Mirror Fall 2015 by The Mirror Magazine

Fall 2015 • Vol. 4 Issue 2

Arts & Entertainment Fall Issue • THEATER • FILM • dance • broadway • music • local arts

themirrormag.com

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A UNIQUE PROGRAM

TO HELP THOSE NEWLY DIAGNOSED WITH HIV/AIDS OR HAVE FALLEN OUT OF CARE Care Resource’s Peer Connector program funded by State of Florida, Department of Health, supports clients who are newly diagnosed with HIV/AIDS, have fallen out of medical care or are facing obstacles to engage in medical care, such as language barriers, literacy, mental health, substance abuse, financial issues, homelessness and relocation. This program, not only provides clients with the resources to meet their needs and to decrease barriers, but also a support system focused on empowerment, self-sufficiency and a healthy and productive lifestyle. This program is part of a national effort called “High Impact Prevention.” The objective is to ensure early entry into care and adherence to medical treatment to improve the health of those living with HIV/ AIDS and to reduce the possibility of transmitting the virus to someone else.

PEER CONNECTORS This program focuses on linking clients to care by using Peer Connectors to walk the client through the initial process. The Peer Connectors assist clients that are newly diagnosed, lost of care, or at risk of being lost of care. The Peers can relate to the client because they have been through that process and can not only help the client, but also give advice on how to deal and cope with certain situations. The Peers also serve as an advocate for the client. “Some clients don’t know where to go or how to access services. We help “navigate” the client through the initial process of going through eligibility through the Ryan White Program; meeting with the Medical Case Manager; seeing a doctor; and being referred to various services. Since January 2015, there were 355 clients enrolled in the Peer Connector Program. Out of those 355 clients, 325 are engaged in care.” – Care Resource Peer Connector

DISPLACED CLIENTS There are several clients that come into Care Resource and are homeless/displaced. These clients that come into the Peer Connector Program are referred to a housing case manager in the agency and will be assisted with shelter.

MENTAL / SUBSTANCE ABUSE Peer Connectors also link clients to different services that the client needs. Some clients may have mental health or substance abuse issues. The Peer Connector will perform an intake with the client; find out his/her needs; and refer the client to whatever need or service they are requesting.

HEALTH INSURANCE Some clients may have difficulty with acquiring health insurance or with changing their health plans in order to be seen by a doctor. The Peer Connector refers the client to a health insurance specialist, provides education on safer sex practices to prevent the transmission of HIV. Peer Connectors also collaborate with outside agencies like: Poverello’s, BOC Hollywood and Pompano, the Broward County Jails and the Florida Department of Health in Broward County.

CLIENT BENEFITS The Patient Connector Program benefits the client by letting them know that they have a support system. The Peer Connector is there to walk the client through the process and let them know that he/she is not alone and to make sure that the client is linked to care properly. The Peers are there for emotional support. They also accompany clients to medical appointments as well as Ryan White eligibility appointments. In fact, they even teach bus routes. For clients that are not able to attend Ryan White eligibility appointments; the Peer Connectors have brought the appointments to the client’s home for assistance.

EXAMPLES OF CARE The Peer Connectors go above and beyond for their clients on a consistent basis. Here are just a few examples: “I assisted a client who was lost of care and diagnosed with a sexually transmitted disease. The client was afraid and didn’t know what to do. The client was almost hysterical and said that he needed assistance right away. I worked on getting the client seen by medical staff. The client already had their Ryan White Eligibility done too. I not only had the client’s labs done the same day, but the client was seen by a doctor.” – Care Resource Peer Connector “I had a client that came in very weak and in need of food. The client was given a supermarket gift card. However, I noticed that the client was too weak to go there himself. I then took the client to the supermarket and let him use the gift card to pick up the needed food.” – Care Resource Peer Connector “I assisted a client that couldn’t be seen because of a particular Medicaid plan that wasn’t accepted. I was able to obtain the proper phone number for Medicaid for the client and assist with changing their plan. The client was then able to be seen by our medical team.” – Care Resource Peer Connector “I assisted a client that was having a severe anxiety attack. The client called while at home complaining of the attack and wanting to go to the emergency room, but was so uneasy and couldn’t call them. I called 911 after receiving verbal authorization. Afterward, I stayed on the phone until the paramedics came. The client is now in medical care.” – Care Resource Peer Connector For more information regarding Care Resource’s Peer Connector program, contact James Lecounte, Linkage & Retention Supervisor with Care Resource at 954-567-7141 x245, lecounte@careresource.org or Patty Valdez, Linkage & Access Services Manager with Care Resource at 305-5761234 x241, pvaldez@careresource.org. Care Resource is a Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC) that provides comprehensive primary medical and preventive care, including health, oral and mental health/substance abuse services to all individuals in our community. For more information visit, www.careresource.org. The Florida Department of Health works to protect, promote & improve the health of all people in Florida through integrated state, county, & community efforts.

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TABLE OF  FEATURES

CONTENTS

FALL 2015 | VOL 4 | ISSUE W2 2520 N. Dixie Highway | Wilton Manors, FL 33305 Phone: 954.530.4970 Fax: 954.530.7943

Publisher NORM KENT norm.kent@sfgn.com Chief Executive Officer PIER ANGELO GUIDUGLI

OPINION A Dog's Life  108 PROFILES Unmarried Equality – A New Civil Right?  24, 25 OutLoud – Encouraging Christian Allies  42 - 44, 46 NBJC – Empowering Black LGBTs  38, 39 IN-DEPTH Pray Away the Gay – A Look at Gay Conversion Therapy  30 - 32, 34 FEATURES Looking at the CIA From the Inside Out  100, 102, 104 The History of LGBT Symbols  26

Associate Publisher/ JASON PARSLEY Executive Editor jason.parsley@sfgn.com

EDITORIAL Art Director BRENDON LIES artwork@sfgn.com Web Producer DENNIS JOZEFOWICZ dennis.jozefowicz@sfgn.com News Editor JOHN MCDONALD

john.mcdonald@sfgn.com

Staff Photographer J.R. DAVIS Senior Correspondant TONY ADAMS A&E Editor J.W. ARNOLD Editorial Assisstant JILLIAN MELERO

CORRESPONDENTS CHRISTIANA LILLY DAVID-ELIJAH NAHMOD GARY M. KRAMER RICK KARLIN

SALES & MARKETING

SPECIAL SECTION: FALL A&E PREVIEWS This Fall’s Top 10 Tickets  76, 78 Dance  74 Theater  50 Broadway  54 Film / TV  70 Comedy  64 Classical Music  58 FEATURES Art Basel Returns  84, 85 Festivals  82 Dancer Escapes Cuba  86, 87 Where to Feast Before the Show  52, 53 Entertaining  66 INTERVIEWS

rom music to theater, ballet, dance, film, and comedy, the Fall Arts and Entertainment section has it all. Pages 49 - 96. Photo: Brendon Lies.

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Celebrity Chef Ronnie Woo  88 Musician Ari Gold  68, 69 Film Director Sal Bardo  72, 73 Actor Lee Roy Reams  60, 62 CALENDAR  92, 94, 96 Cover: The Mirror focuses on local artist Jaime Reytor, whose aspirations carried him into a land of opportunity. Photoshoot space provided by Andrew's Living Arts.

Director of Sales MIKE TROTTIER & Marketing mike.trottier@sfgn.com Sales Manager JUSTIN WYSE justin.wyse@sfgn.com Advertising Sales Assoc. EDWIN NEIMANN edwin.neimann@sfgn.com Advertising Sales Assoc. CINDY CURTIS cindy.curtis@sfgn.com Advertising Sales Assoc. JIM ALBRIGHT jim.albright@sfgn.com Distribution Services BRIAN SWINFORD J.R. DAVIS Printing THE PRINTER’S PRINTER National Advertising RIVENDELL MEDIA 212-242-6863 sales@rivendellmedia.com Accounting Services CG BOOKKEEPING The Mirror is published quarterly. The opinions expressed in columns, stories, and letters to the editor are those of the writers. They do not represent the opinions of The Mirror or the Publisher. You should not presume the sexual orientation of individuals based on their names or pictorial representations in The Mirror. Furthermore the word “gay” in The Mirror should be interpreted to be inclusive of the entire LGBT community. All of the material that appears in The Mirror, both online at www.themirrormag.com, and in our print edition, including articles used in conjunction with the Associated Press and our columnists, is protected under federal copyright and intellectual property laws, and is jealously guarded by the newspaper. Nothing published may be reprinted in whole or part without getting written consent from the Publisher of The Mirror, Norm Kent, at Norm@NormKent.com. The Mirror is published by the South Florida Gay News. It’s a private corporation, and reserves the right to enforce its own standards regarding the suitability of advertising copy, illustrations and photographs. Copyright © 2014,

South Florida Gay News.com, Inc.

Associated Press Florida Press Association National Gay and Lesbian Journalists Association

[News]

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Unmarried Equality

[News]

Should unmarried couples have the same rights as married people?

Christiana LiLLy

ith marriage equality being the law midst of the marriage equality debates, the of the land, there’s still a group nonprofit changed their name to Unmarried of people -- both gay and straight – who are Equality in 2013. Today, Miller and Solot are still happily unmarried with children. continuing the fight for equality. “We advocate essentially for a broader social Couples that have no desire to get married. “We shouldn’t all have to get married to affirmation of family diversity, which of course be treated equally,” said Sarah Wright, board is the trend,” Wright said. “Right now, if there’s really this kind of one default choice that’s chairwoman of Unmarried Equality. Originally called the Alternatives to Marriage feeling a little compulsory. That is a turn off Project, the nonprofit was founded in 1998 by to not only gay couples but to some straight Marshall Miller and Dorian Solot, a straight, couples too.” This includes rights regarding cohabitation, unmarried couple. They were frustrated with the discrimination they faced for not being married, health care, military relationships, immigration, and before the Supreme including when they tried to lease Court’s recent ruling, those an apartment together. who could not get married. As long-time LGBT couples However, Wright are fully aware, before their right emphasizes that Unmarried to marriage was affirmed by Equality is not opposed to the Supreme Court, unmarried marriage – they just want couples do not have rights to one rights for couples who choose another’s health insurance, can’t not to get married, whatever visit each other in the ICU in reason that is. some hospitals, and do not stand Marriage is a personal to inherit from their deceased Board chairwoman of choice, and the reasons a partner. Unmarried Equality couple may choose not to “The privileges of marriage get married vary, from not are entirely unearned,” Wright said. “It’s one choice among many, it’s on the subscribing to the ideas of traditional marriage, continuum of relationship status, but it’s the one age, financial reasons, not wanting to get remarried, or the couple is not yet ready to that gets all the attention and all the goodies.” According to the Human Rights Campaign, be married. And now that LGBT couples can married couples gain 1,138 rights once they say legally marry in all 50 states, some are feeling the pressure to walk down the aisle. “I do.” “We do support more choices for more Miller and Solot wanted to change that. The couple started the group to serve as advocates people,” she explained. “We understand the for unmarried couples, straight or gay, to ensure nuclear family is no more and we are very that they would be able to live a full life together conscious of the fact that now the average regardless of the rings on their finger. In the American does in fact spend the majority of his

“We shouldn’t all have to get married to be treated equally.” - Sarah Wright

or her life unmarried…. We’re basically trying to have a conversation around the changing family structure.” With the American family in shift, it raises the question, what makes a family? Currently, the Scarborough 11 is fighting that in court. Eight adults and three children live together under one roof in Hartford, Conn. and consider themselves to be a family, but the law doesn’t see it that way. With zoning laws stating that only two people who are not related by blood, marriage, civil union or adoption can live in a home, some members of the Scarborough 11 are facing eviction. "This issue of the government deciding who is a legitimate family and who is illegitimate is unacceptable to us," Joshua Blanchfield, one of the Scarborough 11 living with his wife and two children, told the Hartford Courant. According to the Courant, the antiquated law was made to refer to live-in servants. Wright herself is in a domestic partnership and has faced problems. Her partner was working for a national corporate chain, which offered the two women insurance as it recognized domestic partnerships. However, when her partner switched to a statewide employer, Wright was no longer able to receive the benefits. “My partner was married and divorced once before. I’ve never been married,” Wright explained. “When I’m faced with checking off a martial status check box, I just cross out the whole section and write ‘none.’ I just reject the whole concept out of hand.” Plus, there’s the divorce rate. “If marriage really were a business, it would have closed,” Wright said. “It would have closed a long time ago.”

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[HIsTORY]

WE’VE ALL SEEN THEM _

LGBT SYMBOLS Now read about their unique histories and how they came to be Christiana LiLLy

GAY PRIDE FLAG Perhaps the most iconic and most recognized symbol, the rainbow flag flies in support of the LGBT movement. The simple but effect flag was designed by Gilbert Baker in June 1978. On his website, he tells the story of how he was honorably discharged from the Army while stationed in San Francisco and then taught himself how to sew. With his new skills, he became a part of the gay rights and antiwar movements, making flags and banners for the marches -- including those lead by the legendary Harvey Milk. One of those flags he created was the rainbow flag, which was first flown at the San Francisco Gay Freedom Day Parade. Baker has continued his work in making flags for decades, including a flag for Sen. Dianne Feinstein. In 1994, he made a 1-mile-long rainbow flag in New York City, his current home, in honor of the 25th anniversary of the Stonewall Riots, which kicked of the LGBT movement. He beat his own record for the largest flag in 2003 when he made a rainbow flag that stretched from the Gulf of Mexico to Key West. When the movie “Milk” came out chronicling the civil rights leader’s life, Baker was brought on to recreate his banners and flags for the film.

TRIANGLES Most people are familiar with the Star of David patch that Nazis forced Jews to wear during World War II, but many don't realize other “undesirables” had patches of their own. According to the Friends of the Pink Triangle, patches of different colored triangles were required to be worn by gypsies, Jehovah’s Witnesses, criminals, political prisoners, and others -- including the pink triangle for gay men. They were also placed in concentration camps along with Jews and believed to be given even worse treatment because of their homosexuality. Women such as feminists, prostitutes, the childless by choice, and lesbians were grouped together as “asocial women” by the Nazis and were told to wear black triangles, according to the State University of New York. Today, the LGBT community is owning the symbol that once meant death for, and they have inverted it to make it their

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own. Each Pride weekend, a 200-foot pink triangle is erected on Twin Peaks in San Francisco, and a year round Pink Triangle Memorial in the city can be visited by the public to commemorate LGBT people who were killed during the Holocaust.

LAMBDA The Greek lowercase letter was chosen to be a symbol of the gay rights movement in 1970 by the Gay Activists Alliance, according to book “Youth, Education, and Sexualities.” The New York City group had recently broken off from the larger Gay Liberation Front, which also wanted to include black rights and women’s rights in their campaigns, while the GAA wanted to focus on just gay rights. The lambda has many meanings to people, including being a symbol of unity, energy, knowledge in an environment of darkness, standing up to oppression, or simply being “L” for liberation. The GAA was a group that would not back down to pressure, conducting a series of infamous “zaps,” where they would publically protest in churches, at events, and event on television. One of the most well-known zaps was by Mark Segal in 1973, when he sat on Walter Kronkite’s desk in the middle of the evening news and held up a sign reading, “Gays Protest CBS Prejudice.” Being so outspoken, it’s no wonder they chose the lambda to be their symbol.

TRANSGENDER SYMBOL Simple, but powerful. In this symbol representing the transgender community, the traditional symbols for male and female are combined, and then the addition of a third symbol, overlaying both male and female, is found at the top left. It was originally designed by Holly Boswell, a transgender activist who has created some of the country’s first transgender groups, seminars, and counseling. She passed it along to fellow activist Wendy Parker, who showed it to Nancy Nangeroni. Nangeroni wrote on GenderTalk.com that she played around with it on her computer, adding in the colors of blue, pink, and purple, and started making pins. The transgender activist, who helped pass the Transgender Equal Rights Act in Massachusetts, said the symbol belongs to the people and hopes it will be shared with everyone.

