Category Archives: Gay News
WIN a Gay Civil Partnership in Scotland
With its dramatic scenery, beautiful loch-side settings, gourmet food and dramatic venues, it is no wonder Scotland has become the romantic backdrop of choice for celebrities like Mark Owen, Madonna and Stella McCartney to celebrate their wedding day.
Love Scotland is Scotland’s only specialised Civil Partnership planner and they are giving couples the chance to win a luxury Civil Partnership ceremony, celebration and honeymoon in Scotland.
· Register your Civil Partnership on the historic Royal Mile in Edinburgh
· Relax away your pre-wedding jitters with a night at 94DR a 5 star,
contemporary boutique guest house in the heart of the city
· Complement your look and style with beautiful bouquets or buttonholes from Spiral ,
the award winning floristry design company
· Have all your memories preserved by one of Scotland’s most highly
regarded wedding photographers – Nadin Dunnigan
· Celebrate your wedding with a fabulous meal from Michelin star winning chef Paul Kitching
in his exclusive restaurant at 21212
· Start your honeymoon with a night at the exquisitely restored Georgian townhouse of 21212
· Escape to The Hideaway Experience and 2 nights in the Angus countryside,
where you can enjoy picnics in the great outdoors and relax in the hot tub under the stars!
Go to Love Scotland to win the whole package. Entering is easy, all you have to do is tell us a bit about yourselves and why you’d like to get married in Scotland. A panel of celebrity judges will select 5 couples to go through to the final; then it’s up to the voting public to decide who wins! Rally support from friends, family and the general public and get them voting for you to win a dream Civil Partnership in Scotland.
GAY TRAVEL GAY TRAINS! Amtrak Targets LGBT Passengers with New Ads
Gay Travel by Train! It’s funny, we started New Gay Travel Guide in 2006. And just before we started the site, we were seeing more and more cities (like Las Vegas ) and businesses (like American Airlines ) reaching out to the LGBT Community. Now, more than ever, you see gay travel offers, gay travel pages on city websites, tourism sites and special offers targeted to the LGBT gay travel market.
With the sagging economic times we have witnessed in the last 2 years, some have accused these companies of trying to cash in on the gay dollar to make up for their sagging revenues. I don’t believe that. 20 years ago, big companies were afraid to market to gays and lesbians for fear their heterosexual clients would give them flack. As gay became more and more acceptable, that wall has dropped. Or at least lowered.
We talk to many service providers around the world, many who have changed their company policies to help protect their LGBT employees and give them added benefits. They have realized we are part of the fabric of this world, and should not, and can not be ignored any longer. And they want to make sure are included and welcomed, and I applaud their efforts!
Gay Ski Week in Colorado 2011 for Matthew Shepard Foundation
StraightOut Media & Marketing,
the Matthew Shepard Foundation
and Crested Butte Mountain Resort
announced today the launch of “Butte 11: Matthew Shepard Foundation Gay Ski Week.” The event will take place at Crested Butte Mountain Resort (“CBMR”) from March 19 – 26, 2011 with additional activities in the towns of Mt. Crested Butte and Crested Butte, Colo.
“This new event provides the perfect vehicle for communicating the education, advocacy and awareness work of the Foundation,” said Jason Marsden, executive director of the Mathew Shepard Foundation. “This was a large scale opportunity to bring attention to our mission.”
Production of the event will be led by StraightOut Media (“SOMM”), well known for producing the top-ranked Telluride Gay Ski Week, and is being co-developed with CBMR and the Matthew Shepard Foundation (“MSF”), one of the leading GLBT education, advocacy and awareness organizations in the United States.
“We are honored to be the home of the new Matthew Shepard Gay Ski Week,” said Ken Stone, chief operating officer of CBMR. “Crested Butte has so much to offer in terms of recreation, celebration and discovery – we know participants will be dazzled. And for us, Butte 11 will most certainly be a highlight of this year’s ski season.”
“We look forward to creating a signature event for the Matthew Shepard Foundation that raises not only awareness but also contributions to the organization,” said Scott Barretto, co-founder of SOMM. “Crested Butte is known for its superb spring skiing so the sun and the snow will make for a unique gay ski week experience like no other”.
