The Mirror v10iss2

Vol. 10 Issue 2 • May 2021 •

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SHADES OF AIDS and MY SHADOW

Where do I begin? In the oceans of words generated regarding COVID 19, how can I find anything pertinent, new, interesting or informative to say to you? Perhaps words of comfort, understanding, advising patience? I would not presume to attempt that. Now that 2020 has faded into 2021 and we, all of us who are not living in a dystopian Trump cult fantasy, have been forced to face our mortality, gross injustice on a truly massive and unparalleled landscape - and I am not just talking about governmental failure to handle the COVID crisis here - loss, death, dying and suffering.

At first, in March 2020, we gay folk thought of AIDS in the 80s and 90s: “now YOU know how WE feel and felt in the middle of THAT debacle. In the spring, I recall articles that said, in essence, not it’s not like AIDS. And, it is not, because even though the scale of the current pandemic is so much larger in actual numbers, it is not nearly as deadly, or nearly as large - not even close to the percentage of the gay community whose collective and individual lives were shattered by a deadly disease that was officially ignored for years.

Try that injustice on for size. Yes, we have done, and for the rest of our lives, the taste of being expendable “others” will be bitter on our tongues and in our hearts.

My brother, Peter Bodiford, (say his name) died of the complications of AZT, haphazardly dispensed to the desperate untreatable victims of AIDS in the late 80s and early 90s.

A second year law student, Peter stubbornly resisted testing and had branched out from WeHo boy’s clubs to bear haunts, and he might have survived had he not developed Karposi’s Sarcoma, the purple bruising blooming on his creamy buff and unblemished 29 year old forearms in 1989. In the fall of 1990 he graduated from Loyola Law School.

In May of 1991, at a tony restaurant at the Beverly Center (Los Angeles), his beautiful face a shadow of itself, purple bruising spread across his nose and spotting his cheeks, the waiter mutely brought various dishes to tempt his palate, and he said to me, softly, “...Is he flirting with me, or does he just feel sorry for me?” By June 3rd, he was dead.

March through December, 2020. My marriage disintegrated, my long time and best

friend from the 80s in L.A., died, my friend and receptionist at my office died, my favorite first cousin and boy-pal of my youth died, my half sister died, my second cousin died, and my 20 year friend and landlord died. None of this a result of COVID-19. “The COVID” has found me working from home, and in a novel format.

The virus has, indirectly of course, given me new gay men friends with whom I shared the holidays, and inspired me to start drinking wine much earlier on most days (the first a boone the second a bit scary). None of 2020 has even touched the horror show of the 80s and early 90s that I have survived. Most of us gay folk in my generation can say the same.

Does that make us stronger? More resilient? Less afraid? Having seen the results of under-tested AZT, are we less eager for the promised vaccine? If so, you can’t tell it by me. I share with you my outraged letter to Sun Sentinel reporter on COVID vaccines, written the first day we over 65s could attempt to schedule our vaccination.

“Dear Ms. Goodman: Write a story about this: the “breaking story” you,(via the Sun Sentinel) told us (the public) only today 12/30/2020, (i heard late last night) that “we Broward residents” over 65 could call for appointments to be vaccinated. long story short: wrong numbers were published, and at the end of the day or actually by today at 2 pm, all the available appointments at the 3 parks listed on browardcovidvacine.com, had no availability throughout the entire year of 2021, (this site appeared to be down all day until - it was up - with no availability, and the appointment line finally rang through to a message that says no more availability check

back some time in the future (more or less).

Who, one might ask, made appointments on telephone calls that when they did go through, instead of a busy signal, disconnected the caller. No live answers as far as I could discern. I called all day (954) 759-7500 since 7:01 a.m. I also called the other Broward numbers included in your article. Cleveland Clinic made no reference to vaccines only tests, and calling the Broward County Health Department number (945) 467-4700 only misdirected me to yet another bogus number.

— I just wonder who got the appointments and how and when, can you find out? I call out fraud or worse.” (Underlining, all caps, red type omitted.)

Insert an “eyeroll” emoji here. I was outraged, indignant, angry, suspicious, accusatory, and so on. Not feeling resilient or wise or wary of the vaccine, I posted my outrage and and asked: “Who in Broward County succeeded in getting an appointment for the vaccine?” on Facebook, and with over 70 comments there may have been 2 who reported getting an appointment. Putting my current feelings in perspective by reflecting on the AIDS crisis, I have to say that there is certainly a level of comfort in the universal suffering of the greater community: WE have not been singled out for suffering or neglect - all of our citizens, except the politically priveleged, are equally dis-served by our underfunded health departments and disorganized governmental response, on all levels. I did get an appointment for a vaccination at www. Browardcovidvaccine. com, the key being checking the website every morning early, and if you get in and get

M.S.W., J.D.

thrown out, keep trying until the site tells you it is closed. Not “temporarily unavailable”, that just means a momentary clog: keep trying.

I got appointments for friends by using my phone, my ipad and my laptop simultaneously until I got through.

May the force be with us. I will add that as an estate planning attorney, I am surprised that more folks aren’t reaching

out to me to prepare their wills, trusts, and health surrogates. I am observing all COVID protocols, with remote consultations, and meeting only briefly for the requisite signing and notarizing. Please check out my website www.LAWROBIN.com, for not only my business info, but, many gay rights videos and articles from over the many years since Peter’s death from AIDS transformed me

into a gay rights advocate. The long term outcome of COVID-19 is unknowable, but, I think that we as gay folk survivors of AIDS are stronger and more resilient than we may know.

- Robin Bodiford

TABLE OF CONTENTS PUBLISHER’S EDITORIAL Sports Cards Soaring In Price And Value Pages 10 - 12 ENTERTAINMENT An Interview With Gay Writer Paul Rudnick Pages 16 - 17 FEATURE H.G. Roosters, the long time iconic West Palm Beach bar is now a historic site Pages 18 - 20 FEATURE UnitedHealthcare Plays Games With Gay Men’s Health Pages 36 - 37 GADGETS Top Tech From WiFi to Smart Appliances Page 38 ENTERTAINMENT Interview With Roddy Bottum and Joey Holman of Man On Man Pages 40 - 42 CARS Living Large In The 2021 Cadillac Escalade Pages 44 - 45 FEATURE It’s Time To Glow Up! Page 46

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THE MONEY ISSUE INTRODUCTION Page 22 FUNDING GAY RETIREMENT Page 24 ELIMINATE YOUR CREDIT CARD DEBT Page 26 CREDIT COUNSELING AND DEBT CONSOLIDATION Page 28 MANAGING MONEY IN YOUR GAY FAMILY Page 30 TAXES ARE SPENDING Page 32 WHAT TO DO IF YOU GET AN IRS AUDIT LETTER IN THE MAIL Pages 34 - 35

Your smile should leave a great impression!

A PUBLICATION OF SOUTH FLORIDA GAY NEWS MAY 2021 Vol 10 | Issue 2 2520 N. Dixie Highway | Wilton Manors, FL 33305 Phone: 954.530.4970 Fax: 954.530.7943

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The Mirror is published bi-monthly. The opinions expressed in columns, stories, and letters to the editor are those of the writers. They do not represent the opinions of The Mirror or the Publisher. You should not presume the sexual orientation or gender identity of individuals based on their names or pictorial representations in The Mirror. SFGN contracts with independent entities for stock images. Furthermore the word “gay” in The Mirror should be interpreted to be inclusive of the entire LGBT community. All of the material that appears in The Mirror, both online at www.themirrormag.com, and in our print edition, including articles used in conjunction with the Associated Press and our columnists, is protected under federal copyright and intellectual property laws, and is jealously guarded by the newspaper. Nothing published may be reprinted in whole or part without getting written consent from the Publisher of The Mirror, Norm Kent, at Norm@NormKent.com. The Mirror is published by the South Florida Gay News. It’s a private corporation, and reserves the right to enforce its own standards regarding the suitability of advertising copy, illustrations and photographs.

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PUBLISHER’S PLATFORM

Norm Kent, 30 years ago, in 1991, at his baseball card shop in the Gateway Shopping Center in Fort Lauderdale.

Courtesy of Norm Kent.

SPORTS CARDS SOARING IN T

PRICE AND VALUE

he cards you collected as kids are soaring in value.

Since the pandemic drove people into their homes, individuals have been cleaning out their closets and collecting memories and memorabilia.

Keep the memories, but dust off that memorabilia. It may be worth a mint.

Two weeks ago, I went to a Target store to buy my nephew a box of the 2021 Topps Baseball cards set. I could not get any.

It seems baseball card sets are now only sold on Friday mornings, one set maximum to a person. You get them by lining up outside Target the night before.

Once acquired, the lucky buyers can double their purchase price on eBay in 24 hours. It is stunning. Prices for premium cards and unique collectibles are skyrocketing in online auctions.

Of course, many prices are inflated, but I would hardly call it a bubble. Card collecting has long been a part of American culture.

Wall Street is now in on the venture.

SERIOUS INVESTORS Hedge funds and LLCs are investing millions strategically into certain players’ rookie cards and sets, but damn, they ought to be careful. I saw this happen once before, in the 1980s.

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When NY Mets stars Darryl Strawberry and Dwight Gooden went to jail instead of the Hall of Fame, their once priceless rookie cards became worthless.

