This year’s Human Rights Campaign’s (HRC) annual White Hot Black Tie Ball is truly set to be White Hot. This year’s Ball will be held on March 15th at the Four Seasons Hotel downtown at Ceasar Chavez and San Jacinto. The event’s special guest entertainers include athlete Billy Bean, comic Jason Stuart, and the Austin Babtist Women.

A former major league baseball player who is now openly gay, Billy Bean retired after his former partner’s death and the frustration of being closeted. Comedian and actor Jason Stuart plays "Dr. Thomas" on ABC’s "My Wife and Kids." He has also guest starred on "The Drew Carey Show" and "Will & Grace." And the Austin Babtist Women - the all-male, all volunteer comedy troupe that tours the nation to raise money for AIDS, HIV, and breast cancer charities - will be on hand to raise the spirits of the crowd.

The Ball will also honor the Austin Babtist Women, along with community activist Ted Smith and "Dildo Diaries," the humorous political film by Laura Barton and Judy Wilder. Dance tunes will be supplied by Rayvon Foster, who is nationally known for his vast range of musical genres and has toured with Eric Clapton, BB King and Bonnie Raitt.

The evening will begin with a VIP Sunset Cruise on Town Lake, with cocktails and appetizers at 6pm. Ticket holders will get to mix and mingle with the special guests, listen to live music and have a sip and a nosh while watching the sunset over the Lake in a glassed-in boat. The dinner and Ball follow at the hotel at 6:30pm, with cocktails and Austin cabaret legend Margaret Wright on the piano. The dinner follows at 7pm, along with the featured entertainment, dancing, and a silent auction. The 2003 HRC Ball is sponsored by Liberty Bank, HEB, Al’s Formal Wear/Ascot Tuxedos, and the Greater Tuna Corporation.

Tickets for the HRC BALL 2003, including the VIP Sunset Cruise, cocktails, dinner, and dancing are $225. Dinner and dancing only tickets are also available for $165. For tickets and information, call 1-800-494-TIXS or visit online at www.hrcaustin.org.

The Lesbian Gay Rights Lobby of  Texas (LGRL) will stage the Rally at the Capitol on Sun., March 16th, from 12:30pm to 2pm on the South steps of the Texas State Capitol. This event will be the largest gay rights ever held in Texas. Thousands of Texans will descend on the Capitol to demonstrate to legislators that the gay and lesbian community refuses to tolerate discrimination.

Currently, several anti-gay bills have been filed during the current legislative session, including House Bill 38, filed by conservative Representative Warren Chisum (R-Pampa). The bill, which was filed on the first day of pre-filing for the 78th session of the Texas Legislature, seeks to prohibit the recognition of same sex marriages or unions in the state of Texas.

In addition, Representative Sid Miller (R-Stephenville) filed House Bill 916 to limit the ability of gays and lesbians to adopt in Texas, which Mr. Miller has dubbed the Defense of Families Act. In a press release from Miller’s office, he said, "I believe strongly in the preservation of the traditional family, and I do not believe homosexuals should be allowed to continue adopting children in Texas. By allowing two people of the same sex to adopt children, the state of Texas has been sending a signal that it condones and approves of homosexual activity. I believe homosexuality is immoral, and the state of Texas should not endorse their alternative lifestyle by allowing homosexuals to adopt children."

In response, Representative Eddie Rodriguez (D-Austin) filed HB 810, a bill that would prohibit workplace discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity for Texas state employees. Representative Jessica Farrar (D-Houston) also filed House Bill 574, a bill that would prohibit employment discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity in Texas.

Following the Rally on Sunday, a special film screening will be held at Alamo Drafthouse Downtown, 409 Colorado Street, from 3:30 to 6pm. The screening will feature two back-to-back productions spotlighting GLBT families and student activists. That evening will feature a social mixer that night from 7:30 to 10pm at the 1920’s Club, 918 Congress Avenue.

The official Lobby Day will follow the Rally on Mon., March 17th. Participants will start the day with breakfast from 8 to 8:30am at the Capitol Grill in the Capitol Annex on the north side of the Capitol complex. A short training session will follow to familiarize participants with lobbying and the legislative process in general. Lobbying will start at 10am, giving members of the community a chance to speak with legislators individually and let them know the community’s concerns about the bills going through the legislature this session.

Both Ambush Magazine and the Lesbian Gay Rights Lobby encourage you to let your voice be heard! For more information on the Rally or Lobby Day, call the LGRL at 512.474.5475.

On Tues., March 25th, the Austin Lesbian/Gay Political Caucus (ALGPC) will hold a Candidate Forum and Endorsement Meeting for the May 3rd Austin Mayoral and City Council election. Candidates or their representatives who have requested an endorsement from ALGPC will be given time to make a brief statement and will then answer questions from Caucus members and guests.

Prior to the meeting, these candidates’ responses to a questionnaire submitted by ALGPC will be available for review at the ALGPC website: www.outaustin.org. These questionnaire responses will also be available for review the evening of the meeting.

At the conclusion of the Forum, ALGPC members will vote on endorsements in each race where an endorsement has been requested. ALGPC will publicize its endorsements and provide volunteer and financial support to endorsed candidates. ALGPC’s Candidate Forum and Endorsement meeting will begin at 7 p.m. at the AFL/CIO Auditorium, located at 11th and Lavaca Street, across from the Governor’s Mansion.

Can you remember Austin’s oncehopping nightclubs Proteus, Hollywood, and Area 52? Well it’s all hazy to us too. Yet it was so much fun while the memories we made faded as fast as we made them. Well, The Forum, at 408 Congress, wants to do it all over again. Every Saturday, The Forum presents "Tribal Circuit Saturdays," with the best of Tribal Circuit and progressive house all night long. DJ Sliver Cyber-Slut, who has spun for New York’s finest such as the Limelight and the Tunnel, along with Austin’s very own 404 Club, Proteus, Hollywood, and Area 52. For more details, visit online at www.theforumaustex.com or call 512.476.2900. In related news, The Forum welcomes back long-time Austin impresario Kevin Campbell to the Austin club scene as the new general manager.

