Embrace Magazine — The Heroes Issue 2023

HEROISM OVERPOWERS HATE

Taking down the Club Q gunman

LEADING A LEGACY

The legendary Harvey Milk

HEROES IN ART

Portraits of LGBTQ+ Icons

NEW BUSINESS OF THE YEAR

Embrace is honored by the Pride Chamber of Orlando

FEBRUARY 2023

THE HEROES ISSUE

F E AT U R I N G

PETE BUTTIGIEG

The best man to take a stand against the anti-LGBT candidates of 2024

WE’RE WORTH YOUR VISIT. Are you ready to experience a dealership that puts you first? That ’s what you’ll find here at BMW of Ocala.

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BRIDAL OAKS FARM

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Offered at $1,775,000

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This 13 acre farm is conveniently located in Central NW Ocala’s horse country; it’s one mile to HITS, and 15 minutes to the new World Equestrian Center! There are 2 large pastures with mature shade trees, and an additional 3 paddocks with 10-foot aisles between. woodwork; it features feed and tack rooms, wash racks, bath and efficiency apt.

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G O L DSGY M .CO M /O CA L A- F L

ANOTHER

BA N N E R YEAR!

Embrace Magazine is the highest and most awarded LGBTQ+ magazine in Florida and the highest and most awarded startup magazine in Florida and the nation.

CHARLIE Best Overall: Digital Innovator Best Special Theme or Show Issue The Advocacy Issue

Best Writing: Public Service Coverage The Advocacy Issue

S I LV E R Best Advertisement: Self-Promotional Embraced!

Best Photography: Photo Essay “Nautical Nirvana”

Best Writing: Feature “Finger on the Pulse”

Best Design: Cover The Advocacy Issue

Best Writing: Feature Headlines “There's No Place Like Rome” “Those Were the Baes” “The Fast and the Fabulous”

Best Design: Feature “Crisis Chronicled” Best Digital: Podcast Embrace On-Air

BRONZE Best Writing: Editorial/ Commentary/Opinion Publisher’s Letters Best Design: Department Fashion & Design

Best Photography: Department Image "Artist Florencia Clement de Grandprey with tapestry"

Thank you to our contributors and advertisers who made these achievements possible!

ADVERTISE IN THIS PRESTIGIOUS MAGAZINE Contact John Sotomayor • 352-571-0129 john@sotomayormedia.com • embracemedia.us

C ON T E N TS T H E H ERO E S IS SU E | FEBRUAR Y 2 02 3 | Vol. 3 No. 3

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F E AT U R E S

EMBRACE YOUR WORLD

20 The Silver Lining Secretary Pete Buttigieg could be the best bet against anti-LGBTQ candidates for POTUS.

DEPAR TMENTS

BY JOHN SOTOMAYOR

30 Heroism Overpowers Hate Rich Fierro and Thomas James save countless from gunman’s wrath at Club Q.

BY JOHN SOTOMAYOR

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Leading A Legacy Harvey Milk’s legacy as the first LGBTQ+ person elected to California office sets the stage for others.

BY JOHN SOTOMAYOR

46 Heroes in Art Photo-essay: Portraits of LGBTQ+ icons

BY JOSEPH PASTRANA AND GREG SALVATORI

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Contributors

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Publisher’s Note

I N T E R N AT I O N A L N E W S

54 Putting Same-Sex Love in Slovenia TR AVEL

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Stylish Milan Worth a Visit

ISSUES & POLITICS

64 Is Drag Dangerous?

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EMBRACE YOUR COMMUNIT Y

EMBRACE YOURSELF

A R T & C U LT U R E

H E A LT H

70 Grappling with Hate

98 Body

STYLE & TRENDS

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Walk Up the Aisle in Style with Jack Victor

SEEN

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A Celebration Chicago Style

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Heroes in the Holocaust

92 Task Force Annual Gala in Miami

HEROISM OVERPOWERS HATE Taking down the Club Q gunman

LEADING A LEGACY The legendary Harvey Milk

HEROES IN ART Portraits of LGBTQ+ Icons

NEW BUSINESS OF THE YEAR Embrace is honored by the Pride Chamber of Orlando

FEBRUARY 2023

100 Mind 102 Soul THE HEROES ISSUE

F E AT U R I N G

STRAIGHT PERSPECTIVE

104 Are You Sure You’re In the Right Room?

HUMOR

PETE BUTTIGIEG

The best man to take a stand against the anti-LGBT candidates of 2024

ON THE COVER Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg Photograph by: Joshua Lott Location: Pete for President 2020 campaign office, South Bend, Indiana

108 Say No to the H&M Show C O M I C C O M M E N TA R Y

112 AJ and Magnus

READER FEEDBACK We want to hear what you think of each issue and welcome your comments and suggestions at john@sotomayormedia.com FOLLOW US ON facebook.com/embracemagazine.us

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CONTRIBUTORS The mission of Embrace Magazine is to unite LGBTQ+ and straight communities to live, work, play, and pray together. We also wish to provide a platform for LGBTQ+ people to have a voice and share their unique artistry. Therefore, our staff consists of two-thirds LGBTQ+ persons, and one-third straight persons within our 17-member staff.

MEET OUR CONTRIBUTORS

Jamie Ezra Mark

FEBRUARY 2023

Creative Director (He/Him)

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Over his 25-year publishing career, Mark has amassed a vast magazine portfolio that includes national titles such as Weight Watchers, Arthritis Today, Digital South, Sensi, and Norwegian Cruise Lines’ Latitudes. His team at Em continues to design award-winning publications, as well as brand and advertising strategies, for a variety of businesses.

Conan Segrest

Chief Photographer (He/Him)

Conan Segrest and his wife Yaisa have been the owners of Full Line Photography Studio for the last 10+ years. They have been in the Ocala area since graduating in 1998 and married since 2001. His wife got him his first camera that same year and he hasn't put it down since, now providing timeless wedding photography and family portraits to his clients to cherish a lifetime.

Magnus Hastings

Photographer (He/Him)

Award-winning photographer Magnus Hastings is best known for his work with Drag Queens and the Queer community. Relocating from his home town of London to Los Angeles in 2011, he travelled across America photographing the best of U.S drag for his bestselling photography book Why Drag? Published in 2016

by Chronicle books, it was described by Sir Elton John as “the best fucking photography book in years.” Magnus followed this up with his second book Rainbow Revolution (2020). He has appeared as a guest photographer on RuPaul’s Drag Race and a guest judge on The Boulet Brothers Dragula.

Magnus currently lives in West Hollywood.

Nile Fortner

Contributing Writer (He/Him)

For various publications and online platforms, Nile Fortner has worked

as a South Florida-based community writer and multimedia journalist.

Nile, who is a graduate of Florida Atlantic University, is also a writer for the Sun-Sentinel, New Pelican Newspaper, M.I.A. Media Group/Legacy, and he’s also been a writer for SFLStyle, My South Florida Today, ComicAttack, and more.

He is also a podcaster for BocaFirst, Cinephellas, and he contributes with a few others too.

Nile is also a fan of movies and he’s a foodie. You may also find him being active on social media @ Nile_Fortner.

obtained her certification in 2017.

Steve Pafford

International News Editor (He/Him)

Steve Pafford is an English journalist, actor and author of the acclaimed book BowieStyle. Having trained from the floor up in UK music titles Q, MOJO and Record Collector, he’s had his work featured in a wide variety of British, American and Australian media including the BBC, CNN, The Independent and the New York Times.

Steve divides his time between Australia and the south of France.

Bill Malcolm Travel Editor (He/Him)

Bill Malcolm writes a syndicated LGBTQ+ value travel column which appears or has appeared in publications in Dallas, Chicago, Seattle, Washington, D.C., Los Angeles, Charlotte, and South Florida. He was formerly the Round the Ripple columnist for the Broad Ripple Gazette and also founded All Aboard Indiana, the passenger rail newsletter of the Indiana Passenger Rail Association. He focuses on value, going local, and taking public transit, bicycling or walking as well as what’s new in cities. He resides in Indianapolis.

Danielle Olivani

Joseph Pastrana Rev. Catherine Dearlove Religion Editor (She/Her)

Rev Catherine Dearlove is Senior Pastor at Trinity MCC in Gainesville, Fla. Although a Christian minister, she has a strong appreciation for all journeys of faith or philosophy and wrote her Masters dissertation on Inter-religious Dialogue.

She is currently the Chair of the Campus Multi-faith Cooperative at UF and coordinates the Alachua County Faith Leaders Alliance. Rev Catherine has lived in the UK, Australia and now USA and has spent most of her life as an advocate for the integration of sexuality and spirituality.

Issues + Politics Editor (She/Her)

Danielle is a proud mom, community organizer/ activist, and CEO of Lake County Pride Org. Corp; an LGBTQIA+ nonprofit which seeks to improve the lives of Lake County youth through advocacy, education, and acts of service to the community. She is a longtime resident of Lake County and currently lives in Mount Dora, Fla. She graduated from the Rollins College Paralegal Studies program and

Fashion + Design and Style + Trends Editor (He/Him)

Joseph Pastrana is a New York-based fashion journalist, public relations consultant, and author of “Homespun - True Tales of Tweed”. As fashion director for trade publication MetroStyle he covered seasonal Fashion Weeks in New York, Paris and Milan, and wrote profiles / reviews on designers / collections including Calvin Klein, Oscar de la Renta, Van Cleef & Arpels along with stories on Saks Fifth Ave, Sotheby’s, Louis Vuitton and more.

Today, he is affiliated with Mannfolk PR in publicity and brand development projects while continuing to cover fashion, art, interior design and luxury. He is also currently working on his next book for literary imprint house Thane & Prose.

Jeff Sanchez

Art + Culture Editor (He/Him)

Jeff Sanchez is a graduate of New York University and heads an entertainment publicity firm in NYC. He lives with his partner and two sons, splitting their time between Manhattan and Charleston, SC.

Jack Lemnus

Contributing Writer (He/Him)

Jack Lemnus is an undergraduate at the University of Florida and is currently a reporter for WUFT

ADVISORY BOARD

specializing in gifted and exceptional education.

Prior to attending graduate school, Katie plans to pursue her passion for writing while finding time to travel the world.

Donna Davis Soul Health Columnist (She/Her)

Cory Freeman Body Health Columnist (He/Him)

Melissa-Marie Marks

Activism & Charity Editor (She/Her)

Melissa-Marie Marks is a freelance writer based in North-Central Florida. She specializes in writing about green business and green technology, renewable energy, conservation and sustainability, and holistic

Katie McCullough Mind Health Columnist (She/Her)

Katie McCullough, graduate of Flagler College, is currently teaching English Language Arts in Saint Augustine, Fla,

Nurse at Parralion HCA Shared Services and Performance Director at Centers for Spiritual Living Ocala. She studied RN at Rasmussen College and psychology at Florida Atlantic University.

Cory Freeman is a twotime first-place national bodybuilding champion, having won both of his first-place titles, The Men’s Classic Physique Master’s Over 35 at the 2019 NPC Viking Championship and at the 2019 NPC Masters USA in his rookie year. Cory works as a physical therapist in the home health industry.

An interfaith minister and life coach, Donna Davis utilizes her life experiences to empower other people to overcome their struggles. Together with her wife, Norma, they manage Your Phoenix is Rising, a transformation coaching service focused on helping others rise from the darkness of despair and embrace their true Light Nature. Donna and Norma raised three biological children and served as legal guardians to several teenaged friends of their children during their time of need.

Donna is a Registered

ration. He always makes time, of course, to work on his novel.

Shane Lukas

Website Designer and LGBTQ Resource Blogger (He/Him)

Michael Kurtz

Straight Perspective Columnist (He/Him)

After completing degrees in literature and education, Michael’s first job was teaching Adv. Pl. English Literature to high schoolers. Following that was a period spent teaching English in China and Vietnam. He returned in 2022 and has assisted countless graduate students with GRE, GMAT, LSAT and MCAT prepa-

Shane Lukas is the feisty ginger-haired owner and creative strategist behind A Great Idea (weareagi.com), a care and community brand communications studio.

When not pushing pixels and building brands, you can find him doing grassroots organizing to advance social justice and queer liberation, studying for his MBA, or taking his puppies (and partner, of course) out to explore some mountain trails.

MEET OUR ADVISORY BOARD Justin Ayars (He/Him) Justin Ayars is a self-described recovering healthcare trial lawyer turned serial entrepreneur. He has extensive experience in crafting compelling narratives that resonate with diverse demographics, helping businesses authentically engage new markets and cultivating communities through relationship-building and technological innovation.

For five years, Justin ran a successful LGBTQ+ marketing, media and events company in the mid-Atlantic region, Q Media. Justin is now the Founder & CEO of EqualityMD, a comprehensive virtual ecosystem that provides the LGBTQ+ community with inclusive, personalized healthcare. Located in Richmond, Virginia, Ayars represents an overall POV.

Herb Sosa (He/Him) Community activist, historian, preservationist and freelance writer, Herb Sosa is a founding member of, and currently serves as President and CEO of Unity Coalition/Coalición Unida, offering protection and promotion of Latino/Hispanic LGBTQ+ rights— the only organization of its kind in South Florida since 2002. Sosa brings over 20 years of corporate and not-for-profit leadership experience in the community. Previously Sosa was Executive Director of Miami Design Preservation League and the Art Deco Weekend Festival in Miami Beach. Sosa also is Publisher and Editor-In-chief of AMBIENTE Magazine, the first and only LGBTQ+ publication offered in English, Spanish and Portuguese. He and his husband reside in Miami, representing South Florida inclusion.

Matthew Skallerud (He/Him)

Matt Skallerud, president of Pink Media, has been in the LGBTQ+ digital space for over 25 years now, first with GayWired.com and ShieWired.com, and now with Pink Media and the #ILoveGay network, helping companies reach their targeted LGBTQ+ demographic. In addition, Skallerud is the former Board Chairman of the International Gay & Lesbian Travel Association (IGLTA) and has served on the boards Travel Gay Canada (TGC) and the LAGLCC. He is actively involved with key national LGBTQ+ organizations including the NGLCC, Out Professionals and Lambda Legal, just to name a few. Located in Allentown, Pa., Skallerud represents an overall POV.

THE HEROES ISSUE

health. Melissa graduated from The Florida School of Traditional Midwifery in 2012 and practiced as a Florida licensed midwife until 2018, when she retired from private practice to focus on her writing career. She spends her leisure time camping with her kids and manifesting a life she loves by utilizing the law of attraction.

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News. What drew him to journalism was a deep desire to illuminate the realities of underserved communities and engage hard conversations. A Clearwater native, he loves to fill his bookshelves and practice his Spanish while traveling Latin America.

