FLORIDA DIGEST NOVEMBER 4, 2006

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The Miami Herald

http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/living/15918104.htm?template=contentModules/printstory.jsp


Posted on Sat, Nov. 04, 2006


'A TERRIBLE PERIOD'
Recalling bad old days for Fla. gays

BY STEVE ROTHAUS
srothaus@MiamiHerald.com

Through Bob Cole's eyes we can see a half-century of change in gaySouth Florida:

. As a frightened Miami Beach teen in the 1950s, reading in The MiamiHerald about ''perverts'' hauled away from bars in police raids.

''It was a terrible period,'' said Cole, now 63 and an honoree attonight's 10th annual National Gay and Lesbian Task Force recognitiondinner. (An added twist -- Cole's humanitarian award is sponsored by TheMiami Herald.)

. As a student at the University of Florida in the early '60s, justafter a McCarthy-era witch hunt by state Sen. Charley Johns to root outhomosexual professors and students on campus.




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The Express Gay News

http://expressgaynews.com/2006/11-3/news/localnews/localnews.cfm

Anti-gay state rep resigns over racial slur
Gay priest says Rep. Arza also used Spanish derogatory term forlesbian

By PHIL LAPADULA
Friday, November 03, 2006


State Rep. Rafael Arza, the Hialeah Republican who resigned this weekafter being caught on tape making racial slurs, also used a derogatorySpanish term for lesbians during a conversation in April 2005 with a gaypriest, according to a letter that the priest sent this week to the speakerof the Florida House of Representatives.

Rev. Msgr. Leonardo Falcon, a priest with the American CatholicChurch, said Arza used the Spanish derogatory term "tortillera" to describeNadine Smith, who is executive director of the gay rights group EqualityFlorida. Falcon, who is a Cuban-American, said Arza made the comment to himin Spanish when the priest was meeting one-on-one with Arza to lobby for asafe-schools bill in April 2005.

Smith said she was "angry but not surprised" when Falcon told her thatArza had called her a "tortillero."



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The Express Gay News

http://expressgaynews.com/2006/11-3/news/localnews/polls.cfm

Polls show tighter race after Crist 'outing'
Republican candidate refers to seven-month marriage during debate
Friday, November 03, 2006


Based on polling data, the Florida governor's race has become closer sinceReform Party candidate Max Linn went on a radio show Oct. 11 and said hisRepublican opponent, Charlie Crist, is gay. Crist has repeatedly deniedrumors that he is gay.

Crist had enjoyed double-digit leads in most polls before the "outing"started receiving attention in the gay and alternative media. But aQuinnipiac University poll of 816 likely voters conducted Oct. 18-22 showedthe race to be a statistical dead heat with Crist ahead 46 to 44 percent,within the poll's margin of error.




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The Independent Gay News

http://www.indynews.4t.com/0322/oped1.html

The Elections: Vote!

By Paul Harris
Publisher


This is the last edition of "The Independent" before the election onNovember 7. Midterm elections attract smaller voter turnouts than thepresidential election held every four years.

While this is disappointing from the point of view of democracy it offersminorities, like ours, a significant opportunity to influence the results ofelections - IF ONLY WE TURN OUT! And make no mistake these elections AREimportant. At the congressional level it offers the Democrats theopportunity to put a break on some of the more damaging policies ofPresident Bush by changing control of the House of Representatives, and ifthey do really well on Tuesday, November 7, possibly the US Senate as well.

In the State of Florida Bill Nelson's re-election as US Senator is aforegone conclusion. Katherine Harris has fought one of the oddest and mostself-destructive campaigns in Florida history. I have lost count of how manyof her campaign staff have resigned in disgust. If she can not run her owncampaign properly Heaven help Florida. With or without your support BILLNELSON, admittedly not the most exciting Democrat in the US Senate, willstroll home to victory.


