At Miami Beach Pride 2014

Miami Beach's sixth annual LGBT Pride parade took place yesterday on South Beach's Ocean Drive with Grand Marshal Gloria Estefan, who appears at 2:30 in this clip.

Morning View: Liquored Up

"Direct to your hotel room in under 20 minutes."

Afternoon View - Jerry's Deli

Jerry's Deli, as I may have mentioned here one hundred times in the past, operates in the building that once was the Warsaw Ballroom, the single greatest gay nightclub in the history of the world. And I am unanimous in that.

Winter Party 2013: March 6-11

The 20th annual Winter Party hits South Beach in just a few weeks. I was at the very first one and have only missed four or five in the last two decades. Sure, I no longer have the energy (or desire, really) to attend the giant til-the-break-of-dawn megaclub events that Winter Party is rightfully famous for, but I do so love the daytime beach and pool parties - even if I now spend a large amount of the time perched in the shade.  And it's worth noting that despite some of the images such as those seen in the clip below, there are many, many attendees who are my age-and-body peers. (He said tactfully.) The Task Force really does draw quite a diverse crowd and raises a shitload of money for South Florida's LGBT and AIDS charities. Highly recommended. I'll be under an umbrella holding something fruity.

At Miami Beach Pride

Video and photos by Father Tony.

South Beach Goes Manhattan

The New York Times laments the old dirty dangerous South Beach.

These days, it’s not just the models who have largely vanished — and with them the European playboys and nightlife fixers for whom they served as so much chum in the water. Clubland itself seems more predictable and strait-laced now that the Beach’s ever squabbling tribe of drag queens have packed up their wigs and gone. Even most of the con men and hustlers have lit out for greener (or less policed) pastures. Indeed, the late-night playground left behind has become a high-end tourist mecca in all its bland, well-oiled glory. Yet even more jarring are the newest daytime arrivals: children.

When I first started clubbing there in the late 80s, if you told friends you were going to South Beach, they'd ask, "Oh, is your grandmother sick?" Because otherwise, why? And my car got broken into so many times, they knew me at the glass shop.

SLIDESHOW: Winter Party 2012

I finally sat down and whittled my hundreds of Winter Party 2012 photos down into the below manageable slideshow. Within you'll find lots of handsome hotties, scruffy bears, smiley cubs, lovely ladies, muscle marys and pretty much every age group, niche and subset of the LGBT world. (Plus you'll see some JMG regulars!) Kudos once again to the NGLTF for another flawlessly run operation. Full-screen photos here.

VIDEO: Under One Sun

Father Tony compiled the below footage at Saturday's pool party thrown by the Task Force. I'm still sorting through the hundreds of photos I took at yesterday's main Winter Party event and will have that posted later today.

Jerry's Deli / Warsaw Ballroom

My ex texted me at 6am to alert me that MSNBC's Morning Joe was doing today's Florida primary coverage from the former location of the Warsaw Ballroom, the greatest gay nightclub from the very early years of South Beach's birth as a homo hotspot. Was it really almost 25 years ago? Sigh. Oh, the things that transpired in that room. I'd love to tell those journalists about the Warsaw show by "pussy contortionist" Lady Hennessy Brown. Just for starters...

Morning View - South Beach Loews

Guest Post - Bradley Carlson

Last Sunday I posted an article which claimed that gays are fleeing Miami Beach for Fort Lauderdale and other places. The article and its author Natalie O'Neill, who cited rising hate crimes as part of the reason for the exodus, have since come under some criticism both at home and here in NYC. O'Neill appeared on Michelangelo Signorile's SiriusXM show on Wednesday to discuss the article and the response. Below, JMG reader Bradley Carlson defends his adopted hometown.

Last week, the Miami New Times, a free local newspaper with a circulation of about 70,000, printed a cover story proclaiming that, in the wake of increasing hate violence, gays are leaving South Beach “in droves” and heading to “friendlier” Fort Lauderdale. My gay South Beach friends and I were stunned. Why didn’t we get that memo? What shocked us most is that the New Times got it so incredibly wrong. Not just wrong in terms of personal opinions about which place is better; their data were wrong.