Nothing is for certain.

Selling the old cards that you may have

Before anyone is going to make you an offer on your Mickey Mantle or Cal Ripken, they are going to want to see if it has been graded by professional appraisers.

// Norm Kent stored in your closet is not as easy as you think. Before anyone is going to make you an offer on your Mickey Mantle or Cal Ripken, they are going to want to see if it has been graded by professional appraisers.

The cards have to be “mint,” crisp, perfectly centered, and untarnished to get the best price.

Bubble gum stains are not acceptable.

Remember, these cards were mass produced and printed on huge printing presses. It’s not like a jeweler sat over them setting a stone.

Cards were churned out by the millions, quickly boxed, stacked, and shipped out across the country. Only a limited amount came out perfectly cut and centered.

When sold, the boxes of cards were opened and mishandled. Corners were dinged, bent, and bruised. No one thought they had cardboard gold in their hands.

The chances are the shoeboxes you have stored away in an attic for 25 years did not leave your cards in a pristine condition. Even people trying to save cards carefully could damage them while placing them into plastic sleeves.

Turn the page to continue reading.

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MAY 2021 | THE

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PUBLISHER’S PLATFORM AN AMERICAN INDUSTRY Thirty-five years ago, in a lifetime far away, I owned a baseball card store, Baseball Heaven, in the Gateway Shopping Center in Fort Lauderdale. It was just about when the sports card hobby was taking off, and a Michael Jordan rookie card from the 1986 set was selling for $750.

The card industry peaked then, but today it is back, insane and off the charts. This month, Heritage Auctions sold one of those Jordan Fleer rookies I had in my store for $50,000 in an online auction.

But don’t jump the gun.

The cards are only worth a premium price if they are graded and rated as the best of the best by companies such as Professional Sports Authenticators (PSA). They have to be gems in mint condition to receive the highest rating.

This year, one of those cards, a 1952 Mickey Mantle Topps Baseball card was sold online by an auction for 4.2 million dollars. That’s not just a hobby anymore, folks. It’s American industry.

TODAY’S FAVORITES Rookie cards are always the best to keep when you are collecting sports cards. Today, though, the newer Gen Xer cards are sparking tremendous enthusiasm and higher prices in the present marketplace.

Old Cabbage Patch Kids card sets, for example, are drawing newfound investor interest as premium older cards become harder and harder to round up.

Here then, is an alert. If you don’t have any Mickey Mantles in your closet, see if your kid has some Pokémon in his.

Don’t ask me who YuGiOh was, but his 2002 Dark Magician card is trading on eBay today at over $40,000.

Just one year ago you could go online and buy a complete set of 1982 Fleer Baseball cards for $100 on eBay. That set today won’t go for less than $250. As an investor, don’t think today. Think 10 years from now.

BACK INTO THE BIZ The card grading company I just talked about, PSA, had 420 employees in March of 2020, right at the start of the pandemic. Today, a year later, they are up to 783.

The present demand for their services is so great right now they had to suspend all new card reviews in order to catch up on millions of back orders. They simply could not keep up the pace. It was taking up to six months to get your collectibles graded.

Card industry veterans like myself have gotten dusted off and are being brought back into the fold to respond to industry demands.

Individuals with skill sets like mine, knowledgeable in grading and evaluating cards are in short supply and high demand. I have begun doing some card evaluations from my Wilton Manors law office in the afternoons.

I am someone who has testified as an expert witness in circuit court on the authenticity of sports autographs and appraisal of baseball card collections. Right now, the grading card companies can’t find enough of us. There is even a university in New York giving a course on how to do it.

For the kind of money old cards are going for, there are always going to be crooks and con artists trying to pass off altered and fake cards.

This 1952 Mickey Mantle Topps Baseball card, in mint condition, sold for millions of dollars at an auction this year.

To have your cards rated and graded by Norm, please make an appointment to see him in the office by calling 954-763-2900.

Collectors and investors have to be ever so cautious. There is a scam and sucker born every minute.

PSA and the other reputable grading companies charge reasonable fees for their assessments to begin with. Still, you don’t want to pay someone thousands of dollars to tell you your collection is worthless.

The industry is now using professionals like myself to tell you whether it is even worth paying to get your card graded. We don’t grade the cards themselves.

Let me know before you clean out your closet and drop your old cards at a consignment shop or in a dumpster.

You may have a treasure trove of cash up there and not know it, unless the mold and mice got to it. Most importantly, now is the time to find out.

SUGGESTIONS FOR THE FUTURE

For the kind of money old cards are going for, there are always going to be crooks and con artists trying to pass off altered and fake cards.

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| MAY 2021

If you want to make an investment in collecting, here is my advice.

Go to Target and find a popular toy, card or collectible on a shelf, one that has caught the fascination of America today, and seems to have legs and luster. Buy it.

Then take that sucker, and stash it away, sealed in plastic, in a safe, dry, place.

Come back in 25 years. Let me know then what is worth.

I will be at the Star of David Memorial Gardens, with a new email addressnorm@I-would-rather-be-at-the-ballpark.com.

ENTERTAINMENT

‘PLAYING’ FOR LAUGHS AND LOVE AN INTERVIEW WITH GAY WRITER

PAUL RUDNICK // Gregg Shapiro

L

et’s be honest, there are not many writers — gay or straight — of books, plays or screenplays, who are as hysterically funny as Paul Rudnick. In plays including “Jeffrey”and “The Most Fabulous Story Ever Told,” movies such as “Sister Act,”“Addams Family Values”and “In & Out,” as well as the novels “Social Disease”and “I’ll Take It”(my personal favorite), Rudnick has kept us in stitches from start to finish. Combining wit and wisdom, Rudnick also gives us much to think about while we are laughing.

His new novel, “Playing The Palace” (Berkley/Jove, 2021), is no exception, and it couldn’t be more timely. Nice, gay, Jewish, New Jersey guy Carter has an unexpected encounter with nice, gay, British royal Prince Edgar and a regal love affair is launched, presented in true rom-com fashion. Rudnick was kind enough to answer a few questions shortly before the May 2021 publication of the book.

Pictured: Paul Rudnick. Photo via PlayingOnAir.org.

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THE PUBLICATION OF YOUR NEW NOVEL “PLAYING THE PALACE” IS ESPECIALLY TIMELY WITH ALL THE RECENT INCREASED INTEREST IN THE ROYALS DUE TO HARRY AND MEGHAN’S DEPARTURE. WHAT DO YOU THINK THE ROYALS WOULD THINK OF “PLAYING THE PALACE”?

I’d hope that Meghan and Harry would enjoy “Playing The Palace,” especially because the book celebrates a romance between an American and a royal. No one knows for sure if the royals watch “The Crown,” but I’d like to picture copies of “Playing The Palace” on a few royal nightstands and tucked into royal tote bags!

THERE IS AN ABUNDANCE OF “ROYALTY JOKES,” AS THEY ARE CALLED ON PAGE 75. ARE THESE THE KINDS OF THINGS YOU’VE BEEN CURATING OVER THE YEARS OR WERE THEY WRITTEN SPECIFICALLY FOR THE BOOK? Here’s something I’ve always wondered, which inspired “Playing The Palace”: if a commoner falls in love with a royal, what are the rules?

Wearing a crown and waving from a balcony can be both glorious and bizarre: are royals allowed to talk about this? A sense of humor is essential for romance, so in “Playing The Palace,” NYC event planner Carter Ogden and Prince Edgar love to exchange wisecracks, some of which I’ve hoarded over the years, but most of which popped up as I wrote the book. I’ve always wanted to know: if someone’s involved with a prince, is it okay to say, “It’s your turn to unload the dishwasher, Your Highness”?

Ogden reveres Ruth, as a down-to-earth hero, and he confides in a treasured photograph of her. I picture Justice Ginsberg in heaven, laughing and passing around her copy of “Playing The Palace”!

EVERYONE IS FUNNY, ESPECIALLY JAMES AND QUEEN CATHERINE. HOW DO YOU DECIDE WHO GETS THE FUNNIEST LINES WHEN YOU ARE WRITING? As a comic writer, I like all of my characters to be funny. James and Queen Catherine are both fiendishly smart, and use humor for joy and balance, while other characters, who take themselves a bit too seriously, become funny in their own ways. Carter and Edgar share a sense of humor, which is a great basis for their love — Carter’s more extravagantly funny, while Edgar’s stealthy, so they make an ideal team.

IN CHAPTERS 13 AND 16 YOU DEMONSTRATE AN ADMIRABLY TASTEFUL WAY OF WRITING SCENES OF SEXUAL INTIMACY. WHAT ARE THE CHALLENGES AND REWARDS OF WRITING SEX SCENES? Writing sex scenes can be tricky and can easily turn clunky. I wanted the sex in “Playing The Palace” to be passionate and lighthearted, as an extension of Carter’s and Edgar’s feelings for each other. While leaving certain aspects to the reader’s imagination, I wanted to make sure that Carter and Edgar had a great time, whether in Carter’s tiny NYC apartment bedroom or onboard the royal jet.

WHAT’S YOUR FAVORITE SYRUP IN THE IHOP SYRUP TRAY? I’m partial to the maple-flavored syrup but I enjoy looking at all the varieties in the syrup caddy. My partner and I recently visited a socially distanced IHOP and it felt wonderful.

