Gay Travel Blog - Passport Magazine

Happy Birthday Rosie Perez!

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One of our all time favorite actresses is celebrating her birthday today. Rosie Perez is someone we always look forward to seeing, whether it's on TV, in the Theatre, or in movies. She was nominated for an Academy Award for her Performance in "Fearless", and has received numerous awards and nominations for her work as an actress, dancer, choreographer, and director. Add to this her commitment to human rights and you'll know why we love her so much.

Cheers Rosie!

Video highlights after the jump.

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Devastating Earthquake Hits Christchurch New Zealand

Image: www.theage.com.au

A 7.1 magnitude earthquake struck Christchurch yesterday causing widespread damage.

For a comprehensive report and photos of the Earthquake in Christchurch click here

Global Cocktail

Raspberry Lime Rickey

Here's a little something to help you celebrate this weekend. It's a long, holiday weekend in the USA (Labor Day) so make sure to invite your friends over for a few of these tasty cocktails.

Ingredients
2 oz. ABSOLUT Raspberri
1 oz Grand Marnier
Splash of simple syrup
Splash of homemade lime juice

Instructions
Shake ingredients together and pour over raspberry- and lime-infused ice cubes. Top with soda water and serve alongside a shot of fresh homemade raspberry reduction, which should be poured into the glass.

Check out similar summer recipes at Nightclub & Bar Magazine.

Cocktail Music

Crystal Castles

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Producer Ethan Kath and vocalist Alice Glass, the duo behind Crystal Castles, have grabbed attention far beyond their Ontario home base. With their experimental electronic tunes, they’re now known for their lo-fi productions and wild live shows. Since teaming up in 2004, the two have been unafraid to do their own thing. What else can you expect from a band whose name comes from references to the sky fortress of cartoon heroine She-Ra, He-Man’s twin sister. Since then they’ve released several vinyl EPs and two albums, including their debut record—ranked “Top 50 Greatest Albums of the Decade” by NME Magazine. Their sound has been called “a nuanced emotional territory that dance music never covered before.” Give them a listen, and explore new musical boundaries.

More videos after the jump...but some are unofficial.
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Protect The Clean Air Act

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Most would agree that we all have a right to clean air. Now what if a law could save forests from acid rain, reduce the amount of kids developing asthma, save our country $22 trillion in the next 20 years, and shrink the hole in the ozone layer? No, it isn’t just a figment of an overactive, eco-conscious imagination. The Clean Air Act has the potential to do all of that. Currently though, the fossil fuel industry is working against the section of this law that lets the Environmental Protection Agency limit greenhouse gas pollution. Cutting this provision would not only cripple the act but also set us back in economic, health, and environmental progress. Take a stand with the Climate Protection Action Fund in support of the Clean Air Act. Join Alec Baldwin, Kris Kristofferson, and many others by adding your own photo or video to their Repower America campaign by midnight on September 10. Click here to defend our clean air.

Spice Girls Musical in Pre-Production

We've been hearing rumors swirling that a musical was in the works featuring the great works of the Spice Girls, but now we've got some concrete details. The show, titled Viva Forever, isn't going to be about the Spice Girls themselves, but about a reality TV show. Producer Judy Craymer said, "We live in a world dominated by people wanting to be famous. What the Spice Girls did was before those shows became really what they are, and before the world become slightly obsessed by such shows. Viva Forever will encompass the Spice Girls ethos of friendship, identity and being true to yourself, it won't be a tribute or bio show, nor will it feature characters with any of the names of the famous five piece."

In case this sounds plain awful to you, Craymer is behind both the ABBA musical and Mamma Mia!

Mel B said, "All five of us are really super excited. We don't do anything unless all five agree. All of us loved Mamma Mia!. We needed someone who would have a great vision alongside ours."

Catholic Church Fires Springfield Dean of Students For Getting Married!

Cathedral High School athletic director and dean of students, Christine Judd. Photo via MassLive.com.

