Seattle Gay News
Issue 7, Volume 42, February 14, 2014
by Mike Andrew SGN Staff Writer Now you’re married to the man or woman you love. Congratulations! Remember all the thousand-plus federal rights and benefits we always said were denied to us because we couldn’t get married? Well, now they’re all yours. Be sure you know what they are. On February 8, U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder expanded the list even further when he told an HRC dinner that his department will recognize every Gay and Lesbian marriage in the United States, even if the happy couples reside in states where their marriages are not legal. “In every courthouse, in every proceeding, and in every place where a member of the Department of Justice stands on behalf of the United States – they will strive to ensure that same-sex marriages receive the same privileges, protections, and rights as opposite-sex marriages under federal law,” Holder announced. The Attorney General’s announcement means that Justice Department lawyers will respect spousal privilege for same-sex couples in court proceedings, and that officials will award full benefits to same-sex spouses of police officers and other public safety personnel killed in the line of duty. Federal prisoners who have a same-sex spouse will also be treated just as those with opposite-sex spouses. Even before Holder’s speech to the HRC, the Justice Department and other federal agencies were implementing policies designed to afford equal treatment to same-sex couples, in line with the U.S. Supreme Court decision in USA v. Windsor. Within hours of the Supreme Court decision, President Obama said he had “directed the Attorney General to work with other members of my Cabinet to review all relevant federal statutes to ensure this decision, including its implications for Federal benefits and obligations, is implemented swiftly and smoothly.” The Defense Department, currently the world’s largest employer, immediately equalized benefits for same-sex spouses, with Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel promising that “the Department of Defense intends to make the same benefits available to all military spouses – regardless of sexual orientation – as soon as possible.” The Department of Labor announced soon afterward that it would recognize all legal samesex marriages for the purposes of the ERISA benefits programs it administers, regardless of where the couples reside. ERISA, the Employee Retirement Income Security Act, regulates employee benefits packages for many large employers, including many health insurance and pension programs. The effect of the Labor Department’s policy is that Gay and Lesbian spouses may be eligible for medical insurance and pension benefits even if they live in states that refuse to recognize their legal marriages. If you have questions about employer-provided benefits, first determine if your benefits package is administered under ERISA. If it is, the Labor Department can answer your questions. If it’s not, the state insurance commissioner might be able to help you. Wedding photos by Nate Gowdy
see benefits page 18
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Celebrating 41 Years!
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by Sara Michelle Fetters SGN A&E Writer
Courtesy of Metro - Goldwyn-Mayer
Cary Grant & Katharine Hepburn
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I have to admit, as big a sucker for weddings as I might be (it’s a cliché, I know, but darn it all, if I don’t cry a little at each and every one), I am not that fond of movies specifically about or that revolve exclusively around weddings. Exceptions? There are a few, but those I honestly feel are classic, landmark or at a bare minimum great, usually have a ton more on their minds than perpetual wedded bliss, emotional and character-driven undercurrents allowing them to maintain my interest far more completely than they would have otherwise. With that in mind I was a little hesitant when asked to come up with a Best-of “Wedding Movie” list for this week’s Seattle Gay News. I don’t like Seven Brides for Seven Brothers (sue me), I can’t think of a sole LGBT-themed romance that fits the category, save one (more on that flick later) that I think is successful start-tofinish, and I’m certainly not a cheerleader for popular comedies Wedding Crashers or The Wedding Singer. Heck, even the Julia Roberts double-bill My Best Friend’s Wedding and Runaway Bride do little for me one way or the other, and I can’t say I’ve sat through either all the way through since their original theatrical releases. As for My Big Fat Greek Wedding, the less said about it the better. How that noxious piece of idiotic melodramatic claptrap became a box office smash is still all these years later way beyond me. But there are five films I do feel are exceptional, motion pictures I could watch
