Enigma St. Pete Photos

R&R: Six Spas We Love

Eleven Spa Products We Can’t Live Without

Mane Interest: Blowmei Hair Care Products

Dedicated to the rebels and trailblazers in life; those who have been confronted with adversity, unjustly accosted and pushed to the limit. Their hair care products are formulated with the highest quality botanicals, nutrients, natural minerals, and essential oils. They are made in the USA and, of course, they only test their products on the humans they were made for.

Cruising Clay – 2 oz – $28

Define and texturize long or short hair styles with cruising clay. Matte finish that adds body and fullness that feels like you have twice as much hair. Whether cruising on your bike or through a park at sunset, their light formula absorbs perfectly.

Party Paste – 4 oz – $28

Add outrageous separation and texture while maintaining self control. Firm yet shapeable, party paste delivers all the party favors without a crispy hard feel. Work the paste easily through damp or dry hair for molding any style. Hair will have resilience all day long and can be re-worked anytime throughout your day by adding small amount of moisture (water) to hair, remold with fingers or your favorite comb.

Pig Pomade – .2 oz – $28   

Not all pigs play in the mud! Add shine and hold to your dapper style with a fresh mint scent.

Butch Wax – 2.0 oz. – $28  

Versatile defining wax for texture and hold, infused with Beeswax for a shiny finish with texture & strong hold. 

Manetame – .2 oz – $21

Who needs a lion tamer? Get your beautiful beard ready for your next close encounter. This is an all natural daily beard oil with peppermint extract and sweet almonds.

Clean Mint Shampoo – 8.5 oz – $25

Clean and remove excess oil & build up with a rich lather. Invigorates and stimulates the scalp leaving a cool sensation. Color safe – UV Protect.

Clean Mint Conditioner – 8.5 oz – $27

This conditioner is packed with nutrients to restore life into dry, treated & textured hair. Peppermint oil gives the scalp a cool soothing feel while encouraging new hair growth. Rice protein – UV Protectant -Color Safe 

Products can be found at Blowmei.co or at Dicks Service Station.

source https://hotspotsmagazine.com/2017/09/27/mane-interest-blowmei-hair-care-products/

Eight Reasons This Gay Man Prefers Female Strip Clubs

Maybe it’s just me – and it probably is, according to my fellow gay male friends – but I prefer a greasy-poled female strip club to a beefcake revue any day. Here are eight reasons why. 

1. Rogue dicks don’t come flying at my face

Let me get this straight first: I’m not a super-fan of strip clubs. It’s not like I’m there every chance I get. In fact, I’ve only been to a handful in my day, but in hindsight I’ve had more fun at a traditional gentlemen’s club than a gay joint. Sure, the naughty atmosphere is exciting, but I don’t get off on stuffing exotic dancers’ tube socks full of my hard-earned singles, so I generally drink and socialize without much regard for what’s happening on stage, no matter whose junk is out. My lack of undivided attention doesn’t always go over well with the “entertainment,” like the “firefighter” who smacked me on the head with his “hose” during his “performance” because my back was turned to him. Guess the “six foot rule” didn’t apply there.

My friend Brooke relates another tale of cockiness gone awry: “I knew someone who was at a male strip club and something flew off (the stripper’s) dick into her eye. She had to go to the hospital; turns out it was pubic lice,” she recalls. “I’m not gay, but I’ll take a pair of titties over crabs helicoptering off a dick any day.”

2. BOOBIES!

I’m strangely fascinated by females’ breasts’ buoyancy. My buddies’ girlfriends usually let me take theirs for a test drive – much to my buddies’ dismay (especially Kevin) – but I have to limit those occasions, lest I be branded the homo who’s always touching somebody’s tits at the party. The ladies at the club, however – well, they let me satisfy this odd craving for an affordable five dollars. Fair price.

3. I enjoy giving my unsolicited financial advice to single mothers

When I’m not delivering sage advice and anecdotes via this celebrated column, I’m writing about money matters as a fairly successful personal finance expert. Day in and day out I practice savvy spending and saving tactics, which I teach in earnest to those in need (or really anybody who’ll listen), and the strip club is like Sunday service for my financial sermon.

4. Female dancers don’t pressure me into buying drinks or lap dances

If the meth heads at the male strip club aren’t hustling behind-the-curtain action, they’re trying to shake you down for a drink or prescription meds – in my experience, at least. But as soon as you tell the strippers at the vagina store that you’re gay, they cozy up for a cocktail and conversation with zero expectations, a.k.a. the perfect date.

5. Gay-for-pay dancers turn me off

It’s not like I want to go home with a male stripper, but if I wanted to go home with a male stripper I’d like to know that for $100 an hour he enjoys sucking my beautiful c-ck. Anything else is just a waste of my time and money.

6. A bar full of horny straight guys is a challenge I willingly accept

I perfected the art of bedding “straight” dudes during my time in a fraternity, which makes a room full of drunken bros with boners and broken egos motherfucking amateur hour.

7. I like to root for the underdogs

All eyes are on the skinny bitches grinding the stage, but I prefer the big girls with ass and confidence to spare. I once watched this portly chick with gladiator sandals tied around her calves like twine on a holiday ham slink around the pole with the ease of a giant elf sliding down a chimney on Christmas Eve. She got extra drizzle.

8.  Nudie man bars are increasingly hard to find

Even if I wanted to go to male strip clubs more often, I couldn’t. Full-nudity male clubs are increasingly harder to find – thanks to America’s nouveau Puritans – with most states outlawing them altogether. I prefer a little mystery anyway. What’s underneath the banana hammock? My imagination usually serves me better than reality.

source https://hotspotsmagazine.com/2017/09/27/eight-reasons-this-gay-man-prefers-female-strip-clubs/

What’s Hot South Florida: Sept. 17 – Oct. 3

Thursday, September 28​

As I mentioned last week from 8:55 p.m. until 9:35 p.m. do not call me unless the world is ending as I, and most every other gay person I know, will be watching the premiere of Will & Grace on NBC. I would guess almost every single bar will be showing it on their TV’s, but the ones I know for sure are: Rosie’s (The Official NBC Universal party with a big Patio screen and on all 14 of its TV’s), Village Pub and Hunters.

The Greater Fort Lauderdale Gay & Lesbian Chamber of Commerce, presented by Northwestern Mutual, features their quarterly luncheon at Sage French Café from 11:30a.m. to 1p.m. The Chef at Sage will create a 3 course plated lunch, served with a non-alcoholic beverage. The cost for the luncheon, including tax and gratuity, is $35 for members and $40 for future members. RSVP required at Ronny@gflglcc.org.

Stonewall Gallery (2157 Wilton Drive, Wilton Manors) presents Stonewall Movie Night at 7 p.m. Tonight they are showing the movie Before Night Falls (2000), directed by Julian Schnabel, and starring Javier Bardem. This movie is an episodic look at the life of Cuban poet and novelist, Reinaldo Arenas (1943-1990), from his childhood in Oriente province to his death in New York City. He joins Castro’s rebels. By 1964, he is in Havana. He meets the wealthy Pepe, an early lover; a love-hate relationship lasts for years. Openly gay behavior is a way to spite the government. His writing and homosexuality get him into trouble: he spends two years in prison, writing letters for other inmates and smuggling out a novel. He befriends Lázaro Gomes Garriles, with whom he lives stateless and in poverty in Manhattan after leaving Cuba in the Mariel boat-lift. When asked why he writes, he replies cheerfully, “Revenge.”  Free to attend, but there is a suggested donation of $5, and there will be refreshments courtesy of Barefoot Wine & Bubbly.

Gloria Trevi vs. Alejandra Guzman in their Versus World Tour at the American Airline Arena at 8 p.m brings these 2 diva’s to perform together for the first time. Alejandra Guzmán and Gloria Trevi, individually, are two of the most legendary artists of music sung in Spanish. Throughout the years entire generations have been influenced by the two icon’s music, style, ideologies and performances. A portion of each ticket sold will be donated to the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund (MALDEF) and the National Day Laborer Organizing Network (NDLON) to benefit their Immigrant Defense Fund.  The partnership between the artists and the leading civil rights institutions comes at a crucial and divided time in the United States.

