Florida LGBT Blog

South Florida’s Gay Pride is just around the corner. The weeklong kickoff starts on March 5th, but the official weekend PrideFest starts on March 10th and 11th. Grab a rainbow flag and come out and celebrate your pride. With scheduled guests such as Taylor Dayne and South Florida’s own The Voice finalist Bev McClellan, and over 250 South Florida vendors, Pride 2012 promises to be fantastic.

And with Pride – or any outdoor fest – comes a lot of wasted paper, cans, and other kinds of trash. In order to enjoy an ecofriendly Pride, remember to be aware of what you use.

Recycle

Place all soda and beer cans into the appropriate recycling bin. The same goes for glass bottles of beer. Make sure that you’re recycling these items.

Water

If possible bring your own water bottle into Pride, since plastic water bottles make up for two million tons of landfill waste. If you buy plastic water bottles, make sure they get recycled at the end of the day. If, for some reason, a recycling bin for plastics can’t be found, consider shoving it in your backpack or bag and recycling it later on when you get home. Above all, remember to keep hydrated (and no, beer will not keep you hydrated).

Sunscreen

Often, businesses will bring free sunscreen samples for patrons. If you’re looking for ecofriendly sunscreen, check out sunscreens that are free from benzopheneone-3, octyl-methoxycinnamate, or homosalate. These three chemicals have been known to disrupt endocrine systems and go for the lotion sunscreen as opposed to the spray-on kind, which some feel can cause nanoparticles of the spray to wind up in our bloodstream. My beloved Aubrey Organics offers this vegan, natural green screen.

Paper

Pride connects us to our community and learning about all the LGBT businesses that surround us can be one of the coolest aspects of Pride. South Florida’s vibrant gay community is all around us. With all that connection comes a great deal of fliers, business cards, and other marketing materials. Often, we go home with a small mountain of advertising materials from the many vendors at Pride. Keep what you’re going to use, but don’t trash the stuff you’re not into. Instead, recycle them or better yet, pass them on to the sad guy or gal who couldn’t make it to Pride.

By Marissa Cohen

Photo By stovak

Stonewall National Museum and Archives is a local South Florida museum and library devoted to lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender culture and literature. The Stonewall Library and Archives began in 1973 in a small location in Hollywood and moved to the former Gay and Lesbian Community Center on Andrews Avenue, before relocating one final time to its current location in downtown Fort Lauderdale, minutes away from Wilton Manors, Fort Lauderdale’s thriving ‘gayborhood.’

The Exhibitions

Stonewall’s current free exhibition is Our Stars: Gifts from Celebrities. Among the gifts from the famous? Openly gay US Representative Barney Frank donated the gavel used by Nancy Pelosi to repeal Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell, Lambda Literary Award winning author KG MacGregor donated her hiking boots, and Queer Eye for the Straight Guy’s Carson Kressley donated his trademark pink sports coat. Some of Stonewall’s previous exhibitions include Out of the Shadows: Gay America from Kinsey to Stonewall and The Harlem Renaissance: As Gay as It Was Black. Entrance to the exhibition is free.

The Library

This is the place to go to read all of your LGBT favorites in one place. It’s the perfect hangout for bookworms. While entrance to Stonewall National Museum and Archives is free of charge, a yearly membership is required in order to check out materials. The circulating library boasts over 20,000 books and 1,000 DVDs. Stonewall’s popular Distinguished Author Series has included lectures from Edmund White, graphic novelist Alison Bechdel, and historian Lillian Faderman.There’s also a weekly film series.

The Collection

Stonewall National Museum and Archives is home to a fascinating 5,000-item collection of LGBT history in America, a road map of culture. From personal letters and journals to artifacts donated by celebrities, the Archives are an amazing representation of gay life, past and present and may be viewed by appointment.

If You Go

The Stonewall Library and Archives is located at 1300 East Sunrise Boulevard in Fort Lauderdale and is attached to the Artserve Broward County Library Building, which borders Holiday Park. Entrance is free. Go here  for more details.