The Miami New Times article wove a story of anti-gay violence that made it seem like homophobia in South Beach has reached epidemic proportions. Nothing could be further from the truth. The fact is, since gay people started migrating to South Beach in the 1980s, violent crime of all sorts has steadily declined. Nobody who spent time here in the 1980s and 1990s could honestly say they feel less safe walking the streets nowadays.

Contrary to the story spun by the New Times, Broward County, which contains Fort Lauderdale and the gayborhood of Wilton Manors, has a lot more hate crime than Miami-Dade. The Miami Herald's Steve Rothaus writes:

"According to Florida’s latest annual hate crime statistics, Miami-Dade County (including Miami Beach) reported 18 hate crimes total, including 4 based upon sexual orientation. Broward County (including Fort Lauderdale/Wilton Manors) ranks No. 1 statewide with 25 total hate crimes, including 9 based upon sexual orientation."

To put it another way, Broward County, with a population one quarter less than Miami-Dade, has THREE TIMES the incidence of anti-gay hate crime.

Let’s not pretend that Florida, legally and politically, doesn’t have plenty of problems with homophobia. Last year, Florida voters passed Amendment 2, a referendum that put anti-gay language relating to relationships into the State Constitution. Florida is still the only state in the country that bans adoption by gay people—although a court ruling is expected soon that could change that. But at the level of politics and public policy important to LGBT people, Miami-Dade, and Miami Beach in particular, leads Florida. In a state with more than its share of intolerant right-wingers, Miami Beach is an oasis.

If there was ever a story to be told about gays leaving South Beach, it was about 15 years ago, when real estate prices started rising and many of the gay men who’d moved here to either retire or party (or both) could no longer afford it. The real story today is that the environment for the LGBT community in South Beach is better than ever. We have one of the most pro-gay mayors in the country, a city commission that works actively to address LGBT issues, and we have recently had two openly gay city commissioners in succession. Significant progress has been made at the level of policy and politics, making South Beach one of the most progressive, tolerant and gay-friendly places in the country. And with housing prices coming back down to earth, it’s once again possible to buy or rent apartments at reasonable prices.

Just last week, Miami Beach passed a revised Human Rights Ordinance that strengthens enforcement of already existing human rights laws and adds protections for transgendered people, making Miami Beach’s human rights laws the most progressive in the state. Miami Beach residents have been able to register as domestic partners since 2004; in 2008 this benefit was extended to all of Miami-Dade County.

Fort Lauderdale, and heavily Republican Broward County, is quite different. Despite the fact that the small gayborhood of Wilton Manors (pop. 12,879) has an openly gay mayor and a lot of gay bars, the surrounding City of Fort Lauderdale is hardly a paragon of tolerance. Fort Lauderdale is the city that elected for six consecutive terms outspokenly anti-gay mayor, Jim Naugle who, along with his cadre of right-wing supporters, spent several months in 2007 using the non-issue of sex in public restrooms to scapegoat, stereotype and vilify local gays.

It is true that Fort Lauderdale has a greater number of self-identified gay bars than South Beach, but I hope we can all agree that there’s more to a community than its bar scene. During a typical South Beach winter, people South Beach—gay and straight—are busy with almost-weekly events, such as Art Basel, the Food & Wine Festival, Miami Spice, the Boat Show, the White Party, the Winter Party, the Miami Gay and Lesbian Film Festival, Art Deco Weekend, Miami Beach Gay Pride Weekend, Aqua Girl and the bi-weekly Lincoln Road flea market.

People who cut their teeth on Miami Beach’s gay scene in the 1980s and early 1990s often lament the closing of the great gay clubs Paragon, Warsaw and Salvation. But in their place, numerous and ever-changing gay nights and roving parties have sprung up, such as Buck 15, Crème Lounge and Martini Tuesdays. In the thick of South Beach, we still have the longstanding gay bars Score and Twist, the lounge bar Mova (formerly Halo), and the new Bar 721 which has taken over the former Laundry Bar space. And of course, there’s the oceanfront staple, the Palace, always a popular destination after a sunny Sunday on the gay beach. Another new bar, Azucar, is scheduled to open soon. There are a number of newer gay places just across the bay in Miami, such as Discotekka. From time to time, fun new parties pop up, like UUFF! at Newsbar, which had a several month run last summer and I’m told is being resurrected soon.

