Made in Brazil

A Semana: Romulo Arantes, Gays On TV, And São Paulo Gay Pride

Actor Romulo Arantes Neto made headlines this weekend for stating that "transvestites are not happy people" when asked about the scandal involving soccer star Ronaldo on an interview to Folha de São Paulo. Knowing Romulo, I am fairly certain that the sad statement was taken out of context, and that he did not mean it as it was printed, especially considering he just posed for the cover of gay magazine Junior. Btw, I have just heard that he will play a mutant on the campy soap Caminhos do Coração.

Two weeks after he was caught with three trannies in a motel room, Ronaldo found out his now ex-girlfriend is pregnant with his child. That is what I call bad timing.

A very pregnant Camila Alves spent mother's day with bf Matthew McConaughey in LA.

Shia LaBeouf does drag and takes his pants off on SNL.

Globo networks announced that it will again veto the gay kiss screenwriter Aguinaldo Silva wrote for the last episode of soap Duas Caras. To justify the veto, Globo claimed that a televised gay kiss does not fit the quality standards of the network.

Watch the commitment ceremony featured last night on Brothers & Sisters, which is a perfect example of what Brazilian TV should be doing.

Patrick Dempsey scores the cover of the latest Men's Vogue.

Nightclub Megga Fun, which had recently opened in São Paulo, was shut down over the weekend. I wonder if DJ Hex Hector, who was scheduled to spin at the club, will now be playing at a different venue for Pride.

The Week's owner Andre Almada will be releasing a guide about proper nightlife etiquette.

The São Paulo Gay Pride Association is working with the military police to guarantee that there will be a large improvement on security this year for the parade on Avenida Paulista. Still I would highly suggest keeping all your belongings neatly tucked inside your underwear if you are going to be attending. About 3.5 million are expected again.

Gearing Up For São Paulo Gay Pride Weekend

Here is an update on São Paulo Gay Pride weekend, which is now only two weeks away.

Manhunt.net announced the winner of its online contest to elect the hottest Brazilian on the site. Garoto Vibe 23 got the most votes, and scored an all expenses paid round-trip to São Paulo for Pride weekend. He also guaranteed a spot on the Manhunt float on the parade, which will have DJs Brett Henrichsen and Aimee (DanceMusicDiva) spinning. To view the rest of the top ten Manhunt Brazil list, visit MixBrasil.

From tonight on, nightclub A Lôca will be also open on Wednesday nights. The night will be called Invert, and feature tribal and house music by DJs Paulo Ciotti and Rodrigo Borro.

Nightclubs Flex and Ultra Diesel have released their schedule for Pride weekend:

Wednesday, May 21:
12am: Flex International at with DJ Hector Fonseca.

Thursday, May 22:
8am: Ultra Diesel After 1D.

Friday, May 23:
8am: Ultra Diesel After 2D with DJ Erich Ensastigue.
8pm: Flex Chill Out with DJs Patricinha Tribal, Charles Medeiros, and Kiron.
12am: Ultra Diesel PM Project with producers Moshe Fain and Amir Marcus, and 3D projections (3D glasses will be distributed).
12am: E-Joy Pride 2008 with DJs Mario Calegari, Fist, Eric Cullemberg, and Herlison Child.

Saturday, May 24:
8am: Ultra Diesel After 3D with DJ Ale Bittencourt, live percussion by Alvaro Moura, and 3D projections (3D glasses will be distributed).
12am: Flex National with a selection of Brazilian DJs.

Sunday, May 25:
8am: Ultra Diesel After 4D with DJ Patricinha Tribal and free whey protein.
8pm: Ultra Diesel PM Project Special Edition Kalinato with DJs Luciano Pardini and Miguel Alanis.

Ultra Diesel has become the after hours destination for the boys who party at The Week on Saturday night, which is why some parties are listed at 8 am.

