Opinions
My Celebrity BEYOND transatlantic cruise arrives in Ft. Lauderdale
A memorable voyage comes to an end
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.
Opinions
A dangerous precedent on trans rights in Texas
State compiling list of those who have updated gender on driver’s licenses
Recent reporting from Texas Standard revealed what should alarm every American who values privacy, civil rights, and constitutional restraint: the state of Texas is compiling a list of transgender residents who have attempted to update the gender marker on their driver’s licenses.
Under a policy quietly implemented after August 2024, the Texas Department of Public Safety stopped accepting court orders or amended birth certificates as valid documentation for gender marker changes. Instead, DPS employees were instructed to forward the names and identifying information of applicants seeking such updates to a dedicated internal email channel labeled “Sex Change Court Order.” Those records, which include sensitive personal information, are now being collected internally by the state.
Texas officials have not offered a clear explanation for why this information is being gathered, how long it will be retained, or what it will ultimately be used for. That lack of transparency is deeply troubling on its own. But in the broader context of Texas’s recent legislative trajectory on transgender rights, the implications are far more serious. This is not merely a bureaucratic shift. It is the creation of a targeted registry of transgender people.
The discriminatory nature of this practice is difficult to ignore. Governments are generally prohibited from singling out individuals based on protected characteristics for special monitoring or record-keeping. Since the Supreme Court’s decision in Bostock v. Clayton County, discrimination against transgender people has been understood as a form of sex discrimination under federal law. Compiling a list of people solely because they sought to align their identification documents with their gender identity runs directly counter to that principle.
Even states with restrictive policies around gender marker changes have historically focused on procedural barriers rather than surveillance. Texas has crossed a new threshold by moving from denial to documentation. The state is no longer just refusing recognition; it is actively cataloging those who seek it.
This practice also represents a profound violation of privacy. Driver’s license records contain some of the most sensitive personal data the government holds. Associating that data with a person’s transgender status without consent or statutory justification creates obvious risks, particularly in a political environment where transgender people are already subject to heightened hostility.
The chilling effect is unavoidable. Trans Texans will now have to weigh whether engaging with basic state services could land them on a government list. That fear will discourage people from updating identification, interacting with public agencies, or asserting their legal rights at all. When a government’s actions deter a specific population from participating in civic life, the harm extends well beyond administrative inconvenience.
What makes this development especially dangerous is how neatly it fits into a broader pattern. Texas lawmakers have spent years advancing legislation that narrows the legal definition of sex, restricts access to gender-affirming care, and limits the recognition of transgender people across public institutions. The creation of this list does not stand apart from those efforts; it complements them.
Once such a database exists, it becomes a tool. Data collected today for “administrative review” can be used tomorrow to justify new exclusions, enhanced scrutiny, or punitive enforcement. History shows that registries built around identity rarely remain benign. They become mechanisms of control.
Other states are watching. Texas has increasingly functioned as a testing ground for anti-trans policy, with lawmakers elsewhere ready to replicate measures that survive legal or political backlash. If compiling a list of transgender residents becomes normalized in Texas, it will not remain isolated. Red states searching for new ways to restrict trans lives will take notice.
The constitutional issues raised by this practice are significant. The Equal Protection Clause forbids states from treating similarly situated individuals differently without sufficient justification. Singling out transgender people for special tracking invites heightened scrutiny. There are also serious Fourth Amendment concerns when the government collects and retains sensitive personal information without a clear, lawful purpose.
At stake is not just the safety of transgender Texans, but the integrity of government itself. If states are permitted to quietly assemble lists of disfavored populations, the precedent does not stop with gender identity. It becomes easier to rationalize similar measures against other groups, under different political conditions.
This moment demands scrutiny and resistance. Texas must be compelled to explain why this data is being collected, how it will be protected, and whether it will be shared across agencies. Civil rights organizations and federal authorities should treat this practice as a serious warning sign, not a minor administrative quirk.
The United States has made meaningful progress toward recognizing the rights and dignity of transgender people, but that progress is fragile. It can be reversed not only through sweeping legislation, but through quiet bureaucratic maneuvers that evade public attention.
