The Advocate (The national gay & lesbian newsmagazine) articles from November 2007

The Advocate (The national gay & lesbian newsmagazine) archives from November 2007

Getting real about ENDA: the furor over the employment non-discrimination act offers the LGBT community the chance to come of age. will we take it?(FROM THE EDITOR)(Editorial)
November 6, 2007... In late September the Employment Non-Discrimination Act hit a snag. With a historic yes vote within reach in Congress, we learned that the votes for an all-inclusive ENDA weren't there after all: Although members would support a federal law...

It's all about Hillary.(FEEDBACK)(Letter to the editor)
November 6, 2007... I just finished reading the Hillary piece by Sean Kennedy ["The Object of Our Affection," October 9]. I was leaning toward Barack Obama, but after reading this piece I am most definitely 100% behind Hillary Clinton. I think we have a long road...

The Advocate poll: is sexuality naturally more fluid for women than men?(FEEDBACK)(Brief article)
November 6, 2007... Is sexuality naturally more fluid for women than men? No 33% Yes 52% Unsure 15% "I think sexual fluidity is naturally equal in men and women. However, culturally, men have been trained to reject their own natural...

Validation.(FEEDBACK)(Letter to the editor)
November 6, 2007... Thank you for the incredibly open and respectful article "Lesbian After Marriage" [October 9] (not that I would expect anything less of The Advocate). When I came out four years ago, after identifying as "straight" for 43 years, I was sure I...

Outing the heartless.(FEEDBACK)(Letter to the editor)
November 6, 2007... I finished reading the First Person article "Family Trauma" [October 9] and was disappointed to see that the heartless social worker's name had been omitted from the article. I for one would like to contact him, or at least send him an e-mail....

Craig vs. Vitter.(FEEDBACK)(Letter to the editor)
November 6, 2007... I wanted to commend Rod McCollum on his excellent column about Larry Craig and David Vitter ["A Tale of Two Cities," October 9]. It's nice to finally see the comparison in writing. I've thought about it often since the Craig scandal broke. ...

Sin of omission.(FEEDBACK)(Letter to the editor)
November 6, 2007... Frank Kameny is the most important gay activist of the last 40 years ["40 Heroes," September 25]. He provided both the philosophical underpinnings of the movement and the strategies that made all of our victories possible. His omission from...

Out on the street.(FEEDBACK)(Letter to the editor)
November 6, 2007... We asked a sampling of LGBT people in Mexico City: "Have you ever considered immigrating to the United States?" [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Sergio Garcia, 23 Conference facilitator "No. I went there before, and I want to experience...

Taliban love.(World)(Brief article)
November 6, 2007... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] While many in the Muslim world would like to believe gays are not in their midst, evidence to the contrary keeps turning up. In December 2001, two months after the U.S. invasion of Afghanistan, New York City-based...

No fruities with your rooty tooty?(Forward)(International House of Pancakes)(Brief article)
November 6, 2007... The International House of Pancakes in West Hollywood is located at the city's gay ground zero--surrounded by martinis, pecs, and attitude. So it came as a shock when waiter Gene Piva, who had worked at the IHOP for 7 1/2 years, claimed he was...

Diversions.(Forward)(Michael Buckley and his show "What the Buck")(Brief article)
November 6, 2007... Thanks to his manic delivery and razor-sharp barbs on celebrity culture, Michael Buckley consistently attracts hundreds of thousands of hits for each episode of his YouTube show, What the Buck, That following is in a league with the Internet's...

Hey, flack, watch your back.(Forward)(Steven Le Vine and Stephen Lucin of GrapeVine Public Relations)(Brief article)
November 6, 2007... In Hollywood it's easier to name publicists who aren't gay rather than single out the ones who are. But two young flacks have partnered up to make a name for themselves as cofounders of GrapeVine Public Relations-perhaps the first firm to...

Dossier give till it hurts: the hardest decision for Judi Bowne wasn't whether to donate her kidney but whom to give it to. Then she met fellow lesbian Rosie Murray.(BOSSIER)
November 6, 2007... TO MEET JUDI BOWNE is to ask why. That's because on May 15, Bowne gave one of her kidneys to Rosemarie Murray, a woman she had met only six months earlier. The story starts in July 2006, when Bowne heard an NPR segment about an...

