Category Archives: Gay News
Siegfried & Roy Take Their Final Bow – The Hottest Ticket in Las Vegas This Month
ONE NIGHT ONLY –
IT’S GOING TO BE THE HOTTEST MOST
TALKED ABOUT EVENT IN LAS VEGAS!
SIEGFRIED AND ROY
will return to the stage!
Saturday, February 28th at the Bellagio in Las Vegas. Tickets still available at $1500 each, to benefit Lou Ruvo Brain Institute.
They announced their return to the stage for charity, exactly one year ago.
And now the time is here.
NEWSFLASH – JUST IN!
An official announcement is expected today that the legendary illusionists will appear in a special hourlong, prime-time installment of the ABC News program “20/20,” to be recorded live at the Lou Ruvo Brain Institute’s Keep Memory Alive “Power of Love” benefit gala, scheduled for Feb. 28 at the Bellagio.
The show will be broadcast at 9 p.m. Pacific time on March 6.
ABC News anchor Elizabeth Vargas is in Las Vegas now, filming interviews with the German-born magicians who have for decades called Las Vegas home. She will be talking with the magicians’ longtime manager, Bernie Yuman, and other Vegas VIPs such as Steve Wynn.
“We never got to say a proper goodbye,” Roy Horn said in an exclusive interview on his first tour of the Lou Ruvo Brain Institute on the Union Park development near downtown Las Vegas. “This will be our final bow and it will never be repeated.”
Lesbian and Gay Band to March in Washington DC this Week
As the nation’s attention turns to this week’s Inaugural festivities, in Washington DC, Gays and Lesbians can be proud of the Lesbian and Gay Band Association’s historic participation in the Inaugural Parade. The band will be the first LGBT organization ever to march in an Inaugural Parade.
Participants, however, are responsible for paying for their own lodging, transportation, and other expenses. And it’s not cheap.
A gift of just a few dollars will help cover the many expenses of participating in an event of this magnitude.I know I’ll be excited when the announcer tells the television viewing audience that the next contingent is the Lesbian and Gay Bands of America. The parade will be seen by hundreds of millions around the world. And it’s that sense of pride. Recognition. That we are getting one step closer to equal rights.
MAKE A DONATION TODAY and support the Lesbian and Gay band!
Bye Bye Georgie! Hello Barack!!
UPDATE – Watch the Video from the Inauguration Parade!
Obama Posts His Campaign Pledges on LGBT Rights
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President-elect Barack Obama has laid out his commitment to LGBT civil rights in an eight-point plan posted on his transition Web site.
It calls for passage of the Matthew
Shepard Hate Crimes Act;
A gender-inclusive Employment
Non-Discrimination Act;
Repeal of Don’t Ask Don’t Tell;
Repeal of the federal Defense of Marriage Act;
Opposition to any attempt to reintroduce an amendment to the Constitution to ban same-sex marriage,
Support for inclusive adoption rights;
and an expanded war on HIV/AIDS.
“Barack Obama supports full civil unions that give same-sex couples legal rights and privileges equal to those of married couples.” the transition site says.
The program is identical to Obama’s positions during the campaign and LGBT rights groups said it shows that the president-elect is committed to keeping his word!
LGBT Consumer Index Survey – Win Airline Tickets!
Community Marketing, Inc. (CMI), the San Francisco-based gay and lesbian research, marketing and communications firm, is currently conducting a massive consumer research project – the LGBT Consumer Index™.
Complete the survey by September 14th and you will be entered into a drawing for two roundtrip airline tickets!
TAKE THE LGBT SURVEY NOW.
Which Jonas Brother is GAY???
THE JONAS BROTHERS!
They are an evangelical Christian, Disney-contracted, all-brother boyband who are huge right now in the US, so their first big – and likely unsubstantiated – gay rumour has surfaced. They’ve made it!
BGAY reported “Which of the three Jonas Brothers is in fact gay and has been threatening to defy his parents orders to stay in the closet and may be getting ready to come out very soon?
