Nobody puts Channing Tatum in the Corner!

There's a weird video going around of Channing Tatum playing Patrick Swayze as Johnny Castle in Dirty Dancing (and guest starring Charlyne Yi as Baby). Who knows what the video was made for, but I found it interesting, if just to see Channing Tatum shirtless. (Ladies if you ever find sexy-but-still-safe-for-work vids or photos that catch your attention, please send them my way--what can I say, my gaydar, likes and dislikes just happen to be biased towards the male variety. I need some help expanding the blogs tastes with fun little videos and links like these.)



The crazy thing about this video is that I'm not sure it's very entertaining. It reminded me of the eerie Jonas Brothers video where (quasi-gay?) Joe dances to Beyonce's Single Ladies. It's obviously to promote something, but it just isn't that good, and Justin did it better anyways. But I'll give it to soon-to-be-G.I. Joe, he is yummy.

Your thoughts?

CA Gov slashes HIV/AIDS funding attempting to fix budget; thousands affected

This just in via late-night Joe.My.God. What activists had feared (and what I posted about on Friday) has happened:

The AIDS Healthcare Foundation laments: "Today’s cuts to HIV/AIDS programs include: an 80% reduction in funding for Education & Prevention, a 70% cut in HIV Counseling and Testing, a 50% cut for Early Intervention (that provides primary medical care), a 100% cut in Therapeutic Monitoring Program (the program that monitors the effectiveness of HIV/AIDS drugs administered through the state’s AIDS Drug Assistance Program), a 20% cut in Housing and more than a 50% cut in funding for Home and Community-Based Care."

Even more of a reason to get involved and donate time and energy to the Napa Valley AIDS Walk and other similar health fundraisers.

Napa Valley AIDS Walk planning begins

Planning for the Napa Valley Unity League's yearly October event, the Napa Valley AIDS Walk is getting underway. You can get involved:

2009 AIDS Walk Napa Valley Get Involved Today!

Contact Scott at (707) 738-4040 or e-mail info@napavalleyunityleague.org to help plan the event or to get more information

With budget cuts and a tough economy it’s more important than ever to help!

As we mentioned on Friday, California's budget crisis is also causing a crisis for funding for patients with HIV/AIDS in the State. It's a shame if we all don't get involved in both.

Big gay wine tasting bus back to Napa with Fernando & Greg, August 1

After the big, gay success of their first trip to Napa for wine tasting, Fernando and Greg are coming back to Napa (with the big gay bus full of their friends) on Saturday, August 1st.

This time they're starting at Artesa heading to "the Room" at Flora Springs and then ending their debauchery atop Sterling. Tickets for those coming up from San Francisco are $75, but I say we crash the party at each stop. We can be wino roadies (with designated drivers, of course).

Unity League involved in Relay for Life Napa this weekend

At the inspiration of Rick Turko, the Unity League has a group in Napa's Relay for Life (an American Cancer Society fundraiser) this year, happening this weekend. There are still a myriad of ways for any of us to get involved and support the cause:

Cancer affects EVERYONE!

It doesn't matter whether you're gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgendered or straight.

And this weekend (July 25-26, 2009) the Napa Valley Unity League is going to help do something about it! “Team Unity League” takes to the track at Napa Valley College for the American Cancer Society’s Relay for Life.

Help support our efforts:

• Walk with us. Just commit to walking around the track at Napa Valley College for one hour (or more) between 10 am on Saturday, July 25 and 9 am on Sunday, July 26. It’ll be FUN! Send an e-mail to info@napavalleyunityleague.org with the hour(s) you are available to participate.
• Take the next step – help raise money. Sign up here to join Team Unity League. If you raise $100 in donations you’ll receive a Napa Valley Relay for Life T-Shirt!
• Make a donation to the American Cancer Society on behalf of Team Unity League or one of our participants. You can do so on-line at http://main.acsevents.org/goto/unityleague. Don’t want to use your credit card on-line? Mail us a check payable to the “American Cancer Society” and we’ll make sure it gets credited to Team Unity League’s fundraising tally. Send it before Friday, July 24 to:

Napa Valley Unity League
Relay for Life
PO Box 125
Napa, CA 94559-0125

• Know someone battling cancer? Maybe you’ve lost a loved one. Buy a luminaria in their honor or memory. You can do that here. The luminarias will be lit at 9pm on Saturday, July 25. It should be a very powerful time during the event.
• Are you a cancer survivor? Participate in the “Survivors Lap” at 9 am on Saturday, July 25. Sign-up here.
• Join in when all of us take the final lap around 9 am on Sunday, July 26. Walk with us or be there to cheer us on.

