Well, the brother-in-law came in yesterday, the folks and sister are enroute from Salinas and I just about got everything ready for my madre's inspection. Ha! Who am I kidding?? It's nowhere near ready for a mother's inspection! But Christmas is upon us with everyone counting down half days today and lists of things to get done before Sunday.

There is only thing I am asking for Christmas from all my friends and family and I extend this to all of you as well (that includes friends and family who read my blog too :)). If there is only one thing I want this Christmas I ask each and everyone of you to take at least two people this week/weekend to see Ang Lee's, Brokeback Mountain.

I won't go into too much detail but this is a movie that will really touch you while kicking you right in the teeth. This film really takes the conventional idea of what "gay" is and rips it away from the glitter pop and gay ghettos. It takes this insane need to party, booze and live in a perpetual adolescence and boils it down to what being human is: just building a life with a partner in this crazy f*cking world. Successful or not the raw emotion that Ang Lee brings viewers will leave something for everyone to take away; gay, straight, male, female, married, single or all of the above. Cliche or not this film has really challenged my perspective on what gay life is and should be and where I've personally been heading these last couple of years.

So, if nothing else this holiday weekend, I ask each and everyone of you to see the film and ultimately take two members of your heterosexual friends/family to experience this amazingly personal story and walk away evaluating where you are in your own life of civil liberties, acceptance and where we stand in society and what needs to be done to get there.

Merry Christmas!

Honey, let's get hitched! What an amazing Christmas gift!

As I'm sure most of you have read, Sir Elton John and his partner of 12 years David Furnish, along with hundreds of other same sex couples tied the knot today--the first day same-sex unions were legal in Britain. The law took effect today in England and Wales. Ceremonies were held earlier this week in Northern Ireland and Scotland. Prime Minister Tony Blair, spoke at a news conference, wishing the couple well and congratulated them for exercising their newfound legal right.

I think we are really seeing the start of this community no longer being so isolated to the gay ghettos and gay bars. As far as we think we've come, we have a long way to go to take steps out of the darkness of self loathing--where porn, drugs and booze makers have us held--taking steps toward equality and healthy assimilation. When Brokeback Mountain outsells Kong in Plano, TX on opening weekend, this country is turning the corner of acceptance and seeing a love story as neither gay or straight...just a love story.

I find it amazing that when America is supposed to be the leader of the free world we have a Commander in Chief breaking federal law tapping American citizens while Britain's Prime Minister is congratulating gay couples on their nuptials. Seems a little backasswards, doesn't it?

So, congrats to all the Brits, Scots and Irish for taking a historic step to do what just comes natural to all couples--regardless of sexuality.

Happy, Happy Holidays!

This has been a crazy week...so many funny thoughts have entered my head and I keep meaning to log on to jot them down but the days/weeks just get away from me. What is it about the holidays that seems to make time go at warp speed. The weeks between Thanksgiving and Christmas are non existent and before you know it you're scrambling to get some schlocky $10 gift on Christmas eve for that one person you totally forgot. I'll apologize for the crap gift now for whoever it is I end up leaving off my list. :)

There is so much going on right now politically not only here in the state but world wide. The racial unrest in the streets of Sydney, Australia, the execution of Stanley "Tookie" Williams here in California, President Bush admitting this morning that the intelligence was faulty that he presented to congress (and now over 2,000 soldiers are dead).

I was running on the treadmill last night watching all of these news bites flash before my eyes and it was just overwhelming. I was thinking to myself what a mess this administration is and wondering how this country has gotten so far off base and then...something caught my eye. I saw two boys in their mid twenties practicing ballroom dancing together in the glassed in group class room at my gym. I smiled and had to ask myself, "Who is leading?"

So, I guess I'm trying to say in these next few weeks when you all get together and your families are driving you crazy, or you're miles away geographically or emotionally, or you love XMAS more then anything but you don't stop to enjoy it...take a minute and think. Think about those two boys dancing their hearts out in a gym in San Diego and just smile. Smile because it was awkward. Smile because it forced people to look and make an immediate decision about two men dancing, Smile because two people for a moment couldn't give two sh*ts less what anyone thought. Weeee!

Let the games begin! These next few weeks are going to be crazy.

HAPPY HOLIDAYS!

-W