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over and over again for the remainder of my days and never grow tired of. They’re the best of the best, the cream of the crop, the belles of their respective balls, and every time I think any movie expressly about walking down the aisle towards matrimonial bliss is a bunch of hooey, all I have to do is think of one of these and I have to rethink my opinion. Before I present my five picks for the best of all-time, there are a few weddingthemed motion pictures worthy of being singled out for praise. These include John Ford’s towering The Quiet Man, Fred Astaire in Royal Wedding, Susanne Bier’s devastating After the Wedding, Frank Oz’s wryly subversive (for its time) In & Out, the Frank Sinatra/Bing Crosby/Grace Kelly musical extravaganza High Society, the raucous, endearingly charming female-driven sports comedy Bend It Like Beckham, Robert Altman’s eviscerating satire A Wedding and the gender-bending double-bill of La Cage aux Folles and its 1996 star-studded remake The Birdcage. And, of course, no list like this would be complete without mentioning the delightful Four Weddings and a Funeral, that Hugh Grant favorite growing on me more and more with each passing year. To be certain, there are plenty more titles I could be talking about here, but those are the ones that instantly sprung to mind when the idea for this list was first broached. As for my picks for the absolute best wedding flicks ever produced? Without further ado…here you go: see FILMS page 23
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Create fond memories at Washington State History Museum
While the Washington State History Museum works diligently to preserve the memories of generations passed, we are also in the business of assisting patrons in making new ones. The Museum resides in historic downtown Tacoma and is a cornerstone of the vibrant and culturally rich historic district. Offering incredible views
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of Mount Rainier, Foss Waterway, and Union Station, there are few other venues as compelling for exchanging marriage vows. Its awe-inspiring architecture and cityscape backdrop creates the perfect setting for history-making weddings. The Washington State History Museum provides numerous accommodations
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Mountains. The Amphitheater is impressive and breathtaking, and along with the Plaza, is ideal for a magnificently grand outdoor ceremony. The Grand Lobby of the Museum looks out to the romantically lit Union Station. Soaring arches above and the sweeping staircase create an elegant reception or ceremony. The Grand Lobby is the most open and accessible room at the Museum. Union Station also serves as the backdrop for your wedding on the Mezzanine, just one f loor above the Grand Lobby. Its rich rosewood paneling provides warm detail to the space. The option is yours to allow the panels to remain open to offer an overlook into the Great Hall of Washington History or to leave them closed to provide a cozier atmosphere. The Mezzanine connects with the fifth floor lobby which can add even more versatility and elegance to a larger event. The History Museum strives to make wedding and reception planning as easy as possible. Tables, chairs, and audio/ visual equipment are made available for your use, as well as assistance from an on-site event coordinator, pre-event planning assistance and Security Services personnel. We also provide lists of pre-approved caterers, although any caterer of your choice is able to complete an application to service your event. Additionally, the Museum is centrally located, making it an easily accessible venue for your traveling guests. We are just minutes off I-5 on Pacific Avenue, with two pre-pay parking lots with a 150 vehicle capacity, and we are right along the route for Tacoma Light Rail. Your wedding will be entirely convenient for your friends and family. Start planning your history-making wedding at the Washington State History Museum by contacting Mark Sylvester, Head of Museum Support Services at 253798-5891 or mark.sylvester@wshs.wa.gov for pricing, availability, and general questions. You can also visit the Washington State History Museum website at www. to make your big day exceptional and WashingtonHistory.org for more images unforgettable. With spaces fit for 20 to of wedding ceremonies and receptions in 350, the atmosphere can be as intimate our rental spaces or to complete a rental request online. or grandiose as you desire. Our outdoor amphitheater and plaza is Courtesy of the surrounded by the Museum’s classic brick Washington State History Museum arches, the entrance to the Chihuly Bridge of Glass, and the majesty of the Cascade
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High school bully publically apologizes after seeing same-sex proposal video on Facebook Lucas Bane and David Devora recently made Internet stardom after they uploaded their adorable proposal video on Vimeo. People fell in love with the two young Gay men. Bane had the police shut down an entire street while dancers from Step Up performed a choreographed number. As a final touch, the big question was strung out in lights. Devora tearfully said, “yes.” The video resonates with people because the two are clearly, madly in love and it’s cute. But what happened next is nothing short of extraordinary. When the video exploded online, among the viewers was one former high school classmate of Bane’s. This particular classmate had bullied Lucas in school. Then, the part that nobody saw coming, his old bully sent him a message on Facebook to apologize. “I’m sure you have no idea who I am. I went to high school with you. If you do remember me, it’s probably not positive as I was a bit of a asshole back then,” said the former bully. “I saw your video today on Facebook and wanted to say Congratulations! No need to respond. I just wanted you to know that I think what you have is awesome and wish you the best.” Bane said the message threw him into total shock. “I gasped when I saw the
