Charles Perez: Getting the Last Word

Charles Perez, the former television anchor and talk show host, has a new memoir that pulls no punches. Perez talks to Neil Broverman from The Advocate about Confessions of a Gay Anchorman, and why many TV journalists are stuck in the closet.

Even though he was out back then, Charles Perez's time hosting his self-titled talk show in the '90s was relatively scandal free. After the show wrapped in 1996, Perez transitioned into the role of television journalist, working for the program American Journal, and then serving as a weekend anchor on the number one station in the country's largest market, New York's WABC.

In 2008, Perez was named main evening anchor at WPLG in Miami — a job he says was a joy until bad publicity, regarding an ugly break-up with an ex-boyfriend, began rearing its head. Perez says his bosses become anxious about the headlines surrounding his personal life, called him "too soft," and then pulled him from the main anchor desk. After filing a complaint under the Miami-Dade Human Rights Ordinance, Perez was fired; WPLG says it had nothing to do with Perez being gay and, since the scandal erupted in 2009, the complaint against WPLG has been dismissed.

Perez's tumultuous time at WPLG, along with his entire career in front of the camera, is documented in his new memoir, Confessions of a Gay Anchorman. Happily married and with a new baby daughter, Perez talked to The Advocate about his book and why it's so hard for some television journalists to come out.

The Advocate: Why did you want to write the book?
Charles Perez: I would not change anything about how my life has unfolded—I have an amazing husband and a beautiful daughter. But when I parted with my last station, WPLG in Miami, which, up until the end, was a great relationship—I felt like two things finally collided—Charles Perez, the TV anchor personality, and Charles Perez, the gay man. And when they did, I felt like fate put me on that intersection and I had to deal with it. It had been a long time coming.

How have people reacted to the book?
I think there’s two reactions—I stay away from reading things online; lots of people have lots of opinions and I have no power over what people think and they have a right to their opinion. But especially with the book, many people with opinions haven’t read it yet. Facebook is a great example—a lot of people have started reaching out to me, particularly young gay men. Most of all, I wrote the book because I thought we have to erase the shame associated with being gay. It’s time for gay men to have our own Rachel Maddow, if you will. There are lots of examples of gay men on television, thank God—there wasn’t when I was coming out in the '80s. But even though that changed, I do believe there’s still a ceiling. I think that’s really disconcerting and I wanted to put a spotlight on it. I know that makes some people uncomfortable, but nothing changes until it changes.

In the book, you mention a newspaper article that had the headline, “Charles Perez, Too Gay for WPLG?” How strongly did you feel there’s a limit on journalists’ "gayness?"
I give an example in the book of a co-worker who called one of our meteorologists “too gay”; he needed to be tempered. First of all, [the gay man] was a great meteorologist. Bottom line. And that’s the other message of the book—as Martin Luther King said, we should be judged on the content of our character. We should also be judged by the quality of our work and our results. But in today’s corporate culture, particularly if you’re on camera, you’re a commodity. Being gay is still considered by the top brass a liability. They’ll take that shot with you if you’re a reporter in the street or if you’re a morning anchor, but if you’re the main evening anchor that they’re putting their image behind—not so much. This is true at a local stations and at a national network. [Executives] might be OK with it, but there’s an unspoken expectation that you will not only not lead with it, but you will allow the misperception that you’re straight to be perpetuated.

Does Joe the Plumber, et al, care if he gets his news from a gay anchor?
I don’t think they care. And if they care, they care for a moment and then they’re more interested if you’re doing a professional job. I think the fear comes more out of advertisers and out of television executives who are afraid what advertisers will think. Ellen DeGeneres is a great example, if you go back to her sitcom. When she came out, there were great ratings, everything was fine, and then unfortunately advertisers started to pull out and ABC didn’t stand with her; they dumped the show. I think in the long run, Ellen and Rosie O’Donnell and Rachel Maddow have proven the case—if you’re good, no one cares. But I think there is a double-standard with men. The Celluloid Closet put a spotlight on how gay men were only allowed in films as jesters or clowns. There are a lot of great people who are on TV today and accepted by management and their colleagues, but there also sort of the role of “Jack” on Will and Grace. That’s unfortunate and needs to change. We can’t be that narrow; our community is broader than that.

Congratulations on your new baby, Madeline. What are your thoughts on Florida’s new house speaker Dean Cannon recently telling the Florida Baptist Witness that he’s interesting in enforcing the gay adoption ban that was struck down last year?
It’s not over until it’s over. And this is an example, like the TV business. Bigotry and discrimination continue to exist, and the fact that some politicians would be willing to consider reversing this decision and reinstituting a ban on gay adoption—Florida being the only state in the union that had a specific ban on gay adoptive parents—tells you there are still a lot of people uneducated about what it is to be gay. I don’t really believe George or Laura Bush had a problem with gay people; they had staff members who were gay. But Bush was willing to stand up and propose an amendment to the Constitution to limit our freedom for political reasons. That may be what’s happening in Florida, but that hurts people like our daughter.

