Global gay ski weeks

BY DARREN COOPER, GaydarTravel.com

Gay ski weeks have become a hugely successful part of the queer calendar and there are now a whole host of events to choose from that are taking place all over the globe!  It doesn’t matter if you’re a beginner or if you can carve your way gracefully down the most challenging of black runs, there’s something for all levels of skier.

So strap on thse salopettes, grab your sunglasses and sashay down the slopes safe in the knowledge that you won’t be the only one checking out more than your sexy ski instructor’s technique!

If you do fancy working up a sweat on the slopes, then why not extend your break for a few more days and discover the charms of the local scene. Skiing and a city break – perfect!

Here’s out pick of some of the best gay ski holidays around.


Arosa Gay Ski Week: 5-11 January 2008
Arosa, Switzerland, www.arosa-gayskiweek.com

Sitting at the top of the scenic Schanfigg Valley, at an altitude of 1,800 metres, Arosa’s Alpine charm makes it a favourite resort with a wealthy but unpretentious European crowd. Snow sure with mounds of Alpine charm, there are over 70kms of pistes which largely favour beginners and intermediates although there is limited more challenging skiing for more advanced skiers too!

Boarders are also more than welcome, as in most European resorts, and all runs are suitable for both styles. Events for the Arosa Gay Ski Week include a fondue night, foam party, drag queen ski race and jungle party which will all make sure that there will be no early bed times!

Skier Rating: 4
Boarder Rating: 3
Gay Rating: 3


Utah Gay and Lesbian Ski Week: 9-13 January 2008
Park City, Utah, USA, www.gayskiing.org

Less just 32 miles from Salt Lake City is Park City, which played host to some of the snowboarding events in the 2002 Olympics. The resort centre maintains a distinctly Wild West feel and it’s where most of the ski lifts leave from, although the suburbs surrounding the resort are rather less appealing. The skiing consists of tree lined intermediate runs which are fairly straightforward and also the Jupiter Bowl area which is reserved for off-piste skiing, conditions permitting. Boarders are well catered for here with excellent boarder parks, half pipes and a dedicated beginner’s area if you want to give it a whirl.

Skier Rating: 3
Boarder Rating: 4
Gay Rating: 2

Aspen Gay Ski Week: 13–20 January 2008
Aspen, Colorado, USA, www.gayskiweek.com

This is the resort that started it all and it’ll be celebrating 30 years of gay ski weeks in 2007. Aspen is one of the finest resorts in North America and you might just bump into some serious A-list celebrities who favour this beautiful Victorian town for their ski vacations. Four mountains make up the ski area, which caters for just about every ability and style of skiing and boarding possible with combined runs of over 200kms linked by a bus system.

Aspen Mountain has a vast array of different slopes for skiers but it doesn’t allow boarders, which are well catered for on other mountains. Snowmass has the largest vertical drop in the USA (1,345m) and favours intermediates as does Highlands and Buttermilk is more geared towards beginners. The excellent activities arranged during the Aspen Gay Ski Week will keep even the most hardened party monsters entertained well into the night!

Skier Rating: 4
Boarder Rating: 4
Gay Rating: 4


South Lake Tahoe's Blue Gay-La: 23-27 January 2008
Lake Tahoe, California, USA, www.ltva.org

Located on the picturesque south shore of America's largest alpine lake on the border of the California and Nevada Sierra Nevada Mountains. It doesn't get any better than Lake Tahoe when it comes to outdoor pursuits, seven spectacular resorts, record breaking snowfall and a nightlife which runs 24/7 and caters for just about every conceivable taste. There are more resorts and ski/board terrain here than in any other destination in North America with the fantastic Heavenly resort just on the doorstep. There is also an amazing array of activities for non skiers to enjoy from snowmobile rides and ice skating to boat cruises and spa treatments. Of course, you could always jsut take in some of the fantasstic entertainment laid on for this event if none of the above tickles your fancy.

