1.
A Home Run For Gender Equality 2
2.
Gay Conversion Therapy May Cause Depression in Children, Says Former Patient 6
3.
White House: Trump Declines To Recognize President Obama As An American To 14
Pander To Voters
4.
Miami Cosplay Girl Confessions 17
5.
Nat Chediak Presents Blow-Up 21

Photo credit: Dave Pickoff/Associated Press
In the final game of the ’77 World Series Yankee outfielder Reggie Jackson hit an incredible three home runs. The packed Yankee Stadium went wild— roaring and whistling. The Yankees had won because of him! After the game Jackson spent more than two hours talking with reporters in the frenzied locker room.
Unfortunately, only male sportswriters were allowed into the locker rooms.
Melissa Ludtke, a 26-year-old reporter for Sports Illustrated, had to wait in the corridor

just outside the locker room while a male escort went into the locker room and tried to bring Jackson out to her. Exhausted by the media attention, when Jackson finally went out and met with Ludtke he begged off the interview.
She was not able to be with the series' Most Valuable Player in the hours after his remarkable at-bats, as the other reporters were, so she had no reporting notes to give to the magazine’s baseball writer Ron Fimrite.
Though Ludtke loved her work she was frustrated by the limitations that her gender imposed. When the baseball commissioner overruled a team’s vote affirming her access to their locker room at the start of this World Series, she challenged his ruling and in doing so helped break down a barrier for female sports reporters in the male-dominated field of sports journalism.

In late December of that year, with the support of Time Inc., the owner of
Sports Illustrated, Ludtke sued Major League Baseball, accusing Bowie Kuhn, its commissioner, of denying her access to the locker room due to her gender. The lawsuit became headline news because it brought up issues of women’s rights and challenged traditional ideas of decency.
Federal Judge Constance Baker Motley, a former attorney who oversaw many of the civil rights movement’s leading cases of racial discrimination, presided over the case. She ruled that male and female reporters should have equal access to the athletes’ locker room. By barring Ludtke from the locker room, Motley determined, Kuhn was guilty of sex discrimination that infringed on both her “equal protection and due process rights.”
Ludtke had won.
It was a landmark case for female sports reporters. Though Motley’s ruling left it up to the commissioner where interviews would take place, it mandated male and female baseball reporters have equal access to athletes. Even in the locker rooms.
More than 36 years later, Ludtke, who is now 64, has found enduring meaning in her role in the lawsuit, “I feel really quite blessed to have had that opportunity and to see gender equity grow…” she said, her eyes looking to the side from underneath

her white bangs. “This lawsuit had a ripple effect as well in terms of what was going on in the women’s rights movement because of the attention that was brought to it.”
Her aim to have equal access to that of her male colleagues was controversial, and Ludtke found strength in her family and friends, “Knowing they believed in me gave me the stamina, energy and frankly the fortitude to push through,” she said.
Now as a mother of a teenage daughter, Maya, she is thankful that there are many more opportunities available to young women than she had growing up.
However, though significant strides have been made in gender equity through the decades, Ludtke believes there is more progress to be made for women in the media, especially in terms of holding positions of leadership.
“In an ideal world I would like to see a time when you have more women sticking around in journalism and sharing what they’ve learned with the next generation as managers,” she said.
Ludtke lives in Cambridge, Mass. with her daughter and is working on a memoir about the obstacles she faced in the ‘70s and those that women in sports still confront today. History teaches valuable lessons by reminding us what can be overcome, Ludtke believes, and she hopes her story inspires young women to grab hold of their dreams and know they can happen, too.

On The Edge by Andrew Salgado
Enrique Puentes, 28, hit puberty when he was in the sixth grade but he did not begin to notice girls as he was told he should. Instead, the preteen was drawn to other boys, an attraction he soon would be pressured to relinquish.
While in high school, his Catholic family began to suspect he was gay and interrogated him about his sexual orientation. Their reaction when he nervously

confessed his same-sex attraction was of vehement disapproval, he professed in an interview this month.
“My parents confronted me in my freshman year of high school, when I was fourteen, about whether I liked other guys,” he recalled. “When I said ‘yes’ they reacted poorly.”
Apart from the threats to send him to boot camp if he did not “straighten up,” and the physical altercations he had with his father, Puentes said his parents also took him to see four therapists in an attempt to “fix” his sexuality.
Though most of the psychologists eventually sided with Puentes, offering their gay-affirming support, one of them allegedly claimed homosexuality was curable.
This therapist, whose name Puentes preferred not to share, was reportedly a board member of Exodus International, a now defunct Orlando-based Christian ministry that aimed to turn gay people straight.
The former president of the organization, Alan Chambers, blogged that the mission of Exodus International was to “inspire hope.” Centered on the notion that homosexuality was the result of sexual brokenness, Chambers and his subordinates espoused the belief that God could repair the so-called brokenness of homosexuality through conversion therapy (also called reparative therapy).