We’re not perfect parents but I dare you to come into our home and tell us we don’t love and care for our child as well as anybody can or would. Unfortunately, there are a lot of people in Florida who get behind this issue. When I left the station, most of the response that I had from viewers was really supportive. But there was one guy who wrote me a letter and said, “I am going to do everything I can to get my congregation to start a campaign against you to make sure you never work in this market again.” And I thought, That’s a good use of your time.

As I wrote the book, the “It Gets Better” campaign started. I love the campaign, but it also falls short. The message is that it gets better after you leave your home, after you leave your school, after you leave your place of worship. Shouldn’t we try to make it better in those places? Along with the book, I’m launching the “No Shame” campaign, and people like [openly gay former baseball player] Billy Bean are involved. The purpose of the campaign is to make it OK to be gay and unacceptable to shame someone for being gay—at home or church. It’s no longer OK for someone like Joel Osteen to say homosexuality is a sin.

There was a cover of Time magazine in 1976 with two men holding hands. My dad held it up and said, “Enough with all these damn queers. They should put them on a damn island and get rid of them.” At 13, I shrank and told myself no one would ever know I was gay. Every time a preacher or politician takes an antigay stance, they do that.

How important is passage of the Employment Nondiscrimination Act?
When I lost my job in Florida, I was struck by the lack of employment protections for gay people in this state. I knew I’d be OK; I had a high-enough profile. But I thought about the kid who works in the hardware store or the young mother who’s gay and her employer find out and cans her, regardless of how good she is—my heart went out to them because they have no recourse. When the House became Republican as a result of the midterm elections, a lot of people, including Barney Frank, felt the wind just leave their sails. But [ENDA] is not dead. It’s got to come back, and the earlier versions of it that didn’t include transgender protections were not right. We can’t do to each other what others have done to us. I would love to help champion [ENDA]. My agent said, “Do you want to carry around a gay flag?” I said, “No, but I want inequality to go away.” The only way for the issue to go away is to grant equal protection.

SoFLa Local: New Gay-Only Resorts Opens in SoBe WIth More to Come in Fort Lauderdale & New York City

When the Lords South Beach Hotel opened last month in Miami Beach, its brightly hued decor, trio of plunge pools and Absolut Vodka–partnered bar looked much like any other higher-end Miami resort. But the 53-room Art Deco confection, which is located a block from South Beach's main gay beach, is billing itself as the country's first large-scale, design-driven gay hotel. Not just gay-friendly, but gay through and through. The hotel worked with Out magazine to develop a Concierge App listing top local LGBT hot spots, asked Levi's to custom-design its gray and white jean uniforms, and is preparing to launch its own social network so guests can check one another out.

Although the Lords may be the first, it's not the only LGBT-focused hotel brand opening its doors in the US.

In January, Fort Lauderdale's Royal Palms will reopen after expanding from a 12-room gay-friendly guesthouse to a 62-room boutique hotel that caters to an all-male clientele who prefer a clothing-optional environment. With a spa, café, bar and gym, Florida's Royal Palms Resort and Spa is marketing itself as North America's biggest "full-service" gay retreat, but it won't retain that title for long. Later in 2011, Manhattan will usher in the Out NYC, a massive, 90,000-sq.-ft. "urban resort" close to Times Square.

From W to Wynn, Marriott to Kimpton, major hotel chains have been targeting lesbian and gay travelers for more than a decade. But now it's gay hoteliers' turn to court their own community. And why not? The LGBT travel market is worth an annual $63 billion in the U.S. alone, according to consumer-research firm Community Marketing Inc. "There have always been gay inns and B&Bs," says Lords founder Brian Gorman. "This is the time to take this concept to a far larger scale."

The industry trailblazer is Axel Hotels, a Spanish hospitality group with stylish, midrange LGBT-focused properties in Barcelona, Berlin and Buenos Aires. The chain is cheekily billed as "hetero-friendly," says Axel president Juan Julia, who notes that in the off-season, upward of 30% of the guests at its properties are straight. The five-year-old company is considering additional sites in London and Paris, but first it must tackle New York City — where an estimated 7 million LGBT tourists pump $16.4 billion into the city each year. Axel will manage the 127-room hotel for the Out NYC, whose other components include an 11,000-sq.-ft. (1,000 sq m) disco, upscale restaurant and men's spa.

