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Summer packs plenty of options for LGBT travelers

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Image courtesy of Georgia Voice

After a long, miserable winter, many LGBT Washingtonians are ready to hit the road — or the runway, or the cruise ship — as the summer travel season heats up.

“Travel remains a very important need for gay people,” says Bob Witeck, CEO of Witeck-Combs Communications, which studies LGBT consumers.
 Even the economy isn’t enough to keep gay travelers housebound this time of year, he notes.

“What we keep finding over and over again is that gay people are not immune to what is going on in the economy, but what seems different is they are cutting back less on certain things, and travel is one of them,” Witeck says. “They desire to keep traveling more than other people.”

Witeck points to his firm’s poll conducted last April — when the recession was worse — to show that LGBT travelers weren’t cutting back on travel as much as their heterosexual counterparts even then.

Asked about airline travel for summer 2009, 62 percent of LGBT survey respondents said their travel plans would stay the same or increase, compared to only 36 percent of heterosexuals.

Overall travel budgets showed similar trends: 58 percent of LGBT respondents said they would spend the same amount or more, compared to 49 percent of heterosexuals.

“We are driven by destination and event travel too, whether we are talking about gay sporting events or gay parties,” Witeck notes.

In other words, gay travel is often motivated not only by places to visit, but by the desire to meet up with LGBT people from around the country or even around the world, and experience what it feels like to be in the majority.

Sure, we sometimes just go to the beach, but we also go to gay Memorial Day in Pensacola or Sizzle in Miami.

Whatever your travel preferences, there is likely an LGBT-inclusive option. Like getting back to nature? Visit a gay-owned campground, take a lesbian white water rafting trip, make the trek to the Michigan Womyn’s Music Festival, or even attend “Camp” Camp, a summer camp for gay adults.

Prefer hitting the seas? Many mainstream cruise lines have special gatherings for LGBT travelers, while gay and lesbian travel companies like Atlantis, Olivia, R Family Vacations and Sweet offer LGBT-exclusive trips.

And don’t forget Pride festivals as a destination, including San Francisco (June 26-27) and New York City (June 19-27).

Here is a rundown of LGBT events happening this summer:

JUNE

NewFest: New York LGBT Film Festival
, June 3-13 in New York City, 
www.newfest.org

Capital Pride, June 4-13 in Washington, D.C., 
www.capitalpride.org

Boston Pride Week
, June 4-13 in Boston, Mass., 
www.bostonpride.org

Key West Pride Fest, 
June 9-13 in Key West, Fla., 
www.gaykeywestfl.com

Indie Grrl Fest, 
June 11-13 in Mineral Bluff, Ga., 
www.indiegrrl.com/festivals

LA Pride
, June 11-13 in West Hollywood, Calif., 
http://lapride.org

Stonewall Street Festival & Parade
, June 19 in Wilton Manors, Fla., 
www.pgfl.net

Berlin Christopher Street Day, 
June 19 in Berlin, Germany, 
www.csd-berlin.de

Nashville Pride
, July 19 in Nashville, Tenn.
, www.nashvillepride.org

New York City Pride, 
June 19-27
June 27 march headliners: Lt. Dan Choi, 
Judy Shepard, Constance McMillen, 
www.nycpride.org

R First-Ever European Cruise
 For LGBT families, friends
, June 20-27
, www.rfamilyvacations.com

South Carolina Black Pride
, June 24-27 in Columbia, S.C.
, www.southcarolinablackpride.com

Emerald Coast PrideFest, 
June 26 in Panama City, Fla., 
www.emeraldcoastpride.org

Pride Houston
, June 26 in Houston, Texas
, www.pridehouston.org

San Francisco Pride, 
June 26-27, 
www.sfpride.org

St. Pete Pride Promenade & Festival, 
June 26 in St. Petersburg, Fla., 
www.stpetepride.org

Chicago Pride Parade
, June 27 in Chicago, Ill., 
www.chicagopridecalendar.org

Seattle Pride Fest, June 27 in Seattle, Wash., 
www.seattlepridefest.com

Windy City Black Gay Pride, 
June 30-July 5 in Chicago, Ill.
, www.windycityblackpride.org

JULY

National Women’s Music Festival, 
July 1-4 in Middleton, Wisc., 
www.wiaonline.org

Los Angeles Black Pride, 
July 1-5 in Los Angeles, Calif., 
www.atbla.com

EuroPride 2010
, July 8-18 in Warsaw, Poland, 
www.Europride2010.eu

QFest: Philadelphia International LGBT Film Fest, 
July 8-19 in Philadelphia, Pa., 
www.phillycinema.org

Provincetown Bear Week, 
July 10-18 in Provincetown, Mass., 
www.ptownbears.org

R Family Club Med Ixtapa, Mexico
 For LGBT families, friends, July 10-17, 
www.rfamilyvacations.com

