath, walk-in closet, french door off kit to priv 20x20 yard w/ privacy fence, laundry on prem, parking, pets ok, $775/Mo. 954-849-4944 ------------------------------------------------1/1 IN LAKERIDGE New tile, large updated kitchen, close to beaches and shopping, off street parking. $575/Mo. Call Bill 305-283-3205 ------------------------------------------------HARBORDALE 2/2 spacious ,newly renovated w/ central air,tile floors,lush private patio. Pets Welcome. Near Beach, Las Olas, Airport,Resaurants and Shopping. A MUST SEE $1100.00/month Bill 954-612-4381 ------------------------------------------------2/1 IN OAKLAND PARK 5-PLEX GREAT NEIGHBORS Good size apartment, ideal floorplan for roommates. Living/dining room with open plan kitchen, dishwasher, fridge/freezer, Central air, tile floors, New paint, parking, small pets with approval. Clean and ready now. $895/Mo. Michael 954-540-3543

April 12 , 2010 • SouthFloridaGayNews.com

CLASSIFIEDS@HOTSPOTSMAGAZINE.COM

Rentals, cont’d 2/1, PRIVATE COURTYARD, CENTRAL AC, GREAT NEIGHBORS Rarely available very nice 2/1 apartment Brand new kitchen, tile, central AC, unique private fenced courtyard, $900/ Mo, 954-655-2299. Oakland Park area, come take a peek! ------------------------------------------------ROOM 4 RENT IN BOYNTON BEACH Share a 3/2 villa w/ pool, parking, W/D, TV/Cable, Internet, fully furnished room w/ private bath. $600/Mo. includes all. Call 561-523-0084 ------------------------------------------------WALK TO WILTON DRIVE RESTAURANTS AND CLUBS 2BR/1BA - Central AC, freshly painted, renovated kitchen, built in micro, D/W, tile floor. Only $875/Mo. 30 lb pet limit. Call David at 917-710-8852, 407-491-1353 ------------------------------------------------NEW IN TOWN? COMING TO WILTON MANORS SOON? FURNISHED 1/1 $295/WEEK Walk to Wilton Drive, bright comfy spotless nicely updated furnished (pots, pans, dishes, etc.) 1st floor corner 1 bdrm, cen a/c, $395 a week includes electric, water & cable, pet considered; call for details. Laundry on premises; 954-242-7566. ------------------------------------------------WILTON MANORS WATERFRONT ON THE PARK Waterfront 1BD/1BA, new kitchen, spacious apt. $799/Mo. Call 954-224-8768

Roommates New 3/2 House in Margate Roommate needed. New 3/2 house in Coral Cay, Margate. Gated, quite, comm. pool. Private bath. Must be over 35. $750/mo covers rent/utilities. $750 sec. dep. and $25 for credit check. Paul 954-232-5744

------------------------------------------------FORT LAUDERDALE/A1A Ocean view. Share luxury accommodations. 2BD/2BA condo. $600/Mo. Includes TV, Utilities, Internet Connection, Pool. LOW MOVE IN. NS/DDF. Call 954-907-9564 ------------------------------------------------GM TO SHARE 2BR/1BA HOME OFF COMMERCIAL BLVD Cable, internet, community pool and golf. 4 to 5 miles to Wilton Manors. $500/month. +$300/sec. Call Mark 954-731-1543 ------------------------------------------------FORT LAUDERDALE BEACH Male to share a super-deluxe house w/ same. All amenities included, cleaning service, pool, internet, cable, W/D, private back yard for sun-bathing, great location, Galt Ocean Mile area. 1 blk to beach & shopping. $700/Mo. References. Call 954-336-3941 or 954-561-0181 ------------------------------------------------FURNISHED ROOM BY OAKLAND AND ANDREWS Raquet Club, Large Room w/ cable, AC, walk-in closet, micro, ref, etc in room. Ex. large pool, clubroom, sm. dog ok. $450/ Mo. Call Michael 954-882-2928 ------------------------------------------------ROOMMATE TO SHARE OAKLAND PARK POOL HOME Large 4BD/3BA ranch style house with screened in pool on the Lloyd Estate. Bedroom has walk-in closet and private bath. All utilities, internet and Direct TV included. Share with two guys and a cat. No smoking, drugs or additional pets. Please be responsible and employed. $650/Mo. Avail April 1st. Michael 954-540-3543 ------------------------------------------------SHARE A 3/2 IN WILTON MANORS $550/$500/Mo. + $250 Deposit includes utilities, unfurnished, no smoking, no drugs. Call 954-439-5441 Kurt /* Professional Services */ LYONS SNYDER LAW GROUP Criminal Defense Attorneys 954-462-8035 www.LyonsSnyder.com