The Forum caters to the bisexual and bi-curious crowd every Wednesday now with their new "Cellar of Souls" night. Hosted by media celebrity Miss Kitty from Mega 93.3 and the Cellar’s delectable bartender Robert - with bi/curious cuties everywhere - the weekly promotion is Austin’s first weekly party for the bi/curious crowd. Visit online at www.cellarofsouls.com to read or post a message on their free message board.

Over at the Chain Drive on 504 Willow Street, the leather community will gather on March 15th for the "Ides of March." The evening of events and entertainment will raise money to send Austin’s own Travis Wade, the reigning Mr. Austin Leather, to the International Mr. Leather competition in Chicago. Call the club at 512.480.9017 for complete event information.

And at the Rainbow Cattle Company, owner Andy Redmond’s birthday party on February 28th was one of the must-do events of the year. Hundreds of Austin guys and gals turned out for the soiree, which included a special show at 8pm filled with Austin entertainers. The evening also raised several hundred dollars for Austin charities.

The national Broadway tour of the smash-hit musical "Mamma Mia" comes to the Performing Arts Center at the University of Texas for a two-week performance run. The show, which plays Austin March 18th through the 30th, weaves 22 songs by the super-group ABBA throughout an original story of a feisty forty-something single mother and her soon-to-be-wed daughter. This incredible show has broken box office records everywhere it has played, so get your tickets now before the shows all sell out. Charge by telephone at 512.477.6060 or online at www.texasboxoffice.com.

Diverse Space DanceTheatre presents Toni Bravo, Celina Hernández & Sharon Marroquín in "Huellas en el Agua/Footprints on Water" on Saturday, March 29th at 8pm. and Sunday, March 30th at 6:30pm, at the Boys and Girls Club, 303 West Johanna (one block west of Magnolia Cafe, South Congress). This collaborative dance-theatre work recounts the stories of immigrant women, their paths and the multiple borders they tenaciously cross. Using a compelling blend of movement, video and text, performers Toni Bravo, Celina Hernández and Sharon Marroquín explore the nature of crossing physical, emotional and cultural barriers. General admission is $10 (artists $8; seniors, children, & students $6); for reservations call 512.394.1147. A portion of the proceeds from this evocative - and at times humorous - performance will go to the Political Asylum Project of Austin.

Down in Lockhart, feathers fly at the Gaslight Theater through March 22 when the future in-laws from New York City open their penthouse apartment to their daughter’s new parents from Arkansas in Oliver Hailey’s stunning comedy "Continental Divide." Playing Thursdays through Saturdays at 8pm, with an additional matinee on Sat., March 22, at 2pm. Directed by James Shipman, this hysterical farce about a geographic clash of cultures raises the question about whether it’s better to be rich or humble. Tickets are $10 or $16 for the BBQ Dinner and Show. For reservations, call 512.376.5653 or visit online at www.GaslightTheater.com. The Gaslight Theater is located at 204 N. Main Street in Lockhart.

VORTEX presents a contemporary drama of "The Scarlet Letter" by Phyllis Nagy on Thrusdays through Sundays at 8pm until March 22nd at The VORTEX, 2307 Manor Road. Based on the story from Nathanial Hawthorne’s classic American novel, this fresh production is undone and redone to look at the story from the point of view of the illegitimate child, Pearl. Tickets are $13 to $15, with Pay-What-You-Wish Thursdays and Sundays only $5 with 2 cans of food or baby formula. For more information, call 512.478.LAVA (5282).

Tapestry Dance Company is offering classes in Ballet, Rhythm Tap,
Jazz, Modern, Floor Barre, Hip Hop, Musical Theater, West African and more for children, teens, and adults. Adult classes are ongoing, so you can drop in anytime. Classes are taught at 507 B Pressler Street, between 5th & 6th streets. For more information, call Sharon Marroquin, Academy Director at 512.474.9846 or email dance@tapestry.org.

March 12 - Monthly leather social at the Rainbow Cattle Company, 305 W. 5th Street, 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. Call the club at 512.472.5288 for more information.

March 15 - 2003 Human Rights Campaign White Hot Black Tie Ball, at the Four Seasons Hotel. For tickets and information, call 1.800.494-TIXS or visit online at www.hrcaustin.org.

March 15 - "Ides of March" event at Chain Drive, 504 Willow Street, to benefit sending Travis Hyde, Mr. Austin Leather, to the International Mr. Leather competition in Chicago. Call the club at 512.480.9017 for event details and more information.

March 16 - Rally at the Capital, sponsored by the Lesbian Gay Rights Lobby, 12:30pm on the south steps of the Texas State Capital. Call 512.474.5475 for more information.

March 16 - Monthly leather cookout at Chain Drive, 504 Willow Street, from 5pm to 8pm. Call the club at 512.480.9017 for more information.

March 17 - LGRL Lobby Day at the State Capitol, start the day with breakfast at 8am, followed by a short training session and visiting with legislators individually. Call 512.474.5475 for more information.

March 19 - Can You Believe Spring 2003 Volleyball kicks at Bout Time, 9601 IH-35, at 6:30pm. For more information, call Paul at 512.651.5075.

March 22 - Pappy’s Birthday Blow-Out and Grand Opening of the Hoot-N-Holler Ranch in Lexington, Texas, with food, entertainment, and over-night camping. For more information, call 512.446.4614 or visit on-line at www.hoot-n-holler.com.

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