THE GLBT TRAVEL EXPO WILL
HAVE 2 BIG DATES IN
SOUTH FLORIDA THIS YEAR!

The 2012  Travel Expo Tour is an exciting event where you can learn about new travel destinations, rediscover old ones, find glbt friendly travel providers and get information to plan your next vacation.

Thursday – February 9, 2012

Ft. Lauderdale, Florida  @   Pride Center of South Florida

The Pride Center of Greater Ft. Lauderdale is the focal point of gay life the in area. It has a variety of on- going programs and supports a broad spectrum of special events. For many, it is a regular part of gay life in south Florida. This will be the second time the Expo will be held in Ft. Lauderdale. A comprehensive list of attendees from last year will be used to promote this years show in addition to print ads, internet and other promotional items.

Show hours: 4-8 pm  - FREE - Open to the public

Sunday  February 12, 2012
Miami,   Florida   @  Moore Building

The More Building was built in 1920 and completely renovate in 2000 This four story atrium building has grandiose architecture and can accommodate 2,500. This event will be held in conjunction with the 4^th Annual Explore Expo of the Miami Dade Gay and Lesbian Chamber of Commerce which last year received a crowd of 1,000.

Show hours: noon to 5 pm -  FREE - Open to the Public

See you there!

Jack will be signing calendars in person!  Saturday  Nov. 26th -

Buy 2!  One for you - and one for a gift!

Can't make it??  Order online!

$14.95  gets Jack Mackenroth in your HOME, half naked!

This is a very important cause, close to my heart and I wanted to share it with you.

EVERYONE needs a calendar, right? And they make great gifts! And who doesn't want hottie, model and activist, Jack Mackenroth  hanging on their wall?

This AUTOGRAPHED, high-quality, glossy, 15-month calendar is available for sale now!

The calendar begins in January 2012 and continues through May 2013. Each month features a different photographer with a very different style.

Photographers  include Adam Bouska (NOH8), Rick Day, Carsten Fleck, Frank Louis, James Franklin, Karl Giant, Tommy Synnamon, Mattheus Lian, Richard Gerst, Ray John Pila, Sonny Tong, Thomas Evans, Krys Fox and Preston Cros with over 17 amazing sexy  images.

The calendar is  8.5 x 11 inches, and are available online for $14.95 (plus tax and shipping). Please allow 2 weeks for shipping as Jack is signing and shipping them all personally.

100-percent of the proceeds from the calendar will go directly to amfAR, The American Foundation for AIDS Research (www.amfar.org) to help find a cure for AIDS.
 
Mackenroth has been living with the disease for 22 years. As the first television personality since Pedro Zamora to be vocal about his HIV status, Jack Mackenroth has quickly become the most visible, out HIV+ advocate and educator in the country… if not the world.

With the release of his 2012 calendar, he hopes to raise both money and awareness for AIDS research, and to show through his photographs that a person living with HIV can be in top physical form, healthy and sexy.

Now in its third year as a stand-alone festival, the Ft. Lauderdale Gay & Lesbian Film Festival is unveiling a dynamic roster of 17 films for the 2011 season, announced Franc Castro, executive director of the festival. 

New for this year will be a gala opening night reception and film followed by a VIP after party, plus an expanded schedule of more short films, documentaries and feature films that are by, about, and for the gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender (GLBT) community and its allies.
 
“Everyone connected with the festival is truly excited about this year’s line-up,” Castro said.  “We’ve brought together an amazing and diverse mix of films that will appeal to the whole community.  These films will inspire, inform, entertain, and maybe even provoke, but in every case, the festival promises a wonderful time out at the movies for the entire community.”
 
All screenings will be held at The Manor complex, 2345 Wilton Drive, in Wilton Manors, with the exception of the Opening Night reception and screening, which will be held at Cinema Paradiso, 503 Southeast 6th Street, Fort Lauderdale.
 
