Category Archives: Travel

January 6, 2014

Snow Day

By Joe

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Technically, we aren’t getting a snow day here in Alabama because if there was snow, it came in the middle of the night in the form of flurries and none of it accumulated. However, we are getting the day out of school because of extremely cold (at least for Alabama) temperatures and icy roads. Since we rarely have these conditions, it is advisable that people only get on the roads if it is absolutely necessary. I will not be getting on the roads today. The school is closed and since we are expecting even colder temperatures tomorrow, with a possible windchill of below 0 degrees, we may not have school tomorrow either (I’m keeping my fingers crossed).

Instead of going out, I actually have a lot I need to get done today. I need to do some laundry, especially some of my summer clothes. Summer clothes? You ask. Yes, summer clothes. I will be needing them next week. I’m going on a seven day cruise to Honduras, Belize, and Mexico. Because I’m a poor teacher, I would not normally be going on a cruise; however, a close friend of mine and her family are going and they invited me. Since there was an odd number of them and my friend’s sister would have a room to herself and it was a mere $100 to add another person, they asked if I wanted to go. I hesitated at first because of finances, because I really didn’t have even $100 to spare. They said that if I would go, they’d take care of the $100 and the cruise would be free. Honestly, how could I pass it up? So I didn’t. I’ve saved up some money and receive some at Christmas to help pay for the incidentals (HRH’s healthcare costs have cut into that), but all in all, I think I will be okay. From what I have been told, there are three main extra costs to going on a cruise: 1) the excursions at the various ports, 2) alcoholic beverages, which I expect to consume copious amounts, and 3) souvenirs. I hope I have enough to cover these.

Anyway, there’s a lot to do to get ready before I leave. First of all, I need to get packed and make sure I don’t forget anything. Second, having a substitute for a week at school is more work than being there. Luckily, I have it worked out that I have reached a particular part in my curriculum for each of my classes to be able to show a movie in nearly all of them, and if I can be creative then I will be able to find a movie for all of them. However, in my class, watching a movie is never enough. Assignments have to be made for follow ups. I will have worksheets and essays for students to work on when the movies have finished. Third, I need to schedule blog posts for each day I will be at sea. Next week will probably be a few itinerary items, mixed in with some of my usual posts, but I’m sure most of it will be cruise or travel related. I have some ideas, so I hope that even though I will be gone and will not be able to respond to comments, you will tune in each day to see what I have in store for you. I promise I will do my best to make it fun. If nothing else, I know you will enjoy the pictures.

So it’s actually a good thing that it’s too cold to do anything today, I have a lot to get started on this week, and all of it will have to be finished by Friday.

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July 17, 2013

Travels and Travails

By Joe

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I had mentioned on Monday that I would blog about my weekend trip. This was not one of my best vacations, but it wasn’t a vacation for me. I was going as the driver. My aunt, who is near my age and, incidentally, my roommate (she’s more like a big sister thank an aunt). Anyway, a few months ago, we got tickets to see Luke Bryan in concert in Birmingham. That was how the plan for this trip started. We were going to take my aunt’s former foster daughter (aka M) to the concert. (My aunt was given custody of her for about two years because the girls parents had major drug problems, but when they got mostly straitened out, the courts gave her back to her parents. My aunt is still a very important part of her life, and they, hopefully, will always be part of each others lives.)

M rarely ever gets to go anywhere or do anything unless my aunt takes her. Sadly since going back with her parents several years ago, she is the grown-up in the household, even though she is 15. So my aunt does her best to make sure she has what she needs and is able to have some sort of a normal life. This is why we were taking her to the concert. She loves Luke Bryan.

There is a fair amount of backstory to this trip, so stay with me.

Add to this that my aunt is a big fan of “Duck Dynasty” on A&E, especially of Jace Roberts. The shows funny, but I don’t get her obsession. Anyway, Jace was scheduled to be in Huntsville at a hunting and fishing expo Friday. Since we were going to be in Birmingham on Thursday and Huntsville is only an hour and a half to two hours away, my aunt wanted to go see him. So a trip to Huntsville was added on to the Thursday night concert.

Well, Huntsville is only two hours from Nashville. My aunt has wanted to go back to Nashville, and it was an opportunity to take M on a short vacation to a place her parents would never take her, so two days in Nashville were added to the trip. My aunt took me to Nashville when I was a kid, so I was game to go back. We had not gone to the Parthenon when we had gone before, and this was somewhere I wanted to go. Also, the Country Music Hall of Fame had moved to a new home and it would also be nice to tour.

To say the least, M was extremely excited about going, and even though I didn’t have the money to go, my aunt convinced me that it would cost very little. She was paying for the hotels and gas, if I would drive. All I had to pay for was food (and we were planning on picnicking as much as possible) and admission to museums that we went to visit (they were relatively inexpensive). I figured I could afford this. However, some unexpected expenses came up, and my money was gone. Since I am a teacher who makes very little money, and in January 2013, I lost my second job that supplemented my income, I am struggling financially. Being poor sucks. In this current economy, keeping one job is hard enough, finding a second is nearly impossible. So when something unexpected comes up, it can be a big problem. It seems like, I can no longer keep my head above water. My “guardian accountant,” and he know who he is, says that it will take time for things to get better. I hope that’s true. Anyway, I’m off topic. With M’s excitement, I couldn’t back out and disappoint her, I would just have to make the best of it.

I knew things were not going to be good when a deposit I made into my account did not post like it should have. Next, I got a speeding ticket going through Montgomery on the way to the concert. I don’t understand how, since my cruise control was set on 65 mph, the speed limit, and the state trooper, aka officer asshole, said he clocked me going 85 mph in a 65 mph speed zone. What he clocked was the gray Ford Fusion that was passing me, or one of the other dozens of cars passing me, instead of my gray Ford Focus. I tried to explain this to him, but he called me a liar. I made the mistake of putting on my brakes and trying to move over when I saw an emergency vehicle (just as the law in Alabama says to do). Now add to no money, I now have a speeding ticket to pay for. Things were not starting out well.

The concert was outdoors at the Oak Mountain Amphitheater, and it was hotter than Hell, as Alabama summers are wont to be. Florida-Georgia Line performed first, and were not very good in concert. Thompson Square, however, was far better than I had expected. Luke Bryan was smokin’ hot, a lot of fun to watch, and put on a great concert. So that was at least one thing that went well.

On to Huntsville. First let me say, I am not big on hunting and fishing expos, so I was not looking forward to this. We waited over an hour to get in and then the line to see Jace Robertson was quite long and he was not even going to start sign autographs for two more hours. I left M and my aunt in line while I went to to check out the expo. Compared to the Buckmasters Expo in Montgomery, where I have taken my niece several times to see the guys from Swamp People (she’s 5, and it’s her favorite show), the fishing and hunting expo in Huntsville was pretty crappy. I was able to go around the whole thing four times in two hours. After which I decided to take a seat and wait to hear Jace’s seminar. I knew it would be partly about hunting and partly about his faith. The Robertsons are members of the Churches of Christ, most of them are ordained ministers. I figured it would be an I greeting talk, and I got a fantastic seat. My aunt and M got their autographs and came over to where I was. Since my aunt is such a big fan of Jace, I gave her my seat and took M to show her around the Expo.