Despite the still struggling economy and reluctance by many LGBT travelers to "ghettoize" themselves by staying in gay-only establishments, the Out NYC's managing partner, Ian Reisner, is confident the project will find an audience. "As with gay cruises, there is a certain kind of gay consumer who wants to travel among a like-minded crowd," he says. "New York has also lost many gay venues during the recession," Reisner adds, "so we have a huge number of travelers with a limited number of leisure spots."

As additional LGBT megaresort brands like G Worldwide prepare to open in New York City and Florida next year, Jan Freitag, vice president of Smith Travel Research, warns that the properties' financial success — and, with it, expansion to new locations — could prove challenging. "These hotels are cutting out a majority of travelers," Freitag observes. "Nongay travelers may feel uncomfortable staying there, so these will always be niche businesses."

Nonetheless, both Reisner and Gorman remain bullish on their properties' prospects. "We've created a brand that is approachable to most travelers," Gorman says of the Lords, where intro rates begin at $159. "Our price point will be below the mainstream," echoes Reisner, who says the Out's rooms will start below $250. "We're not going after überupscale — it's not going to be the InterContinental."

In addition to attractive pricing, the Lords hopes to reel in customers by donating a portion of its revenues to LGBT charities. "The hotel is for guests who want to feel supported by a community," says Gorman, who is already planning additional Lords locations in Manhattan and West Hollywood, "while also supporting their community in return."

SoFLa Local: O Father! Scandal-Prone Miami Priest Welcomes a Baby Girl

Former Roman Catholic priest Alberto Cutié – the man who was embroiled in a scandal last year when he admitted to having a relationship with a woman – has welcomed a baby with his wife.

On Thursday, Ruhama Cutié gave birth to a baby girl.

"With thanksgiving to God, the giver of all life, my wife and I announce the birth of our beautiful baby daughter Camila Victoria Cutié," the couple said in a statement. "We also take this opportunity to thank our family, church community and friends for your love and support."

Added Cutié: "There is great joy in being a Father, who is also a 'father.' We are truly blessed!"

The Miami priest, dubbed "Father Oprah" because of the relationship advice he offers people on Spanish-language radio and TV shows, came under fire in May 2009 over his relationship with Ruhama.

The couple got married in June of last year.

Cutié left his Miami catholic church to become an Episcopal priest (they do not take vows of celibacy).

SoFLa Local: Governor Charlie Crist Wants to Pardon Jim Morrison

Florida governor Charlie Crist is seeking to issue a posthumous pardon to Doors front man Jim Morrison for two criminal convictions he received after a night of onstage antics in Miami in 1969 that drew outcries from conservatives including antigay crusader Anita Bryant.

The New York Times reports that Crist, whose term ends in January, will submit Morrison’s name to a clemency board next month. He joins Morrison supporters who believe the charges against the countercultural hero were trumped up in a case that constitutes an "injustice." The rocker, who was fined $500 but never served time, was appealing his conviction on misdemeanor charges of profanity and indecent exposure when he died in Paris in 1971 at age 27.

According to the Times, “The fight began on March 1, 1969, when the Doors played a raucous concert at Dinner Key Auditorium in Miami. An intoxicated Morrison stumbled through songs like 'Light My Fire' and 'Break On Through (To the Other Side),' taunted the crowd and threatened to expose himself before fans mobbed the stage. A newspaper review said the singer appeared to simulate masturbation during his performance, and the concert was investigated by a Miami crime commission as six arrest warrants were issued for Morrison, including one for a felony charge of lewd and lascivious behavior.

“In the ensuing outrage, several other nearby Doors concerts were canceled. On March 23, the Orange Bowl became the scene of a Rally for Decency, organized by local high school students. Some 30,000 teenagers and adults gathered for performances and speeches on virtue by Jackie Gleason, Anita Bryant and the Lettermen. (President Richard M. Nixon later wrote a letter to the rally’s organizers saying they had shown ‘admirable initiative.’)”

Some doubt whether the pardon will succeed. Katherine Fernandez Rundle, the current state attorney of Miami-Dade County, who would need to weigh in regarding the pardon, said the effort seemed like a waste of state resources.

SoFLa Local: Porn Star Cop Gets to Keep Job

Michael "Mike" Verdugo, the fired Hollywood officer who once appeared in a gay porn film, can keep his police certification, a 19-member state panel ruled Thursday.

"We won,'' Verdugo, 36, told The Miami Herald just after the Florida Department of Law Enforcement hearing in Tampa. "They voted unanimously. We're done. My certification stands. I'm happy. Shocked -- in a good way.''

