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My Celebrity BEYOND transatlantic cruise arrives in Ft. Lauderdale

A memorable voyage comes to an end

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Celebrity BEYOND Transatlantic Cruise: Blog #9

Day 10 dawned rainy and windy, with the boat rocking again. Though not quite as bad as some of the previous days. But for me that simply means another wonderful lazy day on the ship. My dermatologist would be thrilled with a few days of no sun for me, LOL. Again, it didn’t stop me from having fun.

This morning the first thing I did after having my coffee delivered to the cabin, was to finish my column and press the send button to the Blade. Kevin Naff, editor of the Blade, had been nice and allowed me to send it late because of the election. I usually submit my columns each week on Sunday. It was a great feeling to be able to write about Democrats being winners across the nation. I then headed to the gym for my morning thirty minutes on the Lifecycle, and another thirty with some weight machines. Hey, if you look at me, you know the weights I lift are light, but then something is better than nothing. Then it was off to the retreat lounge to make up the few calories I lost at the gym with my daily cappuccino. 

This morning the chatter in the lounge was all about the elections. I don’t know about other groups on the ship, but our group, nearly all members of the LGBTQ+ community, and Democrats, were all very happy with the results. It was kind of like what I kid about in my coffee group back home at Java House in DC. We have a huge diversity of opinions, they go from A to C. The discussions this morning went on longer than usual, as we couldn’t head out to the sun deck, and for me it was fun. I also took the time to work with the concierge to straighten out the screwed-up reservations I had for dinner that evening at Le Voyage, the fancy Daniel Boulud restaurant on the ship. Finally got it straightened out and had reservations with Ken, Paul, and John, at 7:45. I was looking forward to it. But of course, I would eat before that and as lunch time approached a few of us, including Jason, Scott, Mike, and John, agreed to meet at 1pm at Luminae. It was more crowded than the last time I was there but the burger was just as good. Then it was suddenly nearly 3pm, and time for a break and some reading. I really enjoy having my kindle with me. I won’t let people look at my library on it as there are mostly junk, mindless, novels. 

Then suddenly it was happy hour again. The LGBTQ happy hours each evening at 6:00pm in the Eden lounge are well attended. Unfortunately, John, Paul’s other half, there are a few Johns in our group, couldn’t join us, as he had work, and it also caused him to miss dinner at Le Voyage. He had to organize a zoom call for hundreds of medical professionals. The fate of the young who are still working. But Paul, Ken, and I, had a great dinner. I had Caviar on salmon for an appetizer, and we each got to taste two of the other appetizers which they put in the center of the table. I loved the roasted beets. Then lobster risotto for the main course, we all chose the same thing, and then dessert. We had all been welcomed with a glass of great champagne, and while Ken and Paul ordered some other wine with dinner, I stuck with champagne. By the end of dinner, which was more than two hours later, we were all stuffed and wondered if some people, the rich and famous, eat like this all the time. While dinner was great, doing it every night wouldn’t be all that appealing to any of us. 

It was now about 10pm. Paul and Ken headed back to their cabins, Ken saying he may come back out to the casino, while I walked around a little to try and digest dinner. By eleven I headed back to my cabin for the night. On my bed was a little card telling me Dustin and Scott had made a deposit in my online account as a gift.  They did this for everyone in their group and it was incredibly generous. A reminder why we all book with them. Also, Scott had shared with me some possible 2025 fjords cruises, one out of Southampton, on the APEX on June 5, 2025, and he was going to price them and share the information with everyone.  Tomorrow would be our last sea day before reaching Bermuda.

Celebrity BEYOND Transatlantic Cruise: Blog #10

I woke up really early on day 11 of our cruise. It was partly sunny and warm, and the water was fairly smooth. I turned on the BBC and saw a program called HardTalk. The host sounded like he was on FOX news attacking the United States and Biden. But he did have a great guest, Fiona Hill, who pushed back on all he was saying. Fiona, who I had been lucky to meet at my friend Nick Irons’ gym, is a former US national security advisor and a specialist in Russia and Putin. She made so much sense in all she was saying and defending Biden’s view of the world and what the United States is and should be doing about the Israel/Hamas and Russian/Ukraine wars. Then there was a knock on the door and my coffee was delivered. 

