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December 17, 2014 // vol. 5 // issue 51

TRUE COLORS Bringing awareness to homeless LGBT youth PAGES 12-13

Top 10 News Stories of the Year SOUTHFLORIDAGAYNEWS

Page 22-23

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STORIES ON SFGN.COM Last week’s hottest items couldn’t wait to be printed...

Compiled by John McDonald

Joan Rivers Leaves Sizable Portion Of Estate To AIDS Charity

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The late comic is leaving a large part of her $150 million estate to the AIDS charity, Gods Love We Deliver. In papers filed in the New York State Surrogate’s Court, Melissa Rivers was named executor of her mother’s trust, which allocates funding

to GLWD, a charity that delivers 4,600 nutritious meals daily to those too sick to cook or shop for themselves in New York City. Rivers died in September following complications from a medical procedure.

She was 81.

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his punishment for practicing sodomy.

In November, the terror group stoned to death two Syrian men for homosexual behavior.

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NY Requires Insurers Cover Transgender Healthcare New York Governor Andrew Cuomo issued guidance to health insurance companies that they are barred from discriminating against transgender individuals by denying them medically necessary treatment. “These steps are significant, but the progress is incremental at best and transgender

DECEMBER 17, 2014 • VOLUME 5 • ISSUE 51

ANDREA RICHARD • DONALD CAVANAUGH CHRISTIANA LILLY • DENISE ROYAL • SEAN MCSHEE DORI ZINN • GARY KRAMER • DAVID-ELIJAH NAHMOD

ISIS Throws Gay Man To His Death The terror group Islamic State had a busy week of savagery. Near the Iraq-Syria border, ISIS members tossed a man off a three-story building for, reportedly, being gay. The man died. ISIS claimed it was

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people continue to face significant barriers to accessing medical services. To date only five jurisdictions have extended Medicaid coverage to transition-related medical services,” said Dru Levasseur, MEMBER Transgender Rights Project Director at Lambda Legal.

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Cover: True Colors Fund raises awareness for LGBT homeless youth around the U.S. Editor’s Note: The character depicted in the front page image for the story on LGBT homeless youth is a stock photo used for illustrative purposes only and depicts a model, not a homeless youth.

South Florida Gay News is published weekly. The opinions expressed in columns, stories, and letters to the editor do not represent the opinions of SFGN, or the Publisher. You should not presume the sexual orientation of individuals based on their names or pictorial representations. Furthermore the word “gay” in SFGN should be interpreted to be inclusive of the entire LGBT community.

All of the material/columns that appears in print and online, including articles used in conjunction with the AP, is protected under federal copyright and intellectual property laws, and is jealously guarded by the newspaper. Nothing published may be reprinted in whole or part without getting written consent from the Publisher, at his law office, at Norm@NormKent.com. SFGN, as a private corporation, reserves the right to enforce its own standards regarding the suitability of advertising copy, illustrations and photographs.

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news highlight

Charlotte’s Web Headed to Workshop

State to rewrite medical marijuana regulations John McDonald The Florida Department of Health is setting up a workshop to write regulations for the cannabis oil known as “Charlotte’s Web.” Last month, a Tallahassee administrative law judge tossed out proposed rules for the oil, which is to used in treating children suffering from epilepsy.

In a statement, FDOH Communications Director Nathan Dunn said the department would not appeal Administrative Law Judge W. Donald Watkins’ decision and instead prepare to rewrite rules governing the oil.

“The Department has submitted a notice for a December 30th Rule Development Workshop in Orlando to establish framework for access to this product,” Dunn said.

Advocates for the oil believe it will help more than 125,000 people in Florida who suffer from epilepsy. The oil is high in CBO and low in the euphoric producing THC, which most marijuana users experience. At the workshop, FDOH officials will consider up to 21 different national strains of medically approved marijuana. SFGN reached out the Florida Medical Association for comment but did not have its call returned.

Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Destin) who spearheaded the “Charlotte’s Web” legislation told the Orlando Sentinel that he was confident the executive branch would be able to craft rules for the oil to avoid another discussion in the legislature.

“I urged them not to wait for any redo by the legislature,” said Gaetz.

Other issues surrounding “Charlotte’s Web” include which farms will be licensed to grow and produce cannabis.

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News Briefs Compiled by John McDonald

MLB Umpire Comes Out

Dale Scott figures he’ll hear plenty of foul language from angry hitters next season. Such is life for a Major League Baseball umpire.

“They’ll still yell at me when a 3-2 slider doesn’t break their way,” he told The Associated Press. “But they’ll be yelling at me because they didn’t like my call, not because I’m a gay umpire.”

Two weeks after Jason Collins retired as the NBA’s first openly gay player, Scott added his name Tuesday to a growing list of gay and lesbian sports figures taking similar public steps. St. Louis Rams draft pick Michael Sam, NBA official Violet Palmer and WNBA star Brittney Griner are among those who have come out in recent years.

Scott didn’t want to make a huge announcement heading into his 30th big league season.

The trade magazine Referee did a profile on the veteran crew chief in October, and didn’t mention his sexuality. But the 55-year-old Scott wanted to share an important part of his life, and made the choice to include a picture of himself with partner Michael Rausch. They married in November 2013 in Palm Springs, California.

B

NO HOMOPHOBIA

A

labama Recalls Vanity License Plate

A personalized license plate with a gay slur slipped past a review panel in Alabama, and the state said Thursday that it’s recalling the tag, which showed up in social media on photos of a black Mustang this week.

The license plate has the saying “NOHOMO,” a slang phrase used when the speaker does not want to appear gay. The state prohibits personalized tags with profane or vulgar messages, Alabama Department of Revenue spokeswoman Amanda Collier said.

The three-member review panel sees four thousand requests a month for personalized plates, and this was a case of human error, Collier told the Associated Press.

The department has sent a letter to the vehicle owner to recall the tag, Collier said. If the owner chooses, the department’s decision can be appealed, she said.

The license plate, registered in Montgomery County, was first issued in 2010, she said. The department became aware of it after a photograph of it began circulating on social media Monday.

Collier said the screening panel uses a dictionary with the latest slang and other tools to scrutinize tag requests, and a recall is rare. Department officials could not remember the last time it happened.

In 2013, the NBA fined Indiana Pacers center Roy Hibbert $75,000 for using the same slur and cursing at a news conference.

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The caption in Referee said: “He and his longtime companion, Michael Rausch, traveled to Australia for the 2014 season opener between the Diamondbacks and Dodgers.”

The website Outsports.com later interviewed Scott and posted its story Tuesday.

“It’s not like this was a secret. Major League Baseball knew my situation and it hasn’t had any effect on my career. Zero bearing,” Scott told the AP. “My fellow umpires have known for a long time.”

“When I was home or out socially, I was gay,” he said. “In my professional life, I wasn’t. At least, not officially.”

Baseball Commissioner Bud Selig praised Scott.

“To his friends and colleagues throughout the game, Dale is universally regarded as a class act,” he said in a statement. “All of us at Major League Baseball are very proud of him, just as we have always been.”

Scott has been an MLB umpire since 1986. He worked the World Series in 1998, 2001 and 2004, has called three All-Star games and plenty of playoff matchups, including the NL series between St. Louis and the Dodgers in October.

razil Details Military Regime Brutality

Brazil took its most significant step yet to address the human rights violations of its military dictatorship, releasing an exhaustive report that documents nearly two decades of government-approved political killings and torture.

After 30 years of impunity for crimes of the state, the National Truth Commission report names 377 people allegedly responsible for 434 deaths and disappearances, and thousands of acts of torture. The list includes top regime figures who instituted policies of persecution, and lowly soldiers who carried them out.

The nearly 2,000-page report describes crimes against humanity in excruciating detail, and calls for the perpetrators to be prosecuted.

But while the commission’s work has renewed debate on how Brazil has handled its dirty-war legacy, there’s little political will for overturning a 1979 amnesty law that has protected both military figures and leftists ever since the 1964-1985 dictatorship. Only 46 percent of Brazilians said they want to scrap the amnesty, while 37 percent supported it and another 17 percent said they were unsure in a survey published in March by the respected Datafolha polling group.

Even President Dilma Rousseff, a former Marxist guerrilla who was savagely tortured in the 1970s, seems unwilling to push for prosecutions.

“Truth doesn’t mean vengeance. Truth mustn’t be the source of hatred or score-settling,” Rousseff said in an emotional ceremony as the report was made public. “Truth frees us all

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from that which went unsaid. “It frees us from what remained hidden.

“We, who believe in the truth, hope that this report contributes to make it so that ghosts from the sad and painful past are no longer able to find shelter in silence and omission,” she said, pausing several times to stave off tears as the audience in the capital of Brasilia rose in a standing ovation.

E

PFOX: “Parents and Friends of Ex-Gays”

x-Gay Group Erects Billboard

An “ex-gay” group that supports conversion therapy is drawing attention after erecting a billboard in Richmond, Va., that says “nobody is born gay.”

The controversial billboard, created by the Parents and Friends of Ex-Gays (PFOX), was put up on I-95 in Richmond, Va., and urges that gay people can “turn” straight.

“Identical Twins,” the billboard reads. “One is gay, one is not.

We believe twins research studies show: Nobody is born gay.”

PFOX’s members say they want to “to educate, support, and advocate for individuals and parents on the issue of same-sex attraction, and to increase others’ understanding and acceptance of the ex-gay community.” The organization’s website states “People deserve to know the truth about the many men, women, and children who have made a decision to change their lives,” and that “it’s important to remember that sexual orientation is a matter of self-affirmation and public declaration.”

But not everyone is OK with the billboard.

“I am shocked and really disappointed that at the end of 2014, we have a billboard in the middle of our city that says that kind of hate,” Beth Panilaitis, executive director at Rosmy, an LGBTQ youth organization, told Richmond’s WWBT NBC 12.

news bites

L

by John McDonald

international

ondon Celebrates AIDS Day

World

Around 100 people, mostly from the LGBT community, gathered for a World AIDS Day mass inside a Catholic church in London. It was a rare occasion for the church to acknowledge, from the pulpit, gay men exist in its congregation – and not in a condemning tone. The mass was supported by Positive Catholics, a peer support network of Christians living with HIV, at Farm Street Church in the Mayfair district. “If the LGBT community doesn’t remember, who will?,” said Vincent Manning, Chairperson of CAPS, a charity which supports Positive Catholics. There are 100,000 people living with HIV in the U.K.

M

national

ore Protections for LGBT Community

the

The U.S. Labor Department announced a new rule in regards to discrimination in the federal contracting workforce. The rule adds workplace protections covering sexual orientation and gender identity in accordance with President Barack Obama’s Executive Order 13672, signed July 21. “We are building on the work of presidents and members of Congress from both parties who have expanded opportunities for America’s workers,” said Patricia A. Shiu, director of the department’s Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs, which will enforce the new regulations. Currently, 18 states and the District of Columbia offer workplace protections to LGBT employees.

state

Fired for Insensitive Teacher Comments on Facebook

A teacher at Florida State University in Tallahassee resigned last week after she made insensitive comments on Facebook. Deborah O’Connor, a senior lecturer in the FSU College of Business, used a gay slur when commenting about the U.S. Justice Department’s decision to investigate the shooting death of a 12-year-old black boy by police.

O’Connor went on to insult President Barack Obama, claiming he has “single-handedly turned our once great society into a Ghetto Culture, rivaling that of Europe.”

O’Connor’s comments were screen captured by Susie Sharp, founder of the Social Media Club and sent to FSU President John Thrasher and Board of Trustees Chairman Allan Bense.

local

Dropped Against Charges Wilton Mayoral Candidate

The State Attorney’s Office has dropped charges against Wilton Manors resident Boyd Corbin for his role in a 2012 Halloween tussle. Ron Ishoy, spokesman for the Office of State Attorney for the 17th Judicial Circuit, confirmed to SFGN that the case was not to be prosecuted. Corbin, who recently campaigned for Wilton Manors Mayor, was charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and battery stemming from an altercation with drag queen Michael “Dame Edna” Walters. Corbin was dressed as a Klu Klux Klansman and was carrying a lighted torch. Corbin finished third in the Wilton Mayors mayoral election with 190 votes.

Photo: Facebook

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news local

Kaitlyn Hunt is Engaged and Pregnant

Jason Parsley In 2013 then 18-year-old Kaitlyn Hunt’s life was turned upside when she was a arrested for having a sexual relationship with her then 14-year-old freshman girlfriend.

Today it appears her life is back on track being engaged to Latasha Thomas, a 27-yearold woman.

“We would like to announce that Kate and LT are now engaged and expecting a baby, Kate is pregnant!” Hunt’s mother Kelley Smith recently announced in a private Facebook group. “They received one of the biggest blessings someone could give a lesbian couple and now will welcome a baby into their lives in June. They couldn’t be more excited and happy.

We are all very happy and excited for them to move on to the next chapter in their lives.”

Hunt met her 14-year-old girlfriend during basketball tryouts at Sebastian River High School in Sebastian, Fla. When the younger girl’s parents found out in May of 2013, they alerted the police. After prosectuors refused to lessen the charges Hunt’s family took to social media to plead their case. The story quickly went national and viral. Hunt’s family believed that the younger girl’s parents went to police because it was a lesbian relationship.

The parents denied that charge. In August

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Former high school senior arrested for underage sex with freshman has moved on

of 2013 a judge revoked Hunt’s bond after finding out the teen had exchanged 20,000 text messages with the younger girlfriend in violation of court orders.

Hunt was released from jail in December after serving a three month sentence for charges including battery, interference with child custody, and contributing to the dependency of a child.

She is now on house arrest serving a two year sentence and has to wear an ankle bracelet. After that there will be nine more months of monitored probation.

Hunt’s story will also reportedly be featured on a new series on MTV called “One Bad Choice.”

“I got an email from Kate’s producer from MTV. One Bad Choice should air in Jan, she will keep in contact with me and let me know an exact date,” Hunt’s mother said on Facebook. “We are very excited about this opportunity for her to reach other teens.

Kate was first told no, she was told she would have to petition the court to get permission.

Kate is doing well, she has her emotional

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struggles, anger, and fear some days but most days she is her happy fun self.”

Hunt is currently in school to become a medical assistant. Not all is well in the teen’s life though. She’s saddled with more than 20,000 in court fees. Hunt’s mother posed a link to Jpay.com, an online venue to pay court fines.

“It’s still surreal to me that Kate has had to endure what she has this past year. As I watch her videos, look at picture of her high school days, it still just blows my mind that she was arrested and put in jail for having a high school fling. It’s insane to

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me to think about my baby being in jail for a teenage romance, it just doesn’t make sense,” her mother said. “I will never understand how a set of parents could inflict a child with so much pain and stress for something so normal and typical. My prayer everyday is that Kate can fully heal from this trauma, that one day she will no longer feel sad, or afraid.”

Last week Hunt’s attorney, Julia Graves, requested that her second year of community control be converted to regular probation as well as a request to allow Hunt to move out of Indian River County.