Hollywood Police Lt. Scott Pardon, a department spokesman, declined to comment on the FDLE ruling, which places Verdugo on a one-year probationary period and requires him to take a state-approved ethics-training course.

The Hollywood Police Department fired Verdugo last year for not disclosing previous employment -- the porn film -- on his job application, his lawyers said.

Verdugo, who also was a former Design Star contestant on HGTV, has sued to get his job back. The case is scheduled to be heard in November in Broward Circuit Court.

"Now this really puts the cards in Mikey's hand, the appeal of Mikey's arbitration,'' said Wilton Manors attorney George Castrataro, who is handling the case for free.

Castrataro said he believes the arbitrator in the case "didn't have a strong comfort level at all with LGBT [lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender] issues.''

The case went to arbitration, and the department fired Verdugo after a 1996 video turned up online showing the future cop in a 15-minute bondage scene from a gay porn flick called Rope Rituals. HGTV also dumped Verdugo from Design Star, a reality program in which 12 home designers compete for their own TV show.

Verdugo, who grew up in Hialeah and was known on TV as Mikey V, says he made the film for $700 at age 22 as a way of exploring his sexuality.

He performed nude, but didn't engage in hard-core sex, he said.

Three years later, he decided to become a police officer.

Verdugo said it never occurred to him to put the movie on his résumé when he first became a Lauderhill cop in 1999 or when he applied to the Hollywood department two years later.

Paparazzi!: New Kids Go Cruisin'

The boys of New Kids on the Block – Donnie Wahlberg, Danny Wood, Jordan Knight, Joey McIntyre and Jonathan Knight – kick off their second annual concert cruise in Miami Friday.

SoFLa Local:2nd Annual Miami Beach Gay Pride is Today!

After a highly successful event in 2009 that attracted more than 20,000 people, the City of Miami Beach is gearing up for another historic Gay Pride Parade Festival and Expo set for today (Saturday, April 17, 2010) on Ocean Drive. The parade kicks off at 12:00 noon followed by the Expo and Concerts until 8:00 pm.

Immediately following the parade on Ocean Drive, the Expo in Lummus Park will feature booths, food kiosks and exhibits, creating a massive Gay Pride exhibition area for businesses, community organizations and entertainers to showcase their pride and support of LGBT equality.

Miami Beach Gay Pride Festival and Expo 2010 will culminate with entertainment by local, national and international recording artists including Robin S, Crystal Waters & Estelle and music sets by international DJs. This year's Grand Marshalls are Sharon Gless from "Queer as Folk" and "Cagney & Lacey", plus Lt. Dan Choi, the outed Army Officer who served in the Iraq war from 2006-2007.

The Miami Beach Gay Pride brings together members of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender community, their friends, allies, and supporters in celebration of the unique spirit and culture of the LGBT community by producing free, safe, quality mass-appeal events that are open to all, such as the Parade, Festival and adjunct Miami Beach Pride sanctioned events.

For more information about today's parade and events, please visit their website at: www.miamibeachgaypride.com.

See you there!

SoFLa Local: Where Has the Jersey Shore Cast Been Hanging out in South Beach?

Pump your fists, Jersey Shore fans!

The cast of MTV’s reality hit is on the loose in South Beach — and filming is underway on their follow-up season.

After arriving in town Saturday, stars of the show have worked out in a local gym, hung at the beach and mixed with locals on Miami’s famed Ocean Drive.

Dressed in their Jersey Shore finest, Mike “The Situation” Sorrentino, Nicole “Snooki” Polizzi, Jenni “JWOWW” Farley and their costars partied at Ocean’s 10, an American-style sports bar that stretches between two hotels, the Edison and the Breakwater. There, they ate and drank colorful frozen drinks, laughing up a storm, according to an onlooker.

“They were here twice yesterday, for lunch and dinner, while shooting a segment of their reality show,” a source at the restaurant tells PEOPLE. “They loved the venue and all had a great time.”
Still, they may be only warming up in Miami, according to another source, who said they so far seemed to keep to themselves.

“They sat at a rectangle table and seemed to be in a bubble all of their own,” the source says. “They were nice and chatty but definitely did not get out of their own comfort zone. They need to get used to South Beach where people of all different backgrounds converge and chill. Time will tell.”

SoFLa Local: Could Jeffrey Dahmer Have Killed John Walsh's Son, Adam?

Startling new evidence is mounting in a nearly 30-year-old case that may now link one of America's most infamous murderers to a high-profile, innocent, young victim.

Serial killer Jeffrey Dahmer – who tortured and murdered 17 men and boys, most of them in Milwaukee, between 1987 and 1991 – could have had some alarming ties to the 1981 kidnapping and killing of 6-year-old Adam Walsh, son of America's Most Wanted host John Walsh, according to a investigation by the Miami Herald.