Questions? Send them to info@napavalleyunityleague.org. We’ll get right back to you.

REMEMBER – One in Three People will receive a cancer diagnosis in their lifetime. Let’s help put an end to this during our lifetimes!

CA Gov may cut HIV/AIDS funding: take action TODAY

Urgent health/political news via the tipline:

“EQCA has learned that the Governor may use his line-item veto power to cut funding for essential HIV/AIDS health services. If he does, thousands of people will be left without the care their lives depend on.

Call the Governor at (916) 445-2841 and also e-mail him using EQCA’s Action Center. Tell him not to ‘blue pencil’ any funds that would support state HIV/AIDS programs.

Last night, the Senate passed a budget that makes relatively modest reductions to HIV/AIDS programs rather than the draconian cuts that were proposed by the Governor in May. The Assembly is expected to so the same this morning. It was your advocacy that has helped legislative leaders to fend off the Governor’s dangerous proposals so far.

But the fight is not over. More than $80 million in cuts to essential HIV counseling, testing, education and monitoring programs for people living with HIV/AIDS are on the line.

Act right now or it may be too late!”

See also TheseCutsWontHeal.com for more good info and action steps to pass along.

Harry Potter is gay

I love me some Harry Potter! For anyone and everyone else who does, too, or who has caught "sixth movie" fever this week, here's a little bit of fun, embedded as a video on the site. Looks like Dumbledore might not be the only undercover gay in the series...



Whatcha think? And in other news, did any of you see the new movie?

Thanks to Queerty for the tip.

Napa and marriage equality: Thoughts on last night's meeting

What are your thoughts on last night's marriage equality meeting held in Napa?

Napa winegrower's go nude (again) for calendar fundraiser

This year's "Napa Uncovered", a 12 month calendar featuring local "wine growers, ranchers and winery owners from the Napa Valley Farm Bureau" is now available for ordering from their website.

The featured local "farmers" range in age from 25-59 and as one commented about the cause: "‘Napa Uncovered’ highlights the farm bureau’s efforts to promote land conservation and sustainable agriculture,” said Nissen, vineyard manager, Nissen Vineyard Services, Inc., and seen as “Mr. October” in the new calendar. “I declined the offer to model the first time but changed my mind this time because it was for a good cause. It also proved to be a lot of fun.”

Calendars, which sell for $23, can be purchased at www.napauncovered.com. The limited edition autographed calendar sells for $40. Proceeds support Napa County agricultural preservation.

Unfortunately the website (and even the whole internets?) do not offer any other photos or enlarged images for preview, so I have yet to choose a favorite, although it looks like a fun gift for those who like the lighter side of the Napa lifestyle.

Get Engaged Tour, Napa, July 15: "Are We Ready for 2010?!", Napa organizers ask

Local LGBT equality organizers are working to make sure we keep marriage equality on our radars. Next up is a forum on Wednesday, July 15 in Napa at Kennedy Park:

A Forum to explore strategies to return California to an “equality” state

A broad statewide coalition of LGBT marriage equality activists and our straight allies are gathering across California to help make that decision.

The “Get Engaged Tour” is an opportunity for local communities to…

• Learn the most recent polling data on public opinion related to marriage equality
• Determine the opportunities and challenges of returning to the polls in 2010 or 2012
• Understand what is happening legislatively at the Federal level and what can be done locally to support those efforts
• Measure our commitment to a ”Repeal Prop 8” initiative
• Provide local input on what Napa Valley would like to see and needs in a campaign
• Begin to organize, strategize and take action

Attend the Get Engaged Meeting in Napa!

