When we think of talent, we think of the stage. We think of vocal brilliance, dancing that defies gravity and acting that transports us into a story. God given talents of superstars, our divas Barbra, Cher, Bette, make us dream to see them live and share the experience with other fans who adore them. When we think of talent, we think of the writer who creates worlds, captures the human experience, or expresses emotions in real, relatable dialogue.

This fall we will be dazzled by a full calendar of cultural arts and theater offerings. You must make plans for an evening at The Broward Center for The Performing Arts. The multimillion dollar renovation completed last year has turned a good city theater into a spectacular experience. Think of the talent on the design team at Broward that envisioned Club Level. The Club Level is a VIP experience just steps from your seat, where you can enjoy a pre-show cocktail, relax on couches during intermission and sneak out, if need be, to check on a game status. The talented team thought about the end user. What could make going to see live theater better?

What about all the gifted people that don’t get accolades? There are dedicated members of our community that are working diligently to get local productions on stage. The passionate team at Island City Stage promises a season to remember starting with A Perfect Arrangement in November. An expert ticket agent at Island City Stage created the Flex Pass, 5 shows for $135.00, that’s 25% off regular prices. The program is a creative solution to selling early and building a base for all performances. At the beginning of the summer, a new group formed called Opera Fusion and previewed their production of Not In My Town. This weekend is the World Premiere, starting Saturday at the University Theater on the Florida Atlantic University Campus and coming to the Amaturo Theater at The Broward Center next weekend. Birgit Djupedal, Executive Director of Opera Fusion is a visionary, a promoter of unique design. From having her daughter design the show artwork to casting, she focuses on getting the right people to contribute time and talent.

Imagine what happens behind the scenes when a Broadway Across America performance of Rent comes to town in October? Think of the organizers who plan the stay for the cast and crew? Think of the pre promotion team who organizes interviews, appearances and ticket giveaways. The local Broadway Across America marketing team is not only highlighting the 20^th anniversary to the fans but also is positioning Rent to new audiences who might have heard the music but never been to a live stage performance.

How does the Arsht Center plan their season? How thrilled are we that there are talented booking agents who enticed Rene Flemming to bring her award winning pipes to Miami and perform with the New World Symphony? The stage designers for the Florida Grand Opera are so talented they can create the streets of Seville for the world of Carmen on the Ziff Ballet Opera House stage, second largest stage in the country 130 feet wide, 70 feet deep, approximately 120 feet high.

As a devoted follower, Jim Collins’ Good to Great business theories, I do believe that talent comes first. Jim states that “great vision without great people is irrelevant. Leaders of companies that go from good to great start not with “where are we going” but with “who.” They start by getting the right people on the bus, the wrong people off the bus, and the right people in the right seats.” Catching people doing something where their talent shines is the great enjoyment of the arts and business.

At Agenda, we are in the process of growing our talent.  Growing by adding new people and growing by tapping into talents of current staff. Richard Hack our critically acclaimed Editor-in-Chief, discovered his talent for mentoring this summer with our FAU interns Derrick and Daniel Hart. Their project is the coverage of this issue’s “Fall Arts Preview.”  Derrick and Daniel are also involved on some ground breaking Agenda– brand extensions coming this fall. I wish you could hear them, maybe soon you will.

Sue Hotujec, our Director of Sales, has the natural ability to inspire and motivate her team. It is the understanding of individualized management that moves people to do more than what is expected. Kevin Broady is pushing the envelope in design for a weekly local publication. Like the team at the Broward Center, when they created the Club Level. Kevin thinks about how to make each issue better, every week.

When I interview, I ask candidates to tell me the talents they are required to possess for the open position. Some have trouble with the word talent. They think of acting, writing singing, dancing, but eventually they describe themselves with the attributes they think fit the position. This fall, let us enjoy the talents that surround us, and let’s not be afraid to explore our own untapped talents.  We all can’t be in the spotlight, but we all can shine and make the stage brighter, possibly more profitable, possibly more interesting, if we are put in the right seat.

