Ingredients:
- 1 fl oz Smirnoff Mango Flavored Vodka
- 0.5 fl oz Captain Morgan Parrot Bay Coconut
- 2 fl oz Orange Juice
- 1 fl oz Half & Half
- 0.25 fl oz Ginger Syrup

Directions:
Combine all the ingredients in a shaker with ice. Shake well. Strain into an ice-filled Collins glass. Garnish with a cinnamon stick and/or mint sprig.

The upcoming Human Rights Campaign dinner is often referred to as Atlanta’s gay prom for grown-ups, but it unfortunately tends to show how juvenile our collective fashion sense is. The night is one of our best opportunities to be our fanciest, but so many of us play it safe by looking like a bow-tied penguin.

The motto for this year’s HRC dinner, which takes place May 5, should be: Tuxedos are for teenagers and butlers. It’s time to take risks and show the stylish creativity for which we’re supposedly known.

With a little more than two weeks left before this year’s dinner, you still have time to select an outfit that will help you stand out from the crowd. Here are a few ideas for alternatives to a tux, and remember, a thrift store can be your best friend when pulling off an eclectic look.

Rainbow Sherbert

Does anything sound more boring than black, white and gray? If you’re going to wear a tux or sport coat, at least liven it up with a little bit of color. How about a fire orange blazer with kelly green slacks, or a fuschia vest with a teal bow tie? Have everyone else wishing they spent their days and nights in living color.

The Freddie Mercury

Whether in a leotard or leather jacket, in a feathered suit or floral-print kimono, few people have challenged the standards of fashion more flamboyantly than the late Freddie Mercury. When channeling the rebellious spirit of the former Queen front-man, you can’t go wrong with sequins, velvet, satin, leather, silk, plunging necklines and any variety of form-fitting pants.

Preppyboy Swagg

It’s May in Hotlanta, so why cover yourself up with full-length attire? It’s possible to show off a little skin while keeping it classy enough for the HRC crowd, whether in a pair of pin-striped daisy dukes, or in some tuxedo trousers that have been cropped at the knee. You can also sport a sharp vest on top of a short-sleeved dress shirt to complete the Schoolyard Chic look.

Gender-Neutral Draping

When did pants take over the world? Let’s go retro with the androgynous togas of ancient Greece, or bring some culture to the staid HRC dinner with an Indian dhoti or an African Dashiki. It’s also easy to add flow to a traditional outfit by wearing a scarf instead of a neck-tie.

The Royal Party

In 2012, the gay rights movement ought to no longer be afraid of addressing ballot initiatives head-on, instead of trying to convince voters that a proposed ban on same-sex marriage is really an attack on senior citizens or single moms who suffer domestic violence. The “de-gaying” of campaigns has been a hallmark of our strategy for decades, and this strategy has been an unmitigated disaster.

It’s time for us to have faith in our argument, have faith in the intelligence and empathy of our fellow citizens. It is time for us to “lose forward”: where we advance the discussion about gay people and our place in society, even if we lose the vote. Below are a couple of hypothetical scripts that embody the language and focus that will propel society’s understanding of gay people forward:

Male: Hello, my name is John Doe, and this is my partner, Marcus. This here is my nephew, Ricky, who Marcus and I are raising as our son. I became Ricky’s guardian when his mother, my sister, passed away in 2007. Marcus and I have done our best to love Ricky, to provide him with a comfortable childhood and to raise him to be a good human being.

The state of North Carolina has decided to make that job harder for us, because some people think that it is wrong for two men to love and pledge and their lives to each other as Marcus and I have. Well, I think those people are wrong, and they have no business coming into our home and casting judgment upon us when we are doing our very best to be good people, good parents, good neighbors. The government of North Carolina has no right to come into any family’s home and declare them unworthy of the rights afforded to other families.

I know this is a difficult issue for many of you, but I ask that you take time to meditate about fairness, about family, and about whether your faith asks you to make life harder for good people such as yourselves. I pray that your faith compels you toward kindness, and that you will help protect our family by voting against Amendment One.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Man: My name is Rev. Shannon Roe, and this is my wife, Linda. In 2009, our son, Ryan, told us he was gay.

Woman: It was devastating.

Man: I was so ashamed.

