GET OUT! South Florida

(West Palm Beach)  

The Spectrum Portraits will be an exhibition held at Compass Community Center. The general public is invited to send images of LGBT friends and family they know, respect, and our proud to know. 
The concept is to spotlight the meaningful impact the LGBT community has as seen through the eyes of the general public in South Florida.
The broad Spectrum of color, race, creed, politics and religion will be represented not only in the individual portraits, but by the individuals participating.
The goal is to create unity within South Florida by allowing people to celebrate each other and stand proudly together. 
We make a positive impact in so many meaningful ways, to so many people, it’s a way to showcase that love and respect we have for each other.  

For information and to submit photographs, email The Box Gallery at palmbeachfineartgallery@gmail.com, or call (786) 521-1199.

ABOUT THE PLAYHOUSE PROJECT

A Partnership. Miami-Dade County and its partner Florida International University (FIU) entered into a long-term lease agreement with the State of Florida in 2014 to rescue the Coconut Grove Playhouse.

• Secured Funding and an Expert Team. The County has approved $23.6 million specifically for the project and has authorized an agreement for architectural and engineering services with an outstanding team, led by Arquitectonica and including noted historic preservation architect Jorge Hernandez, renowned theater consultants Fisher Dachs Associates, and expert cost consultants, Venue, a firm specializing in capital cost estimates for theaters.
• Return of Great Theater. GableStage has been selected by the County to operate and program the theater. GableStage and FIU are collaborating on joint initiatives ranging from internships for students in a professional theater company to partnering on creating the first master's degree in theater offered by a college or university in the county.
• History Revitalized. The resulting project is an elegant campus with the historic front building on Main Highway restored faithfully to its 1927 design, a new, state-of-the-art 300-seat theater that incorporates the remaining historic elements of the original theater (e.g., the double proscenium arch, Solomonic columns, etc.), a garage with its facades attractively lined with offices facing Main Highway and the residential neighborhood to the north, and plazas, promenades, lush landscaping and a pocket park.
• Right for the Grove. As designed, the Coconut Grove Playhouse pays homage to its architectural heritage and respects the pedestrian nature and village scale of the Grove.

https://imgssl.constantcontact.com/letters/images/1101116784221/S.gif" width="5"/>ACTIONS BY CITY OF MIAMI REGULATORY BOARDS
Approvals. As part of the regulatory and permitting process, the project has been reviewed and approved by the following City of Miami boards:

• Historic and Environmental Preservation Board (HEPB) - Certificate of Appropriateness for Master Plan - April 4, 2017
• Coordinated Review Committee (CRC) - January 10, 2018
• Urban Development Regulatory Board (UDRB) - February 21, 2018
• Planning, Zoning and Appeals Board (PZAB) - November 7, 2018

On March 5, 2019, the City of Miami Historic and Environmental Preservation Board (HEPB) voted 6-4 to deny Miami-Dade County's application for a special certificate of appropriateness for the Coconut Grove Playhouse revival project. The County's commitment to revitalizing the Playhouse and returning great theater to Coconut Grove is as strong as it has ever been. The project will continue to move forwardand the unfortunate HEPB decision will be appealed to the City of Miami Commission.https://imgssl.constantcontact.com/letters/images/1101116784221/S.gif" width="5"/>RECENT ACCOMPLISHMENTS AND MILESTONES FOR 2019