By the numbers.(Forward)(Brief article)
November 6, 2007... The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office estimated that the war in Iraq will cost at least $1 trillion--and that's assuming we reduce U.S. forces in the region from 190,000 to 30,000 by 2010. Just so you know, $1 trillion could buy one of...

Dean Johnson.(DIED)(Obituary)(Brief article)
November 6, 2007... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Dean Johnson, 45, the New York nightlife impresario and rock musician, of unknown causes, September 20, in Washington, D.C. With his 6-foot-7 frame, bald head, outlandish eyewear, and penchant for donning high heels,...

Herbert Muschamp.(DIED)(Obituary)
November 6, 2007... Herbert Muschamp, 59, the former architecture critic of The New York Times, of lung cancer, October 2, in New York City. During his tenure from 1992 to 2004, Muschamp championed such innovative architects as Frank Gehry, Rem Koolhaas, and Zaha...

Alice Ghostley.(DIED)(Obituary)(Brief article)
November 6, 2007... Alice Ghostley, 81, who starred in the television shows Bewitched and Designing Women, of colon cancer, September 21, in Los Angeles. Before becoming a camp icon on TV, first as good witch and housekeeper Esmeralda, then as Sugarbaker family...

Triangle Foundation.(APPOINTED)(Brief article)
November 6, 2007... Kate Runyon, as interim executive director of the Triangle Foundation, the Michigan LGBT advocacy group, it was announced September 29, in Dearborn. The former head of the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Issues Program of the American...

Rants & Raves.(Forward)(Brief article)
November 6, 2007... "It was awesome at the time. We had a really funny friendship and kind of played with the press and the media. It was before the Internet, and there was still a little bit of allure and excitement and fun to it." --Sandra Bernhard,...

Paper Trail: just in time for Halloween, horror maestro Clive Barker is back with a sweet little book about a deformed demon.(Forward)(Excerpt)(Brief article)
November 6, 2007... In Mister B. Gone the queer writer-director introduces us to Jakabok Botch, a hideous little thing who developed quite a grudge against humanity while growing up in the Ninth Circle of Hell. In the following excerpt Mr. Botch asks the reader to...

Datebook 10.23-11.06.(Forward)(Brief article)(Calendar)
November 6, 2007... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] OCTOBER 24 This is opening night for the New York City production of Fuerzabruta, an electrifying piece of physical theater from Argentina. Expect boundless energy and little narrative; you've got see it to...

Kiss the cook: how a new memoir (and homemade doughnuts) are bridging the culinary divide.(FAST LANE)("Out of the Frying Pan: A Chef's Memoir of Hot Kitchens, Single Motherhood, and the Family Meal" by Gillian Clark)
November 6, 2007... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] When lesbian chef Gillian Clark opened Colorado Kitchen in Washington, D.C.'s Brightwood neighborhood in 2001. the only other restaurant where you could sit down to eat was McDonald's. There were, however, plenty of...

Hate crimes in black and white: it could have been you; it could have been me.(COLUMN: UNDER MY SKIN)
November 6, 2007... THE DEATH OF 29-YEAR-OLD New Yorker Michael Sandy, resulting from a beating by a group of white men who had intentionally lured him to a parking lot, was cold, calculated, and brutal. Chat messages between Sandy and the men were reportedly...

Leading the charge: in October, Aubrey Sarvis took the helm at the Servicemembers Legal Defense Network. Will his Rolodex of political and business bigwigs be enough to overturn "don't ask, don't tell"?(ACTIVISM)(Interview)
November 6, 2007... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] U.S. ARMY VETERAN AUDREY SARVIS has won his share of skirmishes in Washington. As chief counsel for the Senate Commerce Committee, he helped push through historic airline deregulation; as Verizon's top lobbyist, he...

From ABCs to LGBT: the 1996 documentary It's Elementary showed teachers talking about gay people with their students. A decade later, its impact can be seen in classrooms, state laws, and the kids--now grown--who appeared in it.(GEN Q)(lesbian, gay, bisexual and transsexual)
November 6, 2007... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] BRANDON RICE REMEMBERS the day 11 years ago when filmmakers came to his Madison, Wis., school and taped his fourth-grade teacher talking to his class about gay people. Among the topics: whether students were ever...