------------------------------------------------LAW OFFICES OF GEORGE CASTRATARO Bankruptcy, Civil Litigation, Estate Planning/Wills, Foreclosure Defense & Negotiation, GLBT Issues, Small Business. 954-573-1444 www.LAWGC.com ------------------------------------------------MAYERSOHN LAW GROUP P.A. State/Federal Criminal Defense & White Collar Crime 954-765-1900, 866-765-1900 www.MayersohnLaw.com ------------------------------------------------DRUCKER LAW OFFICES Personal Injury, Auto Accidents, Wrongful Death, Slip/Trip & Falls, Defective Product Injuries, Workplace Injuries. 954-755-2120 www.FloridaLawTeam.com ------------------------------------------------LAW OFFICES OF CHRIS MANCINI, PA Criminal Defense, Civil Litigation Office: 954-522-2744 Cell: 305-219-6919 www.ChrisManciniEsq.com ------------------------------------------------STEPHEN D. JEROME ATTORNEY AT LAW Bankruptcy, Mortgage Foreclosure Defense, Wills, Estate Planning & Probate, Real Estate Closings, Domestic Partnership Agreements 954-946-0916, SJerome_Esq@ bellsouth.net ------------------------------------------------ATTORNEY ROBIN L. BODIFORD, JD, MSW Wills & Trusts, Bankruptcy, Trust Admin, Probate, GLBT Issues, Incorporations 954-630-2707, www.RobinBodifordLaw.com ------------------------------------------------GREGORY W. KABEL ATTORNEY AT LAW Wills & Trusts, Estate Planning, Probate, Domestic Agreements, Business Formation & Transactions, Real Estate. 2312 Wilton Drive, Wilton Manors, FL 33305 954-761-7770, gwkesq@bellsouth.net ------------------------------------------------EXPERT CARPET, TILE & UPHOLSTERY CLEANING BY DESI $59.99 2 Rooms, Deep Steam Cleaning Carpet or Sofa, Free Deodorizer $99.00 Winter Special Tile & Grout Or 35 cents per sq.ft. 954-383-5054

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------------------------------------------------TOTAL MANAGEMENT SOLUTIONS, INC. Condo & HOA Management Bookkeeping, Tenant Screening Contractor/Employee Oversight 954-727-3833, www.TotalMSolutions.com ------------------------------------------------INCOME & BUSINESS TAX RETURNS AND PLANNING - OVER 35 YEARS EXPERIENCE In-home services. If you haven’t filled 2009 and prior years, you must file by April 15th. (Statute of limitations for 2006 exp. on April 15th). Lawrence M. Krupnick Accounting. Call Larry 954-830-4321 ------------------------------------------------EXECUTIVE CLEANING SERVICE We are the area’s finest cleaning service. Our trained staff works in variety of settings,including home and office. Best rates,Best service CALL TODAY -954-263-0768

------------------------------------------------DALE THE COMPUTER WIZ In Home/Office On Site Service. Vista/XP, Hardware/Software, FIX-IT-NOW Remote Service/Tune Up Starting at $30.00. 11 Years Experience. 954-579-7587 www. GayComputerWiz.com ------------------------------------------------GEEK PATROL COMPUTER SERVICES On-Site & Remote Support Located in Wilton Manors - Windows & Mac (OS X) security, virus & spyware removal, repairs upgrades, wired & wireless networking - gay owned www. FLTechSupport.com 954-453-9574 ------------------------------------------------PANE IN THE GLASS Window Tint Removal, Window Cleaning Power Washing, Screen Repairs Handyman, Painting. Call Scotty 954-566-4415, Lic. & Insured ------------------------------------------------**OPTIMA** COMPUTER REPAIR COMPLETE IN HOME SERVICE. *Get the BEST performance, protection & value from your computer investment. *A+ Hardware & OS CERTIFIED. *Friendly, professional, RELIABLE service. Reasonable rates. Call: Mike 954-817-3883 ------------------------------------------------RTS ELECTRIC - 24 HOUR SERVICE Quality work at a reasonable price. Licensed & Insured #98-CME-1807-X. Contact 954-257-9509. Also, all size generator service and installation. ------------------------------------------------BRUCE ELECTRIC CORP. Fair rates/quality work. All electrical services. Repairs/upgrades. Generator sales/ installations. Prompt/reliable/ dependable. State licensed & ins. EC13001903 954-748-6234 ------------------------------------------------D.A.D.S. ELECTRIC LLC Gay owned and operated. Fair prices and quality work done to N.E.C. codes. Licensed & Insured. #02-CME-2027X. Call David and Dennis 954-549-0102. ------------------------------------------------DEREK’S 24 HR HANDYMAN SERVICE Introducing our new cabinet shop. For all your Custom Made Cabintetry, Countertops and Laminates. MUST SEE OUR WORK! JUST ASK OUR CLIENTS! All Electrical to code, any/all plumbing work, drywall finish work/repair, crown/baseboard pro-install, int/ext painting, demo work, pressure washing, DECOR TILE Install, complete home up-dates. For large jobs, 4-man crew abailable. WE HANDLE IT ALL. Instant call back direct service response. No job is ever too small. Excellent references. Derek 954-825-5598 or email: DerekGallaway@att.net

