The Mirror v9iss4 by The Mirror Magazine

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Vol. 9 Issue 3 • October - November 2020 •

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THEMIRRORMAG.COM

VOTE  SPECIAL ELECTION EDITION 

... OR ELSE

THE ART OF COLOR

TABLE OF CONTENTS PUBLISHER’S EDITORIAL The Death of America As We Know It Page 8 FEATURE A New Generation of Leaders Rise Up Page 10 NEWS Gone Too Soon: Local Mayoral Candidate’s Communications Director Dies at 33 Page 14 FEATURE Green Day: Voting Rights Group Fights To Pay Down Felons’ Debts Page 18 OFF THE WALL Armageddon Was Yesterday, Today We Have A Serious Problem Page 22 FEATURE Steve Glassman faces off against Kyle Gibson Nov. 3 Page 24 FEATURE Mayor Dean Trantalis: Has The Gay Mayor Done Enough To Survive A Challenge? Page 30 SATIRE Fare & Balanced Recipes Page 36

ELECTION 2020 - WILTON MANORS MAYOR Malave Says Wilton Manors Needs A Consensus Builder Page 40 ELECTION 2020 - WILTON MANORS MAYOR Carson Asks Voters For Another Term; This Time As Mayor Page 42 4 | THE

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ELECTION 2020 - WILTON MANORS MAYOR Newton Makes Case For Return As Wilton Manors Mayor Page 44 FEATURE Local LGBT Orgs Determined to Have Big Impact on Election Page 46 SPECIAL FEATURE Can Equality Florida Help Usher in a ‘Rainbow Tsunami’ Nov. 3? Page 50 FEATURE A New ‘Gayborhood?’ Page 56 GADGETS Vintage Inspiration Page 60 FEATURE Campus Life For LGBT Students Still Uneven, But Improved Page 64 FOOD Pandemic Pounds Page 70 FEATURE Artists, activists urge Americans to take ‘Just One Step’ Page 74 CARS The 2021 Lexus LC 500 Convertible proves Far More Sensible Than An SUV Page 76

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PUBLISHER

NORM KENT norm.kent@sfgn.com

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

EDITORIAL Art Director BRENDON LIES artwork@sfgn.com Webmaster KIM SWAN

Cover: Design by Brendon Lies.

The Mirror is published bi-monthly. 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 © 2020, South Florida Gay News.com, Inc.

Senior Features Reporter DAMON SCOTT

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A&E Editor J.W. ARNOLD Food Editor RICK KARLIN

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Broward Teachers Union Engaging and Empowering Educators

The public education system and its employees are under siege from a state and federal government that want to dismantle public education. Teachers and support staff are overwhelmed and need our help. The Broward Teachers Union represents the finest educators in Broward County. At 12,000 members and growing, BTU stands against inequality and injustice in our public schools and protects educatorsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; jobs every single day. Join us in protecting and enhancing public education and supporting our educators, staff and students. Follow BTU and the Florida Education Association and get involved at the local level to elect candidates who stand for strong public schools. #FundOurFuture #4everyStudent @BrowardTeachers @FloridaEA

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PUBLISHER’S EDITORIAL

THE DEATH OF AMERICA

AS WE KNOW IT THE COMING 10 DISASTERS OF DONALD TRUMP’S SECOND TERM

ccording to Dante’s “Inferno,” the words written above the Gates of Hell read: “Abandon all hope, ye who enter here.”

If Donald Trump is re-elected, you might as well put that inscription on the Statue of Liberty instead. The Trump Virus that has killed nearly a quarter of a million Americans in less than a year will kill six million more if he wins the White House again. Donald Trump will be responsible for the greatest holocaust since Hitler. No, I am not embellishing my words, or even trying to scare you. The warnings I publish today will be presidential policy positions tomorrow. There are only three ways of eliminating the coronavirus right now. First, by removing Donald Trump from office. Second, with a vaccine. Third, by creating “herd immunity.” To achieve the latter requires killing off roughly six million citizens. As long as he is not one of them, Trump couldn’t care less about losing that many American lives. As early as January of 2020, when the Trump Virus gave birth, the president has engaged in a knowing criminal conspiracy to conceal the truth from you. He was warned the infectious pathogens were both airborne and easily transmissible. He knew they were deadly. He nevertheless than willfully lied and wrongfully denied. Donald Trump even let an interviewer record his confession. Now all of America knows as well. As a result of the presidential malfeasance, hundreds of thousands of Americans have died. More still will. Those lost lives are on him. He is a killer. That is an impeachable offense by itself. He did more than just not uphold his oath of office. He trampled on it. Donald Trump can be charged with

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criminally negligent homicide. This is a defendant who saw danger and death coming but purposely covered it up and put you at risk, causing many to die unnecessarily.Twenty thousand new infections a day and 200,000 deaths later, the proof is in the pudding. Donald Trump was the one who declared

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Donald Trump is already a serial liar and science denier. He is a race baiter and minority hater.

HE HAS NO HEART, AND WE SHOULD SHOW HIM NO MERCY.

// Norm Kent he was “a wartime president.” I agree. Correspondingly, he should be charged with a war crime. Seven million Americans living with the Trump Virus can be witnesses. On Nov. 3, a jury of Americans will be called upon to determine if Donald Trump should be re-elected. If I had my way, a jury would be voting on whether he should be locked up instead. Donald Trump should not be worried about getting his face sculpted onto Mount Rushmore. He should be worried about having his ass spend the rest of its life in jail. Unfortunately for humanity, the globe, this planet, and our country, his Reign of Horror will continue if he is re-elected. Donald Trump is already a serial liar and science denier. He is a race baiter and minority hater. He has no heart, and we should show him no mercy. We must beat him brutally at the ballot box or face four more years in a hell of his doing. Trump’s spoken words daily reveal his continuing lack of compassion, empathy or heart. When asked about promoting an indoor rally that completed contradicted the guidelines of his own coronavirus task force he stated: “I am not worried about getting the virus,” he stated, “since I am so far away from everyone else.” Surprised? We understand exactly, Mr. Trump. As long

as you can live in the White House, you can care less who dies. Nothing else matters. If more of the people die from “blue” states then “red” states, those coffins don’t matter anyway. Forget about Trump’s statement that he could shoot somebody on 5th Avenue and get away with it. He already has already killed thousands on Main Streets across America. How many more do you think he can slaughter with a second term? The president’s re-election will put into motion a series of consequential and calamitous events that will irretrievably set back America’s future for decades. Here are 10 things to expect if this hateful madman wins a second term.

First,

there will be protests on America’s streets for months. Federal law enforcement agencies will be unlawfully deployed to callously crush these demonstrations with brute force. Your first amendment rights will be lost.

Second,

armed and selfproclaimed vigilantes will be marching through Wal Marts with guns. They will make 17-year-old Kyle Rittenhouse look like Mickey Mouse. The President will praise their poisonous conduct.

King Donald the First. Photo via Pixabay.

Sixth,

Third,

conspiracy theorists and science deniers will continue to run and ruin federal regulatory agencies from coast to coast. Sycophants who are supplicant to Trump will act obediently instead of independently. Dissent will get you a doormat.

Fourth,

new Supreme Court appointees will set back equal rights protections for minorities for decades. Favorable rulings and rights we take for granted will instead be taken away. Health care as we know it will be lost, abortion threatened, transgender rights ignored.

the Trump Virus will become a National Holocaust of cataclysmic proportions. “Herd Mentality” will become presidential policy. Science will be ignored entirely. Millions of livelihoods will be lost. The virus will spread. It won’t be him doing the dying. It will be you.

the urgency to develop a vaccine or treat the sick will suddenly become inconsequential. The policy architects for Trump’s Virus will simply argue that “the more who get sicker quicker, and die sooner,” the better off our country will be.

Fifth,

the rule of law as you know it will be shattered. Dictatorial unconstitutional executive orders from the White House will become a way of life. A mob, not an assembly, will be running the American government.

Ninth,

limitations on free speech will become routine, and penalties for daring to dissent will become harsher. Burn an American flag, and you will go to jail for a year. Shoot a black man in the street, and you will be invited to the White House.

Seventh,

Eighth,

a second presidential term for Trump will further alienate the minority populations who now represent a majority of America. If you had a dream for cross cultural equality once, it will be deferred and denied tomorrow.

Tenth,

the free press will be further threatened, journalists vilified, and advocacy groups silenced. Democracy and dissent will be chilled, blind allegiance celebrated. You see it already with a call for “patriotic education” — just like they have in North Korea. Folks, on the night he is re-elected, Donald Trump will formally call for an end to the constitutional prohibition limiting presidencies to two terms. This time he won’t be joking. What do we have to lose, you asked? Everything, starting with freedom as we know it.

OCTOBER - NOVEMBER 2020 | THE

FEATURE

A NEW GENERATION OF

LEADERS

RISE UP Three Gay Dems Going Viral // John McDonald

hree fresh faces in the Democratic party. They come from Atlanta, Philadelphia and Southern California with new voices helping to reshape one of America’s two major political parties. Representative Malcolm Kenyatta of Pennsylvania, Representative Sam Park of Georgia and Long Beach, Calif. Mayor Robert Garcia — three gay men — were part of the 2020 keynote address at the Democratic National Convention. Kenyatta, 30, represents the 181st District in the Pennsylvania General Assembly. He raised his profile in May with a fiery speech on the assembly floor. “You can boo, but it’s true!” Kenyatta exclaimed as he rose to counter a Republican proposal of re-opening restaurants in the state. Kenyatta’s demands of safe working conditions and fair wages during the midst of the coronavirus pandemic was greeted with boos from his Republican colleagues. “They are booing working people who are just trying to ask how they can go to work without getting sick, which is not the most outrageous request,” Kenyatta said of that moment. Mark Segal founded the Philadelphia Gay News in 1976. He is a mentor and friend to Kenyatta and his fiancé, Dr. Matthew Jordan Miller.

Pictured right: Rep. Sam Park (top), Mayor Robert Garcia (right), and Rep. Malcolm Kenyatta (bottom). Photos via Facebook. Turn the page to continue reading.

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OCTOBER - NOVEMBER 2020 | THE

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FEATURE

“As someone who has been doing what I’ve been doing for 50 years now it is a delight to see someone like Malcolm come on the scene,” Segal said. “Someone that the LGBT community nationally has not seen in a long, long, long time.” Segal recognized Kenyatta’s potential in becoming a significant figure in public service. “He’s totally an original,” Segal said. “But he has that spark of activism and progressiveness that we had way back in the late ‘60s and early ‘70s. He has that spark of Stonewall. He has that activism in him.” Kenyatta is a surrogate for former Vice President Joe Biden. If Biden were to knock off sitting President Donald Trump in November, Pennsylvania and its 20 electoral votes are key. Kenyatta said it’s going to take resources of money and time to turn his state blue. Pennsylvania, he said, has many swing seats “that are right on the edge” that Democrats can win. “The national election sucks all the oxygen out of the room,” Kenyatta said. “When the reality is property taxes and schools and criminal justice reform and police reform and illegal guns and stopping the flow of these easily accessible weapons of war on our streets. So many of these things aren’t going to be solved in the Oval Office or on Capitol Hill, so many of these issues are going to be determined in state legislatures.” Pennsylvania legalized same-sex marriage in May of 2014. Kenyatta met

“HE’S GOING TO TRY TO INFLAME THE COUNTRY TO WIN THE ELECTION — AND WE CAN’T LET THAT HAPPEN. NO MORE LIES. NO MORE APPEASEMENT. WE WILL PUSH BACK EVERY SINGLE TIME.” - Robert Garcia

MAYOR OF LONG BEACH, CALIF.

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Mayor Robert Garcia. Photo via Facebook.

Miller, an author, on the social networking app, Instagram. He said they are planning a ceremony for 2021. “When I wanted to marry the man I loved, Joe Biden was the first national figure to support me and my family,” Kenyatta said as part of the DNC’s 11-minute keynote address video. Georgia Representative Sam Park also participated in the video. Park, 34, an openly gay Asian American millennial, expressed concern about how schools will re-open during the pandemic. “When teachers in Gwinnett, Georgia and across the country are being asked to return to the classroom without a plan to keep them safe and parents are exhausted juggling fulltime work and full-time childcare,” Park said. Park was raised by South Korean immigrants and is the first Asian American man elected to the Georgia legislature. He recently lost his mother to cancer. Feelings of grief were part of Park’s keynote comments. “We have lived that feeling of helplessness,” Park said. “When someone you love is very sick and access to healthcare is a matter of life and death.” The third member of this distinguished group is Garcia, the Mayor of Long Beach,

| OCTOBER - NOVEMBER 2020

Calif. Garcia, 42, is a first-generation immigrant from Peru and vocal supporter of California Sen. Kamala Harris, Biden’s vice presidential nominee. Recently, Garcia blasted the Trump campaign’s doom and gloom strategy. “Donald Trump is talking about America like he hasn’t been the President for the last 3+ years,” Garcia tweeted. “He’s going to try to inflame the country to win the election — and we can’t let that happen. No more lies. No more appeasement. We will push back every single time.” Alan Quach has met Garcia multiple times. A resident of Long Beach, Quach said Garcia has done a “wonderful job of making Long Beach gay friendly.” First elected Mayor in 2014, Garcia, a former Republican, won re-election in 2018. Long Beach is California’s seventh largest city with more than 462,000 people and a deep water port which is the nation’s second busiest container ship port. In his DNC keynote speech, Garcia said he has “lived the frustration of paying off student loans.” The son of housekeepers, Garcia has a PhD in Educational Policy and is fluent in English and Spanish. He married his spouse, Matthew Mendez in 2018.