Skier Rating: 5
Boarder Rating: 4
Gay Rating: 4


Gay Whistler Ski Week: 3-10 February 2008
Whistler, Canada, www.gaywhistler.com

The Whistler-Blackcomb ski area is the largest in North America and has quite rightly been voted the best ski resort in the world on several occasions. An advanced high speed lift system whisks you to the top of the mountains from the town centre, which has undergone a major face lift in the last ten years. The skiing here is excellent, for all abilities, and it’s also a boarders paradise with a huge boarder park located on Blackcomb Mountain. No wonder then that the 2010 Winter Olympics will be hosted here!

This year Whistler is promising to expand the number and range of events that it has especially for women with daily ski guiding and apres ski just for the ladies, excellent entertainment and the Saturday night L-Party. Find our more here.

Skier Rating: 5
Boarder Rating: 5
Gay Rating: 4

Vail Gay Ski Week: 5-10 February 2008
Vail, Colorado, USA, www.communityvisions.org

Vail is another North American heavyweight ski resort and boasts a huge ski area including Beaver Creak and the nearby resorts of Keystone, Breckenridge and Arapahoe Basin which are all covered on the same lift pass. The skiing largely caters for intermediates, although there is an excellent ski school and dedicated areas for boarders too. Those of you who can manage some off-piste skiing can hit the ‘Back Bowls’ area which is left un-groomed. The resort is also one of the most expensive in the States, although with the weak dollar 2008 could be the perfect time to try out some ski exclusivity. Situated high in the Rockies, at 2,400 metres, be prepared to be a little out of breath too!

Skier Rating: 4
Boarder Rating: 4
Gay Rating: 2

Lake Tahoe WinterFest: 2-9 March 2008
Lake Tahoe, California, www.laketahoewinterfest.com

Lake Tahoe is part of the Heavenly Ski Area, which sits on the California/Nevada border and offers great skiing for all abilities, fantastic views and an excellent snow record thanks to the locations and snow making equipment. The resort has excellent beginner’s slopes, fantastic intermediate runs and challenging off-piste areas as well as dedicated parks and half pipes for boarders.

Nightlife here reflects the glitzy atmosphere of Nevada where gambling is legal and there is an air of Las Vegas about the town with big hotel casinos on the Nevada side of the border. This all contributes to the glitzy atmosphere of the town which also has excellent accommodation and restaurants although little charm.

Skier Rating: 4
Boarder Rating: 4
Gay Rating: 5


Mammoth Gay Ski Week: 12-16 March 2008
Mammoth, California, USA, Website: www.mammothgayski.com

Located to the south of the Yosemite National Park, Mammoth Mountain rises to over 3,300 metres and receives over 32 feet of fresh snow each winter, making it one of the most snow sure resorts in North America! With over 3,500 acres of terrain ranging from gentle nursery slopes to seriously challenging off-piste with well maintained parks and pipes there is a huge amount to offer skiers and boarders of all abilities. Critics of the resort say that the resort is fragmented, although recent upgrades to the infrastructure have helped to solve this problem. Also, the transfer times from San Francisco are in excess of 3 ½ hours which is fairly lengthy.

Skier Rating: 4
Boarder Rating: 4
Gay Rating: 3


Alternative Gay Ski Week: 22-29 March 2008
Val Thorens, France, www.alternative-holidays.com

Europe's largest ski area, the Trois Vallees in France, plays host to the Alternative holidays European Gay Ski Week in Les Menuires. 600kms of pistes and exclusive use of the fantastic Kata Hotel all promise to make this year's event an even bigger success than the last, if that is at all possible. Not only is this area the largest skiable domain in the world it also boasts a near perfect snow record and some of the highest altitude skiing available. An excellent lift system, which links the resorts of Les Meniures to Meribel and chic Courchevel, means that there are slopes which cater for every conceivable type of skier with a varied terrain that is well organised by the lift system. Plus, there’s an excellent snow park for boarders too.