Once all of that was over with, we headed to Nashville. Apparently, the reviews of our Nashville hotel were all lies. The place was comfortable, but it sat behind a liquor store and there was a big ugly black drag queen screaming in the parking lot. First appearances what they are, the hotel didn’t turn out so badly. We had a pretty good day in Nashville, and things started looking up. We went to Music Row, the Country Music Hall of Fame, saw the Parthenon and Centennial Park, then went to the Opry Mills Mall that used to be Opryland. We had planned on touring the Opryland Hotel, but they now charge $20 for parking, so we opted out of that. At Opry Mills, we ate at the Aquarium Restaurant, which has great food and great atmosphere. I had eaten at one in Houston before. M loved it. It was like going to an aquarium and a nice restaurant all in one for her. Two things she’s never gotten to do before. It was a trip of firsts for her.

On the way home on Sunday, we had to more stops we decided to make, because we would be driving by them and since M had never seen them, it seemed like a good idea. The first stop was the Ave Maria Grotto in Cullman, Alabama. Known as “Jerusalem in Miniature,” Ave Maria Grotto is a beautifully landscaped, four-acre park designed to provide a natural setting for the 125 miniature reproductions of some of the most famous historic buildings and shrines of the world. The masterpieces of stone and concrete are the lifetime work of Brother Joseph Zoettl, a Benedictine monk of St. Bernard Abbey. Begun as a hobby, with various materials he could find, and infinite patience and a remarkable sense of symmetry and proportion, Brother Joseph re-created some of the greatest edifices of all time. It is definitely something that if you have the chance, you should see, even if it is like a little tacky roadside attraction.

The next stop was in Birmingham at the Vulcan. The Vulcan statue is the largest cast iron statue in the world, and is the city symbol of Birmingham, Alabama, reflecting its roots in the iron and steel industry. The 56-foot tall statue depicts the Roman god Vulcan, god of the fire and forge. I had not seen the statue up close in years. Since I had last seen it, the statue had been restored to its original condition. The restoration and the new visitors center are really nice.

With the exception of the lack of funds and the speeding ticket, the trip actually turned out to be very nice. The only thing I regret, and I just didn’t have the finances for it, was that I would have loved to enjoy some of e famous nightlife in Nashville. Oh well, that will have to be for another trip.

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June 25, 2012

New Orleans Pride

By Joe

New Orleans Gay Pride is sometimes overlooked by the out of town masses for more well-known annual events like Southern Decadence and Gay Mardi Gras. But, The Crescent City has a rich Gay Pride history dating back to 1971 when the newly-formed Gay Liberation Front of New Orleans presented a “Gay In” picnic in February in City Park.  That was the very first such event in the entire state of Louisiana.  Several other gatherings were held throughout the city that year, and intermittently thereafter until it became an annual event in 1978.  The 1978 event, held in Jackson Square, was the first to be identified as “gay pride.”  Later that year, a larger event called “Gay Fest” was presented in Washington Square, just outside of the French Quarter.  

The first street parade was held in 1980.  In 1981, the event moved to Armstrong Park, and was emceed by New Orleans native Ellen DeGeneres.  An event of some nature has been held almost every year since.  In 1995, the celebration was rescheduled from June to Fall.  In 1998, the festival was moved back to Armstrong Park, and in 2002 the parade was rescheduled from Saturday afternoon to Sunday night.

For 2005, the organizing Board voted to move Pridefest back to June.  At the same meeting, it was decided to schedule only a street parade during the weekend, putting the other daytime events on hiatus during a year of restructuring.  There was no parade for 2006 or 2007, with only an organized festival being held.  A parade was once again held during the 2008 celebration, with a gathering in Washington Square.

New Orleans Pride embraces the message in our mission to celebrate and promote the history, diversity, and future prosperity of not only the New Orleans LGBT community, but the New Orleans community as a whole. We are using public awareness of and education about the LGBT community as a way to combat “phobias” and discrimination. This year we are creating ways to increase the interactions between the LGBT and the Heterosexual communities. These new annual programs leading up to and during Pride weekend are meant to include individuals from every walk of life. We are very pleased to be working with area schools gay/straight alliances, both on the high school and the college level, as well as several family related organizations. 

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June 11, 2012

Nashville Pride

By Joe
From the tapping of a hundred activists’ feet on a downtown sidewalk 20 years ago to a city-wide celebration that draws thousands of LGBT community members and their straight allies, the growth of Nashville Pride has ebbed and flowed over the years thanks to the efforts of dedicated volunteers both past and present.

A culmination of events led to the birth of Nashville’s first Pride event in 1988. In 1987, following organizing that resulted in the founding of T-GALA (Tennessee Gay and Lesbian Alliance), two chartered buses took members of Nashville’s LGBT community and their supporters to Washington D.C. to participate in the Second National March on Washington for Lesbian and Gay Rights. That same year, Stewart Biven and Jeff Ellis began publishing Dare (later Query), Nashville’s first LGBT publication.

“Query started people communicating”, Linda Welch, publisher of the LGBT weekly newspaper InsideOut and former Nashville Pride Board co-chair said. “They’d pick up the paper and were able to see what was going on in the community.” With the lines of communication now firmly in place, members of the local community, with the help of the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force, were able to put together Nashville’s first Pride March in June 1988. A modest 125 people met at Fannie Mae Dees (Dragon) Park that year with signs, walked through Vanderbilt University and then across West End Avenue into Centennial Park.

Because of the tense social climate at that time, participants in Pride events took on a more activist role than do most people today, Welch said. “In the beginning, there were tons of protesters,” said Welch. “You never knew if you’d turn a corner and have protesters there or have someone drive by and scream. Back then it was more of an activist thing, especially for those who were out or were coming out.”

Jim Hawk, the current executive director of the LGBT cultural center OutCentral, stepped out of the closet in the early ’90s and directly into a leadership role organizing Pride for two years. Welch said Nashville Pride remained a small event drawing in only a few hundred participants and a couple of vendors each year until Hawk took the reins. “He [Hawk] turned Pride around,” Welch said. “It was a machine similar to what Nashville has now.” Hawk and Dewayne Fulton, president of the LGBT youth organization One-in-Teen, worked together with one main goal in mind — to make Nashville Pride bigger than it had ever been.
“We thought we could grow Pride if we pulled the entire community together,” Hawk said. They met with a variety of people from across the city and recruited people from different backgrounds to sit on the board.
“We thought it was important to get several points of view when planning the events,” said Hawk.