LATE IN THE BOOK, THERE IS A CHAPTER (28) THAT TURNS SERIOUS AND PROVIDES A KIND OF HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE. PLEASE SAY SOMETHING ABOUT YOUR DECISION TO INCLUDE THAT. There have been many wonderful books about coming out, but I wanted “Playing The Palace” to be a celebration of exuberantly open and empowered gay lives. On the other hand, I needed an awareness of how recently such lives have become possible. Throughout history, there have always been LGBT people, who’ve often faced overwhelming prejudice.

There have also been valiant LGBT heroes, who’ve fought tirelessly for equality. Carter and Edgar recognize their privilege, and they honor their forebears.

ANOTHER RECURRING THEME IN THE BOOK IS THE PRESENCE OF CARTER’S SPIRIT GUIDE, THE LATE SCOTUS JUSTICE RUTH BADER GINSBERG. HOW DO YOU THINK SHE WOULD FEEL ABOUT BEING A CHARACTER IN “PLAYING THE PALACE”?

I’d hope that Justice Ginsberg would have a great time with “Playing The Palace,” in which she appears as an icon of justice, hard work and equality. She had a great sense of humor and was a passionate fan of the arts (especially opera and the theater). Carter

ON THE WHOLE, THE TONE OF THE NOVEL IS SUCH THAT IT COULD APPEAL TO YOUNGER READERS. WHAT WOULD IT MEAN TO YOU TO REACH THAT PRIZED YA READERSHIP? I welcome any and all readers. I especially love presenting the possibility of joyous queer romance to younger readers. I’ve written YA and found these readers to be open, curious and wildly smart, so I’d be thrilled if they shared “Playing The Palace” with every possible generation.

IHOP FIGURES PROMINENTLY IN THE BOOK. ARE YOU A PANCAKE PATRON? I’m a HUGE fan of IHOP. I grew up in New Jersey, where a trip to a local IHOP was always a treat. One of the reasons I fell in love with my partner was our mutual addiction to IHOP (one of our first dates was at a Philadelphia IHOP). IHOPs represent a great American innovation: breakfast all day.

ENTERTAINMENT

The cover of “Playing The Palace,” by Paul Rudnick.

GIVEN YOUR HISTORY IN CINEMA, WHO WOULD YOU LIKE TO SEE PORTRAY CARTER AND EDGAR IN A MOVIE VERSION OF “PLAYING THE PALACE”?

If “Playing The Palace” ever became a movie, there are so many wonderful actors — including more and more out actors — who could play the leads. I’m too superstitious to make predictions, but I will say that the fantastically talented Michael Urie has just done an amazing job of recording the audio version of “Playing The Palace.”

I keep picturing Dame Judi Dench as Queen Catherine. Is she the actress you would choose for that role?

Like every writer alive, I’d be delighted to have Judi Dench play any role she’d like.

Dame Judi is regal, a little scary and hilarious, all qualities which she shares with Queen Catherine.

DO YOU FORESEE MORE BOOKS WITH CARTER AND EDGAR? In “Playing The Palace,” Carter and Edgar are at the beginning of their life together, which promises to be an epic adventure. I’d love to chart their progress, so who knows?

HAVE YOU STARTED THINKING ABOUT YOUR NEXT BOOK, MOVIE OR STAGE PROJECT? I’m in the middle of writing a new novel and I’ve got a play that will premiere at the La Jolla Playhouse in California next year. There are TV and movie projects in the works as well, but as I’ve said, I’m too superstitious to go into details just yet. I did write a monologue which was just performed by the superb Nathan Lane at a Broadway theater, before a socially distanced audience of healthcare and theater workers, as part of the NY PopsUp Festival, a series of events devoted to welcoming people back to live performances. Onwards!

MAY 2021 | THE

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FEATURE

c i r H isto

H. G.

al P t es W c i Roos n ters, the long time ico

Background: H.G. Roosters. Photo via Facebook.

Rooster’s logo courtesy of A.J. Wasson.

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now s i bar h ac e mB //

Da

n mo

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Sco

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and Hoch remembers a time before a booming internet and social media. You got information out on voting registration and the issues of the day by tacking posters and flyers to store windows, light poles and on the walls inside cafes and bars.

As the president and founder of the Palm Beach County Human Rights Council (PBCHRC), Hoch had a lot of information to share during that time. For the LGBT community in West Palm Beach, much of that information was posted and shared at H.G. Roosters.

“Roosters is where people found out about things,” Hoch said. “It was extremely important for a lot of people — a safe and extremely welcoming place to go. Men and women were comfortable there.”

For that role and many others, the City of West Palm Beach approved a historic designation for the iconic LGBT bar located at 823 Belvedere Road. It is now on the city’s local register of historic places.

“This evening’s vote was unanimous. It’s a huge honor to be recognized. Our hearts are full,” owner A.J. Wasson said after the April 5 hearing before the city commission.

The city’s historic preservation board had previously approved the designation on March 22.

People have congregated at Roosters since 1984, but its roots go back even further than that, when it was Turf West in the 1960s. “[The designation] will ensure that people remember some of the things we went through as a community in the ‘80s during the AIDS epidemic,” Wasson said. “Roosters has a legacy of giving and caring and this designation will cement that legacy well into the future after we’re all gone.”

Friederike Mittner, West Palm’s historic preservation planner, said the designation is also valuable to Roosters from a practical standpoint. It’s a way for the business to restore the structure without the addition of typical modifications, and the designation provides tax exemptions it otherwise wouldn’t receive.

Variance requests would take place before the historic preservation board instead of planning and zoning, for example, streamlining processes.

“But in a broader sense it’s honoring a diverse heritage and history in our city and a significant gathering space that has been involved in many philanthropic endeavors,” Mittner said.

It is thought there are fewer than a dozen LGBT bars across the country that are locally designated historic sites, with Roosters being the only one in Florida. That fact alone, Mittner said, provides a draw and marketing opportunity for the bar and the city.

Other bars with the designation include Stonewall Inn in New York City and the Atlanta Eagle in Atlanta.

THE DESIGNATION COMES ALMOST A YEAR AFTER ROOSTERS SUFFERED A DEVASTATING FIRE IN MAY OF 2020 DURING THE EARLY MONTHS OF THE PANDEMIC.

Decades ago, Roosters helped spread the word about voting efforts by hanging posters like this one on its walls. Courtesy Rand Hoch.

‘Far more than a bar’ The PBCHRC threw its support behind the historic designation early on. It sent a three-page letter to Mittner recommending passage with a list of reasons the bar was worthy.

“Roosters is far more than a bar which has catered to an LGBTQ clientele,” the letter said. “Almost a decade before Compass opened a facility to serve as an LGBTQ community center in the mid-1990s, Roosters served unofficially in that capacity.”

Compass is the longtime LGBTQ community center that provides support and services for those living with HIV/AIDS. Since it launched in 1988 it’s expanded into much more.

“In the years before Compass, it’s hard to overstate how important Roosters was to us,” Hoch said. “There was a time when Roosters was it.”

Roosters served as the focal point for HIV/AIDS support. The bar staff and drag queens who performed there organized and fundraised.

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FEATURE

“IN THE YEARS BEFORE COMPASS, IT’S HARD TO OVERSTATE HOW IMPORTANT ROOSTERS WAS TO US. THERE WAS A TIME WHEN ROOSTERS WAS IT.” - Rand Hoch PRESIDENT AND FOUNDER OF THE PALM BEACH COUNTY HUMAN RIGHTS COUNCIL (PBCHRC)

Hoch, who moved to West Palm in 1984, remembers in the late 80s when the city experienced a rash of attacks on patrons in the vicinity of gay bars. He said Roosters helped lead efforts to address the problem. PBCHRC established an anti-violence project and in 1990 the West Palm police chief sent representatives to Roosters and other bars to train staff.

Hoch said it allowed groups to work together to encourage patrons to report hate crimes to the police without fear of recrimination.

Also in 1990, Roosters encouraged its patrons — with the promise of a free drink — to fill out a survey on crimes and biases in the LGBT community for the PBCHRC to use in advocating for policies and legislation. More than 150 patrons at Roosters participated.

And in 1992, Roosters’ staff helped organize Palm Beach County’s first Gay Pride festival at Howard Park. Pride meetings were held at the bar and Roosters has been a part of every Pride event in the county since.

The bar served many times as a quasi-headquarters for countless voting, campaign, policy and issue meetings. Legislative and campaign wins have been celebrated there over the years.

‘Heart of the LGBT community’ And then there’s Michael “LaLa” Brown.

“Recognizing the historical significance of Roosters would not be complete without acknowledging its longtime manager Michael Brown,” Hoch said.

Brown, who was murdered in 2008 by an on-again, off-again lover who then committed suicide, led the bar’s involvement in local events and was recognized as a leader in regional, state and national campaigns to combat and educate people about HIV/AIDS. “He was the heart of the LGBTQ community and we miss him dearly,” Hoch said. “He was our go-to guy.”

Wasson would step up and take on bigger responsibility after Brown died. He’s now launched the bar’s next phase.

There’s new life for Roosters almost a year after it suffered a devastating May 2020 fire during the early months of the pandemic.

The accidental blaze destroyed the kitchen and parts of the roof.

