The Advocate (The national gay & lesbian newsmagazine) articles from January 2008

The Advocate (The national gay & lesbian newsmagazine) archives from January 2008

Good times and bum times, we've seen them all ...(FROM THE EDITOR)(Editorial)
January 15, 2008... WELCOME TO OUR 1,000TH ISSUE. That's right. The Advocate has gone to press 1,000 times to report on thousands of changes in our movement and our world. But even with so much experience behind us, it's hard to sum up the LGBT essence of 2007....

Mary, Mary.(FEEDBACK)(Letter to the editor)
January 15, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] As one of the "children" (I'm now 42 years old), I am grateful and happy for Mary's happiness and survival ["Mary J. Blige Has Something to Tell You..." December 4]. I am as happy for her happiness as I am for my...

The changing face of hate.(FEEDBACK)(Letter to the editor)
January 15, 2008... As a transgender student and activist in Sacramento, I can attest to the virulence of the hate messages and palpable sense of fear that a minority of Slavic neo-evangelicals are perpetrating in the area ["Killed in Broad Daylight," December 4]....

Does your company offer domestic-partner insurance?(THE ADVOCATE POLL)(Brief article)
January 15, 2008... "It is one of the reasons I accepted the job offer." "No, and if they do not begin to offer it soon, they will be losing a good employee--me!" "Yes, but I have to pay income tax on it." "Yes, the company my partner and I work for...

Wal-Mart is not for lovers.(FEEDBACK)(Letter to the editor)
January 15, 2008... On Advocate.com you've published a comment from a reader who voted in the poll about domestic-partner insurance ["Domestic Partner Insurance: Coming Soon to a City Near You?" December 4]. This reader's comment stated that Wal-Mart is now...

Dorothy vs. Snow White.(FEEDBACK)(Letter to the editor)
January 15, 2008... Most people might think this is a minor point, but it does burn me up to see such hogwash put out there in a movie review by someone who obviously knows little about film history. In Kyle Buchanan's review of Enchanted ["Final Fantasy,"...

With friends like these.(FEEDBACK)(Letter to the editor)
January 15, 2008... What a friend we have in openly gay Vallejo, Calif., mayoral candidate Gary Cloutier! First, while they were still counting the votes (I believe he won with a four-vote majority), he embarrassed his constituents by exiting a gay bar in Palm...

Out on the street: we asked a sampling of LGBT people in Charleston, S.C.: "who impressed you most in 2007?".(FEEDBACK)(Brief article)
January 15, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Sharon Mitchell, 35 artist/graphic designer "The soldiers in Iraq. People are pushing for us to get out and they're still there, just doing the job." [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Ken Hubbard, 45 ...

A year of firsts.(PEOPLE)(Academy Awards night 2007)(Brief article)
January 15, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] When Ellen DeGeneres took the stage as the first out gay host of the Academy Awards (right), even cynical gay hearts skipped a beat. We cheered later that night as well, when Melissa Etheridge made history as the...

Rants & raves: our favorite quotes of 2007 from Advocate interviews.(Forward)(Brief article)
January 15, 2008... "Even if change were simple, easy, quick, convenient, and possible, which it is not, why would we want to swap what is first-class, superior homosexuality for second-class, inferior heterosexuality?"--Activist Frank Kameny, June 3 "On the...

In memoriam: notable passings of 2007.(Forward)(Brief article)
January 15, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Bob Hattoy, 52, prominent AIDS activist, was felled by cardiac arrest March 4 in Sacramento. Anthony Castro, 19, Gay Games gold medalist who came out while on his high school football team, died in a Southern...

The year in covers.(Forward)(Brief article)
January 15, 2008... Because the sexual orientation of our cover boys and girls is of such interest to so many of our readers, The Advocate has made a tradition of taking a yearly inventory of which way our cover subjects lean. Our 2007 scorecard: 48 LGBT, 13...

Fab five: the best of gay entertainment in 2007.(Forward)(Brief article)
January 15, 2008... [ILLUSTRATIONS OMITTED] FAB FIVE! The best of gay entertainment in 2007 FILM TV MUSIC 1 The Walker Mad Men Release the Stars, ...

