, and in a few weeks or months, the club will close its doors. We'd all known about that, but then CS added that he'd heard of another prominent gay bar/club that would be shutting down in the very near future: The Boom Boom Room. Supposedly, a straight organization purchased the club, its restaurant and inn for $10M -- though no one could confirm that amount.
I think the idea was to tear it down to create a family -- meaning Mom, Dad and the 2.5 children -- friendly resort right on the beach in Laguna. That came as a blow since The Boom has been around for 30+ years.
(I wonder how the straight folk will manage when they learn about Blow Job Beach?) None of this shocked David, and he had another log to add to the fire. Apparently, The Center is $120K in debt and may be forced to halt operations in about 6 weeks.
All our mouths dropped in astonishment. With budget cuts, federal grants being dissolved left and right, and lackluster fundraising efforts, The Center has been losing money. They've been forced to cancel programs and even to reduce the number of staff, many of whom are now on part-time status.
The Center was one of the few places to which I could turn when I started coming out. The men's discussion groups, LifeGuard programs (an HIV risk prevention group which I ran for a little while), and the Coming Out Group which helped me deal with all the strange emotions and all the questions. I experienced my first HIV test from their free testing center.
I've made some long-lasting friendships through volunteering - CS, RG and joela. I even met my first boyfriend at The Center. Just imagine all the other men and women who've had similar experiences with The Center.
No other organization in Orange County offers these types of services for the GLBTQ community, and for it to close is unconscionable. Where will everyone go who has questions? who wants to meet other gay men and women in a safe environment?
who needs HIV testing but is afraid to visit the family doctor? The Center used to be one of the three largest in the nation. David told us that they hired a professional grant writer to help in any way that he can to get the money coming in.
He was optimistic that things would turn out okay. He had faith. Having grown up in Orange County, knowing too many conservatives who would do anything to smother such an organization -- I wish I felt the same.
So for my part, I'm putting a call out to help raise funds. I know, I know -- the last thing you wanted to read was me asking for donations. However, The Center holds a dear place in my heart.
If you or anyone you know would like to donate, follow this link or call The Center and speak with David at (714) 534-0862, ext. Thanks for reading. posted by Greg at 3:55 PM | 9 words of wisdom Corner Bakery Café in downtown Brea and talked a bit about movies, what we like and disliked.
Some of his dislikes really surprised me, especially since they were films I enjoyed and watched over and over. I think my taste in movies may have unsettled him, too, as I talked about some of the silent films and classics from the 30s and 40s. Through the rest of the meal, we seemd to force the conversation to continue.
The evening seemed to turn a complete 180˚ from the phone calls and first few dates, and I couldn't wait to get through the movie. I just felt out of place, as if I were dong everything wrong. As we were leaving the café, his roommate called.
He and his boyfriend were going to join us for the movie. So we wandered over to meet them, talking aobut nothing really important, stopping into one of the many shops to look at shoes, and finally crossing the street to buy tickets for The Skeleton Key. We stood outside the theater, waiting for his roommate to show, and discussing the upcoming movies that were being advertised in the lobby.
It felt as if we were just going through the motions, both of realizing that something hadn't quite clicked tonight but needing to finish what had already started. My mind kept whispering that I had made a mistake somewhere but wouldn't tell me where. The roommate and his boyfriend showed and after purchaisng their tickets, we crossed the street to Starbucks for coffee and a hot chocolate.
I sat back as the three of them chatted away about mutual friends, restaurants, work, etc. occasionally directing a statement at me but not really enough to join in the conversation. I continually glanced at my watch, too -- not a good sign for me.
We eventaully hurried back to the theater to find seats before the onrush of people. The movie started and turned out to be much better than I expected. A good story even though I was able to figure out early on a few of the plot turns.
Gena Rowlands, Kate Hudson and John Hurt gave fine performances, and I must say that the twist at the end really caught us all quite off-guard. No one suspected it, but, like , all the clues were there if you paid attention. We said good-bye to the roommate and then drove back to his place.
As I got out of the car, he said that he would walk me back to mine. We hugged, then I started my car and began the trek home. And that's where things stand at the moment.
Not sure what the next step is, but I get the feeling that that little voice in my head was right. posted by Greg at 4:33 PM | 15 words of wisdom Key Largo is a restaurant on Broadway in Long Beach not too too far from the Gayborhood. And, believe it or not, many of you fine readers have probably seen this restaurant before: its facade was used for the restaurant in The Broken Hearts Club -- though nowadays, the owners dotted the roof with light-up pink flamingos, and the interior decked out with light-up palm trees, fountains and yellow-textured walls.
The décor fit with the caribbean theme. Plus, the food tasted incredible so we didn't pay too much attention to what was around us. CS ordered the Olive Chicken -- a boneless breast of chicken lined with olives and spices and baked in a puff pastry shell.
I chose the Flat Iron Steak with roasted asparagus and a large roasted garlic clove. From there, we headed to The Paradise Café to meet with joela for a few drinks and some great music. I have to admit, there was an ulterior motive to heading for The Paradise last night.
A few months ago, I wrote a post about the singer/piano player, Saif Eddin. As it turns out, a friend of his found my post and showed it to Saif who then emailed me a few days ago. (Saif, I made a few changes, such as getting your eye color correct.
But, the rest is true!) So I invited my friends there last night to introduce myself and to enjoy a fun night with other gay men singing songs (The Carpenters, John Denver, showtunes, jazz/pop standards), enjoying the sights (lots of attractive men - like that hispanic hottie with the shaved head in the black muscle t-shirt and white pants; the bartender dancing on the bar; an unexpected show in the bathroom), Saif singing The Mary Tyler Moore Show Theme, and catching up with friends. That's what the night was about: hanging out with friends.
I didn't worry about meeting or hooking up with anyone. I sat back, shouting along to , and having the time of my life. We all need to that much more often.
posted by Greg at 12:13 PM | 5 words of wisdom The Longboard, a great local hangout with café dining right on Main St. We sat and talked for an hour about favorite and least favorite places to travel, gay TV, college and other pleasantries. Around 9 PM we headed back to my place and watched a little of the Miss Teen U.
S.A. I walked him back to his car, we hugged, he said he'd call me, then left.
The unopened bottle of California sparkling wine is still chilling in my fridge. , and in a few weeks or months, the club will close its doors.
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