There was extensive smoke and water damage throughout the 2,700 square foot building — more than $500,000 worth. The bar’s insurance policy had lapsed as well.

The community immediately stepped up and pledged almost $60,000 through a GoFundMe campaign — including checks mailed in by anonymous donors. The West Palm Beach Firefighters Association donated $9,000 and Earl and Nancy Stewart, who are

Friederike Mittner, the city’s historic preservation planner. Courtesy photo.

well-known for their Toyota dealerships, donated $10,000.

Wasson says the historic designation has made the permitting process easier for his reopening plans. The exterior will stay true to form, but customers will notice a vastly updated interior.

He said his architects are completing design plans and to expect about a six-month construction phase once the plans are approved.

“There are always hiccups along the way, but we’re hoping late fall or early winter [to reopen],” he said. “It’s been like a dream come true. I consider myself to be the current caretaker, not the owner. It belongs to the community.”

Hoch can’t wait for Roosters to reopen again, too.

“There’s nothing like walking into the bar at Roosters,” he said.

“West Palm is a small town with a small LGBTQ community. I don’t remember ever walking in the bar and not knowing someone on a first name basis.”

Stay up to date on the reopening by finding Roosters on Facebook by searching “HGRoosters.”

20 | THE

| MAY 2021

MONEY

THE

MONEY ISSUE // Ric Reily

WHAT EXACTLY IS MONEY? CAN YOU DEFINE IT? THINK ABOUT THAT FOR A MOMENT. ASK ANYONE, EVERYONE HAS A DEFINITION.

22 | THE

| MAY 2021

T

he first step to taking control of your money is understanding what money is.

What exactly is money? Can you define it? Think about that for a moment. Ask anyone, everyone has a definition. Money is what you get paid for going to work.

Money is what you get when you sell something. Money is what rich people have. Money is the green paper in your pocket. Money is what you need at the store. Money is the balance in your bank or investment account. All are good forms of money, but what is money?

Money is a vehicle for the storage of value, and useful for the transfer of value. Value is created when you provide, produce or deliver a product or service. You are entitled

to money when you create value.

You spend money when you acquire value created by others.

Money is also spent when no value at all is available. Refusing to pay interest on debt, keeping your money away from scurrilous persons, taking advantage of tax planning, preparing for retirement, avoiding fees everywhere and resisting temptation to overspend all leave you with net savings, excess value that you created.

Savings is the residual after the expenses of creating value, living, have been paid. With good financial management over time excess value becomes wealth.

Read on and explore in more depth how you can spend less, save more and in the process remove the stress of money from your life.

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| 23

MONEY

FUNDING GAY

RETIREMENT // Ric Reily

A

pproaching retirement can be scary with its litany of changes. With age differences in the family one might be retiring while the other is still in their prime earning years. Choosing a place to live in retirement, and making the move are stressful times.

Deciding how much money is required for a comfortable retirement remains a big unknown. Providing for health care between an employers group plan and Medicare has to be considered.

Yet each challenge simply requires thought and a plan.

Those LGBT retirees lucky enough to have a pension and retirement health coverage will often bemoan the pittance they receive monthly. To those I retort; do you know what you have? Here’s why: take the amount of your pension plus the value of your health coverage and enter it into a reverse future value calculator. If you receive benefits worth $2,000 per month you would have to have over $500,000 in wealth to generate the same $2,000 per month at today’s investment returns.

The good news in my case was that I knew early on that I never would have the luxury of a pension and health coverage and made a plan to create my own wealth sufficient to provide similar benefits. Unlike a pensioner, I am in control of my retirement funding and not reliant on the benevolence

of a corporation or tax collecting authority to honor their often generations old commitments. I consider that a particularly valuable benefit in this uncertain economic climate.

HOW MUCH INCOME DO YOU NEED TO RETIRE? Though no one can give you the exact number the amount is rather simple to calculate. Much of the calculation is predicated on the life style you intend to live in retirement; my life didn’t change a great deal after I retired with the exception that I travel more. The major change is that saving for retirement is no longer required, nor are the costs associated with employment such as the commute, office lunches and work related clothing. My experience has been that I spend about what I spent while working; only now I spend it on different things.

Approaching retirement is a good time to begin to spend as if retired. Retirement is a time for disposing of things, not acquiring them. Retirement is for leisure, not chasing the next great technology. Planning for retirement includes considering how life will be different the day after you no longer report to work.

Those who receive pensions should check with their provider for survivor benefits for

RETIREMENT IS A TIME FOR DISPOSING OF THINGS, NOT ACQUIRING THEM. RETIREMENT IS FOR LEISURE, NOT CHASING THE NEXT GREAT TECHNOLOGY. 24 | THE

| MAY MAY 2021 2021

LGBT partners. Some provide them, typically with a reduced monthly benefit during the life of the pensioner; some will also provide partner health benefits. Knowing your options both during your lifetime and for your survivor will allow you to maximize your benefits. For assets outside of pension plans LGBT persons are best served by a qualified estate advisor.

I simply created a revocable trust and retitled all my existing bank and investment accounts and titled personal property, except automobiles, as owned by the trust. The arrangement avoids the probate process and removes any opportunity for a frisky family member to reach out a sticky little hand.

Some assets can not be re-titled to a trust, such as 401K, Roth and IRA accounts.

These accounts simply require a beneficiary and naming my partner as my beneficiary protects those accounts from intrusive family members. Inheritance rules related to self managed retirement accounts are changing and your estate advisor is best served to advise you on the use, management and timing of your self managed retirement accounts to minimize tax consequences both during your lifetime and for your survivor.

Remember, there is no reason to wait until you are a gray gay to plan. Now is the time because you never know when the time is up.

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MONEY

ELIMINATE YOUR

CREDIT CARD //Ric Reily

A

credit card is a powerful tool and when deftly wielded can be very useful. Used without knowledge or understanding it is financially deadly. I use a rewards card and pay the majority of expenses including insurance, phones, travel, groceries, fuel, tolls, entertainment, shopping, subscriptions and home maintenance with that card. The rewards pile up. The bill is paid on the due date without interest.

There is only one rule about credit card interest: don’t incur it. That’s it, don’t. Credit card interest gets you nothing. Remember the one rule: don’t.

Credit card debt elimination begins with the first step of spending reduction. It is virtually impossible to reduce debt concurrently while creating it. Resources available for debt elimination are going to come from your spending reductions.

First thing to do when working on credit card debt elimination is to identify resources available for the task. Each dollar you spend, no matter what for, is one less dollar for your debt payoff.

Then make a list of all the amounts you owe, the company you owe and the rates of interest you are paying on each. If you have the option of transferring balances to lower rate accounts this is a good place to start. Anything you do to reduce the carrying cost of your credit card debt frees up resources to eliminate debt faster.

When your transfers are made and list complete put the accounts in the order of the most expensive interest first. Define the minimum payments required for each account.

Deduct this amount from the total available for your monthly debt payoff. The remaining available is paid on the most expensive card until that balance is zero.

When you pay off the most expensive card

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DEBT

first, rather than paying the same amount to each card, you cut the amount of time necessary to pay off your total credit card debt by reducing interest payments.

After the first account is paid off apply the amount you have been paying to that account to the second most expensive account in addition to the minimum payment you had been making to the second most expensive account. After the second most expensive account is paid off, apply the amount you had been paying to that account, including the amount you paid to the first now paid off account to the next most expensive account including the minimum amount you had been paying to the account, and so on until all your credit card account balances are zero.

As you pay off each card, destroy the card and notify the issuer that you want the account closed. When I attempted to close my accounts I encountered heavy resistance from the credit card issuers who wanted me to keep the accounts open “at least for emergency.” Don’t fall for it, they know the statistics. Statistically you will run your debt back up even after you pay it off.

Some will argue that you should not close the unused credit card accounts because it hurts your credit score. Maybe closing unused credit card accounts does hurt your credit score, though I do know that a closed credit card account will no longer be available for future debt. Don’t tempt yourself.

When you are done with your debt reduction, you should keep two credit cards of varying brands for true emergencies, travel and regular purchases with a commitment that you will charge nothing that you could not pay for in cash at the moment of purchase. In addition, the commitment must include paying the balance in full at the end of each billing cycle no matter what; auto pay is your friend. Remember rule number one.

MAYBE CLOSING UNUSED CREDIT CARD ACCOUNTS DOES HURT YOUR CREDIT SCORE, THOUGH I DO KNOW THAT A CLOSED CREDIT CARD ACCOUNT WILL NO LONGER BE AVAILABLE FOR FUTURE DEBT.

MONEY

CREDIT COUNSELING AND

DEBT CONSOLIDATION // Ric Reily

W

hen you are ready to address your debt, credit counseling in its pure form is a good thing. The goal of credit counseling is to help you better understand how credit works, what credit is for and when and how to use credit. This is not rocket science though there is a key point to keep in mind: in almost all cases credit counseling is a business. Big business.

You got into financial trouble because you didn’t plan well and spent poorly.

Before you spend one more dollar of your money, make certain the organization you’re “hiring” to unravel your financial mess will not simply drag you deeper into it.

Be certain you will realize tangible benefits for your spending. If you insist on going forward with a credit counselor, check out their Better Business Bureau report. Research them online. It’s your responsibility to perform due diligence upfront, before you sign up. Ask as many questions, and ask for as much proof of the answers, as you want.

