Reception to celebrate artist Xavier Cortada's Reclamation Project

For details, click photo to enlarge:

Fort Lauderdale company to launch "Safe Sex Passport"

News release:

I.D. Card System to Revolutionize Adult Sexual Behaviors

SSP BioAnalytics Inc. (SSPB) announced today it will launch the world's first integrated STD/HIV Health Status I.D. Card System, the Safe Sex Passport (SSP) on December 1st, in conjunction with World Aids Day. Designed to help prevent the spread of Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STDs) by providing individuals and their partners with an added layer of information 'protection,' the company will begin offering SSP Cards and Online Health Certificates for use on dating and social networking websites at SafeSexPassport.com.

The Safe Sex Passport is part of a confidential and digitally secure I.D. card system that enables the cardholder to share their current STD test results with a partner prior to any intimate activities. Test results are accessed from an Interactive Voice Response system by using the SSP Card serial number and user defined security code. The SSP system typically costs $300 for six months ($274 for renewals), which includes the SSP Card, unlimited Online Health Certificates and STD/HIV testing through a nationwide network of laboratories. SSP cardholders will be retested every six months as recommended by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

The CDC estimates that 15.3 million new cases of STDs (excluding HIV) occur every year in the U.S. "Most people don't know that 1 in 5 adults in the U.S. have an STD. With close to 90 million singles out there, a large percentage of them will be affected by STDs at some point in their life," says Gonzalo Paternoster, SSP BioAnalytics founder and President. "I was compelled to develop an 'outside the box' approach to prevent the spread of STDs and HIV," adds Paternoster. "The Safe Sex Passport is designed to meet the needs of today's adult population by providing a new level of dating confidence, disclosure and personal health protection, both in person and online."

About SSP BioAnalytics Inc.
SSPB is a medical information technology company that is an outgrowth of the continuing and urgent need to provide a solution for the increased incidence of sexually transmitted diseases throughout the world.

Grenada considering ban on gay cruises, reports say

BY JOHN GODDARD, The [Toronto] Star

Grenada is questioning whether to allow entry to ship passengers on all-gay cruises, news reports from the Caribbean island say.

"We have not taken a policy as to whether the ships should land in Grenada or not," Tourism Minister Clarice Modeste-Curwen recently told the Grenada Advocate.

"As a government, our policy is that we do not support it (homosexuality)," the minister also told the Grenada Broadcasting Network. "But are we going to put a barrier that says in any port of entry that if somebody is gay they should be debarred from coming to this country ...? This is my question. What does the Grenadian community want of us?"

The minister did not return calls , and nobody at the prime minister's office, Grenada's embassy in Ottawa or its consulate in Toronto would speak to the issue.

Gay cruises have run into problems in the Caribbean before, said Helen Kennedy, head of the Toronto-based gay rights group Egale.

"In 1998, the Cayman Islands turned away a gay cruise," Kennedy said. "Then in 2000, the Cayman Islands were forced to implement a non-discriminatory policy because they are a British territory."

Protesters met gay cruises in the Bahamas in 2004 and in St. Vincent last year, she said.

Big Head DC releases e-mails purportedly from gay escort tied to Lott

From Big Head DC, who has released e-mails purportedly from gay escort Benjamin Nicholas, perhaps involved with Mississippi Sen. Trent Lott: (The photo caption is Big Head DC's by the way.)

  Big Head DC has watched with surprise as Benjamin Nicholas, the male escort who sent several e-mail messages to Big Head DC yesterday alluding to some sort of a relationship with Sen. Trent Lott, only to soon claim to publications including the Huffington Post that his quotes in our item had been “fabricated.”

Nicholas also put up a post on his own blog at about 5:30 p.m. ET yesterday that said we had made up the piece. He quickly removed that item, for whatever reason, but later in the evening added the following post, with an altered time stamp, under the banner, “Gossip”:

It looks like a Washington DC-based blog called BigHeadDC is making claim that there was (or, is) a working relationship between myself and Senator Trent Lott. There are falsely pieced-together quotes that serve no purpose other than to sensationalize a completely fabricated scoop.