April 12 , 2010 • SouthFloridaGayNews.com ------------------------------------------------* EARLY BIRD CONSTRUCTION * ROOFING, CARPENTRY, TILE, PAINT. Honest and ON TIME! 954-274-9378 IRRIGATION SYSTEM REPAIR AND MAINTENANCE ------------------------------------------------“I SHOW UP” HANDYMAN 954-684-9277 Sean SeanHarrenFTL@mac.com ------------------------------------------------19 yrs. experience, excellent work, referrals by request. Call Roberto at 954-383-8980 ------------------------------------------------ONE STOP SHOPPING AND ASSOCIATES HANDYMAN/REMODELING AND MORE WITH OVER 30 YEARS EXPERIENCE IN ALL PHASES OF... Home improvements, a/c, extensions, electrical, plumbing, painting, kitchen, baths, flooring/ trim, steel erector and fabricator. PGT Impact Windows at Factory Direct Prices. Former owner of a NY remodeling co. as well as a hands on worker, because I demand perfection in all I do. Please call Mitch for prompt honest and dependable service. Lic. CGC1514441, EC13001388 and insured. (954) 253-4650 ------------------------------------------------GREAT MASSAGE! GREAT RATES! PRIVATE STUDIO NOW OPEN! Great Massage, Great Rates. See my Display ad, or visit my website at www. massagebyjim.com Call Jim Libonati at 954-600-5843. Licensed, insured and nationally certified MA50898 ------------------------------------------------EXPERT AIR ADVICE AIR CONDITIONING REPAIRS Cooling is what we do best. FPL rebates, insured, CACO 36862 FREE estimates on replacements $75 tune up, Call 954-764-1990 ------------------------------------------------PLANNING A MOVE? At Cousins USA Moving & Storage, we want you to smile when you think of moving day, and we want you to tell a friend how pleasant your moving experience has been. For more info on about how we can make moving day a good day. Call toll-free at 1-888-300-MOVE, ask for Carlos. ------------------------------------------------GUYS AND DOLLIES Moving • Storage • Packing • Crating • Shipping. “A” Rated Member of the BBB. Registered Movers since 1976. Major Credit Cards accepted. For FREE price quote call 954-566-1270 ------------------------------------------------RESPONSIBLE AND RELIABLE HOUSE CLEANER Available for Broward County Area. Great references. Please call Fabio at 508-7685104 or email maria113usa@hotmail.com ------------------------------------------------CARPENTER FOR HIRE 35 Years Experience. Window and door replacement, trim & moldings, faux wood floors, cabinetry, expert painting. Call Mike 954-830-0536 ------------------------------------------------HANDY MAN SERVICE Professional, safe, reliable, painting, bathroom, tile and flooring. Repair or replace faucet fixture ,toilets, ceiling fans electrical outlets and dimmer switches, Install lighting fixtures. I work with Realtors home owners. Installing counter tops and cabinets. Free estimate call Eli for more info 954-638-7034. ------------------------------------------------***CLEAN IT RITE*** THE BEST CLEANING FOR YOUR BUCK! 1BD $45, 2BD $55, 3BD $65. Excellent rates and references. 10 years in the business. Call Manny at 954-560-4443 ------------------------------------------------NEED A LAWYER ? Criminal Defense * DUI Traffic * Accidents * Injuries * Personal Injury * AAA Attorney Referral Service 24 Hours * 1-800-733-5342 ------------------------------------------------ONE CALL DOES IT ALL BY HOUSE! Carpet Cleaning, House Cleaning, Tile & Grout, Upholstery Air Ducts, Pressure Cleaning- Patios, sidewalks, & drive ways. Construction and Foreclosure Clean Up. Cell 954-515-7615