Miami Beach Bruthaz, 
July 15-18 in Miami, Fla., 
www.miamibeachbruthaz.com

Bone Island Bare it All Weekend
, July 15-18 in Key West, Fla.
, 
www.nakedkeywest.com

Pride London, July 15-25 in London, England, 
www.Pridelondon.ca

San Diego LGBT Pride, 
July 17-18 in San Diego, Calif.
, www.Sandiegopride.org

Olivia’s Provence to Burgundy, France Cruise, 
July 20-27, 
www.olivia.com

Girl Splash
, July 21-25 in Provincetown, Mass. 
Headliners: Sandra Bernhard, Kate Clinton, 
Vickie Shaw, Jennie McNulty, 
www.provincetownforwomen.com

Atlantis Events’ Copenhagen to Amsterdam, 
European Gay Pride Cruise, 
July 29 – Aug. 8
, www.atlantisevents.com

LGBT Family Week
, July 31- Aug. 7 in Provincetown, Mass., 
www.familyequality.org

Sweet Hawaiian Islands Cruise
, July 31 – Aug. 7
, 
www.discoversweet.com

Gay Games 2010, 
July 31 – Aug. 7 in Cologne, Germany, 
www.games-cologne.de

The Pines Party
, July 31 in Fire Island Pines, NY, 
www.pinesparty.com

AUGUST

Michigan Womyn’s Music Festival
, Aug. 3-8, 
Performers include: Indigo Girls, Betty, Ferron, Bitch, Toshi Reagon, Sia, The Butchies, 
www.michfest.com

Amsterdam Gay Pride
, Aug. 5-8 in Amsterdam, Netherlands, 
www.amsterdamgaypride.nl

FamilyFest in Las Vegas
, Aug. 6-8 in Las Vegas, Nev., 
www.familyfestlasvegas.com

Queer West Arts & Culture Festival, Aug. 7 – Aug. 15 in West Toronto, Ontario, Canada
, www.queerwest.org

R Family Vacations Summer Reunion
, Western Caribbean Cruise
, Aug. 14-21, 
www.rfamilyvacations.com

Provincetown Carnival
, Aug. 15-21 in Provincetown, Mass.
, www.ptown.org

Montreal Pride
, Aug. 12-15 in Montreal, Canada, 
www.fiertemontrealpride.com

Sweet Salmon River Rafting
, Aug. 16-21 in Stanley, Idaho, 
Rafting and wilderness camping 
by lesbian travel company Sweet, 
www.discoversweet.com

Atlantis Events Cruise: Italy to Greece
, Aug. 16–24, 
www.atlantisevents.com

Tropical Heat in Key West, 
Aug. 19-22 in Key West, Fla., 
www.TropicalHeatKW.com

‘Camp’ Camp, 
Aug. 22-29 in Kezar Falls, Maine
 Summer camp for LGBT adults, 
www.campcamp.com

Atlantis Events: Greece to Spain Cruise, 
Aug. 24 – Sept. 2, 
www.atlantisevents.com

South Carolina Pride
, Aug. 25 – Sept. 6 in Columbia, S.C.
 Rally: Sept. 4, 
www.scpride.org

SEPTEMBER

New Orleans Southern Decadence, 
Sept. 1 – Sept. 6, 
www.southerndecadence.com

Splash Days in Austin
, Sept. 3-6 in Austin, Texas, 
www.splashdays.com

Sweet Cozumel Palace Resort
, Sept. 4- 11 in Cozumel, Mexico
, 
www.discoversweet.com

Key West Womenfest
, Sept. 7-12 in Key West, Fla., 
www.womenfest.com

Savannah Pride
, Sept. 11 in Savannah, Ga., 
www.Savpride.com

Key West Bear Fest
, Sept. 16-19 in Key West, Fla., 
www.keywestbearfest.com

North Carolina Pride
, Sept. 25 in Durham / Raleigh, N.C., 
www.ncpride.org

Folsom Street Fair, 
Sept. 26 in San Francisco, Calif., 
www.folsomstreetevents.org

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Real Estate

Don’t procrastinate buying your home

Some experts predict rates will fall in June

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Spring is in the air and it’s a great time to buy a new home.

As springtime fills the air, cherry blossoms are blooming, much of the year still lies ahead and many have started to think about how they are progressing with their 2024 goals. If the dream of buying a house was put on hold when the interest rates went from 3% to almost 8%, and life got in the way of an idea that had gotten onto your to-do list, maybe now is the time to dust it off. 

Mortgage lender Tina Del Casale from Sandy Spring Bank says, “There is still hope the Fed will be happy with inflation numbers by June to finally pull the trigger on lowering interest rates.”  

The rates might not be as low as they were in 2021, but historically, they are still not as high as they were 20 years ago. Some people’s parents remember getting interest rates that were 12%, 14% or even higher.   

