GatorUptown’s Blog

I was a little nervous — okay, terrified –about my trip to West By-God Texas this past weekend. Any time you go with your significant other “back home” for the first time to meet his/her family, it’s bound to be unnerving, but for a gay man going as the first openly-acknowledged boyfriend to a Hispanic family’s Texas home, it’s scary as hell!

To make matters worse, Read the rest of this entry »

Last weekend Sal and I took a different approach to our usual massage routine at Massage Envy: we got a “couples massage” with the two of us in the same room.

At first I was a little uncomfortable with the idea… I sort of felt like we were being too “in your face” with it, making too much of a public statement. What if one or both of the two massage therapists were uncomfortable with two gay men being so open about being a “couple” in a couples massage?

But then I thought: Read the rest of this entry »

Well, damn… I’d finally gotten over my paranoia about possibly having H1N1 when it was confirmed I was simply fighting off a garden-variety “cold” virus. SUCH a relief to know that I wasn’t potentially flying to Texas as a living, breathing incubator for the swine flu, infecting everyone on the plane and Sal’s entire family in Texas.

And then, I read this:
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A couple of days ago, I posted about fighting off some kind of virus, and my growing paranoia that it might be H1N1, better known as the “swine flu.” It didn’t help that a couple of nights before, I’d had dinner with a friend who had just recovered from it, or that I’d seen news coverage of the growing H1N1 pandemic, or that LOTS of people kept warning that I probably had it and should rush to the hospital immediately.

Naturally, I eventually gave in and made myself an appointment at the doctor’s office.
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I came across this trailer this morning… I’m not sure exactly how I feel about it.

On the plus side, “Prince of Persia” was a beloved video game from way-back-in-the-day, with the accompanying nostalgia. It’s got actors who I enjoy, especially the lead, and the trailer looks on the surface to be thrilling.

But then, I said the same thing about the Wing Commander movie.

What do you think? Watch this and reply below:
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For many people, myself included, it’s easy to lose sight of the importance of elections when they’re not in a Presidential election year. Twelve months after the media frenzy of last year’s “major” elections, Election Day came again yesterday… It didn’t feel as noteworthy to many Americans, as there wasn’t the high profile of the year before, but there were still some important results for both the Republican and Democratic parties.

This isn’t about those races.
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Remember a few weeks ago, when I posted about Louisiana Justice of the Peace Keith Bardwell and his refusal to sign a marriage license for an interracial couple? This is the douchebag that insisted his refusal didn’t stem from racism, but rather that he was concerned for the children of an interracial marriage. In his opinion, it’s perfectly appropriate for black couples to get married (he has even married some black couples in his home) but a marriage that could produce mixed-race children isn’t going to happen on his watch.

Turns out the bastard has resigned, but he still won’t shut his ignorant racist mouth.
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I woke up yesterday morning feeling tired and worn down, with a bit of a cough… But I thought very little about it, frankly, because I’d been out the night before at a smoke-filled establishment and could’ve used a little more sleep. I figured a hot shower and a good breakfast should fix that right up, but it didn’t do the trick.

I’m officially sick. And I’m fervently hoping that the people whispering “H1N1″ in my ear are wrong.
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For over twenty years, non-U.S.-citizens seeking to visit the United States or immigrate to this country have been banned from doing so if they were HIV-positive. Originally a regulation from the Dept. of Health and Human Services, it was actually codified into law by Congress in 1993. The idea, of course, is that HIV was considered to be a “communicable disease of public health significance.”

In an update to the Federal Register published today, that rule is finally being changed.
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Most of my long-term friends will attest: I’m not an especially creative person, and don’t particularly like “festive” activities like dressing up in costumes or decorating for the holidays. What’s wrong with having the party, the friends, the drinks, the music, the video games, etc. without being in a silly outfit or putting up tacky holiday-themed knick-knacks around the place?

So when we decided to host a Halloween party at our home, and it became abundantly clear that I was morally obligated to set a good example by dressing up in a costume, I figured out pretty quickly how I could abide by the rules while staying true to my nature. See below for the photos:
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