name. Then tears. Before even reading the words I just knew that this was going to be a good note, and when I read the words and his follow-up response, I sobbed. That sounds dramatic but it’s true. A good cry on-and-off for upwards of an hour.” In high school, Bane was beat up on more than one occasion. But he says, “Well I don’t want to play the victim too much because I know there were and are lots of kids that have it way worse than I did, I was well-liked for the most part but I got my fair share of name-calling, aggression, and was beat up more than once. The worst of it was really just being shut out of groups that I really wanted to accept my friendship.” He explained that being beat up in high school pushed him in college to be “the best at everything.” “I was president or leader of almost every club or group at one point or another, including my freshman class, and National Honor Society,” said Bane. “I starred in the plays and was a champion public speaker. I was the leader of the marching band, a trumpet soloist, and I had excellent grades. I even got to speak at graduation. Laughter was my greatest weapon. I’ve always been funny and I knew at an early age that it’s hard not to like someone who has you in stitches.” For Bane, it was not just an apology; it was an attempt at closure. “It was really healing. I meant every word when I said he had given him a gift. I feel incredible.”
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Courtesy of Facebook
by Shaun Knittel SGN Associate Editor
Lucas Bane (l) & David Devora
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Hawaiian honeymoon – Four Waikiki hotels after the wedding Courtesy of aqua hospitality
Waikiki waterfront with Park Shore Waikiki and Queen Kapiolani Hotel
by Albert Rodriguez SGN A&E Writer Now that you’ve marched down the aisle, or are about to, it’s time to stroll up a sandy beach and celebrate a new life chapter with your soulmate. Breakfast in flip-flops, afternoon swims, sunset walks and late night mai tais are just some of the
things you and your spouse can enjoy on a Hawaiian honeymoon. Waikiki Beach remains one of the top destinations for newlyweds, not just because of its tropical scenery and toasty temperatures, but also because the aloha spirit has always been welcoming to same sex couples, even more so now that Hawaii passed Gay marriage legislation.
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Clocking in around 5.5 hours, non-stop flights from Seattle to Honolulu are offered daily on both Alaska and Hawaiian Airlines. To help plan your Waikiki vacation, on the island of Oahu, visit www. gohawaii.com/oahu. You’ll need a hotel to base your stay in paradise and I have four of them for you to consider, all located within a block of the ocean.
Outrigger Waikiki on the Beach 2335 Kalakaua Avenue www.outriggerwakiki.com Outrigger Hotels and Resorts is a Hawaii-based line of properties that are usually moderately priced, although some of them are luxury. They have numerous hotels throughout the Hawaiian Islands, plus Australia, Thailand, Fiji, Guam, China, Vietnam, Indonesia and Mauritius. On Oahu, they have 9 properties, 7 of which are in Waikiki and of these I recommend the Outrigger Waikiki on the Beach. This particular property affords you ocean side accommodations; the beach can be accessed directly through the lobby. What you’ll appreciate from this waterfront hotel is its location. Aside from immediate access to the ocean, it also places you right in the middle of the tourist district’s main thoroughfare, Kalakaua Avenue, where restaurants, bars and retail stores are abundant. All 524 of the Outrigger Waikiki on the Beach’s rooms and corner suites have been recently renovated, each of them updated with new carpet, furniture, drapes, fresh coating of paint and glass lanai railings. Outside, a newly remodeled pool with expanded deck area provides guests with unobstructed water views. Rooms include the usual slate of amenities – complimentary Internet access, flat-screen TVs with cable programming, air conditioning, mini refrigerators, coffeemakers with local brand coffee and free calls to mainland U.S. and Canada or within Hawaii. My room was spacious with just a partial view of the ocean, yet I was content with it overall. Complimentary to all guests is a daily itinerary of Hawaiian cultural activities, from ukulele and hula lessons to Hawaiian tattoo, and for couples that have already tied the knot the Outrigger extends an opportunity to renew your vows at no cost. On-site restaurants Duke’s Waikiki and Hula Grill Waikiki are very popular most times of the day and both offer great lookout points to the water. Seattle’s Best Coffee see Waikiki page 20
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Distinctive, Flexible, Affordable Weddings • Interfaith/Non-denominational • Full service wedding parties of up to 150 • Officiants and Wedding Coordinator on staff