Friday, September 29

Rumors is so excited to announce that Robyn Almodovar, the Chef at Palate Party returns to Hell’s Kitchen All Stars. They will be featuring a premiere party tonight at 7 p.m. hosted by Seph Mason and Sasha Lords.

WATCH:

Saturday, September 30

Everyone is invited to the grand opening of The Tickin Ribbit: Pretty Little Things (2374 Wilton Drive) at 1 p.m. today. The store will carry distinctive treasured for the home.  For more info go to: TickinRibbit.com.

The Noche Latina Pageantry System in Association with Seph Mason Productions present a benefit for our Brothers and Sisters in Puerto Rico at Noche Latina Saturdays inside the Ivy Dance Room and Patio at the Manor Complex. The benefit will include performances by the Noche Latina Court including: Kalah Mendoza, Jose Manuel Vega, Efrain Reyes, Edward Nunez (all Puerto Rican) as well as Lady Charisse, Sasha Lords, Athena Dion, Rolly Vilaverde, Mia Patricyk, Angie Ovahness, Champagne Bordeaux and Lewis Nicholson. The benefit will also include Raffles, Silent Auctions and donation boxes. They are asking the entire Latino community to band together to raise money for this important benefit. The night also stars resident DJ Larry Larr and sexy Latin Go-Go papi’s. Saturdays at the Manor are from 11pm to 4am and feature NO COVER before midnight and only $7 with Manor card after midnight and $10 without (18-20 is $12 all night).

Sunday, October 1

Flip Flops Dockside Eatery presents its monthly T Dance, the only T dance in Fort Lauderdale on the Intracoastal. The party is from 4-7 p.m, hosted by Amanda Austin with DJ Robert Lavalle. This month’s special guests are TP Lords, Missy Meyakie Lepaige and Starlet Skye.

Tuesday, October 3

Hillary Clinton will be at the Broward Center for the Performing Arts live. Mrs. Clinton will connect with audiences with a story that’s personal, raw, detailed and surprisingly funny. She’ll take you with her on her journey and talk about what happened, what’s next, and what’s on your mind. What you’ll see will be her story – Live.  Her story of resilience, how to get back up after a loss, and how we can all look ahead. It’s about Hillary’s experience as a woman in politics – she lets loose on this topic, and others, in a way she never has before. Tickets start at $50 with VIP packages and Meet and Greet packages (including signed copies of her book) available.

LIPS presents An Evening With Victor Victoria at 7 p.m., which is their annual fundraiser benefiting Neighbors 4 Neighbors, helping those affected by Hurricane Irma. The show features the role reversal and stage debut of Dan Lindblade and Heiko Dobrikow, with special guest dames and event chairs Alyssa Lovitt, Melissa Milroy and Susan Renneisen.

This is HOT

Grammy nominated and multi-platinum singer, songwriter, Demi Lovato, announced the release of her highly anticipated sixth studio album, ‘Tell Me You Love Me,’ With a pop soulful flair, the album features collaborations with a number of notable songwriters and producers including Oak, Sean Douglas and John Hill, to Stint and DJ Mustard to name a few.

With what Entertainment Weekly calls “one of the year’s most unstoppable voices,” last month, the Island/Safehouse/Hollywood Records artist released the first single “Sorry Not Sorry” off her new album. Upon release, the single instantly flew into the Top 5 on the iTunes US charts, where it remains, and has garnered over 120 million streams globally. The hit is currently at number 11 on the Global Spotify chart, in the Top 10 for the US, and was most added at Top 40 radio upon impact.

With 9 platinum and multi-platinum singles and over 6 billion global single streams to her name, Lovato’s last album, ‘Confident‘, was released in 2015. Rolling Stone described ‘Confident’ as “the album she was born to make: a brassy, sleek, dynamic pop production that lets her powerful voice soar to new emotional highs.” Her previous album, 2013’s ‘DEMI,’ hit #1 on iTunes in over 50 countries around the world.  

Demi is one of the most influential names on social media, with an engaged combined following of over 145 million. 

‘Tell Me You Love Me’ is available globally starting Friday, September 29.

source https://hotspotsmagazine.com/2017/09/27/whats-hot-south-florida-sept-17-oct-3/

FIU Gets Art Donation

The Patricia & Phillip Frost Art Museum FIU announces a major donation by Univision Communications Inc. (UCI) of 57 artworks from its collection, featuring serigraphs, paintings and mixed media works by forty artists and masters from throughout Latin America and the United States, including: Cundo Bermudez, Coqui Calderon, Humberto Calzada, Antonia Guzman, Wifredo Lam, Rafael Soriano, Fernando De Szyszlo. The artists in this collection are from Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Guatemala, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Puerto Rico, Santo Domingo, the United States, Uruguay and Venezuela.

The museum will showcase many of the gifted works in the new exhibition Reflections of the Americas: New Acquisitions from the Collection of Univision (Sept. 23-Jan. 3, including Art Basel season). The opening reception is free and open to the public on Saturday, September 23 from 4:00-7:00 p.m. The museum is located on the campus of Florida International University, 10975 S.W. 17 Street (directions and map).

“The Frost Art Museum FIU is honored to have been chosen by Univision for this donation of Latin American art,” said Dr. Jordana Pomeroy, the museum’s director. “This collection from Univision aligns naturally with our mission to inspire and propel Miami’s evolution as a cultural destination. For the first time ever, for this year’s Art Basel season the Frost Art Museum FIU is dedicating our galleries to showcase Latin American artists with a winning trifecta of three exhibitions: Reflections of the Americas: New Acquisitions from the Collection of Univision; Rafael Soriano: The Artist as Mystic; and Continental Abstractions: Highlights from the Art Museum of the Americas.” 

“For over 60 years, Univision has been uniting the 22 nationalities that comprise the U.S. Hispanic community through their one common language, Spanish,” said Jessica Rodriguez, EVP and CMO of Univision Communications Inc. “And just as language is a reflection of its culture, nothing is a more accurate reflection of a people’s true character and personality than its art.”

“This wide-ranging collection, housed and exhibited throughout the hallways of our flagship Univision Television Network broadcast facility in Miami, has served as a constant inspiration and reflection of the rich tapestry of cultures and traditions that make up this country’s diverse Hispanic community,” adds Jessica Rodriguez. “So it is especially appropriate that as a longtime contributor to the culture of greater Miami, that Univision donates this collection of 57 celebrated works to another great hometown institution, the Patricia & Phillip Frost Art Museum FIU, so that they may inspire others for years to come.”

source https://hotspotsmagazine.com/2017/09/27/fiu-gets-art-donation/

‘Manolo: The Boy Who Made Shoes For Lizards’ Film Review

Although Project Runway is one of my favorite shows, this gay man does not know a lot about fashion. Having said that, even I knew Manolo Blahnik’s are the shoes that every woman craves. I may not have known that if it wasn’t for Carrie Bradshaw’s shoe obsession on Sex and the City. There is something about Manolo’s that makes every woman who wears them feel more beautiful.

(Photo: Manolo Blahnik. Courtesy of Music Box Films)

When I was asked to review the movie: Manolo: The Boy Who Made Shoes For Lizards, I was actually excited to view the film since I didn’t know anything about Mr. Blahnik—I wanted to see what made him tick.

This movie really is an in-depth portrait of this legendary fashion designer whose extraordinary dedication to his craft, and to giving women the best possible shoe, set a high standard among celebrities, stylists, and the fashion world.

The movie features many famous fashion and entertainment icons talking about and with Mr. Blahnik. The two quotes from the beginning of the movie that really set the tone for this behind-the-scenes look at a giant in the fashion world are:

Ana Wintour (Editor in Chief at Vogue, and creator of MET Gala): “I don’t remember when the last time I wore anyone else’s shoes.”

Isaac Mizrahi (Fashion designer extraordinaire): “Manolo Blahnik means the happiest feet in the world.”

The film is directed by longtime fashion journalist Michael Roberts, who clearly has a deep regard for Blahnik. Some of the other celebrities/fashionistas featured are Rihanna, Paloma Picasso, Iman, Naomi Campbell, Rupert Everett, Karlie Kloss, André Leon Talley, and more.