During this “tumultuous” time in his youth Puentes said his family also lugged him to church.
“They dragged me to church,” he said. “My mom felt that God did not design me to be this way and that he had the power to change me.”
Puentes said he unexpectedly became heavily involved in the church.
“When I started following the Christian lifestyle I felt the right thing was fighting against my attractions and urges,” he said. “I just wanted to please God.”
After high school Puentes moved from his native Virginia to Central Florida for college, where during his junior year he chose to attend support groups at the nearby headquarters of Exodus International.
“I felt for the first time I was no longer alone. At the groups you describe how you’re progressing, or regressing,” he said. “I also attended two annual conferences
Exodus hosted, one in Asheville in 2008 and one near Chicago the year after.
Hundreds of people went to both. It was surreal. I felt excited and hopeful and optimistic.”
In 2009 the American Psychological Association published an article stating there was “ insufficient evidence to support the use of psychological interventions to

change sexual orientation.” The organization went on to state the practice, on a psychological level, could even pose “risk of harm.”
Nevertheless Puentes, as an aspiring heterosexual, still participated in Exodus meetings.
“I had this hope that I could have a wife, and please God, and be spiritually whole,” he said.
However, as the years passed Puentes realized his same-sex attraction did not dissipate despite his continued engagement with Exodus.
“I had a prayer journal for my future wife, and prayed for her, but my same-sex attraction persisted. I felt like I was hitting a wall, I felt like I couldn’t be any less homosexual,” he divulged. “I felt like a failure in life and I was depressed. I didn’t have the passion or the drive to do things I once loved doing.”
Puentes then recalled one day when he spontaneously wept while grabbing lunch. He also mentioned, hesitantly, that there were several times he attempted suicide. A common theme, he said, among men in the support groups who failed to become heterosexual.
“I was excited about changing my sexual orientation at first but in the long run
I found it caused a lot of anxiety and depression,” he said.

Puentes was not the only one hurting. In 2012, Chambers remarked that the religious organization’s approach to inhibit same-sex attraction was largely a failure.
" The majority of people that I have met, and I would say the majority meaning
99.9% of [patients], have not experienced a change in their orientation,” he said in a speech to the Gay Christian Network.
Just one year later Exodus International closed its doors after nearly 40 years of operation, and Chambers issued an apology to the LGBT community, stating he was
“sorry for the pain and hurt many of [them had] experienced… sorry some of [them] spent years working through the shame and guilt when [their] attractions didn’t change.”
In the aftermath of the ministry’s collapse, Puentes was left in a haze of confusion that only began to clear when he decided to finally explore his sexuality. In doing so he learned to accept and celebrate his same-sex attraction, rather than suppress it.
“Peace only came when I accepted myself. When Exodus closed I was dumbfounded because I didn’t believe they would ever come to pass. I felt sadness for those who were now out of the job,” he said. “But I was also relieved because the

message that there was something inherently wrong with being gay wouldn’t be perpetuated to future generations.”
Today Puentes, who still lives in the Orlando area, hopes the next generation of
LGBT youth will not have to endure much of the pain he went through in his intimate encounters with conversion therapy.
In an effort to deter young gay Floridians from experiencing the same psychological trauma that Puentes said he experienced, the state’s first openly gay elected official, Rep. David Richardson of Miami Beach, filed a bill in September called HB 137 that aims to ban professionals from trying to change the sexual orientation of children and youth.
However, even though Exodus International has since evaporated under the intense heat of public scrutiny, there are still supporters of conversion counseling who say people should be allowed to try to change their sexual orientation if they choose.
In the past some patients have said they have been "transformed" because of the practice and are living "more at peace" with themselves as heterosexuals.
Puentes said he is skeptical of the pro-conversion counseling camp because he has experienced the practice’s plethora of negative effects firsthand. He also believes

minors, as a rule, should be safeguarded from being subjected to “dubious” treatments that may cause them to be depressed, and possibly suicidal.
“I do not believe conversion therapy should be performed on minors because they’re impressionable and it imposes a lot of pain in the long run for many,” he said.
Puentes is not alone in his concern for same-sex attracted kids being subjected to the treatment. City officials in Cincinnati are currently considering banning the practice on children after one LGBT teen committed suicide this past year after undergoing the therapy.
States such as Illinois, California, Oregon and New Jersey have already banned conversion therapy from being performed on minors and legal experts at the
American University law Review believe Florida will likely follow in suit once the majority of the state’s lawmakers become gay-friendly.
That may be some time away. In an interview this week with Rep. Richardson he stated his proposed law has not received much traction in the Florida House since he sponsored it four months ago.
“There has not been much interest in the bill in Tallahassee,” he said. “I feel strongly that it has to be heard but it has not moved. However, we (state representatives) have a meeting in early January to discuss it.”

