The 6th annual Dallas Gay Bachelor Auction will be held at JR's Bar and Grill on Sunday, March 15, 2009 from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. Applications are currently being accepted for men and women who are interested in participating as a bachelor in the event. The 2009 auction will boast an all-new program, including new games and entertainment. Admission is free, and all proceeds from the auction will directly benefit Bryan's House, a local nonprofit organization that supports children and teens who are affected by HIV/AIDS.
"We are thrilled to bring the Gay Bachelor Auction back for a sixth year," said Claire Oliver, a co-coordinator for the event. "There are so many exciting new changes that will surely please the crowd."
Oliver is joined by Jason Vincik who also coordinates the auction.
"Last year the auction made over $12,000," Vincik said. "We decided to start spreading the donations among various local charities, rather than concentrating on just one."
Previous auctions directly benefited The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, an organization that both Oliver and Vincik continue to support. Both organizers have lost loved ones to blood cancers, including a past bachelor who died in 2007 of non Hodgkin's lymphoma.
Chad Reed is a veteran bachelor who will be returning for a third year in 2009. Reed recently joined the planning committee to offer help in all phases of event coordination.
"I am so excited to be part of this event," explains Reed. "Allocating the proceeds to local charities like Bryan's House makes me feel really good about what we're doing."
It looks like I'm moving to New York City on December 28 and I need to lease my loft! It's a super fabulous place (and dirt cheap) right in the middle of the gayborhood, just down the street from all the bars.
For details, please check out the listing on Craig's List:
Parents of students at Rowlett High School in Rowlett, Texas are up in arms over the proposed production of Broadway hit musical "RENT". VIDEO BELOW
Parents say that the content of the play deals with "controversial issues" such as homosexuality, drugs and transexuals. Others even FEAR that the production will teach kids an alternative lifestyle that is "unacceptable". I could barf right now, considering "RENT" is one of the most profound and beautiful musicals ever written.
Clearly, what many people fail to see is that "RENT" doesn't teach anything other than how to love; how to find true friendship; how not to judge people around you and how to overcome adversity. It also teaches us that drugs are dangerous and can not only lead to death, but drugs also hurt the people that care about us.
How many other high school plays truly teach all the profound valuable lessons that "RENT" attempts to convey? What really pisses me off are all of the idiotic parents out there who are so oblivious to the fact that there are hundreds of thousands of school-age kids who already identify themselves as being gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender, and I'd bet my life on it that they've known they were gay since they were old enough to speak. I knew I was gay even in kindergarten when I had a crush on my best friend.
For Pete's sake...some of you stupid people out there who really think that being gay is a choice are sadly mistaken. It's time to open your eyes and discover that numerous generations have been brainwashed with hatred and fear of something you can't understand.
Thankfully, I had parents who let me discover myself and loved me no matter who I am. I couldn't imagine trying to shelter my child from all the things that they will someday be faced with in the real adult world.
But, I digress. I know that bad habits, albeit hatred and ignorance, die hard. Some people just don't even know how ignorant they are. And, that's just really sad.
A decision by the School Board will be made on Friday, December 5 whether or not to let the show go on.
UPDATE: As of 2:17 a.m. - not even an hour after I posted this same blog entry on www.NBC5i.com, the station DELETED my post!
What if I'm just getting old and I don't want to argue anymore?
What if i'm okay with being single and I've succumbed to sleeping with random guys whenever it suits me?
What if reading online profiles from 20-something kids makes me frustrated because I know I used to say the same ignorant things when i was that age?
What if I really just don't give a shit anymore?
What if, despite how bitter I sound, life actually teaches us all to think this way over time?
What if I just want to have sex and never know your name?
What if one day, after we've slept together so many times, I kiss you on the neck and get goosebumps?
What if none of this matters anyway?
What if I'm actually a really great guy but I've learned not to fall too quickly?
What if I feel no remorse for kicking you out after we're done having sex?
What if my dog likes you, but I don't?
What if you totally suck in bed, but for some reason I just can't wait to see you again?
What if you're so full of self-hatred and shame that you're too damn afraid to come out?
What if I have no patience for people who use the word "discrete" in their online profiles?
What if one day I smiled and you saw the future in the blink of an eye?
What if I have the ability to check all my baggage at the door, but you continue to punish me for your past experiences?
What if you make a promise that you just can't keep?
What if I'm dating your friend, but can't keep my eyes off of you?
What if I'm dating you, but I just can't shake the feeling I get whenever I'm around your best friend?
What if after we break up all my friends remind me that you're the one I let get away?
What if sometimes I'm so eccentric that certain little things you do drive me absolutely crazy?
What if my persistence and obsession with perfectionism is too much for you to handle?
What if I make all the compromises but you just can't seem to budge on any one vice?
What if you swear you're versatile in bed, but you never seem to flip?
What if you're too nice too quickly and I loose interest?
What if I find myself falling for you even when I know it's supposed to be "just fun"?
What if one day I need you more than any other time in my entire life and you're not there to comfort me?
What if I open my heart and let you in only to find out later that you cheated on me?
What if I just don't have patience anymore and waiting for you to decide if you're going to call two or three days after our first date pisses me off?
What if I hear the words "I'm not into the gay scene" one more fucking time makes me go postal on some complete idiot who clearly doesn't respect his homosexuality?
What if I'm so god damned angry that I make signs and protest everything anti-gay?
What if I'm so tired of religous fanatics cramming their brainwashed ideology down my throat that one day I burn down a fucking church?
What if I used to love kids, but now they get on my last nerve?
What if sometimes I get so depressed that i wish with all my might I could be a parent?
What if one day I wake up and the family that I've struggled to build for so long is suddenly gone?