While most people call Manolo’s handcrafted footwear “Manolo’s,” Manolo himself calls them his “creatures,” which was one of the most interesting lines in the film and clearly brings into focus Mr. Blahnik’s artistry.

We also get to see the man behind the designer and the interesting relationships he has formed over his lifetime.

I don’t want to say too much about the movie, but I will say that Manolo is an incredibly fascinating person who considers himself a cobbler and still works (he will be 75 on Nov 27) not only in design, but in actually crafting his shoes (we see him carving out a heel in one scene).

Even for me, this was a very interesting and informative film to watch, and I can only imagine how incredibly wonderful it will be to watch for fashionistas!

WATCH:

In South Florida, Manolo: The Boy Who Made Shoes For Lizards is playing at Savor Cinema (503 SE Sixth St., Fort Lauderdale, FL 33301; 954-525-3456) and  O Cinema Wynwood (90 N.W. 29th St., Miami, FL 33127; 305-571-9970).

source https://hotspotsmagazine.com/2017/09/27/manolo-the-boy-who-made-shoes-for-lizards-film-review/

Broaden Your Horizons: 5 Exercises to Create Boulder Shoulders

A crucial muscle group that you should never neglect or train routinely, are the deltoids, or what some call the shoulder muscles. Well -developed deltoids resemble canon-balls, and they add broadness and dimension to your upper physique. Because of their size and difficult location, you need a variety of specialized exercises in order to develop them. Also, the stronger your deltoids are, the more protected and the less stress you will place upon those deeper rotator cuff muscles.

 

Here are five weight training exercises for deltoids. Try a combination of 3 or 4 of these moves and do them in 3- 4 sets of eight to twelve repetitions with every shoulder workout. Train shoulders on their own separate day or you can combine them with just about any other muscle group!

 

• Seated dumbbell presses are great for front and mid deltoids as well as for traps and triceps. Sit on a bench with your back straight. Grasp two dumbbells with an overhand grip and lift them to your shoulders, palms facing forward. Inhale and press your arms to an extended overhead position. Exhale as you lower them back to your shoulders.

 

• Side raises are great for the mid deltoids and they help you to achieve a broader look to the upper body. Stand with your feet slightly spread. Keep your back straight, your arms hanging at your sides. Holding a dumbbell in each hand, raise the dumbbells to shoulder height, keeping your elbows slightly bent. Return to your sides. You can also do this exercise seated on a bench with your back straight and simply raise the dumbbells to your sides as if you were standing. Doing these exercises in a seated position helps you to isolate the side deltoids better.

 

• Front raises are superlative for the front and rear deltoids. Stand with your feet slightly apart. Hold the dumbbells with your palms down (overhand grip). Resting the dumbbells on your thighs or slightly to the side, raise the dumbbells forward to shoulder height alternating each side.

 

• Bent over lateral raises are great for the overall shoulder, but especially for the rear deltoids and upper back. Stand with your feet spread apart and your knees slightly bent. Bend forward at the waist and keep your back straight. Hold the dumbbells with your elbows slightly bent. Inhale and raise the dumbbells to your sides. Exhale as you complete the movement.

 

• The upright row is another exercise for the mid and rear deltoids. Holding a weighted bar in front of you with an overhand grip, pull it to your chin while keeping your elbows above the bar. Keep the bar close to your body.  

 

Tom Bonanti is a personal trainer and massage therapist (MA#40288) with his own one on one gym and studio www.pumpnincgym.com at 1271 NE 9th Avenue, Ft. Lauderdale, Fl. 33304. Contact trainertomb@aol.com with questions or call (954) 557-1119 to set up a free fitness consultation today!

source https://hotspotsmagazine.com/2017/09/26/broaden-your-horizons-5-exercises-to-create-boulder-shoulders/

Bob Marshall Refuses to Debate Transgender Opponent

For a long time now we’ve been hearing about people terrified that they might share a public restroom with a transgender person out of fear that trans people will pee on them (that’s the fear, right? I’m pretty sure I read that on World Net Daily). Now we’ve found someone terrified to share a stage with a transgender person.

 

Bob Marshall, a member of the Virginia House of Delegates (R-13th District), is running for reelection. His challenger, Democrat Danica Roem, is hoping to unseat Marshall, thus becoming Virginia’s first openly transgender elected official.

 

Marshall, however, is basically pretending that Roem doesn’t exist. He won’t debate her at a candidate forum, he said, because he doesn’t want to get called names.

 

You see, nasty LGBTQ advocates have taken to calling him “Bigot Bob.”

 

According to the Washington Post, Marshall got this nickname “because of his sponsorship of a ‘bathroom bill’ that would have regulated transgender people’s use of restrooms in government buildings. That measure was unsuccessful. Marshall also sponsored Virginia’s constitutional amendment barring same-sex marriage — which stood until the U.S. Supreme Court declared such prohibitions unconstitutional.”

 

Well hell, if he has feet like a duck, quacks like a duck, and denies LGBTQ people their humanity, then he’s a ducking bigot.

 

But Marshall takes offense to the label. He tells the Prince Williams Times that it “is simply not correct” and chastises Roem for “hurling insults.”

 

“In the same interview,” the Times reports, “Marshall doubled down on calling Roem … “he.”

 

“Why do you call Danica a female?” Marshall asked the Times reporter. “Did Danica’s DNA change?”

 

Sick burn, bro. Like, seriously, your contempt for transgender people is sickening.

 

Then Marshall has the nerve to cry to the Washington Post about a “lack of civility.”

 

“In the last few elections, there’s been a distinct lack of civility,” Marshall said. “Prior to that, it wasn’t so bad. You weren’t automatically identified as a bigot, or a hatemonger or anything like this. That has changed.”

 

Yes, bigots being called out for their bigoted bullshit is a change. A refreshing one if you’re a member of an oppressed minority in the United States. Maybe we have learned something from the election of Donald Trump, a white supremacist, misogynist, and LGBTQ foe. But if you’re a straight white guy in America and being called “a bigot, or a hatemonger” feels oppressive to you, well, it’s literally the LEAST everyone else could do.

 

As an added bonus, the candidate forum Marshall is refusing to attend is hosted by the NAACP. I suspect that in addition to not wanting to have to treat a trans person like a human being in public, Marshall probably also has a problem with the NAACP, specifically that they’re allowed to use the term “colored people” but he, a 73-year-old white man, isn’t. Again, that’s just a guess. I suppose we’ll never know since he won’t attend the forum.

 

According to the Prince William Times, Roem and other Democrats are still planning on meeting with voters regardless. “I think it’s a damn shame that he refused to debate, but we’re going to do it anyway,” Roem said.

 

Cosmopolitan magazine calls the fact that Roem is running against Marshall “cosmic poetry,” and I have to agree. It would be a beautiful thing to see her unseat Bigot Bob.

“The message that I can succeed because of my gender, not despite it, because of who I am without being afraid of who I am is a human message,” Roem told Cosmo.

 

To learn more about Danica Roem, who is endorsed by the Human Rights Campaign, Emily’s List, and the Victory Fund, among others, and to throw a few bucks her way visit http://danicaroem.ngpvanhost.com.

source https://hotspotsmagazine.com/2017/09/26/bob-marshall-refuses-to-debate-transgender-opponent/

Is ‘Pee-Shy’ a Legitimate Condition?

Hey Woody!

I’ve got a problem I’m too embarrassed to ask anyone about. Whenever I go out, especially to the bars, I can’t seem to pee if there’s anyone next to me, even if my bladder is about to explode.  Sometimes I can do it if I go into a stall and shut the door but when you’re waiting in line and the stall is occupied, it’s not always possible. The worst is waiting in line, wondering if I’ll be able to pee when I get to the urinal. If the place has one of those troughs where everyone pees into a vat, forget it, I won’t even try.

My problem has gotten so bad I refuse to go out to the bars (or really any place where there’s going to be lots of people and long lines in the bathroom). I want to go out and party and get laid but I’m too scared of the humiliation I put myself through. Woody, what can I do? How do I get over this?