Skier Rating: 5
Boarder Rating: 4
Gay Rating: 4

Happy Gay Ski Week: 29 March-5 April 2008
Tignes, France, www.happygayholidays.com

Tignes is served by the large, well linked ski area called L'Espace Killy. Tignes shares the L'Espace Killy with Val d'Isere and with over 300km (190 miles) of pistes with 150 shops, 115 bars, 7 ski schools, 1,500 staff and extensive off-piste skiing. No wonder it has become one of Europe's premier resorts! Due to its altitude Tignes has a very reliable snow record which, after recent seasons of reduced snowfall, has encouraged people to choose higher mountain resorts. According to The Good Ski And Snowboarding Guide 2005 Tignes/Val d'Isere is one of only two ski areas in France listed as  'snow-sure resorts'. Tignes boasts a fast and efficient lift system 97 lifts including 2 high speed underground trains (funicular railways) and a glacier. All standards from beginners to expert are catered for with '5 free lifts for beginners'.

Skier Rating: 5
Boarder Rating: 5
Gay Rating: 3

Gay Ski Week New Zealand:  tba (but 1-9 September 2007)
Queenstown, New Zealand, www.gayskiweeknz.com

If you love skiing and want some action all year round then there are two gay ski weeks which take place in the Southern Hemisphere’s winter. Queenstown, known as the extreme sports capital of the world, is the base for the Southern Hemisphere’s largest gay and lesbian ski week, which celebrates its sixth year in September 2008. Three resorts lie within and hours drive of Queensland, which lies in the centre of the countries Alpine region and although they lack the infrastructure of European or North American resorts there is a huge and varied terrain on which to ski.

Skier Rating: 3
Boarder Rating: 3
Gay Rating: 2

whiteOUT: 24-27 July 2008
Mount Buller, Australia, www.whiteout.org.au 

Three hours drive from Melbourne is Australia’s very own alpine resort which hosts Australia’s gay ski event, whiteOUT, that's now in its ninth year! Rising to an altitude of 1,805 metres above sea level, the resort embodies some of Victoria's most spectacular alpine and sub-alpine terrain. It offers 180ha of ski trails as well as wide, open space above the tree line. The longest ski trail is 2.5km with an average snowfall of 1.5m. There are 25 ski lifts, capable of moving 40,000 people every hour.

There is a large and vibrant gay scene in the beautiful Victorian city of Melbourne which is Australia’s most ‘European’ city. Renowned for its cultural events and café society this is a delightful city for any gay traveller.

Skier Rating: 3
Boarder Rating: 3
Gay Rating: 3

Find out all the latest gay travel information by ordering the brand new 2008 Spartacus International Gay Guide. Get it online and save some money to put towards the other Bruno Gmunder guides - Hotel and Restaurant Guide and Sauna Guide.

'Hills' Stud Spencer Pratt Offered Role in Gay Porn

By Dylan Vox, GayWired.com

If you watch MTV’s silly reality show The Hills, then you are sure to recognize sexy hunk d’ jour Spencer Pratt, left, who is engaged to Laguna Beach alum Heidi Montag. This week the pretty boy was offered a role in the next film produced by gay adult film mogul Michael Lucas, who says the stud was simply made for gay porn.

The Hills is a low rent reality fare that chronicles the life of Lauren Conrad and her pals as they work their way through the Hollywood circuit. Montag began living with Conrad in 2006 and struggled with her relationship with long-term boyfriend Jordon eventually breaking off the relationship for Pratt.

The couple became engaged at the end of season three, but no plans about the wedding have been set.

This week, in gossip rag InTouch Weekly, Michael Lucas explained that he knew “how to show viewers the parts of Spencer Pratt they most want to see, “and offered him a role in a new film."

"He was born to be in a gay-porn blockbuster," Lucas told InTouch. "Lucas Entertainment would do anything to be able to center our next major all-male production on Spencer Pratt." In the magazine Pratt politely declined saying, "I think I will have to turn down this offer.”

It doesn’t seem like such a far stretch for the blonde stunner who recently shot a cameo for Kevin Federline’s new video "Lose Control", but the world may have to wait a little longer to see Pratt’s best assets.