Sarah Shahi.(BIG GAY FOLLOWING)(Interview)
November 6, 2007... Sarah Shahi won our hearts playing the ooh-la-la lesbian Carmen, Shane's left-at-the-altar DJ girlfriend on The L Word. Now she's winning our admiration for her post-L Word acting range: She made us laugh in her cameo as a vapid morning-show...

Halloween: is the party over? Once a place for gays to parade the outlandish and the outrageous, Halloween street parties have been overrun by college kids and gangbangers, appropriated by stroller--pushing moms and out-of-towners, and regulated by angry residents and city officials. Have we lost Halloween forever?
November 6, 2007... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] "I REMEMBER THE YEAR I NOTICED THE SHIFT," says Jeanne Fleming, a longtime organizer of New York City's Village Halloween Parade. The year was 1989. Downtown Manhattan was a gritty, crime-ridden outpost of artists,...

5 to drive in 2008.(CARS)(Buyers guide)
November 6, 2007... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Once upon a time, there was something called "the new model year." Get this: Enthusiasts used to gather at their local dealer's showroom and wait for the car salesmen to take the wraps off Detroit's latest sheet...

Driving the gay market: in 2006 Ford Motor Co. slashed its advertising budget for gay and lesbian publications. Was it fear of a boycott or simply market conditions? Bernice Yeung investigates.(CARS)
November 6, 2007... IN AN AWARD-WINNING AD aimed at gay consumers, a clean-cut 30-something with chiseled features, tousled hair, and the faint air of an Ivy League rowing team captain sits on the edge of a cream-colored couch. His hands are clasped to his chin;...

Life in drive: to quote a Tinseltown proverb: you can live in your car, but you can't drive your house. Let's hope it doesn't come to that. But the point is, your wheels say a lot about you. Gaywheels.com's Joe Tralongo picks the cars that make the man (or woman) at four distinct stages of-gay life.(CARS)
November 6, 2007... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] STAGE 1: Young and single. Forget backseat legroom and trunk space--a man on the prowl needs a car that attracts attention without cutting too deeply into the clothing budget. 2008 VOLVO C30 Small, agile, and...

The gayest one.(An Essay)
November 6, 2007... "EVERYONE AGREED THAT YOU RE THE GAYEST PERSON in the department," my best friend from work said to me as we strolled through SoHo. Sara was recapping: a conversation from a happy hour I missed because I had been at a Book reading by Paula...

Magic man: a television writer proves his genius once again with his surreal new show, Pushing Daisies. Now, if Bryan Fuller can only get people to watch.(TV)(Interview)
November 6, 2007... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] BRYAN FULLER IS STANDING IN A HUDDLE of grips and production assistants around a corpse laid flat on a morgue table. At well over six feet, the creator-producer of Pushing Daisies looms above the entire crew, which...

Unlikely lesbians.(FILM)(Ricki Lake and Cheri Oteri)(Interview)
November 6, 2007... When you picture two women on the verge of lesbian lust, former talk-show host Ricki Lake and Saturday Night Live alum Cheri Oteri might not leap immediately to mind. But the coupling presumably made sense to writer-director Kurt Voelker. In...

My so-called life was, like, such a big deal: a new boxed set reminds Neal Broverman why this show left an indelible mark on culture--and him.(DVD)(Video recording review)
November 6, 2007... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] In the fall of '94, I spent my days skulking around the dingy halls of Torrington High, trying to pretend I wasn't in love with my (male) best friend. And when I wasn't manning the fitting room of T.J. Maxx, my...

Girl power: two women redefine the role of outcast companions: one fat and one fake.("Lars and the Real Girl" and "Fat Girls")(Movie review)
November 6, 2007... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] EARLY ON IN Lars and the Real Girl, the emotionally stunted Lars (Ryan Gosling) tells his brother and sister-in-law that he's planning to bring a date over for dinner. The news sends Gus and Karin into an excited...

Daniel Karslake.(SHORT ANSWERS)(Interview)(Brief article)
November 6, 2007... When he was a producer on the PBS gay and lesbian newsmagazine In the Life, Daniel Karslake specialized in the tricky intersection between religion and sexuality. It's an issue he probes further in his new documentary, For the Bible Tells Me...

