Award Winning Documentary ‘Fagbug’ & the Infamous Car Travel to Maui

The film and the actual Fagbug will be seen in its 49^th State in early May, 2013, en route to its 50^th!

Kihei, Hawaii, May 1, 2013

Documentary filmmaker, Erin Davies, created a chronicle of her trip across the country after her VW Bug was tagged by someone who spray-painted ‘fag’ and ‘u r gay’ because she had a rainbow sticker in the back window.  As an effort to stand up to the ‘bullying’, Erin left the graffiti on the car and toured the US & Canada, filming the experience.  The result is an award winning documentary that has been seen by hundreds of students and adults in the 48 contiguous states, entitled ‘Fagbug’.

Erin, in conjunction with the Maui Sunseeker LGBT Resort and the Maui Pride Organization, is now bringing the movie and the car to the 49^th, non-contiguous state, Hawaii, as part of an effort to carry this powerful message to all 50 US states.

 The ‘fagbug’ will arrive on Maui in early May, 2013 and will be parked in front of the Maui Sunseeker LGBT Resort, 551 S Kihei Rd, Kihei, HI from May 9-14^th for photo opportunities for hotel guests, students, visitors and interested members of the community.

The ‘fagbug’ will also be parked in front of the Historic Iao Theater, 68 North Market St, Wailuku, HI, while the documentary airs inside at 6:30 pm on Friday, May 10^th, 2013. The screening will be a fundraiser that benefits the Maui Pride Organization.  Erin Davies will also speak at the screening and will be present for a short Q&A afterward.

For more information or tickets to the screening, please visit mauipride.org

About Fagbug Documentary (83 minutes), Erin Davies and the Fagbug

The mission of Fagbug is to raise awareness about hate crimes and homophobia, to give a voice for those who are silent, to inspire others to take a stand against bullies and to be an example of how to overcome obstacles in bringing creative projects to life.

On the 11th Annual National Day of Silence, Erin Davies was victim to a hate crime in Albany, New York. Because of sporting a rainbow sticker on her VW Beetle, Erin’s car was vandalized, left with the words “fag” and “u r gay” placed on the driver’s side window and hood of her car. Despite initial shock and embarrassment, Erin decided to embrace what happened by leaving the graffiti on her car. She took her car, now known worldwide as the “fagbug,” on a 58-day trip around the United States and Canada. Along the way, Erin discovered other, more serious hate crimes, had people attempt to remove the graffiti, and experimented with having a male drive her car. After driving the fagbug for one year, Erin decided to give her car a makeover with a new coat that even more prominently displays the rainbow flag colors on the vehicle.

For more information about the car, the documentary or Erin Davies, please visit Fagbug.com

About Maui Sunseeker LGBT Resort

The Maui Sunseeker welcomes all, but caters primarily to the LGBT clientele.  This landmark property is easily identified on the shore of North Kihei by the rainbow flag, which has come to represent the LGBT community, flying prominently in the front lawn.  While the current business model of the Maui Sunseeker has been in existence since 2004, the hotel has a rich history steeped in a constant battle for equality and community pride as well as a strong symbol of non-discrimination and firm support of diversity.

The current owner, Chuck Spence, has grown the resort to 26 guest rooms on a one acre complex located right on Kihei’s north shore.  The last of 5 buildings involved in the expansion is about to undergo renovation construction with plans to include a café, scheduled to open in 2014.

The hotel and its staff and owner have all been recently featured in an episode of the reality TV show, Hotel Impossible, which premiered in December of 2012.

The Maui Sunseeker LGBT Resort is located at 551 South Kihei Road, Kihei, HI 96753.  For more information, please visit MauiSunseeker.com

About Maui Pride Organization

The Maui Pride Organization mission is to encourage, celebrate, and educate all people of the positive diversity of the LGBTQ community on Maui, while respecting and working with the local Hawaiian people and cultures.  Maui Pride does host an LGBTQ Pride event every year on the first weekend in October, but does not just focus on pride weekend itself.  Maui Pride also supports the community and organizations that share its same goals. Maui Pride also raises money for and administers college scholarship funds which support and educate our community.