I will continue to offer a great sense of confidentiality to the people I see. I have not, nor have I ever seen or had contact with Senator Trent Lott. It’s as simple as that. It never happened

That Nicholas refers to his professionalism in this post is exceptionally telling. He has many high-profile clients, and many of them may be fearful of being outed as well, having learned the Lott news, which was widely disseminated after Big Head DC’s initial post yesterday.

Still, Nicholas has not been professional in the way he has handled the subsequent coverage of what he told us. Which is why we have decided to share his unaltered correspondence with us at the conclusion of this post.

The decision to release these e-mails did not come easy. As we originally told the Huffington Post’s Max Follmer when he requested comment for his piece, we were hesitant to provide Nicholas’ e-mails to another outlet: “It could make future Big Head DC sources hesitant to share information via e-mail, some of which contains off-the-record information in this case, if they know we are later going to share such information with other outlets,” we told him via e-mail. “Again, we stand by the quotes and our item 100 percent.”

Follmer then partially used that information to attempt to discredit Big Head DC, accusing us of “sloppy sleuthing.” His main argument on that point centers on a piece written by John Cook of Radar magazine who insists that our recent revelation about Sam Donaldson’s number appearing in the records of the alleged “DC Madam” Deborah Jeane Palfrey is somehow untrue. As with the Nicholas story, we stand by that story 100 percent. Radar may have desperately wanted us to publish the story with their outlet, but Big Head DC was under no obligation to do so.

We also find it curious that Follmer so readily believed Nicholas’ later assertion that the Lott story was fabricated, since Follmer told us via e-mail that his contacts in Los Angeles “in the escort biz say he [Nicholas] has a history of lying.”

Now, without further ado, the e-mails:

MESSAGE ONE:

from Rob Capriccioso
to escort@benjaminnicholas.com,
date Nov 26, 2007 2:08 PM
subject From Big Head DC
mailed-by gmail.com

Hi Benjamin,

I’m an editor with Big Head DC in Washington. A commenter on the site recently said that you and Sen. Trent Lott happened to be vacationing together at the same place on a couple of separate occasions. Could you clarify whether you know Sen. Lott in any way?

I appreciate your help.

All the best,

Rob

–
Rob Capriccioso | Publisher & Founding Editor | Big Head DC

MESSAGE ONE RESPONSE:

from Benjamin Nicholas
reply-to Benjamin Nicholas ,
to Rob Capriccioso ,
date Nov 26, 2007 2:18 PM
subject Re: From Big Head DC
mailed-by benjaminnicholas.com

No comment
—–
http://www.BenjaminNicholas.com
http://www.15MinutesMore.com

MESSAGE TWO:

from Rob Capriccioso
to Benjamin Nicholas ,
date Nov 26, 2007 2:21 PM
subject Re: From Big Head DC
mailed-by gmail.com

Totally off the record, can you explain why you have no comment?

Rob

MESSAGE TWO RESPONSE:

from Benjamin Nicholas
reply-to Benjamin Nicholas ,
to Rob Capriccioso ,
date Nov 26, 2007 2:23 PM
subject Re: From Big Head DC
mailed-by benjaminnicholas.com

I’m a blogger as well, so I’m well aware that nothing in this world is ever truly ‘off-record.’

Trent is going through his fair share of scrutiny right now and I don’t want to add to it. All I can say at this point is no comment. It’s the professional thing for me to do.

MESSAGE THREE:

from Rob Capriccioso
to Benjamin Nicholas ,
date Nov 26, 2007 2:29 PM
subject Re: From Big Head DC
mailed-by gmail.com

I definitely understand what you’re saying about commenting into the blogosphere, Benjamin, and have had it happen to me before. I’m just trying to establish whether you personally know Sen. Lott. A couple of people tipping Big Head DC suggested I contact you, so I thought I’d take a shot. I’m definitely not asking whether you were ever in a relationship with him. Have you been contacted by others about knowing him?

Rob

MESSAGE THREE RESPONSE:

from Benjamin Nicholas
reply-to Benjamin Nicholas ,
to Rob Capriccioso ,
date Nov 26, 2007 2:37 PM
subject Re: From Big Head DC
mailed-by benjaminnicholas.com

Yes. I was contacted by Gawker this morning ([Nick] Denton is a friend of mine). He’s hot to get an exclusive interview about the possible relationship between the two of us, but I politely declined. As I said before, Lott has quite a bit on his plate right now and I don’t really want to add fuel to the embers.