Wife can't see husband as a cold-blooded killer

BY CASEY WOODS, cwoods@miamiherald.com

As Kirby Archer sits in jail charged with murdering four Miami Beach charter boat crew members, his wife slowly tries to rebuild the pieces of her life that were shattered when he disappeared almost a year ago.

Michaele Archer has left the home she once shared with her husband in the small Arkansas town of Strawberry, moving an hour north to a white three-bedroom house in hills that seem perpetually covered in a soft mist. Archer's things -- the Army uniform, his dog tags, his collection of white tiger statues -- are carefully packed in a metal trunk. Pictures of their merged family -- including his two boys and her two sons and daughter -- line the wood-paneled walls.

''This is definitely something I never thought I'd be in the middle of,'' Michaele, 30, said. 'You think `That won't ever happen to my family,' and then it does.''

Archer, 36, and Hialeah resident Guillermo Zarabozo, 20, have been charged with the September murders of the four crew members of the 47-foot Joe Cool -- boat captain Jake Branam, 27; his wife, Kelley Branam, 30; Branam's half-brother Scott Gamble, 35; and first mate Samuel Kairy, 27, all of Miami Beach.

Prosecutors say the two men chartered the boat for $4,000 for a trip to Bimini. In fact, they meant to use the Joe Cool to flee to Cuba, authorities say.

Michaele has not seen her husband since January, when Archer fled after his shift as an assistant manager at an Arkansas Wal-Mart.

He was later charged with stealing $92,000 from the store.

At the time of his disappearance, he was under investigation for alleged sexual abuse of several boys in Missouri and Arkansas.

Found on a raft at sea with Zarabozo by the Coast Guard on Sept. 24, Archer has called his mother several times from Miami federal detention center, but he has not called Michaele.

She was saving money to visit him, though in Archer's first letter to her two months ago -- his first contact with his wife since his disappearance -- he indicated he didn't want anyone to come visit until his trial.

''I don't think he wants us to see him that way,'' said Michaele, who has postponed her travel plans. ``He said he was planning on coming home in October but ran into a detour from hell.''

Archer's troubles have wrecked the family that Michaele had waited for years to build with him.

When she talks of that life, she sometimes cries and clenches her laced hands. ''When all that happened, I was devastated forever, it seemed like,'' she said. ``I kind of slipped backwards again since he got caught.''

LIFE AS A FUGITIVE

In his eight months as a fugitive, Archer lived in Hialeah with an unsuspecting Cuban family he befriended a dozen years ago while stationed at the Guantánamo Bay Naval base.

In the details of his life with them, Michaele sees echoes of the life she lost.

When she hears he regularly cooked for the Hialeah family, she remembers the Italian dishes he loved to make for her.

When she learns he told the family he was working as a private investigator and he regularly put on a suit and tie to head to ''work,'' Michaele sees him heading out the door to Wal-Mart. ''That's totally Kirby, always wearing dress clothes,'' she said. ``He was probably the best-dressed man at Wal-Mart.''

Hearing he slept in a baby's room, surrounded by Winnie-the-Pooh stuffed animals, makes her wonder.

''I want to know if it made him think about his kids and what he's left behind,'' she said.

Michaele and Archer met in Tucson, Ariz., when she was a 15-year-old high school student and Archer was a 21-year-old Arizona National Guard reservist.

Archer worked at the same nursing home as Michaele's mother, Nancy Braun, and Archer spent hours at Michaele's house with the family's group of friends. They listened to country music, went to Kenny Rogers concerts and drove Archer's silver Ford Festiva to the Taco Bell to hang out.

Because of the difference in ages, Braun disapproved of Archer. In 1993, she sent police officers to his house because Michaele was there past the 10 p.m. curfew for minors.

Archer was arrested on charges of contributing to the delinquency of a minor and was sentenced to six months probation, public records show.

''She was just too young, and I told her if he really loved her, he'd wait until she was older,'' Braun said. ``He ended up waiting fifteen years for her.''

When he left Arizona, the pair lost touch for several years. He joined the Army and moved abroad. They each had children, and both married and survived bitter divorces.

`IT WAS FATE'

''I think it was fate that brought us together again,'' Michaele said.

