Kingston Fine Jewelry to Launch Rony Tennenbaum LGBT Collection

Kingston, NY - Kingston Fine Jewelry in Kingston, NY has announced the introduction of a new line of designer wedding jewelry to reach out to the ever increasing LGBT market. The family owned business is to carry the Rony Tennenbaum LGBT wedding line, joining the new generation of jewelry pioneers that are taking an accepting stance and showing support for the LGBT community. 

Kingston Fine Jewelry has been a staple in the Hudson Valley Region since 1985.  Founded by Gale Knull and Ray Bleser, Kingston Fine Jewelry has for the past four decades grown in reputation to become the premier wedding jewelry and engagement diamond destination in the region. 

The family owned jewelry store believes that adding the Rony Tennenbaum collection will allow them a wider outreach and enable them to include same-sex couples as part of their all-inclusive accepted family of customers.

To date, 19 states plus Washington, D.C. have passed marriage equality laws and judges in an additional 12 states have issued rulings in favor of marriage equality. As we continue to celebrate the unbroken string of victories in the legalization of gay marriage, more mainstream & local stores such as Kingston Fine Jewelry, are seeking Tennenbaum’s expert understanding in the culture, tastes and needs of the LGBT community, in order to break into the fast growing LGBT wedding market.

Tennenbaum’s ongoing contribution to the LGBT community (of which he is part) and his commitment to forging LGBT wedding business one local store at a time, has now positioned himself as a recognized and sought-after authority on LGBT wedding jewelry fashion and protocol. 

His outreach to the LGBT community includes a lecture series - “Rony Talks” - which are designed to address and familiarize same sex couples with the fast growing new etiquettes and traditions developing across the country as marriage becomes legal in their states.

Tennenbaum has seen a fast growth in demand for his niche collections.  Last June, Seattle-based Ben Bridge Jeweler, owned by Warren Buffett’s holding company Berkshire Hathaway Inc., began carrying jewelry by Rony Tennenbaum.  This past April, Rogers & Hollands - one of the largest family owned jewelry chains in the country - added Tennenbaum’s same-sex bridal jewelry to its Chicago-area stores.

Already enjoying a strong local presence and loyal following, Kingston Fine Jewelry’s believes welcoming the LGBT community will only strengthen their foothold as a bridal destination.

www.RonyTennenbaum

www.KingstonFineJewelry.com

Other store carrying Rony Tennenbaum LGBT Collection include:

Ben Bridge Jeweler (Tacoma & Spokane, WA)

Rogers & Holland (Chicago, IL)

Sparkle (Chicago, IL)

Christensen & Rafferty (San Francisco, CA)

Adolf Jewelers (Richmond, VA)

Blue River Diamonds (Gloucester, MA)

Maurice’s Jewelers (Miami, FL)

Cellini Design Jewelers (Orange, CT)

LGBT JEWELRY Designer RONY TENNENBAUM To Appear In New Publication

BRAND NEW LGBT LUXURY WEDDING DESTINATIONS PUBLICATION 

EQL MAGAZINE

TEAMS UP WITH JEWELRY DESIGNER & LGBT WEDDING ETIQUETTE EXPERT 

RONY TENNENBAUM

TO DEBUT NEW COLUMN IN ITS PREMIERE ISSUE.

NEW YORK, NY - EQL, a brand new highly stylized, biannual (Spring & Fall, 2014) print magazine committed to the celebration of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) weddings and destinations is teaming up with one of the most distinguished voices of authority in the LGBT Bridal Jewelry industry, jewelry designer Rony Tennenbaum. 

Tennenbaum is set to premiere his column on wedding jewelry etiquette in the first issue of EQL Magazine due out on newsstands this month providing readers with a fresh take on jewelry news, fashion, protocol, wedding and engagement themes, tips and advice.

The burgeoning same-sex wedding industry is fast-steadily attracting a wide range of not only businesses looking to expand into the “untapped" booming LGBT market; but is also attracting a new group of consumers.  As more and more visionary companies are taking the leap, they seek to do so by calling upon Tennenbaum’s expert understanding in the culture, tastes and needs of the LGBT community, as well as the jewelry and diamond worlds.

Tennenbaum’s outreach to both community and retailers in his public appearances called, “Rony Talks”, has been sending a strong message of inclusiveness to the LGBT community for almost a decade. More than just a designer, Tennenbaum understands the need in educating a generation of retailers as well as consumers who are facing new traditions and etiquettes.  

Tennenbaum who is also currently lending his expert voice to LoveIncmag.com, and has previously served as a contributing author for Engagement 101 Magazine and gayweddings.com, is thrilled to be bringing his expertise to EQL Magazine. 