One of the best things about South Beach is that you can walk everywhere. The gay beach, Lincoln Road, the hotel strip on Collins Avenue, the Jackie Gleason Theater, Regal Cinemas, hundreds of restaurants and shops, and the gay bars are all within walking distance of each other—or, if you’re feeling lazy, a quick ride in an easy-to-find taxi. Soon, the new Frank Gehry-designed New World Symphony building will open, offering symphony and other cultural events in the heart of everything.

In Fort Lauderdale, if you want to enjoy the beach, Las Olas shopping, and the gay bars of Wilton Manors, you must have a car, since they’re separated by miles of (not-so-pretty) roads, which are often clogged with traffic during peak times. Not only does this add to the cost of a visit but more importantly, for drinkers, it means chancing a DUI, or worse.

When it comes to large-scale social and fundraising events, South Beach is the undisputed leader. South Beach hosts one of the nation's largest and most successful LGBT fundraisers, the Winter Party, which benefits the National Gay & Lesbian Task Force. Now in its 16th year, the Winter Party is an enormous beachfront dance party that draws approximately ten thousand revelers annually from all over the world. Miami also hosts the White Party at Vizcaya, the worlds oldest and largest HIV/AIDS fundraiser, which benefits Care Resources, an HIV/AIDS service organization. Miami also hosts the annual Miami Recognition Dinner, a large benefit that last year raised over $325,000 for the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force and the South Florida LGBT nonprofit organizations.

Last year, with support from the Mayor Matti Bower and the City Commission, Miami Beach resurrected its annual Gay Pride Parade, which drew thousands of mostly local residents for an all-day parade and festival on Ocean Drive. We also have an active Miami-Dade Gay & Lesbian Chamber of Commerce, whose membership includes over 600 gay-owned and gay-supportive businesses. On April 1, the Chamber, with support from the City of Miami Beach, is opening an LGBT Visitors Center in the heart of South Beach.

The truth is, South Beach and Fort Lauderdale both have their merits, and we all know that the biggest factor in one’s enjoyment of any place is the attitude they bring with them. Decisions about where to vacation and live depend mostly on people’s personal preferences, economics, and ties to friends. As someone who’s been coming to South Beach from New York City since the mid-1990s and in 2006 made it my primary home, I can tell you there is no exodus of gays. In my experience, falling hotel and condo prices have spurred an influx of gay folks like we haven’t seen in a long time.

Bradley Carlson, Miami Beach.

Miami Beach Adds Trans Protections

The city of Miami Beach has broadened their anti-discrimination ordinances to protect transgender folks. In the same action, the city has created a Human Rights Commission to address claims of wrongdoing against all citizens.

The legislation, sponsored by former Commissioner Victor Diaz Jr., grew out of concern that the 2008 passage of Amendment 2, a statewide voter referendum that limited marriage to a union between a man and a woman, would weaken Miami Beach's laws regarding domestic partnerships. Diaz, who is openly gay, said the result is one of the strongest human rights measures in the country and a reaffirmation that Miami Beach is committed to equal rights. "This is about being again at the forefront, at the cutting edge of these issues,'' Diaz said. "So when people say 'Gee, where should I live? Where do I feel safest? Where do I feel I can express myself and raise children and love my partner and contribute to my community without any fear of discrimination?' they say Miami Beach.'' Diaz stressed that the legislation was a win for all people, but acknowledged that the new, updated measure has great significance for Miami Beach's gay community, considering state and federal laws do not offer the same protections covered under the city's new law.

A spokesman for the ACLU called Miami Beach's new laws the strongest in the state "bar none."

(Tipped by JMG reader Bradley)

South Beach: Hate Crimes Soar, Gays Flee

The spiraling down of the formerly fast glittering gay life in South Beach has been discussed on this blog many times over the years. This week the Miami News Times published a lengthy feature on the issue, citing not only the greatly diminished gay nightlife there, but a parallel and frightening spike in the number of violent hate crimes.