Project Runway.(DVD PICKS)(Project Runway Season 3)(Brief article)(Video recording review)
November 6, 2007... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Project Runway Season 3 GENIUS PRODUCTS Relive every guilty-pleasure moment of reality's crown jewel. The truly obsessed will enjoy extras like Tim Gunn's season 3 blog, "WEAR Are They Now?" with Jeffrey Sebelia,...

Elton 60.(DVD PICKS)(Elton 60 Live at Madison Square Garden)(Brief article)(Video recording review)
November 6, 2007... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Elton 60 Live at Madison Square Garden UNIVERSAL MUSIC Weren't invited to Elton's birthday bash? Pretend you were. A two-disc package featuring 33 songs and special guest appearances by Whoopi Goldberg and Robin...

Pixar Short Films Collection.(DVD PICKS)(Brief article)(Video recording review)
November 6, 2007... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Pixar Short Films Collection BUENA VISTA HOME ENTERTAINMENT Remember those little films at the beginning of Pixar movies? Here they are, along with several others, in one collection, which also offers an inside...

Hellraiser.(DVD PICKS)(Hellraiser 20th Anniversary Edition)(Brief article)(Video recording review)
November 6, 2007... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Hellraiser 20th Anniversary Edition STARZ/ANCHOR BAY This Halloween, curl up with a classic. Clive Barker's original terrifying glimpse beyond is enhanced with his commentary, plus interviews with stars Ashley...

Headbanger's Ball: Otep gives heavy metal a woman's touch.(Sound recording review)
November 6, 2007... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] OTEP The Ascension KOCH TO THE CASUAL OBSERVER, heavy metal might seem like the gayest music ever. The leather-and-studs getups favored by Judas Priest are pure Folsom Street fare. And no matter how sordid the...

Various Artists: Four Songs by Arthur Russell.(MUSIC PICKS)(Sound recording review)(Brief article)
November 6, 2007... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Various Artists Four Songs by Arthur Russell ROUGH TRADE Tender new interpretations of the gay '80s club-pop iconoclast by Jens Lekman as well as members of Hidden Cameras, Electrelane, and Taken by Trees.

Babyshambles: Shotter's Nation.(MUSIC PICKS)(Sound recording review)(Brief article)
November 6, 2007... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Babyshambles Shotter's Nation ASTRALWERKS In between court dates, Kate Moss's ne'er-do-well ex-boyfriend Peter Doherty and his band release an album almost as attention-worthy as all the tabloid copy he...

Carrie Underwood: Carnival Ride.(MUSIC PICKS)(Sound recording review)(Brief article)
November 6, 2007... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Carrie Underwood Carnival Ride 19 RECORDINGS/ARISTA NASHVILLE Hotly anticipated sophomore set from the American Idol veteran. Somewhere in Music City, Faith Hill is sticking pins in a fabric doll.

Sally Shapiro: Disco Romance.(MUSIC PICKS)(Sound recording review)(Brief article)
November 6, 2007... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Sally Shapiro Disco Romance PAPER BAG A sleeper hit via iTunes and Pitchfork, the classic-sounding club tracks of this Swedish charmer finally see U.S. release--with four bonus tracks on the CD.

Various Artists: The Brit Box.(MUSIC PICKS)(Sound recording review)(Brief article)
November 6, 2007... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Various Artists The Brit Box RHINO From the Smiths to Gay Dad, 78 of the Britpop, indie, and shoegazer classics that made you affect a Cockney accent and swan around your dorm room.

Brass Diva: The Life and Legends of Ethel Merman.(BOOK PICKS)(Brief article)(Book review)
November 6, 2007... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] BRASS DIVA: THE LIFE AND LEGENDS OF ETHEL MERMAN BY Caryl Flinn UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA PRESS, $34.95 Broadway legend Ethel Merman (1908-1984) has emerged in the digital age as a boisterous camp diva, complete...

Ethel Merman: A Life.(BOOK PICKS)(Brief article)(Book review)
November 6, 2007... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] ETHEL MERMAN: A LIFE BY Brian Kellow VIKING, $25.95 Clearly there's enough diva drama in Merman's life to fill two dueling biographies. While shorter and blunter than Flinn's book, this account by Opera News...

Portraits and Observations: The Essays of Truman Capote.(BOOK PICKS)(Brief article)(Book review)
November 6, 2007... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] PORTRAITS AND OBSERVATIONS: THE ESSAYS OF TRUMAN CAPOTE RANDOM HOUSE, $28.95 Capote completists can now rest easy: This collection of essays includes many that were long out of print. The sketches of his...

