Florida Agenda

FORT LAUDERDALE — Attending the swearing in ceremony last week of U.S. Rep. Patrick Murphy (D-Jupiter), insurance executive Christopher Dunham had face time with Vice President Joseph Biden, who was present for the inauguration of the 113th Congress. Murphy, 29, is the youngest member of the current Congress. The boundaries of his 18th congressional district—which [...]

WILTON MANORS — On Saturday, January 19, the Pride Center at Equality Park will host “An Evening in Paradise. In its second year, the event, which will be held at Richardson Historic Park Manor House in Wilton Manors, is the Pride Center’s largest fundraiser. Proceeds for the event will benefit the Pride Center and the [...]

WILTON MANORS — On Sunday, Greater Fort Lauderdale-based LGBT right activist Michael Rajner posted on Facebook his “initial thoughts on Charlie Crist’s [political] coming out” and “on the White House and [Obama For America] selling Florida to [him].” Rajner, who serves on a number of state and local private, political, and policy entities, said that OFA [...]

WILTON MANORS — Each year, Shawn and Nick’s Courtyard Café holds a holiday toy drive to benefit Kids in Distress, the counseling and health center with a mission to prevent child abuse, preserve families, and treat children who have been abused and neglected. Courtyard co-owners Nick Berry and Shawn Bombard, along with Berry’s life partner [...]

WILTON MANORS – On Saturday, over 2,000 participants are expected to take part in the World AIDS Day Candlelight Vigil, which organizers say is one of the nation’s largest, commencing with a participants line up at 6:30 p.m. inside Hagen Park (2020 Wilton Dr., Wilton Manors, behind City Hall), with the walk beginning promptly at [...]

Team Sponsor Says Clothing Message was Meant in Fun, Camaraderie FORT LAUDERDALE – Although the 2012 SMART Ride was an outstanding achievement—raising in its ninth year over $860,000 to use for direct services benefiting those with HIV/AIDS—this year’s competitive and team-building event has been the backdrop of a less-than-friendly exchange between friends who support one another’s businesses and [...]

FORT LAUDERDALE – On Tuesday morning, U.S. Rep. Allen West conceded to Democrat Patrick Murphy, ending one of the most expensive races for the U.S. House. “While there are certainly still inaccuracies in the results, and the actions of the St. Lucie County and Palm Beach County Supervisors of Elections rightly raise questions in my [...]

Last week, city commissioners in the Broward municipalities Oakland Park and Hallandale Beach approved individual ordinances that grant certain benefits to domestic partners. In Hallandale Beach, commissioners green-lighted a yearly $500 tax reimbursement for city employees who receive domestic partner health coverage, a benefit that offsets federal taxes. As previously reported (Florida Agenda, October 31, [...]

DEERFIELD BEACH – The parents of a Deerfield Beach High School student have accused one of their daughter’s teachers of “turning” her gay. The teacher, Juliet Hibbs, is on medical leave from the Broward County School District. Records indicate that she was investigated and cleared last year for misconduct, after the school principal was contacted [...]

FORT LAUDERDALE – On Sunday night, Broward got its first look at Florida’s first two openly-gay state legislators during the annual awards gala hosted by Equality Florida at the Museum of Art in Fort Lauderdale. State Representatives Joe Saunders (D-Orlando) and David Richardson (D-Miami Beach) were joined by gay-friendlyBroward County Commissioner Sue Gunzburger (who was [...]