The Best Way To Protect Your Rights Is To Use Them. CIVIL RIGHTS AND CRIMINAL DEFENSE.

The Law Center of: Norman Elliot Kent and Russell Cormican 12 S.E. 7th Street, Suite 709 Fort Lauderdale, FL 33301

Telephone 954-763-1900

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[News]

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[News]

Pray the Gay Away The Mirror takes an in-depth look at conversion therapy Christiana Lilly ust three days after Christmas in 2014, Leelah Alcorn wrote a final message on her Tumblr account -- a suicide note. “Either I live the rest of my life as a lonely man who wishes he were a woman or I live my life as a lonelier woman who hates herself. There’s no winning. There’s no way out,” she wrote. “People say ‘it gets better’ but that isn’t true in my case. It gets worse. Each day I get worse.” The 17-year-old transgender girl saved the post in her queue, ready to be posted later. She then walked out into the middle of I-71 in Ohio and waited for the truck that would hit her, killing her. Leelah’s story shocked the country, and people began reading her blog, a diary of her Christian parents sending her to conversion therapy sessions to cure her of her confusion. “I only got more [C]hristians telling me that I was selfish and wrong and that I should look to God for help,” she wrote.

Outrage The controversial practice of conversion therapy, reparative therapy, or ex-gay ministries varies, but generally consists of licensed therapists or houses of worship using religion and “science” for claims they can cure one of their homosexual desires or gender confusion. This can take on the form of praying, talk therapy, exorcism, electrocution, and abuse and are conducted in churches, therapists’ offices, or camps. With Leelah’s death, groups cried out for a law that would ban conversion therapy on minors – currently, California, New Jersey and

the District of Columbia have outlawed the presidential candidate Michele Bachmann, practice on minors, and 18 other states have claimed they did no such thing. TWO legislation that has been introduced, including conducted an undercover investigation into the practice for a week with cameras. During Florida. President Barack Obama and Vice Admiral the investigation, a TWO staffer went through Vivek H. Murthy, the surgeon general of the reparative therapy and was promised that he U.S. and a medical doctor, are two of many could be turned straight and that they had done it before. high-ranking leaders who “The therapist told The report came out in the have come out in support of midst of Michele’s run for “Leelah’s Law.” Obama said he me that I was sick, president. would sign a bill into law, but that God hated “It takes the most beautiful it would have to come from part of one’s life and turns it Congress. me, and that the into something ugly, and when “Being gay is not a disorder. government had you do that, you’re destroying Being transgender is not a exterminated all the person spiritually and malady that requires a cure. Had I been Leelah Alcorn’s other gay people. I emotionally and physically,” Besen said. “When you turn physician, I would have told believed him.” it into something painful, you her exactly that,” Dr. Murthy destroy the very essence of the said. person.” Conversion therapy is – Wayne Besen Most major medical nothing new – when simply Founder and executive associations have come out threatening the wrath of director TWO in opposition to the practice, God on people was no longer working, churches took a new approach, said including the American Academy of Pediatrics, Wayne Besen, the founder of Truth Wins Out American Counseling Association, American (TWO), an LGBT advocacy group working to Psychiatric Association, and the American Medical Association. eliminate anti-gay bias. To combat the ongoing practice, the “Conversion therapy is the hijacking of medical language to justify religious persecution National Center for Lesbian Rights launched and beliefs,” said Wayne Besen, the founder and the #BornPerfect campaign in 2014 with the executive director TWO. “The ministries use goal to eliminate conversion therapy by 2019. the medical language and the therapists use the One of its most outspoken activists is Samuel Brinton. You can’t miss the 27-year-old, with religious language. It’s the same damn thing.” TWO made waves in 2011 when it took his bright red Mohawk and his signature high down Bachmann and Associates for practicing heels. He is also a clean energy fellow at Third reparative therapy even though its founder, Way, a centrist think tank in Washington, D.C., Marcus Bachmann, the husband of former where he works on advanced nuclear policy

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[News] and spends almost every other week in the White House. But his charisma and smiles were hard to come by just a decade ago.

Torture and Promises The son of Baptist missionaries, Brinton grew up around the globe spreading the word of God and was close with his family. They all told each other everything, including when he came out to his parents by accident at 10. Some boys living in the religious commune located in Sanford, Fla. found a Playboy magazine and were ogling over the photos of naked women. Brinton was proud of himself, because he said he felt nothing, believing that meant he was holier than his friends. He told his father about the incident, and after they prayed together, he admitted he had those lustful feelings when he was around one of his friends – Dale. The next thing Brinton remembers, he woke up in the commune’s emergency room – his father had knocked him out cold. The beatings continued for the next two months whenever he talked about his feelings towards boys, but he never understood why. Finally, seeing that the beatings weren't working, his parents took him to see a therapist who promised he could cure him of his homosexual thoughts. “The therapist told me that I was sick, that

Oregon

HB 2307 introduced on Jan. 12, 2015. Referred to House Committee on Health Care on Jan. 16. 2015. Passed House Committee on Health Care on March 10, 2015 by a vote of 6-3. Passed House by a vote of 41-18 on March 17, 2015. Referred to the Senate Committee on Human Services and Early Childhood on March 19, 2015. Passed Senate by a vote of 21-8 on May 7, 2015. Signed into law by Gov. Kate Brown on May 19, 2015.

God hated me, and that the government had exterminated all other gay people,” he remembers. “I believed him.” For the next two years, the therapist put the youngster through a series of torturous practices that would get him to associate homosexuality with pain. He tied Brinton’s hands together and numbed them with ice, wrapped his wrists in hot coils, stuck needles in his fingers, and electrocuted him while showing him erotic pictures. He screamed out in pain while his parents were in the next room. The experience was so traumatic that Brinton asked the Mirror to watch videos of his speaking engagements where he describes his experience, rather than retelling the story. Over the next two years, Brinton attempted suicide multiple times until one day, he told his sister good-bye and went onto the roof of their apartment. His mother came out, telling him if he “would just change, I’ll love you again.” At that moment, Brinton came up with the plan that the best way to make it all stop was to lie. He said it worked and that he was cured – the therapy immediately stopped and the family never spoke of it again. He went back into the closet and stayed there until college. “I learned to lie and through that survived,” he said. Not all conversion therapy includes physical

abuse, but it can be just as damaging. Apryl Prentiss, 37, lives in Virginia Beach with her wife and works as the deputy director for LGBTQ issues at the Alliance for Progressive Values. She too grew up in a Christian home, attended a Christian school, was a part of the church leadership, went on mission trips, and seemed to be the poster child for the faith. However, she was holding a secret inside her that finally bubbled to the surface when she attended Campbell University, a Christian college: she was a lesbian. “I had the full realization of, ‘Oh my God, I might be gay,’” Prentiss remembers. “It was definitely a dark time and a huge part of the dark time was knowing that if I started talking about it or asked for help that I would risk alienating people who meant a lot to me.” At 19, she took a chance and went to a therapist she was referred to, and for a year she religiously attended sessions filled with prayer and talk therapy with the goal to rid her of her “rebellion,” as they called it. Together, the therapist and her dug deep into her history – did she have an issue with her mother? Father? Was there abuse in her childhood? She was also told if she prayed hard enough, it would go away. But it wasn’t working. Prentiss spent hours praying, reading the Bible, fasting, staying away from certain women, and during sessions they would analyze every interaction she had, even

Mapping Conversion Therapy

California

SB 1172 introduced on Feb. 22, 2012. Passed Assembly on Aug. 28, 2012 by a vote of 52-22. Passed Senate on Aug. 30, 2012 by a vote of 23-13. Signed into law by Gov. Jerry Brown on Sept. 19, 2012. Held constitutional by the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals on Aug. 29, 2013. Denied review by the Supreme Court of the United States on June 30, 2014.

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New Jersey

A 3371 and S 2278 introduced on Oct. 15, 2012. A 3371 passed New Jersey Assembly by a vote of 56-14 on June 24, 2013. S 2278 passed New Jersey Senate on June 27, 2013 by a vote of 289. Signed into law by Gov. Chris Christie on August 19, 2013. Held constitutional by the United States District Court for the District of New Jersey on Nov. 8, 2013. Held constitutional by the Third Circuit Court of Appeals on Sept. 11, 2014. Petition for certiorari ﬁled with the United States Supreme Court on Dec. 3, 2014.

Florida

*Source National Center for Lesbian Rights

Blue – States that have passed laws banning conversation therapy Green – States that have introduced legislation banning conversation therapy Red – States where bills banning conversation therapy have died White – No legislation has been considered

HB 83 introduced on Dec. 9, 2014. SB 204 introduced on Dec. 18, 2014. HB 83 referred to House Committee on Health & Human Services on Dec. 19, 2014. SB 204 referred to Senate Committee on Health Policy on Jan. 8, 2015. HB 83 died on April 28, 2015. SB 204 died on May 1, 2015.

[News]

Photo: Facebook.

“Conversion therapy is the hijacking of medical language to justify religious persecution and beliefs. The ministries use the medical language and the therapists use the religious language. It’s the same damn thing.” – Wayne Besen

Founder and executive director TWO

something as innocent as having lunch with a female friend. Prentiss started to drink, do drugs, and act promiscuously for a temporary reprieve from the turmoil going on in her mind, that she was disobeying God. In one semester, she developed alcohol poisoning four times. “Literally you have two sides of yourself screaming in your head all the time,” she said. “[Therapy] makes it so introspective, that it’s almost like it weaponizes that sexually against you.” After a year of therapy, Prentiss’s therapist made an alarming observation in her. “She was telling me in the midst of the session that she could see a demon moving behind my eyes,” Prentiss remembered. “I was scared and I trusted her implicitly.” The solution was to conduct an exorcism on Prentiss, and for three to four hours they tried to excise the demon causing her homosexuality. An hour into it, however, she knew it was not working and the wrong thing to do. “I can walk away from the exorcism and say, ‘That was so weird and the most ridiculous thing ever,’” Prentiss said. “But when I think back it’s mostly the talk therapy stuff that’s really the most damaging…it gets in your head and it cultivates that self hatred.” After the exorcism session, Prentiss took a break from therapy and started a relationship with a woman. However, she was still suffering from the residual trauma from the therapy and was still confused about her attraction to women – and how happy she felt being in a relationship – when it went against everything she knew from church. So, she ended it and went back to conversion therapy for six more months. In her mid-20s, she went to ex-gay ministries for a few years to “help” others in her situation. Many in ex-gay ministries treat homosexuality as one would a drug or alcohol addiction, something that needs to be overcome and is a lifelong battle. One marries someone of the opposite sex to lead a normal life, or they become celibate. “I was still trying to fight really hard against being gay,” she said. “It really was like a 12-step

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program for gays, they called it sexual brokenness.”

Healing and Moving On It was two incidences that changed her life, leading Prentiss to embrace her sexuality and find love in a woman who would become her wife in 2007. While on a mission trip to Serbia, she said she had “an awakening or an experience of enlightenment,” where she reexamined the Bible and what she had been taught all her life. Finally, while working with a 17-year-old girl in ex-gay ministries, she thought about the life she was telling this girl she had to lead: one with a man or a celibate one. “I remember thinking to myself, this girl is 17 years old,” she said. “How can these be the only two options for her life?” For Brinton, peace in his sexuality finally happened when he attended college at Kansas State University and befriended a lesbian couple in college. The women encouraged him to be himself and helped him find happiness. Today, he is an out and proud gay man who jokes that he came out in a “shower of glitter,” with his flamboyant outfits and shoes. Now, he has a new relationship with God that includes his true self. However, the trauma of the torture he underwent is long-lasting – seconds after his first gay kiss, he vomited. He says it’s still physically painful when he touches a man, whether it’s a friendly hug or a loving embrace from a boyfriend. It was only last year that he was able to return to a mental health setting, sitting on a couch across from a therapist without a breakdown. Part of the healing is working for change – he is the co-chair of the NCLR’s #BornPerfect campaign and has spoken before the United Nations Security Council about his experience with conversion therapy in November 2014, urging the council to end the torturous practice. “I can’t fathom it,” he said during a Google Talk presentation. “We would never allow this to happen to prisoners, and yet we do it to our own children.”

In a 2014 interview with Anderson Cooper, Texas Rep. Bryan Hughes said that the Republican Party includes the practice in its platform as a form of religious freedom, especially for those who want to pursue the therapy, but it is not being pushed on anyone. Besen and TWO not only want conversion therapy to be banned, but point out that it’s also a form of consumer fraud: a person takes an ailing person’s money, promising results that can never be attained. The agency hopes that this will hit therapists on two levels, the threat of abuse charges as well as business malpractice. Currently, the Southern Poverty Law Center is keeping track of therapists across that country who use conversion therapy and also encourages survivors to share their story. The NCLR’s goal to ban conversion therapy is going faster than expected, with more people talking about the practice, and President Obama himself condemning it. “I was simply in awe,” Brinton said of the announcement. “We have the most powerful man in the world saying that, yes Sam, you’re right, what happened to you was wrong and I don't want it to happen to anyone else. That is the definition of support, of agreement.” Today, Prentiss still lives in Virginia Beach happily with her wife. The two knew each other growing up and were married in 2007, and then legally in Virginia when the state lifted its ban on gay marriage. She said she misses the community of church, but she’s not sure if she can return to the Christian faith. “I will have the trauma reactions every now and then, but in general, I’m happy to be a fully integrated person,” she said. “I do feel like my hardest time was when I was in the midst of [therapy], and I was lucky to escape with my life.”

For more information on conversion therapy, visit the National Center for Lesbian Rights at NCLRights.org. If you are suffering from the after effects of conversion therapy, visit the Trevor Project atTheTrevorProject.org. FALL 2015 •THE FALL 2014

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[News]

National Black Justice Coalition Black LGBT people need their voices heard too Christiana LiLLy

t was 2003 and LGBT advocates were celebrating a moment in history: the Supreme Judicial Court of Massachusetts ruled that a ban on same-sex marriage was unconstitutional. The next year, it would be legalized, and the movement was aflutter with excitement and hope for the future. However, just like today, not everyone was happy with the court’s decision. “During that time, many prominent African American pastors and ministers came out publicly against the expansion of marriage to same-sex couples, fostering the narrative that the African American community was homophobic,” said Sharon J. Lettman-Hicks, the executive director and CEO of the National Black Justice Coalition (NBJC). With that, major leaders in the black LGBT community wanted to make a change, with the goal to change the hearts and minds of the black community as well as their perception to others. So, on Dec. 8, 2003, the NBJC was founded. According to a Gallup poll in 2012, 4.6 percent of black people polled identified as LGBT – more than 1 million people – compared to 3.2 percent of whites, 4 percent of Hispanics, and 4.3 percent of Asians polled. Within the LGBT population, 19.6 percent are black, according to a Williams Institute study in 2014. Just like any other LGBT organization, though, marriage equality is far from being the only issue that the group fights for. Other issues such as employment discrimination, health, and

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acceptance by families are pressing issues for the black LGBT community. In addition, the media fails to covers this segment of the LGBT population and its unique struggles. “To be honest, we had reluctantly taken on the freedom to marry cause. Most of us in the Black LGBT community were more focused on bread-and-butter economic and social justice issues,” wrote Keith Boykin, a former White House aide, on BET.com. “We worried about jobs, health care, access to education, affordable housing, HIV/AIDS and mass incarceration of African-Americans. Even when we turned our attention to LGBT issues, we were often more concerned about job discrimination than marriage equality.” With African Americans already at a disadvantage, as the community suffers disproportionately from HIV/AIDS infection, unemployment, lack of health care, voting rights, fair housing, and more, adding homophobia and transphobia into the mix just adds to the struggle. This is where the NBJC steps in. Currently, the nonprofit is working for LGBT protections in employment and housing -- not all states have legal protections set up for the community. Also, the agency has created the Emerging Leaders Initiative for young black leaders in the community aged 18 to 30.