Amazing Grace Spiritual Center www.amazinggraceseattle.org 206-792-3884 Ballard
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Invite friends to your wedding: A guide to union wedding services
by Mike Andrew SGN Staff Writer
ages to your party, and they are also listed on the Local 8 website. UFCW Local 21 represents retail food workers and food processors. They are also long-time supporters of marriage equality, and they hosted Washington United for Marriage campaign workers in their Georgetown union hall. Some of UFCW’s markets also cater weddings – Metro Markets and Central Coop’s Madison Market, for example. If you want a less formal reception, any large union market – Safeway, QFC, Albertson’s, Fred Meyer – will have a deli section that prepares food platters to order. Most larger markets also have bakery sections that can provide wedding cakes, and assorted pastries for the reception. And UFCW-represented markets now carry a full selection of liquor. Many UFCW-represented markets also have floral departments that can provide flower arrangements and centerpieces. A complete list of markets represented by UFCW 21 is available on their website.
Your wedding day should be the happiest day of your life, not the day you’ll never live down. But weddings can involve scores of people working on hundreds of details. Any one of them could go wrong and set off a cascade effect that spoils what otherwise would have been a magical day. You can line up a team of experienced professionals to help with your wedding by choosing union services and venues. At the same time you can reciprocate for the resources that the Washington State Labor Council, the SEIU State Council, and their affiliated union locals put into many campaigns for your rights. In fact, the unions that can help you with your wedding plans have often been the most active supporters of LGBT rights. Visits to a few union websites, or a couple of calls to locals representing skilled workers who can help with your wedding plans, might make all the difference between a Music wedding that wows your friends and famNo wedding would be complete without ily and one that makes all of you wish you music, and American Federation of Musicians hadn’t gotten out of bed. Local 76-493 devotes an entire page of its website to booking musicians for weddings. Accommodations First look at the union’s helpful hints for UNITE HERE Local 8 represents hotel, planning a wedding, then go to the online food service, and banquet workers. They booking form. Once you submit the form, Lowere among the earliest endorsers of marcal 76-493 will consult with you about your riage equality, as far back as the Andersen request and then send it out to members. Supreme Court case in 2006. Local 8 also Musicians who play the style of music you won the first hotel contract in the country to requested will then contact you with demo explicitly protect Transgender workers, at recordings and other promotional materials. the Westin Hotel in 2007. They are happy to meet with couples to be If you need a place for your reception, Losure there is mutual chemistry and agreecal 8’s website lists all the union hotels in ment about the musical selections for the the Puget Sound area. Typically, union hoservice and reception. tels will have a number of banquet rooms available in different sizes. Of course, they Technical support can also accommodate out-of-town family You might also need a sound system for and friends visiting for the wedding. If your the wedding or reception. IATSE Local 15 first choice of venues can’t accommodate represents stagehands, projectionists, and you, feel free to contact Local 8 directly. sound technicians. Their friendly staff can suggest alternatives. If you need sound equipment, or if you Venues to avoid include the Grand Hyatt have the equipment, but need experienced and Hyatt at Olive 8 hotels, and Thirteen technicians to operate it, contact IATSE LoCoins restaurants, which are all under boycal 15. They have several production comcott because of labor disputes. panies under contract that can set up and operate a sound system for you, or they can Food and Beverages send technicians to run a system that is alUNITE HERE 8 also represents a number ready in place. of caterers who can deliver food and bever-
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The relevance of San Francisco’s Winter of Love to the entire LGBTIQ community today This week marks the ten-year anniversary of the beginning of San Francisco’s “Winter of Love,” in which 4,037 samesex couples married at San Francisco City Hall from February 12 to March 11, 2004. Those extraordinary days took the movement for marriage equality in California to a whole new level and inspired thousands of people to get involved. We now have the freedom to marry in our state. What the “Winter of Love” sparked remains highly significant as we continue the struggle to full LGBTIQ equality. We began our involvement with the marriage equality movement on February 12, 2004, when we got married at City Hall. The experience was especially profound for us because it gave us the feeling of equality as members of the LGBTIQ community. From the beginning, we have always considered the movement for the freedom to marry to be linked inextricably to the struggle for LGBTIQ equality in all aspects of our lives. The Winter of Love ultimately led to the California Supreme Court’s 2008 decision in In Re: Marriage Cases, establishing marriage equality in California before Proposition 8, and recognizing that commonality of purpose. It established that any California law discriminating against Lesbian and Gay people in any aspect of their lives, not just marriage, was presumptively unconstitutional unless the