------------------------------------------------LET ME SHAVE YOU NAKED! Sensual body shaving and intimate hair removal in the comfort of your own home. Friendly, no attitude, Broward only. $50.00 per session, call Michael at 954-581-4850 MILITARY LOOKING AND HUNG ------------------------------------------------51,Tall, Muscular & Masculine. 8.5 x 6 cut. Deep muscle. COME and RELEASE your TENSION. IN/OUT calls 8 AM to 7PM EVERYDAY. Clean, STD Free, and discreet. 954-257-0782 or Mineis8.5X6@gmail.com ------------------------------------------------I WILL RUB YOU RIGHT! Joe 954-270-0357 ------------------------------------------------BESTOFFLORIDAMASSAGE.COM 8AM – 8PM, 7 Days a week 954-356-9348 ------------------------------------------------ITALIAN MAN MASSAGE Beefy Italian man 6’ 180# muscular hairy chest will give you a great deep tissue/ erotic massage on my table in my Wilton Manors studio from 9am to 9pm at a price you can afford Call Joe 954-270-0357

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------------------------------------------------MAN OH MAN 34 yr old, Good looking, Muscular, Hot Body Guy. Available For Full Body Erotic Rubs. Sure To Please Every Aching Muscle. Mike 954-328-2321. www. rentboy.com ------------------------------------------------***TOTAL BLISS**** If you overweight and over 60 you get my $60 special. Totally release every ounce of stress from your body by 43 yr old, 5’6”, 150lbs, moderately hairy, 8.5”, thick rugged hung nude dude. You will find it hard to get off the table when I’m through with you. Showers available. Ask about four hands! Call Steve 954-770-6117 or 954-661-4920 ------------------------------------------------GOT STRESS? GET TANTRIC! Experience a stimulative & sensual, bare naked full bodyrub that promises relief. Me: 37y/o, smooth slender dude with nice butt. Reasonable rates! contact. Tucker 754-779-8911 ------------------------------------------------SOUTH BEACH - MAN 2 MAN MASSAGE A REAL Professional Massage By A Sexy, 5’8”, 170, Blond, Smooth, Mid-40’s, Muscular Fitness Trainer / CMT - Certified Massage Therapist. Call / Text 310-7392085 - 24/7 - For Info / Appointments

HAVE ME ON YOUR DOORSTEP IN 30 MINUTES! TREAT YOURSELF! Alex, 27YO, Cuban American, 5’8”, 160lbs, Masculine No Attitude, Very Well Hung & Versatile. 786-319-7665 ------------------------------------------------TREAT YOURSELF TO THE BEST! DISCRETION GUARANTEED Hot, Sexy, Handsome, Masculine, Latin stud available. 5’’10, 175 lbs.32 waist. Great Smooth skin and physique. I have a fine, clean place. HIV-neg, STD free. Great companion. ALL TYPES WELCOME. Also into generous mature gentlemen. In/ Out.Call Tony 954-604-3980 ------------------------------------------------GR- BLACK AMERICAN TOP Handsome, very hard muscular body. 9” cut. ANYTHING GOES, LOVE TO PLEASE. 6’1”, 189lbs, 32”W. Call 24/7. In/Out. Dosn’t matter how you look. Buddy Available. Call Travis. 954-461-8161 ------------------------------------------------HAKEEM IS IN TOWN! Black Male Power Top, 180lbs., 6’, smooth body, great shape, always horny, 10” cut. In/Out calls. Satisfaction Guaranteed. Call 24/7 305-761-6818, Vers. buddy available. YOUR DESIRES IN TOTAL RAPTURE ------------------------------------------------Gay black male, 6’2”, 190 lbs., athletic build, 9” thick cut, TOP GUY. Achieve your climax experience. Wendell 954-646-6222, 24 hrs., discreet. Specializing in body rubs, hair trimming, shaving and waxing. ONLY SERIOUS INQUIRIES PLEASE.

