On Friday May 17, in Tbilisi, Georgia, thousands of anti-gay protestors took to the streets, threatening to physically assault any participant in the gay pride parade that was scheduled to take place the same day. Posters that read, “We don’t need Sodom and Gomorrah,” and “Democracy does not equal immortality,” filled the streets to protest “homosexual propaganda.” The protest resulted in the cancellation of the gay pride parade, leaving dozens of LGBT members injured and afraid. While Georgia’s human rights ombudsman, Uchi Nanuashvili, said that it is “deplorable” that gay people’s constitutional rights were violated, many members of the community beg to differ. 21-year-old Nikolai Kiladze says, “”We are against the propaganda of homosexuality. “If we need to allow parades like this in order to become a member of the European Union or other Western organizations and blocs, then I’m against joining these organizations.”

On Saturday, Mark Carson was shot dead in Greenwich Village in what is now being identified as a hate crime. Three men walking near Sixth Avenue and Eighth Street assaulted Carson and another man while yelling homophobic slurs like asking them if they were “gay wrestlers,” and, “Do you want to die here?” After one of the attackers took off, 32-year-old Mark Carson was shot in the face by one of his assailants. He died at Beth Israel Hospital following the attack.

The murder was on the heels of four other attacks in New York, all believed to be gay hate crimes. Even just before the time of print, two other attacks have been reported. Nightlife promoter Dan Contarino was brutally beaten just hours after a rally against anti-LGBT violence. Witnesses who came to Contarino’s aid heard his attacker shouting anti-gay slurs while kicking the victim repeatedly. A gay couple, 41 and 42, were also attacked late night Monday night in the SoHo neighborhood of Manhattan. The couple were attacked by two men who started yelling anti-gay remarks in both English and Spanish (the victims were Hispanic.) Both victims were punched, with one suffering an eye injury. Two men, ages 32 and 33, were arrested and face charges of assault in a hate crime.

The crimes have all surfaced following the recent legalization of same-sex marriage in multiple states and countries worldwide, leaving many to speculate that there is a connection between gay marriage and the surge of hate crimes.

Jean and Vero have worked very hard to get where they are today. Jean was only 17 when she left Ireland to move to France to pursue her dreams. While she had a great childhood and family life, she wanted to get away from her life in Ireland and branch out a bit. She lived in Lyon, teaching English to adults via different companies over time. Vero was born in South France, so it was imminent that fate was doing its job. Vero met Jean at her first job, where Jean offered to train her and take her under her wing. After the two found that they got along well, they hit it off and have been practically attached at the hip ever since.

Just before Vero and Jean left France, they owned a Tex-Mex restaurant. They were one of the only Tex-Mex restaurants in the region, and had a successful 15 years of business before they decided to move to America. The couple moved to America after Jean’s biological daughter went off to college. They decided there was nothing left for them in Europe and that a new adventure was in order. Jean and Vero sold both of their businesses and began to take the necessary preparations to move to the US. Unfortunately, since gay marriage was not legal at the time, they were required to each invest $100,000 (as opposed to $100k split between a heterosexual couple.) Funded by money from the businesses, they packed up their belongings and set out to live the American dream.

Jean and Vero bought a restaurant on Oakland Park Blvd down by the beach, which they described as a “nightmare.” They lost virtually all of their money in the space, eventually selling it for $30,000, a mere fraction of their original investment. After selling the property and investing the money into a small space in Wilton Manors, the couple hit their stride.
Le Patio is a fine European comfort food restaurant right in the heart of Wilton Manors. Its menu is extensive and made fresh to order. Actually fresh, not fresh out of the freezer. The couple does prep work every morning in a secret, undisclosed space before bringing it to the restaurant where it is then cooked to order. The space is reminiscent of small restaurants or cafes in France and Amsterdam, with a beautiful back patio that really delivers charm and beauty without overdoing it. The entrees are reasonably priced while the portions are undeniably generous. The hearty comfort foods aim to tantalize and excite your taste buds while the space itself relaxes and cradles you, transporting you to the south of France. Back to Jean and Vero’s roots.