What if I die one day and no one remembers me?
What if I grow very old and I find myself lonely without a partner?
What if one day every gay person in the world stands up and refuses to go back to work until we have equal rights?
What if one day the consumers control the brand and not the other way around?
What if one day the people of the world realize we actually have enormous power in numbers?
What if I'm so full of ambition but I lack follow-through?
What if my actions touch one person in this world and it makes all the difference?
What if there really is no such thing as God?
What if even though I say I've dealt with my father's death that, secretly, I dream about him almost every night?
What if one day I look back on my life and I regret had never doing something when I was younger?
What if when I die I'm not actually reunited with family?
What if one person reads this, gets inspired and decides to make an impact in the world?
What if I woke up one day and decided that 'if' just doesn't matter anymore?
A virtual town hall meeting entitled “Prop 8: The Facts and Future,” accessible to anyone with a computer and Internet connection.
The 90-minute online forum will be hosted by Karen Ocamb, news editor at Frontiers and IN Los Angeles. It will be broadcast live via streaming audio. Audience members can send questions to the moderator in advance at: TownHallModerator@gmail.com or send questions/comments to her during the broadcast.
The town hall meeting will be recorded for those who are not able to participate in the live session.
Panel members include:
• Amy Balliett, founder of Join the Impact
• Lorri L. Jean, CEO of the L.A. Gay & Lesbian Center
• Geoff Kors, executive director of Equality California
• Rev. Eric Lee, president/CEO of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference Los Angeles
• Shannon Minter, legal director at the National Center for Lesbian Rights
• John A. Perez, assembly member-elect of California’s 46th District
• Steve Smith, No on 8 senior campaign consultant of Dewey Square.
Proposition 8, the ban on same-sex marriage in California, has become the most expensive social-issue election in the history of the country, according to Bob Stern, president of the Center for Governmental Studies in Los Angeles. By Oct. 18, the campaigns for and against the proposition had raised a combined $56 million, nearly evenly split between the two sides.
Contributions to the campaign to pass Proposition 8 helped fund anti-gay advertisements that led up to the election. Political contributions are public domain, open to the public for viewing.
You may be very surprised to see who made substantial monetary contributions to fund this hatred campaign. CEOs of major coporations, like Alan Stock of Cinemark Theaters, donated thousands of dollars to SUPPORT Proposition 8 (to ban gay marriage). The significance of Mr. Stock's contribution lies in the fact that Cinemark will be screening the upcoming film Milk, the story of Harvey Milk, one of America's most memorable gay rights advocates. Mr. Stock essentially will greatly profit from showing Milk in Cinemark Theaters.
Now, you can search the database, thanks to an analysis performed by a reporting specialist for the Associated Press.
"I was asked to perform at an anti-Prop 8 rally on the big international day of protest – November 15 – in Cincinnati, and I thought I should write a protest song for it. The fact that there is now a ban on gay marriage just kills my spirit, hurts my heart. I was deputized as a marriage commissioner in San Francisco in June, and I got to marry a gay couple and a lesbian couple at city hall, and it was such an honor and a blessing, and we all wept through the entire thing. It was one of the greatest things I had ever experienced, and the fact that the state considers those unions now against the law just destroyed me emotionally. Momentarily, I lost my will to fight, and I desperately wanted to get it back, and music was the only answer.
They introduced me, and I fumbled with the guitar for a bit. I got all scared that somewhere between me taking it out of my gig bag – yeah that is a musician's term for a bag that you bring to the gig – your gig bag – I got all worried that in the few seconds that it was out of the gig bag, that it would go out of tune. I managed to get the strap and get the guitar in front of me semi-correctly. Then, I started to play, and miraculously, the song I wrote just came out of me and I know I messed up some chords but nobody seemed to mind much. It was the spirit of the thing, you know? At the end everyone was singing the chorus with me "Shove Proposition 8 up their ass!" and it felt really great."
After California passed proposition 8 by a 52% vote on election day, an uproar of protests have taken to the streets. 'Join the Impact' was formed by a young gay marriage activist in Seattle. What started out as a blog post, quickly logged 10,000 hits to the Web site on the first day it launched. The power of the Internet made the Web site go viral almost instantly. Soon, Join the Impact sign, banners and event invitations were being passed around Facebook at an extraordinary speed. And, the message was clear: there will be a national protest at every single city hall across America on Saturday, November 15. And, the power of the Internet made it happen.
The size of the protest is said to have far surpassed the Stonewall Riots in 1969. Join the Impact protests not only took to the streets in the U.S., but also in cities in Canada, England and Australia. One thing is for certain; the GLBT population around the world has had enough, and finally, after 40 years since Stonewall, we are standing up and uniting to demand equal rights.
This is a monumental moment in history. Never before have I felt like something was so important. Never before have I felt so much camaraderie and love among our own community. Today was an emotional experience for many who attended the protests. Below is a video I made of the Dallas protest.
Almost 11 years ago, America was introduced to gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender (GLBT) people in a more casual setting when Will & Grace hit the airwaves on NBC. For the first time, the word "gay" wasn't being shushed, rather it was played heavily in slapstick humor with characters like Jack (Sean Hayes) who flaunted his sexuality proudly onscreen. America laughed along with Will & Grace, and slowly, the show seemed to desensitize Americans to the reality of homosexuality.
But, as many gay people may attest, Will & Grace may have been funny, but it did not accurately portray the GLBT person or community. In fact, some would even go as far to say that the show allowed heterosexual people to poke fun at the gays. The show may have done just as much good as it did bad.