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April 12 , 2010 • SouthFloridaGayNews.com

Sports

Patricia Nell Warren

Patricia Nell Warren has become one of the most popular and respected authors of gay literature in the world. With eight successful novels to her credit and an estimated readership of over twenty million people worldwide, her books are considered by many to be an intrinsic part of the GLBT rites of passage as well as a literary synthesis of the gay and lesbian experience.

Olympics Victory for a Great Gay Coach

The Equestrian Life Team wins the 1st Annual International Gay Polo Tournament with team members Chip McKenney, Juan Bollini (professional) Gordon Ross, and Tom Landry

First Gay Polo Tourney Incredible Success By Richard Gary

alm Beach may have rocked a fortnight ago with its ‘Superheroes’ Pridefest, but the First Annual International Gay Polo Tournament last weekend gave them a run for the money. The tourney was a huge success on and off the field, with a crowd of well over 1,500 spectators showing up for the inaugural event. Equestrian Life, led by 6-goaler Juan Bollini, edged bluhorse 4-3 to win the championship game played in at Grand Champions Polo Club in Wellington. In the preliminary game, 7-goaler Jeff Blake scored on a breakaway with 31 seconds remaining to lift Step by Step Foundation over Buchanan Screen, Rail & Windows 5-4. Blake scored all five goals for Step by Step. Nine-goaler Nicolas Roldan scored three goals for Buchanan Screen, Rail & Windows and Jack Hoffman added one goal. Bollini scored both of his goals in the final chukker to lead Equestrian Life. Gay Polo League (GPL) Founder and President Chip McKenney and Gordon Ross also scored for the winners. Former 5-goaler John Wigdahl of bluhorse, currently the president of GPL,

Guest Columnist, SFGN

Southern Florida chapter, was named the MVP Amateur. His 40-yard penalty shot in the third chukker gave bluhorse a 3-2 lead. “Wellington is the polo capital,” said the 51-year-old McKenney, who lives in Los Angeles. “If you want to be taken seriously, you have got to play here. We want to return next year and make this a tradition.” One fan made forever was Ramrod bar owner Steve Whitney, “We read about the tournament in SFGN,” Whitney said, hours after the event, “and about a dozen of us went there and had the time of our lives.” His friend, Stephen Ascuela, from Hollywood added, “I was totally blown away. First, I could not believe how many people were there for a sport we almost knew nothing about, and second, we all had so much fun it was unreal.” Equestrian Life, sponsor of the winning team, was elated about the team’s victory. Deana Bergquist, Co-Founder & President, Equestrian Life explained, “Equestrian Life is proud that Chip McKenney and Tom Landry led the Equestrian Life team to victory, but more importantly we are proud of the successful efforts of the GPL and all its members to create an opportunity for more people to participate in the great sport of polo.”

e get all worked up about the out athletes who win— but the out coaches and other powerful figures who are indispensable to sports success should get a tremendous amount of credit too. At the Winter Games in Vancouver, Kim Yu-Na’s gold medal capped the rise of Brian Orser as one of the world’s stellar figure-skating coaches. Outed in 1998 by a partner lawsuit, Orser has since embraced his orientation openly, becoming among other things an ambassador for the Outgames. Being out hasn’t hurt his recent sports career either—he remains one of the most accomplished figureskaters to come out of Canada, with Hall of Fame memberships added to his eight national men’s titles, world title and two Olympic silver medals. During his competitive years, Orser was also a genius of jumps, becoming the first to land a triple axel at the Olympics. As he aimed for Olympic gold in 1984 and 1988, he was seldom off the podium in any type of competition elsewhere in the world. However, at the 1988 Winter Games, during an intense rivalry with Brian Boitano that became known as the “Battle of the Brians,” Orser was emotionally devastated when he missed getting gold for the 2nd time. This time it was by a mere 1/10 of a point. Turning pro after that heartbreak, he toured in ice shows for many years, and finally was tapped as skating director for the Toronto Cricket, Skating and Curling Club. Coaching evidently became Orser’s way of lifting that old cloud off his life. He has worked with an international array of figure-skating talents, including Fedor Andreev, Sean Carlow, Rachel Kirkland & Erick Radford, and Rylie McCulloch-Casar-

sa. Currently he also trains Christina Gao, 2009 U.S. Junior bronze medalist. He has also trained Adam Rippon, 2008-09 World Junior Champion. In 2006, Orser took on a giant mid-teen talent, Kim Yu-Na. In her native South Korea, she was so obsessively idolized by the public that she fled to Canada in search of a lower-keyed venue for training. Observers credit Orser’s patience and calming influence as factors in his success with skaters who are struggling with pressure and technical problems. The way Yu-

