SEXY
• SENSUAL • SEDUCTIVE
SPRING
BREAKS
MIAMI
BEACH • KEY WEST • HOUSTON & DALLAS • PALM SPRINGS
• LAS VEGAS • PHOENIX • PHILADELPHIA
by Alex Abad-Santos
The siren’s song of spring may call
the loudest when you’ve finished pulling an all-nighter
and turned in your final exam for the winter semester,
but whether you’re a student, CEO, or an entrepreneur—everyone
needs a chance to “get away from it all” this
time of year. If your dream spring break is lounging poolside,
dancing with the circuit crowd, golfing with the pros,
rallying with the activists, or enjoying some of the nation’s
finest film festivals, there’s something for everyone
this season. Sophisticated to sybaritic, chic shopper
to environmental savior, in this issue of Passport you’ll
find just the right getaway to clear your mind and leave
winter behind.
MIAMI BEACH
With a perpetual lease on the sun, head-turning
residents, and a boundless coastline, Miami continues
to be the warm weather destination for people from around
the world. Among the palm trees and piña coladas,
GLBT travelers will find myriad exciting events from which
to choose.
Miami’s fashionista-eat-fashionista world climaxes
during Miami Fashion Week (http://www.miamifashionweek.com),
April 13–16. Known as the official design event for
the City of Miami Beach and the largest Latin American
fashion event in the U.S., the paparazzi-bait week brings
designers from all over the globe, and over 6,000 guests
to witness the couture spectacles.
Miami’s hot and steamy weather also provides the
perfect temperature for the ever popular Aquagirl (http://www.aquagirl.org)
weekend, May 10–14. At Aquagirl, there truly is something
for every woman that converges on South Beach shores.
Four unique dance parties fill up the nightlife schedule,
while art exhibits, kayaking, pool parties, a jazz brunch,
and a concert max out the daytime itinerary. Expect to
be joined by, and make friends with thousands of the hottest
women from all over the globe. All this partying goes
toward a great cause, as all of Aquagirl’s net proceeds
benefit the Aqua Foundation for Women (AFW). The AFW is
a non-profit organization whose credo is to promote the
equality, strength, health, and visibility of lesbian,
bisexual, and transgender women.
When bikini fatigue hits, take a break from the onslaught
at the Miami Gay and Lesbian Film Festival (http://www.mglff.com),
April 27–May 6. The ninth annual installment of the
event promises to live up to the accolades and prestige
that the past eight years have garnered. The film fest
has traditionally been a beacon of excellence for gay
and lesbian cinema, as well as a springboard for new LGBT-driven
titles in the US.
KEY WEST
While our hetero-counterparts have made
spring break synonymous with puka shell necklaces, boardshorts,
backward baseball caps, ill-advised cornrows, mugging
in front of a camera, beer funnels, and embarrassment,
there’s no doubt that it looks like they’re
having fun. This year, Key West will tap into that same
vein of fun (sans the side order of regret) and host
their very own Gay Spring Break (http://www.gayspringbreak.org).
It’s guaranteed that the masterminds behind Gay
Spring Break will find a way to bring sexy back to spring,
while at the same time reinventing the MTV-branded,
alcohol-induced tomfoolery we’ve all come to expect.
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With the help of local businesses, from
February 16 through April 8, Key West will transform
itself into a hedonistic gay playground. The atmosphere
of the island will induce one of the biggest gay parties
that the US will see this year. Thumping dance parties,
men-only and women-only events, vibrant pool parties,
naughty boat parties, sunny beach parties, lighthearted
contests, meet and greet events, and recreational activities
on the barrier reef are just a fraction of the 150 planned
events that organizers have on tap (if you do the math,
that’s nearly 25 events per week).
The festivities never stop as Tropical Heat Key West (http://www.fla-keys.com/newsletter),
April 12–15, follows Gay Spring Break. Guaranteed
to make the Keys feel a little hotter, Tropical Heat is
a GLBT adult playground of sorts. The long weekend lends
itself to ten events, each offering a unique type of adult
fun. So it’s best to turn in your taxes early, pack
your bags, lather on the sunscreen, and be sure to check
your inhibitions before you step onto the island.
HOUSTON & DALLAS
This season, party monsters
should head to the Lonestar State as two of Texas’
biggest cities host two of the largest circuit parties
of 2007.
Everything’s bigger in Texas, and Houston’s
Jungle 15 (http://www.junglehouston.com)
April 5–8, holds the bragging rights as the biggest
and baddest circuit party in a state obsessed with size.
Join over 1,500 primal partiers and “Return to
the Jungle” for the 15th installment of this great
party. Organized by the Bayou City Boys Club (BCBC),
Jungle has been a prominent fundraiser, and over the
years the BCBC has donated nearly $700,000 to Houston
area HIV/AIDS organizations.
Next up is the Dallas Purple Party (http://www.dallaspurpleparty.com).
From April 27–29, join thousands of guests, don
your violet attire, and party for two great causes.
The lavender lollapalooza raises funds to help fight
the spread of AIDS and to support breast cancer research.
The Purple Foundation, host of the Purple Party, has
donated over $50,000 to the AIDS Services of Dallas
program, which provides housing to low income or homeless
men, women, and children living with AIDS.
PALM SPRINGS
The Labor Day hoopla concerning
white attire doesn’t apply in perpetually sunny
Southern California, and Jeffrey Sanker’s Palm
Springs White Party (http://www.jeffreysanker.com),
April 6–9, might be the biggest collection of rule-breakers
before Memorial Day. Palm Springs swells with muscles,
sweat, and delirious music during Sanker’s spring
break extravaganza. The crown jewel of all circuit parties
has been known to send men into a four-day, non-stop,
dancing tizzy. The sexy party, in coordination with
many Palm Springs businesses, has given over 15 years
of contributions to the Desert AIDS Project and other
organizations.
Girls just wanna have fun in Palm Springs too! While
the White Party brings the boys to the yard, Dinah Shore
Weekend, March 28–April 1, is quite possibly the
largest lesbian gathering in the world. Cool off poolside
at one of The Dinah (http://www.thedinah.com)
events: swim/dance parties, the L Word pool party, the
White Diamonds dance party, opening and closing night
galas, and several cocktail receptions. The Dinah also
showcases great comedic and entertainment performances,
as well as lesbian-centric celebrities—D-lister
Kathy Griffin, the outspoken Sandra Bernhard, workout
fanatic Jackie Werner, non-blonde Linda Perry, and the
earthy, neo-soul India.Arie are all on slate to appear
this year.
Two sets of events are better than one, especially for
a lesbian milestone event like Dinah Shore Weekend.
Girl Bar shares the same spring dates with their Girl
Bar Dinah Shore Week 2007 (http://www.dinahshoreweekend.com)
bolstered by the Pure WHITE dance bash, the epic RA
party, and celebrity guests Lucy Lawless, Carmen Electra,
CeCe Peniston, and Caroline Rhea.
Continued
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On
the Road, A Mini Gay Film Fest