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Title:
South Florida Gay News
Alternate title:
SFGN
Alternate title:
South Florida Gay News.com
Place of Publication:
Wilton Manors, FL
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South Florida Gay News, Inc
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Weekly
regular
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English
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volumes : illustrations ; 31 cm

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Subjects / Keywords:
Gays -- Periodicals -- Florida ( lcsh )
Gay men -- Periodicals -- Florida ( lcsh )
Gay bars -- Periodicals -- Florida ( lcsh )
Homosexuality -- Periodicals -- Florida ( lcsh )
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serial ( sobekcm )
periodical ( marcgt )
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26.1586927 x -80.1319502

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University of Florida
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University of Florida
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Copyright, South Florida Gay News, Inc. Permission granted to University of Florida to digitize and display this item for non-profit research and educational purposes. Any reuse of this item in excess of fair use or other copyright exemptions requires permission of the copyright holder.
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on10509 ( NOTIS )
1050994377 ( OCLC )
2018224046 ( LCCN )
on1050994377
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HQ75 .S716 ( lcc )

Full Text

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PAGE 8 'THE SUM OF ALL PARTS' 'THE SUM OF ALL PARTS' KIMBERLEY LOCKE COMING TO AVENTURA FEB. 25 KIMBERLEY LOCKE COMING TO AVENTURA FEB. 25 LOCAL NAME LOCAL NAME GLOBAL COVERAGE GLOBAL COVERAGE FEBRUARY 23, 2023 FEBRUARY 23, 2023 VOL. 14 // ISSUE 8 VOL. 14 // ISSUE 8 Ron Ron DeGroomer DeGroomer ? ? PAGE 12, 16, 18, & 26 PAGE 12, 16, 18, & 26 EVERYTHING YOU NEVER WANTED TO KNOW ABOUT THE EVERYTHING YOU NEVER WANTED TO KNOW ABOUT THE RIGHTWING’S LATEST ATTACK ON THE LGBT COMMUNITY RIGHTWING’S LATEST ATTACK ON THE LGBT COMMUNITY @SFGN SFGN.COM @SOFLAGAYNEWS SOUTHFLORIDAGAYNEWS SPECIAL GROOMING ISSUE

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2 2 • • 2.23.2023 In less than 10 minutes, the Florida Board of Medicine and the Florida Board of Osteopathic Medicine voted to ban gender-arming care for transgender youth. Those already undergoing treatment would be exempt from the rule. The unanimous votes came down Feb. 10 aer hearing two hours of public comment, mainly from transgender and non-binary people, opposing the ruling. “Despite a mountain of evidence and testimony, Florida ocials give every impression that they are moving toward a preordained result, ignoring the very real harms that this rule would impose on a vulnerable population,” Sarah Warbelow, the Human Rights Campaign’s legal director, said in a statement. The two boards met in Tallahassee to make the nal decision on the ruling. Aer recapping previous meetings, they heard testimony for hours. Then the two boards quickly made their votes to go along with rules that they draed in November, except for the Board of Osteopathic Medicine, which voted to make their ruling even stricter and align with the Board of Medicine. The rules state that there would be no gender reassignment surgery or any surgical procedures that alter one’s primary or secondary sex features. It also eliminates the prescription of puberty blocking hormones and hormone antagonist therapy. The Board of Osteopathic Medicine had an exemption for clinical trials, but that was removed during their vote. The crowd shouted “Shame!” as the votes came in. The conversation started last summer, when the Florida Department of Health called on NEWS NEWS HIGHLIGHT HIGHLIGHT Christiana Lillythe board to create standards of care for youth experiencing gender dysphoria. The board met multiple times throughout the fall, including August in Dania Beach, where, despite hearing from transgender and non-binary people and advocates and experts who treat people with gender dysphoria, they continued on the path to eliminate treatment. In a petition from the Department of Health, the state made recommendations that went against those from the American Medical Association, American Academy of Pediatrics, National Association of Social Workers, American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Endocrine Society, National Alliance on Mental Illness, and World Professional Association for Transgender Health. Since those already undergoing treatment will be allowed to continue, Planned Parenthood of Southwest and Central Florida says they will be helping evaluate and schedule teens who would like to start therapy before the ban goes into eect, the Sun Sentinel reports. Dr. Scot Ackerman, the chairman of the Florida Board of Medicine, said that they had received “hundreds of leers and comments” with “varied opinions and varied life experiences.” The only board member to speak at length was Dr. Hector Vila, who compared the treatment of gender dysphoria to the nation’s opioid epidemic in the early 2000s. As the audience booed, he said, “You can’t even make a sincere comment and so it’s hurtful to us.” Nikole Parker, the director of transgender equality for Equality Florida, said in a statement, “Shame on the Florida Boards of Medicine and Osteopathy for continuing this assault on the health of young people and the rights of their parents to seek the best care possible for their children.” FLORIDA BOARD OF MEDICINE TO BAN GENDER-AFFIRMING CARE FOR TRANS YOUTH Jeanette Jennings, the mother of trans activist Jazz Jennings, speaks during a rally opposing the Board of Medicine's rules in Dania Beach in August 22. Photo by Christiana Lilly. Read more at SFGN.comTHERE’S MORE ONLINE!RUBIO WANTS TO BAN TRANS PEOPLE FROM THE MILITARY Associated Press SFGN COVER: Top: Gov. Ron DeSantis, photo via Governor Ron DeSantis Facebook. Bottom: Kimberley Locke. Photo via wikimedia.org. Support our advertisers in the pages of SFGN! Their support helps make our journalism possible. SEE OUR NEWS IN VIDEO!Online now! 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 or gender identity of individuals based on their names or pictorial representations in SFGN. SFGN contracts with independent entities for stock images. 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, Jason Parsley at Jason.Parsley@SFGN.com. SFGN is owned by Norm Kent and represented legally by Russell Cormican. SFGN, as a private corporation, reserves the right to enforce its own standards regarding the suitability of advertising copy, illustrations and photographs. Copyright 2023 South Florida Gay News.com, Inc. February 23, 2023 • Volume 14 • Issue 8 February 23, 2023 • Volume 14 • Issue 82520 N. Dixie Highway • Wilton Manors, FL 33305 Phone: 954-530-4970 Fax: 954-530-7943 Publisher/Editor • Jason Parsley Publisher/Editor • Jason Parsley Jason.Parsley@sfgn.com Associate Publisher • Justin Wyse Associate Publisher • Justin WyseJustin@sfgn.comEditorialAssistant to the Editor • Kimberly Swan Webmaster@sfgn.com Social Media Director • Christiana Lilly Graphic Designers • Julie Palmer Kyle Willis • Craig Tuggle Graphic Design Consultant • Brendon Lies Artwork@sfgn.com Arts/Entertainment Editor • J.W. Arnold JW@prdconline.com Food/Travel Editor • Rick Karlin HIV Editor • Sean McShee Community Editor • John Hayden john.jmhcreative@gmail.com Senior Photographer • J.R. Davis JRDavis12000@hotmail.comSenior Feature ColumnistsBrian McNaught • Jesse MonteagudoSpecial to SFGNSteve RothausCorrespondentsJohn McDonald • Everitt Rosen • Sean Conklin Deon Jefferson • David-Elijah Nahmod Aurora Dominguez • Denise Royal Austen Erblat • Jessica Abramsky • Benjamin Manning • Mary Rasura • Christian Walden Christopher FloresContributing ColumnistsPier Angelo • Terri Schlichenmeyer Gregg Shapiro • Dana Rudolph Associate PhotographersCarina Mask • Steven ShiresSales & MarketingFor ad placement in SFGN, contact 954-530-4970 Director •Justin Wyse Justin@sfgn.com Senior Advertising Associate • Edwin Neimann Edwin@sfgn.com Distribution Services Coordinator • J.R. Davis Distribution Assistant • Juan Manzano National Advertising Rivendell Media 212-242-6863 sales@rivendellmedia.com Accounting Services by CG Bookkeeping Printing by Stuart Web Inc.OwnerNorm Kent SouthFloridaGayNews.com SouthFloridaGayNews.com @SFGN SOUTH FLORIDA GAY NEWS.COM, INC. — —FOUNDED, DECEMBER, 2009 BY PIER GUIDUGLI AND NORM KENT

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2.23.2023 • • 3 3

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4 4 • • 2.23.2023 the rainbow and bisexual ag and going to local pride events. “It’s not the future I was hoping for, but I’m going to embrace every aspect of myself and face it head-on, come what may.” BISEXUAL AROUND THE ALPHABET AROUND THE ALPHABET HUSBAND HAS AFFAIR AFTER WIFE COMES OUT AS BIJessica Daniels, a twice-married mother, came out as bisexual aer eight years of marriage to her second husband, Mike. However, things weren’t happily ever aer for the couple. “At rst, I came out to my husband and no one else,” said Daniels to the Insider . “I made it clear that I wanted nothing to change between Mike and me. He selessly oered me the opportunity to explore my bisexuality in a physical sense. I turned it down at.” At the end of 2022, Daniels learned her husband had been having an aair for over a year that started a few months aer coming out. Mike confessed his aair and decided he wasn’t coming home. Aer 14 months of Mike’s confession, Daniels and her daughter have embraced her bisexuality by “proudly” displaying B TRANSGENDER TNY TIMES RECEIVES BACKLASH OVER TRANS COVERAGE BY CHRISTIAN “CJ” WALDEN BY CHRISTIAN “CJ” WALDENIT’S NOT ALWAYS ABOUT THE G... HERE’S WHAT ELSE IS HAPPENING IN THE LGBTQIA COMMUNITYTwo leers were sent to the Times on Feb. 15 to condemn their coverage of trans people. One leer was signed by over 370 current and former contributors to the Times. “The Times has in recent years treated gender diversity with an eerily familiar mix of pseudoscience and euphemistic, charged language, while publishing reporting on trans children that omits relevant information about its sources.” The second was signed by over 100 LGBT and civil rights groups and activists. They said the Times is lled with “dangerous inaccuracies.” Charlie Stadtlander, Times’ Director of External Communications, conrmed both of the leers were received and defended Times’ journalistic integrity. “Our journalism strives to explore, interrogate and reect the experiences, ideas, and debates in society — to help readers understand them,” said Stadtlander. “Our reporting did exactly that, and we’re proud of it.” The leer from the advocacy groups includes demands for the paper to “stop printing biased anti-trans stories,” to hold a meeting with trans leadership within two months, and to hire four trans people within three months. Photo by Ajay Suresh from New York, NY, USA, via Wikimedia Commons. Photo courtesy of Jessica Daniels. First Atlantic Realty, Inc. 1881 NE 26thSt # 212 Wilton Manors, Florida 33305 Licensed Real Estate Brokerage “ “ B B r r o o k k e e r r J J o o e e ” ” G G r r a a n n o o , , R R E E A A L L T T O O R R 9 9 5 5 4 4 9 9 3 3 1 1 0 0 0 0 3 3 1 1 If you don’t Know Real Estate, know the Broker. I Will Be Your Friend & Partner In Success. “ItwasgreatworkingwithJoe,hestuckwithusacrossanarduous8monthsearchin thehypercompetitiveFortLauderdalemarke t.Hisknowledgeoflocalneighborhoods (downtoeachandeverystreet)andpeculiaritiesuniquetoFloridawasparticularly helpfulasmyhusbandandIrelocatedfromoutofstate.Afterseveralofferswefinally foundtheperfecthouseforus,thelastmonthtoclosewasnailbiting,buthehandled allthecurveballslikeapro.Wouldhighlyrecommend!” MichaelC.&FredB. FtLauderdale New New

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2.23.2023 • • 5 5 NON-BINARY NB AROUND THE ALPHABET AROUND THE ALPHABETPEW RESEARCH DROPS ON BLACK AMERICANS’ VIEWS ON TRANS, NON-BINARY ISSUESA study conducted by the PEW Research Center researched gender equality, gender roles, feminism, and trans and non-binary issues. Black Americans are critical of the progress of women’s equality in the United States. Sixty-nine percent of Black adults say that the U.S. has “not gone far enough” in giving women equality with men. Amongst those who claim that about 25% say it’s “not at all likely” that there will be gender equality in the future. Black adults are split over how much society should accept trans/non-binary people. Thirty-six percent say society has “not gone far enough” in accepting people who are trans/non-binary, 31% say the level of acceptance in society is alright, and 29% say it has “gone too far.” Black Americans are more likely to know someone who is trans/non-binary than to identify . About 1.4% of Black adults are trans or non-binary. However, 35% say they know someone who is trans. And Photo via www.pewresearch.org. a n d a n d a n d among those who have heard at least a lile about being non-binary, 26% say they know someone who identies this way.

