Mirror July 2016

JULY 2016 • Vol. 5 Issue 4

our next journey travel Issue

themirrormag.com

JULY 2016 | Vol 5 | Issue 4

Table of  contents Opinion Publisher's Message  4

News Features Iranian Railroad for Queer Refugees  6, 7 Salt Lake City Honors Harvey Milk  8, 9 “Meet My Child” – A New Trans Campaign  12 Local Pride Center Nationally Renowned for Senior Services  14, 16 Meet Race Car Drive Freddy Niblack  18, 19 The New Jersey Four  20, 21, 22, 24

Special travel Section

2520 N. Dixie Highway | Wilton Manors, FL 33305 Phone: 954.530.4970 Fax: 954.530.7943

Publisher NORM KENT norm.kent@sfgn.com Chief Executive Officer PIER ANGELO GUIDUGLI Associate Publisher/ JASON PARSLEY Executive Editor jason.parsley@sfgn.com

EDITORIAL Art Director BRENDON LIES artwork@sfgn.com News Editor JOHN MCDONALD

john.mcdonald@sfgn.com

Staff Photographer J.R. DAVIS Senior Features Reporter CHRISTIANA LILLY A&E Editor / Design J.W. ARNOLD Webmaster BRITTANY FERRENDI

CORRESPONDENT REBECCA JURO

All Aboard the Napa Wine Train  28, 29 Gay Nude Beaches  30 Travel Headlines  32 Food – On the Road Again  34, 35

SALES & MARKETING Director of Sales MIKE TROTTIER & Marketing mike.trottier@sfgn.com Sales Manager JUSTIN WYSE justin.wyse@sfgn.com

Datebook  36

Advertising Sales Assoc. EDWIN NEIMANN edwin.neimann@sfgn.com

The Extremes of Gay Travel  38, 39

Advertising Sales Assoc. TIM HIGGINS tim.higgins@sfgn.com Distribution Services J.R. DAVIS TIM HIGGINS

Destination – Brooklyn  40 Palm Springs – the Gay Oasis  42, 43 Local Animal Encounters  44 Dining – What the Pho  46 Transman in the Grand Canyon  48, 49 Marketplace – Stylish Gear  50

Printing THE PRINTER’S PRINTER National Advertising RIVENDELL MEDIA 212-242-6863 sales@rivendellmedia.com Accounting Services CG BOOKKEEPING

A Fresh Look at the Keys  54, 55 Entertaining – Charcuterie  56 Meet Richard Gray – Local Tourism Guru  58

Cover and inside photos courtesy of TREY OPP, photographed by Char Pratt. Like many of Florida's proud residents, Trey originally came to Florida as a guest of our world famous beaches before melding with the diverse local community. For more images of LGBTQ life as well as other photographic series, visit charcoalphoto.com 3 THE

 WINTER 2016

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. MIRROR Copyright ©

2016, South Florida Gay News.com, Inc.

Associated Press Florida Press Association National Gay and Lesbian Journalists Association

publisher's editorial

Norm Kent

Naked Journeys Into Hedonism

I

t's the summer.

You should be on a plane going somewhere. Or at least in your car or van on a road trip somewhere.

Welcome to the Mirror's Travel issue, where, like your ex-lover, we tell you where to go. It could be worse. You could be in Elkhorn, Indiana. I just don't see a large gay community there.

I was thinking, though. I had an epiphany, actually- and my editor tells me that is a dangerous thing. But where are gay venues across the world where gay men and women can find sanctuaries, security, and sanity?

I thought I would trespass across the generations of my own life, where I have been, and where I am going. I hope it's a place like Mykonos, Greece, where I was was in 1992, when Wayne Besen and I headed to the Factory together, with golden Adonis-like naked male bodies sweating profusely and dancing the night away, until 5 a.m., only to head over to the stunning transparent waters of Super Paradise Beach. Wayne now hosts a Chicago radio show, seeking a different kind of truth than we sought then.

I wonder where Constantinos is today.

Or Spiros. Oh, what men I met there.

Much better than at Bickford's Cafeteria in Manhattan, down in the Village or by the Christopher Street Pier. But that was no vacation. That was a ritual.

Lady Bird Johnson once said, "See America First." And I did.

So who amongst my readers has been to the Boom Boom Room in Laguna Beach, with the fish tank bar top? Or the boys

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cruising the night away in the rolling bushes on the side of the mountain leading down to the pacific beach?

It was the hotspot of the ‘80s for sure, eight days a week. And if he wants to let on to it, my travel buddy, Rodney Ely, owner of the amazing O-B House on Himmarshee Street, might give away some of my secrets.

At least, maybe he will tell you how great of a volleyball player I was on their beaches.

I discovered Provincetown in the late 1980s. What a special spot for gay summers, if you are athletic.

It's a lot more than late nights at the Boat Skip or days on Front Street looking for your grandfather's antiques.

The fishing is great, the whale sightings are pleasant and the bicycle paths are secure and spectacular.

I don't think there was a time in my life I was healthier and more vibrant than those years in P-Town, when I could eat all the late night pizza I wanted at Spiritus and still have a 34 waist. Are they still there?

I used to drive up to P-Town for four weeks with my chocolate lab in the back seat, an annual soul-replenishing journey, where I met future friends and star entertainers from the 1960's, like Tom Paxton and Joan Baez.

Now I can't get four days off. What's wrong with this picture?

Remember the old Catalog X on 13th street where the Pride Factory now is? Used to go up there with its now retired owner, best friend Mark Possien. Damn, I paid for him to go to law school and he opened up a million-dollar sex shop selling dildos and DVDs, oh, and T-shirts, too.

Guess I am running out of space and I haven't even talked about the dungeons in Amsterdam, or the club 'It,' or the vast venues that made Europe so inviting and open. It was a wide open world, Europe was, but it was in a theater near Piccadilly Circus in England that I met a beautiful young man from Amsterdam. We were watching “Trainspotting,” a must see film for anyone who has ever done X. Today, Morgan is a freelance graphic designer surging his days way near Seal Beach in San Francisco, and we still hookup whenever I am in Harvey Milk country.

Speaking of which, you can't write about the gay venues of the world without penning something about Castro Street, and the freedom it gave us to be us.

Today, we see liberties and our live spread in pride festivals from Sydney to Stockholm to San Diego. Our world is more open for sure, but even when there were only hidden bars, corner bookstores or dark alleys, we found a way to meet, didn't we?

We survived our would-be censors, and we will always, Mike Pence.

As George Segal said in 'Love Story' in 1972, life is a series of comings and goings, and for everything you take with you, there is something you leave behind.

My journeys have led to many spontaneous hellos and lots of sad goodbyes, but whether the surf has been rough or the sailing smooth, they have all enriched me. You just have to - like the Beatles wrote in Lady Madonna - listen to the music in your head.

Enjoy your summer. Make it precious.

Every day is.

Feature • refugees

Meet

Arsham Parsi

Founder of the Iranian Railroad for Queer Refugees Christiana Lilly

A

rsham Parsi was a gay man living in Iran when he witnessed two of his friends end their lives because they were gay. Rather than live behind a mask to hide his sexuality, he decided to do something about it.

Now an activist living in Canada, Parsi founded the Iranian Railroad for Queer Refugees in 2008 and has helped more than 1,000 people escape persecution.

“When I was in Iran and I started my activism, at that time it was very simple. I didn't expect that one day I would live in Canada and travel across the world to support Iranian LGBT people, but this is the path that I was on.

“One of my friends put it in a nice way: that I never decided to be an activist, I was forced to.”

Why is this important to you?

I’m Iranian and gay and I lived in Iran for 24 years. I experienced the first-hand experience of what is going on.

I know exactly how it’s like to be a gay man in Iran, to put a mask on your face 24/7, every second deny you're existent. You cannot do anything.

What was it like being in Iran as a gay man?

I remember it was in 2001 when I met my first LGBT friend in my city, Shiraz, and after a very short time she committed suicide by eating arsenic. A little later, I met another gay man in my classroom and we became great friends. He committed suicide when his parents caught him in a bed with another guy. It was big on me, I was 19 years old and I was so sad.

Why did you create the organization?

No one knew about the situation for Iranian LGBT people and it was our duty to talk about it and speaking out and it was quite successful. Also, to have a response to an urgent matter, which is refugees and those people who escaped Iran on the basis of their

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sexual orientation or gender identity and they’re seeking asylum for safety. It’s a matter of life or death. We couldn't put them on hold while advocating and trying to change the law.

What dangers are there in Iran for LGBT people?

Homosexuality is punishable by death in Iran… for gays and lesbians, they are strictly being executed and also bisexuals are in a tough situation as well. It’s not all about sexual orientation.

Even a heterosexual person could be executed because of these crimes because the law is very gray and usually they talk about homosexual acts, they don’t talk about sexual orientation -- if you do something that they consider a homosexual act.

It’s not law, it’s not black and white, and it’s up to the judge and the authorities how they want to interpret it. That is why a lot of people after the revolution in 1979, a lot of people were executed for homosexuality, but we believe that most of them were part of opposition and it was a good cause for the authorities.

How do you help?

We have processed 1,430 applications from Iranian LGBT people and some of them are Afghan. About 80 percent of our applications were successful. For the refugee program, when someone is escaping Iran either when they are still in Iran or are in Turkey or in other countries, they approach us and we follow their case, especially with the United Nations Refugee Agency.

We document their cases, process affidavits, follow at [the UN], and advocate on their behalf, grant asylum and refugee status and resettlement in Canada and the United States, mostly. We have some claimants that they directly left Iran to some European countries and we follow their cases as well.

Why Turkey?

The majority of our refugees are in Turkey due to it being a neighboring country and there are different means of transportation to get there -- they don’t need a visa. They can enter illegally through mountains and make asylum.

How many people are a part of the Iranian Railroad for Queer Refugees?

We have volunteers and a board of directors. When it comes to the refugee program, I do it personally because it is very sensitive information and I don’t disclose it to anyone. Sometimes I feel very overwhelmed, especially when I go to Turkey. I go every two months to meet with refugees, document their story, and we have some workshops as well in order to meet with the UN and Canadian Embassy. I spend hours and hours listening to refugees’ stories and it’s very difficult. Sometimes I meet maybe 30, 35 people per day.

What do you think about your advocacy now?

I still have the same energy, still have the same passion. It is very satisfactory when you help someone who is in a bad situation and walk through with them a different refugee process and see then that they are happy in the U.S. and Canada, they live their lives, they have partners, they can go out, they laugh. When I compare their situation in Iran when they first contacted me and their situation right now, I think it’s an absolute pleasure and happiness to see the big change.

Online: http://irqr.ca/2016/ July 2016  THE

7

Feature • news Photo by Brandon Cruz.

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Harvey Milk Christiana Lilly

D

riving through Salt Lake City, Utah, visitors and residents alike will now see 20 blocks of road named after LGBT icon and activist, Harvey Milk.

The initiative was spearheaded by Equality Utah and the street was renamed in May. “We were looking at the landscape of our city,” said Troy Williams, executive director of Equality Utah. “We had Martin Luther King, Jr. Boulevard, we had Cesar Chavez and Rosa Parks, and we thought Harvey needs to be here as well. He needs to take his place alongside these civil rights icons.”

Harvey Milk was the first openly gay elected official in San Francisco — he was elected to the San Francisco Board of Supervisors in 1978. Later that year, he was killed by a former board member who went on a shooting rampage in City Hall.

Prior to his term, he was dubbed “the Mayor of Castro Street,” the city’s gayborhood, for his activism and refusal to live as anyone but his authentic self.

Famously, Milk said, “If a bullet should enter my brain, let that bullet destroy every closet door.”

The project started nearly two years ago when Equality Utah approached then-Mayor Ralph Becker about renaming 900 South to Harvey Milk Boulevard in honor of the LGBT civil rights hero. He was in full support of the initiative, Williams said, as well as Councilman Stan Penfold, the city’s first openly gay council member. During the next election cycle, Derek Kitchen, who was the plaintiff in the fight for marriage equality in Utah, joined the council and was also in support. In January, Mayor Jackie Biskupski, who is openly gay, took office.