The boy – who is far from being the virgin all the three brothers claim to be – has been dating a much older guy from The Jonas Brothers’ home town of Wyckoff, New Jersey for several months.
The Jonas Brothers have been playing on their wholesome image as committed Evangelical Christians – their father is a former pastor – and sources fear they may loose their core audience and their lucrative contract with Disney when the truth comes out.”
PARIS HILTON FOR PRESIDENT ….Her Answer to McCain
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The cyber world was abuzz yesterday over the mock-campaign commercial with heiress, celebutant, reality-show star and one-time jailbird Paris Hilton giving it back to GOP presidential candidate John McCain for using Hilton and fellow blond starlet Britney Spears in a recent campaign ad attacking Democratic rival Barack Obama’s celebrity status.
Rihanna for Vice President? Maybe Paris and Nicole will patch things up….
Watch the Paris Hilton for President Video.
EuroGames in Barcelona and The Gay Circus
EuroGames 2008 just wrapped up in Barcelona this week. “Provisional figures show that we had about 5,300 participants, which makes this 12th edition of the EuroGames the most important in terms of participation.” More than 1,000 volunteers help this make one of the most successful events yet!
Besides all of the sports and hot athletes (men and women!) everyone was buzzing about THE GAY CIRCUS!
After more than two years of gestation was born in Barcelona, The Gay Circus, a premiere international absolutely a new concept of circus acrobatics based on male and female-oriented audiences gay friendly, ie a show directed to all people without prejudice. For people who accept gays and lesbians and understand that they too are human and can love. – Imagine Cirque du Soleil, but all gay with a gay story!
27 world renowned artists took part in this unique event; artists who have been prize-winners in the most important circus festivals (Monaco, Amsterdam, Paris, Budapest, Massy …) and celebrities in the most famous rings worldwide.
The two hour show where expressiveness, sensuality and poetry fuse with one single goal: a careful staging where light, music, costumes and stage effects wrap the challenging physical performances of the acrobats and dancers, achieving an up-to-date, modern and attractive aesthetic.
After more than two years of gestation was born in Barcelona, The Gay Circus, a premiere international absolutely a new concept of circus acrobatics based on male and female-oriented audiences gay friendly, ie a show directed to all people without prejudice. For people who accept gays and lesbians and understand that they too are human and can love. – Imagine Cirque du Soleil, but all gay with a gay story!
27 world renowned artists took part in this unique event; artists who have been prize-winners in the most important circus festivals (Monaco, Amsterdam, Paris, Budapest, Massy …) and celebrities in the most famous rings worldwide.
The two hour show where expressiveness, sensuality and poetry fuse with one single goal: a careful staging where light, music, costumes and stage effects wrap the challenging physical performances of the acrobats and dancers, achieving an up-to-date, modern and attractive aesthetic.
The Gay Circus big top was set up in the heart of Barcelona, in Moll of Barceloneta. A comfortable, innovative and beautiful venue – sold out 4 nights! 5,000 people got to witness the magic of these performers.
From lack of knowledge, one could argue that Gay Circus is an event opportunistically set in this frame in order to exploit, once again, the economic power of the gay community.
Also one could argue if there’s an actual need to label the show as “gay”. All these misconceptions are far from reality.
In the same way we can talk about the existence of a pop, rock or hippie culture, there is also a gay culture. We identify certain colors, music, lifestyle, mentality, amusement as genuinely gay. Only this would be reason enough for staging a show.
But Gay Circus goes beyond. Very often the circus has translated the partner dance to the trapeze, acrobatics or contortion. We frequently attend to circus performances that present a love story as the common thread of the show… but this is always between people of different sex!
The acts in Gay Circus shows with pride homosexual love with the hope that one day future generations will be able to attend a “conventional” circus and find there, with normality, acts that now belong to Gay Circus.