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6 6 • • 2.23.2023 NEWS NEWS LOCAL LOCAL OFTHESNAPSHOT WEEKPhoto by J.R. Davis J.R.’s Legendary DJ Paulo Gois Global DJ Producer from Lisbon, Portugal, with DJ Manny Lehman DJ Producer Remixer from New York, NY now both living in LA both DJing at The Pride of The Americas on February 11. SFGN.com @SoFlaGayNews KEEP YOUR EYES ON South Florida Gay News SouthFloridaGayNews

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8 8 • • 2.23.2023 MIAMI-DADEnewsUPCOMING AVENTURA SHOW IS ‘A DREAM COME TRUE’ FOR KIMBERLEY LOCKE Denise RoyalKIMBERLEY LOCKE, OF “AMERICAN IDOL”, WILL PERFORM SOME OF THE MUSIC THAT HAS INFLUENCED HER CAREER LATER THIS MONTH IN SOUTH FLORIDA. For her upcoming show, “The Sum of All Parts,” she’ll have an orchestra backing her as she serenades the audience. The performance is comprised of songs that were instrumental to her growth as a singer and helped shape her into who she is. It is literally the sum of all parts. Locke just wrapped up a stint as the lead in the new production of “Summer: The Donna Summer Musical” aboard a Norwegian Cruise liner. It was the most recent addition to Locke’s musical journey. She was raised in Tennessee to a White mother and a Black father, listening to different genres of music from country to soul. As she evolved from child to young adult, Judy Garland, Nina Simone, and Etta James. Locke discovered James when she was in college. “I connected with her not just through music, but she looked like me,” Locke said. “And she was biracial. So I went on this whole discovery journey about her. “ Like most people, Locke knew Judy Garland from “The Wizard of Oz,” but not much more. “We weren’t listening to that type of music on either side of the family,” she said. “So genre I remember sitting and just studying her videos and watching her and listening to her. She just had this effortless way of connecting with her audiences. I had this CD of her at Carnegie Hall. And that particular album, that just changed my entire musical life.” Nina Simone was a revelation, too. Locke didn’t know a lot about her growing up. But that all changed when she heard “Everything Must Change.” replay, like 20 times, and I cried the entire time I was listening to it.” Locke is an ally and supporter of the LGBT community, most recently performing at the Human Rights Campaign South Florida Gala. “I always knew no matter what I was doing, I needed to give back,” she said. “I have worked with the HRC for probably 20 years. I just feel like at the end of the day, we are all people. We all deserve to be treated with respect and dignity. And there’s still a lot more work done. I will continue to do that work, and I will continue to be present in that community to move things forward.” Kimberley Locke. Photo via wikimedia.org. Kimberley Locke: The Sum of All Parts: Feb. 25 at 8 p.m. at Aventura Arts & Cultural Center, Aventura, FL. Ticket info at aventuracenter.org. PALM BEACHnewsSCHOLARSHIPS AVAILABLE FOR LGBT STUDENTS TO HELP LOCAL LGBT STUDENTS, THE PALM BEACH COUNTY HUMAN RIGHTS COUNCIL OPENED ITS APPLICATIONS TO OFFER SCHOLARSHIPS. The foundation is accepting applications for the 2023 PBCHRC Social Justice Awards. It’s for LGBT seniors from Palm Beach County graduating from high school and going to college. PBCHRC dedicated to ending discrimination against LGBT people. Every year it awards scholarships to local college bound high schoolers who showed an interest in advocating on behalf of the LGBT community, according to a press release. For more information, contact Jasmin Lewis at jasminklewis@gmail.com . Applications and recommendations are due no later than midnight April 7. Kim Swan PALM BEACHnewsPALM BEACH PRIDE PAGEANT ROCKS LAKE WORTH BEACH Deon C. JeffersonTHE PALM BEACH PRIDE PAGEANT TOOK PLACE AT THE LAKE WORTH PLAYHOUSE IN LAKE WORTH BEACH. Compass Community Center was the host of the event. This year was also a tribute to the current queen Crystal Famous, who was crowned in 2022. Beloved Palm Beach queens Velvet Lenore and Melissa St. John “I’ve built my career on giving back. This pageant is one of my favorite events,” said Lenore. “Everybody has their own schedules, so we rarely see each other. The pageant brings us together once a year. It’s another way of showcasing the wonderful talent in Palm Beach County.” Miss Palm Beach Pride Pageant featured contestants Lupita Hollywood, Vast Love Montana, and Ariel Rimm all from PBC, along with contestant Citris who hails from Port St. Lucie. The competitors were judged on four different categories including presentation, category was a presentation. Contestants were challenged to wear either all the colors wore elaborate headpieces and almost every Before the night was over, there were a few awards given out to celebrate individuals that work hard in the community. Two awards who passed away in 2021 and Kyle Whitaker who passed in 2022. The awards went to Avion Gordeen and Varito Vasquez AifdFsmd. Both recipients seemed appreciative of the honor. They both were awarded Photo by Deon C. Jefferson.

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2.23.2023 • • 9 9 NEWS NEWS INTERNATIONAL INTERNATIONAL BY EVERITT ROSEN BY EVERITT ROSEN PUERTO RICO CONFIRMS FIRST LGBT FEDERAL JUDGE NORTH AMERICA THERE’S MORE ONLINE! Visit SFGN.com to nd out more. FAMOUS TIKTOK TRANS GIRL FATALLY STABBED IN UK ASIA EUROPEThe death of 16-year-old Brianna Ghey, who was stabbed in a park in northwest England, is being looked into by British ocials. Ghey, a trans girl, released dancing and lip-synching videos on her TikTok account, which had thousands of followers. A few hours before she was killed in Cheshire, she uploaded her last video. “She was a larger-than-life character who would leave a lasting impression on all that met her. Brianna was beautiful, wiy and hilarious. Brianna was strong, fearless, and one of a kind,” her family said in a statement, according to BuzzFeed News. Judge Gina R. Mndez-Mir, a former labor lawyer, is President Joe Biden’s 100th appointee to the federal bench and his third for the District Court of Puerto Rico. With the U.S. Senate’s ocial conrmation, she is now the rst LGBT judge in the court’s history. The Democratic majority now controls the Puerto Rico court, which was previously tied. Mndez-Mir is a judge on the Puerto Rico Court of Appeals. She has a law degree from the University of Puerto Rico and Princeton University. “Judge Mndez Mir is a rst-rate jurist, with absolute sensitivity, deep empathy, and a great sense of justice,” said human rights activist Pedro Julio Serrano, according to Latino Rebels. “Puerto Rico must feel very proud of her career and performance, as I know she will continue to do from this new position.” JAPAN’S PRIME MINISTER FIRES AIDE OVER HOMOPHOBIC REMARKSFumio Kishida, the prime minister of Japan, dismissed a cabinet minister for disparaging same-sex couples. According to BBC, Masayoshi Arai said he wouldn’t want to live next to or observe people who are in same-sex partnerships. Arai also cautioned that allowing gay marriage in Japan would cause many people leaving the nation. The comments, according to Kishida, are “outrageous” and “totally irreconcilable” with the goals of his government. The only G7 countries that do not recognize same-sex marriage is Japan, a society that is still heavily reliant on conventional gender norms and family values. Recent research, however, shows that the majority Japanese are in favor of gay marriage. In recent years, several samesex couples have also brought legal claims around Japan, claiming that the prohibition on same-sex unions is unconstitutional. Kishida had discussed same-sex marriage-related problems in parliament before Arai was red. DOC SHOWS POLICE BRUTALITY ON LGBT COMMUNITY IN EGYPT Judge Gina R. Mndez-Mir. Photo by Judicialreporting, via Wikipedia. Photo via japan.kantei.go.jp. Photo via Lea Marie, Facebook. BY EVERITT ROSEN BY EVERITT ROSEN BY EVERITT ROSEN BY EVERITT ROSEN THE WORLDAROUND EXPLORING LGBT NEWS EVENTS ACROSS THE GLOBE rfntb r954.458.1199WWW. ADVANCEDRELIEFINSTITUTE.COM fttf rf frf f tfrrf ‘ ftrfntb bttbbfb tbbf BRIAN MCNAUGHT, LGBTQ AUTHOR/EDUCATOR TREATMENT FOR: rf n tnrrf PROCEDURES OFFERED: rbnnrf rnr r nrbn trbr rtrfn

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12 12 • • 2.23.2023 FEATURE FEATURE The result of this widespread hateful rhetoric has been a spike in harassment, threats and violence targeting the LGBT community. This dangerous development increases the risks facing an already marginalized group by falsely accusing them of one of the vilest behaviors imaginable, in a way that implicitly (and sometimes explicitly) condones violence. Politicians, extremists and pundits alike are fanning the ames of this hateful campaign, which not infrequently includes elements of antisemitism alongside its core anti-gay and anti-transgender hate.WHAT IS 'GROOMING'?Anti-LGBT extremists have misappropriated a legitimate term related to sexual abuse in order to demonize LGBT people. RAINN (Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network), the United States’ largest anti-sexual violence organization, denes grooming as “manipulative behaviors” used by sexual abusers “to gain access to a potential victim, coerce them to agree to the abuse, and reduce the risk of being caught.” True grooming can occur online or inperson. Abusers may aempt to gain a young person’s trust by giving them gis and aention, and by taking them on special trips. Groomers may also aempt to form a Anti-Defamation League relationship with a young person’s family or friends to make themselves seem more trustworthy.HOW HAS THE TERM 'GROOMING' BEEN COOPTED AND EXPLOITED BY ANTILGBTQ+ BIGOTS?Anti-LGBT gures do not use terms such as “grooming” and “groomer” legitimately. Instead, they imply or explicitly claim that LGBT people are pedophiles who are preying on children by discussing issues related to sexual orientation and gender identity. They claim that teaching young people about these topics is somehow really intended to encourage them to question their gender identity and sexual orientation – in other words, LGBT people are trying to “sexualize children” and “recruit” them into the LGBT community. Such accusations have a long history in the U.S. For decades, anti-LGBT gures have falsely accused LGBT people of molesting children and being sympathetic to child predators in order to demonize the community and resist advances in LGBT rights. Research has repeatedly shown that LGBT people do not molest children at higher rates than non-LGBT people.ORIGINS OF THE ANTILGBT FALSE GROOMING NARRATIVEBaseless accusations that LGBT people and others are “grooming” children began to circulate on Twier in 2021, promoted in particular by conservative pundits Christopher Rufo and James Lindsay , as well as the anti-LGBT Twier account known as Libs of TikTok. However, it wasn’t until spring 2022 that “grooming” rhetoric really became a major anti-LGBT narrative geing nationwide aention, thanks in large part to publicity surrounding a controversial antiLGBT law passed in Florida. On March 28, 2022, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis signed into law the Parental Rights in Education Act, oen referred to by critics as the “Don’t Say Gay” bill. The law prohibits classroom instruction on gender identity or sexual orientation in grades K-3 in Florida public schools; it also prohibits instruction on sexual orientation and gender identity issues that are not “age-appropriate or developmentally appropriate for students” in any grade. Like the controversy surrounding critical race theory in 2021, the Florida bill – and similar laws proposed in other states – are based on the false premise that educators are trying to “indoctrinate” students. Angry that opponents had nicknamed the measure the “Don’t Say Gay” bill, Christina Pushaw, DeSantis’ press secretary, tweeted on March 4 that “the bill that liberals inaccurately call ‘Don’t Say Gay’ would be more accurately described as an AntiGrooming Bill.” In a follow-up tweet, she claimed that anyone who opposed the bill WHAT IS 'GROOMING?' WHAT IS 'GROOMING?' THE TRUTH BEHIND THE DANGEROUS, BIGOTED LIE TARGETING THE LGBT COMMUNITY Scene from the anti-gay "Protect the Children" rally in Fort Lauderdale on Dec. 3, 2022. Photo by JR Davis. Far-right and extremist voices have launched a signicant attack against the LGBT community in 2021-2022, demonizing people via repeated false claims that LGBT people are “pedophiles” who are “grooming” children in order to abuse them. This false and malicious narrative has been weaponized to label the LGBT community as “groomers” and has fueled a slew of hostile legislation and policies aimed at erasing the discussion of LGBT-related issues in schools, removing LGBT books from schools and public libraries and, especially, to ostracize, defame and harass transgender people.