B O L D LY | U N I T I N G | L I F E S T Y L E S

EDITORIAL

PUBLISHER/EDITOR-IN-CHIEF John Sotomayor SPECIAL GUEST EDITOR Joseph Pastrana

FEBRUARY 2023

DEPARTMENT EDITORS International News Steve Pafford Travel Bill Malcolm Issues + Politics Danielle Olivani Art + Culture Jeff Sanchez Style + Trends Joseph Pastrana Seen John Sotomayor

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COLUMNISTS Mind Katie McCullough Body Cory Freeman Soul Donna Davis Straight Perspective Michael Kurtz CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Joseph Pastrana Jack Lemnus Stephen Gardner Cathy Renna ADVISORY BOARD Justin Ayars, Founder/CEO of EqualityMD, Virginia Matthew Skallerud, President of Pink Media, Pennsylvania Herb Sosa, President/CEO of Unity Coalition|Coalicion Unida, Florida

ART EM AGENCY Creative Director Jamie Ezra Mark Art Director Rheya Tanner Designer Wendy Mak Designer Andrew Ontko Designer Josh Clark CHIEF PHOTOGRAPHER Conan Segrest PHOTOGRAPHERS Magnus Hastings, Embrace Media CARTOON Simon and Bryan Steel VIDEOS BMW of North America with Goodby Silverstein & Partners, Embrace Media O P E R AT I O N S DIRECTOR OF LOCAL SALES AND ADVERTISING John Sotomayor john@sotomayormedia.com NATIONAL ADVERTISING REPRESENTATIVE Rivendell Media (212) 242-6863, sales@rivendellmedia.com EMBRACE MEDIA WEBSITE Designer A Great Idea Video Producer Alexander Sotomayor PRINTER Good Time Printing, Ocala

O U R M I S S I O N To unite LGBTQ+ and straight communities to live, work, play, and pray together.

N A T I O N A L LY C E R T I F I E D L G B T Q - O W N E D BUSINESS BY THE NGLCC

C H A M B E R PA R T N E R

MEDIA MEMBERS

The Heroes Edition 2023 Published February 2023 | Sotomayor Media Creations LLC | 352.571.0129 © All contents copyrighted 2023 by Sotomayor Media Creations LLC. All rights reserved. Reproduction or use of editorial or advertising content in any manner without written permission from the publisher is strictly prohibited. Unsolicited material will not be returned. Publisher reserves the right to approve or refuse any advertiser or contribution for any reason. Photographs are submitted by writers of each article who assume responsibility for usage approval. Publisher is not responsible for advertisers’ claims or content of advertisements. “Sponsored,” “Paid Promotional Feature” or “Special Promotional Feature” denotes paid advertising features. The ideas and opinions contained in this publication do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of the publisher.

Follow Us on Facebook and on our Website HEROISM OVERPOWERS HATE Taking down the Club Q gunman

LEADING A LEGACY The legendary Harvey Milk

HEROES IN ART Portraits of LGBTQ+ Icons

NEW BUSINESS OF THE YEAR Embrace is honored by the Pride Chamber of Orlando

FEBRUARY 2023

THE HEROES ISSUE

F E AT U R I N G

THE HEROES ISSUE

PETE BUTTIGIEG

The best man to take a stand against the anti-LGBT candidates of 2024

The

THE LONG SHOT

The latest HIV vaccine research suggests slower administration

EmbraceMedia.us

H E A Issue

MONKEYPOX

What to know about the STI that could be the next pandemic

COUNTRY-WIDE EMBRACE Embrace Magazine wins a national award from NLGJA

NOVEMBER 2022

L T H

ALEX PALMIERI An Italian singer and dancer with a healthy outlook and a killer career comeback in the works

For access to digital magazines (also available on issuu.com/sotomayormedia) Announcements on radio broadcast of Embrace Magazine Radio Show on WOCA 96.3 FM/1370 AM Weekly updates and coverage on related LGBTQ+ topics

www.facebook.com/embracemagazine.us www.embracemedia.us

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SEX, DRUGS & OUT OF CONTROL An LGBTQ+ perspective on substance abuse and recovery resources

PUBLISHER'S LETTER

FEBRUARY 2023

Surrounded

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SINCE EMbarking on this publication project, I am full of admiration. I have come across so many people who inspire me, either in person or from the stories that come before my desk. As I prepared the premiere issue, those I admired included Donna Davis and Norma Anderson. Two women, mothers, Nubian goddesses. spiritualists, life coaches, artists. Their marriage bonded their families, and their community. I was honored they shared their story in Embrace. Donna continues to contribute to every issue as a columnist.

As I examine the final details of this issue, the ninth since we launched, I am in awe of the dozens of people who contributed to the magazine through artistic means, either by writing, photography, or design, and hundreds more who shared their stories in the pages of Embrace. Since my announcement to launch the magazine, done on June 28, 2019 on the 50th anniversary of Stonewall Riots, thus the birth of the LGBTQ civil rights movement, I have consulted with many more on direction, market research, and development. In all, I must have spoken with hundreds of people directly on Embrace, and been positively impacted by thousands more who read, shared, and promoted the magazine from afar.

That includes Joseph Pastrana. A busy New York-based fashion journalist, public relations consultant, and author of “Homespun - True Tales of Tweed”, Pastrana contributed more than his usual department article in this issue.

As a guest editor, he called upon his contacts to contribute an entire feature completely on his own when I needed it. I am grateful to him.

Joseph, thank you.

They are all my heroes. Gay and straight.

LGBTQ identified and allies.

by Heroes

They say you are impacted most by those closest to you. They are right. No one has been more influential to my LGBTQ magazine than my immediate family, and they are not even gay.

My mom, Emilia, always influenced and nurtured my creative, artistic side. She was so full of love and light, I wanted to be like her. My dad, Enrique, always influenced and nurtured my intellectual curiosity and business sensibilities. He was so practical, logical, and intuitive, I wanted to be just like him. The result is both.

When I came out to them at 24 years old, thirty years ago, their reactions were somewhat different.

My mom, who was very religious, had a harder time accepting it. First it was denial. Then it was selfblame. Then coping with her lost expectations (a daughter-in-law, grandchildren) and finally acceptance. I took her to see The Lion King on Broadway in our hometown, New York City. After accepting my being gay but noticing I struggled with alcoholism due to my own internal struggle with it, she would often say, “remember who you are” quoting Mufasa’s parental advice to his cub, Simba. She always made me smile with her good-natured loving movie-references.

My dad was more accepting from the start, but perhaps for my benefit. He suspected a car accident that happened months earlier was not an accident, but intentional. When I came out to him, he said it was fine and he supported me. He then asked, did this have to do with “the accident?” When I replied yes, he knew it was because of an extortion attempt that preceded the “accident.” He replied, “do not ever let anyone ever make you feel like you are less than who you are.” He added, “Remember that we love you, and always will.” This was a man who seldom used the word love, even when he mentions his favorite food or soccer team.

John Sotomayor Publisher and Editor-in-Chief

PUBLISHER'S LETTER

It was their love and support that motivated me to lift myself back up after the extortion attempt led to my dropping out of law school, and the financial struggles that ensured contributing to my continued struggle with alcohol.

They never let up. After every fall, they were there to lift me back up. This went on for decades, and they never gave up. My mom passed away from cancer in January 2014. She never knew I would one day become a publisher of an LGBTQ magazine. But she did live to witness my first published articles on gay life in Ocala Magazine, then Gainesville Today. She was so proud.

My dad did live to see Embrace published. I will always remember the time he read a copy of the magazine and asked if he could have extra to display in the living room for guests to see when he had company. I never felt closer to him. He died April 11, 2021. I miss them both.

My parents helped me beyond expected (past 18 years of age) in life, and in death. My parents left me an inheritance, which allows me to keep Embrace going as a startup after the pandemic economic relief funds ended, and the advertising revenue is still not enough. Without them, there would not be Embrace.

My brother, Alex, is a godsend. Where would I be without him? He is straight, so not personally interested in the LGBTQ+ life, but he is very supportive of me. He has contributed numerous times as a writer, and learned graphic design and video editing to help me when I needed it. Every time I felt boxed in, he found solutions for a way out. He sat next to me at the Florida Magazine Association 2021 Charlie Awards when Embrace won 22 awards, including Magazine of the Year in our inaugural year, making history.

The love I feel from my family, friends, and my extended LGBTQ+ community sustains me. They help me get through the hard times and celebrate the good times.

They are my heroes. I am surrounded by them.

A perfect fit.

Em Agency is proud to be the design team behind Embrace.

We build brands we believe in—the brand you believe in can be next. emagency.com

john@sotomayormedia.com

Where you belong At JPMorgan Chase, we are dedicated to advancing equity and inclusion for LGBT+ employees, clients, partners and communities worldwide. Learn more at jpmorganchase.com/lgbt.

PHOTO BY ALEX EDELMAN/AFP VIA GETTY IMAGES

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THE HEROES ISSUE

SILVER With Trump and DeSantis lining up with intentions on POTUS in 2024, the LGBTQ+ community looks to Pete Buttigieg, the first openly gay presidential candidate, to run again.

B Y J O H N S O T O M AY O R

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BUTTIGIEG BEATS BIDEN

On July 26, 2022, Newsweek reported that Pete Buttigieg held a narrow lead over President Biden in New Hampshire, historically the first state to hold a Democratic presidential primary.

In the research poll conducted by the University of New Hampshire, Biden garnered 16 percent of potential primary votes compared to Buttigieg’s 17 percent.

This is a departure from past polling, which showed Biden maintaining a sizable lead over potential challengers even as his popularity rating declined.

These findings indicate that Biden’s chances of winning the 2024 Democratic primary may be in jeopardy if faced with a credible candidate like Buttigieg.

Pride Month 2021, Governor DeSantis signed the Transgender Youth Sports Ban into law and vetoed all funding for LGBTQ initiatives in the state budget, including Orlando’s LGBTQ Community Center, homeless LGBTQ children’s housing, and mental health support to Pulse Massacre survivors—just days before the five-year remembrance.

In order to protect LGBTQ+ rights, freedoms, and lives nationwide, it is critical to keep both these men far away from the White House. Embrace Magazine interviewed several leaders in the LGBTQ+ community to address the question on many people’s minds: Is incumbent President Joe Biden the best man for the job?

Many Democrats fear Biden, who will be turning 82 at the end of the 2024 campaigns, won't be able to draw the number of voters he'll need to secure a second term. They would prefer to see him pass the torch to a younger leader, one who is more connected to the community and can hold their own against the charismatic personalities of Trump and DeSantis. And an increasing number of them believe that Buttigieg could be that leader.

During his 2020 campaign, Buttigieg became the first openly gay presidential candidate to make it past the primaries. Upon his appointment as Secretary of Transportation, he became the first openly gay senate-confirmed Cabinet member. In the two years since his appointment, Buttigieg has satisfactorily fulfilled his duties. But is that enough?

Or will he rise to a greater occasion?

The People’s Hero

Embrace Magazine first interviewed Buttigieg in February 2020 for our story, “Precedent for President: Pete Buttigieg,” published in our Premiere issue in May 2020. Sara Giza wrote, “Buttigieg has outlined several critical policies that would benefit LGBTQ+ individuals and families, aiming to increase equality in our society. When asked if he was elected, which policies he would work to pass first, he said ‘we all know that our fight for equality did not end with Obergefell v. Hodges. We know that the Trump administration is still trying to roll back our rights, and has been waging a war on trans military members. When I was in Afghanistan outside the wire, the only thing that mattered was your ability to do your job- on day one, I will commit to ending this administration’s war on trans Americans.’”

His reply reflects why American voters, in particular the LGBTQ+ community, see Buttigieg as a hero. His presence and accomplishments as an LGBTQ+ person will lead others into prominence.

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xcitement radiated among the 500 attendees of the opening ceremony of the Silver Line Extension of the Washington DC Metro system on November 15, 2022, at Washington Dulles International Airport Station, with new rail connections to Washington Dulles International Airport, Herndon, Reston, and Eastern Loudoun County. Metro General Manager and Chief Executive Officer Randy Clarke was joined by local, state, and federal officials, including U.S. Department of Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg.

Buttigieg addressed the crowd at the Grand Opening: “The Silver Line extension is going to make life more affordable, give people better access to jobs throughout the region, reduce the time that drivers sit in traffic on our roads, and provide a level of convenience getting to Dulles Airport that has been a long time coming. One year after President Biden signed the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, we are improving transportation systems across the country to save time and money for commuters.”

As the Grand Opening festivities ended, Former President Donald Trump’s plans were just beginning. At 9:41 PM on November 15, 2022, Trump announced his White House campaign at his Mar-a-Lago club and home in Palm Beach, Fla. Perhaps it goes without saying that a Trump presidency would be bad for the LGBTQ+ community. According to LGBTQ+ health organization Fenway Health, Trump’s administration enacted more anti-LGBTQ+ policies than any other, with devastating consequences. In a research article titled “Donald Trump’s 8 worst attacks on the LGBTQ+ community,” Fenway Health reports that Trump has been a persistent source of danger for LGBT people all over the world, from his resistance to life-saving legislation like the Affordable Care Act to his nomination of homophobic judges, as well as symbolic actions like the banning of rainbow flags at U.S. embassies. There are few issues affecting LGBTQ+ people that he cannot, and has not, made worse given his position of power.

But there is another potential contender for the Republican nomination that could be as bad—or worse—for the LGBTQ+ community than Trump. During his inagural address, on January 3, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis spoke about topics like immigration and inflation from a national, rather than statewide perspective, signaling an interest in a run for POTUS in 2024.

DeSantis has already proven himself to be a danger to the LGBTQ+ community. During

Justin Nelson, co-founder and president of the National LGBT Chamber of Commerce

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“We cannot be what we cannot see. And now young LGBTQ people across the country can see themselves achieving elected and appointed offices at every level throughout the nation.”

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“We cannot be what we cannot see. And now young LGBTQ people across the country can see themselves achieving elected and appointed offices at every level throughout the nation,” said Justin Nelson, co-founder and president of the National LGBT Chamber of Commerce. “The very nature of Pete’s role -the first openly-LGBTQ Cabinet Secretary confirmed by the U.S. Senate—has permanently shattered one of the few remaining glass ceilings for LGBTQ representation in America. But what’s even more important, and heroic, is his commitment to inspiring future leaders in the community to follow in his footsteps. He may be the first but will certainly not be the last.”

“As a community, LGBTQ+ people are familiar with being told that there are jobs, titles, entire industries that we will never thrive in. We have spent generations internalizing the paralyzing idea that to be LGBTQ+ is to be disqualified from any part of society we haven’t been assigned. Politics is one of those,” said Brandon Wolf, press secretary for Equality Florida.

“We are still battling the perception the being openly-LGBTQ+ is incompatible with political life. That our capacity for love is to be hidden away, divorced from the suits and ties of Capitol Hill. Secretary Buttigieg’s willingness to be unapologetically LGBTQ+ while standing in the brightest political lights is groundbreaking.

A kiss he shared on stage with his husband after a debate. Parental leave to care for his newborn twin children. Pete has inspired a new generation of LGBTQ+ people to aspire to be at the tables where decisions are made -- and refuse to mute who they are in the process.”

Since becoming public figures, Pete Butti-

“Hopefully, he can speak up and stand out enough to be seen as a serious contender and unifying leader for many, not just the gay candidate.”

Herb Sosa, director and CEO of Unity Coalition

gieg and his husband, Chasten, have become targets by the conservative right. Last year, the Buttigieg family expanded by two. The couple hinted in August that they were expecting, then in September they released the photos. Buttigieg defended his honor while conservative politicians and commentators made fun of him for having a gay father. Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL) came under fire from him for calling protections for same-sex marriage rights a “stupid waste of time.”

“I believe Pete Buttigieg sets a very good example of how to rise above the fray, especially in these times of polarized politics,” said Matt Skallerud, president of Pink Media. “He and his husband, Chasten, have weathered numerous personal attacks in the media over the past few years, and yet they have both maintained a strong sense of focus and purpose in their work in politics and have shown the world yet again the strength of LGBTQ+ relationships, more poignant now that congress has just passed the landmark bill protecting same-sex marriage.”

“Secretary Buttigieg is a hero to the LGBTQ+ community because every day he wakes up, shows up, and works hard—all while being his authentic self,” said Justin Ayars, equalityMD, founder and CEO. “Being a member of our community doesn’t define who he is. By listening to his constituents, fighting for what he believes in, and honorably serving the American people, Secretary Buttigieg symbolizes how everyday people can be LGBTQ+ heroes.”

