Leaderboard

Florida photographer Clinton Brentwood Lee sent an amazing message to a prospective client. After affirming his support for same-sex marriage, Mr Lee was sent a message by a woman who had booked him to photograph her wedding. She said: “My fiancé and and I support traditional marriage between a man and a woman and don’t want our money going to a place that supports otherwise. I would like to inquire how we can get our retainer [deposit] back from you.” Mr Lee, of Brentwood Photography, responded: “I would say this disappoints me, but I actually find this to be a good thing because our company would now not like to work with you as well. “It’s not because you have a different view from us, but it’s because, since you don’t like and support gay marriage, no one else should be able to have it. “That’s like me not liking broccoli, and demanding that everyone else in the world should not have broccoli either!” He went on: “At Brentwood Photography we see love in all forms. Now as far as your retainer goes, I hope you’ll read the first article in the contract you signed stating that this is nonrefundable. “But don’t worry I’m not going to keep it! “I have decided to donate your $1500 to GLAAD, a group created to help and support gay rights. “So let me be the first to say thank you very much for your donation and support for this great cause!” http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2015/06/28/this-photographer-had-the-best-response-to-an-anti-same-sex-marriage-client/

117 Jackpot Saturday night! I have just finished up a 3-week vacation in Rio and a “Tomcal” weekend to Porto Alegre) Club 117 Monday closed Tuesday very active Wednesday a drop off to 25% of Tuesday Thursday a drop off to 50% of Tuesday Friday about 75% to 90% of Tuesday Saturday very Active Sunday same as Wednesday Last night: (Saturday) the place was jumping, lots of new garoto, a very full house. Slow at 5pm, but by 8pm full SRO! Note: some nights for research I would arrive before 5, the club is very slow; it does not start to fill up till after 6pm, so no great need to rush here from the beach to be here early, 6pm is fine. But Iphy is right some garotos come at 4, and leave by 7 or 8 pm I like 117 a lot, the bar men all know my names after a few days, and know what I like. The garoto get to know me, and it makes for a very nice trip. 2 of the garoto speak English very well, and they also love to gossip and compare notes on the boys. It is true they talk about us, as we talk about them, but it’s interesting to hear what the boys say about each other… I was asked about one, and I said nice enough for a one time… but not again, he laughed and said he had heard he was bad, and likes to just lay there... So I said back to him… whom would you want, and he made several very good informed suggestions. My amigo works 4 nights a week, and last night he advised me that there was a new garoto in the club, and it was his first time! All this on a Saturday night. I also did a Tomcal and took some of them out to dinner after the show. I did find several old faces from several years ago still working, a few of the faces from 2 years ago still working. But lots of new faces this year, and last night several very new faces. For whatever reason, a lot are down from Sao Paulo this past week. One of the most intriguing garoto is… a cop Black belt Porn star (with 15 videos to his fame) Daddy with 2 kids. (Also said his wife knows what his night job is!) One works as a surgical nurse during the day, drives to the club, and works just Friday and Saturdays. NOTE: bring your own soap, they no longer have soap bars for you to use, must be part of the cost cutting. THE SHOWS: still as bad as ever which makes them so much fun. “Carla” was back this past Saturday night, for Fiesta June, leading a group of 5 strippers. I am so glad I came down for a 3week vacation.

Rio 3 weeks I just finished week 3 in Rio (i also did a weekend pop down to Porto Alegre) As reported by other posters, crime is up; I have yet to see this. But I have my guard up, and not walking around stupid. I am paying attention to who is around me, and walk along the curbside, and avoiding dark streets, and no midnight walks along the beach. The walk from General Osorio metro stop to my hotel at night has been fine, and I have yet to feel any danger. I have taken Iphy's advice to heart, and have no gold chains on, no watches, no cell phone, one pocket full of small bills, (mugging money). But I see everyone on the metro with their phones, and watches, and gold chains, and think if the locals have no fear, why are we being so guarded.... I find the Metro still safe, and the easiest way to get around town. Note the walk from MM, and 117 to the metro is easy to do, and the streets have a few more homeless on them. My hotel in Arpoador (the rocks between Copacabana and Ipanema) to be very safe…but I do take Iphy’s advice and not walk the rocks or shore at night. on the beach no problems, never leave your bag alone, i never saw any crime just happy people in the sun. I do like the Fazendola Restaurant at R. Jangadeiros, 14 – Ipanema, to be very nice, and a nice place to sit and watch the beach goers come and go. After reading all the warnings about coming down. I am glad I came down. It is safe enough if you are aware, and use your big head.

