Opinions
Celebrity BEYOND transatlantic cruise: Setting sail
Rome to Ft. Lauderdale crossing features parties, shows, and some rough seas
My 2023 trip to Europe to join the Celebrity BEYOND on a transatlantic voyage back to Ft. Lauderdale has begun. I flew United Airlines to Rome from D.C. The flight was on time and great, except for the food, which as usual on United, was awful. The flight attendant asked what I wanted for lunch, but since it was already 7 p.m., I suggested it may be dinner. She laughed and said yes, dinner. Then I chose the short ribs from the menu and she said, “pick a second choice we only have 14 servings of that.” I laughed, and said then it doesn’t matter. I wasn’t one of the 14 to get the short ribs.
Other than dinner all went well. We landed in Rome about 10 minutes early. That was made up for when it took over 40 minutes to get our luggage, and it came down on a luggage station already packed with bags from another flight which made it difficult for anyone without extra-long arms to get their bags off the conveyer belt.
After finally having my bag, I walked out of the baggage claim area, and met my pre-arranged taxi, through Booking.com, and he escorted me to his car. He was a very nice gentleman and his car was a beautiful new Jaguar. It was a nice ride into Rome. I arrived at the UNA Deco hotel, where I have stayed several times before, and got a nice welcome and was told my room was ready early. Wow, a great welcome. Headed upstairs to wash up, and began two wonderful days in Rome.
I left messages for friends, also staying at the hotel, and arranged to meet them the next morning for breakfast at the great buffet the hotel provides. Then headed out to walk around Rome. For me there is always with a sense of wonder when seeing sights like the Colosseum, Trevi Fountain, Spanish Steps, and the Pantheon. Rome is packed with tourists, lined up seven deep at the Trevi Fountain. Even so I bumped into friends there who were also going to be on the cruise. I wandered for hours, stopping for a cappuccino, and a light lunch, and eventually was tired enough to head back to the hotel early for a good night’s sleep. Since I never can sleep on a plane, was exhausted and skipped dinner. Woke refreshed the next morning and met friends for breakfast, and then headed out again. Had a great day and had arranged to meet my friends from Rehoboth Beach, Mary, and Nancy, who were also joining my group on the cruise. Lawrence, from Columbia, who I had met on a previous cruise was staying at my hotel, and he joined us for dinner that evening at a nice restaurant near the Spanish Steps. The ladies were staying near the Spanish Steps and we parted ways with them after dinner and Lawrence and I decided to take a long walk back to our hotel to walk off dinner.
Day three dawned bright and sunny. After breakfast Lawrence and I headed to the designated meeting place, which was only two blocks from the hotel, to board the bus our hosts (travel agents extraordinaire, Scott and Dustin, of My Lux Cruise) had arranged to take us to Civitavecchia, the port where we were to board out ship. We met some old, and some new, friends on the bus. As we arrived at the port, we saw the BEYOND was docked close to the Celebrity EDGE and together they made an impressive picture. We arrived at the port about 10:30 and began our check-in to board the ship.
Courtesy of Scott, I had arranged for an upgrade to use the retreat amenities, the retreat is the fancier part of the ship. I really enjoy the retreat lounge. My cabin was concierge class. I was able to check in at the retreat section and when I handed my passport to the nice lady at the gate, after having dropped off my luggage, there seemed to be a problem. She said I would have to wait and I called Scott from My Lux Cruise over to see if he knew what the problem could be. Turns out she was just waiting for her manager to come over to welcome me on board. They apparently knew I was going to blog and write about the cruise and I thought that was very nice. We then got online with everyone else to walk up the gangplank to enter the ship. So, the cruise began.
Celebrity BEYOND Transatlantic Cruise: Blog #2
Day 1 on the ship begins and we are welcomed by a great crew as we walk up the gangway. The BEYOND has a very similar feel to the EDGE and the APEX, both on which I had cruised before. Clearly Celebrity BEYOND is a beautiful ship. I went directly to my cabin, set up my computer, and unpacked the one small bag I carried with me. The larger luggage was to be delivered to the cabin. Then I set out to tour the ship.