President Buttigieg?

Given the threats of either Trump or DeSan-

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Last year, the Buttigieg family expanded by two. The couple hinted in August that they were expecting, then in September they released the photos.

Being a father only strengthened Buttigieg’s already superior understanding of the problems facing the LGBTQ community. When questioned by CNN if Don’t Say Gay in Florida was hazardous, Buttigieg went full gay dad.

Buttigieg defended his honor while conservative politicians and commentators made fun of him for having a gay father. Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL) came under fire from him for calling protections for samesex marriage rights a “stupid waste of time.”

“If [Rubio’s] got time to fight against Disney, I don’t know why he wouldn’t have time to help safeguard marriages like mine,” Buttigieg said on CNN’s State of the Union.

Fans loved it. An easy win.

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tis running for POTUS in 2024, the question was asked of LGBTQ+ community leaders if Buttigieg should run again for POTUS? Is he the best chance for an LGBTQ+ candidate to get elected right now? President Biden will undoubtedly run again in 2024 as an incumbent. Perhaps the only way a Democrat will run in 2024 is a health consideration for President Biden. Given President Biden’s health is not an issue, and he runs as an incumbent in 2024, then regardless if he wins or loses, another Democrat will have to run in 2028.

Should Buttigieg run for POTUS then?

“Secretary Pete represents the kind of pragmatic, experienced leader that all communities – not just LGBTQ – can trust with their future. He represents a generation that has seen unprecedented change in American values, but also a generation that will be permanently affected by issues like climate change and inequities created by those who came before him,” said Nelson. “Whether in 2028 or beyond, he will make an excellent candidate for President whose lived experiences as a soldier, as a mayor, as a Cabinet secretary, as a father, and as an LGBTQ role model will make an exceptional leader.”

“I do believe Pete Buttigieg has both the moral character and the experience to run as President, especially in 2028,” said Skallerud.

“He could make true history by being the first openly gay President in our nation. Should Biden choose to run again in 2024, I do anticipate that Pete and others will defer to President Biden on this one and not challenge him, but that’s just a guess on my part.”

Not everyone agrees his current performance as Secretary of Transportation is stellar enough to garner the support he needs for a run in 2024. “Pete Buttigieg is most certainly one of the most professionally qualified individuals in a cabinet position in D.C. His personal life is also exemplary, and overall, he is worthy of presidential consideration (Veteran, speaks 5 languages, has held public office, is married, has children, etc.),” said Herb Sosa, director and CEO of Unity Coalition, Celebrate Orgullo, and publisher of Ambiente Magazine.

“Unfortunately, as of now, he has not stood out in his cabinet position enough to be a serious consideration for a 2024 presidential run… but we still have 2 years, so hopefully, he can speak up and stand out enough to be seen as a serious contender and unifying leader for many, not just the gay candidate.”

Most feel no matter what Buttigieg choses to do, he will excel. That ultimately, he has proven himself and continues to do so to garner the support of the people behind his leadership, no matter what the role.

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“Pete Buttigieg would, as he was in 2020, be a formidable presidential candidate. He is an incredibly skilled communicator with an uncanny ability to think on his feet and break down complex policy issues in a digestible way for people,” said Wolf. “In addition, he has made being a husband and father central to his personal journey, inviting others to relate to him not simply as a politician or effective orator, but as a person. Far be it for me to presume what Secretary Buttigieg should do next. He is young and has infinite options for where he thinks he can do the most good. And taking on a national campaign is a heavy burden for a family — especially one with young children. But, if he made the decision to run for president again in 2028, there is no doubt that he would be a force to be reckoned with and there is a real possibility he could become this nation’s first openly LGBTQ+ president.”

Senator Buttigieg?

At the start of January 2023, Senator Debbie Stabenow (D-MI) announced she will not seek reelection in 2024, setting off a speculation frenzy on whether Buttigieg would run and become the first out gay male U.S. senator.

It is unclear what Buttigieg’s next move will be because it is commonly assumed that he still has presidential aspirations. Though he has gained crucial D.C. experience as the Secretary of Transportation, the role isn’t typically viewed as a stepping stone to the White House.

“[He would] be a formidable presidential candidate.

He is an incredibly skilled communicator with an uncanny ability to think on his feet and break down complex policy issues in a digestible way.”

Brandon Wolf, press secretary for Equality Florida

Embrace Magazine contacted Buttigieg through Emma Hecker at the Press Office of the Department of Transportation. Embrace asked Buttigieg, “Will you run for Senate now that Debbie Stabenow is retiring?”

Buttigieg replied, “Senator Stabenow is a force in the Senate and fights every day to make life better for Michiganders and all Americans. I’ve been honored to work with her and look forward to continuing to work with her during this Congress. I am fully focused on serving the President in my role as Secretary of Transportation, and not seeking any other job. We are hard at work to rebuild the nation’s infrastructure, grow the economy, and create good-paying jobs.”

That said, In an apparent effort to be closer to Chasten Buttigieg’s parents after the adoption of their twins, the Buttigieges bought property close to his hometown of Traverse City, Michigan, last year. That would place him within Michigan and a contender for senator.

According to a Politico report from December, Buttigieg’s allies in D.C. created the Win the Era Action Fund and Win the Era PAC with an eye toward future elections. It’s unclear, though, exactly what he intended to run.

Are these indicators that he may run for senator, that would assure a more well-traveled path to the presidency than the role of Secretary of Transportation can provide?

One can only hope.

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One of the qualities Buttigieg's supporters admire most about him is his approachability and down-to-earth earnestness. These are the five best examples of these qualities over the last year. dean threatened to turn off his microphone if he mentioned his sexual orientation or any LGBT issues in his valedictorian speech to graduating seniors at Pine View School for the Gifted in Osprey, Florida. A video of the speech was uploaded to YouTube and went viral, ultimately being noticed by When he was sketched by Devon Buttigieg. “I wanted to be sure Rodriguez, an artist and TikToker, as to personally thank you for your he sat opposite him in the New York voice and advocacy,” Buttigieg wrote in his letter to Moricz. “Your City subway. A stunned Buttigieg accepted the drawing as Rodriguez combination of wit and courage has reverberated across the thanked him for “everything you’re country in ways that will benefit doing for the subway.” people you’ll never even meet.”

When he wrote to Zander When he responded to a Moricz, an LGBT advocate bigoted slur lobbed at him by who gained global attention in May 2022 after his high school Meshawn Maddock, co-chair of When he wrote a romantic letter to his husband on Valentine’s Day. “Happy Valentine’s Day to the love of my life! I’m even more thankful for Chasten now that our love is not just an incredible gift between us but the foundation of a family. Here’s hoping our hearts continue to grow with every step we take together.”

When he was asked to comment on statements by Marjorie Taylor Greene. During her speech at a Trump Rally in October, Rep. Greene declared that Buttigieg would “emasculate the way we drive” by supporting environmentally friendly transportation. When asked if he was “offended” by the comment, Buttigieg responded: “It was a strange thing to say. To be honest, there are other members of Congress that I pay more attention to when I’m thinking about opinions that really matter or ideas that are gonna be critical to engage with.”

SOURCE LGBTQNATION

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the Michigan Republican Party.

Maddock posted a tweet that read, “We’re so lucky this weak little lady went to Michigan! It appears that he is bringing everything from California to this place" along with a video of Buttigieg endorsing electric vehicles.

Buttigieg response was gracious, but powerful. “If [Maddock] wants to talk about little girls, Chasten and I are raising a little girl and a little boy. And we are raising them to have better values than the chairwoman. The rest is politics.”

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Pete Buttigieg’s

And the NLGJA: Association of LGBTQ Journalists

EXCELLENCE IN PHOTOJOURNALISM award goes to:

CONGRATULATIONS TO MAGNUS HASTINGS AND JOHN SOTOMAYOR Announced from Washington DC on June 23, 2022. Awards Presented from Chicago, Illinois on September 9, 2022.

Established in 1993, the NLGJA: The Association of LGBTQ Journalists Excellence in Journalism Awards are the highest national honors that foster and recognize excellence in journalism on issues related to the LGBTQ community

ONLY 35 AWARDS PRESENTED, one per category. Embrace Magazine, a startup based in Ocala, Florida is in good company. Other winners this year include: NBC News • CBS News • BCC News • NPR • New York Times • Los Angeles Times • Bloomberg Businessweek • USA TODAY • them • The Revealer • Out Traveler Magazine • Modern Military Magazine • VICE News • The Reckoning • Myrtle Beach Sun News • The Pudding • Insider • TransLash Media • The Baffler • American Theatre • Pridesource.com • Spectrum News NY1 • Tribeca Film Festival On behalf of Embrace Magazine, thank you to our contributors and advertisers!

ADVERTISE IN THIS PRESTIGIOUS MAGAZINE Contact John Sotomayor • 352-571-0129 john@sotomayormedia.com • embracemagazine.us

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OVERPOWERS

HATE Two former military men—one straight, one gay— fought back against a gunman hell bent on causing harm and taking lives. Their heroism saved many from injury and death, igniting hope in the face of hate.

A N I N T E R V I E W W I T H R I C H A R D “ R I C H ” F I E R R O B Y J O H N S O T O M AY O R

PHOTO BY JACK DEMPSEY/AP PHOTO

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Richard Fierro talks during a news conference outside his home about his efforts to subdue the gunman in Saturday's fatal shooting at Club Q, Monday, Nov. 21, 2022, in Colorado Springs, Colo.

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ichard “Rich” Fierro had just returned from Oklahoma for work on Friday night, November 18, 2022.

He and his wife, Jess, own Atrevida Beer Co, a local brewery in Colorado Springs founded in May 2022. It was Saturday, November 19th and Fierro, Jess, and their daughter, Kassy, wanted to go out for dinner, so they went to West Side Tequila and Tacos in Manatee.

The three of them met Raymond “Ray” Green Vance, Kassy’s boyfriend of six years, and their friends, Chip and Joanne there. The group had a great dinner.

Kassy mentioned earlier in the day that she wanted to see Wyatt, her best friend since the second grade, perform his act as Potted Plant, his drag name, at Q, (as Fierro calls Club Q) on his birthday.

The group entered the Q and got a table right off the stage, tucked away in the corner facing away from the front door, facing toward the stage.

“I had my back to the hallway where we come from the bathroom or the front door,” said Fierro. “We had a great time, we watched the whole show, and the show finished so they turned on some music. The girls wanted to dance, so they were dancing, Raymond was dancing. I danced for a little bit, so did Chip. So, we were all having a great time.” The group enjoyed a Saturday night out, as so many do every weekend. “Raymond bought shots because I teased him at dinner for not paying, so he was buying shots for everyone,” said Fierro.

“I heard the first round go off, and it was a burst,” said Fierro. “I looked over my right shoulder, and I could hear it and knew what it was. It was not [part of] the music to me.”

Fierro could smell the nitroglycerin, sawdust, and graphite in the air, which he called cordite and described as “pretty pungent.” He turned to orient himself to determine where it was coming from.

He saw the muzzle flashes pointing toward the bar area.

He dove to the ground along with Chip. The gunman, who at 6’5” and over 300 lbs. was an imposing figure, shot and

Fierro’s Background

According to his biography on the San Diego State University website, Fierro graduated in 1999 with an AROTC Distinguished Military Degree. He spent the next 15 years in the Army holding various positions, including platoon commander, battery commander, battalion operations officer, brigade planning officer, and corps fire officer.

He completed his MBA last year at the University of Colorado in Colorado Springs.

Army Major Richard Fierro on patrol in Afghanistan during Operation Enduring Freedom, October 8, 2011.

killed two bartenders, then began to shoot at anyone nearby.

Retaliation

Fierro, a former Army Major who served 15 years, saw combat in Afghanistan. He had firefights, with vehicles blowing up in front of him. “This was reactionary,” said Fierro, speaking of the Club Q shooting. “Like military combat, take charge and go.” Fierro states his military training instilled that instantaneous reactionary response.

“I tried to get back up, the floor was slippery, so I fell backwards into a bench along the wall,” said Fierro, describing in his words his altercation with the gunman. “I looked up, and all I saw was the ACU pattern vest in the frame of the patio door. So, he was across the room facing [away from me] toward the patio, so I knew… I just got up and engaged.

When I got there, he was already fighting with Thomas [James]. So, they were engaged, so we both engaged with him, and at some point, he either raised his fists at me or something, but I saw the pistol and I grabbed it out of his hands or fought with him over it.”

Fierro’s account of the altercation in his interview with Embrace Magazine provided an important piece of information that differs from all other news reports of the altercation, which state that Fierro grappled with the gunman, Anderson Lee Aldrich, 22, first and shouted to Thomas James, a U.S. Navy Petty Officer 2nd Class who was unknown to Fierro but located nearby, to help him. Fierro says that is not correct. That James had already grappled with the gunman first and on his own, not under Fierro’s direction.

“I started using [the gun] on his lower body because his armor was in the way, and Thomas was working on his head,” continued Fierro. “Then we got him to the ground, and I started using the pistol on the back of his head. Thomas [James] was at the front of his head, and I told him to just keep kicking, kick, kick, kick. And he was kicking, and I told him to move the AR-15 out of the way, and he pushed it away. At some point, [Aldrich] grabbed a magazine

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Atrevida Beer Co.

that was either on the floor or somewhere and I threw that away from him.

I saw Thomas slowing down. This took about six minutes — it was two boxing rounds — it took forever.”

James continued to kick Aldrich’s head while Fierro called out for someone to call 911, get some help. According to Fierro, he and James were motivating each other to stay in the fight. “I was trying to get him to keep kicking and keep myself from getting tired,” said Fierro. “I kept telling [Aldrich] I was going to kill him, he tried to kill my family.”

Fierro noticed James slowing down.

At that moment, he saw a trans woman running by. He yelled out to her to kick Aldrich in the head. “I remember three or four kicks, I don’t know the exact number, it doesn’t matter, but I remember the high heels going down on the guy’s head while I was swinging on the back of his head. She kicked him in his face, which is where Thomas was kicking him too, so [Aldrich] took quite a few licks there.”

Fierro continued hitting Aldrich in the back of the head with the pistol.

When the police entered the club, the music stopped, and the lights came on.

“Once the police entered, I saw the flashlight of the cops and they came at me,” said Fierro. “I put my hands up and dropped the weapon.”

Fierro told the police “this is the

“I could hear [the gunfire] and knew what it was….

This was reactionary. Like military combat, take charge and go.”

shooter” then pointed toward the AR15 to show them where they could find it. Fierro knew James was hurt. He did not know the exact nature or extent of James’ injuries, but he did know the AR-15 was still within reach.

“I told the cops ‘Hey, this guy [James] is helping me, this guy [Aldrich] is the shooter,’” said Fierro.

Fallout

Fierro got up, walked across the room, and returned to where he was originally seated with his family and friends.

He saw Joanne laying there, shot several times.

“She had five in her, I started talking to her, trying to keep her from fading on us,” said Fierro. “She was losing a lot of blood… we didn’t know if she was going to make it. I told her to keep looking at me. One of the cops came in and I told him where to put the tourniquet on her arm and the other two on her legs. I had them put a second tourniquet on her arm as well.”

Chip was shot in both knees. “He was reaching for her,” said Fierro. “You could see it in his eyes, he did not think she was going to make it.”

