LOCAL NAME GLOBAL COVERAGE DECEMBER 17, 2020 VOL. 11 // ISSUE 50 MR. SECRETARYPAGE 10 BUTTIGIEG FIRST OPENLY GAY CABINET NOMINEE SOUTHFLORIDAGAYNEWS @SFGN SFGN.COM NEWS HIGHLIGHT SouthFloridaGayNews.com @SFGN December 17, 2020 • Volume 11 • Issue 50 2520 N. Dixie Highway • Wilton Manors, FL 33305 SUPPORT LOCAL LGBT BUSINESSES Phone: 954-530-4970 Fax: 954-530-7943 Publisher • Norm Kent [email protected] Associate Publisher / Executive Editor • Jason Parsley THIS HOLIDAY SEASON [email protected] Editorial Art Director • Brendon Lies Denise Royal [email protected] Webmaster • Kimberly Swan [email protected] hristmas is just days away, and we Social Media Director • Christiana Lilly know there is still lots of last-minute Arts/Entertainment Editor • J.W. Arnold [email protected] Cshopping to be done. We are all (wisely) Food/Travel Editor • Rick Karlin trying to keep our distance by staying Gazette News Editor • John McDonald healthy. So, instead of rushing to the mall or HIV Editor • Sean McShee Senior Photographer • J.R. Davis using the convenience of Amazon, why not [email protected] think small and shop locally this year? Senior Feature Columnists Small businesses in and around Wilton Brian McNaught • Jesse Monteagudo Manors need support more than ever. Correspondents That’s reason enough to spend big when Dori Zinn • Donald Cavanaugh you shop small. If you are looking for places Christiana Lilly • John McDonald to complete your holiday shopping safely, Denise Royal • David-Elijah Nahmod consider the following retailers: Contributing Columnists The Tickin Ribbit is a gift shop located at Pier Angelo • Terri Schlichenmeyer 2374 Wilton Drive. It sells unique items that Dana Rudolph • Ric Reily you cannot find at other chain retailers. “It’s Associate Photographers basically a whole shop of just perfect hostess Carina Mask • Steven Shires gifts, and presents for Christmas, birthdays, Sales & Marketing anniversaries, love, friendship, you name For ad placement in SFGN, it,” Owner Joe Bush said. “We feature contact 954-530-4970 picture frames, candles, Sales Manager • Justin Wyse home accessories, jewelry [email protected] boxes, and lots of gifts for Senior Advertising Associate • Edwin Neimann entertaining,” SMALL [email protected] Items range in price Advertising Associate • Thom Burnham from $4 to $300. The store BUSINESSES IN Distribution Services • Noah Lebel is open on Friday-Sunday from 1 to 8 p.m. AND AROUND Claudia Castillo Art Studio, decked out on The Drive. Photo via Wilton Drive, Facebook. Sales Consultant • Charles A. Reid The calendar says National Advertising December, but swimsuits WILTON MANORS a.m. to 8 p.m, and Sundays all kinds of themes and genres. And the Rivendell Media 212-242-6863 are the hot item right now 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. entire ceiling is covered in a mirage and glass [email protected] at the Pride Factory. The NEED SUPPORT In some parts of Europe, ornaments,” said Dumas. Accounting Services by CG Bookkeeping most popular ones sell Christmas is synonymous To The Moon is located at 2205 Wilton Printing by Stuart Web Inc. for about $60. The store MORE THAN with chocolate. Drive. It is open Sunday-Thursday from 10 has seen steady traffic “Germany really does a.m. to 11 p.m. On Fridays and Saturdays from this year, but it could use EVER. Christmas the way nobody 10 a.m. to 1 a.m. SFGN WINNER of a sales boost like all area does it,” said To The Moon If you’re at a loss of what to give to a & 5 FLORIDA PRESS CLUB Awards retailers. If swimwear isn’t Owner Antonio Dumas. If friend or co-worker, you can always visit a And runner-up for your thing, don’t despair. you are looking for chocolate treats, To The local retailer to purchase a gift card. If you NLGJA Journalist of the Year “There’s new inventory arriving every Moon is the place to go. If you go, be sure to don’t feel comfortable shopping in person, week,” employee Marcus Morris said. look up. reach out and call a local retailer to find out SOUTH FLORIDA GAY NEWS.COM, INC. The Pride Factory is located at 850 NE 13th “We have about 2000 glass ornaments if online buying or curbside pickup is an — — Street. Store hours are Monday-Saturday 11 on the ceiling featuring iconic people and option. 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 : Pete Buttigieg (right) shaking hands with President-elect Joe Biden. Photo via Pete Buttigieg, Facebook. 