Butte 11: Matthew Shepard Foundation Gay Ski Week will boast a full schedule of events in addition to renowned skiing. Planning activities are now underway and additional information will soon be available along with the launch of the official website.
Event pricing, lodging and travel information to be announced.
New Gay Travel Guide
Print vs. Digital Online Advertising in the LGBT Gay Travel Market
As a group, gays and lesbians spend $64.5 billion, yes billion, annually in the U.S. travel market, according to Community Marketing Inc., a gay-market research group based in San Francisco.
Surveys also show 85% of People Find What They Are
Looking For by Using Search Engines. Many consumers look online to find the most current, most up to date information.
“There has been a huge shift from print to online,” says Derrick Sorles, of Business Blogging Consultants in Chicago. “The Yellow Pages have become archaic to many people .”
Print magazines are shutting down left and right in major metropolitan marketplaces. More and more people use their computers to find the information they want and need. This is the Web 2.0 world we live in! 50% of all consumers, search ONLINE FIRST, before leaving the house!
The top 100 advertisers in the U.S., who represent 41 percent of total advertising spending, shifted about $1 billion last year from TV and newspapers to the Web. An analysis from Ad Age shows that overall media spending in “measured” categories (TV, print, radio, Web) by the top 100 advertisers was flat in 2007, with 0.3 percent growth to $61.3 billion. But spending on Web display ads rose 33 percent to $4.2 billion.
The article notes:
Put another way, these top-tier marketers increased measured Internet spending by $1 billion; slashed newspaper spending by $674 million; and cut TV budgets by $406 million.
This is yet one more piece of evidence that dollars are flowing from traditional media to the Web. The analysis is based on data from TNS Media Intelligence for 2007. TNS only measures display advertising, and not search.
- In most cases, digital Internet advertising is much less expensive than print.
- Reach a worldwide audience online – people searching and surfing for the news, information and entertainment on a specific site.
- SPEED – Get the word out faster digitally. In just minutes news, info and ad specials can be LIVE. No pesky deadlines.
ADVERTISERS can have a presence on our LGBT travel network for $50 a MONTH OR LESS – if you choose to advertise across multiple sites!
There is no better time to try advertising online then now!email me today or give me a call, and let me show you how. 773-878-5323
Michael Snell
Gay Marriage Watch Around The World from Purple Roofs and Purple Unions
Our travel partners at Purple Roofs , have now launched GAY MARRIAGE WATCH blog, where they cover up-to-date news on the progress of Gay Marriage around the world.
You can sign up for updates on the site, so that you get the news as it breaks. They also have a site called Purple Unions , a fantastic gay and lesbian wedding directory. You can find gay and lesbian wedding planners, photographers, event locations, honeymoon ideas, Officiants, jewelers, caterers – everything you could possibly need for your perfect day.
Their site also has a cool section called 7000 STRONG . Stories of couples at the forefront of the struggle for gay and lesbian marriage.
7,000 strong is a reference to the first 7,000+ gay & lesbian couples who received marriage licenses (and their supporters) in the United States in 2004, before Massachusetts became the first state to make gay marriage legal statewide.
Since then, close to 30,000 couples have married legally in Massachusetts, California, and now Connecticut..Here, some of them tell their individual stories !
New Gay Travel Guide
LGBT Travel – What’s Hot? and What’s Not? in Gay and Lesbian Tourism
Top Ten Findings
from CMI’s 14th Annual
Gay & Lesbian Tourism Survey
For the past 14 years, Community Marketing, Inc. (CMI) has been conducting its Annual Gay & Lesbian Tourism Study, the most comprehensive and longest-running such survey in the LGBT marketplace.
Many of the questions are asked in consistent ways to a similar study panel, in order to identify LGBT travel trends and changes over time. The following “top ten” list presents findings that the CMI research team views as important changes or observations from the past year. For those new to CMI’s research, all the questions provide important insight into the travel motivations, preferences and interests of gay men and lesbians.
1) Gay Men and Lesbian Booking Patterns
Gays and lesbians are primarily booking their travel directly via airline and hotel websites (56%) or through online travel agencies such as Travelocity or Orbitz (34%). Direct booking is significantly more important than web-based travel services, so for travel suppliers, developing relationships with the gay and lesbian community to encourage direct booking through your own website is extremely important.