Advance tickets are available now online and by phone.  Advance matinee ticket prices (films before 6 p.m.) are $7 for members, $9 for guests.  Matinee tickets increase to $8 for members, $10 for guests, at the on-site box office during the festival.  Evening screenings (films at 6 p.m. or after) are $9 for members, $11 for guests in advance; $10 for members, $12 for guests at the box office.  Opening night tickets, which include a pre-screening cocktail reception, are $15 for members, $20 for guests.  Tickets for Sunday’s special Double Feature are $5 each.
 
For tickets, membership information and a complete festival schedule, call 877-484-8499, or visit flglff.com.

 TIME FOR A ROAD TRIP!

Sarasota isn't THAT FAR!
Grab your friends and do not miss this show!

"The Passion of the Crawford"

Lypsinka in "The Passion of the Crawford" appears in Sarasota, Florida at the Asolo Repertory Theatre, Monday, May 9 at 8 pm. This is Lypsinka's first performance in FL for over 10 years, and the only Lypsinka show currently planned for this area of the country! 

Anyone who's seen the Mississippi-born John Epperson perform as Lypsinka knows the wonder and magic he produces on stage. His lip-syncing abilities are transcendent, a dazzling blend of comedy, camp and dramatic flourishes.

The Passion of the Crawford has its roots from the late 90's at Manhattan's Town Hall, where Epperson tried out an abbreviated version of the Crawford material. It wasn't until several years later,  that Epperson fully fleshed the show out, performing it first in L.A., and later in San Francisco, where it was an instant hit. But, he adds with a wry laugh, ''Joy Zinoman [the Studio's artistic director] could dress up as Joan Crawford in San Francisco and have a hit. Anyone could do it. There are so many gay guys that love Joan Crawford in San Francisco, you can't go wrong.

 

It bores me that when most drag performers do a Joan Crawford impersonation nowadays, they just do the Mommie Dearest kind of Joan Crawford. She was more complicated than that. There are some people who say that Joan Crawford was one of the nicest people they've ever met and there are other people who say she was the biggest bitch they ever met. I think she was probably both in one person. After all, we're all complicated, we all have different sides. We know she had a dark side -- but she also had a lighter side. I think she was deeply misguided in her attitudes about child rearing, but she wasn't a totally bad person.

I wanted to do a real version of Joan Crawford. Yes, the show is funny, but I wanted to present her as real as possible, as real as you can through the very artificial form of theater that I do. Joan Crawford was one of the most fascinating icons of the 20th century, and when you think about people like Elvis Presley and Marilyn Monroe and Judy Garland, who were also great metaphorical icons of the 20th century, who were people who embodied the best and worst of the American dream, the three of them, while they were alive, were troubled. We all knew it. It was publicized. You could see it in their appearance, especially Garland and Presley. But Joan Crawford did not die young the way the three of them did. She was at least 70 and we didn't know about her dark side until after she was dead. Somehow there was an unwritten pact between her and the press. Even though people in the business knew about her troubles with her kids and about her drinking, they never printed it. They sort of respected her somehow. Like the Queen of Hollywood."

For tickets and more info and to hear the Asolo artistic director
Michael Edwards talk about  Lypsinka go to ASOLO REP.
 
The New York Times called this show, "Hilarious! Mesmerizing! Fun!" . Directed by Kevin Malony, "The Passion of the Crawford" also stars Steve Cuiffo. And we're told the theatre is very nice. We even hear there's a reception afterwards!

BestGayNews 

BestGayFortLauderdale 

World Wide Motion Pictures Corp.
 is pleased to announce  Applause,
releasing next in the Southeast. The film will be showcased at the the Downtown Boca Film Festival (formerly the Delrey Beach Film Festival), which runs April 9-17 in Boca Raton, FL (screen date  for APPLAUSE is April 13th).

Then on Friday, April 22, the film will open at the Regal Shadowood Cinema in Boca Raton and at the Regal 18 in Delray Beach . A third location in the Sunshine State will be added soon.

Recovering alcoholic stage actress, Thea Barfoed (Paprika Steen) has gone through turmoil. Having divorced her husband, Christian (Michael Falch), and relinquished custody of their two boys during her heavy drinking days, Thea wants to start over. As her past alcohol use and indiscretions still haunt her, the reality of a new beginning seems bleak. Thea uses her inner actress’s charm and manipulation to convince her ex-husband that she is fully recovered and capable of being a good mother to their children; however, she hasn’t completely convinced herself.

