FT LAUDERDALE • JACKSONVILLE • KEY WEST MIAMI • ORLANDO • TAMPA / ST PETERSBURG

F L O R I D A A G E N D A . C O M • F E B R U A R Y 2 5 , 2 0 1 5 • I S S U E 2 7 5

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SAME-SEX PARENTS TO CREATE BABIES FROM SKIN CELLS WITHIN TWO YEARSPage 24

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(AP) — A Philip-pine court entered a not-guilty plea Monday for a U.S. Marine charged with the murder of a transgender Fili-pino, who authori-ties say he killed after finding out her gender when they checked into a motel.

Accompanied by security escorts and his lawyers, Marine Pfc. Joseph Scott Pemberton refused to enter a plea to the murder charge in the brief pro-ceeding in a court in Olongapo city northwest of Manila, accord-ing to Justice Secretary Leila de Lima. Journalists were barred from the courtroom.

The arraignment paves the way for Pemberton’s trial, which law-yers of the victim’s family said was scheduled to start next month.

“Finally justice can be attained for our sibling,” Marilou Laude, the victim’s sister, told reporters, adding she was shaking in anger when she saw the handcuffed suspect guarded by several escorts in the courtroom.

Dozens of left-wing protesters waved red flags outside the court-house Monday, demanding jus-tice for Laude and an end to U.S. military presence in this former American colony. Gay and lesbian groups have also staged protests denouncing Laude’s killing as a hate crime.

Pemberton has been charged by prosecutors in the October killing of Jennifer Laude, whose former name was Jeffrey and who had apparently been strangled and drowned in a motel toilet bowl after the U.S. Marine discovered that she was a transgender woman. They had checked into the motel after meeting in a disco bar.

The anti-tank mis-sile man from Bris-tol, Massachusetts, was bar-hopping with fellow Marines at the time after participating in joint U.S.-Philippine military exercises.

Among the evi-dence submitted by government prosecutors were statements by three Marine colleagues

who were with Pemberton on Oct. 11 in Olongapo, a former liberty town when the U.S. Navy was at the vast Subic Naval base, now a bustling commercial port.

Pemberton and some of his col-leagues picked up women at a disco bar and separately checked in at nearby motels, then returned to their ship after midnight. Wit-nesses saw Pemberton check in with Laude. He was then seen leaving shortly before the discov-ery of her body, prosecutors said in a statement to the court.

Marine Lance Corporal Jairn Michael Rose, who was with Pemberton that night, acknowl-edged that Pemberton later con-fided back at their ship that he attacked the woman he was with by choking her after discovering that she was a transgender when she undressed, according to the prosecutors.

“I think I killed a he/she,” Pem-berton was quoted as having told Rose.

The case comes after the Phil-ippines and the United States strengthened ties with the recent signing of a defense accord that allows greater U.S. access to Phil-ippine military camps. The accord will help Washington’s bid to reassert its presence in Asia, and enable Manila to deter what it calls China’s aggressive moves to reinforce its claim to virtually the entire South China Sea.

PHILIPPINE COURT ENTERS NOT-GUILTY PLEA FOR U.S. MARINE

INTERNATIONAL

Joseph Scott Pemberton

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NATION

Wal-Mart Stands Up for GaysLITTLE ROCK, AR (AP)--Wal-Mart Stores Inc. says it opposes a new law in its home state of Arkansas to ban cities and counties from expanding anti-discrimination protections to include sexual orientation and gender identity.

A spokesman for the world’s larg-est retailer on Monday said the proposal that became law earlier in the day runs counter to its beliefs and “sends the wrong message about Arkansas.” Wal-Mart is based in Bentonville in north-west Arkansas.

The measure, which takes effect later this year, bans local governments from expanding anti-discrimination ordinances beyond state law, which doesn’t include sexual orientation or gender identity.

Republican Gov. Asa Hutchin-son allowed the legislation to become law without his signature after citing concerns about it infringing on local control. Opponents of it had urged Wal-Mart to speak out against the measure.

North Carolina Bill Would Let Judges Opt Out of Gay WeddingsRALEIGH, NC (AP) - Some North Carolina lawmakers say court officials should be able to avoid marriage duties because of their religious beliefs.

Lawmakers are backing a measure filed in response to federal judges who overturned the state’s gay marriage ban in October.

A Senate judicial committee recom-mended approval Tuesday. The bill allows magistrates to refuse to preside at same-sex weddings. It also allows assistant and deputy registers of deeds to not issue marriage licenses. But they could not participate in traditional marriages, either.

Sen. Buck Newton of Wilson says the measure balances religious freedoms with complying with court orders that legalize same-sex marriage.

Sarah Preston with the state Ameri-can Civil Liberties Union opposes the measure, saying it was proposed from a desire to deny gays and lesbians their legal right to marry.

After One Marriage, Same-Sex Unions Stopped in TexasAUSTIN, TX(AP)—Defying Texas’ longstanding ban on gay marriage, a lesbian couple wed in Austin after being granted a marriage license on Thursday under a special court order because one of the women has cancer.

Texas’ attorney general immediately appealed to the state Supreme Court, which later agreed to block other gay couples from obtaining marriage licenses but didn’t address the Austin marriage of Suzanne Bryant and Sarah Goodfriend.

Attorney General Ken Paxton said he considers their marriage void, but a court hasn’t ruled on that issue. Travis County Clerk Dana DeBeauvoir, whose office issued the license, said she still considers the marriage valid.

Cynthia Meyer, a spokeswoman for Paxton’s office, said Thursday night that the state would file additional paper-work Friday “that explains why the order and resulting marriage license are void.” But it was unclear if the attorney general or his staff had the standing to make such a declaration unilaterally.

The women were granted a one-time license in the liberal-leaning county after basing their request on a ruling issued earlier this week by a local probate judge who deemed the ban unconstitutional in an unrelated estate case.

Bryant said Thursday that being legally married to Goodfriend, who has ovarian cancer, would ensure inheri-tance and allow the couple to make medical decisions for each other should

one of them become critically ill.“Financially, now we’re intertwined,

and we will have community property that we will share,” Bryant said shortly after the marriage ceremony outside the county clerk’s office, where the couple was flanked by a rabbi, friends and their two teenage daughters, whom they both legally adopted years ago.

State District Judge David Wahlberg sided with the couple Thursday morn-ing, directing DeBeauvoir to stop relying on “the unconstitutional Texas prohibi-tions against same-sex marriage as a basis for not issuing a marriage license.”

Courts in Indiana made a similar exception for a lesbian couple in April because one of the women was dying of cancer and wanted her partner’s name on her death certificate. A federal appeals court overturned Indiana’s ban in September.

Paxton, a Republican who took office in January, argued that the Supreme Court’s emergency stay was needed to “to make clear to all county clerks that Texas marriage law remains enforce-able until there has been final appel-late resolution.” A federal judge last year overturned the ban, which was over-whelmingly approved by voters in the fiercely conservative state in 2005 — but the judge put the ruling on hold while the state appeals to the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals.

“We are all waiting for a final decision on marriage equality,” Debeauvoir said. “However, this couple may not get the chance to hear the outcome of this issue because one person’s health.”

Goodfriend, policy director for state Rep. Celia Israel, said during a news conference that her last chemotherapy treatment was 4 ½ months ago. But, she added: “All of us wonder if the cancer grows back along with the hair grow-ing back.”

Bryant, an Austin lawyer who works on adoptions for same-sex couples, said

she and her wife couldn’t control what the attorney general did but believed they had a valid marriage license. They hoped other couples would follow their lead, saying their advice would be: “Have hope and have faith.”

Mark Phariss, who along with his partner are among those fight-ing the ban in federal court, said he was “thrilled” by news of the nuptials even though it’s unlikely to impact the federal lawsuit. He said Bryant and Goodfriend’s case “is evidence of the harm the ban is having on the state.”

Before the state Supreme Court ruling, two same-sex couples had inquired about getting a marriage license in Travis County, chief deputy clerk Ronald Morgan Jr. said.

But after the ruling, some gay rights activists predicted that couples wouldn’t flood courts with similar requests for exemptions. Equality Texas Executive Director Chuck Smith said “it would seem that the window for that has again temporarily closed.”

Oregon Gay Rights Group Seeks to Outlaw Gay TherapySALEM, OR (AP)--An Oregon gay rights group is asking the state Legis-lature to outlaw therapy that seeks to change the sexual orientation or gender identity of young people.