My feeling is that the biggest Pride party this year will be at The Week on May 24, with DJs Offer Nissim and Peter Rauhofer spinning. For The Week's complete Pride schedule, click here.

If you haven't booked a hotel in São Paulo yet, I recommend you do so asap. Most hotels near Avenida Paulista, where the parade takes place, are expecting to be fully booked for Pride weekend by later this week. If you are looking for a boutique hotel, I would suggest Emiliano in the Jardins area, but if you are not looking to spend R$800 a night, I highly recommend Blue Tree Towers Paulista, which has special rates of R$157 a night for Gay Pride weekend, and is conveniently located only a block away from the parade. A lot of the foreign DJs and press stayed there last year, so breakfast was sort of a cool scene.

And since Pride is the topic here, I am happy to inform that Rio has finally scheduled the date for its Gay Pride. It will take place on October 12 again this year, which is also my birthday.

Get Ready For Floripa Gay Pride

Brazil is funny in the sense that most Pride parades take place on random weekends throughout the year. The parade in Florianópolis happens this Saturday, and the parties start tonight since tomorrow is a holiday.

Wednesday, April 30: GLITZ Sedux at Jivago Lounge.

Thursday, May 1: Tribal Feeling at Club Concorde.

Friday, May 2: The Week's TOY Party at Life Club in Jurerê Internacional, and Perversion Party at Club Concorde.

Saturday, May 3: The Week's Cosmopolitan with Curtis Atchison at Life Club in Jurerê Internacional, and Post-Parade party at Club Concorde.

The 3rd Annual Florianópolis Gay Pride Parade starts at 2pm at Avenida Beira Mar Norte. Last year there was a big controversy with the fact that Peter Rauhofer was announced as a main DJ at a party, and never showed up. This year I cannot avoid but to feel that the city should have waited to celebrate Pride after São Paulo, or at least put together a couple of bigger parties. I am not attending, but I will report on the event early next week.

A Semana: Andreia Schwartz, Superheroes, Hard Candy, And Gay Pride

Andreia Schwartz is milking her 15 minutes of fame. After being deported from the US a month ago, she posed wearing nothing but an I (Heart) NY shirt for the May issue of Brazilian men's magazine Sexy. Madam Schwartz is also shopping for someone to write her biography, and working on a miniseries for TV properly entitled Lady Manhattan.

Talking about sexy spreads, the latest issue of Genre features hot male models in underwear at the beach.

16-year-old Wanessa is the latest Brazilian featured as Model Of The Week at Models.com.

Model Caroline Trentini graces the cover of Korean W.

Tim Gunn wants Nina Garcia back on Project Runway, and so do I.

Style.com has a really cool take on the upcoming Superheroes: Fashion and Fantasy exhibit, which opens at the Met Costume Institute on May 7.

Madonna's Hard Candy finally dropped today. I have been listening to the album a lot, and so far I am digging She's Not Me, Incredible, and Dance 2night. If you are still skeptical about Madonna's venture into hip hop, make sure to read the album review from the NYT. Her Roseland concert will air live tomorrow night on MSN.

CSS has put its new track Rat Is Dead (Rage) up for free download on the web.

Singer Rufus Wainwright signed a deal with the Gay Pride Association of São Paulo to promote his concerts in the country, which will coincide with Gay Pride weekend.

Tickets for Gay Pride parties at The Week are already on sale. You can purchase them online in advance at Ingresso Rapido.

A Semana: São Paulo Pride, Loveland, Fashion Rio, SJP, And An Earthquake

São Paulo's Military Police and the Gay Pride Association met last week to come up with new security measures for the parade on May 25th this year. Although I am happy to report that a hospital with 40 beds will be set up for the weekend, I am not thrilled with the number of police officers which will be on duty during the event. Only 1,000 have been confirmed so far. Considering the parade attracted a crowd of 3.5 million people last year, the number almost sounds like a joke.

With the parade a month away, Embratur has relaunched its pathetic Loveland website. I still have not figured out what the government hopes to achieve with it as it is not useful or informative to any foreign tourist coming to this country.

