Florida Agenda

FORT LAUDERDALE – Last year, members of Broward County’s LGBT business community formed the Greater Fort Lauderdale Gay & Lesbian Chamber of Commerce (GFLGLCC), with a mission that includes promoting business and economic opportunities for the LGBT and LGBT-friendly community, promoting tourism with a unified approach, and serving as an advocate and resource for all equalitypromoting member businesses.

The Chamber, a 501c(6) non-profit organization, has an ambitious agenda: to partner with local LGBT organizations to mutually promote the sunshine and fun of Greater Fort Lauderdale and Broward County, as well as partnering with those businesses who are looking to form a beachhead in the LGBT market. The organization’s president and CEO, Keith Blackburn, went to Berlin, Germany this month to attend the ITB convention, the world’s largest travel trade show, with an anticipated 170,000 attendees representing over 180 countries.

“This is an amazing opportunity to promote all that Greater Fort Lauderdale has to offer to a virtually captive audience,” reported Blackburn. “The ITB-Berlin event is the largest travel trade show on the planet, and a real chance to showcase what we love about where we live,” added Blackburn, whose own business credentials include operating Fort Lauderdale’s successful Mary’s Resort and gay guest house.

Blackburn and the GFLGLCC are also promoting, both locally and abroad, the new Rainbow Hospitality Alliance (RHA). In 1997, the Rainbow Alliance (RA) was launched to build gay and gay-friendly tourism in Greater Fort Lauderdale. Because of legal issues, the RA was limited in its ability to expand its mission statement, and so the group was officially disbanded in 2011. This paved the way for the formation of the RHA, with a stated mission to build alliances and bridges that market the area as the premier LGBT travel destination. In aid of this, the group will launch the southfloridafun.com Website this month.

Blackburn notes that the GFLGLCC’s mission to Berlin enjoyed the support of the Greater Fort Lauderdale Convention and Visitors Bureau (CVB), as well as businesses with a stake in the effort’s overall success. “The Berlin trip was made possible by our hotel sponsors,” Blackburn noted.

Those sponsors included the Atlantic Hotel, Cheston House, Elysium Resort, Inn Leather, La Casa Del Mar, and the Best Western Oakland Park Inn, in addition to his own Mary’s Resort. Long term, GFLGLCC has also partnered with the International Gay and Lesbian Travel Association (IGLTA), which sponsored last year’s international convention of travel professionals in Greater Fort Lauderdale, and the FunMaps media group.

“Their support enabled us to create a unique brochure, showcasing Greater Fort Lauderdale as a world-class LGBT tourist destination,” emphasized Blackburn.

 For more information about GFLGLCC, visit gogayfortlauderdale.com.

FACES

United & Proud
Arts United is currently presenting its 10th Annual United & Proud member Art Exhibit celebrating Gay pride Month at the Broward County Main Library Gallery 6. The event stretches until June 25. It features over 60 gay, lesbian, bisexual, and gay-supportive artist members showcasing their best work. (Photos by Stephen R.

Lang)

Walgreens Grand Opening
Walgreens celebrated the opening of its new pharmacy at 2540 NE 15 Avenue in Wilton Manors with a grand opening event Friday, June 10.

(Photos by Stephen R. Lang)?

Politicians and community leaders turned out for the ribbon-cutting ceremony at the new Walgreen Community Specialty Pharmacy at 2540 NE 15th Avenue in Wilton Manors.

While the store is now open for business, the official grand opening is scheduled for June 10. –DR

Walgreens Community Pharmacy opens Walgreens Regional HIV specialist John McGuirk wears his fancy attire for the ceremony.

Politicians from Oakland Park and Wilton Manors help Walgreens’ representatives cut the ribbon of the new business.

A big box retailer moving into Wilton Manors, and hoping that its targeting concept will help attract customers.

The largest drugstore chain in the United States, Walgreens, is opening up a new location at 2540 NE 15th Avenue, across the street from Stork’s Bakery. The pharmacy will be focusing on AIDS patients and health concerns for the LGBT Community, according to Walgreens Pharmacy Manager Bill Davis.

Davis said not only will the Walgreens help patients with HIV/AIDS, but they will also specialize in those patients with Hepatitis C, sexually transmitted diseases, Rheumatoid Arthritis and much more.

The new Walgreens pharmacy will offer the option to have prescriptions delivered directly to a person’s home, a wide selection of co-pay assistance cards to bring down the price

of prescriptions, a private consultation room for patients, a plethora of literature and material from manufacturers regarding drug cocktails and immunization shots.

“We will be a concierge for patients and physicians,” Davis said. Walgreens was awarded a perfect score of 100 percent on the Human Rights Campaign Corporate Equality Index for the fourth consecutive year.

Walgreens was one of 13 retail and consumer products companies to receive a perfect score. The Corporate Equality Index measures the extent to which employers protect their GLBT employees.

“Walgreens strives not to put profits ahead of patients,” Davis said. “Our services go above and beyond what any of our competitors have to offer.” The official grand opening is scheduled for June 10. —DR