Minute rice queens: when physical attraction collides with racial politics the outcome is rarely pretty.(COLUMN: HELL IN A HANDBASKET)
November 6, 2007... WE MET ON MYSPACE, he was cute, he asked me to dinner, so here we sit in a crowded, noisy restaurant. I feel the race question getting closer. I've developed a sixth sense for it. I wonder if he'll dance around it with euphemisms or ask...

Letter from the editor.(OUT TRAVELERS)(Editorial)
November 6, 2007... They say that no man is an island. I think, however, that for gay people, the opposite is often true, particularly at the time we become cognizant of our sexuality. Before coming out, it's easy for gay people to feel isolated by a...

Five insider tips: Ed's favorite island cruise adventures.(OUT TRAVELERS)
November 6, 2007... ISLAND: MOUNT DESERT ISLAND, BAR HARBOR, MAINE Sail with: R Family Vacations (RFamilyVacations.com) aboard the Norwegian Cruise Line's Norwegian Dawn (NCL.com) Rosie's cruise charter company visits this enchanting New England locale...

Ed live!(OUT TRAVELERS)(Brief article)
November 6, 2007... Listen to Ed on XM Satellite Radio's The Agenda with Joe Solmonese (TheAgendaonXM.org; Monday, October 15, 6-8 P.M. Eastern, on channel 120) and on Sirius Satellite Radio's Sirius OutQ (SiriusOutQ.com; Tuesday, October 16, at 7 P.M. Eastern, on...

Matt and LoAnn's beach reads: editorial director Matthew Link and associate editor LoAnn Halden continue their Freaky Friday gender-psyche swap with a reading list to accompany this issue's "Year of Island-Hopping" feature. (Really, they both just want to be Oprah.).(OUT TRAVELERS)
November 6, 2007... MATT'S LESBIAN BEACH READS [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Weight by Jeanette Winterson--pack for Mykonos. The Greek isle is a perfect place to carry Weight, a retelling of the myth of Atlas and Heracles from this ferociously witty lesbian...

Your questions: our answers.(OUT TRAVELERS)
November 6, 2007... I am a gay Jewish man looking to go to Israel. I would like to meet other gay men there. Do you know how I can find this? --Avrel, via e-mail MATT SAYS: Tel Aviv is by far the gayest city in the Middle East, with late-night clubs,...

Luggage labels we love.(OUT TRAVELERS)("Wings of the World" stickers)(Brief article)
November 6, 2007... [ILLUSTRATIONS OMITTED] RELIVE THE GLORY DAYS of travel on your next sojourn with the artful vintage airline luggage stickers "Wings of the World," available from LaughingElephant.com (boxed set of 20 stickers, $8.95).

Manuel Munoz's essay.(YOUR E-MAILS)(Letter to the editor)
November 6, 2007... MANUEL MUNOZ'S ESSAY, "Wish You Were Here" (Fall issue), is exactly the kind of piece that distinguishes your magazine from all other travel magazines--a ruminative, thoughtful, resonant look at the meaning of travel. I was so impressed by...

Love the new issue.(YOUR E-MAILS)(Letter to the editor)
November 6, 2007... LOVE THE NEW ISSUE and improved layout. It's a great read. Even the Islamic countries article was interesting. I still will never go (with the exception of Bali) unless gay rights improve, but I learned a lot about the region. --Frank Ruiz...

I wanted to thank you.(YOUR E-MAILS)(Letter to the editor)
November 6, 2007... I WANTED TO THANK YOU for your piece on what to do and see while visiting Seattle. Factually, it was much more correct than the recent New York Times piece "36 Hours in Seattle." I do want to mention that because Seattle is in the top three of...

What a pleasure.(YOUR E-MAILS)(Letter to the editor)
November 6, 2007... WHAT A PLEASURE it was to read the article about Greenland-and what a contrast it provided with the articles about other featured vacation destinations! I felt an immediate interest in Greenland, but the emphasis on shopping in London or Milan,...