Really, the only troubles Equality Utah faced was the runof-the-mill red tape of renaming a street. A few people voiced their opposition, stating that Harvey Milk wasn’t from Utah and it didn’t make sense to name a street after him. Williams countered that King, Chavez, and Parks are also not from the state, but their presence is important in the city.

When the council approved the measure, Equality Utah got to work and was able to raise $8,000 in about a week. With that, they were able to replace all the street signs and host a

feature • news

The Heart of Mormon Country Honors

Salt Lake City has become known for its gay friendliness

block party to celebrate. At the party, more than 2,000 people attended with speeches from the NAACP, the Utah Council of La Raza, and a performance by Neon Trees front man Tyler Glenn, who calls Salt Lake City home and is a gay Mormon.

Equality Utah chose 900 South, which runs through the heart of Salt Lake City, because of its prominence and the fact that it runs through a large LGBT neighborhood. There, many businesses are owned by LGBT people, and the area is flourishing. Heading west on the boulevard is an up-and-coming neighborhood, which Williams hopes will grow as time passes.

Recently, the Homeless Youth Resource Center opened near 900 South and 400 West — with roughly 40 percent of homeless youth identifying as LGBT, it was even more reason to choose the road to be named in Milk’s honor.

“What we hope is that it becomes that beacon to young LGBT youth and to also marginalized teens and … that they begin to sort of learn about Harvey and know about his history and know about their history and that that gives them hope for the future,” Williams said.

For many people, Salt Lake City’s LGBT influence comes as a shock -- the city is the capital of one of the most conservative states in the nation, but now is one of a handful of cities to have a street named after Harvey Milk. According to a Gallup Poll conducted last year, the city ranks seventh in the nation for its LGBT population.

“We are gayer than Los Angeles and we are gayer than Manhattan. We have a history of elected LGBT friendly mayors and council folks and this is a really progressive town. We love to deny stereotypes,” Williams said.

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New campaign aims to soften hearts and educate the minds on the trans community Christiana Lilly

Photo: Youtube.

Feature • transgender

Meet My Child

A

s the hours and days passed, the number of views and likes kept going up.

It was a YouTube video posted by the Trans United Fund, for its campaign “Meet My Child,” and Melissa DeStefano and her son, Aidan, had participated in the project.

Within two days, it had reached 2.5 million people.

“I saw the excitement grow in my son’s eyes because these teenagers, they look at that social media all the time,” DeStefano said. “He kept giving me the update.”

The video showed a snapshot of what it was like having a transgender child and the mothers urging the public to see how ordinary and worthy of respect they are.

While there are some hateful comments, the family, who lives just outside of Philadelphia, were happy to see the “likes” go up and words of encouragement posted in the comments section.

The recently launched Trans United Fund released the video in early May. The organization was founded to advocate for transgender people while building the community’s political power. In its first campaign, three mothers and their children were featured in “Meet My Child.”

DeStefano was introduced to the organization when the ACLU recommended

her to them, as she had fought alongside the ACLU to have her son’s name changed.

“I’m a firm believer that anything that we are dealt with on this journey is to help others who are behind us on this journey traveling the same path,” she said of participating in the video. “We’re just trying to make things easier for future folks.”

Aidan came out as transgender to his mother in middle school -- news that shocked his mother. Having grown up as a tomboy herself, she thought her daughter was the same way; if anything, she thought maybe her child was a lesbian. Being completely unfamiliar with transgender people, or even really what it meant, she didn’t know where to turn to make sure she was giving Aidan all that he needed to be happy.

She told Aidan that she still loved him and they should do research on being transgender. DeStefano was initially resistant to starting any hormones or him presenting as a male completely, thinking it was in his best interests to wait until after high school, but after learning more about being transgender she found it was the opposite.

They changed his name, after much fighting, and she signed off on him starting hormone therapy.

Aidan now fully presents as male.

“I definitely saw a change in his personality

and his happiness,” she said of her son. He was already an outgoing person with lots of friends, but he “came out of his shell” even more.

“As we started to change the name and started to change the pronouns, I started to see a different level of confidence an almost an increase in his self worth. Just a brighter smile, a brighter outlook.”

The DeStefano family is a very Christian one, and her faith has taught her only to love her son even more.

“I’m a firm believer that God has given this child to me for a reason and I think He's given this to my child for a reason, and that is to help educate others to shed light on this whole transgender thing and say it’s ok, we’re just people.”

By participating in the “Meet My Child” campaign, DeStefano hopes it will help educate other people (“They’re not just bearded men in a dress in a bathroom,” she said) and also provide support to parents who are raising transgender children.

“After doing all my research about what it means to be transgender and learning about all these suicide rates and violence and lack of employment and lack of housing, I thought, ‘I would much rather have a live son than a dead daughter,’” DeStefano said.

For more information on the Trans United Fund, visit TransUnitedFund.org.

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Feature • news

The Pride Center Offers Nationally Renowned Senior Services Programs Dori Zinn

W

hen Rube Kaplan and his husband moved to Wilton Manors four years ago, they learned about The Pride Center almost immediately. At 70 years old, Kaplan was looking for programs and events geared toward seniors. That’s when they arrived at the Coffee and Conversation.

“They’re not just friends, they’re also our family,” Kaplan said. “There is more love in this room than anywhere else.”

On Tuesday mornings, The Pride Center hosts Coffee and Conversation — the largest single gathering of LGBT seniors in the U.S. On a recent June morning, they logged nearly 180 visitors. Bruce Williams, the Senior Services Coordinator for The Pride Center, said that number is actually low because “it’s out of season.”

“During season, there can be more than 200 visitors coming in and out of here on a Tuesday morning,” Williams said. “It’s a comfortable atmosphere. No one is going to pass judgment here.”

The program started 12 years ago, but only had about two dozen visitors. Now, with upwards of a couple hundred weekly visitors during the season, what changed?

“They just wanted to talk,” Williams said. “We used to have a presentation and speakers, but really, they’re here to talk to their friends.”

In 2015, The Pride Center logged 9,000 total visitors for Coffee and Conversation. Serena Worthington, Director of

National Field Initiatives for Services and Advocacy for GLBT Seniors, or SAGE, has traveled the entire country visiting senior services offered to the LGBT community. Worthington was the first to recognize the huge weekly gatherings.

“SAGE operates as the nation’s largest full-time LGBT center for seniors,” she said. “Hundreds of people pass through our door, but we don’t have 180 people come at one time for one singular purpose.”

Worthington, who is based out of Chicago, said the success of the program has a lot to do with Williams as the leader.

“He prioritizes getting people what they want and in this case, it’s visiting and talking to each other,” Worthington said.

“For that community, it works beautifully.”

The Pride Center COO Kristofer Fegenbush notes that the senior services offered would not be the same without Williams.

“Without his leadership, our Senior Services programs would not exist like they do now,” Fegenbush said. “His expertise, wisdom, humor, dedication and investment of countless hours have facilitated the growth of our services.”

Continued on page 16.

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July 2016  THE

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Feature • news Continued from page 14.

According to Fegenbush, attendance at senior programs have skyrocketed due to the concentration on the needs of seniors, such as healthcare, financial planning, housing, loneliness, and other issues related to age. The Center connects seniors with a multitude of resources, including long-term care and end-of-life planning.

Wilton Manors resident Saalik Cuevas and his husband Dennis Elliott are both retired teachers from New Jersey. They met Rube Kaplan and his partner not long after moving here four years ago.

Cuevas said the gatherings are like family getting together.

“We’ve never been in a gathering this big on a weekly basis,” he said. “It’s very unique here.”

Cuevas left a very active center in New York that had large gatherings, but said consistent get-togethers of LGBT seniors were never as big as they are here. After retirement, he said he was excited about getting involved.

“I left a very active community after 30 years,” he said. “But I wasn’t going to come here and just sit around. I got involved.”

The senior services at The Pride Center don’t end with Coffee and Conversation. There are daily exercise classes throughout the week offered through a partnership with the YMCA of Broward County. Last year, The Pride Center logged more than 7,000 visits to senior-centric fitness programs.

The Senior Health Expo draws more than 600 LGBT seniors, their allies, friends, and family. The program originally started out seven years ago as an assisted living project. According to Williams, many assisted living facilities didn’t allow LGBT seniors. As the project needs expanded, so did the offerings to seniors. Now, the expo sells out to exhibitors annually and it’s free to attendees.

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The Pride Center and SAGE have partnered for SAGEWorks — an employment program offered to LGBT seniors — helping LGBT seniors 40 years of age and older fight ageism in the workplace with technical training and professional guidance.

“Ageism begins at 40. These programs help seniors get back into the workplace,” Williams said. “We provide skill-building, resume and interview workshops, and LGBT-friendly employers.”

In 2015, The Pride Center and SAGE USA partnered for SAGE Stories, where LGBT seniors share their personal stories on how they’ve faced homophobic interactions and overcame discrimination. Williams said he hopes these stories create awareness in young people about the realities seniors have faced over the years just because of being gay.

“They describe growing up gay in a harsh and homophobic society,” Williams said. “We hope these stories will help enlighten younger generations. People don’t realize the severity of homophobia that older LGBT people have had to live with.”

Recently, The Pride Center has teamed up with SAGE USA, Our Fund and other South Florida LGBT providers for the “Protect Our Elders” project that aims to give local senior service providers training to make their businesses more LGBTfriendly. These cultural competency course trainings will provide companies with ways to make businesses supportive and culturally proficient environments for LGBT seniors.

While some programs vary week-to-week, Williams said the success is due to listening to the audience.

“We’ve fine-tuned and found that there was a huge and need and desire for senior services,” he said.

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Feature • news

Freddy Niblack

Checkered

Dreams Nick Poust, UNITE Magazine Indianapolis

F

reddy Niblack is the first openly gay driver in the Indy Car Series, but that’s not all that defines him.

As is the case for so many athletes, homosexual or not, he is also a person looking to accomplish a dream—a dream he’s had since his childhood days spent carving a race track through neighbors’ yards on his go-kart as the sound of the nearby Indianapolis 500 engulfed the air surrounding his family’s Speedway, IN home.

“I literally grew up two blocks from the track, and I was born in May, which happens to be the month that all the festivities for the 500 go on,” Niblack said. “My mom said I would scream and cry until she’d sit me on the porch and let me hear the Indy cars.

They were like a lullaby. As long as there were racecars and motors, I was good.”

Niblack, 44, is still longing to be part of the roar that hummed as his childhood’s theme. He came out as a teenager and has traveled down a bumpy road filled with discrimination in his professional career.

While he was racing in the mini Indy series in 1992 he was subject of hatred remarks that led to his departure. “Someone put a poster on my race trailer that said ‘AIDS cures fags,’” he said, “and so that team owner didn’t want me anymore.”

Niblack then went to Europe, hoping for a better opportunity, but more of the same transpired. “People over there were even less accepting,” he said. “It didn’t matter if you had a podium finish, a

“My mom said I would scream and cry until she’d sit me on the porch and let me hear the Indy cars. They were like a lullaby. As long as there were racecars and motors, I was good.”

- Freddy Niblack 18 THE

 July 2016

first-place finish or a top-five, you were still the gay driver.”

“With some teams gay men are viewed as the weak link, which is funny because some of my times and finishes were a lot better than my counterparts, or my teammates,” he added. “Instead of being happy for me it became a source of a pang.”

That’s not the case anymore, however. Niblack is back home after signing on to race for Indianapolis-based Top Kart USA, which didn’t even know he was gay when he was signed. He will be competing in the Freedom 100 on May 27 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, and for the first time, his presence in the driver’s seat isn’t because of his sexual orientation or the sponsors and revenue that would coincide.

It’s about his talent.

“Here, it was all about what I brought to the table,” Niblack said. “There wasn’t this Indy car mentality. And what I mean by that is a lot of Indy car people, they forget to be human, and they forget what this sport is about. It’s to have fun. It becomes a money situation, and yes, here, it takes money to do what we do, but it’s also really fun. We can laugh and have a good time and be ourselves.

For the first time in a long time I feel welcome. The gay thing isn’t really brought up unless I bring it up.”