In the span of two months — inside a small South Beach radius — at least three violent attacks against gay men have taken place. One victim was a European tourist who walked away with bruises. Another was a popular club owner's boyfriend, who was told, "Get out of here, fag" before an attack. The violence is a symbol of what the gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender (GLBT) circle has felt for years: South Beach isn't the free-spirited haven of gayness it once was. According to state records, 75 percent of countywide gay hate crime in the past year occurred in Miami Beach, a place the rest of the world sees as a big, happy gay rainbow. In a five-year span, the State Attorney's Office reported 26 incidents, half of which were in Miami Beach. Victims include a lounge singer who was stripped naked and hogtied and a magazine publisher who was viciously beaten.

Fort Lauderdale/Wilton Manors is where many have fled.

As Fort Lauderdale moved away from its raucous spring break image, city officials took note of the new demographic. Gays and lesbians — most of whom are childless — had extra money to spend. So the town began to court gay club owners with this offer: Set up shop where parking is easier, leases are cheaper, and tourists are everywhere. By 2006, Fort Lauderdale ranked number six nationally for gay travelers, according to the city's tourism board, surpassing Miami. The following year, gay vacationers accounted for about $800 million in tourist dollars — 11 percent of the city's annual tourism-based income. Fort Lauderdale and Wilton Manors now claim 150 gay-owned shops and establishments. The area also hosts the largest PrideFest in the state, with more than 40,000 attendees and 250 vendors, many of them corporations.

Other than the alarming hate crimes issue, none of this is breaking news to regular JMG readers, but the article is worth the read at least for its history of SoBe nightlife. One quibble, the Warsaw Ballroom didn't open in 1992, that was 1989, when I was going there three nights a week.

#1 This Week In 1993

In 1992, producers David Cole and Robert Clivilles of C&C Music Factory hired Michelle Visage (the white chick in the freestyle girl group Seduction) to create the annoyingly punctuated group S.O.U.L. S.Y.S.T.E.M. Their rap/dance cover of Bill Wither's 1976 hit Lovely Day spent two weeks at the top of Billboard's dance chart in 1993 as It's Gonna Be (A Lovely Day), but was the only track ever released as S.O.U.L. S.Y.S.T.E.M. The Palladium Remix was the most popular version in the clubs, there's an audio-only clip here. It's Gonna Be (A Lovely Day) was included on the soundtrack to The Bodyguard, winning S.O.U.L. S.Y.S.T.E.M a Grammy and selling more than 40 million units worldwide, probably earning them more money for this single track than any of their other projects.

TRIVIA: Michelle Visage went to become a NYC radio personality and the co-host of RuPaul's short-lived VH1 talk show. Currently she's a radio DJ in South Florida. As C&C Music Factory, Cole and Clivilles scored six #1 dance singles and three Top Five pop singles including the #1 pop record Gonna Make You Sweat (Everybody Dance Now). Tragically, in 1995 David Cole died of spinal meningitis.

RELATED: I remember sitting in Hombre in South Beach around 4am, watching this video in a room full of men as beautiful as the ones in the clip and thinking, "Man, I hope South Beach lasts forever." I always think of this clip when I walk past the hotel where it was shot, but can't remember its name at the moment. Anyone? UPDATE: It's the Shelborne Hotel.

Tonight In South Beach

Purchase tickets here.

Under One Sun

Yesterday we attended the pool party at the Surfcomber, the Winter Party's host hotel, where at the welcome center my gift bag was handed to me by a genial Colton Ford. Even the porn stars volunteer for Winter Party.

DJ Alyson Calagna (second photo down) did a wonderful job spinning out the happy vocals and Father Tony and I lounged with our feet in the pool and generally took it easy in the shade. It was 13 years ago this week that I left South Florida, so most of the friends that I ran into were from New York or San Francisco, with the exception of fellow blogger Gary Williams, the South Beach Bum himself (below), whom I hadn't seen in many, many years. Just a wonderful, perfect day.It was funny to find Task Force head Matt Foreman directing traffic at the port-a-potties, surely the least favorite assignment for any volunteer. Father Tony (below), the one-time Vatican event manager, noted with admiration that Matt knew not to overlook the important details.