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The hottest July and August on record. The sorrow of Orlando. The trials of business in the summer time. The fight with Zika virus mosquitos. Summer 2016 almost is over. We’ve extinguished the Olympic torch. We are ready to prep for Florida’s high season. It’s time to enjoy all that is unique to South Florida. Time to make things happen. Time to try new things, invent new steps and dust off tried and true remedies. We are better for the experience and inspired by our community with its resilience. Hello September! We’ve been waiting for you!
Here at Agenda, we are full of exciting news for our audience and business partners. With growth comes challenges, change and adapting. As I said in June, I am so proud of our team. The writers, art directors and our Editor Richard Hack push each week to make the next week better than the last. Richard carefully considers what is important to you and searches for the stories that you want, need and rely on us to tell. The success of our Pet Issue in July further reinforces that you enjoy, share and respond to themes that are unique to our lives and are presented in fun and informative ways. The coverage of Rio 2016, the gayest Olympics ever by our Creative Director Kevin Broady was groundbreaking, stunningly comprehensive. I know people referred to the LGBT Team guide as the games progressed. I don’t want to push my luck, but fingers crossed that this weekend’s impending storm will pass and we won’t have to pull out the Agenda Hurricane Guide (June 2) and figure out its gay hurricane name.

A couple of weeks ago, we received our custom research report on the Agenda from Community Marketing & Insights. Community Marketing & Insights has been providing research on LGBT audiences to corporations, non-profits, universities and government agencies since 1992. You might remember advertisements this April and May asking you to participate in the LGBT survey. Thank you! So many of you completed the survey that we have a much better handle on who you are, what you want, how you feel and what you are interested in. Again, the power of the vote shines through.

Your input combined with audiences in the top LGBT markets provides our team with not only content focus but also equips our Media Sales Consultants with facts on LGBT buying power and buying behavior. Many times new clients ask us to advise them on the best methods and language to marketing to LGBT. They want to know how to ask for your business. That’s right to ask for your business or even better to invite you to do business with them. Invitation is stronger than permission. When the LGBT consumer is invited to business, we respond and we tell our friends.

Speaking of invitations, I invite you to join me in welcoming the newest member of the Agenda team, Sue Hortujec. Sue is our new Director of Sales South Florida. Sue brings 13 years of experience from WSVN (Channel 7 Fox) and WPLG (Channel 10 ABC) television, where she worked with local businesses and agencies to properly invest their advertising budgets to increase business.? She is relationship focused, creative and driven to make a difference.? Sue is hiring and managing our South Florida sales team working on the Agenda, Next, and Wirld City Guide brands. Originally from Pittsburgh, she now resides in Oakland Park with her partner Michelle who is a Pharmaceutical Rep. In the rare time that she is not working, she plays in numerous tennis leagues, loves to spin, golf, swim, spend time with family and be with friends who must have a large funny bone.? Her personal goal is to dust off her drum kit and eventually play in an AC/DC cover band.

So off we go to September, focused on growth, armed with a strong content team, full of knowledge about what you like,, what you don’t like and what you buy—all the while jazzed that you dig our special issues (Home coming around again and get ready for Top 100), poised with new experienced leadership and looking to add more to our superstar sales team. So long strangest summer ever; hello game changer Fall! (Yes, I am a Dolphin fan!)

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Welcome to the Agenda’s First Issue devoted to fins, feathers and fur. On second thought, maybe we have covered those before, but these fins, feathers and fur belong to our pets. Pets are our family, our surrogate children and our best friends. Our animals are here to perch on a finger and meet us nose to nose, to head to the beach and play in the surf, to insist on a scratch when we’re deep in a book, to greet us at the door like we’ve been gone for years, to carry the rings on our wedding days, to bark, meow, chirp, splash and squawk to communicate their affection.

My love for animals has been deep since I could walk. My first pet was a duck, Anne B, named after my mother. I was a toddler so it was easy for Anne B to imprint himself on me and together we spent our days roaming the backyard until a family move forced us to give him a new home in a city pond with fellow fowl. Snakes, hamsters, hermit crabs, love birds, Sun Conures, mutts, chameleons, Dobermans, Great Pyrenees, Chihuahuas, Domestic Shorthairs, turtles, frogs, Yorkies, Morkies, and canaries have all been part of my family.