For more information about the Maui Pride Organization, please visit MauiPride.org

Contacts:

Chuck Spence, Owner, Maui Sunseeker Resort

Email: chuck@mauisunseeker.com

Cell: 1-917-825-4205

Bob Kincaid, Chair, Maui Pride Organization

Email: mauiprideorg@gmail.com

Cell: 1-808-446-0549

Erin Davies, Documentary Filmmaker, Fagbug

(As Erin is en route to Maui and currently driving cross country, it is easiest to contact Erin through Chuck Spence at the above contact information)

That’s what we heard from almost every guest we sent out on a water activity. From kayak to catamaran, people couldn’t stop talking about the number of whales around Maui this year and how active they were.

See our latest Sunseeker eNewsletter here for more details all about the whales and get great deals at the Maui Sunseeker LGBT Resort!

From a column by Megan Finely at OffbeatBride.com

Hey there, I am someone getting married… it’s just that the bride/groom thing doesn’t work for me. We are aqueer/trans/genderqueercouple, and I so appreciate Offbeat Bride. I feel like this is the only place where I see me. I am really happy to find a world of people who can dig on queerness and rethink old traditions for new aspirations. 

I have a question for you and your readers. I am looking for a trans-friendly, really truly friendly, honeymoon spot. We worry about plumbing, about being questioned, about being unsafe, about violence nearly constantly. We realized that dreaming of our honeymoon didn’t feel so much like dreaming any more, rather more like risk avoidance. I am betting that you or your readers have great ideas for gender-affirming places that are fun and delightful.

Thanks so much for all you bring to this world of getting hitched. -H

Hey H! First, congratulations to you and your partner. Second, thanks for the warm fuzzies about Offbeat Bride. We really work our non-gender-specific tails off to make this place feel all-encompassing.

Okay, now on to the task at hand. Recommending really truly trans-friendly honeymoon spots. When I received your question, I was at my family home on the wonderful island of Maui. So, you know, I may be a little biased, but I’m going to recommend Hawaii as a choice honeymoon spot. Allow me to gush some more about my favorite state, and then I want to hear more reader suggestions…

With the passage of Hawaii’s House Bill 546, Hawaii became the 13th state to ban discrimination on the basis of gender identity not only in employment, but for housing and public accommodations. And on top of that Hawaii law has prohibited discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation since 1991. How’s that for some aloha spirit.

Of course, I’m writing this from the perspective of a cisgender straight chick, so my experience of Hawaii (Maui in particular) as being a very open-minded and accepting local, may be a bit biased. Because of that, I thought I’d reach out to Michael Waddell, the General Manager of the Maui Sunseeker — one of the ONLY hotels that primarilymarkets to the LGBT community (but, of course, welcomes all). Here’s what he had to say…

We are a very mixed use type property where our guest makeup is about 50% gay men, 40% lesbian and 10% straight. Honestly we do not get a lot of bi-sexual or transgender guests on property, but those that do stay with us find it a most welcoming environment. 

Maui in general is a very open and welcoming place, especially for a honeymoon destination. One of the main reasons my partner of 39 years and I moved here 12 years ago was we felt comfortable and most importantly safe to be ourselves. As a long time couple, we have had our share of discrimination across the world. We have never felt discrimination here. Maui is a wonderful place for a honeymoon for virtually anyone, regardless of their orientation.

Regarding whether Maui is a truly trans-friendly location, I would say yes mainly because the island is very open to most any lifestyle. Just the passing of the civil unions law last year certainly raised the awareness in the LGBT market on Maui and we are fighting today for full marriage rights.

In May 2011, the Hawaii Legislature passed HB 546 [the Transgender Protection Bill]. This should provide some insight regarding the legal protections afforded with in the state.

Michael also went so far as to speak to his staff members about this issue. One in particular said that she knows and/or has worked with many trans-gender people living on this island.

Along with Michael, I also contacted a travel agent friend of mine — Bruce Fisher fromHawaii Aloha Travel (based in Oahu) — who then posed the question to his many Hawaiian-based Facebook followers. Some of the responses ranged from “I think so” to “Hawaiian culture has a history of accepting the aikane” and “[Hawaii is] mahu-friendly for days.”

But no matter where you choose to honeymoon, I hope y’all have an amazingly romantic time!

The Maui Sunseeker LGBT Resort is known for its convenient location, quality of service and being Hawaii’s largest gay owned and operated resort. Today, we’d like to introduce you to our “Go-to Guru,” he does a fabulous job at getting our name out to the masses! You might not always see him, as he spends most of his time in the back office. But he enjoys getting up to the front desk to visit with our guests when he can, we’re pleased to introduce……Bob Kincaid.

