CCV Racing - An Escape from Politics

Waiting for wind and the start.

Sometimes I feel I suffer from an overload of politics and stress in general.  Other than surfing, which I sadly have not done regularly in several years after having a 70 month period of never missing a month surfing, I find sailing a great stress reliever.  I pursue this endeavor through racing at the Hampton Yacht Club where I have been a member since 2012. Today, I raced in the CCV Fall Racing series on a boat owned by a friend with whom I have raced before on a number of occasions. We took second (2nd) place overall and had a wonderful time.  As with surfing, once a race is underway, all else fades away and your focus becomes, the boat, the wind, and the competition.  The camaraderie is also wonderful and the connection with nature is unique (something power boating cannot offer in my view).   Above and below are photos from today which started off slow until the wind picked up but turned into a great day.

The Laser 28 that I crewed on today (and a number of other times).

Some of the 18+ boats competing today.

A view of Hampton Yacht Club - the husband and I were the first publicly recognized gay couple members.

One of our competitors motoring to the start.

Key West Bound - 2017 Annual Pilgimage

Click image to enlarge

Posting may be reduced today as the husband and I head down to Key West for our annual pilgrimage so to speak.  We will once again be staying at The Equator on Fleming Street in Old Town - just a few blocks from The Island House.  This will be my ninth trip with the husband to one of our favorite get away destinations.  Added is fun comes from the fact that (i) two friends from Hampton will be traveling down to stay at The Equator, (ii) friends from Washington, DC, will be down for part of the time that we are there., (iii) former neighbors live in Key West, and (iv) one of the husband's clients who winters in the Keys will join us on Saturday for our annual lunch at Lattitudes on Sunset Key (pictured above).  

On the home front, a friend from the Hampton Yacht Club will be staying at the house to house sit and care for the two Chihuahuas while we are away.  As always, I will post about our visit to this island paradise. 

Historic Garden Week - Fort Monroe in Hampton, Virginia

This week is the 83rd year of Virginia's Historic Garden Week which is put on by garden clubs across the state that utilize the proceeds to restore and maintain historic gardens across the Commonwealth. Today was Hampton's day to shine as homes and gardens in historic Ft. Monroe - now a National Landmark - were open for public tours (provided one bought a ticket) for the first time ever.  For the husband and I, the event is an annual ritual during which we typical host a number of the husband's clients and we get to see a who's who of Hampton/Newport News society and business leaders. While very traditional in many ways, both cities are surprisingly gay friendly, and with the husband being the hair stylist/salon owner of choice for many, we are always warmly received.  Indeed, it is a great marketing/networking event.  And the homes - many dated from the 19th century and turn of the 20th century on so-called General's Row were amazing to say the least (the commanding general's residence with its view across Chesapeake Bay is pictured above).  Among those doing the tours were both garden club devotees and former military service members who came back to see how the general officers had lived in stately splendor. Here are highlights from the Daily Press:

"We know visitors will enjoy looking at the beautiful flower arrangements in the five houses on tour. We hope they will visit The Casemate Museum, Chapel of the Centurion and Old Point Comfort Lighthouse, as well.

"And, The Marketplace, in the former Arsenal Building, will offer artwork, garden accessories, home décor, jewelry and clothing for sale."

As you walk along Fort Monroe's sidewalks, or stand inside the bayside bandstand, you can just imagine yourself living the life that so many military personnel enjoyed during their assignments at the scenic fort. Now that the property is no longer a major military command, the site is taking on its own brand of community for the families who occupy residences where generals and colonels once lived [one can lease homes and other housing options] .

"Additionally, everything is walkable at Fort Monroe. Residences are close to beaches, office spaces for work, restaurants, Hampton Community Center, YMCA fitness building, marina, soccer and ball fields, churches and the opportunity to walk the top of the fortress. Additionally, the retail portion of Phoebus is just over the bridge and also is in easy walking distance."

Historic Garden Week in Virginia, April 23-30, features 250 private homes and gardens open for public tours statewide. Sponsored by the Garden Club of Virginia — gcvirginia.org — since 1929, the annual event raises funds for the restoration and preservation of public gardens at historic sites, including Monticello, Mount Vernon and Montpelier.