NEWS

GONE TOO SOON LOCAL MAYORAL CANDIDATE’S COMMUNICATIONS DIRECTOR DIES AT 33 //Sallie James

houghtful, charismatic and charming. A bartender with a passion for politics who possessed a gift for making others feel heard. That’s how those who knew David Kitchen describe the Wilton Manors man who touched so many lives.

Kitchen, the communications director for Wilton Manors mayoral candidate Scott Newton, died Aug. 10of complications related to liver disease at Memorial Regional Hospital in Hollywood. He was 33. “We are just completely devastated,” said his mother Donna Kempf. Kitchen’s death was unexpected. “He was smart, a joker and he loved life,” said his partner Felix Rivera. “You could be a total stranger to him and if you had a problem he would sit down with you for hours and make you a better person. He was deep, quiet, and fearful like all of us.” 

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Kitchen most recently worked as a server at Coconuts in Fort Lauderdale, and had previously worked as a bartender at Rosie’s Bar & Grille in Wilton Manors. But he always had his hand in politics. “Politics was his passion,” Newton said. “I liked his attitude and energy. He was a very kind person who didn’t mind giving up his time.” Kitchen was born on May 30, 1987, in Mesa, Az. He was a preemie who turned out to be the biggest and tallest of his two siblings. He graduated from high school in 11th grade, and attended Arizona State University on a full scholarship, earning a bachelor’s degree in political law, said Donna Kempf. Kitchen married ESPN sports reporter Israel Gutierrez in 2015 in Key West, but the two later divorced. Kitchen and Rivera had been together since August 2019. Those who knew him said he was always thinking of others. One of his passions was the annual Smart Ride bicycle ride, which raises money for AIDS service organizations throughout Florida. Friends said Kitchen had ridden in the Miami-to-Key West event for eight years. Kitchen had hoped to participate in the event again this year in November, his partner said. “Raising money for HIV/AIDS was dear to his heart,” Rivera said. Kitchen’s mother said her son’s ashes will be spread along the bicycle route in November when the ride kicks off. Longtime family friend Keith Myers knew Kitchen adored comedic actor Leslie Jordan and reached out to the “Will & Grace” star through social media after Kitchen fell ill. “David said he was always his biggest fan and that he would love to have a video message,” Myers said. Myers said a friend with a large social media presence helped his request get noticed. Jordan responded with a personal video of encouragement for Kitchen, which Myers played for him at the hospital. An emotional Kitchen blinked back tears as he watched the personalized video. “Well hello David. It’s Leslie Jordan. I want you to tell you how much you are loved and I hope you get better and you are in everybody’s thoughts and prayers,” Jordan says in the video. “So when you do get better, I want to arrange

David Kitchen. Photo via Facebook.

“PEOPLE WERE AUTOMATICALLY ATTRACTED TO HIM. THEY JUST GRAVITATED TO HIM. HE MATTERED TO SO MANY PEOPLE.” - Keith Myers FAMILY FRIEND

a chance for us to meet. Ok, honey, start feeling better. Love you.” Myers said Kitchen watched the video over and over. “It was very sweet and endearing. It was very cool and it made David’s day,” Myers said. Kitchen had met Myers years ago at Rosie’s and the two had been friends ever since. Myers met Kitchen’s mother Donna about seven years ago during a Smart Ride, and when her son fell ill, she asked Myers to walk her through the medical system. “People were automatically attracted to him. They just gravitated to him,” Myers said. “He mattered to so many people. Rivera said Kitchen’s smile was unforgettable. “He could have had the worst day and he would make sure he would put his feelings aside and to make you welcome,” Rivera said sadly. “He had one of the most beautiful smiles I had ever seen.” In addition to his mother, Kitchen is survived by his sister Sienna, of Mesa, AZ; a brother Justin of Apache Juncion, AZ; two half-sisters, Bailey and Paige Kitchen, of North Carolina; his stepfather Rich Kempf, of Mesa, AZ; and his father Scott Kitchen. OCTOBER - NOVEMBER 2020 | THE

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Mayor ........................................... Greg Ross Commission ......................... Ryan Shrouder

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Commission ..................... Mitch Rosenwald

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GREEN DAY!

AS REPUBLICANS SEEK TO SUPPRESS THE VOTE, RIGHTS GROUP FIGHTS TO PAY DOWN FELONSâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; DEBTS // Christiana Lilly

Pictured above: Neil Volz, left, and Desmond Meade, far right, traveled throughout Florida to spread the message of Amendment 4, which restored voting rights to people with felonies.

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| OCTOBER - NOVEMBER 2020

FEATURE

esmond Meade and Neil Volz were counting down the days to Aug. 18 — it was the primary election, and the first time both men had been allowed to vote in decades.

That’s because the two have felonies on their record, and even though they’ve long since served their time in prison, volunteered with charities, been members of boards, and even graduated from law school, they have been barred from voting thanks to Florida’s voting rights laws. “I am looking forward to having my hand sanitizer and mask and going to actually vote in person,” Volz said days before the election.

Meade is the executive director and CEO of the Florida Rights Restoration Coalition and Volz serves as deputy director. Founded in 2003 as an email campaign, the organization was officially incorporated in 2011 and it has fought against voting disenfranchisement, particularly restoring the voting rights of returning citizens. For years, Florida was one of four states that had lifetime voting disenfranchisement for people with felony convictions — they had to apply for the chance to have their voting rights restored. Former Gov. Charlie Crist wanted voting rights to be automatically reinstated for people without murder or violent sex crime convictions, but he was not able to get it passed. Still, he restored the rights of more than 155,000 people. The leniency was reversed during former Gov. Rick Scott’s administration, which only restored voting rights to 2,000 people. It wasn’t until the passage of Florida Amendment 4, or the Voting Rights Restoration for Felons Initiative, in 2018 that felons — or returning citizens — were given back their right to vote after serving their time. That meant 1.4 million people in Florida were suddenly allowed to vote. And Meade and Volz were both active participants in promoting Amendment 4, which passed with almost two-thirds of voters voting in favor of it. Meade said he spent his life in and out of jail, and in 2001 he was sentenced to 15 years in prison. He was released after four years, and he remembers sitting at the railroad tracks, homeless and contemplating suicide, but “of course the train didn’t come.” He took this as a sign and checked himself into a drug rehabilitation program then enrolled in school. In May 2014, he graduated with a law degree from Florida International University. Even though he had done everything to turn his life around, his past still haunted him — he was not allowed to sit for the bar exam. When his wife, Sheena, ran for a position in the Florida House of Representatives in 2016, he was not able to vote for her. “I’ve always believed that there’s nothing that speaks more to citizenship than being able to vote,” he said. “Until a person regains

FRRC volunteer leaders take a photo at an FRRC Leader Retreat, including Neil Volz, second from left standing, and Desmond Meade, kneeling right.

“UNTIL A PERSON REGAINS THE RIGHT TO VOTE, THEY’RE REALLY RELEGATED TO BEING A SECONDCLASS CITIZEN.” -DESMOND MEADE the right to vote, they’re really relegated to being a second-class citizen.” Volz also had a felony conviction and served time in Washington, D.C. After his release, he started working with the homeless and now lives in Fort Myers. He met Meade in 2014 and found that getting involved in FRRC “was an opportunity for me to take my past pain and turn it into something positive.” During the campaign for Amendment 4, Volz drove all over the state and visited almost every county to educate voters about the bill. He also joined Meade on shows like “Full Frontal With Samantha Bee” and “Tucker Carlson Tonight” for interviews about their mission. They found that most people had no idea about what

Turn the page to continue reading. OCTOBER - NOVEMBER 2020 | THE

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FEATURE

FRRC leaders attend an event at the Louisiana governor’s mansion in 2019 to celebrate the signing of a bill that expands voting rights for people with felony convictions.

voting laws were in place for Florida residents with felonies on their records. Volz said all he needed was 20 minutes and a cup of coffee — in that amount of time with someone, he could explain the importance of Amendment 4 and voting rights. “We knew deep down at the end of the day, if people saw us as people, we were going to win. If people saw us as something else, then we were going to lose,” he said. That all changed on Nov. 6, 2018. The two men did television interviews in Miami and then Orlando, where they watched the results come in with their wives. Although they were confident it

“WE KNEW DEEP DOWN AT THE END OF THE DAY, IF PEOPLE SAW US AS PEOPLE, WE WERE GOING TO WIN. IF PEOPLE SAW US AS SOMETHING ELSE, THEN WE WERE GOING TO LOSE.” -NEIL VOLZ

would pass, seeing it on the television made it all real: almost twothirds of voters voted in favor of Amendment 4. In an instant, Meade, Volz, and 1.5 million other Floridians suddenly had their rights restored. “It was not votes based on hate or fear, but rather votes based on love, forgiveness and redemption,” Meade said. “There is a way that we can move major policy issues without having to tear each other down.” However, the fight is still not over. A stipulation of Amendment 4 requires that returning citizens must pay off all their legal and court fees before their right to vote is reinstated. This has proven to be difficult, as people struggle to find jobs willing to hire them while also caring for their families and paying probation fees. At FRRC, they believe that a person’s economic status should not stand in their way of being able to vote. In response, they created the Fines and Fees Fund where supporters can donate to help returning citizens pay off their fees. FRRC is also working to help those who are eligible to register to vote. “The ability to take the anchor off of them, that $1,000 or $1,500 that they’ve been living with and unable to pay, is a very lifeaffirming process,” Volz said. And with every dollar, more and more people are able to register to vote. Meade and Volz get text messages or see Facebook posts of people they’ve helped proudly holding up their registration card, ready to vote — not only next week, but in November. “This is an important election, a very pivotal election, and it’s very important that every voice gets heard,” Meade said. “To know you have a voice in how your community or your country is being run is empowering.”

To donate to the Fines and Fees Fund, apply for assistance, or learn more about the Florida Rights Restoration Coalition, visit floridarrc.com. 20 | THE

| OCTOBER - NOVEMBER 2020

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OPINION

ARMAGEDDON WAS YESTERDAY,

TODAY WE HAVE A SERIOUS PROBLEM // Pier Angelo

OFF THE WALL

n 1353 Giovanni Boccaccio wrote the following in one of the Decameron novellas: ”It was not merely a question of one citizen avoiding another, and of people almost invariably neglecting their neighbors and rarely or never visiting their relatives, addressing them only from a distance; this scourge had implanted so great a terror in the hearts of men and women that brothers abandoned brothers, uncles their nephews, sisters their brothers, and in many cases wives deserted their husbands,” (Decameron, Introduction to the First Day, p.8-9). A famous scene from the 1975 movie “Monty Python and the Holy Grail” brings a humorous touch to the horror of the Bubonic plague that turned people against one another, especially at the slightest hint of illness. A man pushing a cart full of dead body goes thru a town chanting: “Bring out your dead,” and collects the bodies. At the time audiences found the skit hilarious. Today they would not because it is too close to our reality. As we move into the eighth month of the coronavirus we as a country still have to get the hang of it. Instead of a cart carrying dead bodies we have refrigerated trucks outside hospitals. How did we get to this point? Well that’s an easy answer. Our government, and in particular the president and the Republican Senate, have shown incompetence, denial, lies, total disregard for science and data, no responsibility, and no leadership. AWOLNATION. A disaster of great magnitude. This is not our America this is Trumpistan where our president has a black belt in shifting blame or responsibility for failure to shoulders other than his own. The stupidity virus has infected our democracy and placed it on a ventilator. People are getting sick in droves, tens of thousands are dying, the economy has tanked. We haven’t seen anything yet, and we keep doing nothing about it. We can’t even agree on the simplest of all tasks: wearing a mask. It is the end of common sense. Just more lies and more empty words from the very top. I call it the pursuit of ignorance. Many years ago I saw a bumper sticker that cracked me up: “Don’t Vote! Politicians will get in.” In the 2016

general elections many (especially Democrats) did not vote, and a mad clown got in instead, it is now time to get him out together with all his power hungry self-centered monochromatic greedy narcissistic bastards Republican cronies. Not one of them gives evidence of having any real desire to make things better because it works so well to the real purpose of maintaining power for themselves, and the benefits that come with it. The people be damned. Keep them sick and poor. They are easier to control. We have become a mass of zombies listening to hours of inane political chatter, enduring what one could hardly call it news. Faux News, Trump’s network, is an assembly of sycophants. They do what he says, make him look good, never cross him, always toeing the Twitler in Chief’s line. Like a dictator he demands complete loyalty. Sounds more like Mafia to me. The current Senate majority is saturated with racists and parasites, devoid of morals and dignity, empathy and common sense. They belong in a three-ring circus, or preferably in a loony bin. We need a vaccine for stupidity. In the words of President Obama: “This crisis has reminded us that government matters. It’s reminded us that good government matters. That facts and science matters. That the rule of law matters. That having leaders who are informed and honest, and seek to bring people together instead of driving them apart, matters.” It’s time to clean up house and start from scratch, remember: Blind faith in the current president will get you killed or infected at best. Armageddon was yesterday, today we have a serious problem.