Courtesy of Facebook
by John Lewis and Stuart Gaffney Special to the SGN
Stuart Gaffney (l) & John Lewis
government could provide the most compelling of reasons for the law. The decision protects Lesbian and Gay people in myriad aspects of their lives from education to employment to the criminal justice system. As public attention and opponents’ efforts focused on marriage, the California Legislature also quietly enacted laws establishing many important rights and protections other than marriage for LGB-
efits are offered to opposite-sex spouses. If you are represented by a union, be sure continued from cover your business rep knows that you are married and entitled to these rights. If you are not represented and you believe you are being treated differently than someone with an opposite-sex spouse would be, you may file a complaint under state nondiscrimination laws with the Washington State Human Rights Commission, or under federal law with the Justice Department. The IRS has ruled that married samesex couples may file joint tax returns, just as opposite-sex couples can, regardless of the marriage laws in their state of residence. Typically, joint filing helps couples where one partner earns substantially more than the other, and hurts couples where the partners earn about the same amount. Before sending in your tax return, be sure to determine if this option is beneficial for your family or not. The Social Security Administration, though it lagged behind other federal agencies in its initial response to the Windsor decision, has been catching up with a series of reforms aimed at equal treatment of same-sex spouses. U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder Recently the agency published new As a legal spouse you will also be eligible rules that treat same-sex spouses the same for maternity/paternity leave, spousal sick as opposite-sex spouses when processing leave, and bereavement leave if those ben- applications for SSI (Supplemental Security Income), a monthly stipend paid to individuals who are 65 or older, blind, or otherwise disabled. In December, the Social Security Administration said it would pay survivor benefits to same-sex spouses, and recognize same-sex spouses for the purpose of determining Social Security reI would be honored to serve tirement income, but only if the couples you on your most special of reside in a state where their marriage days. I perform Christian and is legally recognized or if the deceased spouse died in a state where their marnon-Christian weddings and riage was legal. elopement’s. If you are looking Any spouse who believes he or she has for an open, non-judgmental a claim on survivor benefits or retirement income should file a claim immediately, fun loving Officiate – since the Social Security Administration look no further. pays benefits retroactively to the date the claim was filed. Call 425-210-4846 or In January, Attorney General Holder therevdarrel@yahoo.com said that in addition to spouses in states www.snokingweddings.com where same-sex marriage is unquestionably legal, the federal government would recognize the marriages of the
benefits
TIQ people. The 2010 Proposition 8 trial presented testimony about the gross harm that so-called Gay “conversion” therapy exacts on Lesbian and Gay people, and the California Legislature went on to ban such therapy for minors. Soon we may be faced with another challenge at the ballot box in California regarding LGBTIQ rights. On January 1, 2014, the School Success and Opportunity Act (As-
sembly Bill 1266) took effect. It requires that all California public schools respect students’ gender identity and ensures that students can fully participate in all school activities and facilities that match their gender identity. Opponents (many of whom backed Prop. 8) collected petition signatures to attempt to repeal the law on the November 2014 statewide ballot. The state is now conducting a full count of signatures, and the referendum may or may not qualify for the ballot. If it does, we must share our lives and tell our personal stories to show the world, as we did during the Winter of Love, that laws excluding LGBTIQ people harm real people – in this case, Transgender students. We must remember that discrimination in any aspect of our lives and against any members of the community affects us all. And we must invoke the spirit and enthusiasm that the Winter of Love evoked to defeat the referendum if it appears on the ballot, or prevail in whatever challenge lies ahead for our community. John Lewis and Stuart Gaffney, together for nearly three decades, were plaintiffs in the California case for equal marriage rights decided by the California Supreme Court in 2008. They are leaders in the nationwide grassroots organization Marriage Equality USA. Originally printed in San Francisco Bay Times, February 6, 2014. Reprinted with permission.