“The state attorney has no objection to this, and we are just awaiting the [younger girl’s parent’s] decision to object or not,” Kelley Smith said. “We are hoping they will not object since Kate has done all that’s required. If they do object, we will take it before the judge and plead our case.”.

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cover

Christiana Lilly

True Colors

Working to eliminate LGBT youth homelessness On

Rapper 50 Center performs at the Home for the Holidays fundraiser for The True Colors Fund on Dec. 7 in New York City.

Singer and LGBT advocate, Cyndi Lauper, performs at her nonprofit’s Home for the Holidays fundraiser on Dec. 7 in New York City.

A man participates in Covenant House Florida’s Executive Sleep Out on Nov. 20 in Fort Lauderdale. Local business leaders were invited to sleep outside for one night to raise awareness of homeless youth.

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stage at New York City’s Beacon Theatre, LGBT advocate Cyndi Lauper sings to a crowd of nearly 3,000 people. Sharing the spotlight are musical stars and celebrities SaltN-Pepa, 50 Cent, Rob Thomas, Natalie Maine, Hoda Kotb, Perez Hilton, and many others.

Besides a good night, it’s the largest fundraiser of the year for Lauper’s True Colors Fund, a nonprofit that is working to eliminate LGBT youth homelessness, and the success of the Home for the Holidays concert will be helping the cause right here in South Florida.

The True Colors Fund works across the country to help different communities, and this year, they’ve begun work with Covenant House International, which has two shelters in Florida, and a coalition of agencies in Miami, including the Alliance for GLBTQ Youth.

“It’s not about us flying in and being like, ‘We’re going to tell you how to do it!’” said Jama Shelton, the director of the Forty to None Project at the True Colors Fund. “It’s really about getting in there and helping to facilitate something that can organically happen at the community level.”

Shelton personally knows the struggles of being a homeless LGBT youth -- when she came out to her parents in the late ‘90s in Mississippi, she was “asked to leave,” she said.

From there she couch surfed with friends until she earned enough money for her own apartment, eventually going to graduate school. Working with youth in New York City, she met Carla Silva, who now serves as the executive director of the alliance in Miami.

“She had heard me talk about how there is nothing down here, how much we need to do things for quite a long time,” Silva said of Miami. “There’s a lot of apathy here, but because we’re bringing in someone from the outside, it also is providing a sense of newness and encouragement to get involved.”

A symposium on homeless youth was hosted in Miami this summer, which Shelton participated in. From there, agencies formed seven committees in an effort to eliminate youth homelessness in South Florida, and the True Colors Fund has guided them to create a continuum of care in Miami-Dade County -- something that doesn’t currently exist for youngsters.

A major goal Silva would like to accomplish is the research component of their mission.

A large part of the problem with youth homelessness is that no one really knows how many there are, leading to the excuse that there is no problem in the first place. Shelton

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said that many of the surveys statistics they’re working with -- 1.6 million unaccompanied youth are homeless each year -- date back to the ‘90s, Shelton said. While agencies have been counting homeless adults for years now, the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) didn’t require youth counts until 2014.

“There’s an effort to have communities count the number of young people experiencing youth homelessness,” Shelton said. “It is one piece of the puzzle in terms of getting the data that we need.”

Obtaining these numbers is the hard part.

Youth congregate differently than adults and agencies have different ways of counting youth homelessness. For example, kids under 18 living at the Miami Bridge, a youth shelter, are considered to be living in congregate care, Silva said. Also, runaways in foster care are not included and children with their parents are counted differently as well.

Nine cities across the country, including Miami, participated in the pilot youth count in 2013, and participants found these impediments. The next count is taking place in January 2015 and a new strategy is to conduct the normally one-night event over a week. Also, since many youth find access to computers, smart phones, and other Internet sources, surveys will be available online.

They will also get creative in their wording -- rather than asking if someone is homeless, they’ll ask how many places they’ve been in the last month and if they know where they’ll be staying in two weeks. Many think of being homeless as sleeping on a park bench, which is not typically how youth congregate.

“What makes it difficult to get a count of young people is that a lot of young people don’t consider themselves to be homeless,” Shelton said. “It’s about the physical space, but also the connection to family and the support and stability that those things allow someone to have.”

A brand new project that True Colors has taken on with reaches in South Florida is teaming up with Covenant House International, which runs crisis shelters for runaway, homeless, and at-risk youth in 27 cities in the U.S., Canada, and Latin America. The goal is to help the shelters be better prepared to help LGBT youth as they have disproportionately higher numbers of homelessness (Shelton’s program at True Colors, the Forty to None Project, is based on the statistic that roughly 40 percent of young

homeless people identify as LGBT).

Jim Gress, the executive director of Covenant House Florida, said that Fort Lauderdale’s shelter sees about 70 youth a day and 30 in Orlando. Most are 18 to 19 years old and are split down the middle by gender.

At intake, they’re simply asked how old they are and why they came to Covenant House -for those who are LGBT, coming out to their parents plays a part in their homelessness.

There is currently no LGBT-specific programming, and all youth are encouraged to participate in the different programs. Many youth are closed off when they first arrive, including about being gay.

“We assume a level of closedness when you first come here, because they come from some trauma,” Gress said. “I don’t expect that they’re going to know whether or not this is OK until they’re here for a little bit.”

A man participates in Covenant House Florida’s Executive Sleep Out on Nov. 20 in Fort Lauderdale. Local business leaders were invited to sleep outside for one night to raise awareness of homeless youth.

Local business leaders participate in Covenant House Florida’s Executive Sleep Out on Nov. 20 in Fort Lauderdale. They slept outside for a night to experience what it is like for homeless youth, raising awareness to the cause.

THE

Currently, the True Colors Fund and Covenant House International are in the beginning phases, but all executive directors have been given an inclusion assessment tool to look at. Gress is already seeing some good ideas, such as putting up LGBT-friendly signage to be more obvious to LGBT youth that they are welcome.

FACTS

There are approximately 1.3 million homeless youth on any given night living in the streets, in abandoned buildings, or crashing with friends and strangers (The National Runaway Switchboard) While 3 to 5 percent of the U.S. population identify as LGBT, up to 40 percent of homeless youth are LGBT (National Gay and Lesbian Task Force) LGBT homeless youth are more likely to experience physical and sexual assault than their straight peers. They are also twice as likely to attempt suicide (National Alliance to End Homelessness) One in three LGBT homeless youth have been the victim of a hate crime (Center for American Progress)

“It was one of the things that sort of jumped out at me,” he said. “This is really easy and this is something we don’t need to go through an in depth assessment and self examination.”

“I’m hoping that the assessment will help us to really look more closely at the specific kinds of needs and issues that LGBT youth need that we may not be particularly sensitive to,” Gress said. “We’re inquisitive, we’re eager to get started on this and to improve how we do the work that we do.”

The first weeklong iCount for homeless youth in Miami is taking place Jan. 22 to 28, 2015. To learn more about it or to find out how to help the cause, visit iCountMiami. com.

A man participates in Covenant House Florida’s Executive Sleep Out on Nov. 20 in Fort Lauderdale. Local business leaders were invited to sleep outside for one night to raise awareness of homeless youth.

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Grindr 2014 ‘Best of Awards’

feature

Grindr, the popular gay dating and hook up app, surveyed its users to reveal this year’s ‘Best of Awards.’ Grindr users from the U.S., the U.K. and Australia weighed in on everything from their gay icon of the year, and best coming out story, to the biggest enemy of the LGBT community and the next celebrity to come out.

Photo:Wikipedia

Photo:Facebook

Gay icon of the year Neil Patrick Harris

Straight ally of the year Hillary Clinton

Photo:Wikipedia

Photo:Facebook

Enemy of the LGBT community

Vladimir Putin

Best coming out story Sam Smith

Photo:Wikipedia

Next celebrity to come out:

Ryan Seacrest

Photo:Facebook

Best TV show on air ABC’s “How To Get Away With Murder”

Photo:Facebook

Best movie of 2014 “X-Men: Days of Future Past”

Photo:Facebook

Next celebrity train wreck “Kimye” Kanye West and Kim Kardashian

Photo:Facebook

Best song of 2014 “Stay with Me” Sam Smith

Photo:Facebook

Biggest loss of 2014 Robin Williams

Photo:Facebook

Hottest Instagram account Nick Jonas

Photo:Facebook

Best comeback of 2014

LEGOS

Photo:Wkipedia

Photo:Facebok

Photo:facebook

Most wanted man in the Grindr cascade Zac Efron

$

Hottest trend in 2014 Must have holiday item ALS Ice Bucket Challenge Money

Biggest social blunder Justin Bieber’s Arrest

Photo:Wikipedia

Biggest prediction for 2015

Hillary Clinton announces presidential candidacy

Neil Patrick Harris was voted as the gay icon for the second year in a row. More than 1,100 Grindr users cast their votes between November 21 and December 1. On a daily basis, about 1.6 million active Grindr users log on to the app.

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advertorial The Affordable Care Act for People Living with HIV If you are a person living with HIV/AIDS (PLWH), now is the time to educate yourself about the Affordable Care Act (ACA) and how it works. This article provides information for those who are HIV positive and not receiving Ryan White services as well as those who are.

Enrollment in the Health Insurance Market place is required for everyone who does not currently have insurance. This is a confusing, complex process and it is our hope that this brief article will help clarify some of the issues and provide answers to important questions that you may have if you are living with HIV and are uninsured.

Open enrollment is from November 15, 2014 to February 15, 2015. There is a penalty for those who do not enroll. So it’s important to know just what the penalty is. The fee charged for not having health care coverage is calculated in one of two ways. If you or your dependents don’t have insurance you’ll have to pay either a percentage of your household income or a flat fee whichever is higher. If you do not have coverage in 2015

you will be required to pay whichever of the following is higher.

2% of your yearly household income (Only if you earn above $10, 00.00). $325.00 per person (162.50 per child under 18). The maximum penalty per family using this method is $975.00 So this clarifies the deadline and what the penalty is if not enrolled. But what are the benefits to having the ACA? The Affordable Care Act increases access to health insurance coverage and health services for all Americans, including people living with HIV/AIDS through a number of private insurance reforms, an expansion of Medicaid eligibility, and the establishment of Health Insurance Marketplaces. The federal government and consumers have a number of roles and responsibilities to help with implementation of the Affordable Care Act. Below are the five questions; and the answers to those questions that PLWH should know about the ACA Health Insurance Marketplace and the Ryan White Part A Program.

Why do I need insurance when I receive services through Ryan White?

The ACA helps PLWH, including those receiving Ryan White Program services, to increase their access to affordable, high quality health care. Many Ryan White clients will gain access to health insurance or see their current health insurance improve. The Health Insurance Marketplace helps uninsured individuals enroll in health coverage. Enrolling in a health plan will help cover your general health care needs, including your HIV care.

How do I know if I am eligible for health coverage?

You must apply for coverage. When you apply for Health Insurance through the Marketplace, you’ll be required to provide information about you and your household, including income, any insurance you may have, and some additional financial items.

What if I can’t afford insurance?

If you receive medication through the AIDS Drug Assistance Program (ADAP) or services through the Ryan White Part A program, you

may be eligible for assistance paying for health insurance costs such as plan premiums, deductibles and co-pays.

The enrollment process seems so confusing. Is there anyone that can help me?

There are many resources available to help you with the process. They include: Case Managers, Navigators, and CIED workers.

How do I know how much it will cost, and who do I pay?

How much and who you pay depends on what plan you chooses and your particular circumstances. We (at the below phone numbers) can help you figure that out so that you get the best, most cost effective coverage.

We hope this brief article has helped you feel a little better about the ACA, its benefits, and the process in general.

For more information on the ACA and you, call the ADAP office at 954-467-4700 and select option “3” or call the Ryan White Part A Program at 954-357-5390.

Take action now, time is of the essence!

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SouthFloridaGayNews // SFGN.com // 12.17.2014 //

21

feature

Top Ten LGBT news stories of 2014

By Lisa Keen

Keen News Service

The U.S. Supreme Court refused to hear appeals seeking to preserve bans on marriage for same-sex couples. President Obama finally signed a long-sought executive order protecting LGBT people who work for federal contractors. And an openly gay college football player kissed his boyfriend in front of a television camera after becoming the first openly gay player to be hired by a professional team.

Oh, yes, and the Republican Party won a majority in the U.S. Senate.

Those are likely to be the most remembered events for LGBT people for 2014 -- a year packed with many important events, both symbolic and significant, but a year that nonetheless played second fiddle to 2013. Many of the LGBT headlines in 2014 centered on marriage because, in 2013, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that the key provision of the federal Defense of Marriage Act was unconstitutional. That prompted court after court to echo that decision, in U.S. v. Windsor, while striking

down state bans on such marriages around the country.

Polls indicated that public opinion about same-sex relationships improved more dramatically this year than on any other controversial issue, with 58 percent telling Gallup that “gay and lesbian relations” are “morally acceptable.”

And a federal district court judge appointed by Republican President George W. Bush declared a marriage ban in Pennsylvania unconstitutional, adding, “We are a better people than what these laws represent, and it is time to discard [such bans] into the ash heap of history.”

By this time next year, there’s a good chance that bans on same-sex marriage will be on the ash heap of history, and the Supreme Court could make that happen as early as next month.

But, first, here’s a look back on what the LGBT history books will likely record as the political and legal events of 2013 which had the greatest impact on LGBT lives:

1.

The U.S. Supreme Court issued an Orders List October 6, the first day of its 2014-15 session, denying petitions from five states seeking to preserve bans on same-sex marriage. The refusal to take up the appeals meant that at least six justices did not feel the appeals merited consideration (it takes four justices to agree to hear an appeal before it can be taken up by the full court).

And, given that the refusal to hear the appeals meant that same-sex couples could suddenly get married in a whole host of new states, it signaled that those six justices will almost certainly vote to overturn state bans on samesex marriage once the court does take a case.

Just one month after the Supreme Court denied to hear the appeals, the Sixth Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals became the only federal appeals court to have upheld the constitutionality of such bans. In doing so, it prompted a new round of appeals, ones seeking to strike down the state bans, and ones the high court will now almost certainly review or reverse without argument. Meanwhile, by year’s end, same-sex couples could obtain marriage licenses in 36 states (though appeals were still alive in eight of those states). By January 5, couples can obtain marriage licenses in Florida, while that state’s appeal continues. By comparison, at the end of 2013, same-sex couples could marry in only 17 states.

2.

President Obama signed an executive order in July prohibiting businesses that hold contracts with the federal government from discriminating against employees or potential employees based on sexual orientation or gender identity. Almost as important as the executive order itself, the new executive order neither expanded nor removed a relatively narrow exemption put in place by President George W. Bush –an exemption that allowed “a religious corporation, association, educational institution, or society” to discriminate. A small group of religious leaders has urged the president to include a “robust religious exemption.” On December 3, the Department of Labor issued is final rule for implementing the new executive order, Executive Order 13672, and the Federal Register published that rule on December 9. It will take effect in April 8, 2015, and is expected to help as many as 14 million workers.

rt as ke y S up re m e C ou e th e id ts ou ar e is su ed .