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 © 2020 South Florida Gay News.com, Inc. 2 • 12.17.2020 12.17.2020 • 3 NEWS INTERNATIONAL BY AVRAHAM FORREST AROUND EXPLORING LGBT NEWS EVENTS ACROSS THE WORLD THE GLOBE ASIA SOUTH AMERICA BHUTAN VOTES TO BOLIVIA AUTHORIZES ITS DECRIMINALIZE GAY SEX FIRST SAME-SEX MARRIAGE The Civil Registry of Bolivia authorized Bhutan voted to change a law that Tashi Tsheten. Photo credit: Tashi Tsheten. David Aruquipa and Guido Montaño. Photo via Facebook. effectively outlawed gay sex, basically the nation’s first same-sex marriage, decriminalizing sexual relations between Reuters reported. same-sex partners within the Himalayan The couple has been in a two-year country, the New York Times reported. legal battle to approve their union, The Bhutan government voted to edit a Reuters reported. The couple was first line on “unnatural sex,” according to the denied registry in 2018 and were finally Penal Code of Bhutan. The offence for able to marry last week. “unnatural sex” is a petty misdemeanor. David Aruquipa, 48, and Guido Even though the law did not mention Montaño, 45, argued the denial of their same-sex partners, it was nevertheless marriage violates international human meant to be used against the LGBT rights standards and is discriminatory community “homosexuality between adults” from under Bolivian law, Reuters reported. “A defendant shall be guilty of the “unnatural sex,” Tashi Tsheten, a The couple has been together for over offence of unnatural sex, if the defendant founding member of Rainbow Bhutan 11 years. Aruquipa is a businessman and engages in sodomy or any other sexual advocacy group, said in The Times’ LGBT activist and Montaño is a lawyer, conduct that is against the order of reporting. Reuters reported. nature,” the line reads. The amendment still requires the Latin America is developing into a Colombia, Uruguay and parts of Mexico If the amendment is successful, approval of the king, the Times reported. safe haven for same-sex unions, Reuters currently allow gay marriage, despite the an added sentence will exclude reported. Argentina, Ecuador, Brazil, hostility of religious groups. AFRICA EUROPE AFRICAN HUMAN RIGHTS COURT ENGLAND LOOSENS RESTRICTIONS URGES REPEAL OF VAGRANCY LAWS ON GAY MEN GIVING BLOOD The African Court on Human and Credit: The African Court on Human and Peoples’ Rights. England’s National Health Service Photo via Pixabay. Peoples’ Rights delivered an advisory announced gay and bisexual men who opinion encouraging repeal or have had the same partner for three amendment of vagrancy laws, according months or more will be able to give blood to a press release on Dec. 4. next year, according to a statement from Sex workers and LGBT people in the NHS Blood and Transplant website on Uganda are frequently targeted under Dec. 14. vagrancy laws, RightsAfrica reported. Gay and bisexual men are currently Few receive convictions, but arrested required to abstain from sex for at least youth work on farms while awaiting trial. three months before donating, the The Pan African Lawyers Union Guardian reported. requested the advisory opinion in 2018, Starting in the summer of 2021, donor Public Health England, University of RightsAfrica reported. eligibility will be based on the individual, Nottingham and LGBT charities. According to court documents, the their equality, which is against the instead of gender or sexuality, according In 2011, gay and bisexual men had PALU argued that vagrancy laws are African Charter on Human and Peoples’ to the statement. to abstain from sex for one year before “overly broad.” Rights, according to the documents. The For the Assessment of donating, the Guardian reported. The Vagrancy laws criminalize the Arrests for vagrancy without a Individualized Risk steering group time shortened to three months in 2017. individual, enable “the discriminatory warrant also target individuals based recommended the changes, according to Before 2011, gay and bisexual men treatment of the underprivileged and on economic status, according to the the statement. The group, led by NHSBT, could not donate, the Guardian reported. marginalized,” and deprive people of release. is a collaboration of UK Blood Services, 4 • 12.17.2020 NEWS LOCAL RICHARD GRAY IS ‘OUTED’ MAG NAMES HIM TO SELECT GROUP Richard Gray Makes Out Magazine’s OUT100 List Norm Kent ichard Gray, the senior vice president of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion for the RGreater Fort Lauderdale Convention & Visitors Bureau has been named to Out magazine’s “Out100” for 2020.