One of the biggest questions I get at homebuyer seminars is about is the process. What is buying a house ACTUALLY like?  I usually tell them that it’s like anything else. One step at a time. One form at a time. One bank transfer at a time. One house showing at a time. One home inspection at a time. If you have the wherewithal to plan a vacation, you can buy a house. 

  • Finding a Realtor
  • Finding a lender to get pre-approved (how much is your budget and what is a comfortable monthly payment)
  • Are there any first-time buyer programs that could be used? Is there down payment assistance?
  • Looking at the houses.
  • Finding one you like, and putting an offer together:
    • An offer usually involves a sales contract, any special forms that the jurisdictions require (lead-based paint acknowledgements, what appliances and systems in the house are included/excluded, if the home is part of a homeowners association, or a condo association, etc.)
    • Any forms related to getting an inspection done.
    • Who is selling the house, who is buying the house, how much is it being sold for, where it is exactly, and who are the others involved in the transaction (title company, agents, etc.)?
  • Getting any inspections done.
  • Negotiating any changes in the sales price or terms, or credits for inspection items.
  • Getting the final approval for the loan and then going to settlement.

Many people get interested in buying a house, but the “unknown” of it all can be daunting. It could be that the best way to think about it, is that like most things in life, you can’t cross every bridge BEFORE you get there. You just take it one day at a time. Some things will be surprisingly easy. Some things will require the advice of experienced lenders, Realtors, home inspectors and title attorneys.  

But if the process doesn’t begin somewhere, somehow, the idea just stays in one’s head in the “to do list” file.  And then 3 years go by, 5 years go by, 7 years go by. And your friends that DID buy a house laugh themselves to the bank when they go to sell the house they bought 3 years ago, 5 years ago, or 7 years ago.

If you need any recommendations for a local lender or Realtor, please don’t hesitate to ask.

Joseph Hudson is a referral agent with Metro Referrals. Reach him at [email protected] or 703-587-0597.

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Advice

Giving up drinking is killing our relationship

What happens when one partner is sober and the other isn’t

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I’m a 38-year-old guy, was single for most of my 30s, which I didn’t like at all, and I finally met a great guy last Memorial Day Weekend. 

Until New Year’s I would have said that everything was going great. I was on Cloud Nine. Eric is kind, handsome, smart, and a great catch.

But in December he decided to do “Dry January.” It was kind of on a whim I think. We were out with some friends and one of them said he was not going to drink at all for the month of January. He thought alcohol was playing too big a role in his life so he wanted to see what life would be like without it. Another friend said he would do it too, and then Eric said he would.

I wish we hadn’t gone out that night and then this whole thing wouldn’t have happened.

So, as the month progressed, Eric started talking more and more about how much better he was feeling without alcohol in his body or his life.

I don’t think we drank that much pre-January. Yes, we’d have something to drink every time we went out, with friends or just together, but not to excess.

At some point, Eric started saying that he wasn’t really enjoying going out with our friends, as he wasn’t drinking and they were (except the two friends who were also doing the Dry January thing). This meant I’d either go out without him (which I didn’t like) or we’d stay home, or go out just the two of us. But then if I’m drinking and he’s not, it just feels awkward. He hasn’t said anything but I feel like he’s judging me whenever I have a drink.

I was hoping he’d relax about the whole thing at the end of the month but now he’s decided he doesn’t want to drink anymore at all.

To make matters worse, he says that the month made him think more about the big role alcohol plays in his life (his words) and he has started going to Alcoholics Anonymous meetings.

So where does this leave me? I do want to keep drinking. I’m just a social drinker and I don’t have a problem with alcohol. I think it adds a fair amount of fun to my life. Plus, all my friends drink (including the two who did Dry January) and it’s a big part of our socializing. If you don’t drink when everyone else is drinking, it’s really not fun and it feels weird.

At this point Eric doesn’t go out with the friend group we were going out with because he doesn’t have a good time as the only non-drinker. (I get it, that’s one of the reasons I drink when my friends are drinking.) So I go out sometimes without him, which as I mentioned doesn’t feel so good, and which I don’t think is great for our relationship; or I don’t go out with my friends, which I don’t like.

I love Eric and I could see us having a great life together but his not drinking has opened what feels like a chasm between us.

How do couples handle this situation, where one person wants to stop drinking and the other does not? The impact is seeming increasingly huge to me and I don’t see how to make it stop being a divisive problem.

Michael replies:

I don’t think that Eric’s sobriety needs to be a divisive problem, if you can tolerate that you don’t get to have your life with Eric be exactly as you would like. 

This is the same dilemma that everyone in a serious relationship must face. Our partners are always different from us in some important ways, even if it doesn’t seem that way at first. And we have to figure out how to live with these differences, contentedly for the most part.  Our partners face the same challenge. 

