Florida Agenda

MIAMI – On Monday, over 150 LGBT activists and allies attended the first White House LGBT Conference on Aging, which was held at the University of Miami Clinical Research Building. The one-day conference was attended by advocates and stakeholders from across the Sunshine State, as well as Obama Administration officials and state, federal, and municipal [...]

WILTON MANORS – The end of an era of sorts came this week, with the phasing out—or “sundowning”—of the Wilton Drive Task Force (WDTF), which was built into its 18-month mandate to review the two-lane initiative. The seven-member task force presented its report and recommendations to Wilton Manors City Manager Joe Gallegos and city commissioners [...]

FORT LAUDERDALE – Deon Davis, the author of “I’ll Find A Way,” a book that chronicles her personal journey as the mother of a gay son, will be the featured speaker at a fundraiser next month with the goal to raise contributions for the establishment of a safe house for homeless LGBT youth. Davis, whose [...]

WILTON MANORS – Nearly one hundred business and community leaders attended the first Multimedia Platforms (MMP) Networking Luncheon on Wednesday, April 25 at Gables Wilton Park on Wilton Drive. Co-hosted by Wilton Manors Main Street, Inc., the event was catered by Stork’s Bakery and Coffee House in Wilton Manors. Krishan Manners, President and CEO of [...]

WILTON MANORS – For a city with a population of less than 12,000 (Source: 2010 U.S. Census data), Wilton Manors has big city parking woes. “Believe it or not,” offers Heidi Shafran, the city’s Director of Community Development, “this isn’t actually a bad thing”—what some might refer to as a “high-class problem.” She is referring [...]

NORTH MIAMI – Swinging Richards has filed a federal lawsuit against the city of North Miami Beach claiming the city’s officials are discriminating against gays by attempting to stop nude dancing at the nightclub, open since November 2011. City Attorney Darcee Siegel notified Swinging Richards that on May 16 the city would begin enforcing a [...]

WILTON MANORS – Guests and local celebrities attended the Grand opening on Friday, April 20, of MIX Designer Men’s Clothing in The Shoppes of Wilton Manors. The store, next to the Alibi on Wilton Drive, is the brainchild of owners Barry Scheiner and Merv Brody. The business partners have opened a store with brands including [...]

TAMPA – The Florida Family Association (FFA) is calling the upcoming “Gay Days” event “offensive” and has condemned those parks and facilities that welcome the LGBT tourists who will be attending. The Tampa-based conservative organization’s Web site asks “How would you feel if you entered the Magic Kingdom anticipating a normal day of fun with [...]

WINTER PARK – While the rest of the country observed a National Day of Silence to commemorate the victims of anti-gay bullying and hatebased violence, Christian conservatives descended upon Central Florida on April 20 to participate in a two-day gathering called “The Awakening,” a multipurpose affair meant to develop a political strategy based upon conservative [...]

By Phoebe Moses The Florida Gay Rodeo Association’s (FGRA) Sunshine Stampede returns this weekend—Saturday, April 21 and Sunday, April 22—to the Bergeron Rodeo Grounds in Davie. The event will feature close to 100 contestants from throughout North America, competing in 13 rodeo events. In addition to the contestants, organizers anticipate roughly 5,000 spectators to attend [...]