Good report. Thanks. Advice is basically true anywhere and any time. Best regards, RA1

While all this Marriage Equality talk is of UTMOST Importance to us as GAY Americans, Let's not Forget what's TRULY IMPORTANT............ It's soooooo Important !

"It's hard to believe that gay Americans achieved full constitutional personhood just five years after corporations did." Stephen Colbert

club 117 it was explained to me last night what the secret hand shake is... if you, when shaking someones hand take your middle finger and scratch the palm of the person you are shaking hands with... that means you are activo. So when the garoto shakes your hand they are trying to figure out which side of the coin you flip on. who knew the boys said this is more of a Rio thing than a Brazilian thing.... they had a good laugh when i asked about this...so i am happy to be in the know now... i am still not sure if they are pulling my leg. but i tested it out on 3 garoto, and they all smiled :-)

The SCOTUS just declared marriage the law of the land for all its citizens. Gay marriage is now possible in all states.

The middle finger, you say? No wonder I didn't get into that fraternity!

Great response Yes, but He'll be hearing from HER lawyer, no doubt !

Personally I prefer Shell. Best regards, RA1

Thanks for the suggestion. But the pousada in Atins, much more rustic than Barreirinhas, has two 4x4's with drivers that they hire out. I am renting a cheapo from Hertz, The 4x4's were all rented 3 months ago from them and really expensive as well. 3 days in Sao Luis and then 4 days at the Lencois Marenhenses. I have a 23 year-old from Maranhoa to share my bed and keep me company and whatever. So then we are taking a boat to Atins from Barreirinhas. Besides 2 Toyotas, They also have a couple of boats to navigate the rivers. I was expressly warned not to attempt navigating the sandy paths to arrive there. http://www.pcatins.com.br/

Inevitable, and keeps the lawyers working.......

And do buy a prepaid fare card that is rechargeable. Put 20 or 50 Reais on it.Fare is 3.70 right now. Saves much time in paying for a new fare each time you take the metro.

...gay divorce!

Thanks...exactly what I needed!

Above this post, someone already furnished some information about locating the two saunas you mentioned. Here is a little more detail that might help you find the Metro station and Clube 117: You said you were starting from Copacabana. Therefore, look for a large street called Siqueira Campos. Then find a cross street named Toneleros. On the corner of Siqueira Campos and Toneleros, is a metro station. Enter the metro station then take the train to a stop called Gloria. Be sure to check the direction of the train by looking at the stops that go to the downtown area. When the train reaches the Gloria stop, leave the train and exit the metro station via the escalator. When you are at street level, go to the end of the street which is named Candido Mendes. Then make a left turn and go less than half a block until you see a sign marked 117. You might already know, the sauna’s name is 117 and that it is also the address number. I hope this helps.

Also to know when simply to hold them in readiness.

Love the buns!

Nice discussions today on SCOTUSblog.com. From one of them: ...The other fundamental disagreement [between the majority and the dissenters] is over whether constitutional protections for liberty are entirely static or whether, instead, they evolve as human understanding and social conditions evolve. In Obergefell, as in Lawrence and Windsor, Justice Kennedy strongly reaffirmed the latter position. As he put it, “The nature of injustice is that we may not always see it in our own times. The generations that wrote and ratified the Bill of Rights and the Fourteenth Amendment did not presume to know the extent of freedom in all of its dimensions, and so they entrusted to further generations a charter protecting the right of all persons to enjoy liberty as we learn its meaning.” In one sense you can read this as a flat rejection of constitutional “originalism.” That is what has the dissenters so exercised. They want to continue to operate under the Washington v. Glucksberg principle that the Due Process Clause does not protect any form of liberty that was not already protected at the time the Constitution and the Fourteenth Amendment were ratified. They see the alternative of an evolving Constitution as anathema because it allows recognition of new forms of liberty like the right of a gay couple to live together and be treated equally. But Justice Kennedy in fact makes the claim that his view is more consistent with the actual original intent of the Framers – that they drafted our basic constitutional protections broadly so that they would be interpreted differently over time as the world, and our understanding of it, evolve. In his view, the war between originalists and advocates of the “living Constitution” misses the point: evolving protections for basic rights were the original intent. http://www.scotusblog.com/2015/06/symposium-a-fair-and-proper-application-of-the-fourteenth-amendment/#more-229703

Please take a look at my post #4 in the other marriage equality thread.

Well, I guess I'm going to have to break my iron clad rule against giving money to pols I don't know personally and ship ole Hillary a few bucks. 5 to 4? And the consevatives, each and every one, making a point of individually denouncing Kennedy's opinion from the bench? Justice Ruth, bless her feisty little heart, just doesn't have 10 more years left in her.