approximately 1,300 Gay and Lesbian legal limbo after the U.S. Supreme Court couples married in Utah after a federal stayed a federal court order striking down judge struck down that state’s Gay mar- Utah’s ban on same-sex marriages. riage ban. Those marriages had been in
Let’s Get Married By Rev. Darrel
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Our stunning Chrysanthemum Hall is located near the seashore in charming downtown Edmonds. The light-flooded hall has vaulted ceilings, hardwood floors and balcony. A variety of smaller thoughtfully designed rooms are also available. Rental includes onsite staff, tables, chairs and full service set-up, take-down and cleaning.
www.edmondsconferencecenter.com 425-640-1808
Mention this ad and receive one (1) complimentary hour.
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The UW Botanic Gardens offers beautiful wedding venues
The U W Botanic Gardens offers several event spaces for weddings, meetings, Bar/Bat Mitzvah’s, life celebrations, parties, auctions and more at the Center for Urban Horticulture & Graham Visitors Center in the Washington Park Arboretum. The Center for Urban Horticulture can accommodate up to 250 for your wedding day. Our 2014 wedding rental fee is $3,000 for a nine-hour period of time or 2-11 p.m. Included in the rental is NHS Hall, McVay Courtyard, a full catering kitchen, tables, chairs and ample parking for your guests. We have two outdoor ceremony spaces – Soest Lawn & Goodfellow Grove – as well as two changing rooms – Isaacson Classroom & Boardroom – that can be rented for an additional cost. The Graham Visitors Center in the Washington Park Arboretum accommodates 100+ people and is surrounded by the lush gardens and natural beauty of the Arboretum. Our 2014 wedding rental fee is $2,250 for a nine-hour period of time or 2-11 p.m. Included in the rental is the large meeting room, patio, small boardroom, full catering kitchen, tables, chairs and ample parking for your guests. Call our reservationist at 206 -2212500 for more details and to book your wedding today! Courtesy of the UW Botanic Gardens
WAIKIKI
continued from page 10 has a setup on the hotel’s street level and the Hawaii Sandwich Shop is open daily until 5 p.m. with freshly made food to take back to your room, or to enjoy on the beach. If you prefer a one-stop wedding and honeymoon destination, the Outrigger Waikiki on the Beach staff will gladly assist in helping to coordinate your big day at any of their special events spaces or on the beach. They will even help with obtaining any permits to hold your wedding on the sandy shore. The hotel offers 6 banquet rooms to host memorable occasions, ranging from 679 square feet (Na Koa Boardroom) to 1,350 square feet (Leahi I and II combined) to 2,173 square feet (Suite 123, outdoor). The Outrigger can also coordinate everything from floral arrangements to entertainment to hair & makeup services. Or, take advantage of three beachfront wedding packages (Adore, Sweetheart, Pure) that includes officiating, photography, floral bouquets, ceremony guitarist, facility rental, covered chairs and more. Call (808) 924-6040 or email beachfront.sales@outrigger.com for details. Park Shore Waikiki 2586 Kalakaua Avenue www.parkshorewaikiki.com
(per request at reception desk) and free coffee or water in the lobby, which is highlighted by high ceilings, comfortable sofas and armchairs, floor to ceiling windows facing out to Kapiolani Park and immediate entry to LuLu’s Waikiki, Yoshitsune and Tucker & Bevvy restaurants. I wasn’t particularly fond of the hotel’s tiny outdoor pool. Palm trees blocked out the sun at times, and the patio itself felt dated and in need of a facelift. The Park Shore Waikiki is part of the very Gay-friendly Aqua Hotels and Resorts brand, offering LGBT travelers yearround special packages and same-sex wedding planning. For current deals, go to the “LGBT Travel” section under the “Specials & Offers” option on Aqua’s website, www. aquaresorts.com. I stayed on the top floor corner suite (18th floor), and if there’s any room that newlyweds should splurge on for their honeymoon, it’s this one – the views are impeccable! Not to mention, Hula’s is literally next-door, Starbucks is a few feet away and this end of Waikiki tends to be more on the quiet side. Lotus Honolulu at Diamond Head 2885 Kalakaua Avenue www.lotushawaii.com