Screenwriter Aguinaldo Silva promised the first gay kiss broadcast on national TV on the primetime soap Duas Caras. I hope Globo networks will not boycott it again.

Who knew Jesse Metcalfe could look this hot? It is all about the chest hair.

The controversial adult Abercrombie & Fitch catalog is back.

I love the pictures of the lifeguards in Rio exercising taken by duo EXU which I found over at my friend JD Ferguson's blog.

Brazilian labels are fleeing Fashion Rio this season. Colcci and Reserva had already announced that they would be moving their shows to São Paulo Fashion Week, and today swimwear label Blue Man confirmed that it will be moving in the same direction. Considering that several other labels have made the same switch last season, is Fashion Rio soon going to be over?

Rumor has it that Sarah Jessica Parker got paid US$600K to star in the campaign for São Paulo's new Cidade Jardim shopping center.

A totally unexpected earthquake measuring 5.2 on the Richter scale hit São Paulo last night. No significant damage was caused.

The Week Announces Gay Pride Schedule

I can't believe Gay Pride in São Paulo is only a month away, and I can't believe the event turned into a second Carnival in the country, with five days of parties lined up.

Nightclub (and gay mecca) The Week has already released its schedule for Gay Pride, so check it out:

Wednesday, May 21st: Babylon International Connection with DJ Isaac Escalante.
Thursday, May 22nd: The Week's Angels Visits Pacha with guest DJ Paulo.
Friday, May 23rd: Toy 4th Year Anniversary with DJ Chris Cox.
Saturday, May 24th: Girassol Day Party with Matinée Group at Club Regatas Tietê, and Babylon Special Edition with DJs Peter Rauhofer and Offer Nissim spinning at the same night.
Sunday, May 25th: Nova Pool Party with Matinée Group.

The club's resident DJs João Neto, Renato Cecin, and Pacheco, will also be spinning on most nights.

Expect a full party schedule of São Paulo Gay Pride early next month. I will be covering most of the parties live, and am planning tons of new features for this year.

The Hottest Brazilians On Manhunt

It is that time of the year again: Manhunt.net partnered with MixBrasil to elect the hottest Brazilian online. The ten finalists have already been selected, so head over to MixBrasil, pick your favorite, and vote. The winner will score a round-trip ticket to São Paulo to attend Gay Pride on May 25th.

A Semana: Vogue Hommes, Edilson, Elite Squad, And Manhunt

The new Vogue Hommes International is out, with Josh Beech on the cover shot by Hedi Slimane.

Chad White sizzles in the new V Man, and provides lots of wardrobe ideas for the upcoming Black Party.

Brazilian model Edilson Nascimento is getting a lot of buzz lately, and he has only been in New York for a little over a month. Read an interview with him at Connex 24.7.

The era of fashion conglomerates has begun in Brazil. This week Forum designer Tufi Duek announced that he will be selling his label to group AMC Têxtil, owner of Colcci and Sommer, for a reportedly R$ 250 million. Tufi Duek will remain as creative director for at least the next three years.

Elite Squad (or Tropa de Elite), winner of the Golden Bear in Berlin, is set to make its US debut at the Tribeca Film Festival next month.

Brazilian soccer player Roberto Carlos stars along with David Beckham in the new Pepsi commercial.

MixBrasil and Manhunt have joined forces again this year to elect the 10 hottest Brazilians on Manhunt. To apply all you need is a Manhunt account and some hot pictures of yourself. The winner will score two plane tickets to attend São Paulo Gay Pride on May 25, as well as an iPod Nano and VIP tickets to Pride parties. If you think you've got what it takes and you happen to reside in Brazil, send an email to manhuntpromo@gmail.com with your name, age, Manhunt ID, and four pictures.

In Rio? Then celebrate the Easter holiday tomorrow at The Original Brazilian Pool Party at Clube Internacional de Regatas, starting at 5pm.