WE CAN’T EVEN AGREE ON THE SIMPLEST OF ALL TASKS: WEARING A MASK. IT IS THE END OF COMMON SENSE.

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FEATURE

FORT LAUDERDALE’S GAY COMMISSIONER

FROM

CLASS EDUCATOR TO

CITY ENVIRONMENTALIST Steve Glassman faces off against Kyle Gibson Nov. 3 // John McDonald

teve Glassman believes he should be re-elected. Glassman, in his first term on the Fort Lauderdale Commission, has put a lot of check marks on his to do list. A gay man, Glassman represents the residents of Fort Lauderdale’s District 2. “I feel proud of what we accomplished,” Glassman said in a telephone interview. “I feel that we’ve done what we said we were going to do and even more and still there is a lot of work to do. I feel my constituents will say ‘yes, he deserves a second term.’” Fort Lauderdale’s District 2 is the most diverse of the city’s four districts, according to Glassman. “My district is the most diverse district in our city,” Glassman said. “The others are pretty homogeneous. Culturally, ethnically, sexual orientation, economically. We have the richest citizens in this city. We have the poorest citizens in this city. We have every cultural group you can imagine. We’re a melting pot and we are a microcosm of not only the city, but of the country.” Glassman still has a lot of that New Yorker in him when he talks about his accomplishments. He’s been able to make progress on multiple issues. Before relocating to Fort Lauderdale, Glassman lived in Buffalo, N.Y. where he was an educator. Buffalo is also where Glassman met his longtime partner and spouse, Rande. The couple have been together for 47 years.

Pictured right: Steve Glassman. Photo via Steve Glassman, ReElectSteve.com. Turn the page to continue reading.

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FEATURE

They moved to the Fort Lauderdale area in 1994 and have called District 2 home for 20 years. In his first term on the city dais, Glassman pushed through Fort Lauderdale’s LGBT encompassing human rights ordinance. “We have a very strong ordinance,” Glassman said. “I was very proud of the fact I worked on that, I brought that up, I introduced that and we passed it unanimously on two readings. Very proud of that.” Glassman has drawn an opponent for the seat. Kyle C. Gibson has filed paperwork for the commission seat. Glassman said he has yet to meet Gibson. SFGN reached out to Gibson for comment, but the call was not returned. “Unlike that last election, I’m not going to be paying attention to my opponent,” Glassman said. Along with the human rights ordinance, Glassman points to his commitment to the arts and beautification projects. “Very important in terms of sense of place,” Glassman said of arts and culture. The Commissioner also highlights the revived aquatics center on the beach and in the Middle River Terrace neighborhood as examples of progress. “We had a lot of projects that were kicked down the road for many years. For instance, the aquatics center, the swimming hall of fame on A1A, 15 years of stalled negotiations,” Glassman said. “I’m proud of that, it’s going to be again a world-class competitive facility,” Glassman said.

“ON ONE HAND, PUBLIC SAFETY AND EVERYONE’S HEALTH IS PRIORITY AND YET WE ALSO HAVE AN ECONOMY THAT WE CAN’T TOTALLY KILL AND PEOPLE HAVE TO BE ABLE TO MAKE A LIVING.” - Steve Glassman

FORT LAUDERDALE COMMISSIONER

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Steve Glassman. Photo via Steve Glassman, ReElectSteve.com.

Glassman is especially proud of the city’s work on the Annie Beck House. “We have taken over the historic Annie Beck House in Middle River Terrace Park,” he said. “That was an area that had seen some crime issues and we have a police officer now living in that house.” Glassman said he works well with his fellow Commissioners and Mayor Dean Trantalis, who held his seat before becoming mayor. He said 154 public works projects have been initiated in the last two and half years. Not all got his approval. “When I felt that projects were not smart, I voted no,” Glassman said. “It’s all about smart growth in terms of development.” In terms of tackling COVID-19, Glassman said it’s a complicated situation. “It’s been a challenge and a balance to find,” Glassman said. “On one hand, public safety and everyone’s health is priority and yet we also have an economy that we can’t totally kill and people have to be able to make a living. We’re trying to find that balance, so far the numbers haven’t been great in Florida.” More than 11,000 Floridians have died

| OCTOBER - NOVEMBER 2020

from COVID-19. Broward County has more than 70,000 positive cases. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has been criticized for his slow response to the virus and refusal to declare mandatory face coverings statewide. “We did have instances where folks were not paying attention to what they needed to do,” Glassman admitted. “It’s kind of simple: Wear a mask, socially distance, don’t be in crowds of 10 or more, no house parties, no vacation rentals, don’t go crazy, don’t crowd and get crowds in your home and these have been addressed and we’ve also had to step up enforcement recently. That’s been very helpful for us because people are getting citations and fines.” Reforming the city’s police department is another Glassman action item. He called the old police station on Broward Boulevard “decrepit” and an “embarrassment to our city.” A demolition and re-design are planned, Glassman said. On infrastructure issues, where sewer pipe issues have generated considerable coverage — often not flattering of the city, Glassman instead promotes his work with District 4 Commissioner Ben Sorensen on transportation and mobility.

“We’re focused on improving medians, landscaping and color not just concrete and weeds,” Glassman said. Million dollar bonds are proposed for parks and the police. Fort Lauderdale, Glassman said, has a population of around 185,000. It’s the largest city in Broward County with a port, airport and rich tourism history. It has its share of wealthy retirees and it also those in need of shelter. Glassman said the city has funding in place to help those who desire or need to get off the streets. Through “CARES” funding, the city can offer shelter venues. “We’re the most active community in Broward for extending funds for the homeless,” Glassman said. Glassman said he acknowledges times are tough for people. “A lot more people are living on the edge right now,” Glassman said. “Loss of unemployment benefits, federal government seems to be struggling right now. Florida has had a problem with that just the sheer numbers of unemployed. I’m definitely concerned about what we might see as trends in the next couple of months.” It has been reported there are 800,000 Floridians out of work. DeSantis said last week he was seeking to raise unemployment benefits to $400 per week. Although budgeted as a part-time position, the Commission seat is not easy work. “I’ve tried to be as engaged as possible,” Glassman said. “This hasn’t been a part-time job although technically it’s supposed to be. It’s been a full-time job for me. And I’m really pleased with some of the progress we’ve made in the city.” Commissioner Glassman is endorsed by the Dolphin Democrats, Broward Young Democrats, Women’s March Broward, LGBTQ Alliance and the Victory Fund. VOTING BEGINS THE THIRD WEEK IN SEPTEMBER WITH THE ELECTION NOV. 3.

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Steve Glassman (left) during a conversation with a constituent. Photo via Steve Glassman, ReElectSteve.com.

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FEATURE

MAYOR DEAN TRANTALIS FACES OFF AGAINST

KENNETH COOPER IN NOVEMBER Has the gay mayor done enough to survive a challenge? // Damon Scott

ou’d be a little bit excused if you didn’t know there was a race for mayor happening in Fort Lauderdale this election cycle. That’s mostly because it’s been a somewhat under-the-radar affair thus far. The pandemic is partially to blame to be sure. It has had a considerable effect on traditional campaigning with in person events quashed and online and phone outreach to voters often spotty. Nevertheless, Fort Lauderdale voters have a choice Nov. 3 between the incumbent, Mayor Dean Trantalis, and his opponent, Kenneth D. Cooper. Mail-in ballots will start to arrive in Florida on Sept. 24 and early voting begins in late October. Trantalis, 66, began his term in March 2018 as the first openly gay mayor of the city — winning with 65% of the vote. He’s been a part of city politics for years and enjoys considerable name recognition. Trantalis was a District 2 city commissioner from 2003 to 2006 and from 2013 until he became mayor. He also served for two years as vice mayor. Trantalis has gotten high marks for helping to navigate the city through the challenges of the pandemic and, perhaps unsurprisingly, enjoys strong support among those in the LGBT community — a formidable voting bloc in Fort Lauderdale. Cooper, 67, is a trial lawyer doing commercial litigation and personal injury cases. The native South Floridian has lived in Fort Lauderdale for 45 years and is married to his wife Paula. The two have a 19-year-old son who is newly enrolled in the Virginia Military Institute. Cooper has previously run for office — first against Rep. Clay Shaw in 1996 to represent Florida in the U.S. House. He said he lost the race by 25,000 votes out of 400,000 that were cast, and said he was outspent by a large margin.

Pictured right: Dean Trantalis speaking at a press conference. Photo via Dean Trantalis, Facebook. Turn the page to continue reading.

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FEATURE

Cooper later lost a U.S. House race against Rep. Alcee Hastings and one against Tim Ryan in a Florida House race. He said he’s running for mayor because he’s disappointed in Trantalis’ job performance and because others asked him to do it. “The biggest issue is the 220 million gallons of sewer spill that’s still in the Tarpon River, and about 20 million [gallons] in George English Park,” Cooper said. “That’s got everybody upset.” Cooper blames Trantalis in part for the city’s well-documented sewer and water pipe problems and for what he said are its subpar cleanup efforts. Even though the problems existed before Trantalis became mayor, Cooper said Trantalis is still responsible because of his years on the City Commission when water, sewer and wastewater utility funds were diverted to the general fund. “Now we are spending double what it would have cost to fix it,” Cooper said. “And they are not cleaning it up; it’s still sitting there. The Tarpon River runs into the New River and the New River goes to the Intracoastal [Waterway] and then to the ocean reefs. Every time the tide goes in and out it takes some of [the sewage] with it.” He’s also critical of Trantalis’ campaign website claim that he “successfully closed the downtown [homeless] encampment.” “Go to the [Broward County Main Library] today and there are 30 tents down there — homeless people sleeping on the street and hanging on the corner,” he said. “They say they’ve solved the problem, but they haven’t.” Cooper said it’s a failure at the city and country level. “You’ve got to get them rehabilitation and back to jobs. There are plenty of city buildings that always need painting and businesses and city government jobs they can be lined up with in a work program,” he said. Cooper is also concerned about business closures in the city due to the pandemic, like restaurants on Las Olas Boulevard. He thinks sidewalks should be expanded and that the city should be spending advertising money to entice people to eat out again. When it comes to the LGBT community, Cooper said he’d earn their vote by protecting rights and creating an environment of nondiscriminatory practices. “The mayor’s position is about good 32 | THE

“THE MAYOR’S POSITION IS ABOUT GOOD DECISION MAKING AND LEADERSHIP, NOT ABOUT BEING GAY OR NOT GAY. I MAKE GOOD DECISIONS.” - Kenneth D. Cooper CANDIDATE FOR FORT LAUDERDALE MAYOR

decision making and leadership, not about being gay or not gay. I make good decisions,” he said. “In addition, I would build a sewer system for them that doesn’t explode. If it exploded on my watch, I would take blame for it and not blame it on a prior mayor. I would build a new water

| OCTOBER - NOVEMBER 2020

plant so everyone can have clean and safe water to drink. I would retrain the police in the proper use of force and set up new standards for the police to follow. I would not defund the police. You can see Portland is now regretting what they did.” ‘HE’S DONE A GREAT JOB’ While Trantalis declined to be interviewed for this story, his colleague — Vice Mayor and District 2 City Commissioner Steve Glassman, was eager to endorse him. Glassman, who is also gay, is the only other city commissioner who has a Nov. 3 opponent. The others did not have opponents and were automatically elected to another term in June when the date for candidates to file passed. “Dean and I have been friends for quite a while,” Glassman said. “Until he was elected mayor, I was a volunteer on every

This “Cooper For Mayor” image shows Cooper, his wife Paula, and the couple’s dog Winnie. Photo via Cooper For Mayor, Facebook.

THE PEOPLE’S CANDIDATE

Dean Trantalis on a call with the U.S. secretary of transportation’s office. Photo via Dean Trantalis, Facebook.