The show builds from the basis of referents from literature (Death in Venice, Divine Comedy o A Midsummer Night’s Dream), painting (Masaccio’s Expulsion from the Garden of Eden, Sorolla’s Children on the Seashore, Goya’s monsters in his prints, Velazquez’s Apollo in the Forge of Vulcano), sculpture (the faun in the Louvre or the kouros in the British Museum), photography (Pierre et Gilles), and cinema (Pink Narcissus, Passolini). These sources translate in a careful staging where lights, costumes, stage effects and music wrap the challenging physical performances of the acrobats and dancers.
The Gay Circus was an amazing high-quality show set within the framework of Euro Games 2008, the biggest homosexual sports event in the world! It is safe to say that Gay Circus was the greatest cultural gay event in Europe in 2008.
Let us hope and pray, with all the talent and hard work that went into this, there will be an international tour! We will keep you posted!
Watch a clip – Gay Circus – Swinging From A Chandelier!
and this one – Gay Circus – Hot Acrobats!
New York Public Library Presents Kenn Duncan Retrospective
A major retrospective exhibition of Kenn Duncan’s work, Focus on the 70s: The Fabulous Photography of Kenn Duncan, including many of the images which will be seen in the fourth coming book Divas!: The Fabulous Photography of Kenn Duncan (Photography), (October 2008, Universe Publishing)
will be on view at The New York Public Library for the Performing Arts at Lincoln Center
starting this week
through October 25, 2008.
Photographs of an effervescent Bette Midler twirling barefoot in a summer dress, a sensual Alexander Gudonov staring intently into the camera, a youthful Diane Keaton with the cast of Hair, and an ethereal portrait of transgender Andy Warhol superstar Candy Darling wrapped in furs are all part of a comprehensive exhibition featuring materials from the archive of renowned portrait and fashion photographer Kenn Duncan.
Duncan was an amazing artist who truly shined in the 1970’s. This retrospective of Duncan’s 20-year career features approximately 400 photographs and includes his iconic images of Mikhail Baryshnikov, Eartha Kitt, Angela Lansbury, Peter Martins, Bette Midler, the cast of Hair, as well as selections of his nudes, his fashion portfolios, and his work with hundreds of celebrities including shock rock legend Alice Cooper, Al Pacino, and Christopher Walken.
Focus on the 70s: The Fabulous Photography of Kenn Duncan is on display in the Donald and Mary Oenslager Gallery of The New York Public Library for the Performing Arts, Dorothy and Lewis B. Cullman Center, located at 40 Lincoln Center Plaza, and Admission is free!
Read more about Kenn Duncan and the NYPL exhibit online!
Pre-order the fourthcoming book
Divas!: The Fabulous Photography of Kenn Duncan (Photography) now and SAVE!
(Divas! © by The New York Public Library, Astor, Lenox and Tilden Foundations ,
Universe Publishing, 2008.)
The Best of Gay New York and the New Gay Travel Guide
BREAKING NEWS! Pregnant Transgender Man Thomas Beatie Just Gave Birth to Baby Girl!
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The transgender man who made national news earlier this year when he revealed he was pregnant has given birth to a healthy baby girl.
Thomas Beatie, 34, became pregnant through artificial insemination. The Oregon man is resting and healthy. The birth was natural.
He was registered under a fictitious name and separated from other birthing mothers. – He actually gave birth Sunday, but news hit the Internet just hours ago.
Beatie, who was born a woman, kept his female sex organs.
“I actually opted not to do anything to my reproductive organs because I wanted to have a child one day,” he told Oprah Winfrey earlier this year. “I see pregnancy as a process and it doesn’t define who I am.”
Police Ready For Possible Attacks For Budapest Gay Pride
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Budapest police are preparing for organised attacks by Hungary’s far right during the upcoming gay pride parade. Far-right leaders Gyorgy Budahazy and Laszlo Toroczkai have published a statement on the internet, inviting “Hungarian patriots” to travel to Budapest on July 5 to “protect Hungary’s honour” from the international gay community.
Police are reluctant to say how many far-right protesters they are expecting to disrupt the event and decline to give any details of police preparations for security reasons.
But police are expecting harsher and more frequent attacks than during last year’s gay pride march when a dozen people, including a German citizen, were beaten in various parts of the city by skinheads and eight attackers were arrested, said the paper.