By Marissa Cohen

Photo By JanneM

Love is in the air. It’s time for hearts, flowers, and going green, gay-style. Here’s our guide to a romantic and green Valentine’s Day.

Nix the Big Trip…

Turn your Valentine’s Day celebration into a staycation of the best kind and explore the wonders of home – and each other. If you’re into bath time goodies, cozy up the bedroom with some eco-friendly goodies or soy candles.

…Or Find a Sustainable Resort

Our very own Desoto is a cozy, green, and very gay-friendly inn located on Hollywood Beach, mere miles from the thriving gay culture in Fort Lauderdale. Not sure where else to go? Check out the Keys for gems such as Pearl’s or The Banyan Resort, both of which are certified green lodgings.

Food

Open your big heart with some organic fruits and veggies for some homemade Valentine’s Day snacks. Try sprinkling some organic fruit with some all-natural, unsweetened cocoa powder and natural sugar. Want a lot more chocolate than that? Check out a nearby green foodstore for a host of organic or naturally sweetened gooey goodies.

E-Cards

Tired of adapting straight e-cards for your baby? Check out these adorable and free gay and lesbian e-cards from Twosome Gifts or go here. Send a romantic e-card while cutting down on the paper waste generated by traditional Valentine cards.

Getting Hitched?

Are you getting married? Having a commitment ceremony? Thinking about proposing to your honey for Valentine’s Day? Check out SoYou’reEnGAYged.com. This blog is one of my all-time favorites. It’s an open forum for photo albums and wedding plans for LGBT couples and straight allies. It also has some original green tips for your gay wedding and a great DIY section. If you’re planning a wedding and you and your honey like to travel, check out some of the great sustainable cruise options such as Sweet or check out Traveler’s Joy so that friends and family can help you create the honeymoon of your dreams, whether you want to build a national or an international trip.

By Marissa Cohen

Photo By lynn.gardner

The joke about gay movies is that there’s four of them that anyone has heard of and dozens more that fly enchantingly under the gaydar. Celebrate the romance of Valentine’s Day with these movies, some mainstream, some low budget, all romantic.

Imagine Me and You

Imagine Me and You is the thinking lesbian’s version of a British romantic comedy. The plot is simple and charming – bride-to-be Rachel (Piper Pierbo) meets lesbian florist Luce (Lena Headley, who would go on to star in The Sarah Connor Chronicles and 300). Both women feel a connection, and Rachel finds herself falling head-over-high-heels in love, only to run in the other direction. All the elements of a good rom-com are here – Rachel’s boyfriend’s bumbling, obnoxious best friend and Luce’s supportive mom who has one of the best lines in the film. “Does Rachel love you?” she asks Luce. “It doesn’t matter,” replies Luce. “It’s all that matters,” she tells her daughter.

Fried Green Tomatoes

Fannie Flagg’s novel Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Café put Ruth’s and Idgie’s romantic relationship front and center. Even though the tearjerker 1992 movie whitewashes their relationship and presents them as just-really-special-friends, it’s still pretty clear that proper Ruth (a pre-Weeds Mary-Louise Parker) and “bee charmer” tomboy Idgie (Mary Stuart Masterson) are crazy about each other as they raise a son and fight the Klan in 1930’s Alabama. Rounding out the cast are feisty, modern-day nursing home resident Jessica Tandy who tells the decades-old tale of Idgie and Ruth to depressed housewife Kathy Bates.

Brokeback Mountain

Ang Lee’s gorgeous 2005 epic about two young ranch hands who fall in love is a heartbreaking classic. Based on a short story by Annie Proulx and adapted for the screen by novelist Larry McMurty and Diana Ossana, Brokeback Mountain follows Jake Gyllenhaal and Heath Ledger as the star-crossed cowboys who struggle with closeted lives and homophobia in the 1960s.

The Wedding Banquet

Another straight-wedding-gone-wrong movie, this time for the boys. This 1993 romantic comedy is about a gay Taiwanese landlord who marries a straight female tenant to make his overbearing parents happy. Once his parents come to America to help with the wedding, the plan backfires with hilarious results. This movie was Ang Lee’s first film dealing with gay issues; the second, of course, was Brokeback Mountain.