Hawk hosted the first Pride Ball at the Parthenon in Centennial Park, which helped raise the thousands of dollars necessary to turn Pride into a week-long celebration. More than 100 volunteers worked with the board on planning fundraisers and booking entertainers. The standard for Nashville Pride had been set. After two years at the helm of the Nashville Pride Board, Hawk handed the duties over to Welch and Brad Beasley. (Beasley currently serves as the STD/HIV prevention and control director at the Metro Health Department.)

In 1995, Pride co-chairs Welch and Beasley moved the event to Riverfront Park. Raising the bar again that year, Beasley raised enough money to provide an officer on each street corner to block streets allowing for horses, motorcycles and floats in Nashville’s first Pride Parade. An estimated 8,000 people attended Nashville Pride that year. Welch said the board exceeded their budget that year after having flown in five speakers. She and other board members were forced to walk through the crowd selling t-shirts and sodas to raise enough cash to pay the entertainers (who had heard there was no money left) before they would perform that day.

“We had to raise another couple hundred dollars in a half hour in order to pay each upcoming act,” added Welch. “But we did it. It was a really big success!”


Since Nashville Pride is organized solely by unpaid volunteers, there has always been a cycle of highs and lows for the event during times of turnover and change on the Pride Board. Pam Wheeler, community activist and current co-host of Out & About Today, got involved with Pride in early 2000, a time when Nashville Pride almost didn’t happen. It was nearing time for the annual event but no one knew who was in charge of planning. “A group of community leaders realized nobody was planning a Pride event in 2000,” Wheeler said. “So, some of us decided to step up and quickly get involved to avoid a lapse. We discovered the existing organization was no longer active after checking with the Secretary of State’s office.” Soon thereafter, an ad appeared in Xenogeny, the LGBT weekly newspaper now known as InsideOut, calling for community members to get together to discuss saving Pride. An estimated 70 people attended the meeting, Wheeler said. With just 90 short days for planning, then Pride President Raney Pollos, with help from community leaders Keith Hinkle, Matthew Strader, Wheeler and a few others, successfully pulled off Nashville Pride 2000 at the Bicentennial Mall. Approximately 2,000 people and 30 vendors attended the event, up about 1,000 visitors from the previous year when volunteerism had lagged and the success of Pride dipped below the norm, Wheeler said.
Over the next few years under the leadership of Wheeler and subsequent presidents Mikhail Brown, Michael Basham and Todd Grantham, volunteers and/or board members David McKinnon, Brent Meredith, Marty Sewell, John Wade, Pamela DeGroff, Jason Adkins, Emily Benedict, Pat Finn, DeMarko Smith, Anthony Mollo, Jeanna Emert, MAC, Doug Sladen, Josh Baker and many others (too numerous to list here) joined Nashville Pride with a desire to help take it to the next level. Most of these volunteers had been to Pride in other nearby cities and wanted to see their hometown Pride grow and thrive. They wrangled their experiences together to create Pride events unique to Nashville and spent months planning the event, running TV and radio ads and bringing in new local and national sponsors. The crowd grew exponentially through the early 2000s and reached the volume most people recognize as Nashville Pride today.

National attention was garnered by the festival in 2010 when headlining entertainer, Vanessa Carlton, came out to the attendees. She began her set by saying “I’ve never said this before, but I am a proud bisexual woman.” (Leslie, J.: “Celebrating 20 years of Nashville Pride”, Out and About Newspaper)


The 24th annual Nashville Pride Festival will be held Saturday, June 16, at Riverfront Park from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. The annual event is a chance for the GLBT community and its allies to gather in celebration of advances made for GLBT equality.

The excitement of Pride weekend begins on Thursday, June 14, with Curb Records Pride Rocks! Pre-Party at the Hard Rock Café, highlighted by Hydrogen Blonde, an explosive high energy cover band that plays a wide variety of hit songs. The band has become a staple in the East Nashville music scene performing monthly at The Lipstick Lounge.

This year’s festival is expected to be the most highly-attended to date and boasts an eclectic entertainment lineup that includes Hello Kelly, Jen Foster, Ian Harvie, Jermiah Clark, Antigone Rising, Kerli and Kristy Lee on the Bridgestone Main Stage. A variety of popular local acts will also perform throughout the day on the Local Stage and the Tribe & Play Entertainment Stage will be home to DJ’s and drag performances.
“We are so excited about this year’s beefed-up festival, especially with new additions like our Equality Walk presented by Fifth Third bank and an entertainment lineup as diverse as Middle Tennessee’s LGBT community” said President Randall Roop.


Feisty, Nashville-based Hello Kelly takes the Main Stage just after noon. Knowing the life on the road is no place for the faint of heart, the alt-rock band has returned to the grind with a transformed sound that is harder, faster and more sincere, making it clear that Hello Kelly is in do-or-die mode with a tenacity never-before seen.


Jen Foster follows singing about the time her lover moved out and took everything she owned in “Taking Bob Dylan” and about the jaded American culture in “Closer to Nowhere. An award-winning singer/songwriter who regularly sells out shows all over the country, Foster often draws a devoted following to her live shows, though her largest fan base resides in the Southeast. Her bond with fans will create a captive audience, eager to hear her stories.

The day’s entertainment will switch gears in the afternoon when the world’s first FTM transgender comic, Ian Harvie, takes the stage. Frontiers Magazine referred to Harvie as “quite possibly the most unique stand up comic in the country” with his eccentric views on love, families, adolescence, substance abuse, and gender identification, as well as his acute dissection on the circus act that is the stunt double for today’s popular culture.

Jeremiah Clark returns the entertainment to music as he masterfully balances poetry with practicality similar to Rufus Wainwright and Tracy Chapman. While his songs usually take on a more serious tone, his performance is sure to be refreshingly lighthearted. He enjoys telling comedic stories about family, friends and traveling between tunes joking that, “If you don’t laugh AND cry at some point during the show, I simply have not done my job.”

The mighty rumble of Kristy Lee, an Alabama alternative artist with a voice like thunder rolling in before the sweet southern rain, as well as the newly-redirected Antigone Rising, a female rock band that has opened for Rob Thomas, Aerosmith and The Rolling Stones, round out the event’s main stage entertainment as they sandwich Estonian recording artist Kerli and her unique electronic/pop/experimental sound.
General admission to the event is $5 and allows access to more than 75 vendors in the Nashville GLBT Chamber Marketplace, mobile food vendors, cold cocktails and frozen drinks, misting fans, karaoke, street performances, an inflatable kids’ zone, prizes and much more. VIP tickets are $50 and include food and drink at the festival. All proceeds from ticket sales benefit Nashville Pride. This event is included in CORE 100 membership which offers discounted tickets to supporters. VIP tickets are available online and include private bar, two drink tickets, food and private restrooms in the Captain Morgan VIP area. (“Come out and play at 2012 Nashville Pride Festival,” Out and About Newspaper) 


For a visitor’s guide with some helpful links, check out the rest of the post by clicking “More” below.


Visitor’s Guide

Festival Hotels


The Hutton Hotel is the official hotel of the Nashville Pride Festival.  Browse and book rooms for all area hotels by clicking here.