In the program, they are mentored by older black LGBT leaders and have a chance to voice their opinions and help find solutions in public policy to problems plaguing the black LGBT community. On Black LGBT Emerging Leaders Day, hundreds of black LGBT emerging leaders gather at the White House to brainstorm with government leaders, advocates, and experts in the field. According to the Department of Health and Human Services, black gay and bisexual men are the most impacted by the HIV/AIDS epidemic. Black people make up about 12 percent of the U.S. population, but 44 percent of new infections are in black people. To help combat this, In 2014, the NBJC launched the Black LGBT Health and Wellness Initiative to hone in on health issues that are impacting the community. NBJC leaders bring a the black LGBT voice to the table when discussing health policy, and they also work to raise awareness and decrease stigma within the community. “When we talk about LGBT equality, we must acknowledge the cultural challenges and divides that we face as Americans. Black LGBT people cannot separate their blackness from their lived experiences,” Lettman-Hicks said. “The issues that confront black people — like poverty, health disparities and racism — impact black LGBT people even more.”

Within the LGBT population, 19.6 percent are black, according to a Williams Institute study in 2014.

Submitted photo.

FALL 2015  THE

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Photo: @ajo23, Instagram.

[News]

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[News]

Believe Out Loud LGBT Christians coming together to fight religious stereotypes Christiana Lilly

tanding in a sea of people literally jumping for joy -word just got out that the Supreme Court struck down the ban on gay marriage -- James Rowe held a sign over his head that read, “God Loves Gays.” Not only is he a gay man, but he’s a man that loves God and the Catholic Church, two things at one point he never thought he could be at the same time.

FALL 2015  THE

Submitted photo.

“If your church is telling you that you are not loved by God or worthy of God’s love because you are LGBTQ – it might be time to find a new church.” - James Rowe Director of Believe Out Loud

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“I never would have dreamed that after a decade long absence that I would one day want to return to the Catholic Church...and I have,” he said. “Or that I would want to stand at the steps of the U.S. Supreme Court holding a sign in front of thousands of people that says "God Loves Gays"...and I have. I had no idea just how much healing I had left to do before I started working at Believe Out Loud.” Rowe is the director of Believe Out Loud, an online community working to encourage Christians to assert their support for the LGBT community. It all started with a study released in 2009 by the Public Religion Research Institute, “Clergy Voices,” that concluded that if you had the support of the mainline Protestants for equality, the rest of the country was sure to follow. “This is about love and as Christians, we are taught to follow the teachings of Christ and Christ never said a word about LGBTQ people,” Rowe said. “If your church is telling you that you are not loved by God or worthy of God’s love because you are LGBTQ – it might be time to find a new church.” And Believe Out Loud can help with that – the nonprofit has created an online database of welcoming and affirming Christian churches across the country, with 5,000 and counting as a part of the list. Many branches of the Christian faith have been in the forefront of supporting LGBT equality, including the United Church of Christ and the Episcopal Church. In fact, the latter has been welcoming of LGBT people since 1976, and over time the church welcomed openly

gay bishops and even conducted same-sex union blessings. Right after the Supreme Court decision on gay marriage in June, the Episcopal Church voted in its General Convention to support same-sex marriages in their churches. “One of the holdouts right now is the Methodist Church and then of course you have the Catholics who are trailing way, way, way behind,” Rowe said. “I’m Catholic myself, so it’s very important to me to help get them on board with this.” With marriage equality now the law of the land, Believe Out Loud has been vocal against businesses and people claiming religious exemptions from conducting marriage ceremonies or catering to “gay weddings.” “We are here to also counter those voices,” Rowe said. “It’s our Christian values and our Christian faith that propels us to stand up for equality and for justice for the LGBT community as well.” One of the agency’s biggest projects is the Paint America campaign. Believe Out Loud mails thousands of rainbow cross bumper stickers and flags to churches across the country from June to October with the hope they will display them. Seeing a rainbow flag or cross at the door of a church can mean the world to an LGBT person wanting to find a safe place to worship. In September, Believe Out Loud will be going to Philadelphia and joining with Catholics to see Pope Francis during the World Meeting of Families, representing LGBT Catholics. Other issues that Believe Out Loud is tackling include

Continued on next page

[News] Continued FRoM pReViouS page

spiritual abuse, LGBTQ homelessness, violence against transgender women of color, racial justice, employment discrimination, and inclusive healthcare. The Catholic Church became an important part of Rowe’s life early on as a child, when he would go to church services by himself. When he came out as a teen in the ‘80s, the AIDS crisis was in its infancy and being gay was not welcome both in society or in the church. He decided to leave the church, a decision he thought he was fine with until he learned about

Believe Out Loud and began working there. Now, he regularly attends Pride services at Saint Francis of Assisi in New York City. “What you see in the mainstream media isn’t always the case as it relates to welcoming LGBT people in the Christian church,” he said of religious stereotypes. “Don’t give up on either of your identities. Don't’ give up on identifying as LGBT and don’t give up on God and Christ. What you’re taught in the church isn’t necessarily what Jesus taught.”

Denominational Policies on LGBT Equality Believe Out Loud tracks denominational policies on homosexuality and gender identity. The chart below provides a snapshot of where major U.S. denominations currently stand on LGBT affirmation, ordination of LGBT clergy, and marriage equality. The sun indicate a denomination that has policies and practices that are LGBT affirming; the cloudy sun indicates a denomination is making progress toward LGBT inclusion or allowing for affirmation on the local level; and rain clouds indicate a denomination has policies that are overtly discriminatory. Even in denominations whose official policies are not LGBT affirming, you will find local congregations that are fully open to the LGBT community. Conversely, individual churches within generally affirming denominations are not always LGBT friendly. lgbt afﬁrmation

Denomination

lgbt Ordination

marriage Equality

Denomination

American Baptist Church USA

Seventh Day Adventist Church

Assemblies of God

Southern Baptist Convention

Christian Church (Disciples of Christ)

lgbt lgbt marriage afﬁrmation Ordination Equality

Unitarian Universalist Association

Church of God In Christ

United Church of Christ (UCC)

Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (Mormons)

United Methodist Church (UMC)

Church of the Nazarene

Unity

Jehova's Witnesses

Reformed Church In America

Lutheran Church Missouri Synod

Religious Society of Friends (Quakers)

Mennonite Church USA

Roman Catholic Church

Metropolitan Community Churches

Salvation Army Community of Christ (Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latterday Saints)

National Baptist Convention USA Presbyterian Church USA

Episcopal Church

Friends General Conference (Quakers)

Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELC)

Chart: www.believeoutloud.com/background/christianity-and-lgbt-equality

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“It’s our Christian values and our Christian faith that propels us to stand up for equality and for justice for the LGBT community as well.” - James Rowe Director of Believe Out Loud

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Welcome to our

A &E

FALL ISSUE • THEATER • FILM • dance • broadway • local arts • music

Ronnie Woo, interviewed on page 88.

Bes tO f

Reg ional The ater

PREVIEW

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J.W. arnOLD

roward County is seeing a resurgence in regional theater this fall. Slow Burn Theatre Co., the resourceful troupe that has built a strong reputation bringing new life to the quirky musicals that didn’t do so well the first time around on Broadway, is moving from West Boca High School to the Broward Center’s Amaturo Theater. The first production in their new home is the stage adaptation of the film, “Big Fish,” Oct. 22 – Nov. 8. Tickets and more information at BrowardCenter.org. Two small innovative companies also have new homes: Nicole Stodard’s Thinking Cap Theatre is now performing at the Vanguard Sanctuary for the Arts, a beautifully converted former church on south Andrews Ave. in Fort Lauderdale. Their fall productions include Erin Courtney’s “A Map of Virtue,” Oct. 1 – 18, and Oscar Wilde’s “The Importance of Being Earnest,” Nov. 12 – Dec. 6. For tickets, go to ThinkingCapTheatre.com. Erynn Dalton’s Infinite Abyss has inaugurated the Abyss Theatre at 2304 N. Dixie Highway in Wilton Manors. For upcoming productions, go to Infinite-Abyss.org. Island City Stage, the LGBT-centric company, is also calling the Abyss Theatre home after several seasons at Empire Stage. Island City, under the leadership of Andy Rogow and Michael Leeds, continues to lead the way with world and regional premieres. They open their Wilton Manors season with Topher Payne’s “Angry Fags,” Nov. 12 – Dec. 13. South Florida audiences will also get a chance to catch another look at last season’s criticallyacclaimed production of Michael McKeever’s moving new play, “Daniel’s Husband,” Nov. 28 – Dec. 20 at Beifield Auditorium on the Levis Jewish Community Center campus in Boca

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Raton. For tickets and more information, go to IslandCityStage.org. Regional companies continue to be strong in Miami-Dade and Palm Beach counties. In Miami-Dade, Zoetic Stage at the Arsht Center opens its season with award-winning local playwright Christopher Demos-Brown’s world premiere play, “Stripped,” Nov. 5 – 22. For tickets and more information, go to ZoeticStage.org. Actors Playhouse at the Miracle Theater in Coral Gables brings back that cult favorite rock musical, “The Toxic Avenger,” Oct. 14 – Nov. 18, followed by “The Trial of Ebenezer Scrooge,” Dec. 2 – 27, just in time for the holidays. For tickets and more information, go to ActorsPlayhouse.org. Joseph Adler’s GableStage at the Biltmore Hotel in Coral Gables brings Nick Payne’s spellbinding romance, “Constellations,” to South Florida, Nov. 21 – Dec. 20. For tickets and information, go to GableStage.org.

Maltz Jupiter Theater in Jupiter is best known for its big budget musicals, but the company has turned to traditional dramas and comedies to open its fall season in recent years.

In Palm Beach County, The Wick Theatre and Costume Museum will again parade amazing outfits, first with “A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum,” Oct. 1 – 31, and then with Lee Roy Reams offering a gender-bending twist on “Hello, Dolly!,” Nov. 5 – Dec. 6. The Wick hosts “Ballroom with a Twist-Mas,” featuring the pros of “Dancing with the Stars” and “So You Think You Can Dance,” Dec. 10 – 27. For tickets and more information, go to TheWick.org. Arts Garage, the cool performance space in Delray Beach, opens its season with “Sex with Strangers,” Oct. 25 – Nov. 15. All eyes are on this program with the arrival of Keith Garsson and Genie Croft to helm the theater program. For tickets and more information, go to ArtsGarage. org. Palm Beach Dramaworks, which tends to stick to American classics, gets off to a big start with the Pulitzer Prize-winning play, “Picnic,” Oct. 9 – Nov. 8, the story of a stranger who arrives in a small Kansas town and begins to awaken the residents’ emotions. “The History Boys,” a classroom drama, follows, Dec. 4 – Jan. 3. For tickets and more information, go to PalmBeachDramaworks.org. Maltz Jupiter Theater in Jupiter is best known for its big budget musicals, but the company has turned to traditional dramas and comedies to open its fall season in recent years. Agatha Christie’s “The Mousetrap” is artistic director Andrew Kato’s pick for 2015-16, running Oct. 25 – Nov. 8. Maltz follows the mystery with the South Florida premiere of the Broadway dance sensation, “Billy Elliott,” Dec. 1 – 20, featuring a cast of talented young local performers. For tickets and more information, go to JupiterTheater.org.

FALL 2015  THE

FOOD

Finger Lickin' Good Hot dining spots before the show

riCK KarLin

n the land of the early-bird special, you’d think that there’d be no problem at all finding pre-theater dining options. But no, most early bird dining options require you to be seated before five. Even at a leisurely pace that leaves you with at least with an hour to kill after your dinner before an 8 p.m. curtain. I suppose you could take a walk to burn off those calories, but in South Florida that means you’ll end up a sweaty mess when you get to the theater. However, a few places offer pre-theater prix fixe meals which allow you time for a meal with plenty of time to get to the theater.

Morton’s Steakhouse 500 E. Broward 954-467-9720 Mortons.com A three-course, pre-theater menu is available for $52.95 from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m., with free valet parking until 7:30 on nights of performances at the Broward Center for the Performing Arts and Parker Playhouse.

Marti’s New River Bistro Broward Center for Performing Arts 201 SW 5th Ave. 954-660-6333 Marti’s offers a prix fixe dinner menu starting two hours before curtain for evening performances for $39.50 per person. The menu includes a choice of one of four appetizers, numerous entrée selections and a choice of dessert. For Sunday matinees, the brunch menu is served from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Reservations are suggested.

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Chef's Palette

Mojo

1650 SE 17th St. 954-760-7957 bit.ly/1IHGgY7

4140 N Federal 954-568 4443 Mojoﬂ.com

The dining room of the culinary school of the Art Institute of Fort Lauderdale offers a prix fixe menu Thursday and Friday from 6 - 8 p.m. for $19.99. A typical dinner may include tomato zucchini soup with a mini grilled cheese, short ribs tapas with fennel salad, crab cakes or spinach salad for an appetizer. Entrée options might feature a choice from grilled flat iron steak, Asian chicken breast, pesto crusted mahi mahi or vegetable lasagna. Desserts usually include chocolate lava cake, bread pudding or cheesecake. Beverages are available at an additional cost.

Arrive an hour before the show at The Intermezzo Lounge at The Broward Center, and enjoy a selection of delicious hot and cold hors d’oeuvres and complimentary soft drinks, seasonal craft and premium beer, wine, champagne, and coffee and tea.

Mojo’s prix fixe is available any time of night on Tuesday, and on Monday through Wednesday, June through October. The $21.95 meal includes appetizer, a choice of entrée and dessert. Appetizers possibilities are the soup of the day or one of three salads. Entrée options are roast chicken, mojo burger, meatloaf, linguini and meatballs, a mahi mahi taco platter, flat iron steak, Scottish salmon, chicken Parmesan and chicken or beef stir fry, all served with sides.

Chimney House Grille 701 W. Las Olas Blvd. 954-900-5352 TheChimneyHouse.net This popular downtown spot specializing in South American fare offers a three-course pretheater menu for $25. Among the options are tapas, mussels in white wine with chorizo, churrasco steak with chimichurri, arroz marinero (similar to paella), or more casual fare such as fish tacos and a gaucho steak sandwich.

Royal Pig 350 E Las Olas 954-617-7447 RoyalPigPub.com Royal Pig offers a pre-theater dinner for two for $55 which includes a shared appetizer, (buffalo chicken finger sliders or shrimp) two entrees from

a selection that includes baby back ribs, braised pork shoulder, fried chicken and waffles, BBQ shrimp and grits or a daily fish special. A shared dessert completes the meal.

Coco Asian Bistro 1841 Cordova Rd., 954.525.3541 CocoAsianBistro.com The three-course prix fixe menu includes a choice of appetizer, entree and dessert for $35 per person. The restaurant also offers happy hour daily from 4-7 p.m. with a specially priced appetizer bar menu and $2 house wine with the purchase of an appetizer.

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404 Plaza Real Mizner Park, Boca Raton 561-368-0080 MaxsGrille.com Max’s “Three-course Experience” not only nets you a free bottle of house wine or house cocktail, but also includes a choice of five apps, any entrée and a choice of five mini-desserts for the price of the entrée alone. You need to be seated by 6 p.m.

