You wouldn't think of Chocolate necessarily, when you think of San Francisco....But only in San Francisco, with its rich and luscious history of food, can one find four of the nation's 11 major chocolate manufacturers and a disproportionate number of unique boutique chocolatiers.

The Bay Area is home to some of the greatest chocolate factories in world including: The Ghirardelli Chocolate Company, See’s Candies and Scharffen Berger Chocolate (recently acquired by the Hershey Company).

 

In 1849, an Italian chocolatier by the name of  Domingo Ghirardelli received news of a gold strike at Sutter’s Mill and took it upon himself to strike it rich and sail off to California. While Ghirardelli found no luck in the Gold Rush, he found his fortune in chocolate instead. He established his first chocolate factory in San Francisco’s famous Fisherman’s Wharf, which is considered a historic landmark today.

Ghirardelli is one of the few chocolate companies in the United States to control every aspect of its chocolate manufacturing process, rejecting up to 40 percent of the cocoa beans shipped in order to select what the company calls the "highest quality" beans. The company then roasts the cocoa beans in-house by removing the outer shell of the bean and roasting the inside of it. Today, Ghirardelli’s Chocolate Factory is considered one of the most popular sites in the Bay Area because on any given day, you can find decadent, gooey chocolate churned there. Ghirardelli Chocolate Company is a major contributor in the multi-billion dollar industry that can soothe the soul of the savage beast as well as stimulate “feel good” hormones. While chocolate is no longer being manufactured in Ghirardelli Square, the retail store still serves fresh chocolate sundaes and other sweet confections.

See's Candies was founded by Charles See and his mother Mary See when they opened up shop in 1921. The company is headquartered in South San Francisco.The chocolate in See's candies has been provided by the Guittard Chocolate Company since the 1950s; See's and Guittard pioneered the delivery of bulk chocolate in liquid form in tanker trucks in 1959. See's Candies makes more than 100 varieties of premium chocolate truffles, caramels, toffee, and other candies, including boxed assortments, lollipops, and kosher treats.

Scharffen Berger Chocolate is a Berkeley, California-based chocolate maker, founded in 1996 by sparkling wine maker John Scharffenberger and physician Robert Steinberg. The company is a manufacturer of chocolate (as opposed to chocolatiers, who make their products using chocolate acquired from wholesalers and manufacturers). Scharffen Berger is the first American company founded in the past 50 years to make chocolate from "bean to bar.” Scharffen Berger primarily produces chocolate bars, which are dark chocolate varieties with high cocoa solid content. By 1997 they made the first batch in a small South San Francisco factory using vintage German equipment and basic ingredients including Venezuelan criollo beans and whole Tahitian vanilla. Today, Scharffen Berger makes about a half million pounds of chocolate a year. You can find fine artisan "bean to bar" chocolate in a marketplace atmosphere at Scharffen Berger.

Gourmet Walks includes a Gourmet Chocolate Tour, with tastings of fine chocolate. Guests learn  where to find premium chocolate in San Francisco and discover artisan chocolatiers who create heavenly truffles and butter creams, and stores that sell local and international chocolate bars.

Artisan chocolates have received considerable attention recently, and the flavor notes have ranged from basics like dark, milk, caramel, and coffee, to more exotic fillings including honey and chai. Some flavors chocolatiers have experimented with include grey salt, goat cheese, olive oil and bacon. The trend of using spices like anise, wasabi and saffron mixed with chocolate is sure to get your blood pumping. Chocolatiers' imaginations are running wild, as chocolate consumers seem up to trying anything these days. San Francisco’s chocolate houses are setting trends and making giving food connoisseurs just one more reason to satisfy their cravings.

Best Gay Cities

 

        

And you thought San Francisco
was the gayest city
 in the United States?


Well....yes,  and no. While you can't get mucher gayer than Folsom Street Fair, the Advocate took at look at cities in the US and   ranked them  by:

-Same-sex couple households per capita
-Statewide marriage equality
-Gay elected officials
-Gay dating and hookup profiles per single male population
-Gay bars per capita
-Cruising spots per capita
-and Gay films in Netflix favorites.

The list is very shocking!


