The Mirror Vol1 Iss3

VOLUME 1 ISSUE 3 Fall 2012

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PHOTO BOOK: Masses of (Hot) Male Flesh KEVIN CATHCART: Leading Lambda Legal

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Fall 2012 THE MIRROR 1

| FALL 2012 An SFGN Publication Fall 2012 - Volume 1 - Issue 3

CONTENTS

8 12 13

+Kevin Cathcart

40 42 44

CREATIVE DIRECTOR

MEN IN UNIFORM

Pier Angelo Guidugli

Jason Parsley

Gideon Grudo Mariam Aldhahi

ONLINE WEBSITE DIRECTOR

Dennis Jozefowicz

ONLINE NEWS DIRECTOR

Sergio N. Candido

ARTS/ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR

+Greg Miraglia +Brett Dunckel

JW Arnold

JW@PRDCONLINE.COM

BUSINESS EDITOR

+Compass + LGBT Cancer Network +Harvey Milk Foundation

38

NORM.KENT@SFGN.COM

JASON.PARSLEY@SFGN.COM

15 16 18 20

36

EDITORIAL EDITOR IN CHIEF MANAGING EDITOR

+Movement Advancement Project

34

Norm Kent

PAGE 26

PEOPLE:

10

26 28 30

CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER

+Find Your Perfect Party Spot

SPOTLIGHT:

24

PUBLISHER

+PAGE 12

4 PUBLISHER’S MESSAGE PRIDE GUIDE:

6

2520 N. Dixie Highway • Wilton Manors, FL 33305 PHONE: 954.530.4970 FAX: 954.530.7943

MEN IN UNIFORM

Don’t Miss!

PAGE 36 On the Cover

SENIOR FEATURES CORRESPONDENTS

Tony Adams Jesse Monteagudo

CORRESPONDENTS

Donald Cavanaugh

CONTRIBUTING COLUMNISTS

HEALTH COLUMNIST

SALES

+LGBT Hotline

MARKETING DIRECTOR SALES MANAGER

TRAVEL: +Gay History: South Beach +Philadelphia + Italy +Fort Lauderdale

MUSIC: +Sounds of Proud

FITNESS: +Workout with Dumbbells

FASHION: +Underwear

COVER STORY: +Cyndi Lauper

John Fugate Mike Trottier Edwin Neimann Justin Wyse Ryan Dixon

NATIONAL SALES REPRESENTATIVE

Rivendell Media

DISTRIBUTION MANAGER DISTRIBUTION

JR Davis Luis Hernandez THE PRINTER’S PRINTER

Associated Press

FEATURE:

2 THE MIRROR Fall 2012

Peter Jackson

SALES ASSOCIATES

PRINTING

+Muscled Men

PAGE 28

Joey Amato Mike Anguille Charles Pratt Brian Swinford Tana Velen

THE MIRROR is a quarterly magazine published by South Florida Gay News, Inc. Our company is a member of the Associated Press.

The views and opinions expressed within this publication, in bylined columns, stories, and letters to the editor are those of the writers expressing them.They do notrepresent the opinions of THE MIRROR or the Publisher. They are included to promote free speech and diversity of thought. You should not presume the sexual orientation of individuals based on their names or pictorial representations in Imagine, and it would be careless to do so. For the sake of readable newswriting, the word “gay” in THE MIRROR should, when relevant, be interpreted to be inclusive of the entire LGBT community. All of the material that appears in THE MIRROR and on the web including articles used in conjunction with our contract with the Associated Press and our columnists, is protected under federal copyright and intellectual property laws, and is jealously guarded by the newspaper.

Thus, nothing published may be reprinted in whole or part without getting written consent from the Publisher of THE MIRROR, at his law office, Kent & Cormican, P.A., 12 SE 7th St., Suite 709, Fort Lauderdale, Fl 33301. SFGN, as a private corporation, reserves the right to enforce its own standards regarding the suitability of advertising copy, illustrations and photographs.

Copyright © 2012 South Florida Gay News.com, Inc.

COFFEE TABLE:

+Gay Online Dating

Richard Gary

PAGE 42

Florida Press Association National Gay and Lesbian Journalists Association

Fall 2012 THE MIRROR 3

PUBLISHER’S MESSAGE

By NORM KENT

Be Not Monolithic

By Norm Kent

‘So let’s leave it alone, ‘cause we can’t see eye to eye.

There ain’t no good guys, there ain’t no bad guys.

There’s only you and me and we just disagree.’

-Lyrics to a song by David Mason

T

hose of you who have fought for gay civil rights were never just fighting for the right to be ‘gay.’

Of course, you were fighting for the right to have rights equal and commensurate with heterosexuals. But it is now and has always been more than a ‘rights’ issue.

You were fighting for the right to express your individual liberty as an American, and not have decisions about how you use your body controlled by others.

When you smoke pot, or eat ice cream, or jump out of a plane, you are similarly making a decision to do something with your body that you choose to do, and make a decision no other human being alive should have the right to control.

The fundamental premise is that it is your body, your life, and your right to make the call of what to put in your body and when. No one should have a right to tell you as an adult what to do with the life that is yours.

You can listen to what people say, but if you have any right that matters, it ought to be the right to control what happens when it comes to your body, your life, and your choices.

You see, it is not just about being gay. It is about being who you are and doing what you want when you want and where you want. Some of us become bears and others twinks. Some like younger guys and some like it butch. Some like it rough and some gentle. Some like jelly on their belly. It is not for you or me to judge or decide. As long as those choices harm no one and fulfill your dreams, it is your world to carve, create, and conduct.

Please think about these fundamental principles when advocating your ‘gay’ causes. We can’t expect everyone to agree with us. I wanted to tell Anderson Cooper to come out of the closet when I met him at a gay party in New York two years ago, but it was not for me to decide for him how he should live his own life.

Similarly, I have no right to tell people not to vote for Mitt Romney if they like him better than Barack Obama. I have no right to tell gay people they have to be Democratic and liberal if they want to be Republican or Conservatives. Their freedom to believe is not my freedom to control.

Just because I don’t like the homophobic business practices of Chick-fill-A, I also have to

4 THE MIRROR Fall 2012

remind myself that I don’t have a right to make my friends not eat there because I don’t want to.

A very conservative guy also owns Pizza Hut, but have you tried their sausage pies? You can only take principles so far.

I don’t care if the President of the Florida Marlins takes the money he makes and donates it to the National Republican Congressional Committee. It’s none of my business. It’s his money, not mine. It is his first amendment to use, not mine.

One of my favorite songs is by Dave Mason, ‘We Just Disagree.’ I found in life I disagree with lots of people. But that is okay, isn’t it? When we demand diversity, what we are really saying is that others respect our right to be different. But diversity includes their right to be different from me, and me respecting their choice as I demand they respect mine.

Life is short, but the day is long. If you are going to find harmony amidst all this chaos, find a path through all the potholes, worry about your star and not someone else’s moon. Live your own life, not someone else’s.

You know, I had cancer once, and I survived, for now. I have a second chance at a first life, and grateful I am for it. I cherish my friendships, value my relationships, and will never forget being alive is a privilege limited by fate and circumstance. I have been blessed with a renewed opportunity- for how long, I do not know. But then none of us, with or without cancer, ever do.

We have limited time but unlimited boundaries.

We create our lives by each and every choice we make every day. That is time consuming enough, without telling other people what to do with their lives. So be not monolithic or mandatory. Live and let live. Love and let go. Be the master of your fate, not someone else’s.

I had cancer. Maybe you have AIDS. Hell, everybody’s got something. Strive simply to make the most of each and every precious moment that you have, but let the clock you time be your own.

Give the unforgiving minute sixty seconds worth of distance run, but measure not someone else’s race.

Measure your own.

Fall 2012 THE MIRROR 5

FESTIVAL

PRIDE

guide

compiled by brian Swinford

submitted photos

Pride month may be over, but that doesn’t mean Pride is finished.

As you’ll see on the next couple of pages PrideFests continue throughout the year taking place in the South in North Carolina and Virginia, the Northeast in Boston and in the West in Oregon. And if you’re up for some international travel visit Sao Paulo, Brazil for an unforgettable PrideFest. This guide will help you journey through multiple PrideFests all over the world. Many of festivals featured here are still being planned and details are subject to change so make sure you visit their webpages for up to date information.

2012

*Blue Ridge Pride

Blue Ridge Pride will be held Oct. 6 at Park Square Asheville, NC. This Pride event is to bring together all LGBT and gay friendly people in an event of unity. This event will have a great line up of LGBT superstars. This should be one of the best PrideFests that North Carolina has seen in years.

Be sure to attend this event, and bring the whole family as to see the entire different local and out of town venders showing off their products. Visit BlueridgePride.com/Welcome_Page.php

Visit the Midwest!

*Cedar Valley PrideFest

Cedar Valley PrideFest will spotlight LGBT community of eastern Iowa in a positive and informative manner in an effort to promote acceptance, understanding and equality. The Cedar Valley PrideFest provides an opportunity for a positive, public celebration of Cedar Valley diversity, and a fun community building event.

Cedar Valley Pridefest will take place in midAugust. Visit Facebook.com/cedarvalleyPride

*Wisconsin Capital Pride Weekend

If you’re in Wisconsin during August 18-19 don’t miss this amazing Pride weekend. The mission of Wisconsin Capitol Pride is to promote diversity and Pride within the greater Madison area’s LGBTQA community and acceptance from the rest of the community. This will be a yearlong effort culminating in an annual Pride parade and celebration. This event will include the hottest of hot LGBT super stars. Wisconsin Capitol Pride (WCP) is proud to announce that their 2012 PRIDE celebration is themed “Brick by Brick” and will be held August 18-19. Visit WisconsincapitolPride. org/index.html

*St. Cloud PrideFest

St. Cloud PrideFest will take place during September 20-23 in St. Cloud Minnesota. St. Cloud Pride is a 501c3 organization that raises awareness of issues of heterosexism and homophobia within the St. Cloud and surrounding community providing education, resources, programming and social opportunities to the LGBT community. The “Pride in the Park” event

*Windsor-Essex PrideFest

The Windsor-Essex PrideFest in Ontario aims to promote equality and diversity through all of its events including its annual PrideFestival. The event uses theatre, music, art and entertainment to raise awareness of discrimination and the issues and difficulties affecting the lives of LGBT people around the world. The Parade is an explosion of Pride in the heart of the Downtown Windsor, attracting approximately 7,000 people in a celebration of diversity. This PrideFest will take place on August 9-12. Visit WePridefest.com 6 THE MIRROR Fall 2012

will be taking place on Saturday the 22. St. Cloud Pride has moved back to the original venue at Lake George/Eastman Park in downtown St. Cloud. With the second year now under their belt, and with another great turnout in 2011, the Pride Board has lots of work to do to make 2012 bigger and better. Visit StcloudPride.org

*Virginia PrideFest

Virginia PrideFest will take place at beautiful Kanawha Plaza, in Richmond from 1 p.m. to 8 p.m. VA Pride is all about community, knowledge, and of course Pride in one’s self. At Virginia Pride, their mission is to instill Pride, celebrate unity and embrace diversity in the Commonwealth of Virginia’s LGBT Community. VA Pride strives to improve the lives of GLBT Virginians by creating visibility and promoting full human and civil rights though education, networking and celebrations that advocate equality. Visit VaPride.org

*Eugene PrideFest

This PrideFest is one of a kind with all of their entertainers like Richard Mills, Champagne GaGa, Wetsock and many more. The Pride Celebration is a social venue for the LGBT and intersex members of Lane County, Eugene and Springfield, to advocate for and enjoy their diverse community. While it is primarily a community event that will take place August 11, it also exists for families, friends, allies and guests from anywhere in the Northwest. Visit EugenePride.org/index.html

InterPride 2012

InterPride 2012 Boston is the Annual World Conference and Annual General Meeting of InterPride and will be held on October 1 to 7. In 2012, InterPride celebrates its 30th Anniversary and

returns to Boston, where it all started! There will be InterPride members, Pride organizers, members of Pride organizations, LGBTQI activists, event planners, community leaders, members of student or corporate diversity committees, corporations and public agencies wishing to engage with the LGBTQI community and more! This Pride event will help learn about event planning and best practices, to network with fellow organizers, to find solutions to improve and enhance Pride and community events, to educate and energize our communities. Visit InterPride2012.org/registration

Confident in your smile?

Join the Dyke March!