The Intermezzo Lounge at The Broward Center 201 SW 5th Ave. BrowardCenter.org Many folks don’t know about this option. Arrive an hour before the show and enjoy a selection of delicious hot and cold hors d’oeuvres and complimentary soft drinks, seasonal craft and premium beer, wine, champagne, and coffee and tea. Mixed drinks and spirits are available at an additional cost. During intermission, desserts and drinks are served in the private lounge with ample seating and a wall of sliding glass doors that open to a private veranda. At $30, it’s a lot cheaper than many prix fixe dinner specials. Broward also offers private parties use of its Club Level private lounge, which includes many of the same benefits of the Intermezzo Lounge, as well as premium beverages at the open bar, extra roomy theater seats and free valet parking. Of course, during Dine Out Lauderdale, Sept. 1 through Oct. 12, restaurants all over town offer specially-created, three-course prix fixe $35 menus. For a list of participating restaurants, go to www.sunny.org/dineout. Pre-theater applies to movies, too. If you want to grab a bite before a movie at the Gateway, Canyon offers it small plates for half price in its bar all night on MondayFriday, and Sukho Thai features two for one drinks and $2 off all food items 5 to 7p.m.

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Kinky Boots. Submitted photo.

THEATER

Broadway Kinky Boots, Newsies & The Sound of Music Coming Soon... J. W. arnOLD

ith three world class performing arts center along a 75 mile stretch of I-95, South Florida regularly attracts the most popular touring productions, straight from Broadway. This season is no exception, with “Kinky Boots” coming to both Miami and Fort Lauderdale, and “Once” and “Newsies” rounding out the fall lineup at the Broward Center. The Broadway Across America season gets an early start at Fort Lauderdale’s Broward Center with the poignant 2012 Tony Award-winning

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musical, “Once,” about an unlikely romance set in an intimate Irish pub, Oct. 6 – 18. The 2012 runner up, Disney’s “Newsies,” promises an evening of dazzling choreography, Nov. 17 – 29. And, for the holiday season, don’t miss “Dr. Seuss’ How the Grinch Stole Christmas! The Musical,” Dec. 15 – 27. For tickets and more information, go to BrowardCenter.org. Audiences in Miami will get the first look at Cyndi Lauper and Harvey Fierstein’s 2013 Tony Award-winning hit, “Kinky Boots,” at the Arsht Center, Dec. 8 – 13. Broward audiences shouldn’t

fret because the show heads to Fort Lauderdale next spring. In the meantime, get out those boots. For the holidays, Broadway Across Miami brings the Rodgers and Hammerstein classic, “The Sound of Music.” For tickets and more information, go to ArshtCenter.org. The Kravis on Broadway series at the Kravis Center in West Palm Beach opens its 2015-16 season with the crowd-pleasing Blue Man Group. The colorful music trio will bring their unique antics to South Florida, Dec. 8 – 13. For tickets and more information, go to Kravis.org.

PREVIEW

Classical Music & Jazz South Florida Pride Wind Ensemble celebrates 30th anniversary J. W. arnOLD

hile symphony orchestras across the country still continue to deal with the aftermath of the Great Recession and dwindling donations, the South Florida Symphony continues to buck the trend. Last season, the orchestra, which presents each of its programs at venues in Key West, Fort Lauderdale and Palm Beach, surpassed its fundraising goals, raising more than $1 million for the first time. According to Symphony officials, the funds will be used to continue the organization’s mission of inclusivity and engagement with the diverse communities of South Florida. The Symphony kicks off its 2015-16 season Nov. 14 – 16 in Key West, Boca Raton and Fort Lauderdale with “And the Tony goes to….,” a pops concert featuring the hits of Broadway. The program will also feature local and visiting guest artists, including Mara Bonde, Bridgette Gan, Beth Holland, Janna Baty, Davron Monroe, John Whittlesey and Neil Nelson. For more information and tickets, go to SouthFloridaSymphony.org. Broward’s other professional orchestra, the Symphony of the Americas, opens its season Oct. 13 with an eclectic program celebrating Italian and Hispanic heritage. Cuban pianist Jorge Luis Prats will be featured, along with guest conductor Nino

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Lepore of the National Symphony of Bari, Italy. The Symphony welcomes the West Point Glee Club to the Broward Center’s Amaturo Theater stage on Nov. 10 and offers its annual holiday concert, Sounds of the Season, Dec. 8, also at the Amaturo Theater. All performances begin at 8:15 p.m. For tickets and more information, go to SymphonyOfTheAmericas.org. The Miami Symphony Orchestra celebrates its 10th season with artistic director Eduardo Marturet at the Arsht Center on Oct. 4 with the world premiere Cresimini’s “Echoes” and symphonies by Brahms and Schubert. MiSO, as it’s called, then inaugurates its newest performing venue, NatComStudios@ManaWynwood, with a program from Bizet’s opera, “Carmen,” and a premiere from Marturet, “Pictures for an Exhibition.” For tickets and more information, go to TheMiSO.org. Another orchestra that is selling plenty of tickets is the Cleveland Orchestra, which celebrates the 10th anniversary of its Miami residency at the Arsht Center. Giancarlo Guerrero will conduct the famed Saint-Saën Organ Symphony, Nov. 13 and 14. The program will also include Johannes Moser performing the Shostakovich Cello Concerto No. 1. For tickets and more information, go to ClevelandOrchestraMiami.com.

The South Florida Pride Wind Ensemble, under the direction of Dan Bassett, has steadily gained a reputation as one of the finest LGBT and allies instrumental organizations in the country. On Nov. 13, the wind ensemble, which got its start as the Flamingo Freedom Band marching in pride parades, celebrates its 30th anniversary with a special concert at the Amaturo Theater. The program will include musical favorites and guest performers from the band’s history. For tickets and more information, go to PrideWindEnsemble.org. The region’s gay men’s choruses holiday concerts regularly sell out well in advance. While dates had not been published by press deadline, check their websites periodically for concert announcements: GayMensChor usOfSouthFlorida.org, MiamiGayChorus.org, TheFortLauderdaleGay MensChorus.org and VoicesOfPride.org. For jazz lovers, the Gold Coast Jazz Society has another exciting season planned, beginning with the Shelly Berg Trio performing the music of George Gershwin, Nov. 11, and the Allan Harris Quartet offering a music tribute to Billy Strayhorn on Dec. 9. Both concerts are at 7:45 p.m. in the Amaturo Theater at the Broward Center. For tickets and more information, go to GoldCoastJazz.org.

PROFILE

Hello, Lee Roy! A Broadway Legend’s Love Affair with Dolly J.W. arnOLD

ee Roy Reams adores Dolly Levi. Of course, she’s only a character in a beloved Broadway musical, but their intimate relationship spans nearly four decades. This fall, he will finally take on that iconic role in the first sanctioned performance of its kind at The Wick in Boca Raton. Reams, a classic song and dance man, portrayed Cornelius Hackl in the 1978 revival starring Carol Channing. He became friends with composer Jerry Herman, writer Michael Stewart and producer David Merrick, but this was just the beginning of the love affair with Dolly. “It’s a wonderful role and I love the score. It’s practically the perfect musical,” he explained from his Manhattan apartment. “When you think about Dolly, she takes on the role of her dead husband and his philosophy. It’s a story about a woman rejoining the human race and seeking adventure.” Reams also proudly added, “She’s Irish by background and I’m Irish by background.” By the second Broadway revival in 1994, Channing tasked Reams with directing—and reprising his role as Cornelius when the production hit the road. Since then, he has directed Channing, Madeline Kahn, Michelle Lee, Leslie Uggams, Jo Ann Worley, Randy Graff and even an all-Asian production. During one of the Channing tours, Reams actually toyed with the idea of casting himself as the understudy for Dolly, “but Carol is notorious for never missing a performance.” As it happens, she did catch a bug, but that would not be his opportunity. Performing in drag would not be a novelty for the actor, Lee Roy Reams. Submitted photo.

CONTINUED

“It’s a wonderful role and I love the score. It’s practically the perfect musical.” - Lee Roy Reams

Director and Lead Actor in ‘Hello, Dolly!’ 60 THE

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who has donned wigs and heels for genderbending roles in “La Cage aux Folles,” “Victor/ Victoria” and “The Producers.” It’s not a new idea, Reams points out, since female roles were always played by men in Shakespeare’s day. And composer Herman knew of his aspirations and approved, when the time was right. After his run as the transvestite performer Alban in “La Cage” at The Wick, executive producer Marilynn Wick insisted Reams return and with it, the perfect opportunity. Wick, the owner of Costume World, the largest supplier of theatrical costumes in the country, immediately assigned a designer to create a wardrobe for Reams, based on the original Broadway production that has been on display in the costume museum located behind the Boca theater’s stage. “Marilynn is very brave. She raised two daughters and built a business in a man’s world. She’s a pioneer,” praised Reams, who likened her to Dolly Levi. “She’s not afraid to take a gamble.” So, is there any particular actress Reams might channel for his own performance? “I don’t do Carol Channing,” he responded resolutely. “I wouldn’t want to do Carol

Channing. I want to bring the character to the fore and that’s what I will do.” As an experienced director, he always put his emphasis on the development of the character, especially when working with such a diverse bevy of stars. But, if pushed, he supposed his Dolly would be most like Rosalyn Russell, an actress who never played the role but it most famous for “Mame.” Reams continues to come back to his longtime association with Dolly and her back story: “That’s why I think a man can do it. It’s not that I like to dress up in women’s clothes.” “The point of being an actor is to play roles you can’t play in real life. In today’s world, sexuality—transgender, bi-, tri-, quad-, whatever—it’s time people have become more comfortable with it all,” he elaborated. As for the Wick production, Reams knows it will be historic, but “we’re not reinventing the wheel, we’re just doing ‘Hello, Dolly!’” and to borrow a popular advertising slogan, he’s “loving it.” Lee Roy Reams directs and stars in “Hello, Dolly!” at The Wick, 7901 N. Federal Highway in Boca Raton, Nov. 5 – Dec. 6. Tickets are $65-75 at TheWick.org.

As an experienced director, [Reams] always put his emphasis on the development of the character, especially when working with such a diverse bevy of stars.

“La Cage aux Folles” at The Wick Theatre. Photo by Amy Pasquantonio

PROFILE

CONTINUED

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afternoons Rosemary Duffy Larson

Matinee Series SUNDAY DECEMBER 13, 2015 | 2:00 PM

SOUNDS OF THE SEASON

evenings Stephen A. Keller Guest Artist Series Haller Foundation Guest Artists

OPERA TO BROADWAY

TUESDAY OCTOBER 13, 2015 | 8:15 PM HONORING ITALIAN & HISPANIC HERITAGE MONTH JORGE LUIS PRATS, PIANO NINO LEPORE, GUEST CONDUCTOR

SUNDAY MARCH 6, 2016 | 1:00 PM

TUESDAY NOVEMBER 10, 2015 | 8:15 PM WEST POINT GLEE CLUB

SUNDAY FEBRUARY 14, 2016 | 2:00 PM

BROADWAY MARCH MADNESS

Tickets at BrowardCenter.org 954.462.0222 Broward Center’s AutoNation Box Office

Symphony of the Americas 954.335.7002 • info@sota.org www.sota.org

TUESDAY DECEMBER 8, 2015 | 8:15 PM SOUNDS OF THE SEASON TUESDAY JANUARY 12, 2016 | 8:15 PM FLORIN IONESCU-GALATI, VIOLIN TUESDAY FEBRUARY 9, 2016 | 8:15 PM OPERA TO BROADWAY TUESDAY APRIL 12, 2016 | 8:15 PM JOAQUÍN ACHÚCARRO, PIANIST FALL 2015  THE

COMEDY

Comedy and Concerts J.W. arnOLD

Bernadette Peters, Janet Jackson & Nick Jonas Coming to South Florida

he biggest acts come to the American Airlines Arena in Miami. JANET JACKSON brings her Unbreakable World tour to the Triple A on Sept. 20, followed by MARC ANTHONY, Oct. 2 – 3, RICKY MARTIN, Oct. 24, and TAYLOR SWIFT, Oct. 29. MADONNA will be stopping by, also, but you’ll have to wait until January. Get your tickets now. Tickets and more information at AAArena.com. Quirky cult filmmaker JOHN WATERS takes to the Arsht Center stage for what promises to be a uniquely twisted take on the holidays in “A John Waters Christmas: Holier and Dirtier,” Dec. 14 at 8 p.m. For tickets and more information, go to ArshtCenter.org. Broadway legend BERNADETTE PETERS should have no trouble selling out the intimate Aventura Arts & Cultural Center’s fifth anniversary gala, even at a steep $225 ticket, which includes a preshow reception with the artist. Tickets are still available at Ticketmaster.com. THE FILLMORE MIAMI BEACH at the Jackie Gleason Theater has been amping up its schedule over the past year and, this fall, brings sexy Nick Jonas, Sept. 27; British funnymen John Cleese and Eric Idle, Oct. 10; Margaret Cho, Oct. 30; and former “Late Late Show” host Craig Ferguson, Dec. 3. Tickets are available at LiveNation.com. HARD ROCK LIVE AT THE SEMINOLE PARADISE IN HOLLYWOOD has a solid lineup for fall: rocker Billy Idol, Sept. 21; Cheap Trick, Oct. 22; Bill O’Reilly and Dennis Miller: Don’t Be a Pinhead Tour, Nov. 7; Daryl Hall and John Oates, Nov. 28; and Michael McDonald, Dec. 17. For tickets and more information, go to MyHRL.com. The king of NBC’s ‘90s Thursday night lineup, JERRY SEINFELD, comes to the Kravis Center in West Palm Beach, Oct. 16 – 17. The island

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stylings of Jake Shimabukuro and his ukulele will be featured on Nov. 15, followed by the wacky stand-up nuns of “Late Night Catechism,” Nov. 20 – 22. For tickets and information, go to Kravis. org THE PARKER PLAYHOUSE IN FORT LAUDERDALE is a throwback to the glamorous days of the traveling road shows and it continues to attract interesting acts that can’t be seen just anywhere. THE NAKED MAGIC SHOW comes to Parker, Oct. 17 – 18. No telling what these guys are going to pull out of their hats, but that’s about all they may be wearing. On Nov. 7, magician BILL BLAGG brings his tricks to the stage, fully clothed, and on Nov. 20, “Dynasty” actress JOAN COLLINS dons those famous shoulder pads to dish on her career. For tickets and more information, go to ParkerPlayhouse.org.

The Parker Playhouse in Fort Lauderdale is a throwback to the glamorous days of the traveling road shows and it continues to attract interesting acts that can’t be seen just anywhere.

ENTERTAINING

Shake Up Your Holiday Festivities with

Creative Cocktails J.W. arnOLD

he fall holidays are steeped in tradition. Try to imagine Thanksgiving without turkey and stuffing, Christmas without a ham or New Year’s Eve without a champagne toast. So how can home entertainers honor the past while spicing up their own celebrations for family and friends? Many of us have resorted to exotic stuffing recipes and desserts that sound better on paper than they taste on the plate. The obvious solution to this conundrum is to whip up some designer cocktails to compliment those staples of the holiday table. “The Mirror” turned to David Ortiz, spirits specialist and staff mixologist for Republic National Distributing Company in Deerfield Beach, for some suggestions. Ortiz, who has more than 30 years experience in the industry, is charged with helping restaurant and bar managers across the state concoct new libations. Ortiz believes less is more when it comes to cocktails, focusing on tasty recipes that include no more than four ingredients. “I like to keep it simple,” he explained. “Just a few, carefully chosen ingredients can lend big flavors to cocktails and when you’re busy entertaining, ease is one of the most important considerations.” Ortiz created four custom cocktails for “Mirror” readers, one each for the Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Years holidays, using Republic National brands (but you can substitute your favorites, too). Sticking to his philosophy, each is easily mixed—or shaken—at home and promise to make an amateur mixologist shine like a pro.