BN
—–
http://www.BenjaminNicholas.com
http://www.15MinutesMore.com

MESSAGE FOUR:

from Rob Capriccioso
to Benjamin Nicholas ,
date Nov 26, 2007 2:42 PM
subject Re: From Big Head DC
mailed-by gmail.com

How did anyone get it in their heads that you even knew Lott?

NO RESPONSE FROM NICHOLAS

Hours later, after we did much more investigating and our piece ultimately went live, Nicholas sent a final message:

from Benjamin Nicholas
reply-to Benjamin Nicholas ,
to Rob Capriccioso ,
date Nov 26, 2007 5:32 PM
subject Re: From Big Head DC
mailed-by benjaminnicholas.com

Off-the-record, eh?  Sheesh.

Here’s my public comment, on-the-record: Sen. Lott and I have no current affiliation with one another. I’m sure he would appreciate no further scrutiny.

There’s no story here Rob.

BN
—–
http://www.BenjaminNicholas.com
http://www.15MinutesMore.com

END OF E-MAILS

It is of course Nicholas’ way of framing his answers in these e-mails, i.e. “no current affiliation with Lott,” referring to the senator as Trent, etc. that has helped lead many today to question why Nicholas has decided to backtrack. Perhaps he had promised an exclusive to another publication, and accidentally dropped the ball? Perhaps some of his current clients became frightened, so he decided to try to make the story go away? Or perhaps he has felt some other sorts of pressure. We do not know at this point. But, rest assured, we are working to find out.

Gay bishop taking message to Nova Southeastern

BY ANI MARTINEZ, armartinez@miamiherald.com

Four years after the appointment of the first openly gay Episcopal bishop, tensions continue to mount within the Episcopal Church.

While some Episcopal dioceses are discussing breaking away from the church, the controversial bishop is traveling around the world to spread a peaceful and inclusive message.

His next stop -- South Florida, where a number of Episcopal leaders have shown their support of Bishop Gene Robinson.

Robinson, of New Hampshire, will speak at Nova Southeastern University Tuesday. Robinson's visit at NSU will conclude the law school's 2007 Goodwin Symposium on sexuality, morality and the law. He will focus on how morality affects gay and lesbian legal rights.

''He's not only a bishop who struggled in the church, he's a person with an internal struggle,'' said Anthony Niedwiecki, professor of current constitutional issues at NSU, who organized the event. ``One of the things he will talk about is how a church can actually reconcile with gay, lesbian and bisexual issues.''

The decision to consecrate Robinson as the ninth bishop of New Hampshire created havoc within the Episcopal dioceses of Fort Worth, Texas; Pittsburgh; and San Joaquin, Calif.

Bishop Jack Leo Iker, of Fort Worth, has spearheaded the crusade against Robinson. At the annual Diocesan Convention earlier this month, several amendments were passed to break away from the church and join another Episcopalian province.

The diocese is scheduled to hear the final reading of constitutional changes Dec. 2.

''We disapprove of him being divorced, of him living with someone he is not married to and of him having a relationship with another man,'' said Suzanne Gill, a spokeswoman for the Episcopal diocese in Fort Worth. ``We expect the constitution to change so we can address the problem.''

''We know that not everybody agreed with the step to break away,'' Gill added. ``We have some folks that feel that they want to stay in the Episcopal church. We respect that.''

Most dioceses want to find the gray area in this issue by continuing the conversation.

''They are asking the dioceses not to consecrate more gay bishops and not to accept gay unions. They are also asking the church to suppress gays,'' said Bishop Leo Frade, of the Episcopal Diocese of Southeast Florida. ``They are threatening to break away, but the majority of the Episcopalian population doesn't believe this could be decided right now.''

''Some of the Bishops saying they will leave are my friends so I don't want them to leave,'' Frade added. ``We want to continue talking about it.''

The literal translation of rejecting the gay community in scripture is threatening the church's unity, Frade said. The world Anglican Communion, represented in the United States by the Episcopal Church, is asking Episcopalian leaders to abandon its support of gays.