The garden club estimates the cumulative economic impact of the country's only statewide home and garden tour for the past 45 years is $425 million, according to a news release. The event attracts 30,000 visitors, and includes local residents and out-of-state tourists. 

 Below are a few more photos - and yes, I did pick up a couple new clients while enjoying the event.  After the festivities, our group decamped to the Hampton Yacht Club for Cosmos and dinner.

The beautiful Hutchinson Home

The Chamberlain - formerly owned by dear friends

Tiffany windows in the Chapel of the Centurion

Social Overload Weekend

Posting has been down today because our social life has been crazy starting yesterday morning and continuing through this evening.  Highlights so far have been "Breakfast with Santa" at the Hampton Yacht Club where the husband and I hosted my daughter and here family (photos are above).  Yes, Santa arrived via boat, not a sleigh, but what would one expect at a yacht club.  It was a fun event and was an opportunity to once again show that gay couples are really no different that other couples and have families too.

The bellinis are wonderful!

The second highlight so far was Drag Brunch at Croc's Bistro in Virginia Beach where a friend of ours performed today (see photo above).  Some consider Virginia Beach one of the more conservative cities in Hampton Roads, but Croc's Bistro has been have two drag shows every Sunday for six years and they are always sold out.  We will definitely go again and perhaps take some of the husband's clients with us - they will love it!

Now, I am about to dress for the Hampton Yacht Club holiday party.  It's always packed and pretty lively.  Our club as one friend says is "a bunch of hard sailors and even harder drinkers."   We naturally fit right in. :) 

UK Transgender RAF Pilot Talks of Prince William's Support

The British royal family isn't know for its progressive position on social views although Prince Harry and his brother, Prince William seem to be changing that staid, conservative image.  Perhaps it's part of their mother's legacy, but on issues involving gay rights, both princes seem to be light years ahead of the grand mother, Queen Elizabeth II who is becoming more gay friendly.  In a recent piece in The Daily Mail, Flight Lieutenant Ayla Holdom, Great Britain's first transgender military pilot (pictured above), talks about the support she received from prince William as she was transitioning.  Here are highlights:

Flt Lieut Holdom, 34, is a decorated RAF officer who is Britain’s first and only openly transgender military pilot. She has been, she says, ‘one of the boys as both a man and a woman’. 

Among the colleagues she told in a series of emotionally gruelling one-on-one meetings was Prince William, who was at the time a fellow co-pilot within the tight-knit team of 20 at RAF Valley.

He showed support and understanding. The Royal Wedding in 2011 was one of Flt Lieut Holdom’s first work-related outings after transition. She attended as a woman, accompanied by her wife Wren, a doctor with whom she now lives in a lesbian relationship.

‘All my RAF colleagues were brilliant,’ she says. ‘I think they were surprised because I was pretty adept at pretending to be a man. I walked macho, I sat macho, I worked out hard and I like a bit of banter.

‘But when I came back as a woman there was complete acceptance and empathy. Even old and bold warrant officers who had grown up in the days when people like me would have been taken behind the bike sheds for a kicking, came to congratulate me.

She joined RAF Valley in 2007 and was fully operational by the end of 2009, co-piloting a Sea King – the same role as Prince William – along with a pilot, a winchman and a radar operator. Today she works 24-hour shifts responding to calls from the coastguard, mountain rescue teams and the three emergency services.

 The process of transition is over now, although it took two years, three major operations and several other procedures to achieve.  ‘I did as little as possible because I wanted to stay operationally fit and healthy, to remain a fully functioning military pilot throughout, she says.

One has to wonder when the Christofascists will admit that they have lost their anti-gay jihad.  When the heir to the British throne displays support and acceptance and when former conservative bastions such as the Hampton Yacht Club and the James River Country Club accept same sex married couples as members, the culture wars are truly over but for (i) those who want to fleece the ignorant and gullible for a while longer and, of course, (ii) Republican politicians who happily prostitute themselves to the Christofascists in a manner that would embarrassed a tawdry whore. 