Again, it has a very familiar feel but there were some clear differences. The first thing I did was head to my muster station to check in, which every guest must do. It’s so you know where to go in case of any emergency during the cruise. There, one of the crew checking us in, was a very attractive and charming young man, who it turned out was one of the entertainers, an aerialist. He and his partner would perform during the cruise. I chatted with him and found he was from Ukraine, and of course knew the talented Bilak Brothers, who I have written about. Guess there is something in the water in Ukraine that breeds aerialists. I suggested I wanted to interview him later in the cruise, and he said that would be great.
Next, I headed to the Sunset Bar, larger than on the other EDGE ships and beautiful. I knew it had been designed by the talented Nate Burkus. I was going to be spending time there. The plentiful artwork around the ship was intriguing. Not sure I appreciated all of it, but then art is always in the eye of the beholder. The elephant at the pool is great. But another piece I stopped to look at thinking ‘why?’ Then near me I overheard a couple say, “wow, isn’t that beautiful.” Yes, we all appreciate art differently. I continued my tour looking at the various lounges, and then headed to EDEN, a lounge where the LGBTQ happy hour would be held each evening, and shows would be performed. Walking toward the Eden lounge on APEX you walk through a silver tunnel. On the Beyond, you walk into a black space, with silver freeform sculptures on the wall, floor, and some hanging from the ceiling. In some ways beautiful, but dangerous. There is one silver ball hanging from the ceiling directly in the walkway, which anyone over 5’9 must duck, not to smash into. I am surprised Celebrity hasn’t been sued yet. The black mirrors are such one woman walked into one while I was there, thankfully she wasn’t hurt. Again, art is in the eye of the beholder, but this installation actually seems dangerous. Once I navigated through the tunnel, the EDEN lounge is as great as on other EDGE series ships.
Scott and Dustin, of My Lux Cruise, had invited our group of nearly 100 to a 4:30 sail-away party in their suite, one of two amazing Iconic suites, on the ship. The other was occupied by Mark and Juan, an incredible couple, I first met on a Panama Canal cruise. So, I headed back to my cabin to wash up and change, expecting to see my luggage. No such luck. I was surprised since it was now five hours since we checked our luggage on the pier. I was to find out even those in the Iconic suites were missing some of theirs. Seems there was a small issue, and what was to be priority luggage, for the retreat passengers, never really got labeled as such, and the luggage sat for hours on the pier. So, I headed to the sail-away party and it was great. Dustin and Scott, working with Christophe, the Hotel Director, set up a fun party. There were old friends to greet, and new ones to meet, a perfect start to the cruise. Just a side note, Christophe had been Hotel Director on the APEX until recently, and we met him last year. He is a great guy. I hope to work with him during the cruise to set up some interviews with the Captain and other crew, if Celebrity corporate gets out of the way. After the party a few of us headed to the Tuscan restaurant, one of the four main dining rooms, for a relaxed dinner. Then it was an early night for me, looking forward to day 2 and my first excursion.
Celebrity BEYOND Transatlantic Cruise: Blog #3
Day 2 on BEYOND dawned bright, and I had arranged to have coffee, juice, and a bagel delivered to the room. It was delivered late, but the room service manager called, apologized, and promised it would be on time for the rest of the cruise. I always do a continental breakfast in the room. I then headed to the theater, to check in for my first excursion.
The theater is beautiful, and was crowded with those checking in for various excursions. Mine was a bus trip to Papallo, and Santa Margherita, and then a small boat ride to Portofino. I was going with my friends Mary and Nancy from Rehoboth, Beach. They are all small, beautiful, tourist towns, on the coast. We were treated to breakfast in Rapallo, some pastries and cappuccino, and took a walk around town with our guide. Then it was back on the bus, and off to Santa Margherita, another pretty town. As we were heading there our guide confirmed the sea was quite rough, something we could see, and the planned boat trip to Portofino was cancelled. She then told us we could take a taxi, or small bus, from Santa Margherita, along a narrow road to Portofino. Many of us did take the bus. It was worth it as Portofino really is a beautiful place, with a great little harbor. But you understood again why the boat trip was cancelled as the water was lapping over the harbor wall, onto some of the streets. But that didn’t stop any of us from enjoying our time there. After returning to Santa Margharita, and all-in-all a very nice day, the bus brought us back to the ship around 4pm.