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rooms on 19 floors, all equipped with air conditioning, 40-inch or 32-inch LCD TVs, personal coffeemakers with island-produced coffee, mini refrigerators and most have private balconies with ocean or city views. Similar to other accommodations, WiFi is complimentary. A good-sized outdoor pool with patio lets guests swim and sunbathe while absorbing precious views of Diamond Head; and an adjacent casual restaurant with full bar allows you to eat lunch or sip cocktails in between afternoon dips. Queen Kapiolani has been actively working alongside the local LGBT community, recently hosting the GLTA (Gay and Lesbian Tennis Association) tournament banquet dinner in October. For couples wanting to use its facilities for a wedding and/ or reception, the nostalgic Akala Ballroom Aqua Queen Kapiolani Hotel comfortably fits up to 600 guests, or the 150 Kapahulu Avenue smaller Peacock or Queens Rooms can seat www.queenkapiolani.com up to 275 or 100, respectively. Although the rooms aren’t the most luxurious around, for A block from the Park Shore Waikiki is the price and incredible location, the Aqua yet another Aqua property, and one of the Queen Kapiolani Hotel is a bargain and a faoldest and better-priced hotels in Waikiki. vorite of Gay men visiting Oahu. The Queen Kapiolani Hotel boasts 312
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It isn’t an odd coincidence to find Gay men hanging out at the east end of Waikiki, where Kalakaua comes to a halt. The island’s premiere watering hole, Hula’s Bar & Lei Stand, and Gay beach spot, Queen’s Surf, are over this way. Putting you foot steps to both, as well as across the street from the Honolulu Zoo and Waikiki Shell, is the Park Shore Waikiki. This 221-room hotel has been renovated and now sparkles as an adorable, boutique-style property with breathtaking views of Diamond Head, Kapiolani Park, Kaimuki neighborhood, and of course, Waikiki Beach, only a half block away. Individual rooms feature colorful and trendy decor, 42-inch LCD TVs, work desks, coffeemakers and Hawaiian coffee packets, mini refrigerators, signature bath products and reasonably-sized lanais that face out to the city, mountains, Diamond Head or the water. Guests are provided with free WiFi, complimentary daily copies of the Honolulu Star-Advertiser, beach towels
If you want privacy, you’ll get it at the Lotus Honolulu at Diamond Head. Once a W Hotel, this hip and sophisticated property is tucked into a tranquil, bustle-free part of Waikiki and less than a five-minute stroll to Queen’s Surf. With only 51 rooms on 12 floors, you’re guaranteed even more discretion when you stay here on your honeymoon. Rooms feature dark hardwood floors with matching cabinets and lampstands, chocolate-colored blankets and picture frames, flat-screen TVs with on-demand movies, Verisimo Coffee Systems with Starbucks coffee, mini refrigerators and private lanais with sliding doors. Hotel amenities include complimentary Internet access, free bike cruiser rentals, yoga classes (4 times daily with mats provided), wine service in the lobby (3 to 5 p.m. daily), outdoor pool and complimentary coffee service (6 to 10 a.m. daily, 2nd floor). The Lotus recently unveiled its new, on-premise restaurant called Park under the helm of Executive Chef Yoichi Soito, who spotlights both American and Japanese dishes on the menu. Options include house-made flatbreads, Jim Beam-
truffle mac & cheese, chicken two ways and miyosaki salmon. Soito’s signature brussels sprouts, tossed with bacon, lemon and dried tart cherries were marvelous, as was my generous portion of soy glazed grilled ahi and an upside down pineapple cake with Tahitian vanilla ice cream for dessert. The dining room is ample, slick with windows facing Kapiolani Park and has an extended bar counter. Park had barely opened when I visited in late November and the service was inconsistent, yet friendly – I’m confident they’ve made improvements. The Lotus Honolulu at Diamond Head is under the umbrella of Aqua Hospitality, providing Hawaiian-bound LGBT travelers with welcoming accommodations, including all Aqua Hotels and Resorts properties.
