LOCAL NAME GLOBAL COVERAGE JANUARY 7, 2021 VOL. 12 // ISSUE 1 PERSON OF THE YEAR SHEVRIN JONES THE RECENTLY ELECTED STATE SENATOR IS A TRAILBLAZING POLITICIAN PAGE 12 SOUTHFLORIDAGAYNEWS @SFGN SFGN.COM NEWS HIGHLIGHT SouthFloridaGayNews.com @SFGN January 7, 2021 • Volume 12 • Issue 1 2520 N. Dixie Highway • Wilton Manors, FL 33305 Phone: 954-530-4970 Fax: 954-530-7943 Publisher • Norm Kent CONVERSION THERAPY BAN [email protected] Associate Publisher / Executive Editor • Jason Parsley [email protected] ARGUED IN COURT BATTLE Editorial Art Director • Brendon Lies [email protected] John McDonald Webmaster • Kimberly Swan [email protected] Social Media Director • Christiana Lilly Arts/Entertainment Editor • J.W. Arnold he City of Fort Lauderdale joined an [email protected] amicus brief calling for a rehearing on Food/Travel Editor • Rick Karlin the issue of youth conversion therapy. Gazette News Editor • John McDonald T HIV Editor • Sean McShee Vice Mayor Steve Glassman brought Senior Photographer • J.R. Davis up the issue at the commission’s Dec. 15 [email protected] meeting. City attorney Alain Boileau asked Senior Feature Columnists for a consensus from the five-member Brian McNaught • Jesse Monteagudo commission. Mayor Dean Trantalis and Correspondents District 4 Commissioner Ben Sorensen Dori Zinn • Donald Cavanaugh joined Glassman in voicing support for the Christiana Lilly • John McDonald city to defend its ban on conversion therapy. Denise Royal • David-Elijah Nahmod The ban is part of a comprehensive human Contributing Columnists rights ordinance ushered in by Glassman, Pier Angelo • Terri Schlichenmeyer Dana Rudolph • Ric Reily who represents District 2. Commissioners Heather Moraitis and Associate Photographers Carina Mask • Steven Shires Robert McKinzie did not voice an opinion on the matter. Sales & Marketing Fort Lauderdale joins Miami Beach, Wilton For ad placement in SFGN, Manors other South Florida municipalities contact 954-530-4970 in the amicus brief in Sales Manager • Justin Wyse support of the petition filed [email protected] by Palm Beach County and FORT LAUDERDALE JOINS Senior Advertising Associate • Edwin Neimann [email protected] Boca Raton for an en banc MIAMI BEACH, WILTON review of their authority to Advertising Associate • Thom Burnham prohibit conversion therapy MANORS OTHER SOUTH Distribution Services • Noah Lebel on minors. FLORIDA MUNICIPALITIES Last November a three- IN THE AMICUS BRIEF IN Sales Consultant • Charles A. Reid judge panel struck down National Advertising the bans, ruling in favor SUPPORT OF THE PETITION Rivendell Media 212-242-6863 [email protected] of anti-LGBT therapists FILED BY PALM BEACH Robert Otto and Julie Steve Glassman, Fort Lauderdale Vice Mayor. Photo via Steve Glassman, Facebook. Accounting Services by CG Bookkeeping COUNTY AND BOCA RATON Printing by Stuart Web Inc. Hamilton on the grounds of FOR AN EN BANC REVIEW free speech. right to act to protect their Paley cited research from the American Meanwhile, the Trevor OF THEIR AUTHORITY TO young LGBTQ residents Journal of Public Health showing LGBT Project, the American PROHIBIT CONVERSION from its well-documented youth ages 13 to 24 were more than twice SFGN WINNER of Foundation for Suicide THERAPY ON MINORS. harms. We are hopeful as likely to report having attempted suicide & 5 FLORIDA PRESS CLUB Awards Prevention and the that the 11th Circuit will after undergoing conversion therapy. And runner-up for American Association for act en banc to reverse this “We are proud to file this brief together NLGJA Journalist of the Year Suicidology have also asked for a rehearing of outlier decision that would put LGBTQ youth with other leading suicide prevention Otto v. City of Boca Raton. back in harm’s way,” said Amit Paley, CEO organizations to send a united message that SOUTH FLORIDA GAY NEWS.COM, INC. “Conversion therapy is an extremely and executive director of The Trevor Project, legal protections from conversion therapy are — — dangerous practice, and governments are in a press release dated Dec. 21. necessary to save young lives.” FOUNDED, DECEMBER, 2009 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 presume the sexual orientation of individuals based on their names COVER: Shevrin Jones. Photo courtesy of the Shevrin Jones Campaign. 