I then headed to the retreat lounge for another cappuccino, and met some of the group there. Then it was time to change and the LGBTQ+ happy hour in the Eden lounge. This was a precursor to dinner, again in one of the main dining rooms, and then a Halloween costume Party back in the Eden lounge. This party was arranged by Scott and Dustin. They had a roped off area in the lounge for our group, and there were some great costumes. In fact, a couple of the guys went on to win prizes in the ship-wide Halloween Party and contest, held a little later in the Martini Bar. Everyone was in great spirits all evening. The great thing about these cruises is you can stay and party till the wee hours, even head to the casino to try your luck, or if you are like me, you can head back to the cabin around eleven, for a good night’s sleep. Yes, I am getting old, LOL.
Day 3 on BEYOND dawned partly cloudy, and I had planned to do an eight-hour excursion to Nice and Monaco. Instead, went with my friend Ken, on our own excursion. We took the ship’s tender into VilleFranche -sur-mer. A charming town. Also taking the tender was my aerialist friend, and we walked around with him for a while. He had to be back at the ship early to prepare for a show that evening. Ken and I took the train to Nice. It was only a short trip and we walked around Nice, and took the tram to the beach. It wasn’t the main port, and was a little disappointing, but we had nice lunch and enjoyed walking around. Ken was looking for a pharmacy but they were all closed. We had forgotten it was All Souls Day. Then it was time to take the train back to VilleFranche, and board the tender back to the ship. Just as we got on the tender, it began to rain. We felt our timing was perfect. It was another nice day off the ship.
Now it was time to relax, wash up, and then head to the LGBTQ+ happy hour, which I do each evening. Then it was dinner again, this time in Cyprus, another of the four main dining rooms. Now this was going to be a little later evening for me, as the first show I wanted to see was being performed in the EDEN lounge at 10:45. It was one where my friend the aerialist, and his partner, were performing. They were great, as was the entire cast. Talented singers and dancers. So, it was worth staying up past my bedtime. In any event, day 4 was going to be our first sea day.
Celebrity BEYOND Transatlantic Cruise: Blog #4
Day 4 dawned bright and windy, with the ship’s motion a little strong from side to side. It was not a day to be outside so the inside lounges and solarium pool were going to be crowded. I had my usual breakfast delivered to the room, exactly on time with a charming waiter, and then did some writing. Then I headed to the gym. I had made a commitment to myself to go to the gym every sea day, and I intend to keep that commitment. The gym was busy but my timing was great. I headed to the lifecycle area and just as I got there one of the bikes opened. I spent about an hour in the gym and felt proud of myself. Then I treated myself, and headed to the retreat lounge for a cappuccino. I met some of the guys from our big LGBTQ group, Mike and Jason, and others who were also sitting there chatting and relaxing. We then all headed to the retreat restaurant, Laminae, for lunch. It was my first meal there this cruise. I had a simple, but great, burger and fries. Then I just wandered around the ship and found a nice place to sit and read till it was time to head back to the cabin and change for happy hour. I did contact the guest relations desk, asking to set up a meeting with Christophe, the Hotel Director. He very able assistant contacted me and suggested we could meet at the retreat lounge the next evening at 6:30 which sounded great to me.
The evening was nice. We went to the early show in the theater. The show, Stage Door, with the production cast was great. They sang and danced to a wide variety of musical numbers from Broadway shows. Then Paul, John, Ken, and I headed to Fine Cut, the steak house for dinner. While we weren’t all that thrilled with the meal, I must admit some others who have eaten there, raved about it. After dinner we headed to the Martini Bar and it was crowded. By eleven I headed back to the cabin.
Day 5 dawned sunny and windy. We docked early in Malaga, Spain. I have been to Malaga often, and had signed up for an excursion to Mijas, a small mountain town above Fuengirola, on the Costa Del Sol. I went because I wanted to see what the town looked like today, nearly fifty years after I was first there. While it is a beautiful, and a busy tourist town today, for me it was disappointing as I remembered it as a small cute town with a few main streets. Now you can buy a condo there for a mere $500,000 as advertised in one of the real estate shops. But it was a nice drive down the coast. We got back to the ship by 1:00pm and I headed back to the retreat lounge to relax. That evening I met some of the group and we headed to the show in the theater, Legacy, three very talented singers. From there we went to one of the main dining rooms, Tuscan, for dinner, and had a relaxed evening at the Martini bar. The next day, Saturday, would begin six days at sea as we crossed the Atlantic to Bermuda.
