OutClique Magazine January 2021

Volume 5, Issue 2 January 2021

Craig Moody

Author, The ‘49 Indian Light the Night

Leather Almanac

Richard Gray Poseidon Ferry

SunServe Golden Gays NYC

Steven O. Evans, PhD

Publisher and Editor in Chief Steven@OutClique.com

Arthur Wood III

Senior Associate Editor Arthur@OutClique.com

Connie Evans

Chief Copy Editor Mother of the Publisher

Sach AD Group

Director of Graphic Design

Mike Ritzi

Executive Director of Sales

Chandler Scott

Director of Social Media Assistant to the Publisher

Chris Lodge

Director of Special Projects Assistant to the Publisher

Irv Scott

Sales Manager

Rivendell Media

National Advertising

Gregg Shapiro

Senior Entertainment Writer

Denny Patterson

Senior Lifestyle Writer

Contributing Writers

Andy Armano, Rod Davis, Fr. Jamie Forsythe, John M. Hayden, Marty Kiar, On Mekahel, Patrick Rogers, Eric Noel Roman, Cory Sanders, Fr. Rich Vitale

Distribution

Robby Wagenseil, Miami-Dade

A publication of OutClique, LLC (954) 998-6429 www.OutClique.com www.Facebook.com/OutClique OutClique@gmail.com OutClique, LLC is not responsible for statements or opinions expressed in advertisements or articles.

All Things New

Photo by Michael Murphy Photographic

By Steven O. Evans, PhD

I

t’s finally here 2021. As I write this, I am amazed at how this past year has changed every person and nation in our world. The political, cultural, economic, environmental, and public health challenges all culminated into a global crisis unlike we have seen in human history.

Take a look around though. We have survived. Yes, it was not without pain and for many continues to be so. My partner and I watched a special program by the Broadway performers and staff who are still unable to work, many still needing food, rent, and heat for the winter months in New York. Among others, Vanessa Williams put out the call to help those in need.

Friends, whatever you are going through, stay encouraged. Find the silver lining(s) of 2020.

They may be difficult to discover, but they are there, I promise.

What brings you joy? Write them down daily if you have to. The New Year is always a time for resolutions. What are your goals for 2021? It’s the time to create the life you want to have and be the person you want to be.

So, this year be safe, be happy, be content. But, most of all, just be you.

Happy New Year from all of us at OutClique magazine. We are proud to be part of the great things to come.

All the best, Steven

NN

AIR OPEN-RUISE FUN C E SOCIAL CTIC WE PRIASTANCING D TING! SEA N N

E S I U R C T A O B R E V I A R I SLAND ADVENTURE TO AN

TA IN KS * ENTER IN R D & D O FO

ME N T *

T IE S G R O U P PA R G IN E E * S T S IG H

JungleQueen.com | (954) 462-5596

10 OFF p. p. $5 OFF p. p.

DINNER AND ISLAND CRUISE WITH ONLINE BOOKING CODE: OUTCLIQUE 90-MINUTE CRUISE WITH ONLINE BOOKING CODE: OUTCLIQUE90 Departs Bahia Mar Yachting Center on A1A. @ 6PM • Fort Lauderdale

$

CHECK OUR WEBSITE FOR CRUISE TIMES AND DATES. CANNOT BE COMBINED WITH ANY OTHER OFFER. EXP. 2/28/21

PARADISE FOUND

Providing Scheduled Flights to Eleuthera, Abaco and Key West and Private Charter Flights Anywhere in the Southeast.

954.601.3742 | AZTECAIRWAYS.COM

A Poseidon Adventure

By John M. Hayden

A

new year, a new party! Now we’re ready to start 2021 with a cruise, some booze, and some good news. OutClique is proud to sponsor a music cruise on the Poseidon Ferry on Biscayne Bay. Saturday, January 30, 2021 (and the fifth Saturday of any month following), is LGBTQ+ night on one of South Florida’s coolest cruises.

Poseidon Ferry Music Cruises have all kinds of theme nights for just about anyone, and January 30, 2021 is our night. A DJ will be mixing music and bartenders will be mixing drinks from the full service bar.

If you want to enjoy a sea breeze or sip your cocktail in air conditioned comfort, this cruise has you covered. The upper deck is open air, letting you enjoy a warm winter evening while scanning Miami’s iconic skyline. The lower deck is climate controlled. The onboard WiFi will let you post pics or stream the party to make everyone who stayed on shore super jealous.

Boarding begins at 9:00PM and the cruise gets

8 | OutClique.com

going with departure at 9:30PM. This party lasts two and a half hours. We’ll be getting in around midnight, just as the rest of Miami’s clubs are heating up, which makes OutClique’s Poseidon Ferry Music Cruise night the perfect pre-party. The cost is only $30, and the cruise line is willing to help other organizations, too.

LGBTQ+ groups can sell tickets on their own and earn some commission. Contact Mary Mendes at MMendes@PoseidonFerry.com for some details.

Poseidon Ferry docks at the Miami River Baywalk Path in downtown Miami, right outside the River Entrance to the Hyatt and James L. Knight Convention Center. You can park at the Knight Convention Center parking garage at 200 SE 2nd Avenue.

For this party, space is limited due to COVID, so making reservations is highly recommended. To buy tickets or learn more about Poseidon Ferry and other cruises, check out their website at www.PoseidonFerry.com.

See you aboard and happy cruising!

P O S E I D O N F E R RY C H A R T E R CO RP O R AT E EVEN T S ● W ED D ING S ● ANNI VE RSARI E S ● BI RTHDAYS

Catching Up with Island House Key West

By Tony Adams Photos Courtesy of Tony Adams

A

s difficult as it would seem, the venerable gay men’s resort, Island House Key West, has found a way to remain open for business, providing its loyal customers with the enjoyment they expect balanced by the safety they need.

Island House knows that when you throw a gay man into a clothing-optional tropical paradise with a likeminded international crowd of men escaping the pain of 2020, he is apt to think with the smaller of his two heads. Not to worry, Island House has made careful decisions and adjustments throughout the property while honoring and surpassing all requirements.

In addition, staff is vigilant and not shy about enforcing rules put into place for the health of all. Unless your behavior is stupid, the risks you assume upon check-in are no greater than those you accept at a supermarket, gym, convenience store, or restaurant. Social distancing and masks prevail.

Room services and food service have been carefully adjusted. Again, anyone breaking the rules is swiftly brought into compliance by the staff. To be clear, you will miss some aspects of the Island House experience, including their fabulous Sunday and Wednesday pool parties and crowded happy hours, but thoughtful socializing will still have you laughing with new and old friends. I am told weekends are sold out, so expect a crowd. (Contact Island House for the specifics about what facilities are either open, closed, or restricted when you want to check-in.)

Maybe Island House knows the difference between prudent and prudish, between sensible and senseless, between respectful and reactionary. Maybe it’s just that they want their customers to stay healthy, and to return again when Key West is back to (never) normal.

I have enjoyed my twelfth annual Island House visit. As always, I never left the property!

OutClique.com | 11

Celebrating 20 Years of Gay Luxury Travel Around the World

Full Moon Dreams of Tahiti Cruise September 16-23, 2021

Private Charter of Windstar’s Wind Spirit

Papeete - Moorea - Raiatea - Taha’a - Bora Bora - Huahine

Splendors of Morroco

Heart of the Black Sea

May 19-29, 2021

August 4-13, 2021

Casablanca - Tangier - Fez - Atlas Mountains Marrakesh

Odessa - Novorossiysk - Sochi - Amasra - Istanbul

Visit SourceEvents.com for information on all of our journeys.

For more details and to reserve, call us at 305-672-9779 or email us at Reservations@SourceEvents.com Mention OutClique at the time of booking for special

Santa Sip & Strut with Flockfest Photos Courtesy of SRL Media

For more photos of this event, visit us on Facebook at facebook.com/outclique.

Want to submit photos? | Contact us! OutClique@gmail.com 16 | OutClique.com

The Pub

Photos Courtesy of SRL Media

For more photos of this event, visit us on Facebook at facebook.com/outclique.

Want to submit photos? | Contact us! OutClique@gmail.com 18 | OutClique.com

Photos Courtesy of Bar Rita Photos Courtesy of SRL Media

954-990-6658 1401 South Andrews Avenue Fort Lauderdale FL 33316

20 | OutClique.com

OutClique.com | 21 Photos Courtesy of SRL Media

e z O o B with a musical dragaret

@ Matty's 2100 2100 WILTON WILTON DRIVE DRIVE WILTON WILTON MANORS, MANORS, FL FL

Fridays 7:00 pm to 10: 00pm

Matty’s

Photos Courtesy of SRL Media

For more photos of this event, visit us on Facebook at facebook.com/outclique.

Want to submit photos? | Contact us! OutClique@gmail.com OutClique.com | 23

The Staff

dean

jason

dan

tommy

Mona’s

Photos Courtesy of SRL Media

For more photos of this event, visit us on Facebook at facebook.com/outclique.

Want to submit photos? | Contact us! OutClique@gmail.com 26 | OutClique.com

The Eagle

Photos Courtesy of SRL Media

For more photos of this event, visit us on Facebook at facebook.com/outclique.

Want to submit photos? | Contact us! OutClique@gmail.com 32 | OutClique.com

Starbucks Wilton Manors Grand Opening Photos Courtesy of SRL Media

For more photos of this event, visit us on Facebook at facebook.com/outclique.

Want to submit photos? | Contact us! OutClique@gmail.com OutClique.com | 33

Georgie’s Alibi Monkey Bar Photos Courtesy of SRL Media

For more photos of this event, visit us on Facebook at facebook.com/outclique.

Want to submit photos? | Contact us! OutClique@gmail.com OutClique.com | 35

Craig Moody

Award-Winning South Florida Author Written and photographed by Andy Armano | www.AndyArmano.com

Cover Photo by Andy Armano 36 | OutClique.com

T

his month’s cover story features a local, South Florida boy who has made us proud. Craig Moody is an award-winning, published author from Pembroke Pines, FL. The ‘49 Indian 1, his debut novel, is one of two Florida winners of the third annual Indie Author Project regional contest. The Indie Author Project (https://indieauthorproject.com) is a publishing community that connects library patrons with great indie-published books, and their annual contest helps local authors get the recognition they deserve. This year’s Indie Author Project regional contests ran in 14 states and one Canadian province, and fielded thousands of submissions from authors of all types.

Moody’s entry to this contest was facilitated through Broward County Library’s Local Authors initiative program (https://www.broward.org/ Library/Pages/BCLLocalAuthors.aspx), which supports and promotes homegrown literary talent.

The Local Authors program at Broward County Library includes resources such as Biblioboard, a free service that lets self-published authors create and professionally format their books into digital and print-ready formats and submit their work for inclusion in the statewide Indie Florida Collection. Winning titles reflect the best indie-published eBooks each region has to offer in adult and young adult fiction. These books, and hundreds of other top indie titles, are available in the Indie Author Project Select collections on BiblioBoard Library (https:// library.biblioboard.com), OverDrive (https:// www.overdrive.com), and more digital collections.

Moody’s previous multi-award-winning novels include His Name Was Ezra and The Stars of Locust Ridge. He currently resides in Fort Lauderdale with his boyfriend, Gable, and a 24-year-old cockatiel, Alley. Craig recently sat

1

down with OutClique magazine to discuss art, spirituality, the creative process, and having fun.

Andy Armano: I am so impressed with your body of work. Congratulations on the state win of the Indie Author Project. I know the Broward County Library is incredibly proud of you.

