local name global coverage August 29, 2018 vol. 9 // issue 35 OUT AND LOUD HOUSE REP. COMES OUT Page 2 LESBIANS WHO TECH • PAGE 12 CUBAN YOUTUBERS • PAGES 14, 15 VATICAN SHOCKER • PAGES 22, 23 SOUTHFLORIDAGAYNEWS @SFGN SFGN.COM NEWS highlight SouthFloridaGayNews.com @SFGN August 29, 2018 • Volume 9 • Issue 35 2520 N. Dixie Highway • Wilton Manors, FL 33305 FLORIDA HOUSE REP. SHEVRIN Phone: 954-530-4970 Fax: 954-530-7943 Publisher • Norm Kent [email protected] Chief Executive Offi cer • Pier Angelo Guidugli JONES COMES OUT [email protected] Jones is the fi rst gay black man in the Florida House. He represents Associate Publisher / Executive Editor • Jason Parsley Dylan Bouscher West Park, Pembroke Pines and Hallandale Beach. [email protected] Editorial hevrin Jones is a three-time Florida Shevrin Jones. Art Director • Brendon Lies [email protected] state House representative and Digital Content Director • Brittany Ferrendi Spreacher’s son — and now openly gay. [email protected] Jones, 34, is now the same age his older Copyeditor • Kerri Covington brother was when he died last year of a Arts/Entertainment Editor • JW Arnold [email protected] pulmonary embolism. He told the Miami Social Media Manager • Tucker Berardi Herald that contributed to his realization that tberardi@ufl .edu he wanted to start “living my truth just a little Food/Travel Editor • Rick Karlin Gazette News Editor • Sallie James bit more.” HIV Editor • Sean McShee He told his brother, who died one year ago Senior Photographer • J.R. Davis on Sunday Sept. 2, he was thankful to not be [email protected] judged. Senior Features Correspondents “There’s not a second that goes by that I Jesse Monteagudo • don’t think about him. It’s the love of people Correspondents and those things that has helped us through Dori Zinn • Donald Cavanaugh • Christiana Lilly • all of this.” Denise Royal • David-Elijah Nahmod Jones, who takes blood thinners for a Contributing Columnists Brian McNaught • Dana Rudolph • Ric Reily • Terri similar condition his brother experienced, Schlichenmeyer maintains that his family supports him even Associate Photographers if they do not support the lifestyle. Carina Mask • Pompano Bill • Steven Shires “My family has been very loving and just want the best for their child and I don’t want Sales & Marketing anyone to confuse that with my parents’ Jones lives in Hollywood with his partner, serve in the Florida House of Representatives. For ad placement in SFGN, support of the lifestyle,” Jones said. “My who has quietly been introduced to friends In 2012 two openly gay men were elected contact 954-530-4970 parents are very conservative Christians, and colleagues. When Jones took offi ce to the House, David Richardson and Joe Sales Manager • Justin Wyse [email protected] and they have their beliefs and I respect their in 2013 he was married to a woman. They Saunders. A third gay man, Carlos Guillermo- Senior Advertising Associate • Edwin Neimann beliefs, but they love their son.” divorced in 2015. Smith, was elected in 2016. [email protected] Jones’ father delivers sermons at Koinonia He chose to come out by allowing Equality Daniel Sohn, town commissioner in Senior Advertising Associate • Clark Rogers Worship Center in Hollywood, where he Florida, the largest LGBT rights organization Haverhill, applauded Jones’ decision to come [email protected] Advertising Sales Associate • Kewan Smith added that he has not faced bullying or in the state, to include him on its list of out. Sohn, elected earlier this year in the Palm [email protected] harassment as a result of coming out. But he’s openly gay endorsed candidates. Beach County town, also identifi es as LGBT. Advertising Sales Associate • Anthony Pennetti no stranger to judgement and mixed signals Jones won a seat to the state House in June “Shev has overcome so many personal [email protected] either. in his fourth consecutive election without challenges the last few years,” Sohn said. Distribution Services • Rocky Bowell, Lee Curtis “Church is a hospital. Everyone goes there opposition. His district, 101, includes parts “He is more than just an elected colleague, I Sales Consultant • Charles A. Reid to be helped. It’s unfortunate that the church of Pembroke Pines, West Park and Hallandale consider him like a brother. Brothers know National Advertising where everyone goes to be uplifted, that you Beach. things that others don’t. Here’s what I know: Rivendell Media 212-242-6863 have those same people who are not loving,” “I was fi ghting for the LGBTQ community living a life committed