A list of transgender citizens is not a neutral administrative artifact. It is a signal. It tells a vulnerable population that their government is watching them differently, recording them differently, and preparing to treat them differently. That should concern everyone, regardless of where they live.
If we allow this to stand, Texas will not be the last state to do it.
Isaac Amend is a writer based in the D.C. area. He is a transgender man and was featured in National Geographic’s ‘Gender Revolution’ documentary. He serves on the board of the LGBT Democrats of Virginia. Contact him on Instagram at @isaacamend
One year gone, another just beginning. The best of all worlds would be no regrets about how you lived your life in 2025, and a positive outlook for 2026. I wish that for all of you, along with good health and happiness.
For me, 2025 was a good year. No new health issues as long as I don’t consider my recent root canal. Friends kidded if that was my worst, life is OK. But then they didn’t sit in the dentist chair for three hours. As you are aware, if reading this in the Blade, I write about politics. The felon in the White House ensures there is always something to write about. Unfortunately, it’s 99% bad. He recently said he will interfere in Europe, and support far-right parties. Not surprising for him, and his fascist leaning administration. Again, as you know, I usually refer to him as ‘The felon,’ my most polite name for him. He has a slew of scary incompetents around him, but truly frightening are the fascists like Russell Vought at OMB who wrote Project 2025, and his personal Goebbels, Stephen Miller. They are proposing policies that are destroying lives. While many don’t impact me, they create a certain amount of guilt in how I live my life. I am a white, privileged, cisgender, older, male and can escape the immediate repercussions of some of the worst things happening in the world today. Nearly all perpetrated, or supported, by the evil SOB in the White House. There, another name for him.
As long as my Social Security keeps coming, and Medicare still pays 80% of my doctor bills, I should be OK. In 2025, I continued to join friends every morning for coffee. In D.C. at Java House; in Rehoboth Beach, it’s The Coffee Mill, owned by my good friends Mel Damascena and Bob Cartwright.
My regular column allows me to vent and comment on the world. My second column is the Blade’s Comings & Goings column. It lets me share the successes of so many in the LGBTQ community. We have a truly amazing community, of which I am so proud to be a part. In 2025, I also began my second book, this one on politics, but don’t hold your breath for a publication date. I am also a theater reviewer for the Georgetown Dish. I get to see as many plays as I like, and share thoughts about them. Mind you, I call myself a reviewer, not a critic. I always try to find something nice to say about every production, even if I don’t recommend others see it. Maybe a good actor, great scenic designer, always something good even in a bad production.
I am fortunate to continue to travel. Now it’s on cruise ships. Great to unpack once, and know where the bathroom is. This past year I went on two cruises, and the Blade was kind enough to publish my blogs. One, a bucket list cruise, something I wanted to do for over 40 years, to the Norwegian Fjords, and the Arctic. Twelve days on Celebrity APEX out of Southampton. It was amazing, and met all my expectations. The second was my recent transatlantic cruise, something I do annually, with a large group of friends from around the country, and world. It was 13 nights from Rome to Ft. Lauderdale. I’ve already booked next October; 16 nights on Celebrity XCEL, Barcelona to Miami. I even have two cruises booked in 2027, one a transatlantic, the other a river cruise on the Douro, in Portugal. Feel free to join me if you like cruising, at least the kind done on the water.
All-in-all, 2025 was a good year. I look forward to the same in 2026. More travel, including a barge trip in June from Lyon to Paris, through the canals of Burgundy. I hope for good health, time with good friends, and more writing. In addition, I promise my friends, and community, I will continue to fight with, and for you, trying to make our lives better. I will demonstrate against the felon and his policies, work hard to elect Democrats, especially my friend Zach Wahls, running for United States Senate in Iowa. I will stand up, and speak out, for my trans friends, and friends who are immigrants, all threatened by the felon.
I ask you to join me and do everything we can to take back our country and look forward to maybe seeing many of you on a cruise, but definitely on the battle lines, here at home. Together, we can work in 2026 and beyond, to ensure everyone can live the life they want, and deserve; in what again must be the land of the free and home of the brave.