It was going to be a nice day, and after some writing, and coffee, I headed to the gym. If I don’t go in the morning I tend not to go and I made that commitment to myself to go on every sea day. After the gym instead of the retreat lounge, I headed to deck 17 and the retreat sun deck. It is a beautiful space. I took a lounge next to Mike, Scott, and Justin in the shade and ordered my morning cappuccino when a waiter came by. The crew is so great. It was quite windy and a member of the crew brought me a blanket to cover my legs. It kind of felt like we were on one of those old ships like the QE2 on a transatlantic voyage in the old days. I had been on the QE2 from Southampton to NY for my first transatlantic cruise nearly twenty years ago. All that was missing here were the little cucumber sandwiches. 

After coffee, when the wind died down a little, I moved into the sun and sat with Diane, Will, Kenny, and others for a while. Then Dax and I agreed to meet at the Garden Café, the ship’s huge buffet, for lunch at 1 p.m. He and I had been on cruises together before but it was really the first time we had a more in-depth conversation. He is a great guy. He lives in Montreal and has a family condo in Miami Beach. He also, like me, has a lesbian sister. We sat and chatted for over two hours. Then it was time for me to head back to my cabin for a little down time. Once again, soon it was time to get ready for happy hour. The days on the ship just go very quickly. 

There was a large group in the Eden lounge, and I met a couple of guys I hadn’t met before. Also joining us were Mark and Juan. I had a really nice conversation with Juan, who in addition to being a good-looking hunk, is a really smart, nice, and charming guy. I had met them first years ago on a Panama Canal cruise. They were heading to Eden for dinner. I was going to go with a group to Cyprus, one of the four main dining rooms. I found dinner a little lacking as the lentil soup was cold, and the pasta was just goopy. Much too much cream sauce on it with not all that much taste. The waiter was nice and brought me something else which was much better. And the warm apple pie a-la-mode for dessert, was delicious. After dinner most of us were just tired and after walking around the ship for a while headed to our cabins for an early night. Tomorrow was Bermuda and I had an excursion around the Island planned. It was going to be the first time for me in Bermuda.

Celebrity BEYOND transatlantic Cruise: Blog #11

Day 12 dawned warm and sunny as we docked in Bermuda. I headed to the theater, the meeting point for our excursion, and met Paul and Ken there.  Turned out the excursion was going to be in a small taxi, and we hooked up with two guys from Canada, and got placed in a nice cab with a great driver/guide. He was incredibly knowledgeable, being a native Bermudian. He gave us a running commentary about the Island as we headed to our first top, a small interdenominational chapel he said was now used for weddings. It was in a beautiful small clearing with views of the sea. Then we continued on our way and headed into Hamilton, the largest city, and capital, of Bermuda. It is beautiful, with pastel-colored buildings, and spotlessly clean; set against a beautiful blue sea. After having 40 minutes to wander around, we again met our driver to continue the tour around the Island. He pointed out fishermen on the side of the road selling their fresh catch, and we passed a beautiful golf course where an international tournament was in progress. Then we headed to the beach, one of those famous pink sand beaches, and it was breathtaking. We stopped to walk on the sand, and head up the rocks for some beautiful views of the beach, and the ocean. The water was various colors of blue, and with the sun sparkling off it, made for incredible pictures. Then it was off to the lighthouse for a quick stop and some pictures, and then we continued the circle around the Island, back to the port and our ship. It had been a really great three hours in Bermuda, and I would go back. 