Slotted for a Spring debut, EQL Destinations for Weddings will bring to the marketplace glorious, highly visual editorial content, brimming with comprehensive coverage of the world’s most enchanting dream weddings exclusively for the LBGT community. The 144-page, full-color glossy will showcase engaging content written by celebrated wedding experts and travel writers, exquisite photography featuring unique locations around the world, positioning itself as the go-to resource for all things wedding. 

“At this very important time in our nation’s history, I feel honored to be introducing a non-political magazine that has one focus—to be a testament to the joy of celebrating love. We are confident that the quality of the magazine, the personal stories, and inspired feature articles will be a huge hit with readers,” says Leslie Hurd, publisher.

Celebrating the unbroken string of state victories in marriage equality, Tennenbaum - at the helm of his brand - is not only breaking the mold with his designs, but is also using his expertise and message behind his jewelry to be in the vanguard of a new generation of jewelry consumers, and including with him any pioneer who wishes to join forces with him and his message on the journey.

For more information go to: 

www.ronytennenbaum.com

www.EQLWedding.com 

@ronytennenbaum

Rogers & Hollands Jewelers Expands Into the LGBT Market

Rogers & Hollands Jewelers Expands Into LGBT Market By Adding Rony Tennenbaum Wedding Jewelry to their Bridal cases in Two of their Chicagoland Locations

Chicago, IL – With marriage equality making major strides across the country, the burgeoning same-sex wedding industry is attracting a wide range of companies with years of experience in the wedding business. 

One of the largest family owned jewelry chains in the States, Rogers & Hollands, is expanding its demographic reach and marketing to include the LGBT community by adding a new wedding jewelry collection created to celebrate marriage and equality. 

The premier jewelry chain, which operates several stores throughout the Chicagoland area and throughout the Midwest, has just announced the addition of Rony Tennenbaum’s Jewelry collection to its bridal cases in both its Woodfield Mall location in Schaumburg, and in downtown Chicago’s Water Tower Place stores.

With stores across Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Kentucky, Ohio, Tennessee, Missouri and Wisconsin, Rogers & Hollandsbelieves that adding the Rony Tennenbaum collection will allow them a wider outreach and include same-sex couples as part of their all-inclusive accepted family of consumers.

Rony Tennenbaum Jewelry has been sending a strong message of inclusiveness to the LGBT community for almost a decade.  As a wedding jewelry designer for over 25 years, Tennenbaum’s unique wedding and engagement ring styling is built with fashionable timeless features and driven by a strong sense of sentiment.  Tennenbaum recognized the lack of attention the LGBT community was receiving in wedding jewelry and designed his brand to showcase high end designs beyond stereotypical rainbows and triangles. 

More than just a designer, Tennenbaum understands the need in educating a generation of retailers as well as consumers who are facing new traditions and etiquettes.  His outreach to the community on “The New Etiquettes of the Rainbow” is a step in teaching both retailers and consumers about the new options in wedding jewelry etiquette.  He also consults about making educated purchases.

As these etiquettes are being written by the LGBT community, visionary retailers such as Rogers & Hollands are seeking outTennenbaum’s expert understanding in the culture, tastes and needs of the LGBT community, as well as the jewelry and diamond worlds.

Already distributed in states such as: Connecticut, New York, Illinois, Florida, Washington and Virginia, Tennenbaum is thrilled to be adding his line of wedding jewelry to the Rogers & Hollands chain. In his opinion, the stores already have a strong loyal following and the outreach to include the LGBT community will only strengthen their foothold as a bridal destination.

At the helm of his brand, Tennenbaum is not only breaking the mold with his designs, but is also using his expertise and message behind his jewelry to be in the vanguard of a new generation of jewelry consumers, and taking with him any pioneers who wish to join forces with him and his message on the journey.

For more information visit: 

www.RonyTennenbaum.com

EDITORIAL: Letting Go: 3 Scenarios Where Love Just Ain’t Enough

by Bo Sellers

Sometimes I meet people who instantly speak to my soul.  It’s this exact scenario that led me to discover I actually prefer women. I love being in love and I love loving. Everyone you meet has a unique purpose for coming in to your life, but on your quest for true love, how do you recognize what it is? What kind of love are you genuinely feeling towards this person? Lover? Friend? Soulmate?  

My passion for loving is so intense I develop a bit of a word vomit when it comes to disclosing the “L” word. When I dated men, this was a quick way to weed out the ones incapable of handling my white girl crazy, but with women, my own comfort level has allowed others to break down their walls and go on adventures of the heart with me.