A cr ow d w ai ts se x m ar ri ag e em sa g in rd de ci si on s re ga P h ot o: C N N

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soflagaynews //

3.

The U.S. Department of Education released guidelines in May to clarify for schools receiving federal aid that Title IX of the Civil Rights Act’s prohibition against sex discrimination “extends to claims of discrimination based on gender identity or failure to conform to stereotypical notions of masculinity or femininity.” The DOE’s guidance made clear that its Office of Civil Rights “accepts such complaints for investigation.”

SouthFloridaGayNews

Photo: CNN

Photo: CNN a

Barack Obam

4.

The U.S. Supreme Court allowed a closely held family company, Hobby Lobby, to deny certain health coverage for employees under the company’s health plan by saying the owners have religious objections to providing the coverage. LGBT legal activists called the decision a “dangerous and radical departure from existing law,” saying it could provide a means for employers to discriminate against LGBT people by denying coverage for such things as reproductive insemination, gender reassignment treatments, or HIV prevention efforts.

5.

Several state legislatures attempted to adopt new bills to allow people to claim that discriminatory treatment of others is an exercise of their religious beliefs. The bills in those states were clearly aimed at allowing discrimination based on sexual orientation, but most fizzled out under pressure from major corporations, such as Coca-Cola, Delta, and Home Depot.

6.

The Vatican under Pope Francis continued to send out occasional pro-LGBT messages, following on his comment last year that it wasn’t his duty to judge a gay person who was seeking to follow Christ’s word. A Vatican document released in June called on the church to treat LGBT people with more respect, and four months later, another document produced by a Catholic leaders meeting in Rome noted that the support gay partners provide each other is worthy of respect. But the final report issued from the Extraordinary Synod of Bishops eliminated all such language, saying there were “no ground whatsoever… for assimilating” gay relationships into the church.

7.

Several African nations, including Uganda and Nigeria, passed archaic laws against the existence of gay people, making same-sex relationships and activities punishable by death. In February, a mob in Nigeria dragged 40 men it believed to be gay out of their beds and into the streets where they were beaten with wooden clubs. President Obama issued a statement saying Uganda’s law would “complicate” the relationship between Uganda and the U.S. But when the White House held a Summit on Africa in August, leaders of these countries were included.

Governor Jan Brewer

Credit: POOL Pope Francis

Ben Wyatt, CNN

8.

The Winter Olympics, held in Russia, drew international attention to that country’s newly passed and harsh laws aimed at silencing LGBT people. The laws made it a crime to “promote LGBT equality in public.” The U.S. conveyed its more positive message for LGBT people, President Obama named openly gay athletes as three out of his tenmember official delegation to the event, and he canceled a one-on-one with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Though the International Olympic Committee did little at the time but voice its principle of nondiscrimination generally, on December 8, it quietly passed an amendment to its Olympic Charter Principle 6, explicitly prohibiting discrimination based on sexual orientation.

9.

Houston, the fourth largest city in the nation and the only one with an openly lesbian mayor, finally passed a long-sought human rights ordinance prohibiting discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity.

Mayor Annise Parker pushed for the measure and, when it passed, was threatened with a recall. But neither the recall nor a promised referendum on the measure ever made it to the ballot.

10.

The Republicans won control of the U.S. Senate in November, giving the GOP control of both chambers of Congress and making the prospects for passage of any pro-LGBT legislation –including the Employment Non-Discrimination Act— virtually nil. But the truth is: ENDA and other pro-LGBT legislation had virtually no chance of passage while Democrats controlled the Senate, because Republican House Speaker John Boehner made clear, and made good, his promise not to give such legislation floor time. Meanwhile, a Human Rights Campaign survey this year found that 53 percent of LGBT people still hide their sexual orientation from almost everybody at work.

soflagaynews //

Mayor Annise Parker

Photo: CNN

SouthFloridaGayNews // SFGN.com // 12.17.2014 //

23

column publisher’s editorial

The Gay Tourist’s Warning Book Norm Kent

norm.kent@sfgn.com

With so many gay and lesbian travelers visiting South Florida at this time of year, it is time for me to switch hats, play the role of criminal defense attorney, and publish my annual cautionary guide to tourists.

I realized this last week after a French tourist spent an evening in the Fort Lauderdale Jail only hours after arriving in town. He and a bunch of his friends went to a local gay nightclub to have some drinks, and began soliciting a bartender for some ‘party’ cocktails. But they were overheard by an undercover police officer conducting a separate investigation. Bad timing.

The undercover officer offered to help, and he did, being the nice police officer that he was. He wound up driving our French Guest to the Broward County Jail on a charge of attempting to purchase cocaine.

In many of our nightclubs, you will find not only incredibly good-looking men, but also a wealth of illegal party favors. In Florida, it is a felony to possess, use or sell Special K, Ecstasy, GHB, crystal meth, cocaine, and even marijuana. It is not a legal requirement that you do these illegal substances in order to have fun on South Beach. Sorry to be the spoilsport, but if you do, you may wind up going from a circuit party to circuit court.

You certainly don’t want to carry illegal drugs in your car.

If you do, and the cops find them, they have a right to seize the car, impound it, and not return it to you. If you own the car, they can institute forfeiture proceedings against it. In Florida as well, a drug conviction means you can lose your driver’s license for two years as well.

Many foreign tourists are also unaware that the latitude given sexuality in Europe is not extended to South Florida venues. What is mild in France may be a misdemeanor in Fort Lauderdale. Cops make lewd act arrests here. You can order a ‘sex on the beach’ from a bartender in South Beach

24

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but don’t have sex on the beach at 21st street beach in South Beach. That’s a no-no.

As a matter of fact, the plain-clothes police cruise some of the very favorite haunting grounds for local gays as well.

So if you are encouraged to check out the gay scene at John U. Lloyd State Park Beach in Dania, keep in mind that it is a public, not a pubic park- because the undercover cops that hang there are cruising for arrests, not dates.

There are places like Haulover Beach in North Miami where you can get fully nude, but that does not allow you the right to noontime seaside sexual intercourse. Anonymous sex can be very intoxicating, but if you try it on some of South Florida’s beaches, it can also be very incarcerating.

What can I say? Cops are on a crusade to prevent the republic from being taken over by horny nude gay men.

Wilton Manors guests and residents should be aware that remote police surveillance cameras monitor Colahatchee Park. It is a dog park, a public park, and your park. It is not a bathhouse. Arrests of gay men in this park are routine and have been going on for years. Police are not selling the videos as part of a gay travel brochure.

A lot of Europeans who are used to urinals on city streets find the lack of them frustrating in South Florida. But before you let yourself go on one of our streets, you should know that urinating in public is not only an arrest-able offense, it gives cops a legal reason to do a more extensive search of your person and property.

Seasonally, the Broward Sheriff’s Office and numerous police agencies conduct DUI task forces on neighborhood streets and local highways. Cops cruise gay venues the way you would Tom Cruise. Look, some of these guys in uniform may want hot dates, but a lot more are just waiting for you to speed out of a parking lot and give them a reason to pull you over. Don’t.

soflagaynews //

SouthFloridaGayNews

The last thing you want on holiday is to find yourself standing on the side of a street before a battery of flashing lights doing roadside sobriety tests. Drink moderately, and keep a designated driver handy. If you all want to party, Yellow Cabs are clean, friendly, and moderately priced. Keep the number 954-777-7777 very, very handy. It’s cheaper than bond and a DUI lawyer- even though we like the work.

Everyone wants a little legal advice so yes, it’s probably wise not to take a breath test if you have been drinking. It’s definitely even more important to remind you not to ask the cop hold your beer while you search for your license. By the way, open containers of alcoholic beverages are also illegal in vehicles.

The rules in Key West are a lot more open than in Fort Lauderdale or Miami. After all, as the Conch Republic, it is its own nation. Numerous guesthouses offer optimum gay privacy rights, and besides, the T-shirts are much better. In fact, I think the only restriction in Key West is that you have to clean up after yourself if you throw up drunk on Duval Street. The private lap top dances at Bourbon Street will get you an erection, not a cellblock number.

So enjoy your stay in Fort Lauderdale, Miami or Key West.

Have a great time. But please, if you return, make sure it isn’t because you had to hire a criminal defense attorney like myself today in order to represent you tomorrow.

The South Florida sun tans well. But don’t let it burn you.

Be careful. Don’t come to Florida on vacation and go home on probation.

column transforming gender

Just What Is Equality Anyway?

Since we’re not talking about mathematics here, let’s focus on the first definition: “the state of being equal, especially in status, rights, and opportunities”.

Certainly there are areas of our country that may meet this definition, but is it credible to use that term to describe the legal situations of LGBT couples in states like Oklahoma, Indiana, and Virginia, as well as other states where same-sex couples can legally marry but can also be denied housing, employment, and access to public spaces for no other reason than because they’re known to be LGBT? Is that really what we’re calling “equality” these days?

Common sense tells us that same-sex couples who can legally marry just like straight people but unlike straight people can be legally discriminated against for doing so are inherently unequal, yet the media and our activists describe this as “marriage equality” on a regular basis. Incredibly, we’re not only trying to sell this radical redefinition of a clearly-defined term to straight America, we’re even trying to sell it to ourselves.

How many times have we heard it reported that New York and New Hampshire have “marriage equality”? And how many of those reporters mention or even bother to factor into their reporting if the trans people living in those states feel their own marriages are equal to those of fully cisgender couples?

Is it really “marriage equality” when you can get a license to marry but your boss can still legally fire you for it? When your landlord can legally throw you out of your

“Marriage equality” is what our media likes to call it when same-sex marriage becomes legal in yet another jurisdiction or five, but “equality” is a term with a very specific and well-defined meaning. Oxford defines it this way:

home for nothing more than legally marrying a person of the same sex? When you can be denied a hotel room, a drink in a bar, or a meal in a restaurant just because you’re an LGBT person?

Has our definition of what we should have the right to expect as American citizens sunk so low, are we willing to accept so little basic human respect, so little true equality, that this is what we’re comfortable calling “equality” now?

Personally, I’ll stick with Oxford’s definition. To do less would mean potentially misinforming and misleading LGBT people about how their “marriage equality” can and often will play out in the real world.

Ultimately, it’s not about having the legal right to marry, it’s about the families formed as the result of those marriages. It’s about Laser what happens when Silk the guests haveCenter gone home, the honeymoon is over, and those QTY: 1 SUBSTRATE / MEDIA: couples begin their lives together in earnest.

SIZE: 60”W x 24H” FINISHING: N/A Until real equality is just as present in actual married life as it is in the legal recognition of those marriages, you can’t accurately call it (x1) 60”W x 24H” Photopaper print “marriage equality”. That means full equality in not only recognition but also in respect, and laws which reflect both of those truths.

No means no, equal means equal, and “marriage equality” means an LGBT marriage and the partners comprising it are no more or less protected under the law than any other. Those who truly believe in that ideal should be willing to settle for nothing less, nor should we tolerate those who would try to claim we’re already there.

INVOICE #

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20813 Photopaper

Rebecca Juro is a nationally-published freelance journalist and radio talk show host who is the Media Correspondent for The Advocate website. Her work has appeared in the Huffington Post, the Washington Blade, Gay City News, the Albany Times Union, and The Advocate magazine, among others.

Rebecca lives in central New Jersey and shares her life with a somewhat antisocial cat. Email: rjuroshow@gmail.com Twitter: @beckyjuro soflagaynews //

DUE DATE

1 of 1 TBD INSTALL

It seems that every time we have another significant event in the movement for samesex marriage, we hear the same things, the same well-used terms thrown around in the media as if they accurately represent the facts. Do they really, though?

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SouthFloridaGayNews // SFGN.com // 12.17.2014 //

25

column guest

Getting Steamy

Harm reduction may be best approach for smoking in the LGBT Community

Gregory T. Angelo

Executive Director of Log Cabin Republicans

The push to blunt tobacco use across the country is nothing new, but after years of increased restrictions on tobacco use and sales, the number of cigarette smokers in the United States has hovered stubbornly around 20 percent for the better part of the past decade — with LGBT Americans more than twice as likely to take up smoking than our heterosexual peers.

A new approach to tobacco harm reduction isn’t just important; it’s necessary.

Before moving to Washington, D.C. to head the Log Cabin Republicans, I was a resident of Manhattan, living in the “City that Never Sleeps” from day one of the tenure of Mayor Michael Bloomberg, who made smoking cessation a public health priority of his administration.

I saw it all: the implementation of smoking bans in restaurants, bars, and nightclubs all the way to a ban on smoking outside! (The latter, a law against smoking in public parks, was eventually knocked down by the courts, but shows that Hizzoner was serious about snuffing out smoking.)

Considering the tremendous amount of time, energy, and public resources devoted to preventing puffing, it’s frustrating to see the smoking rate in the Big Apple has actually risen

in the last year. Given statistics from the Center for Disease Control (CDC) that show minority groups have far higher smoking rates than other groups, it’s not a leap to assume the LGBT community comprised a fair part of that uptick.

What’s to be done — not only in New York, but across the country? Last month CVS put an end to all sales of tobacco products in their stores — a move that will likely do more to improve the drugstore’s image than lower national smoking rates. A federal ban on smoking? Hardly — if government intrusion failed in New York City, there’s little reason to believe federal action would be any more effective.

On the other hand, the burgeoning popularity of so-called “e-cigarettes” seems to offer a promising step-down from old-fashioned combustible tobacco products. While the efficacy of e-cigs in smoking cessation has yet to be conclusively proven, even the American Heart Association has acknowledged that medical doctors should consider encouraging e-cig use when gums, patches, and other alternatives fail.

It’s an alternative form of nicotine consumption that, while imperfect, is far less harmful than tobacco. Even Stanton Glantz,

an e-cig critic and director of the Center for Tobacco Control Research and Education at the University of California, declared: “There’s no question that a puff on an e-cigarette is less toxic than a puff on a regular cigarette.”

These are words lawmakers and e-cig opponents should keep in mind. While not smoking at all is the best course of action, a healthier alternative is better than no alternative.

And even if science concludes that e-cigarettes are not particularly effective at aiding in ending smoking entirely, it could be years before such data is accumulated — years that someone who smokes cigarettes today could be vaping “less toxic” e-cigarettes instead.

So instead of telling smokers they can’t use e-cigs, lawmakers should kick their habit of encroaching in areas of commerce where their actions make the perfect the enemy of the good.

We’re better off reducing tobacco consumption any way we can than blowing smoke about imperfect solutions to complex problems.

Gregory T. Angelo is the Executive Director of Log Cabin Republicans. Visit www. logcabin.org for more information.

