Thriving desert and growing city, this metropolitan
city has not forgotten its past, evidenced by its Southwestern
architecture and Native American Cultural influences.
Phoenix is the sixth largest city in the US with 2.8
million living in the metro area. Join us as we explore
this extremely gay friendly destination. Meet Steve
May who was dishonorably discharged from the US Military
and fought his case all the way to the Supreme Court
and won. Follow Bump!
as we show why Phoenix is known for it's unique style
of architecture and design. Rev up your Harley and head
down the highway with "Raw Thunder" the Phoenix
Women's Motorcycle Association. Take a tour of the charming
Casa De Mis Padres - an exclusive private resort in
the Arizona Desert. Discover the works of local gay
artists during Phoenix's weekly "Artwalk"
and checkout the eclectic nightlife of this elegant
and sophisticated desert city.
Houston is America's fourth largest city with a population
of 4.3 million, including the entire metro area. In
this edition of Bump!
we meet some amazing locals who have helped shape Houston's
gay and lesbian community. We chat with Arden Eversmeyer
- a lesbian activist and historian. In a role reversal,
we interview Ernie Manouse, an openly gay Emmy award-winning
TV host & personality on the set of his show. Love
dude ranches? Saddle up with World Rodeo Champ - Gene
Mikulenka and hear his experiences coming out on the
"straight" rodeo circuit. Laura Villagran,
founder of the Gay Yellow Pages, talks about her vision
and the success and of the popular guide. Buff up your
chaps and check out Houston's sexually charged L.U.E.Y.
Weekend leather and levi event, as well as exploring
the hottest clubs and restaurants in the Montrose area.
Surrounded by rarefied scenic beauty and imbued with
400 years of history and culture, Santa Fe is simply
unique. Its serene and nurturing character is an authentic
product of preserved architecture, art, cuisine and
tradition. Santa Fe is all about the well-being of mind,
body and soul and is renowned for it arts and culture.
Cleanse yourself inside and out as we pamper you at
the sybaritic Ten Thousand Waves Japanese Health Spa.
Experience a native healing ritual with Earth Walks
for Life, and re-energize yourself. Bump!
visits with Hilda Rush - a 90 year-old lesbian who has
seen Santa Fe's gay and lesbian community quietly flourish
over the years. Check out the local arts scene with
some gay artists and discover what it's like for a gay
couple raising kids in Santa Fe. We also tour some amazing
historical B&B's as we wrap up our visit to this
holistic dessert city.
This island city of nearly 60,000 has it all - sun,
sea and beaches galore with 32 miles of soft, silky
sand and warm ocean currents. Fast becoming a favourite
on the gay tourism map, Galveston is eager to welcome
gay and lesbian travelers to this laid-back seaside
destination. Join Bump!
on this festive trip as we climb aboard a colourful,
sparkling float and revel in Galveston's Mardi Gras
celebrations, the biggest event of the year! Take a
walk back in time as we tour historic real estate that
dates back to the early 1800's as well as some gay-owned
properties to see how people live luxuriously in the
southernmost tip of Texas. Gay chef Chuck Terry of the
historic Tremont House Hotel whips up a mouth-watering
seafood feast. Experience hospitality Texas-style at
a couple of gay owned hotels and guesthouses and stroll
down the beach to Galveston's annual Sand Castle competition
that happens every June. If you still have energy left
when the sun goes down come along with Bump!
as we down a few "bevvys" at the watering
holes and hotspots the locals favour.
Tourists refer to New Orleans as "The Big Easy"
but locals call it "The Crescent City". In
this episode of Bump!
experience the magic of New Orleans, "Black Magic,"
that is. We discover that Voodoo is alive and well and
that cemetery tours are a big draw for visitors. Bump!
goes deep into the Louisiana Bayou in pursuit of wildlife
in its natural habitat and then heads back to dry land
where we take in another kind of "wildlife"
in the French Quarter, where every day is Mardi Gras!
Don't expect last call in this town, it's party time
24/7! The publishers of Ambush Magazine give us the
inside scoop on two of New Orlean's hugely popular annual
gay events: the wild and bacchanalian Southern Decadence
festival and the Gay Easter Parade. Join us on a gay
heritage tour of the hometown of famous locals like
Ellen DeGeneres, Tennessee Williams and Truman Capote,
to name a few. And, no visit to the Crescent City is
complete without savouring Cajun Creole cuisine, as
we visit with the chef of the popular Red Fish Grill.
Toronto is Canada's largest city, home to over 4.5
million people. We start off this edition of Bump!
on Church Street, the heart of the gay community. Here,
we tour the neighbourhood with gay city councillor Kyle
Rae, and learn how this part of town became the "gay
village." Often described as "Hollywood North,"
Toronto has stood in for US cities in numerous film
and television productions. Bump!
visits with Sharon Gless and Jack Weatherall, stars
of the acclaimed North American version of "Queer
As Folk", set in Pittsburgh and filmed in Toronto.
For art collectors, the options are endless. We drop
by the studio of queer underwear artist, Will Munro,
where Bump! host
J.R. Anderson models his avant-garde designs. Shopaholics
will revel as we visit some of Toronto's many gay-owned
and gay-friendly shops and stores. Fashionistas thrive
in Toronto where Bump!
attends Fashion Week and interviews local success story
Dean and Dan Caten, gay twin designers now based in
Milan, as they unveil their fall DSQUARED2 collection.
We also get front row seats at Fashion Cares, a glittering
annual event that has raised over $5 million for Toronto's
AIDS/HIV charities. Finally, we round out our trip with
a tour of gay-owned B&B's and guesthouses before
we head to back to the gay village and check out the
hopping social scene.
Philadelphia, The City of Brotherly Love and Sisterly
Affection welcomes Shannon and the Bump!
crew with open arms. We see history in motion as we
set out on a whirlwind tour of Philadelphia's historical
sites. When hunger pangs hit, hundreds of locals &
tourists head to Pat's - King of Steaks each day to
order the famed Philly cheesesteak sandwich. Shannon
goes behind the counter to serve up this Philadelphia
tradition. Each year, Philadelphia plays host to PrideFest
America as well as the Philadelphia International Gay
& Lesbian Film Festival. Both events attract thousands
of queer travelers from around the globe. View the work
of queer artists in the permanent collection of the
Philadelphia Museum of Art. And see why The Reading
Terminal Market is a great cruising spot for gay men
as well as the second most popular tourist attraction
in the city. Pump iron at Philadelphia's largest &
gayest fitness complex, The 12th Street Gym before taking
in the sights & sounds of The Blue Ball. All this,
before we call it a day and check out a couple of Philadelphia's
gay-owned and gay-friendly hotels.
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- Phoenix