Prince William

Norfolk Seeks to Promote Its LGBT Municipal Equality Index

With the Commonwealth of Virginia launching a new LGBT Tourism Task Force, it seems that at least one Hampton Roads city is trying to make itself more attractive to would be LGBT tourists by playing up its score on HRC's latest Municipal Equality Index for 353 cities across America.  The city?  Norfolk, which with a score of 59 out scores all other Hampton Roads cities.  What's left out of the City's press release is that the top scores in Virginia came in Alexandria and Arlington which scored 94 and 96, respectively.  Sadly, the City of Hampton where the husband and I live scored a pitiful 32 in part I suspect because when Molly Joseph Ward left the mayor's office, all meaningful efforts to regularly build a relationship with the LGBT community ceased (Molly Ward now serves as Virginia's Secretary of Natural Resources).  The irony for Hampton municipal officials is that they are lagging behind organizations like the Hampton Yacht Club which has a growing LGBT membership.  In contrast, Norfolk mayor Paul Fraim has gone from acting as if gays are radioactive to being a personal sponsor of this year's PrideFest.  Here are highlights from Norfolk's press release.

The 2014 Municipal Equality Index evaluates a city’s laws and policies then examines how inclusive city services are of LGBT people.  The MEI rated 353 municipalities of varying sizes throughout the United States.  Read the MEI http://www.hrc.org/campaigns/municipal-equality-index

Norfolk scored 59 points out of a possible 100.  The score equals the national average and put Norfolk fourth out of the nine cities scored in Virginia.   Norfolk significantly increased its 2013 score by raising the Human Right Campaign’s awareness of many policies already in place in Norfolk.  Those include:

• Equal employment opportunities
• Anti-bullying policies
• City of Norfolk as an inclusive workplace
• City leadership’s position on equality

Norfolk, along with all other Virginia localities, received recognition for marriage equality when the U.S. Supreme Court in October denied review of cases challenging state constitutional amendments which resulted in the recognition of same-sex marriage in Virginia.

Obviously, Hampton Roads has a long way to go in terms of making itself truly LGBT friendly and accepting.  That said, outside of the greater DC area, Hampton Roads is the bright center of the gay universe when compared to the ignorance embracing, Bible thumping regions of Southwest Virginia which not coincidentally find it difficult to attract new business and/or forward thinking entrepreneurs.    

Fall Fling Regatta - Continued

More images from this past weekend's "Fall Fling Regatta."

Albacore class flying spinnakers

My crew mate rigging our boat

Some of the flotilla waiting to start

HYC - Sailboat Team Racing

No. 95 Holding off an opponent (No.42)

Much of the summer the boyfriend and I have been painting and refinishing floors at my house in Norfolk which I plan on selling as soon as we are finished.  The result has been that we haven't made much use of the sail boats available at the Hampton Yacht Club.  To remedy that I talked him into going out for some team racing on the club's fleet of 23 foot Sonar class of sailboats.   Neither of us had ever done team racing before - only what is termed "fleet racing" which where each boat races to be the first across the finish line of place as close to first as possible.  In contrast team racing is akin to foot ball where blockers keep a path open so a team mate can take first place and the team collectively can get the highest score.  In the process it gets pretty exciting as boats "play chicken " and force other boats to give way often coming with in inches of colliding in the process.

If your idea of sailing is sipping a cocktail and relaxing, team racing will not be your cup of tea.   But if you enjoy excitement and competition with some dare devil tactics thrown in, give it a try.  After racing and putting the boats away most of us stayed at the club and had dinner and drinks and discussed our impressions and talked strategy for the next time we go out racing.  I'll definitely do it again.   

On a different note, the club membership continues to be a great experience and reflects how Virginia is changing from the world that Ken Cuccinelli and the far right are trying desperately to maintain.  When one of my crew mates asked about my wife - when racing you are often thrown together we people you don't know - I explained that the boyfriend was my partner.  The reaction was,"that's  cool" and it was a non-issue.  

