See Story GLSEN: School Harassment Man Leaves Entire See Story on page 19 Affects College Plans Estate to APFL on page 10 New Theatre Group Formed in Wilton Manors First Production Is Musical Revue December 15, 2003 Volume 4, Number 50 See story on page Q4 Gay Bashing on the High Seas Two Members of GLBT Travel Group Assaulted on Royal Caribbean Ship By Dan Aiello people up by the front door calling people Local Correspondent ‘fucking faggots.’ I asked the bartenders to Two members of a gay and lesbian group call security. The bartenders were pretty blasé traveling aboard Royal Caribbean’s cruise about the whole thing, but eventually they ship Monarch of the Seas sustained serious called them.” injuries after being attacked by two “It took security several minutes to heterosexual couples on a three-day cruise. arrive,” Garrod says. By the time they did The victims and witnesses of the attack say arrive, Garrod said he had been pushed to the altercation occurred solely because the the ground by the two women, who began assailants believed the victims to be kicking him in the face and head. According homosexual. to friend Matthew Moore, the two men almost Steve Garrod, 27, of Seattle and J. immediately joined in the attack, punching Gardner, 34, of California were traveling with and kicking Garrod, who is 5 feet 7 inches tall Outcruising.com, a GLBT travel group, on a and weight 140 pounds. “I just thought to three-day Halloween cruise from Los protect my head and hoped that it would Angeles to Ensenada. The ship left Los stop,” said Garrod, who suffered multiple Angeles Oct. 31. According to Garrod, the lacerations to his head and face, bruises to following evening after a masquerade party, his body and learned later that the attack the group was in one of the ship’s bars when had resulted in a broken facial bone behind two heterosexual couples began harassing his nose. members of the group, calling them “fucking The attack stopped only after security faggots.” arrived. Monarch of the Seas security staff “I was dancing with my friend Matt then took the assailants outside the bar to Steve Garrod of Seattle suffered multiple lacerations to his head and face and bruises when we heard that someone was harassing “ask them questions,” Garrod said. Gardner to his body after being attacked and called a “faggot” by four people on Royal other members of the group,” said Garrod. went outside to see if security needed any Caribbean’s Monarch of the Seas. Garrod was part of a group of 100 gay and lesbian “We went to the bar and saw these four See GAY BASHING on page 19 passengers on the ship. His female friend was also attacked and seriously injured. ArtsUnited to establish its Arts Dispute Explodes 501(C)(3) nonprofit status and providing funding for the group. Local Groups Say ArtServe Has Strayed from its Mission He said ArtsUnited planned to By Phil LaPadula on Sunrise Boulevard for two years in a row. In directors, objecting to the continue its membership in Managing Editor 2001, the event drew a crowd of 700, and in gay group’s exclusion. “We ArtServe even though he and ArtsUnited will have to find a new venue 2002 it “produced the largest audience of any are greatly concerned and other members are very upset for its popular Art Explosion event after the event at ArtServe that year,” according to dismayed that ArtServe’s about what they see as county agency ArtServe denied the gay Chuck Williams, president of ArtsUnited. But 2004 Gallery Calendar ArtServe’s “mission creep.” group’s request to reserve the Sunrise this year when ArtsUnited contacted ArtServe includes very few exhibits by “It was my understanding Boulevard space where the show has been about reserving the space for four weeks, the organization members,” that they were established as an Chris Yoculan, vice incubator for nonprofit held for the past two years. Art Explosion group was told that the Gallery Committee had Williams wrote. “We are president of ArtsUnited organizers are close to signing a deal to hold already approved the schedule and that outraged that the gay and organizations, just like the other the event at Hagen Park in Wilton Manors ArtsUnited was not included on it. lesbian community has been effectively seven in the country,” Yoculan said. “In the and have set a tentative date of March 8 for In a letter dated Nov. 30, ArtsUnited excluded.” past year or year and a half, their mission has Art Explosion 2004. president Chuck Williams wrote to Alan Chris Yoculan, vice president of changed, their direction has changed.” Meanwhile, smoldering differences Koslow, chairman of ArtServe’s board of ArtsUnited, credited ArtServe with helping See ARTS DISPUTE on page 10 between local arts groups and ArtServe have exploded into a full-fledged rift. Besides criticism from ArtsUnited, board members of High-Ranking Brass Denounce Gay Ban the Broward Art Guild and a former ArtServe employee have also painted a picture of a Two Generals, Admiral Disclose Their Homosexuality bureaucratic organization that is out of touch NEW YORK (AP) — Two brigadier military officials to disclose their sexual who retired in 1991, said no one knew he with the real needs of artists and struggling generals and a rear admiral—all retired— orientation, the Times said. was gay during his 32 years of military local arts groups. Critics complain that ArtServe disclosed that they are gay and The Servicemembers Legal Defense service. has recently changed its mission from serving denounced the U.S. military’s “don’t ask, Network, a gay rights group that monitors “I suppressed my desires, and didn’t as an incubator for nonprofit art groups to don’t tell” policy in interviews with The military justice, made the officers available allow myself to be who I am because there focusing on individual memberships and theme New York Times. to the newspaper as part of the group’s plans was too much at stake,” Richard said in his shows. They also contend that frequent staff In a story published by the to mark a decade since the policy was put in interview with the newspaper. changes and leadership turnover at ArtServe newspaper Dec. 10, Army Brig. Gens. place by President Clinton on Nov. 30, 1993. The Servicemembers Legal Defense make it difficult to deal with the organization. Keith Kerr and Virgil Richard and Coast “Because gays and lesbians are required Network said nearly 10,000 men and women They further complain that the organization Guard Rear Adm. Alan Steinman said the to serve in silence and in celibacy, the policy have been discharged from the military for does not have enough artists or people with policy effectively excludes gays from is almost impossible to follow,” Steinman told being gay under “don’t ask, don’t tell.” art degrees on staff or in management military service and forced them to the Times. “It has been effectively a ban.” The Bush administration and the positions. deceive friends and family. He said he did not tell his family he was Pentagon have said there are no plans to ArtsUnited held its annual Art Explosion The men were the highest-ranking gay until after he retired in 1997. Richard, abandon the policy. event at ArtServe’s space at the county library www.ExpressGayNews.com • December 15, 2003 1 December 15, 2003 Volume 4, Number 50 Issue 159 Managing Editor Phil LaPadula [email protected] Arts & Entertainment Editor Broward News Page 6 Mary Damiano [email protected] Artists Capture ‘Spirit of the Features Editor Andy Zeffer [email protected] Season’ at Stonewall Library EDITORIAL Sales and Marketing Manager AIDS Exhibit and Sale Raise Money for AIDS Project Florida Kevin Hopper [email protected] Account Executives National News Page 1012 Craig Combs [email protected] Anthony Verrico Marriage or Bust? [email protected] Daniel Wasinger Some Advocates Say Civil Unions [email protected] Classifieds Manager Are ‘Separate and Unequal’ Ralph Lankford [email protected] National Sales Representatives Expressions Page 23 Rivendell Media 212.242.6863 The Confessions of a Barebacker Publisher Unite Media LLC. 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