Of course, not every difference can be (or should be) resolvable. For example, if one person is determined to parent and the other person is determined to be child-free, it makes great sense to part ways — unless one person decides they’d rather stay with their partner than have it their way.  

You and Eric have to figure out if your differences around alcohol are a deal-breaker, or if you can find a way to build a solid relationship, even as you drink socially and he is sober.

Whether and how you do this are for the two of you to figure out.  That said, here are some ideas for your consideration: 

  • Can you accept Eric’s not joining you for some or even many of your social activities?
  • Can you and Eric talk about what might help him be more comfortable joining your friends now and then?
  • Can you ask Eric what it’s like for him when you are drinking, rather than assuming that he is judging you? (Important question for your consideration: What led you to make that assumption rather than asking him?)
  • If Eric is making friends in Alcoholics Anonymous, would you want to join him at times when he socializes with them? 

The main ingredients here are generosity, flexibility, collaboration, and curiosity.

Speaking of curiosity, rather than wishing that the two of you had missed that invitation to participate in Dry January, how about being curious about Eric’s decision to stop drinking? I suspect that your dismissiveness has a negative impact on his desire to be close to or confide in you. If you are curious about this important life change that Eric is undertaking, you will certainly learn a lot about your boyfriend, and likely deepen your connection.

Michael Radkowsky, Psy.D. is a licensed psychologist who works with couples and individuals in D.C. He can be found online at michaelradkowsky.com. All identifying information has been changed for reasons of confidentiality. Have a question? Send it to [email protected].

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Real Estate

Down payment strategies: Financing your home purchase 

Understanding the options key to unlocking the door to a dream home

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Looking for your dream home? First, you need to understand how to make the down payment.

Navigating the path to homeownership can be a complex journey, especially when it comes to accumulating the necessary down payment. For members of our LGBTQ community, understanding the available options for saving and financing this crucial aspect of home buying is key to unlocking the door to their dream home. Let’s explore effective methods and resources specifically designed to support LGBTQ individuals on their path to homeownership.

Traditional Savings Strategies

Saving for a down payment often begins with traditional methods such as setting aside a portion of your income into a dedicated savings account. High-yield savings accounts and automated savings plans, some offering up to 5% interest in today’s market, can expedite the process, providing a disciplined approach to accumulate funds over time. Additionally, exploring investment opportunities that match your risk tolerance can offer potential growth for your down payment savings.

Down Payment Assistance Programs

A variety of down payment assistance programs exist to help homebuyers with their initial costs. These programs often offer grants or low-interest loans to first-time homebuyers or those who haven’t owned a home in the past three years. 

It’s essential to speak with a GayRealEstate.com agent to determine what programs may be available, plus online research into local and state assistance programs, as many are designed to support individuals in specific communities, including the LGBTQ+ community.

For medical professionals, police, teachers, firefighters, and other community heroes, there are several special loan and assistance programs designed to help with home purchases, often offering benefits like down payment assistance, reduced closing costs, and more favorable loan terms.

The Hero Home Loan Program provides first responders, including police officers, firefighters, and paramedics, with benefits such as lower interest rates and reduced closing costs. This program aims to make homeownership more accessible by offering more flexible credit score requirements and down payment assistance .

For educators, firefighters, law enforcement officers, and medical professionals, the Everyday Hero Housing Assistance Fund (EHHAF) offers closing cost assistance through gift funds. This program is designed to support those who serve their communities by making homeownership more affordable, with no repayment required for the grant funds​​.

The HUD Good Neighbor Next Door Program offers up to 50% off the list price of homes for law enforcement officers, pre-Kindergarten through 12th-grade teachers, firefighters, and emergency medical technicians. This initiative aims to encourage community revitalization by assisting these professionals in homeownership within the communities they serve​​.

Homes for Heroes provides assistance specifically to first responders and offers significant savings through Hero Rewards when buying, selling, or refinancing a home. On average, participants save $3,000, with the program offering real estate and mortgage specialist connections tailored to the needs of first responders​​.

LGBTQ-Friendly Lending Options

Finding a lender that understands and supports the unique needs of our LGBTQ community can make a significant difference. Some lenders and organizations specialize in offering inclusive financial products and resources to assist LGBTQ+ homebuyers. These may include specialized mortgage products, financial planning services, and guidance through the home buying process.

The journey to homeownership is a milestone that requires careful planning and support. Remember, every step taken towards saving and financing your home purchase brings you closer to the dream of homeownership.

(GayRealEstate.com offers valuable resources and advice tailored to meet the unique needs of our LGBTQ+ community in their journey towards homeownership. For more comprehensive guidance and support in navigating the home buying process, visit GayRealEstate.com choose an agent and start a no-obligation conversation today.)

Jeff Hammerberg is founding CEO of Hammerberg & Associates, Inc. Reach him at [email protected].

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