2) For the First Time in 15 years of sampling — A Decrease in LGBT Travel
For the first time since our first study in 1994, CMI has seen a decrease in LGBT travel due to the deep and wide-reaching recession. In the 2009 survey, nearly all travel categories saw some loss (except for regional travel). Business travel and cruise travel were the hardest-hit categories. That said, far more LGBT travelers took cruises in the past year than their mainstream counterparts (as in previous years), indicating that LGBT travelers are a viable cruise market even in down economies.
3) Recession-Influenced Travel Decreases Affecting Small and Medium-Sized Markets Worse than Big Markets
Every major city in North America except for Washington DC (perhaps an Obama effect) saw a decrease in gay and lesbian travel over the past 12 months. That decrease affected cities very differently. Major markets, including New York City, San Francisco and Las Vegas saw only small leisure travel decreases, usually less than 5%, while medium sized cities, destinations that are geographically isolated, and some resort towns saw more significant decreases over 10%, and for some, over 20%.
4) Staycations
Staycations were the only travel category to see an increase in 2009. When asked to specify how many regional drive vacations (i.e. including at least one night in a hotel) were taken, 66% indicated taking a longer regional drive vacation of more than two hours; 42% took a regional drive vacation where the drive was two hours or less; 14% took a trip where they stayed in a hotel in their own city. This trend should benefit some metropolitan markets. Cities such as Boston, New York, Philadelphia and Washington DC, which are all close to each other, will probably “trade” stays among LGBT residents.
5) How to Reach the LGBT Community
CMI has been tracking advertising trends for LGBT travel marketing for over a decade. In general, the survey shows substantive increases in the influence of traveler reviews on travel websites and blogs, a softening of the influence of banner ads on mainstream and LGBT websites, and a remarkable resilience of the influence of travel articles in LGBT and mainstream print publications.
6) Interest in Health and Fitness While Traveling is Down
CMI has seen a trend over the past few years showing that health and fitness while traveling are becoming less important to the LGBT community. In this survey, when given a long list of potential motivators, health and fitness-related responses were near the bottom of the motivators, and often last on the lists. From hotel gyms to health and fitness vacations, they all scored poorly. This is not to say that health and fitness are not important in the day-to-day lives of gay men and lesbians, but bringing these healthy habits with them on leisure or business travel has shown less importance over time. It could also indicate that with tightening budgets, LGBT travelers prefer to spend more time enjoying the sights and experiences of the destination, rather than spend limited time in a gym.
7) Pride Events are Important
Unaffected by recessionary influences, nearly a quarter of the respondents reported traveling to another city and spending at least one night in a hotel to attend a Pride event; same as previous years. Nationally, Pride events continue to move millions of hotel nights in the Unites States, and Pride remains an important motivator for LGBT travelers under 35.
8) Strength of Local Neighborhoods
Further confirming other recent research conducted by CMI, gays and lesbians tend to be especially interested in visiting city neighborhoods and experiencing local, non-chain restaurants. In fact, going to neighborhood restaurants and visiting the gay neighborhood were the top activities enjoyed by gays and lesbians when visiting a destination.
9) Top Travel Brands
As an unaided question, survey participants were asked to fill in a blank for in the destination, hotel brand, and airline that they felt had done the best job in outreaching to the LGBT community.
Of the total sample, 3,800 responded to the destination question. The top destinations indicated were: Las Vegas: 11%, San Francisco: 10%, Fort Lauderdale: 7%, Philadelphia: 6%, Provincetown: 5%, and London: 5%.
Of the total sample, 2,800 responded to the hotel question. The top hotel brands indicated were: W Hotels: 11%, Kimpton Hotels: 11%, Hilton: 9%, Hyatt: 8%, and Marriott: 7%.
Of the total sample, 3,287 responded to the airline question. The top airlines indicated were: American Airlines: 38%, Southwest: 15%, Delta: 11% and Virgin: 3%.