American Airlines.(THE ADVOCATE Bulletin: Our Essential Guide to Events and Promotions)(Brief article)
January 15, 2008... Remember when travel was just as glamorous as you are? At American Airlines, you always deserve a warm welcome. When you take your very next trip, remember to go to www.aa.com/rainbow to fly with friends. Our Rainbow TeAAm, Betty Young and...

Movado Safiro[TM].(THE ADVOCATE Bulletin: Our Essential Guide to Events and Promotions)(Brief article)
January 15, 2008... The dramatic Movado Safiro[TM] features a distinctive dark metalized sapphire crystal that fits flush to the edge of the black PVD-finished stainless steel case, completely covering the iconic black Museum dial. Safiro's striking aesthetic is...

The Seafarer.(THE ADVOCATE Bulletin: Our Essential Guide to Events and Promotions)(Brief article)
January 15, 2008... From the Tony Award-winning producers of THE HISTORY BOYS and the Olivier Award-winning author of SHINING CITY and THE WEIR comes "a stunningly sinister story of other-worldliness that will haunt you for days."--Time Out London. THE SEAFARER,...

Happy New Year: five bottles of bubbly worth toasting.(FAST LANE)(Buyers guide)(Brief article)
January 15, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] From left: Perrier Jouet Cuvee "Fleur de Champagne" Rose Vintage Perrier Jouet brings the festive drinker a feast of bubbles and art nouveau styling. To this day, craftsmen individually paint an anemone on each...

Kyle Chandler.(BIG GAY FOLLOWING)(Interview)
January 15, 2008... Beloved for series such as Homefront and Early Edition, Kyle Chandler scores a touchdown as Coach Eric Taylor on NBC's critically acclaimed Texas-set high school football drama Friday Night Lights, now in its second season. An Emmy nominee (for...

Candidates by the issues: you've followed the debates, listened to the stump speeches, and watched the candidates play political hot potato with gay issues. But before you march into the caucus room or voting booth in 2008, take a look at how the frontrunners for president stand on all things gay.
January 15, 2008... The Issues Defined DON'T ASK, DON'T TELL This law signed by President Bill Clinton in 1993 bars gays from openly serving in the U.S. military. HATE CRIMES Bills like the Matthew Shepard Local Law Enforcement Hate Crimes...

Primaries schedule.(Brief article)(Calendar)
January 15, 2008... JANUARY 3: Iowa caucuses; 8: New Hampshire; 5: Wyoming caucus (R); 15: Michigan; 19; Nevada caucuses, South Carolina (R); 26: South Carolina (D); 29: Florida FEBRUARY 1: Maine caucus (R); 5: Alabama, Alaska caucuses, Arizona, Arkansas,...

Fear of flying ... to the White House: in the heady first years of feminism, lesbians crashed the party, forever bonding the two movements. To win the presidency, Hillary Clinton must reckon with both.
January 15, 2008... BACK IN THE '70S, AMERICA'S FOUNDING FEMINISTS dreamed of a future when a woman could run for president. Fewer than 10 election cycles later, those feminist dreams are coming true. As we watch girls with I CAN BE PRESIDENT pins cheering for...

Women of my year: they called us Senator, Madame Speaker, and nappy-headed ho. Whatever. We rocked!(COMMENTARY)
January 15, 2008... COMING OUT FOR HILLARY CLINTON is like coming out as a lesbian. (I'm the lesbian, not Hillary, despite the sledgehammered innuendos of Ann Coulter.) In conversations with friends, family, and random airline seatmates, before I declare my...

Why wasn't this the year of Lance Bass?(Interview)(Cover story)
January 15, 2008... [ILLUSTRATIONS OMITTED] He should be the out celebrity gays continually clamor for. At just 28, Lance Bass already has an impressive and varied list of accomplishments: a record-shattering stint with the band 'N Sync, a memoir on The New...

Sweet Melissa: The Advocate's favorite cover girl talks about the next stage of her evolution.(Melissa Etheridge)(Interview)
January 15, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] MELISSA ETHERIDGE IS SMALLER than you imagine her to he. Maybe it's the deep, throaty voice that on occasion sounds like she's just downed a shot of whiskey, or the intensity of lyrics like "I'm the only one who'll...