Staying together has not been easy.

Archer was ordered to move out of their house last January when the child abuse allegations emerged, a turn of events that left him depressed and withdrawn.

''As the level person and father he was, and after us being friends for so many years, I can say I don't see him doing that to any kid,'' she said.

The picture that federal prosecutors now paint of a cold-blooded killer is even farther from the thoughtful husband she knows, Michaele says.

''He was great, always cooking dinner and making sure the house was clean if I had to work late,'' she said. ``He really did his half of the work in the family.''

Archer's only vices were sodas and nicotine, Michaele said. ''All he did was smoke his cigarettes and drink his Dr. Peppers,'' she said. ``That's all he needed in life other than family.''

Michaele still has Archer's last text message on her phone, one he sent the night he fled Arkansas. ''I really messed up,'' it reads. ``Remember I love you!''

Despite all his troubles, Michaele -- who once hoped to have children with Archer -- believes a future with her husband is still possible.

''It would be a long process, because there's a lot of trust issues that need to be resolved,'' she said.

Christian Post: Pro-Gay Romney Upsets Family Values Leader

BY Michelle Vu, The Christian Post

WASHINGTON – A prominent pro-family leader is urging fellow conservatives to withdraw their support for Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney over his recent expressed support for a “sexual orientation” non-discrimination law.

Romney during an interview with NBC’s “Meet the Press” said he supports the contentious Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA), which adds “sexual orientation” to a list of federally protected classes that prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, sex or national origin.

The bill upsets conservative leaders because it grants special protection to employees based on their “actual or perceived” sexual orientation. Moreover, it would force Christian organizations that oppose homosexuality to hire gay employees.

“Mitt Romney’s Christmas present to the homosexual lobby disqualifies him as a pro-family leader,” said Peter LaBarbera, longtime pro-family advocate and founder of the Republicans For Family Values website.

“Laws that treat homosexuality as a civil rights are being used to promote homosexual ‘marriage,’ same-sex adoption and pro-homosexuality indoctrination of schoolchildren,” he said. “These same laws pose a direct threat to the freedom of faith-minded citizens and organizations to act on their religious belief that homosexual behavior is wrong.”

The former Massachusetts governor responded on “Meet the Press” that ENDA “makes sense” at the state level. But LaBarbera warns that if Romney “openly” promotes homosexual agenda at the state level then he cannot be trusted at the federal level.

He pointed out that the state’s “sexual orientation” nondiscrimination law laid the groundwork for Massachusetts legalizing gay “marriage” – the first in the country to do so.

Moreover, the ENDA-like law forced Boston’s Catholic Charities to shut down its century-old adoption agency because it refused to place children in gay households against Catholic teaching.

“Given Romney’s extensive pro-homosexual record and willingness now to depart from principle on this crucial issue, should we trust a ‘President Romney’ not to reverse course again on federal pro-homosexual laws such as ‘Hate Crimes’ and ENDA?” LaBarbera posed.

In addition to the homosexuality agenda, pro-family leaders have also had reservations on Romney’s commitment to the abortion issue, which he only recently said he was against.

Well-known conservative leaders who have endorsed Romney include Paul Weyrich of the Free Congress Foundation; Lou Sheldon of the Traditional Values Coalition; Jay Sekulow of the American Center for Law & Justice; and Mark DeMoss of the PR agency DeMoss Pond.

“Now some pro-family leaders – who have raised millions of dollars over the years opposing ‘gay’ activism – will need to explain how they can go on supporting an openly pro-homosexual-agenda candidate,” LaBarbera said.

The federal ENDA bill is opposed by Christian heavyweights such as Tony Perkins of Family Research Council, Dr. Richard Land of the Southern Baptist Convention’s Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission, Dr. James Dobson of Focus on the Family, Bishop Harry R. Jackson, Jr. of High Impact Leadership Coalition, Alan Sears of Alliance Defense Fund, the Rev. Rick Scarborough of Vision America, and Colin A. Hanna of Let Freedom Ring.