The goal is for you to avoid the credit counselor all together. If debt reduction is your goal there is no need to incur an additional expense to reach it. And, if you are so lucky as to find someone who can truly accomplish the task of straightening out your financial mess, you will not have

learned anything and likely find yourself right back in the same place.

Debt consolidation is an even more dangerous business. Once done it can deliver the erroneous impression that you have resolved your financial problems.

What debt consolidation usually means is that you have swept your spending problems under the rug and gone about your life creating new debt. Unless you experience the process of paying off your debt, you are unlikely to create new spending habits that will keep you from spending your way back into debt.

I know a woman who was about to get married and really wanted to clean up her financial life before dragging her new wife into her mess. Though I strongly recommended that she work out her financial problems instead of filing bankruptcy and walking away, she insisted she understood the risks and went her way.

The one risk she could not calculate, and the one that came back to haunt her soon thereafter was that she had not resolved the spending problem. Within a year of their marriage, the lovely new couple was drowning in financial despair, and staggering debt.

It has been statistically demonstrated that the vast majority of those who consolidate debt, whether by combining all

the debt and taking a second mortgage or a personal loan, recreate the debt problem quickly. Then they have the consolidated debt, and a new mountain of debt.

When you take a second mortgage to consolidate debt, you put your home at risk for the dubious comfort of being “out of debt.” Don’t do it, even when pundits and marketers insist you will save money with a lower interest rate and those interest payments are tax deductible.

Here is the ludicrous logic of debt consolidation. You bought too many sweaters, because you do look so pretty in pink, a new refrigerator, a new stereo and a computer. The bills are rolling in and you are struggling to make the payments. What is the credit card company going to do, come to your house and take your sweaters? Do you think they might arrive in the night and take your refrigerator? I think not.

When you consolidate all this debt into a second mortgage on your home, or a home equity line, you have secured your unsecured debt with your home. Your home is now at risk if you can’t or don’t pay the mortgage or equity line payment.

Exchanging unsecured debt for a lien? You have simply risked your home.

Forget about it!

Instead of consolidating your debt, pay it off.

THE GOAL IS FOR YOU TO AVOID THE CREDIT COUNSELOR ALL TOGETHER. IF DEBT REDUCTION IS YOUR GOAL THERE IS NO NEED TO INCUR AN ADDITIONAL EXPENSE TO REACH IT. 28 | THE

| MAY 2021

MONEY

IN YOUR GAY A MANAGING MONEY

// Ric Reily

DON’T WAIT TO BE A GRAY GAY BEFORE DOING YOUR ESTATE PLANNING. NATURE CALLS WHEN NATURE IS READY.

30 | THE

| MAY 2021

FAMILY

good first step to taking a trip is deciding where you want to go. Once a fun gay destination is defined a good next step might be to consult a map to see how you get to the chosen place. Obviously, you could simply get in the car and start off hoping for the best, though if it were a contest I can assure you that I would arrive first. He with the plan has the advantage.

Managing your gay family’s money requires a plan also.

Since you have trimmed spending and increased savings and been able to get out of the house more, perhaps you have found another gay man or lesbian with whom you want to spend more time; perhaps you are even in love and plan to spend the rest of your lives together.

Alert, there is a big-time bomb planted with the first LGBT kiss that will explode at the worst possible moment.

That time bomb is money; your money, his/ her money or your lack of money or his/her lack of money. Yes it all starts out so beautifully, settles to the mundane and devolves into chaos.

The good news is it doesn’t have to.

Perhaps the greatest impediment to a blossoming relationship is money. It is generally the single most fought over issue. The amount is irrelevant; it is the money, or lack thereof that provides the fight fodder.

An easy way to give yourself a leg up is to plan the use of your gay family’s money right up front. Even I would not suggest this as a first date conversation, or perhaps the second date either, though the topic can be integrated into the dialogue quickly and easily.

The day I met my man we spent hours discussing our future dreams. He dug into my brain wanting to know who I am and now I know he was comparing my dreams to his deciding if we could be compatible. I can tell you after these

years that we are as opposite as two can be yet we have a series of mutual commonalities including an understanding of money that has removed it as an underpinning of our relationship.

When it’s time to move in together it’s time to have the managing money in a gay family discussion. Everyone’s discussion is different and the outcome is unimportant to anyone except you. You may be lucky enough to earn equally and have roughly the same assets, or one may earn significantly more or own significantly more assets. It is simply important to mutually agree up front how the new family will be funded.

We agreed on my money, his money and our money. We created three common bank accounts: one for general spending such as utilities, groceries, supplies, and entertainment; one for vacations; and one for the house.

Then we decided how to fund each account, and in our case we simply funded them equally.

Perhaps if one person earns a great deal more he or she will fund a greater portion of the whole so they might continue to live a lifestyle the other person could not otherwise afford. During our years together each of us has earned more and then less than the other; earnings move with raises, unemployment and new employment.

As gays couple and settle down they must protect their assets. LGBT persons do not have the legal protections of the general population and hostile families have a legal right to swoop in at the very worst time and challenge even legal wills. All gays are well-advised to seek the services of a reputable estate advisor early on in their new family. Don’t wait to be a gray gay before doing your estate planning. Nature calls when nature is ready.

Managing money in a gay family is easy.

Simply plan the funding and spending. Then if an issue arises the problem is the plan, not the money.

MONEY

TAXES SPENDING ARE

// Ric Reily

T

axes are paid all day long every time you spend: sales taxes, use taxes, value added taxes, shipping taxes, resale taxes, payroll taxes, social security taxes, Medicare taxes, state and federal unemployment taxes, income taxes, intangible taxes, property taxes, utility taxes, telephone taxes, registration fees, license fees and on and on.

Most taxes are discretionary. No, you don’t get a choice to pay them or not; well there is the jail thing, but I’ll still consider that a bad alternative to simply paying your taxes. The discretion comes when you decide to spend or not.

If you do not consume, you do not pay the tax. When you spend, you pay an additional amount on most transactions for taxes many of which are cleverly hidden within the price of the good or service you are buying. Take a look at a telephone or electric bill and try to understand the litany of fees listed there. Don’t bother; they are all taxes in disguise. When you spend less you pay less tax. Those taxes are discretionary.

A note about big taxes, like property taxes; these taxes usually are payable on a schedule with a due date some months later. If you pay the tax on time it is the actual rate. If you pay it late there is usually a late penalty that will cause you to spend additional money on tax that was unnecessary.

Conversely if you pay in advance, as usually scheduled on your property tax bill you can often reduce the amount you pay in tax sometimes up to 10%. This is almost always a good bargain for the tax payer. Use it and keep the balance of the tax bill in your own pocket. Many states offer exemptions from all or portions of property taxes and limitations on the rate of increase of your property taxes.

Did you know that in many areas the property tax rate on new homes is set based on the closing price? That’s right. All those exorbitant

32 | THE

| MAY 2021

amounts that developers charge for wider driveways, screen porches, upgraded kitchens, tile floors, sound systems, crown molding and so on set you up for a life time of higher property tax rates.

Telephone companies are notorious for myriad of taxes and unintelligible fees that take half a page to list. These taxes and fees are all associated with services you ordered. Do you still use them? Did you ever use them? Go down that bill and question each line. As you do this analysis remember that technology is rapidly changing and services that used to come from only one supplier may now be available through other or multiple suppliers that you might find to be in competition for your spending. When you reduce your overall purchases you also reduce you tax and fee expense proportionally.

Utilities operate in much the same way as telephone companies. What is a network transfer static recovery fee anyhow? It may have to be paid, but if it is a percent of some usage volume you can pay less when you use less. And using less fits into the overall effort to reduce spending through changing habits.

It is known that any given household can easily reduce its energy consumption by 20% without noticeable changes in energy usage habits. Think about what is in the refrigerator before opening the door; get what you want and immediately close it. Turn the water heater down a few degrees. Turn off electrical products when not in use. Along with paying for less power, you also pay for less taxes and fees.

Do you want to spend less on gas tax? Buy less gas. It’s easy, grab the sneakers and take a stroll to the store for those one or two things you decided you can’t live without. Not only do you save the gas tax, you save the cost of gas and you get some exercise. And, might even run into a neighbor you had never met.

THESE TAXES AND FEES ARE ALL ASSOCIATED WITH SERVICES YOU ORDERED. DO YOU STILL USE THEM? DID YOU EVER USE THEM? GO DOWN THAT BILL AND QUESTION EACH LINE.

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MONEY

TAX TALK

WHAT TO DO IF YOU GET AN IRS AUDIT LETTER IN THE MAIL // Michael Sullivan

A

s a former IRS agent, I get called all the time from prospective clients that say that they received a “nasty gram” from the Internal Revenue Service.

Nasty grams come in those manila envelopes that say in the corner, “Department of the Treasury, Internal Revenue Service.” They come in all sizes but will ruin your day.

Photo via Adobe.

Michael Sullivan is a former IRS Agent & Teaching Instructor, once an ABC news correspondent in Washington, now affiliated with R3 Accounting, Mr. Sullivan has also contributed to the Bloomberg News and Wall Street Journal.

34 | THE

| MAY 2021

As you open this letter, a little bit of panic sets in, because you probably know you do not have a green federal check waiting inside the envelope.

