Cuz

Why, cuz?
Cuz, that's why.

Wedded Bliss

Other countries continue to surpass American efforts to legalize gay marriage. Argentina's the latest on that list.

BUENOS AIRES, Argentina – Two Argentine men were joined Monday in Latin America's first same-sex marriage, traveling to the southernmost tip of the Americas to find a welcoming spot to wed.

Gay rights activists Jose Maria Di Bello and Alex Freyre were married in Ushuaia, the capital of Argentina's Tierra del Fuego state, exchanging rings at an informal ceremony witnessed by state and federal officials.

"My knees didn't stop shaking," said the 41-year-old Di Bello. "We are the first gay couple in Latin America to marry."

The slim, dark-haired couple previously tried to marry in the Argentine capital of Buenos Aires but were thwarted by city officials citing conflicting judicial rulings. Argentina's Constitution is silent on whether marriage must be between a man and a woman, effectively leaving the matter to state and city officials.

This time around, they traveled to a remote seaside fishing village at the end of South America that is closer to Antarctica than Buenos Aires. The ceremony took place during the region's brief summer thaw.

Tierra del Fuego Gov. Fabiana Rios said in a statement that gay marriage "is an important advance in human rights and social inclusion and we are very happy that this has happened in our state."

An official representing the federal government's antidiscrimination agency, Claudio Morgado, attended the wedding in the city of Ushuaia and called the occasion "historic."

eCATnomic growth

a month ago...



and last weekend...

What's the last fun thing you're doing this year?

Well? What is it?
Here are my suggestions.
I love my day job.
Happy New Year!

Celebrating the end of what Time magazine called "The Decade From Hell" shouldn't be hellish as well. Celebrate the ends and beginnings. For skating, movie-going and museum-going options on the holidays, see Friday and Thursday's listings.



Wanna dance for real? New Year's Eve Country-Western Dance at the Hotel Whitcomb is the place as Sundance Saloon celebrates the new year with its first dance party. Enjoy line-dancing and two-stepping into 2010. $15-$20. 8pm-1am (dance lessons 8pm-9pm). 1231 Market St. at 8th. 820-1403. www.sundancesaloon.org


For a nice sit-down show, enjoy Marga Gomez New Year's Eve Spectacular. Everybody's favorite lesbian Latina comic hosts another annual party, with comics David Hawkins, Ben Lerman and Natasha Muse. John Fisher MCs. DJ O'DJ spins tunes. $25-$30. 7pm, 9pm. 2961 16th St. at Mission. (800) 838-3006. www.therhino.org



If you're looking for something fun to do on Christmas Day, you're in luck ... joy luck, with Kung Pao Kosher Comedy at New Asia Restaurant. The 17th annual gay and Jewish comedy night ­– for those who don't celebrate Christmas, or want a break from all that – features Jonathan Katz (Dr. Katz cartoon show), Brian Malow, Hilary Schwartz and Lisa Geduldig. Enjoy a 7-course dinner banquet or cocktail show veggie egg rolls. $42-$62. Also Dec. 25, 26 dinner 6pm, show 9:30pm. Dec. 27, dinner 5pm, show 8:30pm. 772 Pacific Ave. www.koshercomedy.com

For New Year's Eve spacious outdoor patio fun, and the always thrilling possibility of falling in a swimming pool, Blow Your Whistle at Bambuddha Lounge. Juanita MORE! hosts a poolside New Year's Eve bash, with DJs Pee Play, Stanley Frank, Joshua J, Silencefiction, VivvyAnne ForeverMORE, and, well, more. $35. 9pm-2am. 601 Eddy St. at Larkin. www.juanitamore.com



If decor and creative ambiance are what you seek, Sea of Dreams at the Concourse Exhibition Center is pretty special. It's not gay, but rather festive. Massive New Year's Eve party with amazing decor, circus acts, a dozen DJs, live bands Ozomatli, Bassnectar, Ghostland, Yard Dogs, The Glitch Mob and a lot more. Costumed dress code. $75-$125. 8pm-4:30am. 635 8th St. 18+. www.seaofdreamsnye.com
Sundance Saloon's New Year's Eve dance



Get those resolutions started with a few Yoga Classes at Yoga Tree. Send off the year and start anew with popular instructors. On New Year's Day, Les Leventhal and Karma Moffet Moffet lead a special yoga session with meditation, chanting and music. 4pm-6pm. $30-$35. $60 two-day deal for Leventhal's Jan. 1 & 2 classes. Castro studio, 97 Collingwood at 18th St. 701-9642. Valencia studio, 1234 Valencia St. at 23rd. 647-9707. www.yogawithles.com www.yogatreesf.com

Happy New Year.