Let’s talk about a contingency basis.

d The hiring of a lawyer is an important decision that should not be based solely upon

www.kenkeechllaw.com 26

// 12.17.2014 // SFGN.com //

soflagaynews //

SouthFloridaGayNews

advertisments. Before you decide, ask the lawyer to send you free written information about the lawyers qualifications and experience.

column chamber chat GALLA: Gay & Lesbian Lawyers Association of South Florida Jorge Richa

(Marketing & Programming Director; Miami-Dade Gay & Lesbian Chamber of Commerce (MDGLCC))

One of the goals of the Miami-Dade Gay and Lesbian Chamber of Commerce (MDGLCC) is to provide resources for our members and the community. If you are ever in the need of an attorney or legal assistance we strongly encourage that you search within our affinity group GALLA (Gay & Lesbian Lawyers Association of South Florida) to find the resource that better suits your needs.

GALLA is a voluntary professional association for lawyers, law students, paralegals and other members of the legal profession providing a visible community presence within the South Florida legal community. Every attorney that joins the MDGLCC automatically becomes part of GALLA and can make use of all the Marketing tools and Networking opportunities that we offer for promotion and generate business.

GALLA’s purpose is to:

Discuss & take action on 1.Promote human rights 7. questions of law in the administration of justice that affect Provide opportunities for the gay and lesbian community 2. lawyers, judges & law students to meet in a professional Promote the creation of setting 8. coalitions with other legal organizations & stimulate the Encourage the appointment practice and professional expertise Promote legislative & 3. of members of GALLA to the of lawyers who are members of 12. administrative reforms judiciary GALLA for the purpose of eliminating

4.

Provide a forum for members of GALLA in the legal community to exchange ideas & information of mutual concern Promote the spirit of unity 5. among attorneys who are members of GALLA

6.

Promote the hiring & advancement of members of GALLA to public agencies & commissions

9.

Promote sensitivity to legal issues particularly faced by members of the gay and lesbian community

Demonstrate the presence 10. of members of GALLA in the law

11.

Facilitate and improve the administration of justice

soflagaynews //

discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender expression

Assure fair & just treatment 13. of members of the gay and lesbian community under the law For more information on GALLA visit www. galla.mdglcc.com. For more information visit www.GayBizMiami.com or reach us at info@ gaybizmiami.com or call 305-673-4440.

SouthFloridaGayNews // SFGN.com // 12.17.2014 //

27

column jesse’s journal

Coming Out in Country Music

Jesse Monteagudo

I love country music. Through the years my love of country and western music has inspired me to amass a sizable collection of country CDs and tapes, though my country collection is still not at large as my rhythm & blues or jazz collections.

That the music of mostly Scot-Irish, Evangelical Protestants in Appalachia appeals to a gay Cuban Jew in South Florida speaks volumes for that music’s universality.

Along with my partner, Michael Greenspan, I visited the City of Nashville Tennessee, the capital of country music, where I saw the Country Music Hall of Fame, heard the Grand Ole Opry, and

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stood on the stage of country’s “mother church,” the Ryman Auditorium. I even watch “Nashville,” ABC’s country music soap opera. If that ain’t country, you can kiss my grits.

As a country music fan who is also a gay man, I was delighted on November 20, when not one but two male country singers came out as gay men. After 52 years of life, two marriages and a notorious arrest in a public park, singer Ty Herndon revealed country’s worst kept secret in an interview with TV’s “Entertainment Tonight.”

Like many of us, Herndon found it hard to come out, thinking “that I couldn’t be gay and be in country music. I’ve dreamed about being in country music since I was 6 years old. It’s my life, it’s what I do, it’s who I am, and I went to great lengths to cover up that fact to be a country star.”

Herndon added that he has been in “an awesome relationship” with a man for several years and hoped his partner would propose “right after this interview.”

Herndon’s announcement inspired fellow country singer Billy Gilman, best known for his days as a child star, to come out the very same day, in a five and half minute video posted on YouTube: “It’s difficult for me to make this video, not because I’m ashamed of being a gay male artist, or a gay artist, or a gay person,” Gilman said. “But it’s pretty silly to know that I’m ashamed of doing this knowing that because I’m in a genre, in an industry that is ashamed of me for being me.”

Now 26, Gilman is trying to make a comeback but found no interest on the part of major record labels in Nashville. “If people don’t like your music, that’s one thing, but after having sold over five million records, having a wonderful life in the music industry, I knew something was wrong when no major label wanted to sit down and have a meeting and listen to the new stuff,” he said. “I threw a showcase in Nashville, and no major label showed.”

The reluctance of Herndon and Gilman to come out until their prime was past is understandable, because country music is not gay friendly. If rock and roll is “the sound of the

Jesse Monteagudo is a freelance writer and journalist. He has been an active member of South Florida’s LGBT community for more than four decades and has served in various community organizations.

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city” then country music, as its name suggests, is the sound of the country, especially of the rural South. As a music steeped in tradition, country celebrates the values of rural America: songs about God, patriotism or the straight nuclear family are as common as songs about drinking beer, driving trucks, or cheating on your spouse. Country artists, most of who were born and raised in the red states, also tend to be more conservative than artists in other musical genres, and the Nashville musical establishment is very conservative. (Nashville is is also a major producer of religious literature.)

Most openly LGBT country singers, musicians or composers - including Patrick Haggerty and Lavender Country, Doug Stevens and the Outband, Mark Weigle, Teresa Trull and Nancy Vogl - came out within the queer or lesbian-feminist sub-cultures and are virtually unknown to mainstream country fans. Thus, when Steve Grand emerged in 2013 he was wrongly labeled as country’s first openly gay singer. Country music was a bit kinder to lesbians: the Nashville establishment briefly tolerated k.d. lang when she joined forces with producer Owen Bradley to record “Shadowland” in 1988; and Chely Wright preceded Herndon and Gilman by coming out in 2010. But, on the whole, most queer country artists find it wise to stay in their Nashville closets, like the fictional Will Lexington in ABC’s country soaper “Nashville.”

I hope it does not stay that way. Country music owes a lot to its LGBT artists; a debt that cannot be paid while those artists remain closeted. Nor is country necessarily homophobic or transphobic, as some LGBT activists think. Many reggae artists are homophobic, but their homophobia is due to Jamaica’s Evangelical Protestant tradition, not to reggae music’s inherent qualities. By the same token, country music is not prejudiced against sexual or gender minorities, though sadly many of its artists and audiences are. I hope the example set by lang, Wright, Herndon and Gilman will spread, and Nashville will be able to show its true rainbow colors.

SouthFloridaGayNews

Gazette Wilton Manors

Volume 1 • Issue 10 December 17, 2014

Twice-Monthly Neighborhood Outlook

Pages 3 What A Home Is Worth

Pages 4 $1 Books At Library

Pages 6

Commission Passes BID

Pages 7 Wilton Manors Holiday Fun

Pages 8 Calendar of Events

An Unpopular Decision

City chooses new towing company to rely on.

Page 2

Photo: Facebook

I sland City

Book Fanatics Page 5

Photo: J. R. Davis

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Business

Residents Support Sal’s Towing;

City Chooses Westway New towing company offered more money

By Michael d’Oliveira

Photo: westwaytowing.com

Gazette Wilton Manors

DECEMBER 17, 2014 • VOLUME 1 • ISSUE 10 2520 N. DIXIE HIGHWAY • WILTON MANORS, FL 33305 PHONE: 954-530-4970 FAX: 954-530-7943

PUBLISHER • NORM KENT NORM.KENT@SFGN.COM

CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER • PIER ANGELO GUIDUGLI

ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER / EXECUTIVE EDITOR • JASON PARSLEY JASON.PARSLEY@SFGN.COM

Editorial

ART DIRECTOR • BRENDON LIES ARTWORK@SFGN.COM ONLINE PRODUCER • DENNIS JOZEFOWICZ DENNIS.JOZEFOWICZ@SFGN.COM

Photo: Facebook

Despite calls from residents and business owners to keep Sal’s Towing, commissioners voted 3-2 on Dec. 9 to hire Westway Towing to provide towing services for the city.

Nick Berry, co-owner of Courtyard Café and Rumors, said it’s unusual “to have a whole community in favor of any towing company.”

Earlier in the year, the city advertised a bid for towing services. Westway and Sal’s were the two highest ranked firms with Westway chosen as the top respondent.

Westway was chosen by a committee based on experience and qualifications, project approach and franchise fees.

The committee consisted of David Archacki, emergency management/utilities director; Commander Gary Blocker, Wilton Manors Police Department, and Jim Kirchoff, Wilton Manors Police Department administrative manager.

Westway agreed to pay the city $30,500 a year for three years, $18,000 more than the current franchise fee offered

by Sal’s.

Commissioner Tom Green criticized the city for picking Westway over an established and popular community partner, because “there’s more money in it.”

Residents expressed concern over previous complaints filed against Westway and the distance from the city to the company’s tow yard in Lauderdale Lakes – 4.9 miles. The distance to Sal’s Towing in Oakland Park is 1.8 miles. “The distance alone would be reason enough to keep [Sal’s],” said Kip Wargo, owner of the Manor Inn. According to the Better Business Bureau’s website, Westway had 17 complaints filed in the last three years.

Sal’s had one. Craig Goldstein, owner of Westway, said the number of complaints were small compared to the 40,000 tows he does annually.

Those who spoke also repeatedly commended Sal’s community involvement in Wilton Manors and Oakland Park. In addition to sponsoring local events, Sal’s offers “Save A Life.” For no charge, inebriated drivers can call Sal’s and have their vehicle towed home anywhere in the county. Commissioner Julie Carson said the “Save A Life Program” is important to the city, with its large number of bars, but ultimately voted in favor of the recommendation because she trusts the judgment of the selection committee. “We weighed all of the information and, while

I really wanted Sal’s, the procurement committee selected Westway,” Carson said. “It was a vote on the process. I’m not comfortable usurping the process.”

Commissioner Justin Flippen acknowledged Sal’s service to the community but said he saw no reason to go against the staff recommendation to hire Westway. “[Sal’s contributions are] not the question before this commission,” he said.

Resident Kate Donohue said Sal’s was a “loyal friend” and “valuable asset” to the city and called for Mayor Gary Resnick to recuse himself from the vote because of a campaign donation he received from Westway. “I also received a campaign donation from Sal’s,” responded Resnick.

According to campaign reports from the November election, Resnick received $750 from Sal’s and $500 from Westway. He also received $500 from Broward Collision, an auto body repair shop located next to Westway that was previously owned by Goldstein, and $500 from Goldstein’s wife, Gina. The donation by Broward Collision to Resnick was made two months after Goldstein sold the business.

Vice Mayor Scott Newton, who voted against giving the contract to Westway, received a $500 contribution from Sal’s. He said he treats all parties equally, no matter who gives to his campaign. “It doesn’t get my vote by any means.”

All campaign donations to Resnick and Newton, by Sal’s and Westway, were made before the selection committee made its recommendation on Sept. 9.

Newton also called for the city to throw out the responses from Sal’s and Westway and start the process over because of a mistake. “Whoever made the bid had no idea what they were doing,” Newton said. The mistake entailed the city required bidders to have an immobilization license; something the county does not require for tow truck companies to operate.

Resnick said the mistake was not big enough to warrant a new process. “It’s not a flaw, it’s a technical defect. To some extent, it didn’t matter.”

Although unhappy with the decision, Newton said he will be satisfied with Westway and support them if they do a good job. “If they don’t I’ll be on them like stink on you know what.” WMG

Correspondents

MICHAEL D’OLIVEIRA • CHRISTIANA LILLY • DENISE ROYAL • NATALYA JONES • JOHN MCDONALD • JAMES OAKSUN • DAVID REPLOGLE

Staff Photographers

J.R. DAVIS • POMPANO BILL • STEVEN SHIRES

Sales & Marketing

DIRECTOR OF SALES & MARKETING • MIKE TROTTIER MIKE.TROTTIER@SFGN.COM SALES MANAGER • JUSTIN WYSE JUSTIN.WYSE@SFGN.COM ADVERTISING SALES ASSOCIATE • EDWIN NEIMANN EDWIN.NEIMANN@SFGN.COM ADVERTISING SALES ASSOCIATE • CINDY CURTIS CINDY.CURTIS@SFGN.COM SALES ASSISTANT • JASON GONZALES JASON.GONZALES@SFGN.COM DISTRIBUTION SERVICES • BRIAN SWINFORD ACCOUNTING SERVICES BY CG BOOKKEEPING South Florida Gay News is published weekly. The opinions expressed in columns, stories, and letters to the editor do not represent the opinions of SFGN, or the Publisher. You should not presume the sexual orientation of individuals based on their names or pictorial representations. Furthermore the word “gay” in SFGN should be interpreted to be inclusive of the entire LGBT community. All of the material/columns that appears in print and online, including articles used in conjunction with the AP, is protected under federal copyright and intellectual property laws, and is jealously guarded by the newspaper. Nothing published may be reprinted in whole or part without getting written consent from the Publisher, at his law office, at Norm@NormKent.com. SFGN, as a private corporation, reserves the right to enforce its own standards regarding the suitability of advertising copy, illustrations and photographs.

Associated Press

Copyright © 2014 South Florida Gay News.com, Inc.

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“WilMa Est Omnis Divisa in Partes Tres”

Real Estate Geek

The three parts of Wilton Manors

By James Oaksun Indeed, just as Caesar wrote of Gaul, Wilton Manors can be divided into three parts.

The “traditional” three part division, as I discussed in my previous article, comes from the city of Wilton Manors itself, organized by the city’s three neighborhood associations.

But let’s talk pricing and value. What can we tease out of the single family home sales data that would suggest what people are willing to pay to live in certain areas of Wilton Manors, and under what circumstances?

Divining the answer to that question requires quite a bit of Geekery. We can construct a database of arm’s length sales from the Multiple Listing Service data that includes the statistical variables typically used in describing homes. These would be things like the number of bedrooms/baths, the age and square footage of the home, the size of the lot, whether there is a pool, and whether it is a waterfront home.

Then we use a technique called multivariate regression to determine what weights to give each factor (assuming the factor is statistically significant). We can see from the numbers, which attributes matter most to buyers, and how much each of them count.

From a valuation perspective Wilton Manors can be divided into three parts, just not the three official ones: On a normalized basis (no difference in features or size), the northern half of West Wilton Manors (west of Andrews) can be considered the baseline. The southern half of West Wilton Manors and the northern part of East Wilton Manors are valued the same as the central area, and that whole area commands a 25-percent premium to the far northwestern segment.

The southeast corner (east of the train tracks and south of 26th Street) commands a 50-percent premium versus the far northwest.

Again, this is before we consider water frontage, a pool, or house size.

Wilton Manors is a high demand area. It is recognized as an LGBT Mecca, and probably only West Hollywood and

Provincetown come close on a percentage of population that is LGBT. Thus there is a “price of entry” for the city as a whole, in excess of most other parts of Broward County.

Next, location within Wilton Manors is a consideration for buyers. People are definitely willing to pay handsomely to live in the southeast corner, and relatively less in the northwest corner. Is this rational, or does this suggest under-valuation in the northwest and over-valuation in the southeast?

Additionally, homes with river or canal frontage, and homes with pools, carry large premiums – larger than most people realize.