On stage, Thea plays the binge drinking, ostentatious Martha in “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?” Ironically, her stage character bears an uncanny resemblance to her personal life. As her alcoholism and past regrets hang in the balance, Thea must decide whether to confront her inner demons or to let the show go on.

EVERYONE loves it!
 Film Festivals and critics agree -

“One of the best screen performances of the year.”

- Karen Durbin, The New York Times

"Deeply affecting ... unflinchingly real."

- Betsy Sharkey, The Los Angeles Times

“An extraordinary performance by Paprika Steen.”

- Roger Ebert,The Chicago Sun-

The tropical utopia
where the rich and famous
built spectacular winter homes
in years past is now best known as a destination spot for tourists who flock to the theme parks and spectacular beaches of the Sunshine State every year. But there is much more to America’s panhandle than roller coasters and sand: Florida is rich in architectural history, and many of the grand estates built by the privileged in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries have been meticulously preserved, and are now open to the public.

Great Houses of Florida (Rizzolli 2008)is a collaboration between Beth Dunlop and Joanna Lombard, two architectural experts with a passion for the historically significant homes of their beloved state.

The breathtaking photography of Steven Brooke accompanies the authors’ fascinating stories of the origins of these thirty-nine homes. This illustrated history includes photographs of the opulent interiors and lush gardens, as well as the fascinating back-stories about the architects, landscape artists, and powerful men who made their dream of living in paradise a reality.

THE GREAT HOUSES OF FLORIDA offers visitors to the state an insightful peek into the diverse history of the area, and offers a cultured alternative to the thrills of Disneyworld, and excitement of Miami Beach.

Rizzoli is proud to announce that GREAT HOUSES OF FLORIDA has been recognized by the Board of Trustees of the Florida Trust for Historic Preservation's Awards Jury, who has selected the book for outstanding achievement in the field of preservation education/media. The awards ceremony and reception will be held on Friday, May 20, during the Florida Trust's 2011 Annual Conference in Central Florida.  The ceremony will be at the First Congregational Church of Winter Park, and the reception will be held at the Cornell Fine Arts Museum at Rollins College and will immediately follow the ceremony.

Following a busy year, the Same Love, Same Rights® team is returning to several familiar destinations in 2011.  Among them -sunny Fort Lauderdale, Florida! 

This year's event will once again be held at the beautiful Hyatt Regency Pier 66 and feature an afternoon of fun and trendy resources.  Over 30 select wedding professionals will participate as exhibitors, each one screened to be LGBT-friendly.  Travel planners, Gift Companies, and Home & Family-Planning Resources are among the assortment of companies to be represented.



Couples, advocates and straight allies are all invited to join us for this wonderful day of grassroots activism, joy and celebration.  You & your partner will find everything you need to plan and polish Your Dream Ceremony!

Attendees to our Expos throughout the country have been thrilled with the high quality of businesses exhibiting, as well as the level of respect and legitimization they experience.

The details...

Rainbow Wedding Network’s 2nd Annual Fort Lauderdale LGBT Wedding  Expo
Sunday February 20, 2011      1:00pm – 4:00pm
Hyatt Regency Pier Sixty-Six Resort & Spa
2301 S.E. 17th Street      Fort Lauderdale, FL

100 FREE Advanced Admission Tickets

For more information  Same Love Same Rights
Please help spread the word to your friends via Facebook


Best Gay Fort Lauderdale

The 2011  GLBT Travel Expo  Tour
is an exciting new event where you can learn about new travel destinations, rediscover old ones, find glbt friendly travel providers and get information to plan your next vacation.

Exhibitors will include:
Airlines
Hotels
Trains
Cruise lines
Car Rentals
Resorts
Exotic Destinations
Convention & Visitors Bureaus
Travel Magazines

The EXPO  comes to Fort Lauderdale February 1st! 
@  The Embassy Suites Hotel    4-8pm
1100 SE 17th Street, Fort Lauderdale, Florida 33316

Attendees will be able to get the latest travel information, get special travel packages and great deals from the very best travel providers as well as win great prizes.