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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

GLCC Announces "Stars of the Rainbow" Date, Venue and Call for Nominations

Fort Lauderdale - The Gay & Lesbian Community Center of South Florida (GLCC) is accepting honoree nominations for "Stars of the Rainbow". This premier event will be held at the Hyatt Regency - Pier 66 aboard the Grand Floridian Yacht on Sunday, January 21, 2007. SAVE-THE-DATE!

"Last year's Stars of the Rainbow gala was the GLCC's largest fundraiser to-date and we plan to surpass its success this year!" states Paul Hyman, Executive Director. "The theme SPLASH! will top the party-style BASH of 2006 with an elegant venue, great entertainment and superb cuisine!"

Deadline for nominations of 2007 honorees is Friday, November 17, 2006.

1. Please submit your nomination(s) suggested categories are as follows:
Community Group
Agency, Foundation, Nonprofit or Organization
Individual
Volunteer
Business or Body of Government
Other

2. Briefly explain how they have made an outstanding contribution to the community and/or the Center and why they should be recognized.


Nomination Forms are available at the GLCC and online at www.glccsf.org. If you are interested in sponsorship opportunities, volunteering on the committee or more information please contact Robert Boo, Development Director at 954-463-9005 or via email at rboo@glccsf.org.

Nicole Martin
Operations Manager
Gay and Lesbian Community Center of South Florida
1717 North Andrews Avenue
Fort Lauderdale, FL 33311
Phone: 954-463-9005
Cell: 954-812-0822
Fax: 954-764-6522
http://www.glccsf.org


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The Florida Times Union Jacksonville

http://cgi.jacksonville.com/cgi-bin/printit.cgi?story=ZZNOSTORYZZ

November 4, 2006

POLITICAL TICKER: Gov. Bush snaps at Orlando reporter

The Times-Union

The campaign of gubernatorial front-runner Charlie Crist received some11th-hour attention Friday it probably could have done without.

Gov. Jeb Bush, traveling with the attorney general and fellow Republicanduring a stop in Orlando, bristled when television reporter Steven Cooperinterrupted another reporter to ask about Crist's sexuality.

"Put a smile on your face and don't be such a horse's ass," Bush said.

The governor later apologized, according to published reports.

Cooper's question came hours after a former Florida Democratic Partyemployee who leads new gay-rights organization questioned Crist's personallife in a Tallahassee news conference. Crist, a 50-year-old bachelor who wasbriefly married in 1979, has denied he is gay.

J. Taylor Rushing



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http://www.tbo.com/news/metro/MGB8N33J3UE.html

Blacks Show Crist Support; Davis Questions His Mettle
By MICHAEL FECHTER and WILLIAM MARCH The Tampa Tribune

Published: Nov 4, 2006


TAMARAC - Saying he's closing in on Republican Charlie Crist in thegovernor's race, Democrat Jim Davis hit Broward County on Friday afternoonto fire up his base.

Crist, meanwhile, capped a day of campaigning with an event in his hometownof St. Petersburg designed to show off what may be an unprecedented level ofblack support for a Republican candidate in Florida.

At a community center in south St. Petersburg, about two dozen blacksupporters from across the state, several of them community leaders,gathered to support Crist.



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St. Petersburg Times tampabay.com

http://www.sptimes.com/2006/11/04/news_pf/State/Endgame__firing_up_th.shtml

Endgame: firing up the voters

As Tuesday nears, Davis and Crist work on keeping their parties' faithfuloptimistic.

STEVE BOUSQUET AND ALEX LEARY
Published November 4, 2006


ORLANDO - Democrat Jim Davis and Republican Charlie Crist worked feverishlyFriday to energize voters in advance of Tuesday's election for governor,with Davis promising lower insurance rates and Crist vowing to cut taxes.

Davis promoted his plan to lower property taxes and insurance rates, whileCrist told Republican crowds that Davis would raise taxes - a reference toDavis' plan to cut property tax bills by considering re-enacting theintangibles tax on savings.

Both candidates packed their schedules and worked against a common enemywith a different cause: low turnout among their party faithful.


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