Lifetime Unveils 'The Christmas Setup'
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LOCAL NAME GLOBAL COVERAGE DECEMBER 3, 2020 VOL. 11 // ISSUE 48 FILMS FOR THE PAGE 30 ‘HOLIGAY’ LIFETIME UNVEILS ‘THE CHRISTMAS SETUP’ SOUTHFLORIDAGAYNEWS @SFGN SFGN.COM SouthFloridaGayNews.com @SFGN December 3, 2020 • Volume 11 • Issue 48 2520 N. Dixie Highway • Wilton Manors, FL 33305 Phone: 954-530-4970 Fax: 954-530-7943 Publisher • Norm Kent [email protected] SOUTH FLORIDA GAY NEWS Associate Publisher / Executive Editor • Jason Parsley [email protected] OUR ROCKING AND ROLLING Editorial COMING Art Director • Brendon Lies [email protected] Webmaster • Kimberly Swan [email protected] SOON REAL ESTATE ISSUE Arts/Entertainment Editor • J.W. Arnold [email protected] Food/Travel Editor • Rick Karlin Gazette News Editor • John McDonald HIV Editor • Sean McShee Senior Photographer • J.R. 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BY PIER GUIDUGLI AND NORM KENT South Florida Gay News is published weekly. The opinions expressed in columns, stories, and letters to the editor do not represent the opinions of SFGN, or the Publisher. You should not COVER 1: Ben Lewis and Blake Lee in “The Christmas Setup.” Photo courtesy of Lifetime. presume the sexual orientation of individuals based on their names or pictorial representations. Furthermore the word “gay” in SFGN COVER 2: John Lennon statue in Havana, Cuba. Photo credit: Christopher Hughes, CC BY-SA 3.0 US. should be interpreted to be inclusive of the entire LGBT community. All of the material/columns that appears in print and online, including articles used in conjunction with the AP, is protected under federal copyright and intellectual property laws, and is jealously guarded by the newspaper. Nothing published may be reprinted in whole or part without getting written consent from the Publisher, at his law office, at [email protected]. SFGN, as a private corporation, reserves the right to enforce its own standards regarding the suitability of advertising copy, illustrations and photographs. Associated Press Copyright © 2020 South Florida Gay News.com, Inc. 2 • 12.3.2020 12.3.2020 • 3 NEWS LOCAL PRIDE FORT LAUDERDALE HIRES NEW EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Longtime non-profit staffer Kevin Clevenger takes lead as Pride eyes 2021 with new ideas Damon Scott he pandemic’s sting in 2020 was York City that began on June 28, 1969 — it’s devastating for those who produce a no longer confined to those 30 days as there Twide array of gay Pride events. It was has been a generally growing acceptance and also more than disappointing for those who wider audience for such events. excitedly attend each year. It’s a trend that Pride Fort Lauderdale now COVID-19 has caused practically all Pride wants to use to its advantage because of the events to be postponed — but particularly uncertainty of the pandemic. large gatherings — and it has also pushed The organization named a new executive organizers to rethink operations for next year director in October — Kevin J. Clevenger — and beyond. and unveiled new ways to keep supporters Pride Fort Lauderdale was set to mark a engaged throughout the year. significant milestone in April — the very Clevenger is well-known as the tireless month the state instituted lockdown measures. events and fundraising coordinator for the The inaugural Pride of the Americas would nonprofit Poverello Center, a position he held have been a weeklong festival for many years. He was the heft from April 21-26, featuring a behind many events, including fashion show, concerts, parties, a reboot of stalwart fundraisers conferences, a beach festival and “ALL THOSE like “Bowling to Fight Hunger.” a parade down A1A. “All those years at Poverello Kevin Clevenger and Pride Fort Lauderdale have It was an ambitious YEARS AT prepared me for this,” Clevenger introduced changes for next year. Courtesy photo. collaboration between Pride said. Fort Lauderdale and the Greater POVERELLO Clevenger was also the Fort Lauderdale Convention and development director for The ‘PRIDE 365,’ SCHOLARSHIPS normally donates back thousands of dollars to Visitors Bureau. It would have PREPARED Smart Ride, a popular bike nonprofits each year. He wants to keep giving replaced the traditional Pride ride that benefits HIV/AIDS Clevenger and other Pride leaders recently by launching a new scholarship program. Fort Lauderdale for the year. ME FOR organizations. participated in a weekend of strategic planning “My vision is to provide educational The momentum was in place He’s a social media guru, too to talk about ways to move forward while