Experience a sophisticated and comfortable Nashville, Tennessee lodging destination – where four-star luxury adopts a stylish and accommodating new spirit. Hutton Hotel offers a striking contrast to the conventional cluster of West End and downtown Nashville hotels, pairing attentive service with elegant, contemporary design. Treat yourself to welcoming Nashville luxury hotel lodging, where warm hospitality finds a new perspective.

  • Located in the heart of Nashville, Tennessee
  • Ideally situated at a super-central West End address
  • Convenient to the city’s renowned music scene and landmark attractions
  • 100% smoke free environment in all guest accommodations
  • High-speed wired and wireless Internet access for all guests
  • Flat panel LG High Definition televisions with multimedia interface
  • Baths with granite flooring, shower surround, and glass vanity
  • Two private spa treatment rooms available with a wide range of services
  • In-Room spa service menu available for your convenience
  • 1808 Restaurant, New American cuisine specializing in marinated fish and meats
  • In-Room dining, featuring the fine fare of 1808 with 24 hour service
  • Lobby Express, java bar with fresh baked goods, healthy snacks and drinks
  • Valet parking for individual guests or function attendees
  • 300 space, fully-automated self-park garage connected to the hotel
  • State-of-the-art fitness center with Pre-Cor equipment, LCD panels, and more
  • Complimentary Business Center services with 24-hour access
  • 13,600 square feet of elegantly-appointed space for meetings, events, and weddings
  • Green recycling program for glass, paper and plastics
  • LED or fluorescent lighting throughout the Hotel building
  • Eco-friendly hybrid courtesy vehicle, elevators, and air-conditioning

Nashville Pride guests can book their rooms online by clicking here.  Book early. Space is limited.


Entertainment


From quiet listening rooms to high-energy dance floors to live stage shows like those at the world-famous Grand Ole Opry and Ryman Auditorium, you can experience the true music of Music City all over town.  If it’s gay nightlife you’re looking for…we’ve got that too! Whatever the choice, you’re sure to find the city’s nightlife hits all the right notes.


GAY/LESBIAN BARS

ATTRACTIONS


The very name evokes vivid images – a single spotlight illuminating a microphone…skyscrapers towering protectively over the Mother Church of Country Music…stately Southern mansions…a Greek temple sitting serenely on a grassy knoll. The area’s many attractions paint a picture of this unique Southern city and leave an indelible impression on all who visit.


For a searchable list of area attractions, including: art galleries, theatres, sporting events, and family venues, click here.


 Restaurants


From Southern fare to haute cuisine with quite literally everything in between, Nashville’s menu of dining options will suit any taste. Here, a perfect barbecue (pork, of course) is as celebrated as the most spectacular creation from any of the city’s award-winning chefs. Whether it’s a family-friendly meal, dinner and a show or a romantic repast, the city’s restaurants serve every dish with a side of Southern hospitality.
 For a searchable list of area restaurants, click here.

1 Comment | posted in Travel

June 4, 2012

Central Alabama Pride

By Joe

June is Pride Month, and since I featured Memorial Day in Pensacola, Florida, last Monday, I have decided that each Monday in June, I will feature a different gay pride event in the South.  Since I am in Alabama, I wanted to feature a gay pride event in my home state.  Since Mobile Alabama Pride was in April, I decided to choose the Alabama pride event going on this week: Central Alabama Pride in Birmingham.
From June of 1979 to the present day, the organization that is now known as Central Alabama Pride, Incorporated has gone through numerous changes. The following documents the history of the organization, along with some of those leaders that helped to take the original “Day in the Park” celebration to the “10 Days of Pride” that we know today. 
Central Alabama Pride History Timeline

  • June 24, 1979     
Birmingham’s first organized PRIDE celebration is held
  • June, 1989           
A parade through Birmingham’s Southside District is added to the “Day in the Park”
  • June, 1991           
The first Miss Gay Pride Pageant is held with Zee Jones crowned as the first Miss Gay Pride – Birmingham
  • July 30, 1998
An organization meeting of the Pride99 committee is called by Co-Chairpersons Michael Fortson and Daniel Richey. Those in attendence appoint a “Committee of Seven” to proceed with the incorporation of an on-going Pride Organization that would plan and operate Pride99.
  • October, 1998    
Through the diligence and hard work of the committee formed earlier in the year and the PRIDE99 becomes a corporate entity. The name chosen for the new corporation is Central Alabama Pride (CAP), Incorporated. This name is selected in an effort to include the cities of Tuscaloosa, Anniston, Gadsden as well as other rural communities in the greater Birmingham metropolitan area. Leading the newly formed corporation during the first year is: President – Don Mills Vice President – Edward Clayton Treasurer – Ed DiAngelo Secretary – Julie Price Members-at-Large – Sean Michaels, Robert Eskridge, Russell Drummond and Richard Barham Pride Day Event Chairperson – John McDole In addition to those serving on the Board of Directors, an Advisory Committee was formed with representatives from LGBT organizations and businesses from the areas being served. The Board of Directors and Advisory Committee meet Quarterly to gather more community input for future Pride events.
  • August, 1999      
The Board of Directors for 2000 is elected: President – John McDole Vice President – Brian Burton reasurer – Judy Jones Secretary – Marshall Johnson Members-At-Large – Sean Michaels, Steve Blankenship, Rachel Payne PRIDE Day Event Chairperson – Don Mills. Again, the Advisory Committee was formed with representatives from the GLBT community.
  • October, 1999 – June, 2000          
The new corporation embarks on new avenues of fundraising, instituting Pride Partners (a program where donors can contribute as little as $25.00 to as much as $2,500.00 and receive benefits and “perks” as a result of their donation. The first year of Pride Partners brings in over $8,000.00. Other fundraising efforts resulted in a total revenue of over $18,000 which was used to fund the first “10 Days of PRIDE” and the annual “Day in the Park” and PRIDE Parade. The “10 Days of PRIDE” included a bowling event, pool tournament, karaoke contest and title pageants for Mr., Miss, Ms., and Mys-Her Gay PRIDE. The “Day in the Park” and PRIDE Parade was attended by approximately 1,000 people, who enjoyed two stages of live entertainment featuring the PRIDE Pageant title holders, local talent and a headline entertainer, Abigail. In addition, there were some 27 vendors and organizations represented with information and concession booths.
  • June, 2000             
The parade is moved from Sunday afternoon to Saturday night and is presented “Mardi Gras Style” parade, in the tradition of the world’s largest LGBT Celebration, Sydney, Australia’s Gay & Lesbian Mardi Gras.
  • June, 2001             
The Town Hall Meeting is added to the “10 Days of Pride” and becomes integral part of the LGBT celebration activities.
  • June, 2002             
The “Day in the Park” becomes PRIDEFest as the days planned activities move to Historic Sloss Furnaces, where it remains today.
  • May, 2008                
Birmingham Mayor Larry Langford announced that he would neither sign a proclamation nor provide a permit for gay pride based on his religious beliefs that do not “condone that lifestyle choice.” The mayor went so far as to forbid city workers from attaching Pride banners on city poles.
  • August, 2008         
CAP filed a complaint against the city. Birmingham decided to allow a national antigay firm to represent the city, who filed a motion to dismiss the case.
  • December, 2008      
Lambda Legal joined the case as co-counsel, after consultation with CAP and their lawyer, Birmingham civil rights attorney David Gespass.
  • February, 2009         
Lambda Legal joins the case in the U.S. District Court, Northern District of Alabama, at the request of Central Alabama Pride (CAP).
  • September, 2009      
A settlement agreement is reached in the lawsuit. The city must pay legal costs and attorneys’ fees in excess of $40,000, and will establish non-discriminatory regulations for the approval of the hanging of banners on city property by city employees to announce upcoming public events.