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2.23.2023 • • 13 13 was “probably a groomer.” Supporters of the bill quickly adopted “groomer” rhetoric to aack opponents of the legislation. In a March 8 tweet, for example, conservative talk show host Jesse Kelly wrote that, “Republicans, you have everything on your side on this issue. Do not avoid it. Run on it. Demand your opponent respond to questions about it. Call them groomers and pedophiles if they oppose it. Put THEM on the defensive. Make THEM afraid. Make THEM avoid talking about it. You have the high ground. Use it to destroy your enemy.” On her March 9 show , Fox News host Laura Ingraham followed suit, asking, “When did our public schools, any schools, become what are essentially grooming centers for gender identity radicals? As a mom, I think it’s appalling, it’s frightening, it’s disgusting, it’s despicable.” Benny Johnson, the Chief Creative Ocer for conservative group Turning Point USA, tweeted on March 11 that “If you believe perverted groomer teachers should be allowed to sexualize kindergartners and parents have no right to know or protest than you are a sunken demonic person. Find God.” An April 2022 report from Media Maers found that Fox News had aired 170 segments focusing on transgender people over a three-week period as it covered opposition to the “Don’t Say Gay” bill.ATTACKS AGAINST DISNEYOn March 28 – the day DeSantis signed the bill into law – the Walt Disney Company released a statement saying the bill “should never have been signed into law” and that their “goal as a company” was for the law “to be repealed by the legislature or struck down in the courts.” Disney quickly became the target of “grooming” accusations due to its denouncement of the bill. Right-wing pundit Candace Owens tweeted that the company had “openly admied they have a not so secret agenda with your children.” Farright Arizona state senator Wendy Rogers tweeted on March 30 that “Disney should now be known as the grooming company.” In April 2022, right-wing conspiracy theorist Jack Posobiec accused Disney of supporting grooming in a tweet; “Disney Groomer” began trending on Twier shortly aer. Disney also drew the ire of a variety of rightwing extremists and conspiracy theorists. On April 6, over a hundred protesters gatheredoutside of Disney’s headquarters in Burbank, California, to oppose the company’s “woke” agenda. Aendees carried signs that read “Disney: Stop Mousing Around With Our Kids” and “Boyco Disney and Their Aack On Our Kids: It’s a Satanic Agenda.” The event was organized by Sean Feucht, a Christian singer-songwriter who frequently performs at the conspiratorial “Reawaken America” conferences. In April and May 2022, members of the white supremacist group White Lives Maer Florida staged protests outside of Walt Disney World in Orlando alongside members of the neo-Nazi Sunshine State Nationalists and the Proud Boys. The antisemitic Goyim Defense League has also distributed iers across the U.S. claiming “every single aspect of Disney child grooming is Jewish.”LIBS OF TIKTOKAs the “groomer” narrative has gained traction, LGBT people have faced a wave of increased harassment, threats and violence. On far-right forums, users have repeatedly doxed and threatened drag queens, teachers, Disney employees and healthcare workers, leading to the cancellation of LGBT events and heightened security outside schools and hospitals. No person or entity has been more inuential at inciting this hate than Libs of TikTok, operated by former real estate agent Chaya Raichik. The account, which has over 1.3 million followers and has been praised by the likes of Pushaw and Fox News host Tucker Carlson, reposts selected outof-context social media content created by LGBT people and liberals in order to generate outrage and stoke anti-LGBT hostility. Raichik has frequently characterized LGBT people and allies, as well as those who teach about LGBT issues and healthcare professionals who oer gender-arming care, as “groomers.” The individuals, events, schools and organizations targeted by Libs of TikTok are frequent targets of harassment, threats and violence. In spring 2022, the Kiel Area School District in Wisconsin launched a Title IX investigation into three middle school students for allegedly bullying a transgender classmate, including by repeatedly addressing them by the wrong pronouns. Libs of TikTok publicized the investigation in mid-May; the district soon received a wave of harassing calls and emails. The school district, as well as the town library and City Hall, also received multiple bomb threats, and the FBI arrested a California man for threatening to kill a district employee. In response to the threats, the city cancelled its annual Memorial Day parade, and the district went virtual for the rest of the school year. The district closed the Title IX investigation in early June. In August 2022, Boston Children’s Hospital became the target of a major harassment FEATURE FEATURE campaign aer Libs of TikTok falsely asserted that the hospital was performing genderarming hysterectomies on “young girls,” a claim that has been debunked by PolitiFact and USA Today . The hospital suered a barrage of harassing phone calls and emails as a result and has also been targeted twice by bomb threats. Libs of TikTok has since targeted other hospitals with false claims about gender-arming care, leading to similar harassment and threats against these facilities. Anti-LGBT gures have also accused numerous doctors who provide gender-arming care of engaging in “child mutilation.” Libs of TikTok essentially acts as a compass, guiding anti-LGBT activists towards targets for harassment and protest. Drag events, such as family-friendly drag shows and “drag queen story hours,” have become a popular target for anti-LGBT activists, who believe such events “sexualize children” and are encouraging young people to embrace an “immoral lifestyle.” Organizers and sponsors of numerous LGBT events have had to cancel events out of fears for aendee and sta safety aer being targeted by Libs of TikTok. • In July 2022, a youth-led drag show in North Bay, Ontario, was postponed for safety reasons after organizers received death threats and harassing messages online. Libs of TikTok had posted about the event a week earlier. • On June 30, 2022, several Proud Boys stormed into Mojo’s Lounge & Bar in Woodland, California, even though the drag event scheduled for that evening had already been cancelled due to threats of violence. Organizers say that the threats began after Libs of TikTok tweeted about the event. • On June 11, 2022, right-wing extremists targeted a “Pride in the Park” event in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, after Libs of TikTok tweeted about it. Thirty-one members of the white supremacist group Patriot Front, including the group’s leader Thomas Rousseau, were arrested on criminal conspiracy charges after police stopped their U-Haul truck on their way to the event. In the park itself, around 30 white supremacist groypers held a prayer circle to “distract” attendees from the “satanist” event. • On June 11, 2022, 10 Proud Boys, one of whom was wearing a t-shirt that said, “Kill your local pedophile,” disrupted a Drag Queen Story Hour event at the San Lorenzo Library in San Lorenzo, California. The Alameda County Sheriff’s Ofce opened a hate crimes investigation into the incident. Libs of TikTok had tweeted about the event two weeks earlier. • On June 4, 2022, the anti-LGBTQ+ group “Protect Texas Kids” staged a protest outside of a family-friendly drag event in Dallas, Texas, chanting “groomers” at attendees. One protester followed a performer to her car after the event, screaming at her, “Do you like dancing for little children? You don’t think that’s disgusting? You should be Counterprotesters at the anti-gay "Protect the Children" rally in Fort Lauderdale on Dec. 3, 2022. Photo by JR Davis.TURN THE PAGE TO CONTINUE READING

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14 14 • • 2.23.2023ashamed of yourself.” Libs of TikTok had tweeted about the event a few days earlier. • In Apex, North Carolina, a Drag Queen Story Hour event was cancelled shortly after it was the subject of a Libs of TikTok tweet. The town’s mayor announced the city’s festival commission decided to cancel the event due to a “variety of feedback.”EMBRACING THE 'GROOMER' NARRATIVEThe far right is specically targeting mainstream conservatives and some members of the Republican party, selling the false groomer narrative as a tool to score political points and rally voters ahead of the 2022 midterms. According to the Human Rights Campaign, as of July 2022, 23 states have introduced anti-LGBTQ+ bills in 2022; 13 states have signed anti-LGBTQ+ bills into law. CNN reports that more than 40 bills have been proposed by Republican lawmakers across 18 states as of July 2022, aimed at restricting what teachers can say about LGBT-related topics in the classroom. Right-wing extremists have also adopted the groomer narrative to further demonize LGBT people, justify harassment and violence towards the LGBT community and advance their own inltration of the mainstream right. The Proud Boys have disrupted at least 10 LGBT events since March 2022, accounting for more than half of anti-LGBT extremist event activity tracked by the ADL Center on Extremism this year. For white supremacists, claims that LGBT people are “grooming” children pair neatly with the movement’s “white genocide” narrative. White supremacists argue that LGBT “lifestyles” and pedophilia are promoted by Jewish elites to decrease white birth rates and aid supposed Jewish plans to “replace” the white population with Black and Brown people. White supremacists have frequently targeted LGBT events over the past few months: • On August 7, 2022, approximately 16 members of the neo-Nazi Nationalist Social Club (NSC-131) protested a Drag Queen Story Hour event in Boston, Massachusetts. The event was eventually cancelledby its host, who wrote on Twitter that she did not want to risk putting children attending the event in a “potentially violent situation.” • On July 30, 2022, several individuals associated with the New Jersey European Heritage Association, another neo-Nazi group, protested at the Bordentown Pride Parade. They held a banner that read: “Drag queen story hour is child grooming.” • On July 23, 2022, approximately 20 members of the Nationalist Social Club protested a Drag Queen Story Hour event in Jamaica Plain, Massachusetts. NSC founder Christopher Hood, Jr. was arrested for allegedly brawling with a counter-protester. • On June 25, 2022, several persons associated with White Lives Matter California, a white supremacist group, protested a family-friendly Pride event at the Sacramento Children’s Museum in Rancho Cordova, California. They held a banner that read “Groomers are not welcome in California.” • On June 11, 2022, several people associated with the neo-Nazi group NatSoc Florida demonstrated outside of a Hamburger Mary’s restaurant in Jacksonville, Florida, wearing shirts with swastikas and holding signs that read: “Child groomers work here,” “Fags groom kids,” “Grooming in progress” and “Judaism allows child rape.” The group also distributed anti-LGBT iers in nearby neighborhoods. False and malicious accusations that LGBT people are “grooming” children have resulted in a dangerous campaign of hate and violence against the LGBT community. Across the United States, extremists and mainstream conservatives alike employ this hateful rhetoric to harass the LGBT community. Painting the LGBT community as child predators and criminals will lead to continued harassment and violence against a community already suering from hate speech, harassment and violence by extremists and bigots. FEATURE FEATURE FOR WHITE SUPREMACISTS, CLAIMS THAT LGBT PEOPLE ARE “GROOMING” CHILDREN PAIR NEATLY WITH THE MOVEMENT’S “WHITE GENOCIDE” NARRATIVE. Reprinted with permission of the Anti-Defamation League. Always Plenty of Free Parking • Conveniently Located on Wilton DriveDr. David K. Warner, DDS, FAGDState of the Art Facilities • Most Insurance Plans Accepted www.IslandCitySmiles.com Dr. Stephen T. Scoglio, DMD In the Convenience of Your Home! $99 Take-Home Fall Whitening Special! Zoom Whitening! Your smile should leave a great impression.