However, Connie Siu, the former statewide coordinator for Equality Florida, the state’s largest LGBT advocacy group said she believes Floridians need to first learn from Exodus International’s debacle before a ban is set into place.
“Being gay is not something that can be fixed, nor something that needs fixing,” she said. “Society needs to learn to accept the LGBT community rather than just tolerate us. Through their acceptance gay conversion therapy, and its harmful effects, will end sooner.”
Siu hopes that with enough public understanding and support, lawmakers will be pressured to approve HB 137.

Photo Credit: Carolyn Kaster/Associated Press
Donald Trump, the GOP frontrunner, is trying to pander to his Republican supporters by declining to recognize President Obama as an American, White House
Press Secretary Joshua Earnest said at a news conference on Friday.

Earnest’s chiding came after one of Trump’s many supporters declared at a
New Hampshire rally that “We have a problem in this country, its called Muslims. We know our current president is one. You know he’s not even American!”
Rather than correct the false assertion that Obama is not a U.S. citizen, Trump nodded approvingly, which led Earnest to criticize the former Apprentice stars reaction.
“It is too bad he wasn’t able to summon the same kind of patriotism that we saw from Senator McCain,” he said. “Who responded much more effectively and directly when one of his supporters, at one of his campaign events about seven years ago, raised the same kind of false claims. What is also unfortunate is that Mr. Trump is not the first politician to countenance these kinds of views in order to win votes.”
Earnest also relegated the Islamophobic rhetoric of Trump’s supporters and their brash sentiments toward the president’s citizenship status as expected garnishings of the politically incorrect candidate’s own disparaging language toward women and Latinos.
“I don’t think anybody who has been paying attention to Republican politics is at all surprised,” the press secretary quipped. “The reason for that is because the people who hold these offensive views are part of Mr. Trump’s base.”

Indeed, despite Obama publicly releasing copies of his birth certificate in 2011, in response to birther conspiracies, and professing his Christian faith numerously during his six years in office, nearly 40 percent of Trump’s supporters still believe
Obama was not born in the United States, according to CNN, and more than half contend the president is Muslim.
Though the celebrity billionaire may have tapped into a radical sect of the
Republican party, as Earnest suggested, Trump’s critics believe his presidential aspirations will eventually hit a dead end because his political positioning is too extreme for most American voters, who are, in fact, moderates.

Photo credit: Ace Photography
Beatriz Concha coifed her long pink hair before promenading into the Miami
Beach Convention Center for Florida Supercon, the state’s most popular comic book convention.
The event, which is held every summer, gives the 21 year old the opportunity to publicly express elements of her personality by dressing up as her favorite fictional characters, a practice known as cosplaying.
This year she dressed up as the sassy character Nonon Jakuzure, from the animé show Kill la Kill, but she says her favorite cosplays were from previous years

when she dressed up as headstrong Korra from The Legend of Korra and as friendprotective Suzie Q from Jojos Bizarre Adventure.
Beyond being a source of self-expression, cosplaying has also helped Concha come out of her shell. Before attending her first convention, or “con,” in 2008, she admits to being rather taciturn.
“I was always shy and reserved and was basically a pushover,” Concha said.
“Dressing up gave me a door to open up to others and now, I can actually speak up for myself. Cosplay is important to me because it helps me feel confident.”
Concha is far from being alone in her passion for cosplaying. Cosplaying is big.
Thousands of Floridians travel to the Magic City to show off their fanciful garbs at
Supercon and each year the crowd gets larger.
To better accommodate the growing number of attendees, the venue of the event was held this year at the 1,000,000-square foot Miami Beach Convention
Center.
It is here, at con, surrounded by vendors playing Zelda melodies on ocarinas and the smell of Dragon’s Blood incense wafting in the air that Concha said she has met many of her closest friends, many of whom she religiously dresses up with.

For some events they are characters from the wizarding world of Harry Potter, and for others they are Disney princesses.
Concha said cosplaying at Supercon not only means being able to connect with people of similar interests but also means learning to be more creative. Many cosplayers put a lot of care into their costumes and are proud when they finally get to exhibit their elaborate garbs at the event.
“I look at photos of my cosplays and feel so proud to be doing something I love and have gained not only countless friendships but also countless skills,” she said.
“I can make armor, sew a dress, paint on the smallest of details, create costumes and props from the most obscure of materials. Cosplaying has opened my mind to think more artistically and resourcefully.”
The downside of Supercon though, Concha confesses, is the “drama” and
“stupidity” that sometimes comes with meeting other cosplayers.
Such as when there is jealousy on who dressed up the best.
“There can be a lot of hatred in the community because of petty jealousy or feelings of superiority and people lose track of what matters,” she said. “Not everything people wear is going to be loved by everyone, not everyone can cosplay as