Many advertisers hopped on the gay-defamation bandwagon during this era of gays in the mainstream. For example, consider the Bridgestone ad where Alice Cooper was driving his car at night, dodging deer and other animals in the road. But, when an unsuspecting Richard Simmons appears on the road, Cooper steps on the gas instead of dodging the obstacle. The Bridgestone commercial aired during the Super Bowl, the most-watched event on television.
Today, the GLBT community has had enough. We have protested inequality and defamation since the Stonewall riots in 1969. For those that are counting, that's almost 40 years of fighting for our rights. As news of electing the first African-American president spread around the world, millions of people of all walks of life rejoiced with great relief. Barack Obama stands for hope and change.
Sadly, good news came with bad news when anti-gay propositions in California, Arizona and Florida passed, thus preventing GLBT Americans from legally marrying in their state. Since the passing of the propositions, America has been in an uproar. Protests are taking to the streets, the Internet is plastered with news articles, blogs, social networking groups and campaigns urging Americans to stand up and fight this anti-gay movement.
Melissa Etheridge wrote a blog, sounding off about California's passing of Proposition 8, satirizing about not paying her taxes if she's going to be categorized as a second-class citizen. I applaud Ms. Etheridge for her efforts. We need more celebrities to stand up and tell the world what they really think about inequality.
An estimated 8.8 million Americans identify themselves as being gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgendered. Say it with me..."Eight-point-eight-million-Americans." Do you realize the economic impact of 8.8 million people? The GLBT community has so much power and most of us don't even realize it. If only one half of us stood up and walked out into the street at an organized date and time, America would fall to its knees.
So, I propose this...if you're not "out", now's the time. Be a part of history. I would rather say that I fought for my own rights, than sat back and did nothing while my brothers and sisters did it for me. STAND UP!
If you haven't heard yet, a national protest has been slated for Saturday, November 15th at every single City Hall in America. This will be one of the largest protests in American History. If you are proud of who you are...show it. Whether you're GLBT or a straight ally, please join us on Saturday.
It's hard to believe that ten years have passed since Matthew Shepard was beaten and left to die on a fence post outside of Laramie, Wyoming. Matthew had been kidnapped by two guys who pistol-whipped the 21 year-old college student on the night of October 6, 1998. Matthew died at a hospital in Fort Collins, Colorado on October 12, 1998.
I can remember the uproar that swept the nation when the news of this hate crime was released. I was just one year older than Matthew at the time of his murder. One week prior, I had interviewed with a GLBT television show in Houston, Texas. I accepted a position as a television reporter, covering the entertainment scene.
I will never forget the call I received from my producer on October 13, asking if I was available to cover a candlelight vigil for Matthew Shepard. The news of his death and the heinous hate crime washed over me and left me with sudden fear. It was a reminder that as a gay man I was not safe in this world.
It was a hot, rainy night on Tuesday, October 13, 1998, when hundreds of Houstonites gathered in a park near downtown. The area was illuminated by lights from TV camera crews, including my own crew with TV Montrose. I was armed with a small pad of paper, a pen and an umbrella. I was ready to interview speakers in the speech lineup, including openly lesbian city councilwoman, Anise Parker.
Looking out over the lawn, I witnessed women and men of all races and backgrounds standing in the rain, candle in hand, singing "We shall overcome..." The vigil was very emotional for many attendees, including myself.
After taking notes from several interviews, I was ready to do my on-camera take. I reached into my pocket to pull out my pad of paper. To my dismay, all of my notes had been smeared by the rain. My first TV story, and by far the most important, was going to be a big challenge. My producer looked at me and told me not to worry. He said to speak from my heart. So, I tried my best to calm my nerves, remembering that the entire event was much bigger than me.
That night will always be etched in my memory as a defining moment in my life. That night I witnessed love and compassion in complete strangers. I sang with the crowd. I held my candle up high and I shed many tears while listening to the voices of hope and change reverberate from the speakers. That night changed me. One of my peers had been murdered for being gay. I will never forget Matthew Shepard.
I know I have this video in my archive somewhere. It's on VHS. I will do my best to get it digitized and uploaded soon.
Don't forget Matthew Shepard December 1, 1976 – October 12, 1998
Connecticut’s Supreme Court ruled Friday that gay couples have the right to marry, making the state the third behind Massachusetts and California to legalize such unions through the courts.
The ruling comes just weeks before Californians go to the polls on a historic gay-marriage ballot question, the first time the issue will be put before voters.
Connecticut’s court ruled 4-3 that gay and lesbian couples cannot be denied the freedom to marry under the state constitution. It was a logical next step for a state that was the first to voluntarily pass laws affirming and protecting civil unions.
"I can’t believe it. We’re thrilled, we’re absolutely overjoyed. We’re finally going to be able, after 33 years, to get married," said Janet Peck of Colchester, who was a plaintiff with her partner, Carole Conklin.
"I’m just ecstatic. It’s such a relief, the joy of it," said another plaintiff, Jodi Mock of West Hartford, who sued with partner Elizabeth Kerrigan.
"Interpreting our state constitutional provisions in accordance with firmly established equal protection principles leads inevitably to the conclusion that gay persons are entitled to marry the otherwise qualified same sex partner of their choice," Justice Richard N. Palmer wrote in the majority opinion that overturned a lower court finding.
"To decide otherwise would require us to apply one set of constitutional principles to gay persons and another to all others," Palmer wrote.
The Family Institute of Connecticut, a political action group that opposes gay marriage, called the ruling outrageous.
"Even the legislature, as liberal as ours, decided that marriage is between a man and a woman," said executive director Peter Wolfgang. "This is about our right to govern ourselves. It is bigger than gay marriage."
Gov. M. Jodi Rell said Friday that she disagreed with the ruling, but will not fight it.