I headed back on board the ship while John and Ken stayed in the port and partook of some local fish chowder and sandwiches. I headed to the Café buffet for lunch and bumped into John, who hadn’t come with us, and we had a nice lunch together. After lunch I gave John a tour of the retreat lounge and sundeck as he was considering booking the retreat for a future birthday cruise. I stayed on deck 17 until it was time for Dustin and Scott’s sail-away party in the iconic suite. It was a crowded affair and they had drafted flyers to hand out telling people about the planned 2025 cruises. One, I had asked them to plan, was a 12-day round-trip from Southampton, England to the Arctic and the Norwegian Fjords, on June 5, 2025. The other was our annual transatlantic cruise which would be on the ASCENT out of Rome in October, 2025. Planning ahead can get you some of the best prices. 

Then for me it was the 7 p.m. show in the theater, the much-postponed Elements, which was great. Then dinner at the Rooftop restaurant. It was windy, but a warm wind, and the food was good. Only one slight issue, the table next to us was so loud, it did get annoying. But then they were having fun. After dinner I headed to the next show I wanted to see, in The Club. It was the Eden cast and Slavik and Vlad were doing some of their aerial work. The Club has changed their seating from what it was on the APEX, more balcony space but less on deck 4. I was lucky and friends, Piotr and Mark, and Kenny and Tom, had a seat for me. It is not an easy space for the cast to work and they are running around a small path in the audience. Despite that, they did a great job. They are all so incredibly talented. Great singers, dancers, including tap dancing, and acrobatics and aerial work. Congratulations to Celebrity for finding such talent. 

Then for me it was off to bed and preparing for another sea day, and heading to the last stop on our cruise, Nassau. Since I won’t get off the ship in Nassau, have been there several times before, and that was enough, it was going to be two days of relaxing on the ship.

Celebrity BEYOND transatlantic Cruise: Blog #12

Day 13 dawned warm and sunny and it was going to be a nice relaxing final sea day as we headed to Nassau.  As usual had my coffee, bagel and Juice delivered to the room, and began work on my regular political column for the Blade to be submitted Sunday.  I then made good on my commitment of going to the gym every sea day and went for an hour of Lifecyle and light weights. Then headed to the sundeck on 17 and grabbed a lounge chair. I saw Terry and Andy, and others already there. I found a chair in the shade and one of the ever-present waiters took my order. Instead of a cup and saucer, cappuccino was brought in a paper cup, but it tasted just as good. Around 1:30 I walked over to the bar and restaurant area, and saw Dustin and Rick at a table and asked if I could join them. They graciously said yes. I ordered a mudslide and a grilled chicken sandwich. It was getting late to make use of my premium drink package. Celebrity made out well on mine as I am not a big drinker. I had never chatted with Rick before and he is a great guy. Found out he is a financial planner in Houston, and a friend of Dustin’s for years. The next thing we realized it was after 4:00pm. Rick and his roommate will be going on the Galapagos cruise I will be going on in February, so look forward to continuing the conversation. I always enjoy chatting with Dustin and we will be talking about the 2025 trips just announced. 

Then it was time to head back to the cabin and get washed up and changed for Happy Hour. I had big plans for the evening; another show and my third dinner at Eden. This was going to be with Paul, John, Ken, Mary, and Nancy. Ken backed out claiming a headache, so I bumped into Dax and invited him. He went to the show with me first. It was ok, but the pianist who was good, seemed more like great background music, and we and many around us, while enjoying him, were on our iPhone catching up on email or posting pictures to FB. After the show we headed to dinner and it was again great. The chef came by and Dax impressed all of us by having a long conversation with him in French. Didn’t know what he said, but it sounded impressive, but then remember Dax is French Canadian, and David, the chef, is from Paris.

After dinner I stayed in the Eden Lounge for another great show with the Eden cast including Slavik and Vlad. They again were great to watch. Then it was time for bed for this old guy. 