Craig Moody: Thank you. It’s such an honor. I really do believe my art belongs to the world so for it to receive this recognition means a lot.

My prayer for the book was that readers would connect with it and that they would feel the joy I felt while writing it.

AA

You’re incredibly prolific and you’ve won quite a few awards. Do you have a process for tapping into your creativity when writing a novel?

CM

I don’t sit around and plan. I don’t write with an outline or anything.

It just takes a life of its own. That is so fun for me because even I don’t know what will happen before I write it. There are times when my boyfriend comes home from work and I’ll be so excited saying, “Oh my God, something happened in the book today that I was so not expecting!” The first time this happened, he was so confused and he said, “Well, you wrote it.” My answer was, “Yeah, I know, but this part of the story just came through me today, so even I didn’t know it was going to happen.”

AA CM

That’s so cool. I love your spirit of fun.

I think that’s a huge part of being an artist – having fun. I hope the career really takes off, but in the meantime, I just enjoy the process. Even if no one reads the book, it’s enough for me to just go through the journey of writing it. You’ve got to love what you do, even if you’re not making a dime from

https://library.biblioboard.com/viewer/f458008a-9991-4e80-ac86-af025fe15b95/1/single

OutClique.com | 37

it and even if your audience is very small. Don’t get too invested in outcomes. Of course, we hope that good things happen, but never get too connected to an external goal for the work because, at the end of the day, it really is about the creative process. You’ve just got to honor that. That’s what I try to stay focused on.

AA

Do you share any of your novels as you are writing them, or do you write it entirely in private first?

CM

As an artist I want to share with others what comes through me.

When I write, I read portions aloud to Gable.

I might read it aloud to my best friends. That is part of my editing process, but also it gives me that shared fulfillment.

AA

That’s a wonderful process. It allows you to have that connection with someone experiencing your book for the first time.

CM

I do think there’s a social connection that comes from art. There’s a special feeling we get when we connect to music, or to film, or to writing or art, paintings, and drawings. I really recognize that connection as a spiritual experience. I believe that art comes from our original source, whatever you choose to call it – the universe, God, or whatever you might call it. Art is a soulful thing that unites us in an unspoken way.

AA

You now have four acclaimed novels on Amazon, but let’s go back to the start. Your first novel, The ’49 Indian. Was it easy to write or was it intimidating?

CM

I was really inspired by my own relationship. The relationship was new and everything was going so well in my life. We were in our first year together, which is the honeymoon phase. It was so wonderful getting to know him and he was getting to

38 | OutClique.com

know me. That whole newness and openness in the relationship, it kind of swept me up into writing the book.

AA CM

What was it like when your boyfriend, Gable, read the book?

He was the very first person to read the book when it was done, and I was so nervous. When he reached the end, he not only cried, he wept. It was the first time I saw him truly weep. He’s not an emotional guy like that. I had to go comfort him. I knew the book touched his heart. To this day, he is my biggest fan. He is always excited about the next thing.

“When is that one going to be done? What’s it about?” We have a lot of fun with that and it’s wonderful. He is tremendously supportive and I’m so grateful for that.

AA

Your first book, The ’49 Indian, is about a gay relationship. Your subsequent books haven’t necessarily had gay protagonists. Was that a conscious thought on your part?

CM

No; not a conscious thought, at all.

None of it really is. I always start with a seed. I get this feeling about a story and it progresses from there. I don’t plan it out in advance.

AA

Did you worry your readers would want you to follow-up with another gay romantic novel?

CM

I didn’t encounter too much of that.

My readers have been very loyal. I think there’s been a few people that read my first book and asked me, “When are you going to write another gay love story?” I don’t think in that way. I’ve told different love stories because I think there is such a universal appeal to love stories, or just whatever story, just whatever feeling I get of this story needs to be told. That said, I do have a novel in process

OutClique.com | 39

40 | OutClique.com

that is gay-themed. So, I am happy to say more gay-related stories are coming.

AA

As an artist, I feel the same way. You want to explore your own creativity and not be bound to others’ expectations, but you can’t help but be aware of that pressure of expectations.

done my part by writing the book and I trust that wherever it goes next is where it should go. Besides, novel writing is very different from screenplay writing. There are talented and gifted screenplay writers out there who would connect to the soul of the books.

CM

AA CM

I can see creativity is a spiritual experience for you.

That’s so true. Man, it’s so inspiring talking to you. I love it.

AA

AA CM

I couldn’t think of anything worse than having somebody tell me, “You need to write a book about this, like this.” I would be devastated. It wouldn’t even be any fun for me. I love writing because it takes me out of this world and takes me somewhere else with other characters that I spend time with. I want that to be free and possible. Yes, I completely agree with you, but it does happen and I think that pressure is not a good thing.

I think it’s a mistake in art when choices become a business decision. We’ve seen it time and time again. An artist only ends up feeling stifled, or maybe the artist tries to capture the past, but doesn’t live up to it, instead of creating something fresh and new.

You seem remarkably at ease with letting go as an artist and trusting the process. That’s not alway very easy for me, and I admire you for that.

CM

I try to let it be as fluid and inspired as possible. I try to be the vessel and allow the art to come through me as pure and true as possible. I don’t judge it. I let it be.

For me, I think it’s a mistake to put too much thought and control into art. I’m not saying it’s right or it’s wrong, it’s just how I experience it. In the bigger picture, I really believe that my art belongs to the world. It doesn’t belong to me. I was just blessed and fortunate to experience it first and to raise it up and get it out there, but I don’t own it and I don’t control it. There is interest in making The ’49 Indian into a movie and some people think I should want to write the screenplay, but I don’t. I’ve

That’s really what I want to get across. For me, writing has a very spiritual aspect. I’m always in awe of it. I’m a channel for something bigger than me; it comes through me. The best way I can describe my relationship with my books is to compare it to being a parent. Just be proud of your children and want the best for them, but recognize and allow them to be who they are, what they’re here for, and what they’re meant to be. That’s the best way I can put it into words.

Thank you. I love that you see that.

When you first contacted me you told me that you see yourself as a channel in your portraits and interviews, and you told me you see your role as an artist to be a portal so your subjects shine through your work. I think that’s wonderful. It also made me recognize in you that perception you have as an artist; that is similar to how I feel.

AA

Thank you! I have so enjoyed talking about art and creativity. Thank you for all your time and for sharing so much. I wish we had the space here to print our deep, analyistical, and historical analysis on the importance of Madonna to the gay community and pop culture at large (laughs).

CM

Me too, but I cannot go without saying how honored I am that OutClique wanted to do this with me. Thank you.

OutClique.com | 41

Visit Lauderdale’s Richard Gray Recognized as an Innovator and Named Among 100 Most Influential LGBTQ+ People of 2020

by Out Magazine (Article and Images Courtesy of GFLCVB)

V

isit Lauderdale’s Richard Gray, Senior Vice President of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion, has been recognized as an innovator and named among the 100 most influential LGBTQ+ people in the United States by Out Magazine’s 2020 Out100. The list remains the largest annual portfolio recognizing members of the LGBTQ+ community for their ground-breaking, rippleinducing, and culture-shifting impact nationwide. Each honoree represents not just the past, but also the future.

“Richard is an exemplary, authentic leader in the travel industry and beyond, and he’s perfectly suited among Out100’s prestigious group of trailblazers,” says Stacy Ritter, President and CEO of Visit Lauderdale. “He embodies the welcoming and inclusive nature of our entire Greater Fort Lauderdale destination and uses his creative vision to bring unparalleled and progressive strategic thinking to our tourism efforts.”

This summer under Gray’s direction, Visit Lauderdale launched the groundbreaking ‘Celebrate You’ campaign which is a global first. Gray believes this the best campaign to date and underscores Greater Fort Lauderdale’s diversity. Greater Fort Lauderdale is dedicated to being a destination where all people are welcomed, regardless of religion, gender, gender expression, body size, race, or disability. The historic campaign includes trans, drag, lesbian, gay, non-binary, disabled, straight, and minorities in a very non-resort way. As part of this campaign, Gray added black and brown to the Pride colors to show

42 | OutClique.com

Greater Fort Lauderdale’s commitment and belief in black and brown people. This is the first DMO (destination marketing organization) to add these colors to its flag.

This year might have brought an onslaught of challenges, but it also welcomed new opportunities to reflect about what matters to the LGBTQ+ community and what lies ahead in the fight for equality and justice. “Now more than ever, it’s important to highlight the monumental achievements the LGBTQ+ community has made against the backdrop of a giant cultural shift and an evolving landscape of entertainment, politics, social justice, industry, and so much more. This list is critical,” says Diane Anderson-Minshall, CEO & Editorial Director of Pride Media.

Notable 2020 Out100 honorees include actor Wilson Cruz, activist and BLM organizer Janaya Khan, actor and director Joe Mantello, artist and icon Janelle Monáe, journalist Rachel Maddow, fashion legend André Leon Talley, headlining musician Lizzo, comedian Wanda Sykes, actors Jeremy Pope and Cheyenne Jackson, the creators of Queer Eye, and Joe Biden and Kamala Harris’s team Jamal Brown, Reggie Greer, and Karine Jean-Pierre. Gray is the only South Florida honoree. “I am beyond honored and humbled to be part of Out100. I will use this recognition to continue my endeavors to push the envelope and use my global platform to educate and better the world. After all, I do believe we are all here to leave the world better than we found it,” says Gray.

Photo Courtesy of Tim Hart

Timothy Hart and The 2020 SMART Ride

O

By Denny Patterson

n November 20-22, 2020, almost 700 people participated in the 17th annual SMART Ride charity event, the nation’s second largest AIDS bike ride.

Founded in 2003, The SMART Ride is a two-day, 165mile biking journey from Miami to Key West. 100% of the money raised is guaranteed to be given back to the beneficiary organizations so they may provide services at no cost to individuals in need. Over $12.4 million has been raised since The SMART Ride’s inception.

This year was R3 Accounting’s CEO Timothy Hart’s sixth time participating. “First, I love participating because I have a passion for HIV/AIDS causes, and The SMART Ride identifies with that,” he said. “Second, I love the fact that they give back 100% of everything that is raised and every single one of the benefiting agencies do great work. They deserve our effort.”

The beneficiaries this year include Broward House, Metro Inclusive Health, Pridelines, AIDS Help (AH), Miracle of Love Inc., and Compass Community Center.

However, due to COVID-19, The 2020 SMART Ride was Re-Imagined. Instead of biking, participants could ride, swim, run, jog, walk, kayak – choosing their own 165mile journey. The tagline for this year was, “How do you 165?”

“The ride was totally re-imagined and done virtually, so you did not necessarily need to ride a bike,” Hart said.

“I personally rode north on A1A with a small group. 60 miles on day one, 60 miles on day two, and 45 miles on day three. Our team was R3 Accounting. We were a small team and raised close to $12,000. We are super safe when we ride and train together.”

Currently, $635,000 has been accounted for, but more is expected to come in. The goal is to reach $700,000.

The SMART Ride participants come from across the state of Florida, including Key West, Jacksonville, Tampa, and Palm Beach. Some have come from far as Hawaii to as close as Georgia. This event attracts between 400-500 participants and ranges in age from 18-73.

Hart says there is no experience like participating in The SMART Ride.

Primary reasons why one participates in The SMART Ride is because they are HIV+, they know someone who is living with HIV/AIDS, have lost someone to HIV/AIDS, or they believe this event is beneficial. Hart believes The SMART Ride is a beneficial charity event. “I think the money these agencies get from The SMART Ride is meaningful money. It makes a difference to those particular agencies. This is an incredible event that does a world of good.”