Hedwig and the Angry Inch

Transwoman Hedwig (John Cameron Mitchell) dreams of superstardom and searches for her soul mate in this fantastic and visionary rock opera based on the stage musical of the same name. The original music is powerful and courageous (check out “Origin of Love”), and the movie feels like an amazing, revolutionary concert.

By Marissa Cohen

Photo By davidm69

Being green and gay is all about being exactly who you are while giving back to nature. These two unique travel companies make sure you’ll have the time of your life while supporting eco-friendly travel.

For Women

Lesbian travel company Sweet  offers the best of lesbian travel combined with green principles.

• Where They Go: If cruising to Italy or France or rafting down the Colorado River suits your fancy, then Sweet is for you. But, if you also dream of vacation adventures where you can give back to the locals, then look no further than Sweet.
• Carbon Neutral Cruises and Travel: All cruises are carbon neutral. Don’t worry about footing your own carbon footprint. Sweet will do it for you. All of their travel – whether by air, land, or water – is offset. Sweet is an entirely carbon-free company, and they even contributed to a reforestation project in Louisiana.
• Giving Back: Most of Sweet’s vacations come with an option to help support local areas in a variety of ways, such as taking part in beach cleanups or planting trees. The “Sweeties” travel the world, bringing green goodness to all, and on one recent trip, actually sterilized feral cats. (Can’t you just hear your friends asking, “So, what’d you do on your vacation?”) On an upcoming cruise to the Bahamas, the Sweeties will donate goods and time to the Rainfurly Home for Children.

For Men

If you’re looking for all-male trips, check out Out Adventures.

• Carbon-Offsets Included: As of 2011, all trip prices include a carbon-offset charge. Plus, Out Adventures operates on the core green principle of “leave no trace.” In other words, Out Adventures makes sure to carry away any trash and leave the environment just as they found it.
• Small and Supportive: Travelers with Out Adventures can look forward to small group travels (with a maximum size of 12) that support local leaders, businesses, and culture. With 2012 trips from Nepal to China, Out Adventures brings you into the adventure.
• Three Styles For You: Out Adventure travelers have a choice of booking three styles of adventures: Active, Comfort, and Inspire. If you choose an Active adventure, have a blast kayaking, walking, or biking your way through your unique vacation. If you want to relax and hole up in a cozy little B-and-B, then Comfort is the style for you; however, if learning about the locals and yoga on the beach sound more exciting to you, go with an Inspire vacation.

By Marissa Cohen

Photo By muskva

In early February 2012, the GLBT Travel Expo is coming to South Florida! South Floridians interested in GLBT-friendly travel will have two chances to explore the GLBT Travel Expo, one at the Pride Center in Fort Lauderdale, and one at the historic Moore Building in downtown Miami.

The GLBT Travel Expo is sponsored in part by the Equality Forum, the Miami Dade Gay and Lesbian Chamber of Commerce, the Best Gay Travel Guide, the International Gay and Lesbian Travel Association, and the cities of Key West and Miami. Produced by Steven Levenberg Productions for the third year in a row, this exciting event promises a huge turnout. After the GLBT Travel Expo leaves South Florida, it will move on to Chicago, Philadelphia, and New York.

If You Go

Not only will you have the best and most up-to-date GLBT travel info at your fingertips, but you’ll have the chance to win great prizes and giveaways. Looking for a romantic getaway for two? How about a gay-friendly family vacation? Get the information you need to plan your adventure. From airline and train information to the best of GLBT hotels and resorts, there’s something for everyone at this free expo.

Fort Lauderdale

On February 9, 2012, come visit the GLBT Travel Expo from 4-8 pm at The Pride Center at Equality Park, located at 2040 N. Dixie Highway in Wilton Manors. The Pride Center of Greater Fort Lauderdale is the hub of gay life in South Florida, featuring events and programs ranging from kid-friendly fun to dances for the elderly GLBT population, to community-based support groups.