When we moved to Florida, our friend Craig showed us his home in Victoria Park with custom-built aviaries filled with finches, love birds, green parrots and cockatiels. The home had giant salt water fish tanks filled with urchins and corral. There was an outdoor pond with foot-long orange and white koi and fancy goldfish. I was inspired on what could be done and lucky that Ilene was patient and let me bring home all the critters I could find. After a couple years of lost lovebirds and canaries, we decided dogs were our best bet. We have three, Happy (2) from Diamonds and Doggies, Minnelli (7), given to us at a Stars of the Rainbow Event, and Garland (13) rescued from Broward Animal Shelter during Hurricane Charlie in 2004.

Pet ownership has long been part of the gay lifestyle. According to Nielsen 2014 survey LGBT households spend 32% more than non LGBT households in pet supply stores. According to a study by the ASPCA 71% of LGBT people own pets compared to 63 percent of non-LGBT people. Americans spent over 60 billion dollars in 2015 on their pets. Not surprising to the LGBT consumer who, no matter the income level, makes pampering a priority.

In this issue, we are fortunate to have many new writers in the community sharing stories and information. Local Chiropractic Physician Dr. Donna Watson begins her column in this issue. Dr. Donna is the Founder of Dr. Donna’s Pet Foundation, a leading organization working with Broward Animal control on creative solutions to over population and pet rescue. My pal Claudia Lebel shares her Doodle Biscuits in our Secret Recipe section. Even our Tropical Gardener Chuck Nichols provides do’s and don’ts in the yard for healthy pets.

Also included is a comprehensive listing of veterinarians, boarding facilities and pets parks–a nice list to keep on hand for a resource. Our team at Agenda shares their pet photos along with critters costumed for Pride.

South Florida is very pet friendly. Many restaurants, apartment buildings, parks and shopping areas welcome them.  Upcoming events include: Woof and Wine August 4^th Colohatchee Dog Park in Wilton Manors, Doggy Fun Fest November 19^th in Oakland Park and the Miami Fort Lauderdale Pet Expo at War Memorial on November 5 & 6. Enjoy the issue and continue to engage with us on offerings for the animals. We want your stories, photos and ideas. Drop us notes and pics of you and your brood.

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Dance buddies, best friends, boyfriends, fiances, girlfriends, bartenders, disc jockeys, mixers, lovers, hookups, “boos,” brothers, sisters, daughters, sons, roommates, co-workers, dancers, performers, artists, models, fundraisers, volunteers, Hispanic, straight, gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, and questioning, we lost 49 of them. One night in a club at 2 am, the people who were the life of party, the last to go home, the fun bunch, were taken.  The most horrid crime against our community has rattled us to the core. It has shaken our sense of security, reminded us that we still have to educate, explain and defend our choice to love. This will become one of the moments in history when we tell each other where we were, what we were doing, when we heard, who we knew, how close to the core we were. We share not because of our need to be involved but because of our need to be comforted. Our community gathers immediately, connecting and communicating on what to do next, how to react, how to feel and most importantly how to help.

On Sunday, my wife Ilene and I split the duties. As outgoing Board Chair of the Pride Center at Equality Park, she attended the vigil beautifully hosted by Pride Center COO Kristofer Fegenbush while I tended to the final Shop with Pride event at Westfield Mall. Participants at the Pride Center included Terry Stone (Centerlink), Rabbi Noah Kitty (Etz Chaim), Rev. Dr. Robert Griffin (Sunshine Cathedral), Gay Men’s Chorus Congresswoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz, Congressman Ted Deutch, August Gold, Sheriff Scott Israel, State Senator Chris Stevens, Mayor Gary Resnick, Wilfredo Ruiz (Council for American Islamic Relation) and Dean Trantalis Fort Lauderdale Commissioner. Over 500 people attended. At Westfield, we built bridges. Supporters and strangers to The Pride Center stopped to talk, express disbelief, and offer support for the community.