Woman: I was scared. I just thought it would make life so hard for my baby, and I thought about heaven. Would Ryan get into heaven?

Man: Would Ryan get into heaven? I apologized to God on my son’s behalf. I begged God for forgiveness and deliverance.

Woman: It’s an issue we continue to struggle with, but the heartache we felt has been comforted by what we continue to see in Ryan every day.

Man: He’s still the same brilliant, compassionate, and faithful son that he was before he told us he was gay.

Woman: But he’s a better Ryan, too. I can feel the freedom that he lives in, I can feel the weight of shame that has been lifted since he told us.

Man: We are not at the point where we’re ready to go marching in a Gay Pride parade.

Woman: But we’re also not at the point where we’re ready to vote to make our son a second-class citizen.

Man: Disagreement over an issue is one thing, but discrimination is another, and we’re not about to discriminate against our son.

Woman: And we ask you to not discriminate against our son.

Man: Or your family member.

A 25th anniversary is supposed to be all about silver, but for the Atlanta Eagle, every anniversary is about leather.

The iconic gay bar has persevered for a quarter century, and celebrates 25 years of revelry this weekend with a line-up of events in conjunction with Atlanta Leather Pride.

Tonight, the Eagle hosts a meet-and-greet with the contestants in this year’s Mr. & Mrs. Atlanta Eagle contests, giving patrons a chance to rub shoulders with the pageant hopefuls before Saturday’s competition.

The Saturday festivities begin with a 1 p.m. cookout in the parking lot of the Eagle, then at 8 p.m. the Mr. & Mrs. Atlanta Eagle pageants begin. This marks the fourth year that the pageant has been hosted after a half-decade hiatus, and the winner represents Atlanta in the International Mr. Leather competition in Chicago during Memorial Day weekend.

Contestants compete in four separate category: bar wear, fetish wear, play wear, and a Q&A. The Mr. & Mrs. Atlanta Eagle contests will be emceed by Southeast Leatherboy Sean Pendlebury and adult porn star Colin Steele, while there will be six judges, including Mr. Atlanta Eagle 2011 Wayne Turpin.

On Sunday, the festivities conclude with a Leather Brunch at Roxx restaurant.

The Eagle, of course, has much to celebrate, having survived a downturn in the economy and a ill-advised police raid in 2009. There was great uncertainty among both the owners and patrons about whether the bar could survive in the weeks and months after the virulent raid, but since then the Eagle has won a financial settlement from the city, and the Mr. Eagle pageant has grown in popularity every year.

Worry not, young boys — It Gets Bigger

“I’m a CCOKC, and Kirk, you’re just a dick!”

Madonna Plays Truth or Dare With Gay Fans

Atlanta Falcon wide receiver Roddy White apologized Thursday night after after a string of White’s postings on Twitter were considered by some to be anti-gay.

“OK people I apologize for saying the word gay I know it’s a sensitive subject and a athlete of my stature should not use it,” White posted on Twitter Thursday.

However, Friday morning, White wasn’t as apologetic, Tweeting: “I would like to thank all of my loyal fans for backing me today #foruhatersmiddlefinger”

Thursday morning, a fan on Twitter asked White what his goals were for the 2012 NFL season.

“To lead the league in every statistical category at [wide receiver],” White responded.

“You would rather lead the league in stats than win a Super Bowl???” another fan asked.

“Would u rather be gay or straight come on u know that answer,” White replied.

Another Twitter user immediately took offense to White’s language, but White responded that he didn’t use the word gay in an offensive way.

“every time somebody says the word gay u want to get your panties in a bunch relax #whyusoemotional” White Tweeted.

Lastly, he added: “Freedom of speech. I don’t care how much money I make. I should be held to my own standards and not the standards of others opinion.#period”

Do you think what White originally Tweeted was offensive, or is it an example of gay people and/or their supporters being too sensitive?

North Carolina voters are weeks away from voting on Amendment One, which would enshrine a ban on same-sex marriage into their state constitution. North Carolina is the last state in the south to pursue such a ban, but times have changed since state constitutional amendments swept across Dixie beginning in 2004.