well as others, and not everything is going to be excused by others just because you're a kid or have some issues putting together a costume.”
Nevertheless, Concha said she believes Supercon and conventions like it are invaluable because they provide a support system for many cosplayers, many of whom have experienced abuse and mistreatment, she attests.
“People outside of the cosplay community don't know that even though we are dressing up as fantasy characters, there is still a reality beneath it and it needs to be taken seriously,” she said. “Many of us have gone through a lot, whether it was abuse, bullying, depression and many other mental illnesses.”
Though people from all walks of life buy tickets to Supercon, some just curious to partake in the experience, Concha claims many of the cosplayers have felt socially
“different” and con provides an atmosphere for those who identify as misfits to feel secure in being themselves.
Indeed, one of her cosplay comrades and business partners, Vicky Amion, a 23year-old Miami native with short blue hair and a Pokéball tattoo on her upper chest, says Supercon has allowed her to overcome her social anxieties.
“Conventions are a place where I can be myself. Sometimes ‘myself’ involves me pretending to be others! It’s not enough to simply dress in a costume, as one does

on Halloween. It’s about putting in the time and effort to recreate the outfit, look, and often even the mannerisms and attitude of your favorite character,” Amion said. “To be that person, surrounded by others who do the same thing is extremely liberating.
I’ve overcome my anxiety at conventions in a way I never have at school, work or other social situations.”
People portraying all sorts of fantasy characters can be seen at con. Bearded men wearing Sailor Moon costumes strut down the aisles of vending booths; stopping at stands to buy curios. Women dressed as witches pose for photos, and adults dressed as Pokémon play Dungeons and Dragons.
Due to the inclusive spirit of the event, Concha and Amion said they believe the cosplay community is also closely connected with the LGBT community.
“If a person can accept you for dressing up as a fantasy character, then they can accept you for being gay or being gender nonconforming or whatever,” she declared sitting by her booth, called Moshi Moshi Watermelon, where she and Amion sell “fan illustration print,” artwork that features characters from popular comics and video games.
Conventions like Supercon have, indeed, been LGBT friendly for years, and according to the American Civil Liberties Union the events are also places where

important LGBT discussions and panels take place, such as talks on better representing same-sex couples in groups in the books, films and, of course, comics.
“Everyone is so friendly, and there’s a very strong atmosphere of understanding between strangers who share the same experiences as you, such as loving the same animé show or knowing how hard is it to sew an entire outfit,” said
Amion, as two horned goddesses held hands admiring her artwork. “The community is very strong, and feels more like a family than a crowd of nerdy strangers. I believe this is why the number of con attendees is growing.”
According to Florida Supercon , this year’s event attracted more than 51,000 people, making it the “biggest geek celebration in the history of South Florida.”

Film Still from Blow-Up
Miami, FL— About a dozen people gathered Monday at the top level of the high-class Bal Harbour mall, to watch Michelangelo Antonioni’s 1966 film Blow-Up.

The movie, which was shown in a small exhibition space called the Fashion
Project, showcases London’s Youthquake movement and is part of an ongoing film festival called Dressing Down The Movies that explores the rich intersection of fashion and film.
Local cultural icon Nat Chediak, the cofounder of the Miami International Film
Festival, came up with the idea for the festival which showcases films made between the years 1929 and 1994 depicting pivotal moments in fashion, and featuring famous style emissaries like Marlon Brando and Audrey Hepburn.
One of the associates of the Bal Harbour Fashion Project, a smiley 22-year-old woman named Aléjandra Zamparelli-Perez, supervises the screenings in the exhibition space’s industrial-themed boutique. She says each of the Fashion Project’s exhibitions are curated by experts in their fields to culturally enrich those living in the community.
“Chediak, the current director of programming at the Coral Gables Art
Cinema, handpicked each of the movies and every four days a new one is shown,” she said, pointing to text on an event related leaflet. “The bigger crowds come for the matinee screenings during the weekends, especially for the more popular movies like
Rebel Without A Cause or Funny Face.”

Though some viewers thought Blow-Up was too obscure for them to understand, others, like D’Bora LeBree, a Miami-based author, said the film was riveting and that the film series as a whole has offered her a rare glimpse of how people dressed in the past century and the zeitgeist of their respective generations.
“I’m a regular here,” she said, getting up from one of the floral bean bag loungers. “It’s been exciting to see the old styles and how people used to dress. Some of the attire was really fashionable. The film festival has been great because it’s featured movies many people wouldn’t see unless they were lucky and they came on
TV.”
All films are free to view, courtesy of Bal Harbour Shops. Seating to each screening is limited and on a first-come, first-served basis.