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FILMS
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5. Rachel Getting Married (2008)
albert rodriguez
Jonathan Demme’s (The Silence of the Lambs) brutal, emotionally bleak melodrama of a young woman (an Oscar-nominated Anne Hathaway) leaving rehab to attend her sister Rachel’s (Rosemarie DeWitt) wedding goes for the jugular, never pulling its punches as it makes its way down the aisle. Jenny Lumet’s script is an honest depiction of a family’s struggles to deal with one of their own as she battles addiction, the film is filled with moments of raw fury, naked pain, unspoken truths, heartbreaking catharsis and loving grace that are uniquely universal. Photo: Roslyn Ruff and Anne Hathaway | Courtesy of Sony Pictures Classics
4. Father of the Bride (1950)
albert rodriguez
Forget the 1991 Steve Martin remake, this spellbinding confectionary treat starring Spencer Tracy, Elizabeth Taylor and Joan Bennett is a treasure that gets better and better with each passing year. Directed by the great Vincente Minnelli (An American in Paris, Gigi) and adapted from Edward Streeter’s somewhat forgotten novel, the movie paints a picture of old school Americana that’s as enchanting as it is admittedly fanciful. Filled with signature moments and sterling performances, it is Tracy’s central father figure who makes this an undeniable classic, his post-wedding nonverbal revelations as he looks at his home forever changed after his daughter’s nuptials filling my eyes with tears just from the thinking about them. Photo: Elizabeth Taylor and Spencer Tracy | Courtesy of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
3. Monsoon Wedding (2001)
albert rodriguez
Director Mira Nair’s (The Namesake) peon to Indian matrimonial chaos is an intoxicating comedic marvel that mixes laughs and tears with subtle ease. It is an EastWest collision of values both old and new fighting for victory, with the potential for romance sprouting from the most surprising of corners. At its heart, this is another father-daughter saga where familial love potentially conquers all, everything culminating in a whirlwind evening where little transpires as it is supposed to yet everything ends up coming out just as it blissfully should.
Photo: Scene from Monsoon Wedding | Courtesy of Samuel Goldwyn Company
2. The Wedding Banquet (1993)
albert rodriguez
Ang Lee’s (Brokeback Mountain, Sense and Sensibility) groundbreaking romantic comedy of sexual identity and cultural tradition raised a lot of eyebrows during its original release, more so because even the most puritanical of audience members was moved by the Gay-friendly subject matter and narrative. Ahead of its time, if anything, the movie is more profound, and more prescient and insightful, today than it was two decades ago, the film a soaring and elegant charmer that embraces its themes and ideas with a sly, understated grace that’s sensational. Photo: (left to right) Kuei Ya-lei, Winston Chao, and Sihung Lung | Courtesy of Samuel Goldwyn Company
1. The Philadelphia Story (1940)
albert rodriguez
Cary Grant. Katharine Hepburn. James Stewart. This trifecta of genius, under the direction of the legendary George Cukor (A Star is Born) and following an Oscar-winning screenplay by Donald Ogden Stewart (Life with Father), engage in arguably the greatest laugh-filled romantic triangle in movie history, smarts, sass and sophistication moving about with beguiling ease as things melodiously come to their head. As far as wedding comedies go, for over seven decades this one has remained heads and shoulders above the rest and it’s extremely hard to imagine a film that would ever be able to surpass its genius being made at any point in the foreseeable future. Photo: James Stewart and Katharine Hepburn | Courtesy of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
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February 14, 2014
Seattle Gay News 23