A tipping point year? In every civil rights battle there comes a time when momentum tips irreversibly in its favor. Was 2007 that year for us? Two opposing views.(2007: YEAR IN REVIEW)
January 15, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] YES, ARGUES SEAN KENNEDY IF ANYONE DESERVES THANKS for making 2007 a breakthrough year for gay people, it would have to be Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. Not only did the swarthy Iranian dictator show the world that you...

The year in queer.(2007: YEAR IN REVIEW)
January 15, 2008... JANUARY 4: The 110th Congress is sworn in with Nancy Pelosi--in a baby-blue power suit--as House speaker (left). The same day Democrat Deval Patrick takes the oath of office as the first African-American governor of Massachusetts--and just the...

Public sex confidential: overnight, Senator Larry Craig became the poster boy for public sex. But as Benoit Denizet-Lewis reminds us, the phenomenon is anything but new--and it's not just a closeted Republican thing. So what is it that still drives some in the gay community out of the bedroom and into the bathroom?(2007: YEAR IN REVIEW)
January 15, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] IN 1980, A SHORT TIME BEFORE AIDS began decimating San Francisco's gay population, CBS aired a documentary about life in the city called Gay Power, Gay Politics. "For someone of my generation," journalist Harry...

Coming out in the big leagues: why John Amaeichi didn't change the world of professional sports.(2007: YEAR IN REVIEW)
January 15, 2008... [ILLUSTRATIONS OMITTED] To many gays and lesbians who care about sports, this coming-out was (literally) the big one--the one that would officially open up the idea of homosexuality to a particular culture that has been anything but...

The Sissy Awards: every year we have to endure our fair share of idiots, but this year takes the cake. So we here at The Advocate have reinstated our Annual Sissy Awards, recognizing those who show arrogant stupidity, dishonesty, or just a severe lack of spine. From Paris Hilton to Peter Pace, let's give it up for this year's <begin strikethrough>winners<end strikethrough> losers.(2007: YEAR IN REVIEW)
January 15, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] SISSY POLITICAL PARTY--THE REPUBLICANS If there's one thing right-wing pols like better than blocking gay rights, it's having gay sex. And 2007 gave us multiple orgasms: U.S. senator Larry Craig introduced us...

[Cartoon].(Cartoon)
January 15, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] "But your family would have made us sleep in separate bedrooms."

Our new hero ... Arnold?(FROM THE EDITOR)(Arnold Schwarzenegger)(Editorial)
January 29, 2008... BEFORE YOU READ THIS, let's synchronize our watches. You're seeing these words sometime between January 15 and 28, 2008. I'm writing them with my cat still swatting the low-hanging ornaments on our 2007 Christmas tree. Why does this matter?...

Deciphering L, G, B, and T.(FEEDBACK)(Letter to the editor)
January 29, 2008... It's great that The Advocate is now covering the trans movement and the importance of trans inclusion to queer liberation ["Gay vs. Trans in America," December 18]. There is, however, some history that is often missed and that demonstrates gay...

The Advocate poll.(FEEDBACK)(Brief article)
January 29, 2008... Whom are you backing for president? Clinton 59% Obama 22% Edwards 13% Giuliani 5% Romney 1% How readers responded to the Advocate.com poll question featured in the December 18 issue of The Advocote ...

Aged to perfection.(FEEDBACK)(Letter to the editor)
January 29, 2008... Although I am happy The Advocate advanced beyond its usual choice of a celeb, the First Person by Robert Harkabus on aging omits that very word: aging ["Invisible Man," December 18]. Those of us with 1930s-era birth dates can appreciate Mr....

Say cheese.(FEEDBACK)(Letter to the editor)
January 29, 2008... Loved the reference to a male goat being a "marvelous gift to cheese-loving children" in your December 18 issue ["Last Minute Gifts"]. Even people in Haiti and Malawi would not be likely to encourage their children to eat cheese from a male...

Out on the street.(FEEDBACK)(Brief article)
January 29, 2008... We asked a sampling of LGBT people in Helsinki: "Has barebacking arrived in Finland, or is unsafe sex still frowned upon?" [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Zuhoo Marone, 20 student "For some, [unsafe sex] is more popular. I use condoms with...