President George W. Bush has also indicated he intends to veto the bill if it makes it to his desk.

Victory Fund's most-clicked-on stories of 2007

From The Victory Fund:

Readers of the Gay & Lesbian Leadership SmartBrief have voted with their clicks. Here is the list of the top 10 most-clicked-on stories of 2007.

• Will controversial study reveal why people are gay? (Aug. 14)
• Who made Out magazine's list of most powerful? (April 6)
• Samuel David Cheney born; far right wing cries (May 25)
• Senator pleads guilty to disorderly conduct, but denies he's gay (Aug. 28)
• Scientists: Males more likely to be born gay than females (April 13)
• Signorile: Merv Griffin's life shows how closet harms community (Aug. 14)
• In today's Hollywood, Jodie Foster free to be out (Dec. 14)
• High school, college athletes coming out to teammates (July 31)
• Are gay neighborhoods obsolete? (Oct. 30)
• First NBA player comes out (Feb. 9)

Uruguay's President grants legal rights for gay couples

From PinkNews.co.uk:

Uruguay has become the first Latin American country to to recognise same-sex civil unions after President Tabare Vazquez, left, signed the law that had been passed earlier this month.

The law grants cohabiting couples who have lived together for more than five years the same rights as straight married couples.

The text states that "two people -- of any sex, identity, orientation or sexual option -- who maintain an emotional relationship sexual in nature, that is exclusive, stable and permanent, without being united in matrimony."

The country of 3.6m people is the first nation in South America to grant such protections, although some cities and regions throughout the continent have made similar legal provisions.

In March the senior Roman Catholic clergy in the form of the Episcopal Conference of Uruguay (CEP) echoed bishops in Europe by attacking the validity of gay relationships. "In no way can homosexual cohabitation be accepted because it does not meet the basic criteria defining marriage, it is therefore unacceptable to place it in suchlike equal level," a statement from CEP said.

The main opposition party in Uruguay, Partido National, tried to remove gay and lesbian couples from the new bill during a March debate in the Chamber of Deputies but was unsuccessful.

Same-sex marriage will remain illegal in Uruguay, something LGBT rights groups say they will continue to fight.

Because of the marriage ban judges have been unsure how to rule in a number of cases involving same-sex couples, particularly in areas of adoption, pensions and inheritance.

Senator Margarita Percovich, the author of the legislation, said the bill would give couples entering civil unions the same rights as marriage.

Under the legislation couples would have be together for at least five years and sign a registry. The couples will receive heath benefits, inheritance, parenting and pension rights.

In neighbouring Brazil, the border state of Rio Grande do Sul passed civil union legislation in 2004, two years after the city of Buenos Aires, Argentina, passed a similar law.

The decision to legally recognise gay couples in Uruguay makes the country the first in South America to have a national civil union law.

Major Gay Paper Endorses Clinton -- Despite Big Reservations

From Editor & Publisher:

Chicago -- Hillary Clinton deserves the support of gay voters, despite the presidential record of her husband and her own refusal to support gay marriage, a major gay weekly says.

In the current issue of the Washington Blade, editor Kevin Naff argues that Hillary Clinton's mastery of policy detail, Washington experience, and campaign tenacity makes her a far better presidential candidate than Barack Obama or any of her Democratic rivals.

"Her chief rival, Obama, has disappointed in the debates, appearing to lack confidence and talking mostly in generalities," the Blade said. "George W. Bush has certainly lowered the bar when it comes to expecting experience in our presidential candidates, but Obama was an Illinois state senator just three years ago. ... Electing a president with virtually zero experience on the world stage would be a mistake."

As for the Republicans running for president, they have all aligned themselves with "evangelical Christian extremists," and "appear increasingly out of touch -- from Mike Huckabee's shockingly ignorant remarks about 'isolating' AIDS patients to Rudy Giuliani's suddenly nuanced positions on gay rights....

"Gay Americans cannot afford another four years of a Republican administration in the White House," the Blade said. "Attacking gays and opposing even the most benign forms of incremental rights advances is now part of the GOP playbook, no matter the nominee."