Bob Kincaid – Product Manager

Bob and his husband Ben came to Maui almost 2 years ago from Oregon. He says he enjoy’s  living upcountry, because of the peacefulness and the cool breezes. Bob has spent several years in printing and marketing, which is why he is a perfect fit as our Product Manager. What is a Product Manager, you may be asking? Think of the Hotel as a “Product” it’s up to Bob to help find different ways of selling rooms in the hotel. Chuck and Michael keep him busy with lots of projects to do at the hotel and he loves it! Bob and his husband helped start the Maui Pride organization and are both foster parents. They currently have two teenage girls they are fostering and love spending time with them. Bob and Ben also just adopted Kukui a very cute little pug.

When asked what his hidden talent was, Bob said “Multi-tasking”. While it might not sound that exciting, he points out that between working at the hotel, he also builds websites, sells promotional products, is the President of Maui Pride, takes the girls to and from school, raising a pug and spending time with the love of his life. That’s a long list of things to do in a day!

His favorite spot in Maui is at the beach. He prefers little beach when he and Ben can go really early before the crowds. If you asked Bob where his favorite place to eat on Maui is, he would say Flatbread pizza in Paia. He said “You have to try the roasted potato and garlic pizza, it’s the very best.”

And his favorite activity is boogie boarding the waves at little beach. Occasionally you can see him walking around with his drink of choice, “Sprunch” which is popular here in Hawaii. If you couldn’t guess, it’s a mix of fruit punch and sprite.

Bob’s favorite recipe that he’d like to share is for Banana Bread! He suggests that instead of using walnuts for this recipe, try using macadamia nuts!

The next time you stay at the Maui Sunseeker, be sure to say “Aloha” to Bob!

The Maui Sunseeker LGBT Resort is known for its convenient location, quality of service and being Hawaii’s largest gay owned and operated resort. Today, we’d like to introduce you to our “Front Desk Master,” she does an amazing job at keeping us all on task. She’s very helpful to all our guests and is a pleasure to be around, introducing…… Robin Hammerquist.

Robin Hammerquist – Front Desk

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Robin came to Maui 7 years ago from Escalon, California. She says that she was born in the tiny town of French Camp, California. Where there is only one Hospital that overlooks the cemetery  She grew up spending the summers at her grandma Fran’s learning how to cook, drive a tractor and irrigate their walnut orchard. She met the lover her life at the age of 23 in a “Dyke” bar in Sacramento, they’ve been together for 21 years now. They have 3 wonderful kids, 2 beautiful grand-kids and another on the way.

When asked what her hidden talent was, Robin said with a screwdriver in her hand “I can put anything together without directions and I can also fix almost anything.”

Her favorite spot in Maui is being at home with her family. If you asked Robin what her favorite place to eat on Maui is, she would at the Lahaina Grill.

And her favorite activity is sitting on the beach with her toes in the sand, watching the whales. Occasionally you can see her walking around with a Powerade Zero, which is her drink of choice.

Robins’s favorite recipe that she’d like to share is for Pozole!

Ingredients for Soup

Pork shoulder or roast — 2 to 3 pounds
Canned or fresh hominy, rinsed – 3 cups
Garlic — 3 to 5 cloves
Ground cumin — 2 teaspoons
Salt — 2 teaspoons
Black peppercorns- 5-7 whole
Water or stock — 6-8 cups

Garnishes

Cabbage or iceberg lettuce, shredded
Onion, finely diced
Radishes, thinly sliced
Limes, cut into wedges
Avocado, diced
Cilantro, chopped
Oregano, dried
Chile piquín, ground
Sour Cream
Tortilla chips

Method
Add the pork, garlic, cumin, salt and stock or water to a large pot. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, and then reduce heat to low and simmer for 2 to 2 1/2 hours, or until the meat is very tender.
Remove the pot from heat. Take the pork from pot and set aside to cool. When cool enough to handle, remove the meat from its bones and shred it with your hands.

Strain liquid to clear and Add the meat back to the pot along with liquid and the hominy and simmer low for another 40 to 60 minutes.

Remove the stems and seeds from 3 to 5 ancho or guajillo chiles. Mix them with a cup of the hot liquid and simmer for 20 minutes until soft. Puree in a blender and strain through a sieve. Add to taste at the last 15 minutes of cooking.