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2.23.2023 • • 15 15

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16 16 • • 2.23.2023 FEATURE FEATURE Conservatives are divided on how to react as the two 2024 Republican presidential front-runners turn to a term recently popularized by right-wing media to slander LGBT people and their rights against each other. On Feb. 7, former President Donald Trump, who recently announced he was running for reelection, took to his platform Truth Social to accuse Florida Gov. — and expected primary competitor — Ron DeSantis of “grooming.” Trump reposted a picture that appeared to show a young DeSantis — from when he was a teacher at a preparatory school — drinking and in the arms of several of his students. The picture was captioned “Here is Ron DeSanctimonious grooming high school girls with alcohol as a teacher.” While the authenticity of the photos are unveried, reports from former students appear to conrm DeSantis socialized with high schoolers at parties while employed as a teacher. DeSantis’ oce has been integral in pushing for groomer, a term used to describe sexual predators who use manipulative behaviors to coerce their victims, to be misused to malign LGBT people and their allies. In particular, his press secretary, Christina Pushaw, was an early promoter of the lie, using it to promote DeSantis’ “Don’t Say Gay” bill. Even though the misuse of the term to aack LGBT rights is hindering child welfare advocates’ ability to ght actual abuse, right-wing media have consistently exploited it to aack everything from children’s hospitals to mass shooting survivors to Sesame Street’s Elmo. However, when levied against their chosen candidates — both of whom seem to have at least some history of impropriety — rightwing media are divided; DeSantis supporters, like Post Millennial’s Ian Miles Cheong, are turning the allegations back against Trump and his supporters like, Alex Bruesewitz, and Mia GingerichMedia Matters for America “Here is Ron DeSanctimonious grooming high school girls with alcohol as a teacher.” Photo via Dong-Chan Lee, Twitter.are castigating their opponents for defending DeSantis’ alleged misconduct.RIGHTWING MEDIA TURN ACCUSATIONS OF GROOMING AGAINST TRUMP, POINTING TO HIS CONNECTIONS TO JEFFREY EPSTEIN AND PAST ABUSEFollowing Trump’s post, conservative gures supporting DeSantis were quick to turn the accusation back at Trump, citing reports of his connections to disgraced pedophile Jerey Epstein and his long history of reported abuse and inappropriate comments against girls and women. The Post Millennial’s Ian Miles Cheong tweeted, “Trump is falsely accusing DeSantis of pedophilia. It is only fair to point out the fact that he traveled on Epstein’s Lolita Express seven times. It is also fair to point out that Trump lied about the number of times he traveled on that plane.” Last year, Cheong called the LGBT community a “woke grooming cult” and lauded Russia’s “gay propaganda” law as an “anti-grooming law.” Conservative writer Pedro Gonzalez posted a thread (which was promptly retweeted by The Daily Wire’s Ma Walsh) citing numerous incidents connecting Trump to Epstein and other examples of actual grooming, tweeting, “Trump, who was friends with Je Epstein, suggests DeSantis is a groomer. DeSantis is prosecuting the capture of leist institutions in Florida. Trump is posting about Stormy Daniels and calling other people groomers when there are images of him with Epstein TRUMP FLIPS THE SCRIPT; TRUMP FLIPS THE SCRIPT; BLASTS DESANTIS AS A ‘GROOMER’ BLASTS DESANTIS AS A ‘GROOMER’ DESANTIS’ ALLIES IN TURN CALL TRUMP A ‘GROOMER’

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2.23.2023 • • 17 17 SFGN.com/donateWOULD YOU LIKE TO SUPPORT A FREE PRESS? and Ghislaine Maxwell everywhere.” Gonzalez went on to tweet that he didn’t think Trump “was actually a groomer any more than DeSantis,” saying it was just an example of how Trump’s campaign was “throwing rocks in a glass house stupid.” In an op-ed for the Washington Examiner, Tiana Lowe called Trump’s allegations a “conspiracy theory,” saying that “insinuations that the Florida family man is a sexual predator represent hypocrisy of the highest order, coming from a serial philanderer accused of rape and more.” Meanwhile, ardent defenders and exploiters of the term on the right ironically aempted to blame its use on Democrats. Farright conspiracy theorist Mike Cernovich (who once claimed that “‘date rape’ does not exist”, tweeted that Trump was “trying to use some far le wing and fake MeToo tactics against DeSantis.” Less than a year ago, Cernovich defended using the term groomer when politically convenient. Pushaw appeared to be mostly silent on the feud, simply retweeting a Cheong tweet of a video in which DeSantis asserted that people should “be held accountable” for spreading misinformation. OTHERS IN RIGHTWING MEDIA SIDE WITH TRUMP, SPARKING INTERPARTY FEUDING Other gures in right-wing media took issue with those defending DeSantis. Alex Bruesewitz, founder of right-wing communications rm X Strategies, called DeSantis’ defenders “middle aged weirdos,” saying of the allegations against DeSantis, “I’m 25 years old. I would NEVER consider doing such a thing.” Right-wing columnist Kurt Schlicter reacted by tweeting his objections to Bruesewitz’ comments. Right-wing online personality Caurd responded to another tweet from Cheong citing reports of Trump’s connections with Epstein by calling Cheong a “lying POS.” The two continued to argue, with Cheong saying Caurd was “a POS for defending [Trump] for falsely accusing DeSantis of pedophilia.” On Feb. 8, DeSantis elded a question on Trump’s grooming accusations, suggesting the claims were a “smear” and saying he was more concerned with people who were “more lile” and who didn’t “have a platform to ght back.” The governor’s supporters used his comments to continue defending him. An article for The Daily Wire covering DeSantis’ response described Trump’s accusations that DeSantis is a groomer as “smears” and asserted that the claims that DeSantis engaged in “grooming underage girls with alcohol” were “baseless.” Rightwing blog Twitchy posted an article claiming DeSantis’ response “dismiss[ed] Donald Trump’s desperate shenanigans.” The feud between DeSantis and Trump comes amid a growing divide on the right on whether the rights, safety, and dignity of LGBT people should continue to be a target for Republican politicians. Not everyone agrees that they should: The Daily Caller, a right-wing outlet co-founded by Fox host Tucker Carlson, ran an op-ed on Jan. 26 from news editor Grayson Quay titled “Why Conservatives Will Lose The ‘Grooming’ Debate.” In it, Quay contends that targeting LGBT inclusion as either deviancy or “grooming” leaves conservatives with “two bad options: an unpopular argument and an incoherent one.” FEATURE FEATURE “TRUMP IS FALSELY ACCUSING DESANTIS OF PEDOPHILIA.”Ian Miles Cheong Donald Trump and Ron DeSantis. Photos via wikimedia.org. Reprinted with permission from Media Matters for America.

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18 18 • • 2.23.2023 FEATURE FEATURE GAG reacted to the report as the group has consistently done whenever it has been called out for targeting LGBT rights and inclusion — by claiming that as a “coalition of gay people” it and its members are incapable of spreading anti-LGBT propaganda. In reality, before the group’s founder Jaimee Michell rode the recent surge in antiLGBT rhetoric to guest spots on Fox News and right-wing podcasts, she and her fellow GAG chair, David Leatherwood, were proTrump operatives employed by right-wing communications rms representing other conservative gures who have aempted to capitalize o of the anti-LGBT fervor of the last two years. This recent employment history underscores the far-right pedigree of both Michell and Leatherwood — a record that includes promotion of the QAnon conspiracy theory, intimate involvement with the eorts to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election, and emphatic support for the violent actions of the January 6 insurrectionists. WHAT IS GAYS AGAINST GROOMERS?GAG claims to ght against “the sexualization, indoctrination, and medicalization” of children, with Michell professing to have founded the group last year “to protect the kids” and “reclaim” the gay community’s “good standing in society.” The group has catered to a far-right audience, with Michell promoting the group on fringe outlets like One America News and Infowars. At the end of last year, GAG aended Turning Point USA’s convention, AmericaFest, where the group’s leaders cavorted with white nationalists, former Trump adviser Steve Bannon, and Kyle Rienhouse. ADL’s report also noted the coordination between GAG and far-right groups like Moms for Liberty. As with Moms for Liberty, GAG encourages its members to aend school board meetings and speak out against LGBT inclusion and policies. The group used this tactic to claim a victory in Florida last September, when it successfully harassed the Miami-Dade County School Board into voting against recognition of LGBTQ History Month. Last month, a member of the group’s executive team testied at a school board meeting in California where he argued that “every teacher that has a pride ag in their classroom should be red and arrested.”WHO IS JAIMEE MICHELL?Before founding GAG, Michell was a steadfast Trump supporter. In her one-episode podcast from 2017, she claimed she began supporting Trump, in part, following her interactions with online conspiracy theories and a pro-Trump Reddit forum that was later banned from the platform for issuing threats of violence. Michell’s earlier Twier presence involved predominantly pro-Trump content which she posted well aer revelations had been made involving Trump’s inappropriate comments and actions directed at underage girls, not to mention myriad reports by women ranging from verbal harassment to inappropriate touching and outright sexual assault. Michell used her online presence to promote conspiracy theories related to QAnonand the false claim that Democratic politicians were involved in child tracking, retweeting support for the conspiracy theory from popular QAnon inuencers (with whom Mia GingerichMedia Matters for America In January, the Anti-Defamation League released a report naming Gays Against Groomers, a group that “peddles dangerous and misleading narratives about the LGBTQ+ community,” among notable ampliers of anti-LGBTQ rhetoric online. she continued to interact through 2019) and tweeting that anti-Trump conservative writer Bill Kristol “has some skeletons in his closet. I’m guessing pizza avored,” seemingly a reference to the QAnon-adjacent “Pizzagate” conspiracy theory. Michell also repeatedly posted a meme she created making similar accusations against liberal celebrities, using it to brand everyone from CNN anchor Jake Tapper to Late Show host Stephen Colbert as “a pedo.” While lobbing these accusations at her political enemies, Michell posted a pro-Trump quote and picture from far-right gure Milo Yiannopoulos, months aer Yiannopoulos’ 2016 comments supporting pedophilia came to light. Michell also continued to use her identity as a lesbian to falsely claim that Trump was a “pro-gay” politician, earning her an advisory board seat on the campaign’s “Trump Pride” coalition. Leading up to the 2020 election, Michell had frequent online communication with Ali Alexander, the founder of the “Stop the Steal” movement that heavily pushed conspiracy theories about the 2020 presidential election. Michell would go on to be intimately involved in Alexander’s movement, being listed alongside right-wing activist Alex Bruesewitz as a contact for the Stop the Steal rally in Wisconsin under her online account, “TheGayWhoStrayd.” Following President Joe Biden’s victory, Michell asserted the election had been stolen, telling her followers “the war is just geing started” and later speaking at a Stop the Steal event in Washington, D.C., that November. In reaction to the Jan. 6 insurrection, Michell posted in support of the rioters on Instagram and Telegram, including reposting more content from Yiannopoulos. Following the insurrection, Michell redirected her focus to taking extreme positions on other far-right talking points, including GRIFTER GAYS GRIFTER GAYSHOW CONSPIRACY THEORISTS AND RIGHTWING OPERATIVES CREATED GAYS AGAINST GROOMERS Jaimee Michell. Photo via gaysagainstgroomers.com.