DEAN TRANTALIS, THE GAY MAYOR OF FORT LAUDERDALE, DECLINED TO BE INTERVIEWED FOR THIS FEATURE. one of his city campaigns and worked hard on all of his city commission races. That should tell you something.” When Trantalis ascended to mayor in 2018, Glassman won his race to fill the then-vacated District 2 seat. “As mayor he’s done a great job, the entire commission has done a great job. There are a lot of challenges like the infrastructure needs. Prior commissioners paid little or no attention to it,” Glassman said. Glassman said the city’s infrastructure was a central campaign issue for him and Trantalis in 2018. “We vowed to reverse the policy of raiding sewer funds. That was a big deal. You can see by the new pipes all over town that we are doing it. We’ve been improving waterways, the homeless situation and affordable housing,” he said. Glassman said he and Trantalis also led the city to a more comprehensive anti-discrimination policy and a ban on conversion therapy for minors. “We have a good two and a half years of accomplishment — a good record to run on,” he said. Glassman pushes back on the criticism that Trantalis is responsible for the recent sewer and water pipe issues because he’s served on past city commissions. “It takes three out of five to take action,” he said. “Dean was the lone voice sometimes, and often marginalized by some of his colleagues.” Accomplishments Trantalis highlights on his campaign website include infrastructure upgrades, halting the Wave Streetcar project, reducing homelessness through support of a community court and others. MORE INFORMATION IS AT COOPERFORMAYOR.COM AND ELECTDEANTRANTALIS.COM.

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SATIRE

FARE & BALANCED

RECIPES // Rick Karlin

ith what’s going on in Washington D.C., it’s easy to lose your appetite. But that doesn’t seem to be the case for the current resident of the White House. He’s not alone, as each president has had his favorite dishes, whether it’s something as simple as Jimmy Carter’s love for cheesy grits or Harry Truman’s fondness for fried chicken. Sometimes, favorite foods even cause folks to cross party lines. Bill Clinton and George W. Bush may have been on opposite sides of the political fence, but they could agree on a love for Mexican food (chicken enchiladas in Bill’s case, huevos rancheros in George’s). Here are some recipes inspired by the current players in the nation’s capital. They are meant to be enjoyed with tongue firmly implanted in cheek.

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SATIRE

TRUMP’S HERO Like most of the Trump recipes, this one’s hard to swallow. INGREDIENTS A whole lot of bologna Even more cheese Mayonnaise White bread, of course 1 small gherkin

Best served with a side of Russian hookers, uhm I mean, dressing.

DIRECTIONS Pile up as much bologna as the slice bread can stand. Add a generous helping of cheese. Spread on a cover up of mayonnaise. Sprinkle with lies. Top with white bread.

Keep on feeding it to them until they think it’s the best thing since sliced bread.

MELANIA’S FOOT-LONG NIGHTMARE

Savor the sweet taste

DIRECTIONS Open the tubes of crescent rolls. Roll one biscuit around each wiener. Bake according to package directions.

INGREDIENTS 2 scoops vanilla ice cream Sliced, cooked, peaches Sprig of mint

Serve with a magnifying glass.

TRUMP’S STEAK Utilizes the Trump brand of steaks. “Everyone says they’re great. They’re getting great reviews.” DIRECTIONS Throw out the Trump steak and sprinkle the edible steak with salt and pepper. Grill to perfection.

Like its namesake, the Trump brand of steaks went bankrupt. It was hard to sell as it had no taste.

Mexico will pay for it. INGREDIENTS 2 crispy taco shells 4 slices of tongue Cooked pork brains Wedge of romaine lettuce

DIRECTIONS Cook tongue until it shuts up. Add very little brains. Put into taco shells. Build a wall between the taco shells with the romaine lettuce.

It’s in bad taste, but don’t worry, Trump followers will swallow anything.

DIRECTIONS Divide beef into four portions, form patties. Grill until desired doneness. During last minute of cooking, top each patty with American cheese. Place on two pieces of fatty meat on each big, fluffy bun. Add ¼ cup mustard to each burger. Top with remaining bun half.

NANCY PELOSI’S PEACH MINT SUNDAE

INGREDIENTS 16 cocktail wieners 2 tubes of crescent rolls

TRUMP TACOS

INGREDIENTS 1 lb. high fat content ground beef Big, fluffy buns 4 thick slices American cheese ½ cup yellow mustard

Enjoy as the yellow liquid runs down your arm.

It’s a foot-long, maybe longer. At least that’s what a lot of folks are saying.

INGREDIENTS 1 Trump steak 1 edible steak Salt and pepper

GOLDEN SHOWER BURGER

DIRECTIONS Top ice cream with peach slices. Add a sprig of mint to the top.

Wish it had gone further.

JOE’S GOT CRABS Biden’s home state, Delaware, is famous for crabs, blue crabs, of course. INGREDIENTS 12-ounce bottle lager-style beer 1 ½ cups water 1 cup cider vinegar ½ cup Old Bay seafood seasoning 1 dozen live blue crabs 1 tablespoon kosher salt DIRECTIONS Add beer, water, vinegar and 2 tablespoons of the Old Bay seasoning to the bottom of a deep pot. Whisk to combine and bring to a simmer. Insert a steamer, it should sit 2 to 3 inches above the bottom of the pot so that the crabs do not touch the liquid beneath. Generously sprinkle the salt and remaining Old Bay seasoning on each layer of crabs. Cover the pot and steam the crabs for 30 minutes. The cooked crabs should be a bright orange color (about the color of Trump’s skin).

Dump liquid and serve crabs with mallets, take out your frustrations. OCTOBER - NOVEMBER 2020 | THE

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SHAPING OUR FUTURE WILTON MANORS GAZETTE EXTRA ELECTION EDITION

ELECTION 2020 - WILTON MANORS MAYOR

SMITH-MALAVE SAYS WILTON MANORS NEEDS

A CONSENSUS BUILDER // Damon Scott

f the three candidates in the race for mayor of Wilton Manors, Josie Smith-Malave would likely be considered the novice.

After all, the other two — Julie Carson and Scott Newton — have held positions in Wilton Manors government for many years as city commissioners, and Newton also as a former mayor. The election is Nov. 3. The race changed quickly when Mayor Justin Flippen died in office in February of a brain aneurysm. There are also three seats on the city commission up for grabs. When it comes to assessing the 45-yearold Smith-Malave — novice or not — it would be a mistake to describe her as unprepared. Smith-Malave, married to Marcy Miller, has lived in Wilton Manors for six years where she is the chef-owner of Bubbles + Pearls, a restaurant on Wilton Drive. She said she’s been part of the community for 13 years.

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HIALEAH ROOTS Smith-Malave was born in Charlotte, North Carolina, but grew up in South Florida — specifically in Hialeah. “Hialeah is broken up into east and west. We were in the west where a lot of the working class lived,” she said. “We didn’t have a lot when we grew up.” Smith-Malave, who is Puerto Rican, Italian and Filipino, grew up with her younger sister and brother. “We’re the trifecta,” she said. “We’ve been through a lot together. When you think of the idea of unconditional love, that’s what we share.” Near the apartment complex where they lived was a youth community center where Smith-Malave spent a lot of time playing intramural sports — something her parents encouraged.

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“That was a big thing for them — to get involved in team sports. I played volleyball and badminton. I lettered in those two sports. I played basketball, I tried to play softball,” Smith-Malave said with a laugh. Later on, she’d play professional women’s football with the former New York Sharks. Smith-Malave’s relationship with her parents, who divorced, was important in shaping who she is today, she said. “[They’re] indestructible. We have a large extended family now. My mother lives with me and has always been my best friend — the person in my life who has taught me about caring about people,” Smith-Malave said. “She always made sure our neighbors had food and would reach into her purse and pull out dollars for guys on the street. She’s been a real giver her whole entire life and that’s been the example that I’ve been able to experience.” The relationship with her father has been

more challenging, she admits, but nonetheless impactful. “He’s a Trump supporter but I love him. We have a different perspective around politics, but it’s important to understand everyone’s perspective,” Smith-Malave said. She said her father taught her about business and salesmanship. “He’s the kind of guy that during dinner we’d be listening to Norman Vincent Peale and Zig Ziglar. He taught me the need to sell myself — to go out and create what you’re going to have,” she said. Smith-Malave said she took all the positives she could from those lessons, and formed her own perspective. “I call it enrolling you into a vision. We’re always enrolling people into our stories and into our own lives,” she said. “What are you broadcasting, sharing and inspiring? I check in with myself: What did you contribute today?” Smith-Malave would leave Hialeah for the Art Institute of New York City, earning an associate’s degree. She’d get really immersed in the restaurants, too — cooking for a decade in New York City, followed by three years in the San Francisco Bay Area. It’s part of the reason she’s widely referred to today as Chef Josie. Her career has been deep in the trenches of the service industry. “I traveled the world. I’ve done a lot of things in my life and feel grateful and privileged for the experiences I’ve been able to have,” she said. South Florida called her back where she and her partners would eventually open Bubbles & Pearls. Recently, Smith-Malave has not only dealt with the volatile business atmosphere of the pandemic, but also contracted COVID-19 and battled it for several weeks. She said it’s given her even more empathy for business owners and those dealing with the virus. (SmithMalave has since tested negative.) POLITICS COMES CALLING Smith-Malave first set her sights on a run for city commission, but when Flippen unexpectedly died, she decided to enter the race for mayor. “I’m very grateful for all of the support, for all the folks taking time to sit down and chat about our city, people who know a lot more than I do, but understand this is a team effort moving forward,” Smith-Malave said. “There’s not one single person with all the answers, but we need that one person who is a consensus builder, who wants an equitable, sustainable future for our city.” Smith-Malave admits her opponents have

Pictured above: Josie Smith Malave. Photo courtesy of Josie Smith Malave.

more political experience, but she believes she’s the most qualified to move Wilton Manors forward. She said she respects Carson and Newton, that between their almost 30 combined years of experience they’ve done a “fine job,” but that there have also been some “bad decisions.” “This pandemic that has rocked our economy and rocked our business community,” she said. “It has us in our homes and has interfered with our ability to connect with each other and build upon our community. It’s so, so important that we don’t lose track or focus.” WILTON’S OUTLOOK Smith-Malave said her immediate goals as mayor would include public health, staying fiscally responsible and making choices in a sustainable way.

“The last thing I want is to be folded into Fort Lauderdale,” she said. “We have to be very, very serious about our city’s growth. We have to increase our tax base. In the past, maybe we haven’t moved at that pace because there’s a little bit of fear and we were comfortable. We can’t afford to move at a snail’s pace. We have to build partnerships and bridges.” One of the goals is to unite Wilton’s three neighborhood associations into a “one city” vision. Part of that, she said, is understanding that the city isn’t just “The Drive,” as important as the corridor might be. Smith-Malave said it’s about “fresh air, fresh energy” and convincing Wilton Manors residents to “try on some new clothes.” “I believe in democracy and the choices are clear. You have status quo and you have me,” she said.

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SHAPING OUR FUTURE WILTON MANORS GAZETTE EXTRA ELECTION EDITION

ELECTION 2020 - WILTON MANORS MAYOR

CARSON ASKS VOTERS FOR ANOTHER TERM;

THIS TIME AS MAYOR // Damon Scott

ulie Carson’s 2020 latest campaign began in a straightforward fashion — a familiar run for re-election to the Wilton Manors City Commission.

She’d been appointed in 2008 to complete the term of a commissioner who resigned, and then she was elected three times — in 2010, 2012 and 2016. But the trajectory for another term changed after the surprising death of Mayor Justin Flippen. Carson now joins Scott Newton and Josie Smith Malave on the Nov. 3 mayoral ticket. There are three seats on the city commission that will be filled by voters as well. When Carson’s not serving as commissioner or campaigning, she is a paralegal with Vertical Bridge REIT — a Boca Raton-based company that coordinates legal matters related to cellular and radio towers. FAMILY BONDS Carson came to South Florida via Missouri and Tennessee.

