One of my dearest friends invited us to the annual Fenway Men's Event last weekend, a grand affair benefiting
Fenway Community Health, an amazing health center which serves Boston's gay community (but not exclusively). I've actually been connected with Fenway for almost ten years, going back to my tenure as advisor to Lowell High's Gay-Straight Alliance. Many of my students would make the trek on the the commuter rail into Boston to go to the Fenway; it is well worth the trip for the support and fine care they receive there. The event, held at the Copley Marriot, was kind of like a gay prom, but totally swank and lavish. It is not often that I have the pleasure of being a minority, but I was among the around 5% of women in attendance. You haven't lived until you are on a dance floor surrounded by 2,000 gay men in fabulous tuxedos. And my Howard, in his charcoal and black tux, was among the most dashing of all of them. Howard is one of my closest friends and long-time patron and supporter of Fenway (we were totally VIP!). He is brutally honest and will tell ya like it is--(man, can he deliver a sweetly sharp retort), but he is more prominently one of the most loyal, thoughtful friends one could ever be so lucky to have (he even bought everyone at our table amazing twilight blue orchid boutineres, so sweet).
I visited Fenway's
post-event website, and was tickled to see that Matt and I made one of the four featured photos! You can see us gettin' down in the background of the lower left-hand image. Pretty funny. You can view the rest of the images snapped by the event photographer Marilyn Humphries
here.
And here are a few I took (or am actually featured in!). Excuse the blaring flash; I dropped my Gary Fong lightsphere somewhere in the mall on my way in (such a bummer). Enjoy!
Viola "helped" me get ready.
Mayor Menino opened the event.
Congressman Barney Frank spoke also.
His table was next to ours. Out of 200 tables, we were right in front of the stage (nice to be VIP!)
My hot date.
Dancing with Dee...
I like this one better (who needs flash anyway?)
Howard looking suave and Bond-ish
At times I felt like Madonna in the "Material Girl" video...