Day 14 dawned warm and beautiful and as intended, stayed on the ship in Nassau. It was going to be a totally do-nothing day. Coffee, some writing, then took my kindle to lounge in the sun on Deck 17.  I actually had my first meal alone, when I headed to the buffet at around 1pm. Easy to find a table as so many were off the ship. A number of our group had gone to swim with the pigs, yes, you heard me right, but it wasn’t swimming with those who had overeaten on the cruise, rather some real pigs and piglets. Ok, to each their own, LOL. That evening was our final Happy Hour, and it was crowded with everyone kissing, and saying goodbye. Next morning would be an early departure.  I finally had the chance to chat with Jill, our official photographer, and relation of Scott.  She has photographed movie stars and politicians. If you ever need a great photographer, just call her. I then hooked up with Michael and Edward, and a few others, and headed to the Martini Bar for one last drink, for me it was a club soda. Then over to Cyprus, where Dax joined us, for a final cruise dinner. After dinner I headed to one of the shops to use the money Scott and Dustin has given us as online credit, and purchased a shirt with the Celebrity Beyond logo. Then it was off to the cabin to finish last-minute packing, and set an alarm for 5:30 a.m. when I would take my luggage and meet Dalton, one of the great crew in the Retreat, at Fine Cut restaurant. He would lead us to the gangplank as we walked off the ship early Monday morning, day 15. This cruise was officially over. 

I will be posting one more blog with my musings about the Celebrity Beyond, and Celebrity Cruises, which I wrote while sitting at the airport waiting for my flight back to D.C. Then there will be a column with the interview I had with Slavik, the Ukrainian acrobat and aerialist. 

I hope those of you who read these blogs, enjoyed them, and maybe they even got you interested in coming on a future cruise with the great LGBTQ friends, and their friends, I cruise with. I know my good friends, Scott, and Dustin, of My Lux Cruise, would be happy to talk to you about cruises, either joining us, or going anywhere your heart desires. They really are experts, and can get great rates wherever you may want to wander on the waterways of the world.

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TRAITOR: Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has blood on his hands

Nation’s highest-ranking gay public official is a MAGA sell out

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Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent (Washington Blade photo by Michael Key)

It’s an odd dichotomy: President Trump appoints the highest-ranking openly gay government official in history in Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, yet he launches cruel attacks on transgender Americans. 

Make no mistake: Those attacks are claiming lives. Trans people are killing themselves. I know of one trans person who died by suicide on Election Night, overwhelmed by fear of the incoming administration. Trump’s attacks have driven trans Americans and their families to flee the country and move to Canada, as the Blade has reported. 

None of this is hypothetical or melodramatic. It’s real life and happening everywhere. 

And so when Bessent was confirmed as Treasury Secretary, I wrote an op-ed urging him to educate Trump about the plight of trans Americans and the destructiveness of the attacks on the community. I waited 90 days for some sign that Bessent has a heart or at least a modicum of decency but sadly, I must report that he does not. 

The attacks on the LGBTQ community under Trump keep coming. Last week’s news that the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services is planning to retire the national 988 crisis lifeline for LGBTQ youth on Oct. 1 is just the latest evidence that this administration doesn’t just dislike us — they want us dead.

“Ending the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline’s LGBTQ+ youth specialized services will not just strip away access from millions of LGBTQ+ kids and teens — it will put their lives at risk,” Trevor Project CEO Jaymes Black said in a statement.

The service for LGBTQ youth has received 1.3 million calls, texts, or chats since its debut, with an average of 2,100 contacts per day in February.

Make no mistake: cutting this service will kill young LGBTQ people.

Just a couple of weeks earlier, Trump’s administration announced the Office of Infectious Disease and HIV/AIDS Policy would be gutted. 

“In a matter of just a couple days, we are losing our nation’s ability to prevent HIV,” said HIV+Hepatitis Policy Institute Executive Director Carl Schmid.

And prior to that, Trump issued a series of executive orders targeting the trans community — restricting access to affirming healthcare, banning trans service members from the military, barring trans women and girls from playing sports, eliminating the “X” gender marker on passports, and barring students assigned male at birth from using women’s restrooms.  

Let’s be very clear: When you deny someone the ability to use the bathroom, you deny their humanity.

