The Best and Worse States to Live if You are LGBT

Last weeks ruling in Bostock v. Clayton County granted federal employment non-discrimination protections to LGBT Americans nationwide and some have suggested perhaps the gay rights movement has finished its work and accomplished its goals. My response to this ludicrous suggestion is "hell no" since there remains huge amounts of work to be done at the state level and even with the newly granted federal protections, I suspect in many red states and even rural areas of some blue states being LGBT will continue to be a potentially life threatening situation.  Thus, the questions becomes what states should one consider moving to or visiting on vacations if you are LGBT and want to have some sense of safety and legal protections.  USA Today is reporting the results of a national survey of states ranking the states from worse to best places for LGBT citizens.  The rankings include laws protection LGBT citizens and is slightly out of date because it uses 2019 laws  which, as a result does not include the panoply of laws enacted in Virginia this spring.  As a result, per the survey, Virginia earns a 35th place ranking (hopefully, this ranking will move up markedly next year.  Not surprisingly, Alabama wins the worse place ranking and surprisingly, Mississippi ranks a number of rungs higher, thereby depriving Alabamians the often cited saying "thank god for Mississippi" for saving them from last place.  Below are the rankings of several states.  Take the time to read the entire piece, especially if you are thinking of relocating - both individually or moving a business - or traveling domestically during the coming year.  Here are article excerpts:

Across the United States, Americans have increasingly embraced equal treatment and access for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) Americans over the last decade. According to a Gallup poll in 2019, 63% of Americans supported same-sex marriage, compared with about 44% in 2010.  Some cities are more welcoming to the LGBTQ community than their respective states – Austin, Texas, is one example – but, in general, entire states (rather than just cities within them) are moving toward  protecting and empowering their LGBTQ residents.

In acknowledgement of Pride month, 24/7 Wall St. reviewed the states most and least welcoming to the LGBTQ community. We created an index of three measures – hate crimes motivated by gender and sexual orientation reported per 100,000 people, laws protecting the LGTBQ community, and the percentage of each state's population who identifies as LGTBQ – to identify the best and worst states for LGBTQ people.

While there has been no doubt progress toward equality, anti-equality activists and politicians still have a lot of influence – in some states more than others. In Texas alone, 19 anti-LGBTQ bills were filed in 2019. In Iowa, transgender health care benefits were removed from the state’s medical plan. Across the country, 102 anti-LGBTQ bills were introduced, and seven became laws. 

Even though the U.S. – and the world – is slowly becoming a more welcoming place for LGBTQ people, there are still many places where same-sex relationships are considered criminal behavior. 

50. AlabamaBased on its relatively small LGBTQ population and lack of progress passing laws that protect LGBTQ communities, Alabama is the worst state in the nation for LGBTQ Americans. Unlike the vast majority of states, which have mandatory hate crime reporting laws, Alabama police jurisdictions do not participate in reporting of hate crimes motivated by gender or sexual orientation.

In fact, the state has very few laws that positively affect LGTBQ residents, and plenty of rules that negatively affect LGBTQ communities. For example, in 2017, Gov. Kay Ivey signed legislation that would permit religious agencies to deny placing an adopted child in LGBTQ families. Alabama also restricts inclusion of LGBTQ topics in schools, and the state is one of 26 states that criminalize behaviors that carry low or negligible risk of HIV transmission (such as anti-sodomy laws). Such laws are considered archaic and frequently lead to abuse and discrimination against HIV-positive individuals and harms public health efforts.

49. WyomingJust 3.3% of Wyoming's population identifies as LGBTQ, the ninth lowest such share of any state. Relatively low numbers of LGBTQ state residents could reflect lower likelihood of identifying as LGBTQ and a generally less hospitable state for the community.

Wyoming is the state where Matthew Shepard, a gay college student, was beaten and left to die in the town of Laramie in 1998, in an incident that shocked the nation. There have been other incidents against gay people in recent years, and a gay man who was bullied committed suicide in 2016. Tragic incidents such as these are unfortunately common across the country, but considering the general inhospitable environment in the state, including lacking laws that would protect basic LGBTQ civil rights, these incidents take perhaps additional meaning in Wyoming. Still, there are people in Wyoming who continue to struggle for equal rights under the law. The cities of Casper and Cheyenne held their first pride marches in 2017.