Get up, stand up.(WORKPLACE)(demonstrations and protests)(Brief article)
January 29, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] IT'S CERTAINLY BEEN the season of strikes. General Motors workers started it off in September with a two-day walkout. In early November television writers and the actors who love them took their signs and soy lattes...

Five questions for Tom Brokaw.(Forward)(Interview)
January 29, 2008... This November, Tom Brokaw royally pissed off Frank Kameny. In his book Boom! Voices of the Sixties, an epic exploration of the political and cultural events of 1963 to 1974, the former NBC Nightly News anchor made nary a mention of the gay...

Killing hate crimes.(Forward)
January 29, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] On December 6, Senate Democrats announced they would remove the Matthew Shepard Act from the 2008 Department of Defense reauthorization bill, saying they lacked the votes to pass the two together. The failure was...

Reversals of fortune: it's been the best of times and the worst of times for Gary Cloutier.(Forward)(Interview)(Brief article)
January 29, 2008... ON NOVEMBER 6, GARY Cloutier made history when he was declared the first openly gay mayor of Vallejo, Calif., a Bay Area city of 119,000. The 45-year-old city councilman and former civil rights attorney defeated Osby Davis--who would have been...

Goodbye to four of the greatest generation.(Forward)(Obituary)(Brief article)(List)
January 29, 2008... The closing weeks of 2007 saw the passing of four gay pioneers whose reach spanned music, literature, history, and politics. With the loss of these influential crusaders, the LGBT community's own "greatest generation" grew that much smaller....

Datebook: 01.15-01.29.(Forward)(Calendar)
January 29, 2008... JANUARY 19 Six weeks before kicking off the tour for her new album, Backwoods Barbie, in Minneapolis, Dolly blows out 62 candles. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] RUNNING THROUGH FEBRUARY 16 [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] In Roberto...

Rants & raves.(Forward)(Quotation)(Brief article)
January 29, 2008... "There are a lot of gay people that wish I'm gay, but they gonna keep dreaming for a long time.... I'm very straight. Gender or sexual preference doesn't mean anything to me." --American Idol runner-up Blake Lewis, in an interview with...

Antigay and proud: a look at the latest crop of hate-based groups from coast to coast.(COLUMN: BITTER, PARTY OF ONE)(Column)
January 29, 2008... JUST WHEN FRED PHELPS may at last be bankrupt, along come other virulently antigay groups. Take Latvia-based Watchmen on the Walls, which has growing influence on the West Coast. One of its founders is Scott Lively, who authored a charming book...

The man who would be senator: is out North Carolina Democrat Jim Neal too much of a long shot to unseat incumbent Elizabeth Dole?(POLITICS)(Interview)
January 29, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] JIM NEAL'S ENTRY in the online encyclopedia Wikipedia is stunningly short. In a nutshell, the North Carolina investment banker is a 51-year-old divorced Democrat who is running for the U.S. Senate seat currently held...

A business-class ticket, both ways: in 2000, Cadillac revamped its look, feel, and image--and eight years later it's doing it again. The Advocate takes a look at the new-incarnation CTS, with Gaywheels.com's Marty Padgett behind the wheel.(FAST LANE: AUTOS)(Product/service evaluation)
January 29, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] 2008 CADILLAC CTS RETAIL PRICE (MSRP) FROM $32,245 STANDARD ENGINE 3.6-LITER V6 HORSEPOWER 263 @ 6,400 RPM TORQUE (LB-FT) 253 @ 3,100 RPM FUEL ECONOMY: CITY (MPG) 16 HIGHWAY (MPG) 25 ...

Get over yourself: are addictions and bad habits standing in your way?(CAREERS)
January 29, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] ASK AN ACCOMPLISHED BUSINESSPERSON how he or she made it to the top and you'll get any number of responses: great mentors, hard work, well-defined goals. I've yet to hear, however, "I couldn't have done it without my...

Diane Lane.(BIG GAY FOLLOWING)(Interview)
January 29, 2008... Her big-screen debut opposite Sir Laurence Olivier in 1979's A Little Romance landed Diane Lane on the cover of Time at the age of 14. Now, after having earned a 2002 Oscar nomination for her perfect stormy portrayal of an adulterous wife in...