A state House panel heard testimony on the measure Monday. It’s promoted by Basic Rights Oregon, a nonprofit gay and transgender advocacy group from Portland.

The measure is part of a national push to prevent mental health care provid-ers from practicing so-called conversion therapy. A dozen other states are push-ing for similar legislation, which already exists in New Jersey, California and Washington, D.C.

Proponents of the measure say there is no scientific basis the therapy is effective in changing a person’s sexual orientation or gender identity. They also say it often leads to feelings of depression, suicidal thoughts or anxiety in children.

Texas Supreme Court

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By Kim Chandler

MONTGOMERY, AL (AP)—As the days and hours ticked

by until gay and lesbian couples began lining up for marriage licenses at Alabama courthouses, state Chief Justice Roy Moore said he kept waiting for someone to try to stop it.

“I was waiting on others to take a stand. They did not. They would not,” Moore, 68, said in an inter-view with The Associated Press.

So the chief justice, never shy about taking on a fight, even a losing one, acted. He fired off a missive to state probate judges to refuse the marriage licenses to gay couples, saying they weren’t bound to adhere to the ruling of the fed-eral judge who declared Alabama’s gay marriage ban unconstitutional.

Alabama’s chief justice, pre-viously best known for being removed from office for refusing to move a 5,300-pound Ten Com-mandments monument from the state Supreme Court building, has been thrust back into the national spotlight over his fight to block gay marriage from coming to Alabama.

Moore acknowledges that Ala-bama courts will have to go along with whatever the U.S. Supreme Court rules on same-sex marriage later this year. But until then, he said, the fight is not over.

“The ruling of the Supreme Court would bind the state courts. That’s the law. That doesn’t make the Supreme Court right in making such a decision,” Moore said.

Moore said decision legalizing gay marriage would be among the court’s greatest mistakes — a deci-sion he would classify alongside rul-ings that allowed racial segregation, slavery and abortion. Moore said he would refuse to go along with it in his judicial opinions and would dis-sent or recuse himself in any cases involving same-sex marriage.

While some judges were follow-ing Moore’s advice, 48 of Ala-bama’s 67 counties on Wednesday were issuing, or willing to issue marriage licenses, to same-sex couples, according to the Human Rights Campaign, a national gay rights group that has kept a run-ning tally.

“Freedom to marry has won,” Richard Cohen, president of the Southern Poverty Law Center, which has filed an ethics complaint against Moore. “Roy Moore’s actions have made us look like the most homo-phobic state in the nation.”

U.S. District Judge Callie Granade on Jan. 23 ruled Alabama’s gay marriage ban unconstitutional and enjoined the state attorney general from enforcing it. The U.S. Supreme Court refused to stay the decision and Alabama became the 37th state — and the first in the center of the conservative Deep South — where gays and lesbians wed.

Alabama probate judges were not defendants in the case, Moore argues, and thus are not subject to a direct court order. He also said they are part of a parallel state court system that doesn’t have to submit to Granade’s views.

“You’ve seen that in this case where you have one federal judge who is reaching out and trying to bind the whole state. It is improper,” Moore said.

Henry C. Strickland, dean of the Cumberland School of Law at Sam-ford University, said Moore has a technically correct argument that probate judges aren’t “absolutely obligated” to issue the licenses to gay couples.

However, he said, couples who are denied marriage licenses could file their own lawsuits or perhaps join the existing case. Moore said another judge might rule differently. However, Strickland said they will likely hold that the state has already fought and lost before Granade.

Moore argues that no federal court, even the U.S. Supreme Court, has the right to define marriage.

“You’re taking any definition of a family away. When two bisexu-als or two transgendered marry, how large is that family? Can they marry two persons, one of the same sex and one of the opposite sex? Then, you’ve got a family of four or how many?”

Fighting, in one way or the other, has been a trademark of Moore’s, a West Point graduate, former kick-boxer and military police officer in Vietnam. In the 1990s, he was sued for hanging a homemade wooden Ten Commandments plaque in his courtroom while a county judge.

After being elected chief justice in 2000, Moore put 5,200-pound Ten Commandments monument in the state judicial building. He was removed from office in 2003 after

refusing to obey a federal judge’s order to remove it.

His critics have accused him of grandstanding for politics. Moore said there are no political calcula-tions in his fights, noting how his Ten Commandments stance put him off the bench for nine years.

Moore’s actions have drawn inevitable comparisons to former Gov. George Wallace’s 1963 largely symbolic “stand in the school-house door” aimed at preventing desegregation at the University of Alabama, nine years after educa-tion segregation was ruled illegal.

Moore said there is another difference.

“George Wallace moved,” he said, noting how the former gover-nor eventually stepped aside.

“I can’t move from my position because I’m bound to uphold the Constitution,” Moore said.

ALABAMA CHIEF JUSTICE HAS NO REGRETS

NATION

KEVIN MILLER

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SUNSHINE STATENew Jacksonville LGBT Group to Endorse City CandidatesJACKSONVILLE — A newly formed political action group for LGBT rights will unveil its first-ever picks for Jackson-ville mayor and city council tomorrow.

Members of the Northeast Flor-ida LGBT Leadership Political Action Committee said they will announce the endorsements on the steps of City Hall at 4:00 p.m. on Tuesday, Feb 24.

“After much deliberation and research, we have selected the candi-dates we will be supporting. Each of these candidates has demonstrated the commitment to equality that we want to see from our elected officials,” said Carrington “Rusty” Mead, chair of the group, in a written statement.

Man to Refuse Jury Duty in Protest over Court WeddingsJACKSONVILLE — An openly gay man plans to take a stand against a recent decision by the clerk of courts to stop performing any more weddings at the Duval County Courthouse.

Chuck Chapman will appear for jury duty on Feb. 24 to tell the judge that he will not serve because he feels uncom-fortable in the courthouse.

In January, Clerk of Courts Ronnie Fussell made a decision to stop court-house ceremonies in part because he and other members of his staff say they don’t feel comfortable performing same-sex weddings.

Chapman disagrees with his decision.“I’m a taxpayer in this community.

I’m a citizen in this community. My rights should be across the board just like anybody else has and anybody else wants and anybody else needs. It’s my rights as a citizen in Duval County and the state of Florida,” Chapman said.

Chapman has been summoned for jury duty before. But he said when his name is called this time, he will tell the judge the reasons he won’t be able to serve as a juror. He said Fussell’s personal views and those of his staffers

have no business in the courthouse.“Ronnie Fussell is an elected offi-

cial in this town. It’s government for the people, by the people. I’m a citizen, a vote. I pay my taxes. Just because it’s across the board, his decision not to do it any longer, has me willing to make this statement.”

Chef Art Smith Hosts Mass Gay Wedding on Miami BeachMIAMI BEACH (AP) — With a mix of elegance and irreverence, only celeb-rity chef Art Smith could round up his famous chef buddies, a sea of white orchids and a drag queen DJ to pull off a wedding ceremony Saturday for more than two dozen same-sex couples on Miami Beach.

Smith, a Florida native and former chef to Oprah Winfrey and Gov. Bob Graham, is revered by fellow chefs and those in the gay and lesbian community, known as the chef with a big Southern accent and an even bigger heart.

When Smith heard that Florida judges had lifted the state’s ban on same-sex marriage last month, he set out to throw an over the top-wedding officiated by chef Guy Fieri, with a stunning cake from Duff Goldman, and a dance party spun by local star Chi Chi LaRue. He invited the first 101 couples to participate in the free wedding, noting he chose the number after the movie “101 Dalmatians” to shame Flor-ida Attorney General Pam Bondi, who has ardently fought to keep same-sex marriage from becoming legal.

“We have our own Cruella De Vil, Pam Bondi. She was determined that she was going to prevent equality from coming to Florida,” Smith said.

“For a state known for sunshine, it was living in the darkness when it came to LGBT rights and it was important to acknowledge that.”

South Beach is also memorable to Smith who met his partner, Jesus Salgueiro, here 15 years ago while in town with Winfrey. Smith went out to buy some flowers for her home. He returned with the flowers and Salgueiro,

whom he married five years ago on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial with a big ‘ole ceremony where Moby performed.

Nicole Griffin, 43, and Stephanie Swanson, 42, had been waiting a few years to say ‘I do.’ The Tampa couple moved from Indiana shortly before gay marriage became legal there. Friends flew in from California and Indianapolis to see the women, both wearing elegant white gowns, get married Saturday.