35. VirginiaUntil very recently, Virginia was not making progress toward equality for the LGBTQ community. In April 2020, a few months after the HRC latest report was published, the state passed several laws that provided anti-discrimination protections to the LGBTQ community, making Virginia the first state in the South to do so. The state made it easier for people to update the gender marker on their birth certificate. The laws will take effect July 1.

While progress has been made, LGBTQ residents still face challenges that non-LGBTQ residents do not. Virginia has legal provisions that allow adoption and foster care agencies to turn away prospective LGBTQ parents on the grounds of religious freedom. The state does not have laws protecting students from discrimination in schools based on their sexual orientation or gender identity.

3. New YorkNew York has special significance to the LGBTQ community, as the Stonewall riots of 1969 in New York City helped spark massive changes in the nation's understanding of LGBTQ issues and paved the way for more equality to the LGBTQ community.

Today, New York ranks as one of the best states for LGBTQ people. In the last decade, the state legislature has passed 30 laws protecting the rights and safety of its LGBTQ residents. The state has some of the most comprehensive non discrimination laws of any state.

2. VermontVermont ranks as one of the best states for LGBTQ people. It provides better access to CenterLink pride centers than any other state. Vermont has an estimated 26,000 LGBTQ people and three pride centers.

The state also has some of the most comprehensive health and safety laws for LGBTQ residents among all states. It ensures that transgender people cannot be excluded from health care. Vermont also collects data on the health and well being of LGBTQ youth and adults. It also has extensive nondiscrimination laws.

1. NevadaNevada ranks as the best state in America for LGBTQ people. It has a relatively low share of hate crimes motivated by gender identity or sexual orientation. It also has nearly all laws suggested by the HRC for LGBTQ rights, including nondiscrimination laws, parenting laws, statutes against hate crimes, and those ensuring protections for health care access.

Nevada passed 34 laws protecting the rights and safety of its LGBTQ residents from 2009 to 2019. The state also has no laws considered infringing on these protections, according to the HRC.

To identify the best and worst states for LGBTQ people, 24/7 Wall St. created an index of three measures: hate crimes reported per 100,000 people, laws protecting LGTBQ communities, and the percentage of each state's population who identify as LGTBQ. Each of these three measures were weighted equally in the index.

State laws affecting LGBTQ communities came from the Human Rights Campaign’s 2019 State Equality Index, which defined such laws as positive or negative to LGBTQ Americans. The Equality Index classified each state into one of four categories: “high priority for basic equality,” "building equality," "solidifying equality," “working toward innovative equality.” 24/7 Wall St. assigned scores to each of the categories that could be normalized for the index. States that were labeled a “high priority for basic equality” received the lowest score, while states that were “working toward innovative equality” were ranked higher on our list.

Key West 2020 - Day One

Blog posting will be reduced through next Tuesday as the husband and I enjoy our annual trip to Key West.  We traveled down yesterday - we began with a 5:20 am flight after American Airlines cancelled our 7:00 am flight and stuck us on the crack of dawn flight.  As usual, we are staying at The Equator resort along with a contingent of friends from Virginia.  We lounged by the pool and then had dinner at Blue Heaven before going to La Te Da for more cocktails. Our friend Jenny is house sitting/dog sitting for us.  Today we are doing the historic homes tour and will see the Waterfront Playhouse presentation of Priscilla Queen of the Desert this evening. We LOVE Key West!!

PS True to form, I have already had to work on multiple client matters.  I truly never get fully away.

Hilton Gives Free Wedding to Gay Couple Refused by Sheraton

Gay vlogger turned away by Sheraton.

LGBT Americans are targets of the Trump/Pence regime in its quest to grant special rights to Christofascists and to legalize anti-gay discrimination.  In this atmosphere, it makes it all the more important that LGBT individuals know who their allies are both in society and in terms of the corporate world.  A situation arising in Mexico concerning a gay wedding has made it clear that some businesses are LGBT allies and some are not. In the situation involved, Hilton Hotels are allies and Sheraton Hotels arguably are not.  A piece in LGBTQ Nation looks at Sheraton's rejection of a same sex couple and Hilton's coming to the rescue, if you will. Here are highlights:

The Hilton hotel in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico will host the destination wedding and reception of Josh Rimer, the gay travel blogger and winner of Mr. Gay Canada 2019, for free after the rival Sheraton Buganvilias Resort & Convention Center turned Rimer away because it doesn’t “specialize” in same-sex marriages. Rimer has accepted the Hilton’s offer to host his April 2020 wedding and has also accepted the offer of a free honeymoon cruise to Lisbon, Portugal from the travel company VACAYA.