Best Gay Fort Lauderdale.com

Exciting News for
South Florida!

After making the rounds at LGBT film festivals WORLDWIDE, and winning countless awards, OY VEY! MY SON IS GAY begins opening in theaters this weekend!

Directed by Evgeny Afineevsky and starring
Golden Globe, Emmy and Tony Award nominee Lainie Kazan, Saul Rubinek, Carmen Electra, Vincent Pastore, Tony Award winner John Lloyd Young, Emmy Award winner Jai Rodriguez, and Emmy Award winner Bruce Vilanch.

Oy Vey! My Son Is Gay! is a family romantic comedy roller-coaster ride of laughs and shows how far we come and yet how far we still have to go.  The star-studded cast and wonderful story will have you laughing - and talking and thinking.

At a time where society is currently in dire stress, the public is even more challenged to find channels for relief and escape.  The film, “OY VEY! MY SON IS GAY!” delivers a very powerful message through the language of humor, and successfully combines the elements of fun, laughter, love, respect, tolerance and the  value of relationships.  It finds humor in the most awkward situations, but remains a powerful reminder that LOVE IS LOVE.


This movie was a long journey of 8 years of hard work, which finally resulted in a heartwarming and inspirational family comedy with an amazing and accomplished cast.

The film’s director, Evgeny Afineevksy (born in Russia, raised in Israel and currently living in the USA)  utilized powerful tools and different multicultural elements (drawn from his multicultural background) to make the movie unique.  He created the movie with a fresh perspective on a very unusual and sensitive matter; mixing elements of light language of comedy with sincerity; treating today’s  tough and sensitive subject with empathy and humor; and, creating funny and relatable characters, allowing the humor to progress from and within the characters.  “OY VEY! MY SON IS GAY! was awarded the Best Script at the 41st Houston World Festival and the Monaco Film Festival, and won over 20 different awards internationally during last year.

Every mother wants their child to get married and have a family.

This is the story of  a Jewish family living in the North Shore of Long Island, where every Friday night Shirley Hirsch (Lainie Kazan) invites another "perfect" girl for Shabbat dinner in hopes that her son, Nelson (John Lloyd Young), will marry a nice Jewish girl.

When Shirley and Martin (Saul Rubinek) once again set him up on a date, Nelson reveals that he is already seeing someone. Shirley and Martin are thrilled and can’t wait to meet the lucky lady.

 In a motherly attempt at finding out who her son is dating, Shirley stops by Nelson’s apartment. She is greeted by Angelo Ferraro (Jai Rodriguez), Nelson’s live-in boyfriend, and in order to not divulge Nelson’s secret life, Angelo introduces himself as his decorator! And the plot thickens!

THIS IS A MUST SEE MOVIE!

OPENING THIS WEEKEND in South Florida!

The film starts in Florida in selected theaters on 01/07/11

REGAL South Beach Cinemas 18
( 1120 Lincoln Road, Miami Beach, Florida 33139 ) (305-674-6766)

Sunrise Intracoastal Cinemas
( 3701 Northeast 163rd Street, North Miami, FL 33160) ( 954-871-4178)

AMC Aventura 24
(19501 Biscayne Blvd. Suite # 3001, Aventura,  FL 33180)  (305-466-9880)

Regal Shadowood 16
(9889 West Glades Road, Boca Raton, FL 33434) (561-482-2638)

Regal Cinemas Delray 18
(1660 South Federal Highway, Delray Beach, FL 33483) (561-272-0510)

For tickets: http://www.fandango.com/ or    http://www.movietickets.com/

We having a press conference on Friday with Bruce Vilanch! and other special guests!
Q&A after every show with  Evgeny Afineevsky also!

More dates  coming soon!  Check the website and links below!
 
OY VEY MY SON IS GAY official site
Watch the Trailer
Oy Vey  on  Facebook

Best Gay Cities.com

COMING OUT,
DOES NOT HURT ONES CAREER,
contrary to popular belief!
Just ask Dave Koz.

When he came out in The Advocate in 2004, Dave Koz instantly expanded his already large fan base and shattered a lot of myths about gay men and music.