“(Pam Bondi) fought so hard. She denied us for so long … I think our pres-ence today and being able to do this is a defeat of that mentality,” Swanson said.

Bondi is appealing the rulings and some county officials in more conserva-tive areas have even stopped performing marriage ceremonies.

Seth Anderson and his partner Michael Ferguson, both 33, flew out from Utah to renew their vows. They were among the first to legally marry there two years ago, but none of their family or friends were able to attend the impromptu ceremony at the courthouse where the couple had nothing to wear but their work clothes.

“We wanted to come and be a part of this and celebrate with all the other people getting married,” Anderson said.

They were one of the couples who walked down the aisle in the court-yard of The James Royal Palm hotel as a small orchestra played. Many couples said they became emotional when Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives host Fieri, a chef with spiky hair, tattoos and a love for Southern BBQ, officiated the ceremony in honor of his late sister who was a lesbian.

It was especially emotional for 45-year-old Hugo Lopez to return to the area where he said he had previously experienced so much intolerance.

“For me to come back here to a place

that felt so hostile growing up, to know this (wedding) was happening … I was terrified we were going to get turned away when we went to get our marriage license in Hialeah,” said Lopez, who married Ryan Griffin wearing matching linen suits.

The couples were showered with white rose petals thrown from the balconies and then treated to a feast of fried chicken, grilled lamb, crab-stuffed avocadoes, empanadas and a seven-tier gold and silver cake from Goldman, star of Food Network’s reality show Ace of Cakes.

“My only agenda is to celebrate this and make it true in every state,” said Goldman, who is also a gay-rights advocate. After reading of a baker who refused to make a cake for a lesbian couple a few years ago, Goldman tracked them down and made them a cake.

“We are not arbitrators of morality, we’re cake decorators,” he said.

Smith, who hosts the Big Gay Ice Cream Social at the South Beach Wine and Food Festival each year, said it had been their polite protest to the state law for years. Now they were ready to throw a wedding.

“I felt like it was important for us to show the haters, just shake it off,” he said quoting a Taylor Swift song as he moved onto the dance floor as the crowd cheered him on. “We’re gonna have a party and we’re going to show people we’re proud, we’re happy, we’re loud.

Issue of Gay Couple’s Pension Benefits Remains UnresolvedTALLAHASSEE — A gay couple who successfully sued the state of Florida over employee benefits were told they couldn’t change their pension plan, although Department of Management Services (DMS) officials said they were working to resolve the issue.

“The DMS is developing a plan to contact all (Florida Retirement System) recipients and provide them necessary information on how to receive spou-sal benefits in light of the court’s recent decision,” said Kendra Parson, commu-

Chef Art Smith

PHOTO BY STEFAN

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SUNSHINE STATE

nications director for the department.Jim Brenner and Chuck Jones, both

longtime state employees, filed their lawsuit last year in federal court seeking to have their 2009 Canadian marriage recognized by the state, which they hoped would allow them to get the same state benefits offered to straight couples. The lawsuit prompted a ruling in December by U.S. District Judge Robert Hinkle that the state’s six-year ban on gay marriage was unconstitutional.

One of the reasons Brenner and Jones went to court was because the state had denied a request by Brenner to name Jones as his spouse when he entered the Deferred Retirement Option Program in 2011. Brenner wanted to choose an option open to spouses that would have given retire-ment benefits to Jones for the rest of his life if he preceded him in death. Instead, because the gay-marriage ban was in place, he was forced to choose an option that would give Jones bene-fits for no more than 10 years.

On Feb. 13, Brenner was told by a DMS official that despite Hinkle’s ruling, he would not be able to pick the option he wanted in the first place. He said he was told by DMS that under Florida law, he could only make changes to the plan within the first month of entering DROP, a time that has long since passed. Brenner said a personnel official at the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services tried to intervene on his behalf but also was told no by DMS.

“I feel like I’m being made to beg for what I’m entitled to,” said Brenner, fire-management administrator for the Florida Forest Service. “It was one of the original reasons for us filing the lawsuit. And now we’re being told we’re not entitled. It’s our perception that the judge told us we are.”

Betsy White, a Jacksonville attor-ney who was part of Brenner and Jones’ legal team, said the state can’t deny them the benefits of their choosing now because of a previous decision by DMS that grew out of a marriage ban that’s been found unconstitutional.

“I think it would be dishonest for the state to take the position that these men are foreclosed from the benefits

of their litigation because of a decision they were forced to make by the state because the state refused to recognize same-sex marriage,” White said. “It’s nonsensical in my opinion. The state is going to have to make some conces-sions for same-sex partners.”

White added that “there will be litiga-tion” if the state persists in its position.

After gay couples across Florida began marrying last month, DMS issued memos saying Florida Retire-ment System members with legally recognized marriages could begin using existing forms and processes to name their spouses as beneficiaries for their retirement benefits.

The U.S. Supreme Court is expected to rule on gay marriage sometime this spring, and White, among others, expects a ruling finding a constitutional right for same-sex couples to marry.

An appeal of Hinkle’s decision by Attorney General Pam Bondi is still pending before the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, which has signaled it won’t rule until after the Supreme Court does. Once that happens, White said she expects the case to come back before Judge Hinkle as part of post-liti-gation matters.

Transgender Bathroom Bill’ Comes Up for Vote on March 3TALLAHASSEE — LGBT advovacy groups are gearing up for a legislative floor fight on March 3 over a House bill that would restrict all public, single-sex restrooms and dressing rooms to persons of that gender only.

Introduced by Rep. Frank Artiles on Feb. 4 and dubbed the “Show Your Papers To Pee Bill”, HB-538 says that anyone caught using the wrong facility in Florida would be arrested and charged with a first-degree misdemeanor, an offense that is punishable with a $1,000 fine and up to 12 months in jail.

This bill requires that individuals suspected of breaking the law show their birth certificate as proof of gender.

Artiles said his bill is in response to a Miami-Dade ordinance passed in December that plugs a public safety loophole for male sexual predators. Any inconvenience imposed on transgender people is an afterthought, he said.

“People are not forced to go the rest-room. They choose to go to the rest-

room,” said Artiles.Civil rights organizations have voiced

concern over the bill.“This ‘show your papers to pee bill’

denigrates both transgender and non-transgender people alike,” said Daniel Tilley, an LGBT lawyer with the Amer-ican Civil Liberties Union (ACLU). “In addition to dehumanizing transgender people in particular, it invites humilia-tion and harassment of anyone who is not considered sufficiently feminine or masculine in the eyes of the beholder.”

Other Florida politicians are also coming out against the bill.

Rep. Janet Cruz (D-Tampa) said, “A bill labeling members of our transgen-der community as criminals for living their lives is an abomination and an embarrassment.” Rep. David Richard-son (D-Miami Beach) mentioned that the bill would not only affect the LGBT community but will also cause new public safety problems. “Parents with small children should be concerned about sending their tiny children into a public bathroom by themselves.”

The ACLU, which defeated a similar Arizona bill in 2013, and Change.org are asking members of the community to sign petitions.

A fundraiser was held in Fort Lauderdale for the Dean Trantalis campaign for re-election as commissioner, with hosts Ken Keechl and George Castrataro. Photos by Big Dewitte.

FUNDRAISER HELD FOR DEAN TRANTALIS

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My parents arrived at my apartment in West Los Angeles to visit. Today was the day, but not

the kind of day they assumed or even wanted — a typical parent-child outing where we picked a place to have lunch at a cozy eatery in Fox Hills, a hilltop, tree-filled neighborhood near Culver City, just east of Marina del Rey and north of Los Angeles International Airport, where my dad finished a distinguished career in aviation.

I answered the door and asked my parents to come in. Sitting them both down, they could sense I had something important to say, something my brothers and close friends already knew:

“I’m gay.”As I began to break down and cry, my

mother rolled her eyes and just sat there, looking around the room at anything but me. My father, on the other hand, approached me and put his arm around my shoulder.

“It doesn’t matter. We love you,” he said.As one of eight Catholic children

raised on a family farm in Iowa, my mother and I remained distant for much of the next few hours, days, weeks and months. As time went by, I thought the worst was over and she and I had reached the kind of love and understanding we enjoy today.

But one day my mother left me some-thing I would never forget, a newspaper clipping with some of the old mail and correspondence she would set aside for me occasionally that was still delivered to what had been my childhood home and permanent address until I left for college when I was 18.