Two days after Rimer published a video about the Sheraton resort’s initial refusal to host his same-sex wedding, the Hilton tagged Rimer in an Instagram post, stating, “We’ll gladly host your wedding ceremony and feast for FREE for you and your 45 guests at Hilton Puerto Vallarta!”

In response, Rimer wrote, “Amazing, what a kind offer!”

The take away?  When traveling, stay at Hilton hotels rather than Sheraton properties - at least until Sheraton fires the management that trashed this gay couple. The pink dollar has power and we need to use it.  Another LGBTQ Nation piece looks further at Rimer's reaction with which I agree:

He thought that a hotel chain might welcome a gay travel vlogger like him who has 34,200 YouTube subscribers that could be influenced to stay at their resort. He’s also disappointed that the resort didn’t at least say that they had plans to accommodate same-sex weddings in the future.

Rimer said until he received answers about what happened, he’ll never to stay at another Sheraton resort again.

Key West 2019 - Day 5 and 6

Celebrity Cruise's "Edge" in Key West.

I am a little late in posting about the balance of our 2019 trip to Key West, one of my most favorite places.  For readers who follow our travels, I do apologize.

Day five was calmer than the first four days and we were much less scheduled since a number of our friends had headed back either to Hampton or to the Fort Lauderdale area where they have the principal residences.  We had  lunch at BO's Fishwagon at 801 Caroline Street, Key West, where we had numerous Conch fritters and I had a a Presidente beer.

Afterward, we walked to the waterfront and saw the Celebrity Cruise's massive "Edge" (pictured above) which was hosting an all gay Atlantis cruise.  Duval Street and the gay bars were well populated by passengers from the ship.  Personally, I prefer cruise ships that are not so large - perhaps in part because I am a fan of the ocean liners of yesteryear - e.g., the United States or the incredible Normandie - that were much more streamlined, built for speed and taking rough seas in stride and less a high rise hotel slapped on a hull (I do wonder about the seaworthiness of the huge modern ships should they get caught in a hurricane or be hit by a rogue wave). 

Dinner on day five was at El Siboney on Catherine Street, a great family style Cuban restaurant.  We dined with a very nice couple from Sweden who were also staying at The Equator Resort. The place has wonderful Cuban food in a no frills atmosphere.  The sangria is terrific.

El Siboney on Catherine Street.

Day six, the day of our departure was the only day that we had rain which curtailed our activities.  Nonetheless, we walked around Old Town Key West before heading to the airport. Before leaving The Equator, we made our reservations for next year in more or less the same time slot - something many regular guest do.  This was our sixth year at The Equator which I cannot recommend highly enough for gay men traveling to Key West.  The place has beautiful amenities (which are continually upgraded) and encourages its guest from across America and the globe to socialize and create friendships.

The smaller pool at The Equator on the day of our departure.

Key West 2019 - Day 3

Yesterday was a largely non-stop day, especially for the husband who did hair for three of of friends (who are long time clients).  One of the highlights of the day was lunch at Lattitudes on Sunset Key where the image above was taken on the island's pier.  As is the tradition, our "Auntie Mame" friend treated.  The food was wonderful as were the beverages.  Two Key Lime Martinis caused me to need a nap when we returned to the Equator.  We dined at a restaurant called Michael's just a block or two from the Equator with our friends from Light House Point, Florida, our former neighbors who now call Key West home, and current neighbors to celebrate our neighbor's birthday.

Today will be more laid back with no set activities until Tea Dance at La Te Da this afternoon (an annual tradition), followed by dinner at Martin's an amazing German restaurant.

Key West 2019 - Day 1

We arrived safely in Key West yesterday at 11:15 am.  In keeping a promise to the husband, I stayed off the computer and office email all day, although I went through over 100 office emails this morning.  We lazed around the pool at the Equator and reconnected with guys we see here each year this same weekend.  As always, we enjoyed the cocktail hour at the Equator before heading to Duval Street for dinner at Mangoes (see image at left) and then another cocktail at Bourbon Street Pub where we saw one of our favorite female impersonators, Porche (see image below) who doesn't do costume changes but instead changes her demeanor and voice to mimic numerous singers.  Her Carol Channing, Judy Garland and Janis Joplin imitations are wonderful - and she is hysterically funny.