Pride Week returns again in 2012, and the events this year are similar to past years. “We haven’t changed the schedule because people seem to like it,” Gil Mobley, the current president of CAP, said. However, Pride Week 2012 is spread over eight days — from Sunday, June 3 to Sunday, June 10 — rather than 10 days as it has been in recent years.

On Sunday, June 3, all previous Pride title holders are invited to participate in the Pride Title Holder’s Reunion show at Al’s on Seventh at 7 p.m. On Monday, CAP will host Birmingham AIDS Outreach’s monthly bingo game at BAO headquarters (205 32nd St. South) at 7 p.m. That event benefits BAO, and Don Mills, the first president of CAP and current events chair, said the event brings in a huge crowd for BAO.

CAP’s annual Cosmic Bowling Night is on Tuesday night at 9 p.m. at Brunswick Riverview Lanes.
“What we do is we actually rent the whole bowling alley from nine until 12,” Mobley said. “We usually pack it out. It’s been great.”

On Wednesday night, Parents, Friends and Families of Lesbians and Gays (PFLAG) of Birmingham will screen Love Free or Die, a documentary on Bishop Gene Robinson, the first openly gay bishop in the Episcopal Church. That showing is at Edge Theater at 7:30 p.m. (wine and hors d’oeuvres at 6:45 p.m.) and tickets cost $23 ($20 in advance). That event will raise money for PFLAG.

Pride Skate is on Thursday at Skate280 at 7 p.m. In addition to the VIP party on Friday, Pride Week will also feature a Pride Dance at Covenant Community Church (2205 3rd St. NE, Center Point) at 7 p.m.
“The bowling event and the skating event are two events that everyone can come to,” Mills said. “It’s not just for adults,” Mobley said. The Pride Dance is also all ages, and no alcohol is allowed.

This year Pride Week will also feature a VIP party Friday night for sponsors (those who donate $100 or more) at the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute. BCRI was chosen for the reception because the institute is currently featuring an exhibition called Living in Limbo featuring photos of lesbian families in the South. That exhibition runs through June 10.

One of the photos in the Living in Limbo exhibition at the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute through June 10.
The week is capped off with two main events, a parade through Five Points South on Saturday evening and Pridefest, an all day celebration of gay pride at Sloss Furnaces.

The parade on Saturday starts on Highland Ave. at Temple Emanuel and runs about a mile, to the corner of 7th Ave. South and 24th St. South. It starts at 8:30 p.m. and lasts about an hour.

“There’s a lot of people that come out—we’ve had huge crowds for the parade every year,” Mills said.
Pridefest, on Sunday June 10, will feature performances by the Magic City Choral Society and the choir from the Covenant Community Church and local entertainment from a women’s band called Sudden Impact. The event is rounded out with shows from various bars in Birmingham, introductions of various community supporters and introductions of the kings and queens of local krewes. The Sunday event often draws around 3,000 people, according to Mobley and Mills.

“We’re going to try and keep Sunday as PG as we actually can,” Mobley said.

Central Alabama Pride is an all-volunteer non-profit organizaton, and they manage to put together eight days worth of events with no paid staffers. I asked Mills and Mobley why Pride Week was important to them and to the community.

“I think it’s important to carry on the tradition that started back when the struggle was really hard,” Mills said. “It’s still a struggle, but back in the early days there were people that started a tradition here, and I think it’s important to carry on the tradition and to try to keep moving the work forward. It’s a time when we can come out and celebrate without any kind of fears.”

“Pride Week is one that’s just for our community,” Mobley said. “Everything that we do for that is just for us, it brings us all together—the GLBT community. At no other single time during the year does that occur.”
“It’s a celebration, is what it is.”

If you’d like to celebrate with CAP, check out the organization’s website at centralalabamapride.org.

3 Comments | posted in Travel

May 28, 2012

Pensacola Beach’s Gay Memorial Day Celebration

By Joe

The redneck riviera becomes the rainbow riviera for one weekend out of the year and it couldn’t happen in a more lovely place: Pensacola, Florida. Pensacola Beach is one of the most expansive, beautiful and less known white sand beaches in the world.   This hidden gem of a destination is throwing off its reputation as the ‘Redneck Riviera’ and embracing a future as a world-class tourist destination.  A clear indication that this trend is well under way is the unmitigated success of Pensacola Beach’s Gay Memorial Day Celebration.

There’s no mistaking what time of year it is on Pensacola Beach during Memorial Day weekend. Every year, the beach is sprinkled with rainbow flags welcoming local and out-of-town members of the gay community who generously return the favor by staying in beachfront hotels, eating seafood and drinking a lot. Tens of thousands of gay and lesbian travelers flock to this innocuous beach town every year to bronze their bodies and party with their toes in the blinding white sand.

Those whose memories are still intact remember the weekend starting in the 1980s. The party started on the secluded strip between Navarre and Pensacola Beach on the Gulf Islands National Seashore, and as the years passed it moved its way to the condos and hotels on Pensacola beach.

There’s no official word if the Gulf Islands National Seashore was the chosen spot because of its proximity to the nude beach in Navarre, which is now an urban legend to the younger generation. John Thomas, owner of The Roundup and Pensacola resident since 1993, believes the beach had the best view and the least amount of people as opposed to Destin or Panama City.

“There was a patch of beach that allowed those that are different to be themselves,” he said. “You can go to Destin and be hoity-toity, but in Pensacola it’s more relaxed.”

Pensacola Beach’s laid-back surfer dude charm is worlds away from the hustle and bustle of Miami and tacky tourist spring break debauchery of Fort Lauderdale. The community is accepting, embraces gay travelers and is home to many gay residents and several successful gay business owners. I can’t begin to describe the beauty of the Gulf Coast beaches in this area if you have never experienced them. The sugar white sands are luxurious and the water is crystal clear with a perfect blue-green hue. It will surely take your breath away.

Located on Santa Rosa Island, in Northwest Florida, Pensacola Beach is a barrier island buffered at both ends by bridges.  There are water views in all directions, with the emerald blue vistas of the Gulf of Mexico ‘Gulfside’ and the tranquil views of Pensacola Bay ‘Soundside’.  Local development is severely curtailed by the protected beaches in the Gulf Islands National Sea Shore located on either end of the island.