The clipping was actually an advertisement for how to cope with sexual deviancy through a form of conversion therapy that would attempt to change my sexual orientation and/or gender iden-tity. With my college education, I knew better, so this time it was my time to roll my eyes.

But many people younger than I was weren’t as fortunate to have a mind of their own, or the

confidence, or the maturity or the social support to resist emotional attempts to alter who they are fundamentally.

Putting the sheer will power of Buddhist monks aside for the moment, sexual orientation is not a choice, like abortion, or a disease or some kind of health condition that can be repressed or treated over time with the right mix of drugs, electrodes, heterosexual pornography and clinical psychia-try. It’s an aspect of our human condition stretch-ing as far back as Dr. Alfred Kinsey’s psycho-sexual continuum fans wide.

But not everybody agrees, obviously. So now, as the acronym LGBT becomes more ubiquitous in headlines and on lips around the United States, we

are witnessing great strides at the local level to resist authoritarianism meant to mold us into something we are not and thereby address a reason for suicide by LGBT youth, according to the American Psychological Association.

This week, the nonprofit LGBT group Basic Rights Oregon asked state lawmak-ers to back legislation that would outlaw any treatment seeking to change the sexual orientation or gender identity of a minor. Under the bill, social workers and licensed psychologists or psychiatrists would be barred from practicing conversion therapy on people under age 18.

The Portland group’s effort is part of a national push to prevent mental health care providers from practicing conversion ther-apy. Laws banning the practice have passed in New Jersey, California and Washington, D.C., where the National Center for Lesbian Rights played a key role.

A dozen other states are looking at similar legislation, including New York and Florida.

In Tallahassee, a bill introduced by Sen. Jeff Clemens (D-Lake Worth) last Decem-ber would ban the practice among licensed therapists in Florida. Rep. David Richard-son (D-Miami Beach), Florida’s first openly gay elected official, has introduced compan-ion legislation in the House. Richardson’s bill only applies to conversion therapy offered by licensed professionals, not religious and other non-professional organizations.

Pro-family organizations generally claim that the broad language of current legislation

and existing laws violate a parent’s right to choose what is best for their child. They also argue that because therapy is speech, it is protected under the First Amendment.

But the majority of American parents seeking this form of treatment for their children are unli-censed, ignorant and merely locked into a values-based fantasy of who and what their children would, could or should be. They are often blinded by love, not hate, like my mother. However, those under the microscope now are the real culprits: doctors and religiously-based psychologists who earn hefty sums from a fool’s errand which can no longer withstand the disinfecting light of day.

LEFT COAST BY DANIEL HICKS

REGARDING SEXUAL ORIENTATION, CONVERSION IS FOR CURRENCIES, NOT PEOPLE

Rep. David Richardson (D-Miami Beach)

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aCANDLELIGHT VIGIL FOR KRISTINA GRANT INFINITI to remember Kristina Grant Infiniti, found slain in her Miami home, and to protest transgender violence

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FOUNDER MULTIMEDIA PLATFORMSBOBBY BLAIR – CEO / MANAGING PARTNER

PUBLISHER/EDITOR-IN-CHIEFRICHARD HACK - 954-380-8563

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EDITORIAL CONTRIBUTORS Peter Jackson, Tom Bonanti, Patrick Robert, Rick Karlin, Gregg Shapiro, Frank Corrado, Cliff Dunn

Photography • Dennis Dean, Big Dewitte, Tony Fowler

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EDITORIAL POSITIONS of the Agenda are expressed in editorials and in editors’ notes as determined by the paper’s editors. Other opinions are those of the writers and do not necessarily represent the opinion of the Agenda or its staff.

TO SUBMIT A LETTER OR COMMENTARY: Letters should be fewer than 400 words; commentaries should be fewer than 750 words. Submissions may be edited for content and length, and must include a name, address and phone number for verification. Send submissions by e-mail to Editor@floridaagenda.com by fax to 954-566-7900 or by regular mail to the Agenda office, attn: Letters/Commentary.

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© 2015, Mutimedia Platforms LLC. All rights reserved.

February 25, 2015 • ISSUE 275

AS I SEE IT BY RICHARD HACK

BABIES WITH TWO BIOLOGICAL SAME-SEX PARENTS TO BECOME REALITY IN TWO YEARS

My husband Michael is a regular softy where babies are concerned. Not ALL babies, mind

you. Just the blond, blue-eyed kind, who also happen to be twin boys. And as long as I’ve known him, Michael has long spouted his desire to add a pair of blond twins to our family “as soon as possible.”

As a French creole, Michael has expe-rienced his share of racism, so before you scream that his preference to add a pair of blonds into the Hack-Davis household is reverse racism at its most obvious, know that he also wants a French creole baby named Little Ricky. Michael also expects perfection. And while normally I would say “good luck” to that, a new announce-ment out of Cambridge University may make his “order to go,” easier than we could have possibly imagined.

The researchers at Cambridge teamed with Israel’s Weizmann Institute of Science to pair stem cell lines from

embryos with the skin of five different adults, according to the study published in the journal Cell. The experiment was a resounding success, resulting in what can most easily be understood as “manufac-tured” babies. Since they are created from the skin cells of two adults of the same gender, it is the very first hint that same-sex couples might have their own babies with no help from the opposite sex.

Last year, the researchers has made quiet news by creating live baby mice using nothing more than mice skin cells. The skin cells turn into the precursor for sperm and eggs, eventually matur-ing into fertile sperm and egss capable of producing life.

This week’s announcement marks the first time ever that engineered cells created in a laboratory were compared to aborted fetuses to determine an identical match. And match they did.

“We have succeeded in the first and most important step of this process,

which is to show we can make these very early human stem cells in a dish,” Azim Surani, Wellcome Trust project leader and professor of physiology and repro-duction at Cambridge, told the London Sunday Times. “We have also discovered that one of the things that happens in these germ cells is that epigenetic muta-tions, the cell mistakes that occur with age, are wiped out,” he said.

The researchers said that stem cells and adult human skin were used from ten different donor sources and new germ-cell lines were created from all the experi-ments. The SOX17 gene is critical in the “reprogramming” process of human cells, according the researchers. They have stated that the technique could mean same-sex couples could have babies in just two years.

The team says it is possible to make human egg and sperm cells from the skin of two adults of the same gender – prompting interest from people with infertility diseases and gay couples.

“It has already caused interest from gay groups because of the possibility of making egg and sperm cells from parents of the same sex,” Jacob Hanna, the specialist leading the project’s Israeli arm, said in the Sunday Times.

The researchers noted to the Sunday Times that the development raises seri-ous ethical issues, but many can poten-tially benefit from the technique they’ve been testing on humans since creating artificial human eggs and sperm for the first time last year.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that Assisted Repro-ductive (ART) was performed at 456 clinics in the U.S. in 2012, resulting in 51,267 live births. Although still rela-tively “rare,” just over 1 percent of all infants born in the U.S. each year are conceived using ART methods.

Voters in Hillsborough County will

head to the polls on Mar. 3 to pick a

new Tampa mayor and city council.

Equality Florida, the largest LGBT

rights organization in Florida, has

endorsed the following candidates:

TAMPA CITY COUNCILMike Suarez (District 1)Yvonne Yolie Capin (District 3)Harry Cohen (District 4)Lisa Montelione (District 7)Note: Candidates in Districts 2, 5

and 6 are listed with their respective

positions on safe schools, domestic

partnership, non-discrimination,

marriage equality, adoption and

reproductive choice, but they have

not been endorsed.

MAYOR OF TAMPANo candidate endorsed. Note: Candidates for mayor are

listed with their respective positions

on safe schools, domestic partner-

ship, non-discrimination, marriage

equality, adoption and reproduc-

tive choice, but they have not been

endorsed.

You can read Equality Florida’s

entire Voter’s Guide for Hillsbor-

ough County by clicking here.

MARCH 3: A LIST OF PRO-LGBT CANDIDATES ON TAMPA’S BALLOT

February 25, 2015

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aBY RICHARD HACK COVER STORY

E rick Erickson, the founder of RedStates.com and frequent Fox News contrib-utor, wrote a column last

week in which he compared gay rights campaigners to ISIS extremists. It would be easy to dismiss such incendi-ary words if Erickson were not argu-ably the most powerful conservative in America today.