Atlanta Pride

Atlanta Pride will be at beautiful Piedmont Park on October 1314. The host hotel for this amazing event will be The W Atlanta Midtown. Book your stay with W Atlanta – Midtown, an official Sponsor of Atlanta Pride, and enjoy special Pride weekend rates from $145 per night. This year the Atlanta Dyke March falls on October 13 and begins at 5:45 p.m. The Dyke March, with its focus on women, unites to create an atmosphere of inclusion and community. The march is open to all women loving women (trans-inclusive) of any race, culture, orientation, ability, health, socioeconomic level, family structure, faith or age! Visit AtlantaPride.org

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Sao Paulo, Brazil Gay Pride

The Sao Paulo Gay Pride or Parada do Orgulho Gay GLBT de Sao Paulo, in Portuguese, has grown from 2,000 participants in 1997 to 4 million people in its last edition. They made to the Guinness Book in 2006 for the world’s biggest Gay Pride celebration. 4,5 million people are expected for 2012. “Love one Another. Enough with Homophobia” was the 2011 theme. I can’t wait to see what this year’s theme will be. Visit GayPridebrazil.org/sao-paulo

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PEOPLE

Kevin Cathcart

is All About the Future at Lambda Legal

F

rom the 19th floor of 120 Wall Street, the waterfront view of New York City is spectacular and never taken for granted by the occupant of the corner office, Lambda Legal’s Executive Director Kevin Cathcart.

Lambda Legal is the nation’s oldest and largest civil rights group working for the LGBTQ community. Under Cathcart’s direction, it has become powerful with significant increases in inquiries and impact in 2011.

According to Cathcart who grew up in New Jersey just 35 miles from his office, there are two types of people.

“There are those who say they can’t wait to move to New York City, and those who say they can’t wait to move out of Jersey.

I was part of the latter group. I didn’t even dream of becoming a lawyer, no, I grew up in a working class world. I didn’t know what a lawyer was. I came of age at a time when civil rights law was a driving force, in the late 60s early 70s. I began thinking about law in college, because I was interested in politics and because that is when I had come out. Maybe I was in a lucky time slot. Stonewall had just happened. I had nothing to lose by coming out. No job or family. I settled in Boston where I was the Executive Director of GLAD [Gay & Lesbian Advocates & Defenders] for eight years. I got 8 THE MIRROR Fall 2012

Kevin Cathcart at Lambda Legal’s National Headquarters

By Tony ADAMS

a call from a friend who told me about the Lambda job. I thought ‘I could live in NYC for a couple of years’ That was 20 years ago.”

Lambda Legal has been at work for 39 years, we have a huge body of stored information to help. In deciding which cases to take, it is important to understand that Lambda Legal looks for impact litigation. We like cases in which our involvement can improve the lives of LGBTQ people in America. There are very few cases we take that will impact all LGBTQ people, but I think the Lawrence v. Texas case, in which Lambda defended the two men who stepped forward to end the sodomy laws in the U.S. had national impact with its historic Supreme Court victory that laid the legal groundwork for so much progress in communities across the country.”

Some of Lambda’s cases might initially appear small but end up with huge impact.

Cathcart becomes animated when describing the Ohio teenage who contacted Lambda last year about his tee shirt.

“Maverick Couch was basically just a kid who wouldn’t accept the fact that his high school had forbidden him from wearing a tee shirt with the words ‘Jesus is not a homophobe.’

In federal court, the decision was that the high school had to let him wear the shirt, but the impact is wider when you consider all the teenagers who heard about this and thought ‘Huh, I could wear a shirt with a message like that.’ I always believe we are on the right side of every case we enter, but I never know if we will win. In this case, I was confident, but we did not anticipate how much attention this would get beyond Ohio.”

Cathcart admits to a personal appetite for cases dealing with government misconduct. “We added this area of specialization a few years ago. The cases include bar raids and entrapment. We handled an important case in Atlanta and a string of cases in Palm Springs. There is something about government malpractice that gets to me. I mean there are so many real crimes in our community that deserve police attention. Really, let the police go arrest rapists, for example.”

For the impressive list (by category and region) of victories won by Lambda Legal

“There is something about government malpractice that gets to me. I mean there are so many real crimes in our community that deserve police attention.”

Cathcart speaks about his 20 years at the helm of Lambda Legal with obvious delight in its accomplishments, its strengths and its future. How does he feel about the length of his tenure?

“I don’t feel like I’ve had the same job for 20 years. When I arrived, there were 20 people and two offices, with a budget of $1.5 million. We now have 92 staff people, an annual budget of over $13 million, and five regional offices. We have a docket of 60 cases at any given moment, but we are still too small and still have to say no to too much.

Yes, my job has evolved even though the title hasn’t changed. The biggest difference at Lambda legal between then and now is the level of specialization. Even though I am lawyer at who has always done LGBT Kevina Cathcart Lambda advocacy, I could never do all the things Legal’s National Headquarters. that our staff does now with their individual areas of expertise. My job is to provide the best conditions under which our lawyers can do the great work they do with their specific skills. “ Those specializations now include making the case for equality in the areas of same-sex relationships, workplace fairness, transgender rights, LGBTQ youth, healthcare fairness, HIV, parents and families, LGBTQ elderly, Latino outreach and fair courts. Cathcart explains Lambda Legal’s process for selecting its cases.

“Clients are sometimes referred to us by lawyers in private practice. We also have a very active 800 number with help desks at all five of our regional offices. We got more than 7,000 calls last year from people looking for representation or information on a wide range of issues. Lambda never charges for its representation. We do fund-raising. Because

By Tony ADAMS

under Cathcart’s leadership, check out http://www.lambdalegal.org/in-court/ cases. When the suggestion is made that Lambda’s strong success will lead to its obsolescence in perhaps a few years, Cathcart laughs and refers to what he calls the “bubble,” those regions where LGBT activism has made recent and great strides and is always in the headlines.

“You LGBT media types are in danger of forgetting how much of the country is outside your ‘bubble.’ Get in your car and drive west from Florida. Do you know how many states you will pass through in which you have absolutely no LGBT rights and protections? There is so much work to do.”

In the afternoon, the light through his office windows is so strong that Cathcart has to lower the blinds in order to focus.

He sees the bright future of LGBTQ rights in the same way and intends to keep Lambda Legal focused and successful for many years to come.

Fall 2012 THE MIRROR 9

SPOTLIGHT

‘The Lean, Mean, MAP Machine’ One of the Most Important Think Tanks You Don’t Know

T

anywhere they need it. So how does it work? Mushovic is the executive director. Then there are three others, each in charge of on of the three core areas of MAP. The policy and issue analysis area is focused on LGBT families and adoption, foster care, LGBT people of color, taxes and how they affect different segments of the LGBT community, the elderly LGBT, transgender people, etc. The LGBT movement area is focused on creating national updates on the LGBT movement, analyzing the various advocate organizations and community centers, and keeping an eye on the progress in laws in various states. The messaging and A look at MAP’s 2012 LGBT Community communications Center Survey, in which 79 centers from area is focused on around the country reported their stats. how the community tries to change hearts and minds of policy makers, of nLGBT Community Center serve about 33,000 people a week (or a Americans and of little over 1.7 million people annually). the media. nOf those 33,000 helped, 4,458 were referred to other “I think that what we provide organizations. is a very rigorous nOn average, community centers are open to the public about 50 and comprehensive hours a week. analysis that is packaged in a nCombined revenue for the 79 participating centers exceeded way that is both expenses in 2011 by $9.8 million. Those expenses are about $106.3 compelling and understandable — million. across a slew of nOf that combined revenue, 27 percent came from federal grants, area,” Mushovic 12 percent from state grants and 7 percent from local grants. said. “The long term impact of that is both nOn average, community center patrons are people of color, make, that we strengthen transgender, and of low-income. the LGBT community nOn average, 78 percent of the centers’ expenses went to — because we know what it needs programming. and how to do that nOne in five centers relies on unpaid staff completely.

— and we also hopefully have an

hey each live in a different state, but the four-person, full-time crew of the Movement Advancement Project (MAP) is responsible for collecting national data about the LGBT population — information that’s crucial.

“We’re kind of a funny organization,” said Ineke Mushovic, MAP’s executive director. “I think a lot of people think we’re bigger than we are.”

Founded in 2006 to answer the demand of advocate agencies desperately looking for national LGBT research, MAP would become a think tank for the community, working to

FACTS & FIGURES

10 THE MIRROR Fall 2012

further equality through gathering numbers.

“One of the things that a think tank can do is deep dive into the various issues that affect the LGBT community — that’s what helps the on-theground organizations,” Mushovic said. “We don’t have that everyday capacity that other nonprofits have. I think it strengthens the movement to have that capacity. The reality is that a lot of our organizations have a lot of constraints.”

MAP aggregates information and presents it in long form studies, easily digestible and loaded with facts.

Advocates can then take this data to Washington, to the streets, or to

impact on advancing equality.”

Laura Deaton is MAP’s policy research director. She’s in charge of the policy and issue analysis area, and told SFGN that each report that MAP generates can take anywhere from 12 to 18 months.

“We take all of the academic research, legal precedents, laws and trends, family stories, real stories — we’re almost an aggregator and synchronizer of work that’s being done in the community and outside of it,” Deaton said. “It’s the multitude of sources that we draw from that makes us unique.”

Before the research, however, comes the brainstorming. All of the area heads get together and outline the issues they want to cover in a given year, each offering up information from their respective perspectives. Then the process for getting the research done in a timely manner is developed, and then get to work interviewing experts, sometimes close to a hundred of them for just one report.

“We’re a pretty organic organization.

I like to think of us as the lean, mean, MAP machine,” Deaton said. “We’re able to bring LGBT to the table on issues that might not otherwise be there. I think that all of us realize we can’t catalyze community change unless we’re responsive to what the community needs, staying flexible and adapting.”

Naomi Goldberg spends most of her time running circles around the LGBT movement. She’s MAP’s LGBT movement and policy researcher. Her area is responsible for the National Movement Report, an annual look at the largest LGBT advocacy organizations and their capacity to bring change. Every other year, her area produces a momentum report, a look at what’s been accomplished in the last

By GIDEON GRUDO

Naomi Goldberg, MAP’s LGBT movement and policy researcher, presents information at the Williams Institute Annual Update in April 2011.

Submitted photo

two years. The next momentum report is due around August 2013.

She was responsible for making an interactive map of laws around the country, allowing the user to see trends by state or topic. The interactive map went live in April, an upgrade from a static one that MAP showcased beforehand.

“You can visually see how many laws were around ten years ago, for example, and how many are around now,” Goldberg said. “It’s crazy to think how far we’ve come when only nine years ago, there were sodomy laws on the books.”

MAP’s latest report lends its focus to children of LGBT couple. “Securing Legal Ties for Children Living in LGBT Families: A state Strategy and Policy Guide,” took numbers from over 30 states, and checked in on discriminatory policy as it relates to kids growing up with an LGBT family. What does the report show? Three main areas of concern are apparent, according to it. These laws deny children loving families, they put children’s health at risk, and they undermine children’s security and place children in jeopardy when a parent dies or when parents’ relationships dissolve.

For more information on MAP and its pursuits, go to www.lgbtmap.org.

Dale Russell, SFR, GRI, Broker Associate: 954.608.6909 Jan Carpenter, SFR, GRI: 954.608.6919 w w w. T h e D a l e R u s s e l l N e t w o r k . c o m

Fall 2012 THE MIRROR 11

MEN IN UNIFORM

By JESSE MONTEAGUDO

Submitted photo

Greg Miraglia:

‘Coming Out from Behind the Badge’

G

reg Miraglia understands the difficulties of being gay and being in the law enforcement field.

He had to largely navigate the unchartered territory by himself and so that’s why since coming out he founded Coming Out From Behind the Badge and has published two books on the subject to help others facing the same situation.

Coming Out From Behind the Badge is an organization and a set of books by Greg Miraglia that deal with the process of coming out as an open LGBT police officer, firefighter or EMS professional. Miraglia himself has a lot of experience in this matter.

Miraglia started his law enforcement career as a police officer at the Walnut Creek, California Police Department in 1978. At the time, he said, being gay was a reason to deny someone employment, and of course, the explorers were part of the Boy Scouts of America who continue today to discriminate against gay people.

Miraglia worked at Walnut Creek PD until 1988 and then moved to the Fairfield, CA Police Dept. until 1998. At the same time he also taught at the police academy at Napa Valley College in 1986 and went full time in 1999 as the academy director. During that time he also served as the deputy chief of the Napa Valley Railroad Police Department until 2007.

Today he’s a dean at Napa Valley

12 THE MIRROR Fall 2012

College and teaches all of the diversity and human relations topics in the police academy as well as the LGBT Studies Program at the college.

Coming Out from Behind the Badge, published in 2007, was Miraglia’s first book.