to service makes [email protected] Jones said. “It’s sad, but there’s so much love before this became public. I will continue to you think hard about your life and how you Accounting Services by CG Bookkeeping MEMBER out there that their miserable lives that they do that and still stand fi rm. My policies are want to live it. Shev has chosen to rise above Printing by Sun Coast Press live does not sway or discourage me. I’m more not going to change, my politics is not going negative situations and live his own truth.” encouraged than anything. Those church to change. Jones said. “I’m still the same Shev members who lack in love and say they follow Jones that people knew prior to me being Christ, they should go study his life a little bit public.” SFGN WINNER of more.” Jones is the fi rst openly gay black man to John McDonald contributed to this report. & FLORIDA PRESS CLUB Awards MEMBER 5 And runner-up for NLGJA Journalist of the Year SEE OUR NEWS IN VIDEO Cover 1: Pope Francis. Cover 2: Shevrin Jones, photo via Facebook. South Florida Gay News is published weekly. The opinions Online now! 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 or pictorial representations. Furthermore the word “gay” in SFGN should be interpreted to be inclusive of the entire LGBT community. MEMBER 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 offi ce, at [email protected]. SFGN, as a private corporation, reserves the right to enforce its own standards regarding the Associated Press suitability of advertising copy, illustrations and photographs. Copyright © 2018 South Florida Gay News.com, Inc. 2 • 8.29.2018 MEMBER DEAR HIV, WE DIDN’T GIVE UP. XOXO, SCIENCE There is no cure, but science is still in the Learn about an HIV-1 battle against HIV. Today’s HIV treatments treatment option at may help you get to undetectable. That means the amount of virus is so low it can’t TM be measured in lab tests. Ask your healthcare XOXOSCIENCE.COM provider about HIV and treatment options. XOXOSCIENCE.COM, GILEAD, and the GILEAD Logo are trademarks of Gilead Sciences, Inc., or its related companies. © 2018 Gilead Sciences, Inc. All rights reserved. UNBC5735 06/18 8.29.2018 • 3 NEWS online DON'T MISS THE ACTION ONLINE Mother: Son Killed Self After He was Bullied for Being Gay Photo via Max Pixel. 16 States Urge Supreme Court to Rule Workers Can be Fired for Being Trans Democrats Adopt Gender Nonbinary Photo by Lorie Shaull / Flickr Language to Charter uFC’s First openly gay Champion to Compete in First Women’s ‘Superfi ght’ Protesters Block Albuquerque Streets Photo via TransgenderLawCenter, Twitter. Over Transgender Death 6. Gay Man Files Bias Complaint Against D.C. Hospital Jonathan Schafer accuses Psychiatric Institute of Washington of anti-gay discrimination. (Photo courtesy Schafer) 7. Gavin Grimm Documents his Fight for Transgender Rights in Book Excerpt 8. New California Law Helps Underserved LGBT Elders 9. Chloë Grace Moretz Credits Her LGBT Advocacy to Her Two Gay Brothers Photo via YouTube. 10. College Athletics Embracing LGBTQ Students and Staff Visit SFGN.com to stay up to date on all the news across the web! Twitter.com/SFGN Facebook.com/SouthFloridaGayNews 4 • 8.29.2018 8.29.2018 • 5 LGBTQIA bites By Hope Benson Lesbian L B Bisexual LESBIAN COUPLE SUES RETIREMENT HOME FOR NEW DATING SHOW TO FOCUS ON BISEXUAL/ BArrING THEM ON RELIGIOUS GROUNDS PANSEXUAL PEOPLE Married couple Mary Walsh and Beverly Nance are suing the St. Louis retirement home Friendship Village Sunset Hills for denying their housing applications through religiously-backed policies on marriage. The two put down $2,000 to get an apartment spot, but were immediately rejected once the home learned that they Shane Jenek, a.k.a. “Courtney Act,” will be had been married since 2009. So Walsh the host of “The Bi Life.” Photo via CourtneyAct.com. and Nance filed a federal lawsuit against the organization for violating the Fair “The Bi Life,” a dating show featuring for the large number of young people Housing Act and the Missouri Human bisexual, pansexual, and/or questioning today, like me, who are attracted to more Rights Act. people will air in the U.K. this October. than one gender. In 2018 we know that Their room-sharing policy on marriage Mary Walsh and Beverly Nance. The show is being hosted by Australian sexuality is fluid and sharing the stories “means the union of one man and one Photo: SAGE of PROMO, via Facebook. drag queen Shane Jenek, whose stage and experiences, the laughter and the woman, as marriage is understood in the name is Courtney Act.