What is the surprise inside, instead?

One particular nasty gram that the IRS sends out to millions of taxpayers is under the auspices of its “Matching Program.”

What is the IRS Matching Program?

When a taxpayer earns income, the issuing party will provide them with an IRS form. This may include a Form W2, Form 1099-MISC, Form 1099-DIV, Form 1099-INT, etc.

The key thing to remember is that not only does the taxpayer receive this form, but so does the IRS. Well, at some point in time, the IRS runs “checks” to make sure that the income reported on these forms “matches” what is reported on the tax return.

If there is a mismatch?

Well, let’s just say that the IRS will send you a “love letter” bringing the discrepancy to your attention.

With this program, the IRS scrutinizes income reporting before issuing a taxpayer’s refund. If the IRS finds a mismatch, the IRS freezes the refund and sends a notice to the taxpayer asking for more information to prove their income and withholding.

Unfortunately, taxpayers often forget to include W-2s, 1099s, W2Gs or other income source documents that should have been included with your tax return.

If you fail to make sure all your 1099s, W-2s, you may receive a bill from Internal Revenue Service, because they got notice of them, even if you did not turn it in.

The scary IRS letter is letting you know that they know you failed to report all your income with your federal income tax return. The penalties and interest can be harsh for that error.

The document matching program is a powerful IRS tool for detecting, on a mass scale, taxpayers who under-report or do not report their income. It also provides their auditors with a way of detecting unreported income.

The IRS collects about $5 billion a year through this matching program, and usually nails at least 1.5 million taxpayers through this match.

So what do you do if this happens to you?

Many people just have to take their medicine, and pay the penalties, along with the added interest. They then make sure they do not do that again. Lesson learned.

However, individuals who received 1099 income may also have options to deduct certain legitimate business expenses, which allow them to offset some of that income.

x

THE KEY TIP: Make sure you include all your income on your tax return, and consult a tax professional on a timely basis, because IRS medicine is no fun.

MAY 2021 | THE

| 35

DENIED! FEATURE

UNITEDHEALTHCARE PLAYS GAMES WITH GAY MEN’S HEALTH //Damon Scott

Pictured: UnitedHealthcare. Photo via The Corporation for Supportive Housing website.

36 | THE

| MAY 2021

FEATURE

M

ICHAEL NEMEROF, 35, HAS BEEN USING PREP FOR SEVERAL YEARS. LIKE MANY GAY MEN HE USED TRUVADA TO PREVENT HIV. BUT WHEN DESCOVY WAS INTRODUCED FOR PREP HIS DOCTOR RECOMMENDED SWITCHING SINCE HE HAD EXPERIENCED ELEVATED LIVER ENZYMES ON TRUVADA. IT WORKED.

But then the attorney, who lives in Wilton Manors, switched jobs and with that came a new insurance company — UnitedHealthcare.

Despite already being on Descovy, UHC denied him the drug. Instead they wanted him to take a generic form of Truvada. “[UHC] gave me a huge runaround,” Nemerof said. He said UHC kept sending denial letters for coverage of Descovy.

Nemerof isn’t alone.

It was reported last year in August UHC would no longer cover Descovy and would force their members to switch over to the generic form of Truvada. They said Descovy would then be subjected to prior authorization.

That did not sit well with Nemerof. He said he went back and forth with the insurance company for weeks. Eventually though they approved the new drug.

South Florida PrEP providers like Care Resource and Latinos Salud report that denied coverage and preauthorization has been an issue for some of their clients.

Nemerof said he eventually enlisted the help of Latinos Salud and after some time had his medical exception approved by UHC. He’s now taking Descovy.

SFGN requests for comment from a UHC spokesperson were not returned.

Both Truvada and Descovy were developed

by Gilead Sciences and are highly effective at preventing HIV. Truvada was approved for PrEP in 2012 and has since changed the lives of many gay men and revolutionized HIV prevention. But from the beginning there were concerns about the long-term effects the drug would have on a person’s kidneys. Descovy though appears to have less side effects.

UHC members that were already on Descovy had to switch drugs unless they presented an approved medical exception. Some members had been on Descovy for some time — the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved it in late 2019.

“The rationale seems to be: If you have side effects you have to show it and get a prior authorization for it from your doctor. However, this can take months,” Nemerof said.

He worries that the average person might just give up and stop taking PrEP — a situation

providers say they rigorously try to prevent. and that any given situation is complex and “I’m an attorney and I’m used to the back and can be frustrating. forth,” Nemerof said. “The layperson might get He said that while the move to generic a denial letter and be taking something with a Truvada was indeed based on financial chance of greater side effects.” incentives, he reiterated that the difference in Another UHC member John Anderson, who side effects between the drugs is low. lives in Texas, was also denied Descovy. Like “Most could take either drug; for most Nemerof, Anderson also had elevated liver people Truvada is fine. However, Descovy enzymes while taking Truvada. does have advantages for those with kidney In March of 2020 he first switched to issues,” he said. “They’re half as likely to have Descovy. problems.”

“I watched my labs go from One other difference, Fallon elevated to borderline to said, is that Descovy appears normal in my most recent test. I to have a slightly stronger believe that being forced by my half-life, which could make insurance company to switch a difference if “you’re not as back to Truvada poses a risk to perfect with dosing as you my liver health,” Anderson said. thought — it would be slightly “For an insurance company and more forgiving.” their ‘Licensed Board Family He said one of the ironies Physician’ with no name or face is that those with insurance to tell me what I need above often got bumped to Truvada and against my [primary care or the generic, but those provider’s] recommendations is without insurance could just crazy.” get Descovy, because Gilead The process has left Sciences gets reimbursed from Anderson frustrated. the government the same way - John Anderson “Insurance companies are it would an insurer.

UHC MEMBER for profit and they serve their “It’s easier to get Descovy if shareholders and their own you’re uninsured,” Fallon said. interests first and foremost. That means that That irony notwithstanding, Fallon said medical decisions they make are made with he and his staff are focused on high-risk their financial interests at heart. When an populations that often lack PrEP access and insurance company consciously chooses to coverage. sacrifice ‘some’ safety to save cost by forcing “What we’re working on is trying to get PrEP someone to take one medication instead of for people who are the least likely to receive another highlights this fact,” he said. “I know it — that’s people of color in general. African others who have argued with them for a Americans and Latinos by far lead the nation month and were finally approved for Descovy. in new cases of HIV,” he said. “PrEP is mostly I feel like with some effort I can probably get it going to white, gay men. Don’t get me wrong as well. The bottom line here is that they are — white, gay men should be on PrEP too.” making this extremely difficult and it shouldn’t Fallon noted that the Centers for Disease be. Insurance companies should stick to Control (CDC) report that only 21% of paying for medication — not prescribing it.”

Hispanic/Latino gay and bisexual men take PrEP compared to 31% of white gay and ONGOING CONCERNS bisexual men.

African Americans and Latinos had Stephen Fallon, CEO of Latinos Salud, said the highest HIV diagnosis rates, but only he has seen clients go through the back and accounted for 8% and 9% of those on PrEP, forth with insurance companies and doctors respectively.

“INSURANCE COMPANIES SHOULD STICK TO PAYING FOR MEDICATION — NOT PRESCRIBING IT.”

Contact Latinos Salud at latinossalud.org and Care Resource at careresource.org for more information.

MAY 2021 | THE

| 37

GADGETS

TOP TECH / / Pier Angelo

RANGEXTD WIFI RANGE EXTENDER OPTIMIZED COVERAGE WIFI BOOSTER (UP TO 300MBPS SPEED) FOR 10 DEVICES | POWERFUL WIFI EXTENDER FOR HOME WITH ONE-BUTTON SETUP | PLUS SMART SIGNAL BOOSTER WIFI INDICATOR

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EXT-GEN WIFI ROUTER & WIFI EXTENDER - RangeXTD Wifi Range Extender is packed out with powerful features to supercharge your computer routers and whole home wifi network. Stream and surf any way you want with speeds up to 300 Mbps, 2.4 GHz band, two built-in antennas and easy-to-read LED signal strength indicator.

WIRELESS RANGE EXTENDER FOR WIFI RANGE BOOST - Say goodbye to buffering, lags, and dead zones by extending your wifi to every corner of your home. RangeXTD penetrates walls and covers your whole house in super-strong Wi-Fi, so you can stream, work, and play from any room without interruption.

THE INTERNET EXTENDER & HOTSPOT BOOSTER THAT DOES MORE - Get more power for more devices. Connect up to 10 devices without any signal drops and plug your devices (laptop, gaming console, etc.) into dual ultra-fast ethernet ports for maximum wired connection speed.

SUPER SIMPLE WIRELESS ROUTER SETUP — Seamlessly connect to your existing wifi router and get connected in just minutes, whether you have any tech know-how or not. You don’t need a new modem, mesh wifi system, or a whole range of extenders and boosters. You just need a RangeXTD wifi booster!

THE BEST WIFI BOOSTER AND SIGNAL AMPLIFIER FOR YOUR HOME - RangeXTD has a compact, sleek and discreet design, so it’ll effortlessly blend into your home decor. It also has a uniquely engineered ventilation system, that protects it from overheating. Keeping you safe and your connection secure.