Only one anti-gay demonstration has been officially registered. Rendszervalto Forum, a far-right group, will follow up the gay pride parade by marching the same route after the event.
On June 11, the Budapest police chief published an online statement banning this year’s gay pride event, claiming that it would obstruct main traffic arteries in central Budapest. Following protests by numerous civil organisations, the Budapest mayor and liberal politicians, he withdrew the ban the following day.
VISIT GAY BUDAPEST
Top Israeli Court Refuses to Ban Gay Pride Parade Event
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OCCUPIED JERUSALEM-
Israel’s Supreme Court has rejected a petition to ban this year’s Jerusalem Gay Pride parade, an annual event that has been the focus of violent controversy in the Holy City in the past.
The petition, submitted by a group of hardline Jewish activists, called the parade scheduled for Thursday a “provocation.”
Jerusalem municipality had also objected to the event, with city spokesman Gidi Schmerling warning that it “harms social relations.”
But the court said in its ruling that the organizers of the event declared that they did not intend the parade to be provocative.
In 2005 an ultra-orthodox Jew stabbed three participants and was subsequently sentenced to 12 years in prison.
The following year the venue was switched to a sports stadium following violent protests by ultra-orthodox Jews and rightwing opponents who consider the event “a profanity” of the Holy City.
Last year about 2,500 gays and activists marched down King David Street despite protests by thousands of people.
Jerusalem Open House, the gay rights group organizing the event, said the parade would put Jerusalem and Israel “to the true test of democracy and civil rights.”
“Though we expect the struggle to be tough, we will not let the threats of violence silence us or challenge Israeli democracy,” the group said in a statement.
Eric and Todd Dammann – Hottie Twin Gay Guys in Seattle with Voices, Guitars and a Webcam!
Ah, Seattle!
The 5 best things about Seattle:
1) Seattle is gorgeous.
2) The proximity to a lot of outdoor activities.
3) The people in general are more polite than the rest of the country.
4) The culture is great. Great restaurants, and great arts.
5) The Dammann Twins – Eric and Todd.
They sing, play guitar, and are both gay!
YouTube is an amazing tool that wasn’t around when I was a kid! Now anyone with a webcam and some talent have amazing opportunities and in fact, can be discovered through the Internet.
The guys covered Brittney’s GIMME MORE and it has been viewed by nearly half a million people!
At 21, these two Seattle boys are finishing college, packing their bags and heading to sunny California!
I caught up with the guys this week, in between finals!
“Moving to California is definitely next on our priority list. After we finish up some college work here in Seattle, we will be doing all we can to set up home base somewhere near Los Angeles. With all of the opportunities for performing and promotion down there, it is something we are looking forward to.
We want our fans to know that we are working hard to write and record some great music that is going to be very symbolic of who we are as artists. So many people have reached out to us and given us words of support and encouragement. We appreciate it all so much and everyday are more and more surprised and flattered by the messages and letters our listeners are sending. It is our ultimate hope to someday tour and see all these fans in person!
We don’t have a record deal yet. This project is more of a demo than a full fledged album. The record we are working on is about 75% complete. We still have to finish writing and recording a few songs to make sure we have material that is not only work we’re proud of, but a collection that is as diverse and well rounded. After that, we will spend some time mastering the tracks and making sure all of the kinks are worked out.
It’s our first time really doing something like this by ourselves. Everything from the song writing, recording, and mixing, to the vocals and instrumentals are being done by us alone. It’s a big task to undertake but this is something we’ve always wanted to do. Music is our life, and we couldn’t imagine living without it!”
The duo was recently interviewed by Out magazine / PopNography ,
What inspired you to start putting videos up on YouTube?
Do you think part of the appeal is that a lot of people have twin fantasies?
Eric: YouTube really has become one of the cultural artifacts of this technology dominated/cyber space century. We love to sing and perform, so we figured, why not put it up on a site that would allow all our family and friends see what we’re up to? I love the idea of being able to have a digital platform where you can share your creative abilities with anyone who cares to watch.