Adjust seasoning and serve with little bowls of your choice of garnishes so each person can garnish his or her own serving.

 The next time you stay at the Maui Sunseeker, be sure to say “Aloha” to Robin!

The Maui Sunseeker LGBT Resort is known for its convenient location, quality of service and being Hawaii’s largest gay owned and operated resort. Today, we’d like to introduce you to our owner “It’s The End of The Line” Chuck.  One of the stars of the Maui Sunseeker’s Premier on Travel Channel’s Hotel Impossible on the Travel Channel. It’s our pleasure to tell you some more. . . . .

Chuck Spence – Owner

Chuck who has now been a resident of Maui for almost 1 year, but is originally from New York. It was in 1978, that Chuck first set foot on Maui and he knew instantly that this would be the place he ultimately wanted to live. After a long career as an investment banker, both in California and on Wall Street, Chuck finally realized his dream would come true when he purchased the Maui Sunseeker in 2008. While Chuck’s background is not hotel management, his previous career had him traveling so much that he knows what it takes to have the perfect guest experience. Steering the hotel through the worst economic period since the Great Depression has also been a great on-the-job training for him.

When asked what his hidden talent was, Chuck said with much excitement “I can wiggle my ears.” It’s one of those hidden talents you’ll have to ask him to demonstrate upon your visit.

His favorite spot in Maui is the rooftop deck at the Sunseeker for sunset, especially while visiting with guests. If you asked him where his favorite place to eat on Maui is, he would quickly with out haste tell you Mama’s Fish House.

And his favorite activity is taking a long early morning walk on the beach (no we promise this isn’t the start of a personal ad). In the evening he celebrates with a Skyy Martini, shaken and served straight up with olives, very cold and very dry.

Chuck’s favorite recipe that he’d like to share is for Yam Souffle!

The next time you stay at the Maui Sunseeker, be sure to say “Aloha” to Chuck!

The Maui Sunseeker LGBT Resort is known for its convenient location, quality of service and being Hawaii’s largest gay owned and operated resort. Today, we’d like to introduce you to another member of our Housekeeping team. Without her assistance, your room wouldn’t be as sparkly. Please meet. . . . .

Toni Mahealani Santiago – Housekeeping

Toni is the Maui Sunseeker’s only true local Hawaiian having lived in Maui her entire life. Born in the “808″ she has truly had an amazing life living here. Toni says “I’m blessed to be who I am. Being born and raised in paradise (Maui). I’m also blessed to have a family who is not judgmental in life. I live my life for the love of Jesus Christ and having a second chance in life.”

Toni’s hidden talent is being able to do the traditional hula while on a paddle board. You’ll have to ask her for a demonstration.

Her favorite spot in Maui is Maluhia and Kahakuloae. Toni said that if you want a great breakfast, go to Tasty Crust in Wailuku. Great food, but remember that they only take cash! She suggests that if your a volleyball player like her, to check out some of the beach courts in Kihei. After spending a day at the beach, head to a local bar and ask for a Okolehao.

Toni’s favorite recipe is for Fried Ice Cream and she hopes you enjoy it as much as she does!

The next time you stay at the Maui Sunseeker, be sure to say “Aloha” to Toni. Her smile will light up your day!

The Maui Sunseeker LGBT Resort is known for its convenient location, quality of service and being Hawaii’s largest gay owned and operated resort. At the helm of this 23-room property, is General Manager and long time Maui resident Michael Waddell. As general manager, he oversees the day-to-day operations and functioning of the property. And if you caught the Travel Channel’s Hotel Impossible, you’ll remember that it’s all his fault.

Michael Waddell – General Manager

Michael and his partner Llevellyn moved to Maui a little over 12 years ago from Dallas, Texas. Born and raised in Atlanta, Georgia you can still hear a little accent in his voice. Michael has spent over 25 years working in various operational and sales manage roles. Primarily working in large scale-high technology companies, Michael was ready for a big move to beautiful Maui.

The last 8 plus years have been almost exclusively at the Sunseeker except for a short 18 months in 2008-2009. Life is good and he enjoy’s spending time with Llevellyn, his partner of almost 39 years.

Michael’s one hidden talent that he thinks the other staff members don’t knows is that he has eyes in the back of his head. Guess he can keep track of the world around him.