Only after all these factors are considered does square footage enter the equation, or in other words: Size does indeed matter in Wilton Manors. Just not as much as you would expect.

So, how do the asking prices of homes currently on the market in Wilton Manors compare with the multivariate estimates?

Roughly half the homes are fairly priced, even perhaps a bit underpriced. These represent good values in the market at this time. However, roughly half the homes are overpriced at current levels, and in my opinion are unlikely to sell near the current ask price.

Clearly there are owners who have been under water for a long time testing the waters, perhaps telling their Realtor that if they could get a certain price they would sell. People remember 2005-2006, when their homes would have sold for more than they would today. And sometimes that is a hard thing to accept.

But as I said in my last article: At the right price, homes sell quickly. At the wrong price… results may be variable, to be polite. WMG James Oaksun, Broward’s Real Estate GeekSM, is a Realtor at the RE/MAX Preferred office on Wilton Drive. In addition to holding degrees from Dartmouth and Cornell, he is a graduate of the Realtor Institute (GRI).

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Community Photos: J.R. Davis

Books for $1 or Less!

Check out the library club’s monthly event

By Natalya Jones

The Friends of Wilton Manors Library club will be hosting a book sale called Book Tent Event on Saturday, Jan. 10. The last one took place Dec. 13.

Attendees at the book sale will be able to purchase a large plethora of books, from popular fiction to nonfiction, from cookbooks to kids books and more. All books were either donated to the Friends of the Library or discarded from the library’s collection. The best part?

Nothing sold will cost more than $1. Specifically, the mass market paperbacks cost 25 cents while hard covers will cost $1 - talk about some cheap shopping.

“Vice President Paul Kuta works extremely hard 2-4 days practically every week to deal with the volume of donated books and other items and making sure that they are moved from the Library to the Book Tent site,” said Rick Sterling, Director of the Richard C. Sullivan Public Library of Wilton Manors.

In addition to allowing those the ability of purchasing

cheap books, the Book Tent Event is run in concurrence with the Island City Yard Sale as well as the weekly Green Market. There will be dozens of vendors present selling a wide range of products. So, not only will guests be able to feel nostalgic in buying books and possible vintage items, but they can simultaneously enjoy healthy, delicious eats while they’re at it.

When asked why people should come out to the Book Tent Event, Sterling replied, “Books, DVDs, CDs, etc. can be had for a low price and they will be supporting their local hometown library as well.”

No sweat if you can’t attend that week, bookworms - the event is reoccurring and take places on the second Saturday of every month at Hagen Park, 2020 Wilton Drive from 8 a.m. till 2 p.m. Proceeds will benefit the Richard C. Sullivan Public Library of Wilton Manors, an independent municipal library. WMG

The event is reoccurring and takes place on the second Saturday of every month at Hagen Park, 2020 Wilton Dr. from 8 a.m. till 2 p.m.

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The Island City Book Club Fall in Love with Reading for Free

Community Photos: J.R. Davis

By Natalya Jones Who says that reading books has died out?

Certainly not Wilton Manors’ Island City Book Club of Richard C. Sullivan Public Library!

The Island City Book Club is fairly new, making its inception in early 2013. It was started by Carol Lebischak, a Wilton Manors library patron.

“The first meeting was in January but was not well attended,” explains Angela Griffin, a Technical Services Librarian at the Richard C. Sullivan Public Library of Wilton Manors. “The book club’s second meeting was scheduled for March. I was a new employee at the library, and the March 2013 book club selection, Karen Russell’s “Swamplandia!” was the book that I was reading when I found out that my partner and I would be moving from Louisville, Kentucky to South Florida. When I mentioned this to the Adult Services Librarian, Cindy Exterkamp, she asked me if I would like to attend the meeting and help facilitate the book discussion. Since that meeting, I have become de facto organizer for the group.”

The Island City Book Club meets at 6:30 p.m. on the third Wednesday of every month at the library. In addition to meeting once a month, the Island City Book Club has scheduled outings.

Former outings included Royal Afternoon Tea at Oscar’s Tea Room that occurred in July and a trip to Florida International University’s Biscayne Bay Campus for Amy Tan’s acceptance of the Lawrence A. Sanders Award in April. There was also a guest appearance this past May by Miami author Debra Dean who visited the library to discuss with the club her New York Times bestseller “The Madonnas of Leningrad.”

“Ms. Dean’s visit was one of our most wellattended meetings,” said Griffin.

Any interested or avid reader is invited to join

the Island City Book Club at no charge. However, if you are looking to attend a meeting this month, you will have to wait - there will be no book club meeting on December 17 but instead, the meetings will resume on the third Wednesday in January 2015. Members can obtain copies of book club selections by adding their name to the Public Library of Wilton Manors holds list (http://ow.ly/mntUg), checking the catalog of the Oakland Park Library (http://ow.ly/mmZyv) and the Broward County Library system (http:// vc.browardlibrary.org/), or simply buying the book.

To learn more about the book club, including a list of past selections, visit the the library website at http://www.wiltonmanors.com/index. aspx?NID=320.

The following books will be discussed in the next couple of months: • January 21, 2015: “D.V.” by Diana Vreeland •February 18, 2015: “The Yellow Eyes of Crocodiles” by Katherine Pancol • March 18, 2015: “No Regrets, Coyote” by John Dufresne • April 15, 2015: “Stiltsville” by Susanna Daniel • May 20, 2015: “The Art Forger” by B. A. Shapiro • June 17, 2015: “The Storied Life of A. J. Fikry”

by Gabrielle Zevin WMG

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Business

Photo: wiltonmanors.com

Business I mprovement District Approved Some business owners fear assessments may not be fair

By Michael d’Oliveira Now that the Wilton Drive Business Improvement District [BID] has been approved by commissioners, property owners can expect to pay between $127 to $26,900 a year to help fund it. That’s according to a “quick and dirty” estimate

by Finance Director Bob Mays.

The BID, unanimously approved by commissioners on Dec. 9, was established by the city to raise revenue for improvements to Wilton Drive.

Revenue would be generated by assessing properties on the street. Only commercial and retail properties will be included.

Residential properties, and the residential portion of mixed-use properties, such as Bell Isles, will not be assessed.

The hope of city officials and business owners is that $1 million can be raised over the next 10 years; a cap of $100,000 per year has been set. Properties would be assessed starting in 2016.

That money could be used to provide additional parking, add landscaping, create a marketing campaign or other improvements. It could also be used to fund the Two-Lane Initiative, a proposal that would widen sidewalks, add landscaping and turn two of Wilton Drive’s lanes into parking spaces. Proponents of the TwoLane Initiative say it would improve public safety and drive more business to the area.

“I would love for our Drive to look more like Las Olas,” said Kip Wargo, owner of The Manor Inn, located near Wilton Drive.

“It’s a jump to get this thing rolling. [The BID’s] going to generate a lot of money for the betterment of the city,” said Paul Hugo, owner of The Manor on Wilton Drive.

Before the vote, some business owners, although in support of the BID, asked commissioners to make sure the costs are spread out equally and equitably. “$1,000 is a roll of toilet paper [to some businesses] To me, $1,000 is dining room chairs,” said Carol Moran, co-owner of 13 Even, located on Wilton Drive.

“Is it just going to be for the goliaths or will it be for the little guys?” asked Richard Safaty, owner of Freedom Travel, located on Wilton Drive.

The bill for each property owner will be based on square footage. Although

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business owners won’t be directly charged, their landlords could pass on the extra cost in the form of higher rents.

“Rent could go up. I don’t think that’s fair,” said Nancy Goldwin, co-owner of 13 Even.

No exact assessment for each property has not been determined yet. “The devil’s in the details,” said Mayor Gary Resnick.

The BID board will have the power to decide how it spends the money generated but it will not be able to incur debt unless approved by the commission. It will be comprised of three property owners, three business owners and one home owner.

That home owner must be homesteaded within Wilton Manors. Resnick said a homesteaded owner should be on the board because they would have more incentive to fix problems that may arise from any changes the BID causes. A renter, by contrast, he said, could leave the area much easier.

At their last November meeting, the commission decided a resident should be on the board. Some commissioners and business owners objected, saying a resident would have no financial stake in the BID. Resnick and Commissioner Scott Newton countered, saying changes to Wilton Drive could have an adverse effect on property values. The commission also decided that board members could not have a financial affiliation. A business owner on the board, who rents space from a property owner on the board, could be influenced to vote the way the property owners wants.

Residents who already serve on some boards, including planning and zoning, would be prohibited from serving on the BID because of a conflict of interest. City Attorney Kerry Ezrol said it would depend on which board a BID applicant already serves on. BID members would be chosen by the city commission. WMG

Community

Wilton Manors Holiday Parties

By Natalya Jones

For the next two weeks, there will be plenty of holiday parties happening to make even the scroogiest of Scrooges all smile. Sure, there is Santacon this weekend as well as the Ugly Sweater bar crawl the night before, but we decided to look into the area of Wilton Manors where parties are always over the top. Without further ado, here are some fun holiday events happening in your backyard.

Speaking of ugly sweaters, do you have one adorned with tinsel and tackiness that you’re dying to use? Come out to Bill’s Filling Station this Wednesday, December 17 for their ugly sweater party! There will even be a contest, musical performances and drink specials, such as two for one drinks until 9 p.m.

Celebrate Christmas Eve and other holidays in style at Boca Raton’s new restaurant Jazziz for their Eve Ball.

Located at 201 Plaza Real Boca Raton, there will be music and fun at no cover charge. This event takes place December 24 at 8:30 p.m. To receive free entry, RSVP at TheEveBall.com.

In the mood for something more subtle and low key? If so, City Church’s Wilton Manors Christmas Party may just be for you. Held December 19 from 7:30-9 p.m., there will be plenty of food, treats

and, of course, good ol’ holiday feelings.

Visit CityChurchwm.com for more information.

The Manor boasts the largest Friday party in South Florida, so we don’t expect anything less from their Christmas party on December 19. Attendees get a free professional picture with Santa and there will also be door prize giveaways. In addition, there will be DJs and Christmas shows by Serena, Sasha and TP Lords.

Cover is free before midnight and $7 after.

Earn a spot on Santa’s naughty list by heading over to Rumors Bar & Grill at 2426 Wilton Dr, Wilton Manors on Saturday, December 20 from 9 p.m. to Midnight. Here, attendees are invited to dress in leather and bring a toy to donate.

Guess that makes you naughty and nice, huh?

Of course, there are family and kid friendly events too, such as Santa’s Enchanted Evening this Thursday from 6:30 p.m. - 9:00 p.m. at Wilton Manors Elementary School (2401 NE 3rd Avenue Wilton Manors). This fun event is perfect for your young relatives and is complete with bounce houses, cookie decorating, concessions, pictures with Santa, a sweet shop, a hayride, face painting, and even 22 tons of snow. WMG

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Calendar of Events Compiled from the Wilton Manors website

Dog Obedience Class Dec. 18 from 6:30 p.m. at Hagen Park (Basketball Court)

Brains and Balance Past 60 Dec. 17, 24 & 31 from 10 a.m. – 11 a.m. at Hagen Park

Brains and Balance Past 60 is designed for the unique needs of active older adults who know the importance of staying mentally sharp and physically stable. Researchers no longer believe that falling or losing your mental capacity are inevitable parts of the aging process and this fascinating class series operates based on the premise that specific exercises will decrease the risk of falling while increasing mental acuity.

Wilton Manors Green Market Dec. 6, 7 & 13, 14 & 20, 27 & 28 from 9 a.m. – 2 p.m. at Wilton Manors City Hall / Hagen Park

All Breeds Welcome Beginners Obedience Class. Registration at 6:30 p.m., class begins at 7:30 p.m. Rally Obedience Class Skill Building, Drill Class - Class starts at 8 p.m. $5 per class

Wilton Manors Green Market every Saturday and Sunday from 9 a.m.– 2 p.m. in the Wilton Manors City Hall / Hagen Park parking lot. The Market features Organic Produce, Regular Produce, International Baked Goods, specialty items, spices & herbs, soups, cheeses, coffees & tea, bagels, Nuts & dried fruits, baked goods, and various other international and local vendors. The Market gives residents and visitors to Wilton Manors an exciting shopping alternative and a chance to view, sample and purchase products. For more information on The Market or to become a vendor, visit GreenWilton.com or contact Frank and Ron at 954-531-5363.

Family Storytime

Preschool Storytime

Dec. 17 6:30 p.m. – 7 p.m. at Richard C. Sullivan Public Library

Dec. 22 & 29, 10:30 a.m. - 11:00 a.m. at Richard C. Sullivan Public Library

Zumba Fitness

Square Dancing

Dec. 17 from 7 p.m. – 8 p.m. at Island City Park Preserve

Dec. 18 from 7 p.m. – 9:30 p.m. at Island City Park Preserve

Are you ready to party yourself into shape?

Forget the workout, just lose yourself in the music and find yourself in shape at the original dance-fitness party. Zumba classes feature exotic rhythms set to highenergy Latin and international beats.

Before you know it, you’ll be getting fit and your energy levels will be soaring! It’s easy to do, effective and totally exhilarating.

Join the Party!

For ages 2 - 5. Caregivers must remain with their children.

Chair Yoga

Community Yard Sale Dec. 13, All Day at Hagen Park

Island City Book Club Dec. 17, 6:30 p.m. – 7:45 p.m. at Richard C. Sullivan Public Library

The Island City Book Club gathers at the library on the third Wednesday of each month. Reading selections include current and classic novels as well as popular nonfiction. All are welcome to join and help select our next book!

Historical Society Meeting Dec. 18, 7 p.m. at City Hall Commission Chambers

Dec. 29, 10 a.m. - 11 a.m. at Hagen Park

The South Florida Mustangs is the first GLBT International Square Dance Club organized in 1980. Positively no previous experience required. We’ll teach you the ropes beginning with an allemande left and a do-si-do. All you need is a desire to have fun. Questions? Feel free to call Ken 305-343-1710; Randy 305-458-1649; Tom or Chris 954-525-8365. Dance fee only $5.

Visit Caller4u.com.

City Commission Meeting Come enjoy the benefits of Chair Yoga.

Experience relaxation, improve your flexibility, reduce or even eliminate insomnia, arthritis and constipation.

Dec. 19 at 7 p.m. at City Hall Chambers (Dec. 23 meeting cancelled) 2020 Wilton Drive, Wilton Manors, FL 33305

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column letter from the editor

How Do You Define a Family?

Jason Parsley

Recently that question came up when a proposed amendment to a homeowners’ association agreement attempted to do just that -- define a family.

Below is how Rivermill, where my partner and I own a house in Western Lake Worth, has decided to define a family for certain purposes:

“Family shall mean one or more persons related by law, blood, adoption or marriage, but shall not exceed two people per bedroom, as delivered by the developer. Alternatively, a family may also be defined as persons living together in a domestic relationship and as in integrated single housekeeping unit, though not related by law, blood, adoption or marriage, but shall be deemed to constitute a family, provided that such alternative definition of family shall not exceed two persons.”