At the show we were warned there was a big storm in the North Atlantic, and the Captain determined he would change the route of the ship to a more southern route and try to avoid the worst of the storm. We were told there would be some higher waves and we would feel the rocking of the ship. We sure did feel it beginning that night.
I woke up on Day 6 to the room rocking. I was OK with that, and felt no sea-sickness. That was not the same for all in our group. I was impressed with my room service waiter who still delivered my breakfast on time, and carried the tray without a problem. The crew has great sea legs. The first of our six sea days had begun.
Opinions
SAVE Act could silence millions of trans voters
New administrative barriers pose threat to voting rights
In Washington, debates over voting rights usually arrive loudly — through court rulings, protests, or sweeping legislation that captures national attention.
The Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Act, now under debate in Congress, may reshape voting access in a quieter way — through paperwork. The bill would require Americans registering to vote in federal elections to present documentary proof of citizenship, such as a passport or birth certificate. Supporters argue the measure would strengthen election integrity and restore public confidence in the voting process. But for millions of eligible voters, particularly transgender Americans, the practical consequences could be far more complicated.
According to Gallup, about 1.3% of U.S. adults identify as transgender, representing roughly 3.3 million Americans. Far from disengaged politically, transgender voters participate in elections at high rates. Data released by Advocates for Trans Equality shows 75% of transgender respondents reported voting in the 2020 election, compared with 67% of the general population. Registration rates are also higher.
This is a community that shows up for democracy. Yet the SAVE Act could place new administrative barriers directly in its path. Birth certificates, the document many supporters believe should verify citizenship are among the most difficult identity records for transgender Americans to update. According to data released by The Williams Institute at UCLA Law School and the U.S. Transgender Survey, 44% of transgender adults had updated their name on government identification, but only 18% had successfully updated their birth certificates.
That gap matters.
If birth certificates become a central requirement for voter registration, millions of eligible transgender Americans could face bureaucratic obstacles that other voters rarely encounter.
History offers a warning. According to the Bipartisan Policy Center, Kansas implemented a similar proof-of-citizenship law that blocked more than 30,000 eligible voters from registering before the Kansas Supreme Court struck it down as unconstitutional.
At the same time, evidence suggests voter fraud remains extraordinarily rare. Research cited by the American Immigration Council estimates fraud at roughly 0.0001% of votes cast.
The question before lawmakers is not whether election security matters. It clearly does. The question is whether policies designed to solve a rare problem could intentionally disenfranchise legitimate voters.
The broader cultural debate surrounding gender identity often becomes emotionally charged, particularly when conversations turn to pronouns or language. Yet polling suggests the issue remains unfamiliar to many Americans. A 2022 YouGov poll found only 22% of Americans personally know someone who uses gender-neutral pronouns.
Meanwhile, the problems weighing on everyday Americans are far larger: rising grocery prices, health care costs, housing shortages, and economic struggles in both rural towns and urban neighborhoods. Yet, many conservatives choose to focus unnecessary time, energy, and resources litigating the use of pronouns.
A healthy democracy should be able to debate cultural questions without allowing them to become barriers to the ballot box.
So, what should transgender Americans, and allies, do in this moment? First, stay engaged politically. Contact legislators and explain how identification requirements affect real voters. Personal stories often reach policymakers in ways statistics alone cannot.
Second, document the impact. Write letters to local newspapers, share experiences publicly, and ensure the real-world effects of voting policies are visible.
Third, consider running for office. Local school boards, city councils, and state legislatures shape many of the rules governing elections. Finally, protest with discipline and purpose. The most transformative movements in history — from Mahatma Gandhi to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. — were rooted in peaceful persistence and moral clarity.
The SAVE Act may ultimately pass, fail, or change significantly as Congress debates it. But the larger principle at stake should guide the conversation. America’s democracy has always grown stronger when more citizens can participate, not when the path to the ballot becomes harder to navigate. For transgender voters, and for the country as a whole, that principle remains the quiet foundation of the republic.
James Bridgeforth, Ph.D., is a national columnist on the intersection of politics, morality, and civil rights. His work regularly appears in The Chicago Defender and The Black Wall Street Times.