Riding in the Rain

A little update on wet weather techniques for riding a bike.

Out in the Scrum

British rugby player Gareth Thomas just came out big time. He's gay. He's also hot. That's nice.

It's understood that he will be the first openly gay professional rugby player still playing the game.

Thomas, a former Wales captain, told his wife he was gay in the summer 2006 and has admitted that his marriage started to fall apart before problems came to a head in November 2006 following a Wales international match in Cardiff when he broke down in tears in the changing room at the Millennium Stadium.

Thomas opened his heart to the Wales coach Scott Johnson who then confided in Thomas' fellow senior Wales internationals Stephen Jones and Martyn Williams.



Thomas told the Daily Mail: "I was like a ticking bomb. I thought I could suppress it, keep it locked away in some dark corner of myself but I couldn't. It was who I was and I just couldn't ignore it any more.

"I'd been through every emotion under the sun trying to deal with this. It's been really tough for me hiding who I really am, but I don't want it to be like that for the next young person who wants to play rugby."

Johnson and Williams patted him on the back and said: "We don't care, why didn't you tell us before?"

He then told team-mates at Cardiff Blues, who have all supported him during his time at the Arms Park and now the Cardiff City Stadium.

Here's more of what he he said in an interview.

And here's his butt.

Survey says ...

Kill me.

Just when I thought I'd found a non-biased, non-stupid daily news source...

In light of the horrible Uganda "kill gays" legislation now angering half the globe, the BBC flippantly decided to have a little online poll. "Should homosexuals be executed?"


Huffington Post reports on the controversy.

UK Guardian does, too.

The assholic comments are relentless:

Chris from Guildford, wrote: "Totally agree. Ought to be imposed in the UK too, asap. Bring back some respectable family values. Why do we have to suffer 'gay pride' festivals? Would I be allowed to organise a 'straight pride' festival? No, thought as much!! If homosexuality is natural, as we are forced to believe, how can they sustain the species? I suggest all gays are put on a remote island and left for a generation " after which, theoretically there should be none left!"

Another, from Aaron in Freetown, said: "Bravo to the Ugandans for this wise decision, a bright step in eliminating this menace from your society. We hope other African nations will also follow your bold step."

You can file a complaint with the BBC, to which I won't be linking again for a long time, if ever.

Our Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton, offered some lip service to protesting the hateful bile coming out of Uganda.

via JoeMyGod.

SF Santa Speedo Run!

It wasn't too cold, the guys and gals had fun, and most got a little prize afterward. Woohoo!

On Lexicon Magazine

On Queerty

Coverage of the 10th annual Boston Santa Speedo Run.

And on Towelroad.com! Woohoo!

SFist stand-alone funny photo.

French Tetu Magazine enjoys some coverage and funny commentary.

And last but, oh, yes, least: the Advocate links to the Lexicon video. Nicely done, guys. Not you, Advocate.

I'm Only Happy When It Rains

Actually, no.

But when it rains, and I have to ride, it better be fun, or at least comfortable, or I'm not doing it.

Lacking a completely waterproof outfit, I'd been doing makeshift for years, with layers, different gloves, and a generally unflattering combo that made me look like a giant puffy dork.

Of course, some outfits might make you look like a scifi moving machine.

Here's an article about winter cycling that offers comparable tips. I remember that fun, not exactly good unless the snow's packing fresh. After it turns to slush, you might as well walk, or you'll end up sliding under a bus.



A reminder on rain riding in the Bay Area from Cyclicious; fenders! That's so the back spatter doesn't spray your butt with mud like a cupcake.


Although it hasn't snowed in San Francisco proper -yet- the recent downpour in the Bay Area prompted me to take a long-overdue trip to Sports Basement, where I bought my Christmas and birthday presents. I got a new bike helmet, rain pants, running pants, glo stickers for the bike (maybe even the helmet), and a few other things.

But what brought me there, in the rain, was a red Speedo.

Yep, in the middle of a downpour, in a San Franciscan chill, I hunted Speedos.
After multiple Google address/phone/map checks, I narrowed it down.
Sports Basement, of course.

The salespeeps on the phone at both locations were like expert fishing gamesman, helping me round up exactly which sizes and brands were in stock.