But the leaders are standing by their original decision.

''There was a time in the church when the church believed in slaves and believed that women were not created equal,'' Frade said. ``The struggle of the church has always been about people who are literalists. We must be able to reason.''

Robinson declined to be interviewed.

The South Florida Episcopalian community has supported the gay bishop.

''We aren't going anywhere,'' said Rev. Wilifred Allen-Faiella, the rector at St. Stephen's Episcopal Church in Coconut Grove. ``We are part of the Episcopal church and we support Bishop Robinson.''

Allen-Faiella said they are accepting of Robinson because ``there is room for everyone at the table.''

''I'm personally very sorry that churches would choose to leave,'' she said. ``No parishes or churches in the Episcopal Diocese of Southeast Florida, which includes Monroe, Dade, Broward and Palm Beach counties, want to break away from the church. Not one.''

Gay escort denies "working relationship" with Trent Lott

Bloggers are having a field day with speculation that Republican Sen. Trent Lott is resigning to avoid fallout from a gay-escort scandal. Among the blogs: Big Head DC.

Escort Benjamin Nicholas denies that he ever had a "working relationship" with the anti-gay senator from Mississippi.

From Nicholas' own website:

And I thought having my family in for Thanksgiving was wild...

It looks like a Washington DC-based blog called BigHeadDC is making claim that there was (or, is) a working relationship between myself and Senator Trent Lott. There are falsely pieced-together quotes that serve no purpose other than to sensationalize a completely fabricated scoop.

I will continue to offer a great sense of confidentiality to the people I see. I have not, nor have I ever seen or had contact with Senator Trent Lott. It's as simple as that. It never happened.



Benjamin Nicholas

Video: Florida family of murdered gay man makes PSA

From Queerty:

Lynn and Pat Mulder are becoming quite the celebrities.

The Floridian couple first made headlines last week when they implored the GOP presidential candidates to address pro-gay hate crime laws. The Mulder’s son, Ryan Skipper, found himself on the receiving end of some homophobic madmen last spring. As the family explains in this PSA, two no good hooligans unleashed their anti-gay fury on Ryan, whose throat they slashed and body they battered.

The Ledger provides more details on the family’s crusade:

Skipper was found stabbed to death on the side of a Wahneta road March 15. The Polk County Sheriff’s Office has called his slaying a hate crime after a witness told them the men charged in his killing did it because Skipper was gay.

Since then, the Mulders have taken part in two gay pride parades, in St. Petersburg in June and Orlando in October, and are members of Lakeland’s chapter of Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays.

They recently taped a public service announcement in support of the Matthew Shepard Act for Equality Florida, a gay-rights group. Pat Mulder, 52, has written a research paper on the lack of medical services and rights for homosexual partners, who cannot marry or adopt children in Florida. Rainbow-colored rubber bracelets inscribed with “Remember Ryan” adorn her left wrist. She always wears two “so when someone asks about it, I can give them one.”

Pat Mulder also says that pro-gay activism has “helped her cope,” according to The Ledger. As sad as we are about Skipper’s death, we’re glad to know that his murder spawned such good work and, more importantly, national attention.

Jodie Foster to present Trevor Project Founders Award

News release:

The Trevor Project (Trevor), the non-profit organization that operates the nation's only around-the-clock suicide prevention helpline for gay and questioning youth, today announced that two-time Academy Award(R)-winning actress Jodie Foster will present The Trevor Founders Award at the organization's annual Cracked Xmas event. Ms. Foster will present the award to two of the organization's founders, director Peggy Rajski and screenwriter James Lecesne. The award will be presented in recognition of the tenth anniversary of the first Cracked Xmas benefit and in memory of the organization's third founder, producer Randy Stone, who passed away unexpectedly in February of this year. The presentation will take place at Cracked Xmas 10, to be held on December 2, 2007 at the Wiltern Theatre in Los Angeles.