Book Your Pride Tickets In Advance

Those of you looking to spend Gay Pride in Brazil this year can already start booking your tickets. The date for the São Paulo 12th Annual Gay Pride Parade has been confirmed for May 25th. I am sure the parties will start on Wednesday night as usual, so do plan on getting there a few days before the parade.

Salvador has also announced its date for Gay Pride this year, and it is September 14th.

As soon as dates for Rio are announced I will make sure to post them.

Southern Pride

It is already the middle of November, and yet my hometown of Porto Alegre just celebrated Gay Pride this past weekend. Over 100,000 people attended the parade and the shows at Redenção on Sunday afternoon.

Strangely enough, the city will host another Pride parade next Sunday as there are two different groups in Porto Alegre organizing the events, which sadly cannot come together and throw one big celebration instead of two. It is pretty pathetic to think that two important gay NGOs are not able to combine their efforts even for Gay Pride.

Pictures courtesy of my friend Miltinho Talaveira.

The Perfect Item To Tattoo On Your Back

As if all the models with Made In Brazil signs recently weren't enough, a reader sent me a picture of a Made In Brazil tattoo taken last weekend at Gay Pride in Rio.

Thanks Mathieu. I appreciate it.

More Of Gay Pride In Rio

Brazilian photographer Pedro Stephan uploaded a gallery of his pictures of Gay Pride in Rio at G Online, and here are some of my favorites.

And am loving the heart tattoo on the chest with an Uso Camisinha (I wear a condom) emblem.

Visit G Online for the complete gallery. For pictures and videos of the parties, head over to Italo. More after the jump.

Better Late Than Never: Rio Gay Pride 2007

There was no sign of rain in Rio this weekend for the 12th annual Gay Pride Parade in the city. An estimated 800,000 to 1.2 million people attended the parade at Avenida Atlântica in Copacabana, which is the longest running one in the country.

Rio's governor Sérgio Cabral made history by opening the parade yesterday: it was the first time in the country's history in which a governor attended a gay pride event.

This year's parade main goal was the approval of the bill 122/2006, which classifies homophobia as a hate crime on federal level.

More pictures of the parade at:
UOL Parada Gay
Terra
MixBrasil

And a video of the parade courtesy of Italo:

A Semana: Brazilianizers, Madonna, Pride, And Coming Out

Lenny Kravitz is having a love affair with the country: after spending a lot of time in Rio in July, he was seen in Salvador this week.

Bono is landing in the country on October 21 for the F-1 Grand Prix in São Paulo. Björk may head to Rio at the same time, arriving few days before her three scheduled concerts on October 26, 28, and 31. It will be the third time she performs in Brazil.

Designer Gareth Pugh is coming to São Paulo in November for Pense Moda, a series of lectures and debates about fashion and marketing which also counts with Judy Blame, Hugo Scott, and Alexandre Herchcovitch.

Madonna is leaving Warner Music, her long-time record label, to sign a $120 million deal with Live Nation, the concert promoter behind the Live 8 events.

In the latest installment of his shirtless publicity blitz, Marc Jacobs does W magazine.

The US dollar opened the day at R$ 1.80, the lowest exchange rate to the real in the past seven years.

São Paulo will soon host a franchise of Buddha Bar, scheduled for an October opening at Daslu.

A Corrida Milionária, Brazil's first franchise of The Amazing Race, will debut this Saturday at RedeTV! with a gay couple competing for the big prize.

Valter Luiz Cardeal de Souza, president of Brazilian electric company Eletrobrás, released a statement yesterday claiming that he was not responsible for homosexual remarks attributed to him last week, and apologizing for the misunderstanding. Mr. Souza said that he has no prejudice towards homosexuality, and that Eletrobrás even offers health insurance benefits to partners of gay employees in civil unions. Furnas, a subsidiary of Eletrobrás, donated R$200K as a sponsor to Gay Pride in Rio this weekend.