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2.23.2023 • • 19 19 z 924 N. Federal Hwy Fort Lauderdale, FL 33304owned & operated by J.A. Astaphan MD Seventeen Years Serving the CommUNITY Seventeen Years Serving the CommUNITY rrrfr nrrt ntbr trfbfrff rfFollow us on INSTAGRAM @SILKLASERAESTHETICS DYSPORT FOR MENBE SMOOTH AND LINE FREE IN 2023$75 off 100 units or more injected. B12 ENERGY SHOT $20 954.462.7455www.thesilklasercentre.com comparing COVID-19 public health measures to Nazi persecution and calling police murder victim George Floyd “fentanyl Floyd.” Michell continued to aempt to deect criticism and moderation of her oensive rhetoric by appealing to her sexual orientation, claiming that “right-wing gays” were being treated like “thought criminals” aer she was temporarily suspended from Instagram, seemingly for posting content mocking memorials to Floyd’s death. THE ORIGINS OF GAYS AGAINST GROOMERSIn May 2022, Michell started a new job at X Strategies, a right-wing social media communications rm that promises its conservative clientele the ability to “create, shi, and control narratives.” The rm, cofounded and led by Bruesewitz, was previously implicated in a scheme involving paying online inuencers as young as 14 years old to run ads for Trump insiders, including the campaign’s “Election Defense Fund.” Michell’s new job, which she has since scrubbed from her online proles, coincided with a precipitous rise in misuse and exploitation of the term “groomer” by rightwing gures to malign LGBT people and their allies. The smear campaign was part of the Republican strategy to drive right-wing voters to the polls for the midterm elections. The month aer Michell started her new position, she announced the creation of Gays Against Groomers, which Michell used to compare any signs of acceptance for LGBT youth by schools, companies, public gures, or online users to “grooming.” In September 2022, Michell announced the two other board members who would be leading GAG alongside herself — her ance Sasha Leigh and right-wing pro-Trump activist David Leatherwood. Like Michell, Leatherwood gained notoriety in part for oensive content aacking Black Lives Maer. Like Michell, Leatherwood previously served as a board member for “Trump Pride” (listed under his social media account name, “Brokeback Patriot”) and had ties to the “Stop the Steal” movement, having spoken at an event hosted by Trump ally Roger Stone on December 14, 2020. Like Michell, Leatherwood lauded the rioters involved with the January 6 insurrection, an event he had previously stated he would aend, celebrating that they had made politicians “cower in fear.” Leatherwood is still apparently employed as a writer and director by conservative communications rm Arsenal Media, for which he appeared in an ad last year for GOP Florida state House candidate Jake Homan. Michell also listed Arsenal as an employer until November of last year. The rm claims to “manage some of the largest conservative social media inuencers in the game,” promising increased exposure for its rightwing campaign clients.GROWING GAG’S RANKS ONE PROTRUMP CONSPIRACY THEORIST AT A TIMEMichell and Leatherwood have worked to stock GAG’s executive board with fringe proTrump inuencers with paerns of promoting conspiracy theories. The group’s Director of Chapters Mario Presents, whose legal name is Mario Estrada, is a right-wing activist and blogger previously focused on rallying in support of Trump and protesting COVID-19 health measures. Estrada reportedly has connections with extremist groups including California’s Central Valley Militia and the Proud Boys, and he has participated in rallies tied to the QAnon conspiracy theory and promoted QAnon talking points online. He has also taken extremist positions on a number of issues, including defending Chilean dictator Augusto Pinochet, who was responsible for mass murder and torture of political opponents. GAG’s communications director, Judith Rose, is most notable for a viral TikTok in 2020 where she declared she had been converted to supporting Trump, who she claimed was “taking down human trackers and a satanic secret society that most of Hollywood, the Vatican, and many elites are involved in” — key tenets of QAnon. Rose later appeared on proQAnon show "RedPill78." GAG’s New York chapter leader is Marky Hu, the founder of LGBTrump (cited as the largest gay pro-Trump Facebook group). Hu has twice been arrested for defacing a Black Lives Maer mural. GAG’s North Carolina chapter leader, Brian Talbert, founded Deplorable Pride, another pro-Trump organization. Talbert, who has a history of pushing anti-Islam and misogynistic rhetoric, was arrested in 2018 for assaulting a woman during a pro-Trump rally his group had organized. The group’s list of “ambassadors” is similarly stocked with anti-vaxx activists, pro-Trump acolytes, online inuencers, and those with connections to right-wing politics, like Rafaello Carone (now listed only as “Raf” on the group’s website) who last month was hiredby the embaled gay Rep. George Santos (R-NY). FEATURE FEATURE RESEARCH CONTRIBUTIONS FROM JASON CAMPBELL. Reprinted with permission from Media Matters for America. r f ntbr Get y our Rx a t our in-house pharmac y . t o see the e xperts in HIV car e and pr e v ention! t f t b 2608 NE 16th A v e. | Wil t on M anors, FL 33334

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20 20 • • 2.23.2023 NEWS NEWS LOCAL LOCAL HRC’SMUNICIPAL EQUALITY INDEX CITYCAPE CORAL CORAL GABLES DAYTONA FORT LAUDERDALE GAINESVILLE HIALEAH HOLLYWOOD JACKSONVILLE MIAMI MIAMI BEACH MIAMI SHORES OAKLAND PARK ORLANDO PEMBROKE PINES PORT ST. LUCIE ST. PETERSBURG TALLAHASSEE TAMPA WELLINGTON WILTON MANORS WEST PALM BEACH201739 61 30 87 99 49 67 67 59 100 91 99 100 78 31 100 100 86N/A100 100201839 5930 989639467955100 8197100 7139100 99100N/A100 100201939 7530 1009439 7079 55 100 81 97 100 71 39 100 99 100N/A100N/A2020499130 100 9540838175100 8299100 7353100 99 100N/A100 1002021699530 100 9644100 8589N/A98100100 7773100 100100 100 100 100202269 95 30 100 96 56100 7989N/A85100 100 77 83100 94100 100 100N/AFive cities in South Florida received perfect scores on the 2022 Human Rights Campaign’s Municipal Equality Index report, including Fort Lauderdale, Hollywood, Wilton Manors, Oakland Park and Wellington. “As LGBTQ people continue facing an allout assault from [Gov. Ron] DeSantis and his right-wing allies in the legislature, we applaud the local leaders, like those in Fort Lauderdale, Wilton Manors, Wellington, and others across the state who guided their cities to a perfect score on HRC’s 2022 Municipal Equality Index, working hard to resist that anti-LGBTQ bigotry and create inclusive municipalities,” said Brandon Wolf, press secretary of Equality Florida. “Our ght against DeSantis’ agenda of government censorship, book banning, and hysteria built on the backs of LGBTQ Floridians is grounded in the work of building power and safeguarding progress on a local level.” Cities receive points based on their laws, policies, benets and services. Some areas scored include “Law Enforcement”, FORT LAUDERDALE, HOLLYWOOD, & WILTON MANORS AMONG FIVE LOCAL CITIES TO TOP HRC’S LATEST EQUALITY LIST Jason Parsley “HERE IN WILTON MANORS, WE ARE HUMBLED AND GRATEFUL TO HAVE ACHIEVED A PERFECT SCORE ON HRC’S MUNICIPAL EQUALITY INDEX. WE THANK HRC FOR THEIR COMMITMENT AS AN ADVOCATE OF LGBTQ RIGHTS ISSUES ACROSS AMERICA.”Chris CaputoCITY COMMISSIONER“Municipal Services,” and “Leadership on LGBTQ Equality.” Last year, seven cities received perfect scores in South Florida. Those other cities included Miami Beach and West Palm Beach. Miami Beach was le o this year’s list while West Palm Beach’s perfect score from 2021 was included. Those cities have to self-submit each year. Local activists have complained for years about the process of how cities are selected for inclusion. This is the eleventh annual municipal equality list HRC has compiled. Across the U.S. more than 500 cities were scored with 120 earning perfect scores — up from 110 in 2021. This year also includes the highest average city score, while only eight cities received a zero. Fort Lauderdale tops the list for the fourth year in a row. “Fort Lauderdale continues its string of perfect 100% ratings; we are a city that respects and values all its citizens and visitors,” said Fort Lauderdale City Commissioner Steve Glassman. “Hate, bigotry, and discrimination are not tolerated here.” Four years ago, Fort Lauderdale enacted a human rights ordinance that banned discrimination against the LGBT community in the area’s employment, housing, and public accommodation. According to a press release, “City initiatives that contribute to a perfect score include anti-bullying policies, proclaiming June 2022 as LGBT Pride Month, reporting hate crime statistics to the Federal Bureau of Investigation annually, continued appointments of LGBT community and police liaisons and much more.” Wilton Manors, known as South Florida’s “gayborhood,” came out on top for the ninth consecutive year. “Here in Wilton Manors, we are humbled and grateful to have achieved a perfect score on HRC’s Municipal Equality Index,” said City Commissioner Chris Caputo. “It is a true testament to our supportive community that stands behind the LGBT individuals who live and work here — going beyond standards set by State and Federal law ensures everyone feels at home. We thank HRC for their commitment as an advocate of LGBTQ rights issues across America.” Other cities in South Florida topping the list this year include Oakland Park, Hollywood, and Wellington. The cities outside of South Florida to receive a 100 include Orlando, St. Petersburg, and Tampa. Meanwhile, Tallahassee is the only city who lost its perfect score this year, dropping to 94. Hialeah was at the boom of the list for South Florida cities with a score of 56. But they have steadily increased their score each year since 2019 when they were at 39. Read the full report on hrc.org. This information was compiled from the Human Rights Campaign’s annual Municipal Equality Index.

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2.23.2023 • • 21 21 SIGN UP TO WALK WITH EQUALITY FLORIDAThe Florida AIDS Walk & Music Festival is a great way to give back to your community. Come together for a 5K walk and an epic concert!Saturday, March 18, 2023 (Fort Lauderdale, FL)rfntrbftf

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22 22 • • 2.23.2023 How Women Shaped a Movement through Photography, Art, Music, and ConversationTHE WOMEN’S FUND PRESENTSIN CELEBRATION OF Lesbian Land Photography Exhibition Opening Reception Free Event! Friday, March 3, 2023, 6:00 PM – 8:00 PM Open bar and refreshments Stonewall National Museum, Archives & Library You must RSVP to Monique@Stonewall-Museum.org to attendThis exhibition series draws its title from Lesbian Land, a collection of writings by lesbians who founded lands in the 1970s and 1980s in an effort to drop out of society and form new revolutionary communities and bring about liberation. Land dykes published womenauthored books and magazines, supported musical networks, and made essential contributions to the history of photography. This crucial history is for the most part unknown. Photography by: Leah DeVun, Professor of History and Women’s Gender and Sexuality Studies, Rutgers University Curated by: Leah Appleton Associate Director Leonard Pearlstein Gallery / Curator, Drexel University Conversation with Fran Liebowitz Festival of the Arts Boca Wed., March 8, 2023, 7:00 PM Mizner Park Amphitheater, Boca Raton For tickets visit Festival of the Arts BOCA Leibowitz stands out as one of our most insightful social commentators. Her essays and interviews offer her acerbic views on current events and the media – as well as pet peeves including tourists, baggage-claim or anyone who is unduly tan. The New York Times Book Review calls Leibowitz an “important humorist in the classic tradition.” Purveyor of urban cool, Leibowitz is a cultural satirist whom many call the heir to Dorothy Parker. WomensHistMonth_adSQ-10x10-5_2page.indd 1 2/9/2023 9:42:26 PM

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2.23.2023 • • 23 23 Pillow Talk: A discussion about sex, sexuality, and alternate lifestyles by and for women Free Event Saturday, March 11, 2023, 6:00 PM – 9:00 PM Open bar and refreshments Stonewall National Museum, Archives & Library You must RSVP to Monique@Stonewall-Museum.org to attend. Discussion by: Dr. C.E. Grenci, Ph.D., Clinical Professor Clinical Sexology Grande Mistress Carla, ACE, GM Queen of Domination Charlayne E. Grenci, Ph.D., is a clinical sexologist, a clinical professor, a relationship expert, and an authority on BDSM. She also wears another hat as Mistress Carla, who has worked as a professional dominatrix with an ongoing, unconventional sex research program since 1980. Her research study has focused on various sexual practices, alternative lifestyles, sexual preferences, sexual human behavior, and most relationship issues.Diplomate of the American Board of Clinical Sexology Dr. Marilyn K. Volker, Ed.D Dr. Volker trains counselors to become sex therapists and has served as sexuality consultant for a variety of addiction treatment facilities state and nationwide and has written articles addressing sexuality issues in recovery. Dr. Volker teaches in the sexuality programs for two medical schools—University of Miami and Ross University and is a doctoral committee member for the International Institute of Clinical Sexology. Presenting Literary Women: Readings from theater, poetry, prose from some of the greatest lesbian writers in American History such as Audre Lorde and Rita Mae Brown Free Event! Friday, March 31, 2023, 6:00 PM – 9:00 PM Open bar and refreshments Stonewall National Museum, Archives & Library You must RSVP to Monique@Stonewall-Museum.org to attend. Partial funding for this program was provided through the National Endowment for the Humanities. Any views, these programs and exhibitions website do not necessar Endowment for the Humanities. Women’s History Screening and Conversation Free Event! Wednesday, March 15, 2023, 6:00 – 8:00 PM Open bar and refreshments Stonewall National Museum, Archives & Library You must RSVP to Monique@Stonewall-Museum.org to attend. Sponsored in part by WomensHistMonth_adSQ-10x10-5_2page.indd 2 2/9/2023 9:42:27 PM