The Blade said gay voters are "right to feel reluctant" about Hillary Clinton's candidacy -- in large part because of the record of the Bill Clinton administration. Gay voters were "crushed," the paper said, by Bill Clinton's endorsement of the "don't ask, don't tell" policy on gays in the military, and the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA), which excludes federal benefits of marriage to same-sex couples.

"After courting the gay vote back then, Bill Clinton embraced a disastrous policy that has led to the expulsion of 12,000 service members at a time when the military needs all the help it can get," the Blade said. "The U.S. military is kicking out brave, competent service members, including dozens of desperately needed Arabic-speaking linguists, solely because they are gay. The military's gay ban amounts to un-American overt discrimination -- a fact apparent to any rational, fair-minded person."

Hillary Clinton and other Democrats, however, are "evolving quickly" on gay issues, the paper said. It supports Clinton over Obama principally on his lack of experience on the political and world stage.

Clinton's proven ability to win in more conservative areas such as upstate New York shows that "in the end, Hillary Rodham Clinton stands the best chance of sending the Republicans into eight years of a well-deserved political wilderness," the Blade said.

Street festival saluting Ricky Martin

Associated Press

A decades-old street festival in San Juan's colonial district will dedicate its 2008 celebration to Ricky Martin.

Martin's international singing career and charitable work for children will be saluted at the San Sebastian Street Festival, which kicks off Jan. 17, organizers announced Thursday.

The popular festival, now in its 38th year, is a raucous four-day celebration that attracts thousands to the cobblestone streets of Old San Juan.

Martin, 36, said in a statement that he is thrilled to receive the honor.

The ex-Menudo member has long been one of Puerto Rico's top-selling artists. His hits include "Livin' la Vida Loca" and "She Bangs."

Martin created the nonprofit Ricky Martin Foundation to advocate for children's rights. He has also spoken out against human trafficking, especially the trafficking of children.

Coral Gaybles January social Wednesday at JJ's American Diner

From Coral Gaybles (click photo to enlarge):

Year in Review from Palm Beach County Human Rights Council

From Palm Beach County Human Rights Council:

December 2007

Palm Beach County Commissioners amend both the County's Equal Employment Ordinance and the County's Fair Housing Ordinance to prohibit discrimination in employment, housing and public accommodations based on gender identity or expression.

Florida Attorney General Bill McCollum's office advises the Palm Beach County Human Rights Council that his office's policies have been revised to "provide enough latitude" to allow employees to use sick leave to care for domestic partners.

November 2007

Palm Beach Gardens revises its Equal Employment Opportunity and Harassment and Discrimination policies to prohibit discrimination based on sexual orientation and familial status.

Palm Beach Gardens initiates basic domestic partner benefits (personal leave, acute illness leave, bereavement leave, and access to an Employee Assistance Program) for city employees.

October 2007

The Health Care District of Palm Beach County votes to offer health insurance to its employees' domestic partners.

State Senator Ted Deutch (D-Boca Raton) and State Representative Kelly Skidmore (D-Boca Raton) reintroduce legislation to amend the Florida Civil Rights Act and Florida's Fair Housing Act to prohibit discrimination based on sexual orientation. If enacted into law, Representative Skidmore's bill would also prohibit discrimination based on gender identity or expression.

At the request of the Palm Beach County Human Rights Council, Florida Chief Financial Officer Alex Sink updates Florida Department of Financial Services policies to allow employees to use sick leave to care for domestic partners.

September 2007

The Palm Beach County Bar Association becomes the first county bar association in Florida to adopt a policy prohibiting discrimination in employment and membership on the basis of sexual orientation, gender identity and gender expression.

August 2007

The School District of Palm Beach County reduces health insurance premiums for employees with domestic partners so that the premiums will be the same as for married employees.

The Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office expands domestic partner benefits to include sick leave, bereavement leave and an employee assistance plan.

The Palm Beach County Sheriff's nondiscrimination policy is updated to include sexual orientation and familial status.