Web exclusives at OutTraveler.com.(OUT TRAVELERS)(Website overview)(Brief article)
November 6, 2007... We need your help. Vote on your most profound life-changing travel milestone at Out Traveler.com/poll Readers' Choice Awards: See the top 10 winners in every category Ed Salvato's travel blogs: cruising in the Baltic and sea-kayaking...

Online we asked: choose the island from our list you'd most like to visit next year. You voted.(OUT TRAVELERS)(Brief article)
November 6, 2007... Online we asked: Choose the island from our list you'd most like to visit next year. You voted: Tasmania 3% Malta 4% Curacao 7% La Reunion 3% Phuket 11%...

Rossland.(YOUR TIPS)(Brief article)
November 6, 2007... ROSSLAND is a quaint town in southern British Columbia, 2 1/2 hours north of Spokane, Wash. Home to Red Mountain, it has been recognized as having the best off-piste tree-skiing in North America. The first Rossland Gay Ski Festival is set for...

Gran Canaria.(YOUR TIPS)(Brief article)
November 6, 2007... GRAN CANARIA, Spain, is a great destination for gays! The Maspalomas dunes are great for nude sunbathing. The Lopesan Costa Meloneras Resort Spa & Casino (LopesanHotels.com) is the nearest to the beach, and it has a nude sunbathing section on...

Out travelers of the past.
November 6, 2007... "Man cannot discover new oceans unless he has the courage to lose sight of the shore." --Andre Gide (Nobel Prize-winning gay French author, 1869-1951)

Your snapshots.(OUT TRAVELERS)(Brief article)
November 6, 2007... I was walking through the streets of my hometown, Havana, with my dad a couple of years ago while visiting our family, and this wise woman with an amazing soul smiled at me from a corner in a crowded street market. I approached her and asked if...

The slopes are alive with the sound of DJs: our lowdown on four popular North American gay ski party weeks for 2008.(ORIENTATION: SKI WEEKS)
November 6, 2007... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] WHISTLER, B.C., CANADA The Event: Now in its 16th year, party-centric Altitude has morphed into the well-rounded WinterPride, with a more diverse apres-ski lineup, including culinary classes and health and...

Queer sculptures.(ORIENTATION)(Brief article)
November 6, 2007... Five don't-miss masterpieces (A) KROISOS KOUROS, CA. 540-515 B.C. ARTIST UNKNOWN; NATIONAL ARCHAEOLOGICAL MUSEUM OF ATHENS, GREECE The naked male form in gay-friendly ancient Greece was as commonplace as pita bread, and gorgeous grave...

The Shrine of India's naked saint.(Brief article)
November 6, 2007... Delhi is full of magnificent Mogul tombs, but one of the city's lesser-known attractions is the shrine of Sarmad, the Sufi mystic and homosexual poet who lived part of his life (born ca. 1590, died ca. 1661) in the nude. In front of Old Delhi's...

Maroon yourself on an opulent private isle: anyone can stay at a beachfront hotel-but how many travelers can claim they actually resided on a resort's private island paradise?(ORIENTATION: UPGRADE)
November 6, 2007... LITTLE PALM ISLAND, FLORIDA KEYS 305-872-2524; LittlePalmlsland.com; from $640 a night Luxe Appeal: Stop 50 miles short of Key West's flotilla of rainbow flags and sashay aboard a wood-lined launch waiting to shuttle you in the...

Versace slept here.(Gianni Versace's Casa Casuarina)(Brief article)
November 6, 2007... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Back when Gianni Versace wintered at Casa Casuarina (305-672-6604; CasaCasuarina.com), the South Beach palazzo he built as an ode to overindulgence, only a select few (read: Madonna, Sting, Elton .John) ever made it...

The GAY map of the pacific.
November 6, 2007... The far-flung nations of the Pacific, often referred along with Australia and New Zealand as the region of Oceania, span nearly half the globe. The islands of the Pacific are broken down into three main ethnic groupings: Polynesia (from Hawaii...

Ted Allen's top five California wineries.(ORIENTATION)(Brief article)
November 6, 2007... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Former Queer Eye and host of the new DVD and TV series Uncorked! Wine Made Simple (LiveUncorked. typepad.com) Ted Allen traveled through the world's top wine regions in search of the most celebrated vineyards. His...