Opinions
The frightening rise of antisemitism, Islamophobia
Trump, Netanyahu to blame for inflaming tensions
We can lay the rise in antisemitism and Islamophobia directly at the feet of the felon in the White House, and the criminal at the head of the Israeli government. Both Trump and Netanyahu belong in jail, not leading their governments.
I am a proud Jewish, gay man, and the homophobia and antisemitism the felon in the White House is generating are truly frightening. I am assuming my Muslim friends are feeling the same way about the Islamophobia he is causing to rise. While people have always been racist, homophobic, Islamophobic, and antisemitic, Trump has given tacit permission, with his statements, actions, and now his war on Iran, for those feelings to be shouted in the public square, and in the worst-case scenarios, acted on with violent attacks.
We can clearly attribute the rise in antisemitism around the world, to the actions of the right-wing, war criminal, leader of the Israeli government, Benjamin Netanyahu, and what he is doing to destroy Gaza, murdering innocent Palestinians, and now again bombing innocents in Lebanon.
This is all seeping into the politics of our nation. One organization promoting antisemitism and expecting it of the candidates they endorse, is the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA). They went so far as to take away an endorsement at one point, from one of their most ardent supporters, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.), because she refused to fully support their anti-Zionist platform and their support of BDS. The DSA took issue with “[Ocasio-Cortez’s] votes, including a vote in favor of H.Res.888, conflating opposition to Israel’s ‘right to exist’ with antisemitism,” and a press release in April she co-signed that “support[s] strengthening the Iron Dome and other defense systems.” In their 2025 platform DSA called for a single state from the ‘river to the sea’ as the Palestinian right to resist, thereby eliminating the State of Israel. It goes with their support of BDS and anti-Zionist positions. It is fair to see that as antisemitism.
I am a Zionist, in the sense of the term as coined by Theodor Herzl. I am a believer in, and supporter of, the State of Israel. I am also for a Palestinian state. I am opposed to what Israel’s current government, led by a war criminal, is doing. I had hoped he would have abided by what former President Biden said to him immediately after Oct. 7. “Don’t make the same mistake we did after 9/11. Temper your response.” But instead, Netanyahu has murdered Palestinians by the thousands, destroying Gaza. He was rightfully declared a war criminal and should be brought to justice. He has made things worse both for the people of Israel, and Jews around the world. He has been responsible for antisemitism around the world once again rearing its ugly head. Now, two and a half years after Hamas’s attack on Israel, he is still murdering Palestinians, and now again more people in Lebanon and Iran. He still denies the Palestinian people need a home, a state of their own. He promotes settlements on the West Bank that should be part of a Palestinian state and refuses to prosecute settlers who commit crimes against the Palestinian people there.
My parents and relatives had to flee Hitler. Some came to the United States, and some immigrated to Israel. My father’s parents were killed in Auschwitz. I believed it could never happen again. But the felon in the White House, and criminal in Israel, are abusing me of that notion. Their policies of greed and corruption are leading to danger for all the people of the world. They are leading us into a third world war. The felon is attempting to steal, yes steal, billions through his phony ‘Board of Peace’ where he is screwing the Palestinian people out of their homes in Gaza. It is insanity, and we are all suffering for it; Jews, Muslims, and the rest of the world, as we are thrown into war none of us wants.
Now as I wrote, the DSA, tells people all Zionists are the enemy, without a definition of what a Zionist is. They expect their supporters not to recognize the State of Israel. They create antisemitism, and now in D.C. we have a candidate running for mayor, Janeese Lewis George, asking for, and getting their support. They also have in their platform to defund the police. Those things should frighten all the people of D.C. Any candidate who can run on the DSA platform must be deemed unacceptable to anyone who opposes prejudice and discrimination of any kind. One prejudice leads to others and gives rise to people feeling they can be open about not only their antisemitism, but their Islamophobia, racism, and sexism, as well.
We need all the good voters in the District of Columbia to find these DSA positions unacceptable, and reject any candidate who solicits, and takes their endorsement.
Peter Rosenstein is a longtime LGBTQ rights and Democratic Party activist.