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Maple “Peared” Together Halloween is the traditional start to the holiday entertaining season and this original cocktail captures the tastes of those crisp, fall nights up north, along with a little hint of orange, suggesting the jack-o-lanterns greeting trick-or-treaters: 1 ¾ oz. Death’s Door Gin ¾ oz. Briottet pear liqueur ½ oz. orange juice ½ oz. maple syrup Add all ingredients in a shaker, shake hard and strain into a martini glass. Garnish with a mint sprig.

Autumn Fig Bring on the turkey and dressing! The perfect complement to the savory tastes of a traditional Thanksgiving dinner, Ortiz’s Autumn Fig plays the acidity of citrusinfused vodka and lemon juice against the complex sweetness of agave nectar and fig: 2 oz. St. George California Citrus Vodka ¾ oz. lemon juice ¾ oz. agave nectar ½ oz. ﬁg preserves (2 bar spoons) Add all ingredients in a shaker, shake hard and strain into a martini glass. Garnish with a mint sprig.

Christmas Julep The Old Fashioned is back and Ortiz has been training bartenders across the state to make this traditional bourbon cocktail. For a Christmas twist, add some muddled peppermints while you anxiously await jolly old St. Nick’s annual visit: 2 oz. Buffalo Trace Bourbon 1 oz. simple syrup 3 peppermints, muddled ¼ oz. cranberry juice In an Old Fashioned glass, mix muddled peppermints and simple syrup. Add bourbon and fill glass with crushed ice. Garnish with fresh peppermint sprig.

New Year’s Cranberry Fizz One of the most popular cocktails within the LGBT community is the Cape Cod, vodka mixed with cranberry juice. For a special New Year’s toast, Ortiz offers a festive variation, featuring cranberry-infused vodka and prosecco, Italian sparkling wine: 1 oz. Deep Eddy Cranberry Vodka ¾ oz. lemon juice ½ oz. simple syrup La Marca Prosecco to ﬁll Pour all ingredients into a shaker. Shake hard and strain into a flute garnished with lemon twist.

FALL 2015  THE

MUSIC

‛ A Soundtrack to Freedom’ Ari Gold releases vibrant collection Gary M. KraMEr

“S

oundtrack to Freedom” is gay singer Ari Gold’s latest album, a vibrant collection of EDM anthems — plus a ballad and a slow jam — about love, sex and sexuality. The performer, who lives in New York, took time to chat about his music as well as sexuality. Why did you choose singing as a career? I didn’t choose a career as a singer. It chose me. I recorded my first record when I was six years old. I was discovered as a signer at my brother’s Bar Mitzvah. I sang jingles that taught me about melody and harmony. I had my first demo when I was 12 on my cassette tape! I started writing songs when I was 14. I always wrote about my life. So it made sense to me that when I came out, and accepted myself that I would be writing from that perspective as well. How much do you think you sexuality ties into your music? I don’t only write about sexuality; I write about love. I’ve always been a bit precocious sexually. I did spend years struggling and being in the closet and feeling like I would be ostracized by my family and community [if I came out]. Despite my struggles with my sexuality, I was always very interested and excited by sex. Some folks are not as sexual. I feel like after all these years, it’s still important for me to continue to explore that. If you look around at gay role models in pop music, we have very, very few. What can you say about the emphasis on sex in your music? Songs like “Take Your Shirt Off” and “Sex Like a Pornstar” certainly emphasize sex? “Sex like a Pornstar” is pretty out there. It’s a metaphor about living life to the fullest. It’s autobiographical. I’ve strived to have sex like

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a porn star, and have those moments where you live the fantasy [laughs]. “Take Your Shirt Off ” came out as celebrating what I see as a gay male tradition at all the EDM parties. I come from the Larry Kramer school where I feel even in this world of greater acceptance, we have a culture and a history and traditions that can be celebrated. Perhaps it comes from the fact that Larry Kramer and I come from Jewish backgrounds. It’s kind of a Jewish way of looking at things. I also wanted the lyrics to express that we can take out shirts off with all kinds of bodies, “Bears cubs, chasers, and chubs.” There’s another line in that song too I’m quite proud of, “Everyone can marry, we can kiss on TV.” I wrote that a year ago, and it was a vision for the future, and hear we are, the album is released, and everyone can marry in this country. Speaking of Judaism, how does religion play into you work? There are lyrics in “Personal Apocalypse” about Jesus that struck me.

What is the point of making art if it’s not political? And I mean that in the sense of social change. Love is political. Dance music is often seen as frivolous. Not only is it not frivolous, but it has been the soundtrack to our freedom.

Jesus was Jewish. That song is really about the search for meaning and spirituality in one’s life. There is spirituality to be found in these very old practices and religions, but it’s about coming to a point in my own life where you are trying everything and it feels like the world is falling apart, and you need something to lift you and bring you out. I felt that in the last two years making this album. This album was my own personal soundtrack to freedom. I was dealing with fairly serious health issues, and the music really healed me and kept me going. Would you describe your songs as “political”? The title song, “Soundtrack to Freedom” makes a case for this, perhaps. I come from the feminist thought — “The personal is political.” I am being political. There is another great quote: What is the point of making art if it’s not political? And I mean that in the sense of social change. Love is political. Dance music is often seen as frivolous. Not only is it not frivolous, but it has been the soundtrack to our freedom. We’ve told many different stories in the history of dance music. It’s about telling stories, and the multiplicity and multifaceted nature of who we are as a community. I like the dance tracks, but can you discuss your slow jam, “Back in High School” and your ballad, “Leave the World Changed”? I could not make an album without a smooth slow jam! I can have the four on the floor boom chicka, but I am a sucker for a mid tempo slow jam like “Back in High School.” I also wanted a ballad. Bob [Sandee] played me a 30 second piano riff and that’s where “Leave the World Changed” came from. The song came out of not knowing if I would have another day, and if I would leave the world changed. It also means that I change, and that I leave the world a “changed” man.

Submitted photo.

FALL 2015  THE

Photo credit: “Stonewall” / Roadside Attractions.

FILM

Television and Film Stonewall is this Fall's must see movie

J.W. arnOLD

he fall television schedule offers viewers much more the same fare: increasingly ludicrous reality series and low budget game shows. One pleasant return is the third season of “Please Like Me,” on Pivot. Created by Australian Josh Thomas, the series is a poignant coming of age story about the trials of a young gay man. A great alternative to the latest “Real Housewives” franchise. As usual, the Hollywood studios have loaded the holiday movie schedule with lots of big budget action flicks. But, in between, there are plenty of films to appeal to increasing diverse audiences. Director Roland Emmerich’s “Stonewall” is already attracting scrutiny—and more than a little controversy—from LGBT activists, who charge the film trailers don’t accurately portray the role of drag queens and transgender people in the 1969 riots that launched the gay rights movement. Regardless, Jeremy Irvine is certainly cute and will look good on the big screen. Check it out for yourself, Sept. 25. Apparently Ashton Kutcher’s portrayal a couple of years ago wasn’t good enough because another Steve Jobs biopic comes to the screen Oct. 9, appropriately titled, “Steve Jobs,” and starring Michael Fassbender. Even though the zombie thing has been done to death on TV, the whole concept of goofy boy scouts taking on zombies armed with Swiss army knives and all those crazy rope knots sounds pretty campy. Catch “The Scout’s Guide to the Zombie Apocalypse” in theaters beginning Oct. 30. Will “Spectre” be the last appearance of Daniel Craig as Agent 007? Find out Nov. 7. Jennifer

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Laurence picks up her bow for the final time when the four film “Hunger Games” trilogy finally comes to an end on Nov. 20 with the release of “Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 2.” We’ve all seen the Facebook meme about

On Christmas Day, former TV alien and indie ﬁlm star Joseph Gordon-Levitt stars as the notorious leaker and fugitive, “Snowden.”

Pixar’s film strategy: Toys with feelings. Fish with feelings. Cars with feelings. Feelings with feeling. The studio’s latest film is about a dinosaur with feelings, “The Good Dinosaur,” opening Nov. 25, just in time for Thanksgiving. The most anticipated release of the holiday movie season is J.J. Abrams’ “Star Wars: The Force Awakens,” as the torch—or lightsaber— gets passed on to a new generation of young Jedi warriors, Dec. 18. Not in the mood to wait in lines with robe-clad science fiction fans? Tina Fey and Amy Poehler plan a party in “Sisters,” also opening Dec. 18. On Christmas Day, former TV alien and indie film star Joseph Gordon-Levitt stars as the notorious leaker and fugitive, “Snowden.” Check local listings for theaters and show times. The Fort Lauderdale Gay and Lesbian Film Festival—rebranded last year as MiFo with its Miami counterpart—gets new life this fall with the arrival of festival director Victor M. Gimenez. The Classic Gateway Theatre again serves as home for the festival, Oct. 9 – 18, which will include over 60 LGBT features, shorts and documentaries. For a complete schedule of screenings and events, go to FLGLFF.com.

PROFILE n. ink Moo

Queer Indie Filmmaker

Gary M. KraMEr

al Bardo is a gay filmmaker who works in the short film format. His smart, sharp dramas, which have played festivals across the country, include “Requited,” about a gay man conflicted about his feelings for his straight best friend; “Sam,” a nearly wordless short about gender identity and bullying; and “Chaser,” a controversial short about barebacking. Bardo’s films are compelling slices of life that ask questions about our place in society. The strength of his work is not just that these short films grab viewers in their opening moments, and build suspense until the final payoff; it is that he resists preaching or moralizing, allowing viewers to come to their own decisions about the provocative issues being raised. The writer/director/producer’s latest short, “Pink Moon,” which premiered at the Miami LGBT film festival this spring, and is available on YouTube continues this trend. The short tells the story of Ben (Brandon Tyler Harris), a young man living in a world where homosexuality is the norm and abortion is illegal. While he is in a relationship with Leo (Adam Jepsen), Ben finds himself in a tricky situation when his girlfriend on the side, Emily (Cole Johnston), gets pregnant. The Mirror spoke to Bardo about making short films and his penchant for addressing sensitive topics. Why have you chosen to make short ﬁlms rather than features? What is it about this format that is so appealing? It’s first and foremost a necessity, because a feature film is such a big undertaking—financially and otherwise. I never went to film school, so making short films has been the way I’ve

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learned the ins and outs of filmmaking; it’s my way of going to film school. For “Pink Moon” specifically, it was originally a feature film. I wasn’t sure how to get that off the ground, so I made a short film to pitch it to producers.

audience and at queer festivals. I see it as a stepping stone, like short films are for making features. I was recently on a panel about what does it mean to be a queer filmmaker, and it’s to make good films and tell an interesting story.

What sparks your interest as a storyteller? Why tell gay-themed stories?

What can you say about the theme of paradox in your work? The heroes in all of your shorts seem to be struggling with a sense of belonging. Why do you keep exploring this internal conﬂict?

It’s a matter of that old adage, “write what you know.” For me, the topics that have interested me the most are the ones that are socially and politically relevant. I think I gravitate to stories about topics I want to understand more about or have something to say about. It comes naturally to me to tell these stories and build my career in a niche because I’ve been embraced by queer

Bardo’s films are compelling slices of life that ask questions about our place in society. The strength of his work is not just that these short films grab viewers in their opening moments, and build suspense until the final payoff; it is that he resists preaching or moralizing, allowing viewers to come to their own decisions about the provocative issues being raised.

I struggle with attaining what I want, and [knowing] if it is something that I want. It’s not a conscious thing; it just comes out in my writing. Another way to put it is: How do we react when we feel we don’t belong? I’m dealing with that in my personal life, so I guess I’ve been exploring it in my work. Where do I fit in in the gay community? I felt on the outside of it for a long time, and I think because of the films I’m making, I’m finding where I belong. In addition to choosing interesting subjects for your ﬁlms, you tell your stories in a distinctive visual style. What can you say about your visual approach to the material and matching the story to the format? I work as closely as I can with cinematographers because, as I said earlier, I didn’t go to film school. I like to collaborate with people who have a visual style that matches the tone of the story. I discuss the characters and explore the themes in the script visually, without dialogue. The love scenes, in “Pink Moon,” for example: one of them is very warm and pink, the other is cool and blue, which is meant to represent the main character’s relationship with Emily—one of the few warm

on. Pink Mo

d. Requite

P Leo from

Sal Bardo

and inviting scenes in the film—and Leo, which is in daytime and bright, but it’s cool. I want to convey the disconnect between Ben and Leo with the colors in the bedroom.

on YouTube last week, which reaches more people than if it had played the festival circuit, so it’s important to exploit the resources like YouTube and other online sources.

What can you say about distribution for short ﬁlms, which people generally get to see on the festival circuit and on video in boxed collections?

Speaking of resources, many short filmmakers rely on Kickstarter and crowdsourcing to make films. What can you say about financing?

My first film Requited was released on a DVD collection and that was great, but I haven’t seen any money from that, and I haven’t been able to post it on line because it’s on DVD. My subsequent films, I put them online after the festival run and that, to me, is the best way to get your work out there, especially as a filmmaker in the early stages of my career. It’s more important for me to have people see my films than making money—but I’d like to make money. For Pink Moon, I’m not waiting to post it online because the subject matter is really relevant. We had 50,000 views

At this point, all of my films have been funded via crowdfunding— Kickstarter or Indiegogo. It’s great. Twenty years ago, there was a lot more money going around to make features. I can lament about that, but those filmmakers didn’t have the resources and platforms we have now. I can go online and talk about my film and get investors from around the world. Crowdfunding is absolutely a necessary resource, and I can’t imagine making films any other way. I don’t know millionaires wanting to fund queer indie film. It’s a really exciting time to be an indie filmmaker.

Chaser.

FALL 2015  THE

BALLET

Ballet Swan Lake and Nutcracker Coming to South Florida J.W. arnOLD

Miami City Ballet. Credit: miamicityballet.org.

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he Miami City Ballet celebrates its 30th anniversary this season, a distinguished history that has played homage to legendary choreographer George Balanchine while premiering works by promising young talents. For her fourth season, savvy artistic director Lourdes Lopez opens with Balanchine’s elegant “Swan Lake,” set to music by Tchaikovsky; Jerome Robbins’ “Fancy Free,” a rollicking tale of sailors on shore leave in Manhattan; and “Viscera,” a company commission from Liam Scarlett, the talented, young gay British choreographer, set to the dramatic piano concerto of Lowell Liebermann. This thrilling program will be danced Oct. 23 – 25 at the Arsht Center in Miami, Nov. 7 – 8 at the Broward Center in Fort Lauderdale, and Nov. 13 – 15 at the Kravis Center in West Palm Beach. A Miami City Ballet tradition, Balanchine’s “The Nutcracker,” set to Tchaikovsky’s iconic score, is presented Dec. 11 – 13 at the Broward Center in Fort Lauderdale, Dec. 17 – 24 at the Arsht Center in Miami, and Dec. 27 – 29 at the Kravis Center in West Palm Beach. For tickets and more information for all performances, go to MiamiCityBallet. org. Arts Ballet Theater of South Florida opens its season with “Ballets with a Latin Flavor,” set to music by Ernesto Lecuona and excerpts from “Don Quixote” and “Laurencia.” Catch this fiery program Oct. 10 – 11 at the Aventura Arts and Cultural Center and Oct. 17 – 18 at the Broward Center’s Amaturo Theater in Fort Lauderdale. For tickets and more information, go to BrowardCenter.org. The Kravis Center offers two thought-provoking acts: Ballet Austin presents “Light: The Holocaust & Humanity Project, “Nov. 7, a look at the lessons that weren’t learned in the attempted Nazi genocide of the Jews, and MOMIX, the unique troupe of dancers/illusionists performs “Botanica,” Nov. 29. For tickets and more information, go to Kravis.org.