"The Supreme Court has spoken," Rell said in a statement. "I do not believe their voice reflects the majority of the people of Connecticut. However, I am also firmly convinced that attempts to reverse this decision - either legislatively or by amending the state Constitution - will not meet with success."
But House Speaker Jim Amann, a Democrat, said he expects the issue to be taken up by the General Assembly.
"The legislature, as the lawmaking branch of government, debated this issue and made Connecticut one of the few states that offers civil union status for same-sex couples," Amman said.
The lawsuit was brought in 2004 after eight same-sex couples were denied marriage licenses and sued, saying their constitutional rights to equal protection and due process were violated.
They said the state’s marriage law, if applied only to heterosexual couples, denied them of the financial, social and emotional benefits of marriage.
Peck said that as soon as the decision was announced, the couple started crying and hugging while juggling excited phone calls from her brother and other friends and family.
"We’ve always dreamed of being married," she said. "Even though we were lesbians and didn’t know if that would ever come true, we always dreamed of it."
National Coming Out Day is October 11, a day when GLBT Americans are encouraged to break free from the political and social restraints of a heterosexual world and be proud of who we are as a people.
For many GLBT people, coming out can be very difficult. Facing family, friends, co-workers and classmates can be frightening, especially when the world has taught us for so long that being gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgendered is unacceptable.
Though I can understand the fear a person would have when considering to come out, my personal journey was quite different. I've always been a very outspoken person, never really caring what other people think of me. Instead, I've always been more of a trend setter, a person who leaped first and asked questions later.
When I was 18 years old, I told my mother in a very casual conversation that I am gay. She didn't care, nor did she have much to say about it. Coming out to Dad was a little more difficult since I had always sought his approval for so many things throughout my life. But, I didn't really care what he thought when it came to my sexuality; it was mine to own, not his to approve.
One day I came home to do some laundry (I had been living part-time with friends in the gayborhood) and Dad asked where I had been for the past two weeks. Without thinking twice, I blurted "I've been staying with my boyfriend. You'd like him. He's a lawyer."
Dad didn't say anything for what seemed like several minutes. Finally I asked him if he was going to comment. He said "I've always known. I don't know what you want me to say. Just don't bring your lovers here or to any family event. And, don't tell your grandma!"
I told Dad that I wouldn't want anyone I cared about to meet him in the first place, so his rules were meaningless and without merit. I didn't return home or speak to my father for almost two years after that day. But, being a television reporter on a gay TV show, I sent Dad tapings of my show every week...just to tip the scale - to show him that his judgment did not affect me.
A few years later, after moving to Dallas and living with my (ex) partner, Dad called me up and invited us to Christmas with the family. He said that he missed having his son at family events. That year, my partner and I were welcomed with open arms and we appeared in all of the family photos. Amazingly, I was more uncomfortable at Christmas with my partner than any one of my family members. They just carried on like there was absolutely nothing different or out of place. I owe them a great deal of gratitude for this. My family, that day, and every single day afterward, made me feel normal.
Today, Dad is deceased. He died this time last year from colon cancer. But, we shared a good solid five years in a healthy and happy relationship with each other; a relationship free of hatred and bias, and full of love and acceptance. On this National Coming Out Day, I give thanks to my dad and my entire family for being so loving and so accepting. It took some tough love on my part...but, as I said before...being gay is mine to own, not my family's to approve.
A dear friend of mine has been in the closet his entire life, and when we first met I hounded him about it. He told me that his truck-driver dad would never understand it, nor would he accept it. So, my friend decided that he was not going to come out to his family. At age 29, my friend flew back home to St. Louis and came out to his mother and father. He explained that he could no longer understand why his family should not know about his sexuality, and that he owed it to his parents to tell them the truth. I was so proud of him. I knew that even if he didn't come out to them, he had already taken the biggest step toward self-acceptance.
My friend's father didn't take it so well. In fact, he kicked him out of his house that weekend and demanded that his son repay all of his college tuition. Even worse, he's been told not to call home, and his father said some really mean things. I felt so bad for my friend when he was telling me this. But, he is so respectful of himself and his new-found self awareness that his father's reaction did minimal damage to his heart. My friend explains that he knew his father would take it this way and that he was prepared.
Still...it's very sad. You're only given one set of parents in this life. If my father had died last year while we were in a state of disagreement or hatred, it would be unbearable. I would never have forgiven myself for not trying harder.
So, to all of you out there who are still not out to your family...first, do it on your own terms and at your own pace. But, second, never lose sight of who you are. Find your self-respect. And, if someone has a problem with your sexuality...just think about this...that's THEIR problem to worry about and lose sleep over...NOT YOURS. Just remember...you've already lost your sleep. You've already worried about it. You've already beaten yourself up about it. Don't do it all over again for someone else. Take care of yourself first. It's not your responsibility to cope with everyone's doubts, worries and inadequacies. Be who you are with NO APOLOGIES.
We finally watched the "Two Girls, One Cup" video (it's still haunting me). Here is a video of us watching it. The reactions are completely unscripted and quite funny.
While the rest of the world celebrated Pride in June, Dallas is just now getting started. A plethora of Pride events are scheduled throughout September, including the 25th anniversary Alan Ross Texas Freedom Parade on Sunday, September 21.
I'm really excited about this year's Pride celebration. For the past four years I served as the Marketing Director for The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, and without fail, each year we had a major special event that fell on Pride. Needless to say, I have not been able to take part in Pride festivities for quite some time.