So back to Scott Bessent, the billionaire hedge fund manager now running our economy into the ground. As many Trump protesters have noted: silence is complicity. And Bessent has been silent on all of these horrific attacks on trans Americans and their basic humanity. He is spineless and a traitor to the LGBTQ community. 

Bessent runs the U.S. Treasury and reportedly has Trump’s ear on all matters related to the economy. He could easily push Trump in a better, more compassionate direction, yet there is no evidence he has done that. 

“The LGBTQ+ community is counting on openly LGBTQ+ nominees like Scott Bessent to step up for the community,” said Human Rights Campaign President Kelley Robinson after the inauguration. Sadly, it’s become clear we cannot count on Bessent. As I wrote in January, Trump likes his queer people gay, white, cis, rich, and obedient. 

Bessent has ignored the Blade’s interview requests. (And after this is published, I have no illusions he will change his mind.) The mainstream media, increasingly cowed by Trump, have failed to ask Bessent even the most basic questions about his views on trans equality and Trump’s attacks. 

As a member of the LGBTQ community, Bessent has a responsibility to at least speak up on behalf of trans people who are suffering. But Republicans today have lost their spines. They genuflect before their Dear Leader, line their own pockets, and leave the rest of us to deal with the consequences. 

The crisis is real. People are dying. Trans people especially are suffering. The rest of us must do what we can to mitigate that suffering and to speak out in defense of our trans friends. 


Kevin Naff is editor of the Washington Blade. Reach him at [email protected].

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Congressional Equality Caucus should participate in WorldPride

Make bold statement about our commitment to LGBTQ rights

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(Washington Blade file photo by Michael Key)

The Trump administration, by its actions, has already hurt WorldPride. By attacking trans people, they have gotten many nations to suggest to trans citizens they not come to the United States. Canada’s queer group has said it is advising its people not to come. It is sad in so many ways. But despite what the felon in the White House is doing, WorldPride will be a success. It can be a time to not only have fun, but to make a point to the administration and the world. What was the old saying, “We’re here, we’re queer, and we’re not going anywhere, so get used to it.”  The LGBTQ community in the United States has made great strides since Stonewall in 1969, and there is no way we are going back into the closet. 

One way we can make a strong statement is if every member of the Congressional Equality Caucus would come out and join hands with constituents from their state, who are coming to D.C. for WorldPride. Together, they can take a stand for equality. Together, they can make a statement about our country to the world; that the United States values and supports its LGBTQ community. 

This year from May 17-June, we are anticipating huge crowds in Washington, D.C. for WorldPride. Let us together make sure they are all safe and that they have an exciting and fun time while here. But at the same time we should use this gathering to speak out, for our community here, and the LGBTQ community around the world. 

We must show the felon in the White House, and his MAGA acolytes in Congress, and around the nation, all those who would keep us down, we can, and will, stand up for ourselves. We are only willing to move one way, and that is forward toward full equality. Many years ago, during the early fight for recognition of the HIV/AIDS epidemic, there was an event staged by the group ACT UP, called ‘hands around the White House.’ It is time to stage something like that again. 

With all the attacks on the trans community, and as threats to the entire LGBTQ community continue, we need to stand together, and stay strong. We need to join with everyone else who is fighting back against the felon, and his Nazi sympathizing co-president, in the White House. To join in the demonstrations, fight back, and not fall for the distractions meant to take us from our goals. Those goals must include defeating every Republican in elections in 2025, and taking back Congress in 2026. I say every Republican, only because today there is no longer a rational Republican Party. That party has become a MAGA Party, or ‘Cult of Trump.’ That is sad, but it’s true. It is not up to Democrats, or independents, to change the Republican Party; it is up to us to ensure their defeat until they change themselves. 

Until then we must work hard to elect Democrats across the nation. From school board, to county council, from statehouse to Congress. For the LGBTQ community that is the only way we will move forward on equality. It is the only way we can defeat those who want to ban books about our lives, and try to force us back in the closet. We must say a resounding NO to that. 