1. Atlanta, Georgia
2. Burlington, Vermont
3. Iowa City, Iowa
4. Bloomington, Indiana
5. Madison, Wisconsin
6. New Orleans, Louisiana
7. Fort Lauderdale, Florida
8. Portland, Maine
9. Austin, Texas
10. Seattle, Washington
11. Gainsville, Florida
12. Ashville, North Carolina
13. Springfield, Massachusetts
14. San Diego, California
15. Albuquerque, New Mexico


Fort Lauderdale I would have guessed. Maybe San Diego. But the other 13?  I had no idea!

        

SOUTH  BEACH is the neighborhood that encompasses  about 25 blocks in the city of Miami Beach. 

In the 1920's-1930's South Beach  brought Art Deco, Streamline Moderne, and Nautical Moderne architecture to the Beach. During the 1970's-1980's the area was used as a retirement community with most of its ocean-front hotels and apartment buildings filled with elderly people living on small, fixed incomes.

This period also saw the introduction of the "cocaine cowboys," drug dealers who used the area as a base for their illicit drug activities. Scarface and even Miami Vice , typified this activity. The town became very run down and there were vacant and boarded up buildings everywhere.

So what happens? Gays cleaned it up. In the late 1980s, a renaissance began in South Beach, with an influx of  "fashion industry professionals" moving into the area. South Beach started to become  "fabulous" and gay clubs sprouted up everywhere.

It became this extremely popular entertainment mecca, thanks to the media. By the mid 1990's, the rest of the straight world started to capitalize on this small area. More and more big straight clubs popped up and by the late 2000, many from  Miami proper would come over and drink and cause trouble. We call that the "bridge and tunnel crowd".  When suburbanites come in and start taking over "our towns". It's no longer fun at that point.



Gianni Versace was murdered  in 1997.  I really view that as a turning point.  Within a couple years, South Beach was changing. And not in a good way. I was last there in 2004 for the famous Winter Party, which attracts  several thousand gay people. Even with that many gays in town, my partner and I DID NOT feel safe walking  the streets at night.  Straight kids in cars drove past and yelled  "faggots"  at  us   and one car even hurled a bottle at us. We walked in somewhere for a slice of pizza late night and straight teenagers  mumbled "gay this" and "fag that"  under their breath, but loud enough to hear. We were told by locals at that time, that many gays are starting to relocate to Fort Lauderdale.  I have not been back to South Beach since.

It has just gotten worse in the last 5 years as the area has become a late night drinking straight town. This month in the news, gay bashings are on the rise there. State of Florida records stated that 75% of the anti-homosexual hate crimes in Miami-Dade County in 2009 occurred in South Beach/Miami Beach. It's still chic and expensive there. Major developers have invested billions there. But the gays are getting out.

"South Beach isn't the free-spirited haven of gayness it once was." says writer Natalie  O'Neill from  Miami New Times.

Tony Lopez was celebrating the White Party this past November. Another huge gay event which brings thousands into the town. It was 4am and he wandered into a popular place for some take-out food. As he approached the line for food, an aggressive 20-something staggered up to him.

"Got a cigarette?" he asked. Tony shook a Marlboro Mild from the pack and handed him one.

Right then, a gang — Tony remembers four men — "appeared out of the woodwork." They shoved him into the alley behind the restaurant, yelled "Fucking faggot!" and began to punch him. He fell to the ground and tried to shield his head as they kicked him in the face.


(Fort Lauderdale)

O'Neill reports, "In a five-year span, the State Attorney's Office reported 26 incidents, half of which were in Miami Beach. Victims include a lounge singer who was stripped naked and hogtied and a magazine publisher who was viciously beaten.

It's surprising when you consider South Beach's heyday as a sparkling gay playground, where oiled-up boys frolicked between wild foam parties and the hub of hedonism that was the Versace mansion. Nobody thought twice about casual sex in Flamingo Park or flamboyant public fashion shoots, and — at its peak — MTV was even there to glamorize it all." - which really became the downfall of South Beach. It was a  "kept secret" for a while but once it became celebritized by the rich and famous and sensationalized by television and film, it was no longer a  secret!


I am not saying don't go to South Beach. There are still fun clubs and fun parties there.
But YOU MUST BE CAREFUL. Walk in groups and not alone. Especially at night, when most of the trouble starts.