When I’m in love with someone, they’re the first person I think of in the morning, and the last one I think of before I fall asleep, and even in my dreams, they still never leave me. The excitement of such happenstance introductions sets off my over-analytical mind and I begin to rifle through every possible scenario of their impending significance.  

Once the initial intensity winds down, my mind becomes less-clouded and I'm able to better assess someone’s purpose in my life. But sometimes my emotions have landed me into situations where it wasn't until much later than I should have realized it takes more than love to sustain a relationship, or as Patti Smith once sang so honestly, “sometimes love just ain't enough.”  I've experienced three very different, and very real scenarios, where no matter how strongly I found myself loving someone, it could never be.

3.  You have nothing in common, except that you love each other - You've met someone. You shared an instant connection and decided to explore your infatuation further. It isn't until you've invested months, or even years in each other you've awoken to the fact, every time you say black, they say white. They’re not TRYING to be difficult. It’s not because they don’t love you. It’s just because, it’s who they are. From religion, to choice in music, to career aspirations, if your major deal-breakers aren't aligning, it’s best to appreciate the time you've shared and move on. While some differences should be celebrated, sacrificing your own passions to support your partners' is not necessary. You deserve to be with someone who encourages you to be the best YOU can be, not the you they’d like you to be.

2.  Mental or Physical Abuse - Love is amazing, but it should never come at the expense of your own well-being. Before dating women, I could more easily recognize abuse from a man, but for some reason I'm having a harder time with women. While I'm learning to draw the line between playful rough-housing and actual harm, I've decided to adapt a new rule of thumb. If something makes me uncomfortable, and I clearly communicate it to my partner, and they continue to engage in the aforementioned behavior, I'm done. No matter HOW much I think I love them. I've also noticed I'm more tolerant of such behaviors when I'm not loving myself as much as I should be. To quote The Perks of Being a Wallflower: “We accept the love we think we deserve.” Remember you deserve the best, simply because you are the best. The best you.

1.  She’s married - This one may seem like a no-brainer, but sometimes things happen and before you know it, you’re caught up in a whirlwind romance that feels more perfect than anything you've experienced before. None of the perfect moments or feelings take away her prior commitment to her family, and your own commitment to yourself and your individual happiness. You told yourself you would never date a married person, but now you’re in deeper than a diver searching for remains of the Titanic, and your love story is even more beautifully tragic than Rose and Jack’s. Yet, you must walk away. For her benefit, for her family’s benefit, and most importantly for your own. Perhaps you’ll meet again, in a different lifetime, but this one is obviously not your shared happily ever after.

Loving someone is a splendid journey, and I would much rather fall in love a 1,000 times than spend my life being afraid of it. Don’t ignore all self-preservation. You control your own happiness, so work on finding a balance between giving love away equal to that which you receive. Lesbian love is the greatest love I've ever experienced, but I'm still learning and discovering new boundaries along the way. I have to remember to keep my intuition clear to the signs that may show I need to let go of the less than perfect idea of love I'm holding on to, to find the love truly meant for me.

Designer Creates LGBT-friendly Wedding Jewellery

Ben Bridge Jeweler, one of the biggest independently owned jewelry chains in the country, is now marketing to the LGBT community by stocking a jewelry collection whose very reason for being is to celebrate same-sex marriages.

The Seattle-based chain, which operates 70 stores primarily in the western United States,  has added Rony Tennenbaum Jewelry to its bridal cases in its Tacoma and Spokane locations. Rony Tennenbaum has been revolutionizing the bridal jewelry industry with 25 years of experience creating engagement, wedding, and anniversary rings for same-sex couples. But the pickup by Ben Bridge marks the company's first-ever chain retailer account. 

Rony introduced his own collection after recognizing the need for LGBT wedding jewelry that went beyond the stereotypical rainbows and triangles. According to the designer Engagement and wedding rings should proclaim love, not sexual orientation. 

Rony Tennenbaum’s unique pieces are built with fashion in mind and driven by classic, timeless features.  By using EcoGold in most of his creations, he guarantees that no toxins or waste materials are dumped into the environment. In addition, his strong beliefs in bringing well-needed jobs back to the US encouraged Rony to make sure most of his jewelry is locally made.

The partnership between Ben Bridge and Rony Tennenbaum Jewelry is not only a perfect match but also timely. The same sex wedding market is burgeoning nationally creating a boom in the LGBT bridal industry in key cities.