Who knows what this convoluted definition really even means. I have a hard time deciphering it. But I think it’s a bad idea when a community association starts trying to define what a family is, or isn’t, for any purpose.

I take exception with the definition because being gay, this could theoretically be used against me and my family at some point, especially as it says “deemed.” Who deems what a family is? The board? The property management company? A community vote?

“As for the Association’s attempt to define family, it is my personal opinion that the Association is on shaky ground, which could lead to expensive litigation, depending on the specific fact pattern,” said Rand Hoch, founder and president of the Palm Beach County Human Rights Council.

Now I know that this amendment wasn’t put in place to exclude gays. It was put in place to regulate renters. But marriage laws in this country weren’t developed to exclude gays either -- until gays wanted to be included. Then and only then did it become an issue.

Many seemingly irrelevant or innocuous laws have been used against the LGBT community and other minority groups despite their original intent.

Later in the amendment the board also added this -presumably to cover their own asses: “...the Association shall not discriminate on the grounds of race, gender, religion, national origin, familial status or physical or mental handicap...”

Notice anything missing? Yup, it doesn’t include sexual orientation or gender identity/expression.

“It appears that the Association has failed to consult a lawyer, since the proposed revisions appear to be in conflict with Palm Beach County’s Fair Housing Ordinance, which prohibits discrimination based on race, color, national origin, religion, sex, familial status, handicap, sexual orientation age, marital status or gender identity or expression,” Hoch said.

The above non-discrimination clause only includes

those classes that are protected at the federal level. They could have gone above and beyond, or -- as Hoch pointed out -- matched what the county requires, but they chose not to.

So for federal purposes they did indeed cover their asses, but what they don’t realize is that thanks to local organizations like the PBCHRC, we gays are protected -- at at a glacial pace sometimes, it is thanks to the tireless least in my home county. efforts of organizations like the PBCHRC that change is The community did consult a lawyer, though, when happening at the local level -- then and now. they proposed these new amendments, proving that If gay couple were to move in to this community it not all lawyers are created equal or well-versed in non- appears they would have no choice but to “out” themselves discrimination clauses. to prove they are a family, according to those bylaws above.

“PBCHRC got the Palm Beach County Commission So what I have to say to the board is this: Nobody has to amend the County’s Fair Housing Ordinance in 1990 the right to define what my family is, or isn’t -- not the to prohibit housing discrimination based on ‘sexual government, and certainly not an HOA. orientation.’ The law is the oldest LGBT rights law in effect Years ago when I first decided to join the board myself, in Florida. We got it amended again in 2007 to prohibit a board member at the time said that I couldn’t because discrimination based on ‘gender identity or expression,” I wasn’t married to my partner. Little did he know that I Hoch explained. am on the deed to the property, so his point was moot. But “Violations of the Fair Housing Act may result in civil if we had been married that situation would never have fines against the Association ranging from $5,000 to occurred. $25,000,” he added. “Additionally, violations may subject Several years later, that then-former board member and the Association to litigation.” another resident threatened my family, calling my partner Unfortunately other counties across the state do not a “homo” and chanting, “your day is going to come, your offer the same protections for LGBT people that Palm day is going to come.”

Beach County does. Florida has no housing protections for So while my current board may have good intentions the LGBT community. with these bylaw changes, the next board may use that So this county ordinance isn’t just for show. More than very same bylaw to exclude some family they don’t deem a decade ago -- long before gay rights were en vogue -- an “worthy” enough to live there. unmarried gay couple settled a discrimination case against As the old saying goes, “the road to hell is paved with an apartment complex for $75,000. good intentions.”

Thankfully county law trumps the ignorance of a local community association. So while change at the state Feel free to email the association at rmhoa@rivermillcommunity.com and tell them and federal level may move what you think of their amended bylaws. soflagaynews //

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opinion for becker or worse Marijuana and Marriage A Tale of GOP Hypocrisy John Becker from abortion (it doesn’t allow the District to spend its own money providing coverage to women) to HIV prevention (Congress blocked the city from implementing a needle-exchange program, even though they are scientifically proven to slow the spread of HIV/AIDS) to gun control (congressional Republicans have attacked D.C.’s gun control laws for years). And now they’re doing it again on marijuana.

This legislative bullying of the people of Washington, D.C. by the GOP stands in stark contrast to the party’s actions on the issue of marriage equality. Faced with a sea change in public opinion in favor of equal marriage rights and a tsunami of pro-equality court decisions sweeping across the country, Republican governors and attorneys general are trying desperately to preserve marriage discrimination — and they’re doing it by arguing that the “will of the people” must be preserved at all costs.

When a federal judge struck down Idaho’s marriage discrimination amendment in May, Governor Butch Otter (R) issued a defiant statement declaring that the people of his state have a “fundamental right” to govern themselves and pledging to “[uphold] the will of the people” and their 2006 vote to exclude same-sex couples from marriage.

Mary Fallon, the Republican governor C of Oklahoma, said much the same thing in October when her state’s 2004 marriage M discrimination amendment fell, assailing the decision of the federal courts as “undemocratic Y and a violation of states’ rights” and whining: “Rather than allowing states to CM make their own policies that reflect the values of their residents, federal judges have inserted MY themselves into a state issue to pursue their CY own agendas.”

Right. So in the GOP’s world, when federal CMY courts intervene to stop states from practicing marriage discrimination against a disfavored K minority group, that constitutes an egregious, unacceptable big-government overreach and a violation of people’s fundamental right to selfgovernance. But thwarting the expressed will of the people of Washington, D.C. by blocking the implementation of their democraticallyenacted marijuana legalization law? That, it seems, is A-OK. Look out, Republicans — your hypocrisy is showing.

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Last weekend, lawmakers in the House and Senate scrambled to cobble together a budget bill as the nation hovered on the brink of yet another government shutdown. We averted it with just hours to spare, but by all accounts, the massive trillion-dollar, 1600-page behemoth that resulted is an ugly and unwieldy thing.

Corporatist Republicans inserted a provision that repeals a key part of the 2010 Dodd-Frank and makes taxpayer bailouts of banks and insurance companies much more likely to happen again in the future. (The provision was written by Citigroup, one of the largest banks in America.) A whopping $93 million was cut from a program that provides nutritional food assistance to low-income mothers and children, but Congress did miraculously find the funds to pay for four F-35 strike fighters that the Pentagon doesn’t want. Oh, and the budget also included a rider that allows highdollar political donors to contribute even more money to national political parties (we’re talking hundreds of thousands of dollars more here).

But the bill also contained another abomination that really exposes the depth of GOP hypocrisy: a provision blocking implementation of Washington, D.C.’s voterbacked marijuana legalization law. It was inserted by Republicans, and the Democrats allowed it to remain in the bill — despite their own opposition to blocking the D.C. law — because they didn’t want to risk a knock-down, drag-out fight while the shutdown clock was ticking.

A little history: last month, voters in the District of Columbia approved, by a vote of 70 percent to 30 percent a measure that allowed residents and visitors to legally possess up to two ounces of marijuana and grow up to three pot plants in their homes. But according to Article I, Section 8 of the United States Constitution, that doesn’t matter: Congress has complete authority over the District, meaning that it can essentially veto any local laws it doesn’t like and impose its will on the people of D.C. without their consent. And there’s very little D.C. can do about it, not least because it doesn’t have any voting representatives in Congress.

(License plates in Washington include the phrase “Taxation Without Representation” for good reason!)

Congress has often used this provision to bully D.C.’s 600,000 residents on everything

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John Becker is an LGBT rights activist and writer. As a writer he’s best known as a contributor to and the Editor in Chief of The Bilerico Project; his proudest moment as an activist is his undercover, hidden-camera exposé that revealed fraudulent “ex-gay” therapy at Marcus and Michele Bachmann’s Christian counseling clinic. A frequent guest on news networks including ABC, CNN, and MSNBC, Becker lives in Washington, D.C. with his beloved husband Michael and their dog Rosie. soflagaynews //

www.IDOcustomevents.com (954) 626-0131 SouthFloridaGayNews // SFGN.com // 12.17.2014 //

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lifestyle books “Sally Ride: America’s First Woman in Space”

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You spent many years wondering if that were possible, although countless nursery rhyme books said it was so. Yes, a human could surely go there, but a bovine?

Eventually, you learned the truth: men and women can overcome gravity, but cows stay grounded. And in the new book “Sally Ride: America’s First Woman in Space” by Lynn Sherr, you’ll learn some truths that weren’t so widely known.

Born at the end of May, 1951, at a time when girls were usually directed toward domestic interests, Sally Ride was raised in a California household that was supportive of off-thebeaten-path lives. The Ride girls (Sally had a younger sister) never heard “I love you,” but they were encouraged to happily find their own interests.

In this atmosphere, strong-willed Ride grew to desire what was then considered to be a boys’ interest: she would “devote” herself to science.

It was tennis, however, that took her to college in Philadelphia; her game was near-pro-quality, though she knew she lacked the discipline needed to play professionally. With that in mind, Ride headed back west and enrolled at Stanford, where she majored in physics.

It was there that she fell in love, then fell in love again when the first relationship fizzled due to distance. It was also at Stanford where Ride, who had always assumed that NASA would forever be off-limits to her, first learned that America’s space program was recruiting women.

She applied. A few months later, she interviewed and tested and, after training and not just a few faux pas from NASA, was ultimately, famously chosen to be the first American woman in space. Ride’s life as she knew it had changed forever.

But what about the people who were close to Ride? Author Lynn Sherr believed that she

* R ATES EFFECTIVE 7/16/2014 SUBJECT TO CHANGE.

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was; she and Ride had been friends for years.

Just days after Ride’s death, though, Sherr and the world learned that Ride had hidden a major part of herself by keeping secret a committed twenty-seven-year same sex relationship.

In her introduction to “Sally Ride: America’s First Woman in Space,” Sherr explains how this book came about: her years of knowing (but not-quite-knowing) Sally Ride and the shock of learning a “private” truth. She also writes about the cultural atmosphere in which Ride accomplished her greatest dream, the space program and NASA, and the additional issues to which Ride devoted her life.

Sherr also gives readers a good sense of Ride as a person, rather than the heroine that history tends to offer. For that, I was glad: it’s always nice to perceive those we hold in esteem as human, so reading of Ride’s overwhelmingly by-the-book, reticent nature was welcome, almost comforting.

This is a personable book that doesn’t seem quite as shocking as I’m sure it might have been once – but it’s still enjoyable and, for followers of the space program, LGBT issues, and dreamers alike, it’s a must-read. For you, “Sally Ride: America’s First Woman in Space” will send you over the moon.

lifestyle

J.R. Davis

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lifestyle history

Image: US Holocaust Memorial Museum

HOMO HISTORY 101 Pier Angelo

Leonard Bernstein, (1918 –1990)

was an American composer, conductor, author, music lecturer, and pianist. He was among the first conductors born and educated in the United States of America to receive worldwide acclaim.

According to music critic Donald Henahan, he was “one of the most prodigiously talented and successful musicians in American history.” His fame derived from his long tenure as the music director of the New York Philharmonic, from his conducting of concerts with most of the world’s leading orchestras, and from his music for “West Side Story,” “Peter Pan,” “Candide,” “Wonderful Town,” “On the Town” and his own “Mass.” In 1951, he married the beautiful actress Felicia Montealegre. But it was a marriage of convenience as it was revealed in a letter Felicia wrote to her husband: “you are a homosexual and may never change—you don’t admit to the possibility of a double life, but if your peace of mind, your health, your whole nervous system depend on a certain sexual pattern what can you do? I am willing to accept you as you are.”

Joe Orton (1933 –1967) was an English playwright and author. His public career was short but prolific, lasting from 1964 until his death three years later. During this brief period he shocked, outraged, and amused audiences with his scandalous black comedies.

“Entertaining Mr. Sloane,” “Loot,” “What the Butler Saw,” and “Up Against It” a screenplay written for the Beatles. The adjective Ortonesque is sometimes used to refer to work characterized by dark yet farcical cynicism. Orton met Kenneth Halliwell in 1951 and moved into a flat with him. They quickly formed a strong relationship and became lovers. On 9 August 1967, Kenneth Halliwell bludgeoned 34-year-old Orton to death at their home in Noel Road, London, with nine hammer blows to the head, and then committed suicide with an overdose of 22 Nembutal tablets.

His murder inspired the Beatles’ song Maxwell’s Silver Hammer.

“Queer as Folk” is a 1999 British television series that chronicles the lives of three gay men living in Manchester’s gay village around Canal Street. It was one of the most controversial shows ever to grace British television screens, The title of the program comes from a dialect expression from some parts of Northern England, “there’s nowt so queer as folk” meaning “there’s nothing as strange as people”; which is a word play on the modernday English synonym of “queer” meaning homosexual. The originally title was known as “Queer as Fuck,” before it reverted to the former name. It was a groundbreaking show. This was a series, which focused on gay men, that didn’t shy away from getting graphic, and that was

nder Paragraph 175 of U the criminal code, male homosexuality was illegal

in Germany starting in 1871. It outlawed “unnatural indecency” between men. unapologetic in its subject matter. Channel 4 was breaking boundaries on a weekly basis. Driven by the success of the series, American cable channel Showtime and Canadian cable channel Showcase co-made a North American version set in Pittsburg, Pennsylvania, still under the title Queer as Folk, closely following the original’s plot, but then moving onto new storylines since it continued for four additional seasons. The North American version covered more social issues such as AIDS, gay parental rights, and gay marriage.

Under Paragraph 175 of the criminal code, male homosexuality was illegal in Germany starting in 1871. Charges were brought under Paragraph 175 of the German criminal code, which outlawed ‘’unnatural indecency’’ between men. The Nazis took advantage of the law to arrest an estimated 100,000 homosexual men, 50,000 of whom were imprisoned. During the Nazi regime, the police had the power to jail indefinitely — without trial — anyone they chose, including those deemed dangerous to Germany’s moral fiber. Between 5,000 and 15,000 gay men were interned in concentration camps in Nazi Germany. These prisoners were marked by pink triangle badges and, according to many survivor accounts, were among the most abused groups in the camps. The law was expunged in 1994, and it was only in May of 2003

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that convicted “175ers” were pardoned by the German government.

2006: Same-sex marriage

has been legal in South Africa since the Civil Union Act came into force on 30 November 2006. The decision of the Constitutional Court in the case of Minister of Home Affairs v Fourie on 1 December 2005 extended the commonlaw definition of marriage to include same-sex spouses—as the Constitution of South Africa guarantees equal protection before the law to all citizens regardless of sexual orientation—and gave Parliament one year to rectify the inequality in the marriage statutes. On 14 November 2006, the National Assembly passed a law allowing same-sex couples to legally marry 230 to 41, which was subsequently approved by the National Council of Provinces on 28 November in a 36 to 11 vote, and the law came into effect two days later. South Africa is still the first (and only) country on the African continent to legalize same-sex marriage.