Today is National Coming Out Day. If you are looking for a perfect moment to make significant changes in your life, why not stop making excuses and do it now? You are already reading a gay blog after all.

Guide To Gay Pride In Rio

I am starting to loose track of how many Gay Pride parades are celebrated in Brazil, and of all their dates. The next big one lined up is in Rio, and it will take place this coming Sunday (by no coincidence, a long weekend in the country). If you are headed there for the festivities, there are plenty of parties to keep you busy over the weekend.

On Friday, October 12 (a national holiday AND also my bday), Rosanel Amaral will celebrate the 5th anniversary of her Pool Party at Clube Internacional de Regatas. It starts at 2 pm with DJs Jamie Sanchez, Twisted Dee, Flavio Lima, and Dudu Marquez. At night, DJ Aldo Haydar will spin at The Week as part of the new The WeekEND project.

On Saturday, the bears also have a place to play with a Rio edition of Woof Splash! at Hotel Atlantis in the afternoon. At night, head over to The Week again to dance to the sound of The Freemasons, who will be playing in the club for the first time. I am sure the music is going to be great (DJs Felipe Lira and Robix are scheduled to warm up the dancefloor), but if you want to avoid The Week two nights in a row, you can also opt for E.njoy at Vivo Rio. The line up of DJs will be 100% Brazilian, with Rafael Calvente, Ana Paula, and Ale Bittencourt.

On Sunday there is the parade in Copacabana, of course. I would go to 00 at night, but there is also the LK3 party with DJ Roland Belmares at Clube Israelita.

Now all the boys have to do is pray that it will not be raining as it was lat year. Remember to email pictures if you are there.

UPDATE: The Freemasons had to cancel their show at The Week due to a delay in obtaining visas. DJ Peter Rauhofer has been confirmed instead.

Troy At El Divino And Floripa Gay Pride

What a disappointment: after a great party on Friday night at Floripa Music Hall (sans the promised presence of DJ Peter Rauhofer), I was expecting a lot more from another edition of the Troy circuit party at club El Divino on Saturday. The music was not good, and the fact that one of the DJs seemed unable to put together a decent mix did not help to make things better. And what happened to hiring go-go boys? I am sure a few of them could have at least turned the heat up at the rather cheesy El Divino.

The highlight of the night were dancers spitting fire, and dancing to Madonna's Jump (the only song which I was able to recognize all night):

I skipped the actual parade on Sunday because it started late, and I had to drive back to avoid sitting in traffic for hours.

Approximately 20,000 people celebrated Pride at Avenida Beira Mar. Visit Fervo and Lado A for more pictures.

DJ Peter Rauhofer Is A No-Show In Floripa

Imported DJ Peter Rauhofer was supposed to be the biggest attraction in Floripa this weekend. However, as soon as me and my friends got through the front door at Floripa Music Hall last Friday night, we were informed that Mr. Rauhofer would not be spinning because he had not boarded his plane back in New York. Every one else behind us in line got the same speech: "we will refund your tickets if you do not wish to get in." Given the lack of other options on such short notice on a Friday night, I am certain that mostly everyone in line went in regardless of Mr. Rauhofer's absence. And from the video below you can tell they had a good time.

The following day at the beach the boys were speculating about was the reason behind Mr. Rauhofer's last minute cancellation. Rumor was that the party organizers had not yet submitted payment, and that they were flying Mr. Rauhofer coach as opposed to business. The cancellation did not bother me as I am not a DJ connoisseur, but I am certain that it did bother a lot of other boys who were looking forward to it. It was irresponsible and unprofessional from the organizers not to release a little statement to press as I am sure they knew Mr. Rauhofer was not coming way before they told people at the door.