Although the idea of either a Fillmore 22/combo bike trip to the Presidio store sounded fun, after a quick waist measurement, I realized that larger would be better, and headed toward South of Market to the Bryant Street store, where they had those sizes.

I forgot how much frackin' STUFF they have. I could have spent thousands, (camping equipment, new running shoes, gifts for family), the rain and exhilaration of having safely tooled down at a measured pace amid crazed auto drivers and bewildered jaywalking peds.

But I had a goal. I knew there were less than half a dozen red Speedos in town, and I had to have one.

For what?



The first San Francisco version of the Santa Speedo Run.



Started in Boston a few years ago, it's become a huge event there, and it's a lot colder. Guys and gals strip down in sub-zero temperatures in Santa hats and not much else. It's fun (Boston.com album), and more than a bit sexy, despite the shrink factor. they warm up once back in the bars. Sometimes they really warm up.

Toronto's version: "Some wait for Santa. Others for Elijah. And still others for Krüüdknæpper, the Festive Elf of Iceland. But in Yorkville, they wait for pasty-white “athletes” in nothing but flimsy red lycra."





So, Sunday, 1:30pm in the Castro, will be the first gay version, with Team San Francisco, Track and Fielders, FrontRunners and other jocks running in a one-mile jog around the hood. Pledge money goes to the SF AIDS Foundation. Party afterward for all at The Lookout ($5 for non-runners).

Should be fun.


Sign up HERE.

Holidays are for Families

A coalition of LGBT rights groups including PFLAG, COLAGE, the Equality Federation, and the Family Equality Council has joined forces on a campaign to send pro-LGBT holiday cards to the White House. The group will collect the cards and send them in a giant package for maximum impact.

Today national and regional lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) family rights groups from around the country launched the “From Our Family to Yours Campaign,” designed to introduce President Obama to thousands of LGBT families. In addition to spreading holiday cheer, the campaign will increase visibility and awareness for the need for federal protections for the LGBT community. In this season of peace and generosity, let’s introduce the First Family to ours. Because to succeed in getting federal protections for our families, we must put real names and faces to the people in our community.To participate in the campaign, we encourage families to send holiday cards to the First Family, and share their photos and this message:

“Season’s Greetings, from our family to yours. May the next year bring peace and equality for all.”

Please send your holiday cards and photos to:

Family Equality Council
Attn: First Family
P.O. Box 206
Boston, MA 02133

Or send a digital version to tina.walker-morin@familyequality.org by January 1, 2010. We encourage you to send your holiday cards as soon as possible so that we can compile all of the images into a holiday package to be delivered to the First Family.

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via joe.My.God.blogspot.com It seems every day there's a new flare-up of reichwing idiocy. I really should just type, "go to Joe.My.God, Towleroad.com and Queerty. It's what i do. Little time for regurgitating, but this is my pick of the day.

A little off, the top

Another readin', another show!

Well, not really a show, but a reading should be entertaining, right?

When I first heard about the Reading Series at Joe's Barbershop, I thought, "Oh, that's the place with all the cute barbers. I should get a cut there for a change of pace from Louie's."

It turned out they were as much of a bargain, closer to my home, and they had a few racy magazines like old-fashioned barbershops, only with gay mags. Mmm.

The reading series, curated by owner Joe's beau Michael McAllister, turned into an instant hit, and like any self-serving author, I soon afterward pestered Micheal - er, politely volunteered - to read at an upcoming event.

Then I got the best haircut in years from Mike. Then, later, Michael asked me to read for this month's event, which is cool, since I like early December, my birthday being the next day, and well, it being all pre-holidaze-ish.

With the chosen theme "Incredible, Improbable, Impossible," I've polished up one of my many orphaned short stories, trimmed it and styled it (Hey, I'll be reading in a barbershop), and hope you can be there to enjoy my story, along with authors Helen Wecker and Holly Payne. Musician Megan Keely will also sing some songs.

Plus, for a mere $5, you enjoy a beer or soft drink, chips, snacks, and if you get there early, sit in one of those everso comfy barber chairs.

Details HERE.

Joe’s Barbershop
2150 Market St (between Church and Sanchez)
Saturday, December 5th, at 8 pm.

Books Inc. (we love them) will be selling a few copies of my first and third novels, PINS and Cyclizen, along with other books.

So, what's my reading about? It's not an excerpt from a novel.

Here's a subtle hint, aka, something visual that's not too abysmal: