September 30, 2015 local name vol. 6 // issue 39 global coverage s o u t h f l o r i d a g a y n e wsw s Jimmy Olsen, Cub Reporter Gay TV icon passes away SFGN takes part in annual lgbt history month Pages 23 - 24, 26, 28 - 29 Southern Comfort Conference begins, page 13 • RentBoy coalition, Page 20 • Reverse Quinceanera, Page 30 SOUTHFLORIDAGAYNEWS SOFLAGAYNEWS SFGN.COM SouthFloridaGayNews.com Comments from SFGN’s THE OPENING LINE online outlets SEPTEMBER 30, 2015 • VOLUME 6 • ISSUE 39 Compiled by John McDonald 2520 N. DIXIE HIGHWAY •WILTON MANORS, FL 33305 PHONE: 954-530-4970 FAX: 954-530-7943 Photos: Facebook. PUBLISHER • NORM KENT Justice Antonin Scalia on HUCKABEE CONDEMNS [email protected] CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER • PIER ANGELO GUIDUGLI same-sex marriage ruling ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER /EXECUTIVE EDITOR • "the furthest imaginable RAINBOW COLORED DORITOS JASON PARSLEY extension of the Supreme Court [email protected] doing whatever it wants." Editorial Sandy McLendon – ART DIRECTOR • BRENDON LIES [email protected] Luimar Zibetti Garza – Good grief! We DESIGNER • MARTIN GOULD sorta like civil rights, black have issues with [email protected] and white marriage, suffrage income, health DESIGNER • CHARLES PRATT - all rather "irrelevant" issues care, immigration, INTERNET DIRECTOR • DENNIS JOZEFOWICZ - even for a LIVING document tax reform and the [email protected] as IS the Constitution. yousa EDITORIAL ASSISTANT • JILLIAN MELERO abringa chame to dee italian environment, and [email protected] Photo Credit: Gage Skidmore. ancestree Scalia!!! Mama Italia is a weepin' THIS is all Mike ARTS/ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR • JW ARNOLD *pinches your bulbous and Santa Clause Huckabee can find [email protected] jowling cheeks* to talk about - dyed NEWS EDITOR •JOHN MCDONALD [email protected] Doritos? Get a Senior Features Correspondents Daniel Nistal – freaking GRIP, Mister! JESSE MONTEAGUDO • TONY ADAMS I compare the ruling with the abolition of Food/Travel Editor RICK KARLIN slavery ruling Robb Kvašnák – Michael d'Oliveira – Correspondents he just wants to get I'm dissapointed in Huckabee. It took DORI ZINN •ANDREA RICHARD • DONALD CAVANAUGH Bill Cox – frito-layd him way too long to jump on this. His CHRISTIANA LILLY • DENISE ROYAL • SEAN MCSHEE GARY KRAMER • DAVID-ELIJAH NAHMOD No, I would say that homophobia must be getting slow. "the furthest imaginable Contributing Columnists BRIAN MCNAUGHT • DANA RUDOLPH • WAYNE BESEN extension of the Supreme RIC REILY •STEVE SILER •BIL BROWNING Court doing whatever it TERRI SCHLICHENMEYER wants" was bestowing person-hood to an Michael Sam Staff Photographers artificial commercial construct. J.R. DAVIS • POMPANO BILL • STEVEN SHIRES Says His Sexuality Kept Him Out of The NFL Sales & Marketing DIRECTOR OF SALES &MARKETING • MIKE TROTTIER [email protected] Jordon Dahlgren – SALES MANAGER • JUSTIN WYSE I think he'll be ok. some smart progressive [email protected] corporation will give him a job. perhaps as ADVERTISING SALES ASSOCIATE • EDWIN NEIMANN a sportscaster. I see money in his future. [email protected] ADVERTISING SALES ASSOCIATE • CINDY CURTIS [email protected] ADVERTISING SALES ASSOCIATE • JIM ALBRIGHT Rj Petrucci – [email protected] He needs to stop talking about it and just SALES ASSISTANT • DEVON WOODS play football. Starting to come off a bit [email protected] it: Erik Daniel Drost. delusional and self serving. d DISTRIBUTION SERVICES •BRIAN SWINFORD e r C NATIONAL ADVERTISING o t o h RIVENDELL MEDIA 212-242-6863 P @RIVENDELLMEDIA.COM Patrick Smith – SALES He got cut from the teams because ACCOUNTING SERVICES BY CG BOOKKEEPING he's not all that good. That's it. Cover: SFGN participates in Philadelphia Gay News' annual History Month. Art by Phil Noto. South Florida Gay News is published weekly. The opinions expressed in columns, stories, and letters to the editor do not Out Now! represent the opinions of SFGN, or the Publisher. You should not presume the sexual orientation of individuals based on their names or pictorial representations. Furthermore the word “gay” in SFGN should be interpreted to be inclusive of the entire LGBT community. All of the material/columns that appears in print and online, including articles used in conjunction with the AP, is protected under federal copyright and intellectual property laws, and is jealously guarded by the newspaper. Nothing published may be reprinted in whole or PICK UP YOUR COPY part without getting written consent from the Publisher, at his law office, at [email protected]. SFGN, as a private corporation, ON A STAND NEAR YOU! Associated Press reserves the right to enforce its own standards regarding the THEMIRRORMAG.COM suitability of advertising copy, illustrations and photographs. Copyright © 2015 South Florida Gay News.com, Inc. 2 • 9.30.2015 NewsBriefs Compiled by Jillian Melero hicago Mom Wants Louganis on ouse Committee Votes Down Measure CWheaties Box Hto Help Gay Vets Photos: Facebook. (SFGN) A federal amendment to protect "As federal