A recent poll showed that 58 percent of likely voters support the amendment in North Carolina, but there are encouraging signs from the state that reveal how much the debate over same-sex marriage has shifted in a few short years. Even if voters approve the amendment by 58 percent during the May 8 vote, it’s not as overwhelming a loss for same-sex marriage as:

• Georgia, which passed with 76 percent in 2004
• Kentucky, which passed with 75 percent in 2004
• Mississippi, which passed with 86 percent in 2004
• Alabama and Tennessee, which both passed with 81 percent in 2006
• South Carolina, which passed with 78 percent in 2006

Still, there’s a chance the amendment could be voted down, as high-profile (and unlikely) individuals come out against it.

President Barack Obama announced his opposition to Amendment One in March, signaling his belief that same-sex marriage is not toxic enough an issue – even in a southern swing state – to hurt his re-election bid.

“I think we need to be welcoming all,” Peacock said. “And if you look at our top five employers, every single one of them are clearly embracing inclusiveness in their hiring, and generally in their behavior as it relates to the benefits they’re offering.”

That same day, a bi-partisan pair of former Charlotte mayors – Democrat Harvey Gantt and Republican Richard Vinroot – created a video calling Amendment One unnecessary and hurtful.

“We don’t always agree on everything,” Gantt says in the video.

“But we agree on this: you ought to vote against Amendment One,” Vinroot finishes.

President Barack Obama’s administration informed gay rights leaders yesterday that he would not sign an executive order banning LGBT discrimination among federal contractors, instead opting to focus on passing the Employment Non-Discrimination Act.

Metro Weekly reports that leaders from gay rights group such as the National Gay & Lesbian Task Force and Human Rights Campaign went to the White House yesterday for a meeting with administration senior adviser Valarie Jarrett. The gay activists had been pressuring Obama to sign an executive order that would expand current anti-discrimination laws for federal contractors to include sexual orientation and gender identity, but they left the White House meeting “extremely disappointed.”

“Earlier today, we were told that the administration is not ready to move forward with a federal contractor nondiscrimination executive order at this time,” HRC President Joe Solmonese said in a statement. “We are extremely disappointed with this decision and will continue to advocate for an executive order from the president. The unfortunate truth is that hard-working Americans can be fired simply for being gay or transgender. Given the number of employees that would be covered by this executive order, it represents a critical step forward.”

Instead of signing an executive order, Obama’s administration will “launch a multipronged effort to better address workplace discrimination against gay and transgender Americans,” Metro Weekly reported.

Atlanta Field Day – the event that raises money for local charities by tapping into elementary school nostalgia – has selected Jerusalem House as one of its beneficiaries for 2012.

“These funds will greatly benefit our four housing programs by helping us provide emergency needs for food, clothing, linens and basic furnishing for new and current residents,” said Charlie Frew, executive director of Jerusalem House, which offers housing assistance for people and families affected by HIV/AIDS.

“We’re all very excited about participating in this day of fun and games,” Frew added.

This year’s Atlanta Field Day takes place Sept. 15, and includes contests such as a potato sack race, egg toss, tug-of-war, three-legged race and plenty other childhood competitions. The other beneficiary for this year’s event is Camp Twin Lakes, a network of camps that hosts children with illnesses and disabilities.

“We feel the programs at both Jerusalem House and Camp Twin Lakes perfectly embrace the spirit, mission, and energy of our organization,” said Davis Kirby, event director for Atlanta Field Day. Kirby, who is gay, helped found the Atlanta Field Day in 2010, and the event has attracted hordes of gay participants in its first two years.

Former U.S. Sen. Rick Santorum suspended his presidential bid this afternoon, effectively ending his uphill quest for the White House.

After surging to a surprise victory in the Iowa caucuses to kick off the presidential primaries, Santorum had glimpses of success while winning 11 states, but was unable to muster the momentum needed to overtake former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney.

Throughout the campaign, Santorum stayed true to his anti-gay pedigree. He vigorously defended “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,” compared same-sex marriage to polygamy and distributed anti-gay robocalls against Mitt Romney during the Wisconsin primary.

Santorum reportedly called Mitt Romney earlier in the day to concede the race. Santorum’s departure leaves only three contenders in the once crowded Republican field – Romney, former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich, and U.S. Rep. Ron Paul – although Romney’s lead is widely considered insurmountable.