Recent findings have uncovered witnesses who claim to have seen Dahmer with Adam on July 27, 1981, at the Hollywood, Florida, mall where the boy was abducted. At the time, Dahmer, recently discharged from the Army, was living in Miami Beach, some 20 miles away. One witness says that on that fateful day he saw Dahmer force a crying boy into the back of a blue van. Still others say Dahmer had access to a blue van fitting an early description of the getaway vehicle.

On August 10, 1981, Adam's severed head was found approximately 120 miles north of the mall in a canal in Vero Beach. The rest of his remains were never recovered.

When detectives questioned Dahmer about the boy's murder, his response was a terse, "Nothing to do with it," and officials took him at his word, the Herald reports.

Not long after his son's death, a grieving John Walsh helped to create legislation that led to the Missing Children Act of 1982 and the Missing Children's Assistance Act of 1984.

Deathbed Confession

In December 2008, police named Ottis Toole, who had died of liver failure in prison in 1996, as Adam's killer. On his deathbed Toole had reportedly confessed to his niece that he had killed and decapitated Adam Walsh.

However, Toole had claimed credit for the boy's murder more than once before, only to recant each time. As was also discovered, over the years Toole had implicated himself in more than 200 other homicides, yet evidence would later reveal that he did not commit most of them.

In 1991, Dahmer was arrested on charges involving decapitation, necrophilia and cannibalism. He confessed to the murders of the 11 victims whose severed heads were found in his Milwaukee apartment and later to six others that could have dated back as far as 1978. Dahmer, 34, was killed in prison in 1994.

SoFLa Local: Bo Griffin, Former Hot 105 & Power 96 Radio Host, Dead at 51

Bontia "Bo" Griffin, a former South Florida radio host who also worked in local and cable television, died Tuesday from intestinal cancer. Griffin was 51.

Griffin turned the "Mindy and Bo Morning Show" on dance-pop and R&B station Power 96 (WPOW, 96.5 FM) into one of the most popular morning programs in South Florida in the 1980s and '90s.

She was also on Hot 105 (WHQT, FM 105.1) and did entertainment reporting for a local TV station.

"The world has lost an amazing talent," Power 96 personality DJ Laz said. "Bo, you were my friend, my co-worker and my mentor for many years. You inspired everyone that was fortunate enough to hear your voice."

Griffin, who moved to her native South Carolina and until recently owned a successful boutique in Greenville, was diagnosed with intestinal cancer in January.

Her career as a TV personality blossomed after she left South Florida, appearing on "Good Day Live" and guest-hosting the Game Show Network's "GSN Live."

Griffin hosted the travel series "Blue Ribbon" on Turner South and the home makeover show "The Big Reveal" for HGTV as well.

Griffin recently sold her boutique because she planned to move back to Los Angeles full-time.

BV Buzz online reports that she had apparently just signed on to work as a correspondent for the news magazine show "Extra," where she had done previous stints.

Griffin was working as a waitress in New York City when her acting coach told her she had a great voice for radio.

Her first job was at WSRC in Durham, N.C., in 1983.

In September 1984, she went to work at WEDR in Miami, moved to HOT-105, and then Power 96 in 1988.

Griffin is survived by several family members, including her father, the Rev. David L. Hellams, and two sisters, Polly Peterson and Cindy Griffin.

This morning, during the DJ Laz Morning Show, Bo's former co-hosts Mindy Frumkes-Baer, DJ Felix Sama, and Mark Moseley, play homerage to the legendary DJ who made Power 96 the station we all enjoyed since the 80s.

Below is a picture of the DJs at Power 96 during the 80s and 90s.

In this photo: Don Cox, Phil Jones, Mindy Frumkes Baer, Mark Mosely, Cramer Haas, Bill Tanner, Gino Latno, Bo Griffin, G Michael McKay, Dennis Reese, Mike Ritter & Kathy Wild West

Bo may you rest in peace.

SoFLa Local: Hollywood Cop Fired for Gay Porn Wants His Job Back

From Steve Rothaus’ Gay South Florida:

Michael Verdugo’s 15 minutes of porn film fame cost him his job as a Hollywood police officer and his budding career as “Mikey V” of HGTV’s Design Star.

Verdugo is fighting to get back his police job and is preparing to sue the police department for discrimination.

Hollywood Police fired Verdugo — and Design Star dumped him — after a 1996 video turned up on the Internet showing the future cop in a 15-minute bondage scene from a gay porn flick called Rope Rituals.

“I don’t regret it,” Verdugo, 35, said of his one-time appearance at age 22 in porn, three years before he became a police officer. “It was a time in my life that I wanted to explore.”

