I know that this has been reported widely, but for those of you who haven't heard, Babeland is hosting Sexy Santa Night with Firefighters TONIGHT! There will be calendars for sale to benefit children and you can pose with partially disrobed firefighters. It is a win-win event!

Sexy Santa Night with Firemen Thursday, December 10, 06:00PM, Free You’ll get plenty of eye-candy this season with sexy firefighters playing Santa at Babeland! Firefighters who posed for a pin-up-style calendar for the WSCFF Burn Foundation will be on hand signing calendars and posing for photos. As if that isn’t enough, you could win free sex toys, too, depending on how naughty or nice you’ve been. Calendar sales benefit burn research programs, send injured kids to summer camp, and provide burn prevention kits. More info about the Washington State Council of Firefighters Burn Foundation at http://www.firefightercalendar.org (6-9pm)

Ingersoll has a fantastically fun holiday event this Saturday! The Parisian-themed Snowball party promises to be a blast!

This year, you can stroll the streets of Paris,  bite down on some refreshments, and dance the night away as usual. Snowball has reeled off its annual holiday event at a diverse selection of  venues over the past few decades. Through the years  Snowball grew from a “need to party” to a primary fundraising activity for Ingersoll.

All of this is going to be happening at Cafe Metropolitan beginning at 7 p.m. and going until midnight. It's $9 to get in the door and that will go to help Ingersoll be able to continue offering their excellent support services.

The Facebook group, Gay People in Seattle, is having their monthly meet-up tonight at Purr. The event starts at 6PM. Should be fun!

Retail Therapy is hosting a benefit for Velocity Dance Studio this Friday, Dember 4th at the odd time of 6:35PM. There will be cute boys modeling underwear!

Looking to kill your recession and winter blues? Come join us for a little fun. I recently found out that an increase in underwear sales is a sign of economic recovery so I have joined forces with my favorite Divas to encourage an end to all economic woes by throwing a party with beautiful people modeling underwear in our fine establishment. You don't wanna miss it! We will be holding a raffle to benefit Velocity dance center not to mention our amazing gift with Purchase surprise!

For those of you who can't attend the wake but want to show the wonderful folks at Bailey Coy how much they've meant and how dearly they'll be missed, you can leave a note, card, flowers, or other token of remembrance to say goodbye and show your love to Bailey Coy. It's happening this Thursday any time before the wake. So, what are you waiting for? Go get a little goodbye card and drop it off at Bailey Coy!

You can RSVP for the event and read more on their Facebook page.

Bailey Coy Books is holding a wake on Thursday, Dec 3rd at 6:00 p.m. Tickets can be purchased online from Brown Paper Tickets and more information is available athttp://baileycoy.com/default.aspx.

For those of us who can't make it to the wake, how about showing them a little love? Flowers, signs, cards.

On Thursday during the day, what if you left a note at the entrance with the name of the favorite book you've purchased or your favorite Bailey Coy memory? 

Let's bring these tokens of appreciation to show Michael Wells and the entire...

Four incredible non-profits - Dunshee House, Multifaith Works, Gay City Health, and Seattle Counseling Services - who work tirelessly throughout the year to provide crucial services in HIV prevention, education, support and care for those in the Seattle area are hosting the Sixth Annual World AIDS Day Lunch on Tuesday, December 1 at the Convention Center. 

Be a part of this important benefit event with emcee Joyce Taylor, KING 5 TN Co-Anchor; AIDS Service Award honoree Dr. Bob Wood, director of the HIV/AIDS Program for Public Health – Seattle & King County; and special guest speaker Kathi Goertzen, evening anchor for KOMO TV. 

The lunch begins at 11:30 and is complementary; however, you are strongly encouraged to make a generous donation to help these fantastic organizations out. You can learn more and register to attend (which is required) at their Stronger Together web site.

There are a bunch of events happening on the Hill where you dance off those post-Turkey day calories. In particular, we'd like to point out Spanksgiving at the Cuff. Northwest Leather Sir Hugh BR and Lady Lydia McLane (along with TitanMen exclusive and Northwest Native Tony Buff) will be dishing up helpings of ass-slapping excitement on Thursday, November 26 from 9 to midnight. But do not fear, being spanked doesn't go without its merits. This event is a fundraiser for the Tony DeBlase scholarship. Who ever thought you could use your ass for education?