it’s scholarships for traditional and nontraditional for a blockbuster event. THIS.” — growing online audiences and still not known what the future of large live LGBTQ students, including allies,” he said. Miik Martorell, the president - Kevin Clevenger leading website redesign. events will be. “Strong fundraising for education, with an of Pride Fort Lauderdale, had just NEW EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF Clevenger spent 13 years doing The organization has instituted “Pride 365,” emphasis on the medical professions.” PRIDE FORT LAUDERDALE come off a successful 2019 event promotional tours — as a tour which gives Pride Fort Lauderdale a year-round Clevenger said he hears people in their 30s (Feb. 21-24) which brought more manager and truck driver — at event and fundraising schedule to work from. and 40s say there aren’t any readily available than 120,000 visitors to the city and a first-ever events, fairs and festivals. “Normally Pride is just one or two weeks of scholarships that allow them to go back to Pride parade along Fort Lauderdale Beach. Indeed, his experience coalesces nicely with events,” Clevenger, who is a native Floridian, school. The scholarships will be targeted to The focus had then turned to April 2020 and the goals of Pride Fort Lauderdale — where he said. “Pride 365 will include mixers, meetups, that demographic as well as younger students. Pride of the Americas, which is designed to has been a volunteer since 2016, most recently BBQs, dining out events, food — in the same He added that Pride Fort Lauderdale would rotate to a different international destination serving as the vendor marketplace director. vein as the South Beach Wine and Food also do outreach to transgender and Black every two years. “Kevin is dedicated to the community, Fest — and a fashion show. We’re already individuals who drop out of high school to Pride of the Americas was postponed in volunteering at numerous organizations and working on planning these events — new “give them a safe space to earn a GED.” March, just as organizers were anticipating as helping to feed the community for the past and unique. COVID-19 is not going to go In addition, Clevenger expects there to soon many as 350,000 visitors to the area. The hope several months throughout COVID,” the away anytime soon. It will diminish, but not be a reworked Pride Fort Lauderdale website was then to have it in the fall. Plans are to now organization said in an Oct. 19 announcement. go away completely even when the vaccine is with all the new information. In the meantime, host it Nov. 20-21, 2021. The organizations under Clevenger’s available.” he said, the organization’s Facebook page is umbrella are Pride Fort Lauderdale, Pride of the Clevenger said Pride Fort Lauderdale active and up-to-date. NEW LEADER, FAMILIAR FACE Americas 2021, Trans Pride Fort Lauderdale and Caribbean PrideFest. For more information, and to buy Pride-inspired masks and flags While Pride month is officially celebrated (Pride Fort Lauderdale is the name of the each June — chosen because of the event that is produced by the Greater Fort go to PrideFortLauderdale.org. To access the group on Facebook, significance of the Stonewall riots in New Lauderdale Pride organization.) go to facebook.com/pridefortlauderdale. 4 • 12.3.2020 12.3.2020 • 5 NEWS LOCAL OF SNAPSHOTS THE WEEK From your life... into our pages! SFGN takes a special look at a community that is slowly waking up after a long and devastating summer. Stratton Pulitzer and Christopher Scott Boykin celebrate a moment where they met, in Key West, 27 years ago. Photo via Facebook. Nikki Barnes celebrates her birthday with the dapper Percy Johnson, a well-known politician. Photo via Facebook. Kristian Cosme celebrates his 21st birthday last Saturday with Fab Scout’s Howard Andrews. Photo via Facebook. 6 • 12.3.2020 12.3.2020 • 7 NEWS INTERNATIONAL BY AVRAHAM FORREST AROUND EXPLORING LGBT NEWS EVENTS ACROSS THE WORLD THE GLOBE OCEANIA AFRICA INDONESIA REJECTS LGBT APPLICANTS LGBT COMMUNITY HIT HARD BY FOR CIVIL SERVICE POSITIONS #ENDSARS PROTESTS IN NIGERIA NoStringsNG, a Nigerian site that In Indonesia, the Attorney General’s Illustration credit: Indonesian Government. An End SARS protest. Photo credit: TobiJamesCandids. Office is receiving criticism for rejecting promotes and supports the LGBT LGBT applicants for civil service positions, community, provided financial assistance the Jakarta Post reported. to those impacted by the #EndSARS When questioned about the rejections, protests, the African Human Rights AGO spokesperson Mukri said the office Media Network reported.