Joanne could not move her arm, so Fierro placed her hand in Chip’s. He repeatedly told them they were going to be alright. The police placed a tourniquet on Chip, who was still feeling pain. Looking into Joanne’s face trying to calm her down was the last thing Fierro remembered before he was tackled by police.

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Jess and Richard Fierro with their daughter, Kassandra, and her boyfriend Raymond Green Vance at a festival for Atrevida Beer Co. Raymond did not survive the shooting at Club Q.

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PHOTO COURTESY OF RICHARD FIERRO

Jess Fierro, Colorado’s first female and Latina owner/head brewer and winner of season 1 of Beerland on Vice started the brewery in 2020, and officially named the business Atrevida Beer Co. in May 2022. Among numerous awards, Atrevida is the winner of the 2022 Tourism Customer Service Award by Visit COS and 2022 Business Entrepreneur of the Year Women’s Business Chamber of Colorado Springs. On her contributions to the local community, which include LGBTQ+, Latino, and all other marginalized people, Rich Fierro, who overpowered the Club Q gunman, said, “She’s a bigger hero than I could ever be.” To learn more about Atrevida Beer Co, or to support the fledgling business, visit atrevidabeerco.com

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“I would think, and I would hope, that anyone who had their kid in that room would have done the same thing.”

ter. None of them saw Ray at any point.

They assumed he was in the other room, and hoped he was safe.

The next day, Fierro and his family were at the police station and reported they could not find Ray. Kassy called Ray’s mother in the morning to let her know that he was at Q with them, and they have not seen him since the shooting. His mother went looking for Ray. That afternoon, the Fierros received a call from Ray's mother; her son had not survived the shooting.

Heroes

Along with Ray, four other people were killed: Kelly Loving, Daniel Aston, Derrick Rump, and Ashley Paugh. Another 17 were injured. If it were not for the heroic actions of Fierro and James, many more would have surely been killed.

Attempts were made by Embrace Magazine to reach James. According to Lt. Pamela Castro 2153, Public Information Officer of the Colorado Springs

Richard Fierro consoles his daughter as she signs a plaque to her slain boyfriend, Raymond Green Vance, at a memorial outside of Club Q on November 22, 2022 in Colorado Springs, Colorado.

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“As I was going down, I saw my wife kind of zombie-out walking by and my daughter poked her head out from the curtains because she was in the back room with a young man named Joshua, and another performer,” said Fierro. “It turned out my wife was on the patio at the moment [Aldrich] was facing the patio [about to begin shooting].”

His daughter, Kassy, was on the dancefloor when the shooting began, so she got pulled to the back with others. His wife, Jess, followed the flow of those fleeing toward the patio.

The police, mistaking Fierro who was covered in blood as a possible attacker, dragged him out. This was a difficult moment for Fierro. “I was performing first aid when they cuffed me and dragged me out… I was pissed-off that they were doing this to me,” said Fierro. “Then everyone outside thought I was the shooter, so they were all yelling and cussing at me, and the cops had to keep them off me as well.”

Fierro spent roughly an hour in the back of the police car yelling at the policeman. They finally let him go and he was reunited with his wife and daugh-

Colorado Healing Fund

A group of victim advocates and local officials established the Colorado Healing Fund (CHF) in 2018 to create a safe means for the public to donate to Colorado’s mass casualty crime victims. The office of the Colorado Attorney General provided the initial financing. The CHF is currently in operation for the November 20, 2022, Club Q Colorado Springs Tragedy.

In the wake of widespread violence, victims require both urgent and long-term assistance; CHF offers a safe way to donate to those affected. Donations donated to Club Q during the sixmonth activation period (November 20–May 20) will go entirely toward helping the victims and those who will be directly impacted. For more information or to donate, visit coloradohealing fund.org

The Fierro family attended the funeral service for Raymond. Cassie was given the opportunity to speak. That allowed her to have some closure to the travesty that occurred. “As a family, we are doing okay, but who knows,” said Fierro. “This is sort of a forever thing.”

According to the Colorado Sun, Major John Suthers spoke to Fierro on Monday after the shooting and praised his quick action in disarming the shooter. “I have never encountered a person who had engaged in such heroic actions that was so humble about it. He simply said to me, ‘I was trying to protect my family,’” Suthers said.

When asked his thoughts about the Pulse shooting in 2016, Fierro replied, “All I know is what the co-owner of Club Q, Matthew Haynes, told me, which is that he spoke with the owner of Pulse [Barbara Poma]. The major difference was the time. We got to him within 2 minutes of his gunfire, while the gunman in Pulse was in there killing people for upward of three hours. The time difference and the number of casualties.”

When asked about mass shootings, Fierro replied, “These attacks happen to everyone. The Walmart shooting [targeted or victimized] Latinos. It is just sickening that there is so much hate and for [some] people to think this is OK.” Fierro continued, “My thing is for people just to be nice to one another. If that person is thinking of doing something stupid gets someone is paying attention to him in a good way, maybe they won’t do something so negative.”

On his thoughts about security in public places, Fierro replied, “Club Q never had an incident like this before.

It has never happened in my brewery.

I do not want my customers to feel like they are entering a military zone (by going through metal detector security checkpoints) … there is a balance there somewhere. I don’t know what that is, but we need to look at it before we decide everyone needs a gun, and everything needs to be locked down.”

When asked about heroism in the face of hatred, Fierro replied, “Everyone wants to protect their kids, and until you are in a position where your kid is actually threatened by someone with an ALR, no one knows how they are going to react. I would think, and I would hope, that anyone who had their kid in that room, would have done the same thing.”

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Police Department, James had declined almost all interviews to that point.

According to coverage by CBS and NBC news, James, through a Centura Health spokesman, issued a statement on Sunday, November 27, 2022 for the first time since the shooting at Club Q. “I simply wanted to save the family I found,” James said. “If I had my way, I would shield everyone I could from the nonsensical acts of hate in the world, but I am only one person.”

“Thankfully, we are family, and family looks after one another,” James continued. “We came a long way from Stonewall. Bullies aren’t invincible. I want to support everyone who has known the pain and loss that have been all too common these past few years. My thoughts are with those we lost on Nov. 19, and those who are still recovering from their injuries. To the youth, I say be brave.

Your family is out there. You are loved and valued. So, when you come out of the closet, come out swinging.”

At the time, it was reported that James was recuperating at Centura Penrose Hospital in Colorado Springs, where a number of victims were taken following the shooting, from unidentified wounds. James’ status is presently stable, according to a hospital official.

According to LGBTQNation, James’s friend David Wehlan told NYT that He was not shocked to learn about James’ heroic actions.

“It didn’t matter where it would be.

If Thomas was somewhere and gunfire lit out, quiet Thomas would be the one who would jump up and run to protect people,” Wehlan said. “Because if you just know him, you know that he doesn’t want to see people hurt.”

At the time of this interview in mid-December 2022, Fierro was asked how Joanne and Chip were doing. “[Joanne] is still in the hospital… she still has a long way to go,” said Fierro. “[Chip] is out [of the hospital] but is still in post-op working on physical therapy, get back to walking.” Chip sees Joanne at the hospital everyday while also looking after their two young children. “[Kassy] is at her post-op right now, she had her surgery last week, so they put her knee back together,” said Fierro. She is healing from her physical injuries but as Fierro said, “she is dealing with the loss of her boyfriend more.”

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L EG AC Y The influential life and untimely death of Harvey Milk, the first openly gay man to hold public office, propelled him to iconic status as a hero to the LGBTQ+ LGBTQ+ community.

B Y J O H N S O T O M AY O R

THE DAY WAS JUNE 25, 1978.

The event was Gay Freedom Day in San Francisco, Calif. Several speakers had their turn at the podium on the steps of San Francisco City Hall. Then Harvey Milk, newly elected member of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors, walked up on the stage. He looked out into the crowd, paused to take it all in, and then began to speak: “My name is Harvey Milk, and I am here to recruit you.”

The crowd cheered for his now-famous catchphrase.

Milk garnered national attention months earlier, when he was sworn in as first openly gay man elected to public office. “Why are we here? Why are gay people here?” Milk asked. ““Unless you have dialogue, unless you open the walls of dialogue, you can never reach to change people’s opinion. …Once you have dialogue starting, you know you can break down prejudice.”

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Milk was specifically speaking in opposition of Proposition 6, also named the Briggs Initiative after the bill’s sponsor, state lawmaker John Briggs. Proposition 6 would have made it unlawful for homosexual people to work in public schools and required their immediate termination. “The anger and the frustrations that some of us feel is because we are misunderstood. And friends can't feel that anger and frustration,” he continued. “They can sense it in us, but they can’t feel it. Because a friend has never gone through what is known as “coming out.” I will never forget what it was like coming out and having nobody to look up toward. I remember the lack of hope, and our friends can't fulfill it. I can’t forget the looks on the faces of people who have lost hope…"

His speech became instantly famous, quickly becoming known nationwide as the Hope Speech. “And you have to give them hope. Hope for a better world, hope for a better tomorrow… Without hope, not only are the gays, but the blacks, the seniors, the handicapped, the ‘us-es.’ The ‘uses’ will give up.” He concluded: “And you, and you, and you — you have to give people hope.”

Five months later, just steps from where the Hope Speech was delivered, Milk was assassinated in his office in City Hall. He was shot five times — twice in the head — by Dan White, a disgruntled former Board Supervisor, over a conflict.

Milk’s elected office was brief, but his words and legacy, especially for the LGBTQ+ community, will live forever.

In the 44 years after his death, Milk has been honored, remembered, commemorated, and celebrated in numerous forms. On June 26, 2022, the parents of Matthew Shepard, a gay American student at the University of Wyoming who was beaten, tortured, and left to die on October 6, 1998, and Bay area children read the Harvey Milk Hope speech; the portions quoted above appear in the short vid-

eo. On November 25, the five individuals killed at a gay nightclub in Colorado earlier that week were remembered at a march commemorating the anniversary of Milk’s death. He’s been the subject of books, plays, movies, U.S. postage stamps, and even the naming of a naval ship.

What made Harvey Milk so impactful? He came out of the closet at age 40, shortly before his activism began in San Francisco, and was dead at 48. Embrace Magazine researched his life and spoke with current day leaders in the LGBTQ+ community to pay homage to the fallen hero.

LEGENDARY ICON

According to The Official Harvey Milk Biography from the Harvey Milk Foundation (HMF), “Harvey Milk was a visionary civil and human rights leader who became one of the first openly gay elected officials in the United States when he won a seat on the San Francisco Board of Supervisors in 1977.” At a time when the LGBTQ+ community was facing widespread hostility and prejudice, Milk’s remarkable outspoken declaration of his authenticity as an out gay candidate for public office and his subsequent win brought never-before-seen hope to LGBTQ+ people all across the world.

“Harvey Milk is the LGBTQ+ global icon. He lived his life as an example of what true authenticity is about. He championed the concept that if the world sees us, they will begin to accept us,” said Miriam Richter, Esq., Director and Counsel, Harvey Milk Foundation. “He was the first politician elected as an open LGBTQ+ person who made it a talking point, not a side issue as others before him had.

He knew that his authenticity and openness made him a target and he did not shy away from it, showing a courage that speaks volumes to all minimalized and marginalized people worldwide. The movement that he spearheaded continues because of the fearless belief he championed

PHOTO IN PRINT ISSUE BY MARIE UEDA/GLBT HISTORICAL SOCIETY; VIDEO IN DIGITAL EDITION BY ALEXANDER SOTOMAYOR/EMBRACE MEDIA

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Pride: The Story of Harvey Milk and the Rainbow Flag

HARVEY’S HIGHLIGHTS IN HISTORY May 22, 1930: Harvey Milk is born in Woodmere, New York. By high school, he understands he's gay, but keeps that knowledge to himself.

1951: After graduating New York State Teachers College in Albany with a degree in mathematics, Milk joins the Navy, serving as an expert deep-sea diver.

SOURCE: LAUREN BECK; ABRONORTH.WEEBLY.COM

1955: Despite his skill and clean record, Milk is less-than-honorably discharged due to his sexual orientation.

He moves to New York City, where he becomes a high school math teacher and basketball coach.

1970: Milk finally has the courage to come out after more than 25 years in the closet.

He soon moves to the Castro in San Francisco, where he would develop an interest in city politics.

1973: Milk runs for a seat on San Francisco's board of supervisors for the first time. He loses by a landslide, but continues to gain a reputation in the San Francisco gay community for his outspoken activism.

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- that every individual is created equally, and everyone considerable pressure on the mayor’s office to enhance should be able to live a safe and authentic life.” services for the Castro, including library services and According to the HMF Official Biography, Milk moved community policing, as he was a fervent supporter of to San Francisco in 1973, where he opened a camera store strong, safe neighborhoods. Additionally, he advocated on Castro Street, in the heart of the city’s growing gay for state and federal problems that affected LGBT peocommunity. Milk and a few other company owners creple, women, members of racial and ethnic minorities, as ated the Castro Village Association, a first well as other underrepresented groups. in the country organization of primarily “There’s power in being the first. First man LGBT businesses, with Milk serving as on the moon. First woman to win an Oscar. president, after some local business ownFirst Black American President. Those are ers attempted to stop two gay men from monumental moments that reshape our opening a store. In an effort to boost ecosociety and give rise to a new generation of nomic activity in the neighborhood, he leaders who finally believe they can be anystaged the Castro Street Fair in 1974. Due thing they set their minds to,” said Brandon to its success, the Castro Village AssociaWolf, press secretary for Equality Florida. tion became a stronghold for gay business “Harvey Milk was our community’s first. He owners and served as a model for other was California’s first openly gay man to be LGBT communities in the US. elected in California. But it was not simply “Harvey Milk’s name is forever synonhis status as first that has ingrained him as ymous with activism, with leadership, a hero in our community. He was bold and and with sacrifice,” said Justin Nelson, audacious, leading not with his LGBTQ+ READ MORE co-founder, and president of the National identity as an afterthought, but with a fierce LGBT Chamber of Commerce. “He famouscommitment to the wellbeing of others in ly said, ‘We will not win our rights by staythe community. He fought back tirelessly ing quietly in our closets.’ He has inspired against anti-LGBTQ bigotry and pioneered millions to be out, proud, and find comfort San Francisco’s nondiscrimination protecin community. There would not be a Pete tions on the basis of sexual orientation. HarThis illustrated children’s book, by Buttigieg, a Tammy Baldwin, or most of the vey Milk challenged the status quo and was Rob Sanders and Steven Salerno, out leaders in America today if he hadn’t unapologetic in his demand for a better futells the story of how Gilbert Baker blazed a path for all of us to follow.” ture for LGBTQ+ people in this country. For created the rainbow flag at Harvey’s A dedication to servicing a diverse that, he is a hero.” as a gesture of equality and pride. It constituency, not simply LGBT individcovers events from the 1970s marchuals, contributed to Milk’s success as a LEGACY IMMORTALIZED es through the 2015 installation of supervisor. According to the HMF Of“Harvey is such an important pioneer and rainbow lights in the White House. ficial Biography, his expansive reform hero, having put himself out there to furagenda included safeguarding gay rights ther the cause for LGBTQ+ rights at a time (he sponsored a significant anti-discrimination bill), when the majority in our country was against him and opening daycare facilities for working mothers, conus as LGBTQ+ people,” said Matt Skallerud, president of verting military housing in the city into affordable housPink Media. “He pursued LGBTQ+ rights, knowing he was ing, changing the tax code to draw business to vacant putting himself in harm’s way, and sadly, the worst came warehouses and factories, and other issues. He exerted to pass. I think he’ll always be remembered as a true

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LGBTQ+ hero who gave his life for our cause and progress in society today.”