International DJ or not, the party was definitely the highlight of the weekend (for me at least). I had never been to Floripa Music Hall, and the place is amazing: rotating dancefloor, lots of room to move around, stainless steel DJ booth, and the quickest drink I have experienced in Brazil in a long time. Upon arrival, you are given a wristband with a bar code. You add money to it at the bar, and all the bartenders have to do when you order a drink is scanning your wrist. Practical and efficient. Music was good too, and so was the crowd. When I left at 5 am, the party was still going strong.

Curitiba Celebrates Gay Pride

I did not get to attend Gay Pride in Curitiba yesterday, but luckily my friend Arthur was there and sent me some pictures from his camera phone. Since no other Brazilian site has posted pictures and information yet, I am not sure of how many people attended the event. More after the jump.

Gearing Up for Brazilian Independence Day (And Beyond)

Brazilian Independence Day is September 7, and although we don't celebrate it with burgers and fireworks as Americans do, we also like to party. Given that Rio and Floripa are hosting the biggest parties, you know where the boys will be heading to next week.

Rio may feel like Carnival all over again. On September 7, there is another edition of Rosane Amaral's Pool Party in the afternoon at Clube Internacional de Regatas. At night, E.njoy will be celebrating its 3rd year with a big bash at Vivo Rio, and imported DJ Tony Moran. On Saturday, you can count on X-Demente with DJ Chris Cox, or head over to a special edition of Cosmopolitan at The Week with Mexican DJ Isaac Escalante (as well as my friend DJ Felipe Lira).

Floripa will be celebrating Gay Pride during the holiday with two major parties. DJ Peter Rauhofer will be playing at Floripa Music Hall on Friday, September 7, and DJ Eddie X will spin at El Divino Club for the circuit party Troy on Saturday. On Sunday, the parade will take over Avenida Beira Mar Norte.

Not coming to Brazil? You can still get Brazilianized with another edition of the Annual Brazilian Day in New York, which takes place on W46th street this Sunday, September 2.

PS- The line-up of imported DJs confirmed for this year still includes David Morales at Pacha in São Paulo on October 31 and at The Week Rio on November 3, as well as the Chemical Brothers at Credicard Hall in São Paulo on November 7.

A Semana: Fall Fashions, Top Model Hopefuls, Fergie, And More Gay Pride In Brazil

I spent all morning in bed yesterday going through the New York Times' T Womens Fall Fashion 2007 magazine, which is always one of my favorite fashion publications. All the editorials are top notch, and Cathy Horyn's take on Harvey Weinstein and the future of Halston is a must-read.

The new candidates on the running to become America's Next Top Model have been unveiled (in silver bikinis).

Nicky Hilton has confirmed a front row seat at the Rosa Chá spring 2008 show at New York Fashion Week. The label recently developed a line of swimsuits for the heiress called Nicky Hilton by Rosa Chá.

Fergie is following the footsteps of Gwen Stefani, launching a handbag line in partnership with Kipling.

Check out the winners for this year's Teen Choice Awards.

Madonna's recently leaked track The Beat Goes On fails to thrill the New York kids. Head over to Arjan for a better mix of the track.

The third edition of Iguatemi Filme Fashion goes on in São Paulo until Thursday, exploring the relationship between fashion and movies, and featuring a Bruce Weber retrospective with 4 movies, 6 shorts, music videos, and commercials.

Approximately 50,000 people attended Sunday's 3rd Annual Gay Pride Parade in Niterói. The parade in Rio is scheduled for October 14, with the Freemasons confirmed at The Week on October 13.

The National Lesbian Visibility Day is celebrated this week on Wednesday.

Singer Ultra Naté will perform at the Ministry Of Sound party in São Paulo this Thursday, and at The Week in Rio this coming Saturday.

A Semana: Stepmom Bündchen, Britney, And More On Gay Soccer

La Bündchen just became a stepmom: Tom Brady's ex Bridget Moynahan gave birth to a baby boy. Apparently Gisele sent the little outfit on the right as a gift to the newborn (yes, it does say supermodel below the bar code).