That’s not to say his sexual orientation and its impact on the racing community doesn’t matter to Niblack. It means plenty. In his 22 years on the track, no one from the LGBT community has ever come to see him in his element. That changed on March 22, when Indianapolis’s JJ Gufreda, the president of GEI, Inc.—the first transgender-owned company certified as LGBTBE by the National Gay and Lesbian Chamber of Commerce—attended a testing at Lucas Oil Raceway.

“I was on the track, going about 160, 170 [miles per hour], and when I saw JJ, when I was in my racecar on the track I waved to her,” Niblack said. “To see JJ walk up was such a milestone, such a sense of pride, such a sense of finally. JJ wasn’t there to flip her hair or challenge the bathroom rules; she was solely there to support me. And in my entire career I cannot think of a more defining moment than seeing JJ walk up.”

Niblack wants this to be the start of a pattern, to make the LGBT community feel as welcome at the racetrack as Top Kart USA and Gufreda have made him feel.

“To see someone come in who is different, who is out of the ordinary—and guess what, they are today’s ordinary,” he said.

“They are today’s human beings. The gay community, take your place. Be supportive. Be proud of your own people. Not everybody

feature • news

l l l l l l l l dresses up like Tina Turner and lip-syncs for their life. Not all gay men are strippers or escorts or wear eyeliner. Embrace diversity.

Embrace our differences.”

Niblack said he simply races better when he’s happy, and after he saw Gufreda he increased his lap speed by 1.5 seconds. “I had this feeling of self worth, this feeling of strength in numbers, and this feeling of love,” he says. “That’s huge for me. An honor, and I’m very grateful. I can’t imagine if I had 100 people from the community there, what I would do.”

Including the Freedom 100, Niblack is scheduled to race 13 times this summer—and while the Indianapolis 500 isn’t one of them he plans on inhabiting one of those cars his childhood self lived to hear one day soon.

The 500 may be the ultimate goal for Niblack and Top Kart USA, but this year is about honing their craft as a team. Top Kart USA is predominately self-funded, and just this past March was the first time his number-22 car spent time on the ground, let alone a track.

“We’re not focused on Indy Car this year,” he said. “We’re focused on the cars that we have, and making them well. We’re not begrudging about what we have and angry about what we don’t have. We’re happy about what we have and focused on what we have. We want a winning car. We want a winning team.”

Niblack brings his individual sponsors to Top Kart USA, but unlike other stops on his road that’s not the reason behind his presence. “We don’t need that sponsor money to create something,” said Blake Deister, the team’s co-owner. “It’s already created.”

“From the front of the house to the back of the house it is every single person that works on that team to get that driver into that car to win races or be competitive,” Niblack added. “The owners of a lot of the larger teams, without those drivers and those drivers’ sponsors they wouldn’t be where they are. It’s not just about one person’s brand here. It’s about the team as a whole. Yes, I do drive for this team, and, yes, I did bring sponsors, but these people own the shop, the semis, the cars, the mechanics, the tools.”

With all of the pieces but the driver upon his arrival, the immediate acceptance of Deister and the Top Kart USA team was a weight off Niblack’s shoulders. Here, he can just race, without distaste for his sexuality in the undercurrent, waiting to rear its discriminatory head.

“It is such a small part of my life, but it is who I am,” he said, regarding his homosexuality. “It’s just not a factor here. Now, at other places, it was ‘we don’t want you going here, we don’t want you going there, we don’t want you dealing with this publication, we don’t want you dealing with this gay event.’ Well, I am a gay man.

My community, I want their support and their love, and I’m not going to be something that I’m not, and that’s the most important thing.”

That community would have much reason to cheer. Not just because of what he represents, but because of his talent, and that of his team.

“I have the same big visions and the same big dreams, but I’m intelligent enough to know that you have to start here before you can get here,” Niblack said. “With this team, we have the facility to grow. We have the technology, the equipment, the manpower.

These guys will be here until midnight if that’s what it takes.”

And so will Niblack, with his childhood’s lullaby forever in his head, striving to accomplish just one his many goals, hoping to influence a community along the way.

July 2016  THE

19

Feature • news

The

New Jersey Four 1 0 years later Christiana Lilly

20 THE

 July 2016

evening out with friends to a fight for their lives.

Since then, they’ve sat through a grueling trial, served time in prison, appealed their sentences and are working to get back to normal life -- but that night a decade ago is never far from their thoughts.

“People are still dying. My LGBT community is still at risk,” said Renata Hill, one of the New Jersey Four. “The world is still not accepting us … 10 years ago it was a group of 7 females who defended themselves and we were blessed to walk away from that situation alive. Ten years later, 49 people are gone and 50 are injured [in Orlando].”

In August 2006, a group of seven black, lesbian women planned a day in New York City to shop and bar hop. In their late teens to mid-20s, the New Jersey residents were excited about the fun to come. As they walked in the wee hours of the morning in front of a Greenwich Village movie theater, a man hawking DVDs called out to them.

Dwayne Buckle claims he told one of girls, Patreese Johnson, she was pretty and the group immediately attacked him. The women though tell a very different story.

Johnson, who was 19 at the time, said that he pointed to her crotch

feature • news

It was 10 years ago that the New Jersey Four’s night went from a fun

From left, Venice Brown, Terrain Dandridge, Patresse Johnson, and Renata Hill.

July 2016  THE

21

Feature • news

T he

New Jersey Four

Venice Brown

was sentenced to five years in prison with four years of post-release supervision. She was released early in 2008 after an appeal and plea deal.

Terrain Dandridge

was sentenced to three-anda-half years in prison and four years post-release supervision. Her conviction was overturned in 2008 and she was released.

Renata Hill

was sentenced to eight years in prison and five years of post-release supervision. After she filed for an appeal, she was released in 2010.

Patreese Johnson

was sentenced to 11 years in prison with five years of post-release supervision. After her appeal, her sentence was reduced to eight. She was released in 2013.

22 THE

 July 2016

and said “I want that.” When she told him she was a lesbian, he got aggressive, the women recall and would not leave them alone.

“He started calling us dyke bitches, lesbian bitches, I’ll fuck you straight -- every time we tried to walk away, he kept on pursuing us and pursuing us,” Hill said in a documentary, “Out in the Night” about the case.

Then, the women said, he got violent. He lunged at Hill, grabbing her throat, so Johnson took out a kitchen knife she kept in her purse and stabbed him in the abdomen. Some bystanders jumped into the fight, and by the end of the night all seven women were arrested.

“If we would have chosen to call 911 instead of defending ourselves, one of us would be dead,” Hill said.

The next day, the media was less than sympathetic. Local headlines called them “killer lesbians,” a “wolf pack,” and “girls gone wilding.” Bill O’Reilly cited the incident in a segment about lesbian gangs running rampant throughout the country.

Buckle told the New York Times he was "the victim of a hate crime against a straight man."

“I was embarrassed,” Johnson said about seeing the media coverage. “[I was] in disbelief in how the media was portraying us.

It opened my eyes to journalism that they were just selling stories, it didn’t matter what the true story was, as long as they were selling papers. It just made me feel bad. They abused my character, they said things I know I wasn’t. I didn’t know how to cope with that as a teenager.”

Of the seven women, three decided to take a plea deal and plead guilty, receiving six months in jail and six years on probation. Hill, Johnson, Venice Brown and Terrain Dandridge opted to go to trial -- they became known as the New Jersey Four.

“I was upset at first because I felt like we stood a better chance of fighting it with all seven of us,” Hill said of the other three women.

“It took some time for me to understand maybe they just didn’t have the fight in them and I had to respect that. Not everybody wants to go through that whole court process and with them dehumanizing us the way the media and the court did. I had to respect it. Everybody has their own decision and I decide I wanted to fight it.”

After almost one year, with the defense relying on the surveillance video and eyewitness accounts, they were tried by an all-white jury of 10 women and two men and found guilty of gang assault; Johnson was also charged with attempted murder for the stabbing.

They deliberated for five hours, according to the New York Times.

Each woman received a different sentence, with Dandridge the shortest at three-and-a-half years and Johnson the longest at 11 years. According to news reports, the judge made it very clear throughout the trial that he thought the women were guilty.

In a New York Times article, the writer noted that Johnson was less than 5-feet-tall and weighed less than 100 pounds.

“I truly believed that we were defending ourselves that night,” Johnson said. “I took it to trial because you’ve got to prove your innocence. I felt there was enough evidence to prove we were defending ourselves … which left me confused after the trial when they found us guilty as well.”

Most devastating was the fact that Brown had an infant child and Hill a 5-year-old son they would have to leave behind as they served time.

On the outside looking in, a local filmmaker named Blair DoroshWalther was closely following the case and helped with fundraising for the women and participating in letter-writing campaigns. She knew their story needed to be told, but being a white woman, she didn’t think it was appropriate for her to be the one to do it.

In 2008, a year after the New Jersey Four were sentenced to prison and were filing appeals, Dorosh-Walther saw the media coverage had died down.

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Feature • news

“I took it to trial because you’ve

got to prove your

innocence.

I felt there was enough evidence to

prove we were defending

ourselves … which left me

confused after the trial when they found

us guilty as well.”

- Patreese Johnson, Pictured left.

“It was one of those stories that could not get out of my head.

I was so outraged and passionate about it, so I started rethinking about it as a documentary and directing it,” she said.

The filmmaker started out slow, reaching out to the women, visiting them in prison and meeting their family members and attorneys to gauge their interest in participating in the film. A lot of the early process was also just getting to know each other and getting comfortable. Over the next seven years, she followed their cases, from appeals to retrials and early releases to enrolling in school, and moving forward.

In 2013, she released “Out in the Night.”

“They’re incredibly resilient and have such great humility and humor and that was also really refreshing,” Dorosh-Walther said.

“They were all just so clear on what happened and also how it was connected to other parts of their life.”

The New Jersey Four and Dorosh-Walthers have traveled the country for film screenings, followed by Q&As, vulnerable moments.

“They’re reliving it every time they go out. That can also be incredibly draining. Empowering as well, but there was definitely an arc of it being more draining,” Dorosh-Walthers said.

Today, Johnson is in school and also continues her work as a poet and activist, namely speaking with youth.

“You think you’re having fun, it can turn ugly,” she said, looking back. “We’re still in danger. It’s not safe to be who we are, but it’s OK to be who we are and stand up for who we are and live in our truth. It’s important to be who you are.”

Today, Hill is studying to be a social worker and lives in her own apartment with her now 15-year-old son.

“People ask me, do I regret what happened? Absolutely I do not,” Hill said. “We all have a right to defend our bodies.”

24 THE

 July 2016

Our Next

JOURNEY Travel Issue

G

et ready, it's time to pack.

This time, The Mirror is here to explore with you across an array of destinations that proudly welcome both you and whoever it is you're holding hands with when you arrive.

Regardless of your preferred flavor, don't wait... the world is your oyster.

Whether it is the sea in Mykonos, or cities in the states, the summer days are enticing, inviting, and, in the right places, intoxicating.

The LGBT community has always enjoyed traveling the world and visiting new destinations and opening new horizons, from coffee houses in Amsterdam to the beaches of Ibiza. This year, the Olympics in Rio will be scoring more than just points for the athletes.

Wherever you go, there you are. But make it special.

26 THE

ď‚Ş July 2016

July 2016  THE

27

travel • food Ciabatta with shaved pork, mixed berry parfait and steel cut oatmeal brulée.

28 THE

 July 2016

Seared halibut, fava - lentil & white bean saffron ragout.

Grilled duck sausage, silken potato puree, grilled onions and sauternes apple..

The Wine Train is one of the most popular ways to explore the valley from the comfort of a refitted passenger car and under the power of a vintage diesel engine. Thousands of people board each year on a variety of themed lunch and dinner trips.

Today, 36 passengers are embarking on the “Quattro Vino” tour, a six-hour journey up and down the valley with stops at four wineries and small bites cooked right on board by two chefs and served by four courteous stewards.

As the train pulls from the station and guests enjoy a glass of local sparkling wine, one of the chefs, Andrew, confesses that his job in the tiny kitchen is like cooking in the midst Guests taste wine in the Merryvale cask room.

We lapped down a velvety asparagus soup and light salad of Bibb lettuce and blue cheese, garnished with fennel and apple crisp and tossed in a tanging white balsamic viniagrette and parmesan crumbs.

