September 23, 2015 local name vol. 6 // issue 38 global coverage s o u t h f l o r i d a g a y n e w s a good man Pope Francis comes to America Pages 22 - 23 Pride Center to build playground, Page 14 • RentBoy coalition forms, Page 18 • How gay is Burning Man? Page 29 SOUTHFLORIDAGAYNEWS SOFLAGAYNEWS SFGN.COM SouthFloridaGayNews.com Comments from sFgN’s ThE oPENiNg liNE online outlets SEPTEMBER 23, 2015 • VOLUME 6 • ISSUE 38 Compiled by John McDonald 2520 N. DIXIE HIGHWAY •WILTON MANORS, FL 33305 PHONE: 954-530-4970 FAX: 954-530-7943 Photos: Facebook. PUBLISHER • NORM KENT [email protected] Caitlyn Jenner CiTy oF WilToN maNors CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER • PIER ANGELO GUIDUGLI ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER /EXECUTIVE EDITOR • Clears Up Support of BrEaks EvEN oN sToNEWall sTrEET FEsTival JASON PARSLEY [email protected] Same-Sex Marriage Editorial Bill krauter – ART DIRECTOR • BRENDON LIES Elthon Wolffemann entertainment was lacking [email protected] DESIGNER • MARTIN GOULD deCastillo – though.... if that improves I dont care.....im not the type [email protected] of person who says if you did next time the crowd will walk DESIGNER • CHARLES PRATT something i disagreed before away so much more happy... INTERNET DIRECTOR • DENNIS JOZEFOWICZ youre doomed. No, im the dig into the community and [email protected] EDITORIAL ASSISTANT • JILLIAN MELERO type of person who says if you change for let them guide you for who the better later in life, you know what? Go [email protected] ARTS/ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR • JW ARNOLD for it! Im not part of the imbecile groups of would be better... but it was [email protected] america. I open to people who learns their a fun event overall... Wicked NEWS EDITOR •JOHN MCDONALD mistakes and now fights to change whats Manors is next... the one, [email protected] wrong about something. You go Caitlyn! that everyone I know, likes Senior Features Correspondents Lets make a change and font listen to these more.. we can’t wait for it!!!! morons. JESSE MONTEAGUDO • TONY ADAMS Food/Travel Editor RICK KARLIN maurice r mizrahi – Too late. No support from stephen devine – steve Johnson – Correspondents DORI ZINN •ANDREA RICHARD • DONALD CAVANAUGH me. You were an asshole More like no one stole it was fun and well embezzled money this CHRISTIANA LILLY • DENISE ROYAL • SEAN MCSHEE as a man and you are an worth it for the city GARY KRAMER • DAVID-ELIJAH NAHMOD asshole as a woman. year. That’s progress. Contributing Columnists BRIAN MCNAUGHT • DANA RUDOLPH • WAYNE BESEN Ed gillis – RIC REILY •STEVE SILER •BIL BROWNING TERRI SCHLICHENMEYER Too careful, too calculating, and too late. Staff Photographers Self-centered phony hedge Funder Buys rights To aids drug J.R. DAVIS • POMPANO BILL • STEVEN SHIRES interested only in ratings Sales & Marketing and revenue. And there’s Raises Purchase Price Through The Roof DIRECTOR OF SALES &MARKETING • MIKE TROTTIER a certain bitchy tone [email protected] from her that I’m not aware she’s quite yet SALES MANAGER • JUSTIN WYSE larry Prasse – earned. Diva wannabe. [email protected] Such a sad individual ... Certainly is not a ADVERTISING SALES ASSOCIATE • EDWIN NEIMANN Christian, but probably is a Republican!!! [email protected] ADVERTISING SALES ASSOCIATE • CINDY CURTIS [email protected] ADVERTISING SALES ASSOCIATE • JIM ALBRIGHT stephen J. Pulley – [email protected] Proof of two things: health care should SALES ASSISTANT • DEVON WOODS not be for-profit; and the “investor [email protected] economy” is pure evil DISTRIBUTION SERVICES •BRIAN SWINFORD NATIONAL ADVERTISING RIVENDELL MEDIA 212-242-6863 @RIVENDELLMEDIA.COM scott Caetano – SALES Karma will get the little bitch! ACCOUNTING SERVICES BY CG BOOKKEEPING Greedy bastard. Cover: Pope Francis makes an appearance in the U.S. Photo: Korea.net / Korean Culture and Information Service. South Florida Gay News is published weekly. The opinions expressed in columns, stories, and letters to the editor do not Out Now! 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. 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 PiCK UP YoUR CoPY part without getting written consent from the Publisher, at his law office, at [email protected]. SFGN, as a private corporation, oN A STANd NEAR YoU! Associated Press reserves the right to enforce its own standards regarding the THEMiRRoRMAg.CoM suitability of advertising copy, illustrations and photographs. Copyright © 2015 South Florida Gay News.com, Inc. 2 • 9.23.2015 news highlight TraNsgENdErCoNFErENCE arrivEs NEXT WEEk John McDonald reater Fort Lauderdale is demonstrating Dee, a New Jersey native, is delighted to be New York Times, Southern Comfort organizers and that’s what we’ve looked at. Female to how progressive and open-minded attending this year’s conference. She spoke “liked our commitment of raising