“In Denmark, France, and elsewhere we have seen Islamic extremists take lives because of the Islamic extremists’ beliefs. They do not want tolerance. They do not want pluralism. They do not want to show respect to the views of others. They will take life for being offended. There will be no magnanim-ity and there will be no mercy,” Erick-son wrote in a column titled “The Line Between Islamic Extremists and Gay Rights Extremists.”

“In taking life, the Islamic extrem-ists want the public spectacle. They want not just revenge, but they also want to make others fear and second-guess doing the same. They want to silence others and drive them from the town square. They use death and violence to do it.

“Gay rights activists, with few excep-tions . . . have not turned physically violent. But they are intent on destroy-ing any who disagree with them. They will take the homes, businesses, and life savings of any who defy them. They will use the tools of the state and mob action through boycotts, fear, and intimidation to make it happen. They will not kill but they will threaten and scare,” Erickson wrote.

“The divide between Islamic extremists and gay rights extremists is at death. They meet on the line at destruction.”

With statements like that, it should be easy to compartmentalize Erickson as a hater, an attention seeker, or a right wing extremist. And while he may be all of those things, he has a way of hitting upon

the truth often enough to keep him relevant, while voicing absurdities that keep his name in play. After all, it was Erickson who said, upon the retirement of Supreme Court justice David Souter, “The nation loses the only goat fucking child to ever serve on the Supreme Court …”. He said his heart was gladdened by “watching a hippie protester get Tased” during

the Occupy Wall Street demonstra-tions. And he referred to one-time Republican turned Democratic State Senator from Texas Wendy Davis, “Abortion Barbie.”

While he dislikes gays and their agenda, his remarks are often addressed at his fellow Republi-cans, who he feels are far too eager to compromise. Former Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell was a frequent target. He not only labeled McConnell, “a cancer on the Senate Republican caucus,” in 2009, he claimed that McConnell had “lost his testicles” and called on his readers to send the sena-tor “balls.” According to Erickson, over a hundred of his readers did just that, sending toy balls to the senator’s office by way of Amazon link that Erickson had provided.

“Nationally, people think of me as a Tea Party person, and I am,” Erickson told Atlantic magazine. “But in Georgia, the Tea Party can’t stand me.”

“The local movement, he explained, is dominated by libertarian followers of former Congressman Ron Paul, and Erickson has opposed many of its chosen candidates. Erickson’s conservatism is of a more tradi-tional bent, deeply informed by his evangelical faith. He believes Republicans must not yield in pursuit of small government, strong national defense, and the primacy of the traditional family,”

according to Atlantic.He spreads his tormented messages via the Inter-

net, on his drive-time radio show on WSB (the fourth largest talk-radio station in America), and RedStates.com—the source of the twisted ISIS comparison that insults not only gay activists but Republicans who follow Erickson’s words as fact.

COVER STORY

GAY RIGHTS ACTIVISTS ARE LIKE ISIS EXTREMISTS — Republican Pundit Erick Erickson

Erick Erickson

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Jerry SeinfeldA weekend of comedy continues as one of the most famous comedians in the world performs at the Hard Rock Live. The king of observational humor takes a break from enjoying his millions earned from Seinfeld’s syndication in order to return to his first love—the stage. Seinfeld’s 1990s epony-mous sitcom catapulted his humorous take on life’s little peculiarities to the masses—something that allowed him to become one of the most successful sitcom stars in the world. 8:00 p.m. Hard Rock Live. 5747 Semi-nole Way. Hollywood. 33314.

Richard Lewis and Kevin PollackIf observational humor isn’t quite your thing, about twenty minutes east of Jerry Seinfeld both Richard Lewis and Kevin Pollack will be dishing out their dark, neurotic stand-up. Lewis has been a major player in the stand-up world, respected by both his peers and the critical community. Using his history in therapy and his twisted view of the world, Lewis uses self-deprecating jokes with a sick bent. Pollack has had a successful film career in, ironically, dramatic roles. He was a supporting player in movies A Few Good Men, Casino, and The Usual Suspects. Still, his home is on the stage, where he has per-fected his Capt. Kirk impression. Tonight’s show helps fundraise the Catskill Resort Museum. 8:00 p.m. Parker Playhouse. NE Eighth St. Fort Lauderdale. 33304.

3/2

Miss Florida Continental PageantWith over 3,000 in cash and prizes, the Miss Florida Continental Pageant is a seriously worthy competition for those drag queens who have what it takes in all the pageant categories. Miss Florida Continental 2014, April Chanel, will be on hand to pass off her crown to the next winner. The competition take place at Lips—South Florida’s favorite drag queen dining experience. Entertainers include Ericka Norell, Diva, Champagne Bor-deaux, and Nikki Adams. 7:00 p.m. Lips. 1421 E. Oakland Park Blvd. Oakland Park. 33334.

THE WEEKWILTON MANORS

BY PATRICK ROBERT

Inn Leather has been a stable in Fort Lauderdale since 1999. The Guest House and Resort caters to

the gay leather and Levis community.The resort is one in which you can let your inhi-

bitions go and enjoy yourself in a safe, non-judg-mental environment. The whole facility is clothing optional. There’s a cruisy backroom and a fully func-tional outdoor sling. Actually, you can find a sling in every guest room.

There are two types of rooms: studios and suites. The studio is a regular hotel-style room that comes equipped with the customary amenities like an alarm radio, flat screen TV and DVD player. There’s also an added bonus that comes standard in each studio: a mini-size kitchenette that includes a toaster, coffee maker, microwave and a mini-frig with six compli-mentary beverages. The suite is a large, one-bed-room apartment and includes all the amenities of the studio with an additional flat screen TV and a com-plete kitchen with a full-size refrigerator and stove.

Guests receive parking, a continental break-fast and free Wi-Fi. The resort is pet-friendly and the entire facility is gated off from the public with 24-hour security surveillance. On the grounds, guests can enjoy a heated pool, soak in the jacuzzi and relax on the sundeck. There’s also the oppor-tunity to meet and mingle with locals in the area as they stop in routinely with a daytime pass.

Locals and non-guests are able to enjoy the resort’s amenities everyday from 11:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. for only $10, which includes parking and Wi-Fi.

They are also able to attend the resort’s monthly Inn Leather parties for a $20 cover fee.

Since General Manager Milan Gamiani took over, the resort has thrown monthly parties to coincide with observed holidays. In March, for example, a party is planned on the 15th at 12:00 p.m. to cel-ebrate St. Patrick’s Day and Leather Pride. But these monthly parties also serve a higher purpose other than just their entertainment value. Along with pri-vate contributions from the owner, these parties have helped to raise over $200,000 that the resort has donated to different charities: Poverello, local fire departments, Leather Archive and Museum, and many others.

In three and half years, Gamiani has done a lot with the resort to improve the overall look and feel of the property, including modernization of the guest rooms. He has also helped to increase the resort’s international appeal by drawing in television fans who know him from popular TV shows in Spain and the United States, including “Burn Notice,” “The Glades,” and “Charlie’s Angels.”

To learn more about the resort, visit their website at www.innleather.com. To make a reservation call 954-467-1444 or 1-877-532-7729 between 8:00 a.m.– 8:00 p.m. (Summer hours: 10:00 a.m.-6:00 p.m.)

You are never without help here in South Florida. Because SunServe, the largest LGBTQ social

service agency in the region, is only a stone’s throw away with a location in Wilton Manors and another on the campus of Sunshine Cathedral. It’s amazing what this mid-size organization with only 30 employ-ees is able to offer. The organization manages 7 departments: Youth Services, Transgender Services, Housing Assistance, Mental Health Services, Train-ing and Education Services, a Senior Service Depart-ment, and an Administrative Department.

Want a safe and reliable senior center for your mother while you’re at work? Reach out to the Senior Service Department about their respite care. Would like to talk with someone about your con-cerns and work towards developing the very best you? Check with their Mental Health Department for counseling. Struggling to secure a new residence? See if qualify for their Housing Assistance program.

SunServe’s LGBTQ commitment even extends beyond working within our community to also pro-vide the general public, care providers and the busi-ness population the education they need-to-know to effectively engage with our community. Such pro-grams like their LGBTQ Cultural Proficiency Train-ing is available to businesses and their employees.

Their certification courses directly provides nurses and social workers with their continue education units (CEU’s). They also have an internship program, which continues to help mental health students fulfill their necessary requirements for licensing.