Gay Fort Lauderdale has been a haven for gay and lesbian travelers for decades. But in the last 5 years, it has seen tremendous growth as South Beach shifted.  In addition to being a  very gay friendly city ,  Fort Lauderdale has more than 100 gay-owned establishments including hotels/guesthouses, bars, clubs and restaurants, plus the second largest Metropolitan Community Church congregation in the United States and three gay and lesbian publications. Gay Ft. Lauderdale has three popular gay beach areas on Fort Lauderdale's 23 miles of wide, sandy beach.

Fort Lauderdale continues to reign supreme as one of the most popular gay destinations in North America.

Read more from Natalie O'Neill.

Visit Fort Lauderdale 


Get a Free Fort Lauderdale calendar/planner!


Best Gay News Magazine

 

        

    

The Consitutionally mandated decennial census begins in March.  Will your same-sex relationship be counted?

The task of the US Census is to count every man, woman and child in the country and in the past has measured everything from income, to housing to health insurance, to illegal aliens.  One of the most important tasks of the Census is for the apportionment of seats in the House of Representatives, from which are dervied the total number of electors to the Electoral College - who ultimately vote for our President.

Since 1990 the census has included a designation of "unmarried partner" on the form, it was the first time that same-sex relationships could at least somewhat be acknowledge.  Unfortunately there is no question on the census that allows citizens to designate their sexual identity.

 

This year there are only 10 questions on the form this year, one of the shortest in history.  Adding a question specifically about sexual oritentation will take quite some time to get included, but at least now if you are in a committed relationship you can attempt to be counted. This years census only asks for name, sex, age, date of birth, hispanic origin, race, household, whether you own or rent your home and your relationship. 

You can still make your gay voice be heard by requesting a copy of the sticker at the top of this page and affix it to your US Census envelope when you return it to the government. 

Head over to Queer the Census and request your own sticker to tell the government that we need to be included.

 

From Change.org:

Even though the results aren't officially reported, the raw numbers reveal that 145,000 same-sex couples identified as married or "unmarried partners" in 1990 (before any legal recognition in the U.S. even existed) and close to 600,000 same-sex couples self-reported in 2000. The Obama administration has reversed a Bush-era policy, so in the 2010 Census, a report will be released that outlines official information about same-sex couples. Here are some quick instructions on how to make sure your family is reported correctly.

What Box Do You Check?
If you are in a relationship and you live together, you have two choices. First, one of you will be designated as "Person 1." If there is no clear favorite for who should be the head of household, perhaps you could flip a coin, wrestle for it or hold a lip-synching competition. Whoever doesn't win will be designated as "Person 2." This person is asked how they are related to Person 1. There are 16 choices, but the two that concern you are "husband or wife" and "unmarried partner."

This is the important part: You do not answer based on the actual legal status of your relationship, you answer based on how you personally categorize your relationship. If you are legally married, you will probably mark down "husband or wife," though if you are in a civil union or domestic partnership, yet you still feel married, than you should also mark "husband or wife." If there is no legal recognition of your relationship where you live, but you still consider yourself married, it's also important that you mark "husband or wife."

        

Matthew Bourne’s
legendary all-male Swan Lake is back in London - but only until January 24, and this production, at Sadler’s Wells, has been garnering reviews to equal - or better, those it received at its premiere there in 1995.


The longest running ballet in the history of the West End or Broadway, Bourne’s Swan Lake is based loosely on the romantic Russian original, including its Tchaikovsky music and plot outline, but with stylistic inspiration from Hitchcock’s The Birds, and most startlingly of all, with the traditional female corps de ballet replaced with a menacing male ensemble. At its Broadway premiere, Time Out New York called it “a miracle”.


Touring companies have played to sold-out houses throughout the world,  but now it’s back where it all began, and with extravagant, award-winning designs by Lez Brotherston.

Matthew Bourne’s SWAN LAKE has collected over thirty international theatre awards including three Tonys for the Broadway production and has been widely acclaimed on both sides of the Atlantic as a landmark production on the international stage.






BEST GAY CITIES

        

“Walk with Pride” is a planned 2010-11 project to photograph and document gay pride parades around the globe. Our aim is to promote lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender pride on an international level, while highlighting the similarities and differences in gay rights and gay culture around the world.