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 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 © 2021 South Florida Gay News.com, Inc. 2 • 1.7.2021 1.7.2021 • 3 NEWS INTERNATIONAL BY AVRAHAM FORREST AROUND EXPLORING LGBT NEWS EVENTS ACROSS THE WORLD THE GLOBE EUROPE AFRICA POLAND LGBT SHELTER RECEIVES LGBT PERSECUTION, ARRESTS FUNDING FROM CITY AUTHORITIES CONTINUE IN SENEGAL In Senegal, a young man was arrested A hostel in Krakow, Poland is the first A gathering outside Fundacja Głos Serca. Photo via Facebook. Police in Senegal. Photo credit: Rignese, via Wikipedia. LGBT shelter to receive support in a for his suspected sexual orientation, the nation notoriously combative against the African Human Rights Media Network queer community, the Associated Press reported. Though persecution in the reported. West African country is unfortunately 184,000 zlotys — the equivalent of common, the young man represents the $50,000 — came from Krakow authorities 37th arrest since just September. to support Fundacja Głos Serca (The Voice The arrest occurred on Dec. 28, the of the Heart Foundation), the AP reported. AHRMN reported. The hostel was established to shelter A spokesperson for the Free Collective, people experiencing homelessness from an LGBT rights advocate, said the man’s discrimination, according to the Głos arrest was based solely on his gender Serca website. identity, the AHRMN reported. well, the AHRMN reported. Twelve people can be accommodated The young man was arrested in Touba, ADHEOS, a French LGBT rights in the shelter at a time, according to the embassy and the Krakow Music Box, a holy city patrolled by Islamist religious group, demanded a travel ban against website. Rooms contain beds, furniture, a according to the website. militias and steeped in homophobia, the Serigne Cheikh lo Gabou, the head of kitchen and bathrooms. A shelter in Warsaw will also be offered AHRMN reported. the religious police force, in an open The Głos Serca Foundation started in city money, the AP reported. Warsaw The Safinatoul Amane — a religious letter sent to the French minister of the Krakow in 2014, and has other projects Mayor Rafał Trzaskowski signed a pro- police force in Touba — are seeking out interior on Sept. 30, AHRMN reported. such as a community garden, cooperation LGBT declaration in 2019. friends of the arrested young man as NORTH AMERICA ASIA UGANDAN TRANS WOMAN RECEIVES MISS UNIVERSE NEPAL FEATURES ADVOCACY AWARD IN CANADA FIRST TRANSGENDER FINALIST In Toronto, Canada, Christopher Angel Lama has become the first Angel Lama. Photo via @angels_do_existss, Instagram. Nkambwe, a transgender woman born Christopher transgender finalist in the Miss Universe in Uganda, won the 2020 Steinert & Nkambwe. Nepal pageant, Reuters reported. Ferreiro Award from the Community One Photo Lama was crowned Miss Pink Nepal Foundation, the African Human Rights courtesy of in 2018 after competing in an LGBT Media Network reported. The award Christopher pageant, Reuters reported. celebrates advocates who have contributed Nkambwe. Nepal is among less than a dozen to the Canadian LGBT community. countries who accept transgender In Nkambwe’s acceptance speech, she contestants in national beauty pageants, said she would use the $10,000 cash prize organizations, the AHRMN reported. Reuters reported. to purchase office materials like laptops for “All individuals who have made a “Identify as a woman? You are her team members in the African Centre significant contribution through the welcome,” according to the Miss transgender communities as well. For Refugees, provide personal protective arts and sciences in promoting the Universe Nepal website. Nepal’s Supreme Court enacted equipment to team members in Toronto understanding and acceptance of lesbian, New pageant management relaxed measures to ensure equal LGBT rights and to bring together LGBT activists from gay, bisexual, transgender, transsexual, height, weight and appearance requirements in 2007, elected a gay legislator in 2008 the Caribbean and the continent of Africa. intersex, queer and two-spirited and opened participation to any woman and held its first Pride parade in 2010, Nkambe got her start in Uganda as the communities in the Greater Toronto Area between 18 and 28, Reuters reported. Reuters reported. executive director and founder of Service are eligible to be nominated,” according to Nepal law recognizes transgender Anshika Sharma was crowned Miss Workers in Group Foundation Uganda and