Steve Rothaus' LGBTQ South Florida

09/07/2024

At 13, California-born Ronnie Larsen was performing Shakespeare. Six years later, he ran his own theater company in San Francisco.

26/06/2024

AP: President Joe Biden pardoned potentially thousands of former U.S. service members convicted of violating a now-repealed military ban on consensual gay s*x, saying Wednesday that he is “righting an historic wrong” to clear the way for them to regain lost benefits.

President Joe Biden is pardoning potentially thousands of former U.S. service members convicted of violating a now-repealed military ban on consensual gay s*x.

20/06/2024

Fox News: President Biden is the frontrunner in a hypothetical matchup against former President Trump for the first time since October, as positive views of the economy inch up — hitting their highest level thus far in the Biden presidency, according to a new Fox News national survey.

Since May, there was a 3-point change in the presidential race. Trump was ahead by 1 point last month, while Biden is up by 2 points today: 50%-48%. That’s well within the margin of error.

President Biden is the frontrunner in a hypothetical matchup against former President Trump for the first time since October, as positive views of the economy inch up.

13/06/2024

Congratulations to Out SFL for its 96-page 2024 Pride issue, which according to CEO Justin M. Wyse is the "largest in the nation for LGBTQ+ Newspapers."

Included in this week's Out SFL is my feature "LGBTQ Honorees 'Take Pride' in Personal, Professional Lives'" including interviews with Misty Alicea (Misty Eyez), Mark Gilbert of OUTshine Film Festival, Jacqueline Lorber of South Florida Symphony, and Shawn Palacious (Kitty Meow).

OutSFL Vol. 2, Issue 24.

09/06/2024

From high school student to + rights leader, Cindy Brown's journey reflects the heart & history of 's ***r community. Read about her inspiring story & learn why is a call to action & celebration. Jewish Community Services of South Florida (JCS) Unity Coalition|Coalicion Unida SAVE Equality Florida The National Center for Le***an Rights Alliance for LGBTQ Youth Steve Rothaus' LGBTQ South Florida

https://www.biscaynetimes.com/viewpoint/miami-activists-call-for-political-pride-month/

04/06/2024

Broadway and Hollywood star Janis Paige died Sunday at age 101.

In 1957, Paige starred opposite Fred Astaire in the MGM classic, "Silk Stockings." From The Hollywood Reporter:

She and Astaire teamed for the Cole Porter song-and-dance number “Stereophonic Sound” that culminates with the duo swinging on a chandelier above the heads of some reporters.

Doing Silk Stockings “was hard work, believe me,” Paige said in a 2016 interview. “I was one mass of bruises. I didn’t know how to fall. I didn’t know how to get down on a table — I didn’t know how to save myself because I was never a classic dancer. Those are the tips you learn when you learn how to dance."

That quote came from my 2016 interview with Paige -- then 93 years old -- which is still live on the Miami Herald website.

She stepped in for Angela Lansbury in 'Mame,' wed the "Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah" lyricist and almost broke up Archie's marriage on 'All in the Family.'

03/06/2024

My first story for Biscayne Times, just in time for Pride Month:

LGBTQ legends Cindy Brown, Elizabeth Schwartz, John O Buckley and Todd Delmay reflect on what's most important this June -- have fun but also keep in mind the politics behind the celebrations.

Cindy Brown was a local high school student back in 1977, when Miami-Dade County became political ground zero for the modern gay rights movement.

31/05/2024

Congratulations to Jason Parsley and Justin M. Wyse on the one-year anniversary of Out SFL!

And thank you, Jason, for the sweet shout-out! xoxoxo

Justin Wyse and I launched Out South Florida after we had to shut down South Florida Gay News when SFGN owner and co-founder Norm Kent died. We did not realize that we would mourn both Norm and SFGN in 2023.

28/05/2024

My first story for BAJA, Broward Arts Journalism Alliance:

Misty Alicea, director of transgender services at SunServe, an LGBTQ-focused mental health center based in Wilton Manors, is one of 10 South Florida arts, culture, business, media and political icons honored throughout June in Take Pride!, a History Fort Lauderdale Pride Month exhibit.