This year's Pride celebration is especially exciting since I will be hosting the winner of the "Win a Trip to Dallas" sweepstakes I created for the Dallas Convention & Visitors Bureau (DCVB). For the past few years, the DCVB has been a client of SRJ Marketing Communications, the gaygency where I am employed. I have the fortunate opportunity to develop marketing strategies and campaigns that market Dallas as a gay travel destination.
On Friday, Ted Patchell of Drexell Hill, PA, along with a guest, will arrive in Dallas and check in to the Crowne Plaza Hotel at Market Center. American Airlines so graciously donated the air travel, while Crowne Plaza Hotel is allowing our guests to shack up for three nights at no cost! They are even providing a gift basket and breakfast for our guests.
Friday night is the Pride Party at W Victory Park, where Passport Magazine, Gay List Daily, W Hotel and LFT team up to offer our community an evening of fun painted all colors of the rainbow. My sources also tell me that complimentary drinks will be provided!
Later Friday night we will head over to S4 and check out Andy Bell's live performance. For those younguns out there, Andy Bell was the lead front man for the ever-popular eighties and ninetys band, Erasure.
We'll be sure not to drink too much Friday night, since Saturday we're all hitting Gay Day at Six Flags, compliments of the Dallas Voice! I hope all of you are there - even if you're a wimp and you won't get on the rides. We need to show up in drones and make our presence known. Our power as a people is in our numbers. Plus, the Titan is just super fun to ride. Tickets are only $25 and you get them through Kris Martin at the Voice. Just click the link about to e-mail her. Later we will hit the strip for super fun times and adult beverages.
Finally on Sunday we'll head down to the strip and catch some beads at the Pride parade. The parade begins at 2 p.m. and continues to a festival in Lee Park. This is where we will introduce Ted Patchell as the winner of the "Win a Trip to Dallas" Sweepstakes. So, don't forget about the festival!
Somehow after all of this partying, I will wake up on Monday and go back to work. I'll feel like complete ass, but we do what we have to do. Later that night, I will attend the Pride Dinner at the Melrose. This is an exclusive event complete with food, mingling and guest speakers that include Jeff Key, our Honorary Grand Marshall. Jeff is a former marine and the star of a Showtime original documentary titled "Semper Fi: One Marine's Journey." Jeff is now out and proud. He'll share his personal struggle he faced while on the battlefield - a true hero.
Did you know that W Hotel in Dallas hosted a Pride event just two short years ago? Neither did I. But, apparently, everyone was there. And, now, the sheik Starwood hotel is tasting the rainbow one more time when they host their 2008 Pride Party on Friday, September 19 from 8 p.m. to 10 p.m.
What does this mean for the party diva queer who's schedule normally consists of hooking up on a Friday night, but never giving up a Saturday night for trade? I'll lay it out for you: Open bar featuring Barefoot Wine and Skyy vodka and a fashion show by LFT. WTF, LOL, STFU...I know what all of these acronyms stand for...but I'm coming up with nothing for LFT. Unless it was tattooed on the ass of the guy I met at S4 last weekend, I'm just not in the know on this one. But, we all love fashion...so go on girl...let LFT rock the runway.
According to my sources the 2006 Pride Event had more than 500 queens in attendance. So, this year's event, with some help from sponsors like Passport Magazine and Gay List Daily, is sure to be a hit.
Don't be left out in the cold on this one. Because, when this event comes back around next year, I don't want to have to say "I told you so."
By the way, the first 300 in attendance will walk away with a Pride Gift Bag. And, we all love those Estee Lauder samples, so don't think for a minute I won't go hide my bag and stand in line for another three.
You must be on the list to attend. Visit the GLBTdallas.com Event Calendar and click on September 19th - Pride at Victory Park for RSVP information.
They sewed seven new outfits, found matching shoes and packed enough lube to grease the rails of Penn Station. They even spent in upwards of $1,000 just to make it to the event. But, alas, some big ass hurricane by the name of Gustav came whistling by and gay leather daddies, twinks and drag queens scurried like John McCain had just entered the room and farted.
I'm talking about Southern Decadence in New Orleans, arguably one of the queerest events in the world that takes over the streets of the French Quarter the week of Labor Day every year. Hosted by the notorious porn diva Chi Chi LaRue, Southern Decadence is touted as the "Gay Mardi Gras", an event known for bringing debauchery to the streets of New Orleans for the last 37 years.
But, disappointment has now replaced all the debauchery and left party-goers with a half-empty schedule, forcing the gays out of the city, dodging the category four hurricane. Many patrons of the event were left with the feeling of abandonment; stripped nude by wind and rain, and left feeling as if an itch had not been scratched. Now what? Just go home? This is where Twist comes in to play.
A new party has emerged in Dallas - well, Lake Grapevine, really. But, that's just a hop, skip and a Twist away from the Big D, only a 20-minute drive. All those Southern Decadencers now have a way to release all that energy that was built up in the French Quarter.
A gay party on the lake, you ask? Sounds like Splash, you might think. Splash is another signature gay event that takes place on Lake Travis in Austin, Texas the same weekend as Southern Decadence. For years, the gays had to choose which event they were going to attend. Some even alternated between the events; attending Southern Decadence one year and Splash the next.
Splash has been going on for years in Austin, the mastermind special event invented by Ben Parsley. The event first began in Parsley's apartment more than 10 years ago, but it kept growing by leaps and bounds every year. Parsley eventually turned it into a big circuit party weekend, complete with big name DJs, dance events, and the signature event at Hippie Hollow - a cove on Lake Travis known to be a nudist area. Parsley has since retired from the event and now it is completely coordinated by local gay bar Oil Can Harry's. Though, through partnership, OCH has always had some stake in the event.
Splash went off without a hitch last weekend. While thousands of gays were fleeing the streets of New Orleans, muscled hot men were getting wet on Lake Travis in Austin - no where near the path of a destructive hurricane. So, it looks like this year...Splash won.