38 | THE

| MAY 2021

TOVALA CLOUD CONNECTED SMART OVEN

T

he Tovala cloud connected smart oven is engineered to cook its own line of composed dishes — plus some from Trader Joe’s and other brands in as little as 20 minutes. Users just scan the bar code on the package, then control the oven remotely thru the app.

ABOUT THIS ITEM Five cooking modes: our all in one easy to use Oven allows you to choose between five separate functions (steam, bake, broil, reheat and toast) ensuring a perfectly cooked meal every time.

Smartphone controlled: simply set the cook mode and time from your phone and let Tovala oven’s automated cooking do its thing. Once set you can check on your food’s progress from the next room and get notified when it’s done.

Library of chef’s recipes: Our library of recipes allows you to easily create chef developed meals from scratch in your own home. Just follow our chef’s directions to prep your food and then let Tovala IQ steam, bake and broil your food to perfection.

Scans & cooks groceries: scan the barcode on hundreds of groceries ( trader joe’s frozen foods) to cook them perfectly at the touch of a button.

Pairs with Oven-ready meals subscription: scans and cooks delicious chef crafted meals Made with real natural ingredients with no prep or cleanup. Easily plan out your weekly menu with individual meals starting at $11.99. (Tovala meals sold separately.)

Nine kitchen accessories included: sheet tray, measuring cup, hot pad, drain tray, crumb tray, steamer cover, oven rack, and quick start guide and recipe cards.

One year and 30 day satisfaction. Weighs 20.9 lbs. External Dimensions are: 18. 5” (Length) x 12. 32”” (Depth) x 11. 75” (Height)

(954) 541-2550 2201 North Dixie Highway • Wilton Manors, FL 33305 www.wiltonmanorsanimalhospital.com wiltonmanorsanimalhospital@gmail.com

ENTERTAINMENT

ON MAN ON MAN //Gregg Shapiro

An interview with Roddy Bottum and Joey Holman of Man On Man

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| MAY 2021

I

n his own right, gay modern rock icon Roddy Bottum is a living legend. His association with influential bands including Faith No More (remember “Epic” and “We Care A Lot”?) and Imperial Teen (remember “Yoo Hoo”?) put him in a class by himself. His latest musical project, “Man on Man,” with boyfriend Joey Holman, may be his most personal, as well as his queerest. Take the song, “It’s So Fun (To Be Gay),” for example, which includes the line “Birds do it, bees do it/We do it too,” or the overt and graphic sexuality of “1983” and “Daddy.” Add to that an impressive variety of musical styles and the duo’s eponymous Polyvinyl Records debut ranks among the best of 2021. Roddy and Joey were kind enough to answer a few questions about the new album.

FOR THOSE NOT IN THE KNOW, HOW DID THE TWO OF YOU MEET? RODDY BOTTUM: We’re both musicians and we both live in New York. Joey had reached out to me about an Imperial Teen song that he liked. He was doing a recording and he was asking about a recording technique that Imperial Teen had used. We started to talk and soon after we had that conversation, I was performing in a band called Nasty Band and we were doing a big show. Joey came to the show and we met then and started hanging out.

HOW LONG AGO WAS THAT? RB: Almost two years (ago).

WHAT CAN YOU TELL THE READERS ABOUT THE GENESIS OF “MAN ON MAN,” INCLUDING THE NAME OF THE DUO? JOEY HOLMAN: The genesis was us going out to California during the beginning of COVID. Roddy’s mom was sick. His family is from L.A. We thought it would be best, considering that we didn’t know what was going to be happening, to get out that way in case something serious happened with his mom. We rented a car and we drove west.

We were in the middle of Texas and Roddy said, “Wouldn’t it be cool if we just made a few songs while we’re in quarantine?” That was the beginning of it. After writing probably three or four songs, we were taking a lunch break and we were talking about what our project was going to be called. I just said “Man on Man,” and it stuck.

GREAT NAME, SERIOUSLY! CAN YOU PLEASE SAY A FEW WORDS ABOUT YOUR SONGWRITING PROCESS AND IF IT DIFFERS, AT ALL, FROM THE WAY YOU WROTE SONGS IN YOUR OTHER BANDS? RB: It was an interesting journey writing music together. Though we’re both musicians, we hadn’t written together before we went to California. It’s kind of a stretch. I always admire when couples do things together in any realm. Creatively though, it’s especially intense. I’ve never created and written with a boyfriend before, so that was completely new. We had to develop a language and mutual respect and a way of listening that was different than just being in a band with friends. There are so many more levels and more nuances involved in a relationship.

JH: I always say that writing music with a partner is like going to college for your relationship. You learn how to communicate in different ways. I think the creative process, in general, brings out a lot of your personality that is usually kind of tucked away. It’s a unique thing to be creating with somebody else. A very specific thing to do with other people. Very rarely do we get to see that side of a partner while they’re in the middle of the creative process. The main thing that was different for me is the only music I played before was in a Christian band when I was in my 20s. The process was pretty limiting. With Roddy and me, we made it clear in a lot of our conversations that, even before we had a band name, that we would feel free to express ourselves however we wanted to. That was a new thing for me. To feel open to talk about gay sexual content or to be open about my love for another man even. It felt really good!

THE SONG “DADDY” MAKES REFERENCE TO “FUCKIN’ QUARANTININ’,” “KAMIKAZE” CONTAINS A VIRUS REFERENCE, “BEACH HOUSE” HAS THE LINE “STRESSED OUT AND STUCK IN.” WOULD IT BE FAIR TO SAY THAT THE ALBUM IS A PRODUCT OF THE PANDEMIC? RB: Yeah, definitely. When we got to California, we got to a little house in Oxnard, which is 15 miles north of L.A. We had to quarantine there. We knew this going in. The journey of what we had gone through, traveling from New York to California, formulated what we were dealing with and what we knew was coming. Being in that house alone together and letting it all sink; the most dominant themes and things that were going on were those of the pandemic.

The weight and the magnitude of what was coming and what we were in the middle of. In the middle of that, too, we were dealing with a lot of grief. Joey’s mother passed away a couple months before that, and my mother was getting sicker and sicker and she eventually passed away. In the middle of that, too in the same sort of capsule of songwriting, creativity for our inception, the uprising was happening. It was just a lot of intensity. The record, for sure, is like a time capsule that reflects on where we were at that time and how we were getting through it, and what togetherness as a couple meant in that space.

WHAT WOULD IT MEAN TO YOU IF THE YEAR-ROUND PRIDE ANTHEM “IT’S SO FUN (TO BE GAY)” WAS EMBRACED AS SUCH AT GLOBAL PRIDE EVENTS? JH: I think that would be a dream for us. We’re in the process of making a video for that song. We had a long conversation last night that re-energized our understanding of what “Man on Man” is. We want people to feel they’re completely fine if they don’t identify as straight or if they don’t subscribe to a certain gender or whatever it is. Non-straight people are completely A-OK. We’re going to be donating our first day/launch day Bandcamp sales to an organization called Born Perfect, whose goal is to end conversion therapy. That really speaks to the whole point of the song. We have so many moments of feeling stress. Most of our lives we see very clearly that the world is mostly straight. Sometimes for gay people, queer people, anybody that’s not straight, the takeaway can be that this world is not for me. We often need to be reminded of the beautiful moments that we have as a community, as a family. For me, it’s the most rewarding experience to be able to be with my community. The truth is that it’s very fun and it’s really beautiful and we would love for people to adopt that as a worldwide Pride anthem [laughs]!

RB: For sure! We’re so proud of what we do and we are so proud of our community. To push that into the realm of the whole world and our community feels really strong.

IF “MAN ON MAN” WAS INVITED TO PERFORM THE PRIDE FESTIVAL CIRCUIT IN A POST-PANDEMIC WORLD, IS THAT SOMETHING YOU WOULD CONSIDER? JH: Hell, yeah!

RB: Yeah, in fact we’re going to insist on it!

MAY 2021 | THE

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ENTERTAINMENT

IT’S ONLY MARCH, BUT “TWO AT A TIME,” WHICH INCLUDES THE WONDERFUL LINES — “LOOK AHEAD AT ALL THE POSSIBILITIES/LIVING TO THE BEST OF OUR ABILITIES/ WINDOWS OPEN, YES TO VISIBILITY” — NOT ONLY SOUNDS LIKE THE PERFECT SUMMER SONG FOR THE BEACH OR BLASTING FROM OPEN CAR WINDOWS, BUT ALSO ONE WITH A VISION OF A POST-COVID-19 WORLD. AM I ON THE RIGHT TRACK? RB: Certainly, yeah. That’s what we’re aiming for. I think when we were in the throes of the pandemic, and all of the sort of intensity that I was talking about before, it was our goal, everyone’s goal in the world today, right now, to get through this. I think we, as a world, are so much looking forward to the possibilities of getting through this all. That’s where our heads were at in the making of all our songs.

I ALSO LOVE “1983” WHICH SOUNDS LIKE A FUTURE TEADANCE CLASSIC. IS THERE A REMIX IN THE WORKS AND WHAT WOULD IT MEAN TO YOU TO HEAR IT BLASTING AT TEA-DANCE IN PTOWN, KEY WEST, AND FIRE ISLAND? JH: OK, first of all, your questions are amazing! I just want to say that.