Our next stop would be Charles Krug Winery, named for one of the pioneers of the Napa Valley, and located just north of downtown St. Helena. Peter and Robert Mondavi’s parents, recent immigrants from Italy, purchased the winery a century ago, and Peter’s family have been making wines there ever since.

Our guide, Anna Maria, regaled us with the tale of the label’s signature blend, Generations, an experiment by Peter’s son that would initially be scorned by his traditionalist father.

Peter told him, “You got lucky,” but that

of a sustained 6.0 earthquake. He knows. The company brought geological equipment on board to measure the rocking movement of the carriage.

Undaunted, Andrew and his colleague Arturo whipped up delicious plates, one after another, all highlighting fresh local ingredients.

The first bite, a hearty substitute for breakfast, was a trio of ciabatta topped with shaved pork, arugula pesto, caramelized onions, sliced egg and manchego cheese, followed by a berry parfait and crunchy oatmeal brulée. With perfect timing, the train arrived at our first winery as we finished.

Robert Mondavi Winery is one of the

landmarks along the highway to St. Helena.

Our wine educator, Arlyss, a spunky retiree who loves wine, took the group from the station to a vast room filled with hundreds of barrels of wine.

As we tasted crisp sauvignon blanc and bold cabernet sauvignons, she explained the benefits of drinking wine (in moderation): “There are a lot more old winemakers out there than old doctors,” Arlyss said, pointing out Robert Mondavi’s brother, Peter, had died last year at the ripe age of 101.

After visiting the winery gift shop, we headed back to the train, where our second course was awaiting.

Chef Andrew pipes cannoli onbard the train.

Authentic meats and cheeses at the V. Sattui deli.

didn’t stop him from enjoying a glass nearly every day until his death.

Upon boarding, we found our next course to be a choice of grilled duck sausage in a creamy potato puree or seared halibut placed upon a ragout of fava, lentil and white beans in saffron broth.

Merryvale Winery was the first to open after the repeal of Prohibition in 1933.

There we would again taste a throaty red cab — they are the hallmark of the Napa Valley — but also a wonderful, sweet dessert wine called Antigua. Surrounded by giant oak casks, one of the most stunning tasting rooms in the valley, we discussed the merits of Merryvale’s “white port.”

The next stop would be V. Sattui Winery, a Tuscan manor rising above acres of lush vineyards.

Again, the sweet wines shone. This time a fortified madeira and a sweet gamay. While I tasted, others visited the Italian deli, filled with artisanal cheeses and giant salumi, salami and prosciutto hanging from the rafters above the cases.

Appropriately, dessert was the final course and we didn’t have to settle for just one, diving into warm flourless chocolate cake with brandied cherries, a cinnamon crusted citrus tart and cannoli dusted with crushed almonds.

As we finally pull into the station, it’s obvious to all why Quattro Vino has sold out every day since the first trip a month ago. There’s no better way to experience the tastes and scenery of Napa Valley.

ÌIF'YOU'GOÍ

travel • food

“A

ll aboard,” announced our conductor as we boarded the Napa Valley Wine Train at the downtown station at the base of the famed Northern California wine growing region that boasts more than 450 wineries.

Napa Valley Wine Train 1275 McKinstry St., Napa, CA 94559 WineTrain.com

The Quattro Vino tour costs $261 per person and includes transportation, four small plates and tastings at four wineries.

July 2016  THE

29

travel • jesse's journal

Jesse’s journal

G Gay Nude Beaches

By Jesse Monteagudo

The Best of the Best

1. B lack’s Beach, La Jolla, California

2. M arshall’s Beach, San Francisco, California

ay men are humanity’s great adventurers: We venture where others do not dare to go. For almost a century, gay men have been at the vanguard of the naturist movement, glorying in the joy and beauty of the naked male body, our own and others. Thus it is no surprise to find that gay men largely frequent clothing-optional beaches. None of the nude beaches listed in this article are exclusively gay.

4. H aulover Beach, Miami-Dade County, Florida

5. P layalinda Beach, Brevard County and Apollo Beach, Volusia County, Florida

3. S an Gregorio Beach,

6. G unnison Beach,

San Mateo County, California

Sandy Hook, New Jersey To view the entire article, visit SFGN.com.

30 THE

 July 2016

7. H ippie Hollow, 18 miles west of Austin, Texas

8. Wreck Beach, Vancouver, British Columbia

travel • headlines

HEADLINES News and Views

Orlando, Fort Lauderdale Top “Staycation” List

Remote Miami Offers South Florida’s First Artificial Intelligence-Guided Tour T W hat’s wrong, Dave? Remember Hal, the creepy computer from the classic science fiction move, “2001: A Space Odyssey?” Fifteen years later, we have “Heather.”

New York, Paris, Berlin, São Paulo, Moscow and now Miami are the latest cities in the Remote X series, a collection of interactive, pedestrian-based live art play experiences hosted across the world. Remote Miami, presented by Rimini Protokoll and Questalive Productions, takes participants on a guided city expedition via headphones and led by an artificially intelligent (AI) source and synthetic voice that directs movement while observing from a distant remote location. It combines the elements of theatre, performance, guided tour, computer games and quest.

There are no chairs to sit in as participants take full part in the action. The events happen in real time where the city streets provide the set design while people passing by become the actors and the surrounding reality provides props. The performance is a fun and exhilarating game, as well as an intriguing mental exercise. Participants in the show, together with their computerized interlocutor, explore the city in stereo format discovering individuality, mortality, memory and the invasion of our mental geography by technology.

The experience begins with the artificial intelligence voice named Heather stating, “I am a computer generated voice. I normally help blind people reading news and emails. I don’t have a body. I don’t have a soul. I have no eyes, but I know where you are. I can do bad things to people without feeling guilty. Ha ha ha. Don’t worry. I will try to be your friend.”

The two-hour Miami experience begins in the city’s oldest cemetery and finishes in a surprise Downtown Miami location area. With groups of up to 50, participants are immersed into another world surrounded by the soundscapes produced within the city. The headphones and verbal AI directions allow participants to gain a different perspective of the city as well as question their existence versus artificial intelligence reality.

Tickets are $32 for adults and $22 for students at Remote.Miami.

Miami Company Launches Trans Travel Brand

T

ransgender Vacations, based in Miami, now offers dedicated vacation programs for the transgender and cross-dressing communities, as well as their friends and families.

Three years in development, the company has formed an alliance with Focus Diva, a division of the Focus Travel Group in the United Kingdom, to best service the community on a global level.

Stephanie Land, a transgender woman with 15 years of experience in travel planning and group travel, serves as director of transgender vacations, and Jennifer Grant, a member of the LGBT community and director of Focus Diva in the U.K., have developed the first niche-focused travel platform serving the transgender community.

“We, as part of the LGBT community, offer insight and specialized knowledge, a ‘familial’ comfort and confidence, as well as a fantastic range of products that is unparalleled. Booking with us, travel agents and members of the community are assured that we understand the challenges that transgender travelers face and that we are their ultimate resource and ambassador every step of the way to deliver their ultimate holidays,” said Grant in a release announcing the partnership.

The company is offering a seven-night European river cruise down the Danube in October for $2099 per person, not including airfare. For more information, go to TransgenderVacations.com.

32 THE

 July 2016

o help Americans find the best staycation spots in the U.S. — and the ones worth leaving home for — personal finance website WalletHub conducted a survey of the 150 largest cities across 28 key metrics.

The data set included metrics such as movie and bowling costs, golf courses, frozen-yogurt shops and spas per capita, and the cost of house-cleaning services.

The best cities for staycations include: 1. Orlando, Fla. 2. Fort Lauderdale, Fla. 3. Tampa, Fla. 4. Salt Lake City, Utah 5. Scottsdale, Az. 6. Atlanta, Ga. 7. Las Vegas, Nev. 8. Minneapolis, Minn.

9. St. Petersburg, Fla. 10. Honolulu, Hawaii The cities that fared worst include: 141. Fremont, Calif.

142. Chesapeake, Va. 143. Los Angeles, Calif.

144. Fresno, Calif.

145. Fort Worth, Texas 146. Yonkers, N.Y. 147. Santa Ana, Calif.

148. New York, N.Y. 149. Oxnard, Calif.

150. Chula Vista, Calif.

Among the crucial revelations in WalletHub’s staycation survey: Orlando boasts the most ice cream and frozen yogurt shops per 100,000 residents (57.15), 13 times more than Detroit, the city with the fewest (4.31).

New York City, which finished a surprising 148th overall, has the highest beauty salon costs ($66.18), nearly three times Fort Wayne, Ind. ($22.42). That’s a number the Hoosiers in Fort Wayne need to to work on.

For more information about the report, go to WalletHub.com.

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Be ready to enjoy the Broadway Show In the Amber Theater, complementary Aquatheater shows, ice shows and other live entertainment. ails.

Group isjazz for Late Gratuities are Parties extra.

DEPOSIT: $500 per stateroom.

Final D7 $2,109.29 Ocean ViewSitting.

Balcony $999. $1,110.29 rges of 225.00. dining - Govt.

Fees and taxes are extra at $111.29 (subject to change) Other live club, karaoke bar and Comedy$111.29 Club. parades Royal Promenade. ofwithout name-brand, is and due on Octoberon 31,the 2016.

All prices are subjectVariety to change prior notice and cannot be g is for Late Sitting. Gratuities areD6 extra.

DEPOSIT: $500 per$1,009. stateroom.

Finalpayment ® $2,129.29 Ocean View Balcony $111.29 $1,120.29 , Bars, lounges and nightclubs that never have a cover, including live jazz club, karaoke bar and Comedy Club.

Parties and parades on the Royal Casino Royale shipAllonprices the high seas, Royal Caribbean’s Allure of Seas.

This is just back a multi-million dollar makeover and will WOW ® ® ® confirmed until aship firm reservation withfrom payment is Store, received and confirmed by the cruise line. freetothe shopping in Central Park thethe Royal Promenade including the GUESS and be more. r 31, 2016. areduty subject change without prior notice and cannot be sble. due onduring October 31, 2016.

All prices are subject to change without prior notice andCoach cannot Other Categories available Call us forand pricing ® ® andto the Royal Promenade including the GUESS® Store, andshows, more. ice Promenade.

Variety of name-brand, duty free shopping in Central Park every nautical Be ready to enjoy the Broadway Show In the Theater, complimentary AquaCoach Theater Cruise confirmed Faremile. includes Port Charges of 225.00.

-line.

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Fees and taxes are extra at $111.29 (subject change) OtherAmber rvation you with payment is received and by the cruise may also be available.

OFFERS MAY BEcategories AVAILABLE, US and FOR DETAILS! until a firm reservation with payment is ASK received byand the cruise line. ® confirmed : www.Gay-Travel-by-MIM.com Check out our website for nightclubs details shows and other live entertainment.

Royale , ASK Bars, lounges that never have a cover, including SPECIAL PRICED OFFERSCasino MAY BE AVAILABLE, US FOR DETAILS! based on double occupancy.

Single cabins are available at a 200% surcharge. ebsite for details: www.Gay-Travel-by-MIM.com All prices are per person, based on double occupancy. Single cabins are available at a 200% surcharge.

MEETINGS &subject INCENTIVE – MIM TRAVEL – TRAVEL NETWORK Single cabins are onand requestComedy and to availability.

TheMARKETING cruise line reserves the right to limit the live jazz club, karaoke bar Club.

Parties and parades on the Royal Promenade.

Variety of free name-brand, RESERVATIONS: 954-735-8108 – Outside Florida, toll 1-866-749-7354 uest and subject to availability.

The cruise reserves the right to AVAILABLE, limit the SPECIAL PRICED OFFERS MAY BE ASK FOR DETAILS! number of single cabins.

There areline also a limited number of triple quad cabins available. ask Mailing Address: 6805 W. and Commercial Blvd –Please 307, Ft.US Lauderdale, FL 33319 or E-Mail: sales@mimktg.com ® ® ® RESERVATIONS: 954-735-8108 – Outside Florida, toll free 1-866-749-7354 us for details.

Group dining is for Late Sitting.

Gratuities are extra.