Verdugo — billed as Jeremy Wess in Rope Rituals — said he performed nude in the short scene, but didn’t engage in hardcore sex. “It was all role-playing bondage. I was tied. I used handcuffs later on in my career.”

Just after the video turned up in July 2008, Design Star uninvited Mikey V from a reunion episode. Hollywood Police put Verdugo on administrative leave with pay. An investigation followed and the department fired him in January 2009 for not disclosing on his police application that he had made the porn film. An arbitrator recently upheld the termination.

Now, Verdugo has asked his attorney, Alberto Milian, to file a civil lawsuit against Hollywood Police for wrongful termination and discrimination.

“When you’re a gay cop in a paramilitary organization like law enforcement, a lot of discrimination exists,” said Milian, a Coral Gables criminal defense attorney who also specializes in labor law for police officers and firefighters. “He was a damn good cop. This guy was an asset and there’s no doubt his talents were very useful to the people of Hollywood.”

SoFLa Local:Lady GaGa Makes a Score (Visit) in Miami Beach

Enjoying a late night out on the town, Lady GaGa was spotted arriving at the gay nightclub Score in Miami Beach on Saturday night, January 2nd.

Donning her eye-catching blonde wig, the “Poker Face” singer was fresh off of performing at the James L Knight Center in Miami as part of her Monster Ball Tour.

SoFLa Local: Lady Gaga Draws Young Hollywood to New Year's Gig

At Lady Gaga's New Year's Eve poolside performance at Miami Beach's Fontainebleau Hotel, the outlandish performer wasn't the only star on display: A gathering of single, Young Hollywood types were in attendance – with some as mesmerized with each other as they were with the singer.

According to an eyewitness, Hayden Panettiere, 20, "was dancing, front and center" with Kevin Connolly, 35. The two were "chatting in the VIP lounge at the pool during the concert, and at the afterparty at LIV [nightclub at the Fontainebleau], they were sitting together. They were chatting all night, and they were very close to each other all evening."

The pair even shared a classic date food: Domino's New Pizza slices together poolside, says the eyewitness.

Lady Gaga performed four songs, including "Bad Romance" from her current album, Fame Monster. Others in the audience included Chace Crawford ("He was singing to Gaga's songs," says a source), blogger Perez Hilton (sporting a head-to-toe floral ensemble), former Desperate Housewives actor Shawn Pyfrom, The Hills' Frankie Delgado, former boybander J.C. Chasez and actress Stacy Keibler.

The Afterparty

After her set, Gaga "and over 20 of her dancers and production crew ate Domino's New Pizza. She spent over three hours backstage after the concert with her dancers. She thanked everyone individually for everything they had done in 2009," a source stated.

The performer then headed to her 3,000-sq.-ft. penthouse where, a partygoer says, "the afterparty raged on until the wee hours of the morning."

As for the setting, the $35 million penthouse rents for $15,000 a night. "Lady Gaga has four bedrooms, a kitchen, whirlpool and amazing balcony overlooking the ocean," a source said.

At the afterparty at LIV nightclub, in addition to Panettiere and Connolly, celebrating stars also included rappers Chris Brown, Bow Wow and Akon, who showed up via Diddy's private dinner party on the tony residential community of Star Island. A source says, "Chris was in great spirits, but once he was inside, he stuck to drinking bottled water. He pretty much kept to himself, hanging out with Akon."

SoFLa Local:A Second Gay Newspaper For South Florida

South Florida is getting its second gay newspaper following the November closure of South Florida Blade.

The Miami Herald's GLBT reporter Steve Rothaus is reporting that Norm Kent will launch http://www.southfloridagaynews.com/ in January.

“SFGN will be published and distributed on Mondays, tabloid size, commencing in January of 2010, and over 12,000 copies will be distributed to 300 plus locations in Dade, Broward, and Palm Beach counties,” Kent said in a statement.

Kent, a local criminal defense attorney and radio host, is the original publisher of Express Gay News, which he sold four years later to Window Media, the mini gay publishing empire whose decision to file Chapter 7 bankruptcy last month sealed the fate of six GLBT newspapers, including the Atlanta-based gay weekly Southern Voice, as well as the Houston Voice, David Atlanta, South Florida Blade, Washington Blade and 411 Magazine. After its 2003 purchase of Express Gay News, Window Media executives renamed the publication the South Florida Blade.

Both in Washington and South Florida, former employees regrouped to keep local gay news flowing. The former staff of the Washington Blade churned out its first edition of the DC Agenda less than a week after news broke of the paper's demise. And Mark's List publisher Mark Haines quickly hired many former South Florida Blade employees to begin the Florida Agenda.