SunServe strives to provide our community any and all services to improve our everyday lives. Administrative Director, Bryan Wilson said, “Whether we have a service that caters to you or not, we always find away to assists.” SunServe’s upcoming Caribbean LGBT Pride Festival reinforces Wilson/s statement. The 1st ever LGBTQ Caribbean festival in Florida spawned from one woman’s phone inquiry and SunServe’s desire to guarantee all of our community members’ equal representation. The event will be held On March 7, 2015 at Eucalyptus Gardens between 4pm and 10pm. It’ll be fun-filled festival with Caribbean cuisine and music.

SUN, FUN, AND SLINGS: INN LEATHER

SUNSERVE: SERVING LGBTQ SOUTH FLORIDA FROM CRADLE TO GRAVE

GUESTHOUSE

NON-PROFIT

Inn Leather Guest House and Resort610 SE 19th St.Fort Lauderdale, FL 33316Phone: 954 467-1444

SunServe2312 Wilton DriveWilton Manors, FL(954) 764-5557

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FIRST in a weekly 10-part series.

Our risk of developing diabe-tes increases 26% if we are in the habit of drinking a Coke,

Gatorade or even a ‘healthy’ fresh juice drink on a daily basis.

This is a new revelation by Harvard University scientists, who say the culprit is the amount of sugar in our diets. Americans are consuming way, way too much of it (about 20 times as much as our great grandparents) and a variety of serious health issues ranging from diabetes to obesity and certain types of cancer are the result.

Their findings were backed by a study at California State University which found that people who ate approximately 24 grams of sugar in a sitting (the average amount in a candy bar) had a quick energy spurt but an hour later reported less energy and a more stressful mood than beforehand.

Experts think that “because sugary drinks are new (evolutionarily speak-ing), the brain isn’t designed to regis-ter their calories,” meaning we won’t feel full and will likely overeat later. This leads to weight gain.

The recommendation, which health and fitness professionals like me have been preaching for years, is simple: Drink water and high-electrolyte, unsweetened hot or cold tea and bev-erages like coconut water instead. And, of course, add regular exercise to your lifestyle.

Exercise can have a significant effect not only in helping diabetics control their disease and reducing their risk to its life-threatening com-plications, but also in greatly decreas-ing an individual’s chances of devel-oping the disease in the first place. In fact, research shows that exercise reduces an individual’s likelihood of developing diabetes by more than half — including people who either are obese or are genetically predis-posed to the disease.

Here are 5 ways to crave less of that sugar that you’re eating that’s killing your results and keeping you from attaining your goal weight:

EAT MORE PROTEIN: A diet rich in protein keeps you full, satisfied and less likely to crave sweets. A great way to make sure that you are get-ting enough is to plan each meal and snack around a protein. Plan breakfast around eggs, lunch and dinner around baked chicken breast or baked meat-balls, and make snacks such as hard boiled eggs.

EAT FRUIT: What’s sweet, colorful and comes in hundreds of flavors? Organic, seasonal, fresh fruit, of course! As you remove refined sugar from your life, feel free to add in some natural sugar by way of fresh, local fruit. It’s amazing how satisfyingly sweet fruit is – it’s truly nature’s candy.

SAY NO TO SODAS AND ARTI-FICIAL SWEETENERS: One of the biggest fitness myths out there is the idea that calorie-free, artificially sweetened beverages don’t impact your fat loss results. Sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but the truth is that the diet soda you’re sipping is making it harder for you to reach your goal weight. While the diet soda itself doesn’t contain calories, it has been proven to cause cravings for sugary foods. Put down the diet soda and instead pick up a refreshing bottle of spring water. The same is true for those packets of artificial sweeteners.

TRY DARK CHOCOLATE: For those moments when your sweet tooth is relentlessly badgering you for some-thing sweet, ditch the super-sugary candies and stick with a small square of very dark chocolate. Chocolate that is 70% or higher in cocoa con-tent should be the only candy that

you keep on hand. The benefit of the cocoa, in addition to the lowered sugar content, makes dark chocolate an occasionally justifiable treat.

WORKOUT LIKE YOU MEAN IT: A regular, challenging exercise routine will not only get you into amazing shape, it also reduces your cravings for sugar. The endorphin rush brought on by vigorous exercise is an even more powerful feel-good-feeling than the pleasure gotten by indulging in sugary foods. Make challenging, con-sistent exercise a part of your life.

NEXT WEEK: HOW TO MAKE HEALTHY FOOD CHOICES

Agenda health and fitness contributing

editor PETER JACKSON is the owner of

Push Fitness, Club One CrossFit and Inner

G Yoga, all located in Oakland Park. He wel-

comes your questions and comments at

Info@PushFitnessFTL.com.

A 10-STEP PLAN TO GET FIT AND HEALTHY

BY PETER JACKSON, CPT FITNESS MAN

Week One: Cut Your Sugar Consumption

If you are craving something sweet, go natural! Put down the sugary, calorie-rich candy bar and eat a banana instead. Fruit is Nature’s candy.

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1) CLUB AZUCAR 2301 SW 32nd Ave

2) CLUB BOI 1060 NE 79th St

3) CLUB SPACE 34 N.E. 11th Street

4) DISCOTEKKA | MEKKA MIAMI 950 NE 2nd Ave

5) DUGOUT SPORTS BAR 3215 NE 2nd Ave

6) EROS LOUNGE 8201 Biscayne Blvd

7) FLOPPY ROOSTER 7018 NW 72nd Ave

8) HOUSE 1915 NW Miami CT

9) JAMBOREE 7005 Biscayne Blvd

10) MAGNUM LOUNGE 709 NE 79th St

11) CLUB AZUCAR 2301 SW 32nd Ave

MIAMI

12) CAMEO 1445 Washington Ave

13) KILL YOUR IDOL 222 Espanola way

14) MANSION NIGHTCLUB 1235 Washington Ave

15) PALACE BAR 1200 Ocean Dr

16) SCORE 1437 Washington Ave.

17) THE CABARET 233 12th St

18) TWIST 1057 Washington Ave

MIAMI BEACH

2/28

Wanda SykesSykes is known as being one of the most humorous guest stars on the cynical Emmy-award winning TV show Curb Your Enthusiasm. She is also a vocal proponent for LGBTQ rights, having come out of the closet in 2008 while at a same-sex marriage rally in Las Vegas. She has had a few HBO comedy specials and co-starred in films Monster-in-Law, Pootie Tang, and Nutty Professor 2: The Klumps. 8:00 p.m. Olympia Theater at Gusman Center. 174 E. Flagler St. Miami. 33131.

3/1

Harlem GlobetrottersThose kooky, manipulative, and con-descending Harlem Globetrotters arrive at the American Airlines Arena for an afternoon of abusive fun at the expense of such “stooge” teams as the Washington Generals and the Boston Shamrocks. In their free time, The Globetrotters have been known to help such famed sleuths as Scooby Doo solve mysterious crimes or to play pick-up games with a bunch of robots while being coached by Gil-ligan and The Professor. 4:00 p.m. American Airlines Arena. 601 Bis-cayne Blvd. Miami. 33132.

3/3

The Pearl FishersBefore creating the world’s most popu-lar opera, Carmen, Georges Bizet com-posed this atmospheric tale of love, friendship, and sacrifice. The Pearl Fishers is inspired by the European infatuation with all things Oriental, and it contains one of the most famous tenor-baritone duets in all of opera. The plot revolves around two lifelong friends, Nadir and Zurga, who vow to never let their love for a woman de-stroy their friendship. When Leila ar-rives, this pact, along with their friend-ship, is tested. 7:00 p.m. Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts. 1300 Biscayne Blvd. Miami. 33132.

THE WEEKMIAMI/

MIAMI BEACHBY PATRICK ROBERT

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We are continu-ously bombarded with headlines and news reports

of homophobia in the Caribbean. But the Caribbean isn’t all homo-phobic and unsupportive. There are actually several gorgeous trop-ical paradise islands where we can relax and feel safe while vaca-tioning. Plus, these islands are close--only spanning short travel distances from South Florida, so why not share the good travel news for a change?

PUERTO RICO is a beautiful tropical island that experiences warm weather year-round and has been a popular gay destination since the early 70s. Although it has yet to fully accept the LGBT community socially due to its strong religious influ-ences, its United States Commonwealth status does help with protecting our legal rights on the island.

Puerto Rico’s capital, San Juan, is extremely welcoming to the LGBT community. In the upscale neighbor-hood of Condado, you can not only find the gay beach of the city, but also gay and gay-friendly hotels, restau-rants, bars, and nightclubs as well. This oceanfront neighborhood is a combi-nation between Rodeo Drive, Califor-nia and Ocean Drive, South Beach. There are high-end luxury boutiques like Chanel and Louis Vuitton and a vibrant nightlife.