Na handled the massive pressure last night, and nailed her jumps, and relaxed into the artistry of her freestyle program, is surely due not only to her own hard work and strength of spirit, but also to Orser’s work and support as well. Orser figures in a growing tradition of multi-talented gay men who went on contributing to figure-skating after they stopped Olympic competition. The list includes Ronnie Robertson (1956 silver medalist who later coached in China) and John Curry (1976 gold medalist who was later an influential choreographer and ice-show producer.) For one night in February in Vancouver, Orser’s glowing face and expression of quiet pride said it all as he stood by the gate waiting for his pupil to come off the ice amid that global roar of acclaim.

April 12 , 2010 • SouthFloridaGayNews.com

A.J. Cross

Sex in Our City A Column by AJ Cross about Sex, Relationships, Love & Heartbreak

‘The Climb’ By AJ Cross

ou are losing your home to foreclosure, and you have just found out that you will be dismissed from your job because your employer can no longer afford you. With very little money saved, if any and a mountain of bills so high that you could wallpaper the walls with them, you find yourself searching and looking for a way out. Hope is hard to find and it seems that you are all alone. Too embarrassed to ask for help or to allow any person in your life to know how hard things have gotten for you, facing the day becomes terrifying. You start to make decisions like turning off the cable, which really sucks, because at least your favorite television shows kept your mind off of things for an hour or two. You start to contemplate public transportation for the first time in years or perhaps ever, because you will probably not make your car payment and you will be facing repossession. How did you get here? You were financially responsible, worked as hard as anyone else and now it seems as if you are losing everything. To top it off, you realize that some of the people that were once so eager to see you socially aren’t interested in hanging out with you in your home for as long as it is “your home” because you simply can’t afford to go out. Loneliness can take over so quickly and unexpectedly. Well my friend, you are NOT alone. You are among millions of Americans who feel what you are feeling and are going through the same dilemma. Here comes the scary truth. You will more than likely lose your home. You will more than likely lose your car, unless you are able to find enough money, to hold on to it for one month longer. I do

not tell you to this to bring you down, but to prepare you for what needs to be done. You are going to have to make “The Climb.” You are going to have to step out of your comfort zone and consider possibilities for generating revenue that you never would have before. Harder still, you will have to let go of your ego and pride and ask for help. Due to so many people experiencing similar circumstances, people are showing compassion, empathy and humanity and someone will help you. They may help you to find a job, or put you in contact with someone that perhaps has helped them in prolonging the foreclosure and eviction process just a little bit longer. Ignore the letters in the mail from socalled HELP with foreclosure. Most companies and law firms that send out these letters will only do what you can do on your own, except you will have to pay them money you do not have. Find out if you qualify for any governmental relief but don’t hold your breath on that. The first part of the climb is get money back in the bank. Do odd jobs, clean toilets if you have to. Do whatever it takes to get money (legally) because you are going to need it. The next part of the climb is to create a budget. First write down everything you spend money on, from gum to cigarettes, social activities, bill, children, lovers or even hookers. You need to see where your money is going. When you have completed that part you will need to start eliminating expenses. Take out what you like or what you want and leave only what you need and what is necessary. Stay away from get rich schemes and casinos or scratch off tickets, because the likelihood of you finding financial relief in that is not realistic. Avoid asking for loans of any kind, because you will only have to add that to the very expenses

you are trying to minimize. When you have a clear and sensible budget your next task will be to set your goals for making money. Network and let everyone know you are available and willing. Plan your week to be as full of money making opportunities as possible. This will not only put money in your pocket but take your mind off your circumstances and your hunger for stability will drive you and give you the boost of energy you are going to need. The key to the climb is to do exactly what it states; Climb. Climb out of your self-pity. Climb out of your financial stress. Climb

out of your fear and rise above your situation. You are the same intelligent, motivated and talented person you were before everything started to change for the worse. The only thing that you need to change is your circumstance. You may end up being the only Doctor at McDonalds, but you will at least be making money. Perhaps you can talk about cholesterol to the drive through customer to make yourself feel better. Just believe that you are not bound by your situation and that you can rise from the ashes like a phoenix and you will shine brighter than ever before.

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April 12 , 2010 â&#x20AC;˘ SouthFloridaGayNews.com