local name global coverage may 23, 2018 vol. 9 // issue 21 SILENT NO MORE Former Compass CEO Tony Plakas addresses rumors, his salary and why he stayed quiet Pages 8 - 11 Will Fort Lauderdale's gay bars lose their extended hours licenses? • Page 6 SOUTHFLORIDAGAYNEWS @SOFLAGAYNEWS SFGN.COM NEWS highlight SouthFloridaGayNews.com Submitted photos. May 23, 2018 • Volume 9 • Issue 21 2520 N. Dixie Highway • Wilton Manors, FL 33305 Phone: 954-530-4970 Fax: 954-530-7943 Publisher • Norm Kent [email protected] Chief Executive Officer • Pier Angelo Guidugli Associate Publisher / Executive Editor • Jason Parsley [email protected] Editorial Art Director • Brendon Lies [email protected] Digital Content Director • Brittany Ferrendi [email protected] Designers • Adam Turner Copyeditor • Kerri Covington Arts/Entertainment Editor • JW Arnold [email protected] Social Media Manager • Tucker Berardi [email protected] Food/Travel Editor • Rick Karlin Gazette News Editor • Michael d'Oliveira HIV Editor • Sean McShee Senior Photographer • J.R. Davis [email protected] MCC CHURCH IN BOYNTON BEACH Senior Features Correspondents Jesse Monteagudo • Correspondents CONCERNED ABOUT VANDALS & BREAK-INS Dori Zinn • Donald Cavanaugh • Christiana Lilly • Denise Royal • Sean McShee • David-Elijah Nahmod Denise Royal Contributing Columnists Brian McNaught • Dana Rudolph • Ric Reily • Terri Schlichenmeyer Associate Photographers embers of The Church of Our the morning,” she said. “This is the kind of when originally purchased. Carina Mask • Pompano Bill • Steven Shires Savior Metropolitan Community neighborhood where people might be a bit All of the 14 stained-glass windows were Sales & Marketing Church (MCC) in Boynton Beach are desperate, looking for fast cash or something donated in memory of church members who M For ad placement in SFGN, uneasy about recent break-ins to sell.” died. A new stained glass window is in the contact 954-530-4970 through a side window. In the In April, a robbery was works by the same local artist who created most recent incident, vandals reported in the Church parking the one that was destroyed. It is expected to Sales Manager • Justin Wyse “Our folks [email protected] broke a stained glass window. lot. Pastor Woodruff attributes be ready by the end of the month. Nothing Advertising Sales Associate • Edwin Neimann The same window was also are concerned all of it to criminals looking for else of value was taken from inside the [email protected] smashed earlier this year in a quick buck. “When you have church or damaged. Advertising Sales Associate • Clark Rogers [email protected] January. The church’s pastor about it folks who are desperate, looking Church leaders are now talking about says she does not think it was a because they for fast cash or something to getting a new security system and installing Distribution Services • Rocky Bowell hate crime. sell, anyone can be a victim.” a new light on the roof. In addition, police Lee Curtis “I’m 99 percent sure it is feel hurt and There has also been a recent are driving by more to keep a closer eye on Sales Consultant • Charles A. Reid not a gay thing,” said Pastor the windows incident of graffiti being painted the location. National Advertising Wendy Woodruff. “Our folks are expensive on the Church’s brick wall in The Church of Our Savior MCC is an all- Rivendell Media 212-242-6863 are concerned about it because front of the Church. The word inclusive Church founded over 26 years ago [email protected] they feel hurt and the windows to fix.” ‘dick’ is still visible.MEMBER “If it were in Boynton Beach. The location, on Federal Accounting Services by CG Bookkeeping are expensive to fix.” a gay slur,” she said, “there are Highway, was originally a Pizza Hut. The Printing by Sun Coast Press - Wendy Woodruff There’s a Sherwin Williams PASTOR lots of other words they could church now has about 50 members. MCC paint store next door, which have used.” Churches were the first to perform same- has two damaged windows directly across The damaged, stained glass windows were gender marriages and have been on the SFGN WINNER of the broken one at The Church of Our Savior. handmade by local artists. They were of great forefront of the struggle towards marriage & FLORIDA PRESS CLUB Awards MEMBER 5 Coincidence? Pastor Woodruff doesn’t sentimental value, as well as of monetary equality in the U.S. and other countries And runner-up for think so. “This happened at about two in value. Each was worth approximately $3,000 worldwide. NLGJA Journalist of the Year South Florida Gay News is published weekly. The opinions expressed in columns, stories, and letters to the editor do not See our newS in video represent the opinions of SFGN, or the Publisher. You should not Cover 1: Tony Plakas, photo via Facebook. Cover 2: Ramrod, photo via Facebook. presume the sexual orientation of individuals based on their names Online now! 