Todd: I honestly laugh at the whole twin fantasy idea. I guess as a twin, it’s hard for me to look past my own relationship with Eric when I think about it. But I guess if that makes people listen, then I’m cool with it! If they come into it with that fantasy, I hope they’ll discover the talent underneath the fantasy!
The guys were asked recently if they have tried out for American Idol before?
“We tried out for the last season of American Idol. It was an interesting experience to say the least. Out of the 10,000 contestants trying out in Seattle, we made it to the top 100. We were obviously thrilled, but after continuing on, it became increasingly obvious that this was hardly a singing competition. Just like all “reality” shows, there’s very little real anything on the show.”
Don’t worry guys –
you are well on your way!
Stop by their MySpace page and listen to their music!
Eric has his own page and so does Todd as well.
It’s Official ! Gay Couples Can Get Married in California!
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According to the Associated Press – Dozens of gay couples were married Monday night after California became the second state to allow same-sex nuptials, offering a preview of the euphoria and anger to come as gay couples from across the nation head west to wed.
At least five county clerks around the state extended their hours to honor specific couples or to mark the historic occasion, and many couples exchanged vows on the spot. The May 15 California Supreme Court order overturning bans on same-sex marriage became final at 5:01 p.m.
“I never thought I’d see this,” Michael Groark, 61, said at a San Francisco sports bar, watching on television as Mayor Gavin Newsom officiated the first same-sex wedding in the city. Newsom helped launch the series of lawsuits that led the court to strike down California’s one-man-one-woman marriage laws.
A big rush to the altar was expected today, when most counties planned to start issuing marriage licenses to gay couples. Hundreds, perhaps thousands, of couples nationwide are expected to seize the opportunity to make their unions official in the eyes of the law.
Groups that oppose same-sex marriage have pursued several legal avenues to stop the weddings, including asking the California Supreme Court to postpone its decision until after the November initiative. The high court denied that request.
In Sonoma County, Melanie Phoenix, 47, and Terry Robinson, 48, were first in line to get a license. Together for almost 26 years, they plan to wed in August.
“It’s a historic occasion,” Phoenix said. “I never believed it was really possible until Gavin Newsom took the first step in 2004.”
Unlike Massachusetts, which legalized gay marriage in 2004, California has no residency requirement for marriage licenses, and that is expected to draw a great number of out-of-state couples. The turnout could also be boosted by New York state’s recent announcement that it will recognize gay marriages performed in other jurisdictions. Gov. David A. Paterson has directed all state agencies to begin to revise their policies and regulations to recognize same-sex marriages performed in other jurisdictions, like Massachusetts, California and Canada.
A UCLA study issued last week estimated that half of California’s more than 100,000 same-sex couples will get married over the next three years, and 68,000 more out-of-state couples will travel here to exchange vows.
GOOD TIMES WE ARE LIVING IN!
CELEBRATE!
3 Islanders sue Lesbos!
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ATHENS, Greece – Three islanders from Lesbos told a court Tuesday that gay women insult their home‘s identity by calling themselves lesbians.
Also known as Mytilini, Lesbos was the home of the ancient poet Sappho, who praised love among women. It is a major travel destination for gay women.
A spokeswoman for the group accused the plaintiffs of homophobia.
“What will they do next, sue the United Nations? They, too, use the term lesbian,” Vlami said.
Lawyers from both sides are to submit written arguments on Wednesday, and the court is expected to issue its decision in the next six months.
Are they serious?!
According to PINK NEWS-
“This would be hilariously funny if it wasn’t so pathetic – and so scary.
“Since it’s a universally legally recognised term, their case will likely be thrown out, but with the New Democracy regime, one never knows how much pandering will go on.”
A survey published on December 2006 showed that 16% of Greeks surveyed support same-sex marriage and 11% recognise same-sex couple’s right to adopt.
These figures are considerably below the 27-member European Union average of 44% and 33% respectively and place Greece in the lowest ranks of the European Union along with Poland, Latvia, Lithuania, Bulgaria, Romania and Cyprus.