Miami

On February 12, 2012, the GLBT Travel Expo will be presented as part of the Miami-Dade Gay and Lesbian Chamber of Commerce’s 4th annual Explore Expo at the historic Moore Building in Downtown Miami, from noon to 5 pm. Built in the roaring 20′s, the Moore Building is located at 191 NE 40th Street, in the heart of Miami’s Design District.

For more information about the South Florida GLBT Travel Expo, please go here.

By Marissa Cohen

Photo By Jason Pier in DC

From toddler Heather and her two mommies, to a penguin couple looking for a child, these heartwarming and sweet children’s books will show your little one that all families deserve love and respect.

Heather Has Two Mommies

No book list for kids would be complete without Leslea Newman’s 1990 classic about tiny Heather and her two moms. First self-published in 1989, by the following year Heather became the first imprint from Alyson Wonderland books, the children’s division of Alyson Books, and was mentioned at least once on every 90s tv show. While the drawings may be a tiny bit dated, this much-banned classic of lesbian parenting is still a groundbreaking classic for a reason.

Mommy, Mama and Me

Also from Leslea Newman, this board book is fantastic and adorable, showing a day in the life of a baby raised by a lesbian couple. From long walks in the park to games at home, this toddler has a blast with her two moms. Newman’s gay-family counterpart, Daddy, Papa, and Me  is equally as heartwarming, about a toddler’s with his two dads.

The Family Book

This colorful and sweet picture book from Todd Parr covers families in all their wonderful shapes, sizes, and differences. Gay and lesbian families are casually and gently included in this whimsical and simple book, geared at little ones from preschool to grade school. (April Claxton’s recent Goodnight Just the Same  could go on the shelf right next to The Family Book.)

And Tango Makes Three

Loosely based on a true story, this 2005 picture book by Justin Richardson and Peter Parnell follows two male penguins who fall in love in the Central Park Zoo and realize that their nest is “nice, but a little empty.” Enter Tango, the hatchling from an abandoned egg, who completes their little family. This is also great to show adopted kids that love – and not necessarily biology – makes a family.

By Marissa Cohen

Photo By orianomada

As the world slowly moves towards complete legal and social acceptance of LGBT individuals, travel can pose a unique issue. Where can you be fully accepted? What areas should you avoid? And how do you know where to go in the first place?

Know the Laws

International travel poses some unique human rights concerns for LGBT couples. While issues of legal equality continue to come to light in America, there are certain areas where being gay is not only illegal but punishable by violent death, imprisonment, or corrective rape.  Sadly, not every country in the world is friendly to LGBT couples. Gay couples can either brave the dangers, find a primarily LGBT tour group to travel with, or choose another destination.

Do Your Homework

Read up on where you’re planning to go. The International Gay and Lesbian Travel Association (IGLTA ) is an association of gay and gay-friendly travel agents, hotels, and more. They can provide a fantastic host of information about places you’ll feel at home and geographical areas you might want to avoid. Founded in the early 80s, the IGLTA is a wonderful travel resource. Learn what hotels, hostels, and travel companies are not merely tolerant but respectful and embracing of members of the LGBT community.

Have Fun

Olivia Cruises  just celebrated 20 years of lesbian and women-only cruises. Originally started as a record label, eventually Olivia Records morphed into the world-famous cruise line. Their 2012 trips include Russia, Scandinavia, and Paris. Male couples and singles can check out Atlantis Events. Italy, Greece, Stockholm and Copenhagen are just a few of the world-class events planned for travelers on the Atlantis Events cruise line. Got kids and looking to travel the world? Rosie O’Donnell’s cruise line R Family Vacations  is specifically for LGBT families, friends, and allies. Events through R Family Vacations include LGBT family camp, cruises to Vienna, and more. Your little ones can hang out with Sponge Bob Square Pants and other characters on board deck. Talk about diverse!

By Marissa Cohen

Photo By Jamison Wieser

These five books represent some of the best gay literature and nonfiction. From E.M. Forster’s early 20th century classic Maurice to Alex Sanchez’s modern coming-of-age trilogy, this list has something for everyone.