Nonstop to heaven: flying "pope airways".(ORIENTATION)(Brief article)
November 6, 2007... Replete with religious videos and headrests emblazoned with "I am searching for your face, Lord," the first commercial pilgrim flight of Mistral Air (MistralAir.it) hit heaven August 27. Destined for Lourdes, France with no less than an onboard...

Traveling with Narciso Rodriguez: the gay Cuban-American fashion designer behind this fall's hot new fragrance (called "for him") tells us his travel dreams ...(ORIENTATION)(Interview)(Brief article)
November 6, 2007... You were a big fan of the Concorde? It was so convenient. I don't love spending long periods of time on a plane unless I'm sleeping, so to fly somewhere in 3 1/2 hours was incredible. It was like the bus. The service was great until the...

5 Gay Hawaii secrets.(ORIENTATION)(Brief article)
November 6, 2007... 1. Although this is rarely referred to, the revered King Kamehameha didn't hide the fact he slept with young aikane (which literally means "sex with man," but now means a male friend). You can visit this perhaps bisexual king's sacred birth...

Travel advice from a gay nurse.(ORIENTATION: HEALTH)
November 6, 2007... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] I hear more and more about the danger of malaria in tropical destinations. What kind of precautions should I take to avoid getting it on my trip? I heard some pills give you nightmares. -Suzanne Mekler,...

Vacation yourself thin.(ORIENTATION: HEALTH)(Soukya Ayurvedic Holistic Health Center (Bangalore, India) and We Care Juice Fasting and Retreat (Desert Springs, California))(Brief article)
November 6, 2007... Soukya Ayurvedic Holistic Health Center Bangalore, India This residential holistic health center sprawls over a leafy 32-acre organic fruit and vegetable farm, which supplies the kitchens that produce low-fat vegetarian cuisine ideal...

The vigor of the mile-high city: an enclave of erudition, style, and atheleticism is to be found at the foothills of the Rockies.(THREE GAY DAYS: DENVER)(City overview)
November 6, 2007... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] At first glance Denver can look, well, dull. On the surface, the Mile-High City greets a visitor with sprawl, unassuming skyscrapers, and strip malls--but try to shake off those first impressions. Dig deeper and...

Cool blue islands in seas of red: contrary to popular myth, many red states harbor bright blue spots of tolerance and acceptance for LGBT travelers. Our pick of 10 gay-friendly oases:.(PERFECT TEN: LIBERAL ENCLAVES)(lesbian, gay, bisexual and transsexual)
November 6, 2007... With the majority of gay Americans living and vacationing in relatively liberal "blue" states, it's easy to forget that even in some of the nation's deepest oceans of conservatism, you can still find numerous islands of tolerance. In fact, some...

Jamaica: the Caribbean's no-go zone: should LGBT travelers boycott the homophobic Caribbean isle, or has a de facto gay ban already occurred?(lesbian, gay, bisexual and transsexual)
November 6, 2007... The Jamaica Tourism Board's new slogan, "Once you go, you know," translates for many queer tourists as: Gays, beware. Not that homophobia is official JTB policy. According to its publicity team, individual vacationers of all stripes are welcome...

Trying on sandals: we sent Bruce Vilanch to one of the notoriously hetero Sandals Resorts with boy toy in tow to test the company's recent queer-friendly change of heart. His view from the beachy enemy camp ...(ORIENTATION: TRAVEL DIARY)(Travel narrative)
November 6, 2007... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] They make you fill out a customs form when you land in the Bahamas. Under "Purpose of Visit" the following choices are listed in this specific order: Honeymoon. Wedding. Renewal of Vows. Business. Pleasure. Evidently...

Port to port navigation: great island cruise adventures for winter.(ORIENTATION: CRUISES)(Brief article)
November 6, 2007... NEW YEAR'S CARIBBEAN CRUISE DATES: December 29, 2007 to January 5, 2008 DESTINATIONS: St. Thomas, lles des Saintes, Montserrat, St. Barts, Jost Van Dyke, Virgin Gorda COMPANY: TravelPride (877-774-3342; TravelPride.com) CRUISE...

Olivia conquers the 21st century.(ORIENTATION: CRUISES)(Brief article)
November 6, 2007... Ever wanted to track down that stranger who gave you a furtive glance on the deck of a cruise ship? Olivia-the world's oldest lesbian travel company, now in its 34th year-has taken Web 2.0 travel connections to a new level. Your free personal...