Hey All,

Just had an interesting note from a reader regarding one of my earlier posts.

*********
"Not to dispute the USA Today, but....Estimated 12,000,000 gay people in the US, average income of 28,000.00 per person (low estimate) give the total contribution to the economy at 329 Billion. Six billion is way too low."

-Milo
**********

If that's the case, can someone PLEASE tell me how the LGBT community is still fighting for our civil liberties in this country. This government is more than happy to take our tax dollars but not give us equal rights in the this country. Can someone explain this logic to me. For all the ignorant jackasses that hide behind the guise of morality to discriminate, please drop a line. Let me know how on a purely societal level how this makes any sense and how to rationalize this behavior. I really am curious to hear. I would love to post an argument that has any merit here on the site.

The Americans tossed tea overboard at the Boston Tea Party for taxation without equal representation...What should we start tossing overboard? Republicans?

Happy Monday.

TRAVEL BLOG 3/4/06:

After an afternoon of lounging in the Chilean countryside, it was time to head into town. La Serena is the 2nd most popular beach destination in Chile. It's more of the local hangout than the tourist hot spot. My dad and I got to our hotel right on the beach and decided to sit and watch the sunset enjoying a cold cerveza. I was looking over at my dad and I just had to think how amazing this was. 6 months ago my dad was just starting to walk again, working on buttoning buttons, and I was still helping him shave. Here we were--sitting in the Chilean sun enjoying a beer together. I just had to think how lucky we were. How lucky that my dad came through the surgery and how lucky I was to have such a good friend in my dad. This was a very special trip, indeed.

The rest of my time in La Serena was spent with my Dad exploring the city, Plaza de Armas and walking the narrow streets. Before we knew it we were back in Santiago, for my last two days in Chile. I met an awesome friend Pablo at Fausto, one of the bigger clubs in Santiago and had a whirlwind two days in Santiago before our long flight home back to the states.

This trip was really an adventure of a lifetime. Living in Sydney is still on the top of my life events but Chile is a close second runner up. From weddings, to pisco sours, to drag queens to television stars, the list goes on and on...If it's not on your travel list...add it. If it's on your travel list...book your flight! If you step off the beaten path, it will be an adventure of a lifetime

La Serena...

Ahhhhh--after the craziness of Vina del Mar I was excited to go to Chile's number two beach destination which was supposed to be a favorite of, not toursits, but Chileans. We landed in the tiny little airport and met our contact Julie. What a firestarter! I learned very quickly the women of Chile run the show. Very strong and very on it. They just elected the first female president of Latin America.

We drove out to Vicuna about 45 minutes out of La Serena out in the country. It was absolutely beautiful. The farm we were visiting was nestled at the base of these huge mountains. Rows of vineyards, oranges, bell peppers, watermelons spread out forever as we pulled into Julie's farm. We started with a grand tour of greenhouses. Again, rows and rows of green lined up in symmetrical rows as small Chilean women labored tediously over each individual flower bud.

"They're pollinating." Julie pointed as we dipped our shoes and hands in cleaning solution. Want to try? She handed me a small vial full of pollen. I bent over and started the process. "So, uh, am I having sex with a bell pepper plant right now?", I thought to myself Awesome!

My father went into meetings regarding seed counts, germination and other seed business. I grabbed the keys to one of the motorcycles and took off through the fields of Vicuna. It was amazing. Shirt off, sunglasses on weaving in and out of the vineyards and fields of Central Chile. My mind kept trying to wrap around the fact of where I was and the experience I was having. After my fill of crop dust and Southern Hemisphere sun I headed back for an agua sin gas and some shade.

Hey All,

I was reading an article on the way home from Chile in USA Today that stated the annual contribution to the American economy by the LGBT community is over $6 Billion dollars. I don't know if there has ever been a "minority" in human history that has been so fiscally responsible yet lacked equality of civil rights.

There is a major problem here. If the LGBT community were to take this money out of the economy this afternoon I can't imagine the chaos and devestaion that would ensue.

Watching the Academy Awards last night I found two comments more interesting then the entire program. John Stewart commented that middle America thinks Hollywood is out of touch with society. Does art reflect life or does life reflect art? Or is none of this happening in Oklahoma?

George Clooney came back with an acceptance speech comment that really hit it on the head. He said that Hollywood may be out of touch with Middle America but then Hollywood is ahead of its time.

I do believe Hollywood is out of touch with the base of Middle America. (I use the term "base" because I have many wonderful and amazingly articulate, compasionate, intelligent friends in the "fly over" states. :)) If Hollywood were in line with the right wing's base in the "red" states, Adam Sandler would be winning Best Actor for his amazing portrayel of Happy Gilmore and Jackass the Movie would be up for Best Adapted Screenplay. I think Hollywood IS in touch with the educated, tolerant and what America used to and should be.

