Posted photos of our most recent vacation to Mexico. We spent 8 days and 7 nights aboard the Carnival Splendor. We stopped in Puerto Vallarta, Mazatlan and Cabo San Lucas!

Governor Mark Sanford has been a staunch supporter of anti-gay marriage legislation such as the federal Defense of Marriage Act supporter resigns after admitting to years of adultery. Mr. Brown admitted to reporters today that he had been having an affair for at least the past year, but has known the woman for at least 8 years. He was thought to be a contender for the 2012 Presidential Election against Barack Obama. Looks like that probably won’t happen now!

It really gets me how hypocritical many of these extremely conservative bigots can be. In their eyes, God defines marriage as between a man and a woman and they often refer to homosexuals as deviants, yet their own morality is not only far from perfect, but downright dishonest.

Well as most of you probably know already, California’s highest courts upheld Proposition 8 which was passed by the voters in the election last November. Fortunately for Brian and I, we chose not to leave our fate up to a simple majority of bigots and legally married on October 30th, 2008. The State Supreme Court did uphold marriages that occurred prior to the November election. This has now created a special “class” of person and a very complicated financial position for those of us who were fortunate enough to get married.

Married in the eyes of the state, but not the federal government means extremely complicated taxes, inheritance and legal standing outside of California. It also means that, for the time being, we can enjoy certain privileges, rights and status that our fellow gay couples cannot. The fight continues…

We have a new mailing address!  Please contact one of us for details.  We got tired of paying the excessive fees at the UPS Store box I’ve had for the past 4 years.  Plus since the owner changed hands, the UPS Store owner is flakey, irresponsible and just clueless.  Definitely NOT worth the $470 / year for the box!!  So now that we’re settled into the house here, we are going to receive mail here.  Of course, if you know me, you know that I bought and installed a fortress of a mailbox to prevent people from stealing our mail (or at least making it darn difficult).  I’ll probably have packages sent to my office for my regular shipments of wine and such, otherwise, please send it here!

Happy New Year everyone!

If you ever took 5 minutes out of your life to watch something important with a clear and sound message, now’s the time.

An historic event has taken place, the overhwelming landslide election of the country’s first African-American President, President-elect Barack Obama.  It’s painful and disheartening that in the face of such an important and life changing event is coincident with the injustice and bigotry written into California’s state constitution with the passage of Proposition 8.

For those who are unaware, Proposition 8 has removed my rights as a gay man to marry Brian, a meber of the same-sex.  The proposition has passed by fewer than 500,000 votes out of over 10 million votes counted (less than 2.5% win).

A twitter user I follow (@digitalkitty) posted this “cbs is reporting that prop 8 was swung by the raise in african american voters, 70 percent of whom voted yes.”  I responded with “it’s always been disappointing to me that African American citizens don’t draw parallels to the discrimination against gays.”

An African-American twitter user (@sistory) responded directly to me

“that a big can of worms you open right there.  why must there be a comparison to the discrimination of gays and african americans”

I responded to her:

“It doesn’t have to be.  We can disucss the differences AND the similarities and perhaps understand one another better.  There are similar circumstances.  Civil unions are “seperate but equal”.  I wouldn’t presume to say gays face all the same issues.”

I read more of her posts and don’t believe that she is among those who would have voted in favor of Proposition 8; however exit polls did show that African-Americans voted 2 to 1 in favor of banning marriage for gays (Yes on 8).  Here is an interesting article from a friend I work with: Proposition 8 vs. black homophobia .  There is a great quote by the African-American author of that article where she says:

Sadly, some African-Americans believe that it is only we who should benefit from the gains achieved by the civil rights movement of the 1960s and 1970s. They fear that to allow the gay community to enter the doors of opportunity opened by our struggle, to permit gays and lesbians to share in the fruits of that movement, will diminish those benefits for the black community. Truth is, there is more than enough to go around.

@Sistory in later tweets has suggested that if gays wanted to obtain more support that they should focus on comparing the Loving laws or Interracial marriage to the current battle for same-sex marriage.  And while I agree that there certainly are merrits to that argument, the fact remains that gay rights extends well beyond the issue of marriage.  (this is where she would tell me to narrow the argument and don’t bite off more than I can chew).

More later…

A lot of my friends seem amazed and surprised that it’s not a given that same-sex couple like Brian and I should be allowed to marry.  It’s fascinating to me that so many people can be afraid of something that has little to no effect on their own lives.  I saw an ad on Youtube the other day for a religious group that supports Proposition 8.  The video showed pictures of Barack Obama and other democratic figures, then cuts to a photograph of lightning over a major city, cuts to pictures of brush fires and then flashes a message stating that “marriage is not about two people who love each other, it is about creating children.”  Huh?

Here’s a great Youtube video in support of voting “No” on Proposition 8: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MlxJJUtI7g4.

If you support Brian and I and our right to marry, please vote No on Prop 8.  Please advocate that your family and friends vote as well.  If you or anyone you know is not registered to vote, you still have until October 20th in Californai to register to vote.

Living under a rock?  Been out to sea?  Don’t know what Prop 8 is?  In short, Prop 8 is a constitutional ammendment that would ban same-sex marriage in California.  Unlike constitutional ammendments that come before the state congress and require 66%, it only requires a simple majority of the voters (50.000000001%). Every last vote counts!  The last pole by one conservative group showed that votes may be swinging to “Yes” in these final days.  Please please please donate your money, your time or your time of day to friends, families and organizations to help fight this injustice.

The Connecticut Supreme Court ruled Friday that gay and lesbian couples have the right to get married.

The ruling makes Connecticut the third state, after Massachusetts and California, to decide its constitution mandates treating citizens equally when applying for marriage licenses, regardless of their sexual orientation.

“Interpreting our state constitutional provisions in accordance with firmly established equal protection principles leads inevitably to the conclusion that gay persons are entitled to marry the otherwise qualified same sex partner of their choice,” the ruling said.

Read the full story.

Dancing with the boys at Krave on Vegas!!!

Cher may have canceled but we know how to have fun.