This hilarious holiday drag burlesque and cabaret show returns, this year to Oddfellows Hall.Shows are on Friday December 4 and Saturday December 5 at 8:00 p.m. and feature local sensations Ben DeLaCreme, Ms. Honeysuckle Hype, Fuchsia FoXXX,  ULTRA!,  Cherdonna & Lou Henry Hoover,  with special guests: Waxie Moon (Fri) and The Shanghai Pearl (Sat). Tickets are available online at Brown Paper Tickets. You can also read more on their Facebook event page:

HOMO FOR THE HOLIDAYS is a hearty holiday fruitcake packed with dancing reindeer, sexy sugar cookies, ghostly visitations, a Hanukkah pageant for dummies, and new ways to define coming home. It’s not Christmas in July, it’s Pride in December! Light your menorah, stuff your stockings, and join our chosen family in celebrating our favorite wintry holiday of all, HOMO FOR THE HOLIDAYS.

Tickets: $15 in advance, $20 at the door or $60 reserves a front of house table for parties of up to four

What are you doing tonight? Well cancel those plans because you SHOULD be attending the Rain City Soccer Club's 2010 Calendar Launch Party at Cafe Met. It's from 7:00 to 9:00 and the hot boys of RCSC will be serving up shots in addition to the drink specials at the bar. So go and buy a calendar or two! 

It's so sad to think that Bailey Coy Books won't be around any more. It's been a fixture on the Hill for 26 years! So, for those of you who need to mourn the loss of this iconic bookshop and celebrate their incredible history, you need to attend the  Wake & Auction on Thursday, December 3. You can help the store raise some cash to cover final expenses by bidding on the awesome stuff they've collected over the years. From the Brown Paper Ticket's page:

Auctioneer Laura Michalek will oversee bidding on a pair of white boxer shorts signed by David Sedaris, original cartoons out of our guestbook by Matt Groening and Lynda Barry, a poster signed by Annie Leibovitz, an original painting from the Big Fucking Hands series by Ellen Forney, signed first editions and other very special and very odd items. We'll also auction off dates with two of Capitol Hill's celebrity politicians, State Senator Ed Murray and City Councilmember Sally Clark. 

Entertainment will be provided by Fuschia Foxxx and the magnificent...

On Thursday, December 17 Three Dollar Bill Cinema will be hosting two screenings of An Evening with Auntie Mame! The first is at 6:30PM and the second at 9:30 (this screening is for folks 21 and over) at Central Cinema. Tickets are $12.

Celebrate the season with Three Dollar Bill Cinema and AUNTIE MAME. The beloved 1958 film starring the incomparable Rosalind Russell returns for one night only of festive revelry, a 'homo for the holidays' tradition. "Life's a banquet and most poor suckers are starving to death," according to Auntie Mame, but you'll be free to feast on a spread of free holiday sweet treats and surprises, presented with best wishes from Three Dollar Bill Cinema. (Full menu and beer/wine available throughout the program.) Last year our first screening sold out in advance, so get your tickets early!

Just a quick reminder that everyone should join CHS and Gay Cap Hill for a little late-fall Happy Hour(s) at Purr! We'll be meeting up tomorrow, Thursday, November 19 from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. at Purr. This event is for anyone and everyone to attend so we hope to see you ALL there! If you want to check out their happy hour offerings, visit Purr's web site.

Tomorrow is "Victory, Referendum 71 Approved Day" in the City of Seattle. This is "in recognition of the approval of referendum 71 granting equal rights to domestic partners." Tomorrow's celebration rally for the passage of R71 will be at Westlake Center, starting at noon.

Join Out & Equal for a teleconference on a discussion about ensuring a positive work environment for trans employees. The discussion will focus around providing transgender employees with positive mentoring and access to supportive leadership and ensuring that other employees and managers are aware of the challenges that many trans employees face. It's happening on Thursday, November 19 at noon. You can learn more and register on their event web site.  

Out for Sustainability is hosting a conference on the periphery of Capitol Hill this weekend... at the Olive 8 Hyatt. The conference features a number of topics, ranging from gender and healthcare to the pros and cons of Washington state's DP rights.

The cost of the conference ranges from $5 - $35. Here are the specifics of the conference:

Join OUT for Sustainability for the 1st annual conference on "Social Sustainability". Speakers on 5 panels join us from the city, county and state government, local businesses and non-profits. The goal is to see how demographics and logistics intersect and impact each other, to build awareness into action. Seminars include:

1p Gender + Healthcare: Focused on the issues and opportunities around access to services for women and transgender people.