— Pee Shy

Dear Pee:

I know that was a tough letter to write. About as tough to read, if you suffer from being “pee-shy” like I do.

You and I are not alone. About 7% of the public, or 17 million people suffer from being pee shy, which is a diagnosable condition technically known as “Avoidant Paruresis.” It can severely impair people’s lives (some sufferers have literally landed in the ER where they had to be catheterized to “void” their urine).

Shrinks classify it as a type of social anxiety disorder. When fear sets in you get an adrenaline rush and your body automatically shuts down the internal sphincter muscle. It’s a protection mechanism. When you’re running for your life, the last thing you want to do is stop and urinate. With a shy bladder the fear, anxiety and adrenal response spiral until no matter how hard you try, you just can’t go.

Some shrinks have tried “disinhibiting” medicine like tranquilizers or anti-depressants but to no real success. You can always go with the gold standard in lowering inhibitions— alcohol. Basically, you drink till you’re so whacked you don’t care if the Backstreet Boys are in the bathroom with you, you’re gonna p-ss like a racehorse.

But as you know, I don’t ever offer alcohol as a problem solver. Seriously, desensitization techniques are the best way to move the waters within. It works like this: You gradually introduce the feared stimuli until they lose their power to paralyze your body.

Anyway, you do this first with visualization, then in real life. This is how I overcame it. With relaxation, distraction and visualization techniques I short-circuited the panic, allowing me a great degree of bathroom freedom. Though I have to be honest and say that my shy bladder hasn’t gone away completely.

I never sought professional help, mostly because I was too ashamed. Don’t let shame stop you like it did me. Start by going to paruresis.com. They register more than 42,000 visitors a month in their discussion site. There are all kinds of helpful links.

source https://hotspotsmagazine.com/2017/09/26/is-pee-shy-a-legitimate-condition/

Top 5: The Best Chatter on Social Media

­“I see each and every one of you. The things that make you different? Those are your superpowers. Every day when you walk out the door, put on your imaginary cape [and] go out there and conquer the world! Because the world would not be as beautiful without us in it.”

-Comedian LENA WAITHE in the Emmy acceptance speech for Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series for Master of None, the comedy-drama web television series on Netflix. Waithe, the first black female to win in that category, thanked her girlfriend and her “LGBQTIA family.”

WATCH:

 “What is proven to help our patients is to help them accept who they are. Conversion therapy starts from the assumption that you should not accept who you are…”

-TONI REIS, spokesman for Brazil’s National LGBT Alliance, after a federal judge in that country ruled that psychologists could consider homosexuality a disease.

“They want marriage because they want to destroy it. There will be no Mother’s Day, there will be no Father’s Day, there will be no Easter, there will be no Christmas.”

-Homophobic Australian tennis legend MARGARET COURT, opposing marriage equality in Australia.

“Obviously, I disagree with the dismantling of many of the important measures that President Obama put in place to create an even playing field and advocate for civil rights for Americans. But elections have consequences. I don’t think we should be surprised about the steps the [Trump] administration is taking. That’s why President Obama campaigned so hard for Secretary Clinton. And he expressed quite clearly during the campaign what was at stake here.”

-VALERIE JARRETT, former senior advisor to President Barack Obama, in an interview with LGBT journalist Karen Ocamb of the Los Angeles Blade.

“You don’t need to be superhuman and you don’t need to be perfect. Simply live the best you can, and God will take care of the rest.”

-Fort Lauderdale’s own international drag icon SHAWN PALACIOUS (aka Kitty Meow) on Facebook.

source https://hotspotsmagazine.com/2017/09/25/top-5-the-best-chatter-on-social-media-5/

OUTShine’s Prelude Party at W Fort Lauderdale

The OUTShine Film Festival presented their seasonal Prelude Party at the W Fort Lauderdale on Fort Lauderdale Beach. The party featured light bites, cold drinks, and preview of the upcoming Fort Lauderdale Film Festival. View the full gallery: OUTShine’s Prelude Party at W Fort Lauderdale

Related Gallery:
OUTShine’s ‘Battle of the Sexes’ Premiere at Gateway

source https://hotspotsmagazine.com/2017/09/25/outshines-prelude-party-at-w-fort-lauderdale/

Hunters Hosts ‘Cell Block 13’ Fashion Show

Hunters Nightclub in Wilton Manors hosted The Pride Center’s Cell Block 13’s fashion show. View the full gallery: Hunters Hosts ‘Cell Block 13’ Fashion Show

Related Galleries:
Matty’s Birthday at Matty’s Wilton Park
Georgie’s Alibi/Monkey Bar Drag Brunch

source https://hotspotsmagazine.com/2017/09/25/hunters-hosts-cell-block-13-fashion-show/

Kenny Silverman’s Customer Appreciation Party

The World AIDS Museum in Wilton Manors showcases a step-by-step chronicle of the AIDS epidemic throughout the world. They welcomed Remax’s Kenny Silverman for his customer appreciation party recognizing his clients. View the full gallery: Kenny Silverman’s Customer Appreciation Party

source https://hotspotsmagazine.com/2017/09/25/kenny-silvermans-customer-appreciation-party/

Alaska Bakes Orlando

Alaska Thunderfuck, Courtney Act and Willam Belli first hit the scene as The AAA Girls in American Apparel’s  “Support  Artists,  Support  Ethical  Manufacturing”  campaign. They later released the holiday single, “Dear Santa, Bring Me A Man”. Then this summer, they debuted their album, “Access All Areas.”  The album’s first single, “AAA Girls,” received rave reviews and climbed all the way to No. 2 on Billboard’s Comedy Album chart.

(Author: William Cooke)

This fall, the AAA Girls are hitting the road, traveling to fifteen cities to perform songs from the album along with some fierce comedy.  The tour lands in Orlando on September 25.  Tickets start at $39 but fans can purchase packages that allow them to take photos with The AAA Girls, get autographs, and even join them on-stage!

Alaska Thunderfuck explains more.

First of all, congratulations on winning All Stars 2.  That had to feel good.

It didn’t really feel that different from losing.  Only now at shows, I’m announced as “the winner of All Stars 2.”  I really did it for my mom.  She and my family had a huge celebratory night when it happened.

It was a huge accomplishment.

Getting to do what I love —  to perform, create art, and music — is really a huge accomplishment.  I’m very lucky and I’m very grateful.

How excited are you to launch The AAA Girls North America Tour?

I’m lactating.  Usually when I tour,  I’m waking up at 4am, rushing to an airport where I have to take my shoes and belt off.  On this tour, I get to wake up at 6am, board a tour bus, take my shoes off and sleep in my coffin bed like Justin Bieber.

And spend time with your favorite girls, Courtney Act and Willam.

Courtney will be steaming her vocal chords, Willam will be sucking dicks, and I’ll be watching The Golden Girls in the tour bus.

What makes The AAA Girls “Access All Areas” tour different from all the other drag tours out there?

Our tour is more than just a concert or a drag show. It will be documenting the rise and fall of a girl group, the conflicts that often arise, and the imminent demise that is inevitable whenever a group of feisty, opinionated performers get together.

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What can we expect from you on stage?

I always treat a show like a wedding.   I do something old, something new, something stolen, and something blue.

The AAA Girls recently released their debut album.

I’m very proud of “Access All Areas”.  We each got to bring a little of what we do to it.  Willam brought naughty, irreverent parodies of hit songs.  Courtney brought a fun pop vibe and I brought bizarre original songs that only make sense to a very tiny niche of the world.

Do you have a favorite on the album?

I like “When the Water Runs Clear”.  It’s sort of like Cher and Heart had a baby.

The first single, “AAA”, climbed to number two on the Billboard Comedy Album Chart.

Number 2 seems appropriate.

The music video is super fun!  

It was terrifying to shoot.  We were riding hoverboards and ribbon dancing with a drone that had sixteen propellers and was a more three feet above our heads.  I was scared and I’m glad we didn’t die.

What’s next for The AAA Girls after the tour?

We’ll break up, try out our own solo careers, and then eventually be forced to reunite for millions of dollars.

Why should all of Orlando come out to see The AAA Girls North America Tour?