His favorite spot on Keanae Penninsula on Hana Highway….he loves to just sit and listen to the waves crash. Michael eats out a lot and says that his favorite place is Market Fresh Bistro (if you go, tell them Michael sent you.) He suggests that if you choose to book an activity you should definitely go to Piiholo Zipline (he is now a convert after Hotel Impossible made him face his fears of heights.).

Michael has a special note about his favorite recipe:

This is my step-mother, Betty’s, recipe.  When she wrote out (pretty special having it in her own hand writing) this recipe for me, she said this was one of the most requested dishes to bring to any food events with her church or family or whatever the function.  I often use it when we have people for dinner or if I need something unique to take to a covered dish type party.  You can double this recipe as well,…just have to double the size of the baking dish.  The big thing if you double it is to not get the layers any thicker than the single recipe.  No need to cook longer if you double as long as the layers are about the same as a single recipe.:

Betty’s Baked Pineapple

 Ingredients: 

• 2 large (20 oz each) cans pineapple tidbits in juice – drain slightly in a colander and then immediately dump into a bowl so it does not completely drain out
• ¾ cups sugar
• 5 Tablespoons of flour
• 1 ½ cups grated cheddar cheese (I buy the kind already grated in a zip lock bag)
• 1 stack Ritz Crackers (crushed)
• 1 stick oleo margarine – you can use real butter as well – either work fine.

1. Layer in a casserole dish – I use a glass dish
2. Layer 1 – Pineapple
3. Layer 2 – Mixture of flour and sugar together
4. Layer 3 – Grated cheese
5. Layer 4 – Ritz crackers
6. Layer 5 – Margarine

Bake in a square 8-9 inch casserole dish at 350 degrees for 30 minutes – no longer or it will be dry. This can easily be served as a side dish with a meal or could even be desert with some vanilla ice cream on the side.

The next time you check in at the Maui Sunseeker, be sure to say “Aloha” to Michael. He has a great smile and wants to make sure each of our guests has a FABULOUS time in Maui.

No hotel stay is perfect without a perfectly cleaned room. This week on our blog, we’re pleased to introduce one of our FABULOUS housekeepers.

A. Lynn Moody – Housekeeping

Lynn moved to Maui 4 years and 4 months ago from Asheville, North Carolina. Born half Korean/American “Redneck” Lynn hails from the deep south of Nashville, Tennessee.  She loves living on Maui and if she has her way she’ll never move back to the mainland. Lynn enjoys all outside activities, so what better place to live than on Maui. She says “I love working at the Sunseeker and being surrounded by my gay family and ohana. I also love our straight guests too; heck, my parents are straight!”

Lynn’s one hidden talent the other staff members don’t know is that she can build anything with ANYTHING with her hands. Maybe she should have been a massage therapist?

Her favorite spot on Maui is Iao Valley/ Little Beach and favorite place to eat is at Fat Daddies (closest she can get to Southern cooking). She says that if you choose to book an activity you should definitely go Kayaking or Paddle Boarding .

Lynn wanted us to share one of her favorite things to make (this recipe is family friendly, but other ingredients could be added):

Best Brownies

So next time you walk into your room and think “WOW, this room looks FABULOUS” be sure to thank Lynn.

Each week on our blog, you’ll get a chance to meet one of our staff members. This week we are going to start off with Joe Della Bella!

Joe Della Bella – Front Desk

Joe moved to Maui 8 years ago from New York. He is a fun loving, adventure seeking kind of guy. He enjoys hiking, searching for waterfalls and of course relaxing. He says “Maui No Ka Oi!” (The Very Best)

He says his one hidden talent the other staff members don’t know is that he can juggle. We will assume that he can juggle other things besides the daily office work he handles.

His favorite spot on Maui is the Haleakala Crater and favorite place to eat is at Pita Paradise in Wailea. He said that if you choose to book an activity you should definitely go to Piiholo Zipline .

Joe wanted us to share his favorite thing to make (go figure it would be a cocktail):

Watermelon Soju Cocktail

6 cups of fresh watermelon juice
8 ounces of soju, (a distilled liqueur usually found in Asian markets)
2 ounces of ginger liqueur
2 ounces of simple syrup or agave nectar
1 ounce of freshly squeezed lime juice.

Mix and serve over crushed ice with mint leaves

So next time you check in be sure to say “Aloha” to Joe!