Carolyn Fuller ND, Adjunct Faculty at the Bastyr Center for Natural Health, Primary and naturopathic care to the GLBTQ community at Spectrum Natural Health which is part of Country Doctor Community Health Clinic

2p Age + Community: Focused on planning community for an aging urban community, especially focused on the problems and potential solutions for the LGBTQ community.

Don Moreland is on the Seattle /King County Aging and Disability Advisory Committee and the State Council on Aging.

Tom Rasmussen is a City Council member for the City of Seattle. He chairs the Parks and Seattle Center Committee, vice-chair of the Culture, Civil Rights, Health and Personnel committee, member of the Planning, Land Use and Neighborhoods committee, member of the Seattle/King County Board of Health as well as a member of the Regional Policy Committee and the Water Resource Inventory Area (WRIA 8) board. Prior to his election in 2003, Tom was the Director of the Mayor's Office for Senior Citizens.

Jeff Reibman, AIA, LEED AP is a licensed architect and a Senior Associate with Weber Thompson, a multidisciplinary design firm. Jeff has specialized in the design of Senior Housing.

3p Class + Education

Focused on how LGBTQ youth are impacted by resourcse differences in different communities.

Ken Shulman, MPA, is executive director of Lambert House, Seattle's LGBT Youth Activity and Resource Center. He earned his masters in public administration at Harvard. A former appointee of two Seattle mayors, he was twice elected to co-chair the city government's LGBT Commission.

4p Orientation + Family

Focused on the non-political side of Domestic Partnership, including looking at the positives and negatives of the existing law in Washington State.

Thomas Pitchford is the Development & Outreach Director for Equal Rights Washington and has spent the last several years working with political campaigns and consulting candidates primarily in the areas of campaign finance and strategy.

Cynthia Buhr is the current President of QLaw: The GLBT Bar Association of Washington where she is  on the board. She is a family law attorney at Spencer Anderson & Buhr, PLLC and is an ACLU of Washington cooperating attorney.

David Wing-Kovarik co-founded and is executive director of Families Like Ours and is a member of the Washington Department of Social and Health Services (DSHS) GLBT Advisory Committee. David is also a board member of the national Adoption Exchange Association and is co-author of Adoption 101: the family guide.

5p Race/Ethnicity + Housing

Focused the debate between affordability and density and how that impacts different racial and ethnic communities including members of those communities who are LGBTQ.

Jacque Larrainzar is the Policy and Outreach Manager for the Seattle Office for Civil Rights. She is a member of the City of Seattle Race and Social Justice Coordinating Team which works to address racial disparities and social justice issues in city government.

Heyok Kim is the Executive Director of InterIm Community Development Association (InterIm CDA). Hyeok served as a senior policy analyst for Speaker of the House Frank Chopp and the House Democratic Caucus in the Washington State Legislature. She is Board Secretary for the Housing

Development Consortium of Seattle/King County and is a member of the Board of Directors for the Public Facilities District.

Darryl Smith is a real estate professional with Windermere Mount Baker, founded Columbia City Beat Walk, chaired Columbia City Revitalization, and served on the Seattle Planning Commission where he represented neighborhood-planning interests. Currently he serves on the Board of Rainier Valley Community Development Fund and is the Board President of Great City.

More information at www.OUTsustainability.com. For questions, contact Gerod Rody, executive director, at gerod.rody@gmail.com

Tickets are $5 base price, or higher if you are in a position to help support the conference, get your tickets now at http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/85960

OUT for Sustainability brings the LGBTQ community together with social and environmental sustainability, connecting macro issues with individual choices and impact, through partner led events, education, consulting and advocacy.

One of the films being featured in SIFF's New Italian Cinema Festival looks like an excellent gay-themed movie! Different From Whom? is the debut film from director Umberto Carteni. The film follows an out gay man running for a mayor in a conservative town.

In an unnamed Italian city, the current conservative mayor builds walls to stop crime. Piero (Luca Argentero) is more interested in building community – for gays and lesbians, in particular. When he is paired with a more family-focused woman as his deputy mayor, much conflict ensues. As opposites start attracting, however, Piero’s political ambitions – and his long-term relationship with Remo (Filippo Negro) – are threatened. 

Punctuated by bouncy R&B tunes, Different From Whom is a delightful farce about sexuality and politics that playfully satirizes all the spaces along both continuums.

Looks fun and it's just a short trek off the Hill! Tickets can be purchased online or at the door. The screening is at 7:...