10) Top Destinations
CMI’s list of top destinations remains amazingly consistent from year to year (based on the question of where did you travel in the past 12 months, and spend at least one night in a hotel). The following lists are reflective of the 4,726 American LGBT survey takers, who traveled to the city in the past 12 months and spent at least one night in a hotel:
Top US Destinations for American LGBT Travelers, with percentage who visited and spent a nigt in a hotel (as Combined Leisure & Business Travel Ranking)
1) New York City: 32%
2) San Francisco: 27%
3) Las Vegas: 26%
4) Chicago: 25%
5) Los Angeles / West Hollywood: 24%
6) Washington, DC: 23%
7) Fort Lauderdale: 17%
8) San Diego: 15%
9) Orlando: 14%
9) Seattle: 14%
11) Boston: 13%
Community Marketing, Inc., the world’s #1 resource
for gay and lesbian market research, strategic consulting, and dedicated marketing and communications services.
New Gay Travel Guide and Best Gay Cities
Michael Lucas Will Be Your Gay Travel Guide to Tel Aviv
Michael Lucas
is about to add tour guide to his resume – the head of Lucas Entertainment announced on his website that he is going to start taking groups of tourists to Israel.
Lucas writes: “It is no secret that Israel is one of my favorite places in the entire world, and I travel there at least twice every year to visit my favorite parties, restaurants, historical monuments, beaches, resorts, and most importantly, all of the close friends and wonderful people I have met throughout the course of my travels. What I love about Israel is that it is extremely modern while maintaining such an amazing and diverse sense of history: You can be in urban Tel Aviv, one of the most gay-friendly cities on earth, surrounded by skyscrapers, and then drive 40 minutes to ancient Jerusalem and see craftsmanship and architecture that is over 2,000 years old. It is incredible!
Although I am uncut, I’m 100 percent Jewish. I was born to a Jewish mother and a Jewish Father (his name is Bregman—can’t get more Jewish that). I’ve been exposed to anti-Semitism in Russia, and so, I’ve always had a warm place for Israel in my heart (and groin, have you ever seen those Israeli men?). It makes me happy to think it has a warm place in its heart for me.”
Lucas promises this will not be your typical tourist’s look at Israel – evidenced by his description of the tour’s planned trip to Gaash Beach. “This is the premiere clothing-optional beach in Tel-Aviv known only to insiders. You can feel free to lie in the sun as nude as you’d like, enjoy the ocean, or feel free to watch any number of hot guys have sex up and down the shore! I have traveled all around the world and never encountered a beach like this one.”
Two packages available to choose from.
There is now a 9 day tour for $2755 and also a 12 day tour for $3790.
Launching the end of May 2010, the inaugural two-week tour brings visitors on an extensive journey through the breathtaking nation of Israel, personally accompanied by Michael Lucas. Lucas has partnered with top experts in the Israeli tourism industry to contract the best amenities for the trip, including licensed guides and luxury hotels. The premiere group will visit notable historic sites, numerous restaurants, beaches, and resorts, along with several other locations that provide for the experience of a lifetime.
Best Gay Travel Guide
Gay Travel Survey – Gay Travelers Prefer to Stay in Gay Owned and Operated Hotels
We do have some gay friends that would rather choose a 4 or 5 star straight hotel, over gay accomodations.
Pink Choice , one of the largest and most trusted websites for gay and lesbian hotel reviews, today announced results from its first annual Gay and Lesbian Travel Survey. The results shed some light on the health and direction of gay travel in 2009 and going into 2010. Over 500 individuals completed the survey.
The Economy is Impacting Gay Travel
Fifty-six percent of respondents said that the current economy had affected their travel plans and that they would be spending less on travel than in previous years. However, 63% said that they had not needed to shorten their vacations and 54% had already booked their trips for 2010. “The gay travel market has been impacted by the bad economy but people are still traveling. They may be looking to spend a bit less but as the results show, many are already booking for 2010,” said Stephen Mascilo, a co-founder of Pink Choice.
Gay Travelers Prefer Staying in Gay Owned Establishments
Seventy-one percent of respondents preferred to stay in an accommodation that was gay/lesbian owned and operated. That’s not surprising but over 50% indicated they weren’t bothered one way or the other. “We were surprised that over 50% of the respondents said they would be comfortable staying in a non gay owned establishment. It might reflect society’s changing attitudes towards gay and lesbian travelers,” said Stephen. Future surveys will examine this question further.
Price is the Main Factor for Choosing Travel Arrangements
When it comes to travel arrangements, less than 15% of members said they choose an airline specifically because of its GLBT policy. Based on this data, airlines that have spent time and money promoting gay friendly flights may not see much return. Over 50% said ticket price was a major deciding factor and 35% based their decision on flight schedules.