“My partner, Tony, encouraged me to share my own coming out story as a means of inspiring other closeted law enforcement officers to come out. Although I was living a largely double life for more than 25 years in law enforcement, I did not come out publicly until 2001 at the age of 41. There were no books available at the time showing positive stories of success, so I wanted to provide examples from around the country of out LGBT officers who were successful on the job,” he said.

Miraglia followed his story in 2011 with a second book, American Heroes Coming Out From Behind the Badge, which includes “stories from firefighters and EMS professionals in addition to more amazing stories from law enforcement.”

As an organization, Coming Out from Behind the Badge helps sell Miraglia’s books of the same name. It also, according to its founder, “focuses on helping individual closeted officers come out by providing individual support and networking. We also are being called upon to do training and to advise on training for law enforcement agencies seeking to create a more supportive environment for LGBT personnel.

Greg Miraglia is the author of Coming Out from Behind the Badge, which explains the complexities of being a gay police officer.

By simply being present, we hope to create a greater awareness of the LGBT professionals working in law enforcement today.”

“One important part of our organization that was always part of my dream for the books is our scholarship program. In 2009, we started the Out To Protect Scholarship fund that provides the only national scholarship opportunity for out LGBT students currently attending a law enforcement training program.

The goal is to reward role models for the LGBT community who

are entering law enforcement and who will represent the LGBT community.” For more about Out to Protect, visit www.outtoprotect. og Back during the pre‑Stonewall gays, and even post‑Stonewall, the LGBT community had an antagonistic relationship with police officers. Stonewall, after all, was our community’s response to a police bar raid. To LGBT people of my generation, police officers were often the men who raided our bars and clubs, and who arrested us for breaking all

CONTINUED ON PAGE 14

MEN IN UNIFORM

By TANA VELEN

Submitted photo

Brett Dunckel: Openly gay firefighter breaks stereotypes

A

re you a man who thinks sports are boring, loves the color pink, or dresses like Cher at the Oscars

on Saturday nights? Well then, you must be gay. Those are the rules, right? And if you can’t slide your feminine figure into those stereotypes

“I didn’t know anyone who was gay...I only knew stereotypes but didn’t identify with any of them.”

whelp, you must be straight!

Those are the kinds of cliché assumptions that drive men and women all over the world to run from who they are. Brett Dunckel is one of the men fighting back against the heavy-handed stereotypes that weighed on him, crushing him into hiding.

Dunckel is an openly gay Firefighter Paramedic in Fort Lauderdale who had spent the majority of his life ambivalent about who he was.

“I didn’t know anyone who was gay,” he says. “I only knew stereotypes but didn’t identify with any of them.”

In absence of a sexual identity, Brett threw himself into service work. He did the Firefighter Explorers as a kid, and then became a lifeguard.

The City of Deerfield was the

first to hire him as a firefighter.

He experienced all the traditional ice breakers of a new job. Are you married? Do you have a girlfriend?

He just kept coming up with excuses not to answer.

Dunckel eventually went online to search for others like him; people who wore a badge for a living yet hid their life from it. He ended up discovering Oasis Magazine, a cross between a blog, Q&A, articles, and other writings written by gay people.

“It helped me see that I wasn’t alone. I wanted to be one of those authors.” After reading through Oasis and finally addressing who he was, it clicked. “This was my identity.

I finally felt whole.” He knew he had to tell his family.

“I wrote a letter. I was still living at home so I left it out and went to work a 24 hour shift. I checked my phone all day but had no responses.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 14 Fall 2012 THE MIRROR 13

MEN IN UNIFORM

Miraglia continued from pg. 12 kinds of antigay laws. Happily, according to Miraglia, our community’s relationship with law enforcement officers has improved.

“The relationship has improved dramatically in many places in the country.

The key to this change, I believe, is the visibility of LGBT personnel within the ranks of law enforcement.

Laws and policies only punish offenders after discrimination and harassment has occurred.

It is the individual role models who come out on the job that can truly change the minds and hearts of those in law enforcement who continue to harbor homophobic attitudes.

Today, you see LGBT law enforcement personnel and straight allies marching together in LGBT pride parades. Several progressive departments actually recruit personnel at LGBT events.”

The process of coming out as an openly LGBT law enforcement officer, Miraglia notes, “was a gradual process that can be traced back the 1970’s after the American Psychological Association (APA) removed homosexuality from its list of mental disorders. New York and San Francisco Police Departments led this movement. The change occurred one person and one experience at a time and it continues to evolve ever so slowly. I believe that the chief makes all the difference.

Good examples of positive leadership that can create fast moving change are the Los

Dunckel continued from pg. 13 Angeles Police Department and Los Angeles County Sheriff ’s Department. Prior to 2000, these agencies were largely homophobic and openly discriminated against LGBT officers. Today, they actively recruit personnel from the LGBT community.

The chief and sheriff in Los Angeles have both spoken out in support of LGBT personnel. And these are only two examples.” Here in South Florida, Broward County Sheriff Al Lamberti and municipal police department lead the process in support of LGBT officers.

“I believe homophobia is still pervasive in law enforcement,” Miraglia admits. “Even here in California, where I live, there are large agencies who deny having any LGBT personnel working within their ranks. In fact, in the county I now work, there are currently and never have been, any out gay male officers. However, change can happen as soon as even one officer within the department comes out. The amount of awareness and attention that just one person can create will make the difference from that point on.” Things are slightly different, Miraglia tells us, for openly LGBT fire fighters or EMS professionals. “I have worked on a year in the fire service and that was part time right out of high school. From what I have gathered from talking to firefighters and EMS professionals, because of the living situation, coming out tends to have another level of complexity to it.”

Readers interested in Coming Out From Behind the Badge (the organization and the books) should visit the website: www. comingoutfrombehindthebadge.com. There you can order signed copies directly from the site or link to the publisher for e‑books.

14 THE MIRROR Fall 2012

I found it really strange.” He worried that maybe his parents hadn’t read it.

Finally Dunckel’s parents explained that they were fearful of the adversity he would face, and at first there was still a lot of apprehension with his father.

When he came out to the other people in his life, first his brothers and then his friends, they surprised him by not being angry that he was gay, but angry that he hid it. He had to explain what a hard decision it is to come out, that “once you say those words, you can’t take them back.”

Dunckel knew the last place left to tell was his job, what he didn’t know was how that was going to come about.

He was at the station eating a popsicle when a female coworker asked jokingly, “So is that how you do it?” making a fellatio innuendo.

“No, do it like this,” he joked back with her. It was the beginning of how Dunckel learned to come out -- through laughter. A situation is only as deathly serious as you make it. “Just because I’m gay doesn’t mean we can’t joke around, as long as it’s without malice.”

Soon word spread and coworkers approached him asking questions, he answered them all and was able to make

a positive impression on them of the gay community.

This idea of coming out began to fascinate him. He found a book called Coming Out From Behind the Badge and read it. Then he emailed the author, Greg Miraglia, and found out about a second edition, American Heroes.

He sat down, started typing his story, and sent it to Greg, who loved it and wanted to publish it.

“I had the option to be anonymous, but I wanted to include my name, department and email address. I wanted people to reach out to me if they needed it.” Once Dunckel cleared it with his supervisors, who also congratulated him on it, he was good to go.

After he became a part of the book and met some of the other authors he realized that he wanted to do something similar with a focus placed on careers. “You don’t have to be a hairdresser, there are gays in all professions.” He soon founded YouCanBeAnything. org.

Dunckel didn’t just want a site of stories though, he wanted LGBT youth to be able to pursue any career they want, and aims to set up a scholarship fund.

He decided to use one of his favorite quotes and the motto of his project. In the simplest way it sums up the very core of what Dunckel wants for his nonprofit: Harvey Milk’s “You gotta give them hope.”

If you have a story you’d like to tell to Dunckel, whether it’s through video or written out, he is currently accepting submissions. Visit YouCanBeAnything.org for more information.

SPOTLIGHT

By GIDEON GRUDO

Compass

PHOTO BY Gideon grudo

Compass Executive Director Tony Plakas looks through a scrapbook history of Compass, reminiscing over his early years at the gay and lesbian community center.

will show you the way One of the Southeastern US’s Largest LGBT Community Centers, It Just Won’t Stop Growing

T

ony Plakas says the LGBT community in Palm Beach County, Fla., used to live and work there, but had to drive an hour south to be themselves.

“There was a time when PBC people drove to Miami to be out,” he says. The young executive director of Compass Gay and Lesbian Community Center talks faster when he’s describing what the center does, where it’s been and where it’s going.

Sometimes he has to stop and catch his breath.

When it started in 1992, Compass was but a fledgling successor of the Stop AIDS Project, which the federal government started in 1984 and brought to South Florida in 1988. It wasn’t a community center then, just an organization with about a quarter of a million dollars. It stayed this way throughout the 90’s, but the people running it wanted more.

“We decided we wanted a community center,” said Plakas, who joined up with Compass in 1997. “We had a pridefest, but it was really just a picnic.”

The county wasn’t as progressive as its southern neighbors, either. Miami-Dade made headway with pro-LGBT legislation first, followed by Broward County, which houses Fort Lauderdale. The pressure was on PBC, which would see its biggest Pride fest in 2000.

“That’s when we really made an effort to be here for the LGBT community,” Plakas said.

Within a few years, Compass was inviting proLGBT officials to talk to the public, to openly support issues. It was radical for the mostly conservative county, but would soon change its landscape forever.

South Florida LGBT history expert Fred Fejes moved to the area in 1986, taking a

job with Florida Atlantic University. The LGBT community wasn’t wide nor out back then, he said. Of the organizations that did exist, Fejes found them to mostly be AIDS-focused. Politically active, he fit in the mold perfectly.

“Being out was exceptional,” Fejes said, adding that journalists used to be surprised at his willingness to go on the record as gay.

“In many ways, the community was not really well organized.” And it’s not surprising. The AIDS panic meant people were afraid to come out — they didn’t want to be fired, which was common.

“It was very important to have one organization that the LGBT community could point to as theirs,” he said about the sleeping giant Compass, which would soon provide just this. “It gives the community more of an identity, and more visibility.”

Compass came to its own in what used to be a senior citizens’ center. And it’s become a beacon of hope and resource for the LGBT community. In 2011, almost 25,000 people walked into the center. Another 17,000 were referred to local businesses and services, and the joint has been able to stay open about 60 hours a week. And people can find anything they want or need there.

Among a slew of programs and groups, Compass boasts a healthy library, based solely on donations. Its youth center is complete with couches, a sound system, a disco ball and board games. The back of the building opens up to a fancy garden. The center offers mentorship to LGBT youth “It provides someone to speak with that isn’t

their parents,” said Amy Millin, Compass’s youth program coordinator. “Especially when it comes to youth, a lot of times they’re embarrassed to ask about certain things.”

Then there’s the Pride Business Alliance, comprised of local businesses that support the LGBT community. About 250 businesses are involved.

“This is our way to stay engaged with our businesses,” Plakas said. “The LGBT community is reputed to be a pretty good market to target.”

Then there’s the HIV testing room, where the tests are free. Add to that the coming out rooms, which host weekly meetings to support people who have or are considering coming out. Add to that the cyber center, where stateof-the-art technology lets the public take care of business. Add to that a slew of case managers to help visitors with specific issues.

And that’s just part of what the center offers.

Put it all together and you get Compass. Put it all together and the LGBT community gets Compass.

As for the future, Plakas looks ahead with a smile. 2013 will be the group’s 25th birthday.

“I see us becoming less of a social service and more of a civic society — helping people engage, a ‘United Way of Gay.’” Plakas said.

“Our services will still be needed.

To learn more about Compass, go to www.

CompassGLCC.com.

Fall 2012 THE MIRROR 15

SPOTLIGHT

I

By GIDEON GRUDO

SUBMITTED PHOTO

LGBT Cancer Support Group Wants You to Get Screened

f an LGBT person isn’t open to his or her doctor, how can that doctor make astute recommendations? If that doctor isn’t privy to LGBT health issues, how can a patient expect to get an informed opinion?

These are the questions that concern Liz Margolies, the founder and executive director of the National LGBT Cancer Network. It’s home to a database of resources that LGBT people can use in each of the 50 states. Specifically, these resources aim to try and help LGBT people get screened for cheap by providers who understand their concerns. But Margolies says that’s just one of three main focuses of the Cancer Network, which she started in 2007.

First, there’s the obvious: Educating the gay community. From how to treat their bodies to how they should expect their partners to treat their bodies, education is key to a healthy community. Second, there’s training healthcare providers on LGBT-friendly service.

“One of the reasons our people don’t engage with the healthcare system is because they’ve had so many discriminatory problems,” Margolies said.

The third focus is advocating on behalf of the gay community in areas like cancer research and media.