There have been rumors going around today that Gisele and Tom Brady were getting hitched in November, but her rep has reported that the model is not getting married anytime soon.

Britney Spears is out with a new track called Baby Boy. Warning: track may harm your hearing.

If you remember Vanessa Carlton's video for A Thousand Miles, you will certainly appreciate the intro to her new video for Nolita Fairytale.

Singer Cindy Lauper cancelled her concert in São Paulo in October.

Over 300 gay-related events will take place in Brazil until the end of the year, a number 68% bigger than last year's. Considering I hear about a new Pride parade every weekend in this country, I am not surprised.

With so many issues in the country lately regarding gays and soccer, it is interesting that to note that the Brazilian Soccer Federation used São Paulo Gay Pride on their bidding war for the 2014 World Cup. The parade was listed as an example of the country's capability of organizing a large event in the video sent to FIFA.

Brazil is not sending any teams to represent the country at the Buenos Aires Gay Word Cup of soccer because of lack of sponsorship.

Model Flavia de Oliveira does the Gap.

The autobiography of Dener, the first Brazilian larger-than-life designer and couturier, was republished this month, and the book is (once again) getting a lot of buzz. I am curious to read it.

Speedo break: Big Brother Brazil winner Diego hits the beach with his niece.

Miss Gay Brazil 2007

The 5th Annual Juiz de Fora Gay Pride Parade attracted over 100,000 people to the city this past Saturday, making it the biggest gay event in Minas Gerais. Juiz de Fora also held its traditional Miss Gay Brazil pageant on Saturday, and this year's winner was Espírito Santo representative Ianka Ashylen. The new miss had an entourage of four buses and over 125 people brought in to cheer for her, and also ranked in first in the gala category and best costume (she spent a reportedly R$ 50K in the two custom designed gowns she wore at the pageant). Visit Zona Pink for more pictures of Ianka, and Zine Cultural for a video of the 31st Annual Miss Gay Brazil.

A Semana: Gay Soccer Controversy, Rainbow Fest, Ad Campaigns, And Brazilian Choppers

Maximiano Junqueira Filho, the judge responsible for the homophobic remarks about soccer player Richarlyson's case, will have to defend himself in court, and explain what lead him to dismiss the case for such erratic reasons. He is currently on a leave of absence, and risks losing his title.

The 10th Annual Rainbow Fest in Juiz de Fora, Minas Gerais, started last night and goes on until Sunday. Tomorrow night a special edition of X-Demente will take over club Privilège, and on Saturday 100,000 people are expected to attend the Juiz de Fora Gay Pride Parade. The famous Miss Brasil Gay pagent will also take place on Saturday.

São Paulo's all-girls party Chá com Bolachas heads to club Boomerangue in Salvador this Saturday.

As The World Turns is set to feature daytime's first gay teenage kiss tomorrow.

Singer Darren Hayes talks to Arjan in this week's Next magazine.

Heidi Klum sports nothing but jeans and a whip for the new Jordache ads.

While I was busy shooting hot models in Copacabana this past Tuesday, Michael Roberts was also shooting in Rio. He photographed the new spring ad campaign for beachwear label Lenny with model Guisela Rein at Niterói's Teatro Popular, and at an abandoned chocolate factory.

Actress and girl-of-the-moment Camila Pitanga stars in the new Cori campaign, photographed at the Copacabana Palace by Brazilian Vicente de Paulo.

The third edition of the REtalhar exhibit at Centro Cultural Banco do Brasil opened in Rio this past Tuesday. It features designs of the likes of Alexandre Herchcovitch, Lenny, Carlos Miele, and jeweler Antonio Bernardo, developed by hand by artisans from Rocinha through the COOPA-ROCA project. The exhibit runs until September 16.

The Orange County Choppers have been invited to come to Brazil early next month to design a bike inspired by Brasília and the 100 years of architect Oscar Niemeyer. The result will be showcased at this year's Brazilian Music Festival Moto.