the bar for male blend easier; male to female often don’t. Gthe area is by hosting a transgender to SFGN via telephone this week about her trans inclusion.” By far their biggest concerns were physical conference next week. transition from male to female. In the Times interview, Gray reveals how and verbal violence and a lack of gender- The Southern Comfort Conference is “Thelastfiveorsixyearsthere’sbeenawhole he was able to land the silver anniversary of neutral restrooms. Unlike the gay market, trans celebrating its silver anniversary beginning lot of info come out about [being] transgender,” Southern Comfort. travelers are more in line with budget travelers, Sept. 29. The conference, an annual gathering Dee said. “This spotlight has helped, but the “I organized a round-table discussion with without a lot of disposable income.” of transgender people and their supporters, is general public still does not understand a lot of some national leaders and also met with Easing financial burdens is where SunServe being held in Broward County for the first time our issues.” the research firm Community Marketing & comes in. The agency, Ranck said, has the tools ever. In South Florida, transgender people have Insights to put a transgender travel study to connect transgender people to an array of Richard Gray, LGBT market manager for options for help. One of those options is together, because there had never been one.” services. the Greater Fort Lauderdale Convention and SunServe, a nonprofit social services agency. Results of the survey, Gray added, were “We advocate doctors, help with access Visitors Bureau, gave an interview to the New Atticus Ranck directs the agency’s transgender surprising. to hormones, and work with immigration YorkTimes, explaining the bureau’s decision to department. “We found that 62 percent of transgender attorneys,” Ranck said, listing some of the ways target the transgender market. “Raising awareness,” Ranck said is one of the people travel alone, many because they’re SunServe helps its clients. “It’s really the forgotten T,” Gray told the conference’s key components. “stealth” — often they have a partner who For attendees like Dee, a 62-year-old married Times. “I realized I knew nothing about “It’s a chance for transgender people to see has no idea they’re transgender. The Southern trans woman, the conference is essential. transgender travelers, and, as a gay man, I knew each other, connect and join support groups,” Comfort Conference is mostly male to female “It changed my life,” she said. nothing about the transgender community. I Ranck said. “Some of the attendees are coming researched and saw they had this conference from isolated areas where they feel they cannot that had been in Atlanta for 24 years, and I express their true identity.” The Southern Comfort Conference (SCC) will be held at Bonaventure contacted their president, Lexi Dee. No one had SunServe is joining the Greater Fort Resort and Spa, 250 Racquet Club Rd, Weston, from Sept. 29 to Oct. 3. For ever courted them or paid them any attention Lauderdale Convention and Visitors Bureau as more information, visit SouthernComfortConference.org. before.” participants at the conference. Gray tells the 9.23.2015 • 3 Compiled by Jillian Melero NewhousinggiveslgBTstudents saferPlacetoCallhome (AP) For the first time, the University of North Florida is according to the organization, joining Stetson University, offering its students the housing designed to accommodate Ringling College of Art and Design and Eckerd College. transgender students, who may not fall into traditional The new housing option also marks the 10th anniversary gender norms. of UNF’s LGBT Resource Center. “When you’re living with others, it can get very awkward, According to the latest UNF poll of LGBT students about very quickly,” said Dei Allard, associate director of UNF the campus climate - taken in 2010 - about half report Housing and Residential Life. “So making sure that we experiencing at least one incident of bias or harassment due created an environment that was safe and welcoming for to sexual orientation, gender identity or expression. Those them was the goal.” incidents range from verbal insults to physical assault. Many The university estimates about 10 percent of its students of those who reported the most severe cases identified as identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender based on transgender. data from its latest survey of campus climate. Inthecityasawhole,thedebateoverexpandingprotections Currently, about 200 colleges and universities across against discrimination to the LGBT community - a hot-button the country offer gender-inclusive housing to students, issue of this year’s election - has not yet returned to City Hall, according to national college LGBT advocacy group Campus but the city is expected to make the decision later this fall.