“We know, for example, that LGBT people smoke at twice the national rate — but I can’t really tell you that our incidence of lung cancer is higher because no national surveys or registries collect information about gender

are more likely to be diagnosed with breast cancer but black women are more likely to die from it, but there’s no specific information like this on the LGBT community.”

To this extent, Margolies added some more insight. Lesbians, for example, are more likely to smoke, drink, and eat unhealthy foods — on the whole, she said. And gay men have very high rates of HPV, also smoke and drink more, and have a higher rate of anal cancers. One in 5 transgender people claimed in a survey that they had been turned away by providers who said they didn’t know how to deal with them.

Knowing how to deal with them is called cultural competency, a guide to which the Cancer Network was contracted to create — what Margolies called one of the organization’s big successes. The guide and test allow hospitals to get their providers certified in how to deal with and understand the health concerns of the LGBT population. Perhaps most importantly, cultural competency shows a provider how to talk to an LGBT person.

This is important because providers may not know how heavily the risk of cancer lies on an LGBT person’s shoulders. In California, for example, Margolies said that the incidence of cancer is 50 percent higher than the national average. It’s only one state, and she wants to see more research being conducted on the rest of the country.

“Cancer is a large and growing problem in the LGBT community. We have larger risk and less screenings,” Margolies said. “The greater risk is connected to the stress of living with the stress and stigma of being LGBT.” And that’s why when you go the Cancer Network’s website, the first bold headline that hits you is “Take Care of That Body.”

Jenna McDavid, who’s now in charge of marketing for the Cancer Network, was originally going to join Planned

“Cancer is such a big, huge, scary problem.” identity or sexual orientation,” Margolies said.

“For example, we know that white women

16 THE MIRROR Fall 2012

Parenthood, but realized that even in such an LGBT-savvy organization, there was a

Liz Margolies is the founder and executive director of the National LGBT Cancer Network, which among other things has compiled a nationwide database of resources focused on LGBT people with cancer.

gap between what the doctors and nurses knew and what the gay community needed.

“A lot of the missteps that providers make are not malicious. They don’t understand that the LGBT community has different needs and uses a different language to explains these needs,” McDavid said. “A lot of times we think about how we want to be treated, so our curriculum gets people thinking in different directions — I wish every healthcare provider in the world would go through this training.”

Cancer is the issue, and the Cancer Network hope people will use it and get the help they and their loved ones need.

“Whether you have cancer or not, someone in your family or surroundings will be affected by cancer at some time,” McDavid said. “Cancer is such a big, huge, scary problem.”

For more information, go to www.cancer-network.org.

Fall 2012 THE MIRROR 17

SPOTLIGHT

Nephew Carries Uncle’s legacy with The Harvey Milk Foundation

U

ntil his now famous uncle’s untimely assassination in 1978, Stuart Milk was a teen-ager who, though still closeted, had a unique connection with his uncle Harvey.

At the time, Harvey Milk was the first openly gay person elected to San Francisco’s Board of Supervisors – and only the fifth openly gay person elected to public office in the nation. He was also one of the few people in the family that, despite knowing about his nephew’s still private homosexuality, spoke to him about what it meant to be different and how difference could bring about positive change, despite the inherent challenges it presented.

Fast forward 21 years to 1999 and -- well before the 2008 blockbuster starring Sean Penn made Harvey Milk a household name -- Stuart Milk got some advice that would eventually lead to the Harvey Milk Foundation’s (HMF) official start in 2010.

The HMF is a not for profit organization that, according to its website, aims not just to educate the world on the plight of the LGBT population, but takes this concept further extending it to any “gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgendered, racial and ethnic minorities…” with the goal of giving them the right of full societal involvement and recognition.

Now in its third year since its inception, the Harvey Milk Foundation continues to extend its message not just in the U.S., but throughout the world.

As [Stuart] Milk exclaims, “It’s not a U.S. or San Francisco problem. Hate and bigotry doesn’t get stopped by a body of water or the Himalayas.”

Milk, who worked a full time job in the private sector until recently, admits that “addressing the fact that hatred and oppression is not acceptable in any part of the world” is, and has been a full time job, since the foundation’s beginnings. He takes no pay and is also far from short on frequent flyer miles.

“I’ve traveled to at least 50 countries and spoken with at least 200,000 people throughout

18 THE MIRROR Fall 2012

the world,” he says. “And we’re making progress, but there is still so much to be done.”

Speaking to the SFGN, Milk’s magnetism is undeniable and his knowledge seemingly unending.

The gleam in his eyes, pupils wide with excitement as he speaks while sipping his Starbucks coffee, only affirms the words of Fort Lauderdale attorney Norm Kent who summed up Milk by stating, “The great thing about Stuart is that, despite so many people with iconic, deceased family members, Stuart actually took the chance to not just continue

Desmond Tutu, and his message to Milk was clear. “He challenged me to do more,” Milk says, nonchalantly rehashing his conversation with the world-famous anti-apartheid figurehead and Nobel Peace Prize winner.

Nonetheless, he got the point, and throughout the next year, Milk carefully crafted the HMF in to what it would officially become in 2010.

To start, Milk linked up with Anne Kronenburg, a long time Milk family friend and fellow activist who had worked for Harvey Milk’s San Francisco campaign. And together they built the organization from a simple thought to the fully functioning worldwide entity that it is today.

Since then, Milk hasn’t looked back enduring a seemingly unending travel schedule and, admittedly putting himself in harm’s way to work not only to change the future, but to speak about it through the lens of both the past and present, with education being at the forefront of the foundation’s objectives.

Overseas, he travels to countries where he “has to look over his shoulder,” advocating for unity amongst minorities of all types.

In 2011, according to the HMF Website, he joined Czech tennis star Martina Navratilova to successfully boycott the Czech government’s banning of a national Czech PrideFest; in Hungary, Milk and supporters Harvey Milk was the marched against thousands of first openly gay person Neo Nazi’s in Budapest to help the elected to San Francisco’s LGBT community to show their Board of Supervisors. Pride despite violent protest; in the Middle East, Milk has held talks in Istanbul and other countries his uncle’s message, but to take it to a whole – through their consulates or in person – to new level rather than just letting it die out or counter the region’s brutality and “hate speech” become part of the history books.” directed at sexual and ethnic minorities. And And indeed, history plays an even deeper this barely scratches the surface. role in this story than Kent suggests.

The original: Harvey Milk When he got the idea to start the foundation “In the past years, four LGBT centers have in 2009, it was during the festivities for the opened and been named after Harvey: two Presidential Medal of Freedom Award. He in Italy, one in Rotterdam and another in was accepting the award – the highest civilian Barcelona, Spain,” he says proudly. A fifth is honor given for societal contribution -- on scheduled to open this month (May) in Rome, behalf of his uncle Harvey. And it was here Italy. that, as Milk recalls, a conversation with a The breadth of his international work has fellow recipient led to the birth – in concept at spanned five continents and continues to grow least -- of what is now the HMF. in both popularity and demand. Reciting facts That fellow recipient was none other than off the top of his head with ease, Milk speaks

MIKE ANGUILLE of his international work in almost macabre a proposal known as SB 527 was drafted by terms, the purpose, of course, being to raise San Francisco State Senator Mark Leno and awareness that while the HMF continues signed in to law by then Governor Arnold its work internationally, much of the world Schwarzenegger, which declared May 22 remains resistant to LGBT and “Harvey Milk Day.” minority recognition and rights.

While state offices Stuart Milk, Harvey Milk’s nephew, “Being LGBT – gay in are not closed for started the Harvey Milk Foundation in particular -- is still illegal in the holiday, it is on 2010.

77 countries, is punishable by this day every year death in 23 nations of which that schools are 14 actively enforce the death encouraged to place penalty for what they consider a particular emphasis deviant sexual behavior and on the teaching of gender orientation,” he says.

LGBT history and Meanwhile, here in the states, the man who pushed while it is not illegal to be LGBT, for – and succeeded Milk recognizes that despite – in making LGBT strides being made, there is still people’s lack of a “long way to go.” He points presence in politics a specifically to the importance thing of the past. of education to reinforcing In addition to “Milk acceptance of sexual minorities Day,” the foundation as key to American progress in has also seen to it the fight for LGBT equality. that The Harvey Milk General Counsel for the HMF, Miriam Story – a children’s book chronicling the Richter agrees, and states, “You can legislate life and times of Milk – become part of the all you want, but education is the only way day’s traditions, helping furnishing copies we will ever get where we need to be.” to students and educators alike. California, Both Richter and Milk point to California meanwhile, didn’t stop here. as a model of where they believe the country Signed into law last year, California’s SB 48 should be headed with regards to LGBT (also authored by Senator Leno) takes it a step rights and education. It is here that in 2009, further, adding to “Milk Day” with language

PHOTO COURTESY OF HMF

that specifically identifies and includes the need for, the “study of the role and contributions of both men and women…lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender Americans…and members of other ethnic and cultural groups…with particular emphasis on portraying the role of these groups in contemporary society.”

With a proud smile, Milk calls it what he believes to be “the leading LGBT educational program.”

With the growth of the foundation, Milk now works as a consultant for his original full time job and oversees the HMF, which, he says, “is like having two full time jobs in itself.”

As for those who find themselves still asking about the HMF or Stuart Milk in particular, they can feel free to visit the foundation’s website listed below.

Considering the abundance and scope of his unending life’s work, one thing seems somewhat certain: to call Milk a modern day “caped crusader” for the LGBT community may not be that much of a stretch.

Indeed, when a city, state, country or continent shines its light on inequality and injustice, Milk is there, with the help of his foundation, to make sure everyone is heard – much like his uncle – even if it involves putting himself in harm’s way to make sure people of all minority groups have the opportunity to be recognized and treated as equals.

Fort Lauderdale Beach Fall 2012 THE MIRROR 19

SPOTLIGHT

GIDEON GRUDO

SUBMITTED PHOTO

A Phone Call For Fitting In

A

lmost fifteen years ago, Brad Becker took a call from a teenager in the Midwest, who needed some advice.

He was thinking about coming out. Through their conversation Becker learned that no one had ever told the boy it was OK. The call wasn’t random, it was coming into the LGBT National Help Center, where Becker is today the executive director. The Center gives out free — and confidential — counseling, advice, and local information to anyone who needs or wants it.

The hotline was founded in 1995, an outgrowth of what was then the New York City hotline, a similar enterprise that focused on the city. Back then, Becker said, there were around 150 local hotlines like this, but each one was specific to its locale, separate from the others. This hotline, Becker envisioned, would be different and would help anyone, anywhere.

Today the San Franciscobased hotline holds over 15,000 resources in its one-of-a-kind database.

Many of those local hotlines around the country have since disappeared making the National Help Center’s hotline even more important.

“It put increased pressure on the national hotline,” Becker said. “Support from our community has been wonderful.”

The hotline is funded through individual donations only. But money is only one part of what’s

20 THE MIRROR Fall 2012

needed to run the place.

The other part is supported by volunteers who answer calls and farm resources out to the public.

Overseeing the volunteers and maintaining the extensive database is Aaron Almanza. The manager of information technology joined the team in 2008.

“This job came up and it sounded really exciting,” Almanza said. “I can often times hear [the volunteers] giving out resources to people who never knew they existed. You can hear a reaction from the volunteers’ end when people find what they need.”

Almanza’s favorite memory at the hotline is also about the Midwest, where resources tend to be more rare than in the more urban parts of the country.

“There was a volunteer on a chat with a young girl.

They were on this online chat, and they couldn’t find anything — there was nothing in the database for several hundred miles,” Almanza said. “I found two or three youth groups that were just formed that week. She was so excited that I found something.”

Looking into the future, Almanza said he hopes to see the hotline doing exactly what it does today. Of course he said they’re always looking for more donations and having more resources to throw in the database.

While sometimes the hotline does get an abusive call from an anti-gay person, Becker said those are rare and never cause much of a problem.

National hotline provides LGBT of all ages an open ear, and where to find more Executive Director Brad Becker is proud of how far the LGBT National Help Center has come, but wants to take it even further.

Fall 2012 THE MIRROR 21

22 THE MIRROR SPRING 2012

SPRING 2012 THE MIRROR 23

SPECIAL SECTION: TRAVEL

These Walls Can Talk: LGBT Walking Tour Tells South Beach Stories

T

aking a stroll up and down Ocean Drive, Collins Avenue and Washington Boulevard in South Beach is entertaining—the people watching is amazing as tanned and toned bodies stroll along, decked out in fashions that cost more than my monthly mortgage payment.

There are pasty Europeans, bronzed Brazilians and Frenchspeaking Canadians, all drawn to the nightlife, shopping and wide sandy beaches. It is the place to see and be seen.