Because it will be very fun and Willam may fellate you.

The AAA Girls “Access All Areas” North American tour takes place at Venue 578 (578 N Orange Ave) in Orlando on Monday, September 25 at 9pm.  Tickets are available now at https://www.aaagirls.net/aaa-girls-tour-orlando-fl.

source https://hotspotsmagazine.com/2017/09/22/alaska-bakes-orlando/

Woody’s Got Talent: Top Six Favorite Gay Jokes

Hey Woody!

What are your favorite gay jokes?

— Waiting for a chuckle

Joke #1

Why do gay men name their penises?

*Because they want to be on a first-name basis with the person who makes all their decisions.*

Joke #2

Three guys are standing over the ashes of their deceased lovers. The first guy says,”Jim, he loved the ocean! I’m going to to take his ashes out on a boat and sprinkle them all around.” The second guy said, “Bob, he loved to fly! I’m going to take his ashes up in an airplane, and sprinkle them all across the earth.”

The third guy said, “ Jeff, he loved my a–! I think I’m going to dump his ashes into a pot of chili so he can rip it apart one last time…”

Joke #3

What is the definition of safe sex in San Francisco?

*A padded headboard.*

Joke #4

This guy’s in love with his proctologist and constantly makes up excuses for an anal probe. On Valentine’s Day, the guy arrives complaining about an obstruction. The frustrated doctor, knowing he’s not going to find anything, sticks his hand up the patient’s a– anyway. “Good God!!!” the doctor exclaims. “No wonder you’re in pain — there are two dozen roses shoved up your a–!” The patient turns around excitedly and says, “Read the card! Read the card!”

Joke #5

What is the definition of “making love”?

*Something an eighteen-year-old does while you’re f–king him*

Joke #6

Three Labrador retrievers strike up a conversation at the vet. The black lab says “So why are you here?”

The yellow lab says, “I’m a p-sser. I p-ss on everything—the sofa, the drapes, the cat, the kids. The final straw was last night when I p-ssed in the middle of my owner’s bed.”

The black lab says, “So what do you think the vet will do?”

“Gonna give me Prozac,” said the yellow lab. “All the vets are prescribing it. Supposed to work for everything.”

The black lab then turns to the brown lab and says, “Why are you here?”

“I’m a digger,” said the brown lab. “I dig under fences, dig up flowers, I dig just for the hell of it. The last straw was when I dug a great big hole in my master’s couch.”

The black lab says “So what do you think they’ll do?”

“Looks like it’ll be Prozac for me too,” said the dejected lab.

The brown lab then turns to the black lab and says, “What are you in for?”

The black lab says “I’m a humper. I’ll hump anything. The cat, the pillows, the tables, whatever. The last straw was when my owner got out of the shower and bent over to dry himself. I couldn’t help myself, I hopped on his a– and pumped away.”

The brown and yellow labs exchange sad glances and say, “So Prozac for you, too, huh?”

​​​​​​​“No,” the black lab says, “I’m here to get my nails clipped.”

source https://hotspotsmagazine.com/2017/09/22/woodys-got-talent-top-six-favorite-gay-jokes/

SMART Ride 14 Postponed

Irma-A storm that packed winds of up to 180 miles approached the mainland of the United States on Saturday, September 9th and entered around Cudjoe sound in the Florida Keys. The storm was unprecedented in size and power. As a result of the storm, the Keys has had to hit the “Pause Button”. 

The pause button means SMART Ride 14 needs to be postponed. WHEN WILL we be able to ride and crew? The honest answer is “We just don’t know”, BUT we are working as quickly as possible to get answers. The goal is to reschedule the ride for the first quarter of 2018.

Decision Factors:

• Hawks Cay is closed through January 2018 at the earliest
• Most other resorts within 25 miles of Duck Key and Hawks Cay are all temporarily closed
• All agencies felt that the decision to postpone was the right decision for each of you and for respecting the Keys recovery.
• Over 10,000 FEMA workers are working, or will be working in the Keys from Key Largo to Key West with trucks and vehicles sharing the same road as us
• Storm Debris…it’s just nasty, not only does it often block our bike lanes and shoulders, it also really really stinks from all the seaweed washed ashore and in the brush. No one wants to drive in that, let alone ride a bike with that smell.
• Safety of every participant
  • We don’t yet know extend damage to the rest stops
  • We don’t yet know the extent of repair to the damaged roads
  • We don’t yet know when all the infrastructure, water and power will return
  • We do know that trees are barren, that emergency,  county and state workers are doing their best to keep up with the extensive demands

What the SMART Ride needs from you:

• It’s important to continue to ride, to continue to train and continue to raise awareness on the road by your presence.
  • It’s a healthy decision, especially right now to reduce stress,
  • It’s good for you mentally
  • It’s heart healthy (at least I think so)
  • It’s sexy with you in your riding clothes
  • It’s great practice
• It’s important to re-start your fundraising as soon as it is appropriate. The need remains great for those affected by HIV and AIDS. Our agencies are counting on you to meet not only the needs before the storm, but the unprecedented across the state need that has arisen. Remember many of the clients we all benefit have a hard time day-to-day. They all just experienced losses of food, shelter and more.WE can make their lives better
• Your friends and family are counting on you to make a difference in this world and they support your willingness to be so selfless.

For updates: https://thesmartride.org/

source https://hotspotsmagazine.com/2017/09/22/smart-ride-14-postponed/

They’re Back! Gays Hit Mainstream…Again!

“Gays hit mainstream” the headline read.

The year was 1998.

Bill Clinton was president and swore he “did not have sex with that woman”; Microsoft released Windows 98 as the most advanced computer operating program around the world; Titanic became the first film to gross over one billion dollars; the FDA approved Viagra for male erectile dysfunction; and Will & Grace debuted as a half-hour comedy on NBC in what was arguably the biggest boon for homosexual acceptance in history.

The show, of course, followed the adventures of a gay New York attorney named Will Truman (Eric McCormack) who shared an apartment with his gal-pal, straight interior designer Grace Adler (Debra Messing). They shared best friends Jack McFarland, a gay struggling actor played by Sean Hayes, and hyper horny straight rich bitch Karen Walker played by Megan Mullally.

On Monday, September 21, 1998, the quartet began what was to be an eight-year run, capturing 16 Emmy Awards along the way.

Fast forward nearly two decades and Will & Grace is back on NBC, primed to debut next Thursday, September 28 at 9 p.m. with the original actors still in place. Not much has changed over the years, including the appearance of the cast who apparently have found a magic elixir that erases any sign of aging. That Will and Grace are still living in the same apartment after all this time takes a bit of stretched imagination — particularly when you consider that when last we saw them, Grace had moved out, having married longtime boyfriend Leo (Harry Connick Jr.) with whom she had a daughter and lived in Rome. Will, on the other hand, had adopted a son with his lover Vince (Bobby Cannavale), with two dads and the boy taking over the old place.

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POLITICS

Well, forget all about that, and much of everything else that came out in the storyline of the original series finale in 2006. While the apartment has gotten a facelift, the rest of the show is thankfully unfazed by time. Will still lives with Grace. Jack still pops in without knocking. And Karen is just as rich and sassy as ever.

What has changed is the cast’s willingness to attack politics — especially the political soap opera being played out in Washington with the antics of the Trump administration. What’s going on and wrong in this country is enough for Will, Grace, Jack, and Karen to pull out the stops and start worrying about their own future in this strange mix of white supremacists and radical demonstrations that we currently call America.

Had this show returned a year ago, there would not have been as compelling a reason to watch. Of course, it will be funny. And yes, the campy one-liners coming out of Jack’s mouth will still bring the major belly laughs to the show. But up until last year, the LGBT community had been making major legal advancements, having been sprung from its place in the closet of humanity — helped along ironically by the original Will & Grace series. Speaking about the acceptance of gay marriage to Meet the Press host David Gregory, then-vice president Joe Biden said, “When things really began to change is when the social culture changes. I think Will & Grace probably did more to educate the American public than almost anybody’s ever done so far. People fear that which is different. Now they’re beginning to understand.” 