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She grew up in the southeast Missouri Bootheel and would live in Memphis and Nashville for 23 years after that. Although she’s been in Wilton Manors for 18 years, you can still hear the accent in her voice. Carson attended Middle Tennessee State University, earning a degree in Spanish with a minor in political science and women’s studies. Family relationships were close and family life important. Her parents were married for 50 years, before her father died in 2002. Her mother is now 93 and lives in the Independence Hall senior living community in Wilton Manors. Carson, 59, has two older brothers. “My parents were wonderful,” Carson said. “And I have very delightful brothers. I had a wonderful family life.” One of Carson’s brothers and his husband adopted two children and fostered a third. Due to circumstances, when they moved to

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Arizona, she would end up getting custody of her foster nephew for seven months. Carson said the experience for her and her mother was challenging and powerful. “Wilton Manors is such a remarkable community. He went to every city commission meeting [and] every official event. The commissioners embraced him. They held me up and allowed me to provide during a difficult time,” Carson said. CIVIC-MINDED YOUTH Carson said she was active in a civic and political way even before college. She was a member of the Volunteer Girls State group in high school — an American Legion Auxiliary organization that teaches about citizenship and government. She spent several summers in Washington, D.C., teaching other girls about civics and also worked for former U.S. Rep. William Boner, a Democrat who

was also a mayor of Nashville. “I got my feet wet a long time ago,” Carson said. “I realized then how valuable it was.” Fast-forward to the late 2000s and Carson would become the first out lesbian elected in Broward County. “Now, thank heavens our world has turned around and we’re now just known as true public servants,” she said. COMMISSION YEARS Carson said she enjoyed a close personal and professional relationship with Flippen. “Justin and I were quite the team,” she said. “We had shared values and a vision for the city. I was excited to run again for commission to accomplish goals with Justin.” Carson said she’s tried during her years in Wilton Manors government to be inclusive. She’s proud of teaching young people a little bit of civics by inviting them to lead the Pledge of Allegiance at commission meetings. She’s also hosted book readings for youngsters during Pride month. Carson said it’s all part of trying to instill a culture of public service and caring. “I’ll continue to make sure there is always a place for young people, families and the elderly in Wilton Manors,” she said. On larger legislative matters, Carson wants to establish a more viable economic base with greater density and height, as well as more transit-oriented corridors. She’s concerned about fiscal health, quality of life, affordable housing, climate change and sea level rise. Carson said her relationship with the LGBT community has always been a very good one. She touts her involvement in health care equality for domestic partners of municipal employees, insurance coverage for gender confirmation surgery, a tax equity ordinance, a gender nondiscrimination ordinance involving city vendors and a ban on conversion therapy for minors. Carson was in support of revising city applications to be gender neutral and ending the use of gender pronouns in city communications. She also worked with Equality Florida to lobby for marriage equality and gay adoption in Broward Country. “I advocated to raise the rainbow flag in Wilton Manors, and I wanted to make sure the transgender flag was included, too,” she said. “That being said, I want to emphasize that a city that is equality minded benefits everyone. It doesn’t take away anyone’s rights. It enhances everyone’s rights.”

Julie Carson. Photo courtesy of Julie Carson.

‘ALWAYS BEEN A BRIDGE’ For nearly a decade, Carson said she never missed a regular city commission meeting. She’s proud of it. “No one has had that record,” she said. “I’ve always showed up. I’ve always been a bridge and a connection between the constituents and the stakeholders. I always answer phone calls and emails. I’m diligent in giving every person a response.” Carson has kept her campaign active during the pandemic by spending lots of time on the phone. She said she’s also delivered several hundred masks and hand sanitizers to residents. “In the old days we knock on doors and stop and talk with people,” she said. “Maybe that will be more prevalent after August — wear a mask, step back from the door and introduce yourself.”

In the meantime, she’ll continue to connect virtually as much as she can. Carson describes her opponent Newton as a “very dear friend.” “He is kind, a gentleman and thoughtful. One of the most difficult things has been putting our friendship a little on hold until we’re through this,” she said. Carson said if she’s elected, she hopes Newton would be involved in advising her on issues important to him. She said hasn’t known Malave for very long. “I never saw her at any meetings until the last [several] months,” Carson said. “Right before Justin died I became aware of her. I don’t know much about her; don’t know her history. She seems to want to serve and I hope that she is aware of the challenges of public service, particularly in the role of mayor.”

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SHAPING OUR FUTURE WILTON MANORS GAZETTE EXTRA ELECTION EDITION

ELECTION 2020 - WILTON MANORS MAYOR

NEWTON MAKES CASE FOR RETURN AS

WILTON MANORS MAYOR // Damon Scott

here are three candidates on the Nov. 3 ballot vying be the next mayor of Wilton Manors. One of those has previously held the seat.

Scott Newton, who was mayor from 2004 to 2008, is asking voters to choose him again — this time over Julie Carson and Josie Smith-Malave. Newton was also vice mayor for two years and a city commissioner for 12 years. He chaired the city’s planning and zoning committee as well. This year’s election went through some reconfiguring after Mayor Justin Flippen unexpectedly died in office in late February. There are also three seats on the city commission up for grabs. Newton, 63, has lived in Wilton Manors since he was a toddler, save a stint at Tallahassee Community College. His adult and professional life has been all about Wilton Manors. (He remembers well when George Kissinger opened Georgie’s Alibi in 1997, he said.)

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“I really do love my city. It’s changed for the better. It used to be a sleepy little bluecollar town,” Newton said. “The diversity of businesses, the diversity of people — my neighborhood is beautiful — you know every person on the block.” He and his wife, Cindy, who does dog rescue work, have been married for 39 years. They have three children and three grandchildren. HANDS-ON LIFE Newton’s grandfather owned an upholstery shop and taught him the business. He would take the same path, opening Quality Interiors in Fort Lauderdale. It’s been in operation for more than 34 years. Newton said although he’s now

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semiretired, he oversees the business and still services clients. Semiretired or not, he clearly can’t sit still. After hurricanes have come and gone, Newton has delivered ice, cases of water and sandwiches throughout Wilton Manors. His community service includes time with the Dolphin Democrats, Kiwanis Club of Wilton Manors and Wilton Manors Little League baseball, just to name a few. He’s been contributing during the pandemic — using extra fabric from his upholstery shop to make and distribute masks. Newton assists at the weekly food distribution operation at Mills Pond Park. He’s delivered food to the homes of those who can’t leave or are too scared to leave. COVID-19 recently hit very close to home. “Personally, things have been very tough,”

Newton said. “My wife and I came down with coronavirus. We were out for a few weeks. Testing is a joke. We went to get tested and it took nine days to get it back. We stayed home for three and a half weeks and got retested and it was negative,” he said. Newton said while he and his wife are back to good health, he warns that the virus is no joke. “The first five days were really tough,” he said. “I have a little bit of asthma and you think it’s no big deal.” He spent about six hours at the hospital getting checked out. “Every bone in your body aches and there are bad headaches and the cough,” Newton said. Now, the ever community service-minded Newton wants to get tested for antibodies so he can qualify to donate plasma to other COVID-19 patients. ELECTION FOCUS Newton’s been back on the campaign trail since, as different as that is this time around. In late July, he said he’d raised about $13,000 and he was happy with the amount. “I’m not one of these guys that need to raise $35,000. I don’t want to raise money just to raise money,” he said. “It’s a different animal this time around. I don’t think it’s right to be going door-to-door.” Newton said he’s using Facebook and other platforms to stay connected with the community and is also sending out direct mail. He has the most government experience in Wilton Manors among the candidates — a total of 18 years. He said even when he wasn’t on the city commission, he and Flippen talked every week. “He’d bounce some things off of me. We were friends since day one,” he said. “We miss him. He was a very good advocate.” Newton said he’s seen other economic downturns in Wilton Manors and was instrumental in bolstering the city’s financial security. “I believe I did a great job [as mayor] in 2008. It was a bad economy and we made tough decisions. We need someone who can bring not just ideas, but the community and the commission together,” he said. Newton said he “cut a lot of the fat” from the Wilton Manors budget. “My philosophy was: you tell me what you really need and I’ll get it for you. And it made a big difference. We weren’t playing games with the budget,” he said. Newton said he doesn’t have anything negative to say about his opponents, but

Scott Newton. Photo courtesy of Scott Newton.

said the city needs a proven leader and that’s him. “I don’t know [Malave] that well. I’ve been to her restaurant and enjoyed it. She seems like a nice person. Julie [Carson] and I have been friends for a long time,” he said. TOP ISSUES Newton said he was always at the forefront to help bring equality for all people to Wilton Manors, but that the sexual orientation of the mayor shouldn’t be relevant. He said previous commissioners and mayors were elected to represent the entire city, its residents and business owners. Newton said he’s most concerned about

the safety and welfare of the citizens of Wilton Manors. Beyond that, it’s all about economic growth and a sustainable quality of life that won’t “place an undue burden on taxpayers.” He believes the downtown district has been improving for many years, but said revitalization efforts need to continue with more homes and businesses. He thinks more doctors’ offices and other drop-in businesses as well as a suite of satellite offices for one of Florida’s colleges or universities would make a big difference. And Newton wants to keep moving on improvements to the city’s infrastructure, a new police and city hall and new parks with upgrades to current ones.

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FEATURE

LOCAL LGBT ORGS DETERMINED TO HAVE BIG IMPACT ON

ELECTION ‘In a state where [...] a race was called by 10,000 votes,

[...] 566,000 pro-equality voters can change everything’ // Steve Rothaus

n the final weeks of Campaign 2020, South Florida’s largest LGBT political groups are pushing hard to make sure gay voters and their allies are registered, and know how to cast their ballots. “Vote like your life depends upon it,” said Nik Harris, vice president of the Dolphin Democrats political club. Harris, who is also LGBT consumer advocate for Florida Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried, said it’s essential that equality voters do not sit out this election. “A ‘no’ vote is a vote. That’s the truth. Right now we’re talking about peoples’ lives.” Most major LGBT political groups — with the exception of Log Cabin Republicans in Washington, D.C. — maintain that four more years of a Donald Trump presidency would jeopardize the many political gains won by gay people this past decade. “Once again, Trump is trying to distract from his failure to lead, this time by advertising a list of individuals he hopes to appoint to the U.S. Supreme Court,” said Human Rights Campaign President Alphonso David on Sept. 10, a day after the president presented his list of 20 conservative potential justices, including Republican Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas.

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| OCTOBER - NOVEMBER 2020

“And, if the past is prologue, [Trump] may once again nominate people who would deny legal protections for LGBTQ people, take away the health care provided by the Affordable Care Act, undermine the fundamental right to vote, erode core civil rights laws, and fail to value the lives, needs and Constitutional rights of the LGBTQ community,” said David, whose Washington-based group is the nation’s largest gay-rights organization. “We must not let this happen, and it starts by denying Trump a second term.” Locally, both partisan and nonpartisan rights groups say they are working hard to ensure a high turnout this election by LGBT voters and their allies. Rolando Chang Barrero (left) with Pete Camacho, volunteering with the Palm Beach Democratic Hispanic Chapter to help register voters at Ceasar’s Famous Ribs. “It’s important not to assume that people Photo via the Palm Beach Democratic Hispanic Chapter, Facebook. are registered to vote. And even if they’re registered, how do we get them out?” said Harris, who recently helped 10 members of a single Broward family become voters. bar in Lantana, according to gallery owner COVID-19 has changed how they do it. It began when a Haitian-American Rolando Barrero. “A lot of us have been making phone calls worker at Harris’s Fort Lauderdale apartment In addition to registering voters, the because of the quarantine. Usually we go out building overheard a conversation about business group is “celebrating” the 37th door knocking. This year, because of COVID, voter registration. anniversary of H.G. Rooster’s bar in West everything was stunted,” he said, adding “She said, ‘I’ve always wanted to know Palm Beach, which has been closed since an that there is also a big push for vote by mail. how to vote, but I was too embarrassed [to accidental fire in May, Barrero said. “A lot of people won’t go to the polls ask],’” Harris recalled. Rooster’s, which won’t reopen until because of COVID,” he said. “Our elderly Soon after, the woman’s husband, sometime after Election Day, has temporarily community is one of the biggest voting mother, father and other relatives were converted its website (www.roosterswpb. blocks.” registered. “They’re all com) into a voter registration and The Black Lives Matter movement will going to be first-time turnout site. also be a big factor in driving this year’s voters,” Harris said. Barrero said the first voter LGBT voter turnout, Harris said. Florida voter registration drive took place Saturday, Sept. 26, “Ordinarily, we take Black Democrats for the November general at Compass LGBTQ Community for granted. And I’m a Democrat — a election continues through Center, 201 N. Dixie Hwy. in Lake proud Democrat. We are the most reliable Monday, Oct. 5. Vote-byWorth. A second voter drive will Democratic block. Suddenly Trump has mail requests end Saturday, happen Sunday, Oct. 4, at the challenged that,” she said. “I don’t think Oct. 24, and all ballots parking lot between H.G. Rooster’s that Dems have ever spent as much money must be returned to county and Box Gallery, 811 Belvedere Rd., as they are today on Black media. Not that elections departments by West Palm Beach. they’re going to vote for Trump, but just 7 p.m. Nov. 3, Election Day. The Compass drive is stay home. And never have I seen as many Early voting dates vary nonpartisan. The drive outside Black people in positions of power leading throughout Florida, but Roosters and Box Gallery “will campaigns as I have in this election cycle.” - Rolando Chang must run at least eight days, be a major outreach to Hispanic SAVE and Equality Florida, two of the Barrero from Saturday, Oct. 24, Democrats in the area,” Barrero state’s top nonpartisan LGBT-rights groups, OWNER, THE BOX GALLERY through Saturday, Oct. 31. said. “It’s sponsored by the are focused on turning out equality voters Two LGBTQ voter Palm Beach County Democratic who support like-minded candidates. drives are scheduled in Palm Beach Chapter, part of the state Democratic Party “We’re building teams to encourage County, organized by a group of local gay hierarchy.” The Palm Beach Human Rights friends and families to vote,” SAVE businesses including the Box Gallery of Council is also a sponsor. Executive Director Orlando Gonzales said. West Palm Beach, Mad Hatter Lounge of Barrero said his group regularly “The research is showing that peer-to-peer Lake Worth Beach and Penny’s at the Duke encourages people to vote, but that this year influence is more effective than general

“USUALLY WE GO OUT DOOR KNOCKING. THIS YEAR, BECAUSE OF COVID, EVERYTHING WAS STUNTED.”