ALL Americans, including gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender people, deserve the rights, responsibilities, and privileges that come with civil liberties and marriage. I believe that we are living in a time that this will be a reality.

Please, take a minute to think. Out of every LGBT person you know can you think of one person who is a threat to our society? How does two people building their own lives together threaten our social fabric? Take a minute and add your voice to a million voices raised in support of marriage for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender couples. And please, if not to sign the petition, talk to at least five people you know who might be on the fence about this issue.

Million for Marriage Petition

Yours in struggle,

-W

"In case you're stolen police contact immediately." That was one of the warnings posted in the back of my taxi on the way home from the bus station post Via del Mar. Ha! I love Chile!

We had gone out for one last big night down in Valparaso. We hit this club which was an awesome mix of gay, straight, young, old, whatever. They had pencil drawings of celebrities framed and hung on all the walls. You have to love a club that has a frame sketch of Kylie Minogue and Albert Einstein side by side. (Haha, What the hell?!)

The morning came early and after saying adios to my friends in Via and a short bus ride back to Santiago I could muster up enough energy to make it back to the hotel. I told the taxi driver, Hotel Diego de Almagro, Airpuerto. (there are two Almagros in Santiago) Almost immediately I knew we were headed in the wrong direction.

Uh...Almagro Aipuerto!

There was then a constant stream of Spanish coming at me from the front of the taxi. (Oh why, oh why did I take French in High school?!) I said again, Almagro Aipuerto! Again the stream of Spanish. I understand his confusion. Here he has some lamo American in the back seat saying Hotel/Airport, Hotel/Airport. I'm sure he was saying, Make up your mind, in Spanish, but it was obvious he only knew of the one Almagro.

No problemo...airpuerto ok Oh God, why is he pulling over and stopping...um, seriously...why is he pulling over and stopping? He stops the taxi and again I'm overwhelmed at my inability to comprehend anything. Lo siento. Mi habla espaol uno poquito. Vaya ms despacio. (Im sorry. I speak a little Spanish. Slow down) After about some of the LONGEST five minutes of my life we established with laughs and smiles that the airport was fine and we were on our way.

We were about 15 minutes into the 30 minute drive and were stopped at a busy intersection. The taxi driver rolls down his window and calls over one of the guys selling crap at the corner. He buys these bags full of pastries and hands me one of the bags saying, alfajor. I found out later that alfajor are a Chilean pastries. Ha! Only in Chile do the taxi drivers buy you crap of the street. Normally, I would have never eaten something of the street in a foreign country (well, except when I was really drunk in Tijuana in my college days) but I thought, What the hell! We finally made it to the airport, I bid farewell to my new friend and hopped on the hotel shuttle. I barely made it into the crisp, cool, cotton sheets of the Hotel Diego de Almagro before I completely crashed. God, I love hotel sheets...

Ahhh Puerto Como...where chickens reign and gringos just nod and smile. What an experience. After an amazing drive up the coast and about 30 minutes in land we arrived in Como. This was the town organized in a grid of multi colored box houses and kids and dogs running through the streets. Ceasar, whose English stemmed from his diverse collection of American DVD musicals, was at the wheel with an EXTREMELY hungover-Raul and myself in the back. I had bounced back just fine after my morning Nescafe coffee.

We arrived in Puerto Como about 20 minutes later and there was absolutely no civilization around. We were on a farm just off a river bed and the guests had already started to arrive. There were about 30 people there ranging from pure Inca herritage to Spaniards to one gangly gringo. :) The ceremony was beautiful -- there was ceremonial hand kissing and drinking from glasses filled with daisies connected with ribbon. When the groom kissed his bride they picked up Isabela, their one year old girl with blue-gray eyes. It was an amazing ceremony--chickens clucking and passing through and all.

After the ceremnony it was time to eat. Modest trays of empanadas, fresh seafood and other traditional Chilean dishes were passed around. A mish mosh of glasses were poured and passed full of poncho and sangria. Carmen´s mother came up to me and the boys with tears in her eyes and rambled something in Spanish and gave us each a hug and kiss. Raul had known Cameron since childhood and Carmen´s mom included me in her elated hugs and kisses.

After some dancing to, none other then, the Bee Gees, we snuck out with a goodbye to the bride and headed back for some beach time at Ranaca. As we drove out of Puerto Como I looked around and took it all in. What an experience. I will probably never see these people again in my life but to share this time and this moment was really something special.