Botswana
The rule of law, not the rule of religion
Bonolo Selelo and Tsholofelo Kumile are challenging the Botswana Marriage Act
Botswana was in a whole frenzy as religious and traditional fundamentalists kept mixing religion and constitutional law as if it were harmless. It is not. One is a private matter of belief between you and God, while the other is the framework that protects and governs us all. When these two systems get fused, the result is rarely justice. It results in discrimination.
The ongoing case brought by Bonolo Selelo and Tsholofelo Kumile challenging provisions of the Botswana Marriage Act has reignited a familiar debate in Botswana. Some commentators insist that marriage equality violates religious values and therefore should not be recognized by law. It is a predictable argument. It is also fundamentally incompatible with constitutional governance.
Botswana is not a Christian state. It is a constitutional democracy governed by the Constitution of Botswana. That distinction matters. In a constitutional democracy, laws are interpreted in accordance with constitutional principles such as equality, dignity, protection, inclusion and the rule of law, rather than the doctrinal beliefs of any particular religion.
Religion has no place in constitutional law and democracy
The central problem with religious arguments in constitutional disputes is simple in that they divide, they other, they contest equality and they are personal. Constitutional law by contrast, must apply equally to everyone.
Botswana’s Constitution guarantees fundamental rights and freedoms under Sections 3 and 15, including protection from discrimination and the right to equal protection of the law. These provisions are not conditional on religious approval. They exist precisely to protect minorities from the preferences or prejudices of the majority.
Legal experts, such as Anneke Meerkotter, in her policy brief in Defense of Constitutional Morality, point out that constitutional rights function as a safeguard against majoritarian morality. If rights depended on whether the majority approved of a minority’s identity or relationships, they would not be rights at all. They would merely be privileges.
This principle has already been affirmed in Botswana’s jurisprudence. In the landmark decision of Letsweletse Motshidiemang v Attorney General, the High Court held that criminalizing consensual same-sex relations violated constitutional protections of liberty, dignity, privacy, and equality. This judgment noted that constitutional interpretation must evolve with society and must be guided by human dignity and equality. The court emphasized that the Constitution protects all citizens, including those whose identities, expressions or relationships may be unpopular. That ruling was later upheld by the Court of Appeal of Botswana in 2021, reinforcing the principle that constitutional rights cannot be restricted on grounds of moral disapproval alone. These decisions were not theological pronouncements. They were legal determinations grounded in constitutional principles.
The danger of religious majoritarianism
When religion is used to justify legal restrictions, the result is what constitutional scholars call “majoritarian moralism.” It allows the dominant religious interpretation in society to dictate the rights of everyone else. That approach is fundamentally incompatible with constitutional democracy. Botswana is religiously diverse. While Christianity is the majority faith, there are also Muslims, Hindus, traditional spiritual communities, Sikh and people who practice no religion at all. If the law were to follow the doctrines of one religious group, which interpretation would it adopt? Christianity alone contains dozens of denominations with different views on love, equality, marriage, sexuality, and gender. The moment the state begins to legislate on the basis of religious doctrine, it implicitly privileges one belief system over others. That undermines both religious freedom and constitutional equality. Ironically, keeping religion separate from constitutional law is what protects religious freedom in the first place.
Judicial independence is the cornerstone of Botswana’s governance system
The current case involving Bonolo Selelo and Tsholofelo Kumile is before the judiciary, where it belongs. Courts exist to interpret the Constitution and determine whether legislation complies with constitutional rights. Political and religious lobbying, as well as public outrage, must not influence that process.
Judicial independence is the cornerstone of Botswana’s governance system. According to the International Commission of Jurists, judicial independence ensures that courts can make decisions based on law and evidence rather than political or social pressure.
When governments, political, religious, or traditional actors attempt to interfere in constitutional litigation, they weaken the rule of law. Botswana has historically prided itself on having one of the most stable constitutional systems in Africa. The judiciary has played a critical role in safeguarding rights and maintaining legal certainty. The decriminalization case demonstrated this. Despite strong public debate and political sensitivity, the courts assessed the law according to constitutional principles rather than moral panic. The same standard must apply in the current marriage equality case.
This article was first published in the Botswana Gazette, Midweek Sun, and Botswana Guardian newspapers and has been edited for the Washington Blade.
Bradley Fortuin is a consultant at the Southern Africa Litigation Center and a social justice activist.
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