First Final Thought on Pride

Probably not final final, but you get the idea...

You know it's a WIN weekend when an angry mother emails you saying: "Are you aware there's a picture of you kissing my son on his page?"

Fabulous.

A few things also:

• At the Serpent last night, the bartender came over the intercom announcing that we were being locked in due to some bad shit happening on Hamilton Avenue. Rumors were flying. Best I can tell, sorting through, there was a fight (truth), cops were arresting people (truth), possibly arresting anyone on the street for about thirty minutes (half-truth), maybe a window got broken (rumor -- couldn't find the broken window), all the bars were advising people to stay inside (possible half-truth), and telling people that they COULDN'T leave made them want to leave anymore ("well, they can't tell me what to do!" -- queens! truth). Again, I cannot find any details other than what I experienced, but rumors were flying faster that queers to the barstools.
• Check out the pictures from Metromix -- are you on there?
• Apparently there's a "Cincinnati gay relationships examiner" over at Examiner.com (a lot of new bloggers over there!). He gives the whole experience a thumbs up; I do, too, but you know I've got something coming about my take. I had an interesting debrief this morning about the whole Pride thing; as we were talking, my first thought was, "I need to blog this!" But I'm tired.
• Oh, and I'm hungover. I'm going to bed. Kisses!

How was YOUR pride? Did you squeal?

Oh! And my flickr stream is up and running! WHOOHOO! Click on the image below to check out 76 of the better pictures I had!


And don't forget my Facebook pictures and the Twitpics from yesterday!

Rainbow Cincinnati post!

Aren't you excited? There's a brand new post over at Rainbow Cincinnati from me! I know I'm excited!

Here's your preview:

Let me tell you about David.

...at least, I think his name is David. It's either that or Daniel, or Denny, or some other name that begins with a D.

...or it's Brad.

Regardless, we'll call him David.

I met David one night at the Serpent. Like any good time at the Serpent, we made out and probably engaged in a little more fondling than is appropriate for a public place. I don't remember if we did anything that could be interpreted as sex, per se, but I know it was enough that the southern belle in me curled her toes a little bit and said, "Mama won't like this."
(click here for the rest of it)

Make sure you check out the rest of my columns over there, and don't forget to peruse the rest of the excellent material on the website!

OTRTweetUp

Our ladies (Kate the Great, RedKatBlonde, Julie, and Amy) with George from Metronation!

Many thanks to Kate the Great and AmyInOhio and the hundres of others who posted (and reposted and reposted...) the information about the #OTRTweetUp last night... It was a blast!!! Went to Lavomatic with everyone  afterwards for some food -- first time there! It wasn't bad...

Oh, ended up at the triple thread of homosexuality -- BronZ, Bullie's, and Serpent -- afterwards. I'm going to say this: I think I'm through with drunken college boys. 

I didn't say I was, I just think  I am. In short, shoulda gone with the ladies to the Fashion Show at Twist. 

PS If you added me on Twitter, I have probably added you on my blogroll. Just check it out! :-)

CINCY GAY SCENE: Rumors abounding...

I didn't have my camera for this weekend, but a quick snapshot: crazy drunk in Columbus with KH on Friday night, including hanging out with a really really hot underwear model... Union Cafe was my bar when it was here in town, I now have a small circle of "favorites" there that includes Union.

Woof's, btw, SUCKED. Hated it. Lot of bears just hanging out staring at each other. We were after hot muscle leather daddies. None there to report of.

After a trip to the impound lot, came back to Cincy and went out with kids. That was fun. Bronz, Bullfishes, Adonis.

The Bronz show sucked, I'm sorry to say, even though the Black Mondays were in it. It was sad. Bullfishes was awesome as we gear up for Kristy and Vivica to host the first drag show there since it opened on August 15th (check out the Facebook invite here) And Adonis... well, I kinda love Adonis though it cost me and Tim $20 to get in... grrr...

But the big news of the night...

It's true. The Serpent, for now, has banned sexual activity in the bar. Rumor has it that there has been a bit of a crack down in the city on this kind of thing -- thanks, Simon Leis -- and Anthony has banned any hanky panky in his bar. It makes me kind of sad, but is anyone surprised? I mean, jesus, the crowd of men around pool table was almost obscenely in you face at times. Not that I haven't been found there sometimes, I just can't believe it's been going on as long as it has. (I mean, I was tied to a cross and bullwhipped at 19 there...). They've also started carding at the bar.

So something has happened, and John from BronZ made this comment: The lights were on and people were actually playing pool!

LOL. I know, I'm shocked too.

CINCY GAY SCENE: Follow-Up on Previous Blog

1) Serpent, per a good friend, "has always been for sale," at the $1m price mark. So, in effect, it's not officially for sale. My house, too, would be for sale if someone offered me five times the amount it was worth.

2) Rumors of a new gay club opening? I can't seem to track this rumor anywhere.

3) Oh, goodness, the owner of Below Zero actually read the blog and responded. I have still yet to go, so I am retracting original statements regarding the crowd or the bar -- apparently, I am not speaking as much into the darkness as I thought (the more than triple traffic I have enjoyed since I last blogged is an indicator, too) -- and I will, in fact, make it my goal to visit Below Zero before gay pride and give it a fairer review.