Milk has won praise for his imaginative daring and dedication to equality. The LGBTQ pride flag’s rainbow colors can be seen as a vertical strip in the top left corner of a stamp that the USPS released in his honor in 2014.

Although there have been other LGBTQ people featured on U.S. stamps, this is the first time an activist for LGBTQ rights is included.

1977: In his fourth run for public office, Milk is finally elected to the district's board of supervisors, making him the first openly gay man to win a public election in the US.

Nov. 7, 1978: Milk protests and defeats a proposed bill to remove all gay teachers and gay rights supporters from schools. It was one of Milk's greatest accomplishments during his short time in office.

He received the Presidential Medal of Freedom posthumously and was inducted into the California Hall of Fame in 2009. As “a symbol of what gays might accomplish and the perils they confront in doing so,” he was named one of Time’s “100 Heroes and Icons of the 20th Century.”

“Harvey Milk is a hero for the LGBTQ+ community because he unapologetically lived his authentic life as a public official and as an activist,” said Justin Ayars, equalityMD, founder and CEO. “He paved the way for future genera-

Nov. 27, 1978: Harvey Milk and Mayor George Moscone are assassinated at City Hall. Over 30,000 people peacefully march from Castro Street to City Hall and hold a candlelight vigil.

May 21, 1979: Milk's assailant, Dan White, is convicted of voluntary manslaughter (rather than the original charge of first-degree murder) and sentenced to just seven years in prison the day before what would have been Milk's 49th birthday. Thousands are furious and their protests at City Hall turned violent. The reactions from that day are now known as the White Night Riots.

PHOTO BY CRAWFORD WAYNE BARTON/GLBT HISTORICAL SOCIETY

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1

HE ONCE WORKED ON WALL STREET AND BROADWAY.

A man with numerous interests, Harvey Milk loved opera, participated in a variety of sports, and wrote newspaper columns in college. While in New York, Milk held a variety of jobs, such as Wall Street research analyst, public school teacher, and associate Broadway producer.

2

HE WAS ONCE A STAUNCH REPUBLICAN.

In 1977, Milk was a Democrat, but his earlier political ventures were much different. In fact, he had been sought out to serve on Republican Barry Goldwater’s presidential campaign in 1964. What made him change sides? The Vietnam War. “The day Nixon invaded Cambodia was the day I had to speak out against war profiteers, large corporations and so forth,” Milk told NBC News in 1978.

“And so, I got rid of my Wall Street career … and when I walked through that door, I kept walking.”

3

HE WAS A “MAYOR” BEFORE HE EVER HELD OFFICE.

Castro Street had already established itself as a center for San Francisco’s gay population by the time Milk settled there in 1973, but he still found a way to make his mark. He and his partner established Castro Camera, a modest picture developing store that became a hub for the community.

The shop doubled as Milk’s campaign headquarters during his half-decade of campaigns, earning him the moniker “The Mayor of Castro Street.”

PHOTO BY BETTMANN/GETTY IMAGES.

READ MORE

The Mayor of Castro Street Randy Shilts, one of the first openly homosexual reporters at a major newspaper, wrote the uncensored account of success, sorrow, and political intrigue. It was initially published in 1982 and is now considered the definitive biography of Milk.

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3 FACTS ABOUT MILK

tions of LGBTQ+ Americans to serve their communities as elected officials (like Secretary Buttigieg) and as political activists. He spoke out about human rights issues our community faced at a time when it wasn’t safe to come out of the closet. While his voice was untimely silenced, his message and legacy endures.”

Important musical works were also inspired by Milk’s murder. Holly Near, a lesbian singer-songwriter, wrote “Singing For Our Lives,” also known as “Song for Harvey Milk,” as soon as she learned of the murder. It has the following title in the official publication of the Unitarian Universalist Association: “We Are a Gentle, Angry People.”

With additional lines always being added, the song spread beyond the LGBTQ rights movement to other justice organizations. Countless marches and religious gatherings have performed it. On a 2015 film commemorating the 50th anniversary of the first nationwide protest against the Vietnam War, Near introduces and sings it.

In 2019, six decades after Milk was expelled from the Navy for being gay, work on a ship bearing his name began.

He made history by becoming the first openly gay person to have a Navy ship named in his honor. It was a significant accomplishment when they named a ship after the LGBTQrights icon given the lengthy history of anti-LGBTQ discrimination in the U.S. military, which includes an estimated 100,000 service members who were discharged because of their sexual orientation.

“Harvey Milk’s relentless honesty, leadership, and tenacity for equality for all, made him a classic hero,” said Herb Sosa, director and CEO of Unity Coalition, Celebrate Orgullo, and publisher of Ambiente Magazine. “Unfortunately, his early death and martyr status certainly adds to this title. It is up to all of us to keep his ideals and energy alive, and to inspire new generations to continue in this effort for true equality for all.”

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Heroes come in all shapes and sizes. Some fight.

Some rescue. Some impact. All inspire.

Heroes B Y J O S E P H PA S T R A N A

In Art Nestled in the upper reaches of Massachusetts is the artist colony of Provincetown, a haven for the LGBTQ+ community and one of the few genuine outposts of gay art. Today it is home to the Greg Salvatori Gallery, one of over forty local galleries and a major regional art museum. And, where Greg is proud to showcase artists of distinct visions that in one way or another celebrate heroes of the community. One such artist is Jo Hay who’s been painting portraits of some of the most iconic heroes of our time.

Jo and Greg are both British transplants to the Cape by way of New York City. But it was more their individual creativity that landed them both in Provincetown where they continue to highlight causes that mean something to them and the community at large. Jo had been consistently receiving raves for her portraits including once called “Dodger”, which was a finalist in “Art for Freedom:

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A Global Initiative” curated by Madonna. She’s also been the subject of British director Lois Norman’s documentary “She is Juiced”, which was screened at Tate Modern in 2017 as part of the ground-breaking Queer Britain exhibition and the London Pride launch that same year.

Meanwhile, Greg was already an established New York City photographer and artist in 2014 when he decided to open his gallery among a cluster of other small businesses in Whaler’s Wharf in Provincetown.

But after another gallery down the street closed, Greg decided to take over the space on 366 Commercial Street with its prime corner location. Its more expansive walls and square footage allowed him to showcase more artists and their work. Upon discovering Jo’s work, he enthusiastically showed her portrait series of the men and women who, in one way or another, helped shape the community. But perhaps even more importantly, these portraits show that the most heroic thing we can all do is simply support each other.

IMAGES COURTESY OF THE GREG SALVATORI GALLERY

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IMAGES COURTESY OF THE GREG SALVATORI GALLERY

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Putting Same-Sex Love in Slovenia Slovenia legalizes same-sex marriage and adoptions.

The first Eastern European country to do so.

BY STEVE PAFFORD

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At

a time of increased imperial intentions, a little further north-east, progressive politics are in full flow in some of Europe’s Eastern Bloc countries once under Soviet influence.

It’s more remarkable considering how a cultural Iron Curtain now appears to divide the two eastern and western halves of the European Union in the 2020s.

To the west are the more progressive, ethnically diverse, and secular states of western Europe.

To the east are the more traditionalist, more homogenous and largely re-Christianizing former communist states. Slightly shocking perhaps to some then that at the time of writing, the conservative and historically Catholic Czech Republic (recently renamed Czechia) appears on the verge of legalizing same-sex marriage, a move which seems likely to pass considering that many of the major candidates in the 2023 presidential election support gay marriage and adoption.

Alas, Slovenia got there first by becoming the first country in Eastern Europe to fully legalize gay marriage.

Since October 2022, same-sex weddings have been permitted in this low-key former Yugoslavian state, as have the right for LGBT couples to adopt children.

It’s the culmination of a remarkable transformation for present-day Slovenia. Previously, it was one of the six constituent Yugoslav republics until the state seceded — peacefully, unlike most of its neighbors — in 1991 and gained independence.

Historical ties to Western Europe, not to mention considerable assistance because of their post-2004 membership of the European Union and NATO, have fueled Slovenia’s transformation from a tiny communist satellite behind the Soviet Union-dominated Iron Curtain to a fully fledged modern European democracy.

Happily, Slovenia is a particularly progressive country in terms of the rights of sexual minorities, and the first tacit LGBT associations were formed there as early as 1984. Same-sex partnerships were legalized in 2005, and full equal marriage under the law has been a goal by various political parties since 2015. But gay couples were forbidden from adopting children – something that was rectified by the recent decision by the country’s Parliament.

With Slovenia the first country originating from former socialist states of the Eastern Bloc to adopt such a law, it casts a spotlight on how most countries in the region still do not allow civil same-sex unions and marriages. There is also a rigid and often rabid state stance against the LGBT community in some countries, such as Hungary, Poland and Russia, the latter pair of which I dealt with in previous issues of Embrace.

It has been common for American commentators to surreptitiously use the gay community to discredit socialism — a kind of pink washing in reverse, if you will. But doing so flattens the important historical relationship between queer culture and communism in general. Centering only on the homophobic elements in the far-left orthodoxy, this kind of dogmatic rhetoric ignores the truly impressive advances made by some communist regimes on equal rights (and papers over long histories of intolerance of LGBTQ people in non-communist countries).

Take Cuba, for instance, which also announced the legalization of same-sex marriages in 2022, to great applause.

A more nuanced examination of history shows us that communism and queerness might have been natural bedfellows in a way, however uneasy that sounds. That, in simplistic terms, a striving

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STEVE PAFFORD is an English journalist, actor and author of the acclaimed book BowieStyle. Having trained from the floor up in UK music titles Q, MOJO and Record Collector, he’s had his work featured in a wide variety of British, American and Australian media including the BBC, CNN, The Independent and the New York Times.

Steve divides his time between Australia and the south of France.

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for equality and egalitarianism would surely embody and even incorporate the fight for gay rights while the forces of conservatism sought to maintain the status quo, with all the inherent hierarchical discrimination that that entails.

August Bebel, leader from 1892 to 1913 of the German Social Democratic Party (the largest socialist party in Europe), was a forceful proponent of legalizing homosexuality. He even took to the floor of the German parliament in 1898 to demand a repeal of the country’s sodomy law.

Similarly, after the Bolsheviks seized power in Russia, they introduced a modern penal code in 1922 that abolished Russia’s sodomy law.

In the 1920s, communist and socialist parties were often proponents of legalizing same-sex acts. This was until an anti-liberal backlash in the early ’30s when Adolf Hitler and the Nazis rose to prominence at the same time as Joseph Stalin’s brutal regime throughout the Soviet Union sent the empire back by decades when they recriminalized male homosexuality and imprisoned thousands of gay men under oppressive new laws. This repressive, regressive tendency endured after World War II, and Russia would not decriminalize homosexuality until 1993, under the first term of its only genuinely democratically elected President, Boris Yeltsin.

Other communist states strengthened laws against homosexuality after the war. When gay activists began to organize in the 1980s in Catholic-dominated Poland, the government of the day

cracked down in a mass action known as Operation Hyacinth, probably fearful of what it perceived as organized resistance to the establishment.

Conversely, in the same postwar period, other Soviet-bloc territories decriminalized homosexuality earlier than in many Western European countries. With the likes of Hungary relaxing their laws in 1961, what was then Czechoslovakia coming on board in 1962, and Bulgaria following in 1968. Contrast that to England and Wales (1967), Scotland (1980), France (1982), Ireland (1993) and the reunified Germany finally abolishing such discrimination as late as 1994, though both East and West had relaxed their laws in the late 1960s and prosecutions were unheard of.

Interestingly, in 2022 Slovenia also elected a lawyer linked to former US first lady Melania Trump as its first-ever female head of state. Natasa Pirc Musar is a journalist and lawyer who ran as an independent with the backing of Slovenia’s center-left government. Winning almost 54% of the vote, Ms Pirc Musar defeated former foreign minister Anze Logar - a veteran of conservative politics.

Although the presidential role is largely ceremonial, as it is in Ireland and Germany, after her victory was confirmed Ms Pirc Musar was keen to point out that “Slovenia has elected a president who believes in the European Union, in the democratic values on which the EU was founded.”

Perhaps it’s not all doom and gloom after all then.

PHOTO BY SLOINNORDICS

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TRAVEL

Stylish Milan Worth A Visit

FEBRUARY 2023

BY BILL MALCOLM

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I

attended the International Gay Lesbian Travel Association Conference held near Milan and thoroughly enjoyed my trip to this vibrant, stylish northern Italian city.

Located just south of the Alps in the northern part of the country, it is the country’s second largest (and wealthiest) area .The people are very stylish and there is lots to do.

You will find the Puerto Venezia neighborhood to be the designated gayborhood although Milan’s LGBTQ venues are actually more scattered.

The neighborhood features lots of cafes, restaurants, and shopping (plus gay bars) within steps of each other and the metro is very convenient as the Tram (streetcar). The Esselunga Supermarket features food to go where you can grab some fresh fruit and yogurt for breakfast.

I stayed at the Mercure Milano Centro Hotel, part of the Mercure brand by Accord Hotels. The service and rooms were great at this small hotel. It made for a perfect base to explore the city. It is located in the Piazza Oberdan in the Puerto Venezia district. The subway station is literally in front of the hotel. Cute shops and restaurants abound. The room was comfortable after I insisted, they let me control the room temperature instead of the front desk. An Italian restaurant was next door on one side and a coffee bar on the other. And just steps to the bars, the city park (Giardini Pubblici) , and Buenos Aires street shopping district. However, skip paying for the hotel breakfast and enjoy one of the many nearby cafes for the morning double espresso and fresh baked roll (Like Spain, Italians don’t drink a regular cup of coffee although the Café Americano comes close.)

What To Do • The wonderful natural history museum (Museo di Storia Nautale) and nearby huge city park (Giardini Pubblici “Indro Montaneli) are just steps from the Mercure Milano Hotel.

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PHOTOS COURTESY OF SONDERS&BEACH/QUIIKY

• The Duomo cathedral and plaza are a must.

Check out the nearby shopping at the Galleria Vittoria Emanuele.

• Don’t miss Sforzesco Castle. This huge fortress is complete with a moat and features works of Michelangelo and Leonardo da Vinci.

• Wander along Navigli’s canal district.

• Visit the new City Life District and stroll along the contemporary art park. Lunch options abound. The new downtown skyscraper district is also worth a visit with stylish new buildings and a “tree house” apartment high rise.

Nightlife The city’s gay life is centered around the Porta Venezia neighborhood, specifically down Via Lecco (Lecco Street). Check out LeccoMilano, the Red Cafe, and MONO. They even have a LGBTQ

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friendly gelato stand. The MONO Bar was great for an appertif. Appertivi is a pre-dinner semi sweet alcoholic beverage. Try the Aperol Spritz which consists of aperol, spumante, soda, and fetta di Arancia. The Mono offered it with free chips for 9 euros. This is a pre-dinner cocktail.

Like in Spain, Italians eat late.

Where To Eat/What To Eat Do you like risotto, pasta, fresh breads, eggplant parmesan, pizza, smoked meats, or cheeses?

How about wine? They all are Italian specialties.

Great coffee is everywhere including the Coffee Joint next door to the Mercurio Hotel. Enjoy a cocktail on the rooftop bar of the Dome Milano (Via Giuseppe Mazzini).

Getting There I took EasyJet from Barcelona to Milan. It was cheap but modeled after the U.S. budget airlines (charge for everything including a carry-on bag, on board beverages, etc.). They made us stand in the jet way for a half hour before letting us sit down and then they announced a delay due to a crew change. But I made it. And it is reportedly better than Ryan Air, another budget carrier as well as Vueling Airlines.