Today, more friends - including our European travel companions - arrive and after some time by the pool, we will be doing the historic homes tour this afternoon and biking around the island. Later, the daily cocktail party and then dinner and a play down at the Red Barn Theater. 

2019 Key West Pilgrimage

Early tomorrow, the husband and I head to Key West for our annual visit.  As in past years, we will be staying at the Equator Resort (pictured above), and are looking forward to seeing former neighbors who live in Key West now, other neighbors who will also be visiting, two of the husbands clients who winter in the keys, and our friends who took us to Europe last September. On the home front, one of the husband's salon employees will be living at our home while we are away (he's here now) to house sit and dog sit our Chihuahua.  Posting frequency will be likely reduced, although I will give updates on our adventures. 

States Progressives and Liberals May Want to Avoid

Click image to enlarge.

When the husband and I travel, we generally try to avoid conservative states and countries since there typically is a strong correlation between what passes as "conservative" and being anti-gay or at least less than gay friendly. Why go somewhere where you are not liked and why spend your money to boost an local economy comprised of bigots. A new Gallup survey has come up with a map that shows the most reactionary states and those that are more liberal.  Thankfully, Virginia now falls into the "less conservative than average" category with the larges component of the population describing themselves as "moderate."  Not surprisingly, the states to avoid include the remainder of the Old South, the northern Great Plains states and Utah.  Check out how your state ranks here.  Here is a summary of the findings (yes, Mississippi is a place to avoid): 

Nationally, the conservative advantage in ideological identification is nine percentage points, and reflects a narrowing of the conservative-liberal gap from 21 points in 2004.

These findings are based on aggregated data from Gallup's 2018 tracking poll in which respondents were asked to indicate whether they describe their political views as liberal, moderate or conservative.

States in which the conservative-liberal gap is 20 points or greater are considered "highly conservative." The "more conservative than average" states have gaps of between 15 and 19 points. "About average" states' residents prefer the conservative description by seven to 14 points, and those with gaps of zero to six points are considered "less conservative than average."

The number of states in which more residents identify as liberal than as conservative is down slightly from nine in 2017. Many of the changes are within the margin of error for the state's sample -- states that barely tilted liberal in 2017 barely tilted conservative in 2018 -- so it is unclear how meaningful these changes are.

Mississippi ranked as the most conservative state in 2018, with 50% of residents identifying as conservative and 12% as liberal, for a gap of 38 points. Twenty-nine percent of Mississippians said they are moderate, and 9% had no opinion.

Massachusetts was the most liberal state in 2018, with 35% of its residents describing their political views as liberal and 21% as conservative. Massachusetts was the first state Gallup measured with more liberal than conservative identifiers (in 2008) and has been the state most consistently leaning more liberal than conservative.

London: Dinner and "Tina" the Musical

With Hurricane Florence seemingly no longer a major threat to Hampton Roads our mood in London has been a bit more cheery.  This evening we met friends who reside in London part of the year who joined us and our travel companions for dinner at The Delauney - a beautiful old style restaurant and then saw the musical "Tina" based on the life of Tina Turner at the Aldwych Theater.  Dinner was wonderful and it was nice catching up with our London friends.  As for the show Tina, we thought it was wonderful. It will be headed to Broadway shortly.  We highly recommend both the restaurant and the show.

PS. Of added intrest, the lead actress in the show, Adrienne Warren, is from Hampton Roads and attended the Governor's School for the Performing Arts. 

Paris 2018: Day 1 and Day 2

Plaza Athenee from Avenue Montangne

Plaza Athenne - Cour Jardin

Looking up from the Cour Jardin

Our arrival in Paris was delayed due the closure of Dulles International on Saturday evening due to severe thunderstorms which closed the airport for roughly 2 hours and 20 minutes.  The result was that we missed out connection in London to Paris and had to catch a flight 3 hours latter than planned.  Our apartment on Rue de Perche is a wonderful two bedroom, two bath apartment in a early 1800's building a block from the Picasso Museum. We spent our first afternoon walking around the Marais and end up having dinner at Vito's, a restaurant that at lest on Sundays is the equivalent of Annie's in the Dupont Circle area of Washington, DC.   We ended the evening with a nightcap at Raid Bar on Rue du Temple, a gay bar.  