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 office, 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 • 5.23.2018 MEMBER AHF Healthcare Centers Delray Beach 2605 W Atlantic Ave, #D101 (561) 279-0991 Liberty City 1498 NW 54 St, Ste C (305) 603-8200 Orlando 1701 N Mills Ave (407) 204-7000 Tampa Bay 3135 State Road 580, Ste 1 (727) 725-9931 Dr. Mark Davis, Warren, AHF Dental Director AHF Client 5.23.2018 • 3 NEWS online DON'T MISS THE ACTION ONLINE Donald Glover Confirms Rumors Donald Glover as Lando Calrissian in of Lando’s Pansexuality in ‘Solo’ "Solo." Photo via Disney. Alabama State lawmaker Patricia Todd. Openly Lesbian State Lawmaker Loses Photo via http://www.patriciatodd.info/ Gig After 'Closeted' Post, Tweet Bisexual ‘Brooklyn Nine-Nine’ Character Gina Rodriguez (left) and Stephanie Beatriz. Photo via Twitter / @iamstephbeatz Meets New Potential Love Interest U.S. Army Capt. Tim Brown, on right, is fighting the deportation of his husband, Sergio Avila-Rodriguez. Gay Army Chaplain Struggles to Save Photo courtesy of Brown and Avila-Rodriguez. Husband from Deportation After Coming Out as Gay at 85, Man Photo via YouTube still. Celebrates Pride & Inspires Queer Youth 6. Gay-Friendly Apple Weighs North Carolina Despite LGBT Laws Tim Cook, CEO of Apple. 7. Jennifer Aniston to Play Lesbian U.S. President in Netflix Political Comedy Jennifer Aniston (Photo via Wikimedia Commons) 8. Study: Gay, Bisexual Teens use Grindr to Find Friends and Relationships 9. RuPaul’s Drag Race Season Ten Enters Its Final Lap. What’s Next? 10. Is Gay Games Surfer China's First Out Athlete? Xu Jingsen, a.k.a. ASam. Photo via Twitter / Gay Games. Visit SFGN.com to stay up to date on all the news across the web! Twitter.com/SoFlaGayNews Facebook.com/SouthFloridaGayNews 4 • 5.23.2018 FABULOUS CONSIGNMENT THRIFT • WE BUY ALWAYS AN IMPRESSIVE SELECTION Antiques, Furniture, Musical Items, Mid Modern, Nick Nacks, Etc. 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If the city’s new Nighttime Advisory Task Force gets its way, they all will be closing their doors two hours earlier every weekend, at midnight instead of 2 a.m. The city’s task force, headed up for the has partnered to promote your community last four months by a former city manager for a quarter century.” of Key West, Sarah Spurlock, has written Nevertheless, Spurlock says she makes letters to each of the clubs refusing to her recommendations based on whatever renew their “extended hours license.” the police chief tells her. ramrod is the oldest running bar in the city, open 23 continuous years. The bar owners are crying “foul,” and Whitney and his partner Zak Enterline Photo via Facebook. Fort Lauderdale Mayor Dean Trantalis will have retained Attorney Russell Cormican be meeting with city staffers this Friday to to represent them, alleging the city’s to city officials saying “the Ramrod is an “The city,” he said, “should be seeking to review allegations by code enforcement determination is inequitable and unfair. important dynamic to the area which partner with us so we all prosper, not that representatives as to why the licenses have Cormican is the law partner of SFGN continues to contribute to bringing up the we lose our licenses.” been denied to all the gay bars in town. Publisher Norm Kent. socioeconomic profile of its residents - Even Tim Smith, a long time former city “The provisions of the law,” Spurlock Cormican stated flatly “there is nothing they move here because they like Ramrod commissioner, who just lost a bid to retake said, “give the city the rights to deny anywhere in the city ordinance that gives and feel safer with the presence of all their his seat, wrote a letter to city manager renewals based either on code violations the chief of police that right.” many security personnel that help to curb Lee Feldman urging the city to rescind its or ‘excessive’ police calls to the licensed The oldest running bar in the city, open potential crime.