But, now, Splash is over. Southern Decadence was tied up, flogged and topped by Gustav. There's one more party left this season where the boys can show off their goods, and it's called Twist on Lake Grapevine.
On Saturday, September 13 at 4 p.m., Twist will take Lake Grapevine by storm. Twist is not another Splash, nor is it meant to compete with the already successful event. Instead, Twist is the answer to an age old problem in the Dallas gay scene: what the heck is there to do around here? Twist offers a local, entertainment option that, up until now, has not been available in North Texas.
Twist takes place at the center of Lake Grapevine, where for the day and part of the night, the water turns all shades of rainbow. Tickets to Twist are only $30, but you can get a discount by entering a coupon code found at the end of this article. All tickets inlcude entrance to the party barges, beer, food and entertainment.
So, what are you waiting for? Don't miss the newest gay event to hit the Dallas scene. Get tickets today by visiting www.crew96.com. Save $5 per ticket by entering the coupon code below at checkout. Have a big group coming? Special discounts are available for groups of four or more. Contact us at info@crew96.com for more information.
Just yesterday I walked into Buli Cafe on the Cedar Springs strip and spotted local Dallas female impersonator, Wayne Smith, aka Cher, checking out houses on his laptop. After saying our hellos and where-the-hell-have-you-beens, Wayne surprised me with "Girl, I retired!"
The decision to box the stilettos and coiffure was difficult for Wayne, but he explained the schedule is just too demanding for his new life with his husband. Focusing on his relationship is an important decision for the veteran actor who has been performing for more than 27 years.
Wayne is a one-of-a-kind in the industry, with a long list of accomplishments, including performances in Los Angeles, Atlantic City, Las Vegas, Miami Beach, Austria and Aruba. As a seasoned drag performer, Wayne is best known for his extraordinary personification of Cher. Wayne's striking resemblance to the star is coupled with his amazing vocal ability. But, Wayne's talent goes far beyond the likes of Cher, with great impersonations of Lucille Ball, Marilyn Monroe and other unique drag-centric creations.
Wayne Smith has been featured on the Biography Channel, Texan Idol and a 2007 celebrity look alike reality TV show on ABC. Wayne has also been very active in the community, helping to raise funds for various charities, including the annual Cher Convention in Las Vegas. In addition, in 2007 Wayne hosted the Pink Party at Mickey's Dallas, paying tribute to a friend, Blake Ray, who lost the battle with lymphoma.
In an announcement on his MySpace page, Wayne said "I am already missing everyone in the clubs here in Dallas...I will try to support the community for benefits and charity shows. So I can truthfully say, 'You have not seen the last of me'."
So, for Wayne Smith, this is farewell...or is it? For all the Wayne Smith fans out there, we can only hope for a second farewell tour.
Twist, the official end of summer lake party presented by Crew 96 Entertainment, will take Lake Grapevine by storm on Saturday, September 13, 2008 from 4 p.m. to 9 p.m. Tickets are on sale now for $30 and include access to two party barges, drinks, food and entertainment.
Twist is an all-gay event designed to offer a unique entertainment option to the LGBT community. Tickets have been selling fast and only a handful of barge access passes remain. For more information and to purchase tickets, please visit www.crew96.com.
About two weeks after the Dallas Convention & Visitors Bureau (DCVB) announced the winner of the "Win a Trip to Dallas" sweepstakes, the randomly selected individual, Yvette Roper of Jamaica, New York, declined the offer due to personal complications.
A new drawing was held on Tuesday, August 19 by Dallas-based marketing communications agency, SRJ Marketing Communications, on behalf of the DCVB. Edward Patchell of Drexell Hill, PA was randomly selected to receive a free trip to Dallas the weekend of the 25th anniversary Texas Alan Ross Freedom Parade, Dallas' official gay pride celebration.
The pride parade marches down Cedar Springs Road on Sunday, September 21 and ends at Lee Park where the pride festival will continue. Patchell will be introduced at the pride festival during onstage announcements. Patchell and a guest will receive round trip airfare sponsored by American Airlines, hotel accommodations compliments of Crowne Plaza Hotel Dallas Market Center, tickets to Gay Day at Six Flags donated by the Dallas Voice, tickets to the Dallas Museum of Art and a gift basket.
For more information about the Dallas Convention & Visitors Bureau and all things gay in Dallas, please visit www.glbtdallas.com or contact Jason Vincik at 214-528-5775 or dallaspromotions@srj.net.
Crew 96, a Dallas-based special events entertainment company, announced today a new gay event slated for Saturday, September 13. Titled “Twist”, the party commences on Lake Grapevine from 4 p.m. to 9 p.m. Tickets are on sale now for only $30 and include access to two party barges, drinks, food and entertainment.
Crew 96 founder and president, Jason Vincik, explains that Twist is just what Dallas needed. “The mission of Crew 96 is to bring new entertainment options to the North Texas LGBT community,” said Vincik. “A big party on the lake was one of those missing elements in our annual event lineup.”
Focusing on missing elements is the key strategy behind Crew 96. According to Vincik, an event is planned only after ample research has been conducted among members of the Dallas LGBT community.
“The Crew 96 team has spent the last several months surveying party-goers at events, bars and nightclubs,” Vincik explained. Initial feedback on the Twist party favored the event very positively. “Our focus will be on developing events that appeal to every letter in ‘LGBT’. You can expect to see many more great events like Twist coming to Dallas very soon.”
