Merry Christmas to one and all! There, I said it. Because I grew up with Christmas, it is inherently a part of me. It is also a way of sharing our joy and best wishes with those of other religions and cultures. So I would also say happy Hanukkah and happy Kwanzaa when appropriate. Let’s just not miss the whole point of this season by being too politically correct. It’s the spirit that truly counts.

And the spirit of the holidays is definitely on. The Imperial Court, as many other organizations are also doing, has collected hundreds and hundreds of toys for young children who might otherwise not be merry. They distributed cheer to Barrio Station last week, and the toy mobile will be visiting many other places this week. Also going on is the blanket drive. This winter has been unusually cold and the need will be even greater. So please drop off your clean (used or new) blankets at various bars and establishment all over the city.

On Dec. 12, the boys at Martinis Above Fourth held their second annual wreath auction to benefit the Queen Eddie Conlon Youth Fund, which was founded by the Imperial Court and is now administered by The Center. I hosted the show with my sidekick, Center board member John Laird, and we auctioned off 30 wreaths that had been donated by various individuals and businesses. I must tell you that I had the best time at the charity event – the spirit was high and the guests were in a generous mood. And after my first Coco Martini, I was flying like a kite. Now some wreaths were truly magnificent, fetching upward of $500, and there were a few sad ones. But it didn’t really matter; every single wreath was bid on and all the guests had a good time. The event, which included a silent auction, brought in $7,400. This is truly one of the most fun and successful events I’ve been to all year.

Last Saturday, Dec. 15, I was part of the Babette Schwartz “Holiday Highballs” show, which was also held at Martinis Above Fourth. The sold-out show was simply dragalicious. It was great to work with such professionals as Chad Michaels, Fifi and Cristina Monet. The dressing room was amazingly clean and orderly, and the drinks the audience was sending back to us sure added a little lift to the numbers. The star herself, Babette, was her usual best, especially when she launched into her signature pearl necklace twirl. There is no stopping that girl! We had a really happy crowd, and they were good-looking, too. Ladies who appeared in the other shows included Tootie, Gina and LaDonna Monroe. By the way, a very wet kiss and birthday wish to Martini hottie Dale, who we had fun with during the show.

Happy birthday wishes also go to past Emperor Chris Horton on Thursday, Dec. 22.

Drag porn diva ChiChi LaRue was a guest of Rita Cosby on “Live and Direct” last Wednesday night on MSNBC. The topic was the $57 billion porn industry ($12 billion for the U.S. alone) and it’s pervasiveness in today’s society. Not only are there literally millions of sex Web sites online, you can also download XXX video onto your computer. In fact, the person sitting next to you with his iPod or cell phone may actually be watching porn. The show was mostly about the straight porn industry, since ChiChi directs them for Vivid Videos. Ms. Cosby, like other talk show hosts, keeps trying to focus on the seedy side of the business to sensationalize the industry. Sometimes she does not realize she is perpetuating the ugly, rather than admitting that we, as American adults, have the right to enjoy legal adult entertainment. Just like talk shows, there is always the good, the bad and the ugly.

By the way, ChiChi just released a new coffee table book, Warning, featuring the stars of Rascal Video, including Johnny Hazzard, Eddie Stone and Luca DiCorso. The stunning photographs were captured by Greg Thompson and would make a great holiday gift.

I loved Brokeback Mountain, though I spent most of the time trying to understand what Heath Ledger was mumbling about. In the movie, he tends to garble his words. The movie is bold, tender and full of teeth. And for a full 10 seconds, you can feel the intensity of Jake Gyllenhaal bottoming for Heath, without actually seeing it or them even being naked. There’s a couple of token nude bathing scenes, but not enough to write about. They did kiss a lot, though. But the movie is about more than the sex; it is a gripping, passionate drama about two men grappling with their emotions in the ’70s in Wyoming. I especially love the symbolism of the ending when Heath places his shirt over Jake’s in the hanger. I’m not an outdoors person, and I need to have running water from a faucet, but I’d even be willing to rough it with Heath up in the mountains and cook him canned beans over an open fire. But only for one night, then I want my Memory Foam bed back. Kudos to director Ang Lee! Go see the movie; it needs to make a lot of money so they’ll make more movies in this genre. Brokeback Mountain is universal love story, not just a gay love story.

On Friday, Dec. 23, Rich’s presents Chad Michaels’ holiday show. A local drag legend, Chad will be serving up Cher, Celine and maybe his famous “Feliz Navidad” (Bette Davis style). He may even throw in the Grinch who stole Christmas. And if you’re really nice, you might get to see her “angel on a tree” number. The show probably happens around midnight, but call Rich’s for the showtime.

Resolution The Party kicks of New Year’s weekend on Friday, Dec. 30, taking place outdoors on Fifth Avenue in Hillcrest from Robinson to Pennsylvania, from 7:30 p.m. to 1:30 a.m. Sheena Easton, En Vogue, June and Bonnie Pointer, and Danielle LoPresti perform live on stage, while DJ Klaus turns up the beat on the dance floor. The party hopes to raise money for various local organizations, including The Center. There will be shuttle services from various locations in San Diego. Call (619) 501-7094 for tickets and information, or pop into Out Mall (located at 3828 Fifth Ave.) to purchase advance tickets. Only in San Diego can you find a gay outdoor dance right in Hillcrest.

I will be going off to New York City for the holidays, and I’m not looking forward to the cold weather. Check out the bar ads in this issue for all the festive New Year’s Eve parties in town. Every bar will have a special party that night, and many are doing the traditional money balloon drop. No matter how you party, just be sure not to invite Tina, and drink responsibly. And, as Tootie always says, “If you have to drink, drive someone else’s car!” No, I mean choose a designated driver before you venture out.

As this is my last column for the year, I want to wish all of you a very happy, healthy and prosperous New Year.