WMG Volume 7 • Issue 25 December 3, 2020
Wilton Manors Gazette FACEBOOK.COM/GROUPS/WMGAZETTE
COMMUNITY
City’s ‘Living Document’ On Diversity Leaves Out Trans Community By John McDonald Wilton Manors’ definition of diversity or group can feel welcomed, respected, supported and valued in order to fully needs some more work. At the Nov. 24 city commission meeting, participate.” Carson noted CAAB’s diversity the community affairs advisory board (CAAB) presented a memorandum on definition left out gender identity how to recruit and maintain diversity on and gender expression. The board’s city boards and committees. The memo recommended outreach also failed to failed to include many groups covered by include transgender groups, the NAACP, the city’s non-discrimination ordinance, aging groups, independent living said resident and former Commissioner facilities, Kids in Distress and synagogues and churches. Julie Carson. Vice Mayor Paul Rolli “I really recommend commended the board’s bringing in an expert to work and said the list consult on these very of diversity groups was important matters so a “living document” that we can move our meant for additions and community forward in a subtractions. more representative way,” “We can tweak it if we Carson said during the need to,” Rolli said. meeting’s public comments Mayor Scott Newton portion. “I’m happy to fund echoed Rolli: “I think you the cost for this.” did a great job,” Newton CAAB Chairman Michael said. “You can get too far if Sansevero read the memo you really get into this. We to the commission. could probably add 200 “Diversity is a groups. I think everything recognition of all those - Chris Caputo that he put into this covers differences that make us COMMISSIONER everyone if you look and unique, and includes, but each and every word that is not limited to race, color, ethnicity, language, nationality, sexual you put in there.” Sansevero said best practice orientation, marital status, education, religion, gender, socio-economic status, for achieving diversity in the city attitudes, opinions, age and physical or mental ability,” encompasses Sansevero said. “We recognize that approaches and strategies to ensure no individuals can affiliate as such in one groups are excluded because of their or more ways. The goal is to create an differences or by implicit bias. Fair environment by which any individual procedures and processes are important
“A LOT OF THIS IS BEING ABLE TO SEE THEMSELVES IN THE ROLE AND REFLECTING THE DIVERSE NATURE OF THE COMMUNITY.”
Wilton Manors City Hall. Photo via the City of Wilton Manors, Facebook.
to eliminate barriers that prevented full participation in the past, Sansevero said. Setting term limits for boards and committees is recommended, Sansevero said. Commissioner Gary Resnick said the city’s current boards and committees have a “heaviness to lawyers and accountants.” Resnick said he wouldn’t reach out to synagogues and churches with the exception of the JCC and Congregation Etz Chaim. Commissioner Mike Bracchi asked CAAB to identify barriers to participation. “We need to understand what the problem is and one of
them is people just aren’t applying.” Direct outreach over the phone and building self-esteem and understanding in potential applicants is a key strategy, said Commissioner Chris Caputo. “It’s going to be a growing and living document,” Caputo said. “A lot of this is being able to see themselves in the role and reflecting the diverse nature of the community.” After a lengthy discussion, commissioners voted unanimously to have staff bring draft policy based on CAAB’s diversity and inclusion memo to its January meeting. WMG
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OPINION
Wilton Manors Loses All LGBT Commission Designation Five white men now represent the city
By John McDonald
WMG December 3, 2020 • Volume 7 • Issue 25 2520 N. Dixie Highway • Wilton Manors, FL 33305 Phone: 954-530-4970 Fax: 954-530-7943
Publisher • Norm Kent norm.kent@sfgn.com Associate publisher / Executive Editor • Jason Parsley jason.parsley@sfgn.com Copyeditor • Kimberly Swan
Oh the irony. November’s general election was a small victory for diversity on the Wilton Manors Commission — but not in a way this tiny South Florida city is known for. The election of Scott Newton as mayor broke up the city’s all LGBT commission. Newton, a straight man, defeated Julie Carson, a lesbian, by 112 votes — ousting Carson from a 12-year tenure on the commission. Scott Newton taking his seat as the Mayor of Wilton Manors. Photo via the City of Wilton Manors, Facebook. Michael Rajner, former chairman of the city’s charter review board, called Newton “I want to get back to all of us working a “decent man” but added he has struggled online and some were calling for people to to understand Newton’s vision for the city. “cancel” her restaurant, Bubbles & Pearls on together,” Newton told the New Pelican. The Gazette has reached out to Newton via The presence of Josie Smith-Malave in the Wilton Drive. “Julie Carson, call off your lackeys. Call off email and telephone for comment following campaign was an undeniable factor. The reality TV chef, who like Carson is also a part your dogs. Call off your people. Be the leader the election, but there has been no response. Michael Sansevero, chairman of the Wilton of the LGBT community, received 874 votes you say you ran to be. You’re the leader of this group of people. Don’t be a sore loser. [Carson’s Manors Community