ARTS

10 Hot Tickets This Fall's must see list

J.W. arnOLD

The Slow Burn Theatre Co. makes its highly anticipated debut at the Broward Center’s Amaturo Theater with “Big Fish,” Andrew Lippa and John August’s Broadway adaptation of the celebrated novel and acclaimed ﬁlm. See the magic this inventive, scrappy company consistently brings to quirky, underrated musicals that are often ahead of their time. Tickets $45 at BrowardCenter.org.

“Stonewall” Local Theaters

Roland Emmerich’s historical ﬁlm based on the 1969 Stonewall Riots in Greenwich Village hits screens across the country on Sept. 25. Weeks before the premiere, the ﬁlm has struck a nerve with drag and transgender communities who saw the trailer and fear the screenplay by Jon Robin Baitz downplays the roles of minorities and drag queens at the historic event. Check local listings for theaters and show times.

MiFo LGBT Film Festival The Classic Gateway, Fort Lauderdale

The rebranded Miami/Fort Lauderdale (MiFo) Gay and Lesbian Film Festival returns to The Classic Gateway Theater, 1820 E. Sunrise Blvd. in Fort Lauderdale, Oct. 9 – 18. The festival, under the direction of new director Victor M. Gimenez, will feature up to 60 LGBT-themed features, documentaries and shorts, as well as panels, discussions and parties. For a full schedule and tickets, go to FLGLFF.com.

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Program I Miami City Ballet, Arsht, Broward and Kravis Centers Miami City Ballet opens its 30th anniversary season with the return of “Viscera,” the company’s 2012 commission from promising British choreographer Liam Scarlett. The ballet, set to music by Lowell Liebermann, is a fascinating study in motion and form. Oct. 23 – 25, Arsht Center, Miami; Nov. 7 -8, Broward Center, Fort Lauderdale; and Nov. 13 – 15, Kravis Center, West Palm Beach. Tickets at MiamiCityBallet.org.

Ricky Martin American Airlines Arena, Miami

It’s been more than a decade since smoking hot Latin superstar Ricky Martin thrilled the world with “Livin’ la Vida Loca,” but he’s still thrilling fans. Martin brings his One World Tour 2015 to Miami’s American Airlines Arena, Saturday, Oct. 24 at 8 p.m. Here’s your chance to see the sexiest set of hips since Elvis Presley had all the girls swooning—and Martin likes boys! Tickets are $36 – 126 at Ticketmaster.com.

The rebranded Miami/ Fort Lauderdale (MiFo) Gay and Lesbian Film Festival returns to The Classic Gateway Theater, 1820 E. Sunrise Blvd. in Fort Lauderdale.

Photos: Facebook.

“Big Fish” Slow Burn Theatre Co., Broward Center

Next Time You Snap a Photo at a show TAG IT with #FillmoreMB

FillmoreMB.com

THEATER

Margaret Cho The Fillmore Miami Beach

No, this isn’t the ﬁrst time comedian Margaret Cho has made the rounds of South Florida with her sharptongued act, but she always has plenty to say about her friends in the LGBT community. She’ll have you in stitches when she makes her stop at The Fillmore Miami Beach at the Jackie Gleason Auditorium, Friday, Oct. 30.

“Hello, Dolly!” The Wick Theatre, Boca Raton

Nearly every card-carrying homo knows Barbra Streisand’s iconic portrayal of Dolly Levi in the 1969 ﬁlm adaptation of “Hello, Dolly!” Broadway veteran Lee Roy Reams returns to The Wick, 7901 N. Federal Highway in Boca Raton, with a gender-bending take on the character, Nov. 5 – Dec. 6. And Reams and Artistic Director Marilynn Wick have the blessing of composer Jerry Herman. Tickets $65-75 at TheWick.org.

“Angry Fags” Island City Stage, Wilton Manors

LGBT-centric theater company Island City Stage opens its season in its new home at the Abyss Stage, 2304 N. Dixie Highway in Wilton Manors, with the regional premiere of Topher Payne’s “Angry Fags,” Nov. 12 – Dec. 13. The play is “an uncompromising Oscar Wilde-meets-Fight Club fantasia” about how good ideas go bad with forays into politics, bomb building and pistachios. Tickets at IslandCityStage.org.

Margaret Cho will be at The Fillmore Miami Beach at the Jackie Gleason Auditorium on Friday, October 30.

“Kinky Boots” Arsht Center, Miami

Cyndi Lauper and Harvey Fierstein’s outrageous Tony Award-winning musical about a troupe of drag queens who save a failing British shoe factory makes its ﬁrst stop at the Arsht Center in Miami, Dec. 8 – 13. This tuneful show has plenty of attitude and heart. Fort Lauderdale fans will get their chance to catch the show later in the season at the Broward Center, March 1 – 13. Tickets at ArshtCenter.org.

10.

Symphony No. 9, “Choral” South Florida Symphony/ Master Chorale of South Florida

Cirque Éloize: iD will be at the Adrienne Arsht Center in Miami on October 4. Photos: Facebook.

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Yes, this is technically a winter performance, but reserve your tickets now as two regional musical powerhouses team up to perform Ludwig van Beethoven’s “Choral” Symphony, featuring the iconic “Ode to Joy.” Thursday, Jan. 21, 7:30 p.m., Key West; Saturday, Jan. 23, 7:30 p.m., Fort Lauderdale; and Sunday, Jan. 24, 4:00 p.m., Boca Raton. For tickets and more information, go to SouthFloridaSymphony. org.

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FALL 2015  THE

DATEBOOK

Fall Arts & Entertainment

Calendar

Broward County ONCE Oct. 6 to 18 at the Broward Center for the Performing Arts, 201 SW Fifth Ave. in Fort Lauderdale. A street musician in Dublin is about to give up on the craft, until he meets a woman who is enchanted by his songs. Tickets $35 to $125. Call 954-462-0222 or visit BrowardCenter.org. DR. JOHN AND THE NITE TRIPPERS Oct. 7 at 8 p.m. at Parker Playhouse, 707 NE Eighth St. in Fort Lauderdale. Since the ‘50s, Dr. John has performed New Orleans inspired music. Tickets $37.50 to $57.50. Call 954-462-0222 or visit ParkerPlayhouse.org. RONIN TAIKO PRESENTS ICHARIBA CHODÉ Oct. 10 at 7 p.m. at the Broward Center for the Performing Arts, 201 SW Fifth Ave. in Fort Lauderdale. The Japanese drum troupe takes the audience on a journey throughout the Asian Paciﬁc. Tickets $35 to $75. Call 954-462-0222 or visit BrowardCenter.org. BALLETS WITH LATIN FLAVOR Oct. 17 to 18 at the Broward Center for the Performing Arts, 201 SW Fifth Ave. in Fort Lauderdale. Arts Ballet Theatre of Florida performs “Tarde en la Siesta,” “Fuga con Pajarillo,” and excerpts from “Don Quixote” and “Laurencia.” Tickets $30. Call 954-4620222 or visit BrowardCenter.org. THE NAKED MAGIC SHOW Oct. 17 and 18 at Parker Playhouse, 707 NE Eighth St. in Fort Lauderdale. An R-rated magic show, where the magicians have no where to hide their tricks. Tickets $33 to $53. Call 954-462-0222 or visit ParkerPlayhouse. org. KIM RUSSO: THE HAPPY MEDIUM Oct. 27 at 7:30 p.m. at the Broward Center for the Performing Arts, 201 SW Fifth Ave. in Fort Lauderdale. A medium since the age of 9, Russo acts as a voice for the dead to the living. Tickets $35 to $50. Call 954-462-0222 or visit BrowardCenter.org.

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MATT AND KIM WITH DEAF POETS Nov. 7 at 7 p.m.at Revolution Live, 100 SW Third Ave. in Fort Lauderdale. The couple is touring in support of their new full-length album, “New Glow.” Tickets $25 in advance, $27 day of the show. Call 954-449-1025 or visit JointheRevolution.net.

THE BARBER OF SEVILLE Dec. 3 to 5 at the Broward Center for the Performing Arts, 201 SW Fifth Ave. in Fort Lauderdale. The Florida Grand Opera performs the story of Count Almaviva, who turns to the barber, Figaro, for help wooin the beautiful Rosina. Tickets $21 to $200. Call 954-462-0222 or visit BrowardCenter.org.

SANDY HACKETT’S RAT PACK SHOW Dec. 22 at Parker Playhouse, 707 NE Eighth St. in Fort Lauderdale. A tribute to Joey Bishop, Dean Martin, Sammy Davis, Jr., and Frank Sinatra. Tickets $37.50 to $57.50. Call 954-462-0222 or visit ParkerPlayhouse. org.

SYMPHONY OF THE AMERICAS: WEST POINT GLEE CLUB Nov. 10 at the Broward Center for the Performing Arts, 201 SW Fifth Ave. in Fort Lauderdale. The symphony is joined by West Point’s glee club. Tickets $50 to $75. Call 954-462-0222 or visit BrowardCenter.org.

KANSAS Dec. 4 at 8 p.m. Parker Playhouse, 707 NE Eighth St. in Fort Lauderdale. Known for their hit “Carry On Wayward Son,” the British prog rock band performs in South Florida. Tickets $48 to $73. Call 954-462-0222 or visit ParkerPlayhouse.org.

AN IRISH CHRISTMAS Dec. 23 at 7:30 p.m. at Parker Playhouse, 707 NE Eighth St. in Fort Lauderdale. A traditional Irish Christmas with the music and dancing of the season. Tickets $23 to $43. Call 954-462-0222 or visit ParkerPlayhouse. org.

DOGFIGHT Nov. 12 to 29 at the Broward Center for the Performing Arts, 201 SW Fifth Ave. in Fort Lauderdale. An ordinary day in 1963 turns into an extraordinary night when a waitress meets a young Marine before he ships out to Vietnam. Tickets $45. Call 954-462-0222 or visit BrowardCenter.org.

IT’S A WONDERFUL LIFE Dec. 4 to 5 at the Broward Center for the Performing Arts, 201 SW Fifth Ave. in Fort Lauderdale. The Christmas classic is performed in the style of the golden age of radio. Tickets $25. Call 954-462-0222 or visit BrowardCenter.org.

SWAN LAKE Dec. 27 at 3p.m. at Parker Playhouse, 707 NE Eighth St. in Fort Lauderdale. The State Ballet of Russia performs one of the greatest ballets of all time. Tickets $31.50 to $61.50. Call 954-462-0222 or visit ParkerPlayhouse. org.

Gold Coast Jazz: Allan Harris Quintet Dec. 9 at 7:45 p.m. at the Broward Center for the Performing Arts, 201 SW Fifth Ave. in Fort Lauderdale. A celebration of the late jazz composer, Billy Strayhorn. Tickets $50. Call 954-462-0222 or visit BrowardCenter.org.

THE TEN TENORS Dec. 28 at 8 p.m. at Parker Playhouse, 707 NE Eighth St. in Fort Lauderdale. The talented 10 from Australia perform classical pieces, pop, and rock hits. Tickets $35.50 to $55.50. Call 954-462-0222 or visit ParkerPlayhouse.org.

ANGRY FAGS Nov. 12 to Dec. 13 at Island City Stage, 1140 N. Flagler Drive in Fort Lauderdale. Bennet’s life goes out of control after his ex is killed, and he and his roommate Cooper take matters into their own hands. Call 954-5192533 or visit IslandCityStage.org. THE WIZARDS OF WINTER Nov. 19 at 8 p.m. at Parker Playhouse, 707 NE Eighth St. in Fort Lauderdale. The 12-member ensemble of the Trans-Siberian Orchestra perform music from their rock opera, “Tales Beneath a Northern Star.” Tickets $27 to $47. Call 954-462-0222 or visit ParkerPlayhouse.org. AN EVENING WITH JOAN COLLINS Nov. 20 at Parker Playhouse, 707 NE Eighth St. in Fort Lauderdale. Collins performs a hilarious revue of her personal life, career, and encounters with major stars. Tickets $48 to $108. Call 954-462-0222 or visit ParkerPlayhouse.org.

 FALL 2015

WHITEHORSE Dec. 15 at 7:30 p.m. at the Broward Center for the Performing Arts, 201 SW Fifth Ave. in Fort Lauderdale. The husband-and-wife duo perform indie rock tunes. Tickets $15. Call 954-462-0222 or visit BrowardCenter.org. THE NUTCRACKER Dec. 19 to 20 at Parker Playhouse, 707 NE Eighth St. in Fort Lauderdale. Arts Ballet Theatre of Florida performs the Christmas classic of little Clara’s toys coming to life the night before Christmas. Tickets $21.50 to $41.50. Call 954-4620222 or visit ParkerPlayhouse. org.

SOUTH FLORIDA PRIDE WIND ENSEMBLE PRESENTS CELEBRATING 30 YEARS

Nov. 13 at 8 p.m. at the Broward Center for the Performing Arts, 201 SW Fifth Ave. in Fort Lauderdale. The wind ensemble performs some of their best work from the last three decades. Tickets $30. Call 954-462-0222 or visit BrowardCenter.org.

FALL 2015  THE

Palm Beach County THE ODDBALL COMEDY & CURIOSITY FESTIVAL: AZIZ ANSARI AND AMY SCHUMER Oct. 2 at 5 p.m. at Perfect Vodka Amphitheatre, 601-7 Sansburys Way in West Palm Beach. The comedians have never shied away from telling a raunchy joke, and for one night they share the stage. Tickets $59 and up. Call 561-795-8883 or visit CruzanAmphitheatre.net. MEET ME IN ST. LOUIS Oct. 8 to 25 at the Lake Worth Playhouse, 713 Lake Ave. in Lake Worth. The Smith family heads to the 1904 World’s Fair in St. Louis in this iconic musical. Tickets $29 to $72. Call 561-586-6410 or visit LakeWorthPlayhouse.org. SO YOU THINK YOU CAN DANCE Oct. 23 at 8 p.m. at the Kravis Center for the Performing Arts, 701 Okeechobee Blvd. in West Palm Beach. The hit TV show has wowed America with its selection of competitive dangers, and performers from season 12 will put on a show that you’ll never forget. Tickets $30 and up. Call 561-8327469 or visit Kravis.org. SEX WITH STRANGERS Oct. 25 to Nov. 15 at Arts Garage, 180 NE First St. in Delray Beach. Olivia falls for a younger sex blogger and navigates dating in the digital age. Tickets $30 to $45. Call 561450-6357 or visit ArtsGarage.com. ANGÈLE DUBEAU & LA PIETÀ Oct. 23 at 8 p.m. at the Kravis Center for the Performing Arts, 701 Okeechobee Blvd. in West Palm Beach. The Canadian violinist is joined by La Pietà to perform songs from her album, “Blanc,” inspired by her breast cancer battle. Tickets $29. Call 561-8327469 or visit Kravis.org. LIGHT/ THE HOLOCAUST & HUMANITY PROJECT Nov. 7 at 8 p.m. at the Kravis Center for the Performing Arts, 701 Okeechobee Blvd. in West Palm Beach. Ballet Austin tells the story of a Holocaust survivor through dance, and the devastating effects of an unlearned society. Tickets $15 and up. Call 561-8327469 or visit Kravis.org. AN EVENING WITH JAKE SHIMABUKURO Nov. 15 at 2 and 7 p.m. at the Kravis Center for the Performing Arts, 701 Okeechobee Blvd. in West Palm Beach. The talented musician is known for his lightening fast work on the ukulele. Tickets $45 and up. Call 561-832-7469 or visit Kravis.org. MUNICH SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA Nov. 21 and 22 at the Kravis Center for the Performing Arts, 701 Okeechobee Blvd. in West Palm Beach. Philippe Entremont leads the Munich Symphony Orchestra with Pepe Romero on guitar with his guitar quartet. Call 561-832-7469 or visit Kravis.org.