Ms. Foster's support of the organization is both extensive and longstanding. In 1994, she was the first major donor to provide support for the production of the short film Trevor. In June 2007, in support of the organization and to honor her close friend Mr. Stone's memory and spirit, Ms. Foster kicked off a new $1,000,000 call center fundraising campaign with a major gift, the largest in the organization's history. And, in addition to presenting The Trevor Founders Award, she appears in a short film that is a tribute to Mr. Stone, which will be shown at the event as part of her presentation.

"I am extremely pleased to have the opportunity to present the first Trevor Founders Award to Peggy and James in memory of my dearest friend, Randy," said Ms. Foster. "Their inspired decision to establish this vital organization and their ongoing commitment to saving young lives are indeed worthy of recognition. The very fact that, after ten years, Trevor continues to pursue its mission so successfully is a testament not only to the founders' initial vision, but also to the importance of the organization's efforts to help desperate young people realize that their lives have value."

Trevor tells the story of a teenager who attempts suicide after realizing that he might be gay. The film received numerous awards, including the 1994 Academy Award(R) for Best Short Film (Live Action). The Trevor Project was founded by Ms. Rajski, Mr. Lecesne and Mr. Stone in 1998 immediately preceding the first nationally televised airing of the film. When HBO(R) decided to televise Trevor, the filmmakers recognized that some of the program's teenaged viewers might be facing the same kind of crisis faced by the film's lead character and began to search for the telephone number of an appropriate support line to broadcast during the airing. Discovering that no such resource existed, they decided to dedicate themselves to forming The Trevor Project to aid in suicide prevention among of gay and questioning youth. The organization immediately opened The Trevor Helpline (Helpline), which became the first and only nationwide around-the-clock suicide prevention helpline for that group.

"We are deeply honored to receive The Trevor Founders Award, and know Randy shares it with us in spirit," said Ms. Rajski and Mr. Lecesne, founders, The Trevor Project. "It's extraordinarily gratifying to know that the small non-profit we set up has grown into an organization that now saves lives every day, through its Helpline, its website and the educational materials it sends to schools across the country. We look forward to the next decade during which Trevor will further expand its outreach in order to meet the growing demand for its critical work."

The Helpline is a free and confidential service that annually helps thousands of youth who are in crisis and also assists family members, educators and friends seeking information on how to help someone in crisis. Trained counselors, who offer hope and listen without judgment, answer the calls twenty-four hours a day throughout the year. The Helpline is maintained by the East Coast and West Coast-based Randy Stone Call Centers and is also supported by the San Francisco Suicide Prevention Center.

In 1998, The Trevor Project held its first annual Cracked Xmas fundraising gala in order to keep the newly created Trevor Helpline open and available to gay and questioning youth. Now an annual event, Cracked Xmas brings together top entertainers to help raise financial resources necessary to fund the organization's services. At this year's event, in addition to Ms. Foster's presentation of The Trevor Founders Award, the organization will present The Trevor Life Award to Emmy Award(R)-winning comedian and talk show host Ellen DeGeneres and The Trevor Hope Award to Clear Channel Radio Los Angeles.

About The Trevor Project

The Trevor Project is a non-profit organization that operates the only nationwide, around-the-clock suicide prevention helpline for gay and questioning youth. The Trevor Helpline, 866.4.U.TREVOR, is a free and confidential service that offers hope through its trained counselors. In addition to the helpline, the organization's website provides information on identifying and assisting potentially suicidal youth and "Dear Trevor", a confidential resource where youth can ask questions about sexual orientation and identity issues. The Trevor Project also provides lifesaving guidance and vital resources to educators and parents. The organization was founded by three filmmakers whose film, Trevor, about a teenager who attempts suicide after realizing that he might be gay, received the 1994 Academy Award(R) for Best Short Film (Live Action).

For more information about The Trevor Project or to make a donation, please visit http://www.TheTrevorProject.org. The Trevor Project is a 501 (c)(3) organization.

From White Dreams producer Hilton Wolman: 'Thank You For Your Support!!'

From Hilton Wolman Events:

I wanted to take this opportunity to thank the thousand of people who braved last night's foul weather and came out in force and made "White Dreams" the huge success that it was. Despite several torrential downpours a record crowd attended and judging by the reports I've had, they loved the new venue. We've already begun planning the next major event at Karu&Y as part of Winter Festival 2008 and obviously I'd like to hear any constructive criticsm that you believe will help make the next party there even more succesful.