Yesterday, we had a lazy morning and then had lunch at the elegant and opulent Hotel Plaza Athenee, a hotel I stayed at frequently during my days as in-house counsel for an oil company.  While extravagant, it was my "thank you" treat to our friends who treated the husband and I to this trip where we are the trip planners and tour guides. We followed that with a stroll up Avenue George V and then the Champs Elysse to the Arch de Triomphe.  We rounded out the afternoon with a visit to a favorite men's boutique on Rue de Rivoli back in the Marais (I bought two sport coats). 

Reduced Posting - Paris Here We Come

The husband and I are headed to Paris with friends.  We drive to Dulles International and then will fly to London on Virgin Atlantic and connect on Air France to Paris.  We will spend a week in Paris followed by a week in London.  Posting will be reduced for the next day or so while we travel, but I will post about our experiences as is my normal habit.  On the home front, the house sitter/dog sitter is all arranged.  This will be our friends' first trip to either city so the husband and I have served as trip planners and will be the tour guides, if you will. We kick of Paris with lunch at the Plaza Athenee where I staid many times in my days as in-house counsel.  Bon voyage! 

Plaza Athenee courtyard restaurant.

Key West 2018 - Day 1 (Cont.) and 2

So far our annual trip to Key West has been great fun even though I spent a good part of Thursday afternoon and Friday morning working on loan documents for a large securitized loan transaction. At least I got to sit and review documents in a tropical paradise at a quiet table away from the activities around the pools at The Equator.   Thursday evening, a group of us from the guesthouse went to Seven Fish for a wonderful dinner (see the image above).  As is always the case, the guests at the Equator are from all over the USA and a number of foreign countries.  Among our group at dinner was a guy from St. Petersburg, Russia and his American husband and a Canadian (included in the price of the stay at The Equator is a daily evening happy hour aimed at encouraging guests to meet each other.)  Several other couples are visiting from Virginia and I may have picked up a new real estate client.  Yesterday, we did the historic homes tour and then had dinner at 951 Prime.  Today we are headed to Latitudes on Sunset Key for lunch with a group of clients/friends.  

For those who have never visited Key West, I encourage you to visit.  This is my 10th trip!  For the husband, it is probably his 30th visit.  Making it even better, the weather has been absolutely perfect.

Key West 2018 - Day 1

Sunset Key and Latitudes with Key West in the background.

The husband and I will be up well before day light and headed to Norfolk International Airport to begin our annual trek to Key West.  If all goes well, we will be in Key West by 11:26 am.  We will be staying at The Equator on Fleming Street.  Two friends from Hampton will be traveling down and we will also meet mutual clients of the husband and me who are driving down from Fort Lauderale (they are taking us to Paris and London in September, but more on that later).  We will also see former neighbors who now live in Key West full time as well as two of the husband's clients who winter in the Keys and who will join us for lunch at Latitudes on Sunset Key on Saturday.  Sunday we will do the annual pilgrimage to La Te Da for tea dance.

We have a friend staying at our home and babysitting our dog - we lost our little one on March 9, 2018 - and otherwise holding down the fort.  The only downside of the trip is that I will be working on a large hotel refinance part of the time, but at least I will be doing so in gorgeous surroundings.

Posting will be on vacation mode and I will post thoughts and commentaries as time and activities allow. 

Hate Group Role in Bermuda Marriage Repeal; Options to Boycott Bermuda and Cruise Lines

Cunard's Queen Mary 2 is among the ships registered in Bermuda.

One of the often unnoticed efforts of American Christofascists is to export their hate and fear based religious beliefs to less developed nations, especially in Africa where a less educated populace is susceptible to their lies and propaganda. Having lost the war against same sex marriage - at least for now - in America, their focus is on maintaining hate and prejudice abroad.  The Southern Poverty Law Center - the same organization that tracks Neo-Nazi and white supremacist groups - tracts the activities of anti-LGBT groups that disseminate deliberate lies and false propaganda and where appropriate certifies these groups as hate groups.  Among those who have earned the hate group designation is a veritable who's who of "family values" groups to which the Republican Party routinely prostitutes itself (we saw this on Thursday in Virginia in the House of Delegates).  One such hate group is the secretive National Organization for Marriage ("NOM") that has never revealed its principal sources of funding. Now, NOM - always big into self promotion - is claiming responsibility for the propaganda campaign that saw Bermuda rescind same sex marriage.  Here's part of the press release:

NOM played a significant behind-the-scenes role in the tremendous victory in Bermuda. Our team advised pro-marriage supporters there on strategies to preserve marriage and I travelled there twice to meet with activists from Preserve Marriage Bermuda to discuss potential strategies. In 2016, Bermuda conducted a national referendum to advise the Parliament on whether gay ‘marriage’ should be allowed, with 68% of voters resoundingly rejecting same-sex ‘marriage.’