Charles “Chad” Meacham (Project Photographer)

Charles was born just outside of Philadelphia, PA, and began traveling immediately after high school.  He picked up a camera at the age of 30, and has since been privileged to win over 20 international awards including those from National Geographic Traveler, Smithsonian, and PDN magazines.  The idea for this project was sparked after months of following the recent debates in America on gay rights issues in the news, and photographing the 2009Taipei Pride event, one of the largest pride parades in Asia.

Sarah Baxter (Project Coordinator)

Sarah Baxter is the blogger for this project, and contact person/organizer.  Born in Athens, Ohio, Sarah enjoys traveling, and has lived and worked in Los Angeles, NE Thailand, North Africa, and most recently in Taipei, Taiwan.



THE  GOAL -

Fourteen months, over 30 high intensity parades, and one straight couple with the ambitious aim of using photography to promote lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and all sorts of pride on an international level.  Through social media they aspire to highlight the similarities and differences in gay rights and gay culture around the world, while surrounded by the frequently “mardi-gras” like atmosphere of the celebrations.



This is a gay issue.
This is a straight issue.
This is a human rights issue.


Walk with Pride blog       Walk with pride on FACEBOOK        Walk with pride YouTube

        

DID  YOU KNOW....


Best Gay Cities


is  now  mobile

on your  phone???






Get Mobile now

with Best Gay Cities!

        

(photo by Philip Blackmon)

STATEMENT FROM MICHAEL CRAWFORD, CO-CHAIR OF D.C. FOR MARRIAGE
ON MAYOR ADRIAN FENTY SIGNING THE D.C. MARRIAGE BILL:

“D.C. for Marriage is elated that Mayor Adrian Fenty has signed the Religious Freedom and Civil Marriage Equality Amendment Act of 2009, following the overwhelming vote in support of marriage equality by City Council on Tuesday. We are blessed to have the continuing strong and diverse support for marriage equality in Washington, D.C from Mayor Fenty, members of the Council, faith leaders, and residents.

"Having the right to legally marry will have an invaluable impact on gay and lesbian people and our families. Our work has always been about ensuring that every child and every parent in the District has the protection of full equality, so we can strengthen both our families and our community.  We are excitedly looking forward to seeing the first couples and their joy as they are finally able to marry, here in the District.

"With today’s bill signing, the District has once again proven its long-time commitment to social justice and equality. We have boldly blazed a trail for the rest of the country by creating a coalition of support among clergy representing many different faiths, and residents of every race, ethnicity and origin in this majority African-American city.  Together, we have ensured that the first jurisdiction in the South to make marriage equality law is our nation’s capital.

"As we now focus on defending marriage equality on Capitol Hill, we remain committed to our outreach and education efforts to unify the D.C. community. Our hope is that, as the federal government takes its first look at a local marriage equality measure, Members of Congress will respect the decision made by D.C.’s democratically elected government and not interfere with the enactment of the bill.

"At the same time, the discrimination-promoting groups who stripped marriage equality from our families in California and Maine now have their sights on D.C., and threaten to force a ballot initiative on same-sex marriage, along the lines of California’s Proposition 8 and Maine’s Question 1.

"In D.C., we believe all people and families should be treated equally. We disagree with outsiders who come into our city to advocate for discrimination against our friends and our neighbors. Their efforts will fail here.

"Mayor Fenty’s signing of the bill today may not end the fight, but we will triumph.  In a matter of months, the work of so many of D.C.’s residents will culminate in full equality for all.”

DC FOR MARRIAGE

        

Started in Boston in December 2000 by five intrepid men, the Santa Speedo Run has attracted thousands to run through the streets of Boston all while raising money for local charities, spreading holiday cheer and having a great time. It has also influenced others in many cities across North America to duplicate the event.

It was  a freezing  20 degrees this weekend  in Boston for the run.  And  a  balmy(?) 50 in San Franciscio. 


Atlanta and Albany joined in the fund-raising as well this year. 

        

Congratulations Houston!

Houston became the largest U.S. city to elect an openly gay mayor, with voters handing a solid victory to City Controller Annise Parker after a hotly contested runoff.

Parker defeated former city attorney Gene Locke with 53.6 percent of the vote Saturday in a race that had a turnout of only 16.5 percent.

"This election has changed the world for the gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered community. Just as it is about transforming the lives of all Houstonians for the better, and that's what my administration will be about," Parker told supporters after Locke conceded defeat.