Peter Rosenstein is a longtime LGBTQ rights and Democratic Party activist.
Opinions
Trump’s ‘American people derangement syndrome’
Voters must stop him before he destroys democracy
Trump, in a deranged, evil, post on X, accused Rob Reiner of suffering from “Trump derangement syndrome.” I guess that would apply to everyone who thinks Trump is an evil, dangerous, asshole who is trying to destroy our society as we know it. With that definition, I would surmise the felon himself suffers from “American people derangement syndrome,” because clearly, he thinks we are all evil, dumb, assholes, and a danger to him, and the fascists surrounding him.
His speech to the nation was called bellicose, by the New York Times. I would call it unhinged and vile. It was a plea to the populace, containing a pack of lies, to continue to believe his lies, and distortions. We all know the felon is full of shit when telling us prices have come down. We go shopping every week to feed ourselves and our families, even if he doesn’t. We have to pay heating and rent bills each month. We know since he became president nearly a year ago, all those costs have gone up. Talk to any honest person at a chamber of commerce in your area, and they will tell you small businesses are suffering. They will tell you the felon’s tariffs are hurting everyone. We know he is screwing the poor and middle class; trying to end SNAP benefits, and refusing to help with healthcare costs. All the while giving tax breaks to corporations, and the rich. People are not dumb Mr. Felon, and your lies are no longer resonating.
The evil, deranged, felon in the White House lives in a world where he can do favors for his friends in return for getting them to donate hundreds of millions for his follies. He is a grifter who hosts dinners for rich people to make money for his crypto business. He is said to have made more than $3 billon since his election. This while farmers are going broke, and losing their farms, because his tariffs screwed them. He is undermining vaccines and caused a measles epidemic in the United States. This a disease eradicated before he came into office. He ended grants to research cures for HIV/AIDS, Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s, cancer, and an assortment of childhood diseases. He stopped research grants for mRNA vaccines. When we have the next pandemic, and it will come, that will result in millions of deaths, all on his head.
He is embarrassing the United States around the world. They watch him give unhinged speeches, raise and lower tariffs irrationally, screw our allies, and now trying to interfere in their elections. He is bombing fishing boats, claiming they are carrying drugs, with no proof at all. Then he releases from prison the man who brought more cocaine into the country than anyone else ever did. All this is what the lying, cheating, grifting, evil, heartless, felon in the White House, is doing to you, the good people of the United States, and the world. He sounds more unhinged every day while trying to blame everything on former President Biden and Democrats, who haven’t controlled the levers of government in nearly a year.
I know the results of the 2025 elections must scare him. They show him the majority no longer accept his BS. We will go into 2026, and the midterm elections, with our eyes wide open. He wants to be King and we don’t want kings in our country. He has what his chief of staff calls, “an alcoholic’s personality” “because he believes there’s nothing he can’t do.” She is right about that, but we will call him on it in the next election. We will say clearly, with our voices, and our votes, “no more, enough is enough.” We are taking back the country and will throw out anyone in office who still supports him.
We try and forgive those who voted for him, as long as they now recognize he lied to them, and is screwing them. Young people must understand they will suffer their whole lives because he is a climate denier. Latino and Hispanic voters, who believed he was going to support them, now see he wants to deport them. Farmers who once thought he supported them, until he screwed them. We must now all join together, and show the evil SOB in the White House, who is building his grand ballroom, taking planes, and other gifts, and pardoning the guilty; his time is coming to an end. Again, we will go into the voting booth, eyes wide open, and vote to stop him before he completely destroys our lives, our families, our democracy, and brings fascism to our country.
Peter Rosenstein is a longtime LGBTQ rights and Democratic Party activist.
Tim Walz drops out of Minn. governor’s race
Blade travels to Colombia after U.S. forces seize Maduro in Venezuela
LGBTQ groups to join Spanberger inaugural parade
Queer highlights of the 2026 Critics Choice Awards: Aunt Gladys, that ‘Heated Rivalry’ shoutout and more