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FEATURE

communication. Social media fits into it. SAVE can do a blast and that’s good. And we’re depending on individuals to share the message with their own communities. It goes back to the friends-and-family approach to peer-to-peer outreach.” Gonzales said that this election cycle, “instead of focusing on the issues, we’re focusing on the candidates we know we can depend upon to get those laws passed.” SAVE, which has endorsed state and local candidates throughout South Florida, is focused on supporting Miami Democrats Ricky Junquera, a gay House candidate, as well as state Rep. Javier Fernández, an ally running for Senate. Also endorsed by SAVE: Republicans Vance Aloupis, a state House member seeking re-election, and Demi Busatta Cabrera, another House candidate. “Florida is a red state and there is no way we can get anything done without bipartisan support,” Gonzales said. “Right now, the total number of Democrats in the House is not enough votes to pass pro-equality laws with just that party’s support. We need to make sure there are Republicans that are able to identify themselves as supportive and help them gain support from their colleagues.” Equality Florida this year raised more than $1 million to elect LGBT and ally Carlos Guillermo Smith (who is also candidates and to defeat politicians who’ve Equality Florida’s Central Florida outreach been against gay rights, coordinator) and Jennifer according to Joe Saunders, the Webb of St. Petersburg, organization’s senior political “FLORIDA IS A RED Florida’s first lesbian director. lawmaker; and State Senate STATE AND THERE IS Candidate Patricia Sigman of “Our primary program — which was our largest Seminole County. NO WAY primary program ever — was Saunders, who in 2012 with WE CAN GET in support of Shevrin Jones, [a David Richardson of Miami South Broward House member Beach became the first out ANYTHING DONE who hopes to become Florida’s elected members of Florida’s first LGBTQ state senator] and WITHOUT BIPARTISAN Legislature, described the Michele Rayner [of Tampa/St. August 2020 primary as “a SUPPORT.” Petersburg], who we believe moment of accountability for will be the first queer black Democratic lawmakers who - Orlando Gonzales woman to be elected to any opposed LGBT rights.” SAVE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR office in the state of Florida.” Equality Florida Equality Florida is also successfully worked to defeat bringing “special attention” Democratic House members Kimberly to the Fernández and Junquera races, as Daniels of Jacksonville and Al Jacquet of well as incumbent State House Members Palm Beach County, who both were vocally

A voter casts his choice. Photo via Adobe.

opposed to gay rights. “We beat the most homophobic members of the Democratic caucus and sent a clear signal that you cannot be both a Democratic lawmaker and anti-LGBTQ,” Saunders said. Equality Florida is also heavily focused on voter turnout and “winning the country’s largest swing state,” Saunders said. “The way we’re going to do that is to target 566,000 pro-equality voters who won’t cast a ballot unless we push them to. In a state that Andrew Gillum lost by 30,000 votes, our community can be the difference.” When vote-by-mail ballots drop in early October, Equality Florida will launch “aggressive phone, digital, text and mail programs,” he said. “In a state where [in 2018] the U.S. Senate race was called by 10,000 votes, and the governor’s race was called by 30,000 votes, 566,000 pro-equality voters can change everything.”

Journalist Steve Rothaus has covered LGBT issues for 22 years at the Miami Herald. 48 | THE

| OCTOBER - NOVEMBER 2020

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SPECIAL FEATURE

CAN EQUALITY FLORIDA

HELP USHER IN A ‘RAINBOW TSUNAMI’

NOV. 3?

The organization is gearing up to make a difference in the general election // Damon Scott

quality Florida was more than a little pleased by the primary election results in Florida Aug. 18. The group had pushed hard for its slate of pro-equality candidates and spent considerable effort organizing volunteers and mobilizing voters. Through its political action committee (PAC), EqFL said staff and volunteers sent more than 100,000 messages, phone calls and texts to voters in high profile districts in the final four days of the primary alone. “We are still beaming over here,” Brandon Wolf, EqFL’s development officer and media relations manager, said in an email to SFGN. “It was a huge night for equality in Florida. Black LGBTQ candidates rising; homophobes falling.” EqFL described it as a “rainbow tsunami” — and the results back up the assertion. Of the 67 EqFL PAC-endorsed primary candidates, more than 80% were victorious. Other milestones were reached as well. “In a total repudiation of anti-LGBTQ lawmakers, infamous homophobe Rep. Mike Hill lost his primary in Pensacola as did Rep. Kimberly Daniels in Jacksonville and Rep. Al Jacquet in Broward,” EqFL said in a statement.

Pictured right: Illustration by Brendon Lies, assets via Adobe. Turn the page to continue reading.

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| OCTOBER - NOVEMBER 2020

FEATURE

In addition, Shevrin Jones will become the first Black gay man elected to the Florida Senate, and Michele Rayner, by winning her Florida House race, became the first Black queer woman ever elected in the state. “Historic primary wins by Black LGBTQ candidates move us closer to cementing a seat at the table for those who need it most,” Nadine Smith, EqFL’s executive director, said in a statement. “In an era of racist rhetoric and unfettered bigotry from Donald Trump, these victories serve as a beacon of hope for everyone who values equality and justice.” ALL EYES ON NOV. 3 EqFL has moved quickly to its next phase of outreach, as Florida voters will start to receive mail-in ballots in September and begin early voting in October. The Election Day crunch time has the organization in a full-court press mode. Through its voter mobilization program, EqFL has set a goal to engage with 500,000 pro-equality voters across Florida through Nov. 3. “In a state whose elections are decided on a razor-thin margin, pro-equality voters have the opportunity to determine the direction of Florida — and the nation — for generations to come,” an EqFL statement read. Grassroots organizing efforts continue, and in the time of COVID-19, its virtual “Days of Action” events as well. Days of Action are online meet-ups with volunteers and pro-equality voters. A

“IN A STATE WHOSE ELECTIONS ARE DECIDED ON A RAZOR-THIN MARGIN, PROEQUALITY VOTERS HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO DETERMINE THE DIRECTION OF FLORIDA — AND THE NATION — FOR GENERATIONS TO COME.” - Statement from Equality Florida

Virtual “Day of Action” events enlisted support for candidate Michele Rayner. Images courtesy EqFL.

variety of topics are discussed, including, for example, mail-in ballot information. “We know that people’s ability to vote by mail is being assaulted at a federal level,” Wolf told SFGN by phone. “And just being based on the pandemic, it disproportionally affects black and brown people.” Days of Action also includes get-out-thevote efforts for candidates that are endorsed by EqFL — those that will champion LGBT issues. Volunteers fill shifts to make phone calls and send out text messages. Wolf said the events, including virtual town halls and its “Equality Live!” telethon in April that reached 25,000 viewers serve as a new and effective method of reaching people during the uncertainty of the pandemic. One of the messages to volunteers is to let voters know that pro-equality candidates are not fringe candidates. Wolf said EqFL surveys consistently show that 65% to 70% of Floridians support proequality candidates and what they stand for. ‘WE’VE COME A LONG WAY,’ BUT… Wolf is known in part for his political activism after the Pulse Nightclub shooting in Orlando in 2016. He was one of more than 300 people inside the venue. Two of his closest friends who were also inside, Christopher Andrew “Drew” Leinonen and Juan Guerrero, were killed.

He’s been in his role at EqFL for about a year and a half. “When people ask me what I do for a living I say that I ensure that LGBTQ stories are told,” Wolf said. “I’m honored to hear people’s stories and share bits and pieces of their lives. To be able to take those stories, digest them and take them to a broader audience.” He said it’s easy to forget all the positive change that has happened in the LGBT community because of the country’s current political climate. “It’s important for us to stay rooted in our history and how far this community has come,” Wolf said. “Think about in the decades of the 60’s and 70’s, the fear of coming out, then the terrifying public health crises of HIV and AIDS — all the struggle this community has faced. To now be treated with basic dignity and respect, in that context you can’t help but be excited.” He said, for example, candidates now talk openly about passing the federal Equality Act and many up and down the ticket talk about transgender rights. “We’re ensuring our voices are at the table. We’ve come a long way in the past 30, 40, 50 years, but the work doesn’t end on Election Day,” Wolf said. “It doesn’t mean we sit on our hands and rest on our laurels. We have to challenge our elected officials. But we can get excited about the pro-equality candidates up and down the ballot.”

MORE INFORMATION IS AT EQFL.ORG. 52 | THE

| OCTOBER - NOVEMBER 2020

VOTE NOVEMBER 3 Dear Neighbor: As you know, the election for Oakland Park City Commission will be held on TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 3, 2020. There may be a number of items for your consideration on this ballot and the city elections are usually listed at the “bottom of the ballot.” I am asking you to take the time to scroll to the end of the ballot and please cast your vote for me, SCOTT HERMAN.

As a Gulf War Combat Veteran in the U.S. Army, I continue to work for the concerns in our courts, jails, hospitals, employment and to address the high rate of homeless veterans. I will create a more diverse and effective public safety plan for seniors. As a City Commissioner, I will aggressively advocate and be a strong individual to push SMART GROWTH in Oakland Park. I will ﬁght to resolve the problem of ﬂooding caused by storm water runoff throughout the city.

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FEATURE

A NEW ‘GAYBORHOOD?’ Pompano Beach, Palm Aire dial gay vibe up a notch // Damon Scott

he LGBT attractions and amenities in Fort Lauderdale and Wilton Manors usually get most of the attention, but Pompano Beach and Palm Aire are giving the two a little friendly competition of late. Earlier this summer, a group of almost twodozen men raised a large rainbow flag near the Pompano Beach Pier and ceremoniously dubbed a section of it as Stonewall Beach. One of the men had been at the New York City Stonewall Inn in 1969 during the riots that would spark the modern LGBT rights movement. There are no such riots at the beach, but there is the inviting Lucky Fish tiki hut bar near the workout station that has been attracting gay clientele. While it’s not specifically a gay bar, the Oceanic Restaurantmanaged spot has some gay employees looking to serve up food and drinks to eager beachgoers.

Pictured right: Anthony Kulp poises proudly at. “Stonewall Beach.” Photo credit: J.R. Davis.

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FEATURE

The area in and around the pier has other new action recently. There was a boost when the popular $6.5 million Beach House Pompano restaurant welcomed residents and visitors about two years ago. The Oceanic came about a year after that. Other additions are on the way. Filling in areas of the wide, three-mile long beach are more restaurants, a Kilwins and more. Anthony Kulp also wants to make sure you to know about the easy parking. “One of the things that prompted [Stonewall Beach] was people complaining about the parking at Sebastian [Beach],” Kulp said. “I used to go there, but I don’t want to get there at 10 o’clock in the morning to get a parking space. When I would go, you’d have to sit there to wait for someone to pull out in order to park.” Fort Lauderdale’s Sebastian Beach is often referred to as the gay beach in Broward. Kulp is the force behind Stonewall Beach. He said he’d been thinking about it for over a year and once the Pompano pier was finished with its revamp, he thought it was time. “I put the idea up on my ‘Palm Aire Social’ [Facebook] page, which has about 800 members, and I said: ‘this is what I want to do,’” Kulp said. Rendering of the planned Isle Casino development.