Other honorees featured in my article: Mark Gilbert of OUTshine Film Festival; Jacqueline Lorber of South Florida Symphony; and Shawn Palacious, AKA Kitty Meow.

Misty Alicea, a transgender Deerfield Beach woman who began her career two decades ago as a South Beach drag queen, graduated in May from Florida Atlantic University with two master’s degrees.

28/05/2024

AP: Italian media on Monday had quoted unnamed Italian bishops in reporting that Francis jokingly used the term “faggotness” while speaking in Italian during the encounter.

Pope Francis has apologized after he was quoted using a vulgar term about gay men to reaffirm the Catholic Church’s ban on gay priests.

23/05/2024

AP: Dwyane Wade’s daughter, Zaya, who turns 17 next week, came out as transgender in 2020 in the midst of anti-trans legislation in Florida and other states that prompted many trans adults to flee the state. The Wade family sold their Florida home last year and moved to California.

In accepting the award, Wade shared it with Zaya and credited her with inspiring the creation of Translatable, a new online community designed to support transgender children and their families.

NBA Hall of Famer Dwyane Wade has launched Translatable, a nonprofit online community dedicated to supporting transgender youth.

21/05/2024

Minnesota TV news anchor Jason Hackett, originally of Miami Gardens and a University of Florida grad, recently came out live on air.

From KARE 11's YouTube page: KARE 11 Sunrise anchor Jason Hackett is gracing the cover of Lavender magazine as he shares his journey as a Black gay man in the news industry.

KARE 11 Sunrise anchor Jason Hackett is gracing the cover of Lavender magazine as he shares his journey as a Black gay man in the news industry. Welcome to t...

08/05/2024

Jorge Mursuli, who led SAVE during 1998 passage of Miami-Dade County's Human Rights Ordinance, died of heart failure on Monday at age 63.

Read John McDonald's well-done obituary for Out SFL.

Compassionate, intellectually curious and sensible are words friends of Jorge Mursuli use to describe his character, but above all, the late gay rights leader knew how to build consensus.

29/04/2024

Mary Rasura, editor of OutFAU, will be the first recipient of the Norm Kent LGBTQ Newsmaker Fund. The $750 scholarship also includes an internship with Out SFL.

Mary Rasura, editor of OutFAU, will be the first recipient of the Norm Kent LGBTQ Newsmaker Fund. The $750 scholarship also includes an internship with OutSFL.  

07/04/2024

The murder of Ms. Genovese, and her neighbors’ reaction to it, generated headlines. The nature of her relationship with Ms. Zielonko was a different story.

03/04/2024

My latest for Out SFL: On the eve of SunServe’s sold-out fundraising gala, CEO Tony Lima says he has lots to celebrate. And on a personal level, Lima talks about turning 50 and how he bounced back after his high-profile exit from SAVE in 2019.

“It destroyed all of me. It broke my heart. I felt betrayed. I felt sort of left alone, high and dry,” said Lima, who was born Feb. 4, 1974, and raised near Miami’s Little Havana neighborhood.

01/04/2024

South Florida Sun Sentinel: Amendment 4 would protect access to the procedure until viability, which is estimated to be about 24 weeks of pregnancy. The initiative must receive support from 60% of Florida voters to be approved.

“The attitude and will of Floridian is clear by the signatures collected … people want this choice on the 2024 ballot,” said Emma Collum, founder of the Reportuctive Freedom Collective of Broward County. “Any other decision would have been overreach and against the will of the people.”

The Florida Supreme Court on Thursday said that voters in November will determine whether abortion access becomes a right guaranteed in the state constitution.

01/04/2024

Posted today by Richelle Gordon, a former Miami Herald editor:

"I came out as transgender in 2023. In 2024, I wrote this song about my experience. If you have ever struggled with your identity (s*xual, gender or otherwise), it may speak to you."