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24 24 • • 2.23.2023At a recent senate faculty meeting at Florida Atlantic University, the interim provost assured sta the school was not collecting data on whether they were having “sex with animals.” The reference to bestiality was made by regarding concerns by the faculty the university was sharing information with the state on its Black and LGBT employees. “We did not know what color — if they were purple, if they had sex with animals,” Michele Hawkins said. It was a joke that fell at. According to Inside Higher Ed the quip was met with groans and chuckles. SFGN contacted FAU’s media relations department for a comment twice via email with no response. But FAU sent a statement to Inside Higher Ed. “In a comment that was intended to emphasize her acceptance of all individuals, she inadvertently invoked language that did not convey her beliefs,” a university spokesperson told Inside Higher Ed. “Upon further reection following the meeting’s conclusion, she beer understood how her comment was received, and that she had mis-spoken. She deeply regrets her choice of words.” The faculty member who challenged Hawkins during the meeting, Allan Barsky, told Inside Higher Ed, “I thought it was a PROVOST MAKES BESTIALITY JOKE REGARDING LGBT COMMUNITYFAU IGNORES REQUESTS FOR COMMENTS FROM SFGN NEWS NEWS LOCAL LOCAL Jason Parsley Dr. Michele Hawkins, Interim Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs. Photo via www.fau.edu. “ WE DID NOT KNOW WHAT COLOR IF THEY WERE PURPLE, IF THEY HAD SEX WITH ANIMALS.”Dr. Michele HawkinsINTERIM PROVOST AND VICE PRESIDENT FOR ACADEMIC AFFAIRS AT FAU teachable moment.” Barsky continued: “Sodomy was criminalized, suggesting that people are evil, against God, against the law. And [in] the DSM, the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, homosexuality was for a long time listed as a mental health disorder. So, there was kind of equation of same-sex relations with bestiality and other sexual crimes, so it just kind of harkens back to that.” Gov. Ron DeSantis has been recently targeting the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion departments at Florida’s universities and state colleges. They’ve asked them to complete a “comprehensive list of all sta, programs, and campus activities related to diversity, equity, and inclusion, and critical race theory.” Barsky also commended Hawkins for her quick apology. “Dr. Hawkins’s choice of words was unfortunate, but she did not intend to say something negative about LGBTQ people,” Barsky told Higher Ed. “She is a strong proponent of respect, social justice and DEI. Her apology was a brave response.” The modern LGBT movement started with a riot that changed public awareness and the course of history of LGBT civil rights. Now, Republicans that run Florida are hoping it will end with a whimper while no one’s watching. Gov. Ron DeSantis and his underlings are taking their campaign against LGBT to the next level. Aer years of passing anti-LGBT laws limiting trans rights (including healthcare) and shoving a generation of LGBT youth and teachers back into the closet, they’re no longer even bothering to pass laws and are spreading fear and paranoia via bureaucracy. Their latest aack on LGBT life is on drag entertainment. DeSantis’ crew has threatened to shut down places hosting any drag entertainment where anyone under 18 is present. The Department of Business and Professional Regulation (DBPR) investigated R House last summer when a child was seen dancing to music. “RuPaul’s Drag Race” alums brought "A Drag Queen Christmas" to the Broward Center and an investigation was launched from Tallahassee. A venue that hosted the same event in Orlando was also looked into. Last weekend, Wilton Collective held its annual Turnabout to raise money for LGBT youth. When someone heard that there would be drag entertainers performing in the presence of LGBT youth, threats of all kinds came pouring in. Social media accounts tagged state agencies, urging them to send someone to investigate on behalf of the state. Even more ominously, others looked to take the law into their own hands and sent anonymous threats of violence to Wilton Collective. Julian Cavazos, owner/founder of Wilton Collective, said the community can’t cower in the face of state or anonymous violence. “We’re doing everything right. We’re not doing anything wrong. This is a family friendly event, bringing together people from all walks of our community.” Threats are also being made against LGBT EVENTS, LEADERS UNDER ATTACK BY GOP John Hayden NEWS NEWS STATE STATE local elected ocials. Wilton Manors City Commissioner Chris Caputo was told DeSantis may remove him from his ocial position for supporting events. Caputo, who supports many LGBT organizations and events, was a celebrity bartender at the event and says he’ll ght the ghts that come to him. “A member of the Log Cabin Republicans alerted me. I understand he reached out to the governor’s oce. He came back to me and said, ‘There’s word from the oce you may possibly be recalled for your participation in this.’” DeSantis has already removed elected leaders who didn’t support or enforce his policies. The event at Wilton Collective went o without a hitch. People inside had fun and enjoyed the entertainment. Outside sat a staed WMPD car, serving as a warning to anyone who would try to bring violence to a fun, peaceful event. Due to the event being held aer hours on a Friday during a holiday weekend, it may be a few days before we know if anyone les a formal complaint with DBPR.SILENT ATTACKSWhen the governor comes aer an LGBT group, it will come when nothing is happening. There will be no video of FDLE storming a drag show or breaking up a pride parade. That type of video would cause swing voters to take notice and rise. The DBPR wields a great deal of power. It can revoke a liquor license, which would essentially put many restaurants or venues out of business. So if DBPR moves to a bar, it will come at 10 a.m. one morning and issue an order to shut down. Legal ghts could take months or years, and proving discrimination in courtrooms stocked with Republican appointees will be hard. In the end, it will be cheaper for a venue to just close. DeSantis also counts on those closures serving as a cautionary tale to other LGBT business owners to modify their programming or never open in the rst place. “WE’RE DOING EVERYTHING RIGHT. WE’RE NOT DOING ANYTHING WRONG. THIS IS A FAMILY FRIENDLY EVENT, BRINGING TOGETHER PEOPLE FROM ALL WALKS OF OUR COMMUNITY.” Julian CavazosOWNER/FOUNDER OF WILTON COLLECTIVE

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26 26 • • 2.23.2023 Libs of TikTok’s hatred knows no bounds. The Twier account has long targeted LGBT people and is a routine purveyor of disinformation. Now they’ve set their sights on an award-winning Broadway musical. Harvey Fierstein and Cyndi Lauper’s “Kinky Boots” tells the story of a shoe factory owner who forms an unlikely partnership with a drag queen to save his struggling business. In the lead up to the show’s run in Maryland, The Olney Public Library is hosting a drag story hour for families. “To promote a new show called ‘Kinky Boots,’ a theater and public library in MD are partnering to hold a drag event for ‘all ages, especially toddlers, preschoolers’ This library receives millions in funding. Our tax dollars are funding drag events & sexual themed plays for kids,” Libs of TikTok tweeted. People were quick to defend the musical. “Libs of TikTok has no clue that Kinky Boots is an award-winning Broadway musical with songs wrien by Cyndi Lauper that families have been going to watch together for years,” a user tweeted. Libs of TikTok is run by Chaya Raichik. In December 2022, Raichik called the LGBT community “an evil, poisonous cult” that grooms children in a televised interview. Harvard Kennedy School professor, Juliee Kayyem, describes what Libs of TikTok engages in as “stochastic terrorism.” She explained it to The Advocate: “It’s akin to ISIS not planning a specic aack but creating an environment in which violence becomes an arm of the political party.” She went on to say there is a direct link between accounts like Libs of TikTok to angry and potentially violent people showing up to drag queen story hours and Pride events. CYNDI LAUPER’S ‘KINKY BOOTS’ CAUGHT IN CROSSHAIRS OF ANTI-LGBT LIBS OF TIKTOK Kim Swan NEWS NEWS NATIONAL NATIONAL Photo via Kinky Books The Musical, Facebook. The controversy over drag shows doesn’t sit well with the world’s oldest working female impersonator. At 92, Darcelle XV still performs for audiences in Portland, Oregon, and the venue was recently enshrined on the National Register of Historic Places. Walter Cole, who plays the big-haired and bejeweled Darcelle, has seen the news out of Florida, where Gov. Ron DeSantis is cracking down on drag shows and doesn’t like it one bit. “Those damn Republicans,” Cole growled over the phone during an interview with SFGN. “Well, go ahead and screw it over and people will wise up and leave.” Cole’s creation of Darcelle, a tough-talking, “my way or the highway” gal, is simply put stagecra. He oen insists he’s in character and not trying to live as a woman. Hence, the show’s signature line: “That’s no lady! That’s Darcelle!” Meanwhile, folks are still coming to Portland’s OLDEST WORKING DRAG QUEEN SCOFFS AT FLORIDA CRACKDOWN John McDonaldOld Town to see Darcelle and company take the stage six nights a week. Admission is ages 21 and up. Cole said once a year the state “relaxes” his liquor license for an all-ages show. “It’s still super fun,” Cole said. Florida politicians are not the only ones to draw Cole’s scorn. He said Portland is suering under a weak leadership with blight and unsanctioned camping. “I don’t think it’s ever been worse o, it’s prey hideous,” he said. NEWS NEWS NATIONAL NATIONAL Darcelle XV. Photo by John McDonald. You can listen to John’s interview with Darcelle XV on spotify. DESANTIS IS THE REAL ‘GROOMER’ Publisher's EditorialRon DeSantis is a groomer. Our governor is grooming our youth to be ignorant hate lled bigots – by every means available to him: rampant bullying, violating the rst amendment rights of marginalized communities, forcing youth of trans experience in sports and denying their medical care, and prioritizing the sensibilities of potential, and aspiring Klan members over the truth. So it’s a delicious irony that Republicans are now trying to out groom each other with allies of DeSantis and former President Donald Trump lobbying groomer accusations at one another. DeSantis is a groomer. Our governor signed into law the “Stop WOKE Act” prohibiting public schools and private businesses from making white people feel “discomfort” when they teach students or train employees about discrimination in America’s past. Our out State Senator Shevrin Jones told the Associated Press last year, “This bill’s not for Blacks, this bill was not for any other race. This was directed to make whites not feel bad about what happened years ago. At no point did anyone say white people should be held responsible for what happened, but what I would ask my white counterparts is, are you an enabler of what happened or are you going to say we must talk about history?” A judge has put a hold on the law — for now — writing, “This is positively dystopian. It should go without saying that if liberty means anything at all, it means the right to tell people what they do not want to hear.” DeSantis is a groomer. Our governor is now baling with the College Board over an AP course on African American Studies because among other things it had included sections on “queer theory” and “intersectionality.” DeSantis is a groomer. Our governor has also targeted books that deal with sexual and gender minorities, and race. “HB 1467 is now signed into law. This law will allow the most conservative communities the opportunity to censor school libraries throughout the state. FL is a diverse state with large, progressive and inclusive communities. This law is unconstitutional,” The Florida Freedom to Read Project said in a Twier post. DeSantis is a groomer. The governor started his anti-LGBT crusade with the law banning transgender students from playing sports. “Transgender athletes have the right to participate in school sports. They have a right to nd a sense of belonging and to be part of a team. Trans people belong. To prohibit them from doing otherwise is simply unconstitutional,” Kara Gross, legislative director and senior policy counsel for the ACLU, said in a statement at the time. DeSantis is a groomer. Our governor’s latest target are Diversity, Equity and Inclusion programs at state colleges and universities. He’s on a mission to defund these departments and forever ban them. DeSantis is a groomer. Our governor also recently launched a hostile takeover of New College, a tiny liberal arts college in Sarasota, recently appointing a conservative majority on the board of trustees, who quickly ousted the school’s president. One of those new board members spewed antiLGBT bigotry and has even aacked GSAs for “smuggl[ing] university-style gender theory into more than 4,000 schools.” DeSantis is a groomer. DeSantis’ cronies once painted all gays who opposed his draconian “Don’t Say Gay” law as groomers. Our governor is pey, spiteful and cruel. But DeSantis isn’t just aempting to groom our youth to be remade in his image, he’s grooming a vast army of right-wing trolls. This rhetoric has consequences and is emboldening hate and violence across the country. According to an article from Vice the far right is now calling for the execution of doctors and teachers. DeSantis is a groomer. Hey Ron, how does it feel to be called a groomer? OPINION OPINION Gov. Ron DeSantis. Photo via Facebook.Jason Parsley