• Memorandum of Understanding ("MOU") with Miami Parking Authority ("MPA"). The Board of the MPA and the County's Board of County Commissioners have approved an MOU for the development of the parking garage and compatible/related project components (offices, retail, food and beverage). Revenue from these non-theater elements is dedicated to the operation and programming of the theater.
• Major Knight Foundation Grant Award, Recognition for GableStage, and Community Benefits. On December 3, 2018, the County received a $2 million grant award from the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation to benefit the construction of the Coconut Grove Playhouse project. This funding will further ensure that an outstanding regional theater can be built as designed - to the very highest standards of quality. Knight Foundation support is a strong affirmation that this project is the right one for Coconut Grove, for the arts community, and for South Florida. The Knight Foundation also named Joe Adler, GableStage's producing artistic director, as one of the 2018 Knight Arts Champions, and provided a $10,000 contribution to be donated to an artist or arts organization of his choice. Mr. Adler directed the gift to arts education nonprofit Arts for Learning, for its robust student programs in the heart of the West Grove community, reaching underserved children and families in the area. This designation was made to reinforce GableStage's commitment to serving the entire Grove community with emphasis on the educational needs of the West Grove.
• Appellate Court Ruling in Project’s Favor. The City's Historic and Environmental Preservation Board's approval of the master plan in April 2017 was appealed by two Coconut Grove residents.
• In December 2017, the City of Miami Commission overturned their HEPB's decision and imposed additional requirements on the project.
• The County appealed this action and in December 2018, the Appellate Division of the 11th Circuit Court issued a unanimous ruling in favor of the County's position that the appellants did not have standing to file the appeal and it overturned all of the City of Miami Commission's conditions, including the requirement that the shell of the existing auditorium be maintained.
• This favorable ruling facilitates the County's finalizing the municipal regulatory and permitting process as planned.
• Major Historic Preservation Endorsement. On January 23, 2019, the board of directors of Dade Heritage Trust voted overwhelmingly to support the County-FIU plans for the Coconut Grove Playhouse.

https://imgssl.constantcontact.com/letters/images/1101116784221/S.gif" width="5"/>MILESTONES FOR 2019:

• The appeal of the Historic and Environmental Preservation Board (HEPB) decision is expected to be heard at the April 25, 2019 City Commission meeting;
• Subject to City Commission review and approval of the appeall, construction documents will be submitted for City of Miami Building Department review;
• A solicitation will be issued by the Miami Parking Authority (MPA) for a garage developer/operator. The County will be participating in the review and selection of the respondents;
• Once the majority of the City of Miami Building Department's comments are addressed by the architectural and engineering team, a solicitation will be issued by the County for the construction contract; and
• Award of the construction project and commencement of construction are scheduled to begin in 2019.

 WASHINGTON – Luke Robbins couldn’t hold back the tears when he introduced South Bend Mayor Pete Buttigieg as a featured speaker at the College Democrats of America’s 2018 convention.

Robbins told the gathering that Buttigieg’s 2015 public essay, “Why Coming out Matters,” helped persuade him – a gay teen from a conservative Indiana family – to come out. It also showed him that doing so wouldn’t mean giving up his love of politics.

As Buttigieg explores a bid for the 2020 Democratic nomination for president, “it just makes me so happy,” said Robbins, president of College Democrats of Indiana.

But Buttigieg isn’t necessarily Robbins’ top choice for the nomination. “I’m personally very feminist. I would love to see a female candidate,” he said. “I have no clue who I’m going to support.”

And there's the evolution in American politics. Buttigieg’s trailblazing role as the first presidential contender with a same-sex spouse is a milestone – maybe more so because it has not won him instant backing from the LGBTQ community, an important part of the Democratic base. Just as not all women supported Hillary Clinton because she was female, Buttigieg isn't getting monolithic support from LGBTQ voters.  

Buttigieg's exploratory campaign comes only about a decade after the 2008 Democratic presidential candidates did not get behind same-sex marriage. But it follows closely on a record number of LGBTQ candidates winning office in the 2018 elections in which the community provided some of the energy that helped Democrats take the House and many governorships across the country.

Activists are already excited about trying to defeat President Donald Trump in 2020.  

The Human Rights Campaign Foundation, the educational arm of the nation’s largest lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer civil rights organization, will co-host a forum for 2020 Democratic presidential candidates this fall.

Like many other Democratic constituencies, however, they’re taking their time deciding who in the crowded field of hopefuls has the best chance of ousting Trump.

Buttigieg is navigating the advantages of his historic bid – such as getting media attention and an early fundraising boost – without letting it define his potential candidacy. He has been guided by how Barack Obama, who has called Buttigieg a gifted politician, handled the question of race.