On Memorial Day weekend colorful pride flags wave in anticipation as LBGT visitors from all over the country exit the bridge onto the beach.  The colors of the rainbow stand in stark contrast to the glittering white sand as the beach transforms into a seemingly spontaneous parade of beautiful bodies and fashionable swim wear.

Revelers start flooding the beach the week prior to Memorial Day.  The local vibe is always awash with boisterous anticipation.  Friendships and romances are kindled and reunions celebrated.   Days are spent nurturing a tan and people watching with a frosty ‘Bushwhacker’ in hand.  Everything you need to have fun in the sun is easily accessible on foot.

At the main beach, live music and cocktails are plentiful. If you’re energetic there is an ample variety of activities such as stand up paddle boarding, parasailing, kayaking and dolphin watching.   There’s also mini golf, go-carts, beach cruiser bike rentals and funky but fashionable beach stores.  If you prefer a more tranquil atmosphere then migrate east or west and enjoy a romantic picnic on the wild and non-commercial beaches in the National Seashore.  While you are there make sure to explore historic Fort Pickens.

When I was growing up, Pensacola was one of the closest beaches to us, and my parents used to take us camping a few weekends out of the year to the Gulf Islands National Seashore at Fort Pickens. You know that I love history, and Fort Pickens was a wonderful place to explore as a kid. The Fort is an old Civil War fort that stayed in Union hands throughout the war, sitting directly across Pensacola Bay from Fort Barrancas, the Confederate fort. Did you know that the actual first shots fired between Union and Confederate troops was not the Confederates firing on Union forces at Fort Sumpter, but actually Union forces at Fort Pickens firing on Confederate forces at Fort Barrancas? Pensacola has such a wonderful history for any lover of history to enjoy and you don’t have to deal with all the hustle and bustle of larger historic southern towns like New Orleans.

Also, if you want a wonderful meal with great service, try one of my all-time favorites, Hall’s Seafood on East Gregory Street.  Hall’s Seafood features casual dining with a waterfront view & great food. Try their famous hush puppies with cheese sauce, or start your meal with an excellent bowl of gumbo. Don’t go to Hall’s expecting to eat ultra healthy because if you don’t try their hush puppies with cheese sauce, then you might as well not go. They are worth the calories, and even if you think you don’t like hush puppies, give these a try. If you get there and are disappointed, then just give the hush puppies and cheese sauce to me, I will eat them. Try it, you won’t be disappointed.

For those who crave more than hush puppies with cheese sauce, Pensacola has plenty of culture in nearby Downtown Pensacola which is a theme park for architectural buffs.  Did you know Pensacola is the oldest city in America? (Grant it the Spanish abandoned it the first time to build a city at St. Augustine, eventually they simply couldn’t stay away.) Wander through the North Hill residential area and dream of renovating your own antebellum mansion.  Then stroll through the pedestrian friendly streets of the Historic District and enjoy unique culinary offerings, theaters, museums and galleries tucked behind flourished iron balconies reminiscent of New Orleans.

Don’t miss out on numerous Gay Memorial Day events.   This year, renowned comedian Leslie Jordan of Will and Grace, Designing Women and Sordid Lives fame, performed at the historic Saenger Theatre. Emerald City, Pensacola’s premier Gay club, hosted blowout bashes every night featuring DJ Jay-R and DJ Joe Gauthreaux. At the beach many of the local bars such as Crabs We Got Em, Flounders Chowder House and Castaways hosted all night parties.

If you ever get down to Pensacola for Memorial Day Weekend, don’t plan on leaving early because on Monday over 150,000 revelers come back to the beach to put their toes in the sand one final time, to share weekend gossip about new loves or break ups, recruit new Facebook friends, get phone numbers or finally muster to courage to say hi to that beautiful person they’ve been eyeing up all weekend.   Most importantly this is the time to say see y’all next year to newfound friends.

Maybe you’ll meet the love of your life and plan a commitment ceremony for the following year.  While same sex marriage is not yet legal in Florida, dozens of couples choose this weekend to say “I Do” with those nearest and dearest to them.  Once you have experienced Pensacola Beach you’ll understand why.