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RIOULT DANCE NY Dec. 2 and 3 at the Kravis Center for the Performing Arts, 701 Okeechobee Blvd. in West Palm Beach. Pascal Rioult’s modern dance company is known for its breathtaking performances. Tickets $34. Call 561-8327469 or visit Kravis.org.

NEIL SEDAKA Dec. 14 at 8 p.m. at the Kravis Center for the Performing Arts, 701 Okeechobee Blvd. in West Palm Beach. Sedaka is known for his songs “Breaking Up is Hard to Do,” “Calendar Girl,” and more. Tickets $25 and up. Call 561832-7469 or visit Kravis.org.

BROADWAY ON ICE: A SPECIAL HOLIDAY CELEBRATION Dec. 22 to 23 at the Kravis Center for the Performing Arts, 701 Okeechobee Blvd. in West Palm Beach. Figure skaters perform to Christmas and musical favorites. Tickets $30 and up. Call 561-832-7469 or visit Kravis.org.

QUINTESSENTIALLY EMELINE! Dec. 4 at 7 p.m. at the Kravis Center for the Performing Arts, 701 Okeechobee Blvd. in West Palm Beach. Emeline Michel takes traditional Haitian rhythms and infuses itwith jazz, pop, and blues for a unique sound. Tickets $15. Call 561-832-7469 or visit Kravis.org.

CLASSIC ALBUMS LIVE PERFORMS DARK SIDE OF THE MOON Dec. 18 at 7:30 p.m. at the Kravis Center for the Performing Arts, 701 Okeechobee Blvd. in West Palm Beach. Pink Floyd’s greatest album is performed from start to ﬁnish by Classic Albums Live. Tickets $25 to $55. Call 561-832-7469 or visit Kravis.org.

GEORGE BALANCHINE’S THE NUTCRACKER Dec. 27 to 29 at the Kravis Center for the Performing Arts, 701 Okeechobee Blvd. in West Palm Beach. Miami City Ballet performs the Christmas classic of little Clara’s toys coming to life the night before Christmas. Tickets $25 and up. Call 561-832-7469 or visit Kravis.org.

CELTIC WOMAN: HOME FOR CHRISTMAS, THE SYMPHONY TOUR Dec. 18 at 8 p.m. at the Kravis Center for the Performing Arts, 701 Okeechobee Blvd. in West Palm Beach. The ethereal voices of Celtic Woman bring a whole new vibe to the Christmas spirit. Tickets $29 and up. Call 561-832-7469 or visit Kravis.org.

THE PRODUCERS Dec. 31 at 8 p.m. at the Kravis Center for the Performing Arts, 701 Okeechobee Blvd. in West Palm Beach. Two down-and-out producers come up with a plan to create the worst musical ever to make bank. Tickets $35 and up. Call 561-832-7469 or visit Kravis.org.

JOHNNY RODGERS: LEGENDS OF AMERICAN MUSIC Dec. 4 and 5 at 7:30 p.m. at the Kravis Center for the Performing Arts, 701 Okeechobee Blvd. in West Palm Beach. Rodgers travels through time and genres during the golden age of music. Tickets $35. Call 561-832-7469 or visit Kravis.org. THE HISTORY BOYS Dec. 4 to Jan. 3, 2016 at Palm Beach Dramaworks, 201 Clematis St. in West Palm Beach. Eight men’s lives are forever changed by their teacher. Tickets $64. Call 561-5144042 or visit PalmBeachDramaworks.org. DANIELA LIEBMAN Dec. 7 at 7:30 p.m.at the Kravis Center for the Performing Arts, 701 Okeechobee Blvd. in West Palm Beach. The 13-year-old piano prodigy will play compositions by Beethoven, Chopin, Liszt, and other great composers. Tickets $30. Call 561-832-7469 or visit Kravis.org. 3 MEN AND A BABY… GRAND! Dec. 15 at 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. at the Kravis Center for the Performing Arts, 701 Okeechobee Blvd. in West Palm Beach. Enjoy a tribute to Frank Sinatra. Tickets $29. Call 561-832-7469 or visit Kravis.org. CANNOLI, LATKES, AND GUILT… THE THERAPY CONTINUES Dec. 16 to 20 at the Kravis Center for the Performing Arts, 701 Okeechobee Blvd. in West Palm Beach. Steve Solomon continues his comedic antics on growing up Italian and Jewish. Tickets $30. Call 561-832-7469 or visit Kravis.org. ITZHAK PERLMAN Dec. 16 at 8 p.m. at the Kravis Center for the Performing Arts, 701 Okeechobee Blvd. in West Palm Beach. One of the greatest violinists of our time, the Israeli man wowed the world with his haunting performance for the “Schindler’s List” soundtrack. Call 561832-7469 or visit Kravis.org. THE MIDTOWN MEN: HOLIDAYS AND HITS Dec. 17 at 8 p.m. at the Kravis Center for the Performing Arts, 701 Okeechobee Blvd. in West Palm Beach. The four men from the original cast of “Jersey Boys” perform holiday favorites. Tickets $25. Call 561-832-7469 or visit Kravis.org.

 FALL 2015

A WELL-STRUNG CHRISTMAS Dec. 19 at 8 p.m. at the Kravis Center for the Performing Arts, 701 Okeechobee Blvd. in West Palm Beach. Known for their great looks, the all-male string quartet also sings in this Christmas special. Tickets $39 and up. Call 561-832-7469 or visit Kravis.org.

THE BEST OF FORBIDDEN BROADWAY Dec. 31 to Jan. 2, 2016 at at the Kravis Center for the Performing Arts, 701 Okeechobee Blvd. in West Palm Beach. For 30 years, Gerard Alessandrini has created parodies of Broadway’s greatest musicals. Tickets $39 and up. Call 561-832-7469 or visit Kravis.org.

FALL 2015  THE

DATEBOOK Cirque Éloize: iD will be at the Adrienne Arsht Center in Miami on October 4.

Miami-Dade County TSUNAMI Sept. 12 to Oct. 3 at the South MiamiDade Cultural Arts Center, 10950 SW 211 St. in Cutler Bay. A tsunami swept through Japan in 2011, and this play tells the story of the people’s surviving spirit. Tickets $25 in advance, $30 the day of the show. Call 786573-5300 or visit SMDCAC.org. MARC ANTHONY Oct. 2 and 3 at 8 p.m. at the AmericanAirlines Arena, 601 Biscayne Blvd. in Miami. Due to popular demand, Anthony has added a second show to his Miami stop. Tickets $61 to $201. Call 786-777-1000 or visit AAArena.com. TANGOBSESSION Oct. 3 and 4 at the Aventura Arts & Cultural Center, 3385 NE 188th St. in Aventura. A show of tango, music, dance, love, and the passion of Latin performance. Tickets $45. Call 305-466-8002 or visit AventuraCenter. org. GRAND SEASON OPENING: THE MIAMI SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA Oct. 4 at the Adrienne Arsht Center, 1300 Biscayne Blvd. in Miami. In the symphony’s ﬁrst performance of the season, they will play Cremsini, Schubert, and Brahms. Call 305949-6722 or visit ArshtCenter.org. CIRQUE ÉLOIZE: ID Oct. 4 at the Adrienne Arsht Center, 1300 Biscayne Blvd. in Miami. The troupe returns to Miami for iD, a plenty of circus acts and urban dance. Tickets $49 to $89. Call 305949-6722 or visit ArshtCenter.org.

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D’ANGELO Oct. 6 at 9 p.m. at the Fillmore Miami beach, 1700 Washington Ave. in Miami Beach. The crooner has been wowing music lovers since 1991 with his own singles and songwriting for major performers. Tickets $59.50 to $100.50. Call 305-673-7300 or visit FillmoreMB.com. PUERTO RICO BEAT: THE MUSIC OF HECTOR LAVOE Oct. 10 at the Adrienne Arsht Center, 1300 Biscayne Blvd. in Miami. Willie Colón, Domingo Quiñones and Isidro Infante pay tribute to Lavoe’s music. Tickets $59 to $154. Call 305-949-6722 or visit ArshtCenter.org. THE EVE OF JACKIE Oct. 14 to 25 at the Adrienne Arsht Center, 1300 Biscayne Blvd. in Miami. Jackie Wilson’s story is told by the performances of TheatreSouth Atlanta. Tickets $50. Call 305949-6722 or visit ArshtCenter.org. SHEN YUN SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA Oct. 15 at 8 p.m. at the Adrienne Arsht Center, 1300 Biscayne Blvd. in Miami. The orchestra of the traveling performance troupe tours solo for a unique look at traditional Chinese music. Tickets $39 to $99. Call 305949-6722 or visit ArshtCenter.org. IGOR BUTMAN MOSCOW JAZZ ORCHESTRA Oct. 16 at 8:30 p.m. at the South MiamiDade Cultural Arts Center, 10950 SW 211 St. in Cutler Bay. The orchestra is joined by special guest, Fantine. Tickets $35 in advance, $40 the day of the show. Call 786573-5300 or visit SMDCAC.org.

 FALL 2015

JUAN GABRIEL Oct. 16 at 9 p.m. at the AmericanAirlines Arena, 601 Biscayne Blvd. in Miami. The Mexican crooner has sold 30 million albums around the world and has been nominated for six Grammy Awards. Tickets $65 to $256. Call 786-777-1000 or visit AAArena. com.

IHEARTRADIO FIESTA LATINA Nov. 7 at 8:30 p.m. at the AmericanAirlines Arena, 601 Biscayne Blvd. in Miami. Jennifer Lopez and Pitbull headline this jam-packed show of superstars, including Wisin, Prince Royce, Don Omar, and more. Tickets $29 to $159. Call 786-777-1000 or visit AAArena. com.

SOFIA REI TRIO Oct. 17 at 7:30 p.m. at the South MiamiDade Cultural Arts Center, 10950 SW 211 St. in Cutler Bay. Hailing from Argentina, Rei puts on a show of South American styles ranging from jazz to folk to electronic. Tickets $30 in advance, $35 the day of the show. Call 786-573-5300 or visit SMDCAC. org.

SAINT-SAËNS ORGAN SYMPHONY Nov. 13 to 14 at the Adrienne Arsht Center, 1300 Biscayne Blvd. in Miami. The Cleveland Orchestra is lead by Giancarlo Guerrero and joined by cellist, Johannes Moser, to perform works by Chavez, Shostakovich, and Saint-Saëns. Call 305-949-6722 or visit ArshtCenter.org.

ALICE’S ADVENTURES IN WONDERLAND Oct. 21 to Nov. 20 at the Miami Theater Center, 9806 NE Second Ave. in Miami Shores. In honor of the 150th anniversary of Lewis Carroll’s beloved book, the company performs the fairytale. Tickets $35. Call 305-751-9550 or visit MTCMiami.org.

ALEJANDRO FERNANDEZ Nov. 14 at the AmericanAirlines Arena, 601 Biscayne Blvd. in Miami. Fernandez performs in support of the “Conﬁdencias” world tour. Tickets $70.50 to $170.50. Call 786-777-1000 or visit AAArena.com.

BERNADETTE PETERS Oct. 23 at 8 p.m. at the Aventura Arts & Cultural Center, 3385 NE 188th St. in Aventura. The Tony Award-winning actress performs following a pre-show reception. Tickets $225. Call 305-466-8002 or visit AventuraCenter.org. RICKY MARTIN Oct. 24 at 8 p.m. at the AmericanAirlines Arena, 601 Biscayne Blvd. in Miami. Martin comes to Miami in support of his latest hit album, “A Quien Quiera Escuchar.” Wisin will open for him. Tickets $23 to $126. Call 786777-1000 or visit AAArena.com. TAYLOR SWIFT Oct. 27 at 7 p.m. at the AmericanAirlines Arena, 601 Biscayne Blvd. in Miami. The winner of seven Grammy Awards, Swift is the youngest winner of Album of the Year. Tickets $36.50 to $197. Call 786-777-1000 or visit AAArena.com. MARGARET CHO Oct. 30 at 8 p.m. at the Fillmore Miami beach, 1700 Washington Ave. in Miami Beach. The comedian is known for her jokes on being a Korean American lesbian. Tickets $29.50 to $49.50. Call 305-673-7300 or visit FillmoreMB.com. AVALON: SUITE FOR FLAMENDO GUITAR AND ORCHESTRA Nov. 6 at 8 p.m. at the Aventura Arts & Cultural Center, 3385 NE 188th St. in Aventura. Jose Luis Rodriguez tells the story of a man in search of Avalon, using the storytelling style of flamenco. Tickets $35 to $40. Call 305-466-8002 or visit AventuraCenter.org. TLA TRAVIATA Nov. 6 and 7 at the South Miami-Dade Cultural Arts Center, 10950 SW 211 St. in Cutler Bay. Violetta Valéry finally finds the love of her life, but it may be too late. Sung in Italian with English subtitles. Tickets $24 to $47. Call 786-573-5300 or visit SMDCAC. org.

MUSICAL PERSPECTIVES ON THE CULTURE OF BRIC Nov. 15 at the Adrienne Arsht Center, 1300 Biscayne Blvd. in Miami. Cellist YoYo Ma is joined by Katherine Stott, Sergio and Odari Assad, Johnny Gandelsman, Wu Tong, and Sandeep Das for a night of international music. Call 305-949-6722 or visit ArshtCenter.org. A SLICE OF CUBA: ALBITA Nov. 15 at the Adrienne Arsht Center, 1300 Biscayne Blvd. in Miami. Albita celebrates the heart of Cuban music in its many forms with guest performers. Call 305-949-6722 or visit ArshtCenter.org. DOGFIGHT Dec. 3 to 6 at the Aventura Arts & Cultural Center, 3385 NE 188th St. in Aventura. An ordinary day in 1963 turns into an extraordinary night when a waitress meets a young Marine before he ships out to Vietnam. Tickets $40 to $45. Call 305-466-8002 or visit AventuraCenter.org. KENNY G Dec. 4 at the Adrienne Arsht Center, 1300 Biscayne Blvd. in Miami. The sax player performs hits from his Christmas album, “Miracles: The Holiday Album.” Call 305-9496722 or visit ArshtCenter.org. KINKY BOOTS Dec. 8 to 13 at the Adrienne Arsht Center, 1300 Biscayne Blvd. in Miami. Featuring hits by Cyndi Lauper, Charlie Price is struggling to keep the family show business aﬂoat when the eccentric Lola comes asking for new stiletto boots. Call 305-949-6722 or visit ArshtCenter.org. SARGE: THE CHANUKAH CHUTZPAH TOUR Dec. 19 to 20 at the Aventura Arts & Cultural Center, 3385 NE 188th St. in Aventura. Sarge returns for Chanukah with his comedy, singing, and piano act. Tickets $39.50 to $44.50. Call 305-466-8002 or visit AventuraCenter.org.