But Publisher Mark Haines told the Miami Herald that he did not believe two gay papers could survive in South Florida.

SoFLa Local: Adam Lambert Hosting Y100’s Jingle Ball with Leighton Meester

American Idol vet Adam Lambert and Gossip Girl actress Leighton Meester are set to co-host the Y100 Jingle Ball concert this Saturday, December 12th at the Bank Atlantic Center in Sunrise, Florida.

Lambert and Leighton will be introducing the hotly anticipated performing artists: Shakira, Timbaland, Jordin Sparks, The Fray, Flo Rida, LMFAO, 3OH!3, Colbie Caillat, Jason Derulo and iYaz.

Tickets are available at http://www.ticketmaster.com/.

In anoter note, Adam will also perform on the So You Think You Can Dance finale scheduled for Wednesday, December 16th on FOX.

SoFLa Local:Fort Lauderdale Gay & Lesbian Film Fest Kicks Off

Keith Jordan & Adamo Ruggiero star in "Make the Yuletide Gay"

The Fort Lauderdale Gay & Lesbian Film Festival (FLGLFF) is back for another five days of gay-friendly films, showcasing over two dozen movies from today (November 11th) to the 15th.

Among the titles, all having their South Florida premieres, are holiday comedy “Make the Yuletide Gay,” the Edgar Allen Poe-based thriller “House of Usher,” and the sequel to hit gay franchise “Eating Out,” “Eating Out 3: All You Can Eat.”

On Friday the 13th, Gateway Cinema premieres “House of Usher,” the latest Poe-adaptation from director David Decoteau, who also helmed the “Brotherhood” films. Also premiering the 13th at the Las Olas Riverfront Cinema is “Misconceptions,” a comedy drama starring “Mad TV” album Orlando Jones.

Rebekah Kochan and Mink Stole return for thirds of “Eating Out” with the latest sequel, “Eating Out 3: All You Can Eat,” which premieres Saturday, November 14th at Gateway Cinema.

“Degrassi: The Next Generation” star Adamo Ruggiero joins newcomer Keith Jordan in “Make the Yuletide Gay,” playing Sunday, November 15th at Gateway Cinema. “Make the Yuletide Gay” is about a not-so-out college student who has to keep the relationship secret from his family when his boyfriend visits during the holidays.

“I Can’t Think Straight,” premiering Sunday, November 15th at the Las Olas Riverfront Cinema, tells the story of an Indian woman and Palestinian woman who meet and fall in love.

Film passes and bundles are available now on the festival’s website, www.flglff.com, or can be purchased at the theater at non-member prices.

SoFLa Local: Ousted Anchor Charles Perez is Ditching Florida to Marry in Connecticut

If Miami television network WPLG doesn't want fired anchor Charles Perez, and Florida as a whole doesn't want Charles Perez, then Charles Perez doesn't want any of them. He's leaving. For Connecticut. And he's going to marry his partner there.

Ousted from the network for allegedly being, uh, too gay, Perez, 46, is now decamping from Florida, a state that bans gays from marrying or adopting, entirely. He's packing things up and heading to Connecticut, where Gay Marriages are perfectly legal, to marry his partner, muscle-y accountant Keith Rinehard.

"We just want to be normal people and not work in places where they say `Don't have kids, don't get married,'" says Perez. "On Friday, September 25th, we're going to Westport, Connecticut. Saturday we're going house shopping. And Sunday we're getting married on the beach — in linen and flip-flops."

Though they still haven't figured out what to do about Rinehard's job, which remains in Florida. ("We're playing it by ear," says the 41-year-old Rinehard.) Let's just hope they live happily ever after … unlike Perez's last relationship.

SoFLa Local: Is Father Cutie Gay?

That is the accusation of José Linares Suarez, Cutie's radio-show producer, who spills his guts to TV y Novelas in the July 1st issue.

You'll recall that last month, Cutie (also dubbed "Father Oprah") was photographed on the beach in Miami with a ladyfriend, which prompted him to leave the church and marry her. Suarez says that was all a set-up because Miami was already buzzing about Cutie's homosexuality.

Suarez says Cutie's sexuality is well known to those around him, that he lived with a priest who was his lover for two years and, most specifically that he had a younger (36 or 37), chubby lover named Leonardo who would arrive to Cutie's quarters late at night. Once, Suarez walked in on Cutie and Leonardo, finding the younger man's pants down as Cutie caressed his genitals. Cutie asked for discretion, which Suarez apparently provided—until now.

I must say, it makes a lot more sense that Cutie deliberately went out in public with his secret "girlfriend" if he were actually trying to salvage some of his brand by at least marrying a woman instead of coming out as gay. There are falls from grace and then there are falls from grace.