In a career that spans twenty years and a dozen albums, saxophonist Dave Koz has established himself as one of the most prominent figures in contemporary music. But for as noteworthy as his body of recorded work and as entertaining his live performances and other past accomplishments might be, Koz finds himself in an era of dramatic and sweeping change where everything once taken for granted is suddenly up for grabs. For Koz – and for all of us in this first decade of the new century – it’s a new day, full of new challenges and opportunities, and new rules that are still being written.

Koz embraces this era of change – and even the uncertainty that comes with it – on Hello Tomorrow, his debut on Concord Records  (released on October 12, 2010. “Put The Top Down,” the breezy lead single from the  album, rocketed to #1 at Radio after just three weeks!). Produced by Grammy winners John Burk and Marcus Miller (who also appears on most tracks), the album features a diverse army of high-profile guests: Herb Alpert, Jonathan Butler, Brian Culbertson, Sheila E., Boney James, Jeff Lorber, Keb’ Mo’, Ray Parker, Jr., Lee Ritenour, Christian Scott and others. Each of the thirteen tracks – most of them written by Koz and his collaborators, others penned by friends and legends – focuses on being open to new beginnings, and trusting that the future is unfolding in all the right ways for all the right reasons.

Looking back on the Advocate Coming Out interview, he says, "I think everyone makes that leap at the right time in their own lives—there is no absolute rule, and thus I tend to shy away from giving anyone else advice on how to do this. In my own experience however, I never had a master plan to come out…that moment shocked me when it came—I sort of knew it instinctively and I said to myself, “It’s time”. Up until that point it was something I was either too worried, or too freaked out to do. I wasn’t willing to risk it…but then something surprising happened.

I was doing an interview for another gay publication—and the interviewer initially said it was just to speak on the music, no personal questions. His editors had a different agenda and he came back to me saying that in order for the article to run I would have to address my sexuality. Well, I noticed the way this information made me feel…and for the first time ever, it didn’t scare the &*%# out of me! I went to my managers with the idea of coming out—they were super supportive, having helped Melissa Etheridge along her journey. But they said if you’re going to do it, do it with The Advocate. And that’s exactly what happened—a few months later, just about in sync with my turning 40, it was done. This little piece of information that I’d been guarding so preciously all my adult life was finally out there for the world to see. Of course at the time I was freaking out…but I haven’t looked back since. By far, the very best thing I’ve ever done for myself. "

LAST  WEEK, Dave added his effort to the Dan Savage It Get's Better Project. You can watch his video and listen to his growing up gay story . And he reveals how his music got him through the struggles of growing up gay. Music – and more specifically, the saxophone – have been Koz’s primary survival tools since his childhood and adolescence in L.A.’s San Fernando Valley.  “The saxophone became my best friend, my most trusted ally, because it enabled me to communicate feelings that I didn’t have the words for. In many ways, it saved my life.”

This is shows 13th Anniversary! And this year’s run will feature special guests South African singer/guitarist Jonathan Butler, keyboardist Brian Culbertson and Dutch saxophone star Candy Dulfer. It will mark Dulfer’s first tour with Koz while Butler and Culbertson are back by popular demand. 

The artists will perform hits from their respective catalogues and join together on a variety of holiday standards for an inspirational, high-energy show that has become a cherished tradition for many fans. The tour will take them from coast to coast and include three Los Angeles area shows (December 17th & 18th at Cerritos Center for the Performing Arts and December 19th at Nokia Theatre L.A. Live). The festivities will conclude with a show at Modesto’s Gallo Center for the Arts on December 20th.

DAVE KOZ AND FRIENDS... A SMOOTH JAZZ CHRISTMAS
   2010 TOUR  COMES TO    Ft. Lauderdale, FL
November 29, 2010  at  7:30pm   at  Au-Rene Theater !

“Holiday music is like comfort food – when you hear these songs, they transport you,” says Dave, who has three classic holiday albums to his credit (December Makes Me Feel This Way, A Smooth Jazz Christmas Dave Koz & Friends, Memories of a Winter’s Night). “It’s like when you smell a fresh apple pie, and it conjures up memories of your grandmother’s baking and all the traditions that make this such a special time of year.”