We must vote for Democrats because history shows us, any other vote, a vote for a third party, helps Republicans win. The reality, like it or not, is today there are only two parties that can win a general election. Yes, in a few rare districts, a third party has won. But this is rare and let’s not take the chance of that happening if there isn’t a history in your state, or district, or community, where it happened in the past. Be smart! While you may not like everything the Democratic Party stands for, it has proven, its members stand for the rights of the LGBTQ community. The incredible progress since Stonewall has been because the Democratic Party has worked with the activists in our midst, to make that progress. Let’s not give up now and move backwards with the MAGA Party. Together, let’s retake our government, and continue to move forward until we have full equality. That must be the goal we join hands for, and pledge to work toward. 


Peter Rosenstein is a longtime LGBTQ rights and Democratic Party activist.

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How I changed my documents

Process in Md. cost around $300

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identification, gay news, Washington Blade
(Bigstock photo)

With legislation making it more difficult for transgender and gender non-conforming people to change their passports and other documents, it is now a race against the clock to change as many of them as possible. 

Trans Maryland and Advocates for Trans Equality are among the groups that offer workshops and online resources.

Here’s how I did it in Maryland:

A letter from your primary care provider

The first thing you’ll need to get any of this rolling is a document from your primary care provider that shows proof of hormone therapy, gender incongruence, or both. In my experience, this is important to have prior to getting anything started because some states require some sort of proof in order to certify the change.

Some courts may need a therapist’s letter as well, but it depends on what state you live in. With this document, you’ll be able to bring it to the respective offices and it will give a valid reason for you to get your desired gender marker.

A court order

The next thing you will need is a court order that recognizes your gender identity. It is a precaution just to avoid any wasted time or confusion at any offices going forward. You will go to the circuit court website for what state/county you reside in and find a document that is a petition to change your gender. Here is an example from Maryland. 

You will print that document and fill out the petition for your respective titles with or without a name change and take it to the Circuit Court. Some courts may require the appointment. There, you will present the petition and letter and pay a fee — Maryland’s fee is $165, however there are fee waivers for those that apply. After, you will wait some weeks for the court order to show up.

Social Security card

Unfortunately, as of January 2025, the Social Security Administration has ceased any gender changes in their system. As with the fight for passports reflecting the holder’s proper gender identity, the Human Rights Campaign and the American Civil Liberties Union may bring a case to regain access in the future.

Identity card/driver’s license

After getting your primary care letter and court order, make a standard appointment for Identification Services at the local DMV and bring the paperwork. Though the Maryland Court’s website says there is no need to get a court order to change any documents, the clerk at the Maryland Motor Vehicle Administration (Maryland’s DMV) stressed that I needed the updated Social Security card changed in order to get an updated ID.

I was able to get it changed prior to the Trump-Vance administration, however given the current circumstances, if there is any pushback from any clerk or official who say they require a Social Security card, very adamantly cite the official gov website if applicable, and use the court order, despite the fact you should not need one to get your ID updated.

Birth certificate

Should all have gone well with the ID, the last document to amend is the birth certificate. 

Unfortunately, this may be the most difficult document that you are able to amend because it must be done within your home state and some states, such as Oklahoma, Florida, Tennessee, and Texas, have already banned altering birth certificates. 

In D.C., where I changed my own, there have been no known issues or legislation passed for changing the name and gender marker on the document. You will search your state government websites for the vital records department, find a Gender Designation Application and fill out the necessary information. The D.C. application is here:

On D.C.’s application, you must sign the document in front of a notary in order for it to be valid. Several mail offices, such as UPS, offer notary services for relatively cheap. Upon getting the application notarized, you can bring all documents you have already updated along with the court order and primary care letter to an appointment at the vital records office. All the previous work done should make this fairly easy if you are in a state that hasn’t made heavy strides to halt the process. 

All in all, with about a month of your time, about $300, and a state that supports your right to self-actualization, you should still be able to change most of your documents.

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