Wednesday, July 15th – 7 to 9pm
Pelusi Building – J. F. Kennedy Park
2296 Streblow Drive, Napa

Current polling data shows that we need everyone to “Get Engaged” today to win marriage equality tomorrow. The Get Engaged Tour is our first step. If we empower our grassroots community with the necessary support to do the work that needs to be done…we can win.

Time is crucial and it is short! To properly conduct an initiative campaign in 2010, the decision to move forward must be made by the end of July! The Get Engage Tour community feedback needs to be submitted prior to a Statewide Leadership Summit tentatively scheduled for Saturday July 25th to take place in the Inland Empire.

Some of the sponsors of the Get Engaged Tour…

Marriage Equality USA, Human Rights Campaign, Courage Campaign,

Equality California, Napa Valley Equality Coalition, Napa Valley Unity League

A more complete list of coalition partners is available at www.getengagedtour.org

For more information about the Napa Valley event, contact Paul Boisvert: pboisvert1@yahoo.com or Renee Fannin: rfannin907@aol.com – 858-353-2422

Mamma Mia this Fri, July 10; Summer sing-a-longs at Napa Opera House

How did this slip under my radar? Fabulously fun sing-a-longs, popular for years at the Castro and other old-time theaters (even as close as Vallejo's Empress theater) are coming to the Napa Opera House this summer, starting this Friday, July 10:

Summer Movie Sing-a-Long:
Mamma Mia!
Friday, July 10, 7PM
$12, Rated PG-13

A sublime song every five minutes, and you’ll know every word with supertitles provided! Get your vocal pipes ready to belt out a bevy of those delectable percolating tunes from the never-to-be-forgotten disco pop era.

Media partner Sonoma Valley Sun

The next showing, and final in the series will be Hairspray, on Friday, July 24th.

Fixed It! Click through to Valley's Other Fruit now works

Okay. I think I fixed it. Users on Internet Explorer should be able to click through to the site and read our happy little local gay page again. (Please spread the word that the blog "works" now to those friends and gays of yours that had since given up!)

For the nerds that read the fruit (or the tech-curious), here was the problem. And, technically, I didn't "fix it", it's a temporary workaround. There's seems to be a bad interaction with something going on at Blogger servers and with Internet Explorer.

I'm an advocate of faster, safer, more fun browsers anyways, so try here to get away from old, slow, boring (and many times broken) Internet Explorer.

YES, you can click something else besides that blue "e" to get online!

Here are my browser faves:

• Download Mozilla's Firefox
• Download Google's Chrome

Video from Napa's 4th of July Parade; LGBTQ & ally contingents marched

I didn't get to attend Napa's big, new 4th of July Parade this year, but I heard it was wonderful. With the theme, "Freedom for Everyone" (the full parade's theme this year was "Let Freedom Ring"), Napa's LGBTQ contingents and allies brought some bright color and fun to the parade.

I am not sure, but this might be the first time the gays have marched openly in Napa in a non-gay themed parade. Use the comments if you know or know otherwise. Thanks to friend of The Fruit, Cathy, we have video to share of the Unity League and PFLAG (Napa Equality Coalition and others?) contingents, embedded on the site:

Napa Unity League monthly Mixer, Monday, July 6

Yup, it's that time of the month...

Join us at RiverPointe Napa Valley (500 Lincoln Avenue in Napa) as we mix & mingle from 6 to 8 pm. Pizza from Mary’s Pizza Shack will be on the menu. The cost? A $5.00 suggested donation to offset expenses. Feel free to bring a bottle of wine, a six-pack of beer, some soda and/or nibbles to share. We meet on the 2nd floor of the Clubhouse building.

On the agenda – information about Relay for Life (see below) & results from the Silent Auction & Balloon Raffle that was held at the Beringer Twilight T-Dance to benefit the CARE Network at Queen of the Valley Medical Center. You’ll also be able to purchase Napa Valley Pride rainbow wristbands and sign up to help with the Napa Valley AIDS Walk.

