Preparing for her seventh SMART Ride, Dr. Jana Jaffe is determined to end the HIV/AIDS epidemic.
Out & Proud 50 - 2023
Welcome to OutSFL’s first OUT & PROUD 50 list. Those are so many individuals in our LGBTQ community that are deserving of recognition, it’s hard to choose just 50.
Actually we might have a few more than 50 this year’s, but I won’t tell if you don’t. OutSFL is proud to tell these stories and honor them in this year’s OUT & PROUD list.
Stories of gay men like Jimmy Cunningham, a noted realtor; lesbians like Faywhat, an online television show host; a mental health coordinator like Ryan Papciak, who also happens to be transgender; and Kevin Tisdol, a local LGBTQ faith leader. Those are just four people in this issue. Make sure to read through them all.
These folks aren’t important because they are LGBTQ, they’re important because of their accomplishments and the work they do. But because they are LGBTQ, they serve as role models for our community — and future generations. These individuals prove that we are no longer a sideshow, but nowadays, the main show.
I hope these people inspire you – as they have inspired me.
So welcome to the 2023 South Florida OUT & PROUD, a list of activists, business leaders, organizers, and others who are out and proud members of our local LGBTQ community.
- Jason Parsley, Publisher
As a fierce advocate for his clients, colleagues and the LGBT community, Dave Gervase is constantly working toward a goal.
As a critical care nurse practitioner on the front lines of the COVID-19 pandemic, Kevin Cho Tipton fulfilled what he called, "an overwhelming desire to find purpose."
As a Broward House care navigator, Derald Robertson sees people living with HIV/AIDS who are often at their most vulnerable stages of life.
As a 3rd generation Floridian, born and raised in Palm Beach County, Bill Bone is a champion of many causes and communities.
Nicole Alvarez found her passion for the law as a 16-year-old driver. “It was a speeding ticket … I took it to court and I won.”
Rob Eldredge is a noted figure in his own right, not just for his partner of 21 years Kris Fegenbush, who is a well known commodity in the LGBT community having worked at the Pride Center in Wilton Manors for many years.
Welcome to OutSFL’s first OUT & PROUD 50 list. There are so many individuals in our LGBTQ community that are deserving of recognition, it’s hard to choose just 50.
Unlike most of the retirees who find their way to South Florida, Steven Some has not slowed down one bit. He’s just getting started.
Allan Hendricks is a resident of Boynton Beach and has been active and involved in LGBTQ advocacy and culture for decades.
Ryan Papciak is Director of Mental Health services at SunServe, a nonprofit that provides mental health services to the LGBT community in South Florida. He is also an out transgender man.
Jameer Baptiste is busy. As an activist he’s known for his work in the HIV, Black, and LGBT communities.
Joseph Kolb and Michael Hoagland met in Washington DC in the Fall of 1976, as two of the founders of the Washington Gay Hotline.
FayWhat?! is here to be seen and heard. An outspoken advocate for the LGBT community, she is constantly moving up and down I-95 in South Florida to represent and rile up.
What started as an once month community gathering has blossomed into a sought-after entertainment destination for travelers near and far. Chef Rocco Carulli said he never envisioned the effect R House’s drag brunch would have.
Nic Zantop is a South Florida native who works to make a difference in the community. “I believe in advocacy,” they said. “I’m really proud to work with an amazing team that’s doing really impactful work.”
As a member of the President’s Committee on the Arts and the Humanities, Horacio Sierra is tasked with advising President Biden on cultural policy.
Dr. Harvey Abrams has a passion for preserving and sharing LGBT history at his job at Stonewall National Museum, Archives & Library
“I am a feminist artist, nonprofit leader, educator, researcher, author, and grant writer,” Thinking Cap Theatre Co.’s Artistic Director Nicole Stodard stated unapologetically.