Severing diplomatic ties: Michael Guest, the former American ambassador to Romania, retired from the Foreign Service in November because of the State Department's unequal treatment of gay diplomats and their partners. In this exclusive Advocate sit-down, Andrew Noyes talks to Guest and his partner about what led to their decision--and why their union was more important than Guest's career.(Interview)(Cover story)
January 29, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] MICHAEL GUEST REMEMBERS the day he fell in love with the Foreign Service. It was 1976, and the South Carolinian was interning on Capitol Hill. He attended a State Department seminar where a man in a plaid suit, he...

Living with HIV: The Advocate spent three weeks in the lives of three HIV-positive men, proving that while the disease is no longer a death sentence, it isn't a piece of cake either.(HEALTH)
January 29, 2008... [ILLUSTRATIONS OMITTED] AS THE CENTERS FOR DISEASE CONTROL AND PREVENTION prepares to release revised annual statistics about new HIV infections in the United States (in 2005 the number of new infections was 20% to 50% higher than...

5 vaccines you need to know.(YOUR HEALTH / BOOK EXCERPT)(Excerpt)
January 29, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Alyson Books, in partnership with The Advocate, is publishing The Advocate Guide to Gay Men's Health and Wellness by Frank Spinelli, MD, in January. This concise reference manual aims to be a definitive source for...

Shelby, Dusty, demons, and dreams: Dusty Springfield danced with personal demons all her life. Now Shelby Lynne is channeling Dusty's music for a new generation. Is she channeling Dusty's demons too?(Shelby Lynne works inspired by Dusty Springfield )
January 29, 2008... [ILLUSTRATIONS OMITTED] Doing press is "kind of a nightmare" for Lynne, and when The Advocate ventured out talk about her new CD, Just a Little Lovin'--on which she covers songs recorded by the timeless gay icon Dusty Springfield--Shelby...

Queer eye for the big girl: with his new show How to Look Good Naked, Carson Kressley teaches women to love themselves in all shapes and sizes.(TV)(Interview)
January 29, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] AMERICA'S GAY BOYFRIEND arrives at Coco Nails on East 33rd Street in Manhattan a few minutes past 10 on a crisp November morning. There are only a few employees and a lone man getting his nails done in the salon, so...

The L Word 5.0: what's in store on this season of The L Word? Michele Kort goes on location and gets the goods.(SPECTATOR)
January 29, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] "I LIKE SLUTTY SHANE," says Leisha Hailey. "I do too!" says Kate Moennig, who plays the irresistible androgynous heartbreaker on The L Word, the show we delight in both loving and hating. Moennig and Hailey (who...

Biting wit: if you're hungry for heroines, here are two girls you can really sink your teeth into.(Teeth)(Persepolis)(Movie review)
January 29, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] TEETH DIRECTED BY Mitchell Lichtenstein STARRING Jess Weixler and Hale Appleman ROADSIDE ATTRACTIONS PERSEPOLIS DIRECTED BY Vincent Paronnaud and Marjane Satrapi STARRING Catherine Deneuve...

Ballot Measure 9.(DVD PICKS)(Brief article)
January 29, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] BALLOT MEASURE 9 SOVEREIGN Available for the first time on DVD, this film is an inside look at the 1992 battle in Oregon over one of the most divisive pieces of antigay legislation ever proposed.

Eastern Promises.(DVD PICKS)(Brief article)
January 29, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] EASTERN PROMISES UNIVERSAL In addition having Viggo Mortensen naked through much of the film and an interesting homoerotic subplot, David Cronenberg's crime thriller is one of 2007's best.

Glue.(DVD PICKS)(Brief article)
January 29, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] GLUE PICTURE THIS! In this Argentinean film a young man discovers his sexuality with the help of his hunky friend Nacho, girlfriend Andrea, and their shared love of sniffing glue. A beautiful and subtle...

Scenes of a Sexual Nature.(DVD PICKS)(Brief article)
January 29, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] SCENES OF A SEXUAL NATURE THINKFILM Ewan McGregor's turn as the philandering half of an otherwise happy gay couple makes this relationship comedy a fun treat.

The Tudors.(DVD PICKS)(Brief article)
January 29, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] THE TUDORS The Complete First Season SHOWTIME ENT. Jonathan Rhys Meyers endeared himself to us in Velvet Goldmine, and we now happily follow him into the life and loves of King Henry VIII.