SoFLa Local: Gloria & Emilio Estefan Buy Stake in Miami Dolphins

The Miami Dolphins have a new soundtrack, a sound that is as hot as September home games.

Gloria Estefan, the multiplatinum recording artist who helped introduce the world to South Florida's Latin groove with the Miami Sound Machine, and her husband, Emilio, were officially named minority owners of the NFL franchise Thursday morning.

''This is thrilling, to be part of the hometown team,'' Gloria Estefan said. ``But don't worry, we won't be calling any plays.''

The Dolphins formally announced the deal at a ceremony that lived up to majority owner Stephen Ross' vision of combining glitz with gridiron. Before the event, the Dolphins piped Estefan's most popular songs, like Rhythm is Gonna Get You and Turn the Beat Around through Land Shark Stadium's concourse.

They took the stage to a video presentation that wove Estefan concert video with Dolphins highlights from their AFC East championship 2008 season.

''This is probably one of my happiest moments and one of the things I'm most proud about,'' Ross said. ``The team is a public trust. I wanted to bring ownership that would represent the community. There's no community that has the diversity that South Florida has.''

Ross likes show-business personalities and likes to make announcements with a show-business flair and timing. He began speaking with the Estefans three months ago about getting a small piece of the Dolphins.

Now, he has linked the Dolphins to two of South Florida's most famous entertainers -- Jimmy Buffett, whose music symbolizes the relaxed Florida Keys lifestyle, and Gloria Estefan, whose music could symbolize South Florida's ethnic metamorphosis over the past 25 years.

In early May, the team announced Land Shark Lager - part of Buffett's Margaritaville label - had been awarded the stadium's naming rights for the 2009 season. Buffett is also expected to buy a portion of the team.

SoFLa Local: Estefans will Acquire Minority Stake in Miami Dolphins

Miami entertainment figures Gloria and Emilio Estefan will be announced as Miami Dolphins minority owners Thursday by Dolphins majority owner Stephen Ross, according to a person familiar with the negotiations.

The source said Monday night that the National Football League and the Dolphins are looking to expand their reach to South Florida's growing Hispanic community and are turning to the Estefans as their ambassadors. Like many sports fans in South Florida his age, Emilio Estefan is a longtime Dolphins fan whose favorite player is Hall of Fame Dolphins quarterback Dan Marino.

A Monday Dolphins news release said there would be a Thursday morning ''major announcement on behalf of the Dolphins'' hosted by the Estefans and Ross at LandShark Stadium. This is similar to the way the Dolphins announced their association with singer Jimmy Buffett's Margaritaville business, which includes Land Shark Lager. Buffett is expected to become a minority owner eventually.

Ross likes show-business personalities and likes to make announcements with a show-business flair and timing. He began speaking with the Estefans three months ago about getting a small piece of the Dolphins.

Now, he has linked the Dolphins to two of South Florida's most famous entertainers -- Buffett, whose music symbolizes the relaxed Florida Keys lifestyle, and Gloria Estefan, whose music could symbolize South Florida's ethnic metamorphosis over the past 25 years.

Emilio Estefan didn't want to comment Monday night, and Dolphins spokesman Harvey Greene said the Dolphins ``won't have a comment on anything until the announcement Thursday.''

The NFL has boosted recent efforts to tap into the national Hispanic market as Hispanics have become the nation's fastest-growing minority. Players with Hispanic backgrounds such as Dallas quarterback Tony Romo, Atlanta tight end Tony Gonzalez and Hall of Fame offensive tackle Anthony Muñoz have been featured in NFL marketing campaigns aimed at Hispanics, particularly youths.

In fact, on Monday, Gloria Estefan was in Nashville recording with this year's Monday Night Football introduction song with Hank Williams Jr. Williams' Are You Ready for Some Football? has become Monday Night Football's signature song since 1989.

The Estefans wouldn't be the NFL's first Hispanic owners. E. Javier Loya, CEO of CHOICE! Energy, is a Houston Texans limited partner.

Linking the Dolphins to the Estefans, who made a significant mark on popular music during the 1980s and '90s, continues Ross' trend of trying to light the Dolphins with a show-business tint.

Since taking over majority ownership of the Dolphins and the former Dolphin Stadium from H. Wayne Huizenga, Ross has reached out to Buffett and changed the name of the stadium, which was also formerly known as Joe Robbie Stadium and Pro Player Stadium.

Gloria Estefan and the Miami Sound Machine had several hits in the mid-1980s as South Florida, Miami in particular, tried to rebuild its image after the early 1980s riots and cocaine cowboy shootouts. As a solo act she continued to crank out hit music into this decade while Emilio gained stature as a producer.