I personally want to thank Manny Lehman and Abel for the fabulous music, Visual XS for transforming the room and garden, and Kyle, Drew and Tony for the lasers and lights. The management and staff of Karu&Y welcomed our community to their property and made us feel respected and safe - thanks in no small part to the the assitance of the MedEvent team.

Finally I want to thank Care Resources for putting the past behind us and focusing on working with the local clubs and party producers to ensure that this years White Party Week would be the great success we all hoped it would be. After a few hours of rest I'm about to head out the door to Vizcaya, followed by the opening of Stereo later tonight, where I'll be doing my next event on 12/29 as part of the Miami New Years Eve 2008 festivities.

For those of you that were unable to attend, below are just a few pictures that I took. Look out for many more online in EdgeMiami.com, GreatPartyPics.com as well as in all the local publications including 411 and Express Gay News.

Thanks again and see you on the dancelfloor and at Muscle Beach,

Hilton

Pets can get insurance at Palm Beach Community College, partners can't

By KIMBERLY MILLER, Palm Beach Post

The pets of Palm Beach Community College employees will qualify for discounted group medical insurance beginning in January, but domestic partners are still barred from receiving similar benefits.

School officials sent a memo last week explaining the new voluntary pet benefit available via payroll deduction through the private company Veterinary Pet Insurance.Full-time college employees can receive a 5 percent discount on services because of the college's enrollment in the program, which covers dogs and cats, but also hedgehogs, frogs, guinea pigs, geckos, iguanas and sugar gliders - small flying mammals native to Australia.

In August, PBCC trustees voted down a proposal to allow the domestic partners of full-time employees to receive insurance benefits. The plan wouldn't have cost the school anything because it pays employee premiums only, not those of dependents.

The college buys insurance through a state consortium, which allows each school to decide whether to offer domestic partner benefits.

Rand Hoch, president of the Palm Beach County Human Rights Council, said it is wrong for the college to put the medical needs of pets above those of the human loved ones of employees.

"The fact of the matter is puppies are covered, partners are not," said Hoch, who sent a letter to PBCC President Dennis Gallon requesting the domestic partner plan be put before trustees again in January. "It's the same benefit; neither costs the college a penny."

The pet insurance benefit did not require trustee approval.

Grace Truman, PBCC spokesman, said the pet insurance is not part of the employee benefits package, and she draws a distinction between the group discount through VPI Pet Insurance and human health insurance.

She said the pet insurance is the same as other group discount items available to college employees such as 12 percent off Dell computers, 15 percent off on bouquets from 1-800-FLOWERS, Com and a $40 membership to Sam's Wholesale Club.

"There's really no comparison," Truman said about the pet insurance and domestic partner insurance. "We get discount offers from companies from time to time and we pass them onto employees without our endorsements."

Truman said she expects the domestic partner benefit plan to come up in the next year or two as college benefit packages are reviewed.

A tie vote of the trustee board killed the proposal in August. The board typically has five members, but had a vacancy at the time of the vote.

Truman said trustees weren't concerned about costs to the college, but potential long-term increases for employees because of additional enrollees in the group plan.

Also, both Gallon and Ellen Grace, PBCC's director of human relations, are advocates of domestic partner benefits. Gallon made the recommendation to add the insurance plan in time for an October open enrollment period.

The United Faculty of Florida supports domestic partner benefits, and several state universities and colleges offer them.

Broward Community College, Miami Dade College, Florida Keys Community College and Hillsborough Community College offer domestic partner benefits.

Private universities including the University of Miami, Nova Southeastern University in Davie and Lynn University in Boca Raton also have plans.

Just two of the state's public universities, the University of Florida and Florida International University, provide domestic partner benefits.

In 2004, Home Depot added an insurance plan for domestic partners after facing criticism from a national gay rights group about its already established pet insurance benefit.

Hoch hopes Palm Beach Community College takes a similar route.

"A PBCC announcement that employees could insure their pets being made a mere 90 days after the PBCC announcement that employees could not insure their domestic partners is an affront to employees with domestic partners," Hoch said. "Hopefully, the college's trustees will act promptly to address this absurd inequity."