Maurice 

Set in England in the early 20th century, E.M. Forster’s posthumous novel about a young man coming to terms with his sexuality is groundbreaking in many ways. Homosexuality was illegal in Britain when it was first written in 1914, and Forster chose to give his autobiographical novel a happy ending. Although Forster was a major author during his life, the book was published posthumously due to early 20th century homophobia.

The God in Flight

One of my all-time favorites, Laura Argiri’s 1994 novel about a 19th century Yale scholar’s fated romantic relationship with his mysterious art professor has all the passion of a gay Wuthering Heights. Argiri spins a rich, well-plotted love story, and it’s a crying shame that she never wrote another novel.

Rainbow Boys

The first in Alex Sanchez’s trilogy (the other two are Rainbow High and Rainbow Road) about the lives of a close knit trio of bi and gay teen boys won an American Library Association award. This is the 2001 book that introduced Kyle, Jason, and Nelson, and opened the closet door for a modern generation of readers.

And the Band Played On

Randy Shilts’s 1987 nonfiction masterpiece about the AIDS epidemic is an international bestseller. And the Band Played On bravely outlines the social and political issues that dangerously surrounded the beginnings of the AIDS virus. Even after two decades, this fantastic groundbreaking work reads like a heartbreaking mystery story.

The Front Runner

This classic by Patricia Nell Warren broke new ground when it was published in 1974. Her simple story about a gay Olypmic athlete’s love affair with his ex-Marine, conservative coach was an instant and pioneering classic. To date, it’s sold over ten million copies in nine languages and is considered one of the greatest sports novels of all time. (Warren also penned two sequels: Harlan’s Race and Billy’s Boy.) When it was released, Marlene Dietrich famously hopped out of her limo to snag a copy from L.A.’s A Different Light bookstore.

By Marissa Cohen

Photo By ruifernandes

If you’re a big gay bookworm, check out these novelists. From award-winning British novelist Sarah Waters to the passion and poetry of activist Audre Lorde, and the modern-day romance of Karin Kallmaker, these lesbian authors are well worth a trip to the bookstore.

Queer Authors

Nancy Garden

Best known for her groundbreaking and banned young adult novel Annie on My Mind about a high school love affair between two girls, Nancy Garden is the author of over fifty books for children and adults, including Good Moon Rising (for young adults) and the love story Nora and Liz (Bella Books). When Annie was the subject of a major censorship case in the 90s, Garden became an award-winning activist for censorship issues.

Audre Lorde

Poet and author Audre Lorde fearlessly explores issues of class, race, sexuality, and injustice in her work. Recipient of the American Book Award for A Burst of Light, her expression is revolutionary and poetic. Her book Zami: A New Spelling of My Name covers Lorde’s life growing up in the 50s as an African-American lesbian and The Cancer Journals is a spiritual and metaphorical testament to the human spirit.

Sarah Waters

If you ever wished classic British literature came with more lesbians, award-winning novelist Sarah Waters is here to save the day. Her first four novels (Tipping the Velvet; Fingersmith; Affinity; The Night Watch) put queer women and queer culture against the backdrops of 19th and early 20th century England. From music halls and the burgeoning drag culture of the 1890s to love and mystery during WWII, Waters shows us that lesbians and queer women were everywhere. Best of all? Her heart-stopping, just-one-more-page plot twists.

Karin Kallmaker (available at BellaBooks.com)

The queer answer to Danielle Steel, Karin Kallmaker is the author of over twenty novels, several of which are Lambda Literary Award winners. Her topics range from modern day lesbian romances (The Kiss That Counted; Finders Keepers) to women-centered fantasy epics (Sleight of Hand; Seeds of Fire) to the occasional literary homage (Christabel was inspired by Coleridge’s poem; Just Like That pays tribute to Jane Austen), Kallmaker’s range of work is intelligent, clever, and always imaginative.

By Marissa Cohen

Photo By Torsten Mangner