Although Twist has not even hit the scene yet, Crew 96 reports the next event is already being planned, and the special events gurus promise something big in the works. Steven Shanks, the logistics coordinator for Crew 96 said a big event is underway and it will be very different from the Twist party. “It’s going to be over-the-top, fun and it will inspire our community to dream,” said Shanks.
Limited tickets are available for the Twist party on Lake Grapevine.
About Crew 96
Crew 96 is a Dallas-based entertainment company that specializes in LGBT events. With more than 12 years special events and marketing communications experience, Crew 96 brings unique entertainment options to North Texas communities. For more information about Crew 96, please visit www.crew96.com.
The Dallas Convention & Visitors Bureau (DCVB) announced the winner of its "Win a Trip to Dallas" sweepstakes. Yvette Roper of Jamaica, NY was selected to receive a vacation package to Dallas.
The promotion is part of a new integrated marketing communications campaign that targets the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community. The campaign launched in April at a Dallas press tour that included members of the domestic and international gay press.
Ms. Roper will receive two roundtrip American Airlines tickets to Dallas and a two-day, three-night stay at the Crowne Plaza Hotel Dallas Market Center. In addition, Roper will receive two tickets to attend Gay Day at Six Flags Over Texas, compliments of the Dallas Voice. A gift basket will await the winner at the hotel, complete with goodies to make their Dallas visit memorable.
Ms. Roper and a guest will travel to Dallas in September and experience Dallas Pride firsthand. The city celebrates 25 years of Pride when the Alan Ross Texas Freedom Parade marches through the Oak Lawn neighborhood on September 21, 2008.
"This promotion is part of our 'Try Dallas on for Size' campaign," said Phillip Jones, president & CEO of the DCVB. "Dallas is a diverse and vibrant city, with more than $12 billion in development that adds additional dining, shopping, cultural and entertainment options every year. September weather is perfect for watching one of the largest pride parades in the nation, with participants that include city officials, community leaders and thousands of supporters. We look forward to showcasing our city's 'Live Large. Think Big' way of life."
For more information on Dallas Pride, or to discover more about how Dallas reaches out to the LGBT community, visit www.glbtdallas.com.Read more...
Just one week after Dallas gay bar owner David Moore banned all drag queens from his establishment, Crews Inn, a mob of upset protestors took action.
After reading an article in the Dallas Voice, a local LGBT publication, several gay, straight and transgender persons took a stand against what they called discrimination by the bar owner. More than 15 activists lined the sidewalk outside Crews Inn around 11:30 p.m. on Tuesday, July 22. According to attendees, three times as many activists were there earlier that evening.
"Support your whole community. Do the right thing. Crews Inn discriminates against transgender people" was shout from the sidewalk adjacent to the bar on Tuesday night, the busiest night of the week for Crews Inn.
Kelli Busey (pictured left) was there holding one of several signs that read "Equal rights for make-up and tights." Kelli identifies herself as a transgender female. Though the staff allowed Busey entrance to the bar that evening, she explains its because the photo on her identification card matches her appearance.
According to the article in the Dallas Voice, Moore was told the Dallas Police Department and the Texas Alcohol Beverage Commission would rule in his favor since a customer's appearance must match her picture ID.
But, the angry protestors still felt that Moore had done a great deal of unjustice to the transgender community. By deciding to ban the entire group, instead of holding individuals accountable for their actions, Moore had turned his back on the community. According to Busey, protests will continue next week if a public apology has not been made by Moore.
At 11:52 p.m., David Moore, nor anyone from his staff had addressed the protestors. Police officers stood by patiently, but no one was arrested or injured during the demonstration.
Yep. That's right. A Dallas gay bar owner, David Moore of the Crews Inn, did something pretty darn stupid recently when he kicked out local drag favorites, Ivana Tramp and Celeste Williams for no apparent reason.
A recent article in the Dallas Voice quoted “Drag queens act like they are divas and think they can’t do no wrong,” Moore said. “They have stolen money straight off the bar, hassled customers for drinks and locked themselves in the bathroom with a bunch of guys. And with Tuesday being our busiest night, there is just no way for me to keep the drag queens under control then. I don’t want drag queens in here that are going to misbehave.”
According to the article, a bartender came over and told Tramp and Williams they had to go. The alleged former drag queen bartender also said that Moore was in a mood and he didn't want drag queens, trannies or girls in his bar.
“It’s kind of like I’m a positive role model in the community,” Tramp said. “It wasn’t like I was there hammered or begging people to buy me a drink. I felt like it was very embarrassing and degrading.” Somehow Moore came to the conclusion that he should just go ahead and ban all drag queens due to the bad behavior of other cross dressers in the past. Beginning July 15, 2008, Moore and bar staff began removing drag queens from the bar.
A protest has been announced for Tuesday, July 22 (Tuesdays are the Crews Inn's busiest night). Apparently, Ivana is downright pissed. And, well, I don't blame her. Imagine if a few gay men "locked themselves in the bathroom with a bunch of guys" and "hassled customers for drinks." One would think the same rule would apply...kick all gay men out of the gay bar. If my calculations are correct, Moore had better start kicking out all the gay men now, because some of their behavior matches that of these allegedly renegade drag queens on any given night, like clown-carring a restroom, working a drink at the bar and steeling booty. And, by booty I mean valuables, of course.
My point is...what's good for the goose is good for the gander. What Moore should be doing is punishing the individuals for their individual acts, not an entire group. What is this, 1963?
You have to admit...this Dallas gay bar owner did something pretty stupid. He turned his back on part of our community. Not only does he owe an apology to the countless innocent drag queens out there who were innocently dragged into this whole ordeal by his prejudice acts, but he should also be made into an example for other bigots out there who dare cause further separation within our community.