CITY SUPPORT Pompano Beach City Commissioner Barry Moss, naturally, thinks all of the hoopla is great. He’s been a commissioner for six years and represents District 5, which includes Palm Aire — the vast development and country club in southwest Pompano — where he also lives. To be sure, there are plenty of residents on the right of the political spectrum living in Pompano, but Moss said the city is progressive and LGBT friendly. “I can tell you that I’m openly gay, and my colleagues know it,” Moss said. “No one bats an eye.” Moss, 71, came out 50 years ago. “I’ve seen such a sea change in attitude. Not only from the general public, but also from gay people. Most people don’t care — just cut your grass; don’t have trash in your yard. I’ve never met anyone in Pompano that’s been disparaging,” he said. Moss said Pompano and Palm Aire often attract gay retirees who have good finances — former business professionals, teachers, doctors and lawyers. “They have more disposable income and aren’t afraid to spend it,” he said. 58 | THE

SHORT(ISH) DRIVE TO WILTON DRIVE Meanwhile, Kulp is also a force as a realtor. In fact, he’s known as the “King of Palm Aire.” He lives there with his husband, Jim Beauter. The two are from Pennsylvania. “He’s a little older and when we met he said he was going to retire and move to Fort Lauderdale,” Kulp said. “And that’s how I got into real estate.” Kulp’s been in real estate for 21 years and housing for 40. He was a contractor doing mostly kitchen and bath remodeling. The two would eventually buy a home in Wilton Manors, but it ended up being a little bit too small for their taste. So they moved to Palm Aire about five years ago. Kulp said more gay people are casting an eye toward what Pompano has to offer, and that Palm Aire has attracted LGBT people to the area for years. So much so, that he started the Palm Aire Social, which was attracting 250 men every

| OCTOBER - NOVEMBER 2020

second Tuesday of the month at the Oaks Clubhouse before the pandemic hit. It’s not all to say that Fort Lauderdale and Wilton Manors have lost their standing or their touch. But Kulp thinks its northern neighbors offer a value that’s hard to beat and even a comparable lifestyle. “A lot of people I sell to are coming from Wilton Manors like I did,” Kulp said. “The first thing I ask [clients] is: ‘What do you like to do? Do you like the beach? Do you like to golf? Do you like to drink?’ If they like to drink, they usually prefer Wilton Manors. If they like to entertain, you want to live in Palm Aire.” He said Palm Aire units offer large kitchens, dining rooms and living rooms. Typical units run about 2,000 square feet with balconies. Today there are about 7,000 units, from efficiency-sized condos to $1 million-plus homes. Not only that, but Kulp said for those who like to go to Wilton Drive and have drinks, it’s not as far as it might seem. “And when Uber became more popular with older people, it changed. Now an Uber

FEATURE

Fort Lauderdale’s Sebastian Beach is often referred to as the gay beach in Broward. is more reasonable — almost the cost of one So the son went to the mob in New York, drink,” he said. New Jersey and Philadelphia for the seed Kulp is one of the most active money. agents in Palm Aire and said it’s “Supposedly he got Frank a great place for gay people. Sinatra, Dean Martin, Mickey “It has a distinct gay vibe,” Rooney, Jackie Gleason, he said. “But it’s been that way Elizabeth Taylor and Natalie for a long time. There are gay Wood to come down and people who bought here in the stay at the spa he had built,” 1970s. At the time, there was no Kulp said. “They even owned Wilton Manors.” houses and I’m sure they Kulp said you could buy a owned some villas.” house in Wilton Manors for Ringo Starr and George about $50,000 in the 1970s. The Harrison owned two houses same house today would go for as well. about $500,000, he said. “They probably spent two So even though Pompano is nights there,” Kulp said with a further away from the beach or chuckle. “But that got people - Anthony Kulp an entertainment district like interested.” REALTOR Wilton Drive, gay people like it. Homes started selling in You’ll often see vehicles driving 1966 and took off from there. around with Kulp’s rainbow colored Palm There are three golf courses now, with Aire stickers on windows and bumpers. clubhouses, hair salons, spas, pools and “All these guys are coming out saying: ‘I tennis courts. live in Pompano, I’ve been living here, this is so wonderful,’” Kulp said.

“THERE ARE GAY PEOPLE WHO BOUGHT HERE IN THE 1970S. AT THE TIME, THERE WAS NO WILTON MANORS.”

ON TAP

ONLY IN FLORIDA Palm Aire’s history has unique and colorful Florida flair, too — some of it with a little dash of myth. The land used to be home to five golf courses. As the story goes, Kulp said, the son of a really big builder from Philadelphia saw it in the early 1960s and thought it’d be a great place for high-rise condos, a luxurious spa and the like. But because it was in Pompano Beach, the traditional banks took a pass.

Barry Moss.

The stock of Pompano and Palm Aire could rise even more in the coming decade. The Isle Casino Racing Pompano Park, adjacent to Palm Aire, is getting a major facelift and additions. Horse racing is going away and Jai Alai is coming in. In all, 223 acres are being developed over 10 years. Plans call for a lake, a park, 4,500 condos, a town center, retail and restaurants. The same firm that built the new Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Hollywood is spearheading the project.

The participants of “Stonewall Beach.” Photo credit: J.R. Davis.

Anthony Kulp.

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FEATURE

CAMPUS LIFE FOR LGBT STUDENTS

STILL UNEVEN, BUT IMPROVED // Damon Scott

ife on college campuses across the country right now is anything but normal. The still-raging pandemic has kept most students at home trying to juggle online classes at least for the moment. But the Charlotte, North Carolina-based nonprofit Campus Pride is up and running and its work is worth noting as it nears its 20th year in operation. The group strives to make life on college campuses and in classrooms a more equitable and enjoyable one for LGBT students. It’s never been an easy task — especially as political winds shift and court battles cause ebb and flow between LGBT victories and setbacks. It can be hard to know exactly where gay rights stand at any given moment.

Windmeyer with student volunteers marching at the Atlanta Pride Festival. Photo courtesy of Campus Pride. 

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FEATURE Shane Windmeyer and his husband Tommy Feldman. Photo courtesy of Campus Pride.

Shane Windmeyer has been exposed to the long and short view of it — and has particular knowledge when it comes to what the LGBT community deals with in the college experience. He and two colleagues in higher education founded Campus Pride in 2001, first as an online-only operation and then a fullfledged nonprofit in 2006. (Windmeyer is executive director.) It soon became known for its in-person programs, like “Camp Pride” and the “Adviser Academy.” The group is also known for its annual “Campus Pride Index” and other publications.

‘Out on Fraternity Row’ Windmeyer grew up on a farm in Hiawatha, Kansas — a town of about 2,500. “There was nobody in the town who was out. But I look back and there’s no way in the world people couldn’t tell I was gay,” he said with a chuckle. Windmeyer, 48, is of mixed ancestry and is part of the Iowa Tribe of Kansas and Nebraska. He didn’t officially come out until his sophomore year of college at Emporia State University in Emporia, Kansas — where he’d also join a fraternity. “When I joined I was very closeted. I was in the mode of not knowing who I was. But through the fraternity I came to terms with it and they were accepting and open about it,” Challenges for LGBT students are not Windmeyer said. He’d end up writing his first book about only on campuses, but also in classrooms, Windmeyer explains. Some the experience — “Out on professors don’t use LGBTFraternity Row.” “I ENJOYED THE inclusive language and Windmeyer went on to earn thus alienate, for example, a master’s degree in higher OPPORTUNITY TO transgender and non-binary education and student affairs GO TO COLLEGE students. He said it has the at Indiana University — one AND WANTED TO potential to create unsafe of the best in the country for MAKE SURE YOUNG environments. the specialization, he said. He PEOPLE HAD THE “That classroom wanted a career that allowed OPPORTUNITY, experience is still problematic him to work on college PARTICULARLY for a lot of students, and campuses. LGBTQ [STUDENTS] sadly, because of tenure, “I enjoyed the opportunity it’s hard for the campus in to go to college and wanted to AND THOSE OF many respects to remove a make sure young people had DIFFERENT RACIAL professor,” Windmeyer said. the opportunity, particularly BACKGROUNDS.” “This happens across the U.S. LGBTQ [students] and those of - Shane Windmeyer at public institutions.” different racial backgrounds,” CO-FOUNDER, Windmeyer said there are Windmeyer said. CAMPUS PRIDE also professors who seek After meeting his husband, attention by exploiting the Tommy Feldman, in Chicago — the two would end up in Charlotte so LGBT experience in political conversations in Windmeyer could take a job at the University order to create division. He said transgender populations are particularly singled out. of North Carolina at Charlotte.

Why it matters

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| OCTOBER - NOVEMBER 2020

“It’s not about being politically correct or not being critical, but about creating a safe, inclusive and respectful environment and open dialogue so people don’t feel excluded or harassed,” he said. “Debate doesn’t have to be exclusionary, it can respectful of all viewpoints.” At the end of the day, Windmeyer said, alienated students who don’t feel safe will often see their grades suffer. Conditions were improving under President Barack Obama and his clarification of Title IX inclusion for transgender people, Windmeyer said. A lot of colleges had made efforts for the first time to include trans students in the legislation. Title IX is the federal civil rights law that protects people from discrimination based on sex — in education programs or activities that receive federal financial assistance. “With the current administration, it’s been all but reversed,” Windmeyer said. “You can’t live in [student] housing; and it’s not inclusive on many campuses — particularly for transgender and non-binary students.” LGBT student retention is also an issue, and much of it has to do with demographic

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FEATURE inclusion on admission applications and post-enrollment documents. Windmeyer said there are only about two-dozen colleges that ask about sexual orientation or gender identity on their forms. “It should be included much like race or ethnicity — you can check the box if you choose,” Windmeyer said. “We’ve advocated for more than 10 years that it should be asked as an option. Until we’re able to create campuses to be held accountable for LGBTQ students, then progress will be slow or not happen.” In other words, Windmeyer said, if a college doesn’t know its LGBT demographics, it can affect funding for mental health and drug and alcohol addiction programs. If the question is never asked, colleges won’t know if a student left because she was harassed for identifying as bisexual, for example. Colleges also wouldn’t know how many LGBT students were recruited, dropped out or graduated. “That’s where the data is really important. Colleges give out resources and decide on a strategy for retention,” Windmeyer said. “LGBTQ students in high school have higher rates of depression and substance use. If we knew that about populations coming into college campuses we could create programs to make sure they were successful.” The questions are already being asked off campus on health and medical surveys and in Census data, Windmeyer said. “There’s a reason why [some colleges] don’t want to know,” Windmeyer said. “If you know about us you have to deal with us. There needs to be a stronger commitment by college administrations than just support, say, of an LGBTQ club.”

against LGBT students. It goes back to Title IX, and its exemptions for religious colleges. The status of specific colleges is tracked in the Campus Pride Index. It’s an online tool that ranks schools on policy, programs and practices. Data from the index is also converted into a “best of the best,” — not a ranking, per se, but more of a rating. “Because the Top 25 would likely be in more progressive areas — as most of the gay rights movement and resources are in D.C., New York City and L.A.,” Windmeyer said. “But where the work needs to be done is actually across the Midwest and the South and Southeast.” In October, Campus Pride will release regional ratings. Windmeyer said he intends to highlight campuses in more conservative places that deserve positive recognition. When it comes to Florida, Windmeyer said the state’s record of LGBT equality on college campuses is a mixed bag. Campus Pride has worked directly with the University of South Florida, the University of Florida and Broward College. The group also received grant funding from the Fort Lauderdale-based Gamma Mu Foundation for the coming year.

Windmeyer said 2020 plans were essentially scrapped and revamped due to COVID-19. “Financially it has been complicated. Luckily some of the sponsors we had were very understanding,” he said. But even in a survivor mode, the group produced a Lavender Graduation with PFLAG, did a virtual Campus Pride and are organizing back-to-school webinars. There will be new online options in the fall, too, as college fairs likely will not take place. “It’s been a struggle — nonprofits are struggling,” Windmeyer said. “Overall we’ve lost more than $150,000 in revenue, but luckily we’ve been able to cutback and streamline.” There have been furloughs and layoffs. In September, Campus Pride will not renew its office lease and the staff will continue to work remotely at least for the short term. “The next three years we’ll focus on taking care of our volunteers and limited employees that we hope to hire back. We’ll put rent money toward resources and services,” Windmeyer said.

LGBTQ leaders at a “Camp Pride” event at Johnson C. Smith University in Charlotte. Photo courtesy of Campus Pride.

Better … but Windmeyer said the good news is that overall conditions have generally gotten better. “But there are people and areas of the country that are left behind,” he said. For example, gay, lesbian and bisexual students have experienced more improvement than transgender students. It’s also based on geography. “In the South, Midwest and rural areas there is still a lot of work to be done to create an equitable environment for students to learn in a safe manner. Some areas are at least a decade behind,” he said. Indeed, Windmeyer said, some colleges openly and unapologetically discriminate

Find out more at campuspride.org. 68 | THE

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FOOD

PANDEMIC

POUNDS Swap out some of your unhealthy treats for these homemade goodies // Rick Karlin

as the pandemic helped you pack on a few pounds? If so, you’re not alone. According to Nabisco, cookie sales have gone up 30% in the past few months. Our kitchens have turned into giant vending machines, dispensing treats as we tend to graze through the day, often eating out of boredom. “In-home, there is more grazing, more continuous eating, and snacking takes up a much bigger role,” says Dirk Van de Put, the chief executive of Mondelez International (formerly Kraft Foods). Not only that, even though we’re cooking at home instead of wholesome foods we’re re-creating our favorite fast-food treats. That combined with lack of, or restricted, access to gyms and workout classes is a recipe for weight gain. There’s a real danger that when this pandemic is over, we still won’t be able to leave the house because we won’t be able to fit through the door. Alright, so I’m exaggerating there, but it still wouldn’t hurt to have some healthy snacks around. Some things are easy; it doesn’t take a degree in nutrition to know that an apple is better for you than Flaming Hot Cheetos. So, keep some fresh fruit on hand the next time you get a sweet craving. I’m particularly fond of watermelon, pineapple and plums. You can still have potato chips and cookies occasionally, just not on a daily basis. Grapes are great for the feeling of filling (and emptying) a bowl of goodies, and they’re healthier than M&Ms. Try some of these recipes the next time you have a craving. Most of them don’t take much time at all to prepare, but that doesn’t really matter, we’ve all got plenty of time now.