Although The SMART Ride 2020 looked differently, Hart still feels a sense of accomplishment. He is already registered for The SMART Ride 2021, which will take place November 19-20, 2021.

For more information about The SMART Ride, visit www.TheSmartRide.org.

OutClique.com | 45

Open Up the Online Market

By Rod Davis

BBB serving Southeast Florida and the Caribbean

D

ue to the impact of COVID-19, many small companies are now making technology and online marketing a more significant focus for their company. Having an effective online presence and knowing how to meet and exceed customer demands digitally can be a difference-maker for your business.

In the Business Impact Report, the Better Business Bureau (BBB) explored the online retail industry from customers, business owners, research findings, and exclusive BBB data. E-commerce is booming. Sales reached $3.5 trillion in 2019, and according to Statista, by 2023, e-retail sales are estimated to account for 22% of all retail sales worldwide.

At www.BBB.org, searches for online retailers skyrocketed 383% this year, suggesting that more and more consumers are researching businesses before making an online purchase.

Business owners have an opportunity to change the narrative of their company, from just trying to survive to thrive during difficult times. This report takes you

step-by-step on how to bolster your business’s online reputation, improve customer communication, build trust, and how operating with integrity and honesty can differentiate your business.

More customers turn to www.BBB.org: 73% increase in online business profile views 383% increase in online shopping business profile searches Overall business profile search to www.BBB.org up 97% 62% increase in business profile views for BBB Accredited online retailers (Source: IABBB year-over-year data between March - Oct 2019/2020)

Even though e-commerce is thriving globally savvy retailers will want to be on top of the latest industry trends and make strategic decisions to help their business grow and thrive.

Small businesses are defined as those with 500 or fewer employees, from LLCs with multiple locations, to mom and pop shops with fewer than five employees.

While running a small business is no easy task, here are OutClique.com | 47

some surprising facts business owners can’t afford to ignore: Nearly one-third of businesses fail because the owner runs out of money (US. Bureau of Labor Statistics)

Opening and maintaining a small business can be a considerable risk that requires upfront costs and hard work. While many small businesses succeed, identifying early risks can help you better prepare for the future.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, about 20% of companies fail in their first year, and 50% of small businesses fail in their fifth year.

For many business owners, the finances and accounting are the most challenging part of running their company, but they are at higher risk of failing without those skills.

More than one-third of small business owners don’t believe they need a website (Big Commerce)

Without question, shoppers overwhelmingly look online to purchase or research a product and service. Since the onset of COVID-19, the number of customer inquiries to www.BBB.org spiked 36% year-over-year. Having an online presence is essential to any business’s success and can also lend authority to your brand and connect to even more customers.

BBB interviewed Amanda Brinkman on the impact of COVID-19 on small businesses and towns. Brinkman acknowledges that it’s a challenging time for companies, but warns that even when stay-at-home orders lift, people will not come back in the capacity as they did before the pandemic. “So many businesses do not focus on their online presence, but it’s vital.

It’s on us as owners to make it as easy as possible – communicating with customers, to be pivoting how we sell and deliver products, and showing the heart behind our businesses as to what we are doing for the community,” said Amanda Brinkman, host of Small Business Revolution.

1.9 billion people purchased goods or services online (Statista)

The online retail landscape continues to change and evolve each year as customer expectations and the demand for convenience skyrocket. According to Statista, e-retail sales surpassed 3.5 trillion US dollars worldwide in 2019 and are forecasted to accelerate even more in the future.

Business owners now need to do more than just setup their e-commerce sites and promote their products or services online. A company website and social media platform is a space where people can learn more about who you are and your values as a business owner, and it is also a place to provide personal customer care.

By 2040, an estimated 95% of all purchases will be through e-commerce (99firms)

According to 99firms, online purchases will continue to soar as more and more brick-and-mortar stores close due to the pandemic and quarantining. Many business owners have had no choice but to move their stores online and appeal to new customers. This everincreasing demand can be costly, from packaging and shipping expenses to technology upgrades. Regardless, investing now can pay off dividends in the future.

Growing online retail trends: • E-retail sales surpassed $3.5 trillion US dollars in 2019 • Retail websites generated almost 22 billion monthly visits in June 2020 • In 2019, e-retail sales accounted for 14% of total sales If you are a business owner or seeking to start a business, download the full report at: bit.ly/2Vr12rR. Your local BBB is a resource to help you. Contact Nicola at (561) 842-2168 to reach us for assistance.

OutClique.com | 49

HUGO LIVING WITH HIV SINCE 1995 REAL BIKTARVY PATIENT

KEEP CONNECTING. Because HIV doesn’t change who you are.

BIKTARVY is a complete, 1-pill, once-a-day prescription medicine used to treat HIV-1 in certain adults. BIKTARVY does not cure HIV-1 or AIDS.

Ask your healthcare provider if BIKTARVY is right for you.

Featured patient compensated by Gilead.

Watch Hugo’s story at BIKTARVY.com

IMPORTANT FACTS FOR BIKTARVY®

This is only a brief summary of important information about BIKTARVY and does not replace talking to your healthcare provider about your condition and your treatment.

MOST IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT BIKTARVY BIKTARVY may cause serious side effects, including:  Worsening of hepatitis B (HBV) infection. If you have both HIV-1 and HBV, your HBV may suddenly get worse if you stop taking BIKTARVY. Do not stop taking BIKTARVY without first talking to your healthcare provider, as they will need to check your health regularly for several months.

ABOUT BIKTARVY BIKTARVY is a complete, 1-pill, once-a-day prescription medicine used to treat HIV-1 in adults and children who weigh at least 55 pounds.

It can either be used in people who have never taken HIV-1 medicines before, or people who are replacing their current HIV-1 medicines and whose healthcare provider determines they meet certain requirements.

BIKTARVY does not cure HIV-1 or AIDS. HIV-1 is the virus that causes AIDS. Do NOT take BIKTARVY if you also take a medicine that contains:  dofetilide  rifampin  any other medicines to treat HIV-1 POSSIBLE SIDE EFFECTS OF BIKTARVY BIKTARVY may cause serious side effects, including:

(bik-TAR-vee)

Tell your healthcare provider if you have any new symptoms after you start taking BIKTARVY.  Kidney problems, including kidney failure. Your healthcare provider should do blood and urine tests to check your kidneys. If you develop new or worse kidney problems, they may tell you to stop taking BIKTARVY.  Too much lactic acid in your blood (lactic acidosis), which is a serious but rare medical emergency that can lead to death. Tell your healthcare provider right away if you get these symptoms: weakness or being more tired than usual, unusual muscle pain, being short of breath or fast breathing, stomach pain with nausea and vomiting, cold or blue hands and feet, feel dizzy or lightheaded, or a fast or abnormal heartbeat.  Severe liver problems, which in rare cases can lead to death. Tell your healthcare provider right away if you get these symptoms: skin or the white part of your eyes turns yellow, dark “teacolored” urine, light-colored stools, loss of appetite for several days or longer, nausea, or stomach-area pain.  The most common side effects of BIKTARVY in clinical studies were diarrhea (6%), nausea (6%), and headache (5%).

These are not all the possible side effects of BIKTARVY. Tell your healthcare provider right away if you have any new symptoms while taking BIKTARVY.

 Those in the “Most Important Information About BIKTARVY” section.

You are encouraged to report negative side effects of prescription drugs to the FDA. Visit www.FDA.gov/medwatch or call 1-800-FDA-1088.

 Changes in your immune system.

Your immune system may get stronger and begin to fight infections.

Your healthcare provider will need to do tests to monitor your health before and during treatment with BIKTARVY. Continued on next page.

Please see Important Facts, including important warnings, continued on the next page and at BIKTARVY.com.

REAL

BIKTARVY

PAT I E N T S

ZACH

D’EVA

HUGO

CHAD

NIKKI

DIMITRI

Meet a few of the extraordinary people who take BIKTARVY.

Watch their stories at BIKTARVY.com Featured patients compensated by Gilead.

IMPORTANT FACTS FOR BIKTARVY® (CONTINUED) BEFORE TAKING BIKTARVY Tell your healthcare provider if you:  Have or have had any kidney or liver problems, including hepatitis infection.  Have any other health problems.  Are pregnant or plan to become pregnant. It is not known if BIKTARVY can harm your unborn baby. Tell your healthcare provider if you become pregnant while taking BIKTARVY.  Are breastfeeding (nursing) or plan to breastfeed. Do not breastfeed. HIV-1 can be passed to the baby in breast milk.

 BIKTARVY and other medicines may affect each other. Ask your healthcare provider and pharmacist about medicines that interact with BIKTARVY, and ask if it is safe to take BIKTARVY with all your other medicines.

HOW TO TAKE BIKTARVY Take BIKTARVY 1 time each day with or without food.

GET MORE INFORMATION

Tell your healthcare provider about all the medicines you take:

 This is only a brief summary of important information about BIKTARVY. Talk to your healthcare provider or pharmacist to learn more.

 Keep a list that includes all prescription and over-the-counter medicines, antacids, laxatives, vitamins, and herbal supplements, and show it to your healthcare provider and pharmacist.

 If you need help paying for your medicine, visit BIKTARVY.com for program information.

 Go to BIKTARVY.com or call 1-800-GILEAD-5

Please see Important Facts, including important warnings above and at BIKTARVY.com.

BIKTARVY, the BIKTARVY Logo, LOVE WHAT’S INSIDE, GILEAD, and the GILEAD Logo are trademarks of Gilead Sciences, Inc., or its related companies. Version date: February 2020 © 2020 Gilead Sciences, Inc. All rights reserved. BVYC0247 05/20

MILLIONS IN SETTLEMENTS WON FOR CLIENTS The premiere Fort Lauderdale personal injury attorney.

We specialize in car and truck accidents, dog bites, and slip and fall personal injury electric scooter accidents, general negligence, civil assaults and wrongful death cases.

WE DON'T GET PAID UNTIL YOU GET PAID

FREE CONSULTATION

(954) 449-2671 2740 E OAKLAND PARK BLVD #302 FORT LAUDERDALE, FL 33306

www.Johndmooneypa.com

Healthy Game Day Snacks (Courtesy of Florida Medical Center)

W

ho doesn’t love watching their favorite sports teams? Especially when the weather cools down and the action heats up. So, how do you serve up tasty game day snacks without blowing your fitness goals?

•

•

Here are several crowd-pleasing options to keep the flavor and crunch you crave, while reducing saturated fat and empty calories. And, we won’t tell if you want to keep the “healthy” part to yourself.

•

• •

Raw Veggies with Low-fat Greek Yogurt-based Dip or Hummus. Try this instead of ranch dressing or

•

sour cream-based dip. Cut up carrots, celery, and broccoli, then serve.

Natural or Low-fat Popcorn. Lightly salted or unsalted (and without butter).

Guacamole. Simply combine 2-3 ripe avocados with a tablespoon of lime juice, dash of salt, and ground black pepper to taste. Yum.

•

•

Healthier Chips! Get creative (and colorful). Serve baked chips, sweet potato chips, kale or beet chips, or blue corn tortilla chips. Serve in a bowl.

Tip: For easier portion control, never nosh on snack foods straight from the bag.

Spinach Quesadillas. Start with whole grain tortillas, sautéed spinach, and your favorite lowfat cheese. Place ingredients on the tortilla, top with another, and lightly sauté or grill each side to melt the cheese. Remove from heat, cut into wedges, and serve warm (with guacamole or salsa).

Lightly-salted Pretzels. Speaks for itself.

Fresh Fruit. Cut up fresh pineapple, strawberries, apple, and cantaloupe into bite size chunks and while you’re at it, toss in some blueberries.