But, this hasn’t always been the case. For more than two decades,

By day, the 40-year-old handsome muscle bear is a contractor whose passion is restoring old buildings, so I know we will learn a lot.

The tour begins at the Art Deco Welcome Center, 1001 Ocean Dr. Miami Beach was a glamorous vacation destination during the Roaring ‘20s, drawing the biggest celebrities of the era, Ruiz tells us. The Depression hit the city hard and many of the buildings began to crumble in later years.

Through the efforts of a gay man, Leonard Horowitz, and his ally Barbara Capitman in the mid1970s, attention was brought to

models hang from the scaffolding, photographer Bruce Webber did the shoot on the roof.

Just down the street are some of the pioneering institutions of South Beach’s gay history: The famous News Café, 800 Ocean Dr., which got its start as an ice cream parlor in 1988, and the Park Central Hotel, 640 Ocean Dr., which still bears the colorful paint scheme designed by Leonard Horowitz.

Around the corner is the “Main Street” of South Beach, Collins Avenue. At the southeast corner of Collins and Seventh St. is the site

Since its heyday in the 1930s, Ocean Drive, with its distinctive art deco architecture, has been a popular place for the fashionable to see and be seen.

South Beach has been a popular tourist destination for gays and lesbians, but behind the glitz is the rich story of a community that has seen its share of ups and down since coming into vogue in the 1920s.

To learn more, I joined the LGBT History Walking Tour offered at sunset on the last Saturday of each month by the Miami Design Preservation League. Our guide is Mat Ruiz, a longtime resident of South Beach.

24 THE MIRROR Fall 2012

the condition of the district and led to the formation of the Miami Design Preservation League and designation of the area as a historic district.

Our first stop is just across the street at the Breakwater Hotel, 940 Ocean Drive. The start of South Beach’s modern incarnation came in 1985 when a Calvin Klein advertising shoot was scheduled here. Ironically, the hotel was under renovation and, even though it was suggested the

of Torpedo (now Intermix), one of the first gay clubs opened by Lee Schrager and designer John Jacobus in 1987. At the time, there was one other club, Warsaw (more about it later), and people would walk between the two, Schrager recalled in an email. Early patrons at Torpedo included Gianni Versace and supermodels Naomi Campbell and Cindy Crawford.

Along the way, Ruiz points out the interesting architectural highlights and of course dishes

about the stories behind many of the restaurants and businesses, most of which have been through many incarnations since their heydays. We pass the Wolfsonian, 1001 Washington Ave., the design museum that served as a cultural anchor for the community for decades and is now affiliated with Florida International University.

We stop at Twist, 1057 Washington Ave., one of the longest continuously running bars, opened in 1993. Over the years, the bar has been patronized

by Drew Barrymore, Katy Perry, Jenny McCarthy, Jennifer Coolidge and Jim Carrey.

That corner was also a hub, attracting as many as seven bars over the years, and is purportedly still the best place to pick up a date in the wee hours of the morning after last call.

“It is quite the place to be,” Ruiz says, with a cute, sheepish grin.

“You can feel the love.”

We pass the Lord’s South Beach, the swanky gay hotel that has become an international destination.

The hotel boasts three pools and a popular bar and restaurant, The Cha Cha Rooster, before happening upon the Historic City Hall.

The building, located at 1130 Washington Ave., was built in a Mediterranean style, like many of the buildings constructed after the devastating hurricane of 1926.

Like the community, it has found new life, serving as the Gay and Lesbian Community Center and headquarters to the active Miami Gay and Lesbian Chamber of Commerce Again, we proceed up the street, passing the former Mansion nightclub, at one time owned by Prince and site of the only Janet Reno Dance Party, as well as

several former clubs, Luxe and Liquid. It seems like all the biggest DJs and entertainers either got their starts at one time or another at one of these groundbreaking clubs or were regulars. Ruiz points out the World Erotic Art Museum and the trendy club wear store where he admits he bought his first—and only—pair of heels.

Gay and Lesbian Walking Tours Last Saturday of Month, 6:30 p.m.

Miami Design Preservation League 1101 Ocean Dr., Miami Beach, $20 per person at MDPL.org or Art Deco Welcome Center Ruiz guides the group for a cool respite in the air conditioned historic post office,

1300 Washington Ave. Unlike the prevailing art deco and Mediterranean styles, the post office exemplifies the influence of the New Deal with its stark concrete structure and gilded 1941 mural depicting the history of the colonization of Florida.

Florida’s Spanish heritage comes alive along Espanola Way in the “Spanish Colony” between Washington and Pennsylvania Ave. Drag queen Varla regularly performed from the balconies overlooking the quaint lane that was the site for early expressions of gay pride and today serves as a location for television and movie productions.

Our tour is in the home stretch as we approach the granddaddy of South Beach’s gay club scene, the site of the nightclub Warsaw. Originally built as the Polish-American Club and now the home of Jerry’s Deli (formerly Hoffman’s Cafeteria), Warsaw was famous for introducing both male and female nude gogo dancers. Not surprisingly, this led the city to adopt an ordinance that prohibited nudity in venues that served alcohol. One of the

BY J.W. ARNOLD

PHOTO BY J.W. ARNOLD

leading promoters was Manhattan celebutante Suzanne Barscht.

Just across the street is Grillfish, formerly a joint called the Stray Dog. During Warsaw’s run, the owners attempted to lure partiers across the street with racy homoerotic art on the walls that remains in the swanky seafood restaurant—and definitely seems tame by today’s standards.

As we make our way back to Ocean Drive, we pass the Carlyle, famous as the location for the Robin Williams film, The Birdcage, before stopping for a drink at the Palace.

The Palace, 1200 Ocean Dr., is popular with tourists and locals alike. Founded in 1988, the bar just celebrated its 24th anniversary. The friendly café is packed on Sunday mornings for the famous drag brunch and again at happy hour, but people-watchers flock to the bar at all hours in-between.

And, of course, no gay history tour of South Beach is complete without a stop at Casa Casuarina, the Italianate villa that was the home to celebrated fashion designer Gianni Versace. The ornate mansion is one of the most photographed

buildings in Florida, Ruiz tells us, and thousands of visitors—gay and straight, alike—step up to the gate where Versace was brutally gunned down in 1997.

The building, like those around it, has seen many lives throughout its history. It was built in 1930 and the adjoining 1950 Revere Hotel was demolished in 1992 to make room for the gardens and pool. Gay interior designer Wallace Tutt was responsible for the opulent design and furnishings.

Since Versace’s death, the residence has served as a commercial event facility and restaurant for famed local party planner and caterer Barton G., known as “The Villa by Barton G.” The current owner, Peter Loftin, recently listed the property on the market for a mere $120 million.

As Ruiz bids farewells, I find myself overwhelmed with both the rich architectural and LGBT history of the neighborhood around me.

Unlike a museum, South Beach is a vibrant, living community and there will be certainly changes to come and history to be made.

Fall 2012 THE MIRROR 25

SPECIAL SECTION: TRAVEL

PhilAdelphia: Too often travelers may opt to skip Philly and visit larger Eastern cities like New York City and Washington D.C., but when it comes to location there’s no better place. Within three hours of America’s first capital you can visit Washington, D.C., Baltimore, Atlantic City, NJ and New York City. So whether you want to gamble in Atlantic City, see a Broadway show in NYC or visit the White House, Philly is in an ideal location to see and do it all.

Major LGBT Events in Philly OutFest – October Philly was one of the first cities to organize an event around National Coming Out Day by creating a block party to showcase the many facets of the LGBT community. The event is usually held the Sunday prior to Columbus Day in October and attracts more than 20,000 people, making it largest NCOD Event in the world.

www.phillypride.org

Equality Forum – May Equality Forum coordinates LGBT History Month, produces documentary films, undertakes highimpact initiatives and presents the largest annual 26 THE MIRROR Fall 2012

national and international LGBT civil rights summit.

More Than Just a Cracked Bell

S

teak sandwiches and the Liberty Bell may be two of the most well known things to come out of the City of Brotherly Love. But what’s not so well known is the city’s impressive collection of art.

Art isn’t just a fixture in Philadelphia, it’s a way of life from the numerous art museums and galleries, and eclectic mosaics of Isaiah Zagar to the more than 3,000 wall murals around the city. In fact Philly has more wall murals than any other city in America. Needless to say Philadelphians care about their art so much so, that in order to keep the painting, The Gross Clinic, housed in the city, residents raised $68 million, to keep it from being sold elsewhere. It is now shared between the Pennsylvania museum of art and Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts.

The newly built Barnes Foundation boasts the world’s largest collection of Impressionist, Post-Impressionist and early Modern paintings including 181 Renoirs, 69 Cézannes, 59 Matisses and 46 Picassos. The 93,000 square foot building features all of the late Albert Barnes’ art holdings laid out exactly the same way as when he was alive. The building also includes a changing exhibition gallery, conservation lab, auditorium, library and gift shop.

While the newly built Barnes Foundation building is certainly impressive that’s not all Philadelphia has to offer art lovers. Hop over to the Rodin museum and you’ll find the largest collection, outside of Paris, of Rodin’s works. And then there’s the Philadelphia Museum of Art. And those are just the art museums. Philadelphia is home to a whole array of non-art museums including the National Constitution Center (only museum dedicated to the U.S. Constitution), National Liberty Museum, National Museum of American Jewish History, Mutter Museum (displaying medical wonders of the world), The Franklin Institute (One of the nation’s first hands on science museums), the Pennsylvania Hospital (first hospital in the country) and the Rosenbach Museum Library (houses many of the world’s greatest literary treasures).

www.equalityforum.com

Pride Day – June Largest LGBT event in Philly, attracting more than 25,000 people each year.

www.phillypride.org

Qfest – July Largest gay and lesbian film festival on the east coast; 3rd largest in the U.S. www.qfest.com For ongoing and weekly events check out: PhillyGayCalendar.com. For local gay news check out Philadelphia Gay News at ePGN.com

WHERE TO PLAY Woody’s

Tavern on the Camac

Uncles

202 S 13th St 215-545-1893 www.woodysbar.com Philly’s most historic and iconic gay bar. A visit to Philly would not be complete without a visit to Woody’s. OUT Magazine even named Woody’s one of “The 50 Greatest Gay Bars in the World” in 2007.

243 South Camac Street 215-545-0900 www.tavernoncamac.com Features three floors of entertainment including a piano bar, restaurant, and dance floor.

1220 Locust St 215-546-6660 For the older and laid back crowd

Voyeur 1221 Saint James Street 215-735-5772 www.voyeurnightclub.com For the late night crowd

Giovanni’s Bookstore 345 South 12th Street (215) 923-2960 www.queerbooks.com The oldest gay and lesbian bookstore in the country, founded in 1973.

By JASON PARSLEY

PHOTOS BY RUSTY KENNEDY, G.WIDMAN & B. KRISTI

Philly may not have the bustling and vibrant LGBT community that New York City or D.C. has to offer, but it has a distinct gayborhood and is home to the country’s oldest continuous LGBT publication The Philadelphia Gay News, the oldest LGBT bookstore, as well as the site of the first gay rights protest in downtown – four years before the Stonewall riots.

WHERE TO EAT Rittenhouse Tavern

251 S. 18th Street 215-732-2412 www.rittenhousetavern. com The restaurant is nestled in its namesake neighborhood Rittenhouse Square. Offers contemporary American Fare. The indoor/outdoor is located in the historic Wetherrill Mansion.

Try the gem lettuce and herb salad with lemon vinaigrette.

Reading Terminal Market Market Street between 5th and 6th Streets 215-922-2317 www. readingterminalmarket. org What you won’t find at this market are chains and franchises. Small mom and pop stores and independent shops only. For lunch try an

authentic cheesesteak and for dessert visit the Famous 4th Street Cookie Company.

13th Street Gourmet Pizza

209 South 13th street 215-546-4453 www.13thstreetpizza.com This is where the locals eat at 2 a.m. after the gay bars close. Many people just know the tiny restaurant as the pizza joint across from Woody’s. A slice of BBQ chicken pizza never tasted so good after a long night of drinking or dancing.

Or be adventurous and try their macaroni and cheese pizza.

Moshulu

401 S. Columbus Blvd.

215-923-2500 www.moshulu.com For fine dining in a unique setting check out Moshulu, a floating

restaurant inside the world’s largest fourmasted sailing ship still afloat. Its history dates back to 1904 when it was first launched. Since then the ship has visited the ports of Europe, South America, Australia, America and Africa. Oh yeah the food is pretty good too. Moshulu has earned many “best of” honors and has a AAA Four Diamond rating.

