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Frost Bite ME + GLAD!
I had the kind of weekend that little gay boys and baby dykes hope a gay adulthood will be. It included an overnight stay in a foreign locale (ok - Portland, Maine); art; free champagne; lesbian folk music; a disco; and a hob-nob with the group that brought you civil rights for same-sex couples (or ‘gay marriage’ as we call it around here) the Gay and Lesbian Advocates and Defenders.
It started Friday when I traveled to Portland, Maine - which is closer than you think - to take part in the inaugural frostbiteme http://www.frostbiteme.com (frost - bite - ME, get it?) festival. I was the guest of our friends at the Holiday Inn By The Bay http://www.innbythebay.com, one of the top 10 Holiday Inns in the country, which lived up to its billing and put me at the heart of the action.
The weekend kicked off with a champagne reception at Addo Novo, which is both an ad agency and a fab home furnishing store located on the art gallery row of Congress Street. I mixed and mingled with fans of art, refugees from Boston, gays and Portland boosters.
Next I was off to see my new fav singer Liz Stahler http://lizstahler.com at the perfect North Star Music Café http://www.northstarmusiccafe.com. Liz was opening for Chris Pureka http://www.chrispureka.com and both wowed the college-aged lesbian, LUG (lesbian until graduation) and straight middle-aged folkie crowd. I felt like I was 100 years old among the crowd but was reminded I was only middle-aged when folk - lesbian - women’s (or womyn’s) music legend Tret Fure http://www.tretfure.com made a surprise appearance between sets. Tret sang a song about being 50, and I could see the shock and horror of contemplating such a situation on the faces of the college freshman. Several later confided to me that they had no idea who Tret was. Thank god Cris Williamson wasn’t in the hood! I’ll take women’s music pioneers for $500 Alex! We’ve been playing Liz Stahler’s music on “One in Ten” on WFNX http://fnxradio.com/shows/oneinten/default.aspx (also available for your listening pleasure in Portland and Portsmouth). Be sure to check out her peppy music for break-ups!
Styxx Video Club http://www.styxxportland.com was my last call. Styxx reminded me a bit of the old 1270 and, in fact, I recognized the manager from the Boston club scene. I kept saying “hi” to him and he kept responding and walking on. This anonymity thing was getting on my nerves - where were my free drinks! Don’t you people know who I am? I tried picturing myself as Bette Porter from the L Word on the prowl, but ended up feeling like I was one of those old lurkers you find in the dark corners of nightclubs, so home I went http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_L_Word.
Unfortunatley, maternal duty called (school fundraising carnival), but the weekend continued with everything including ice skating, skiing, speedfriending, comedy, movies and the Annual EqualityMaine Awards Festival http://www.equalitymaine.org. I hope the organizers make this an annual event.
Back to that anonymity issue - I was relieved of my invisibility when I returned to Boston to attend the annual Gay and Lesbian Advocates and Defenders Winter Party http://www.glad.org. Although I was disappointed that I didn’t get to see Mary Bonauto in a cape and tights (why call yourself an advocate if you’re not going to dress the part?) I was proud to be attending a gay event, during St. Patrick’s week, in South Boston. The Artists for Humanity Epicenter was the venue and folks were thrilled to be in Southie at this fab event. If you don’t know why having a gay fundraiser in Southie during March is a big deal, then visit the GLAD web site, they’re celebrating 30 years of fighting for your civil rights, and learn about how you’ve gotten the right to marry, adopt, and several other things your probably take for granted.
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