Join CHS and Gay Cap Hill for a little late-fall Happy Hour(s) at Purr! We'll be meeting up next Thursday, November 19 from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. This event is for anyone and everyone to attend so we hope to see everyone there! If you want to check out their happy hour offerings, visit Purr's web site.

This weekend appears to be a bit light with LGBT events on the hill. Folks must be recuperating from Halloween and R71 campaigning. :)

Ongoing

• Project Pie - buy your pie for Thanksgiving and the proceeds go to Lifelong AIDS Alliance!

Friday

• Shift Flicks at Gay City Health

Saturday

• Orcas Fundraiser at Rebar

For a pretty darn comprehensive list of Seattle LGBT nightlife events, visit Seattle Gay Scene!

Seattle Times and other media outlets are reporting that the referendum protecting LGBT equal rights now has an insurmountable lead. Anne Levinson, chair of the campaign group that worked to approve the measure said

Voters across the state listened to the personal stories of lesbian and gay families and the challenges they faced and sent a strong message that we want to see all families treated equally under the law in our state.

Of course, the homophobic opposition is not conceding. Big surprise that they can't own up to the fact that our state has made history and is leading the way to provide fair and equal treatment of LGBT citizens of this state.

This month's Bacon Strip is a fundraiser for the Orcas Swim Team, Seattle's LGBT competitive swim group.

Sylvia O-Stayformore and Bacon Strip are generously hosting a fundraiser for the Orca Swim Team, who have recently seen a drastic increase in our pool rates and are trying to keep, ahem, afloat. Bacon Strip is a great night of Drag and Dancing, and this Saturday there will be jello shots and a speedo raffle--you could be the proud winner of one of the lovely pink speedos featured in our pride float from last summer! So come drink and be merry, and support the Orca Swim team in the process.

The party is at Rebar this Saturday, November 7th, at 10PM.

According to the Secretary of State's web site, R-71 "approve" votes are slightly ahead. It's also worth noting that 1033 is loosing (which is good). The rest of the results are here.

Gay Cap Hill would like to remind you to PLEASE mail in your ballots if you have not done so already. They must be postmarked on or before Tuesday, November 3. With the importance of Approving R-71 riding on this election, please do not forget to mail in your ballots! You can still help with phonebanking on Monday and Tuesday at the ERW office (right between Downtown and the Hill) and then attend one or more of the AWESOME election night parties happening on the Hill (or elsewhere in town).

So, a bunch of gay bar on the Hill is having a costume contest. Here's your chance to earn some money for your creative costuming ideas! The list, in alphabetical order for you're ghoulish enjoyment:

Bottleneck Lounge Hillside Harvest Fest No cover, season beer specials, Halloween festivities through the night

Crescent Lounge Hallow-swing! Karaoke, swing dancing, and drink specials (no cover)

Cuff Halloween Party w/ guest DJ Kimberely S. - contest at midnight, $1000 first place (cover)

Havana Halloween Party Featuring: TRUCKASAURAS, Introcut, Sean Cee, TigerBeat, Turk, KliK, XBen, Nicki Danger and Limpwrist. ($10 pre sale tickets at brownpapertickets.com)

Julia's on Broadway Sinister Halloween Party Starts at 9 p.m. - Grand prize: 2 tickets on Virgin America Airlines ($10 cover)

Madison Pub Under the Sea Costume judging @ 8, awards at 10 - $300 first prize (no cover)

Neighbors Psych Ward 10 p.m. to 4 a.m. - cash prizes and contests (cover)

Purr Annual Halloween Party Contest at midnight, $1000 first prize (no cover)

R Place Sister Dawnna's Nightmare contest at midnight, $1000 first place ($10 cover, goes to the Sisters)

ReBar presents Sylvia O'Stayformore MEN! UNDERWEAR! HOT! Oh yah, and a costume contest too (cover)

And for those of you who want to get started early, get your tickets to Bump! It's a huge, crazy party that benefits Gay City Health. This year, the party is at Showbox at the Market on Friday, 10/30. There's also a wicked after-party... Grind @ Chapel. Shuttles to and from the Hill every 20 minutes. Check out their site for tickets and more information.

There's also COMEBACK at Chop Suey on Friday 10/30. It's $7 to get in if you're wearing a costume and there is a costume contest at midnight!

We don't have any word on what's happening at Pony, The Eagle, Elite, Wildrose, or Chapel, but we'll update you on that later today or Monday.