DEPOSIT: $500 per stateroom.

Final Check out our website for details : www.Gay-Travel-by-MIM.com based double occupancy per person.

Price does not include tax.

All prices&are subject to change without priorCoach notice. free ashopping in Central Park and the Royal Promenade including the GUESS Store, and more.

Thereduty are also limited**Prices number ofon triple cabins available.

Please ask INCENTIVE MARKETING Tel: 954-735-8108 – Toll Free 1-866-749-7354 payment is due on October 31, and 2016.

Allquad prices are subject to change without prior notice and MEETINGS cannot be or E-Mail: sales@mimktg.com confirmed until a firm reservation with payment is received and confirmed by the cruise line. 6805 W. COMMERCIAL BLVD - 307 EETINGS & INCENTIVE MARKETING ng is for Late Sitting.

Gratuities are extra. DEPOSIT: $500 per stateroom. FORT Final LAUDERDALE, FL 33319 05 W. COMMERCIAL BLVD - 307 Check outto our website for details : www.Gay-Travel-by-MIM.com er 31, 2016. FL All33319 prices are subject change without prior notice and cannot be RESERVATIONS: 954-735-8108 – Outside Florida, toll free 1-866-749-7354 RT LAUDERDALE, Tel: 954-735-8108 or toll free 1-866-749-7354 ervation with payment is received and confirmed by the cruise RESERVATIONS: 954-735-8108 – Outside line.

Florida, toll free 1-866-749-7354 or TRAVEL E-Mail: sales@mimktg.com MEETINGS & INCENTIVE MARKETING – MIM – TRAVEL NETWORK

AL PRICED OFFERS MAY BE AVAILABLE, ASK US FOR DETAILS!

Tel: 954-735-8108 or toll free 1-866-749-7354

or E-Mail: sales@mimktg.com E-mail: info@gaytravelbymim.com

MEETINGS & INCENTIVE MARKETING MEETINGS & INCENTIVE MARKETING 6805Address: W. COMMERCIAL BLVD - 307 W. Commercial Blvd – 307, Ft. Lauderdale, FL 33319 Mailing 6805 FORT LAUDERDALE, FL 33319 : www.Gay-Travel-by-MIM.com website for details6805 W. COMMERCIAL BLVDTel: - 307 954-735-8108 – Toll Free 1-866-749-7354 954-735-8108 FORT LAUDERDALE,Tel:FL 33319or toll free 1-866-749-7354 E-mail: info@gaytravelbymim.comNOTE: Meetings & Incentive Marketing/MIM Travel, claims no credit for any images featured on this flyer unless otherwise noted. All visual content is copyright to the respective owners. If you own rights to any of the images and do not wish for them to appear here, please contact us and they will be promptly removed. The appearance RESERVATIONS: 954-735-8108 Outside of photosfree here does1-866-749-7354 not indicate the person or models sexual orientation M Travel, claims no credit for any images featured on this flyer unless otherwise– noted.

All visual contentFlorida, is copyright to the toll y of the images and do not wish for them to appear here, please contact us and they will be promptly removed. The appearance or E-Mail: sales@mimktg.com n or models sexual orientation

E-mail: info@gaytravelbymim.com

For other gay cruises and tours, check out our website www.Gay-Travel-by-MiM.com

Tel: 954-735-8108 or toll free 1-866-749-7354 EETINGS & INCENTIVE MARKETING 805 W. COMMERCIAL BLVD - 307 E-mail: info@gaytravelbymim.com ORT LAUDERDALE, FL 33319

NOTE: Meetings & Incentive Marketing/MIM Travel, claims no credit for any images featured on this flyer unless otherwise noted. All visual content is copyright to the respective owners. If you own rights to any of the images and do not wish for them to appear here, please contact us and they will be promptly removed. The appearance of photos here does not indicate the person or models sexual orientation

travel • food

Photos by Rick Karlin.

On the Road Again Rick Karlin

M

y husband Gregg doesn’t fly. That means when we go on trips, I usually drive one way with him and fly the other (I’ll support his neuroses only so much). We recently had to head to Chicago for a family event and he has two new books out (short stories, “How to Whistle” and poetry, “Fifty Degrees” — shameless promotion) so he arranged a couple of readings in bookstores along the way. Of course, what kind of foodie would I be if I didn’t explore the dining scene-even if I am in town only overnight?

Our first stop was Atlanta. Now you think that I would check out some classic southern dishes, but no, we hit Thai 5 in the trendy neighborhood of Little Five Points (picture Williamsburg Brooklyn, circa 2002-you know lots of hipsters and white folks with dreadlocks). You enter this charming place through a long hallway with strings of lights and Asian parasols hanging from the ceiling. After you ascend a flight of stairs you enter a cavernous room, which would be very cold were it not decorated with so many kitschy objects including a tiki stand! The menu is evenly divided between Thai and Japanese fare with a vast sushi menu. The place was packed and that may have been because on Monday and Tuesday nights there’s a special menu featuring sushi for $1 and maki rolls for $2, along with many other specials (shrimp tempura for $2!). I

Gyros at Native Foods.

34 THE

 July 2016

ordered a bento box featuring my choice of two out of eight appetizer options, one of a dozen or so entrees, miso and rice – all for only $16.95! The portions were abundant and very well prepared. My husband ordered his staple dish, pad thai, and said it was one of the best he’s had. There was easily enough for two to share, and reasonably priced at less than $11. A glass of a very good New Zealand sauvignon blanc was only $6.

Thai 5, 1148 Euclid Ave. NE, 404-521-3555, thai5atlanta.com Driving west from Atlanta, we hit Metropolis, Illinois, which has made an industry out of having the same name as Superman’s city. Everywhere you look there are references to the comic book character and his cohorts. If only the cuisine were as super! A search for restaurants in the town brought up the typical chains. We opted for one of the three places, the aptly named Fat Edd's Roadhouse. In true Midwest tradition, nearly everything here is deep-fried, from the jack cheese bites, to the chicken wings and pickles. Sure you can get a salad or some peel and eat shrimp, but otherwise grease is the word. Not that that’s a bad thing. Unless you have three hours to drive in the car! Fat Edd's Roadhouse, 323 Ferry St., 618-524-5525, fateddsroadhouse.com The book store where Gregg was reading in St. Louis is located right on Delmar, one of the trendiest streets in St.

Louis. Delmar has a walk of stars to rival Hollywood (except that it’s famous folks from St. Louis) and will soon have a cute little streetcar running down it. (Okay queens get up there and do your best Judy Garland, “Clang! Clang! Clang!”). We grabbed a bite after the reading at the Peacock Diner, a 24hour funky diner which also has a full-service bar. At Peacock they put a new twist of diner classics and also offer plenty of vegetarian and vegan and gluten free options. We started with an order of hush puppies with rooster dipping sauce and Vidalia onion rings. Most of the appetizers are less than $5, as a hoot we tried a special app, pimento cheese on a Triscuit topped with a green olive-they were 50¢ each! If you order the popcorn shrimp nachos, be prepared the serving is about as big as your head! It features wonton chips topped with cheese sauce, shredded lettuce, salsa, sour cream sriracha and tons of popcorn shrimp. Priced at less than $10 this dish is a steal, although it could have used a bit more heat – perhaps some jalapenos. The tasty black bean burger and a yummy Monte Cristo both came with an order of fries and are reasonably price at $5.50 and $7.50, respectively. Peacock Loop Diner, 6261 Delmar Blvd., 314-721-5555, peacockloopdiner.com When we hit Chicago the first place we headed was Native Foods (nativefoods.com). This West Coast-based chain has a few locations in Chicago and specializes in vegan fast food.

It’s all the favorites you’d want - “chicken” wings, “gyros,” “burgers,” tacos and a Reuben; all made with meat substitutes.

I am most certainly NOT a vegan and even I love this place. I don’t care what the substitutes are, as long as the food is as delicious as it is at Native Foods. Everything is so yummy, I don’t mind that it’s good for me (and the planet)! My hubby and I send the headquarters an email about once a month requesting it to open a location in Fort Lauderdale.

The rest of the weekend was tied up with family events, but we did sneak away the night before we left to sample what I believe to be the best pizza in the world at Lou Malnati’s (loumalnatis.com). Ask any two Chicagoans their favorite pizza place and you’ll probably start a fight, but the majority will usually name Lou’s (we all drop the last name).

Lou Malnati originated the deep-dish pizza synonymous with Chicago. He was working for the famous Uno’s Pizza in the 1930s when he came up with the recipe. By the 1940's he ventured out on his own. Lou’s recipe provides a dense, yet crisp crust tons of cheese and absolutely no tomato sauce.

Instead the pizza is studded with chunks of stewed tomatoes that have been squeezed dry. The lack of that excess moisture is what makes the crust so unusual, tender crisp and flaky and just strong enough to support the abundance of toppings. One slice is all you need, but you’ll usually have two with no regrets.

$70/hour & $95/90 min.

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July 2016  THE

35

travel • headlines

DATEBOOK Gay Pride and Festivals Calendar

SHOW YOUR COLORS

The Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras, founded in 1978, is one of the largest LGBT celebrations in the Southern Hemisphere.

JULY 8 - 10 9 - 17 10 - 17 15 - 17 16 - 17 22 - 24

25 - 31 30 - 31

31

Gay Pride – Barcelona, Spain Bear Week – Provinetown, Mass.

Fetish Week – London, England San Diego Pride – San Diego, Calif.

Stadtfest Berlin – Berlin, Germany Gay Pride Week/Christopher Street Day – Berlin, Germany Gay Pride - Stockholm, Sweden Milkshake Festival Amsterdam, Netherlands Gay Pride – Vancouver, Canada Up Your Alley - San Francisco, Calif.

August 2 - 14 4-7

5-7 8 - 14 8 - 14 10 - 15 10 - 16

11 - 14 11 - 14 11 - 16

11 - 17 13 13 13 - 14 13 - 19 16 - 21 17 - 21 20

20 - 21

Circuit Festival - Barcelona, Spain Gay Pride/Europride – Amsterdam, Netherlands Gay Pride – Brighton, England Gay Pride – Montreal, Canada Gay Pride – Prague, Czech Republic Gay Pride – Antwerp, Belgium Mad Bear Beach Party Weekend – Torremolinos, Spain Ledertreffen – Hamburg, Germany Tropical Heat – Key West, Fla. Dunas Festival – Gran Canaria Canary Islands Mágico Festival – Ibiza, Spain Cardiff Mardi Gras – Cardiff, Wales Gay Pride - Cleveland, Ohio Market Days – Chicago, Ill. Carnival – Provincetown, Mass.

Gay Pride – Copenhagen, Denmark XLsior – Mykonos, Greece Schwules Strassenfest – Munich, Germany Gay Pride – Glasgow, Scotland

36 THE

 July 2016

26 - 29 Gay Pride – Manchester, England 26 - Sept. 5 Gay Pride – Calgary, Canada 27 Gay Pride – Austin, Texas 27 - Sept. 3 Gay Ski Week –

Queenstown, New Zealand 30 - Sept. 7 Gay Pride – Hamburg, Germany 31 - Sept. 5 Southern Decadence –

New Orleans, La. September 1-4 Bears On Ice – Reykjavik, Iceland 2-5 Splash Days – Austin, Texas 3 Fantasypride – Cologne, Germany 6 - 12 Gay Days – Las Vegas, Nev. 10 Folsom Europe – Berlin, Germany 16 - 17 Gay Pride – Las Vegas, Nev. 18 Gay Pride – Dallas, Texas 20 - 25 Bear Bash – Orlando, Fla. 25 Folsom Street Fair – San Francisco, Calif.

25 Gay Pride – Tirana, Albania 26 Rosa Wiesn/Oktoberfest Munich, Germany 30 - Oct. 2 Gay Days – Anaheim, Calif.

30 - Oct. 9 Tropical Mardi Gras – Cairns, Australia October 8 Pride @ the Beach – Oceanside, Calif.

8-9 Gay Pride – Atlanta, Ga. 8 - 16 Maspalomas Fetish Week –

Gran Canaria, Canary Islands 21 Hustlaball – Berlin, Germany 27 - 30 Halloween – New Orleans, La. 27 - 31 Leather Pride – Amsterdam, Netherlands 9 Taiwan LGBT Pride – Taipei, Taiwan 31 Gay Halloween Street Party –

West Hollywood, Calif.