Florent Restaurant New York City to Close This Month
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SAD BUT TRUE!
The legendary gay 24/7 Florent Restaurant in New York Citys meat packing disctrict will close it’s doors on Gay Pride June 29th!
High-end boutiques, high-end hotels, and the soon-to-be unveiled high-end high-line park have forced Florent’s rent up from $5,000 to $45,000 a month. They are currently holding auctions on EBAY of
Flo-morabilia, with proceeds benefiting the staff.
The bistro’s goodbye is in the final weeks; each week was dedicated to one of the Kubler-Ross stages of grief. Denial, Anger, Bargaining, Depression, and Acceptance.
Each theme week has special dishes, decor and performances by familiar faces like burlesque star Dirty Martini, all leading up to a big sad send-off on June 29th, Gay Pride Day.
The quirky French bistro – housed in an old diner that was a speakeasy in the ‘20s and a favorite greasy spoon for longshoremen and meatpackers in the ‘50s – has become even more cherished in recent years as a corrective to the fratastic Bridge and Tunnel scene dominating the neighborhood.
Owner Morellet, however, refuses to be maudlin about Florent’s fate. “I used to be the light in the middle of the darkness, and now I suppose I am the dark spot in the middle of the light,” he told me. “Of course I have prayed that maybe I would be saved at the last minute by a collapse of the world economy. And when it became real? Yes, I drove out to my lake house in New Jersey and wept for three days straight. But,” he quickly added, “only three days!”
READ MORE IN NY MAG!
Jay Leno Shows Support for Gay Marriage at Abbey in West Hollywood
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Talk show host Jay Leno showed up at the symbolic mass commitment ceremony at the Abbey in West Hollywood Wednesday night to show his support for gay marriage.
Leno – who several times has been criticized for being insensitive towards LGBT people on his late night talk show – said he didn’t understand why people are concerned about gays being allowed to marry.
Daily News’ Greg Hernandez
interviewed Leno at the event:
Greg: What do you think about gay marriage in California and all that’s happened in the last few weeks?
Jay: “Well, I come from Massachusetts and they have it there and the sky didn’t fall in, everyone seems to be fine. It’s one of those things where it’s a matter of time, you sort of ease into it and you see what happens.”
Greg: Do you have any friends who you want to see married?
Jay: Oh, I have a lot of gay friends. We have a couple of gay couples at ‘The Tonight Show’ who’ve been together 7,8,9 years.
“But you know what’s so funny to me, it’s how people miss out on the economic benefits just in terms of catering and flowers and planning. The services that come with it. I see all the companies that have benefited from gay travel. If you look at it, gay people have probably the most disposable income of any group and the businesses that cater to them do very well. So it just seems like common sense. Gas is four bucks a gallon. For me to worry about what Larry and Bob are doing seems sort of ridiculous.
Greg: Were we too hard on you over the whole Ryan Phillippe thing? (Leno was blasted for asking the actor to give him his “gayest look” while guesting. He later apologized for any offense)
Jay: “That seemed a little over the top to me, I have to admit. Only because it was not my intention. When I’ve had straight actors on who’ve played sexy roles, I’ll say, ‘Give me your sexiest face.’ So, when I said it to Ryan, we had said he’s a kid from a Baptist community who was now playing a gay part and I said, ‘OK, now give me your gayest look’ knowing he wouldn’t do it. You laugh and OK fine. Obviously it upset some people. Hey look, I’m an entertainer, sometimes you annoy people, you make people mad. Alright, that happens. But, I really think there are bigger issues than that. That’s a classic case where you’re not talking about morality or lifestyle, you’re just talking about silly stuff.”
Gay Paris – Don’t Be Scammed With The Gold Brass Men’s Ring
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My partner and I just got back from the very beautiful, very unfriendly Paris! We had been warned prior to leaving about pick pockets.
Tourists are targeted by scam and rip-off artists everywhere in Europe. If you know the games (spilling the mustard, bus 64 in Rome, and so on), you’re less likely to be a victim. By sharing the latest scams (and learning from each others’ mistakes) we’ll all travel more safely.