We think we have been through this before, but we have not. This is a new horror and as the details unravel our emotions change. Thank god we are blessed to be different individuals and rich in our mixed reactions. We need the doers in a crisis to organize assistance. We need the compassionate to organize rallies and vigils. We rely on the skeptics to not accept first reports. We need the hopeful to keep us out of the closet.

June is our month. This issue of Agenda was to be our proudest to date. Our intention was to celebrate accomplishments and provide you with the most up-to-date information on Wilton Manors Stonewall Pride. We had planned far in advance for unique perspectives on the parade and event history. We wanted you to have a hand held guide to everything Stonewall. We will deliver that promise and more. Your team at Agenda is devoted to you, centered in the storm and connected.

We also consider you, our audience, on the team at Agenda. You have showed up on our doorstep, delivered us accurate updates, provided us with stories about your lost friends, information on blood drives, memorials, spiritual gatherings and fundraisers. Thank you and keep up the good work. Here are some of the events planned:

Thursday June 16 6 pm Sunshine Cathedral Service of Prayer and Holy Communion. Lawrence/Lewis Worship Center for Worship and the Arts. All invited for a memorial for the departed, prayers for the wounded and those seeking renewed commitment for the work of peace and justice in the days that follow the attack. 1480 SW 9^th Ave Fort Lauderdale, FL 33315 www.sunshinecathedral.net

Thursday June 16 12 noon –  5 pm One Blood More Love Less Hate Blood Drive. All donors will receive a t-shirt and a wellness check-up. Lexus of North Miami 14100 Biscayne Blvd North Miami, FL 33181 www.oneblood.org use sponsor code 7372

Friday June 17 1 pm Parker Playhouse United with Orlando-Standing for Equality City of Fort Lauderdale Special Memorial Service to honor the victims of the Orlando Tragedy. 707 NE 8^th St Fort Lauderdale, FL 33304 www.fortlauderdale.gov

Friday June 17 8 pm Sunshine Cathedral.  A Gala Evening of Old and New to benefit Not In My Town: Opera Fusion Original based on the life of Matthew Shepard with special appearance by Romaine Patterson (Matthew’s best friend) “It is so imperative that works like Not In My Town be shared to ensure that people understand the real impact of bias crimes in America,” Patterson said.  “Matthew wanted to live his life helping others.  We must all learn from Matthew’s story, and strive to be more kind to one another.  I am honored to be a part of Not In My Town because the fine arts serve as a strong and beautiful tool for education.”   1480 SW 9^th Ave Fort Lauderdale, FL 33315 www.operafusion.com

Saturday June 18 11am – 11 pm Wilton Manors Stonewall Pride. Support from local and statewide agencies will be provided for our yearly party. Over 30,000 are expected to show our pride. 11 am – 1 pm Community Groups Hagen Park 2020 Wilton Drive 3 pm -11 pm Wilton Drive Street Festival NE 20^th to NE 26^th Street Wilton Drive Parade 6 pm  Five Points Plaza www.wiltonmanorsstonewall.com

Sunday June 19 2 pm Holy Angels Catholic Community will be holding a Memorial Mass for those who lost their lives at Orlando Pulse. If you lost someone you knew and were unable to attend their funeral service in Orlando, you are invited to come and remember them in the Catholic Funeral Mass  2917 NE 6th Ave. www.holyangelsfl.org

The team at Centerlink has set up www.westandwithorlando.com to provide access to credible fundraising for the victims and families as well as the most up to date gatherings and events.

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And so it begins, the season of Pride in South Florida, New York, and Los Angeles.  It’s time to rainbow up our PowerPoint presentations and convince the business community to invite LGBT consumers to the party!

I had a super time at Miami Beach Pride last month.  Hats off to event organizers, volunteers, sponsors and celebs who turned South Beach into a perfect festival of gay life. Nothing like dancing with sand in your toes. And Miami knows how to throw a parade–finally some floats!

Also from Miami: The reviews are in for MiFo and they are two thumbs up. The Miami leg of the Miami Fort Lauderdale festival reminded us that we have a long way to go to get our local stories on the screen. A great testament to this passion is this week’s trending #giveelsaagirlfriend, a plea to Disney for Frozen2. The paparazzi is ready to welcome new talent in screenwriting, direction and producing. Without MiFo, many of those would not have the platform to share with appreciative audiences.

