The Beach Boys

South Beach warms, welcomes gay travelers

In South Beach, it's all about the beach, but there's much more. But let's get the beach out of the way first. South Beach's unofficial gay beach is the 12th Street Beach, opposite 12th Street and Ocean Drive. By the way, 12th Street and Ocean Drive is also the location of the only gay bar on the beach, the Palace Food Bar.



A TERRIBLE PERIOD'

Recalling bad old days for Fla. gays

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

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