RELIGIOUS RIGHT

With the arrival of the Trump administration, however, the LGBT movement is being handed multiple set-backs as the Religious Right gains an ear in the White House and the Republican-led Congress. Homophobia is not only rearing its ugly head, it is also being openly endorsed within the tenets of free speech.

Suddenly, we find that those who champion the rights of LGBTs, as well as gays themselves, need the support of this classic comedy more than ever.

Will & Grace is back, it is relevant, and it is hilariously entertaining. But more than that, the series, which has been picked up for 26 episodes spread over two seasons, is challenged with becoming spokesmen for a cause that is being suffocated by bigots and extremists.

Expect Will & Grace to be increasingly political in tone and effective in debating the rights of all the letters in LGBT.

Gays hit mainstream—again. And not a moment too soon.

(Photos: NBC Universal)

source https://hotspotsmagazine.com/2017/09/21/theyre-back-gays-hit-mainstream-again/

Native Engager: Tori Amos Talks Gay Mentors, Gets Political

Tori Amos’ mind is one of the greatest wonders of the music world. For over three decades, via an oeuvre as unpredictable as the muses that guide her, that very mind has been a trove of lyrical salvation and a divine mélange of eccentricities, insight, imagination and, as I discovered during our illuminating exchange, even Mean Girls references.

Before last year’s political turn of events, the piano virtuoso took a summer road trip through North Carolina’s Smoky Mountains to reconnect to her familial roots, setting into motion her nature-influenced 15th studio album, Native Invader. Featuring some of her best music in years, as influenced by these divisive times and a speech-crippling stroke her mother suffered in January, the album’s emotional core is resilient and healing despite “a cluster of hostile humans who side with their warlords of hate,” as she brazenly sings, calling for us to “rehumanize.”

Amos, 54, took me to every remote corner of her meandering mind during our recent interview, name-dropping everyone from Persephone to Regina George and the two gay men who helped transform her into the Tori Amos. But there’s more: “the new invasion of the body snatchers,” exercising to rap, being postmenopausal in 2017 America, the prospect of a Vegas show with hot male dancers and also Washington D.C., the “underworld” where she launched her career, unknowingly performing for political players who would set the stage for crucial issues Amos and the entire country are now facing.

I am feeling grateful to have gone to bed the last few nights with Native Invader being the last thing I heard.

Oh, good. I’m glad it took you to dreamland.

And it’s very possible it will be taking me to dreamland for the next few years, if you know what I’m saying.

(Laughs) Well, the “Dream King” is on there too in “Mary’s Eyes,” so everybody can go to dreamland.

You talk about being a “safe place” on the album’s comforting second song, “Wings,” and since the beginning of your career, you have been that safe place for many gay men, myself included.

Well, they were a safe place for me when I was 13. Then, when I was 16 I just happened to work at a place not far from the White House, which is very core to Native Invader because I cut my teeth professionally playing in the belly of the beast in Washington, if you see what I mean. Lobbyists, people in different departments; it was the Department of the Interior, Department of Agriculture, and so on and so forth. You gotta figure that anybody in Congress might have been rolling through those doors. That’s just the establishments that I was working in when I was 16. But anyway, my point to you is… there was a point. What were we talking about?

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You were talking about safe places, and you said that as a teenager the gay community was your safe place.

Yes, there was one waiter that was a bit of a… I won’t say a bully, but he was one of those guys at the time, because you’ve gotta imagine I was 16, so what was that, 1979? So, you know, longer hair, mustache. He was always pushing me to think about all the bad things that could happen and his foil was this beautiful gay man called Joey. Joey was just the most supportive kind, and he would admonish Ray and Ray was macho. He was a macho gay guy, but probably in very protective mode.

So did Joey make you feel special?

Joey taught me how to sit. Joey taught me how to walk. Joey walked me through my crushes. And Ray would be chiding all the time and explaining why I would never get that guy. Ray made Regina George look like Julie Andrews in The Sound of Music.

What song did your gay audiences most connect with then?

They would ask me for all kinds of things. It was more about them realizing I needed training. Not with Joey and Ray. I was kind of a pro by then. But at 13, when I was in (a gay bar called) Mr. Henry’s in Georgetown, which was across town, that was sacred. That wasn’t the Congress set, although you have to figure some head of something was sneaking in there (laughs). [But the gay community] was more about, “Oh, you need to learn this song. You need to learn that.” They would say, “OK, learn these songs and come back next week,” because they were helping me fill out my repertoire. They were really pushing me on more popular songs. I had Joni Mitchell covered. I had Elton John covered. I had The Beatles covered. So, they were asking me for things that I didn’t have in my repertoire. I can’t remember now (which songs), but I do remember them giving me loads of requests for the next week and then I would go and learn them all and then they’d give me more.

And not much has changed in that regard.

(Laughs) Yes, yes. Nothing has changed!

Can you tell me about the conversations you were having with people in the LGBTQ community that led to the songs on Native Invader?

I will tell you specifically what was going on with the people that I know who are a part of the LGBTQ community, but there were messages coming through friends of friends – acquaintances and then friends – because Putin is not the only one with a back channel on planet Earth. You with me? So, that means somebody who might be a civil servant or somebody who might be working in the intelligence community or somebody who might be a part of the science community will get to somebody who will get to somebody whose mother will then get to somebody who gets to me. So that’s how it works. Does Tori understand that this is going on? Does she understand the super PACs? Does she understand that this movement has been going on since 1980 when one of the Koch brothers was running on a ticket as a vice president against Reagan and then clearly the penny dropped that one doesn’t need to be president to be one of the American oligarchs that is possibly running Washington? I didn’t come up with this myself! I’m a piano player! I mean, come on, everybody knows, I’m a conduit. (Laughs)

Going back to the messages from people in the LGBTQ community: How did those influence Native Invader?

One of the things that I was being told by somebody who is very much in that community was that (he was being) consumed by the energy that was out there – an attacking, bullying energy. And the news cycle. This person got to me personally and sat me down and said, “I’m losing friends.” I said, “To what?” This was a specific person, a gay man, and he said to me, “I’m losing them to a force. It’s terrifying because it’s zombie-like.” And it wasn’t funny. There were tears in the eyes. It wasn’t a zombie joke. You know, everybody likes a good zombie joke. (My daughter) Tash being one of them. But this wasn’t funny. And I said, “OK, this is fascinating, this is a different invasion of the body snatchers.” And there were, again, tears rolling down his face. He said, “I can’t explain it.” I said, “It’s like they’re being emotionally cannibalized – is that correct?” He said, “OK, keep going.”

How did that particular conversation work itself into the album?

It’s a thread, not a song, through the album.

Had you ever considered a more direct approach to the current political landscape you’re addressing on this album, perhaps in the same vein as “Yo George” from American Doll Posse? Why not just call this album or a song on the album “Yo Donald”?

No, because that would be weak. Let’s walk this through. The great thing about being non-reactive, postmenopausal, which cannot be possessed until you have experienced it, you absolutely cannot get this one thing; all the younger women cannot have this with all the money in the world, do you know why? Because they bleed. When you sit at the metaphorical fire, Chris, and you don’t bleed, what is it? It’s called containment. That is the state of being.

The issues are not about one name. The issues are about a movement and the master showman is a distraction. Don’t give it the energy. There are no conundrums there. You don’t need quantum physics, which I don’t know, but I like the phrase. “Alice In Quantumland” this is not. There is no mystery.

The best thing that the community can do: treat it with neutrality. Don’t give it energy. Apply your energy elsewhere and do your research, because there are things going on around us with Democracy. You have to ask yourself, little by little, what’s going on at the EPA, what’s going on at the Department of the Interior – that’s far more interesting.

You offer far more light than one might imagine from an album that’s rooted in the chaos of our current political climate. I wonder how the overall mood of the album took shape and whether you ever felt like you had to stop yourself from going too dark.

I think “Climb” is dark. “Climb” is probably the darkest place, and that is a very dark place.

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What do you think an album about this past election would’ve sounded like if Tori of Boys for Pele or From the Choirgirl Hotel wrote it?