Despite the overwhelming voter rejection of redefining marriage, in 2017 the Bermuda Supreme Court imposed gay ‘marriage’ on the nation. This proved to be a short-lived ruling as the Preserve Marriage Bermuda coalition rallied supporters to demand that marriage be restored.

NOM heartily congratulates the people of Bermuda and the leadership of Preserve Marriage Bermuda. Their efforts are a powerful proof point that the “inevitability” of same-sex ‘marriage is a lie and that the fight for marriage can be won, even when the judicial elite think they can impose their will on a country, as tragically occurred here in the U.S. 

Meanwhile, CNBC is reporting that Bermuda's embrace of bigotry will prove costly to both Bermuda and cruise lines registered in Bermuda - Cunard, P&O, Princess Cruises, etc., - which no find themselves tied to an anti-gay country and susceptible to possible boycotts.  One can only hope that these cruise lines will change their country of registry to one less hostile to LGBT tourists.  Personally, I have always wanted to do a Cunard cruise, but that will not happen as long as Cunard's vessels are registered in an anti-gay country such as Bermuda.  Here are excerpts from the CNBC article:

The decision has put Bermuda tourism and some major cruise lines in a difficult spot. Carnival subsidiaries Cunard and P&O Cruises are both registered in Bermuda. Regardless of where the ships are in the world, they will no longer be allowed to host same-sex marriages. Princess Cruises, also part of Carnival, has ships registered in Bermuda as well. In August, the three Carnival cruise lines said they had started taking bookings for same-sex marriages at sea.

Bermuda hosted 693,000 tourists in 2017, and these visitors spent $431 million. The same-sex marriage ban will force many couples to rethink their travel plans. Bermuda's cruise ship economy grew last year. Bermuda received 161 cruise ship calls, bringing 416,049 passengers, an increase of 4.6 percent, and the government was forecasting more growth this year based on the 2017 numbers.

"Bermuda will have a backlash," Justin Nelson, the president and co-founder of the National LGBT Chamber of Commerce, wrote in an email. "Countries and travels brands know that LGBT inclusive tourism is big business — and Bermuda is going to suffer painful economic losses because of its decision to turn back the clock on same-sex marriages."

Nelson says more than 80 percent of the American LGBT population has passports, compared to about 40 percent for the rest of the population. He estimates the economic impact of LGBT travel worldwide at more than $100 billion. "Our communities make conscientious decisions based upon who has demonstrated policies that have our backs," Nelson wrote.

The Bermuda Tourism Authority wrote a letter to the Senate in December urging the lawmakers not to pass the repeal. "Same-sex marriage is already the law of our island and to roll that back for what will be seen as a less equal union will cause us serious reputational damage," the letter reads. "It's not only LGBT travelers that care about equal rights based on sexual orientation. Our research indicates many companies, consumers and travelers, including the overwhelming majority of the younger visitors powering Bermuda's growth, care about this issue."

P&O Cruises and Cunard must now grapple with how to appeal to same-sex couples who can no longer get married on their ships. . . . . As long as Bermuda's same-sex marriage ban remains, Bennington and his husband — and likely many other couples like them — said they will travel elsewhere.

Also of note, for those seeking a tropical island vacation but without the bigotry of Bermuda, Rex Wockner's blog provides alternatives where same sex marriage is legal.  Here are excerpts:

Bonaire » Caribbean Sea
Guadeloupe » Caribbean Sea

Martinique » Caribbean Sea
Puerto Rico » Caribbean Sea
Saba » Caribbean Sea
Saint Barthélemy » Caribbean Sea
Saint-Martin » Caribbean Sea
Sint Eustatius » Caribbean Sea
 U.S. Virgin Islands » Caribbean Sea

