I knew I loved me some Starbucks!  The coffee company joined a growing list of corporations who have endorsed gay marriage legislation in the state House and Senate.

Gay marriage supporters have supposedly secured the votes needed to pass a measure through both houses. INTERRRESSTTTINGGG.

If you’re in the gay Wilton Manors area make sure you stop by Starbucks 26th Street and say hi to the crew!

Latrice Royale from Miami is the second plus-sized contender reppin large and in charge drag queens on RuPaul’s Drag Race!  

The show debuted in 2009 and each season features 13 drag divas who are tested through a series of tasks to find out who really is the baddest drag bitch.  The ladies are graded on talent, uniqueness and nerve.

Each week, the contestants are judged based on a challenge and the bottom two are put up in a lip-sync for their lives where they basically duke it out.  Latrice must be thrilled and we are even more thrilled for her. She is really putting the Miami and Wilton Manors areas on the map!

If you haven’t checked out her shows make sure you catch her at Palace and Bill’s Filling Station in Wilton Manors before she takes it to the big time!  YOU BETTA WERK…

The number of serious crimes in Wilton Manors occurring within the first half of the year was down almost 6% from last year, according to The Florida Department of Law Enforcement.

“Serious crimes” include the report of murder, forcible rape, robbery, aggravated assault, larceny and motor vehicle theft.  From January through June 2011, a total of 317 crimes were reported in Wilton Manors, compared with 335 from the year before.

The numbers are as follows:

Murder: 0 in 2011; 2 in 2010;

Forcible rape: 0 in 2011; 0 in 2010;

Robbery: 18 in 2011; 16 in 2010;

Aggravated Assault: 12 in 2011; 10 in 2010;

Burglary: 63 in 2011; 77 in 2010;

Larceny: 215 in 2011; 211 in 2010;

Motor Vehicle theft: 9 in 2011; 19 in 2010;

Overall, the state of Florida’s crime rate dropped by about 2 percent.

If you haven’t seen The Cabanas Guesthouse & Spa’s write-up in South Florida Gay News your are surely missing out! The gay Wilton Manors, clothing optional all-male hotel is featured in the South Florida Gay News article, ” To Resort or Not to Resort.”

Check out part of the article below…

Now if you’re looking for a great gay guesthouse and are not looking for a resort The Cabanas Guesthouse & Spa has it all. The Cabanas has the best location between the beach and the gay nightlife. The Cabanas has breath taking waterfront views with kayaks and bicycles. This Guesthouse also has a Therapeutic aroma therapy steam room to sweat the stress away, and make you feel like a king or a queen. Visit TheCabanasGuestHouse.com.

Well, if CNN is reporting about it then it MUST be true!  We all try to find out own little way of beating the heat during the summertime.  Some of us try to stay in the shade, we drink cold beverages and some of us even walk around with those battery operated fans.  But some people find that shedding their clothes is the best way to survive the dog days of summer.

Places like The Cabanas Guesthouse & Spa in gay Wilton Manors are the perfect venue for just letting it all hang out.  This all male, clothing optional gay resort offers a long list of amenities to its guests including the use of kayaks and bicycles, a 10-man jacuzzi, secure parking, high-speed internet, cable television and the list goes on.

For more information on The Cabanas or their full service European style spa click here or call 866-564-7764.

A congratulations is in order for gay Wilton Manors‘ very own Cabanas Guesthouse & Spa. The Cabanas was voted Best Fort Lauderdale Guesthouse & Spa for 2011.

With a full service European spa, this clothing optional resort boasts amenities like kayaking, cable tv, expanded continental breakfast and so much more.

For additional information on the cabanas, click here.

Congratulations William Pollard of Ann Arbor, Michigan for winning a FREE 3 night stay at The Cabanas Guesthouse & Spa.  Not only did William win a 3 night stay at this beautiful gay Wilton Manors guesthouse, he also won a $100 gift certificate to The Cabanas’ own European style men’s day spa.

Don’t forget, the drawings are quarterly.  So be sure to register to win here.

As if they weren’t amazing enough, let’s add some fundraising action into the mix.  This coming Thursday join Juiceblendz at their gay Wilton Manors location as they raise money for our local gay Fort Lauderdale Pride Center.

This Thursday, 20 percent of the proceeds that Juiceblendz makes will be donated to The Pride Center.  Between 6 and 10 that night, the event will come to a head with something special going on (oh lala).

This really is a great event for a really amazing community establishment dedicated to spreading pride throughout gay Fort Lauderdale.  So come on out and grab a smoothie, it’s for a good cause!

If there were ever a night to eat out, it’s April 28, 2011.  Join Dining Out For Life (DOFL) at a participating restaurant and a portion of your bill will be donated to support local services in the fight against AIDS.

DOFL is a one-day international fundraiser that benefits non-profit service agencies in over 55 metropolitan areas across the United States and Canada.  The Miami New Times and New Times Broward are co-hosting the fundraising event and on April 29 all of the participating businesses will hand over the donations to Care Resource, South Florida’s oldest and largest HIV/AIDS service organization.

The donation will help Care Resource continue to provide services like intensive primary healthcare, testing, clinical trials and comprehensive support services.

DOFL is one of the best fundraising events that the LGBT community has ever seen in Fort Lauderdale, Wilton Manors and Miami and it’s a short drive to many of the the participating restaurants from The Cabanas Guesthouse and Spa.

For a full list of participating restaurants click here.

Okay, I cannot be the only one who walks into the Starbucks on 26th street in Wilton Manors and feels like I walked in to my high school cafeteria…but, ya know, in a good way.

Seriously, we have the athletes in one corner, the intellects in another, the token artist drawing in a booth and the overly tanned girls waiting for their drinks at the counter.  Typical.

But in all seriousness, this is probably my favorite place to be during the day.  The staff is super nice and SO perky.  You might walk in having an off day, but you’ll more than likely leave with a reason to smile.

You really can’t beat the entertainment factor either.  In, like, the 20 minutes that I’ve been sitting here writing this blog I’ve overheard a discussion about feet, Grindr, and the ability to be rude without being rude (whatever that really means).  And I love the guy in the corner of the bar pretending to read a powerpoint print-out.  I say pretending because every time I look up his eyes are peeking over the paper at the super cute guy about 2 feet away from me.  Again, typical.

Such is Starbucks in Wilton Manors.

This Starbucks is located near The Cabanas Guesthouse and Spa.