City Tavern –

138 South 2nd Street at Walnut Street 215-413-1443 Try City Tavern for something more traditional. And by traditional I mean the staff is dressed in colonial garb and the food items are recipes from the 17th century. Some of the food items include braised rabbit and colonial turkey pop pie.

Reading Market Terminal is one of America’s largest and oldest public markets.

More than 100,000 people pass through the market every week. Today it is home to almost 80 independently owned small businesses and features a wide variety of food and goods from fresh meats, seafood, and poultry to unique, handmade pottery, jewelry and crafts from around the world. There is also a huge selection of Amish food and goods.

CHEESESTEAK ANYONE? Pat’s King of Steaks A visit to Philly wouldn’t be complete without an authentic cheesesteak.

Two of the premier places to find one, would be Pat’s or Geno’s, both of which claim to have invented the cheesteak and boast that theirs is the best. But for looking for something off the beaten path check out Mom’s Cheesesteaks, which is just a food cart.

1237 East Passyunk Avenue (215) 468-1546 www.patskingofsteaks.com

Geno’s Steaks 1219 South 9th Street (215) 389-0659 www.genosteaks.com

Mom’s Located in a food cart near Independence Hall at 520 Chestnut Street Fall 2012 THE MIRROR 27

SPECIAL SECTION: TRAVEL

PHOTO BY Trevor Lavelle

By Pier angelo

My Honeymoon under the Ciociaria Sun

I

am from Tuscany and I am sick and tired of Tuscany. The Tuscany of my childhood does not exist anymore. It has been overrun by hordes of new barbarians from the rest of Europe and the US who have snatched up farms and land to build mansions and mega villas in the “nouveau chic” area of the moment from Sting to Dutch Royalty, from Frances Mayes to Debi Mazar to the usual assorted Hollywood stars. The quaint quiet rolling hills have become the playground of the rich and shameless, with high walls, gates,

He has transformed this abandoned 12,000 square foot palazzo into a cultural oasis with a Bed & Breakfast, cooking school, Taverna and historic Frantoio where in the 16th century horses turned the old stone wheel to mash the region’s olives and produce genuine olive oil. What was once abandoned has now come back to life with folklore theme nights which gather local people, guests, and visitors from near and far.

Even though Greg is openly gay “Casa Gregorio” is not a gay guesthouse.

All guests are welcomed equally.

We did not go there to have a “gay holiday” but to unplug from the rat race, to feel alive and go back in time.

We shared delicious breakfasts around the large dining room table overflowing with homemade breads, cakes, pastries, jams, fresh fruits, frittatas, fruit juices and cappuccinos, with other guests from Norway, England and Canada.

The five bedrooms show attention to details and they are all distinctively different in character. Each is decorated with wrought iron beds and antique furniture. You can relax on the terrace, listening to the sound of silence while overlooking green hills capped with ancient villages cascading down the sides as if they were hanging for dear life to the

“I am sick and tired of Tuscany” paparazzi, security cameras and barbed wire.

So for our honeymoon instead of taking my husband “home” I decided to go to the beautiful unexplored area of “Ciociaria” situated one hour south of Rome and one hour north of Naples, in the Lazio region of Italy. We stayed at “Casa Gregorio” a 1797 structure in the heart of the historic center of Castro Dei Volsci. The three story stone house belonged to the nobility of the town and after years of disrepairs it was completely renovated and restored in 2010 by gay entrepreneur Gregory Aulensi.

ever present churches on their very top. The only occasional sounds come from the nearby bell towers marking the passage of time. Or you can read and drink wine in the living room surrounded by a comprehensive collection of art and books.

If you really must have free WiFi Internet is available.

At sun set we walked the narrow winding streets of the medieval village and were always greeted by friendly folks with a smile and a ciao. Even the cats were friendly. Our excursions into the country side amid the vineyards, silvery olive groves, and verdant trees took us to the ancient Abbey of Montecassino, to Terracina and its Temple of Zeus on the Mediterranean shores, where we ate fish practically off the boats of the local fishermen, to the gorgeous little town of Sperlunga whose houses, all painted white, overlook the sea from the side of a mountain.

We want to go back just to have another taste of the homemade gelato we discovered there. To top it all off, the four of us, we were traveling with our best men Trevor and Steve, had dinner at an “agriturismo” called Ruspante.

The meal featured three courses of appetizers, each comprised Of an amazing variety of homemade cold cuts, grilled and fried vegetables, scores of cheeses including the ubiquitous mozzarella di bufala, mushrooms, black and green olives, freshly baked breads, bruschetta dripping in real olive oil garnished

with tomatoes that had the flavor of tomatoes. Then three different rounds of homemade pastas followed by four types of grilled meats. All the foods we ate came directly from the farm itself, it was by far the best dinner we ever had and we never ordered a single dish.

There was no menu to choose from, the food started coming as soon as we sat down. The wines that helped us wash it all down had no fancy labels, no additives or chemicals and even though we ate and drank for almost three and half unhurried hours we never felt drunk or stuffed. Just happy and relaxed under a star dotted sky with the moon as its centerpiece.

Maybe you’ve already visited Italy once or twice, so you’ve done the major museums and seen the historic city centers before and you’re looking for something completely different. Maybe you just aren’t into cities overrun by thousands of tourists and you’d prefer to wake up to the sounds of a birdsong than traffic. This is it. You have found your paradise.

There is no other place that offers inexpensive rates in an ideal location at the country’s sun-dappled green heart.

If you want to experience a romantic get away from the hustle and bustle and lower your stress level make “Casa Gregorio” home for a few days.

Greg and his staff could not have been more charming and helpful.

It truly felt as if we were staying at a friend’s house.

Visit their web site at www.casagregorio.it for more information.

Ciao, arrivederci and Buon Appetito.

“Ciociaria,” one hour south of Rome and one hour north of Naples, is largely unexplored and allows visitors to enjoy an attraction that isn’t overrun by mass tourism, which has forever poisoned Tuscany for me.

28 THE MIRROR Fall 2012

954.563.9889

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Fall 2012 THE MIRROR 29

SPECIAL SECTION: TRAVEL

BY JOEY AMATO

SUBMITTED PHOTO

OUT DESTINATION – FORT LAUDERDALE Fort Lauderdale Skyline

K

nown as one of the country’s foremost LGBT capital’s, Fort Lauderdale definitely offers visitors a plethora of dining, entertainment and cultural options, not to mention miles of pristine beaches perfect for those looking to catch some rays while listening to the mesmerizing sounds of the Atlantic.

Fort Lauderdale is actually three destinations in one. The first, Fort Lauderdale Beach, is a picturesque ocean-front destination dotted with high rise condominiums and hotels, including The Ritz-Carlton, W and Hilton. Dozens of beach front restaurants, shops and attractions line North Atlantic Boulevard, also known as A1A and are extremely gayfriendly.

But the charm of Fort Lauderdale Beach lies just two blocks inland.

Those looking to avoid swanky hotel chains in favor of smaller, more personal accommodations should head to one of over a dozen LGBTowned guest houses, most notably, The Grand Resort & Spa. The Grand is the largest gayowned and operated men’s resort on

30 THE MIRROR Fall 2012

Fort Lauderdale Beach, offering 33 luxurious guestrooms, two pools, a hot tub, full-service spa, fitness center and complimentary breakfast. Stay in one of the suites, which contain a separate living space and full kitchen, perfect for those looking to spend a few extra days of fun in the sun.

Guests can enjoy the resorts famous Sundown Happy Hour every Thursday miles from Fort Lauderdale beach, Wilton Manors is an epicenter of gay culture. Dozens of gay-owned shops, restaurants, bars and clubs are clustered along Wilton Drive, making the area a one-stop destination for the LGBT traveler and a great place to mingle with the locals.

Sports enthusiasts should head to Sidelines, a friendly neighborhood sports bar offering daily drink specials and a great mix of men and women alike. Beer aficionados should visit Wilton’s Bier Garden, a fairly new establishment offering 16 beers on tap and over 100 different bottled beers imported from countries around the world including Germany, Belgium and Scotland.

Dance the night away at The Manor Complex, a huge mega club in the heart of Wilton Manors which combines a restaurant, ultra lounge and nightclub all into one upscale experience. Check out The Manor’s website for a list of daily events which include special appearances by worldrenowned DJ’s and numerous live performances throughout the year.

After a fun evening of partying, culture buffs should visit the Fort Lauderdale Museum of Art, located in downtown Fort Lauderdale. The museum is home to a permanent collection of more than 6,000 works including significant pieces by the artists of the northern European CoBrA movement and contemporary Cuban artists. The museum also offers numerous unique exhibitions which included the recent Primordial: Paintings and Glass Sculptures by Isabel De Obaldía and upcoming original exhibition, SHARK. A few blocks away is the Museum of Discovery and Science consisting of 85,000 square feet of interior space, a 300seat AutoNation IMAX Theater, and an open-air grand atrium.

The Museum features dynamic interactive exhibits in the natural and physical sciences and a large array of programs designed to serve diverse audiences.

If you’d prefer to spend a more casual afternoon with friends, head to Rosie’s Bar & Grill, and enjoy some of the best burgers, sandwiches and salads in Fort Lauderdale. I suggest trying the She BOP Wrap consisting of grilled chicken, bacon, fresh avocado, cheddar cheese and herb mayo rolled into a tomato-basil tortilla with a side of homemade sweetpotato fries.

For a different flavor, head to Rodeo, a restaurant specializing in Southwestern, Tex-Mex and Cajun cuisine. For a quick bite, sample Rodeo’s delicious Fried Green Tomatoes, Barbeque Nachos or

New Orleans Quesidilla.

While in town, be sure to stop by the Stonewall National Museum & Archives, an extraordinary collection of cultural and historical artifacts celebrating the LGBT community. The museum is home to over 21,000 books, 19 traveling exhibits and over 7,000 artifacts including the gavel used to end “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.”

Fort Lauderdale is also home to many LGBT charitable organizations including SunServe, Out of the Closet and Broward House, South Florida’s oldest and largest HIV/AIDS community service organization.

If your vision of a vacation includes the hottest go-go boys in South Florida, then visit Johnny’s Fort Lauderdale, one of three bars in town featuring nightly go-go dancing. The staff and dancers at Johnny’s are always welcoming, so if this is your first time visiting, they will make you feel right at home.

Upon arrival to Fort Lauderdale, be sure to pick up a copy of either South Florida Gay News or Hot Spots magazine. Both publications will provide you with great information about what’s happening around town including special events, nightly drink specials and LGBT community news.

For more information, visit www.sunny.org/glbt

OUT Destinations is part of OUTreach Public Relations, a company specializing in LGBT marketing. Founded by Joey Amato in 2012, OUTreach PR has quickly become one of the most sought after companies for celebrities, corporations and non-profit organizations looking to target the ever growing and affluent LGBT consumer.

For more information, please visit www.outreachpublicrelations.com

Fall 2012 THE MIRROR 31

32 THE MIRROR SPRING 2012

SPRING 2012 THE MIRROR 33

COFFEE TABLE

Do You Love Curves?

A

muscled guy radiates strength of purpose, assertiveness and — last but not least—lots of sex appeal.

Whoever goes to the gym several times a week surely knows what he owes his body, plus he’s usually an alluring look for the rest of us. So, after the success of the anthologies Turnon: Tattoos and Turnon: Sports, the publishing group decided to bring another piece to the public — Turnon: Muscles.

They collected the best pictures from renowned photographers, who brought the male body as a piece of art into the spotlight.

This bulky photo book presents some of the finest and well built men of our planet on 256 stunning pages. And even if most of the admirers will never look like them, they can at least enjoy their incredible beauty.

Mucho Macho.

Book Info

By Various Artists TURNON: MUSCLES June 2012 256 pages full color, hardcover 17 x 22,5 cm / 63⁄4 x 9 List Price: $44.99 Amazon.com: $32.39 Barnes and Noble: $32.39 ISBN 9783867872409

Author and art expert Grady Harp on the book: 34 THE MIRROR Fall 2012

A Bulky Book of Muscled Men!

By Jason Parsley

R

eading or browsing slowly through TURNON MUSCLES is like watch the finest of Greek and Roman statues come to life. This book is a collection of superbly chiseled bodies whose commitment to the gym on a daily basis is obvious. There is much to admire in the manner in which these men have pledged themselves to perfect the physique, but the book doesn’t stop at academic pauses to admire physical fitness. Instead

this is a collection by a groups of our finest photographers of the male physique who encouraged their chosen models to use the gift of the perfect body to enter the arena of exhibitionism and erotica, including bits of garb (clothing, ropes, chains, etc), and entertain the troops. And the result is a steamy encounter with some magnificent specimens.