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[News]

CIA Reaches Out To

LGBT COMMUNITY JOhn MCDOnaLD

n the culture wars griping America, it is the Central Intelligence Agency leading the way for positive change within the intelligence community. “CIA is definitely the leader on LGBT issues,” said one of the agency’s officers, who for security purposes gave just his first name – Charles. The Mirror spent time with four CIA officers during a March weekend in Miami Beach, learning more about life as gay men, lesbians and transgender individuals at the independent civilian agency. All of the officers interviewed for this piece agreed to speak on the record about CIA work on the condition only their first name is printed. The CIA is responsible for providing intelligence in a wide range of national security issues to senior United States policymakers. Charles, 36, is a senior political analyst and a director of intelligence, originally from New York. “I was open before I came to the agency,” said Charles, who identifies as a gay man. That was 12 years ago when the climate inside CIA was much different. Charles tested the waters during his first few weeks inside CIA headquarters in McLean, Virginia. “My antenna was up,” he said. “(I was) looking for feelers to see if it was going to be a welcoming place.” The comments he was hearing did not indicate a measure of respect and understanding for LGBT people, Charles said, so he decided to keep his sexual orientation to himself. “I pushed myself back into the closet,” he said. “I was masking who I was.” Lyssa Asbill, CIA Media Spokesperson, said the

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And when he spots talent, Chris is a recruiter, agency is making tremendous strides to ensure employees feel comfortable being authentic at who emphasizes the workplace freedom CIA work and has created an employee resource group offers. “They can have happy careers at the agency and to aid those efforts. The group is called “Angle” and it is bringing like-minded individuals together be out and who they are and that’s what makes diversity a great thing,” he said. “They can be out to form an important support network. At Angle meetings, LGBT people gather to and who they are and they don’t have to hide who exchange ideas on how to improve the quality of they are.” The CIA is separated into four basic life for colleagues. Chris, 40, a program manager, is an example of Angle in action. Chris travels the components: the National Clandestine Service, the Directorate of Intelligence, the country in search of talented Directorate of Science & Technology lesbians, gays, bisexuals Chris travels and the Directorate of Support. and transgender people to the country Together, the four components carry recruit to CIA. out a cycle of intelligence which is “It’s the focus of my in search described as a process of collecting, work,” he said, “reaching out of talented analyzing and disseminating to the LGBT community to get the message out about lesbians, gays, information to top U.S. government officials. misconceptions.” bisexuals and Dan, 28, is a CIA cyber security Chris identifies as a gay transgender officer in the Directorate of Science man and has been employed & Technology. A handsome, wellat CIA for a decade. His people to built young man from Philadelphia, father worked at CIA and recruit to CIA. at first glance Dan blends in well with Chris says the agency “feels the muscular bodied scene in South like a second home.” Born and raised in Maryland, Chris began working Beach. He came to CIA from the Department of at CIA in a summer program granted to legacy Defense, attracted to intelligence work out of a families. He worked hard and diligently and the “sense of mission.” “Your integrity is everything you do … through agency took notice by helping him go through college at the University of Maryland in College actions not just words,” Dan said. “(CIA) is a great environment. I was almost a little bit floored when Park. In his current role at CIA’s Mission of Diversity I stepped through the door.” All of the officers interviewed for this series and Inclusion, Chris meets with professional said their deep love of country is the underlining LGBT groups and organizations across America. “I want them to know that diversity is valued at reason for their work. Keeping the nation safe and secure is no small task and it can be dangerous. the agency,” he said. CONTINUED

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[News]

CONTINUED

CIA BATTLES MISCONCEPTIONS TO KEEP NATION SAFE It was a recruitment fair at Georgetown University when Charles first considered working for the Central Intelligence Agency. The National Clandestine Service gave its presentation, Charles recalled, and it just didn’t seem like the life for him. The seed, nevertheless, was planted. “Jumping out of helicopters and ripping out walls did not appeal to me,” said Charles, who stands well over 6-feet and has a slim physique. Charles eventually warmed to the idea of working in America’s intelligence community, finding his place in the Directorate of Intelligence where his daily task is determining if he has a story that reaches Presidential threshold. “And if you do, you will be writing a PDB that day,” he explains. A PDB is a President’s Daily Brief, typically a one or two page document that is run up the chain of command to the very tip top. “That’s a big deal,” Charles said during a sit down interview in Miami Beach, disclosing he had written a PBD before. “That’s something that gets written

up and coordinated across the entire intelligence community.” Of the 17 U.S. intelligence agencies, the CIA, Charles says is leading the way in terms of accepting lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people. However, the agency does deal with misconceptions. Dan, 28, is on the front lines of the CIA’s battle against misconceptions. A new transfer from the Department of Defense, Dan is aware of public perception regarding some of the CIA’s foreign missions. He said because the agency works with top secret information, public awareness of CIA’s “good work” is not always published. “We see a lot of things that are not accurate,” Dan said. “The agency can make an easy target for inaccurate information and painting misconceptions. When everything you do is classified, it’s kind of hard to share those good stories or those wins even if one of those good stories counters some misinformation that is out there.” When pressed on this issue, Dan, a cybersecurity officer in the Directorate of Science and Technology, said, “We can’t declassify something

For the gay officers interviewed for this story being able to express their true authentic selves at work goes to the core of the agency’s standards. CIA officers want the public to know that lesbians, gays, bisexuals and transgender people can feel comfortable and are welcome at the agency.

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just because it will make us look good in the face of some misinformation.” In late 2014, the CIA came under heavy scrutiny for its detention and interrogation program. In a U.S. Senate report released last December, CIA Director John O. Brennan acknowledged “that the detention and interrogation program had shortcomings and that the Agency made mistakes.” Brennan, a 25-year veteran of the CIA, further stated “the most serious problems occurred early on and stemmed from the fact that the Agency was unprepared and lacked the core competencies required to carry out an unprecedented, worldwide program of detaining and interrogating suspected al-Qa’ida and affiliated terrorists.” Such admissions of wrongdoing created a firestorm in the media and fed into the narrative of the CIA’s shadowy work. Keeping the nation safe and secure will always be the CIA’s number one mission, Dan said, but how the nation discovers this is the tricky part. “It’s a shame that some of the wins can’t be discussed more openly because it would paint a much different picture.” Established in 1947, the CIA came into being through the National Security Act, signed by President Harry Truman. This act charged the CIA with coordinating the nation’s intelligence activities and correlating, evaluating and disseminating intelligence affecting national security. For the gay officers interviewed for this story being able to express their true authentic selves at work goes to the core of the agency’s standards. CIA officers want the public to know that lesbians, gays, bisexuals and transgender people can feel comfortable and are welcome at the agency. Being a part of ANGLE, an employee resource group for the LGBT community, helps officers interact with friendly and likeminded colleagues. “Through ANGLE, I got more and more comfortable about myself,” said Charles. Both Charles and Dan said they are currently single men who have recently separated from their partners. The men said it is possible to have a serious relationship and even marriage while holding a top secret security clearance. “Dating scene is different,” Dan said. “I don’t want to go around and announce I work for the agency even though I’m an overt employee, but it’s doable.” CONTINUED

[News]

CONTINUED

CIA PITCHES TENT AT MIAMI BEACH GAY PRIDE

The parade flowed along Ocean Drive in a festive theme. Shirtless men and bikini clad women were everywhere. Temperatures climbed into the 80s in Fahrenheit measurement. This was Miami Beach Gay Pride in a view from under a tent inside Lummus Park. A tent sponsored by the CIA. The intelligence agency joined the annual event, setting up a table and handing out brochures about working for the nation. This was another effort by ANGLE, the LGBT employee resource group at the Central Intelligence Agency. Angle was created by Tracy, who identifies as a lesbian, in 1996. The group was a direct result of an executive order issued by then President Bill Clinton allowing for gays and lesbians to hold a top secret security clearance. Tracy spoke with the public during Miami Beach’s pride parade, watching carefully the activity around her. Some of the chatter between attendees related to parade grand marshal, Mario Lopez and the actor’s selection to headline this annual gay event. Tracy, who works in the agency’s Directorate of Science & Technology, said it would be wrong to criticize Lopez’ inclusion. “We should be accepting of all,” Tracy said. Lopez is married to a Broadway actress, Courtney, and the couple have two small children. Their story converged with that of more than 130,000 people who descended on Miami Beach for Gay Pride. The CIA tent and outreach efforts caught some off-guard, said Chris, who arrived in Florida fresh off a visit to Oregon where he participated on a panel discussion which featured a medical prodigy, who was developing a test for early cancer detection. Chris said he found the young man interesting. “I’m a liaison to our recruiters,” he said. “My job is to establish a relationship for our national recruiter in the mid-Atlantic area.” Chris said the agency looks for every skill set when making a hire. “We have so many positions at the agency,” he said. One of 17 U.S. Intelligence agencies, CIA is responsible for collecting, analyzing and disseminating information to top U.S. government

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officials. Their presence at Miami Beach Gay Pride was the result of Angle, the LGBT employee resource group. And just a few feet away, Angle saw its opposition. Standing behind barricades, with police all around, protestors with bullhorns blasted Bible readings. It is usually part of the script at gay prides, although as LGBT life becomes more accepted in America, the protests have shrunk. “They’re just looking for a reaction,” Tracy said. For lesbians at CIA, Tracy said Angle provides support through meetings, conferences and field trips. She said she was particularly fond of the Pacific Northwest region of the country and remarked how Seattle had a naked cycling event and Washington was home to beautiful national parks. The CIA’s display at Miami Beach Gay Pride was an effort to let the LGBT community know the federal government is accepting of lesbians, gays, bisexuals and transgender people in the workplace and in hiring. This move to equality did not happen overnight, said Chris, but was assisted by previous generations. “We have a lot of senior champions at the agency,” Chris said. “There has definitely been a change in the culture. Before, a lot of people, were scared to say they were gay.”

CIA WORK NOT LIKE HOLLYWOOD GLAM Hovering just above the parade route was an all too familiar sight for Chris. “You see that drone over there?,” he said, motioning in the direction of the iconic art deco hotels that line Miami Beach’s famed Ocean Drive. Sure enough, just in front of the Palace steps, appeared a small aircraft. It was a GPS enabled quadcopter being used for videotaping purposes as the Miami Beach Gay Pride Parade flowed outside the Palace, a bar known for its popular drag shows. The drone sighting brought up a serious narrative at CIA. Chris made it a point to convey that working for the nation is not as rosy as depicted by Hollywood. The drone flying over Ocean Drive, for example, is vastly different than the ones deployed in Yemen or Pakistan. “Everybody thinks it’s flashy from the movies, but there’s a real human side to it because we know

people who gave their life to keep the country safe and secure,” Chris said. Charles agreed, stating intelligence work is stressful with long hours and there are times when sleep is hard to come by. “We are the government’s think tank,” said Charles. “Our customer is the President.” Both Charles and Chris said the atmosphere at CIA has greatly improved for LGBT employees. “Inclusion sparks creativity…innovative breakthroughs,” Charles said. “We want everybody to feel comfortable at work.” In terms of transgender issues, CIA leads the way in the U.S. intelligence community in providing a safe and understanding work climate, Charles said. There have been CIA employees who have undergone gender transition while working at the agency, confirmed Lyssa Asbill, CIA spokeswoman. “The agency renovated all of the bathrooms to make them gender neutral,” she said. “This employee’s transition went incredibly smooth.” Having an employee resource group like ANGLE, helps LGBT employees become comfortable and open up to colleagues, Charles said. “Some of the other agencies aren’t quite at that level,” Charles said. “We see it as our duty to help them get there.” While establishing a cohesive work environment is important, the over-arching goal of the CIA is keeping the nation safe and secure. How that is achieved is through honesty and integrity and often times unknown to the general population. “We serve in silence,” Asbill said. “It is a choice to join the agency and we only hire people with great integrity. We may have just did something spectacular to stop a terrorist attack, but if it’s classified then you will not know we just did something spectacular.” This level of secrecy often frustrates members of the press and leads to a market of shadowy spy novels. Asbill says the agency never uses the word “spy” and is actively working to improve its public perception. Reaching out to the media and attending gay prides across the country are the first step. “The best ways to change narratives is one-onone interactions with people overseas,” she said.

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[OPINION]

A Dog's Tale CaBBaGE PatCh

istorians and anthropologists say that our relationship with humans started 15,000 years ago when, with the development of agriculture, your forebears became more sedentary. There is evidence that the wolf was our ancestor and genetic tests have confirmed that we evolved (yes the dreaded "evolution") from Asian wolves who chose to live near humans. Because we are sociable and gregarious as you are it proved advantageous to both to start living in close proximity to one another. Wolves found the area around human campsites to be fruitful habitat. In time these wolves helped and protected the tribe establishing themselves as the first pet dogs. Their instinct allowed them to fit in with the human family group assisting in the hunt for larger animals and becoming the best sentinels by alerting its human pack to outside dangers. Since then we have been playing many roles for you. For some people we are child substitutes, guard, herding and rescue dogs, companions, best friends, guide dogs, hearing dogs, mobility dogs, seizure alert/response dogs, psychiatric service dogs, and autism dogs. The list is endless. We even have our own Elite Corps, the K-9 unit. Many of us have made it to the White House. The relationship you enjoy with us is likely to be one of the most intense, honest and trusting you will ever have with a living thing. We are interested in you simply because you are you. We are not racist, we are not homophobes, we never vote Republican. Sometimes we sleep all day but we are always there to lick the tears off your face, we inspire you, we make you laugh and we rescue you from the loneliness of being human. We are always there to defend you from strangers, we can play a never ending game of fetch, and even when you leave us home alone for hours we will jump up and down, wagging our tails, upon your return. No questions asked. No nagging. That's unconditional love with a huge dose of devotion. And if you are honest you know very well the same cannot be said of friends, associates or family. The emergence of confident urban gay couples is creating a new sector of dog owners who acknowledge that we add glue to their relationships, a common bond, something that both partners can embrace and care for. More often than not

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professional married couples choose a dog over a baby. What can soothe existential unrest the way a dog can? For all we provide social, psychological and emotional rewards and delighted to do so. We are also grateful to PETA for all they do but I have to say that sometimes they go overboard. Some fringes of the animal rights movement feel that dog ownership is a form of slavery and should be abolished. What? Really? But exactly who is the slave here? We just have to bark and we get your attention often rewarded with a treat. We get fed, we get chauffeured to the park to run, smell and frolic with other dogs. You take us for rides in your cars to let us enjoy the wind on our noses. You follow us with your pooper-scooper. You take us to the beauty parlor to be groomed. You give us comfortable homes and let us free to roam every room as if we owned them. You don't even get mad when we chew your Prada shoes or make confetti out of your daily paper. And when the leash is on I am not sure who is walking who. Church scholars insist that people have souls, and the evidence they give for this is the fact that humans have consciousness and feelings; animals might have the same mechanical systems, they argue, but they do not have a divine spark and, therefore, do not have the ability to experience “true” feelings. Since much of the old day’s science was sponsored by church-related schools and universities, it is not surprising to find that the researchers would not assert the existence of higher levels of mental functioning such as emotions in animals. To do so might have caused the church authorities to feel that the scientists were suggesting that an animal such as a dog might have a soul and

consciousness, and flying in the face of church doctrine could lead to a lot of problems. You have now come to understand that dogs possess all of the same brain structures that produce emotions in humans. Dogs have the same hormones and undergo the same chemical changes that humans do during emotional states. Dogs even have the hormone oxytocin, which, in humans, is involved with feeling love and affection for others. With the same neurology and chemistry that people have, it seems reasonable to suggest that dogs also have emotions that are similar to yours. The good news is that you can feel free to dress us up in that silly costume for a party or a photo shoot. We feel no shame, regardless of how ridiculous we look. As long as YOU are happy, because we feel love for you and derive contentment from your company, and that’s really the crux of the matter, isn’t it? It is easy love, it's love without anxiety. The anxiety for the people you love more often than not comes from fear, fear of their reactions. You are afraid they will hurt you, disappoint you, come short of your expectations, that your emotional investment will crash. With us it cannot happen. We will always be loyal. We will not judge you or leave you one day because we are tired of you. We teach you that joy, happiness and the capacity to love it's not the exclusivity of human beings but of all living things. And when the end is near you treat us even better than your fellow men. You allow us to die with dignity thru euthanasia. For that we are immensely grateful. Woof Woof.

We are not racist, we are not homophobes, we never vote Republican.

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