Ben Bridge travels the world in search of unique designs and the highest quality diamonds, colored gemstones, and fine timepieces and is excited to continue its tradition of offering fine jewelry with the addition of Tennenbaum’s collection.

www.RonyTennenbaum.com

About Ben Bridge Jeweler

Ben Bridge Jeweler was founded in Seattle, Washington in 1912 on a simple promise: to offer the finest jewelry, best selection, and friendly, knowledgeable service. Family-run for five generations, Ben Bridge operates more than 70 retail stores in 11 states including Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Minnesota, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Texas, and Washington.  In 2012, the American Gem Society awarded the Bridge family with a Lifetime Achievement Award in honor of their significant contributions to the jewelry industry.   For more information about Ben Bridge Jeweler visit www.benbridge.com.

Prop 8 is overturned!

As I'm sure you've heard, Proposition 8 - the gay marriage ban on the state of California - was overturned today.

Well, you've either heard or you haven't got tumblr.

Anyways, as I'm constantly battling against this ridiculous proposition in one of our supposedly most 'gay friendly' states on my blog, I thought I'd post this celebratory post to inform the (few of you) of the good news.

We're making giant steps, you gays!

But remember, this proposition was overturned once before and we all know how badly that ended...

So I encourage you to keep up the fight and most of all...

STAY GAY!

Congratulations are in order!

Just thought congratulations were in order from allthingsles - Glee's Jane Lynch and her long-term partner Lara Embry recently announced their engagement!

(It seems that there are no pictures of them together. Sorry!)

Lynch, who has starred in lesbian favourite The L Word and of course, as Sue Sylvester in Glee, announced the engagement to Embry just last week.

And we - as you should too - wish them all the luck for the future.

You learn something new every day...

I say 'every day' but I doubt that's really true... Imagine my luck when I learned two new things today!

Firstly, I learned the real definition of 'pugnacious.' Which isn't really relevant to this blog... And the second thing I learned was how absent homosexual rights were in America right up until 1996.

Yes, that's correct. Gay people had NO rights whatsoever until 1996. Can you believe that?! Apparently I learned this around 4 weeks ago in my American Civil Rights class at college, but it wasn't until I was doing a spot of revising that I actually paid attention to this part. According to American law, the first act passed for gay rights was in 1996, which protected homosexuals from state discrimination, and also barred the passage of any new 'anti-discriminatory' legislation against them.

Now I hate to sound like a broken record, but this makes me even more determined to abolish 'Proposition 8' in California. It is now obvious that most of the people who voted 'yes' on prop 8 were mis-informed about what it was about, and I think that if the vote was to be done again, proposition 8 would not exist.

So, without sounding like I'm nagging, please do everything you can to help the cause of prop 8, and get it over-turned once and for all! I'm not married personally, but I know how awful it must be to be kept from marrying the person you love, and a lot of people I know who it is being prejudice against say that it really hurts to know that even their 'friends' don't want them to be happy.

Go here for advice on donating and spreading the word.

Top Lesbian News of 2008.

Firstly, I'm gonna say Happy Holidays to all you lovely ladies! Whether it's Christmas, Hanukkah or something else, I hope you have a good one!

As 2008 is drawing to a close, I was thinking about the best lesbian/bisexual news throughout the year. What would be in your list of top 5 lesbian headlines?

How about 'Portia becomes Mrs. DeGeneres?'


It's great when a lesbian couple are as mainstream as Ellen DeGeneres and wife Portia De Rossi, but when it is big news that an openly gay couple are getting married, it just makes me feel even more proud to be a raving homosexual.

Contrastingly, amongst your list of biggest gay headlines in 2008 may be the passing of proposition 8 in California; abolishing the rights of marriage to homosexual couples in one of America's biggest states.

However, the passing of this discriminative law is not all bad: it pushed actress and comedian Wanda Sykes to officially come out of the closet once and for all.

Since she came out, Wanda ensured the both gay and straight communities that she was 'proud to be a black woman, and proud to be gay.' Recently married in California whilst it was legal, Sykes hated the fact that her rights were being stripped away and she has given many inspirational speeches to gay audiences since.

Talking of being stripped away, take Grey's Anatomy. Yes, Grey's Anatomy, which frequently displays gay story-lines and even has a gay actor (T.R. Knight) among the cast, recently took away one of the shows best loved characters, Erica Hahn, without so much as a goodbye.

Brooke Smith (below left, with on-screen lover Sara Ramirez, who plays Callie Torres on the show) was fired from Grey's with no explanation, to many lesbians' disappointment. Some people even began petitioning for the return of the couple!

So what do you guys think? What has been the best - and worst - lesbian and bisexual news this year? And do you think next year will be just as action packed?