The group of photographers includes both the very famous and the not so well known and the new faces/cameras on the block. Here

PHOTO BY Tom Cullis, cameron frost & M. Henderson

are the works of Dylan Rosser, Louis LaSalle, Peter Arnold, Joan Crisol, Tom Bianchi, Mark Henderson, Jeff Palmer and also the works of Blade T Bannon, Norbert Benike, Louis Daniel Botha, Lage Carlson, Tom Cullis, Andre DeLoach, Serge Forcet, Cameron Frost,HotHouse, InkedKenny, JALIF, Pat Lee, Henry Lex, Ron Lloyd, Jonno London, Denis Maslennikov, Dick Mitchell, Byron Motley, Muscle Hunks, Ed Olen, Troy Phillis, Tim Ricks, Akimitsu Sadoi, JP Santamaria, Allan Spiers, Michael Stokes, and

Kent Taylor.

They all deserve mention as this collection happens to contain a very wide variety of styles and thoughts about how to present the Turnon Muscles.

Once again Bruno Gmünder has produced a highly sophisticated art book that is sure to become a favorite among those who admire/ desire muscle hunks. Stephan Niederwieser is the curator/editor and as always adds the targeted perspective in his introduction erotic but with a solid dash of good humor.

Fall 2012 THE MIRROR 35

MUSIC

The Sounds of Proud Daniel Alexander

At the age of 21 Daniel Alexander is well on his way to rising to the top of the LGBT community as a out & proud artist. At age 9 he began writing and singing his own music. In 8th grade he performed his first live show and was then accepted in the Performing Arts School here in South Florida. At age 15 he recorded his first demo as a solo artist.

Growing up with an urban background and being inspired by Nsync & Lady Gage Daniel’s sound is both edgy and cookie cutter with

a few racy lyrics. He is currently working to to produce his first album but has released four singles. His most recent “Touch Me” incorporates a 70’s & 80’s Disco style keeping it fun, wild and crazy on the dance floor.

Like most artist Daniel brings his upbringing and personal experience to his music. Growing up “different” Daniel understands the want to fit in. His advice: “Be yourself and no need to over compensate for who you are.”

Check out Daniel Alexander at: www.dalexanderonline.com

Mika Newton, American Idol

Born in Burshtyn, Ukraine, Mika Newton was discovered at the age of 9 to have a talent for singing. At age 16, she moved to Kiev to study in the vocal department of the Entertainment College. Being inspired through pop-rock in Europe, she creates music that is real and alive. From ballads to dance music, Mika has mastered the ability to strike just about any emotion through her voice.

“Don’t Dumb Me Down,” her current single hitting the US this fall when she plans to begin her American tour, brings a message of empowerment. Going beyond all stereotypes looking for the heart and soul in every human being is only

36 THE MIRROR Fall 2012

Here’s a sneak peak of some of the best artists we’ve found that promote an LGBT lifestyle of acceptance and equality for all.

From pop music to dance and even ballads, it just shows how diverse our community actually is and can be. Here is some information about these artists, but don’t just take my word for it. Check out their websites and music for yourself.

part of the message she hopes fans in the US receive from her music. With everyone being different and special, loving yourself for who you are is very important.

Her message, “don’t be afraid to love and open your heart to all people,” is her way of sharing with the LGBT community a strength and hope for equality. Her goal is to help make the world a better place, the best she can. Keep your eye out for this beautiful young woman who plans to be in South Florida later this year.

For more information, visit www.mikanewton.com

By Justin wyse

Ari Gold

Raised in an environment with Orthodox Jews, Gold Gold discovered his love for singing and music at the age of six at his brother’s barmitzvah. At age 12, he created his first demo tape (yes, a cassette tape) for his first record for CBS. Bringing his inspiration from R&B of the 70’s, 80’s & 90’s and of course 90’s House, his music has helped bring a large LGBT fan base.

Like any gay male, it’s no surprise that Michael Jackson, Whitney Houston, Madonna, Janet Jackson and of course George Michael have brought Gold inspiration throughout his career. He has also developed a large African

DC Cruz

SUbmitted photos

American fan base being inspired by black soul music.

Gold’s current album is a remix inspired album Between the Spirit & the Flesh. The most recent single and video “My Favorite Religion” is inspired by his spiritual and sexual journey and how they overlapped each other.

Gold continues to support the LGBT community working in New York to help fight AIDS/HIV, fighting for equality through the Imperial Court, the Ali Forney Center for the LGBT homeless youth, and Live Out Loud.

For more information, visit www.arigold.com to listen to his latest music.

Born in a Cuban family with a father who was a singer, it was natural that CRUZ Cruz would begin singing and following his Father’s footsteps in fifth grade. As a young boy, he worked with “Ultimo Nivel,” a Latin boy band. He later joined “Brothers of the Heir” as the lead singer. CRUZ now works on his career as a solo artist here in Miami. Having a Latin background and being bilingual, he has worked to release music in both English and Spanish with Internet sensations like Manniquista, Party Freak and Mr. Hollywood.

Inspiration from artist Lenny Kravitz, Soho Dolls, Elvis Presley, Kanye West and Lady Gaga has helped him create a pop feel with an urban/dance sound. CRUZ is

working to release his first album in the fall of 2012 working with Gil Martin to provide a Bi-lingual album.

He says this album “to him is all about people having a good time, while learning from his music.”

Check out his current single Mr. Hollywood (LA Radio Edit) a hit that is sure to help you get your summer night started before you head out to the club. Being part of the LGBT community of course helps with a fan base but also provides CRUZ with unique experiences to be a role model for out community, especially from the Latin LGBT community.

For more information, visit CRUZ Cruz online today at www,wix.com/contactdcnow/dccruz.com

Fall 2012 THE MIRROR 37

FITNESS

A smart workout I using

dumbbells

f you find yourself short on time and unable to get to the gym, pick up that pair of dumbbells you have gathering dust in the corner of the garage and give yourself a great workout at home.

There are countless exercises you can perform with dumbbells to work your entire body.

Are there any advantages to using free weights instead of the resistance machines at the gym? You bet! Machines operate in a fixed plane of movement whereas free weights such as dumbbells simulate natural movements and therefore recruit additional muscle fibers in the process.

The operative word here is gravity: Lifting, pushing and pulling free weights against the force of gravity is ultimately a faster route to building lean muscle. Your “after-burn” – that is, the calories you continue to burn after you finish your workout, has also been reported by scientists to be higher following an intense workout using free weights.

If you don’t own a pair or two of dumbbells for your home or office to get a quick workout on the go, add them to your shopping list. They are inexpensive, convenient and very effective.

Here, Miami resident Jose Gonzalez, a model and fitness enthusiast, demonstrates some key exercises you can try.

Fort Lauderdale-based nationally-syndicated fitness writer Peter Jackson is a certified personal trainer and the owner of Push Fitness (www.PushFitnessFTL.com), a private training gym in Oakland Park, Fla. He welcomes your comments and questions via e-mail at Peter@PushFitnessFTL.com.

38 THE MIRROR Fall 2012

By PETER JACKSON

PHOTO BY TONY BLADES

BACK

SHOULDERS

Military Presses Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart grasping the dumbbells at shoulder height, palms facing forward. Extend (press) your arms overhead. Return to the starting position.

Perform three sets of 10 to 15 reps.

Bent-over Raises With your legs bent at 90 degrees, hold the dumbbells close together, palms in, in front of your knees. There should be a natural arch to your back. Now raise your arms laterally, just slightly behind you. Pause. Return to starting position. Perform three sets of 10 to 15 reps.

1

2

1

2

ARMS

Bicep Curl Grab a pair of dumbbells with your elbows close to your torso at arm’s length and your palms facing up. Without moving your upper arms, curl your forearms toward your biceps. Pause, then return to the starting position.

Pump out three sets of 10 to 15 reps.

1

ARMS

Triceps Kickback Place your left hand and left knee on a bench. Don’t round your back, but keep a natural arch to your lower back. Hold your right upper arm so it’s parallel to the floor. Without moving your upper arm, raise your forearm until your entire arm is completely straight. Lower your forearm and repeat the movement. Perform 10 to 15 reps then switch arms.

Complete three sets.

2

1

LOWER BODY

Dumbbell Split Squat Holding the dumbbells at your sides, put your left foot forward and your right foot back. Lower your body until your front knee almost touches the floor. Pause.

Return to starting position.

Perform 10 reps then switch legs and repeat. That’s one set. Do two more.

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Fall 2012 THE MIRROR 39

FASHION

Skin Tight

Here’s Your Taste of This Year’s Hottest Under Garments

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ay men have enjoyed underwear collections for many years.

Thanks to our community, we have helped bring a certain fashion to something normally just worn to keep everything in place.

Boxers & briefs are now sexy for men of all ages and body types to show off. The Mirror brings you some of the hottest trends and styles available today; whether it’s a bikini brief or a sports trunk, we have it all.

Presenting the makers of Freedom Reigns, teamm8, Timoteo, and Stud…

40 THE MIRROR Fall 2012

Photo by Tom Cullis

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By Justin wyse

PHOTO BY team 8, stud & Freedom reigns

3 1

Connect the Numbers and Make Your Pick

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3

4

22 Fall 2012 THE MIRROR 41

COVER FEATURE

Cyndi Lauper

STILL FEELING

T H E B L UE S

C

yndi Lauper burst onto the world stage as the quintessential girl who wants to have fun. After more than 25 years in the business and global record sales in excess of 30 million, she has proven that she has the heart and soul to keep her legion of fans compelled by her every creative move.

The beauty of Cyndi Lauper is that she has evolved into a richly multi-faceted renaissance woman who strikes a resonant chord with each project.

In 2010, she released her 11th studio album, the Grammy nominated Memphis Blues, which entered the Billboard 200 at #26, becoming the third highest charting album and the fifth top 40

42 THE MIRROR Fall 2012

album of her career. Memphis Blues also debuted at #1 on the Billboard Blues Album Chart, ruling atop the chart for 14 consecutive weeks.

With this collection of blues cover songs, she is once again reinvented herself by putting her unique twist on one of music’s most beloved genres.

Over a year after its release, Lauper is still proud of the record.

“I wanted to do a blues album when I was still at Sony back in 2004. I have always been a fan of blues since I was a kid,” Lauper states. “I first heard about the blues from reading articles about Janis Joplin and the Stones. First time I heard about Muddy Waters was from reading an article about Keith Richards.

And as Muddy Waters is quoted “If blues gave birth to

a child, that child would be rock and roll.”

The feel of Memphis Blues is gritty and full of life. Recorded at Electraphonic Studios in Memphis, Tennessee, the album features appearances by such great artists as B.B. King, Jonny Lang, Allen Toussaint, Ann Peebles and Charlie Musselwhite.

“I loved Muddy and then I bought records by Robert Johnson, discovered all the great blues female singers like Big Momma Thornton and Big Maybelle. They really influenced me as a singer, so I always had this project in the back of my mind, wanting to do this record.”

An Emmy Award-winner, Lauper describes Memphis Blues as the album she’s been waiting to record for years. “All of these beautiful

songs, and all of the great players on the album, were carefully chosen because I’ve admired them my entire life.

I knew from the moment Alan Toussaint hit the keys in ‘Shattered Dreams’ that we were creating something really special,” she says.

Although successful in past projects, it wasn’t a guaranteed smash as the album was vastly different than anything else Lauper has ever done. “I was very proud that it was well received around the world.

Very happy and proud and then to be nominated for a Grammy alongside Pinetop Perkins and Wille Smith, Mr Charlie Musselwhite, James Cotton and Jimmy Vaughn, I mean wow!”

The songs on Memphis Blues are like children, she

By Joey amato

loves them all. “I worked for a long time to come up with the songs I decided to record,” Lauper states. “I was looking for songs that told stories and that also were uplifting because for me the greatest blues songs are the ones that are about perseverance.”

Songs that Lauper really holds closer to her heart are “Down So Low” and “Don’t Cry No More.” However, she makes it clear that all the tracks are “really all amazing songs written by amazing artists.”

The tracks fit seamlessly into Lauper’s current setlist of old and new favorites.

“We’ve were out on road for over a year and it really worked great. That’s what having a great band will do for ya!”

Lauper is also quick to acknowledge her loving and devoted fans. “They always

support me and they walk and dance with me on the paths I’ve taken.”

Lauper will also release an autobiography in the coming months. “I still have so much to say and share,” she says. “I’m grateful for each and everyday that I get to make music. As long as there’s a corner of the world where people want to hear me, I’ll be there… singing and acting and writing my heart out.”

An unwavering advocate for LGBT equality since the start of her career, Lauper created the True Colors Tour in 2007. The Tour has brought together artists like Erasure, The B-52s, the Indigo Girls, Deborah Harry and Joan Jett & the Blackhearts for shows that successfully merge great music and public awareness about the issues facing the LGBT community.