Ft. Lauderdale Get Away - Day Two and Day Three

A portion of Mix - great and unusual men's clothing

Our second full day in Ft. Lauderdale began with rain and then shifted to cloudy, with the sun finally coming out in the late afternoon.   As a result, our day consisted of hanging out at the Windamar and then taking a long walk down A1A to Las Olas Boulevard and then up Las Olas a good way before turning back and stopping for lunch at the Casablanca Cafe for lunch and very, very good margaritas.  The afternoon finished with us by the pool and then dinner at the Cuban/Spanish themed Mario's Catalina on Federal Boulevard.   After two carafes of sangria and great food(one on the house by the owner who knows us from visits with friends who are regulars) we headed back to Mix on Wilton Drive for a little more shopping.  We finished the evening at Boardwalk Bar not too far away. where I was unfortunately "over served" a bit  

Our third day found me dealing with a mild case of the "alcohol flu" and some client issues that arose both in the morning and then again in late the afternoon.  The rest of the day we hung bu the pool and got to know other guests who come from a variety of states. Like it seems most of the guest houses in this part of Ft. Lauderdale, the patrons are more mature guys, many couples, who like the husband and I have sought an escape to warmer weather.  We finished the day with dinner at the Lauderdale Yacht Club.  As is always the case, we received a temporary membership card for the balance of our stay in town and dinner was great.   After suffer from the "flu" I used discretion and we headed home to the Windamar for a laid back and early bedtime.

Today saw us at Sebastian Beach again .  Now we are getting ready for drinks and dinner with friends and, hopefully, some dancing at Hunters in Wilton Manor later tonight.   

Ft. Lauderdale Get Away - Day One

We arrived on schedule on Monday afternoon (Christmas Day) and had good luck with our first attempt at using Turo - sort of an air bnb for cars - with no delays in having the car dropped off to us.  The guest house we are staying at - the Windamar - exceeded our expectations as well (booking online one never knows what the reality will be versus the website) and is located two blocks in from the beach about five blocks north of Sebastian Beach pictured above.  

Monday evening after dinner, we went and saw the movie "Call Me By Your Name" which was excellent, although I liked the book even better.  I can see why there is buzz about both Armie Hammer - who is very "hot" - and ‎Timothée Chalamet doing well during awards season.  Sadly, the movie has not yet played in perennially backwards Hampton Roads.  If it does come to the area after we return, I will likely see it again. 

Yesterday, we went by the home of some friends and picked up beach chairs and an umbrella before heading to Sebastian Beach for several hours.  Later we went shopping in Wilton Manor and bought tuxedo jackets to wear to the Inaugural Ball on January 13th at Mix, a men's clothing store that we always visit when in Ft. Lauderdale.  We followed that outing with dinner at Ethos, a wonderful Greek restaurant on Wilton Drive.    After that, we went back to the guest house and crashed.

Not sure what we will do today as yet. Thursday evening, we will dine at the Lauderdale Yacht Club, pictured below.

Click image to enlarge

Tourism Authority Opposes Bermuda Parliament's Same-Sex Marriage Repeal

While Christofascists lost their effort in Alabama, in Bermuda, aided by American hate merchants and fraudulent "experts" they won the day as the Bermuda Parliament voted to repeal same sex marriage.  The Bermuda Tourism Authority - which in contrast functions in the real world and objective reality - has sounded the alarm that the move will wreak significant damage on the nation's tourism business and pleads with the governor to veto the bill.  Two years ago the husband and I cruised to Bermuda with numerous friends two of whom were the only Americans to ever own 100% of a resort in Bermuda.  It was beautiful and the people outwardly friendly, but if this bill is enacted, we will never go back.  Indeed, I am letting the the tourism Authority know how I feel.  I would encourage other readers to do the same by using the link here.     Here are highlights from Joe Jervis' blog:

Minutes ago the Bermuda Senate voted 8-3 to repeal same-sex marriage and replace it with domestic partnerships. Last week the Bermuda House approved the bill in a 24-10 vote. The bill now goes to the governor and if he signs it, Bermuda will become the second place in the world where same-sex marriage was repealed after having been legal. The first place was California.

In June 2016, Bermudan voters overwhelmingly rejected same-sex marriage by a 2-1 margin in a non-binding public referendum. The opposition had been rallied with the support of US hate groups including the Alliance Defending Freedom, which provided materials featuring quotes from anti-LGBT activists Ryan T. Anderson and Mark Regnerus.