November 4-6 Greater Palm Springs Pride –

Palm Springs, Calif.

9 - 13 Sneak Week – Paris, France 25 - 28 White Party Week – Miami, Fla. December 31 Evolve Vegas – Las Vegas, Nev. 31 New Years Eve – Rio de Janeiro, Brazil January 2017 15 - 22 Gay and Lesbian Ski Week –

Aspen, Colo.

21 - 29 Gay Whistler Ski Week –

Vancouver, Canada 29 Pride March Victoria –

Melbourne, Australia 29 - Feb. 5 Beef Dip Bear Week –

Puerto Vallarta, Mexico February 2017 15 - 20 Belgium Leatherpride –

Antwerp, Belgium 23 - Mar. 1 Karneval – Cologne, Germany 24 - 28 Gay Mardi Gras – New Orleans, La. 24 - Mar. 1 Carnival Rio – Rio de Janeiro, Brazil March 2017 1-6 Winter Party Festival – Miami, Fla. 4 Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras –

Sydney, Australia 15 - 19 Gay Ski Week – Mammoth Lakes, Calif.

April 2017 7-9 Gay Pride – Miami Beach, Fla. 13 - 15 Songkran Thai New Year –

Bangkok, Thailand Dates may be subject to change.

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travel • accomodations

Deluxe Or Deprived The Extremes Of Gay Travel

Tony Adams

M

 HeTravel.com's "SPLASH" Grand Canyon rafting tour The Island House  in Key West

HeTravel.com's  "ITALY UNVEILVED THE AMALFI COAST" 38 THE

 July 2016

ost LGBT travelers fall into one of two categories: those who love to rough it versus those who prefer luxury. Some of us are equally at home in a tent as we are in a five-star hotel.

Some same-sex couples are travel-discordant, in which hiker and Hilton will alternate their travel choices so that each gets their preference half of the time. Other couples happily choose separate vacations when they cannot agree on a travel-style.

Here are the best choices for either extreme of gay travel. Some of these destinations attract a mixed crowd of women and men, while others are predominantly for men with certain annual weeks/events for women or both.

Check before you book.

On the luxury side, trust HEtravel.com and Island House Key West. On the adventurous side, again trust HEtravel. com, Florida’s Sawmill Campgrounds and Georgia’s Metropolis Complex.

HEtravel.com out of Key West provides both extremes of gay travel, including a Grand Canyon white-water rafting tour and a refined “Italy Unveiled” tour. President and owner of HEtravel.com Phil Sheldon and his chief honcho Zach Moses honor the company’s founder Hanns Ebensten by delivering exceptional experiences both in the wild and in the laps of luxury.

Zach Moses describes their formula as, “Understanding the expectations of our clients: for luxury lodging, it’s comfortable beds, modern convenient bathrooms, spacious rooms, some kind of stunning view or ambiance, and excellent service. For the tour experience, it’s small congenial groups, and taking care of everything so that clients don't have to reach into their wallets. For rousing outdoor adventures, it’s having someone handle the logistics. In the Grand Canyon, this includes operating the raft, providing comfortable bedding, delicious meals, setting up the bathroom 'with a view,' and still providing ice and Diet Coke on day 8 if that’s what the group wants. Try doing that on your own.”

Phil Sheldon adds, “Hanns Ebensten's goal was to provide amazing experiences in some of the world’s most challenging destinations, while creating a safe place for his clients, most of whom were closeted. We maintain his vision today, but in a more open way because the large majority of clients today are "out" to their families, jobs, and home communities. For those who are still closeted, we provide both discretion and a friendly environment. Our packages service every gay traveler from the ‘roughing it’ gays who stay in hostels or sleep under the stars, to the ultra luxury

travel • accomodations

For more: HeTravel.com IslandHouseKeyWest.com MetropolisComplex.com FlSawmill.com VillaCappelli.com

tented camps in the middle of nowhere in Tanzania. Where will gays go next? How's space sound? Stay tuned...”

The most thrilling adventure trip imaginable might be HEtravel’s “Splash!” white-water rafting excursion in which you will hike, wade, swim, float and explore what may be the most gorgeous place on earth. HEtravel will make sure you are well prepared for your time in the canyon, sleeping under the stars or in a tent if you want some privacy. If you follow their list, you’ll never have a trip with more minimal packing.

HEtravel also has some “hybrid” tours, such as a week of cycling in Puglia designed for the fit guest who is not averse to lodging and dining at the deluxe Villa Cappelli at the end of a day spent bicycling through the gorgeous countryside.

This tour sometimes attracts couples in which one will cycle while the other lounges by the villa pool or travels with the support crew in the van to the next town on the itinerary.

On the deluxe side, HEtravel’s “Italy Unveiled’ tour in October will have its third annual edition. This is for those who have already seen Rome, Florence and Venice and want to go south to Naples, Pompeii, Capri, the Amalfi coast and over to Basilicata and Puglia. The dining, accommodations and sightseeing are dazzling, and the HEtravel host is with you constantly to make every moment of the trip effortless.

Among deluxe gay hotels, Island House Key West, the fabulous clothing-optional gay men’s resort, is always at the top of the list. Many of its guests sheepishly report spending a full week there without leaving the premises.

Why? Island House Marketing Manager Jeff Smead says, “We are known for luxury because of our attention to detail, offering the best products money can buy. Our café uses only the best ingredients available, our bar has only top shelf spirits, and we serve only Starbucks coffee. We provide Aveda bath products, use only 300-thread count linens, and we employ roughly a 1:1 staff to guest ratio.

We aim at getting guests to rebook before they even check out. The morning servers will know you by name on daytwo. The afternoon shift will already know what you like to drink when happy hour rolls around. Housekeeping has this place running with warm towels 24 hours a day, and the café serves food around the clock. This is your playground, this

is your oasis. You’re a walking/talking part of it when you’re on the property. You instantly belong.”

Recent Island House improvements include shifting to an exclusively call/premium bar, rebuilding the gang shower, glamming the infamous video playroom, upgrading every chaise lounge, adding small savory plates to the menu and adding new West Elm furniture in the guestrooms. They carefully guard their reputation for excellence.

When you are ready to rough it, pack nothing more than bug spray and poppers and head to the Sawmill Resort and Campground in Dade City, Florida. Rent a cabin, bring your RV or pitch a tent. A friendlier group of folks – mostly gay men and a few lesbians – you will not find.

Sawmill is a 21-and-up private membership club. The $25 membership is valid for one year. Their calendar is stuffed with outrageous events year round. Don’t be surprised if you see a naked man walking his dog and stopping to chat with a neighbor. There are roughly 100 residential lots with RVs and mobile homes for folks who spend part or all of the year at Sawmill.

Also, for those who really want the back-to-nature experience, Short Mountain Sanctuary in Tennessee, where the aroma of sweet smoke drifts among the tents in the dense woods as hundreds of “Radical Faeries” dance naked or in glittery rags around the May Pole, is an experience you ought to have at least once in life. The Short Mountain community does not want to expand (as has “Burning Man” for example) and does not market itself. It has no website. You will need to seek it out and rely on help from those who have been there. Think gay Woodstock.

For men, mirth and mysterious midnights, try the Metropolis Complex in Augusta, Georgia. A transformed Alamo motel with a gay RV/mobile home community, a snazzy new pool and locals who get passes to prowl the dark maze or the outdoor watersports area 24/7, this is not luxurious, but it is clean, friendly, with free WiFi and very well run by owner Jimmy Key and managers Brien Eckert and Chris Stephens. They continue to expand, having annexed the adjacent hotel with a second pool, a retro cocktail lounge and a popular nightclub. A sexy stop for migrating snowbirds.

July 2016  THE

39

travel • destination

DESTINATION Brooklyn, New York

FLEA MARKET FINDS

Manhattan skyscrapers tower over the Brooklyn Flea Market each Saturday, called “one of the great urban experiences in New York” by the New York Times. On Sundays, the action moves to DUMBO. Foodies should check out the diverse array of food vendors at “Smorgasburg” in Williamsburg at East River State Park. For more info, go to BrooklynFlea.com.

M

anhattan, with its vibrant Greenwich Village, Chelsea and Clinton neighborhoods, has long been a destination for LGBT travelers. In recent years, Brooklyn has become more attractive thanks to the scores of hipsters and young professionals who migrated across the East River in response to the soaring housing market. The next time you make the trip to New York City, save time to explore this diverse and interesting borough: STAY

EAT

DRINK

Union Hotel 611 Degaw St. 718-403-0614 UnionHotelNYC.com

DINOSAUR bar-b-que 604 Union St. 347-429-7030 DinosaurBarBQue.com

ginger’s bar 363 5th Ave. 718-788-0924 GingersBarBklyn.com

Location, location, location. The Union Hotel’s updated rooms are small, but all you really need is a place to crash at night. This affordable inn is near the Barclay Center and just a few stops from Manhattan on the D, N and R lines.

With outlets in Harlem, upstate New York, Stamford, Baltimore and Chicago, this chain is serving up some of the best ribs, brisket and pulled pork east of the Mississippi. Feeling adventurous? Try the Dino Poutine or Pork-sket.

40 THE

 July 2016

Affectionately known as the “G-Spot,” Ginger’s Bar is a Park Slope institution, popular with the ladies and bois alike.

Drinks are half-price during happy hour and the bar hosts themed parties throughout the week.

July 2016  THE

41

travel • palm springs

: s Palm Spring

The

42 THE

 July 2016

s i s a O y a G

Jason Parsley

Today Palm Springs is a thriving travel destination of gays with one of the highest concentrations of gay/lesbian resorts in the world.

The city also boasts one of the highest per capita LGBT populations in the U.S. The history of gay Palm Springs date back to 1913 – yes 1913!

For more on the city’s history check out “A City Comes Out,” by David Wallace. Between 1930 and 1950 when Hollywood was in its hey day, stars’ contracts stipulated that actors could not travel more than 200 miles from Los Angeles during film production.

Because few paparazzi traveled to Palm Springs it became the nearby getaway for celebrities. As an added bonus desert homes were usually surrounded by high walls, allowing anything to go on within the private compounds.

With 30 gay guesthouses in the Palm Springs area there’s something for everyone whether you’re looking for all-male, all-nude or whatever.

Places to Stay The Hacienda at Warm Sands “The most luxurious upscale gay male resort hotel in California” 586 S Warm Sands Dr. Palm Springs, CA 92264 760-327-8111 TheHacienda.com

travel • palm springs

P

alm Springs has a long storied history with a being a destination for LGB travelers, especially for gay Hollywood. Over the last century gay men from Los Angles have found a quiet oasis in this desert city.

La Dolce Vita “A gay men's clothing optional resort & spa” 1491 Vía Soledad Palm Springs, CA 92264 760-325-2686 LaDolceVitaResort.com

Popular Events White Party Palm Springs: Jeffrey Sanker Presents May 5-9, 2017 JeffreySanker.com

Greater Palm Springs Pride November 1-6, 2016 PSpride.org

Places to Eat The Tropicale Palm Springs TheTropicale.com

This restaurant offers up a "world cuisine,” with dishes like the Nashville Hot Chicken with Sour Cream Cornbread and the Grilled Organic Brisket Burger with Melted Brie.

Café Europa CafeEuropaPalmSprings.com

This quint café offers up a French inspired menu with breakfast items like Fruit and Nutella Pancakes and a built it yourself Hearty Egg Sandwich; while the lunch menu offers an array of cold and hot sandwiches and paninis, as well as salads including Salade Compagnard Epinard, a hard to find warm, savory salad with baby spinach with seasoned roasted potatoes, lardon, diced tomato, in a pomegranate balsamic vinaigrette.

Rio Azul Mexican Bar & Grill RioAzulPalmSprings.com

This eatery offers up a Mexican inspired cuisine that features a traditional array of Mexican dishes from burritos and enchiladas to tacos and fajitas. The restaurant is also known for their drag brunches every Sunday and their margarita goblets.