THE US VIRGIN ISLANDS are located only 40 miles east of Puerto Rico. The islands are white sand para-dises with a tropical savannah climate year round. The unique allure of the US Virgin Islands when it comes to the LGBT community is its multiple gay-friendly destinations. 3 of the 4 main islands appeal to the gay community in one fashion or the other, depending on what vacation vibe you are looking for:

SAINT THOMAS ISLAND is a sandy beach oasis with bright color

houses that line the streets and ascend up the hillsides of the island. It’s the US Virgin Island’s most developed, urban area with multiple shops and restau-rants. The island was known to have the Virgin’s most robust gay scene; however, in recent years the gay nightlife has vanished. Nonetheless, the gay-friendly atmosphere still exists and many believe the reason for the change stems from the island’s overwhelming acceptance, which allows gay and straight people to enjoy the same venues without a need for distinction.

SAINT JOHN ISLAND is much smaller in population and develop-ment than that of Saint Thomas Island. However, Cruz Bay, the largest town on the island, still offers great shops, art galleries, and dining options. The waters are a clear blue and 60 percent of the island is a national park, which makes it an ideal spot for the active trav-eler. There is no distinct gay scene on the island but they do offer commit-ment ceremonies and welcome the gay community with open-arms.

SAINT CROIX ISLAND is the biggest of the 3 gay-friendly Virgin Islands. It is less busy than Saint Thomas yet more developed than Saint John. Travelers like to visit two major

towns of this green pastures and crystal-clear water destination--Christiansted and Frederiksted. Both are distinct in character with Frederiksted being more laid-back with the island’s most popu-lar beach, Dorsch Beach. And Chris-tiansted is said to have the eye-catching views and sights. Saint Croix is also the most gay-oriented of the three islands. They have a gay hotel, gay-friendly clubs and a gay business guild. Saint Croix is the US Virgin Island that you are most likely to come across other gay travelers.

CURACAO is the only Caribbean island to publicly embrace the gay community. There isn’t any particular gay scene on the island but their “live and let-live” philosophy makes enjoying the island carefree and easy. This Carib-bean paradise has it own Gay Curacao website that lists an array of gay-friendly hotels and nightlife venues. They also produce an annual Gay Pride event in September. “It is important to us that it’s known to the gay & lesbian commu-nity that everyone is welcome in Cura-cao,” Executive Director of the Curacao Tourist Board.

SAINT MARTIN/SINT MAARTEN is the Caribbean’s small-est island that houses two different countries. St. Martin is the French

northern part of the island and St. Maarten is the Dutch southern part of the island. Nonetheless, tour-ist can move freely between both parts and each coun-try is known to be welcom-ing and gay-friendly. And although there are no distinct gay scenes on either side, there’s one gay club in St. Martin called Club Eros. In addition, there are three clothing optional beaches that are favored by gay trav-elers: Cupecoy Beach on the Dutch side and Baie Rouge and Baie Oriental on the French side.

SAINT BARTHELEMY, also known as St. Barts and St. Barths, is the most exclusive of the Caribbean Islands. The French destination is the Carib-bean travel hub for the rich and famous with A-list celebrities frequently vaca-tioning on the island. As a predomi-nantly liberal and secular vacation spot, St. Barts has also been a high sought out luxurious travel destination for the gay power-elite. There are no specified gay clubs and hotels but there are openly gay business owners and staff. St. Barts appeal is centered on its easy-going, laissez-faire vibe in which everyone is respectful and respected. Both commu-nities gay and straight comingle with no animosity or discomfort.

SABA holds the rank as the most unique Caribbean destination in both landscape and gay-friendly attributes. Unlike most all of the Caribbean islands, Saba has no major cruise-ship visits and only has one actual beach at Well’s Bay. Most vacationers come to the island for its world-class outdoor activities like snorkeling and hiking. There aren’t any gay bars and hotels on the Dutch inhab-itant but the super tiny island is the only Caribbean destination that has legal-ized Marriage Equality, which has put the town on the map as one of the gay-friendliest Caribbean islands.

BY JAMEER BAPTISTE TRAVELGAY-FRIENDLY CARIBBEAN VOYAGE

COURTESY O

F SAINT BARTH TO

URISME

St. Barth

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1) BO’S CORAL REEFArlington 201 N. 5th Ave. , Jacksonville Beach, FL

2) IN CAHOOTSDowntown 711 Edison Ave , Jacksonville, FL

3) THE METRODowntown 849 Willow Branch Ave , Jacksonville, FL

4) THE NEW BOOT RACK SALOONDowntown 4751 Lenox Ave , Jacksonville, FL

5) PARK PLACEDowntown 931 King St , Jacksonville, FL

BAR MAP

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2/27

Doobie Brothers and Marshall Tucker BandAmerican rock band The Doobie Brothers have sold more than forty million albums worldwide. Known for hits “Listen to the Music” and “Jesus Is Just Alright,” the Doobie Brothers are an American institu-tion. The Marshall Tucker Band was also popular in the 1970s, known for their massive hit “Can’t You See.” The two groups will join forc-es tonight, performing their hits. 8:00 p.m. St. Augustine Amphithe-atre. 1340 A1A South St. Saint Au-gustine. 32080.

2/28

Les MiserablesOne of the grandest musicals of our time, Les Miserables

celebrates the survival of the human spirit under the most adverse conditions. The musi-cal takes place in 19th-centruy France as Jean Valjean, a French peasant, tries to redeem his life after spending nineteen years in jail for having stolen a loaf of bread for his starving sister’s child. 7:30 p.m. Amelia Musical Playhouse. 1955 Island Walkway. Fernandina Beach. 32034.

Savion GloverThe genius behind the choreog-raphy of such famous Broadway shows as Bring in ‘Da Noise, Bring in ‘Da Funk, Savion Glover is an exuberant performer of traditional and avant-garde tap dancing. His newest show is called Stepz; it promises to fuse traditional tap and music of the past with his own style and the energy of the future. 8:00 p.m. The Florida Theatre. 128 East For-syth St. Jacksonville. 32205.

THE WEEKJACKSONVILLEBY PATRICK ROBERT

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1226 NE 4TH AVEFORT LAUDERDALE, FL 33304

954.761.1236LEATHERWERKS.COM

Copyright © 2014 The Werks Company, LLC. All Rights Reserved.Werks, LeatherWerks, PaddleWerks, Lifestyle Club, BootWerks and

“Where Leather is a Lifestyle” are Registered Trademarks ofThe Werks Company, LLC

MARCH 1-31, 2015CHECK OUT

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CALL OR TEXT ME NOW(954) 560-8330 paul@castellihomes.com

PAUL SLUTSKYREALTOR®

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www.paulslutsky.com

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1) BAXTER’S LOUNGESouth Tampa 1519 S Dale Mabry Hwy, Tampa, Fl813-258-8330

2) BODY SHOPNorth Tampa 14905 North Nebraska Ave., Tampa, FL813-971-3576

3) BRADLEY’S ON 7TH1510 E. 7th Ave, Ybor City, Tampa,FL813-241-2723

4) THE CASTLEYbor City 2004 N 16th St, Tampa, FL813-247-7547

5) CITY SIDE LOUNGESouth Tampa 3703 Henderson Blvd, Tampa, FL813-350-0600

6) ENIGMA1110 Central Ave,Saint Petersburg, FL727-235-0867

7) G-BARYbor City 1401 E 7th Ave, Tampa, FL 33605813-247-1016

8) GEORGIE’S ALIBI3100 3rd Ave N, Saint Petersburg, FL727-321-2112

9) THE HONEY POTYbor City 1507 E 7th Ave, Tampa, FL 33605813-247-4663

BAR MAP

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2/27

Margaret ChoMargaret Cho was once an All-American Girl, but that ABC sitcom’s demise led to her more edgy persona as an advocate for LGBT rights and as a brassy comedienne. She has written numerous books, including I’m the One That I Want and I Have Chosen to Stay and Fight. The openly bisexual comedienne is a sharp social satirist and often in-cludes pointed political humor in her stand-up routines. 8:00 p.m. Improv Comedy Theater. 1600 E. Eighth Ave. Tampa. 33605.

