The Welcoming Committee blog

16th May 2013

Shit Gays Should Know: The Tragedy of The Trade

One of the few things I loath about professional baseball is the instability of a team, which is often being restructured through trades. The trading of players between teams is an unavoidable circumstance of the business. Similar to itching being an unavoidable aspect of growing a beard, or ordering Chinese food at 2 AM being the unavoidable result of getting drunk (…OK, maybe that’s just me, but you get the point). Trades happen, and when trades happen to players that you have committed your heart to, the emotional fallout can be ugly.

I am normally a composed and level-headed individual, friends sometimes even use the word “sweetheart” to describe me (…even though a piece of my soul dies each time they do). But when rumors started swirling earlier this season about the possible trade of my favorite Red Sox player Jacoby Elsbury…I started to get loopy. Do not for one moment think I won’t chain myself to a ticket turnstile in protest of this event actually happening…because I will.

Just take a look at this smile and try to muster the strength to say you wouldn’t be heartbroken to lose him too -

10th May 2013 | 3 notes

The Montreal Takeover, as told by Tina Fey

You’re alarm goes off on Saturday, June 22nd, and at first you’re like:

But then you remember it’s #DestinationTakeover: Montreal day and you’re all:

Jumping into the shower, you begin to think

Upon arriving at South Station you climb on the bus…

find a spot, sit down next to your new friend

And then TWC starts handing out beers & survival kits

So you look to the your new insta-friend in the seat next to you and

After arriving and checking into the hotel, you & the roomies decide that the party needs to get started early

Oh sweet, TWC just stopped by the hotel room to drop off some booze!

Alright, now you have to choose between the walking tour, food tour, and bar crawl…

You decide…

leave the hotel and storm the city. Once you’re done, you head back to your room and start getting all dolled up to go out with the Montreal GQB gays

You hit the pre-game bar

Then you decide to eat dinner cause you start thinking…

Phew. You ate. Time to hit the city.

You look around and see some eye candy

and continue the dance party. Closing time rolls around and your brain is deciding if you can handle the second nightlife shift. Oh hell, #YOLO right?

As soon as you hit the next bar you start dancing. And you’re pretty sure you look like this:

But you might look a little more like this

But it’s cool cause normally people would be all:

But you’re on a TWC takeover, so its NBD

Then you get some pics from your friends back in Boston to show you how their nights are going

And you realize how grateful you are that you got on the bus

Then the lights come up at 4am and you decide you should probably head back to your hotel with the rest of the troops. On your way home you stumble on a late night pizza place

And thank goodness you ate it cause you go to bed and wake up without a hangover. So you’re all

But as you and the rest of the group are going to leave you remember how hard you danced last night

fresh-start-yo: GPOY! Seriously, whats the point of last years push-up

You find a spot to eat and everyone starts talking about the night before

After finishing up, you explore the city for a while

and then head back to load the bus

Back on board, maybe you listen to some music, maybe you play Candy Crush, maybe you just take a nap

But it’s ok, cause you know there will be other #DestinationTakeovers with The Welcoming Committee

And then on Monday morning, you’re friends gchat you to find out what happened in Montreal, and you’re just

because what happens in Montreal stays in Montreal.

Tickets? Itinerary? Lodging? Click and you shall receive.

9th May 2013

Shit Gays Should Know: HUGE NEWS - Brittney Griner came out. And? crickets?

Last week you may have heard about NBA player Jason Collins coming out publicly (…and if not, you should probably dig your head out from wherever it is buried). And while Collins’ achievement was unprecedented and courageous, the moment completely eclipsed the fellow coming out of WNBA #1 draft pick Brittney Griner -

Not to say that any closet crashing is more special than another, but here we are talking about an athlete who is just beginning her pro career and tempts to be one of the best the game has ever seen. In four years at Baylor University, Griner won a national championship and broke numerous school and NCAA records (…including a college career 736 defensive blocked shots…a record in both men’s and women’s college basketball).

Arguments to the downplay of Griner’s news include reasoning that gay women are more accepted in athletics and that the WNBA is not as prestigious as the NBA. Which, in all fairness, may be true…but it’s a shame that this story isn’t as highly celebrated or appreciated. The gay community needs to rally behind one coming out story as it rallies behind all of them. And if there’s one thing men’s sports should be taking serious notes on about the dynamics of women’s sports…it is acceptance.

For a little more Brittney:

Griner addresses her coming out in the New York Times

NBA owner Marc Cuban trying to get in some slimy PR on Griner’s behalf (via ESPN)

And here she is recording only the second dunk in women’s basketball NCAA tournament history

-by Matthew James Broderick - faux Ferris Bueller, cyclist, vintage enthusiast, introverted when not extroverted, check out his portfolio/blog here: MatthewJamesBroderick.com

8th May 2013

20% off Bartschland tickets, a 7,000 square foot pop-up party, this Saturday

This Saturday night, at 10pm, the Revere Hotel is throwing a 7,000 square foot pop-up party in conjunction with nightlife queen Susanne Bartsch. After New York Magazine called Bartsch “the ringmaster presiding over a lawless carnival,” the Revere quickly realized a lack of our presence would be almost inconceivable.

So without further ado, allow us to present discounted tickets for TWC members to “One Night in Bartschland.” Use “TWCREVERE” to get 20% off here.

We’re also throwing a pre-party down the street. Join the rest of the troops there by clicking here.

Viva!

8th May 2013 | 1 note

Shit Gays Should Know: When straights come to visit, Pt 1

It’s that time of year when the weather is finally nice in Boston. Your best straight buddy wants to visit (yay!) and you need to take him out while he’s here.