THANK YOU! JH: I love you! I think it’s funny, even before we were talking about finding a label or whatever, we were already in the mindset of doing remixes. We have a lot of friends who do that. It’s very likely that we would be doing something like that in the future. I think there’s a lot of powerful melodies and music lines that I think would make for amazing remixes. (For) “Daddy” alone, I feel like there could be 50 different remixes of that song. Roddy’s synth lines in “1983” make me want to punch a wall, they’re so good. I freak out. When I first heard them, my whole body was vibrating. I would love to hear those lines in a remix.

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IT MAKES ME THINK OF NEW ORDER. RB: When you asked us about writing music as a couple, that was a big part of it. As we were writing music together and as we were creating our different parts and sharing them with each other, as a couple, as I’m making music with the man I love, a lot of it was showing off. I really wanted to impress Joey when I was making my parts, in a way that I’ve never made music before. Like there was a lot at stake. I really wanted to impress him and make him love it in a different way.

IT SOUNDS LIKE YOU DID EXACTLY THAT. JH: It worked!

EVEN THOUGH THE ALBUM OPENS WITH THE HEAVY ROCK OF “STOHNER,” IT’S THE MOMENTS OF FULL-ON BEAUTY, IN SONGS SUCH AS “LOVER,” “PLEASE BE FRIENDS,” “IT FLOATED” AND “BABY, YOU’RE MY EVERYTHING” THAT DOMINATE THE RECORD. CAN YOU PLEASE SAY SOMETHING ABOUT THAT JUXTAPOSITION? RB: Making the record, we traversed a lot of different musical moods in our creativity. I keep going back to this, but it was such an intense time. We couldn’t help but be super introspective and thoughtful and pensive and super sensitive about the world and where we were.

Because the record is such a time capsule and a reflection on what we were all going through as a community, I think we tended to, particularly in the sequencing of the record, let it follow the course of writing and the course of history that happened. When we started with the COVID, none of us knew what was going on. As stuff sunk in and we started to realize what we were dealing with, shit got real serious real fast. It definitely informed our songwriting at that point.

Like we were saying earlier, the record is a reflection of the time and what happened. The fact that the record ends on these tones of beauty and reflection makes sense because it’s in conjunction with what we were going through at the time.

CARS

LIVING LARGE IN THE 2021

CADILLAC ESCALADE // Larry Printz

FOR DECADES, CADILLAC LOOMED LARGE OVER THE LUXURY CAR FIELD, A TITLE IT RELINQUISHED AS IT LOST ITS WAY IN ITS ATTEMPT TO OUT-GERMAN GERMAN AUTOMAKERS, RATHER THAN BE TRUE TO ITSELF. THAT’S A MISTAKE, AS ANY SELFRESPECTING GAY MAN OR WOMAN UNDERSTANDS. 44 | THE

| MAY 2021

2021 CADILLAC ESCALADE BASE PRICE: $77,490

CARS

LENGTH/WIDTH/HEIGHT:

When you say Cadillac, you expect a large vehicle 211/81/76.7 inches ENGINE: 6.2-liter V8 swathed in flamboyance and boasting ample horsepower, CARGO CAPACITY: incomparable comfort, and boatloads of convenience HORSEPOWER/TORQUE: 420/460 25.5-94.2 cubic feet features. But today, only one vehicle comes close to that EPA FUEL ECONOMY (CITY/HIGHWAY): description: the Cadillac Escalade. So it’s no surprise that TOWING CAPACITY: 14/19 mpg Cadillac’s most expensive vehicle is second in sales only 7,500-8,200 pounds FUEL REQUIRED: Premium to the XT5 crossover even though, until now, the Escalade CURB WEIGHT: seemed little more than a GMC Yukon Denali with airs.

GROUND CLEARANCE: 8-10 inches 5,822 pounds But that was so 2020. It’s 2021, and there’s a redesigned 2021 Escalade that stakes its claim as the Cadillac of Cadillacs.

Yes, it’s stylish, with looks derived from the Escala concept car, a sedan originally meant for production.

Extravagant yet distinguished, its refined appearance is a skilled update to its familiar looks. Yet nothing prepares you for what awaits once you climb inside. It’s there that you’ll find an expansive cabin with 40 % more third-row legroom and 68 % more cargo space behind it than before, thanks to the Escalade’s longer wheelbase and overall length. And the luxury immersion continues with a curved 38-inch OLED display that sweeps across the top of the instrument panel. It’s an inspired design, and houses equally compelling technology, such as augmented reality, which can be overlaid onto the navigation or Night Vision display.

But that’s just the start of this cabin’s opulence. Run your hands over the woven cloth on the doors and lower dashboard, or the sumptuous leather, or the gorgeous piece of wood that spans the instrument panel — and who doesn’t like a large piece of wood? Then you’ll understand that Cadillac once again remembers how to indulge you, especially once you hear the impressive AKG Studio audio system, with 19 speakers, a large enclosed subwoofer, and is powered by a 14-channel amplifier. An optional AKG Studio Reference system ups that to 36 speakers powered by three amplifiers and 28 channels.

And it only gets better once you shift the 10-speed transmission into drive.

Initially, the Escalade will come with a 420 horsepower 6.2-liter V-8; an optional 277 horsepower 3.0-liter turbodiesel engine arrives later in the model year. Rear-wheel drive is standard; all-wheel drive costs an extra $3,000.

Cadillac’s Super Cruise autonomous driving system is optional, and well worth it, since it leaves your hands free to do other things.

The thrust from Cadillac’s V-8’s effortlessly moves this massive Escalade, while its ride comfort is truly astonishing, far better than any recent Cadillac, and as good as vehicles at four times the price. And it’s quiet — really, really quiet. In fact, you’d be forgiven for thinking that the 2021 Cadillac Escalade is a modern-day equivalent of a Fleetwood Brougham.

It the first true Cadillac in decades: an extravagant, extroverted return to form and a compellingly oversized contemporary slab of luxury.

Larry Printz is an automotive journalist based in South Florida. He can be reached at TheDrivingPrintz@gmail.com.

MAY 2021 | THE

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FEATURE

IT’S TIME TO

GLOW GLOW

UP!

// Mark Turnipseed

// Photos courtesy of Mark Turnipseed

W

hat’s this buzz term, “Glow-Up” all about? It’s a fancy sounding term that sounds good — sounds fabulous actually. So what does it mean and how do I get some of it? Well, let me dive in and tell you three aspects of my life I changed to achieve the Glowing-Up you see today.

1

WHEN THE BODY SHOUTS

Waking up is hard, the body aches, even sitting on the couch has become uncomfortable! I know this spot too!

I’ve been there. In fact, just over three years ago I had pulled my back out so badly from tying my shoes that I could no longer sit, stand, lie, or go to the bathroom without groaning. But here’s the thing: my body wasn’t crying at me to give up, it was crying at me to do more.

The body will tell you when it needs more work developing strength, flexibility, and stamina. If you are having a difficult time walking upstairs, like I was or you are pulling your back out over basic movements, then it’s time to pay attention, get with a coach and get yourself in shape. Most of my personal training clients come in not suffering from overuse problems, but underuse problems or issues with balance (an area used than another throwing equilibrium off).

Find a coach, join a gym, take a spin class. Whatever you do, don’t give up and succumb to muscle relaxers and Netflix — this path doesn’t get much better than just that, there simply is very little glowing up to do from the confines of the couch.

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2

WHEN THE MUSIC’S OVER, TURN ON NEW LIGHTS!

You know those times when you wake up in the morning after a weekend of strobe lit music pounding ultrafest and go, “What on earth did I do… I feel like shit and never want to do that again” and you know it’s not because you danced too hard. Well, if you’re like me and those instances keep happening then it may be time to consider if the party is still actually fun anymore.

Is it adding to my life or is it taking away from my life?

Does it make me dance better, or is it an illusion?

One thing that kept me from stepping away momentarily from the party life was a fear of missing out. I was so worried that I’d miss the next best thing. But, trust me, the party life ain’t going nowhere and while you’re gone you may learn to enjoy it more.

I absolutely love going to festivals, pride events, and all-night jockstrap parties. But, these days I never wake up regretting it. The habits developed during time off helped me to turn on new lights and enjoy myself differently than before. It did, however, take some time away from the party to develop those habits. But, maybe it’s worth it?

3

SPICE IT UP!

I don’t mean your food, but I also don’t not mean your food. By spicing it up I really mean to loosen up around your attachments, opinions, and things you think you like and don’t like. Open up to new experiences, new ways of thinking, new friendships. You may find when you do this that some of the things you told yourself you liked you simply kept liking out of obligation. But there is more to life than that and these experiences help us to continue growing and glowing. Spread your wings, open up your life, welcome in the glow up that’s around you and keep on changing towards being your best beautiful gay self.

HERE’S THE THING: MY BODY WASN’T CRYING AT ME TO GIVE UP, IT WAS CRYING AT ME TO DO MORE.

JM LEXUS A B R AN D FO U N D ED O N E XCELLEN CE N O D E ALER FEE . O N E P O i N t

OF

C O N tA C t . O N E U P F R O N t P R i C E

IT’S A PRIDE THING! 5350 W SAMPLE RD | MARGATE, FL 33073 | 954-972-2200 | JMLEXUS.COM