I took American Airlines from Milan to JFK. The lengthy flight (7.5 hours) went over the Alps as well as the Maritimes of Canada and Boston Harbor. The meal service was good (pasta

BILL MALCOLM is North America’s only syndicated LGBTQ value travel columnist. Bill’s columns appear or have appeared in LGBTQI+ publications in Toronto, Seattle, LA, DC, Chicago, Dallas, Atlanta, Detroit, Charlotte, Ft. Lauderdale, and other cities.

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or meat balls) followed by ice cream and then a pizza snack before landing. The free wine and beer was a surprise. I am growing to like American Airlines.

From Malpensa airport, take the Malpensa Express train (13 Euros) to the Carbano metro stop and transfer to the M1 subway line to get to the hotel. The subway is known as the ATM and you can get an all day pass for 7 Euros.

The Iglta Conference The International Gay Lesbian Travel Association had their 38th Global Convention in Pero.

550 attendees from 39 countries attended. Key themes included that travel is an agent of change.

Fun Facts Despite all the pasta, bread, smoked meat, and cheese (not to mention the tiramisu), the Italians are a slim bunch with only 10 percent being overweight. The Mediterranean diet is very healthy, and they don’t snack and graze all day like many (overweight) Americans do.

The chic dressed up Milanese are amazing.

Perfect stylish haircuts, modern eyewear, and

designer outfits make them the best dressed folks in the world. Italian design also spills over into the architecture and autos (Porsches). I had never been to Italy and was stunned at this classy crowd. Even the barista at the coffee bar looks like she is headed to a wedding. Leave room in your suitcase for some shopping.

With the Euro at par with the U.S. dollar, Italy (like Spain) is a bargain right now. Before you book a domestic vacation, compare it with a trip to Europe. Air fares are more reasonable for travel to Europe than they are to many U.S. cities and the hotels are about the same (but still a bit high for this value traveler).

For More Information Pick up a copy of VIVA (vivaboy.com) has a listing of bars and restaurants throughout Spain. Also check out yesmilano.it. Don’t miss Milan’s only printed publication, Quiiky Magazine or take a tour with Quiiky Travel. Visit IGLTA’s website for all your LGBTQ+ travel resource needs.

Special thanks to Visit Milan, Sonders and Beach, Visit Ft. Lauderdale, and Quiiky Magazine for hosting events at IGLTA.

PHOTOS COURTESY OF SONDERS&BEACH/QUIIKY

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ISSUES&POLITICS

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Is Drag Dangerous?

A bill in Idaho was drafted to ban drag performances from public venues.

BY DANIELLE OLIVANI

DANIELLE OLIVANI is a proud mom, community organizer/activist, and CEO of Lake County Pride Org. Corp; an LGBTQIA+ nonprofit which seeks to improve the lives of Lake County youth through advocacy, education, and acts of service to the community. She is a longtime resident of Lake County and currently lives in Mount Dora, Fla. She graduated from the Rollins College Paralegal Studies program and obtained her certification in 2017.

right-wing political figures and all interactions with religious leaders who view homosexuality or the performance of the opposite sex as sinful and detrimental to everyone across the gender spectrum. Violence against drag performers and violent incidents at drag venues are increasing exponentially, with 126 documented incidents happening in 2022 alone. How will this false and harmful para-social/political narrative they have constructed, villainizing and subjugating the LGBTQIA+ community end?

Soon, Idaho Family Policy Center president and lobbyist Blaine Conzatti expects his bill to ban drag shows in public places citing public indecency violations, which would prohibit kids and young adults from attending, even accompanied by their parent or guardian present.

Conzatti's push to restrict individuals' political and personal Constitutional freedoms didn't start with this latest performative stunt to ban drag performers.

Additionally, Idaho's new abortion ban was spearheaded by Conzatti, a highly influential and well-connected lobbyist. Furthermore, the Idaho Family Policy Center supported a bill to ban gender-affirming medical treatment for transgender children, as well as another bill that would have held librarians responsible for distributing "harmful material" to minors. The Florida legislator also circulated proposed legislation earlier in June this year to ban youth from attending drag events.

In referring to the bill banning drag performances where children may be present, Conzatti states, it has already been drafted, according to Conzatti, who declined to divulge which legislators worked on the proposed legislation. "No

Over a scheduled drag performance for children aged 11 to 18, which was eventually postponed over safety concerns, Idaho Republican Party Chairwoman Dorothy Moon urged people to pressure corporate sponsors of Boise Pride to pull their names from sponsorships

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the last decade, female impersonation or "drag" has experienced a renaissance thanks to television shows such as RuPaul's Drag Race, Dragula, etc. Looking at it from the outside in, many who have been exposed to the art of drag performance don't know or are simply unaware that individuals have been portraying and presenting as the opposite gender since antiquity. Joe E. Jeffreys, a drag historian and professor of theater studies at New York University, defines drag as a theatrical form. Professor Jeffreys describes drag as someone putting on clothing that is considered inappropriate to them and then wearing it with some ironic distance. The term "drag" originated in Britain. The first time the term drag appeared was in English theater slang in the 1870s to describe long skirts men wore on stage; men continued to wear exaggerated makeup and clothing for female roles until 1660, when women were finally allowed to perform. By Jeffreys' definition, drag can be traced back to ancient Native American, indigenous South American, Egyptian ceremonies, and Japanese theater.

What once was considered taboo or underground was strictly relegated to LGBTQIA+ bars and nightclubs but has now firmly become part of the world zeitgeist with all ages of fans, young, old, and everyone in between. Despite the shift toward society becoming more accepting of the LGBTQIA+ community, it has not been without challenges. It has been met with vitriol, intolerance, and hate from detractors, including

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child should ever be exposed to sexual exhibitions like drag shows in public places, whether that's at a public library or a public park," Conzatti stated, likening the performances to blackface practices. Conzatti and other Christian conservative Activists around Idaho have protested public events featuring drag queens, including drag queen story hour events at public libraries.

A drag performance scheduled for children ages eleven to eighteen was postponed over safety concerns, which prompted Idaho Republican Party Chairwoman Dorothy Moon to ask corporate sponsors to withdraw their support.

The fact of the matter is this, the Constitutional soundness of trying to limit, restrict, or forbid someone's right to free speech, assembly, and self-expression is all in question when trying to promote or pass legislation like this. Whether those in power state they are doing so under the guise of protecting or defending children is ludicrous and offensive to the queer community and its allies.

Approximately 70 percent of Americans now agree that LGBTQIA+ Americans should and do have the right to marry. Consequently, the Christian Conservatives' message describing and categorizing everyone in the LGBTQIA+ community as "groomers" or "pedophiles" is being rejected by their constituents and the public. Only by villainizing and dehumanizing the queer community has the Christian conservative right been able to spread hateful dogma of misinformation and hate. One of the ways Conzatti and others are doing this is by claiming that the LGBTQIA+ community is more

likely to be deviant or commit heinous sexual offenses toward children and young adults. There is a distinct and categorical difference between homosexuality and pedophilia, and association does not imply causation in this case. It is part of a familiar pattern of marginalizing outgroups, explains Gregory Herek (Professor of Psychology at UC Davis). Professor Herek says, "The empirical research does not show that gay or bisexual men are any more likely than heterosexual men to molest children. This is not to argue that homosexual and bisexual men never molest children. But there is no scientific basis for asserting that they are more likely than heterosexual men to do so."

He explains, "Members of disliked minority groups are often stereotyped as representing a danger to the majority's most vulnerable members." This dangerous and incendiary claim is false and has been a failed and desperate tactic used for decades to legislate the queer community out of existence.

A clear message is being sent to the populace by the far-right. Through the forced imposition of Christianity as the only religion that should and must be practiced, the Christian Conservative faction of the Republican party wishes to control and dominate the masses. Human rights organizations, LGBTQIA+ advocacy organizations, and nonprofits should continue to retain civil rights attorneys to represent them to combat legalized sanctioned bigotry against LGBTQIA+ communities and ultimately restore queer people's rights to live and love freely without fear of being permanently confined to the closet.

Bradley Moore REALTOR®

Call 321.206.1777 Email: Bradley@MrListerFL.com

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2022 AWARDS BY THE NUMBERS

17 Awards in the 2021 Florida Press Club Excellence in Journalism Competition, including 9 first-place awards.

PRESENTED JANUARY 2022

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National awards in the Associated Church Press’s 2022 Best of Church Press Awards!

Finalist categories in the Florida Magazine Association’s 2022 Charlie Awards.

PRESENTED APRIL 2022

FINAL PLACEMENTS TO BE ANNOUNCED AUGUST 2022

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TOTAL AWARDS

Across 2021 and 2022 from four statewide and national organizations.

Thanks to all Embrace Magazine contributors and advertisers who have made these achievements possible!

ADVERTISE IN THIS PRESTIGIOUS MAGAZINE Contact John Sotomayor 352-571-0129 john@sotomayormedia.com

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S E N S O RY ST I M U L AT I O N … F O R T H E E Y E S A N D E A R S

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ART&CULTURE

Grappling with Hate How one LGBTQ+ professional wrestler overcame aversion and ignorance to later gain sweeping recognition for her fruitful career.

BY JACK LEMNUS

PHOTO COURTESY OF NEW ENGLAND HALL OF FAME

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PHOTO COURTESY OF OUT IN THE RING

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she would later describe as the highlight of her career, Green not only bested her mentor, but won her belt too.

Because the WWE didn’t want to recognize the new title reign, she was required to strike a deal with Ellison for the belt’s return. Upon condition, Ellison could no longer attempt to blacklist Green or hinder her career. When Ellison accepted, it meant that Green could compete unhindered while openly identifying as lesbian.

Largely due to promoters, it was nearly impossible to advance as an openly LGBTQ+ wrestler in the 1970s. It was a choice between being out or being professional.

“If you wanna get booked, you gotta climb the fence,” Green said, referring to the pressure to identify as straight. There were even promoters who would attempt to convert their wrestlers.

“Some would try to sleep with you,” Green said.

“They’d say ‘I’ll be the one to change you straight.’”

But despite these challenges, LGBTQ+ people have always participated and prospered in the sport. It’s not until now that the LGBTQ+ wrestlers from Green’s generation are gaining recognition for their achievements. After wrestling for fifty-four years, Green will be the first lesbian woman inducted into the Women’s Wrestling Hall of Fame.

“The WWE is never going to acknowledge these women,” said Christopher Annino, co-founder of the Women’s Wrestling Hall of Fame and former student of Green’s. Annino said there was no place to preserve the history of female wrestlers, and that inspired its creation in 2021.

Seen as a wrestling legend, Green was asked to be a co-founder of the hall of fame and a class of 2023 inductee. “She’s very much a trailblazer,” Annino said.

Born in Corpus Christi, Texas, Green wrestled her first match on her fifteenth birthday. Since

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or years, professional wrestler Susan Tex Green, 69, hid her sexuality from her trainer. Her choice to obscure this part of her identity wasn’t decided out of shame or fear of loved ones finding out –she’d already come out to her parents at 11 years old. She did it because her trainer despised lesbians, and Green wanted to wrestle professionally.

“If you were a lesbian, she wouldn’t train you,” Green said. “We knew we’d be put on the backburner if we came out.”

When her trainer and promoter, Mary Lilian Ellison, or “The Fabulous Moolah,” found out Green’s true sexuality, the quantity and quality of Green’s matches suddenly plummeted. But Green wasn’t going to idly stand by with her career in a submission hold.

In the 1975 National Wrestling Alliance’s World Women’s Championship, Green saw a chance to prove her worth: she would compete to win her mentor’s belt. Before the match, when Green extended her hand for the ceremonial handshake, Ellison returned her with a slap across the face.

A red handprint beamed on her cheek like a cave painting. Fueled with rage, not just by the strike, but from the years of oppression and manipulation, Green was determined to win. “Beat me if you can,” she said.

A nearly 25-minute struggle for dominance ensued, and a lot was at stake. For Ellison, retaining her record-long hold on her title as champion. For Green, the right to progress in her passion. Trainer against trainee, they hurled their limbs and bodies, vying for control, until Green caught Ellison in a grappling hold. With enough pressure on Ellison’s hips to dislocate them, Green forced her to forfeit.

“She hit hard, I hit harder,” Green said. In what

Susan Tex Green and Ry Levey at showing of film Out In the Ring

JACK LEMNUS is an undergraduate at the University of Florida and is currently a reporter for WUFT News.

What drew him to journalism was a deep desire to illuminate the realities of underserved communities and engage hard conversations. A Clearwater native, he loves to fill his bookshelves and practice his Spanish while traveling Latin America.

ART & CULTURE

FEBRUARY 2023

The Women’s Wrestling Hall of Fame www. womenswrestlinghalloffame.com (WWHOF) was founded in 2021 by ECW original Angel Orsini, ECW original Pitbull # 1 Gary Wolf, award-winning filmmaker Christopher Annino, and Pro Wrestling Hall of Famer Susan Tex Green. The purpose is to preserve the historic integrity of women’s wrestling both professional and amateur. The amateur category is exclusive to Olympians and Collegiate female wrestlers only. WWHOF is in association with the International Wrestling Hall of Fame in Albany, New York www.prowrestlinghall.org and “Good Times Guaranteed”.

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Documentary Film “Circle of Champions”

The hall of fame was inspired by the documentary on the history of women’s wrestling “Circle of Champions” Produced by Green, Wolf, Orsini, Annino and Evan Ginzburg of “The Wrestler” the film is a New England Music Hall of Fame (NEMHOF) www.nemhof.com production.

then, she’s wrestled around the world, been on the cover of various magazines, and won the 1971 NWA Women’s World Tag Team Championship with her tag team partner, Sandy Parker. Green, who pronounces her sport as “wrastling” in her Texan accent, was known in the ring for her American-flag boots and 10-gallon hat. “I was good at connecting with a crowd,” she said.

When she came out at 11 years old to her parents, they were encouraging and accepting. “They didn’t treat me any different because of who I was,” she said. Her parents bestowed upon her the courage she would carry through life, in and out of the ring.

She learned from their resilience after watching her mother recover from a serious car accident and her father recuperate after falling off an oil rig. “I saw their fights and how they persevered,” she said. “They always put mind over matter, and when you’ve got a strong enough mind, you can come out the winner.”

Green drew from that strength after she was assaulted while working as a zoning inspector in 2008. The attack left her partially paralyzed in the left side of her body, yet she continued to teach wrestling from a wheelchair until she relearned how to walk.

To this day, after the attack, decades of wrestling, a boating accident and a knee replacement, Green still trains mostly men at her “Gym of Pain and Glory” in South Carolina. She is also “one of the boys” in a motorcycle club, “the Swamp Dogs,” and occasionally performs country-western songs in drag. Her last wrestling match was in October 2021.

Starting as a 112-pound lesbian girl in the 1970s, Green encountered many people eager to dismiss and discourage her. When people tried to put her down, she would remember a saying her first trainer taught her: “Be like a duck – just let the water roll off your back,” Green said. “If you let everything that people say weigh on you, you’re gonna sink.”

PHOTOS COURTESY OF NEW ENGLAND HALL OF FAME

Women’s Wrestling Hall of Fame Inaugural Induction

So, Now You Know

parents and Friends of Lesbians, Gays and transgendered

PFLAG Ocala/Marion County Inc. https://www.facebook.com/PFLAGocala/ pflagocala@gmail.com PO Box 770264 Ocala, FL 34477

Sign up for newsletter at http://eepurl.com/h4K5jb

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STYLE&TRENDS

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Walk Up The Aisle In Style With Jack Victor

BY JOSEPH PASTRANA

As

the most romantic time of the year, it doesn’t really come as much of a surprise that Valentine’s Day is among the top five dates couples tend to get engaged.