A Semana: Air Traffic Crisis, La Bündchen's Birthday, Santoro And Lindsay, Floripa Pride, And Pan-American Hotties

Because of bad weather, TAM Airlines canceled all flights departing from Congonhas airport this morning. 40% of all flights have either been delayed or canceled in the country today because of a radar failure over the Amazon on Friday night, which forced air traffic controllers to turn back or ground a string of international flights. The radar outage was the first time that international flights have been severely affected by the air traffic crisis in Brazil.

President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva spoke to the nation on Friday night, announcing new safety measures and saying that authorities will build a new airport in São Paulo. According to the president, aviation officials will limit the number of flights and restrict the weight of planes traveling into Congonhas airport.

Infraero's president José Carlos Pereira did not agree on an intervention by the International Federation of Air Traffic Controllers in Brazilian territory. IFACTA claimed that the Brazilian government was not capable of solving the air traffic crisis without international help.

Gisele celebrated her birthday shopping for art with beau Tom Brady in New York yesterday.

Rodrigo Santoro has been tapped to play tango singer Carlos Gardel in the upcoming movie Dare To Love Me. Shakira is also confirmed in the cast, as well as Lindsay Lohan, who is already learning to tango.

Shortly after his contract with Cori expired, designer Alexandre Herchcovitch has been named the new creative director of jeanswear label Zoomp.

Gay Big Brother Brazil winner Jean Willys has been confirmed as programming director of the country's first online gay TV channel, entitled GTV.

Peter Rauhofer was announced as the main attraction for Gay Pride in Floripa. He is scheduled to spin at Floripa Music Hall on September 7.

While the Pan-American Games are still going on in Rio, the big question remains unanswered: who is the hottest male athlete?

Brazilian beach volleyball players Ricardo and Emanuel conquered the only gold medal missing in their collection yesterday in Rio. The duo is already gold in the Olympics, and in the world championships, which they have won for the past four years straight.

A Busy Weekend In São Paulo

Another weekend full of attractions for the boys starts in São Paulo tonight, just a week after Boy George put the city to dance.

Circuit party TOY is celebrating 3 years tonight at Canindé Gymnasium at Marginal Tiete, and promises to be the big party of the weekend with Colombian DJ and Producer Mário Ochoa. For those who want to stay away from the muscle boys, club Gloria is supposed to re-open with the traditional Alelux party, headlined by designer Alexandre Herchcovitch and his partner-in-crime Johnny Luxo.

The Week is importing DJ Aldo Haydar from Buenos Aires for a special edition of its Babylon Party on Saturday, the same night in which promoter Rodrigo Zanardi will officially open his new club Flex. The line up of DJs at Flex includes Alê Amaral, Paulo Agulhari, and Hebert Monteiro. Will the new club pose a threat to the reigning Saturday nights at The Week?

If you happen to be in Belo Horizonte, the city will be hosting its 10th Annual Gay Pride Parade this Sunday. I still don't understand why Brazilian cities celebrate Pride at the most random dates, but if you do attend send pictures.

Talking about Pride, there are rumors that Peter Rauhoffer has been tapped to spin at Gay Pride in Floripa this September.

A Semana: Gisele For U2, Flex In São Paulo, Pride In Rio, And Sexy Athletes

La Bündchen was in New York yesterday to promote Dolce & Gabbana's fragrance The One at Sak's. Rumor has it that she will partner with U2 on their new video.

Raquel Zimmermann looks incredibly chic on the cover of V 48, photographed by Inez van Lamsweerde and Vinoodh Matadin.

Djimon Hounsou is the new Calvin Klein underwear model.

Nelly Furtado is releasing yet another single from her factory of hits Loose. Check out the video for Do It.

Promoter Rodrigo Zanardi announced that the opening of his new club is scheduled for this Saturday. Flex will be located at Barra Funda in São Paulo, close to where mega club Level once used to stand. Will it pose a threat to The Week's reigning Sat