Well, look, those albums can be played and are relevant now. Pele is relevant now because Pele is railing against the patriarchy, but Native Invader is invading concepts like freedom that have been hijacked by some of these super PACs, by these think tanks. Again, don’t get distracted by people who are mainly in the news cycle all the time. You’ve gotta understand, if for some reason they walked away and decided to just not be in that position anymore, you still have a movement to deal with. These seeds go back. (Supreme Court Justice Neil) Gorsuch’s mother was head of the EPA in the ’80s. Not that he can’t be a fair judge, not that he didn’t learn, not that he doesn’t have integrity – he might have integrity. But what we have to understand is the EPA was big corp in the ’80s. I was playing piano bar for those people as a teenager and Joey and Ray would say, “Do you know who so and so is?” And I’d say, “What? What are you talking about?” I didn’t know at the time that I was playing for some of these players that planted that seed. I was right in the middle of it all. It’s sort of like Persephone. I was living the Persephone myth. I had no idea I was in the underworld.

Switching gears to your tour in support of Native Invader, which of the rare “girls” are itching to be played this go ’round?

Yeah, that’s fair enough. I haven’t figured it out yet, and if you guys and ladies have any ideas then it’s always welcome, because I think it’s gonna be very collaborative this tour. I think it’ll be an exchange of ideas and building. Every night will be different. When I’m alone I can really do that; there’s flexibility to it. Also, I really don’t know for how much longer I can hold a one-woman show. It’s really demanding. The physicality is beyond explaining, to myself. But it gives me a flexibility. And these times – things are happening every day that I need to be able to throw out a whole show and do a whole different one, if need must.

No more one-woman shows?

I’m talking about a one-woman show. I’m not talking about not performing. I would love to have, you know, hot male dancers.

Ha! I would love for you to have hot male dancers.

Maybe that’s the Vegas show.

You’ve been known to cover some classics on tour but also some modern pop, like Rihanna’s “We Found Love.” Are there any pop songs from the last few years you think might fit the vibe of this tour?

Yeah, maybe. And maybe I need to look at some rap. It’s my niece – my niece is Kelsey (Dobyns) and any time we do a little work out she makes me do it to rap. I have no idea what any of the rap is that I’ve heard. I’ve heard all kinds of rap. She’s throwing these beats down and I don’t know what I’m listening to.

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Are you a fan of any of it?

No. I’m not a fan of rap. All the rappers know I’m not a fan, however, I can look at the rap and say, “This is well produced,” and put my producer hat on and say, “I like the flow of this, the language; I like the rhythm. Yeah, I’m into it.” But I’m a melody person. So, I appreciate the form and I respect it, but I want Freddie (Mercury). I want a melody. I want “Killer Queen.” I want “Somebody to Love.”

And as we’ve established, hot male dancers.

And hot male dancers! I’m a flaming queen, what can I say?

As editor of Q Syndicate, the international LGBT wire service, Chris Azzopardi has interviewed a multitude of superstars, including Meryl Streep, Mariah Carey and Beyoncé. Reach him via his website at chris-azzopardi.com and on Twitter (@chrisazzopardi).

 

source https://hotspotsmagazine.com/2017/09/21/native-engager-tori-amos-talks-gay-mentors-gets-political/

Free Event: Fall Festival at Riverwalk

It’s nearly time to send summer on its way and usher in the glorious fall. It’s got everything you need: cool breeze, crunchy leaves, and the occasional chill at night. Why not throw a festival in its honor?  Well guess what, Go Riverwalk is and they invite you to join them on September 23rd from 12 p.m. to 4 p.m. at Esplanade Park for their 3rd Annual Fall Festival and fall in love with fall all over again.

This FREE family-friendly event will feature carnival-themes games and contests, train rides, face painting, giveaways provided by the Florida Panthers, and more. Paint your own pumpkin while listening to live music performed by ProMusic Plus Weston. The Muse Center for the Arts will also entertain with an exciting theater performance. Vendors will be selling jewelry, clothing, artwork, etc. and carnival food like funnel cakes, cotton candy, and of course hot dogs will be available for purchase. Come see for yourself!

Well-behaved pets are welcome as long as they are on leashes. This is a rain or shine fundraising event.

Event sponsors include: The Eppy Group, Florida Hearing Matters, Go Riverwalk Magazine, the Media Lab, The Original Sign Man, ProMusic Plus Weston, Riverwalk Water Trolley, Stephens Distributing, and Sun Trolley.

Interested in promoting your business or volunteering? Contact Karly Young at (954) 468-1541, ext. 208 or karly@goriverwalk.com.

source https://hotspotsmagazine.com/2017/09/21/free-event-fall-festival-at-riverwalk/

Lips Presents Annual ‘An Evening with Victor Victoria’

Lips, the ultimate in drag dining, will host its annual “An Evening with Victor Victoria” fundraiser, featuring the role reversal and stage debut of Dan Lindblade and Heiko Dobrikow at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, October 3. This posh fundraiser, with special guest dames and event chairs Alyssa Lovitt, Melissa Milroy and Susan Renneisen, will benefit Neighbors 4 Neighbors and serve as a kick-off to its annual Adopt A Family program.

Guests have the option to enjoy a VIP champagne reception hosted by the guest dames followed by priority seating at the show and a delectable three-course dinner with two cocktails for $150 – $200. A three-course dinner and show ticket is also available for $100. Price per person includes tax and gratuity plus complimentary valet parking.

“This special night serves as a celebration of our 25th anniversary and as a memorable kick-off to our annual Adopt a Family program, which is a long-standing platform that invites the community to bring the magic of the holidays to families in need,” said Lynne Cameron, executive director at Neighbors 4 Neighbors. “We applaud Dan Lindblade and Heiko Dobrikow, as well as our event chairs, for their spirit of giving and support of our mission.”

Dan Lindblade is the President & CEO of the Greater Fort Lauderdale Chamber of Commerce. Lindblade is very active in a variety of professional associations and community organizations, which includes serving on the Board of Directors of the Greater Fort Lauderdale Alliance, Winterfest, the South Florida Restaurant and Lodging Association, as well as serving on the Orange Bowl Committee and Florida Atlantic University’s President’s Advisory Committee.

Heiko Dobrikow is the Executive Vice President of the Las Olas Company and General Manager of the Riverside Hotel. As an active member in the community, Dobrikow is a member of the Fort Lauderdale Rotary Club, a Patriot Guard Rider- South Florida, an ambassador for the Salvation Army and further volunteers as a member of the Fort Lauderdale St. Patrick’s Day Parade Committee. He has served in leadership roles as the Board Chair of the Greater Fort Lauderdale Chamber of Commerce, President of the Florida Restaurant & Lodging Association – Broward Chapter and Board Member of the Greater Fort Lauderdale Alliance.

Prior to the event, friends, family and supporters can cast a vote for their favorite guest star (Dan Lindblade and Heiko Dobrikow) at blacktie-southflorida.com. These donations and ticket sales directly benefit Neighbors 4 Neighbors, which was created in the aftermath of Hurricane Andrew by WFOR Television (then WCIX).

“Lips is honored to support the mission of Neighbors 4 Neighbors which is recognized for doing such good work in the community,” said Yvonne Lamé, Lips founder and co-owner. “Soon to be celebrating our 10th anniversary, we are grateful to be able to support a variety of worthy causes thanks to so many loyal Lips fans.”

To purchase tickets and reserve seats for “An Evening with Victor Victoria” at Lips to benefit Neighbors 4 Neighbors, please visit blacktie-southflorida.com or for more information call Neighbors 4 Neighbors at 305-597-4404.

source https://hotspotsmagazine.com/2017/09/20/lips-presents-annual-an-evening-with-victor-victoria/

Kravis Center for the Performing Arts Seeking Volunteers

In preparation for its star-packed 17/18 Season starting in October, the Raymond F. Kravis Center for the Performing Arts is seeking interested Volunteers.

“With over 400 volunteers, the Kravis Center knows that the show would not go on without the dedicated corps of people who donate their valuable time to the Center,” says Usher Coordinator Karole Cooney. “While many volunteers have been with us since opening night, we are now seeking applicants to join the ranks and become an integral part of this vibrant theater.”