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2.23.2023 • • 27 27 CHECK WEBSITES AND FACEBOOK PAGES FOR THE MOST UP-TO-DATE INFORMATION REGARDING IN-PERSON ATTENDANCE OF SERVICES, AS WELL AS VIRTUAL VIEWING OPTIONS. SOUTHFLORIDAGAYNEWS.COMSPIRITUALITY LISTINGSCONGREGATION ETZ CHAIM 2038 N. Dixie Hwy (Pride Center Building B), Wilton Manors congregationetzchaim1974@gmail.com Friday Night Shabbat Service 8p.m. HOLY ANGELS CATHOLIC COMMUNITY 1436 NE 26th St Wilton Manors, FL 33305 Sunday Mass at 11AM CHURCH OF OUR SAVIOR, MCC Church of Our Savior, MCC 2011 S. Federal Hwy. Boynton Beach. churchofoursaviormcc.org | 561-733-4000 Sunday Service 10AM TEMPLE BAT YAM 5151 NE 14th Ter Fort Lauderdale, FL 33334 954-928-0410 Friday Night & Saturday Morning Streaming Online at templebatyam.org “Love without judgement”A home for your spirit.Holy Angels National Catholic Church1436 NE 26th Street Wilton Manors. 33305 Facebook.com/HolyAngelsFL www.HolyAngelsFL.org 954-633-2987 Mass Schedule: Sabado 6:00 PM misa en espaol • Sunday Mass at 11 AM in English • All are welcome!Join us for masked, socially distanced in person worship. 11 AM Sundays. Services also LIVE-streamed on Facebook and posted on website for safe at home viewing. Join us for in-person worshipat 10 AM Sunday, or live streamed on Facebook www.facebook.com/ChruchofOurSaviorMCC 2011 South Federal Hwy. Boynton Beach, FL 561-733-4000 www.churchofoursaviormcc.orgChurch of Our Savior MCC COLUMN COLUMN DON’T SAY GAY WATCH DON’T SAY GAY WATCH NORTH CAROLINA SENATE TARGETS LGBT YOUTH VIA BILL North Carolina’s own Parents’ Bill of Rights is on the table this legislative season, and it’s already passed its rst reading in the Senate. But unlike most of the copycat bills we’ve seen since Florida passed its Parental Rights Act, North Carolina has its own demands. Senate Bill 49 outlines a long list of new policies on school environments and parents’ involvement. One such policy requires school faculty “Don’t Say Gay” from kindergarten through the fourth grade. It explicitly prohibits the discussion of gender identity, sexual activity, and sexuality. In addition, the bill would require school personnel to notify parents before referring to a student by a new name or pronoun, which would force out transgender kids. During public comment on the bill, North Carolina residents came forward with their stories of growing up LGBT. Senator and Education Commiee Chair Amy Galey responded that the bill is not targeting gay students. “[The bill] only addresses the pronouns and the name which may or may not be indicative of an issue for the child,” Galey said, according to News & Observer. Galey’s statement isn’t a comfort to transgender people and allies. However, despite the support the bill has seen in the Senate, it doesn’t have support from Governor Roy Cooper. “...The last thing we need is to force the ‘Don’t Say Gay’ culture wars on our children and our state,” he told ABC11. Benjamin Manning SFGN le photo.

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28 28 • • 2.23.2023If you’re interested in romantic stories featuring lesbians and vampires, then check out “Youngblood” by Sasha Laurens. WHAT WAS YOUR INSPIRATION BEHIND YOUR MOST RECENT BOOK? I wanted to write a romance between a good girl and a bad boy with a heart of gold, but make it lesbians. Kat’s the good girl, who’s always trying to follow the rules — whether that’s the expectations of the popular girls or the heteropatriarchy — to make sure she can take advantage of the full ride she’s just goen to an elite boarding school. Taylor’s a lesbian with no interest in conforming, but the bristly exterior she’s developed to protect herself in the cut-throat world of high school has also closed her o. Kat and Taylor are ex-best friends who haven’t spoken to each other in years, but when they nd themselves roommates’ junior year, it’s a recipe for disaster — and a very chaotic romance. WHAT DOES “READING WITH PRIDE” MEAN TO YOU? It means reading about all facets of the LGBT experience. The recent explosion of books about so many types of queer experiences was unthinkable even a few years ago. It expands the freedom of queer writers to tell stories, to create complex and real characters, to represent all kinds of identities and lives, and it expands our freedom as readers to slip into those worlds. WHY DO YOU FEEL REPRESENTATION OF A VARIETY OF PEOPLE IS SO IMPORTANT WHEN IT COMES TO WRITING BOOKS? The world is so full of diversity that to ignore it and fail to represent it is itself a creative choice. Literally everything that winds up in a novel is a creative choice and can be interpreted that way by a reader — even if the writer isn’t aware they’ve made that choice. This means writers have a creative obligation to consider who and what they’re representing and shouldn’t just lazily rely on normative categories. I thought about this a lot with “Youngblood,” which takes place in a homogenous seing: an elite boarding school. Taylor is the only out student, Kat is the only student with a scholarship, and there’s very lile ethnic diversity. TELL US A LITTLE MORE ABOUT THE BOOK AND WHY YOU DECIDED TO WRITE IT. “Youngblood” is also a vampire story — which is why I sometimes call it Lesbian Vampire Boarding School. I knew I wanted to play with the magical boarding school seing, partly so Kat and Taylor couldn’t get away from each other and partly because it’s just a fun set-up. I landed on vampires, because they come with a set of tropes that I’ve always found so campy and over-the-top that I thought would be fun to mess around with. I also wanted to experiment with writing a YA vampire romance that didn’t have a ridiculous age gap. ‘YOUNGBLOOD’Aurora Dominguez LIFESTYLE LIFESTYLE READING WITH PRIDE Sasha Laurens, photo by Erin Miles, and "Youngblood" book cover, illustration by Kevin Wada. Jesse Monteagudo At year’s end, we look back and remember those members of the LGBT community who improved our lives or made valuable contributions to our culture. One who was le out of our obituary lists was John Lauritsen (1939-2022), who passed away at his home in Dorchester, Massachuses on his birthday, March 5. Lauritsen’s contributions were many. “In my time I’ve been an antiwar activist, a gay liberationist, an AIDS dissident, a publisher, and an allaround freethinker,” he once wrote. “I’ve spoken out when people with common sense kept their mouth shut. I’ve exposed fraud, punctured group fantasies, and blasphemed against the prevailing superstitions.” Lauritsen was active in the gay liberation movement since the summer of 1969 and was a member of the Gay Liberation Front, Gay Activists Alliance, Gay Academic Union, and Columbia University’s Seminar on Homosexualities. His rst contribution to LGBT history was The Early Homosexual Rights Movement (1864-1935) (Times Change Press), a classic in gay studies that he wrote with his fellow activist David Thorstad. In 1982, Lauritsen founded Pagan Press to “publish books of interest to the intelligent gay man.” The rst Pagan Press books were ones highly critical of the AIDS establishment: Death Rush: Poppers and AIDS (1986), wrien with Hank Wilson; Poison by Prescription: The AZT Story (1990); The AIDS War (1993); and The AIDS Cult (1997), co-edited with Ian Young. In 1998 Pagan published A Freethinker’s Primer of Male Love, which I believe was Lauritsen’s masterpiece. During his last two decades Lauritsen concentrated on the English Romantics, especially Percy Bysshe Shelley. From this newfound interes, Lauritsen wrote The Man Who Wrote Frankenstein (2007) and The Shelley-Byron Men (2017). Pagan Press also published classic works by Aeschylus, Lord Byron, Edward Carpenter, Plato, and John Addington Symonds. Lauritsen called himself “an independent scholar” who has “the freedom to tell the truth as I see it, without concerns for career or ‘collegiality.’” Needless to say, his books were oen controversial. His essays “Dangerous Trends in Feminism” (1976) and “Censorship and Feminism” (1978) were exceedingly critical of the women’s movement. (To his end, Lauritsen remained commied to the history and rights of gay men to the exclusion of lesbians, trans people and other colors of our rainbow.) As an “AIDS dissident” Lauritsen did not hesitate to criticize sacred cows like Larry Kramer or Anthony Fauci (already director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases) or to dispute the common belief that HIV is the cause of AIDS. In The Man Who Wrote Frankenstein, Lauritsen’s most famous book, he goes out on a limb by arguing that Frankenstein was wrien by Percy Shelley and not his wife Mary. Here again, Lauritsen showed his bias towards gay men and prejudice against women. All in all, John Lauritsen deserves a place in last year’s obituary lists. With all his biases and prejudices, Lauritsen was a major contributor to gay studies and his Pagan Press books, at their best, were important works of gay history and literature. We must honor his memory, as one who taught us about our collective past. SCHOLAR AND ACTIVIST Jesse Monteagudo is a freelance writer and journalist. He has been an active member of South Florida's LGBT community for more than four decades and has served in various community organizations. OPINION OPINIONIN MEMORIAM JOHN LAURITSEN Jesse’s Journal Jesse’s Journal Photo credit: John Lauritsen. Photo via Amazon.

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2.23.2023 • • 29 29 Brian McNaught has been an author and educator on LGBT issues since 1974. Former Congressman Barney Frank said of Brian, “No one has done a better job of chronicling what it’s like to grow up gay." www.brian-mcnaught.com. LIFESTYLE LIFESTYLE TWO GUYS AND A DOG TWO GUYS AND A DOG Photo via Pixabay.Indignantly, I pushed in the bathroom door as my father sat on the toilet. “There’s no Easter Bunny or Tooth Fairy, either?” “That’s right,” he said. “Now give me some privacy.” Moments before, Dad had told me there was no Santa Claus, wanting to spare me embarrassment for believing in an imaginary thing. But he le something out of his talk, and now I am embarrassed. What my father failed to mention is that not all such gures of folklore are imaginary. There really is a fairy who visits us older people in the middle of the night. The PotBelly Fairy is real. It climbs through windows, doors, or chimneys throughout the world, and changes the image we have of ourselves. It makes its way into our beds regardless of our dierences. Tummy fat and love handles don’t have a race, sexual orientation or gender. You just wake up one day and there they are. “Where did this potbelly come from?” I asked Ray in astonishment as I looked more closely at my reection in the bathroom mirror. “It wasn’t there yesterday. Right?” My husband maintained a safe silence. Immediately, I did some research. It seems that as most of us get older, we lose muscle strength in our back and in our abdomen, and we’re oen more sedentary. It’s easier to collect fat, and harder to get rid of it. My father was fat, and I have grown up in fear of being the same, not that there’s anything wrong with being fat, I just don’t like the look on me. “How do I get rid of this?” I asked Ray. He diplomatically didn’t say that I had to stop having a dark chocolate, gelato sundae every night, stop eating two pieces of chocolate aer dinner, and quit thinking of a dark chocolatecovered malt ball as lunch. Besides the loss of muscles and decreased physical activity, there is also an aitude adjustment. It’s a surrender to the disarming voice of the PotBelly Fairy who constantly whispers in my ear, “Oh, please. You’re 75 years old. You’ve followed the rules of eating well and exercising for years. Eat the damn sundae. You deserve it. And if you get really fat, you can always call yourself a Bear.” I know and like Bears. But, I don’t want to be a Bear. I want to be able to get into my 32-inch waist pants. Why? I just feel more comfortable when I’m thin, and I don’t want to be my father. No maer what anyone tells you about Santa Claus, who obviously has been visited quite oen by the PotBelly Fairy, there is a real, not folklore, thing that starts hanging around us aer age 60. It waves its magic wand to create belly fat, so don’t blame yourself. We should exercise to our level of comfort, eat well-balanced food, and sweets, and expect that we’ll probably start looking like our parents. THE UNWELCOMED FAIRYBrian McNaught ARRESTED? ARRESTED?DON’T BE A DOPE! CALL 9547631900 NORMKENT.COM NORMKENT.COM THE LAW OFFICES OF NORMAN KENT AND RUSSELL CORMICAN THE CRIMINAL DEFENSE LAW CENTER OF SOUTH FLORIDANORM@NORMKENT.COM Russell CormicanAttorney at Law2520 N. Dixie Hwy Wilton Manors, FL 33305Norman Elliott KentAttorney at Law12 SE 7th St Fort Lauderdale, FL 33301