Affairs Advisory Board, for 12% of the vote. “If it were a race between Scott and Julie I campaign] had a choice and opportunity to said the commission needed new blood. “It had become stagnant and deadlocked,” do believe Julie would have prevailed,” Rajner create a landslide win. If it’s this close, don’t said. “I’m not attacking Josie. Also, Trump look at me [...] look at yourself,” she said. Sansevero said. “Ever since Justin passed the voters, Celeste Ellich [Broward Republican “Scott Newton won because he was there energy was gone.” The sudden death of Mayor Justin Flippen Party vice chairwoman] mobilized Trump every single day, because he’s out there being voters to turn out for Newton and [Mike] a real guy with the community and talking in February set about a chain of events that Bracchi. That may be why Scott ran a very to the people, and being connected to the eventually led to the end of Wilton Manors’ vague campaign with no vision, maybe he people. Being a mayor of Wilton Manors is all LGBT commission. Newton’s election, about bringing the people together and clearly however, does not solve the city’s diversity wanted to court those Trump voters.” woes as the commission is now composed Scott did exactly that.” In a Facebook live post In October Carson entirely of white men with newly elected after the election Smithsuffered a deep personal Commissioner Chris Caputo, 40, being the Malave pushed back hard loss when her brother died. youngest of the five. against the narrative that her Wilton Manors losing its all LGBT She ended up leaving the candidacy sunk Caron. In commission leaves Palm Springs, California campaign trail for a week. the video she heaped praise Meanwhile, Ellich told as the nation’s lone all LGBT governing body. on Newton, while blasting the New Pelican that Trump Other South Florida municipalities with more Carson and her supporters. supporters gave Newton the than one LGBT elected official include Fort “We’re in good hands edge in the race for mayor. Lauderdale, Oakland Park and Miami Beach. with Scott Newton. I got an - Michael Rajner In 2018 Wilton Manors became an all LGBT Ellich said that since there opportunity to get to know FORMER CHAIRMAN OF THE were no Republicans in the commission when Flippen won his race for him on this campaign trail, WILTON MANORS CHARTER race she recommended they mayor while Newton lost his re-election bid and he cares about the city. REVIEW BOARD vote for Newton and Bracchi, for a commission seat. Just because he’s a straight “When you look at where we have come whom she said are both guy, he may not know about from, it’s not that long ago when we weren’t the LGBTQ issues, but that’s what we’re all fiscally conservative. “We [Republicans] have to vote for even allowed to get married or have kids. here for, and that’s what we are here to do is to support him being successful,” Smith- somebody. It’s our city, too,” she told the New In a relatively short amount of time, we are now accepted as people’s city officials,” Malave said. “Even though I lost this time, Pelican. According to the New Pelican Newton is a Commissioner Gary Resnick noted in 2018. we moved the city forward together.” Smith-Malave said the people who voted registered Democrat, who supported former While Commissioner Paul Rolli, who won in the 2018 election, said when he was sworn for her did not waste their vote while also Vice President Joe Biden. Newton did not deny to the New Pelican in, “The fact that we now have an all LGBT calling Carson and her supporters “sore losers.” In the video she said Carson’s Trump supporters may have gotten him over commission is a historical marker but not necessarily a defining moment.” WMG supporters were posting nasty messages the top.
“IF IT WERE A RACE BETWEEN SCOTT AND JULIE I DO BELIEVE JULIE WOULD HAVE PREVAILED.”
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• 12. 3.2020
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December 3, 2020
NEWS
COMMUNITY
Wilton Manors Conversion Therapy Ban Not Enforceable
Clouds looming over NE 26th Street. Photo credit: Brendon Lies.
Rainstorms Test Wilton Manors Master Plan
By John McDonald
Photo via PxHere.
A consequence of last week’s ruling on conversion therapy by a federal appeals court hit home in Wilton Manors on Tuesday night. Shana Bridgeman, an attorney with the law firm of Goren, Cherof, Doody & Ezrol, informed the Wilton Manors Commission that the city’s ban on conversion therapy is not enforceable. Bridgeman cited the Nov. 20 ruling by the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, striking down bans on conversion therapy in Boca Raton and Palm Beach County. The language in those ordinances, Bridgeman said, is almost identical to the one in Wilton Manors — passed unanimously by the commission on Aug. 23, 2016. In a 2-1 decision, the court sided with therapists Robert Otto and Julie Hamilton who argued their case for sexual orientation change efforts on the grounds of the First Amendment’s right to free speech. “The reasoning that the court used is you have to let everyone talk about everything even if it’s offensive and outrageous,” Bridgeman said. Because there is a conflict between circuits
the matter is likely to make its way to the Supreme Court, Bridgeman said. After Bridgeman explained the decision and how Wilton Manors must comply she asked for questions from the commission and there were none. WMG
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