  Tickets for FORT LAUDERDALE on sale now!  


DAVE KOZ online

Greater Fort Lauderdale
has long rolled out the rainbow carpet for GLBT guests, but now "America's Favorite Gay Resort Town" is offering GLBT travelers the chance take their vacation from "Mild to Wild" with the destination's latest mobile site.

The new "Mild to Wild" GLBT mobile site is easy to navigate, and lets users select what type of activities they would like to experience in Greater Fort Lauderdale ranging in levels from Mild, Medium to Wild day or night!

The Mild to Wild digital stylist randomly generates morning, afternoon, evening and late-night activities and events, as well as Foursquare deals from participating businesses. Visitors can Play Gay on Greater Fort Lauderdale's new GLBT mobile site and input their travel dates to customize the Event Calendar, browse GLBT-owned and GLBT-friendly accommodation choices, as well as enter to win a free beach getaway.

"'Mild to Wild' is all about coming OUT and enjoying more in Greater Fort Lauderdale, from the waterways, to the great restaurants, shopping and nightlife throughout the area and especially in our ‘Gayborhood' of Wilton Manors, home to the destination's largest GLBT population," said Nicki E. Grossman, president of the Greater Fort Lauderdale Convention & Visitors Bureau. "We invite all of our GLBT guests to check out the new mobile website, and customize how wild, or mild, they want their next Greater Fort Lauderdale visit to be. Remix as often as you like to get a fresh batch of fun!"

To view the new "Mild to Wild" mobile site and to get more information on GLBT offerings throughout Greater Fort Lauderdale, visit Sunny.org .

Big News for Fort Lauderdale!
New York-based G Worldwide plans to break ground on a 700,000 square-foot resort at an estimated cost of $80 million in Wilton Manors. The luxury resort, scheduled for completion in 2011, will bring over 500 new jobs to the area and is the first in a series of projects for the company catering to the LGBT community.

David Holzapfel, COO of G Worldwide, is enthusiastic about the project. “The reason we chose Wilton Manors for our first project is because we felt that South Florida is a wonderful location.” Holzapfel likes the community of Wilton Manors, stating that the company has already garnered a great deal of support for the project.

The resort will feature numerous lavish amenities. “We will have a fitness center, spa, nightclub, and a variety of dining options, all on property,” Holzapfel says. In addition, the resort also plans to offer a rooftop lounge and garden, as well as an art gallery and banquet center.

G Worldwide  also plans to bring its brand to other markets in the future, including New York, Palm Springs, Las Vegas and San Francisco.

 

The company  plans to be the first-ever LGBT luxury-lifestyle resort and brand with a goal of amassing a collection of hotels, resorts, and vacation clubs specifically designed to fulfill the needs and desires of the LGBT traveler.

The Lauderdale property, located at 1224 NE 24^th Street, will only be a short walk from the Wilton Drive entertainment district, offering visitors an array of shopping and nightlife options.

G Resort  will feature a timeshare component, allowing visitors to purchase units in the building. “Timeshare brings a lot of value to the property, especially from the developer’s point of view,” states Holzapfel. “That component of the resort will only be about 20 percent of inventory, but will provide us with a steady stream of customers.”

The 172-unit, all-suite resort will feature four unique floor-plans. Most notable are the three-story, 3,000 square-foot penthouse suites, which promise to offer visitors superior luxury amenities.

The Wilton Manors property will surely impact local business. Reece Darham, managing director of Island City Health & Fitness, is excited about the project. “I believe it will be a fantastic opportunity for all LGBT businesses. This luxury hotel will bring a level of tourism that otherwise may not have come to Wilton Manors.”


The Best of Gay Fort Lauderdale

Dates Set for PRIDEFEST 2010

PRIDEFEST will be held on
Saturday and Sunday March 13 & 14 from Noon till 7pm. 
This year’s event is planned to take place at Jaco Pastorius Park,
Dixie Highway & 40th Ct. in Oakland Park.


Lots of GREAT ENTERTAINMENT this year!
Cece Peniston, Pepper MaShay, Lori Michaels and MORE!


See you  there!