The Village of Royal Palm Beach amends its Equal Employment Opportunity/Americans with Disabilities Act Policy and its Anti-Harassment and Anti-Discrimination Policy to prohibit discrimination based on sexual orientation.

The Fifteenth Judicial Circuit agrees to include transgender issues in its diversity training for judges and court personnel.

The Palm Beach County Bar Association agrees to include reference to Palm Beach County's historic gay rights laws in the permanent exhibit And Justice for All at the County's 1916 Historic Courtroom.

July 2007

Lake Worth amends the city's Civil Rights Act to prohibit discrimination based on gender identity and gender expression.

June 2007

The Clerk and Comptroller revises her office policies so that the same continuation of health care coverage will be provided to her employees' domestic partners and their children as is provided to married employees' families under COBRA.

May 2007

Tequesta amends four Village policies (the Diversity and Workplace Equity Policy, the Equal Employment Opportunity Policy, the Hiring Process Policy and the Illegal Discrimination and Retaliation Policy) to protect Village employees from discrimination and harassment based on sexual orientation, gender identity and expression.

April 2007

West Palm Beach amends the City's Equal Opportunity Ordinance to prohibit discrimination based on gender identity and expression. The ordinance covers employment, housing and public accommodations.

The Supervisor of Elections revises his office's policy manual, reinstating (a) the full range of domestic partner benefits and (b) the prohibition against discrimination and harassment based on gender identity and expression. These had been in effect during his predecessor's administration.

March 2007

90% of PBCHRC's endorsed candidates win in municipal elections.

Jupiter revises nondiscrimination policies to include sexual orientation.

Jupiter offers the full range of domestic partner benefits to municipal employees.

February 2007

State Senator Ted Deutch (D-Boca Raton) and State Representative Kelly Skidmore (D-Boca Raton) introduce legislation to amend the Florida Civil Rights and Florida's Fair Housing Act to prohibit
discrimination based on sexual orientation.

State Representative Shelley Vana (D-West Palm Beach) introduces legislation to amend the Florida Educational Equity Act to prohibit discrimination based on sexual orientation in the public schools.

Hypoluxo revises nondiscrimination policies to include sexual orientation.

West Palm Beach redefines "immediate family" to include city employees' domestic partners' children and parents.

January 2007

Palm Beach County Solid Waste Authority revises nondiscrimination policies to include sexual orientation.

December 2006

School District of Palm Beach County unblocks student access to the PBCHRC, Lambda Legal, and Gay Lesbian Straight Education Network (GLSEN) web sites.

November 2006

87.5% of the candidates endorsed by PBCHRC are elected or re-elected.

October 2006

Tax Collector implements the full range of domestic partner benefits for his employees.

School District of Palm Beach County expands domestic partner health insurance to cover all 21,000 employees - but still at a significantly higher premiums than for married employees.

Palm Beach County reduces health insurance premiums for county employees with domestic partners so that the premiums will be the same as for married employees.

Palm Beach County revises its policies so that the same continuation of health care coverage will be provided to county employees' domestic partners and their children as is provided to married employees' families under COBRA.

September 2006

Delray Beach City Commission begins to implement the full range of domestic partner benefits for City employees.

Office of the Clerk and Comptroller expands domestic partner policy to include sick leave and bereavement leave.

August 2006

West Palm Beach revises its policies so that the same continuation of health care coverage will be provided to her employees' domestic partners and their children as is provided to married employees' families under COBRA.

West Palm Beach amends a municipal policy to allow city employees to use family medical leave to care for their domestic partners.

July 2006

Delray Beach revises nondiscrimination policies to include sexual orientation.

Tax Collector revises nondiscrimination policies to include sexual orientation.

June 2006

Florida Atlantic University trustees adopts Anti-Discrimination and Anti-Harassment Regulation covering all classes protected by law, which includes sexual orientation.

May 2006

School District adopts Commercial Nondiscrimination Policy which requires its vendors to specifically state in writing that they do not discriminate on the basis of sexual orientation.

January 2006

Palm Beach County establishes a countywide Domestic Partnership Registry and grant specific rights to GLBT couples throughout the County.