Rounding a course marker

Ft. Lauderdale July 2013 - Day Two

Today was a great day even though it started out with me dealing with office e-mail and drafting documents for a couple of hours.  Kudos to my youngest daughter for holding down the fort at the law firm while we are out of town.   After lunch, we went out on our hosts' beautiful Intrepid 40' boat from which we flew the Hampton Yacht Club red and blue pennant (shown in the photo above).  Cruising around Lighthouse Point and parts of Pompano Beach, I was struck by (i) the wealth in this area and (ii) how much of a backwater Hampton Roads is in comparison.  The image below is looking down the creek from out hosts' dock, followed by a shot of one of the  boats we saw on our cruise. 

To thank our hosts for their hospitality, the boyfriend and I took them (and a friend who they are also hosting) to dinner at the Lauderdale Yacht Club in Ft. Lauderdale proper.  Through our Hampton Yacht Club membership, we have reciprocal benefits with yacht clubs around the country (and other parts of the world).   The dinner and the club facility were both amazing.  Thankfully, our guest membership is good through the day we head back to Virginia. :)  A photo of the club's pool and pavilion complex is set out below.

Tomorrow's plans include a visit to Sebastian Beach - the "gay beach" in Ft. Lauderdaler - followed by a get together with friends in Wilton Manor for drinks and dinner.  On Saturday, we will be throwing our traditional gay house dinner/party at our hosts' home.

Again, I hope local readers will drop me an email at michaelinnorfolk@gmail.com in the hope that we can perhaps meet for a drink or something.

More Hampton Single Class Regatta Photos

The photos I posted from Saturday's Hampton Single Class sailing races were taken with my new smart phone which I am admittedly still learning to use after having a 7 year old Nokia that refused to die.    Some other members of the HYC Sonar crews with better photographic equipment and far superior skills took far better pictures, a few of which I wanted to share.  What follows is a selection of a few more of these photos:

Five of the six Sonar class boats owned by HYC

Another good shot of the Sonar class boats

The weather early in the day was less than pretty

Our wonderful sailing director who keeps us organized

Am I hooked on sail boat racing?  Most definitely.  The next step will be to get the boyfriend to help crew in future races.

I will admit that I was a little apprehensive when we first joined the Hampton Yacht Club, but now I have no regrets and I hope our membership (and that of a gay couple down the street from us) will inspire other local LGBT individuals to join.  Pushing the envelop if you will can be scary, but the rewards can be amazing.  And it is the best way to open hearts and minds.

Sunday Morning Reflections - Sailing, History and Entertaining

Some weekends the boyfriend and I get ourselves over scheduled socially.  This weekend is one such weekend and began with a small dinner for a friend's birthday Friday evening at the yacht club, I had the regatta much of the day yesterday and then we had dinner at historic Warner Hall plantation in near Gloucester, Virginia.  Today we are throwing a brunch for some of the boyfriend's clients who are more fun than the law should allow.

The regatta was great fun and my boat (image above) managed to place second in all three heats even though none of the three of us had ever raced before.  While you cannot fully see it from the photo, the boat has a rainbow flag like stripe along the waterline - I suspect I was assigned to it due to the sailing director's sense of humor (she has a gay cousin).  The image below is of the boat that was our nearest rival and with which we were in close quarters - as in a few feet away - as we fought to be first around a couple of the marker buoys.  After a cloudy start with some rain showers, the day turned hot, sunny and gorgeous.

Once the regatta was over, I had to literally jump off the boat as it headed to dock and race home to shower and get ready for dinner at the Inn at Warner Hall near Gloucester, Virginia.  The property is amazing and dates back to 1642 and was owned by George Washington's great grand father.  

Here's a bit of history from the Inn's website:

Ideally situated at the head of the Severn River in Gloucester County, the manor house at Warner Hall stands on a neck of land that has been occupied and built upon continually from the mid-17th century. Referred to as “Austin’s Desire” in the 1642-land patent, the original six hundred-acre plantation site was established by Augustine Warner as a “land grant” from the British Crown. Augustine Warner received the acreage in exchange for bringing twelve settlers across the Atlantic Ocean to the Jamestown Settlement, a colony desperately in need of manpower to survive in the New World.

