If I have to listen to Sanjaya one more week, I would rather shoot myself. Instead I decided to JetBlue to New York for a fun weekend. So here is my report from Hillary and Giuliani country.

The main reason for my trip was to attend the 21st annual Night of a Thousand Gowns coronation ball of the Imperial Court of New York, of which I am an incorporator and past empress. More than a thousand people attended the ball, which was a benefit for PFLAG. The San Diego contingent was led by Empress Nicole the Great, who, as Queen Mother of the Americas, held a signing ceremony of a partnership accord between the International Courts System and the National Gay & Lesbian Task Force, represented by Executive Director Matt Forman.

Among the celebrities in attendance were honorary ball co-chairs legendary cabaret performer Barbara Cook, soap opera star Robin Strasser and pop star Cyndi Lauper, who regaled the audience with an a capella rendition of her hit song, “True Colors.” Also in attendance were gay playwright/actor Charles Busch (Tale of the Allergists Wife, Sister Act), Julie Halston (comedienne/actress currently seen in TV’s “The Class”). Entertainers include Broadway stars Daphne Rubin-Vega (original cast of Rent) and Darlene Love (Rock & Roll Hall of Fame) who took the night off from her Broadway show Hairspray, where she appears as Motormouth Maybelle.

The Night of a Thousand Gowns, regarded as one of the most fabulous charity events in New York, was covered by the Here! Network, so watch out for it in a future show.

There is a small enclave in the West Village of New York City that is fast becoming known as “Little Britain.” The trend started in 1990 with the opening of Tea and Sympathy on Greenwich Avenue, lovingly referred to as the unofficial British Embassy. Owners Nicky Perry and Sean Cavanaugh-Dowsett were considered de facto cultural ambassadors, where one can expect a properly-brewed pot of tea. I heard the bangers and mash are good as well. In 2000, they opened another shop a few doors down called A Salt and Battery. They sure are clever with names! Here you don’t smother your fries (called chips) with ketchup, but rather malt vinegar and salt. The newspaper is not for reading, but to hold the fried battered fish. They also serve something really sinful called Fried Mars Bars. Now British designers Stella McCartney (daughter of Sir Paul whose clothes have adorned Madonna and Gwyneth), Catriona MacKechnie (high-end lingerie), Lulu Guinness (frilly clutches and purses) and Alexander McQueen have set up shops in the neighborhood. Then there’s Myers of Keswick on Hudson Street, where Englishman Peter Myers has been tending bar since 1978, which serves sausage rolls, Cornish pasties, scotch eggs and spotted dicks. I swear that was in the menu, but I was too embarrassed to ask. So I went safe with shepherd’s pie. How about the Spotted Pig on West 11th Street, a British gastro-pub where one can escape to take a break from battered sausage every once in a while. And you thought the Brits have no sense of humor. Did you know that John Lennon’s – yes, the one that Yoko took from us – first apartment in the Big Apple was at 105 Bank St., just down the block from Lips New York? There are many more British establishments scattered all over the city, like Asprey, Burberry, Agent Provocateur and the all important PINK boutiques. With the relationship between the U.S. and Britain at an all-time high, thanks mostly to Diana rather than Tony Blair, it’s no wonder there is a movement being spearheaded by Tea & Sympathy and Virgin Atlantic to officially have the city declare this part of New York – from 11th to 14th streets, between Sixth Avenue and Washington Street – be known as Little Britain. Cheers!

Back in 1992, my life was transformed when I heard Bob Hattoy at Madison Square Garden, the first openly gay HIV person to speak at a national political convention. Bob was a long-time environmental activist having served as the regional director of the California Sierra Club from 1981 to 1992. Bob joined Bill Clinton’s presidential campaign as an environmental adviser during the primaries. Soon after that, he was diagnosed with AIDS-related lymphoma.

In his four-minute, primetime speech, Bob assailed then President George Bush for not making AIDS a priority, saying: “I do not want to die. But I do not want to live in an America where my president sees me as an enemy. I can face dying because of a disease, but not because of politics.” That speech catapulted Bob to become an AIDS poster boy. After the elections, he joined Clinton’s White House staff as an associate personnel director; however, because of his remarks about Clinton’s stand on gays in the military, he was transferred to the less glamorous Interior Department.

“It is difficult to overstate the importance of Bob Hattoy to people with AIDS and the AIDS activist movement. When Bob spoke at the 1992 Democratic Convention with courage and conviction as a person with AIDS – and famously a friend of the Clintons – he galvanized the community and gave hope that our voice was going to be heard at the highest levels,” remarked Sean Strub, founder of POZ magazine.

Bob Hattoy died on March 3 of AIDS complications at the age of 56. Per Bob’s wishes, he will be cremated and there will be no memorial service. He did want celebrations of his life held in the four cities he considered home: Los Angeles, New York, San Francisco and Washington. I attended the New York celebration last week at Therapy, a gay club near Times Square. I did not know Bob very well, but the few times that we met, I was in awe of his wit and his passion. Bob Hattoy, one of many AIDS heroes of our time.

After many years, the famous Roxy dance club finally closed its doors. Plagued for many years by drug busts, this hot spot for hunky Chelsea boys had its last spin. Gone, too, is the Crow Bar, another hot dance club in the Chelsea area.

The good news is that the Stonewall Inn has re-opened. The new bar was taken over by the Duplex, a famous comedy bar right around the corner. I am really excited that they have rescued the historic bar in its original location, and I heard the new owners are putting in a lot of money to refurbish the place and bring back some historic features of the bar. My friend, Tree (that’s really his name), will be tending bar on some nights. Be sure to stop by and say hello when you visit next time.

Seems like more and more clubs are migrating to New York’s Hell’s Kitchen. There are many clubs worth dropping in before and after theater, or anytime, like Bamboo and Therapy, both on West 52nd Street and Posh on West 51st Street.

I will be back in San Diego for my monthly soirée at Bacchus House on Thursday, April 26, for the hottest wet underwear contest in town. My guest is new porn stud, Rascal Exclusive Blake Riley. Blake is flying in from Texas and getting wet in his Rufskin underwear. Aside from the $1 well drinks and the $250 in cash and prizes for the winners of the underwear contest, there will be lots of video giveaways. So come by and say hello.

This weekend is the annual Jeffrey Sanker’s White Party in Palm Springs. This global dance festival with non-stop weekend events includes daytime pool parties, nighttime dance parties and 20,000 of the most beautiful men from all over the world, featuring top DJs like Casey Alva, Tracy Young, Kimberly S and Chi Chi LaRue. If you don’t have a place to stay, your best bet is to put out for someone who has a room reserved. Otherwise, prepare to sleep in your car. For ticket info and complete list of weekend events, go to www.jeffreysanker.com.