Bone Thugs-n-HarmonyThe classic hip-hop group burst onto the music scene with a string of hits off their sophomore album, E. 1999 Eternal, includ-ing “The Crossroads,” “1st of tha Month” and “East 1999.” That entire album will be played tonight, along with some of their greatest hits. They are known for their innovative harmonizing. 8:00 p.m. Jannus Live. 200 First Ave. N. St. Petersburg. 33701.

Indigo GirlsFolk rock music duo Amy Ray and Emily Saliers are the only duo to have top forty titles on the Billboard 200 in the 1980s, 1990s, 2000s, and 2010s. They are icons among the LGBT community, having come out early in their career and having worked tire-lessly for equal rights. Some of their most famous songs include “Closer to Fine,” “Galileo,” and “Power of Two.” 8:00 p.m. Ma-haffey Theater. 400 First St. S. St. Petersburg. 33701.

THE WEEKTAMPA/ST. PETE

BY PATRICK ROBERT

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BY GREGG SHAPIRO

In Dutch with English subtitles, Boys (Wolfe), aka Jungens, is an insightful exploration of the

first blush of young gay love. Teen track team mates Sieger (Gijs Blom) and Marc (Ko Zandvliet) have an immediate attraction as they train for a relay meet with fellow runners Step (Stijn Taverne) and Tom (Myron Wouts). A visit to a swimming hole cements things when the two kiss. Of course, Sieger tells Marc he’s not gay, in spite of not hesitating to kiss Marc back.

The boys’ home lives couldn’t be more different. Sieger and his older brother Eddy (Jonas Smulders), a former track star turned motorcy-cle-riding hoodlum, live with their widowed father. Eddy insists on riding a motorcycle, even though his father disapproves since the boys’ mother was killed in, you guessed it, a motorcycle accident. Marc, on the other hand, is an adoring older brother to his kid sister, and has a good relationship with his folks.

As Sieger and Marc’s relationship develops, and they can barely keep their hands off of each other, com-plications arise. There is Sieger’s possible interest in Jessica (Lotte Razoux Schultz), for example, and his obvious confusion about his feel-ings for Marc. However, a victory at an important track meet is just the thing Sieger needs to face his demons. The minimal DVD bonus features include the original trailer for the film.

Crazy Bitches (Film McQueen) is a twisted slasher comedy with an

unexpected ending twist from direc-tor/actress Jane Clark (Meth Head). Sorority sisters prissy and pearled Taylor (Samantha Colburn), preda-tory lesbian Cassie (Cathy DeBuono), smug and smart Princess (Mary Jane Wells), terminally ill Dorri (Nayo Wallace), cheated-on Alice (Victoria Profeta), woo-woo woozy

Minnie (Liz McGeever), gay guy pal BJ (Andy Gala) and Alice’s nasty sister Belinda, gather for a weekend at the Benton Estate, site of a grisly murder a few years earlier and said to be haunted by the souls of the seven girls killed there.

Combining elements of revenge killing for past hurts, ghost sto-ries, as well as references to clas-sic horror, and a healthy dose of pansexual humping, Crazy Bitches gets most of it right. It keeps us guessing as each of the characters begins dropping in ways specific to their personality. Fashion obsessed Belinda gets a stiletto heel to the eye, Taylor chokes on her pearls, hair hung-up Princess is scalped, skin color conscious BJ discovers too late that there is acid in one of his cream tubes, and so on. Be sure to pay close attention to the sub-story involving Alice’s philandering hus-band Eddie (David Fumero). Crazy Bitches refreshes a genre that was getting tired and tiresome. [Available on VOD and across all other digital platforms, in February.]

Recently out actor Ben Wishaw plays Richard, widower of Kai (Andrew

Leung), in queer writer/director Hong Khaou’s feature-length debut Lilt-ing (Strand). Together four years, Richard loses his boyfriend when Kai is struck by a car on the way to catch a bus to visit his stubborn and unassimilated mother Junn (Pei pei Cheng) in the sheltered home where she resides in London.

A complex portrait of difficult rela-tionships on par with Ira Sachs’ Love Is Strange, Lilting depicts the chal-lenges, linguistic and cultural, that arise when loss clouds everyone’s perspective. Both Richard and Junn are struggling in their own ways, which are more similar than they realize. Jealous of her son’s relation-ship with Richard, the level of which she supposedly doesn’t fully grasp, Junn, who doesn’t speak English, is miserable in her living situation. This is the case, despite of being the object of fellow resident Alan’s (Peter Bowles) affection.

In the meantime, Richard is

coming to terms with living alone in the home that he shared with Kai. Making an effort to reach out to Junn, he visits her, even going so far as to hire a translator, Vann (Naomi Christie), to help with the language barrier. But it is what is unspoken – Richard’s relationship with Kai – that is the greatest obstacle. Unbe-knownst to each other, it is their memories of Kai, seen in flashback, that truly bind Richard and Junn.

The performances in Lilting are simply awe-inspiring. The writing, while definitely on the tearjerker level, also makes subtle use of humor, giving the characters and the audience the chance to occasionally catch their breath. DVD bonus fea-tures include an interview with direc-tor Khaou, as well as Khaou’s short film “Summer,” and more.

Also out there: Cheyenne Jackson plays a gay dance instructor tango-ing with widow Gena Rowlands in Six Dance Lessons In Six Weeks, a film based on Richard Alfieri’s play of the same name, opening in Fort Lauderdale-area theaters on Feb. 27.

SCREEN SAVOR

CRAZY, LILTING BOYS

(CO

URTE

SY O

F ST

RAN

D)

Lilting

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KING A

DIFFERENCE ONE LIFE AT A TIM

E

2435 North Dixie Hwy, Wilton Manors, FL 33305

BRIANNEALFITNESS.ORG

A 501(c)3 organization providing services to fi nancially challenged people living with HIV/AIDS in Fort Lauderdale

The Brian Neal Fitness and Health Foundation

provides complimentary Health and Wellness services

to fi nancially challenged people living with HIV/AIDS

and offers a global LGBT athletic mentoring program for

amateur and professional athletes ranging from grade

school to the professional ranks.

1) BARCODES4453 Edgewater Dr, Orlando, FL407-412-6917

2) BAR LOUIE7335 West Sand Lake Road, Orlando, FL407-608-5190

3) CLUB 369 ORLANDO369 North Orange Ave, Orlando, FL407-977-2997

4) COLD KEG NIGHTCLUB4060 W. New Haven, Melbourne, FL321-724-1510

5) HANKS5026 Edgewater Dr, Orlando, FL407-291-2399

6) PARLIAMENT HOUSE410 N Orange Blossom Trail, Orlando, FL407-425-7571

7) PULSE1912 S Orange Ave, Orlando, FL407-649-3888

8) SOUTHERN NIGHTS375 S Bumby Ave, Orlando, FL407-412-5039

9) SAVOY1913 N Orange Ave, Orlando, FL407-898-6766

10) STONEWALL741 W Church St , Orlando, FL407-373-0888

11) THE ULTRA LOUNGE407 Brevard Ave, Cocoa, FL321-690-0096

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2/27

Coco MontreseLas Vegas entertainer Coco Mon-trese was one of the fourteen drag queens competing on the fifth season of Logo’s wildly popular RuPaul’s Drag Race. She placed fifth in that competition, having been on the bottom for a record four times. Tonight she will be per-forming at the Parliament House. DJ Scott Robert will be spinning the music. 10:00 p.m. Parliament House Resort and Entertainment Complex. 410 N. Orange Blossom Trail. Orlando. 32805.

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Photograph 51Rosalind Franklin’s role in the discovery of DNA’s double helix structure is often overlooked. The play Photograph 51 gives an in-triguing portrait of the intelligent and stubborn woman operating in a male-dominated field. Anna Ziegler’s play won the 3rd STAGE International Script Competition and will be performed tonight by Mad Cow Theatre. 8:00 p.m. Mad Cow Theatre. 54 W. Church St. Or-lando. 32801.

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The Elephant ManThe 1977 play by Bernard Pomer-ance tells the story of medical marvel John Merrick, a man from Victorian era England known for his extreme body deformities. A David Lynch film based on the play has become a cult classic. One of the highlights of the play is the skill involved in playing Merrick—no prosthetics are used to show his deformities, only the actor’s physicality. 7:30 p.m. Lowndes Shakespeare Center. 812 E. Rollins St. Orlando. 32803.

THE WEEKORLANDO

BY PATRICK ROBERT

SCREEN SAVOR

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