Should gay marriage be taught in schools?

So I'm a dance teacher and I admit it's probably the straightest job you can ever have, but that's what I do.

Last week, I was teaching 2 young girls aged around 10 years old, when one of them ever asked me if I'd ever had a male examiner for any dance exams. I said 'yes, once'. Then, one of the girls asked 'Was he gay?' and I replied, saying 'yes, he was married.' I then went on to explain that he was married to a man. Then, girl A asked 'It's illegal for a girl and a girl to get married though, isn't it?'

EXCUSE ME?!

What made this little girl feel as if there was any difference between love between two men and love between two women? Maybe it's shoddy parenting...

Take exhibit A, children's book 'King and King.'

King & King, written originally by Linda de Haan and Stern Nijland and then later translated into English, is all about a gay prince who marries another gay prince and lives happily ever after, just as in a normal fairytale, just with a hint more homosexuality about it. (Although this is debatable, as the Prince is still traditionally played by a man in tights.)

Now you'd think that parents would be all for teaching their children that discrimination is incorrect and that you should not tease people for being gay. However, when teachers in Lexington, Massachusetts proposed that they read the book to their pupils to teach them about same-sex marriage, several parents of the children complained, declaring that book made gay relationships to be 'the way things should be' and one couple even filed for a lawsuit. (This lawsuit was later dismissed, thankfully, after the judge ruled that diversity is a 'hallmark of our nation.')

Now, am I the only one thinking 'GAY IS THE WAY?' Clearly not. But that's not my point. My point is, relating back to 'yes, in England it is legal for 2 girls to get married' is something that parents should be responsible for telling their children if they are not willing for their school to do so, along with 'touching fire will hurt you' and 'never take candy from strangers.'

So what do you think? Should same sex marriage be taught in schools?

Oh, and while I'm here... KEEP VOTING NO ON PROP 8!

Disappointed and enraged.

So as you probably all know, Proposition 8 (see previous blog entry) was passed this week on November 4th in California.

It's rare that I post a blog without humor or any sarcasm within it, but this is one exception. I am quite aggravated that the people in the state of California, which is widely known for being very liberal, this week abolished the rights of same sex marriage within its borders.

Now I personally don't think I will ever get married. I could, but I'm pretty sure I don't want to. However, my gay twin brother - who I love more than anything - and I plan on moving to California in the next few years, and I'm just sad to think what will happen if this proposition is not over-turned by then. It was the other day that I realized that my brother (and my best friend) will not be able to marry the person he loves. Many of my friends were crying all day at the realization that they, and their friends, could no longer be joined in civil matrimony. I just don't understand why anyone would want to vote against love.

So I urge you, people of California, to do all you can for the 'No On Prop 8' campaign. Join protests, start rallies, raise money, raise awareness. Go to www.noonprop8.com to see exactly what you can do to help.

California, the state with the highest electoral vote count (55), could theoretically be classed as the most powerful state in the US for this reason. So please, all of you out there, fight for love. Show your new president exactly what you want: Equal human rights for same sex couples.

It's over to you.

VOTE NO ON PROP 8!

The votes are almost in! The election ends on November 4th! (God forbid anyone who votes for John McCain and Sarah Palin!)

For those of you who don't know, proposition 8 is the law that, if approved, will deny the right of same sex marriage in the state of California.


I'm hoping that all of those reading this (if you live in California, of course) are voting 'no' on this preposterous proposition, and if not, then why?! Seriously. I have a few ideas why you may be voting for prop 8, but I also have some ideas why your reasons are utter bullsh*t.

1) Gay marriage will encourage people to be gay.
What?! Are you stupid?! This is basically the same as saying 'Hanging with tall people will make you tall' or 'Working with white people will make you white.'

2) Straight marriage would be less meaningful if gay people could marry too.
Hmm yeah, and straight people such as Britney Spears who get married for 55 hours just for fun don't take the sanctity out of straight marriage.

3) Straight marriages are valid because they produce children.
Wait a sec, didn't we already over-populate the Earth and fill up orphanages to the brim?

4) Gay parents will raise gay children, obviously.
And straight parents only raise straight children...

5) Religion does not support gay marriage.
And everyone in the world has the same religion, who's values are imposed on the entire continent of Northern America.

6) Children can't succeed without a male and female role model in the home.
So how come we don't forbid single parents from raising children?


I'm sure you see where I'm getting at. I could go on, as there are many reasons why I oppose Proposition 8.

So if you're not already, I encourage you to vote NO ON PROP 8. Not allowing gay marriage is making a hole in the American way of life: everyone is equal.