Tom Dolby.(SHORT ANSWERS)(The Sixth Form)(Brief article)(Book review)
January 29, 2008... More coming-of-age novel than roman a clef, Tom Dolby's novel The Sixth Form follows the senior year (or "sixth form") of Ethan Whitley--sent to Berkley Academy by his Stanford professor parents after his mother is diagnosed with cancer--and...

Noise maker: the Magnetic Fields' latest is a masterful experience in low fidelity.(Distortion)(Sound recording review)
January 29, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] THE MAGNETIC FIELDS Distortion NONESUCH THE AESTHETICS OF Stephin Merritt, leader of the Magnetic Fields, are steeped in the tradition of "perfect" pop, as practiced by ABBA, Irving Berlin, and...

Cat Power: Jukebox.(MUSIC PICKS)
January 29, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Cat Power Jukebox MATADOR Indie rock's favorite fraidycat covers Hank Williams, Billie Holiday, James Brown, Bob Dylan, and, um, Frank Sinatra.

Kate Nash: Made of Bricks.(MUSIC PICKS)(Brief article)
January 29, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Kate Nash Made of Bricks GEFFEN The sassy, modern British songstress gives Lily Allen and Amy Wine-house competition. Like Amy doesn't have enough problems.

Various Artists: Disco Not Disco.(MUSIC PICKS)(Brief article)
January 29, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Various Artists Disco Not Disco STRUT Oddball electro, post-punk, and left-field dance floor jams from 1974 to 1986. Guaranteed 100% free of white polyester.

Wisely: Wisely.(MUSIC PICKS)
January 29, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Wisely Wisely OGLIO Somewhere between Elliott Smith and early Paul McCartney, this is savvy singer-songwriter fare that prizes pop smarts over bleeding hearts.

Xanadu: The Original Broadway Cast Recording.(MUSIC PICKS)(Brief article)
January 29, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Xanadu The Original Broadway Cast Recording PS CLASSICS The film may have aged terribly, but the music of Jeff Lynne and John Farrar sparkles as brightly as ever in the hit Broadway adaptation.

Television dreams: a young gay boy takes refuge in talk shows only to later find himself on the other side of the screen.(COLUMN: MINORITY RETORT)(Alec Mapa)(Column)
January 29, 2008... IN DECEMBER, I PERFORMED STAND-UP at the 10th annual Cracked Xmas benefit for the Trevor Project, the nation's only 24-hour LGBT teen suicide hotline. I was shocked I was asked to perform at all, considering I did the same event six years ago...

Letter from the editor.(OUT TRAVELERS)(Editorial)
January 29, 2008... As with many things, love of travel is binary: You're either passionate about it or not. I live to travel and travel to live. Travel liberates me from the tyranny of the quotidian, the mind-numbing exigencies of the everyday. The second those...

Three top trips: Ed's travel milestones.(OUT TRAVELERS)(websites for great travel destinations)(Website list)(Brief article)
January 29, 2008... GUATEMALA I visited this super-friendly country nearly 20 years ago and was one of the last to be allowed to actually climb some of the terrifyingly steep ancient pyramids of Tikal. Also worth visiting is the charming ancient capital,...

Ed live!(OUT TRAVELERS)
January 29, 2008... Listen to Ed on XM Satellite Radio's The Agenda With Joe Solmonese (HRC.org/theagenda; Monday, January 21, 6-8 P.M. Eastern, on channel 120) and on Sirius Satellite Radiols Sirius OutQ (SiriusOutQ.com; Tuesday, January 22 at 7 P.M. Eastern)....

Your questions our answers.(OUT TRAVELERS)
January 29, 2008... Every spring my partner and I attend a meeting in Milan. This year we fly into Rome and spend four days there. Can you recommend some smaller towns, hotels, B&Bs, between Rome and Milan that are gay-friendly or gay-owned? --Ira Shivitz,...

