Queer Fresno

This story didn’t get a lot of coverage in the US when it broke last week, but I thought it was a pretty big deal.  The country is heavily Roman Catholic and that church is well-known for its fierce opposition to same-sex marriage.  Also, Latin America, with a very few exceptions, has not been known for having a gay-friendly culture.  And yet the law passed rather easily.  I think that if same-sex marriage can be embraced in a place like this then there are few places in the world where it cannot.  At least that is what I’d like to hope.

RA

(CNN) — Argentina became the first Latin American country on Thursday to legalize same-sex marriage.

Lawmakers in the Senate passed the bill after 14 hours of debate that began Wednesday and carried well into early Thursday morning, the state-run Telam news agency reported.

The bill had already passed the lower chamber of Congress.

Read more…

This is a really cool video.  You don’t have to be a fan of opera to enjoy watching it.  I thought it was a really clever promotional idea; what was going on is described below.

On Saturday, April 24th, the Opera Company of Philadelphia teamed up with the Reading Terminal Market Italian Festival for a large-scale “Flash Opera” event! Over 30 members of the Opera Company of Philadelphia Chorus and principal cast members of LA TRAVIATA performed the famed “Brindisi” in the aisles of Reading Terminal Market, entertaining hundreds of Philadelphians, and proving that the perfect accompaniment for all things Italian is a little Verdi! The Opera Company sincerely thanks members of the Opera Company of Philadelphia Chorus and cast for generously volunteering their time and talents… BRAVI TUTTI!!

I went up to San Francisco’s Pride celebration this weekend past.  I was able to meet up with our fearless leader of QN and some of the other senior officers on Saturday and we had a great time going out to dinner and cruising the bars in the Castro that night.  The next day was the parade and as usual it was a grand sight to see.  If you haven’t been yet I heartily recommend that you go at least once to see what gay pride can really be all about.  To whet your appetite I have included a few random pics from that day.

RA

I thought this was a real cool column.  It appeared in the Fresno Bee on April 30.

RA

Archie’s gay character is a clear sign of progress

BY LEONARD PITTS JR.

And what shall we say about the fact that there is to be a homosexual in Riverdale?

You know where Riverdale is, of course. It lies at that junction of wholesomeness and Americana where, for almost 70 years, it has been home to Archie Andrews, Betty Cooper, Veronica Lodge, Jughead Jones and the other eternal teenagers of Archie Comics.

Last week, the company announced a new addition to the cast. In September, it said, in Veronica 202, Kevin Keller debuts in a story that finds the titular spoiled rich girl mysteriously unable to get his attention despite using all her feminine wiles.

“She’s not so bad,” Kevin confides to Jughead. “I’m just not interested in dating her. It’s nothing against her. I’m gay.”

And what shall we say about that? Read more…

“Only a few days left”

Buy your tickets now online at

towertheatrefresno.com

(or at the box office)

Saturday May 22, 2010

Harvey Milk Day

San Francisco Gay Men’s Chorus

on their California Freedom Tour

Tower Theatre

815 E. Olive Ave

towertheatrefresno.com

(559) 485-9050

Doors open at 6:30 pm

Show 7:30 pm

Tickets available now at Tower Theatre Box Office

$35.00 Reserved

$20.00 General Admission

Beneficiaries from the event are

PFLAG

and

the Fresno LGBT+ Community Center

Tickets are now on sale.  Contact the Tower Theater Web Site or Box Office for more information.  Proceeds go to the planned Fresno GLBT Community Center so please encourage your friends to come!

It had been two years since my last visit to Key West so I was eagerly awaiting this visit as the last few days before our departure went by.  Since discovering the island and its charms a few years ago I make as many trips out there as time and money permit.  I’m really convinced that it is a small piece of paradise and every day spent there is a gift.  So it is no wonder I put up with all the hassle of the travel to get out there and back.  Actually the trip out went fairly smoothly.  The most exciting part of the journey was in Dallas when Gary almost missed the plane to Miami due to his need to satisfy his twin desires for a smoke and a Starbucks.  I was standing at the gate, the last one there thinking about whether to leave him behind, when I saw him hurrying up the concourse, which fortunately made that choice no longer necessary.

Read more…