Raw Almonds. Pour in a small bowl, grab a handful, and share.

Woo-Hoo! Go, Team!

OutClique.com | 57

12,000 Food Parcels Reach AHF Africa Clients

By Julie Pascault (Article and Images Courtesy of AHF)

A

HF teams across Africa have been busy over the last few months distributing over 12,000 food parcels throughout 11 countries. Nationwide lockdowns left thousands of people living with HIV wondering where their next meal might come from, since many lost their jobs and food markets and vendors closed.

Beneficiaries were able to pick up the rations at supported clinics, and for clients too sick or unable to travel, AHF teams delivered the packages to their homes along with antiretroviral medications. The packs of food included flour, soap, cooking oil, sugar, beans, and formula for children, among other items.

“We had many clients who were very hungry which often caused them to refuse taking their ART on an empty stomach,” said Emile Musabyimana, Head of Remera Health Center in Kigali, Rwanda. “But, now with this food support from AHF, I’m sure they are going to adhere to treatment as they normally do. We thank AHF very much for this support and how it has been supporting our health center, especially during this lockdown period in

terms of transportation, personal protective equipment, and as always, technical support.”

We invite you to explore the photographs from the food distribution exercises throughout the AHF Africa Bureau country teams, as well as the heartwarming feedback from clients and clinicians throughout the countries.

Ethiopia

“There is no little gift, all support is valued. We want to thank AHF on behalf of our clients.”

– Mr. Tesfaye Tsegaye, African Services Committee, Batu Clinic Direct, Ethiopia

Kenya

“May God bless AHF Kenya so much. Since COVID-19 and the restrictions began, I have been surviving from hand-to-mouth. This food will go a long way for me and my family. I will not take ARVs on an empty stomach.”

– AHF Kenya client

Lesotho

“We are struggling because of COVID-19, and we need proper meals to take our medication. We are thankful for the food parcels.”

– AHF Lesotho client

Malawi

“This is a timely gesture. A majority of our clients are poor, and they depend on small businesses to find food. COVID-19 has greatly disturbed their survival.

We are so thankful as a district because this food will cushion them from the many challenges that they are experiencing.”

– Mr. Suzumile, Chikwawa District ART Coordinator, Malawi 58 | OutClique.com

Mozambique

“Since I became sick, you have served me well. And now this food support that AHF is giving me, I thank you so much. God bless all of you to continue to help others.”

– Arlindo-Muhalaze Health Center client, Mozambique

Nigeria

“To some people, it may be little, but to me, and to most of us here, what you have done is a great deal. AHF has always put smiles on our faces … with this food donation, our children won’t have to worry about eating for some time. My prayers are for God to continue to bless all of you at AHF.” – Ms. Lan Iwanje, ART client, Nigeria

Rwanda

“I can’t express my feelings now, but I pray for God to bless AHF for its continuous support to the people living with HIV. I’m blessed to be among the beneficiaries of AHF. This food support is going to improve my life, especially during this period of COVID-19, which is one of the most difficult times I’ve had.

On my behalf and on behalf of my peers, we thank AHF so much.”

– Kinyinya Health Center ART client, Rwanda

South Africa

Community members in Flagstaff, South Africa receive food parcels from Tabitha Community Care, an organization supported by the AHF COVID-19 Emergency Fund.

Uganda

AHF staff delivers food and medicine for clients that are unable to travel to clinic facilities.

Zambia

“With the outbreak of COVID-19, AHF’s initiative of providing us with food will greatly mitigate the lack of food in our homes.”

– ART client, Zambia

Zimbabwe

“I would like to thank AHF for the food parcels – may God bless you – you are taking care of those of us who are orphans.”

– ART client, Zimbabwe OutClique.com | 59

How Ark of Freedom Alliance is Combating

the Sex Trafficking of LGBTQ+ Youth

By Nathan Earl & Stephen Ferrante

E

very year, youth and adults are compelled into sex trafficking across South Florida. While anyone can be exploited, traffickers regularly target young people who lack strong support networks, are financially burdened, have experienced violence in the past, or who are marginalized by society. Without meaningful community support, young people who identify as LGBTQ+ may be at particular risk for sexual exploitation and/or trafficking. Youth not identifying as LGBTQ+, or straight/heterosexual, are also sexually exploited and trafficked.

Sex traffickers use violence, threats, lies, and other forms of coercion to compel individuals to engage in sexual activities against their will or because they lack other options. Some examples of sexual activities include posing for nude images or video, intercourse (anal, oral, and vaginal), dancing, and stripping. Some victims become romantically involved with someone who then forces or manipulates them into sex work.

Some are controlled or coerced once under the influence of illicit drugs, like crystal meth. Others are lured in with false promises of a job, such as modeling or dancing. Some are forced to sell or trade sex by family members, while other are kicked out by their families, placing them in stressful financial situations in which they must trade shelter, drugs, hormones, food, and other things of value to survive.

Ark of Freedom Alliance (AFA) is a federally-funded 501(c)3 nonprofit organization whose mission is to prevent violence and exploitation by utilizing a public

health approach to co-create equitable, inclusive, and empowered communities. We do this through advocacy, community mobilization, and the coordinated delivery of evidence-based education, intervention, and survivor-care. As a survivor-led human rights and services organization, AFA is particularly focused on historically underserved male-identifying young adults, including black, brown, and Native American LGBTQ+ individuals who are at risk of human trafficking because of homelessness, substance misuse, mental health challenges, unresolved trauma, family dysfunction, and criminal justice involvement.

AFA offers professional training, conducts outreach, and provides comprehensive case management and direct assistance with unmet basic needs; connection with health and behavioral health care; advocacy for victims’ services and rights; educational, employment, and other income related linkages; family reunification; and peer support.

Visit www.AOfAlliance.org to learn more about human trafficking and the many ways you can support AFA prevent the exploitation of LGBTQ+ youth. To report suspected cases of human trafficking, call the National Human Trafficking Resource Center at (888) 373-7888. To make a local referral or to coordinate an organizational training on human trafficking, call (954) 778-2871.

Please consider AFA when selecting an impactful organization to benefit from your holiday, end-of-year charitable giving (CH52787, EIN: 82-2572698).

68 | OutClique.com

Ark of Freedom Alliance and Project GOLD

Align to Expand Human Trafficking Services to LGBTQ+ Youth

By Nathan Earl & Stephen Ferrante

K

risti House, in partnership with Ark of Freedom Alliance (AFA), was awarded a major three year grant from the Office on Trafficking in Persons (OTIP) within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families.

Kristi House’s program for sex trafficked girls, Project GOLD, will partner with AFA to expand services to males, LGBTQ+ individuals, and labor trafficking survivors in this new initiative, called Project TEAM (Trafficking & Exploitation Advancing the Movement).

Established in 2018, AFA is a nonprofit organization addressing violence and exploitation, as well as sex and labor trafficking in males and LGBTQ+ identifying youth and young adults. Their work involves outreach, case management, housing linkages, and community mobilization in Miami-Dade and Broward Counties. AFA operates out of the FLITE Center of Broward County and Quest Workspaces Fort Lauderdale.

Kristi House operates Project GOLD, the first and longest-running program in Miami-Dade County, dedicated to child sex trafficking. The program is based at the Project GOLD Drop-In Center, the first such site in Florida developed exclusively for underage girls overcoming trafficking.

Together this partnership combines the means and expertise to expand and enhance services to young trafficking victims for whom services are currently scarce or highly limited. The goal is to provide the wraparound services needed to facilitate survivors’ stability

and resilience, and end their exploitation and trauma.

Domestic trafficking victims up to 24 years old will be served by Project TEAM. “This project, and our partnership with Ark of Freedom Alliance, will enable us to provide the much needed, specialized services to trafficked males and LGBTQ+ individuals in our community,” CEO Amanda Altman said.

“We are very excited to be forging on this path as we know of the tremendous needs of trafficking victims, particularly for these highly vulnerable populations.”

AFA’s CEO Nathan Earl expressed adding, “…awe and gratitude at this historic partnership between true counter-trafficking pioneers against some of the worst injustices that exist in the form of human slavery through labor and sexual exploitation. This alliance provides the resources needed to identify and assist historically underidentified male and LGBTQ+ victims.”

To learn more, please contact:

• • •

•

Call (954) 778-2871 FLITE Center of Broward County 5201 NW 33rd Avenue, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33309 Screening, referral, and intake Eric Hendrix, Project TEAM Case Manager, at Eric.Hendrix@AOfAlliance.org Aytia Tarpley, Project TEAM Survivor-Mentor, at Aytia. Tarpley@AOfAlliance.org Volunteering and financial support Nathan Earl, CEO, at Nathan.Earl@AOfAlliance.org OutClique.com | 69

AHF Europe Celebrates 10 Years and 100,000 Clients in Care!

By Julie Pascault (Article and Images Courtesy of AHF)

A

HF’s Europe Bureau hit two major milestones in 2020 – its 10-year anniversary and, even more monumental, more than 100,000 clients in care! Nearly 14% of people accessing HIV treatment in Eastern Europe and Central Asia receive care at AHF-supported sites, in partnership with governmental and non-governmental institutions.

Several novel initiatives were started over the past 10 years, including a free rapid HIV testing model to reach key populations, and more significantly, the introduction of rapid testing in medical facilities (provider-initiated testing and indicator-disease testing), which became part of some countries’ national guidelines.

Innovative methods for improving linkage to care were also implemented across the region, along with the modeling of people-centered solutions for treatment of chronic HIV infection disease and groundbreaking prevention campaigns through creative marketing.

72 | OutClique.com

Throughout all of these, AHF has been a driving force behind many service delivery advancements in Europe.

“We’ve had an amazing past decade and our goal still remains to turn AHF’s mission of ‘cutting-edge medicine and advocacy regardless of ability to pay’ into reality across Europe,” said Zoya Shabarova, AHF Europe Bureau Chief. “We also have big targets for the future, including a new Global Public Health Convention to ensure all countries are fully prepared to protect their citizens’ health in effective and coordinated ways during pandemics. We are making this vision a reality.”

Advocacy has been critical to the Bureau’s success, and the results achieved could not have been possible without building fruitful and cooperative relationships with other NGOs and governments alike.

“The era of combating HIV has produced a number of great organizations leading the fight. Yet only

a handful provide truly sustainable and patientcentered support for people living with HIV,” said Dr. Ihor Perehinets, former Deputy Minister of Health for Ukraine, 2014-2015. “Among these few is AHF Europe, which I have been honored to cooperate with while working for the Ministry of Health of Ukraine. With its clear vision and strong commitment to help people, AHF is an example of not only how to fight, but how to win this battle against HIV.” “AHF Europe will continue to build and share best practices related to HIV care,” added Anna Żakowicz, Deputy Bureau Chief for AHF Europe. “It’s vital that we address current and future challenges related to HIV/ TB coinfection, aging with HIV, the need for integration, and smart referrals and challenges that are faced by women, men, and young people within HIV care.”

Throughout all the progress, as well as the setbacks, AHF Europe’s clients and their wellbeing have remained at the forefront of its efforts, which was evident across the Bureau, and particularly in Ukraine with the opening of AHF’s first clinic in the country in 2017.

“When AHF opened its ‘Test and Treat’ clinic in Odessa, I became one of its first patients. The team of health workers there are one of the best, the location is convenient, the working hours are flexible … and all services are free of charge,” said AHF Ukraine client, Albina Kotovich. “And patients can participate in the StART Club – a patient-driven community where members support each other in staying on treatment.

This is a safe space for us to get questions answered and help each other and our providers shape our care in the most effective way.”

OutClique.com | 73

“ROCK THE RIBBON”

AT THE GALLERIA AT FORT LAUDERDALE Photos Courtesy of SRL Media

For more photos of this event, visit us on Facebook at facebook.com/outclique.

Want to submit photos? | Contact us! OutClique@gmail.com 76 | OutClique.com

Come get your

59

ONLY

Signature Skin Health mo

FACIAL Membership

Call Now - 954-530-5203

Come see us at 1699 East Oakland Park Blvd Oakland Park, FL

Icona Pop & Sofi Tukker Release

“Spa” (Lee Foss Remix) Article and Images Courtesy of Mighty Real Agency

Download/Stream “Spa” (Lee Foss Remix) (https://ffm.to/spa-leefoss) Sofi Tukker have shared the Lee Foss remix of their hedonistic collaboration with Icona Pop, “Spa”. The DJ, producer, and co-founder of the celebrated house music label Hot Creations, puts a Chicago touch on “Spa” with a deep synth bass, piano stabs, and flourishes of Latin percussion. The remix is club and spa ready with weightless dreamy melodies and a commanding rhythm.

The playfully indulgent anthem of self-love and selfcare also has an equally flirtatious spa treatment themed video co-starring actor Jordan Firstman and transgressive multi-hyphenate Mia Khalifa.

Icona Pop x SOFI TUKKER - Spa (Official Video) [Ultra Music]

Connect with Sofi Tukker (www.SofiTukker.com) via Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook @SofiTukker.

Connect with Icona Pop (www.IconaPop.com) via Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook @IconaPop. OutClique.com | 79

SunServe Promotes

Six Internal Candidates During Reorganization (Images and Article Courtesy of SunServe)

W

e know it has been a while since you last heard directly from us at SunServe, but we have been hard at work responding to the many changes brought about by COVID-19.

Fortunately, we have been able to continue offering vital mental health and social services to some of the most vulnerable members of the LGBTQ+ community.

SunServe is proud of the tireless work our dedicated team of caring professionals has done in order

to maintain our programming through innovative practices in our new virtual world. With direction from our Board, SunServe reevaluated our structure with an emphasis on efficiency and effectiveness. Our top priority was to identify individuals that would best serve our clients and further the agency’s mission.

After a thorough review of qualified candidates, we are pleased to announce the following internal promotions.

Gary Hensley (he/him), the former Director of Quality Assurance, has been elevated to the position of Executive Director of Operations.

Gary has been with SunServe for eight years and began working in our Housing Case Management program. Gary was instrumental in helping SunServe obtain it’s CARF (Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities) certification. Gary’s experience, attention to detail, organizational skills, and dedication to our programs make him the ideal person to oversee the operations of our organization.

Tori Bertran (she/her), the former Director of Youth Services, was promoted to fill the vacant Director of Quality Assurance position. Tori was previously promoted from Lead Life Coach to Director of Youth Services two years ago. Her analytical method to problem solving, combined with her results-oriented approach, make Tori the perfect fit to lead our Quality Assurance efforts.

Sobourney Barns (she/her), the former Lead Life Coach in our Youth Services Program, has been promoted to Director of Youth Services.

Sobourney has been an integral part of the Youth Program for more than six years and has demonstrated the ability to truly engage our young clients, especially during COVID-19. Her positive attitude and genuine caring nature will prove invaluable in her new endeavor.

80 | OutClique.com

Robert Scardino (he/him), the former EmPowerMe Program and Student Intern Coordinator, has been promoted to Director of Clinical Services. He brings years of practical experience with LGBTQ+ folks that he will impart to our interns, therapists and social workers.

Robert’s dedication and commitment to the SunServe mission make him an excellent candidate to best support our clinicians.

Michael Alexander-Luz (he/him), the Lead Therapist in our Youth Services Program, will now also serve as Assistant Clinical Director.

Michael’s leadership qualities have delivered tremendous results for our young clients in therapy. Michael’s passion to enrich the lives of individuals in our care and ability to provide strong leadership to our youth therapists, made this such an obvious decision.

Mario DePedro (he/him), a former Life Coach, has been promoted to Lead Life Coach. Mario first began his journey at SunServe Youth as our Gay Straight Alliance (GSA) Outreach Coordinator. He has had much success in introducing outside-the-box activities that capture young folks’ attention. We are more than confident that Mario will excel in this new position.

We couldn’t be more pleased that we were able to identify such amazing candidates for these positions from within our existing team. It simply goes to show that we’ve always been fortunate to have some of the best talent in our industry right here at SunServe. Please join us in wishing all of these individuals continued success. Congratulations to you all!

As SunServe continues to meet existing and new challenges in the LGBTQ+ community, we need your help more than ever. Due to economic hardships brought on

by COVID-19, philanthropic giving has decreased. There has also been a shrinking of grant funding available to community based organizations. While this is occurring, the demand for mental health and social services

continues to increase exponentially. Please consider making a donation to help fund SunServe’s life-changing programs.

Your gift goes directly into services we designed to help the most vulnerable people in our community. To donate today, visit: www.SunServe.org/Give. Please also follow our events page for upcoming fundraising activities for the new year at www.SunServe.org/Events.

Thank you from the bottom of our hearts for your continued support and generosity. Remember, at SunServe, the slogan “We Help People” would only be words without the everyday champions here that bring our programs to life.

OutClique.com | 81

Deliver the Dream

Helping South Florida Families for the Holiday Season Photos Courtesy of Deliver the Dream

Felix German, VP of Operations, IMC Health Medical Center and Jose Gonzalez Aguilera, Center Administrator, IMC Health Medical Center at Sunset.

Carolina Barbero, Center Administrator, IMC Health Medical Center at NW 27th, Leticia Casanova, Center Administrator, IMC Health Medical Center at Miami Lakes, Rebecca Hahessy, Events & Marketing Manager at Deliver the Dream, and Carolina Veira, Director of Finance, IMC Health Medical Center

O

n Wednesday, December 9, 2020, Deliver the Dream (DTD) gave out over 250 toys to 50 South Florida families looking for some extra help this holiday season. The event, the Toy Chest, gave parents the opportunity to choose what toy they wanted to give their child/ren. “We made it into a personalized shopping experience,” states Maureen Kohler, Development Director of DTD. “Our families were completely shocked with the variety and quality of toys we provided. Our community partners really went above and beyond to help make this program a success.”

Carolina Veira, Director of Finance for IMC Health

Medical Centers, states, “At IMC Health, we are proud to extend a helping hand to the communities we serve on a daily basis. We know these toys will bring joy to kids and their families during these challenging times. Thank you to [DTD] for giving IMC the opportunity to continue making a difference in people’s lives.”

To mitigate the impact of COVID-19, DTD created new programs, like the Toy Chest, to support families in need. A special thank you to IMC Health Medical Centers, Society Las Olas, and Little Smiles for supporting this program.

For more information on DTD, you can visit their website at www.DeliverTheDream.org or email Contact@DeliverTheDream.org.

About Deliver the Dream (DTD) DTD, Inc. is a not-for-profit 501(c)(3) organization that provides programs that strengthen families facing a serious illness, crisis, or disability. Founded in 1997, DTD has served more than 8,800 family members and supported a variety of populations including autism spectrum disorders, adult and childhood cancers, death of a loved one, down syndrome, epilepsy, LGTBQ+ youth and teens, multiple sclerosis, and veterans in the southeast United States. DTD’s programs continue to restore hope, strengthen relationships, and change perspectives to provide inspiration for the future.

82 | OutClique.com

Feeling better in 2021 visit www.uberlube.com

NOW AVAILABLE AT

1226 NE 4th Avenue, Fort Lauderdale, FL, 33304 www.leatherwerks.com

Relationships Amidst Quarantine On Mekahel Cederberg & Dave Mekahel Cederberg

T

he year is rapidly coming to a close. It has been a period of time that many of us are anxious to put in the rear view. Most of the pleasant distractions that life affords us were put on pause, modified, or cancelled altogether. This has left us with a great deal of “time” on our hands. What we each chose to do with this rare unicorn of a situation is something that has ended in one of two scenarios (for your relationship) – making hay or making waves, and for your sake, I hope it’s the first.

Photo Credit: Andre Andraos

In an ideal world, we would have all put our best, most productive foot forward and chose to utilize the excess for something like reflection and growth. If your relationship ended amidst quarantine, take some time to evaluate it now that you have some reprieve – especially since dating during these times is not quite what it was.

There will be more time for self focus and less for social distraction. Figure out if you selfishly folded under the immense pressure of quarantine on an otherwise solid situation, or if things were in fact irrevocably broken and it was merely quarantine that pushed everyone over the edge. Regardless of the scenario, the time to think will only provide some insight.

Fortunately, something that has been widely reported is individuals’ feelings of gratitude for the extra time that quarantine has afforded them with their family.

This means that most people’s relationships found nurture. For us, we really dug into those feelings as well as each other and our relationship, while at the same time making sure we both kept ourselves busy as the individuals that we are. We leaned into the good (which has been a majority of the last nine months) as well as the bad (a period of about three weeks when we couldn’t even look at each other without throwing words).

goals we have for our future, and some more detailed and precise backstory about things from each one’s past. No topic was off limits. The good and bad surfaced and resurfaced. You all better believe that by way of thorough examination, a little experimentation, and some “gaping” communication lines, our sex life has most literally exploded unto great heights. But, also, after the primary concern of sex as a whole, we feel that our relationship has reached new heights – the next phase. This was definitely due in part to the conditions of quarantine. Without it, who knows what our butterfly effect could have been.

The first part of our approach to all of this: skip the small talk! We live and work together 24 hours a day.

We both know what happened. Instead, we saved the conversation for weekend nights. Our discussions would go on all night over a different fun drink, which we found a recipe for each week. With a little bit of lube, we were able to speak more freely regarding ourselves, us, and our life. The exchange would focus on what, how, and what we are thankful for in the present, the

Our experience has reiterated that during any sort of hardship that life might present, choosing how to react to whatever it is that is uncontrollable is the only path towards freedom, pleasure, redemption, or whatever positive vibe is being sought. How you navigate your relationship in the face of quarantine is no different.

Challenge yourself and your partner in a way that will illuminate just how you both became your other’s quarantine partner to begin with.

OutClique.com | 85

1, 2 & 3 BEDROOM CITY FLATS & LOFTS IN DOWNTOWN FLAGLER VILLAGE

RESORT-STYLE POOL & SUNDECK TWO-STORY 24HR FITNESS CENTER YOGA, SPINNING, & AEROBIC STUDIO PRIVATE DOG PARK & PAW WASH

Bring Your Puppy!

440 NE 4th Ave. Fort Lauderdale, FL 33301

(954) 799-6000

liveataviah.com

Leather Almanac: Reflection of a New Year

By Cory David, Mr. Eagle Wilton Manors 2020/2021

A

It goes without saying that this has been a very taxing year for everyone. Life, as simple, as chaotic, as unpredictable, as it curved and knocked us back so far we thought we were back in grade school. Our stability laid shaken and our direction was lost. Moments of laughter turned to moments of pain, and complacency became the hard pill to swallow. We were caught with our pants down in a terrible way, and when we reached out to our leaders for guidance the only thing guiding them was the distant speck of a golf ball dispatched into the air by the swing of a #9 iron.

There has hardly been a moment that put us so introspective about the things that are important and that matter. Learning to provide for our children daily so they would have many years ahead, the true value of a grandmother that didn’t make it to a new year, and the now empty space once occupied by our greatest fan.

We had to learn that moments of grief, as profound as they were, could only receive a brief moment of attention because as much as we wanted to stop and breathe there were still those raising their hand hoping someone would reach out and grab it. We understood their struggle because sometimes it was us raising our hand with the same wish.

The struggle for survival was very real, and as easy as it was to turn away, to fend for ourselves, more often than not most would reach out to grab that raised hand. As important as our survival was, the inherent demonstration of love empowered us.

As brothers and sisters, the realization that we couldn’t go at this alone, but as a family, we were a community.

As a community, we were a nation. As a nation, we were part of the world. The suffering of one was no less important than the suffering of another, to sympathize and to give a little of what little we already had; that’s what let us know that we are still human.

Despite the profound struggles we still had moments of laughter and hope. Maybe they were just a brief respite, 90 | OutClique.com

Photo credit: Sabino Paulicelli Photography

s we approach the end of the old and head to the beginning of the new, I thought it appropriate to reflect on something globally common, rather than just the corner of our community. If there’s one thing that we all value and share in common is survival and love; ok, two things, but you get me, right?

but there was great comfort in a simple moment where we didn’t have to look over our shoulder. We saw the value of the simplest of gifts, not ones with a price tag or with batteries included. The gift of a smile, a thumbs up, or just a brief wink of an eye because we saw the possibility of a tomorrow. The human touch became a commodity that we yearn to share, to take a bit of our laughter and pass it to another, to give a blanket so that someone else would also enjoy warmth, and to break bread with strangers so they could share their story.

When there was a call for help there were many individuals that would break off a piece of their hope so others would have just a little bit more. We knew that if we held on long enough we could get through this lesson life was trying to teach us, and we would get it.

I understand there’s not much about leather in this article, but I think that for today taking inventory of our past is necessary to help guide us to what’s important in our future, and there will be more leather next month.

“Broker Joe” Grano, REALTOR®

Clean Riverside 4‐Plex. $569k

2/2 Ocean Pool views $299k

Wilton Manors Icon.

RED’S Bar. $125k

RENT

Victoria Park 2/2 $1,500

“I will be your friend & partner in success.”

www.JoeGrano.com

954‐931‐0031

4/2 Sunswept Isles Investment. $569k

Direct Ocean 3/2 Handyman $499k

4/3 Highland Lakes Handyman $629k

Point of Americas Updated 2/2 $559k

Now CLOSED: Lake Point Tower 2/2 $250k

All listings have a short video available to share by text.

First Atlantic Realty, Inc. 1881 NE 26th #212 Wilton Manors, Fl 33305 Licensed Real Estate Brokerage

Since 1985

Aztec Airways Announces New Direct Flights Photos Courtesy of Aztec Airways

The Scheduled Flight Department at Aztec Airways has announced they are now offering twice weekly flights on Thursdays and Sundays, direct from the Fort Lauderdale Executive Airport (FXE) to South Bimini, Bahamas.

The non-stop flights will depart from the airline’s new, private terminal at FXE which features a VIP passenger lounge. Passengers will also enjoy personalized service, no TSA lines or crowds, and other benefits not found with commercial flights.

“Our airline has been experiencing a tremendous amount of growth over the last few years”, said Captain Stuart Hanley, owner and COO of Aztec Airways. “Adding Bimini to our growing list of scheduled flight destinations is a natural fit for the Florida market.”

Contact Aztec Airways for scheduled flights to South Bimini, Eleuthera, or Abaco in the Bahamas and Key West, Florida at 954-601-3742 or visit their website www.AztecAirways.com to book.

35K LOVE AND ICON GOLD CONDOMS DONATED TO MALAWI

By Julie Pascault (Content and Image Courtesy of AHF)

T

he Malawi government was the recipient of a recent donation of 35,000 AHFbranded ICON Gold and LOVE condoms

by AHF Malawi. Officials accepted the condoms last month with another potential batch slated for delivery in six months.

“While we’re optimistic for an HIV vaccine sometime in the future, we must continue to use and promote the best prevention tools that we have,” said Triza Hara, Country Program Manager for AHF Malawi. “Condoms remain the most cost-effective method of preventing

HIV, sexually transmitted infections (STIs), and unplanned pregnancies. It’s vital that Malawians, and especially youth, have access to free or affordable condoms. Donations like this help to make that possible.”

This donation is part of AHF’s ongoing condom distribution efforts and part of a larger plan that includes potential expansion into four districts. AHF has been working in Malawi since 2018 and currently provides medical care and treatment to 23,158 registered clients.

OutClique.com | 101

Journey Through Space

By Eric Noel Roman

W

elcome to the start of the new year. We have made it around the sun safely and this ship is still running strong. Hurtling through space in an unknown direction, having all sorts of space debris being cast in our way. Oddly enough, we seem to either dodge it or have the debris not penetrate our outer layers.

Amazing that the universe is essentially infinite. We float around in space exploring our surroundings somewhat aimlessly. We know that all galaxies are moving in a pattern and our solar system is moving accordingly as well. Some scientists say that the universe is expanding, others say it is collapsing within itself. Either way it’s on a path and there is no real explanation where we will be. Within our solar system we have planets revolving around us keeping us entertained and safe from space obstacles.

As we travel through space there are times where we get presented with issues like comets and asteroids coming close to our vessel and potentially causing some serious damage to our internal ecosystem. There have been times where our lovely neighboring planets have absorbed some of these attacks. We should seriously thank them. Other times these projectiles make it through and actually manage to come into our atmosphere. Good thing we have that thick layer that

helps slow down or dissipate the space debris.

As we take our path in life, we as people have no clue where or what is the next step, or in which direction that next step is. However, there are great people that we have surrounding us. Just like planets, these people are there to help us in tough times, or be a part of our fun times. There are times that we have a poor decision or make a mistake. These are the times that we prepare for. These are the times where our thick skin helps us cope and move forward with our journey.

There will be times where we are bombarded from all directions. This is when we must look at our friends and family and not only seek comfort but must learn from them as well. Each member of our solar system presents a strength and we should attempt to gain a portion of this strength for our arsenal. This way when we are presented with similar obstacles we have the tools to help us pass the hard time.

Just like the universe, life is a dark place with no real direction. We move along learning, experiencing, defending, and evolving the entire way. Go along your path in life loving and enjoying those friends that make up your solar system. They all add something special and wonderful to your galaxy.

Eric Noel Roman DJ, obstacle racer, motivational writer from North Miami Beach, living life one day at a time, and making a difference one person at a time.

102 | OutClique.com

Photo Courtesy of Darin Kamnetz

The Golden Gays NYC

T

By Denny Patterson

he Golden Gays NYC have quickly emerged as the premier Golden Girls drag show in the country.

GGNYC for short, this hilarious drag trio burst onto the scene in summer 2017 after making an appearance at RuPaul’s DragCon NYC, then at the fame Rue La Rue Café, where their trivia show video went viral. Since then, they have performed sold-out engagements across the U.S. East Coast and beyond.

Performing successful tours with their hit shows “Hot Flashbacks,” “The Golden Games,” and “Thank YULE for Being a Friend,” audiences cannot get enough, and this is the perfect drag show for the entire family.

104 | OutClique.com

Unfortunately, the COVID-19 pandemic has put a dent in their future plans, but they are making sure to stay in touch with fans and provide some much-needed comic relief.

OutClique had the opportunity to chat more with Blanche (Andy Crosten), Rose (Gerry Mastrolla), and Dorothy (Jason Schmidt), along with the show’s musical director, Mason Griffin. When they say “thank you for being a friend,” this group of gentlemen truly mean it.

Denny Patterson: Hello! Thank you all for taking some time to chat with me about The Golden Gays NYC. Can

you begin by telling us how this troupe came to be?

Gerry Mastrolla: Picture it! New York City, 2017. I had just come off of another production playing Rose, and unfortunately, that production fizzled early on. So, I was still itching to play the role. Being a fan of The Golden Girls since being a little tyke, I had fallen in love with the character. So, I was Facebook friends with Jason, who I never met in real life before, and I admired what he did as the premier Bea Arthur impersonator, so I reached out to him and said, “Listen, the new Golden Girls café, the Rue La Rue, just opened up in upper Manhattan. Let’s go and sing a few numbers, surprise the patrons, and just see what happens.” Then he reached out to his gal pal Andy.

Andy Crosten: He texted me and said something like, “Can you do Blanche in drag?” I thought about it for about five seconds and said, “Sure!” I haven’t really done drag before, just some club kid type stuff, and played Hedwig in Hedwig and the Angry Inch a few months before that.

I was nervous to do it, but we had a blast.

GM

DP

I am glad you talked about Sophia because I was wondering about that the most. There’s only three of you, so where’s Sophia?

Jason Schmidt: It’s you, Denny. You’re the token Sophia.

Yes, we built it into the show. It’s either like a part of the game show where you win the role, or we just pluck you out of the audience and just for that moment, you’re the Sophia. Then after the show, you get a token Sophia picture with us dressed up. So, you get the glasses, hair, handbag, and you get to be the fourth golden girl. We have built this into everything that we do to make it that much more interactive.

DP AC

What can audiences expect from a The Golden Gays NYC show?

We have three shows that are kind of our main go to. We have the “Thank YULE for Being a Friend,” which is our Christmas show. It’s a full Christmas fantasy musical. It’s my favorite, I really love that one. Then we have “Hot Flashbacks” which is kind of based on the Rusty Anchor episode, “Journey to the Center of Attention.” That one is also a full musical that we perform anytime, anywhere. Then we have “The Golden Games” which is a Golden Girls trivia show. That one is a lot of fun, too. We sort of do that one during Pride season. So, people can expect a full production. We will give you a full production in an Italian restaurant if you’d like! It’s everything you didn’t know you needed.

DP

How bad has the COVID-19 pandemic impacted The Golden Gays NYC?

Photos Courtesy of The Golden Gays NYC

It started off as a little idea that grew into something major. We had no idea that it would grow into this. We started off with a Sophia puppet at that first gig because the Sophia we had scheduled had a last-minute cancellation. We found out after that first gig that the audience wanted to be a part of it even more, so that’s how we came up with the token Sophia bit. When we were at RuPaul’s DragCon walking up and down the Javits Center, people wanted the glasses, the wig, the handbag, so we just found that new shtick to make it that much more interactive, to make the folks feel that much more included. Now, three years later, we were just seen on CNN with our own feature for headlining the Golden Fans at Sea Cruises. Again, we

had no idea that it would grow into something as big as this.

The Dorothy

The Blanche

The Rose OutClique.com | 105

Photo Courtesy of Kevin Hinkle

GM JS

Well, all of our shows have been canceled, and some venues even closed!

We would have done a huge tour this summer.

You know, we would have traipsed our gay pride loving selves all over this country doing our “Golden Games.” All of that was cancelled, and we usually do several “Hot Flashbacks” in the spring, so we canceled those as well. We were very fortunate to do the Golden Fans at Sea Cruises, and soon after we disembarked, the world said you should stay home for a long, long time. Almost immediately, we jumped on the bandwagon and we were doing our live Facebook shows and doing what we could to not just keep ourselves alive, but also give people something to look forward to. Give them some laughs and just act a fool because the world out there is still a crazy place. So, we’ll just make it a little bit crazier.

DP

Do you remember when you were first exposed to The Golden Girls?

106 | OutClique.com

AC

I used to watch The Golden Girls when I was a kid with grandma. We were very close and she was my biggest fan. I loved her a lot, but I didn’t really become a super fan until I was with my husband, Mason, who is probably the biggest Golden Girls super fan out of all of us. When we got together six years ago, we would watch it all the time.