Parker, 53, has never made a secret or an issue of her sexual orientation. But it became the focus of the race after anti-gay activists and conservative religious groups endorsed Locke and sent out mailers condemning Parker's "homosexual behavior."



BEST GAY CITIES

        

        

        

Out & About Tours is  launching  the first and only gay bus tour in the Hollywood area that reveals, in an entertaining way, the culturally rich, vital and often hidden gay history in the city of Los Angeles and its relevance to our present-day gay experience. It is meant to enlighten, educate and entertain!

Leaving from the ONE Archives LGBT Gallery and Museum in West Hollywood, it passes 100 points of interest as the double-decker bus winds through Hollywood and Los Angeles, "blowing the dust off over a century of closeted stars, underground bars and gay rights battle scars."

The creators of this tour bus have so much to share with out-of-towners and locals alike. You'll learn about places you've never seen and meet people from all walks of life. This tour was crafted with everyone in mind - gay or straight, young or old. There's no other bus to get on in Hollywood! 

Owner  Jim Anzide  says, ""Doing the research for this tour has opened my heart and mind in ways I can't begin to articulate," said Anzide.

"Knowing that people have lost their lives, loved ones, homes, and careers so that I can do something as simple as go to a bar in West Hollywood and dance with my friends, walk hand-in-hand with someone of the same sex or live with the person I love is overwhelming. I felt ungrateful through my ignorance. I knew that I had to be part of educating and empowering my generation and future generations of LGBT people in the best way I know how - through entertainment." 


The official launch is this week! Out & About operates every Saturday and Sunday and alternating Fridays.
Tours run from 1 p.m. and ends at approximately 4 p.m. The $75 ticket includes a full day of fun and education as well as drinks and food available gratis at key stops. Must be 21 or older.
 
Hop on board, grab a cocktail and hang on to your wigs!


The Best Gay Cities

        

Researchers in Texas say they may have found a way to kill the HIV virus. The idea would be used, not only to control the disease for people already infected, but actually prevent infection for anybody who might be at risk!

There is going to be  a  HUGE piece of news released  on  December 1st - World  Aids  Day!

And check this out - Actors, performers, comedians, HIV activists, and scientists come together for this  PSA  to show support for Covalent Immunology, and Dr. Sudhir Paul. The Cast includes Lady Bunny, Justin Bond, Ben Andrews, Angie Pontani, Kristen Renton, Thea Gill, Wilson Cruz, The Pixie Harlots, and Hydeia Broadbent.  

$5 is all it takes - lets face it, a cure and vaccine isn't gonna come from the big pharma, its gonna come from a brilliant scholar/researcher...DR. PAUL!!


WATCH THE VIDEO


END HIV - Covalent Immunology Foundation


READ MORE AT FOX NEWS

Additional Commentary by Lyndon Evans - Focus on the Rainbow

        

So much of Gay Travel seems  geared towards men. Well, this one's for the girls!

Calling all girlfriends to retreat to Canada's Capital - a city bursting with vibrant culture and surrounded by an oasis of natural beauty. This special package caters to all types and budgets by providing the ability to pick and choose.

Spend a couple days shopping, visiting museums and galleries, dining, indulge in a spa treatment or take in a show! Don't forget to check out the funky ByWard Market district, where there's always something happening. It's the perfect scene for a night out on the town with your friends.

Ottawa is an open, friendly and welcoming destination for gay and lesbian travelers. Canada's Capital has an LGBT pedigree that extends back to the first-ever gay and lesbian public demonstration in Canada (1971), and that in recent years included perhaps the most public gay marriage of all time between two gay stars of the TV program The Amazing Race.



The centre of gay and lesbian life is the area around Bank Street and Somerset in the downtown core. The growing gaybourhood has shops and bars and is the home base for local institutions serving the LGBT community.
 
Explore it by day—or by night. But don't feel you have to limit yourself to one neighbourhood. There are things happening all over. On Sunday evenings, for example, there's a lesbian coffee club in suburban Barrhaven. You'll find gays and lesbians all over the city, doing the active things Ottawans do. Check publications such as Capital Xtra for listings and up-to-date information.

And best of all ladies - right now, with the GIRLFRIENDS GETAWAY, you get special pricing and discounts.

Check it out!