The couple came from across the world, lost everything and then opened a successful restaurant with a mere $10 in their bank account. Thankfully, their persistence and hard work has literally paid off in the end. The couple says that it’s crucial for small business owners to participate in their business as much as possible. Jean and Vero devote all of their time and energy to the business, which is why they’ve become such a great success story. The most important thing? “Don’t lose faith,” they say.

“Thriving In South Florida With Bobby Blair” is my new weekly publisher’s column that I’ve implemented to empower and inspire readers. Using the newspaper as a platform, I’ve created a new way for readers to connect with their community in a very personal way. Each week, I will be featuring a member of our own community who share their real stories of bravery, tenacity and a strong will to survive. They face dilemmas and hardships that we can all relate to, and in the end, they come out on top. Combining our print edition with our strong online presence, I will be be bringing the community inspirational stories weekly, in a whole new way. In addition to the print version of the column, we will also feature an internet talk show segment through guymag.net and floridaagenda.com. You’ll be able to see episodes of the talk show ”Thriving In South Florida With Bobby Blair,” exclusively through our sites. The purpose of my internet talk show is to inspire people within our own community by using a tool that’s been right here all along: the community itself. Some of the greatest role models are right here in our very own community. This week’s game changer and success story is Marc Hansen. I hope that you enjoy both the talk show and the feature below.  

Marc Hansen has had HIV/AIDS since 1985. He’s been on his death bed numerous times, but has continued to serve the community, showing the world that you can achieve great things if you stay strong, focused and above all else, hopeful. A native of Laguna Beach, he moved to Wilmington, Delaware in his teenage years. At the time, Delaware wasn’t exactly the gay sanctuary that it is now. It was about the furthest thing from California at the time, but Marc still managed to make it work. Following high school, he went into the military because he felt that at the time, it was his duty as a man and an American to serve his country. He served in the Air Force as a Med Tech for 6 years before finding out he had HIV/AIDS from the flight surgeon in 1985. The diagnosis is never an easy pill to swallow, but in 1985, it was especially crippling. It was a time when AIDS was making a name for itself as “the gay disease,” and was essentially thought of as a death sentence. Following orders to leave the base immediately, he stayed at a hospital for four months. He endured spinal taps, blood tests and more in an effort to cure the mystery disease, but he attributes his nine lives to his positive attitude. After receiving the diagnosis, he was determined to live.

When he moved to South Florida, he fell in love with the community. Because there was no one there to help the community (people had to do what they had to do in order to survive, and that was it), there was a strong sense of motivation within people like Marc. He met his partner, Mark, at the now-closed Hideaway, who was a supervisor at Hamburger Mary’s (now Rosie’s) at the time and the two have been inseparable ever since.

Hansen is now the president of Pride South Florida, the organization responsible for Pridefest, the largest Pride Festival in the state of Florida. Thousands of attendees and up to 250 vendors participate in the two day celebration, striving to promote positive images of gay, lesbian and transgender people. What started as a picnic in the park in 1996 has now turned into a huge tourist destination. The pride event steadily grows in numbers, including a much-talked about performance from ;pop duo Karmin this past year. The nonprofit organization’s mission statement is boldly prominent on their website: “To provide the South Florida community with various functions throughout the year, to promote and engage in educational, civic and cultural activities in order to enrich the lives of gays, lesbians, bisexual, and transgender people and the community as a whole, and to work together to achieve common goals.” All proceeds from the organization go right back to local charities.

Though Hansen joined the organization back in 2006 and has already changed thousands of lives through Pridefest since, he’s still not completely satisfied. He has one wish before he parts ways with the community indefinitely: “I just hope that the community I leave will be better than it was when I found it.” Fortunately for Marc, he doesn’t have to wait until he’s gone to make a difference – he already has.

See the video interview in its entirety at floridaagenda.com and guymag.net

For more information on Pride South Florida, visit pridesouthflorida.org