Kaiser Grill KaiserGrille.com

This popular Palm Springs restaurant offers a mix of food featuring all natural and hormone free beef, free range organic chicken, sustainable/wild seafood and fresh local produce. Some of their menu items include pizzas, salads, burgers, steaks, and pasta.

Palm Springs Leather Pride October 27-30 DesertLeatherPride.com

You’ll find one of more luxurious experiences at the Hacienda at Warm Sands, which takes great pride in its attention to detail and customer service. The resort offers the largest staff to guest ratio in Palm Springs.

It bills itself as “the most luxurious upscale gay male resort hotel in California.” Each room is a suite, and includes a continental breakfast and catered lunch. They offer a pillow menu, with 7 different types of pillows to fit whatever desire you have from the Hacienda Feather Pillow - billed by the manufacturer as "the world's finest hypo-allergenic pillow,” to The Tummy Comforter Pillow – “the answer for comfortable sleeping on your stomach and eliminating strain on the back.”

Some other amenities the resort offers is a pre-arrival personal shopper service so that the suite's wet bar/kitchen is stocked with your preferred food, snacks and beverages. Swimming areas are clothing optional. Prices vary depending on season.

For a more affordable option check out La Dolce Vita Resort & Spa, a popular clothing optional resort. It’s rated as one of the top 10 best resorts in Palm Springs. The property includes two pools, several hot tubs and a spa. This is where I stayed on my recent trip and I would definitely recommend it to others. The staff is helpful, courteous and friendly; and the property is clean and well maintained. And like many clothing optional resorts it’s easy to make new friends with other guests.

La Dolce, while affordable, is still luxurious enough for a romantic getaway.

Some of the major LGBT events through the year include Greater Palm Springs Pride, Palm Springs Leather Pride and the annual White Party.

Palm Springs has a couple of connections to South Florida with their own Georgie’s Alibi and Hunter’s Palm Springs. So if you visit make sure you stop by both.

I want to give a special thanks to the Palm Springs Tourism Bureau for hosting an LGBT press trip. They did a spectacular job spotlighting their city and promoting it. For more information on Palm Springs visit VisitPalmSprings.com.

July 2016  THE

43

travel • DIY

DIY Animal Encounters

TAKE THE PLUNGE Manatee Tour & Dive 267 NW 3rd St. Crystal River, FL 34428 ManateeToursUSA.com Three-hour manatee tours from $49 per person. Scalloping and kayaking tours also available.

Crystal River Watersports 2380 NW US Hwy. 19 Crystal River, FL 34428 FloridaManateeTours.com Year-round excursions from $55 per person. Scuba and private group tours also available.

River Ventures 498 SE Kings Bay Dr. Crystal River, FL 34429 RiverVentures.com Swim with the manatees ($59 per person) or explore the bay on kayak or paddle board.

Only 999 More to Go! W

ell, actually 932. Let me explain: A few years ago, I was browsing books at Barnes & Noble when I came across a thick volume entitled, “1,000 Places to See Before You Die.” I was intrigued. I considered myself welltraveled. Afterall, I lived in New Zealand for a year and had visited Australia, Fiji, England, Austria, Slovakia, Czech Republic, Thailand, Hong Kong, Chile and many of the islands in the Caribbean.

As I flipped through the book, I came across all the usual suggestions: Taj Mahal, Angkor Wat, Great Wall of China, Easter Island, and the like.

There were just a few suggestions for Florida. Disney World was there, Sawgrass Mills was not. But, one destination that jumped off the pages was Crystal River.

Really? What made the spring-fed waters north of Tampa so special?

Because the waters remain a constant temperature year round, they have become haven to hundreds of manatees, especially during the unpredictable winter months.

Crystal River made the list because it is possible to swim with the gregarious creatures.

44 THE

 July 2016

After diving with reef sharks on the Great Barrier Reef (which also made the cut), I decided this was a must.

My partner and I loaded the car and made the five-hour trip to the town of Crystal River and checked in with our guide.

Outfitted with masks and snorkels, we headed to the boat.

Our guide, Dave, took us to a shallow area with plenty of plant life in the water. The polarized lenses in our sunglasses allowed us to make out two dark figures in the water.

We climbed in to take a closer look.

To our surprise, we were greeted by two eyes. A young manatee was just as curious and surfaced between the ladder and the hull of the boat.

He (or she) placed its chin on the step and gave himself a chin rub as he stared intently at the strangers just a foot away. We were close enough to notice its eyes seemed almost human, a quality that perhaps led early mariners to mistake manatees for mermaids.

We petted the manatee and then it submerged. Because of the plants, we weren’t quite sure where it had gone. A few moments later, it resurfaced next to me.

I then rubbed the area under its flippers the same way humans tickle each other.

Our guide had told us this was a pleasurable sensation for the mammals.

We continued to play with the young manatee for several minutes until its mother’s patience began to wear thin.

She made a clicking sound—that’s the way manatees communicate—and off the pair went, disappearing in the lagoon.

Our captain would take us to other areas of King’s Bay and we would encounter others, most older and bearing the scars left behind by the blades of motorboats.

It’s illegal to “harass” the manatees, but when they approach, that’s okay. We managed to tickle three or four others before the magical afternoon would eventually end.

On the way home, we sighted actual mermaids at the famed Weeki Wachee Springs, but while entertaining, the experience could never rival the opportunity to play with those wonderful creatures mistakenly labeled generations ago as sea cows. Hardly.

— J.W. Arnold

travel • dining

DINING Vietnamese Cuisine

What the Pho?

J.W. Arnold

Discover the exotic tastes of Vietnam at this popular Wilton Manors restaurant, celebrating its first anniversary this summer.

S

outh Florida foodies have long enjoyed world-class Thai and Japanese cuisine— case in point, the four Thai and sushi restaurants located on a four-block stretch of Wilton Drive in Wilton Manors.

Just a year ago, chef and restaurateur Huey Nguyen introduced the exotic tastes of Vietnam to the neighborhood when he opened What the Pho, a fun pun on the name of the noodle soup, pho (pronounced /fuh/), that is a daily staple for millions of people in the Southeast Asian nation.

Vietnamese cooking is influenced by the philosophy of the five elements (ngũ vị): spicy (metal), sour (wood), bitter (fire), salty (water) and sweet (Earth), corresponding to five organs (ngũ tạng): gall bladder, small intestine, large intestine, stomach and urinary bladder.

Vietnamese recipes use lemongrass, ginger, mint, Vietnamese mint, long coriander, Saigon cinnamon, bird’s eye chili, lime, and Thai basil leaves. Some gastronomes may also detect the lingering flavors and techniques from the country’s days as a French colonial province.

Nguyen learned to cook alongside his mother, Gai, who was born and raised in Vietnam.

Gai can still be found daily in the kitchens of the family’s Miss Saigon Bistro location in Pinecrest. Huey relies on many of his mother’s recipes at What the Pho, including the hand-rolled spring rolls, many varieties of pho and puffy donuts drizzled with sweetened condensed milk syrup.

Nguyen will tell you that the secret of pho is in the broth, but don’t discount the other ingredients. His own namesake creation, the Huey Special ($16.95), is an aromatic, heaping bowl of noodles topped with grilled shrimp and sauteed chicken perfumed by green onion, lemongrass, garlic and just a touch of curry. But that’s not all, the dish also includes crunchy spring roll bites stuffed with shrimp, pork, carrots and vermicelli noodles, all neatly rolled together inside freshly made rice paper and fried until crisp.

Taste the magic of Vietnamese cuisine yourself at What the Pho, 2033 Wilton Dr. in Wilton Manors. The restaurant is open Tuesday through Saturday from noon - 2:30 p.m. for lunch and 5 p.m. - 9:30 p.m. for dinner and on Sunday from 5 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. for dinner. For more information or reservations, call 754-779-7769.

“Cheater” Pho DamnDelicious.com Prep Time: 15 min.

Cook Time: 15 min.

Serves 4 INGREDIENTS 8 oz. dried rice noodles 2 T. olive oil, divided 1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into 1-inch chunks Kosher salt Freshly ground black pepper 3 cloves garlic, minced 1 T. freshly grated ginger 6 cups chicken stock 2 T. hoisin sauce 1 T. fish sauce GARNISHES 1 onion, thinly sliced 2 cups bean sprouts 1/2 cup fresh cilantro leaves 1/2 cup fresh mint leaves 1 jalapeno, thinly sliced 2 limes, halved DIRECTIONS In a large pot of water, cook rice noodles according to package instructions; drain well and set aside.

Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large stockpot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Season chicken with salt and pepper, to taste. Add chicken to the stockpot and cook until golden, about 2-3 minutes; set aside.

Add remaining 1 tablespoon oil to the stockpot. Add garlic and ginger, and cook, stirring frequently, until fragrant, about 1-2 minutes.

Whisk in chicken stock, hoisin sauce and fish sauce. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes.

Serve immediately with rice noodles and chicken, garnished with onion, bean sprouts, cilantro, mint, jalapeno and limes, if desired.

46 THE

 July 2016

travel • transgender

Photo by Tony Adams.

Transman Tony Adams

HETravel’s “SPLASH!” white-water rafting tour of the Grand Canyon attracts the adventurous among gay men who love hiking the rocks and ravines of the Canyon, sleeping under the brilliant stars and joyfully shouting and holding onto each other while crashing through the rapids.

Having hosted this tour several times, I can tell you that while each group is unique, the camaraderie and forged friendships are what make each excursion memorable, adding to the experience of the most naturally beautiful place on earth.

There are moments when you’ll find yourself taking an extended hand or a boost to the rump to help you over some steep rocks.

There are times when you’ll be frolicking naked with your group in the crystal waters of a secluded lagoon and taking each other’s photos staggering under waterfalls. When the river is calm you may fall asleep on the raft with your head on someone’s shoulder.

Because gay male bonding is definitely part of the SPLASH! experience, when, on our last night in the Canyon, Rich Edwards confidentially disclosed to me that he is a female-to-male transgender man, I was entirely surprised. I was also filled with happiness that his experience of gay male brotherhood had been completely enjoyable.

I urged him to tell the group his secret. That evening, the

48 THE

 July 2016

• Grand Canyon

in

group hug that enveloped him said more than any words could have conveyed. He had been just one of the guys all week, and he was still just one of the guys. When I began to think of the many moments in the course of the week that might have made a transman uncomfortable, I decided to give Rich a call to see if he remembered the trip fondly and to see if he would recommend SPLASH! to other transmen.

Rich Edwards was an air force pilot who flew planes for commercial airlines after his 2005 retirement from the military.

He transitioned five years ago, and says, “My story may be a little different from those of other transmen. As a kid, I was a tomboy – not so unusual – and I tried to do the normal girl-things, even though I never got along with other girls. For me, wearing a dress was the worst thing ever. My parents forced me to wear one to church every Sunday, but as soon as church got out, I would rip off the dress and put on the jeans I always brought with me in the car.

Even as an adult, I hated wearing a dress. I felt there was something not right about it. On Halloween, I’d always choose to dress up as a guy, and for years I had this fantasy that I would go away and live alone deep in the woods as a guy. I had never even heard of ‘trans’ until I saw the movie ‘Boys Don’t Cry’ and it was like a light bulb went on in my head.”

Edwards married at the age of 25 in 1986 and gave birth to a daughter with whom he is still very close. He divorced in 1997.

While working as an airline pilot, he celebrated New Year’s Eve with a flight attendant friend who encouraged him to embrace his

truth in the New Year. Having had a few drinks, he telephoned his parents to let them know that he was coming to terms with himself as trans. (His parents remain very accepting of his decision.) A few days later, back in the states, Edwards saw a counselor and began the transitioning process.

When I asked Edwards to describe his decision to join HEtravel’s “SPLASH!” adventure tour of the Grand Canyon, he said, “As soon as I found it on HEtravel.com, I thought, ‘This will be great because I can be myself in a small group of gay men in a very isolated place. I had no hesitation. Once I got on that raft, I thought, ‘I’m home.’ By the end of the trip I knew I had done the right thing.”