The two families associated with the property from this early period until well into the 19th century, the Warners and the Lewises, were among the most prominent families in Colonial Virginia. Over the years, Warner Hall Plantation thrived, as did the descendants of Augustine Warner. Some of the most recognized names in American history are direct descendents of Augustine Warner – George Washington, the first president of the United States, Robert E. Lee, the most famous Civil War General and Captain Meriwether Lewis, renowned American explorer of the Lewis & Clark expedition. George Washington was a frequent visitor to his grandparent’s plantation.

Queen Elizabeth II, the current monarch of England, is a direct descendant of Augustine Warner through the Bowes-Lyon family and the Earl of Strathmore. In England, Warner Hall is referred to as “The home of the Queen’s American ancestors”.

Besides dinner on weekends, the plantation house is open as an inn 365 days a year.   The accommodations are elegant.  It's not inexpensive, but by many standards it is an amazing deal.

Virginia has amazing history and things to see.  Regrettably, the state remains anti-gay - the inn decidedly, is not - and LGBT travelers sadly have good reason to take their money and vacation elsewhere.

Shortly, I have to get going to help "Martha Stewart" prepare for the brunch.  The table is set:

Why "Coming Out" Matters

Based on my own personal experience with clients and now older members of the Hampton Yacht Club, coming out and living openly matters and makes a huge difference.  In short, it forces bigots and those not previously exposed to gays to rethink their prejudices and often can open minds and hearts.  It is far easier to be anti some theoretical person or group than someone you have met, have come to know or ultimately come to consider as a friend.   True, being out and proud can be scary at times, but in the long run it makes a huge difference in the furtherance of LGBT rights.  Over the weekend Leonard Pitts had a column in the Virginian Pilot that looked at why coming out and living out matters.  Here are some column highlights:

MARK CARSON was shot in the face because he’s gay.   His alleged killer, 33-year old Elliot Morales, is said to have confronted Carson, 32, and a companion, in New York’s Greenwich Village last Friday night, yelling antigay slurs. When Carson walked away, Morales reportedly followed and shot him. Morales was arrested by police after a foot chase.   

In pondering this tragedy, it is worthwhile to consider a couple of things: where it happened and when.    The “where” is just a few blocks from the Stonewall Inn, a gay bar where a 1969 police raid (“act of ongoing police harassment,” would probably be the more accurate description) led to a violent uprising. It is regarded as the birthplace of the modern gay rights movement.    The “when” is now, in the post-Jason Collins era. 

Don’t put your sexual orientation in my face, it [the anti-gay homophobes] says, and I won’t put mine in yours. Keep your sex life private. Don’t ask, don’t tell.    But the flaw in the argument is obvious: Straight people announce their sexuality all day every day. It   happens when they canoodle in the park, walk hand in hand through the mall, place loved ones’ pictures on the desk. These are small joys and we don’t think of them as announcements of sexuality, but they are.    

If you are gay, you don’t do such things. Or, you do them strategically, thoughtfully, picking and choosing where and when it is safe to canoodle, hold hands, set out the pictures. Because you realize the reaction may not just be derision but violence. Even death.     

So the decision to seize these small joys demands courage. This is what is provided when a Jason Collins announces himself. Or when an Ellen DeGeneres, a Zachary Quinto, a Neil Patrick Harris, a Jenna Wolf, an Anderson Cooper, a Ricky Martin or a Wanda Sykes does the same.    

Sometimes, when you step out on the ice, it helps to know someone else has already tested it. If you are going to demand the right to be, if you are going to accept the risk that doing so entails, it’s good to know that at least you’re not alone.     

Why does this matter? they ask.  In 2013, in America’s biggest city, within steps of a gay rights landmark, it seems you can still be shot in the face for no other reason than that you are gay.    That’s why.  

If there are those who reject me -  the firm that acquired my former law firm which forced me out for being gay (it's name is Wolcott Rivers Gates) is perhaps the most egregious example - they are increasingly in the minority.  At the Hampton Yacht Club, we are fully accepted and in fact, and we now move in a higher "old money" social circle than I ever did at that closed minded and benighted law firm.    Yes, being out can be frightening.   But it can make a huge difference.