Mason Griffin: Yes. Back in the day when DVD sets were the thing to get, I sat waiting. Every year, there would be a wave of shows, like I Love Lucy and Gilligan’s Island. Like, okay, it’s coming, one day they are going to do The Golden Girls. That Christmas was the greatest Christmas.

GM

Mason is our go to Golden Girls encyclopedia aficionado. Whenever we’re on stage and we need to give someone a really, really hard trivia question because most of the fanatics know every single bit of trivia, we just turn to Mason and he always has one ready for us. As to when I was first exposed

to The Golden Girls, my mother’s mother didn’t speak much English. From the old country, not Sicily, she was from Calabria, which is basically in the mountains somewhere towards the bottom of the boot. So, all she knew about The Golden Girls was that there were old women like herself on TV. She knew that the sassy Sicilian one would throw out some Italian curse words. So, I have always loved it. I have always had a connection to the grand dames of old classic Hollywood. I just admired what they did to the world, and I am just happy that we are able to do that and be that for people because it’s deeper. What we do, it’s way deeper than just giving them a show. We are giving them an experience. It’s very rewarding as an actor, but also as a human being. It’s such a gift.

JS

Photo Courtesy of The Golden Gays NYC

I specifically remember watching Empty Nest, and I would love when Sophia would show up. I would also remember that they were doing a new Golden Girls at a hotel, I guess it’s just whatever age that I was that I can actually remember that, but I didn’t really pay attention until many years later. I had listened to Bea Arthur’s one woman show on Broadway, and someone had given it to me when I was on tour doing a musical theatre show. I was listening to all of my compact discs while we were going from town to town. I listened to Bea’s show over and over. Years later, there was an audition posting for a drag version of The Golden Girls looking for someone who is tall with a deep voice who could do Bea Arthur. I thought, I could do that. When I got cast in the show at the time, that was when I really went in and watched the show and started to pay attention to her mannerism and the way she talked, delivered her lines, everything.

DP GM MG

Why do you think The Golden Girls is such a staple within the LGBTQ+ community?

Chosen family.

People within the LGBTQ+ community are still very much underrepresented. When I saw the show, I very much realized that this was a unique show in and of itself. It was four older women having active sex lives, still laughing about life, and being involved in life. They were being represented, and they often brought up a lot of gay rights issues.

You know, Blanche’s brother is gay, and I felt that it represented us in a way. It allowed us to be able to come to terms with a lot of things. For me, a young kid growing up in the south toiling with a lot of questions and didn’t have much family support to necessarily guide me, when you have these brilliant actresses that are playing characters, but you also get to know them in a way. So, it is just such a special show because it lets us identify on screen.

AC

Gay men are always attracted to strong women. We love these strong divas and ladies.

I don’t know what it is. We channel a little bit of that ourselves, like our feminine side.

DP JS

How do you take these infamous characters and make them your own?

I feel like with my version, she’s a little more visibly insane and my delivery can definitely be faster. So, at times, she’s a little more manic.

Photo Courtesy of The Golden Gays NYC

OutClique.com | 107

Although she had many manic, hilarious moments on The Golden Girls. Like, when she would get really excited and scream, I personally would clutch my pearls. So, generally speaking, Jason’s insanity and faster pace sort of gets peppered into the Bea Arthurisms.

GM

MG

I love that every show is constantly slightly being tweaked. We can update based off of where we are. So, if we are doing a show in Philadelphia, all the references we pull from are local, like restaurants, bakeries, etc. It’s crazy, but they keep me on my toes.

There is one trick that I use that works for every single show, and that’s the vamp. That vamp can go for 32 bars or 86 bars, and until they’re ready, it doesn’t hurt me because I just sit there and keep going. There are all sorts of things that can be happening backstage, but I’m just there enjoying it. I’m having fun.

I just studied Betty’s voice a lot, especially her as Rose. The way that she said her vowels and things like that, and that’s when I really started making it my own. I don’t look anything like Betty White, but I think once all the pieces are put together, it’s our renditions of the character that people know and love. It’s just kind of paying attention to all those little things. Even the timing has to be there. As an actor who does comedy, if the timing is not there, it doesn’t work. These women were masters at that, and it takes some time. I also like salt and pepper by bringing a little bit of my Gerryisms into playing Rose.

When she gets really competitive and gets manic and crazy, I sometimes will break the fourth wall and drop into a deep voice and say something like that. At that point, the audience is just with you. They are there for it.

DP MG

AC

JS

I particularly enjoy the way Rue McClanahan moves around the stage. She has such confidence in her shoulders and her strut. Going back to talking about watching it with my grandma, that is one of the things that always stuck with me. I was like, who is this fascinating woman who is strutting around that stage with such confidence? It wasn’t until years later that I realized that’s Rue McClanahan. So, I love her moves and I love interpreting that. Also, I guess we make it our own because we are all singers. Bea Arthur was obviously a fantastic singer, but you know, Rue and Betty weren’t particularly known for their singing abilities. They were fantastic actresses, but the three of us are great singers. So, we insert musical numbers into our shows.

Mason, what do you enjoy the most about being the music director?

Photo Courtesy of The Golden Gays NYC

DP

108 | OutClique.com

Do you have a favorite episode?

Oh, that’s a tough question! I think I will have to go with the earlier episode, “Blind Ambitions.”

AC

The episode where Sophia meets Alvin, “Old Friends.” It’s such a touching episode. Sophia is so sassy, so I love when she gets a moment to be sweet and sincere.

I am going to choose the one where Dorothy gets with the P.E. teacher. I like it because Bea got to act passionate, and that was something they didn’t write about too often. She was just so into him.

They would dash away to the hotel; it was just a little bit taboo. The P.E. teacher, Glen O’Brien, was seen twice, but played by different actors. Alex Rocco in “That Was No Lady,” and Jerry Orbach in “Cheaters.”

GM

This is hard! I’m going to need the rest of the day! I find joy in each and every single episode, there really isn’t a bad one. Except the Empty Nest episode! Rita Moreno and Paul Dooley did everything they could, but it was not enough. Besides that one, I find joy and love in all of these episodes, and they are constantly teaching audiences and new generations new things that we as a society are going through. So, my answer is going to be all of the above.

To stay up to date and to find out more information on The Golden Gays NYC virtual experiences, personalized greeting cards, and their new Zoom musical, follow the gals on social media, and visit www.TheGoldenGaysNYC.com.

Good as Golding

An Interview with Actor Henry Golding

I

n a relatively short period of time, actor and straight ally Henry Golding’s star has ascended, making him one of the most recognizable names and faces on film. Beginning with the double whammy of 2018’s Crazy Rich Asians and A Simple Favor, and continuing with 2019’s Last Christmas and The Gentlemen, Golding is a hot commodity. In addition to these high-profile movies, Golding also ventured into the world of independent features with Monsoon (Strand Releasing), written and directed by gay filmmaker Hong Khaou (2014’s Lilting). In Monsoon, Golding plays Kit, a gay man who left Vietnam for the UK with his parents when he was a young boy.

He returns, after 30 years, later to scatter their ashes.

While there, he meets Lewis (Parker Sawyers, who played young Barack Obama in 2016’s Southside With You), an American expat with whom he begins a relationship.

Golding was kind enough to answer a few questions in advance of the November 2020 release of Monsoon.

Gregg Shapiro: Monsoon doesn’t shy away from the subject of Kit being a gay man, and includes intimate scenes with Kit and Lewis, as well a scene with a guy that Kit picks up while he’s in Hanoi. Can you please say something about the challenges and rewards of playing a gay character?

Henry Golding: For me, it was wonderful. Hong has a way of telling these stories. His sexuality wasn’t the driving fact or driving attribute to Kit’s personality or this story.

It really centered around his personal struggle of identity.

I think he’s so secure in his sexuality, that it takes a backseat in a way.

Photos Courtesy of Strand Releasing

By Gregg Shapiro

GS HG

Right, it’s secondary.

Exactly! I’ve had a lot of messages from people who have watched the film, especially young, gay Asian men who have never seen that type of movie, where it’s not even taken into account. It’s so normalized, which it should be. It’s so strange seeing what you perceive normality to be on the big screen, but be amazed by it. It just shows that there’s communities out there that are starved of normality in representation. For me, I think approaching it respectfully, approaching with the collaborative spirit that I, Parker Sawyers, and Hong had on the set; there was real love on that set. There was so much trust, so there was never a question of, “Should we be doing this?” It just felt so natural, in a way.

GS

It comes across that way. Kit returns to Vietnam after 30 years to scatter his parents’ ashes, even though, as you mentioned, his parents left the country and never expressed any interest in ever returning. Do you think Kit was doing the right thing?

HG

I think we rejigged the script a little bit to a point where he realizes this, and I think you see glimpses of this in the finished film. Kit had an understanding that he was bringing them home, but Vietnam was never their home for the past 35 years. Their home was where his family was. That was in the UK. We often do that as immigrants. Home is a distant memory.

Home is really where the heart is. I think he comes to that realization; “I never needed to bring them back, but I needed to come back.”

OutClique.com | 109

Werner is a Winner

A New Interview with Singer/Songwriter Susan Werner

By Gregg Shapiro

Photos Credit: Scott Montgomery

W

hether you know it or not, singer/songwriter Susan Werner is a national treasure. Born, raised, and educated in the heartland, she firmly established herself as a performing musician while living in Philadelphia in the 1990s before embarking for Chicago in the early 2000s. While in Chicago, she began recording a series of concept albums, a format Werner still follows to this day, including her latest album, the Americana-style Flyover Country (www.SusanWerner.com). Over the course of the ten songs, Werner gives us something to think about (“Snake Oil,” “Only Later,” “Barn Radio”), swoon about it (“How Much”), and even smile about (“Wine Bottles”). Werner was kind enough to answer a few questions about Flyover Country.

Gregg Shapiro: “How Much” is one of the best love songs I’ve heard this year; a wedding song for all weddings. What is the most challenging thing about 110 | OutClique.com

writing a meaningful and universal love song?

Susan Werner: This one came about because when I start a project it’s like a language immersion course. I listen to only that music for about a year. People ask me all the time, “What are you listening to?” I don’t really talk about it because I think friends of artists are always hoping that they’re listening to something really interesting or into something really fascinating that’s hip and will be of interest to them. Actually, no.

I feel like more of a craft person. I’m obsessing on this little, tiny world that may not really be of appeal to other people. One day became Willie Nelson day. I was just listening to his love songs and his ballads. They were always so plainspoken, economical, unadorned, to the point. They have no irony. That feels to me like the only way that I’ve been able to write certain kinds of songs. To serve more as a medium for the song, than it to be a personal expression from me to someone

else. I don’t know why, and I don’t need to know why.

The muse is doing something. Well, don’t be an idiot, don’t slam the door on the muse. Let it come in and occupy the living room for a couple hours.

GS

Am I reading too much into the lines “Only later did we learn / That the family down the road / Had a truth they never told / ’Bout their oldest son” in the song “Only Later” or is it the queerest song on the album?

SW

[Laughs] it’s certainly a song that lots of my queer friends have responded to. It may be that line, but it may also be the sense that – and it’s interesting that you point to this song – because I do think us queer folks growing up in the middle of nowhere, in rural America, miles from other people, those of us queers from a certain generation and a certain geographical background. I think it takes some of us longer to assemble ourselves. We did not have a lot of role models.

GS SW

with John Gorka. How important is it for you to retain a sense of humor in your songs?

SW

I do feel it’s part of my mission to show an audience a good time. I do feel that. I know that some people think that maybe that detracts from your reputation as an entirely serious artist.