4) Also, kuddos to Joe Penno on becoming the new president of the Gay and Lesbian Community Center -- darling, if you read this, I'm hearing rave reviews about you from all over town. Very, very impressive. And this whole schtick of trying to rebuilding relationships with agencies -- BEAUTIFUL! I think a reinvigorated gay pride committee meeting (I've heard) should be indicative of people's desire to invest time and effort. Maybe I'll even stop on by one day, to pay my respects, of course.

(Side note --> Community Center's board also expanded quite a bit. Well done. It was getting monotonous with only four or five people on it. The entire crew, truly, was always dedicated, but, after a few years, fresh blood needs to be brought in. Yes, Ms. Chanak, I even consider you "fresh," though I feel that it'll be the first time in years anyone has. :-) Much love)

5) Looking for some gossip on OUTReels, btw. If you have any...

6) Golden Lions, also, is not shutting down "at least not in the next year," per the bar owner. Again, I think, it seems that, like the Serpent, it's probably always "for sale," but it's a wonderful little hub there in Clifton. Would be sad to lose it. Although, as I pointed out to Shante Marcelle the other night -- the building itself is falling apart. And that's why we love it, right?

CINCY GAY SCENE: Bar Closings

It's sad to say...

The Ohio Smoking Ban may have claimed its first victim. My dear, dear, favorite lesbian bar in the world, Bullfishes, is, indeed, closed. Donna was a dear friend and used to be my landlord. It is sad to see it go. What makes it even worse was the suddenness of it. No one knew it was happening, she let it go peacefully without a goodbye party.

I spent many Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday nights there. Rarely there on Fridays or Saturdays, but I will give it up for that fabulous Pink Dress Show back in February that raised $750 for Breast Cancer charities.

*sigh* It's sad to see you go, Bullfishes.

Also, per the QCityNews blog (http://qcitynews.blogspot.com/2007/11/northside-gay-and-lesbian-bars-for-sale.html), it appears another one of my favorite hangouts is for sale, the Serpent. Listing price at a million dollars. Now, I've had an AWFULLY good time at the Serpent, and I really hope it will be around at LEAST for their fabulous New Year's Eve clothing optional party, but I don't think (nor does QCity) that it is work $1m, even with the rentable space upstairs. The $200,000 price sounds reasonable, but Anthony and Ford have put years and years and years of their life into that business, I'm sure there is a huge personal attachment to it. I'm almost afraid that, should the business change hands, the cops will raid the place like crazy and close down what every one goes on at Serpent for good... which, btw, would ultimately destroy the business and destroy the Northside gay scene.

Where does that leave BronZ? Or, Club BronZ (I really do need to clean up my "labels")? Well, reported to my ear from one of the best bartenders in town -- a slight uptick in business. Of course, I'm sure much of that is due to the fabulously sociable attitude Brad and John have put out there, along with the fantastic work of DJ Waves in the production of the multiple karaoke nights. It doesn't hurt, also, that it's one of the few bars in town where you can sit at a bar and have a cigarette, there on the back patio. (The owner of Little Bit Bar was scathing in her attack of their patio, as it is really kind of enclosed, but open still. Please, let us just have one place to smoke and drink. You non-smokers have enough places in town.)

See, everyone is driving across the river. I have been in Rosie's and Yadda a few times, but they have been jumping since the smoking ban occurred over here. It really annoys me that the rest of the state, and the locals, can be so callous towards local business. After all, what Cincinnati really needs, is another reason not to hang out in it.

Has anyone wondered how long this Dock/Adonis thing can go one? Rumors are flying as to which one will go first. My money, actually, is on Adonis. I think they would have been long gone had it not been for Penny Tration and her amazing abilities as the most fabulous queen in town. Of course, I would not have put money on Bella Dolce, but she seems to be holding her own. I always liked her personally, I would have never thought she could handle that big of a venue, but she's proven herself quite well on a microphone.

And finally, Below Zero? Seriously. I don't understand the crowd. Do we need two uppity gay bars in town? Universal Grille is bad enough; I've not even been to Below Zero and I already hate it. :-) But I'll go soon, Nigel, and give you a fairer review, I promise.

CINCY GAY SCENE: Out in the City

Thanks Darren.

I am good friends with "Darren M.," well good bar-friends. He and I always seem to have the most bizarre conversations at the local bars that we frequent, whether it be BronZ or the Serpent or Bullfishes (RIP) or... have we seen each other at On Broadway? Whatever. He writes a great column for the local gay rag, QCityNews (http://www.qcitynews.com/), and I love him for it. Secretly, I'm friends with him so that he'll mention me in his column because I'm a publicity whore.

Of all things to finally write about me with...

http://www.qcitynews.com/1007darrenm.html

Thank you Darren, for making sure the whole city knows that I have "tales of [my] own sexual appetites and explorations." :-)

I'm not mad; I just think it's funny that of all the things I've talked to him about -- gay social reform, politics, interactions, bars, etc. This is the one thing he finally writes about. Hey, any press is good press.

Thanks Darren.