I came out as transgender in 2023. In 2024, I wrote this song about my experience. If you have ever struggled with your identity (s*xual, gender or otherwi...

26/03/2024

“After listening to the legitimate concerns of many of you, I have decided that Ronna McDaniel will not be an NBC News contributor,” NBCUniversal News Group Chair Cesar Conde wrote in a message to employees.

NBCUniversal News Group CEO Cesar Conde made the announcement.

23/03/2024

Out SFL: Pride will resume Sunday with their parade, which starts at 11 a.m. on Lake Avenue in Downtown Lake Worth Beach and will be led by members of the Compass Youth Program and the 2024 Grand Marshal, Chris Rhoades. Attendees will head to the festival at Bryant Park following the parade.

Sunday will feature out country star Brooke Eden, who is scheduled to perform at 4 p.m. Eden, who now lives in Nashville with her wife, grew up in West Palm Beach.

The annual two-day Palm Beach Pride festival was forced to cancel its first day Saturday morning due to inclement weather. 

18/03/2024

Ben Platt's newest music video, "Andrew."

Ben Platt - Andrew (Official Music Video)Listen to "Andrew", out now: https://BenPlatt.lnk.to/AndrewPre-order "Honeymind" the album, out May 31: https://BenP...

12/03/2024

Tampa Bay Times: Plaintiffs Amy Morrison and Cecile Houry, a Miami-Dade County couple, said they were pleased to have something in hand that can immediately impact their children’s schools. “It’s going to make a huge difference because the law was so vague that people stayed away from everything,” Houry said. “Here it really defines what is not allowed, and everything else that is allowed. It’s going to change students’ experience.”

“This settlement is not settling,” said plaintiff Amy Morrison, of Miami-Dade.

09/03/2024

Washington Post: Conservative lawmakers rejected a host of new culture wars proposals in the Florida Legislature.

Conservative lawmakers in Florida rejected a host of new culture war proposals, a change from past years when DeSantis-backed bills sailed through.

05/03/2024

The Forward: A second Trump term would be disastrous for American Jews. It couldn’t be a worse time for the ADL to celebrate his son-in-law

The Anti-Defamation League is set to honor Jared Kushner, former President Donald Trump's son-in-law, at its annual conference this week.

01/03/2024

South Florida Sun Sentinel: Musicals such as “The Cher Show,” “A Beautiful Noise: The Neil Diamond Musical” and “MJ The Musical” (Michael Jackson) are part of the 2024-2025 seasons announced by Broadway Across America, the national touring company best known by South Floridians for bringing big-name stage musicals to both performing arts centers in Fort Lauderdale and Miami.

Some of Broadway’s hottest tickets are coming to South Florida. Musicals such as “The Cher Show,” “A Beautiful Noise: The Neil Diamond Musical” and “MJ The Music…

28/02/2024

“Being a Black gay male in the Miami-Dade Police Department and rising up through the ranks in 17 years is a testament to my ability to work and ability to overcome obstacles,” Barrow told Out SFL.

For the first time in 58 years, residents of Miami-Dade County will vote for a sheriff, and John Barrow is ready to make his case.

24/02/2024

Public Radio Tulsa: Woods said his heart goes out regarding Nex’s death, but then spoke in reference to LGBTQ+ people overall.

"We are a religious state. We are going to fight to keep that filth out of the state of Oklahoma, because we’re a Christian state. We’re a rural state. We want to lower taxes, and for people to live and work, and to go to the faith they choose," he said.

According to the Tahlequah Daily Press, Republican Sen. Tom Woods was asked at a public forum Friday what he thought of Nex Benedict's death in light of legislation limiting rights of trans youth.

18/01/2023

A federal judge has rejected a request by Gov. Ron DeSantis’ administration to conduct “mental examinations” on a pair of 12-year-olds who are plaintiffs in a challenge to a state rule prohibiting Medicaid coverage for gender-affirming care for transgender people.

The state had argued it was entitled to confirm whether the plaintiffs in the Medicaid suit had gender dysphoria.