This will be my first Pride Season as Publisher of the Agenda. I am at the halfway point in this year and I have been humbled. Sure, it’s easy to say we have a talented and passionate staff. Let me tell you, this team is downright dangerous. They are so connected to their craft that they will not rest easy on the brand.

The amount of effort that goes into weekly content meetings is matched with the attention to client goals and delivery. They know that every business that choses to advertise with us is dependent on us to bring them LGBT consumers. Our entire team is focused on results, delivering exceptional client experience and holds true the responsibility of representing the LGBT community. All of this while pushing back the competitive noise and adding new prospects daily.

What is the purpose of Pride Season? It is a time to applaud the achievements of others. We’ll start this Friday at Diversity Honors. Diversity Honors is the gayest gala in South Florida. Nice mix of men and women and everyone is gussied up! Buy a ticket, and let’s meet there. For $175, you’ll have a splendid time in a gorgeous ballroom at The Seminole Hard Rock. You’ll learn about the stellar work of this year’s honorees and enjoy a performance by Tony Award-winning Actor/Singer Levi Kreis. Clink glasses with people who care about our community, gays from West Palm to the Keys will attend making this authentically South Florida.  Last minute addition, the gorgeous Bollywood star and global human rights activist Celina Jaitly will receive the Harvey Milk Foundation’s Lilla Watson Global Champion Medal. Diversity Honors benefits The Harvey Milk Foundation and The Pride Center at Equality Park.

Pride Season is a time to showcase our power as a community. With lively conversation about the rights to deny us service, it’s time we showed what happens when you put out the rainbow flag. I was fortunate in my past career to work beside the powerhouses in Black media. The gateway to marketing to black consumers was February, Black History Month. Now June is upon us, the official Pride Month. Last June was historical as everyone who was anyone changed their Facebook profile to support marriage equality and brands including Oreos to Doritos wrapping their products in rainbows.

The excitement continues this June as we help marketers who understand the value of embracing us. The Wilton Manors Entertainment Group has developed a comprehensive program for Stonewall Pride this year. Graduating from a local community event, Stonewall now utilizes an event management company and promises to deliver over 30,000 in attendance. Regional advertisers will extend their message with engagement and digital programs surrounding Stonewall and throughout the month of June.  Westfield Broward Mall has extended the invitation for us to come West and SHOP WITH PRIDE from June 2 -12. Macy’s at Westfield Broward is also supporting this first of-its-kind shopping program, complete with a calendar of fun events and the sale of commemorative totes filled with goodies to benefit The Pride Center at Equality Park.

Pride Season is about our history, our buying power, our ability to say “thank you, I came in because I saw the (ad, flag, booth, rainbow).” We’ve got less than a month to make an impact. I know we can support each other, show our strength in numbers, offer positive feedback and welcome challenges. A toast to those presenting these opportunities, designing the campaigns, volunteering for committees, dancing on floats. We have a lot of work ahead of us, but it is well worth it! Besides, in July, we’ll be ready to pitch 2017!

The post Welcome To Pride Season appeared first on Florida Agenda - LGBT News.

“That’s not very lady like.”

It could have been how I was sitting, the language I used or forgetting my tissue. My mother used this phrase quite often with me. She was a trooper and did her best to outfit me in the cutest little girl frilly dresses, patent leather shoes and dainty hats. She did this often on Sundays for mass, but as soon we got home, I dashed to my room to change into my jeans and a t-shirt.

I do love how I feel when I am well-coiffed and wearing a stunning outfit, but I think the last time I wore a skirt was for the office holiday party, and it was a Christmas tree skirt.

A stick figure wearing a skirt is the universal women’s bathroom symbol. I am old fashioned; I call it “The Ladies Room.”

A really good ladies room will have bright mirrors for applying your makeup, full length mirrors for adjusting your outfit, and tissue boxes for ladylike behavior.  In nightclubs, you might even find a host to sell you anything from a lighter to lipstick. We have our own stalls, and we are great at sparing a square when needed. The Ladies Room is a place where anyone who identifies with being a lady should be welcome.