Remember, pickpocketing attempts throughout Europe can be expected unless you wear a moneybelt under your clothing. Smart travelers leave wallets at home and store their credit cards, passport, paper money and rail ticket(s) in a secure moneybelt.
We never had a problem with pick pockets. However, no one warned us about the brass ring scam! On our way walking along the Siene, we met a woman, who was so nice! That should have been our first clue! Because overall, people were not very nice in Paris. She seemed so genuine – a really good actress!
Just as you pass the scammer, they bend down to an empty walkway and the ring suddenly appears in her fingers. – Timing is everything. As my eyes went to the pavement, the ring was already there. She wanted me take it. I must have dropped it she said. I said, no. It was hers to keep! Finders keepers!
She gave me a believable story. In her country she could not possess such a ring. She was not allowed to even talk to men. She said I should keep it. And explained she was looking for work as a cleaning woman – did I know of anywhere she could apply? – I did not need or want a gold band! But the generous heart that I have I gave her $10 Euro and went about my day!
100 feet later, I looked to my partner and said, “You don’t think she has a whole pocketful of those rings do you???” – Sure enough, a few blocks later, we see her daughter scamming somone! Yet, a few blocks further, a young man comes up to us, not nearly as smooth – he must be in training and tried to pull the scam on us. His hand went to the pavement and nothing was there. He clumsily dropped the palmed ring to the pavemtent and picked it up. I show him the ring I had just acquired and told him I already bought one from his mother!
Lots of tourists get punk’d every day! You will find a lot of stories at RICK STEVES. Watch out for “lost tourists” needing directions. The ring scam. The bracelet scam. Wallet and moneybelt ideas. Be informed before you travel.
I think we are pretty smart, pretty aware travelers, but just when you let you guard down, watch out!
Get Busy Get Equal with ACLU
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With all the talk this year about legalizing gay marriage, a lot of people are being inspired to take action and help create change in the own state and communities.
Get Busy, Get Equal is an online toolkit designed to help turn dreams of equality into reality, It’s got a dynamic design and new content, including videos. The site now features a blog discussing LGBT rights and breaking news, as well as opportunities to connect to activists through the social networking sites Facebook and MySpace.
There is also in-depth information on how to protect LGBT relationships, pass civil rights laws and non-discrimination policies, and make schools safe for LGBT students. This collection of how-to guides, helpful hints, step-by-step instructions and other resources can be used right now to protect LGBT people and our rights.
Get Busy, Get Equal provides the tools local activists need to reach out to their neighbors, schools, employers and elected officials and help them understand that fairness for LGBT people is the right thing for America. I hope that you’ll take a little time to look at the resources Get Busy, Get Equal offers and use or share any information that might be helpful to your own work.
Gay Marriage Could Be Worth Billions For California
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$2.5 BILLION
Weddings are big business. Gay Weddings and Travel is even BIGGER BUSINESS!
Thanks to a recent decision by the California Supreme Court, the Golden State may soon be seeing a flood of same-sex couples flocking to the state to get married, beginning June 17.
Prof. Lee Badgett, Research Director at the Williams Institute at the University of California-Los Angeles, has done a series of studies on the economic implications of gay marriage in New Jersey, Vermont, Massachusetts, and California, among others.
While the 2000 Census estimated roughly 500,000 co-habitating gay couples nationwide, more recent studies such as the American Community Survey now estimate close to 800,000 same-sex couples. Of these, about 15%–or about 110,000–live in California. Less than 3% live in Massachusetts.
Badgett believes each California GLBT couple will likely spend close to the average wedding cost–now approaching $35,000 in California–but only about one-quarter of that amount is presumed to be “additional” spending that would not have otherwise gone into the economy. Even by this measure, 50,000 gay weddings could generate about $437.5 million in new economic activity over the next 3 years.
And none of these figures even address the potential boost to GLBT tourism. After all, about half of gays and lesbians say that a destination’s perceived ‘gay-friendliness’ is important in choosing how to spend their travel dollars, estimated at well over $50 billion annually.