And there’s no better time than right now to get ready for wedding season. Whether you’re heading to the altar yourself or attending the many weddings that are likely to occur between May

IMAGES COURTESY OF JACK VICTOR LTD.

JOSEPH PASTRANA is a New York-based fashion journalist, public relations consultant, and the author of the nonfiction fashion must-read “Homespun - True Tales of Tweed”. His extensive professional experience encompasses working with a wide range of fashion, beauty and luxury lifestyle brands. He was previously fashion director for trade publication MetroStyle for which he covered seasonal Fashion Weeks in New York, Paris and Milan, and has written profiles and reviews on designers and collections including Calvin Klein, Oscar de la Renta, Carolina Herrera, Bill Blass, Van Cleef & Arpels along with stories on Saks Fifth Ave, Sotheby’s, Louis Vuitton, Patek Philippe and many others. Today, he is affiliated with Mannfolk PR in publicity and brand development projects while continuing to cover fashion, art, interior design and luxury.

He is also currently working on his next book for literary imprint house Thane & Prose.

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to October – Jack Victor menswear will get you there in style.

Founded in Quebec at the turn of the 20th century, Jack Victor steadily grew from a local purveyor of fine menswear into an internationally recognized label. It is among the select fashion brands that have endured the fickle nature of changing generational tastes to thrive in a radically different world than when it began. In its over a hundred years of existence, it has catered to leaders in the business community, world class athletes, entertainment industry giants, and numerous other celebrities. And it has done so not just by staying true to its classic aesthetic but by maintaining scrupulous attention to the finest traditions of tailoring.

Any fashion connoisseur will tell you the secret of any well-made garment can be found in its inner construction. All anyone really has to do is turn over any Jack Victor item – sweater, shirt, blazer, or suit – and marvel at the detail work of the seaming, the button holes, and the pick stitching.

Then there are the timeless touches that raise the collection above trendy brands that can look out of date in only a matter of months. This is made possible in large part by the fact that Jack Victor has its own manufacturing facilities in Montreal where the strictest standards of tailoring are executed. Additionally, this in-house capability and tightly managed quality control has enabled the brand to provide the entire collection directly to consumers via its online shop. Devoted shoppers who logged on to the website were greeted by an even better surprise when they learned that Jack Victor now also has all-new sportswear, dress shirts, and neckwear that’s been added to its core bread-and-butter items.

So, whether you’re having or just attending a wedding in Spring, Summer or Fall, no matter if it’s formal or less so, a destination wedding to

somewhere beachy or somewhere in the Mediterranean climes of the lake region of Northern Italy, there’s something appropriately dashing from Jack Victor to fit your needs. According to the brand’s creative (and direct to consumer business) director James Watson, “For a blacktie affair, you simply can’t go wrong with the black evening jacket in luxurious Super 130’s wool with refined peak lapels, satin trims, and modern slim silhouettes, flawlessly paired with the mid-rise, tapered trousers. And for more adventurous men, we have the shawl collar dinner jacket in black floral or cream that guarantees you will look absolutely debonair at the altar.”

The perfect finishing touch? Italian knitted silk ties and bowties made in Como, of course Now if you’re simply going to be in attendance, your options are even greater. The array of suits that range from sizes 36 to 50 come in sophisticated tones like navy, charcoal, burgundy and black. You can even wear them again and again anywhere from other special occasions to work-

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days. Should you only be in the market for a really good blazer, there are some excellent selections from handsome teals, plaids, and berries to light blues and grays. James adds, “Because we’re making a concerted effort to make dressing as convenient and worry-free as possible for our customers, the colors and patterns are carefully coordinated. There are colors in the plaid yarns that pick up similar tones in our shirts and sweaters. This eliminates having to think about how you’re going to match your clothes in the morning when you’re rushing to get to work. You just throw on a couple of our items and you’re out the door looking ready to conquer the world.”

Adapting to the current needs of the busy and volatile market, the brand has made it just as easy to mix and match casual items with the dressier pieces. “We have expanded our sweaters to include chunky Alpaca roll necks and woolsilk-cashmere blend, fine gauge knitwear in core colors and multiple shapes to appeal to any taste,” reveals James. “Our recently introduced dress shirts, some printed in Italy, effortlessly complement our successful and expanding eveningwear collection that is available year-round.

Or you can mix them seamlessly with something

informal as your favorite jeans from your closet.”

One more exceptional aspect of Jack Victor that one cannot overlook is the fabrications. Since its inception, the brand has always depended on the finest materials for the collections. Sourced from the finest mills including Loro Piana, RaDa, and Vitale Barberis Canonico, the natural woven blends of wool, silk and linen are luxurious and sumptuously soft. Says James, “We have what we call our Florida-friendly pieces that keep you cool and comfortable. And our stretch jersey items have the added benefit of being crease resistant so you can pack them into a suitcase and pull them out to wear without needing to steam or press them. They also have that ideal summerin-the-city weight that allows more versatility.”

From an industry perspective, James notes that men are becoming more comfortable in experimenting with their looks. Conformity to formal business attire for work isn’t as strict as it used to be. “Nowadays people are much more at ease wearing a polo with a suit, or a blazer over a dressy hoodie with casual trousers,” says James.

“People dress differently now and we’re here to help them shop efficiently and effectively and appear truly impeccable.”

IMAGES COURTESY OF JACK VICTOR LTD.

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2020 ANNUAL EMBRACEMAGAZINE.US

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CONGRATS TO TYLER SCHRAGE ON 1-MILLION FOLLOWERS! FROM YOUR TEAM AT POPWRAPPED & TIKTOK

G A L A S F O R DAY S

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A Celebration Chicago Style STO RY A N D P H OTOS BY J O H N SOTO M AYO R

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fter a two-year hiatus imposed by the isolation mandate due to the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic, NLGJA: The Association of LGBTQ Journalists held its first in-person gathering for the 2022 National Convention held September 8-11, 2022, at The Drake in Chicago. It was a celebration of sorts to reunite old friends and make new connections from LGBTQ journalists across the country.

For Embrace Magazine, it was a personal celebration as we won Excellence in Photojournal-

ism, a national award, by Magnus Hastings and John Sotomayor for “Thinking Outside the Box,” and because publisher, John Sotomayor, was officially elected and inducted into the NLGJA national board as a director-at-large. His term is 2022-2024.

The National Convention featured a Career & Community Expo, more than 40 breakout and plenary sessions, and many opportunities to connect and network. Topics included: “A View from the Top: The State of Journalism and Where We’re Heading,” “Reporting on Monkeypox: What Every Reporter Should Know,”

JOHN SOTOMAYOR is the publisher and editor-in-chief of Embrace Magazine.

With nearly 20 years of experience as a journalist for magazines and newspapers, he has written on a board range of topics and subject matter. Specifically on event coverage, business, and travel, Sotomayor has written for numerous publications including, Ocala Magazine, Lake & Sumter Style, Elevate Magazine, Florida Travel + Leisure, and Florida Trends.

SEEN and “ABC Storytellers Presents: Being Out on a National Stage.”

The opening reception was styled “A Chicago Speakeasy” and the Friday Night Out took place at Sidetrack, one of Chicago’s premier gay bars.

The NLGJA: The Association of LGBTQ Journalists Excellence in Journalism Awards were established in 1993 to foster, recognize and reward excellence in journalism on issues related to the LGBTQ community.

The highest individual awards, Journalist of the Year, and the Sarah Petitt Memorial Award for the LGBTQ Journalist of the Year, have been awarded to Joe Fryer, NBC News, and Neal Broverman, Editorial Director, Print at Equal Pride, respectively.

1 Jorge DeSantiago & Justin Agrelo 2 Adam Pawless & Dr. Bethany Grace Howe 3 Derrick Brown & Patrick Waechter 4 John Sotomayor & Patrick Gallineaux 5 John Sotomayor receives Excellence in Photojournalism Award at opening reception 6 Matthew Lavietes & Mtthew Friedman 7 Patrick Gallineaux 8 Joshua Johnson, Ben Ryan, Lauren Petty, Jesse Rodriguez, Lindsey Reiser & Dr. Allison Arwady

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For the complete list of award recipients, visit www.nlgja.org/awards2022/

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For the complete list of Board of Directors, visit www.nlgja.org/about/board-of-directors/

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Heroes in the Holocaust Fundraiser kickoff for a documentary that honors LGBT heroes during a dark history.

STORY BY GARDNER PRODUCTIONS PHOTOS BY ALLIE MISINCHUK WHITEHEAD

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he official fundraising campaign launch for the movie “Let It Be Known” took place in Washington, DC, on September 29th at the home of Hudson Young, a long activist and board member for the Human Rights Campaign.

Let it Be Known chronicles how a gay man, Wilhelm Arondeus and a lesbian, Freida Belinfante, joined forces to help create The Dutch resistance during World War II. The result of this pact saved thousands of Jewish lives who otherwise would have been sent to the concentration camps.

The Dutch Resistance, underfunded by Queen Wilhelmina of the Netherlands – who was living in exile in London at the time, was responsible for blowing up Nazi buildings and forging fake identities for Jewish residents.

The event was spearheaded by Stephen Gardner, with cohosts Neil Meltzer, Steven Toll, and Hudson Young and featured two special guest speakers; Dr. Al Munzer, a Dutch (and gay) child Holocaust survivor who was hidden as an infant to live with an Indonesian family. His father and sisters perished in the camps, and only his mother survived the camps. Eventually mother and son emigrated to the US after the war.

Ted Phillips, a director of Exhibitions at the United States Holocaust Museum, and the curator of the Museum’s traveling exhibition, “The Nazi Persecution of Homosexuals”, was also a keynote speaker.

“The purpose of the evening was to introduce our campaign and reach out to corporate business and philanthropy to help tell this very impactful story that speakers to humanitarianism, feminism, LGBT+ and Jewish causes, and so far, we’ve done very well, but the campaign continues with smaller individual meetings and with donors and investors across the US,” says Gardner.

“It’s a Holocaust Story that has never been told, and so important as an educational piece to share with the generations of the future,” says Gardner.

GARDNER PRODUCTIONS is one of Canada’s premier boutique video production houses, based in Toronto and serving all of North America.

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1 Steve Gardner & guest 2 Neil Meltzer President & CEO LifeBridge Health, Co sponsor 3 Crowd inside 4 Philip Westray, Exec. Director of FreeState Justice 5 David Yu from HRC with glasses speaks 6 Neil & Ellen Meltzer & Stephen Gardner 7 Courtyard gathering before speakers commence 8 Co-host Neil Meltzer & guest 9 Ted Rogers, Holocaust Museum 10 Guests enjoying the event.

11 Al Munzer, Child Dutch Holocaust Survivor 12 Crowd listening

The Center Orlando exists to promote and empower the LGBTQ+ community and its allies through information, education, advocacy and support.

Locations The Center Orlando 946 N. Mills Ave, Orlando, FL. 32803 (407) 228-8272 Health & Human Services 1200 Hillcrest Street, Suite 102, Orlando, FL. 32803 (407) 412-6513 The Center Kissimmee Learn more by scanning the QR 17 W. Monument Ave, code with your smart device or visit Kissimmee, FL. 34741 https://linktr.ee/TheCenterOrlando (407) 201-2544

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Heroism Honored

Task Force Gala Committee with the Gadinsky Family

Heroes honored at the National LGBTQ Task Force Annual Gala STORY BY CATHY RENNA PHOTOS BY STEPHEN LANG

T

he National LGBTQ Task Force held its annual gala, presented by Truist, on October 22, 2022 in Miami.

Sandra Valls emceed this year’s gala, which honored the contributions of gun control and LGBTQ+ advocate X Gonzalez, MSNBC’s Jonathan Capehart, and longtime allies the Gadinsky family.

The theme of 26th annual gala was “Red, White & You,” emphasizing the National LGBTQ Task Force’s “Queer the Vote” campaign and the community’s work to mobilize progressive-minded voters to participate in this critical midterm election year. Held at the Grand Ballroom, Miami Convention Center, 780 people enjoyed the

pre-dinner reception, a silent auction that raised over $140,000 the dinner and after party.

The Gala raised more than $900,000, exceeding the previous record by over $150,000.

The fundraising efforts were buoyed by over $500,000 in sponsorships, more than $100,000 in ticket sales and $100,000 raised during the text-to-pledge portion of the evening.

Task Force Executive Director Kierra Johnson set the tone of the dinner, acknowledging the many challenges Florida’s LGBTQ+ and other marginalized communities are facing and letting attendees know that the Task Force is with them and doing the work in a state that often is a proving ground for anti-LGBTQ legislation and attacks.

CATHY RENNA is the Communications Director for the National LGBTQ Task Force.

SEEN March for Our Lives or other local groups within your community......”

MSNBC anchor and Associate Editor of The Washington Post Jonathan Capehart received the National Leadership award and commented: “When I came out to my mother in 1990 the first thing she said to me was ‘don’t tell anyone’….. but denying who I was, not being me, was not an option…..I have brought my whole self to the table in print and on television…by sharing my perspectives as a Black man and an out gay man….. Receiving this year’s National Leadership Award is an incredible honor but please know that I know I did not get here through my own grit and gumption, I am able to do what I do thanks to the tireless fight for equality and justice waged by organizations like the National LGBTQ Task Force……”

The 2022 Eddy McIntyre Community Service Award was presented to a family that has championed equality for LGBTQ+ people and broad social justice reform for more than three decades: Liebe, Seth, Naomi, and Natasha (Tashi) Gadinsky. They also received the key to the city in a surprise presentation from the Mayor of Miami. Tashi has this to say: “Naomi and I grew up surrounded by the warmth of a loving chosen family before we even knew what ‘chosen family’

1 X Gonzalez receives 2022 ChangeMaker Award presented by Maxx Fenning 2 Ada Vox

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93 Johnson’s remarks included: “By being here tonight, each one of you is reinvesting back into the local community right here in Miami Dade and Broward counties and supporting our movement on a national scale…… The Task Force is on the cusp of celebrating our 50th anniversary next year…..and while we have so much to celebrate, so many fights we have won and achievements to be proud of. But we are also up against a lot in this moment and need to work at the national, state, local, and even hyper-local level to maintain freedoms we have already won. The road ahead won’t be easy, but what I know is that ours is a community that has managed to sparkle, even in the worst of times, and whatever lies ahead, we will face it together, and together we will always shine bright.”

LGBTQ+ and gun violence prevention activist X Gonzalez was presented with the Changemaker Award, saying: “Thank you so much to the National LGBTQ Task Force for this Changemaker Award. It means a lot that people recognize the sacrifices and effort that I, along with my coworkers and fellow students, put forward in order to make this country a better place.... The ways that we can make the world a better place are bountiful and varied – everyone can find a way to help this country, each other. You can donate to and volunteer with organizations like National LGBTQ Task Force, Equality Florida,

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meant. Our childhoods were brightened by giggling over Sunday night Thai food with our ‘guncles’ and snorkeling in the keys with our ‘lesbiaunts.’ As some of you may know, I am also now a card-carrying member of the LGBTQ family…..I’ve never felt happier or more like myself….. thank you to the National LGBTQ Task Force and of course to my Mom and Dad, for fighting for and securing so many rights and freedoms that I now intimately enjoy. I can’t believe how recently we gained adoption rights and marriage equality – thanks to the blood, sweat, and tears of activists like many in this room. While we have come so far, it must be acknowledged that these rights have not been equally felt for so many, including queer people of color and those who exist outside the binary. I am grateful that growing up in the trenches of Save Dade and the Task Force showed me first-hand how community, compassion, and dogged persistence can help dismantle these systems of oppression.”