4 Comments | posted in Travel

September 5, 2011

The History of Southern Decadence

By Joe

image Since it was founded in 1781, New Orleans has marched to the beat of its own drum.  For two centuries, those in control of the Louisiana state government have tried in vain to impose their prejudices on a city that is French, Spanish, Creole, African, Catholic, pagan and very gay (in both senses of the word).  If nothing else, New Orleans knows how to throw a party, from the world-famous Mardi Gras to other, more specialized celebrations.
One of these celebrations began quite inauspiciously in August of 1972, by a group of friends living in a ramshackle cottage house at 2110 Barracks Street in the Treme section of New Orleans, just outside of the French Quarter. image It was in desperate need of repair, and the rent was $100 per month.  At any given time the residents numbered anywhere from six to ten, and it was still sometimes difficult to come up with the rent.
The large bathroom became a natural gathering place in the house.  It had no shower, only a clawfoot tub, but it also had a sofa.  With from six to ten residents, and one bathtub, everyone became close friends.  While one soaked in the tub, another would recline on the couch and read A Streetcar Named Desire aloud. The Tennessee Williams play inspired the residents to fondly name the house “Belle Reve” in honor of Blanche DuBois’ Mississippi plantation.
image And so it was, on a sultry August afternoon in 1972, that this band of friends decided to plan an amusement.  According to author James T. Spears, writing in Rebels, Rubyfruit and Rhinestones: Queering Space in the Stonewall South, this “motley crew of outcasts” began Southern Decadence as a going away party for a friend named Michael Evers, and to shut up a new “Belle Reve” tenant (from New York) who kept complaining about the New Orleans heat.  As a riff on the “Belle Reve” theme, the group named the event a “Southern Decadence Party: Come As Your Favorite Southern Decadent,” requiring all participants to dress in costume as their favorite “decadent Southern” character.    According to Spears, “The party began late that Sunday afternoon, with the expectation that the next day (Labor Day) would allow for recovery. Forty or fifty people drank, smoked, and carried on near the big fig tree … even though Maureen (the New Yorker) still complained about the heat.”
The following year the group decided to throw another Southern Decadence Party.  image They met at Matassa’s bar in the French Quarter to show off their costumes, then they walked back to “Belle Reve.”  This first “parade” included only about 15 people impersonating such “decadent Southern” icons as Belle Watling, Mary Ann Mobley, Tallulah Bankhead, Helen Keller, and New Orleans’ own Ruthie the Duck Lady.  This impromptu parade through the French Quarter and along Esplanade Avenue laid the groundwork for future events, and  the group decided to repeat the party again the following year.
In 1974, the Southern Decadence visionaries named Frederick Wright as the first Grand Marshal, hoping to provide at least a modicum of order.  For the next six years, the format of the celebration changed little.  The founding group continued to appoint each year’s Grand Marshal by consensus.  Some were gay, some were not. But all were members of the founding group.
image By 1981, most of the original organizers had moved on with their lives.  Many felt that the event had become so big that it was no longer the intimate party they had started nine years earlier.  Of the original group, only Grand Marshal V Robert King was actively participating.  He, along with some of his friends that hung out at the Golden Lantern bar, thought it was worth continuing and they took over the festivities.  It was at this point that Southern Decadence became primarily a gay event.  Other protocol changes made in 1981 included moving the starting point of the annual parade from Matassa’s to the Golden Lantern bar, and allowing Grand Marshals to personally name their own successors.  Both of these traditions continue today. And in 1987, the Grand Marshal began to make a proclamation of the official theme, color and song.
image Because the 2005 celebration was cancelled due to Hurricane Katrina, Southern Decadence 2005 Grand Marshals Lisa Beaumann and Regina Adams reigned for both 2005 and 2006, making the very first time in Southern Decadence history that grand marshals
ruled for two years.  And keeping with the unpredictability of Decadence, the Grand Marshals from 2008 reigned once again in 2009.
The rest, as they say, is history.  What began as a little costume party is now a world-famous gay celebration.  In the 39th year, it has mushroomed from a small gathering of friends to a Labor Day weekend tradition, attracting over 100,000 participants, predominantly gay and lesbian, and generating almost $100 million in tourist revenue.  This annual economic impact ranks it among the city’s top five most significant tourist events.  The mayor has even welcomed the event with an Official Proclamation.
Southern Decadence Grand Marshals XXXIII Lisa Beaumann and Regina AdamsDescribed by one reporter as “a happening of haberdashery fit for an LSD Alice in Wonderland,” Southern Decadence 2010 will be as outrageous as ever and live up to its reputation as New Orleans’ largest gay street fair.  It all begins in earnest six weeks before Labor Day.  However, the real party starts on the Wednesday before Labor Day, and the events are non-stop. It picks up steam daily as it nears Sunday’s big street parade, which rivals New Orleans’ gay Mardi Gras in scope, with the party lasting well into the day on Monday.
image If you’ve never been to Southern Decadence, and sadly I haven’t, here are some tips to know before you go. What follows are some thoughts gathered from locals that will help you get the most out of your experience.
Pass by the NO/AIDS Task Force’s information tables located on the St. Ann Street sidewalk in front of Hit Parade Gift and Clothing, at the corner of Bourbon and St. Ann Streets.  You’ll find lots of community information and details of the weekend’s events.  The literature racks inside of Hit Parade are another great source for all of the Southern Decadence information that you will need.
During Southern Decadence, some streets of the French Quarter do not allow parking – look for, and heed, no parking signs. Plan on doing a lot of walking. Comfortable shoes are a must. Always walk where it is well lit and there are a lot of people. New Orleans is a city of neighborhoods. imageLike all large cities, the Big Easy does have some trouble spots. Always walk with others, never alone if possible. Don’t wander about the city. In New Orleans the neighborhoods can change, literally, when you cross a street. Always carry a map. If you’re drinking, don’t go stumbling about the French Quarter. Locals know that the people who encounter trouble are usually the ones who have been drinking.
And a bit of urban common sense is in order. When you walk the streets, don’t bring your wallet. Take the cash you need and possibly a credit card, along with some sort of identification, and put them in a pocket that no one can slip their hand into. Don’t wear expensive jewelry. Basically, don’t take anything with you that you would have a hard time replacing if it were lost.
If your car is impounded, it will cost you over $100 plus whatever else the city decides to tack on. Your car can be retrieved from the City Auto Pound, located in a dangerous area of the city, 400 N. Claiborne Ave., (504.565.7236). This will spoil a good time. Cabs are not difficult to get during Southern Decadence. If you are going to take a cab, try UNITED CABS: 504.522.9771 or 504.524.9606. Write these numbers down and put them in your wallet. This cab company can be trusted. United Cabs has a sound reputation with the New Orleans gay community.
imagePeople are allowed to drink on the streets in New Orleans —  that large 24-oz Southern Decadence cup that you’ll see people walking with and drinking from likely contains several shots of alcohol!  However, if your drink isn’t already in a plastic cup, please ask for one before leaving your favorite watering hole. Glass and cans are not allowed on the streets for safety reasons.
Most bars in New Orleans are open twenty-four hours a day. Pace yourself. Most important, it’s easy to get caught up in all the excitement and forget to eat. If you want to make it through the weekend, solid food is a necessity. Of course, New Orleans is world famous for its food and indulging is part of a complete New Orleans experience.
Clean bathrooms can be difficult to find during Southern Decadence. Most businesses close their facilities to everyone but paying customers. If your hotel is far from the action, take care of the more important business before you hit the streets. If you need to, plan on buying lunch or dinner and using the restaurant’s bathroom before you pay the check!
image The French Quarter is an historic neighborhood. Please respect it. No matter how “bad” you have to go, do not urinate in the streets or on door steps or through iron gates. This is a good way to end up in central lock-up, and people who are arrested sit in jail until the courts re-open after Labor Day. It will cost you about $200. And it’s not polite. Listen to your body. Get in line before you really have to go. By the time you’re crossing your legs, you might be at the front of the line.
During Southern Decadence weekend, you’re guaranteed to get an eyeful of great costumes and fabulous bodies. Officially, public nudity is not allowed and there are obscenity laws on the books. Better judgment should be the rule of the day.
Southern Decadence is a BIG non-stop party. People drink and are having a good time. It’s easy to forget that there is a real world out there. Free condoms are available from the NO/AIDS Task Force station located near the Bourbon Pub / Parade. Don’t allow the party to overwhelm your better judgment. We want you to come again. Have fun and play safe!

4 Comments | posted in Book Review, History, Travel

August 3, 2011

Marriage Is So Gay

By Joe

There has recently been some controversy over a lesbian couple who took their children to Dollywood’s water amusement part Splash Country. One of the mothers was asked to turn her t-shirt inside out because it said “Marriage is so gay” on it. A lesbian couple who was entering the park with friends were asked to make the change by a worker who said the phrase “Marriage is so gay” might offend some patrons and that it is a “family park.” The couple obliged the employee, then registered a complaint with Dollywood. Dollywood has received a lot of flack over this issue. There are a few observations that I would like to make on this subject.

First of all, Dolly Parton who is the co-owner of Dollywood has been outspoken in the past about gay rights and gay marriage. Dolly has a rather large gay fan base. I for one have always been a big fan of Dolly Parton. In a 2009 interview with Joy Behar, Dolly stated her views on gay rights and gay marriage. See the video below:

Dolly is certainly not the conservative county music star that most of us see and hear about. Dolly seems more socially liberal than conservative. When asked by Bill O’Reilly if she was a conservative she told him “Not really, I’m more patriotic than political.” Dolly’s fan base covers a large range -she has both straight fans and gay fans. She has said, “I think it’s great when people accept themselves for exactly who they are and accept other people. I think that’s the key to happiness and success. It doesn’t matter who you are, as long as you do that really good. We’re all God’s children. He loves us all the same. We have to learn to love each other and ourselves a little better.”