representatives and as LGBT veterans’ spousal benefits failed in members of the House Veterans’ Affairs the House Committee. Committee, we have a responsibility to care According to a report in the Washington for our nation’s veterans and their families, Blade, “The House Committee on Veterans gay or straight," Titus said. "Today we had an (Change.org) Julie Sondgerath, a of the Wheaties Box because he didn’t Affairs rejected the amendment, which opportunity to put this issue behind us and Chicago mom, will deliver more than match their 1980’s vision of a "wholesome was along the lines of the Veteran Spouses move forward to concentrate on the many 40,000 signatures to General Mills demographic.” Equal Treatment Act, by a vote of 10-12. The challenges facing our nation’s veterans. Rest headquarters in Minneapolis from calling “Greg was diving's superstar and measure would have changed definition of assured I will not back down in this fight for for gay Olympic diver Greg Louganis to be Swimming World named him ‘The spouse under Title 38 to clarify that not all equality. There are those who continue to honored on the cover of the Wheaties Box. Greatest Diver Ever.’ At the time, General spouses are persons of a different sex.” stand in the way of progress; but remember, Louganis wrote an op-ed last week calling Mills explained Louganis did not meet Rep. Dina Titus (D-Nev.), introduced the the arc of the moral universe is long and it for Wheaties to change their stance, and their ‘wholesome demographics’ to grace measure as an amendment to the American bends toward justice.” Will Sweeney and Cheryl Furjanic, the the cover of the famed coveted Wheaties Heroes COLA Act, which seeks generally It's wasn't immediately clear what impact creators of the documentary, “Back on box. Greg Louganis deserves (still) to be to increase compensation for veterans as the legislation would have at this point if it Board” which inspired Sondgerath to start on the cover of the Wheaties box. And benefits under Title II of the Social Security became law because full spousal veterans her petition, have also voiced support for with marriage equality passing in June of Act increase, the Blade reports. benefits are now flowing to eligible married Sondgerath’s campaign. 2015, what a great way to pay it forward to In a statement, Titus called the vote "a same-sex couples across the country Sondgerath will call on General Mills Greg and all of his accomplishments,” said slap in face" to gay and lesbian service following the U.S. Supreme Court ruling in to “right the wrong” and honor Louganis, Sondgerath. members who've served the country and favor of marriage equality nationwide, said who was excluded from the iconic cover their spouses. the report. 9.30.2015 • 3 Continued Compiled by Jillian Melero palmBeachCountyCommission strengthensLocalCivilrightsprotections (PBCHRC) Palm Beach County Commissioners accommodation in 1973. Over the years, the ordinance voted unanimously to expand civil rights protections has been rewritten to include discrimination based for minorities by amending the definition of "places on race, sex, color, religion, national origin, disability, of public accommodation" in the Palm Beach County familial status, sexual orientation, age, marital status, Ordinance for Equal Opportunity to Housing and Places and gender identity or expression. of Public Accommodation. However, for more than three decades, instances of "When I looked at the antidiscrimination ordinances public accommodation discrimination were strictly that had been in effect in Palm Beach County over limited to only those which occurred in places offering the years, it became clear that our law needed to be lodging, food service or entertainment in the ordinance. updated to better protect minorities," said County At the meeting, the County Commissioners widely Commissioner Mary Lou Berger. "In light of all that is expanded the definition of public accommodation happening with race relations across our nation, this is to include retail stores, schools, day care and senior the appropriate time for the County Commission to take centers, medical offices, funeral homes, bakeries, a strong, proactive stand against discrimination." laundromats and virtually all other places of business While a majority of states have long prohibited throughout the county. discrimination of any kind in retail establishments, The new ordinance does take into account the special Florida is not one of them. rights of churches and private clubs by exempting both Palm Beach County first enacted an ordinance religious and distinctly private organizations from the to prohibit discrimination in places of public ordinance. Photo: Facebook. udge grants Jenner's Request to x-U of Minn. Duluth Coaches utin Calls Elton John, Promises to JLegally Change Name, Gender EFile Discrimination Lawsuit PMeet With Him (AP) A judge has approved Caitlyn Jenner's request to make (AP) Three former University of Minnesota Duluth Russian President Vladimir Putin has called British her name and gender change official.