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30 30 • • 2.23.2023 SAJNA INDIAN CUISINE 1933 Hollywood Blvd., Hollywood 954-367-6160 sajnaindiancuisine.com Every time I walk down Hollywood Blvd. in Hollywood, I can’t help but think, “This is nice, but it’d be so much beer if the LGBT community took over.” Instead of endless Brazilian and Venezuelan restaurants, there are tons of gay bars and cute shops and restaurants. One restaurant that would make it no maer who’s in charge of that area is Sajna. It’s not that Sajna oers anything inventive on its menu. It’s prey much classic Indian standards, it’s that each dish is awlessly executed and that the menu selection is so vast. When there’s an entire section devoted to goat dishes, you know you’ve got a chef who knows what they are doing. Goat is the most common protein ingredient around the world. It’s a bit gamier than lamb and not to everyone’s taste. However, if a place can cook goat well, anything else is bound to be good. Indian meals aren’t traditionally broken down into courses the way western cuisine is. Everything is generally brought out as it is prepared and enjoyed family style, but to accommodate American and English palates, some foods are traditionally now served rst, as appetizers and Sajna has a wide variety. Samosas are pyramid-shaped pastries encasing a lling and Sajna oers three variations, vegetable or vegetable lled, and prepared chat style, meaning smaller, bite-sized versions. Other popular appetizers are bhajiya, also known as pakora; baer-fried veggies. Gobi Manchurian is cauliower prepared similarly to General Tso’s chicken, baered and covered in a sweet and spicy sauce. Prawns, chicken kebabs, and chole bhature, chickpeas served with a uy bread, round out the handheld treats. For those that prefer to start with soup, the options range from tomato, chicken, yellow lentil, and coconut, to the classic Mulligatawny soup. As with most Indian restaurants, there are many vegetarian options, and Sajna places them all together in a special menu section. Among the vast array of dishes are bhindi masala with okra, onions, tomatoes, and green pepper, and paneer tikka masala, a combo of Indian cheese cubes, tikka sauce, and buer. Other dishes showcase mixed vegetables, chickpeas, green peas in a creamy sauce, spinach gravy, eggplant in onion curry sauce, yellow lentils, potatoes with cashews, cauliower, and a stir-fry. There is also an entire menu for vegans. Meat eaters can enjoy chicken, lamb, and goat in a variety of preparations from simple lamb chops to buer chicken. Fish lovers can enjoy shrimp, salmon, mahi, and tilapia. Certainly, not traditional Indian menu items, but all prepared beautifully. One of my favorite Indian dishes is biryani, a kind of fried rice mixed with tiny pieces of angel hair pasta. Sajna oers nearly a dozen versions from those showcasing vegetables or chicken to the Sajna special which includes chicken, goat, lamb, shrimp, and egg. LIFESTYLE LIFESTYLE FOOD FOOD GOIN’ HOLLYWOOD Chicken Vindaloo from Sajna Indian Cuisine. Photo via sajnaindiancuisine.com. Rick KarlinOf course, when enjoying Indian dining one of the special treats are the various chutney, ranging from sweet to spicy. To sop up all those wonderful sauces, you’ll want to order some bread, and there’s a vast variety on Sajna’s menu. There are also the traditional desserts of Kul, Indian ice cream, and gulab jamun, lile fried dough balls soaked in rosewater-scented honey. Service is friendly and able to explain dishes to those unfamiliar with Indian cuisine. Sajna is the perfect place to learn about it, one dish at a time. TACO JOINT 1000 Hollywood Broadwalk, Hollywood 954-866-3777 There’s no reason to go to Taco Joint along Hollywood’s Broadwalk. Unless that is, you want some terric food at reasonable prices. We stopped in by chance, one day while out for a walk. And, while the service won’t win any points for being polished, it is friendly as all get out and eager to please, and what more could you ask for in a charming lile spot like this? How about killer tacos at bargain prices? Start with some kick-ass house-made guac and chips for just $6. If you’re a fan of lobster, the seafood in the lobster taco won’t disappoint. It’s perfectly prepared and has more meaty esh than you’d think you’d get for $5 and a half bucks. Another good bet is the short rib and kimchi taco for half a buck less. If you’re going to order two tacos, make it a plaer ($15 for lobster, $14 for kimchi), and you get really good beans, rice, and a side of the corn elote-style, which is enough for a visit on its own. Drinks are equally reasonably priced and potent. HUNGRY FOR MORE? VISIT SFGN.COM/FOOD! Rick Karlin is SFGN’s food editor. Visit SFGN.com/Food to read his previous reviews. Have a culinary tip to share? Email Rick at RickKarlinFL@gmail.com. The views Rick expresses are his own and do not represent the opinion of SFGN. Visit SFGN.com to nd out more.JOURNALISM PANEL PUTS LGBT HEALTH COVERAGE INTO CONTEXT THERE’S MORE ONLINE! Fish and shrimp ceviche from Taco Joint. Photo via Taco Joint, Instagram.

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2.23.2023 • • 31 31 GAY KISS SCENE CUT FROM NEW TOM BRADY MOVIE Kim Swan A&E A&E FILM Gus Kenworthy. Photo via Instagram. Is Middle America afraid of a gay kiss? Well, according to Gus Kenworthy, an out Olympian, a kissing scene was cut out from the recently released movie for Brady.” The ocial reason the kiss was cut from the lm was because of time, but Kenworthy disputes with that. “...I think they cut it for Middle America,” he told Variety. In the movie’s original version, Kenworthy makes a cameo where he plays the role of Brian Jordan Alvarez’s boyfriend. There was a scene where they made out, but it was cut in the nal product, according to Variety. “Some of them got raunchy,” Kenworthy said. “Release the tapes! See if you can get that trending.” The movie is a huge hit, nonetheless. The production has an 89% audience score on Roen Tomatoes. At the box oce last week, for Brady” pulled in about $13 million, according to The Wrap. It was placed second behind the horror lm “Knock at the Cabin,” which grossed $14.5 million. Jane Fonda, Rita Moreno, Lily Tomlin and Sally Field star in the lm as octogenarian New England Patriots fans who make the trek to Atlanta to watch the “all-time great quarterback” pull o a historic comeback Super Bowl win, OutSports reported. Billy Porter, an out man, also plays a halime show choreographer. Jakub Jankto, a midelder for the Czech Republic, became one of the most well-known male soccer players to come out when he revealed in a video on social media that he is gay. Jankto posted a video on Twier saying, “I’m homosexual. And I no longer want to hide myself.” This year, Jankto, 27, is on loan from Getafe of Spain to play for Sparta Prague. Prior to joining the Czech national team, he played for the Italian clubs Sampdoria and Udinese. In 45 games, he scored four goals and assisted thirteen more. “Like everyone else, I want to live my life with freedom, without fear, without violence, without prejudice, but with love,” Jankto tweeted. JAKUB JANKTO, CZECH SOCCER PLAYER, COMES OUT SPORTS SPORTS PLAYING WITH PRIDE PLAYING WITH PRIDE Jakub Jankto at EURO 2020. Photo by Tade Bednarz, via Wikimedia Commons. Everitt Rosen

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32 32 • • 2.23.2023 Miami City Ballet dazzled audiences at the Kravis Center in West Palm Beach last weekend with a fascinating program of contemporary ballets, including two world premieres and a company premiere. The Sunday matinee opened with “Diversion of Angels,” its rst ballet by American pioneer Martha Graham. Set to music by American composer Norman Dello Joio, the 1948 work presents an abstract expression of three phases of love: irtatious young love danced by a couple dressed in yellow, erotic love in red and mature love in white, accompanied by a small corps de ballet dressed in neutral beige. Graham’s choreography is unmistakable – athletic and energetic, yet structured and well suited to Dello Joio’s contemporary, yet consonant neo-romantic score, performed by the Opus One orchestra, conducted by Gary Sheldon. Next, Jos Limn’s “Pavane,” premiered by the company in 1988, oered a historical interpretation of Renaissance-era dances with a modern twist. With a score by early English Baroque composer Henry Purcell (including the famous theme that inspired Benjamin Brien’s “Young Person’s Guide to the Orchestra”), the story of Othello is retold by four dancers portraying “The Moor,” “His Friend,” “His Friend’s Wife” and “The Moor’s Wife.” Court dances of the period clearly inspired the choreography, but the story explodes with 20th century theatricality that challenges the formal structure. The male dancers dominate the work, exhibiting jealousy and rage and a homoerotic quality to the physical competition for a woman’s love. Chase Swatosh shined in this performance in the role of the Moor’s friend, along with an earlier substitution as the couple in white in “Diversion of Angels” with Dawn Atkins. The principal soloist, a veteran of 13 seasons with the company, has matured and displayed both a mastery of classical technique and the rigor demanded by contemporary choreographers. The two world premieres, “Resplendent Fantasy” by Amy Hall Garner and “Petrichor” by Pontus Lidberg, were both set to musical selections by minimalist composers. It’s easy to understand the allure of minimalist music. Those composers employ frenetic repeated paerns and then add or subtract other layers MIAMI CITY BALLETMODERN MASTERS, INDEED J.W. Arnold Miami City Ballet performs “Modern Masters” at the Broward Center in Fort Lauderdale, March 4 – 5. For tickets, go to BrowardCenter.org. A&E A&E BALLET BALLET Chase Swatosh and Dawn Atkins star as the “Couple in White” in Miami City Ballet’s performance of Martha Graham’s “Diversion of Angels.” Courtesy: Alexander Iziliaev.to vary the dynamics, slowly building to climax and then release. Choreographers then employ soloists or small groups who then converge into unison motion to punctuate those musical impacts. Garner’s ballet, set to music by Oliver Davis, Jonathan Dove and Komitas in three movements, is grounded in classical technique, with the ballerinas en pointe, yet expressing the music with a distinctively Millennial aitude. The costumes further punctuated the contrasts with the women dressed is wispy oranges and reds and the men in turquoise blue and gray. “Petrichor” by Lidberg, an openly gay Swede whose work was showcased last year in “Men Who Dance” at the Broward Center, closed the program, creating a more abstract vision. The large cast, dressed in multicolored costumes by Andrea Spiridonakos, seemed to evoke a painter’s palee. Projections on a scrim at the back of the stage similarly appeared to suggest paints dissolving into a glass of water, the hue changing to suit the mood of Philip Glass’s unusually restrained, yet challenging Violin Concerto and performed expressively by Mei Mei Luo. As could be expected, Lidberg stuck to the conventions of modern choreography to minimalist music, showcasing each of the dancers and then returning them to an almost architectural assembly, only to disperse again with the same manic movements. While his approach was somewhat predictable, the sophistication of his work was never lost.

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2.23.2023 • • 33 33 Tickets Available NowSOTA.org or (954) 462-0222 rf ntbfffBroward Center for the Performing Arts 14MAR Symphony of The Americas

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