If you want to learn more about your gay heritage and those who paved the way, through activism, sacrifice, courage and civil disobedience to give us a better and freer life you can visit The Stonewall Museum & Archives in Wilton Manors. We should all know who our gay heroes are and be thankful for what they did on our behalf.

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Then check out one of our great restaurants that advertise to you throughout the year….

SFGN Staff

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Bistro 1902 1902 Hollywood Blvd, Hollywood www.Bistro1902.com 954-689-2229 J. Mark’s Restaurant 1245 North Federal Highway, Fort Lauderdale www.JMarksRestaurant.com 954-390-0770

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Naked Grape Wine & Tapas 2163 Wilton Drive, Wilton Manors www.nakedgrapewinebar.com 954-563-5631 Santa Lucia Ristorante 2701 East Oakland Park Blvd, Fort Lauderdale www.SantaLuciaRistorante.com 954-396-0930

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F O R

T H E

J.W. Arnold

SFGNITES

jw@prdconline.com

THU

THEATER

W E E K

O F

12/18

D E C E M B E R

1 8

-

D E C E M B E R

2 3 ,

2 0 1 4

W W W . S F G N . C O M

A

rts Garage Radio Theater presents the holiday classic, “It’s a Wonderful Life,” Thursday, Dec. 18 and Friday, Dec. 19 at Arts Garage in Delray Beach.

Arts Garage Radio Theater sends audiences back to the golden age of radio with the Christmas classic, “It’s A Wonderful Life,” tonight and Friday, Dec. 19 at Arts Garage, 180 NE First St. in Delray Beach. In this nostalgic holiday story, an angel helps a compassionate but desperate businessman by showing him what would have been if he had never existed. The tale is performed live with audio effects provided by specially designed devices recreated for Arts Garage Radio Theater from historical examples. Tickets are $20-30 at ArtsGarage.org.

FRI

HISTORY

12/19

Tonight is Museum Friday. On the third Friday of each month, explore two of Wilton Manors’ world-class museums, the Stonewall National Museum and Archives Wilton Manors Gallery, 2157 Wilton Drive and the World AIDS Museum, 1201 NE 26th St. in Wilton Station. Check out the permanent and traveling exhibits or meet up with friends for a night of LGBT history and culture. Both museums offer free admission and free Hopper shuttle bus service will run from 7 – 11 p.m. For more information, go to Stonewall-Museum.org and WorldAIDSMuseum.org.

SAT ART

12/20 SUN

Still looking for that special present? Visit the shops and galleries along Wilton Drive tonight during the Island City Art Walk and check out the creative works by local, national and international artists in just about every medium imaginable. While you’re on the drive, check out the works of watercolorist Kevin Peterson at Art Frenzie, 2151 Wilton Drive. Peterson, a new artist to the gallery, combines classic male figures and colorful tropical allusions for a unique, breathtaking artistic statement. For more information about the Island City Art Walk, go to ArtWalkOnWiltonDrive.com.

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MUSIC

12/21 MON

HOLIDAYS

Ring in the holidays with a little jingle bell rock at the Y100 Jingle Ball, tonight at 7:30 p.m. at the BB&T Center in Sunrise. All-star performers for this year’s concert will include Ariana Grande, Calvin Harris, Pharrell, Iggy Azalea, Jason Derulo, Meghan Trainor, MAGIC!, Charli XCX, Jessie J, Rixton, Mary Lambert, Kiesza, Becky G, Jake Miller and Shawn Mendes, with special guest host Nick Jonas. We hear Santa may even make an appearance. Proceeds benefit the Ryan Seacrest Foundation to inspire youth through music-focused programs. Tickets start at $65 at Ticketmaster.com. soflagaynews //

12/22 TUE

Even the animal kingdom can get into the holiday spirit. Explore Zoo Lights at Zoo Miami, 12400 SW 152nd St. in Miami, through Dec. 30 (excluding Dec. 24 and 25.) The zoo has been decorated with more than half a million lights in the shapes of the many different animals resident at the zoo. Enjoy “ice-skating,” carousel rides, photos with Santa, holiday carolers and more. On select days throughout the season, come early to watch the animals open their Christmas gifts. Admission is $5 from 7 – 10 p.m.

For information, go to ZooMiami.org.

SouthFloridaGayNews

FILM

12/23

Set in the late 1950s in Switzerland, “The Circle” uncovers a powerful and little known history of underground gay life and activism, mixing lushly directed narrative sections with documentary segments. Two men, a bashful teacher and a German cabaret performer, get to know one another in the Swiss homosexual organization called Der Kreis (The Circle) during a virulently anti-gay time in Europe. Tonight at 8:15 p.m. at Cinema Paradiso, 503 SE 6th St. in Fort Lauderdale. Tickets are $10 general admission or $8 for seniors and students at FLIFF.com.

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a&e theater

Slow Burn Offers Song Cycle for Millennial Generation J.W. Arnold

(954) 368-9100

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THE BEST IN TOWN 2517 NE 9TH AVE. WILTON MANORS, FL 33305 54

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Slow Burn Theatre in Boca Raton has gained a reputation for tackling edgier new musicals. This weekend, the company presents the regional premiere of “Edges,” a song cycle from the young composers of “A Christmas Story,” “Dogfight” and television’s “Smash.”

Unlike musicals with a full blown plot, “Edges” is a song cycle, a collection of loosely related, theatrical songs with a theme, in this case, the trials and tribulations of moving into adulthood and the searches for love, commitment and meaning.

Composed by Benj Pasek and Justin Paul as a class project at the University of Michigan in 2005, “Edges” has been especially popular with younger performers and audiences, said Slow Burn’s co-artistic director Patrick Fitzwater.

“They call it a show because if it were a concert, we’d use music stands,” Fitzwater said. “We’re utilizing platforms and a basic set, piano, lighting; basically it’s a full blown production.”

For this show, Fitzwater assembled four talented young performers who are familiar

Submitted Photo.

to Slow Burn audiences – Abby Perkins, Nicole Piro, Bruno Vida and Alexander Zenoz.

He is especially proud Slow Burn has worked over the past five years to cultivate young local talent and said, “It’s the cool thing now (at local theaters) to use locals, but we sleep well at night knowing that we’ve been working with them all along.”

The production is also bittersweet for the Slow Burn team, Fitzwater and his coartistic director Matthew Korinko, because the company will be moving from West Boca Raton Community High School to the Broward Center in Fort Lauderdale next fall. The company plans to continue the relationship after the move.

“It all started there at West Boca and we’ve grown with them,” Fitzwater said. “Students have worked on the crew for us and Lance Blank, our lighting designer, is a drama teacher there.”

Proceeds from the two performances will benefit Slow Burn and the theater department at West Boca Raton Community High School.

Slow Burn Theatre Co. presents “Edges,” a song cycle by Benj Pasek and Justin Paul on Thursday, Dec. 18 and Friday, Dec. 19 at 8 p.m. at West Boca Raton High School, 12811 W. Glades Road. Tickets are $20 at the door. soflagaynews //

SouthFloridaGayNews

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a&e film Swiss Oscar Contender Comes to South Florida J.W. Arnold

Credit: Wolfe Video

Matthias Hungerbühler and Sven Schelker star in “The Circle,” a powerful docu-drama about gay life in 1950s Switzerland.

As the film industry enters awards season, voters will have an important new film about a particular piece of LGBT history to consider.

Stefan Haupt’s “The Circle” (“Der Kreis”) is Switzerland’s entry in the Academy Awards foreign language feature category and currently screening in South Florida at Cinema Paradiso in Fort Lauderdale.

Haupt’s hybrid docu-drama takes its name from a mid-20th century gay Zurich club and journal and tells the dangerous story of Ernst Ostertag and Robi Rapp through both documentary style interviews and compelling historical dramatizations of their courtship beginning in 1956.

The Swiss city was a magnet for European gays because homosexuality was not expressly illegal there, unlike neighboring countries. But make no mistakes, being gay was not approved or encouraged. Discrimination was still rampant and the gay community still existed in secret.

“The Circle” effectively paints a picture of this conflicted period. Not unlike America’s own Mattachine Society, these Swiss LGBT pioneers risked police harassment to publish a journal to communicate with their nascent community. When a series of rent boy murders rock the community, police investigations threaten to out many of its carefully closeted members.

Ostertag, a naïve teacher at an all-girls’ school, must navigate a treacherous path to pursue Rapp, a 19-year-old barber and the popular drag headliner at the club. At the

time, 20 was the age of consent in Switzerland.

Despite the suspicions and gossip of coworkers and neighbors, their relationship would survive and grow.

Haupt’s film is at its best in the dramatized storyline, the young Ostertag and Rapp portrayed by actors Matthias Hungerbühler and Sven Schelker. They instantly establish steamy onscreen chemistry in the carefully constructed historical scenes.

Thanks to production designer Karin Giezndanner and costume designer Catherine Schneider, these dramatizations effectively evoke the era with complete attention to detail.

Unfortunately, every time the pace quickens and tension builds, Haupt interrupts the story with another interview from the now septuagenerians, who are just as giddy and in love as that day they met. This is the only fault with the director’s hybrid approach, even if it completely reinforces the case that gays and lesbians are just people seeking love like everyone else.

Perhaps the sweetest moment occurs when the couple bickers on camera about how long it took for Ostertag to introduce Rapp to his parents. Even though they had lived together since the 1950s, Ostertag was 70 (they do live long in Switzerland).

They were the first same-sex partners to finally register their relationship and today, the couple remain the guardians of their LGBT community’s legacy. “The Circle” is their story.

“The Circle” (“Der Kreis”), 104 min., German with English subtitles, is screening through Tuesday, Dec. 23 at Cinema Paradiso, 506 SE 6th St. in Fort Lauderdale. Tickets are $10 general admission and $8 for seniors and students. For tickets and show times, go to FLIFF.com.

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SouthFloridaGayNews

a&e theater

Art Walk Returns to Wilton Drive

Denise Royal

Photo: artwalkonwiltondrive.com

Artists and Art Lovers listen up! The Art Walk on Wilton Drive (formerly Island City Art Walk) is back. It’s held on the third Saturday of each month, 7 p.m. to10 p.m. The next one is December 20 on Wilton Drive, in the Wilton Manors Art and Entertainment District.

There was a fantastic turnout for November’s event and organizers hope December’s Art Walk will be bigger and bigger.

Under new management and direction, Art Walk on Wilton Drive, is designed to showcase local artists, craftsmen, musicians, etc. and their artwork in our Arts and Entertainment District of Wilton Manors.

Still have some last minute holiday gifts to pick up? Art Walk is a great place to find presents while supporting local artists and the local community. Both artists and businesses will profit from this cultural experience that brings a multitude of visitors onto The Drive and

into our numerous unique shops, bars and restaurants.

Art of all kinds, on a variety of media, will be represented.

“All artists are welcome,” said Art Walk organizer Thomas Alford. There is a fee of $20 and a brief application to complete.

It helps that Alford is an artist himself.

He’s a photographer – and the creator of Manic Art Wilton Drive,” he said. Now that he has, he’s putting the focus back on art in the area’s Art and Entertainment District.

“I want to see more community involvement. I see art as a way of bringing people together,” he told SFGN. December’s featured artist is Kevin E. Peterson. His work will be featured at Art Frenzie at 2151 Wilton Drive.

WELL-STRUNG WEDNESDAY JANUARY 14

The next Art Walk on Wilton Drive is from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. on Saturday, December 20. For more information, check out ArtWalkonWiltonDrive.com.

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Datebook

Theater Christiana Lilly

Calendar@SFGN.com

broward county * Stars of David

Dec. 23 to Jan. 4, 2015 at the Broward Center, 201 SW Fifth in Fort Lauderdale. A musical performance of Jewish identity of famous Americans.Tickets $45. Call 954-462-0222 or visit BrowardCenter.org.

miami-dade county

It’s a Wonderful Life

Dec. 17 to 19 at 7:30 p.m. at Arts Garage, 180 NE First St. in Delray Beach. The classic Christmas movie of a man who sees what the world would be like without him is performed life in the style of old school radio production. TIckets $20 to $30. Call 561-450-6357 or visit ArtsGarage.org.

* Teo Castellano’s “Fat Boy”

Free Friday Concerts

Bad Jews

Fridays at 7:30 p.m. at the Delray Beach Center for the Arts, 51 N. Swinton Ave. in Delray Beach.

Enjoy live music from the comfort of your picnic blanket or lawn chair every week, for free! Call 561-243-7922 or visit DelrayArts.org.

The Timekeepers

Through Dec. 21 at West Boca Theatre Company at the Levis JCC, 21050 95th Ave. S. in Boca Raton. A revival of the Island City Stage play of a Jewish prisoner who stays alive in a * Shen Yun concentration camp by fixing watches, and a Dec. 26 to 28 at the Broward Center, 201 SW Fifth gay hustler who befriends him. Tickets $29. Call in Fort Lauderdale. An impressive performance 561-558-2512 or visit LevisJCC.org/BoxOffice. celebrating ancient Chinese culture, from music to dancing and acrobatic feats. Tickets $65 to My Old Lady $205. Call 954-462-0222 or visit BrowardCenter. Through Jan. 4, 2015 at Palm Beach Dramaworks, org.

201 Clematis St. in West Palm Beach. A man from New York inherits a Parisian apartment, Winter Wonderettes and down on his luck, he’s forced to live with Through Dec. 28 at the Coral Springs Center for his tenants, and old woman and her daughter. the Performing Arts, 2855 Coral Springs Drive Tickets $62. Call 561-514-4042, ext. 2 or visit in Coral Springs. When Santa comes up missing PalmBeachDramaworks.org. at a holiday party, the Wonderettes must find him while singing holiday favorites with ‘60s flair. Tickets $59. Call 954-344-5999 or visit CoralSpringsCenterfortheArts.com.

Dec. 18, 19 and 20 at 7:30 p.m. at the Adrienne Arsht Center, 1300 Biscayne Blvd. in Miami. DJ Le Spam sets the tone for an exploration of old and new art forms. Tickets $40. Call 305-9496722 or visit ArshtCenter.org.

The Big Show

Fridays and Saturdays at 9 p.m. at Just the Funny Theater, 3119 Coral Way in Miami. A collection of comedy mixing the likes of improvisation and sketches. Tickets $12. Call 305-693-8669 or visit JustTheFunny.com.

Joy Around the World

Through Dec. 21 at GableStage, 1200 Anastasia Ave. in Coral Gables. When a family’s grandfather has passed away, they start clawing at a family heirloom with strong religious significance. Tickets $47.50 to $55. Call 305445-1119 or visit GableStage.org.

Dec. 21 at 5 p.m. at the Aventura Arts & Cultural Center, 3385 NE 188th St. in Aventura. Susan and Sarah Wang from the Dranoff Piano 2 Foundation perform Hanukkah and Christmas tunes, including works by Schubert and Prokofiev.

Tickets $35 and $55. Call 305-466-8002 or visit AventuraCenter.org.