Through the Gala and the Task Force’s Winter Party Festival, the Task Force has given away over $3.3 Million to vital LGBTQ+ community services in South Florida, in partnership with the LGBTQ Community Fund at the Miami Foundation. This year, a sizable portion of proceeds will go to support the LGBTQ+ Equity Fund.

4

The National LGBTQ Task Force advances full freedom, justice, and equality for LGBTQ people. We are building a future where everyone can be free to be their entire selves in every aspect of their lives. Today, despite all the progress we have made to end discrimination, millions of LGBTQ people face barriers in every aspect of their lives: in housing, employment, healthcare, retirement, and basic human rights.

3 Katie Phang, Jonathan Capehart & Kierra Johnson 4 The Gadinsky Family - Eddy McIntyre Community Service Award

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It provides a welcoming, safe space — an inclusive home that celebrates, nurtures and empowers the LGBTQ+ communities and our friends and neighbors in South Florida. + 1,000 to 2,000 people use the 5 acre Equality Park campus daily + Over 65 support, recovery, education and social groups meet regularly + Popular, inclusive events like Wicked Manors, the Rainbow 5k, Diversity Honors, Active Aging Health Expo, and more + Fast, free, and confidential HIV testing, condom distribution, and PrEP referrals

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BODY

Lift Yourself Up Be your own fitness hero.

BY CORY FREEMAN

M

y health and fitness journey has not ever been easy. There have been times, without a doubt, when it has flowed, and felt like every part of training, nutrition, and recovery came together.

However, even in times when it flows, there is still effort and disciple required to keep it all running together.

In contrast, there are more challenging times, when training is arduous, nothing in my regular diet is satisfying, and my recovery is easily neglected. These are the times when we seek out forms of motivation. A primary source of motivation for many of us is our heroes, or those we greatly admire.

The world has no shortage of impressive physiques. Take a look on TikTok or Instagram, and there are a myriad of influencers and trainers showing what they have built. Before that, we had muscle magazines that every gay boy, including myself, seems to be guilty of perusing for motivation and alternative reasons.

I think many of us have heroes long before we start our fitness journey. I know I had been admiring muscular physiques for many years before I ever believed my efforts could achieve anything similar.

It was, however, those muscle men in those magazines that really inspired me to put in the initial effort to work towards a muscular physique.

Over the years I’ve been inspired by men and women alike in the gym and on social media. I consider those people to be my fitness heroes.

While there are benefits to having heroes in this regard, I also want to caution you on the pitfalls of placing others on the hero pedestal. Doing so can make us believe that they are somehow more able to achieve amazing results than normal.

Socrates is often quoted as saying, “No man has the right to be an amateur in the matter of physical training. It is a shame for a man to grow old without seeing the beauty and strength of which his body is capable.”

The fact of the matter is that we are all capable of achieving remarkable results.

It has been my long-standing philosophy that we kill our heroes. That we take people off those pedestals and recognize that they are as human as we are. They have achieved greatness in our eyes, so take that as indication that you are capable of incredible things, too.

CORY FREEMAN is a two-time first-place national bodybuilding champion, having won both of his first-place titles, The Men’s Classic Physique Master’s Over 35 at the 2019 NPC Viking Championship and at the 2019 NPC Masters USA in his rookie year.

Cory works as a physical therapist in the home health industry.

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The Hero Within

BY KATIE MCCULLOUGH

H

aving a mental health hero is tricky when you are in a vulnerable place. We are all attempting to navigate this awkward existence, with all of its nuance and gray area, in a way that cultivates the most contentment, maybe even happiness, in our own individual lives. When circumstances become difficult or seem unbearable, the easiest thing to do is to surrender to the advice of people we admire, whether it is in our best interest or not. For myself, growing up in a Southern Baptist church as a queer person, it was much easier to follow the status quo and listen to my religious heroes tell me to “love the sinner; hate the sin” when it came to being LGBTQ+, giving women reproductive freedom, etc. These leaders were my inspiration in times of crippling fear and confusion. They shaped my entire worldview because I believed they would supposedly lead me to mental fulfillment and mental fortitude. Church counselors with mental health values and proclivities different from mine were offering therapy sessions to help me fit the mold of their biblical heroes as they interpreted them. It took me

years to realize I was trying to fit a mold that would never bend to fit me.

So, how are we supposed to find our heroes? Our inspiration? Do they emerge from a doom scroll on TikTok with the soothing voice of a mental health influencer? Do we find respite in our religion or our rituals? As we reflect on who inspires us and what helps to nourish our mental health and overall presence in the world, I try to remember to search for an authentic reflection of myself rather than what is societally “perfect” or popular. Also, shouldn’t our sources of inspiration be ever-evolving? If we are to keep growing and discovering ourselves, it only makes sense to search for new sources of inspiration to reflect ourselves authentically.

I clearly do not have the answers, but if anyone is going to inspire me, it is the people I choose to invest in. All I know is that I will continue to make an effort to only allow those who feed my authentic self to play the hero in my story, and try to be the kind of person I needed when I was lost, confused, and uninspired by the heroes I was told to admire.

KATIE MCCULLOUGH, graduate of Flagler College, is currently teaching English Language Arts in Saint Augustine, FL, specializing in gifted and exceptional education. Prior to attending graduate school, Katie plans to pursue her passion for writing while finding time to travel the world.

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SOUL

Ordinary Heroes

BY R E V. D O N N A DAV I S , R N ( Y P I R )

W

henever we think of heroes, we think of those that most people know. We think of strong, in the public eye heroes. However, we all know some heroes that remain in the shadows. They are in the background being loving and supportive. My mother was one such hero.

She has always had an emotional and mental delay. I am sure that some of that was a direct result of trauma in her life. She always had a childlike spirit and was seen as emotionally fragile. She was also a deeply devout Christian who prayed daily for her children and grandchildren.

When I decided to leave my then husband for another woman, I was outed as a lesbian to her by my ex-husband.

He was in so much grief and wanted to hurt me deeply.

He knew that her pain would quickly become my pain.

When I told her that I wanted to be happy with my now, current wife of 15 years, she paused, took a deep breath,

and said “you must know what makes you happy”. I expected her to cry and weep for her daughter’s soul. I expected Bible verses thrown at me. Instead, she held my hand and said, “this is between you and God”. She is my hero. The one who loves unconditionally without judgment and takes you just the way you are.

We all know people like that in our lives. These heroes. Silent but supportive.

Maybe there have been times in your life where you were the hero for someone else. Think of all the great heroes in our collective experience like Jesus the Christ, the Buddha, Gandhi, Martin Luther King. All these people started like ordinary people, humble people, who then become heroes, simply by showing up and helping others.

I encourage you to think of those seeming ordinary people. Ask yourself if you can show up as someone’s hero. Just by being supportive to others you are being a hero. It is important to show up for others because sometimes, you are the only face of compassion that they see.

An interfaith minister and life coach, DONNA DAVIS utilizes her life experiences to empower other people to overcome their struggles.

Together with her wife, Norma, they manage Your Phoenix is Rising, a transformation coaching service focused on helping others rise from the darkness of despair and embrace their true Light Nature. Donna and Norma raised three biological children and served as legal guardians to several teenaged friends of their children during their time of need. Donna is a Registered Nurse at Parralion HCA Shared Services and Performance Director at Centers for Spiritual Living Ocala. She studied RN at Rasmussen College and psychology at Florida Atlantic University.

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Are you sure you’re in the right room?

BY MICHAEL KURTZ

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At

age 20—as a young, dumb kid—I was hardly in the position to make any assumptions or pass any judgements. All I knew, roaming the campus of UF, was that I needed upper-level literature credits—and I didn’t especially care where they came from.

So, when I saw an opening for Queer Theory, two things crossed my mind: 1) I’m gonna get my credits. 2) This could be interesting. Maybe it’s because I was smoking a lot of pot in those days, but it never dawned on me that a particular class might serve the needs and individuals of a par-

ticular demographic. A college class composed solely by a bunch of queer kids—could such a thing even exist?

On my first day—needless to say—I was quite pleasantly surprised. I fairly quickly put two and two together, realizing that all the guys in the class were gay and I seemed to be the only straight one.

The first thing that struck me was that many of them appeared to be on a meeker side, and most of them had cooler shoes than me. I knew it and they knew it simultaneously. It wasn’t like anyone was wearing a ‘Hello, my name is…’ name tag denoting sexual orientation, but we’re all adults here, right? By that logic, I assumed that a majority (if not all) of the girls would also identify as gay,

and opinions regarding a subject so inextricable with daily life. Whenever I’ve had "Jewish conversations" with Jewish friends, a part of me instinctively looks over my shoulder to make sure it’s safe. But in Jewish-studies classes we didn’t have to whisper. So today, writing up this piece in a McDonald’s on the way home, I understand that my queer peers were getting the same imperative experience—and I’m glad I got to be a part of it.

After completing degrees in literature and education, MICHAEL KURTZ'S first job was teaching Adv. Pl. English Literature to high schoolers.

Following that was a period spent teaching English in China and Vietnam.

He returned in 2022 and has assisted countless graduate students with GRE, GMAT, LSAT and MCAT preparation.

He always makes time, of course, to work on his novel.

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of which any subsequent lack of interest that they may have possessed disarmed and intimidated me more than anything.

With this realization setting in, I had two choices: I could panic and run and drop the class; or I could pretend that I was actually an open-minded, fully-formed adult and stick it out to see what transpired. Even though I was not completely the latter, the former felt unacceptable. As any young college-aged male, the bulk of my thought-process centered around one thing: sex. With that, not only did I believe that every guy in class wanted me (remember—young and dumb), but I ruminated over the fact that I wouldn’t have a chance with any of the girls, albeit I was far from any kind of ladies’ man. It must be noted that these remarks and speculations are not those of the current 38-year-old me sitting in a McDonald’s reminiscing, but precisely those of the immature brain flooded by them nearly two decades ago.

That said, there was nothing left to do but take the class and learn something new. In 2005, I had never heard of Boys Don’t Cry—let alone Hilary Swank—and I had maybe seen Brokeback Mountain in passing. I certainly didn’t know what Paris is Burning was! — though I can now near-automatically appreciate anything chronicling the tumult of an avant-garde New York City in the 1980’s. It was difficult to match the zeal of my classmates in their discussions, as I neither shared their personal investment in the content nor possessed any working knowledge of the ins-and-outs of the subject. So aside from joining in occasionally (of which I magnanimously thought I was affording some "straight perspective"), I figured it was better just to shut up and listen. I was thrown into a new scholarly world of jargon, histories, agendas, movements and communities resting upon the backdrop of stencil letters edgy and dripping on spray painted posters.

As a Jewish male, I have always felt burdened by that weight reserved for society’s minorities.

But it is only now, nearly twenty years later— having not really thought about that class for all this time—that I realize first and foremost it was a safe-space, wherein like-minded individuals shared, in a formal, academic setting, ideas

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STEVE’S TORNOGRAPHY

Say No to the H&M Show

BY STEVE PAFFORD

C

elebrities eh. We love them for many things but most of all for their unwavering commitment to their own egos. Above all else, they’re unbelievably skilled at reminding the world they exist. Some of them are even thoughtful enough to furnish us with interesting updates on a daily basis. Mentioning no

names, Madonna. And what subtle surgery procedures did you want to show off today Happily, I’m able to confirm two new names who have done so much to qualify for entry into this exclusive hyper-narcissism club. They’re two West Coast wonders called Harry and Meghan.

Maybe you heard of them? H&M are just a regular family desperate to show the world ‘who they really are’. They live a quiet life in their Califor-

As they conjure up more exciting ways to infect our feeds, I wonder if Megs will talk Haz into sorting his thinning thatch out. Horsey old Wills lost his looks when he lost his hair and I’d hate it to happen to the hunkier bro too. But while he ponders budgeting for a lifetime’s supply of Rogaine, there’s one male pattern feature this proud spunk won’t be losing any time soon. Put it this way, any tailor worth his weight in fabrics will tell you that, due to the way pants are designed, men dressing to the right have a markedly more prominent outline of their crown jewels than the majority who go left. Now go freeze frame those YouTube videos of the ginger love muscle in the tightest trousers and tell me it’s not part of his charming narcissism.

I say we stop giving these hemorrhoids on the derrière of society the attention they crave.

Let’s not tune into their shows. Let’s not talk or read about them. And most of all, let’s not write about them.

This jape will self-destruct in five seconds.

STEVE PAFFORD is an English journalist, actor, humorist, and author of the acclaimed book BowieStyle.

Having trained from the floor up in UK music titles Q, MOJO and Record Collector, he’s had his work featured in a wide variety of British, American, and Australian media including the BBC, CNN, The Independent and the New York Times.

Steve divides his time between Australia and the south of France.

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nian hideaway, hopelessly devoted to each other and their self-promotion. Well, when I say quiet, that’s excluding the interviews, documentaries, podcasts, and attending award shows more often than the Pope eats pizza.

Not only are they legends in their own heads, but Haz and Megs are actually royalty. And not just any old royalty but the Gucci of royal families — the British monarchy. Yet despite their ‘Megxit’ from Buckingham Palace, the couple retain their official titles. Not that they’d exploit that, obviously.

Having taken everyone by surprise by dying at 96 years of age, Queen Elizabeth was barely cold in her marble mausoleum before we were treated to evidence of her grandson’s latest PR stunt, in the form of Sussex’s own Netflix series.

The show was a masterpiece of annoyance for Buckingham Palace: a historical sob story that doubled as revenge porn over the decision to prioritize the ribbon-cutting deeds of Harry’s bro Prince William over the emotional sibling who’s never going to be king.

Heir and a Spare? Sounds like a clever plug for a memoir, though Ginge & Whinge would have been an infinitely more apt title.

The boys’ mother Princess Diana married into the royal family in 1981, the year actress Markle was born. She swiftly became one of the 20th Century’s most famous women, hounded to her death by paparazzi, or, depending on your belief system, murdered because she was knobbing that Egyptian. Di’s demise shocked the world after she dished the dirt about the dysfunctional Windsors, and when Meg got her Cali claws into Harry he’d been a prince for over three decades.

Yet to enter that same archaic institution then claim no clue of the interest or protocols involved is a performance worthy of the shiniest of gongs.

Is the man from the Oscars in tonight?

Divorced? American? Catholic school? That was once an unholy trinity of reasons to bar anyone from getting their mitts on a prince. And the poison Penn-born Wallis Simpson wasn’t even Catholic, though she did have the misfortune to have mislaid a couple of husbands before fueling Edward VIII’s abdication in 1936. Of course, public attitudes have moved with the times, and even Haz’s father, the sausage-fingered King Charles III is a divorcee, as is his wife, croc-faced Camilla. Better get used to those eggs, kids.

We know how racism is a stain on society in the same way homophobia is, though the royals’ record of absorbing outsiders was patchy even when they were white middle-class natives, let alone black blood mixing with blue blood. In my lifetime it’s gone from the bland Kate Middleton (Will’s wife, AKA Karen Carpenter in a tiara) to the so-so Sophie Rhys-Jones (Edward’s wife, though you can call her Beard), to the embarrassing Sarah Ferguson (Prince Andrew’s ex-wife. Well suited much?).

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