Gay senator wants space shuttle to land in NYC

New York’s openly gay state senator wants to bring the space shuttle to New York City. And on Thursday, the state senate took a step toward realizing that dream, passing a resolution endorsing an application to receive one of NASA’s retiring crafts, according to a news release [1] from Sen. Tom Duane’s office.

Three NASA shuttles – Discovery, Endeavor and Atlantis – are scheduled to be retired early next year. Duane hopes to bring one of them to Manhattan’s Intrepid Sea, Air and Space Museum.

[2]

“The spacecrafts are national treasures,” Duane said in the news release. “With more than 8 million residents and 46 million visitors each year, New York City would be without question the most high-profile and exciting place for the shuttle to land.”

The Intrepid Museum launched an online petition [3] and so far has collected nearly 45,000 signatures.

[1] http://www.nysenate.gov/press-release/senator-duane-spearheads-passage-resolution-bring-space-shuttle-new-york-city
[2] http://www.365gay.com/wp-content/uploads/news-tom-duane-top.jpg
[3] http://www.intrepidmuseum.org/shuttle/

Travel news: $399 airfare for gay cruise in China

Atlantis Events, which specializes in all-gay and lesbian vacations, is now offering the first-ever gay cruise to mainland China, South Korea and Japan – with a roundrip airfare of only $399 from any US or Canadian city.

From Atlantis:

Atlantis’ newest cruise sails from Shanghai, home to Expo 2010, on March 20, …

Mardi Gras returns to Galveston; Winter Party heats up Miami

Last February, Galveston Island rolled out the red carpet for a Mardi Gras celebration that showed the Gulf Coast to be home to one of Texas’ most gay-friendly small towns. Barely seven months later, the city resembled Atlantis, with most of it completely submerged.

But Galveston, as it did more than a century ago, is roaring back. This week, Harbor House — a bayside boutique of 42 rooms — officially reopened for business. Its older seawall-side sister, the Hotel Galvez, opened late last year, and another property, the Tremont Hotel (which on New Year’s Eve 2007 was sold out for a same-sex wedding) is set to be back in business by May.

And the city is already gearing up for Mardi Gras, with a 12-day celebration starting Feb. 13 and ending on Fat Tuesday, Feb. 24. The main event will be on Saturday, Feb. 21, with the Knights of Momus Grand Night Parade and the 24th annual Tremont House Ball (this time held at the Hotel Galvez). See Mardi Gras returns to Galveston; Winter Party heats up Miami
Dallas Voice, TX