Milestone moments: new LGBT tours for 2008: these first-time journeys have editorial director Matt Link's inner lesbian and associate editor LoAnn Halden's inner gay man mentally packing their bags. (Hers are Louis Vuitton, of course.).(OUT TRAVELERS)
January 29, 2008... MATT'S LESBIAN TOUR WISH LIST Indie Fest in Cancun May 3-10 and 10-17 Olivia's (800-631-6277; Olivia. com) first music festival in the Yucatan is hosted at the Club Med Cancun, featuring sailing, windsurfing, and trapeze lessons...

Your e-mails.(OUT TRAVELERS)(Letter to the editor)
January 29, 2008... I TRAVEL EXTENSIVELY AND RELY ON YOUR MAGAZINE to guide me to gay-friendly destinations. The articles are well-written and highly useful, and my only complaint is that I, as a Chinese-American, would like to see more minorities in your...

Your tips.(OUT TRAVELERS)(Letter to the editor)
January 29, 2008... YOU CAME CLOSE to describing my typical weekend in my hometown in your article "Three Gay Days in Denver." [I'd also suggest] an early Saturday lunch at The Earl of Sandwich, a Sunday brunch at Racines restaurant, a stroll through Cheesman...

Web exclusives at OutTraveler.com.(OUT TRAVELERS)
January 29, 2008... Which gay road trip is right for you? Answer our online questions and we'll help you decide. Visit OutTraveler.com/poll Ed Salvato's travel blog: Discovering new and old in New Orleans More gay celeb travel secrets: Lily Tomlin, David...

Your snapshots.(OUT TRAVELERS)
January 29, 2008... Hiking from tiny sea village to tiny sea village for five days through Cinque Terre (Italy) was a huge highlight for me. I've been lucky enough to travel all over the world, but I have to say that this October time in Cinque Terre, far from the...

Out travelers of the past.(OUT TRAVELERS)(Quotation)
January 29, 2008... "But why, oh why, do the wrong people travel, when the right people stay at home?" --from the musical Sail Away by gay dramatist Noel Coward, 1899-1973

A new generation of pod people: U.K.-based Yotel is invading sleepless airports with posh privacy cabins to make your next dreaded layover gloriously unconscious.(ORIENTATION)
January 29, 2008... Any weary traveler who has attempted to slumber on a microscopic airport chair or hard-as-rock bench--or even tried to find a place to plug in a laptop--will wonder why no one has ever thought of this before: a cozy, luxurious, private sleeping...

National parks go lavender.(ORIENTATION)(Aramark Parks & Resorts accomodates LGBT visitors)(Brief article)
January 29, 2008... When Aramark Parks & Resorts (the largest lodging concessionaire in the National Park system) launched their first gay-targeted Out & About travel package at Mesa Verde in 2007, the response "was phenomenal," says Brian Murphy, Aramark's...

Un-conventional diversions: the nation's leading business convention destinations can be, shall we say, less than lavender, but that doesn't mean you can't find a gay ol' time. Take off that name badge and roll up your sleeves--it's time to play hooky!(ORIENTATION)
January 29, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] San Antonio Get your creative fix at the San Antonio Museum of Art: Conventioneers routinely pass time in downtown San Antonio by strolling the enchanting River Walk (and its myriad bars and restaurants) or...

Rubbing you the right way.(ORIENTATION)(applying sunscreen and suntan the right way)(Brief article)
January 29, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Malcolm Vincent is armed with high-end sun care products and he's not afraid to use them. As the world's only "tanning butler," the Maul native spends his weekends patrolling the pool and beach area at Miami Beach's...

Lasting inspiration: pay Memorial Day respects at these destination-worthy grave sites of our LGBT forerunners.(ORIENTATION)(List)
January 29, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] 1. OSCAR WILDE (1854-1900) Pere-Lachaise Cemetery, Paris Wind through the mausoleum-lined paths of Paris's largest cemetery--one of the most famous in the world--to the legendary gay novelist and...

The best gay-owned spas in the U.S.: with the phenomenal growth in spas, how can a traveler tell the true-blue homosexual establishments from the merely metrosexual ones? Our top picks.(PERFECT TEN: SPAS)(List)
January 29, 2008... 1. INDIGO ECO SPA Mendocino, Calif. (800-421-2810) Acquired by gay couple Seth Kelman and Michael Webster in 2004, Stevenswood Resort was transformed from a rustic lodge to a world-class resort complete with 10 luxury suites (with...