Miracle on South Division Street

Sarge: the Chanukah Chutzpah Tour

Through Dec. 28 at the Actors’ Playhouse at the Miracle Theatre, 280 Miracle Mile in Coral Gables. The Nowak family is business as usual in Buffalo, NY until the family heirloom, a 20-foot shrine to Mary, causes the family to question their beliefs and all that they know.

Tickets $15 to $53. Call 305-444-9293 or visit ActorsPlayhouse.org.

PAMM Outdoor Music Series

Third Thursdays at the Perez Art Museum Miami, 101 W. Flagler St. in Miami. Come out for live music from DJs and musicians by the bay. Drink specials available. Free with museum admission. Call 305-375-3000 or visit PAMM. org.

Dec. 18 and 19 at 8 p.m. at the Aventura Arts & Cultural Center, 3385 NE 188th St. in Aventura.

The comedian, singer, and pianist brings together an act of laughter and music. Tickets $39.50 and $44.50. Call 305-466-8002 or visit AventuraCenter.org.

Robin Spielberg will perform pieces that elicit the spirit of the holidays. on Dec. 19 at 8 p.m. at the Broward Center

Othello

Dec. 19 to 21 at the Broward Center, 201 SW Fifth Ave. in Fort Lauderdale. Shakespeare’s controversial play of Othello, a Moorish general, who crosses racial lines and marries a European woman, then rises through the ranks and gains immense power. Tickets are $30. Call 800-7453000 or visit BrowardCenter.org.

Silver Balls: A Life in Dragée

Through Dec. 21 at Empire Stage, 1140 N. Flagler Drive in Fort Lauderdale. Rich girl Francie goes on the adventure of a lifetime, starting with her stint as a cabaret singer in New York City and then hitting the high seas. Tickets $30, $20 for first-night preview. Call 954-678-1496 or visit EmpireStage.com.

Seraphic Fire

Dec. 19 at 8 p.m. at the Broward Center, 201 SW Fifth Ave. in Fort Lauderdale. The group’s performance of “Messiah” has become a holiday favorite. Tickets $35 to $115. Call 800-745-3000 or visit BrowardCenter.org.

palm beach county * Abraham in Motion Pavement

Dec. 19 and 20 at the Kravis Center, 701 Okeechobee Blvd. in West Palm Beach. The dance and music of the ‘90s is the focus of this performance. Tickets $28. Call 561-832-7469 or visit Kravis.org.

* Robin Spielberg: Spirit of the Holidays

Dec. 20 at 7:30 p.m. at the Kravis Center, 701 Okeechobee Blvd. in West Palm Beach. The pianist performs pieces that elicit the spirit of the holidays. Tickets $35. Call 561-832-7469 or visit Kravis.org

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Photo: Robin Spielberg, Spirit of the Holidays Facebook.

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Datebook

Community Christiana Lilly Calendar@SFGN.com

broward county PFLAG

Tuesdays in Fort Lauderdale, Coral Springs and Southwest Ranches. A support group for parents of LGBT youth 13 to 21. Free. Visit SunServeYouth.com for dates and locations.

SunServe Youth Group

Tuesdays and Thursdays in Fort Lauderdale, Southwest Ranches, Coral Springs and Hollywood.

A support group and night of fun for LGBT youth 13 to 21. Free. Visit SunServeYouth.com for dates and times.

GayWrites

Wednesdays at 5:30 p.m. at the Stonewall Library, 1300 E. Sunrise Blvd. in Fort Lauderdale. Come join us and write your memoir, poem, blog, novel or short story. Free. Email garri1@earthlink.net

Gender Bender Youth Group

Mondays from 7 to 8:30 p.m. at SunServe Campus, 1480 SW Ninth Ave. in Fort Lauderdale. A group for LGBT youth 13 to 21 to discuss gender, gender expression, binary systems, friendship, family and whatever else comes up! Free. Visit SunServeYouth. com

Survivor Support

First and third Wednesdays from 7 to 8:30 p.m. at the Broward Health Imperial Point Hospital cafeteria, 6401 N. Federal Highway in Fort Lauderdale. Find support from counselors and peers who have lost loved ones to suicide. Call the Florida Initiative for Suicide Prevention at 954-3840344 or visit FISPOnline.org.

* Limelight Celebrates the Holidaze

Dec. 17 from 5:30to 8 p.m. at Bailey Contemporary Arts, 41 NE First St. in Pompano Beach. Celebrate the holidays with live music, delicious treats, free wine and candy, children’s activities, and visit the art galleries and studio artists from BaCA. Free. Call 954-284-0141 or visit BaCAPompano.org.

* Stonewall Movie Night: “Longtime Companion”

Dec. 18 at 7 p.m. at the Stonewall Library & Archives and ArtServe Auditorium, 1300 E. Sunrise Blvd. in Fort Lauderdale. A screening of the 1989 film, the first wide-release movie tackling the subject of AIDS, chronicling a man whose partner dies from the disease. Free. Call 954-763-8565 or visit Stonewall-Museum.org.

L.I.F.E. Project

Tuesdays from 7 to 9 p.m. at the Pride Center, 2040 N. Dixie Highway in Wilton Manors. Get the tools you need to treat your HIV positive diagnosis and live a full, productive life. Free. Call 954-463-9005 or visit PrideCenterFlorida.org.

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Tuesday Night Eatin’ Meeting

Tuesdays 8 to 9 p.m. at the Alternative MC Clubhouse, 4322 NE Fifth Ave. in Oakland Park.

Fun and fellowship with plenty of food to go around. Visit AlternativeMC.com/events/floridaevents.

Women4Women Support

Wednesdays from 6 to 7:30 p.m. at SunServe, 2312 Wilton Drive in Wilton Manors. An open meeting and discussion group of all topics brought up by participants. Call 954-764-5150 or visit SunServe. org.

Safe “T” Transgender/Gender Variant Group

Wednesdays from 6:30 to 8 p.m. at SunServe South, 2312 Wilton Drive in Wilton Manors. Those who consider themselves to be transgender, transsexual or gender queer are invited to join this drop in support group. Call 954-764-5150 or visit SunServe.org.

SOMOS

Wednesdays and Thursdays at 7 p.m. at the Latinos Salud Clubhouse, 2330 Wilton Drive in Wilton Manors. Latino men 18 to 30 can make new friends with game nights, movies, karaoke and other activities. Free. Call 954-533-8681 or visit LatinosSalud.org

Island City Art Walk

Third Fridays from 7 to 10 p.m. along Wilton Drive in Wilton Manors. A night of art and shopping with galleries, stores, and cafes open for the night and more than 40 local artists showing off their latest works. Free. Visit IslandCityArtWalk.com.

Sage Co-Ed Discussion Group

First and Third Thursdays from 1 to 3 p.m. at the Pride Center, 2040 N. Dixie Highway in Wilton Manors. Seniors are invited to join a group discussion on a variety of topics, led by a facilitator. Call 954-463-9005 or visit PrideCenterFlorida.org.

LGBT Grandparents Group

Third Saturdays from 9:30 to 11 a.m. at SunServe South, 2312 Wilton Drive in Wilton Manors. Meet other LGBT grandparents! Call 954-764-5150 or visit SunServe.org.

Dharma for Parents and Kids

First Sundays from 9 to 9:45 a.m. at the Drolma Kadampa Buddhist Center, 140 W Prospect Road in Oakland Park. Parents and their children can learn together about love, kindness, patience, and inner peace in the modern home.

Cost $10 per family. Call 954-537-9191 or visit MeditationInFortLauderdale.org.

Riverwalk Sunday Arts

Fourth Sundays from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. from Historic District to Esplanade Park in Fort Lauderdale. A monthly arts event of artists, performers, storytellers and vendors. Visit GoRiverWalk.com.

Paint & Sip

First and Third Wednesdays from 6 to 8 p.m. and second and fourth Fridays from 7 to 9 p.m. at Bailey Contemporary Arts, 41 NE First St. in Pompano Beach. Grace Gdaniec leads classes aptly named Painting With Pinot, Sketching With Shiraz, Realism with Riesling, and much more.

Must be 21 or older. Class $30. Call 954-284-0141 or visit BaCAPompano.org.

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palm beach county * B/W Affair

Dec. 18 to Jan. 15, 2015 at Rolando Chang Barrero Fine Art Gallery, 711 Lucerne Ave. in Lake Worth.

The opening night reception for the unique painter, James Rabidoux, and German artist, Uta Brauser.

Opening reception is Dec. 27 from 27 from 6 to 9 p.m. Free. Visit Eventbrite.com/e/bw-affairrabidoux-tickets-14875455889.

* The Family Jewels: A Holiday Fine Art and Jewelry Exhibit Dec. 19 from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. at Rolando Chang Barrero Fine Art Gallery, 711 Lucerne Ave. in Lake Worth. An exhibit of Ali Miranda’s male nudes, Durga Garcia’s controversial images of a crossdressed Ryan Maier, as well as fine jewelry.

Free. Call 786-521-1199 or visit Facebook.com/ RolandoChangBarreroFineArt.

miami-dade county * Color Miami Festival 2014

Dec. 26 and 27 at Sun Life Stadium, 347 Don Shula Drive in Miami Gardens. Known as the world’s largest paint party, Kaskade headlines the concert with performances by Diplo, Juicy J, The Chainsmokers, and other musical acts. Afterwards, wander the silent art auction benefiting Arts for Learning. Tickets $129.99 and up. Visit LICMiami. com.

Rainbow Circle

Mondays from 6 to 8 p.m. at the University of Miami Flipse Building #302, 5665 Ponce de Leon Drive in Coral Gables. An open discussion about coming out, relationships, peer pressure, bullying, depression and more. Free. Visit Pridelines.org.

HIV Support Group

Dec. 20 from 5 to 8 p.m. at FAU’s Ritter Art Gallery, 777 Glades Road in Boca Raton. Purchase pieces from the FAU Potters Guild. Free. Call 561-297-3870 or visit FAU.edu.

Wednesdays from 7 to 9 p.m. at South Beach AIDS Project, 1234 Washington Ave. Ste. 200 in Miami Beach. A support group for those who are HIV positive. Free. Call 305-535-4733, ext. 301 or email support@sobeaids.org.

* “It’s a Wonderful Life”

Modern Buddhist Meditation

* Holiday Show and Sale

Dec. 20 at 7 p.m. at Canyon Amphitheater, 8802 Boynton Beach Blvd. in Boynton Beach. Enjoy a screening of the classic Christmas film from the comfort of your lawn chair or picnic blanket. Pets on leashes are welcome. Free. Visit Facebook.com/ CanyonAmphitheater

Mondays and Tuesdays at the Drolma Kadampa Buddhist Center, 1273 Coral Way in Miami. Find inner peace with instruction on meditation with Buddhist monk, Gen Kelsang Nurbu. Cost $10 and $5 per class. Call 786-529-7137.

* Christmas Eve Services

Third Wednesdays at 6:15 p.m. at jugofresh Wynwood Walls, 222 NW 26th St. in Miami. Yoga instructor Dawn B. Feinberg leads a monthly yoga class in the middle of Miami’s art district. Mats are available, but yogis are encouraged to bring their own. Free. Call 786-472-2552.

Dec. 24 at 10:30 p.m. at MCC Palm Beaches, 4857 Northlake Blvd. in Palm Beach Gardens. The Rev. Dr. Lea Brown will be preaching “The Most Transformational Prayer of All.” Free. Call 561-7755900 or visit mccpalmbeach.org.

* Coming Into Fashion: A Century of Photography at Conde Nast

Through Feb. 15, 2015 at the Norton Museum of Art, 1451 S. Olive Ave. in West Palm Beach. From the publishing house that prints famed magazines Vogue, Glamour, W, and Vanity Fair are 150 images from 80 of the world’s best fashion photographers.

Admission $12. Call 561-832-5196 or visit Norton.org.

If I Had a Hammer: The Life and Song of Pete Seeger

Dec. 17 from 7 to 8:30 p.m. at FAU’s Rosenthal Complex, 5353 Parkside Drive in Jupiter. The Lifelong Learning Society hosts a seminar about Pete Seeger. Tickets $25 for members and $35 for nonmembers; tickets are an extra $5 at the door. Call 561-799-8547 or register online at FAU.edu/divdept/ lifelong/LLSJupiter/forms/fall14_catalog_web.pdf

Positive Connection Tuesdays at 6:30 p.m. at Compass GLCC, 201 N. Dixie Highway in Lake Worth. Men who are HIV positive are invited to come together for support, education, and advocacy. Closed group. Call 561-324-1626 or visit CompassGLCC.com.

Rapid HIV Testing

Wednesdays at MCC of the Palm Beaches, 4857 Northlake Blvd. in Palm Beach Gardens. Find out your status in a safe and private way. Free. Email dropincenter@mccpalmbeach.org

SouthFloridaGayNews

Community Yoga Series

Sex Talk

Second and fourth Thursdays at Pridelines, 9525 NE Second Ave. #401 in Miami Shores. Conduct outreach events, record video messages, participate in a series of performances, and organize special events with a purpose. Free. Visit Pridelines.org.

Miami Log Cabin Republicans

Fourth Wednesdays at 7:15 p.m. at Casa Larios, 7705 W. Flagler St. in Miami. Meet with other like-minded people and hear from speakers in the community.

Visit LogCabin.org/chapter/florida-miami.

key west * Noises Off

Dec. 18 to Jan. 10, 2015 at 8 p.m. at the Waterfront Playhouse, in Key West. A comedy of a group of actors who can’t seem to get their act together during rehearsal. Tickets $20 to $50. Call 305-2945015 or visit WaterfrontPlayhouse.org.

Aqua Idol

Tuesdays from 6:30 to 8 p.m. at Aqua Key West, 711 Duval St. in Key West. Support your local artists and vote for your favorite! Benefits Waterfront Playhouse. Call 305-294-0555 or visit AquaKeyWest. com.

Hot Naked Sundays

Sundays from noon to 4 p.m. at Island House, 1129 Fleming St. in Key West. A pre-tea pool party. Call 305-294-6284 or visit IslandHouseKeyWest.com.

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Christmas concert 8:15 Christmas Eve Service 9:00pm St .Ambrose Epicopal Church welcomes you.

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licensed massage AFFORDABLE AWESOME MASSAGE BY JIM Offering Swedish, Deep Tissue, Sports and LomiLomi Massage for Men; in a very comfortable, relaxed and Private Massage Studio, NOW conveniently located in Wilton Manors on NE 26th Street, with plenty of free parking. Same Day appointments are welcome; please call Jim, 954-600-5843 email: info@massagebyjim.com or visit my website for testimonials, rates and more. GREAT OPENING SPECIAL NOW AVAILABLE! www.massagebyjim.com Licensed and Certified MM22293 INCREDIBLY AWESOME BODYWORK IN WPB In-calls at a private studio 15 minutes west of PBIA. Intuitive, experienced licensed massage therapist offers affordable rates 7 days, early to late. ASK ABOUT WEEKLY SPECIALS!Calls only 561-2548065 for the very best massage experience you can get HANDS DOWN! #MA51008

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