Panic.

“OH.EM.GEE. Where the hell am I going to take him!? Can’t go to Estate…or Guilt…or HOB…Club Café? Maybe he’ll think Jacques is…entertaining?”

No. Shit.

Chances are you’ve experienced this before. If not, trust me, you will the older (read: gayer) you get. Let’s be honest, unless it’s a GQB, most of us haven’t hung out in a straight bar since we embraced our attraction to the same sex and love of all things which could be loosely interpreted as “brunch.”

Calm yourself. I’m here. Below is a foolproof itinerary for your super straight weekend. (This time we’ll cover the horror of a straight frat boy coming to town. I’ll cover other prototypical visitors (family, best girl friend, etc.) in future posts.)

1. Friday = Fenway: Pray to all that is holy that the Red Sox are in town. Lets assume they are.

First step, buy some cheap bleacher seats (he’ll think it’s cool and it won’t cost you much). Second, find/borrow a baseball cap, throw on that one pair of cargo shorts you saved in case you ever go hiking, and get ready to drink really bad, overpriced beer. Start at Cask ‘n Flagon before the game, get a few drinks in, then head inside for the first pitch. (Pro tip: While he’s drinking beer, you can chug Smirnoff Ice or Twisted Tea as they are sold at the ballpark!)
After the game, spill out onto Lansdowne Street and head on over to Lansdowne Pub (trying to make this easy for you to remember in your Smirnoff/baseball-boredom-induced coma). Sure this place is oppressively straight, but it isn’t a dive and has a dancefloor attached. Let’s be honest, NOTHING is more disturbing/entertaining than watching drunk straights grind…so you’re welcome in advance.

2. Saturday = Straight Club: Prepare yourself for house music, sweaty straights, and bros who end up drunk and fighting in downtown Boston…Basically what it’s like to be on the Real World without the fame.

Invite some girlfriends and gays over who are willing to take one for the team and go out with you (this will show you who your TRUE friends are) and start the drinking early. Once you’ve all got a good buzz, head to Down Ultra Lounge. Yes, you’ll likely hate this place, but it’ll make your straight buddy think Boston has a club scene. He’ll down tons of Redbull & vodkas and, with any luck, might just get drunk enough to ask you to take him to his first gay bar! Also, did I mention sweaty straights and bros who end up fighting…Might not be so bad after all…
Get some pizza on your drunk stumble home. You deserve it, and straights won’t judge you for eating that late at night like gays will.

3. Sunday = Stop: As in stop thinking so hard.

You just expended LOTS of energy and patience taking them to a sports bar and/or some dark smelly club with pulsing lights…Embrace the hangover, lounge around, and grab some breakfast sandwiches from Dunkin. If you’ve made it this far, chances are your buddy has had a great time and you’ve already done enough.

Want more info? Check out OutGrade.com to search for bars, restaurants, and clubs and see how rainbow-friendly they are.

-by Dan Riviello – author, magician, part-time heartthrob, full time CJ Cregg. You can follow him on Twitter at @drivi86.

7th May 2013

Ask Us Anything. Right now

TWC,

Crew & Corps are on Facebook (here) until 1pm E.S.T. today for a Facebook chat (#LoveFest) to answer any questions you might have about what we do at TWC each and every day. Start leaving them in the comments below this photo and we will jump in to respond igaydiately.

Viva!

3rd May 2013

Insta-friends for tonight’s guerrilla queer bar

Coming alone to GQB tonight? Wondering who you’ll hang out with when you arrive? Worry no more! The Corps will be holding court from 10pm-midnight in the arcade room on the 1st floor of Jose McIntyre’s. (Yes, there’s actually an arcade room.) Show up, head to the “Corps-ner,” and you’ve got insta-friends.

Viva La Corps-ner!

2nd May 2013 | 1 note

$50 off Destination Takeover Montreal

The troops are rallying. The buses are filling up. Montreal’s GQB army is anxiously awaiting our arrival. On June 22nd we take our first international city by storm for 2 days and 1 night. Find out more about our takeover plans here, or just hit the ticket page here and use “busloads” to get $50 off until next Tuesday (5/7) at midnight.

Or wanna go for free? Check this out.

Viva la Montreal!

2nd May 2013 | 1 note

Guerrilla Queer Bar Boston: Jose McIntyre’s

Tomorrow night at 9pm, we gather the troops and engulf one of Boston’s douchiest straight bars: Jose McIntyre’s (map).

And for those of you interested in rallying beforehand, we’ll be throwing a takeover pre-party across the street at Granary Tavern from 8 - 9:30pm. Get the glitter guns ready. It’s almost time for battle.

Viva la troops!

2nd May 2013 | 1 note

Shit Gays Should Know (Sports Column): The (New) Uniform

I have a lot of gay friends that shy away from watching sports, and though I fight the constant battle of sparking their interest, nothing I’ve said or done has changed much of their attitudes. Yet…behold…I may just have the evidence I need to turn these standpoints around.

Welcome to the world of NAKED SPORTS!

Ok, not totally naked…but professional athletes seem quite keen these days on taking their pants/shorts off during competition.

During a recent European Tour golf tournament golfer Andreas Harto removed his pants to play a shot from the bank of a water hazard (0:44 mark for his adorable half-naked shimmy across the green…)

Bonus Points (Golfer Henrik Stenson with a similar shot via 2009) -

And if that wasn’t enough…you may want to sit down for the next video of soccer/futbol player Mirko Vucinic (But back off…because this man is my future husband, so all of you can just give up that dream now) Enjoy! -