When you do a show, it’s the uptempo fun that kind of prepares the landscape for the ballads that can drop like bombs.

GS SW

You don’t want to be a total downer the whole time.

Yes! Also, it creates an environment in which when you slow it down people really tune in.

Plus, it’s fun for me. Look, we’ve got to keep this fun or we won’t do it. I feel like a good time is also when you draw in an audience so you can surprise them with something. It’s like the bait for drawing them in so they hear something like “Snake Oil.”

No points of reference.

Yes, to confirm who we feel we may be.

Also growing up in the ‘80s, I don’t know how many of my friends who turned out to be gay, knew they were gay, or to describe themselves as gay. It was a long way out of there out there. One of the joys of having a long career that takes me around the country has been reconnecting with high school friends and junior high friends and even elementary school friends. Finding, years later, we’re like, “Oh, hey.

This is your partner. These are your kids. Oh, my God, the lives that we have put together for ourselves.” It’s such an interesting and wonderful connection with gay friends who came from my little town because we have had to put together a life so much from our own volition and our own energy and our own desire to integrate ourselves. We’ve turned out to be some of the most interesting people to come from there. I’ve got to say it’s joyful to connect with queer friends from high school and from my hometown. Game recognizes game. I think we see in each other, “You had to do this.

You had to put together a self.” We had no playbook at all.

GS

In the midst of all the seriousness, there’s the wicked funny “Wine Bottles,” co-written OutClique.com | 111

Gay Men’s Chorus of South Florida Holiday Drive-In Concert Photos Courtesy of SRL Media

For more photos of this event, visit us on Facebook at facebook.com/outclique.

Want to submit photos? | Contact us! OutClique@gmail.com OutClique.com | 113

Sheryl Dickey with Historic Sistrunk installation Photo by Downtown Photo

Fort Lauderdale’s Historic Sistrunk Neighborhood is Focus of New Exhibition Exploring the Significance of Gathering Places in Black Communities On view at the African-American Research Library & Cultural Center through May 2021

F

eaturing works by black artists and designers, the new exhibition The Porch is the Tree is the Watering Hole is a dynamic exploration of space and community within the African Diaspora. Through the lenses of art, architecture, photography, and poetry, the exhibition examines concepts of community and life in Sistrunk, a historically black neighborhood in Broward County, FL. The exhibition is on view at the AfricanAmerican Research Library & Cultural Center (2650 Sistrunk Blvd., Fort Lauderdale) through May 2021.

As black communities become increasingly marginalized, it is important to be reminded of traditions that have brought people together for centuries. Whether it be a backyard cookout, a Sunday morning church service, or a gathering under a tree to listen to the latest stories, connection has always been at the center of the black community.

Artists and designers: Germane Barnes, Darius V. Daughtry, David I. Muir, Adler Guerrier, Olalekan Jeyifous, Adrienne Chadwick, Marlene Brunot, and George Gadson, were invited by the exhibition’s curator, Dominique

114 | OutClique.com

Denis, to explore the Sistrunk neighborhood to better understand the relationship its residents have with the built environment. Through art and design conceived or reimagined for this show, they present a tapestry of work reflecting past and present realities.

“Public spaces are inhabited and experienced differently within the black community, so it was important for this exhibition to showcase the rich history and culture of the people of Sistrunk,” said Denis, who curated the exhibition and is a project manager for Broward County’s Public Art & Design program.

A main goal of the exhibition is to bring about a better understanding of this historical black community and to inform the type of public art projects best suited for the area. The exhibition is conceptually centered around two staples of most black neighborhoods: the gathering place and the back alley.

“While public art is presented for the public experience, it also requires a certain level of intimacy with the community,” said Broward Cultural Division Director,

Phil Dunlap. “This project allowed us to go deeper into Sistrunk and pave a path for communicating these stories.”

By exploring important landmarks throughout the Sistrunk neighborhood, local narratives were rediscovered and served as inspiration for the exhibition design; in particular, the American shotgun home and the back alley.

Works in the exhibition are displayed in “rooms” found within a single-family home. Photographs of the neighborhood hang on the walls and fabrics sway on the “front porch” as if hung from a laundry line. Poetry written on the floors and walls reinforces thoughts of shared experiences and collectivity. Chairs in the exhibition’s central gathering space reference chairs typically found on the porches of many homes in Sistrunk. They evoke the gathering places that both formal and informal porches provide to this black community. The alley, a threshold of public and private space, is the path through which visitors travel to view works on display and learn of the community and its aspirations.

The Porch is the Tree is the Watering Hole is an introspection and investigation meant to highlight the black experience in black neighborhoods. It is a collaborative effort to bring forth a collective energy that celebrates Sistrunk’s important history.

Exhibition installation image showing art by Germane Barnes, Adler Guerrier and David I. Muir; photo by Steven Brooke

Broward County Commissioner Dale Holness with artist David I. Muir and exhibition curator Dominique Denis; photo by Downtown Photo

The exhibition is open to the public by advance reservation on Thursday and Saturdays from 11:00AM – 2:00PM. Admission is free. For the safety of all visitors, staff, and volunteers, the following health and safety guidelines must be maintained: social distancing, reduced capacity, reservations, and face coverings must be worn when visiting the exhibition; reserve your admission www.EventBrite.com/e/131614704123 or call (954) 357-7457.

For more information about the exhibition and to reserve your admission, visit www.ArtsCalendar.com/Sistrunk.

About Broward County Cultural Division The Broward Cultural Division advances arts and culture throughout greater Fort Lauderdale by investing in the creative sector and providing capacity building opportunities for artists, organizations, and creative talent through events and activities that fuel Broward’s creative infrastructure. The Cultural Division includes the county’s Public Art & Design program, as well as grant programs that provide over $4.5M in annual support for Broward-based cultural organizations and artists, and engages the community in education and advocacy initiatives that support arts education at the local, state and federal levels. For more information on programs, grants, calls-to-artists and more, visit www.Broward.org/Arts.

Laura Novoa, left, and artist Adrienne Chadwick; photo by Downtown Photo

Artist Adler Guerrier with his installation; photo by Downtown Photo

OutClique.com | 115

THE PORCH IS THE TREE IS THE WATERING HOLE

Where We Gather - Black in Sistrunk

This dynamic exploration of space and community within the African Diaspora uses art, architecture, photography and poetry to examine concepts of community and life in Sistrunk, a historically Black neighborhood in Broward County, with works by Germane Barnes, Darius V. Daughtry, David I. Muir, Adler Guerrier, Olalekan Jeyifous, Adrienne Chadwick, Marlene Brunot, and George Gadson. Curated by Dominique Denis.

Free admission. Open to the public Thursdays and Saturdays 11AM - 2PM, on view through May 2021 with reservations.

African American Research Library & Cultural Center @BrowardArts ArtsEvents.Broward.org 2650 Sistrunk Blvd, Fort Lauderdale Reservations required: ArtsCalendar.com/Sistrunk #WhereWeGather

A New School Idea at Old School Square

By John M. Hayden

Photos Courtesy of Old School Square

T

he iconic Pavilion at Old School Square has successfully found a way to put the social into social distancing. Just in time for the rain to stop and humidity to drop, the Delray Beach location has adapted their lawn to the realities of COVID-19. Even with the virus still raging, the shows will go on safely, and the experience will feel like a luxurious night out on the town.

They’ve configured the expansive area in front of the stage into a grid of spacious and distanced pods. Each one seats four people with plenty of space to arrange your chairs in a way that you feel comfortable. Think of it like getting your own private box at a concert for you and up to three friends for the price of a regular ticket.

Here’s how it works: you don’t buy single tickets.

Instead, you buy a pod for $120, and that becomes your own private pod. If it’s only you and one other person, it’s still $120 and only the two of you will be in there. The other seats won’t be sold. If your group is bigger than four people, you can ask about purchasing adjoining pods. That way you can keep your party together while keeping your distance.

have a table to rest your refreshments. Or, you can go VIP which comes with bar service to your personal pod in the first three rows.

You can also take your night out and kick it up a notch or two. For a little extra, you can buy a premium pod and get a great view of the stage by sitting in rows 4-7 and

These innovations are a silver lining in the midst of so many closures and cancellations, and it’s helping to keep the local arts scene jammin’.

You still need to wear a mask anytime you’re outside of your pod, keep six feet of distance when in line for the restroom or concessions, and there are hand sanitizing stations all over the place.

To check out which shows are hitting the Pavilion at Old School Square, go to their website at www.OldSchoolSquare.org/The-Pavilion.

51 N. Swinton Avenue, Delray Beach, FL 33444 | www.OldSchoolSquare.org 120 | OutClique.com

SPECIAL OFFER: $25 HOUSEHOLD PASS SAVE $20 WITH CODE: OUTCLIQUE3

MASTERWORKS III Virtual Concert featuring

SHOSTAKOVICH | MENDELSSOHN

SHOSTAKOVICH | CELLO CONCERTO NO. 1 IN E-FLAT MAJOR, OP. 107 ZUILL BAILEY, CELLO MENDELSSOHN | SYMPHONY NO. 4, “ITALIAN”

JANUARY 16 | 8 PM TICKETS ON SALE NOW 954.522.8445 | SOUTHFLORIDASYMPHONY.ORG

Wish You Were Here Photos Courtesy of Latinos Salud

M

any South Floridians first came to the region as tourists. Toes in the sand, a warm breeze caressing your shoulders, you may have filled out dozens of postcards to envious friends back home.

With a photo of a palm tree and waves printed in sunbleached pastel colors, each card announced in block letters: Wish You Were Here.

Sent with a subtly snarky tease to friends stuck digging their cars out of snow banks, the postcards were also unintentionally confessional: you really did wish they were here with you. Even in paradise, watching ever-new fantasies walk by in speedos, the only thing missing was “you,” that friend or family member to sit by you, so that you could soak up the sun and scenery together.

This year, COVID-19 has most of us South Floridians feeling that same longing to connect, to share, to celebrate together. We feel like we’re trapped in a holiday snow globe: beautiful scenery, but no way to get out of our hard-shell social bubbles. As we enter the “Gala season,” who would have thought we’d actually miss the routine of dressing up for special events, crowding into function venues, and dining shoulder-toshoulder at round-of-10 tables?

The local non-profit HIV/STD agency, Latinos Salud, is working to bring us all back together, for a special Gala event, on February 27, 2021. While we won’t be able to dance and dine together in the same venue, this Gala will stand out from the screen-staring affairs that have turned viewers into Zoom-zombies. Latinos Salud’s Gala

122 | OutClique.com

will innovate, by breaking through the virtual wall, and turning the camera around to share all the fun from safe watch parties taking place all over the region.

The rapid-fire Gala event will be open to all, with tiers of attendees from Freemium up to V.I.P. All participants will enjoy: • surprise guest artists, • moving videos • great silent auction items, and • live feeds from safe watch parties.

The other big change this year is that instead of departing gift bags, pre-registered VIP guests will receive a “Benefit in a Box” before the event. Each of these boxes will be packed with handy items, snacks, and colorful surprises, all designed to bring the party to your home. If you register your safe watch party, you may even be invited to strut your stuff, share your perspective, or just make some noise for all of your friends to watch and enjoy.

Though the agency served over 5,000 individual community members this year, all of the staff at Latinos Salud still “Wish You Were Here,” to come together, and celebrate the better times ahead. With this special Gala, you will.

Pre-registration opens soon. Sign up to learn more, and be the first to get your tickets in a few weeks! Scan this code to sign up for more information, or just send an email to Events@LatinosSalud.org to be included in the event of the season!