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FOOD

ROASTED CHICKPEAS These are great when you’ve got a craving for something salty and crunchy. INGREDIENTS 1 (15-oz.) can chickpeas, drained and rinsed 1 tbsp. vegetable oil 1/2 tsp. kosher salt 1 tsp. cumin 1 tsp. chili powder ½ tsp. cayenne (optional) 1/2 tsp. dried oregano DIRECTIONS Blot rinsed and drained chickpeas on a paper towel to absorb any residual moisture. Spread chickpeas on a baking sheet in an even layer. Place chickpeas in a pre-heated 350◦ oven until completely dry, 10-12 minutes. Remove chickpeas from oven and toss with oil and seasonings. Return to oven, and bake until golden brown and crispy, about 35 minutes, stirring halfway through. Remove from oven and let cool on baking sheet.

FETA DIP Serve with cucumber slices, carrot sticks, red pepper slices and any other veggie you like. INGREDIENTS 1 lb. feta 1 cup Greek yogurt 1 oz. (8-oz.) block light cream cheese, softened ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil Juice and zest of 1 lemon Kosher salt crushed red pepper flakes 1/2 cup chopped cucumber

DIRECTIONS In a large bowl using a hand mixer, beat feta cheese, Greek yogurt, cream cheese, oil, and lemon juice and zest until fluffy and combined. Season with salt and red pepper flakes to taste. Stir in chopped cucumber. Transfer dip to a serving bowl, drizzle with a little extra olive oil.

FAUX-TATO CHIPS Bet you can’t eat just one! INGREDIENTS 1 large daikon radish (may substitute 1 dozen large red radishes) 1 tbsp. vegetable oil ½ tsp. garlic powder Kosher salt Freshly ground black pepper DIRECTIONS Preheat oven to 225°. Using a mandolin, thinly slice radish and place in a large bowl. Add vegetable oil and garlic powder and season with salt and pepper, toss to coat. Spread in an even layer on large baking sheets. Be sure none of the radishes are overlapping. Bake until chips are crisp and slightly golden, (about 1-1 ¼ hours). Let cool five minutes before serving. Can also be cooked in small batches in an air-fryer set at 350°. Cook for six-seven minutes, shaking the basket halfway through, until chips are golden and crispy.

PISTACHIO OAT SQUARES It’s like granola and a cookie all in one! INGREDIENTS 1 cup raw shelled pistachios 1 cup rolled oats ½ teaspoon sea salt ¼ cup honey, more for drizzling on top 2 tablespoons olive oil 1/3 cup unsweetened coconut flakes (optional) melted dark chocolate (optional) additional handful of chopped pistachios for the topping Directions Preheat the oven to 350◦ and line an 8-inch square pan with parchment paper. In a food processor with the metal blade attached, process the pistachios, oats, and salt for about 30 seconds, until a meal starts to form. Drizzle in the honey and olive oil while the motor is still running, and the meal begins to come together into a crumbly, almost-wet dough. Press the dough evenly into the pan (top with coconut if desired) and bake for 10-12 minutes. You want the squares to still be a little soft — don’t overbake them. Carefully lift the cooled dough out of the pan by holding two sides of the parchment paper. Cut it into squares. Drizzle a little honey over the top for extra sweetness, if you like. Drizzle with melted dark chocolate and extra pistachios. Can be stored in a sealed container for up to a week.

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(954) 541-2550 2201 North Dixie Highway â&#x20AC;˘ Wilton Manors, FL 33305 www.wiltonmanorsanimalhospital.com wiltonmanorsanimalhospital@gmail.com

FEATURE

ARTISTS, ACTIVISTS URGE AMERICANS TO TAKE

‘JUST ONE STEP’

Arnetia Walker.

Stephen Nachamie.

IN NOVEMBER // Damon Scott

Pictured: Photo via Adobe. 74 | THE

| OCTOBER - NOVEMBER 2020

FEATURE

here’s a large clock on the homepage of “Just One Step for Democracy” that is counting down the days, hours, minutes and even seconds to the presidential election.

It’s front and center by design, as the coming fall is on many Walker has many more stage, television and film credits to minds this long, hot summer. her name. She’s appeared on “Dynasty,” “Everybody Loves The general election is Nov. 3, 2020 — the date when Raymond,” “Touched by an Angel,” “NYPD Blue,” “College American voters will choose to keep the incumbent or elect a Road Trip” and “For Love of the Game.” new president. Nachamie, who is also artistic director for “One Step,” is an “One Step” organizers aren’t shy about which direction they award-winning stage and film director on Broadway, in New hope it goes. The desire is that Donald Trump is a one-term York City and regionally and internationally. president. His credits include “Torch Song Trilogy,” “Fiddler on the It’s why “One Step” founders Arnetia Walker and Stephen Roof,” “A Chorus Line,” “Camelot,” “Dreamgirls” and many Nachamie have enlisted friends and colleagues from Broadway more. and Hollywood to inject energy into voting efforts. A visit to the website will take you to two main sections: “Our Even with recent positive polling numbers for presumptive Voices” (featuring new works by Broadway and Hollywood Democratic nominee Joe Biden, they say nothing is being taken creators) and “Our Democracy” (featuring artists and activists for granted after the 2016 election. presenting urgent community and election issues). The two friends and colleagues had been looking for an Nachamie describes the video content as a little bit outreach project to collaborate on after Trump “Schoolhouse Rock!” style — a creative and won an Electoral College victory. accessible way to remind people of how Nothing immediately came together until government works, how they are represented the pandemic hit, and they both watched and what steps they can take to participate. Former President Barack Obama deliver an “The point is if you don’t vote you’re online national commencement address silencing your voice,” he said. for high school students called “Graduate Nachamie said topics range from racial Together” on May 16. issues to challenges faced by the LGBT In a call to action, Obama asked students to community. consider what they would do in their lives for “There are queer and trans issues that may the world and for democracy. not be getting media attention — issues that “The day after, Arnetia called me and said might affect what particular candidate to vote she was inspired,” Nachamie said. “We talked for,” Nachamie, who is gay, said. about what we could create online to get “One Step” expects to increase its content as people to vote. It evolved from there.” Nov. 3 closes in. Since then, the two have been tapping into The site also provides an extensive resource their considerable networks of artist and list, with links and information about voter producer friends that they’ve worked with registration, voting deadlines and how to vote - Stephen Nachamie over the years. by mail. ONE STEP CO-FOUNDER They brought together a collective of artists The group has also launched a “Pledge to to create short form multimedia content. The Vote” campaign that has attracted celebrities content focuses on important election information and issues like Chita Rivera, Greg Louganis and Brenda Braxton among through spoken word, music, song and dance. many others. The name was inspired by the song “Just One Step” by Henry Nachamie said during the pandemic the project has served Krieger, the musical composer of Dreamgirls. as a way for those in his industry to contribute at a time when “We wanted to educate, engage and inspire people — to find so many theaters have been closed and productions postponed a way to inspire through artists of all kinds of different and or cancelled. He knows the feeling well as he had several New diverse backgrounds [and] different family makeups, to say: York projects in motion prior to the pandemic. ‘We have to vote now more than ever,’” Nachamie said. “It’s so easy to feel powerless and overwhelmed right now,” It launched July 4. New video content is released every Nachamie said. “But we can use our talents toward keeping our Monday and Wednesday on the website and through social eye on what needs to happen instead of shutting down. That’s media platforms. the big thing we thought about. With being overwhelmed from everything coming at us — here is one simple act: Vote.”

“WE TALKED ABOUT WHAT WE COULD CREATE ONLINE TO GET PEOPLE TO VOTE. IT EVOLVED FROM THERE.”

‘One simple act’

Walker, who finds new talent and oversees “One Step,” was just 16 when she was cast in her Broadway debut — “The Sign in Sidney Brustein’s Window.” She’d go on to appear in original Broadway runs of “The Wiz” and “Dreamgirls.”

Access videos, take the voting pledge and find more information at justonestepfordemocracy.com. OCTOBER - NOVEMBER 2020 | THE

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CARS

THE 2021 LEXUS LC 500 CONVERTIBL

FAR MORE A

merican car design, once gu dynamism, has been cons ided by a creative decade by a dreary func umed in the past consumer demand for SUVstionalism thanks to .

Romance has vanished as pra cticality has become param ount. What happened to our sense of extravagance? Why must we drive vehicles with the panache of an over-tchotchked milk truck? Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s difficult to tell one SUV fro m another, except some of them cost more. You can tell by the name affixed to the tailgate. TURN THE PAGE TO CONTINUE READIN

76 | THE 76 | THE

| OCTOBER - NOVEMBER 2020 | OCTOBER - NOVEMBER 2020

E P RO V E S

CARS

SENSIBLE THAN AN SUV // Larry Printz Photos courtesy of Lexus.

OCTOBER - NOVEMBER 2020 | THE

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CARS

The thought came to me on a glorious sunny summer afternoon, top down at highway speeds, piloting this year’s most glamorous new droptop offering: the 2021 Lexus LC 500 Convertible. Its form is glorious eye candy, a sculptural feast for the eyes with far too much glamor to be outdone by a vehicle with a contour of a garden shed. After all, a box is a box is a box, something that can’t be said of the 2021 Lexus LC Convertible. The soft-top version of the stunning LC 500 coupe, the convertible is a true modern expression of Japanese artistry expressed in leather, metal, and horsepower. The soft roof lends it a different look than its hardtop sibling, although it retains its flowing knifeedged lines and large spindle grille. Its look is uniquely that of Lexus, a distinctive manifestation of industrial origami. It challenges your aesthetics even as it entrances them. Yet as confrontational as the LC 500 Convertible’s styling may seem, its proportions are that of a classically traditional rear-wheeldrive convertible with a long hood, short trunk, and perfectly proportioned cabin. OK, maybe the rear seat is more theoretical than practical, but practicality is not the LC 500’s purpose. Speed, handling, and the good life is. This explains its Lilliputian 3.4-cubic foot trunk. But hey, what more do you need to pack, aside from a toothbrush and condoms?

2021 LEXUS LC 500 CONVERTIBLE BASE PRICE:

$101.000

PRICE AS TESTED:

$111,325

EPA FUEL ECONOMY (CITY/ HIGHWAY):

15/25 MPG

20 MPG

HORSEPOWER/TORQUE:

91 OCTANE

DOHC 5.0-LITER V-8

471/398

GROUND CLEARANCE:

REAL WORLD FUEL ECONOMY:

ENGINE:

| OCTOBER - NOVEMBER 2020

CARGO CAPACITY:

CURB WEIGHT:

4,540 POUNDS controllable. It’s a reminder that this is still, at heart, a grand touring car. It’s a sporting car, not a true sports car; but there’s nothing wrong with that, especially when you have so much power on hand and you’re wrapped in a wardrobe that’s so compelling. And, as in any modern conveyance, it’s easy to keep in contact with your digital life — should you choose to — thanks to a high-resolution 10.3-inch screen accessed through a console-mounted touchpad. The system includes navigation, Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, Amazon Alexa, and a host of Lexus Enform apps. There’s also two USB ports and a 12-volt outlet. A 13-speaker, 915watt Mark Levinson audio system supplies the soundtrack to a perfect summer day. It’s a compelling car, one that’s a joy to drive or be driven in. After all, life is too short to think inside the box, which explains why the 2021 Lexus LC Convertible makes a whole lot more sense than a vehicle fashioned like a shipping container.

Larry Printz is an automotive journalist based in South Florida. He can be reached at TheDrivingPrintz@gmail.com. 78 | THE

5.2 INCHES

3.4 CUBIC FEET

FUEL REQUIRED:

All quibbles fade once the roof goes down and the 5.0-liter V-8 fires up, with the promise of 471 horsepower, a 0-60 mph time of 4.9 seconds, a top speed of 168 mph and an intoxicating industrial symphony from its throaty exhaust. You’ll know you’re in for something special. As the revs rise and the gearbox clicks quickly through its 10 speeds, the suspension filters out the worst road irregularities. Throw the LC 500 Convertible into a corner and you’ll find it retaining its composure unless you push it too hard. Then, the car’s underlying softness makes itself felt as the tail gets light, but remains supremely

LENGTH/WIDTH/HEIGHT:

187.4/75.6/53.2 INCHES

serving with

V O T E N O V E M B E R 3 RD

E N D O R S E M E N T:

â&#x20AC;&#x153;Steve Glassman has the experience, background and temperament to help Fort Lauderdale meet its challenges.â&#x20AC;? ENDORSED BY

PA I D B Y S T E V E G L A S S M A N F O R C I T Y C O M M I S S I O N