Winter Party: Circuit Survivor

The ad for the Winter Party that appears on this and many other blogs this month has been nagging me to mention that despite the recent spate of stories about the dwindling of gay nightlife, the Winter Party Festival continues to thrive. This March will see the 15th annual Winter Party, an event I've attended more times than any other event in my life, nine times in all, making regular treks back to South Florida after I moved to San Francisco, and twice since I've been in New York.

Nationwide, the circuit scene is quickly winding down. As Steve Weinstein noted in an Out Magazine article titled Save The Last Dance, "Where an earlier generation saw the drug-fueled all-night dances as liberating, those in their 20s are as likely to view them as archaic throwbacks that bear little relationship to the way they live their lives." So as the original circuit party boys "age out" of the scene, younger gays have scant interest in replacing them. And the parties are closing up shop in droves.

Weinstein:

The party graveyard includes huge marathons like Hotlanta, Saint at Large’s original White Party, and Chicago’s Fireball as well as regional events like Pittsburgh’s Steel party, Detroit’s Motorball, and Columbus, Ohio’s Red Party (considered the nation’s first circuit party). Even legendary man magnets like the Miami and Palm Springs editions of the White Party and Montreal’s Black and Blue—once North America’s largest circuit party—are suffering greatly reduced attendance.

Others struggle to survive, like Philadelphia’s Blue Ball, which moved from January to May, and Washington, D.C.’s Cherry, which keeps changing sponsors and venues.

So why, in the face of all this (generally agreed to be good) change in the way young gay men socialize, does the Winter Party buck the trends and continue to thrive? Obviously, their hugest draw is that while the rest of the country shivers, the main Winter Party event (the largest beach party in the country) takes place in toasty subtropical weather and plays out against the gorgeous backdrop of South Beach's Art Deco District.

But now run by the National Gay & Lesbian Task Force, the Winter Party has morphed over recent years from that single perfect beach party to include a week-long series of events with broad appeal to those both in and out of the circuit scene. This year there's an LGBT family picnic, a fundraiser for the South Beach AIDS Project, a fashion show, a lesbian jazz brunch, a dinner party to support the transgender community, and the unveiling of the Gay American Heroes exhibit, a "traveling memorial that honors LGBT persons who have been murdered because of their sexual orientation or gender identity."

Unlike those events listed in Weinstein's "party graveyard", somehow the Winter Party organizers saw the writing on the wall and reacted. I asked Task Force head Matt Foreman about the changes his organization have brought to the Winter Party:

"We’re extremely proud that over the four years the Task Force has been responsible for the Winter Party Festival we’ve broadened its reach by adding programs for people of faith, young people, transgender people, and women. We’re proud that the festival continues to be 100% of, by and for our community with 100% of its proceeds staying in our community. In fact, so far we’ve generated nearly $650,000 to support local organizations serving Miami-Dade’s LGBT community. And finally, we’re proud to be preserving and building a family of events that celebrates our sexuality, our diversity, and our community."

Since its beginning, the Winter Party has raised over $1.6M with two-thirds of that staying in Miami-Dade County to benefit a broad array of local LGBT charities. I've always contended that the volunteer-run charity parties are somehow the most fun. It's just a general vibe that I get. (Another example would be Folsom Street Fair's fantastic Real Bad party.)

The hot-bod scene is there at the Winter Party dance events (see the photo at the top of this post), but the recent inclusiveness of those outside of or uninterested in that milieu is surely at the core of their continued success.

As I've got friends that have been tirelessly toiling for the Winter Party for many years, I'm happy to pimp their good work on this here website thingy. Just don't deluge me with requests to pimp your party. This one is, happily, very personal.

Virtual Fireplace

The wind chill in NYC will be -5 degrees tonight, but warm yourselves up on this panoramic photo of yesterday's Winter Party, sent in by the South Beach Bum. Embiggen makey toasty. Thanks, Gary!