There are volunteer opportunities as ushers, tour guides, and to work in hospitality, gift shop, data entry, the education department and the administrative offices.

To become an usher, applicants must complete a training course about Kravis Center operations. The course includes information about emergency evacuations, seating, show procedures and customer service skills.

The next New Volunteer Orientation will be held at the Kravis Center’s Rinker Playhouse on Tuesday, September 26, at 10 am.

Anyone interested in becoming a Volunteer is encouraged to download a printable Volunteer Application from the website, fill it out and bring it to the orientation program.  If unable to attend the orientation, please mail the application to Beth Foster, Kravis Center for the Performing Arts, 701 Okeechobee Blvd., West Palm Beach, FL  33401.

The application is available online by going to kravis.org/volunteer.

About the Raymond F. Kravis Center for the Performing Arts

The Kravis Center for is a not-for-profit performing arts center whose mission is to enhance the quality of life in Palm Beach County by presenting a diverse schedule of national and international artists and companies of the highest quality; by offering comprehensive arts education programs; by providing a Palm Beach County home in which local and regional arts organizations can showcase their work; and by providing an economic catalyst and community leadership in West Palm Beach, supporting efforts to increase travel and tourism to Palm Beach County. The Kravis Center is located at 701 Okeechobee Blvd. in West Palm Beach, FL. For more information, please call 561-832-7469 or visit the official website at kravis.org.

source https://hotspotsmagazine.com/2017/09/20/kravis-center-for-the-performing-arts-seeking-volunteers/

Celebrate Orgullo Enters 7th Successful Year

Entering their 7th year, Celebrate ORGULLO continues to showcase quality events, artists, performances & programming to Miami’s first Hispanic LGBT Pride festival. For 2017, we are honoring the life of Spain’s Music, Theatre & Movie Icon, SARA MONTIEL, through Art, Music, Dance, Photography, Film and Spoken Word.

South Florida’s first Hispanic LGBT Pride festival offers 15 days of events and over 80 artists, writers & talents, including International authors’ salons; Rhythm, Rhymes & Writing workshops; Tango lessons; Our SARA GALA; PantainFest beer celebration; OUTshine Film Festival night; 3 Artists Showcase exhibits featuring juried exhibits with 6 international artists; and our popular Artist’s Studios Bus Tours. This year we will expand the tours to 3 destinations – Pinecrest Gardens in Miami, North Miami Arts District & Oakland Park in Broward …all culminating in Little Haiti at Fountainhead Studios for a festival of food, live music, performances, 30+ artist studios & more!

The Celebrate ORGULLO Festival and Artists Showcases runs OCT. 1-15, 2017.

WATCH:

PRIDELINES | 6360 NE 4th Court, Miami, FL 33138

MARIANELA HOLLY | Colombia (Miami)

Marianela’s upbringing was amidst walls that were decorated with copies of Renaissance Period paintings. They awakened a curiosity, and she was very much intrigued by its perplexities. Nela is the result of Marianela’s search to combine traditional art with contemporary graphics. After working as an artist for over 20 years and falling in love with Pop Art, she decided to bring back those masterpieces with a modern edge. She deeply believes that art is directly associated with the visual communication.

MARCO BERIA | Venezuela (Miami)

As a visual artist, I have been ideologically influenced primarily by the Dada movement from which I have gained a subtle surrealistic vision. This is particularly apparent in my still life panel paintings, where insects, animals and body parts are depicted in a bizarre and eclectic way. These works seek to explore themes of nature and metamorphosis while utilizing repetition and movement to create an unreal or sometimes humorous effect.

COCO ALARCON | Peru

Peruvian photographer & make-up artist relocated to United States and has collaborated with magazines in Peru, Ecuador, Mexico(VOGUE traveler’s guide) and most recently the US (Palette-Miami Herald) the concept of this shoot called DEVIOUS SAINTS, a free & curious interpretation between the sacred & the mystic. It borrows ordinary elements in order to re-create the ever popular halo that which commonly pervades many religious images, from Catholic Saints to Greek Orthodox Icons.

MMM GALLERY | 114 Buena Vista Boulevard, Miami FL 33127

AQUILES AVALOS | Chile

A self-taught, emerging artist who showed innate artistic and creative skills at an early age. In spite of his fascination for the visual arts, he decided to pursue a different academic and professional path for fear of the instability that comes with being a working artist. In addition, he’s always been interested in social phenomena, leading him to pursue a degree in Sociology from Brigham Young University. After moving to South Beach in mid 2015, Aquiles began to explore artmaking for the first time using oil, charcoal, and pastels. In his paintings he combines abstract and figurative elements to express is emotions, inner struggles and own perception of reality, focusing primarily on psychological themes.

The HUB@LGBT Visitor Center | 1130 Washington Ave., Miami Beach, FL 33139

ALI MIRANDA | Miami, FL.

Greatly known for his erotic nudes, Ali’s work is often featured in both local and national publications, covering a broad spectrum in the photography field, from the commercial to the fine-art. A native of the Miami area, Ali established himself as a photo artist in South Beach during the 80’s and up to the present. He holds a degree in Fine Arts from the Academy of Arts College of San Francisco and also attended the School of Visual Arts in New York and Chicago.

Jonathan Brooks is an award winning Photographer/Visual Artist, whose work has been exhibited in Art Basel Miami, New York City, Amsterdam, France, Germany, and the United Kingdom. His SKULL Series was featured on the I Could Never Love Like That episode of the CW Network’s hugely popular award winning series The Vampire Diaries and his image Dreams is available at West Elm.

Cuban-American artist XAVIER CORTADA created art installations in the Earth’s poles to generate awareness about global climate change: In 2007, an NSF Antarctic Artist and Writers Program Fellow, the artist used the moving ice sheet beneath the South Pole as an instrument to mark time; the art piece will be completed in 150,000 years. In 2008, he planted a green flag at the North Pole to reclaim it for nature and launch a reforestation eco-art effort.  Since 2011, Xavier Cortada has based his engaged art-science practice at Florida International University. He serves as Artist-in-Residence at FIU School of Environment, Arts and Society, the FIU College of Arts, Sciences & Education, and the FIU College of Communication, Architecture + The Arts.

Brazilian Artist CARLOS CESAR ALVES is as enigmatic as a painter and he is as an individual. His artistic influences stem from European Modernism and American Abstract Field Paintings, mainly seen through the large expanses of color which cover great parts of his canvases. Among a plethora of styles, Carlos is also largely influenced by the Dada movement, as his paintings employ ready-made objects, collage, and assemblage with strong references to industrialism. As of 2016, Carlos Alves has had over 80 exhibits throughout the U.S and abroad.

Born in Havana, Cuba, LAZARO AMARAL graduated from Parsons School of Design in New York, where he soon excelled his artistry as a story board artist. One of the most famous projects he was worked on was the movie, Rock of Ages; movie musical version. Amaral presents a vibrant span. His work has been described as action panting; a continual use of potent colors, hidden images, layering and projecting motion, and life in each piece. His work has been linked to Abstract Expressionism. He utilizes 1960’s Pop icons while commenting on social issues using his unique comedic tone which he portrays through skillful prints

All proceeds from Celebrate ORGULLO benefit UNITY COALITION|COALICIÓN UNIDA – the First & Only organization for the So. Fla. Latinx|Hispanic|LGBT community – advancing Equality & Fairness – through Education, Leadership and Awareness, since 2002 – offering tools and programming, like ELEVATE- a day of being Nicer; LGBT Scholarships for the Arts, Design, Education & Cosmetology; TRANSART series – showcasing transgender art & artists; the 7th annual Celebrate ORGULLO Hispanic Pride festival.

UC|CU also produces workshops & services to empower our community, like our State of Hate workshop – bringing local, state & federal law enforcement together with our community to reduce crimes; Immigration & Legal Rights seminars; Employment Prep, Image and Resume building; Online Community Resource Center, and a rainbow of Community Partnerships, programming and alliances.

For a full Schedule of Events for Celebrate ORGULLO, please visit celebrateorgullo.com.

source https://hotspotsmagazine.com/2017/09/20/celebrate-orgullo-enters-7th-successful-year/