I don’t think North Carolina is being very ladylike. House Bill 2(HB2) The Public Facility Privacy and Security Act which was hastily passed last week by Governor Pat McCory restricted cities’ abilities to pass antidiscrimination measures. The result? Transgender people who have not taken surgical and legal steps to change their gender on their birth certificates have no legal rights to use the bathroom of their choice.

According to McCory, “I have legislation passed by a bipartisan majority to stop this breach of basic privacy and etiquette which was to go into effect April 1.”

Basic privacy and etiquette? What would Miss Manners say? Etiquette is the customary code of polite behavior among members of a particular group.

Is the particular group the “ladies in the room” or the legislature that thinks they understand the ladies in the room?

Governor McCory points to the threat of sexual predators storming into the girl’s bathroom in heels and dresses ready to attack. It’s a matter of public safety. Seriously? It seems to me that if a dangerous character wanted in, they could do so birth certificate or not.

According to WikiHow, #6 Rule for being ladylike is to be respectful of others. Being a lady isn’t just about looking or behaving properly on the outside. It involves being a good person on the inside. Offer your help to those in need. This can be as simple an act as helping an elderly person carry his groceries. What about opening the ladies room door for our transgender neighbor?

This mess worries me about North Carolina. This bill is a matter of hate and bigotry. I lived there as a little kid and one of my sisters lives in Raleigh. They have magical beaches, lip-smacking barbeque, champion golf courses, Wake Forest, the Research Triangle, white water rafting, fly fishing, the Blue Ridge Mountains, and High Point furniture shopping.

“Nothing could be finer than to be in Carolina in the morning.’” Well they can kiss the gay tourism goodbye if they keep this up. We can elect to spend our hard earned vacation money someone else. We’ll skip the Outer Banks and Asheville.  Try holding on to the corporations who value diversity and tolerance when you blatantly disregard the emotions of a transgender person feeling regulated to an uncustomary code of behavior. It’s uncustomary to walk into a gents’ room when you identify as a lady.

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I am really good at keeping secrets. You can tell me to put it in the vault, there it goes. Never to be released until allowed, “Mum’s the word.”  Thankfully the secrets bestowed on me are not locations of buried treasure or criminal facts that would keep the guilty out of prison. That type of information might just might test my character.

Most of the secrets are only important to the people who have asked me to keep them. It might be information not yet released on a business offering; it might be a change in community personnel; it could be grant money; someone thinking of running for office; the location of a great hairstylist; it could even be an ingredient in a recipe.

In this age of sharing, secrets are losing their cache.  Now it’s all about posting and engaging. Post that soufflé recipe to Pinterest and put an end to the mystery! Tweet the 5 best ways to use Powerpoint and improve your presentations. Share the notes from your grant proposal on LinkedIN and let everyone learn from feedback. I think this is terrific.

As a community with less sources for information, we need to get our secrets out and share. It can be a tendency of minority groups to hold these tight but I know that a “rising tide lifts all boats.”  The more we grow as a demographic and show our strength, we more we become a force. We need to be opening doors to each other on business opportunities. We need to educate each other on effective communication. We need to know more about our non-profit organizations and how they are structured. The new hairstylist with a flair for taming curly hair needs to lauded and exposed! And if Neiman Marcus can let their cookie recipe out to the world, we can also share your secret culinary delights.

As you know Agenda is focused on your stories. We are grateful for the six local couples who shared their big day in the Wedding Issue. We are committed to digging deeper into the Top 100 Movers and Shakers; we’ll pull out their secrets to success.  In this issue, we start sharing secret recipes of local restaurants with you, our Agenda audience.

We are expanding our content staff with new voices and expertise. If you are blogging, you should be writing for Agenda! If you are on YouTube teaching people to bake, you should be posting to our Facebook page.  If you are tweeting on politics, we want to retweet you. Let Agenda be your platform for growth. If you are funny, smart, creative or investigative, please reach out and join our team.  Don’t keep your talents a secret. In this day of sharing who wants to keep that quiet?

To tell us your talent, email publisher Maura ‘Mumball’ Lane at maura@wirld.com.

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