When I asked Edwards if he knew before the trip that there would be some nudity and if he was afraid of that possibility, he said, “Yes, I looked at the photos that others have posted and I knew there would be some nudity but I could see that it wasn’t mandatory. [For the record, general nudity is not permitted by the National Park Service in the Grand Canyon, but there are frequent times when it occurs when bathing, swimming and relaxing. You can take this tour and keep your clothes on without any problems.] I figured the other guys wouldn’t care.

I mean everything I have looks normal, maybe on the small side. I just didn’t feel any different from the rest of the group.”

Throughout the week, Edwards was always the first one to jump into the water shirtless whenever we docked the raft to explore the streams and ravines and waterfalls of the canyon.

Edwards sports across his chest a broad band of tattoo art admired by the group. None of us noticed his surgery.

On our final night in the Grand Canyon, when Edwards privately confided in me that he was trans, I felt a rush of gratitude for his having trusted me at that moment and throughout the week. I urged him to tell the whole group.

When he did, his disclosure was received with warmth, friendship, cheers and hugs.

Would Edwards choose that trip over again if he could? He says, “Yes, in a heartbeat! I want to try similar tours with gay men. You know, I haven’t dated at all. I’m not working now and I am not meeting guys. It’s hard for me to think of having sex. I’m not really good at the online encounter thing. I’m shy.

Recently, I took a trans-Atlantic cruise with a large gay male group. I got my first real kiss and then I told him I was trans.

He wanted me to go to his room but I declined. I’m going to avoid the sea cruises that have hordes of buff shirtless circuit boys. I like the smaller groups that HEtravel offers. “ And, I very much liked having Rich Edwards in my group!

I hope I’ll have the privilege of traveling with him again someday.

He had been just one of the guys all week, and he was still just one of the guys.

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travel • marketplace

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3 50 THE

 July 2016

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53

travel • marriage

A Fresh Look At

Florida’s Keys Seven Successful Stops in Key West

1.

2.

3.

Gardens Hotel, 526 Angela Street 1-800-526-2664 or 305-294-2661 GardensHotel.com Don’t miss: Sunday evening jazz & d’Vine wine gallery Harry S. Truman Little White, 111 Front Street 305-294-9911 TrumanLittleWhiteHouse.com The Buck Stops Here: Individual ticket prices start at $16.13.

Ernest Hemingway Home & Museum, 907 Whitehead Street 305-294-1136 HemingwayHome.com Tip: Books for sale; cats roam free.

4.

5.

6.

Blue Heaven, 729 Thomas Street 305-296-8666 BlueHeavenKW.com Must have: Key Lime Pie Sarabeth’s Kitchen, 530 Simonton Street 305-293-8181 SarabethsKeyWest.com James Beard award winning cooking.

Dry Tortugas National Park Ferry Ticket booth: 240 Margaret Street, 1-888-212-5009 or 305-707-6057 DryTortugas.com Advance reservations strongly encouraged.

7.

Bourbon Street Pub, 724 Duval Street 305-294-9354 BourbonStPub.com Drinks and dancers on the main drag.

54 THE

 July 2016

R

John McDonald

ecently my husband and I spent a weekend in the Florida Keys.

The southernmost section of the continental United States remains a friendly and accepting environment for gays and lesbians. This is specifically true in Key West, which proudly advertises its “One Human Family” motto.

In Key West we stayed at the Gardens Hotel, 526 Angela Street, just one block off Duval Street — a major thoroughfare on the island. The Gardens Hotel welcomes men and women, gay or straight. It is lushly landscaped with tropical plants, shady trees and beautiful flowers.

Conde Nast’s travel magazine has bestowed honors upon the Gardens Hotel and it is easy to see why. We stayed in one of the newer cottages our first two nights before moving into the Carriage House our final night. Our cottage came with a full kitchen including granite counter tops and stainless steel appliances. But in Key West, you do not want to spend too much time in the kitchen.

For single guys, the Bourbon Street Pub is a required stop.

Inside the pub, at night, muscle men strip down to their underwear and dance for dollars. If strippers aren’t your thing, head out back by the pool and perhaps you can chat up a tourist staying in the adjacent New Orleans guest house.

The Bourbon Street Pub is world renowned for hosting an annual New Year’s Eve extravaganza broadcast live and featuring a drag queen being lowered from the second story balcony in a giant size shoe. If it’s drag you seek, head down Duval Street to the Aqua Nightclub where shows are offered nightly, directed by a sassy Swedish lady named Inga. Tickets are $15 and reservations for private parties and non-profit groups are accepted.

Moving away from the gay scene, there are two important places of historical note to visit while in Key West. First, is the Harry S. Truman Little White House, 111 Front Street. This building served as the winter home for Truman, America’s 33rd President. Previously the Captain’s quarters for the U.S. Naval base, Truman, on doctor’s orders, made the space his oval office during the winter of 1946.

Visitors to the Truman Little White House can purchase tickets for a guided tour, watch videos of the President’s

buttermilk encrusted fried chicken – served with hot attentive flare.

Sarabeth’s is an easy two-block walk from the Gardens Hotel and so too is Fausto’s Food Palace, an eclectic supermarket with a butcher on staff. This is where my husband got steaks for our first dinner in Key West. He cooked in our spacious cottage kitchen.

Gardens Hotel owner Kate Miano personally designed the interiors of the cottages to provide a more modern, luxurious feel. The mattresses are Tempur-Pedic and one should never discount a good night’s sleep.

The focus our visit to the Florida Keys was the Dry Tortugas. The Dry Tortugas, anchored by Fort Jefferson, is a remote destination 68 miles west of Key West. It’s nearly a three-hour voyage to the Dry Tortugas via ferry. A plane gets you there quicker. Advance reservations are strongly encouraged for both.

The Dry Tortugas are, simply put, spectacular.

Aquamarine-colored water along the islands make for ideal snorkeling, scuba and swimming conditions. Camping is permitted at Fort Jefferson, but carry plenty of water as, remember, the Tortugas are Dry. Fort Jefferson, managed by the National Park Service, is a curious structure. Built in 1846, the fort was designed to give the U.S. a foothold in the Caribbean Sea to suppress piracy. A few of the cannons fired back in the day remain at Fort Jefferson where guided tours are offered explaining the history behind the moat and nearly 16 million bricks.

Fort Jefferson once served to house prisoners like Samuel Mudd, a doctor who conspired in the assassination of U.S. President Abraham Lincoln. Today, it is often the landing spot of Cuban refugees striving to touch an American shore.

Visit Fla-Keys.com/KeyWest or GayKeyWestFL.com for more information about planning a trip to the Keys.

travel • marriage

tenure or browse items in the gift shop. Most of the items reflect Truman’s personality and wit. “If you can’t convince them, confuse them,” or “If you can’t stand the heat, get out of the kitchen” are two sayings attributed to the former President printed on items for sale in the gift shop.

After touring Truman’s island home, head up one block and south a few more to see the Ernest Hemingway Home & Museum.

This colonial Spanish influenced home and grounds are a popular wedding site as evidenced by the yearlong wait list to reserve a date.

Hemingway was a prolific writer and world traveler who produced classic literature titles such as The Sun Also Rises, The Old Man and the Sea, A Moveable Feast, For Whom the Bell Tolls and A Farewell to Arms.

While the streets of old town Key West are littered with chickens scurrying about, the Hemingway House is a cat sanctuary. More than 50 felines claim residency there, including the six-toe variety.

Inside the house are numerous artifacts, antiques and displays of Hemingway’s travels, including a detailed account of his 1933 exploration of Africa – an exploration launched from Key West.

After taking a trip down memory lane with Harry and Ernest, lunch is in order. For an authentic Key West dining experience one must take a seat at the Blue Heaven. Located on the corner of Thomas and Petronia Streets in the Bahama Village, Blue Heaven offers a relaxing atmosphere with world famous key lime pie.

You can find the usual commercial restaurants (McDonald’s and Denny’s) throughout the Keys, but eating at homegrown, independent places affords the chance to get a real feel of culinary entrepreneurs heavily invested in the local economy. My husband used his Open Table app to secure us reservations for our final night in Key West. We were fortunate enough to get in at Sarabeth’s, a charming staple on the island. We had the Sunday only special –

Fort Jefferson at the Dry Tortugas.

July 2016  THE

55

travel • entertaining

ENTERTAINING Charcuterie 101

char·cu·ter·ie (SHär’ koo t rē) n. 1. Sausages, ham, pâtés, and other cooked or processed meat foods. Usually served accompanied with cheeses and wine.

At Your Next Party, Serve Up a Big Salami...

When it comes time to plan your next dinner party, ditch the mini quiches and pizza bagels and instead wow your guests with an internationally-inspired charcuterie platter from your favorite butcher. Start with these vino-friendly meats, cheeses and accoutrements: ITALY SOPPRESSATA Large dry sausage with lots of definition CAPOCOLLO Spicy or sweet cured sausage BURRATA Mild, luscious semi-soft cheese PARMIGIANOREGGIANO Drizzle with rich balsamic vinegar MOZZARELLA DI BUFFALA The real thing is made with water buffalo milk ROMESCO Pureéd nuts and roasted pepper spread TAPENADE Chopped olives and capers

56 THE

 July 2016

FRANCE PATÉ DE CAMPAGNE Country-style terrine with pork, liver and peppercorn FOIE GRAS Spreadable cured duck liver WHOLE GRAIN MUSTARD Spice it up with a coarse Dijon variety HONEY Drizzle over soft cheeses CORNICHONS Tiny, tangy pickles with a crunch COMTE SAINTE ANTOINE Hard cow’s milk cheese FOURME D’AMBERT Blue cheese from Auvergne CRUSTY BAGUETTES Thinly sliced

SPAIN JAMÓN SERRANO Classic, dry-cured Spanish ham sliced off the bone CHORIZO DE PAMPLONA Smoky sausage from Navarre MANCHEGO Firm, buttery sheep’s milk cheese GARROTXA Semi-firm Catalonian goat cheese PAN CON TOMATE Grilled bread rubbed with raw garlic and tomato SPANISH OLIVES Briny goodness MARCONA ALMONDS Served warm with rosemary and crushed red pepper

GREECE PASTIRMA Cured beef coated with spices SIGLINO MANIS Salt-cured smoked pork popular on the Peloponnese peninsula FETA Crumbly goat’s or sheep’s milk cheese cured in brine ANCHOVIES Cured in salt then rinsed and soaked in white wine vinegar TZATZIKI Classic Greek yogurt dip KALAMATA OLIVES Mouthwateringly briny TSAKISTES Cracked green olives from the island of Crete

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travel • quotable

QUOTABLE

Richard Gray

Managing Director, LGBTQ Market Greater Fort Lauderdale Convention and Visitors Bureau ON THE LGBT TRAVEL MARKET “Last year we welcomed 1.5 million LGBT visitors who spent a whopping $1.5 billion. That is a mega economic impact. We have become the #1 LGBT destination in the state of Florida and the #1 gay resort destination in the U.S.” ON WHAT IT TAKES TO BE #1 “Our LGBTQ marketing budget has grown from $35,000 in 1996 to over a $1 million in 2016. I would say we have one of the largest destination LGBTQ marketing budgets in the world. In the past, all that was needed to show a destination was LGBTQfriendly was to wave a rainbow flag, but we believe that a destination needs to talk the talk and walk the walk and we have definitely done that for more than 20 years. “ ON GREATER FORT LAUDERDALE’S APPEAL “We have a huge resident LGBTQ community, with the most same-sex couple households per capita in the U.S. Our community is open and accepting, we have one of the most diverse populations in the country and we have blended our messaging to highlight the importance of inclusion.”

ON GREATER FORT LAUDERDALE’S TRANSGENDER AND FAMILY OUTREACH EFFORTS “It is all about education and acceptance. In the Transgender market we want ALL travelers to Greater Fort Lauderdale to be free to be themselves, free to be accepted, to feel welcome and most of all safe. We include LGBTQ sensitivity training in our SUNsational Service training for all employees working in the hospitality industry in Greater Fort Lauderdale.”

ON HIS GREATEST ACCOMPLISHMENT SO FAR “Unquestionably, our historic Transgender travel study and launch of our Trans marketing campaign, Where Happy Meets Go Lucky. What we are doing in the Trans platform has gone global and, in my wildest dreams, I never thought that as a destination we would influence a community on a global level.”

58 THE

 July 2016

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