Dolly Parton has responded to the gay marriage T-shirt controversy. Earlier this month, Dollywood front gate attendants asked Olivier Odom to turn her “marriage is so gay” shirt inside out for violating the park’s dress code. Parton issued the following statement to ABC on Friday:

“I am truly sorry for the hurt or embarrassment regarding the gay and lesbian t-shirt incident at Dollywood’s Splash Country recently. Everyone knows of my personal support of the gay and lesbian community. Dollywood is a family park and all families are welcome,” she wrote to ABC. ABC reports that Parton’s statement went on to explain that the dress code rules are enforced to protect the person wearing the shirt and keep park disturbances to a minimum.  Parton concludes in writing, “I am looking further into the incident and hope and believe it was more policy than insensitivity. I am very sorry it happened at all.”  As a bit of a side note, Dollywood has gay days similar to those at the Disney Theme Parks (at least they were doing so a few years ago, I’m not sure if they still do or not).

I have been to Dollywood several times when I was younger. We used to go to the mountains (that would be the Great Smokey Mountains for my family) about every other summer. Dollywood is on the East Tennessee side of the Great Smokey Mountain National Park. It was always a fun place to go, but make no mistake, it was a bit of a redneck heaven. It is in East Tennessee, Pigeon Forge to be exact, which is a bit of a country music paradise. Not all of the people there are rednecks but there are quite a number who are, some are just good country folk. The thing is, you know what kind of place you are going. I personally would not have worn a gay rights t-shirt, but then that’s me. I am not one to wear something as a political statement or wear something just to be noticed. That being said, the amusement park has stated that they asked the woman to turn her shirt inside-out because of their dress code. I don’t think the park was making any sort of statement against gay marriage. The printing on the shirt highlighted the words “so gay” in a way that made it look derogatory. A kid would likely not understand the play on words. Business Week reported that the couple, Jennifer Tipton and Olivier Odom, said they objected to the employee stating that it is a “family park” as a reason for her to have to hide the shirt. Apparently the couple took it personally and felt they were not looked at as a family. I think it’s likely the standard line when asking any guest to remove offending apparel.

That being said, I have never been comfortable with people derogatory phrases and turning them into empowering statement. A friend of mine used to use the phrase, “That’s so gay” all the time. I was the first gay person he had ever really knew was gay. I explained to him why I disliked the use of the phrase and he realized that it was derogatory and stopped. In fact, he quit allowing other friends of his to use the phrase when around him. I have also never been comfortable with the word faggot. I know that some gay people now use it as an empowering word, but for me it reminds me of all the times that I heard it in the most derogatory fashion and was so often called a faggot or a fag. I don’t like the word. I don’t like to read it. I don’t like to write it. I don’t like to hear it. I’ve gotten better at hearing the word queer, but I doubt I will ever get over flinching when I hear the word faggot.

African-Americans have been doing the same thing with the N-word. I detest that word, and I am white. I heard it far too often in a derogatory way growing up in the South. Yet, black people don’t want us to call them nigger, yet they will use it themselves. I received a text message the other day on my phone that read, “Damn you act like you don’t no a nigga.” The fact is that I did not know the person. It was a wrong number, but I would assume that the person was black. I have no proof of that though.

The lesbian woman wearing the shirt seems to me like cafeteria-style political correctness on the part of the couple, in the same way the person who texted me did. We want people to stop using words in an inflammatory manner, but we still want to be able to poke at something when it’s all in good fun. This one has to be all or nothing. Either kids continue to call something or someone “gay” in a derogatory manner or we stop it now. All of us.

How do you feel about inflammatory/derogatory speech when it is used in an empowering way?

10 Comments | posted in Gay Icon, Miscellaneous, Travel

January 27, 2011

Gay Paree

By Joe

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Paris is certainly one of the Top 3 travel destinations in Europe, and for the author of these lines it is the most beautiful one. Considering how many wonderful cities in Europe had been destroyed in the last war and didn’t gain their former beauty and fame, yet, after 60 years, Paris is truly a treasure and miracle.

You could stay in Paris for months or visit Paris again and again, and you would still see other beautiful and interesting spots if you explore the city with curiosity and open eyes. Just stroll around a bit and do not only follow the routes in your travel guide book.

If you come to Paris not only to visit the Louvre and other sights but want to dive into the Parisian life then try to avoid August. Many Parisians take their long vacations in August and some companies have even closed completely. In the gay scene even the most popular gay clubs and bars won’t be very crowded or will be empty or closed.

The gay center of Paris is the Marais, an old district in the 4th Arrondissement of Paris with adorable, narrow streets breathing centuries-old history. You’ll find a lot of gay bars, cafes and shops here, as well as plenty of gay-friendly restaurants, most of them quite close to each other, creating a bit of a ghetto atmosphere.

gay Paris
Gay Parisians can be a bit difficult when it comes to flirting. If you dare to show your interest to somebody in a direct way you could easily be seen as too needy, too easy or too cheap. Our two Euro cents of advice: Don’t waste your time with behavior research to understand the rituals and peculiarities of flirting in the gay scene of Paris. Just do it your own way and don’t take the Parisian rudeness personally.

Besides, it is often said that Parisian guys come and stick in groups. Exploring Paris with friends can really make a difference, both at day and at night.

Annual gay highlight in the French capital is Paris Gay Pride end of June, called ›Marche des Fiertés LGBT‹ in France.  The only gay pride parade I have ever had the luxury of attending is Paris Gay Pride a few years ago when I was in Paris for a study abroad program.

The Parisian attitude toward sexual preferences is VERY relaxed and very pragmatic. Vending machines for condoms have recently been installed in high schools. You also find condom vending machines at Metro stations. When it comes to Paris nightlife, the Parisian scene abounds with transformist night clubs, and after hours clubs with a predominantly gay flavor. The annual Gay Pride Parade gets bigger and better each year.

Paris’s official tourist office site offers a listing of gay-friendly hotels and suggestions for your stay in the “City of Love.” Here is a city where you can walk hand-in-hand and feel truly at home.

Paris’s Marais district may be considered the epicenter of Paris’s gay community, but you’ll find that this city has plenty to offer gay visitors, especially when it comes to nightlife in various arrondissements, so don’t limit yourself to just one neighborhood. Some of Paris’s hottest night spots are gay-oriented.

To learn more, please check out these two sites:
and

Patroc Gay Travel Guide Europe 2011 is a wonderful site for gay travel.  I must apologize to this site because I inadvertently forgot to add my sources for this post.  Check out  Patroc Gay Travel Guide Europe 2011 for more information about gay travel in Europe.  I know that I will the next time I head for Europe.

2 Comments | posted in Travel, Video

October 22, 2010

Travel Thursday: Here Is a Gay Guide to Europe

By Joe

Europe According to Gay Men

Leave a comment | posted in Funny, Travel