However in May 2017, the Bermudan High Court ruled in favor of a gay man who challenged the ban on same-sex marriage, arguing that Human Rights Act guaranteed his right to marry his Canadian boyfriend. (Their photo is above.) Marriages conducted since that ruling will reportedly remain intact if the governor signs the bill.

The Bermuda Tourism Authority expressed great concern in a statement issued before the Senate vote:

“Since last Friday’s vote, we have seen ample evidence of negative international headlines and growing social-media hostility towards Bermuda that we feel compelled to express our concern about what the negative consequences could be for tourism if the Domestic Partnership Bill passes the Senate this week. We believe the Bill poses an unnecessary threat to the success of our tourism industry.

“We urge you to vote no and appreciate the opportunity to lay out the reasons why. Importantly, we do not view domestic partnerships as a negative in isolation. In fact many jurisdictions permit domestic partnerships without adverse impacts on their economies.

“The circumstance in Bermuda is different — and troubling — in one important way: same-sex marriage is already the law of our island and to roll that back for what will be seen as a less equal union will cause us serious reputational damage. We are convinced it will result in lost tourism business for Bermuda.” 

If this becomes law. let's make sure that the loss in tourism business is huge. 

New York City Weekend - Day 2

We had a great time yesterday afternoon and evening with the high point being seeing Hello Dolly with Bette Midler.   We had dinner in the theater district before the show and came across an interesting looking restaurant for dinner tonight.  After the show last night I had a chance to talk briefly with Gavin Creel - one of the cast members - as a collection for Broadway Cares (Creel is on the board of trustees) was taken up. We finished the evening with drinks at the Monster Bar located 1/2 block up the street from where we are staying. 

Today's agenda includes shopping, including some consignment shops where we have found great cowboy boots - we like them in the winter months - vintage formal wear and accessories.  This afternoon we are meeting the daughter of one of the husband's clients who lives here in NYC and works in the fashion industry.  Then it will be dinner followed by a gay themed off Broadway show.  Odds are we will end the day at the Monster Bar where there will likely be creative Halloween costumes based on what we saw last night (a guy in full Maleficent regalia was over the top).

New York City Weekend - Day 1

Looking forward to a fun weekend in NYC, starting with Hello Dolly tonight with the divine Bette Midler.   Once again, we are staying at a friend's apartment at 30 Christopher Street in the West Village.  Posting frequency may be down as we see friends, family that live here in NYC, and some of our favorite haunts.   On the home front, the Ralph Northam staffer that we have been housing since July 4th  weekend will watch after the house and the two Chihuahuas who have become very attached to him.  The photos are of the view flying in earlier today! 

London 2017 - Day 4

The husband at the Tower of London

After the utterly horrid rainy weather on Wednesday, yesterday was warmer and mostly sunny.  As a result, the husband and I were up and out the door early  to see sights that we had put off due to the rain.  We started the day by visiting the Tower of London,. with a highlight being the Crown Jewels exhibit which has totally been redone and greatly expanded from what it was 35 years ago, the last time I had seen it.  We then proceeded to the Churchill War Rooms back at Whitehall from which Churchill and his war cabinet directed the war effort from underground offices, sleeping accommodations - the works.  The site also has an amazing museum on Churchill himself.  We had lunch at the nearby Westminster Arms Pub situated in a 1913 vintage building.  The food was good and the waitstaff very cute. 

The highlight of the day came when we toured the state rooms at Buckingham Palace.   Highclere Castle was very nice (I'd live there in a heartbeat), but Buckingham Palace is in a league of its own.  Like the Palace of Versailles in France, Buckingham Palace underscores that Britain was once the world's dominant superpower with all the wealth that entailed.  The Palace's "gardens" that one never sees in photos are likewise gorgeous.  What was striking was how many public functions are held at the Palace and the number of non-tourists visit it each year.

We then rushed back to the hotel and headed to the home of one of the husband's friends and sometimes client who is originally from Newport News, Virginia.  After cocktails we dined at Bradley's and had an amazing meal.  On the way back to the hotel we stopped at Compton's of Soho for a drink and then another one at the Admiral Duncan where we met a very nice young man with whom we had a great conversation.  As always., the issue of Donald Trump came up and the man is universally hated (one shop we walked past was selling tee shirts with Trump as Hitler on the front side).

The husband walking up to our friend's home

Based on our busy day, no posts were published yesterday!