Though I'm personally not a drag queen, I am a gay man and I do respect the band of brothers and sisters that make up this LGBT community. I will stick by the side of every good citizen that makes up our L, G, B and T. For this reason, I refuse to step foot in the Crews Inn until a mutual resolve has been made clear by both parties involved. True, I am only one person. But, to this one person this is dispicable and intolerable. Plus, have you seen my bar tab??
Often when being interviewed by gay publications and media sites, I'm asked "Why Dallas?" I must confess, the first time I was posed with this question I was at Throckmorton Mining Company - a local gay club in Dallas (now closed).
He was a tall, slender man with big beady eyes and a freshly shaved head. His British accent caught me by surprise as he leaned over and shouted above the bumping and beating music that was coming from the dance floor. "I hate Texas!" I could hardly believe what I was hearing.
It must be noted that I'm born and raised in Texas. Ask any native about the lone star state and they all will answer with a great sense of pride in their voice. We Texans are very proud of where we live.
"Why do you hate Texas?" I asked. "Where are you from?"
The tall Texan-hater shouted "London! All of your laws are so backwards here. You still discriminate against the gay population. I mean, look who your president is!"
He was right. I couldn't really argue with any of that. Our laws are quite antiquated, but not much different from most other states in our union when it relates to GLBT rights. Our president...alright, he's got me there. George W. Bush. But, hey! I didn't vote for him, nor did any of my family or friends that live in Texas. Sadly, when the general population thinks of W, they think of Texas.
"Okay, yes. So, our president sucks," I responded. "But, there are great places in Texas that are quite gay friendly, like Dallas."
"I don't see how Dallas is different from any other city in Texas."
The conversation was heating up. I was about to embark on a debate that had no business touting its ugly head in a loud club. But, I will always defend my opinion, especially when it can be backed up with facts. More importantly, as gay as I am, I would never live in a city where I didn't feel comfortable about my sexuality. I was about to let him have it.
"Dallas is a great city! I'm originally from Houston, but I will now and always call Dallas my home. We've got so much to offer. You know we have the largest urban arts district in the nation? It takes up 19 city blocks in downtown. We have this fabulous gay strip that you're partying on right now. Dallas is one of few cities in the nation that even has a gay strip." I told him how I once lived in St. Louis where you had to drive several blocks to get from one gay bar to the next.
"Well, you may have a few gay bars along a street, but that doesn't make a city gay-friendly."
"Oh, but we are," I rebutted. "The City of Dallas does not discriminate on the basis of sexual orientation. It's written right into the City's EEO statement. The City even offers domestic partner benefits to its employees. And, I can assure you that if the City didn't welcome gay residents and travelers with open arms, then we certainly wouldn't have a public marketing campaign targeted directly to the GLBT community, nor would our mayor march in our pride parade."
I went on to explain about how former mayor Laura Miller helped move gay rights initiatives to the front of the line while she was in office. I also explained how Ed Oakley, an openly gay city councilman, ran for mayor and lost only by a small margin. I even told him about Dallas Sheriff Lupe Valdez, the only female Sheriff in the state of Texas who is also openly gay and Hispanic...a triple threat.
I added "Dallas is a very diverse city. You can walk out of this bar holding my hand right now, kiss me on the street and not a single person will even care."
"Texas still has a long way to go. Talk to me again when you are able to marry." And, with that, the bald-headed eagle walked away.
It can be tiring defending your city. There are so many false perceptions about Dallas. But, I must attribute all of our great progress in the GLBT community to the volunteers that came before me.
Alan Ross and the Dallas Tavern Guild took over a struggling Dallas pride parade in the early 80's and turned it into a very successful event that attracts thousands (Dallas is celebrating our 25th anniversary pride celebration in 2008).
Many activists stood outside Crossroads Market in the late 60's and 70's picketing and demanding equal rights for the GLBT community in Dallas. And, we can not ever forget the numerous nonprofit service organizations that give back to our community, such as the Resource Center of Dallas, AIDS Arms and the Black Tie Dinner - the largest GLBT black tie affair in the US. I even joined the efforts of Razzle Dazzle Dallas (now out of business), helping coordinate events in our community - events that donated proceeds to local AIDS charities and gay youth organizations.
Yes, Dallas truly is a city that inspires big ideas; a city that offers a great amount of support and inclusion among our gay community. And, it can only get better. We may not have the right to marry today. But, just think back to June 26, 2003 when the Texas Supreme Court ruled that Texas sodomy laws are unconstitutional (Lawrence & Garner vs. Texas). We are making strides. It's only a matter of time.
For more information about how the City of Dallas reaches out to the GLBT community, please visit www.glbtdallas.com or contact SRJ Marketing Communications at www.srj.net.
I first became involved in the LGBT community as a television reporter for TV Montrose, an LGBT-focused news and entertainment cable-access show in Houston, Texas. My first project came to me when the sudden news of Matthew Sheperd's death rocked the world. The tragedy of Matthew's death helped motivate me into action.
While in Houston, I joined Pride Houston as a co-coordinator of Gay Day at Astroworld, and also helped coordinate other special events with the organization.
After moving to Dallas, I quickly became involved with Razzle Dazzle Dallas, a pride celebration that took place along the Cedar Springs strip in June each year.
In 2005, I co-founded A Group Events, a social networking platform that helped expand circles of friends among LGBT and LGBT-friendly people. In 2007, I founded Crew 96 Entertainment, where I currently produce special events in the LGBT community, such as the annual Gay Bachelor Auction that raises funds for The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society.
Hello world!
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Word of the Gay: "Ghey"
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"Ghey" is a postmodern redevelopment of the pejorative usage of the term
gay. The term is supposed to convey a sense of being lame or uncool without
offend...