Monday, July 6, 2009, 6:00pm - 8:00pm @ RiverPointe Napa Valley (500 Lincoln Avenue, Napa).

Click here for previous Unity League meetings and info from The Valley's Other Fruit. Click here to go to the Unity League's official site.

Napa LGBTQ & allies in 4th of July parade, Saturday: come join us!

photo by dbking

Napa's queer organizers are at it again, in a very good way...and looks like our home-town Fourth of July Parade might finally get some brighter color in it!

I just got invited via Facebook, and thought I'd include all the friends of The Fruit, too:

COME MARCH WITH US AT NAPA'S FOURTH OF JULY PARADE THIS SATURDAY!

The Parade Theme this year is "LET FREEDOM RING"

OUR CONTINGENT WILL PROUDLY MARCH WITH THE THEME OF “FREEDOM FOR EVERYONE”

Participating Organizations are Napa Valley Unity League, Napa Valley Equality Coalition, PFLAG, LGBT Youth & their supportive friends and others

WHEN: SATURDAY, JULY 4TH

IF YOU WANT TO MARCH, JOIN US at 10:00 AM - at 3rd Street and Wilson in front of the Register Building. We're contingent number 30a.

WEAR your favorite colorful t-shirt with a gay-positive message on it and/or bring a sign to carry with a message appropriate for the event.

THE PARADE WILL BEGIN at 11:30 AM and is estimated to last 1.5 hours

The parade goes all the way down 5th to Coombs, Right on Coombs, then a LEFT on 4th and disbands at 4th and Randolph. So you can have a great view along 5th, or Coombs or 4th Street. The parade is estimated to last 1.5 hours – prepare yourself for a hot day (bring water and sunscreen)

If you have any questions please contact Renee rfannin907@aol.com

For the full invite or to RSVP online, visit the invite's Facebook page. Thoughts on the theme of our contingent? Napa's parades in general? Your participation (or non-participation)? Plans for the 4th?

rainbow umbrella marcher photo by thaths

Gay sex decriminalized in India: BREAKING NEWS

Late Wednesday night California time, the Indian Delhi High Court decriminalized consensual gay sex for the capital of the country.

The ruling says that treating consensual gay sex as a crime is a violation of fundamental rights protected by the constitution...

...Sex between people of the same gender has been illegal in India since British colonial times and can be punishable by up to 10 years in prison.

As Joe.My.God poignantly made note of earlier in the day, due to India's enormous population, "Even if only 5% of India is gay, this ruling will affect the lives of over 50 million of our people."

Napa Guerrilla Gay Bar goes to Jonesy's @ the Airport, Sat, July 11

Since Napa has no gay bars, the "Guerrilla Gay Bar" finds a nice (or fun or interesting or at the very least kitschy) spot for us LGBT folk to go check out every couple of weeks or so.

We've had fabulous times at: Henry's (a locals' fave Napa dive), Compadres (great river patio celebration of our blogoversary), Pancha's (iconic down-home Yountville dive), Silo's (new-ish Jazz destination in downtown Napa), Mary's Pizza (community benefit fundraiser), Bardessono (upscale Pride kickoff and cocktails poolside)...

...and now Napa Guerrilla Gay Bar is showing up in force at Jonesy's Famous Steakhouse...at the Napa Airport:

Jonesy's Famous Steak House
2044 Airport Road
at the Napa County Airport just south of Napa

Saturday, July 11, 2009
starting at 7:00 pm

The cocktail lounge at Jonesy's will be the perfect location for aerial maneuvers - you can almost imagine Goose and Maverick singing "You've Lost That Loving Feeling" to the recently out Kelly McGillis when you walk in.

Here's the intel:

* Jonesy's has a full bar - and will have drink specials just for us
* They offer appetizers in their bar - and are working on a food special or two as well
* Their "special potatoes" are legendary and they have their own brand of Bleu Cheese Dressing
* "Prime Rib Friday & Saturday Nights" may provide the reason for many of our carnivorous troops to move into the restaurant after a cocktail or two

Anyone ever been to Jonesy's? Who's down to check it out w/ the Guerrilla Gay Bar?