When asked about the gay marriage, California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger said: “You know, I’m wishing everyone good luck with their marriages and I hope that California’s economy is booming because everyone is going to come here and get married.”
Schwarzenegger’s hopes might just be realized.
By New Media Manager Matthew Calcara for PeterGreenberg.com
read the full article
The Secret Life? of Siegfried & Roy – How The Tiger Kings Tamed Las Vegas
It’s here! The so-called “scandalous book” that has been talked about for 6 months.
The Secret Life of Siegfried and Roy: How the Tiger Kings Tamed Las Vegas
I read the book over last weekend. As some of you may know, I worked for S & R for about 7 years, right up until his accident. I have the utmost respect for them. They are inspiring and it was an honor to work with them and for them!
Everyone has a personal, private life. Some things they may not want shared with others. VERY FEW people live the life of an “open book.” Especially gay people. Some fear telling their families and/or friends that they are gay. Everyone has “secrets” or things they may not be proud of, that they keep private. So what? A lot of gay people in the media’s eye choose to stay in the closet. Look at Liberace! ( a close friend to Siegfried & Roy). He denied he was gay till the end, even on his death bed withering away from AIDS. Is it right? Is it wrong? Who are we to judge. I believe it is up to each individual to decide when to come out. It’s sad though to watch people live their lives for someone else. I don’t understand it. Eventually, all secrets come out.
The Secret Life of Siegfried and Roy reveals the touching, little-known story of how two youngsters founded a friendship, a franchise, and a tempestuous on-and-off love affair that would last a lifetime. We all knew they were gay. DAH! Look at those cod pieces and costumes! The book reveals their depth of their romance. Their disagreements and fights. Their sexual desires. Their trust and love.
Like most celebrities and very public people, they work very hard to control their image and public perception. In the weeks and months that followed the accident, more coverage was given to Siegfried & Roy than they had ever seen in whole career. In the spotlight as never before, Roy’s mauling triggered the press’ relentless investigation into the secret world of these Las Vegas icons. For the first time ever, author Louis Mydlach, a longtime friend––at Roy’s side throughout his traumatic recovery––describes in detail the agonies of rehabilitating the partially paralyzed performer. – Roy was undergoing strenuous rehabilitation. He wanted to present a stiff upper lip to his adoring fans. People hide things because they are afraid of what others may think. Being a gay man myself, I learned at an early age that is too short to lie! Just be yourself. And if someone will not accept you for who you are, do you really want them in your life?
Siegfried & Roy dazzled audiences’ eyes for decades as they masterfully hid a lifetime of secrets. Key players in the duo’s inner circle––Louis Mydlach, his security chief father Jim Mydlach, and show consultant Jimmy Lavery––finally unravel the untold story: The life of Siegfried & Roy was their ultimate illusion.
Is the book scandalous? Not really. I would not call it scandalous. It gives the reader an inside look into two very private lives of two great men who happened to be gay and involved for numerous years in an on-again off-again love relationship. I did find some of the language in the book a little bit of a slap in the face to gay people. But we have to remember, this book was probably written by four straight people and I think sometimes they are titillated talking about gay sexual issues, and don’t handle it in the same manner as a gay person might. There is talk about S&R’s like for younger men, video booths and glory holes. But so what? What gay person over 50 hasn’t been there, done that or thought about it?
The book exposes what happened behind closed doors. It is personal, intimate and the side of them we never got to see. THEY ARE HUMAN. They fight. They cry. They have emotions. They are just like you and me. It’s the private life we never got to see or read about because they protected their privacy. Unlike Britney!
They are still amazing men who accomplished so many things and changed the face of magic and the face of Las Vegas. Reading the book will not change your feelings about them, but you will probably appreciate them more, by seeing this human side of them.
Sidenote – It is rumoured Siegfried & Roy are currently shopping around their own memoirs to publishers.
The Secret Life of Siegfried and Roy: How the Tiger Kings Tamed Las Vegas
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