Christine Judd, the athletic director and dean of students at Cathedral High School in Springfield, Massachussetts, lost her job this week after marrying her female partner. While same-sex marriage has been legal in the state since 2004, it still violated the religious principles followed by the Roman Catholic Diocese of Springfield. After a meeting Wednesday, Judd was no longer an employee of the diocese’s school system. Her departure was labeled as a resignation.

According to Judd, however, she “ was given a choice of termination or resignation.” In regards to her marriage this summer, she recounted, “I was hoping that my loyalty, my professionalism the last 12 years would superseded the current hypocrisy that has already been shown with the Diocese of Springfield.” By hypocrisy, Judd meant the other diocese employees who divorce and remarry without an annulment, who use birth control or violate other Catholic policies.

Mark E. Dupont, a spokesman for the Roman Catholic Diocese of Springfield maintained that Judd resigned, but he refused to respond to her comments or the issue of her same-sex marriage.

Although exploring her legal options, Judd had kind words for her former workplace and claims the high school had nothing to do with it. She commented, “I’m hurt, but I was nothing but the best for Cathedral, its students, the parents, the athletic teams, administration and faculty” [MassLive.com].

Kylie Minogue's Ferocious New Video "Get Outta My Way"

What a great way to start off a Friday! Kylie released her newest video for her single "Get Outta My Way." We couldn't be more excited about this video...her hot pants are back!

Dumbo Arts Festival

"Sushi" by Nung Hsin Hu. Image via NungHsinHu.com.

Craving a free, three-day, arts fix? Luckily, the Dumbo Arts Festival is back September 24-26. Appropriately named “Arts Bonanza,” this year’s edition boasts a rich lineup of live concerts, musical workshops, parades, dancing, performance art, and fantastic installations. No part of Dumbo’s waterfront will be spared, as the arts extravaganza takes over its street corners, parks, bridges, studios, and other venues. Peruse the creative wares of visual artists like Barnaby Furnas and Jennifer Williams, or listen as author Jonathan Lethem reads from his latest work Chronic City. Enjoy an array of musical acts from pianist Rob Schwimmer to Adam Matta, the human beatbox. Choose from live performances like Sarah Small’s racy “Tableau Vivant Series” (models in various stages of undress), to Nung Hsin Hu's quirky installation "Sushi," to the family-friendly “Acrobuffos” water balloon gladiator show. With more than 500 local and international artists on site, there’s bound to be some form of self-expression to suit any visitor’s taste. Click here for more information.

Real Housewives of New Jersey Raise Money For Marriage Equality and Chat With PASSPORT

Last night, "The Real Housewives of New Jersey,” minus Danielle Staub, made their off-Broadway debut in “My Big Gay Italian Wedding.” The ladies, including Caroline’s daughter and Jacqueline’s daughter, performed to a packed theatre to raise money for Marriage Equality New York. The crowd ate up every second of their time on stage, and their performances even had the crowd murmuring, “Wow, they are actually really good!” The show with the RHONJ is sold out for this engagement, but tickets are on sale for an encore performance from Oct. 20-23.

Big laughs came when the ladies poked fun at themselves and in Theresa’s short time on stage as the minister where she called one of the girl’s in the crowd a prostitution whore—the crowd went wild.

The breakout star of the evening was the “you mess with my family” Caroline Manzo who played an overly-emotional, Italian mother—maybe the role wasn’t quite a stretch for Manzo, who grew up in an extremely Italian household where “I’m about to have a heart attack…get me a chair” drama isn’t all that uncommon. “You were the breakout star tonight,” I told Manzo. “OMG, thank you. I have no experience!” We'll ignore the opening-night jitters, but all-in-all it was a wedding we'd go to again.

We wanted to catch up with some of the ladies and find out why they decided to leave their pallazi and hit the stage to raise money for gay and lesbian rights.

Find out what they had to say after the jump.

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