PHOTOs by Ellen von unwerth

To further her role as an activist, Lauper founded the True Colors Fund in 2008. The non-profit seeks to inspire and engage everyone, particularly the straight community, to become involved in the advancement of LGBT equality.

The Fund recently launched the Give a Damn Campaign, an extensive and innovative online public education and awareness initiative.

In addition, Lauper is the Honorary Chairperson of the True Colors Residence, the first project of its kind to provide a permanent, supportive and secure home to formerly homeless LGBT youth in New York City.

In appreciation for her work, Lauper has been honored by many organizations including the Human Rights Campaign, GLSEN and PFLAG.

“It’s an honor to always have the genuine affection of the gay community,” she states.

“They have never turned their back on me. I will never turn my back on them. We’ve had a long and enduring love affair.”

Lauper is also a tireless participant in the struggle to end the HIV/AIDS pandemic.

Most recently, she has joined with Lady Gaga to be the spokespeople for the MAC Viva Glam Campaign and to educate woman about HIV/ AIDS around the world.

She also continues to participate in efforts and events for organizations like AMFAR, Broadway Cares/ Equity Fights AIDS and the Gay Men’s Health Crisis in order to speak out about the need for education and greater resources to fight this disease.

Fall 2012 THE MIRROR 43

FEATURE

SEX & LOVE

Cruising and Dating v3.0

SFGN decided to highlight some of the most popular, most obscure and most recent apps to pop up.

FIND YOUR PLACE! Grindr:

If you’re a gay guy with a smartphone and you haven’t heard of the ever so popular Grindr you’ve been living under a rock in Afghanistan. But for those technologically challenged here’s a quick overview. Grindr has 4 million users worldwide. All versions of Grindr allow for a seamless transition that allows you to have the same profile on multiple devices such as an iPhone and iPad. For $2.99 a month you can purchase Grindr Xtra, which allows you to view up to 200 guys at a time, removes ads and allows for push notifications.

Be careful though on what you post.

Grindr recently fell victim to a major cyber attack, which took advantage of flaws in the mobile app’s security.

The hacker used those flaws to access the service’s user accounts, and posted account information online. The attack mostly targeted Australian users. It was reported that apparently the hacker spoofed several accounts in Sydney, Australia and sent messages and changed profile photos to graphic images without the real user’s knowledge.

On the other hand, Grindr recently won the TechCrunch’s 2011 Crunchies Award for Best Location Application and the took home two awards. The app won “Best Mobile Dating App” at the 2012 iDate Awards and “Best New Technology” at the 9th annual Dating Industry & Internet Dating Conference.

Available on Android, Blackberry, and iPhone. Visit Grindr.com for more information.

44 THE MIRROR Fall 2012

GuySpy:

If Grindr is too mainstream for you, check out GuySpy. Members are displayed on a grid similar to Grindr but also offers a map on the iPhone and Android. Voice and video messages can be sent in chat as well.

Their tagline is “Anytime, Anywhere and Any Way.” In addition to the app they have a fairly expansive blog that ranges from interviews with porn starts to political activists. The app was also featured in the 2011 movie Judas Kiss. There’s also a premium version, GuySpy+, which gives users access to more features including travel mode and HD video messaging.

The upgraded version costs $1.99 for 30 days, $5.99 for 90 days, and $22.99 for a year.

Available on as a free app on Android, iPhone, and Blackberry and also has a website. Visit GuySpy.com for more information.

Jack’d

Jack’d offers push notifications, a match finder, and multiple profile pictures along with unlimited message exchanges. Unfortunately Jack’d is notably buggy with one Android user saying, ““I LOVE this app, its way better than Grindr and Adam4adam but the new updates are dumb to me.

I can’t use my auto-correct when I’m typing messages (very dumb!) And my radius got smaller (dumber!) Please fix this and once again this app will be my favorite :)” [SIC].

Available as a free app for the iPhone and Android. Visit www.Jackd.mobi for more information.

Finding it hard…no pun intended…to find a date these days? Well it’s time to move into the new age of mobile dating. Just as digital dating sites like America Online 15 years ago revolutionized the way gays meet, date and hook up, mobile dating is doing it again. America Online introduced us chat rooms; sites like Manhunt and Adam4Adam introduced us to cruising online; now apps are once again changing the way we meet, date and hook up.

Hornet:

Grindr watch out. So far few apps have been able to put a dent into Grindr’s market share of gay dating and hook up apps, but this is one to watch for. Hornet may be just the one to finally challenge Grindr. It allows users to upload multiple private and public photos. Another neat feature is the notes feature, which allows a user to keep track of information about the guys you’ve talked with. It includes an “explore” feature which allows a user to find guys in other areas that they may be traveling to. One iPhone user stated “Hands down better than Grindr. No annoying ads, fast photo approval and friendly customer service.” They also offer a stealth mode.

Another feature they’ve incorporated into their app is “Know your Status” (KYS). In their profile, positive or recently tested guys will get a special marker, so that users are prompted to enroll in a voluntary campaign for a safer environment. Once a test comes up for renewal, Hornet will remind users to get tested again, or their KYS status lapses to unknown.

Other features include stealth mode, forwarding profiles and extensive filters so you can focus on what you do want to see.

Available as a free app for the iPhone and Android. Visit GetHornet.com for more information.

GaysAroundMe:

GaysAroundMe is a new product from the company SinglesAroundMe. The app is free, however requires a premium account to send messages or respond to messages. The premium account cost $2.99 for one

month or $19.99 for 1 year. Existing SinglesAroundMe users simply sign into GaysAroundMe to access their profile.

“With a half million downloads worldwide we are extremely excited to be able to offer a dedicated, sophisticated product for single gay men,” said Christopher Klotz, CEO of SinglesAroundMe in a press release.

“In counterpoint to other gay dating apps such as GuySpy, Grindr and Maleforce, GaysAroundMe offers a classy platform through which to meet other gay singles. It also allows users the opportunity to choose to display their location on a geographical map, which means it’s easier to meet up in real time.”

Available for the iPhone. Visit SinglesAroundMe.com for more information.

Adam4Adam:

Adam4Adam allows for users to be sorted by both location and latest login. Supporters, or users who donate to Adam4Adam, receive various upgrades such as unlimited conversation length, more pictures, and allows for conversations to be increased from 40 messages to 200 messages, costing $10 for 1 month or $25 for 3. Pro accounts are available to massage therapists, personal trainers, and photographers. Adam4adam also offers an online adult toy store selling various products, live cameras, and a pay-per-view porn site. The company also has a fairly risqué Tumblr and Twitter feed.

Available is a free web based site, however offers an app called Radar on both the iPhone and Android.

Visit Adam4Adam.com for more information.

BY charles pratt

Daddyhunt:

Scruff:

Looking for a man’s man? Well look no further, Scuff is the app for you.

The app is targeted towards the more rough and tumble guys. In an interview with FrontiersLA co-founder Johnny Scruff stated, “The guys on SCRUFF are definitely what sets us apart! All kinds of guys use SCRUFF— servicemen, firefighters, jocks, bears and lots of everyday guys. We have an inclusive community that welcomes all kinds. On that note, I love that we have famous drag queens on SCRUFF!” Scruff allows for a user to purchase messaging pro for $4.99 and browsing Pro for $3.99. Credits can also be purchased which allows users to send and store hi-res photos.

Available as a free app on the iPhone and Android. Visit ScruffApp.com for more information.

GROWLr

This is the app for finding bears, (hairy men) and those that like them. The bear community is a close-knit one, and one thing that sets this app apart from everyone else is “Shout” the ability to message all people within a distance from you. This does cost a fee, and is generally used for local bears advertising parties, businesses, and services. This is probably the only app of this type that has a real “social networking” feature to it.

Bears generally support other bears in their endeavors, but you can turn this feature off. It’s not an abused feature, and a lot of shouts are quite handy!

Available on iPhone and Android. Visit Growlrapp.com for more information.

Download it!

If the Scruff men are too young for you then perhaps Daddyhunt is the app for you. As the name suggests it’s for older gay men and the guys who love them. Among the features in the app a user can Man Grind and Grope fellow users. Daddyhunt operates a blog called Age Appropriate that covers a gambit of topics including dating, health, and politics. Mister allows for up to 10 profile pictures and offers free push notifications.

Available on the web, and as an app called Mister on Android and iPhone.

Visit DaddyHunt.com for more information.

Grindr

APP

GuySpy Jack’d Hornet GaysAroundMe Adam4Adam Scruff GROWLr Daddyhunt Spartacus SilverDaddies Manhunt Squirt Rentboy FuckedApps Out Military

Spartacus:

All of the apps listed in this spread are all about finding guys, Spartacus, however, is an app for the iPhone, that helps gays search for bars, clubs, saunas, and hotels in 2,580 cities and 143 countries. Spartacus also allows a user to “mood search” which includes the most suitable places to dance, drink, eat, meet, sleep, shop and even to have sex. A subscription costs $14.99 for the world, and $8.99 for America, Africa, Asia, and Oceania for a year. The app also features articles by the editors on the local political situation of the LGBT community as well as local sights, other highlights and a global event calendar listing Pride events around the world.

Available on the iPhone. Visit SpartacusWorld.com for more information.

Out Military:

Picture this: You’re in Afghanistan serving in the military and even though “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” has been repealed, how do you find other gay servicemen at your base? A new smartphone app will make it easier for LGBT service members to hook up. The Out Military smartphone app is the first military focused, location-based gay dating app. The app works exactly like Grindr, but it’s geared specifically toward gay service members, veterans and their admirers, looking to find each other.

Visit outmilitary.com for more information.

iPhone

Android

BlackBerry

Website

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X X X X X X X Continued on page 46 Fall 2012 THE MIRROR 45

FEATURE

Continued from page 45

WEBSITES SilverDaddies:

Like Daddyhunt, SilverDaddies is for older men and the guys who love them. It was originally created to share photos, but has recently expanded into social networking after requests according to the site creator Dennis. The basic features on SilverDaddies are free. They include photo galleries, profile creation, and profile searching.

The premium features include a list of profiles who have visited your profile, favorites, unlimited messaging, access to profile galleries, blocking, access to profile videos and the ability to keep profile notes.

SilverDaddies though is only accessible via the web. Premium service costs $15 for 3 months; $30 for 6 months; $40 for 9 months; and $50 for 1 year.

Visit SilverDaddies.com for more information.

Manhunt:

Manhunt is probably the longest established dating site opening in 2001. The site is free. However, in the mobile world they lag behind without an app.

Manhunt has over 4 million profiles worldwide.

They offer mail and video chat to communicate with other users. Unlimited membership offers unlimited messaging, unrestricted profile viewing,

46 THE MIRROR Fall 2012

Find them online! and saved searches. Unlimited membership can be purchased for $7 for a week, $30 for 90 days, and $99 for a year.

Visit ManHunt.net for more information.

Squirt:

While some of the other apps may pretend to be “dating” apps Squirt.org has no such identity crisis. It’s for hooking up, plain and simple. Their tagline says it all – “Gay Sex Cruising Hook Up Site.” But sorry guys there’s no app as of yet. The website though offers access to popular cruising locations and multiple ways to find men. There’s a free basic membership and a premium membership where members can view unlimited cruising listings, pictures, print out directions to the location, and comment about the location. It also allows members to upload videos.

Visit Squirt.org for more information.

Rentboy:

If you’re still having trouble finding a date, or maybe just want a night with no hang-ups, there’s always Rentboy, a web based escort service. The website allows for searching by city, specific sexual position, cock size, and even obscure fetishes like sneakers,

PnP, and diapers. The website is free to browse for customers. Escorts and massage therapists, however, have to pay. Rentboy also has adult toy store and payper-view porn. Creators Jeff Davids and Sean Van Sant created the International Escort Awards known as the Hookies. The website though is most notable for its controversy involving the case of anti-gay activist George Rekers who hired a man from Rentboy for a ten-day trip to Europe as a “travel assistant.”

Visit RentBoy.com for more information.

FuckedApps:

What if you can’t find a dick or date for the night, but still need something to keep you…well, occupied?

There’s always FuckedApps -- a free Web based app for the iPhone and Android that allows you to download other web based apps to watch porn. You won’t find this naughty little app in any official app store. Instead you’ll have to download it as a Web app, which means you’ll only be able access it via the Internet. Some of the Web apps it gives you access to include Gay Bear XXX, MaleSpectrum, OfficeCock, and Sausage Party. Don’t worry though whatever your taste may be, you’ll definitely close this app feeling satisfied.

Visit fuckedapps.com for more information.

48 THE MIRROR Fall 2012

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