Homophobia on the Rise in South Beach…Gay Fort Lauderdale Continues to Flourish
BEACH
is the neighborhood that encompasses about 25 blocks in the city of Miami Beach.
In the 1920’s-1930’s South Beach brought Art Deco, Streamline Moderne, and Nautical Moderne architecture to the Beach. During the 1970’s-1980’s the area was used as a retirement community with most of its ocean-front hotels and apartment buildings filled with elderly people living on small, fixed incomes.
This period also saw the introduction of the “cocaine cowboys,” drug dealers who used the area as a base for their illicit drug activities. Scarface and even Miami Vice , typified this activity. The town became very run down and there were vacant and boarded up buildings everywhere.
So what happens? Gays cleaned it up. In the late 1980s, a renaissance began in South Beach, with an influx of “fashion industry professionals” moving into the area. South Beach started to become “fabulous” and gay clubs sprouted up everywhere.
It became this extremely popular entertainment mecca, thanks to the media. By the mid 1990’s, the rest of the straight world started to capitalize on this small area. More and more big straight clubs popped up and by the late 2000, many from Miami proper would come over and drink and cause trouble. We call that the “bridge and tunnel crowd”. When suburbanites come in and start taking over “our towns”. It’s no longer fun at that point.
Gianni Versace was murdered in 1997. I really view that as a turning point. Within a couple years, South Beach was changing. And not in a good way. I was last there in 2004 for the famous Winter Party, which attracts several thousand gay people. Even with that many gays in town, my partner and I DID NOT feel safe walking the streets at night. Straight kids in cars drove past and yelled “faggots” at us and one car even hurled a bottle at us. We walked in somewhere for a slice of pizza late night and straight teenagers mumbled “gay this” and “fag that” under their breath, but loud enough to hear. We were told by locals at that time, that many gays are starting to relocate to Fort Lauderdale. I have not been back to South Beach since.
It has just gotten worse in the last 5 years as the area has become a late night drinking straight town. This month in the news, gay bashings are on the rise there. State of Florida records stated that 75% of the anti-homosexual hate crimes in Miami-Dade County in 2009 occurred in South Beach/Miami Beach. It’s still chic and expensive there. Major developers have invested billions there. But the gays are getting out.
“South Beach isn’t the free-spirited haven of gayness it once was.” says writer Natalie O’Neill from Miami New Times.
Tony Lopez was celebrating the White Party this past November. Another huge gay event which brings thousands into the town. It was 4am and he wandered into a popular place for some take-out food. As he approached the line for food, an aggressive 20-something staggered up to him.
“Got a cigarette?” he asked. Tony shook a Marlboro Mild from the pack and handed him one.
Right then, a gang — Tony remembers four men — “appeared out of the woodwork.” They shoved him into the alley behind the restaurant, yelled “Fucking faggot!” and began to punch him. He fell to the ground and tried to shield his head as they kicked him in the face.
(Fort Lauderdale below)
O’Neill reports, “In a five-year span, the State Attorney’s Office reported 26 incidents, half of which were in Miami Beach. Victims include a lounge singer who was stripped naked and hogtied and a magazine publisher who was viciously beaten.
It’s surprising when you consider South Beach’s heyday as a sparkling gay playground, where oiled-up boys frolicked between wild foam parties and the hub of hedonism that was the Versace mansion. Nobody thought twice about casual sex in Flamingo Park or flamboyant public fashion shoots, and — at its peak — MTV was even there to glamorize it all.” – which really became the downfall of South Beach. It was a “kept secret” for a while but once it became celebritized by the rich and famous and sensationalized by television and film, it was no longer a secret!
I am not saying don’t go to South Beach. There are still fun clubs and fun parties there.
But YOU MUST BE CAREFUL. Walk in groups and not alone. Especially at night, when most of the trouble starts.
Gay Fort Lauderdale has been a haven for gay and lesbian travelers for decades. But in the last 5 years, it has seen tremendous growth as South Beach shifted. In addition to being a very gay friendly city , Fort Lauderdale has more than 100 gay-owned establishments including hotels/guesthouses, bars, clubs and restaurants, plus the second largest Metropolitan Community Church congregation in the United States and three gay and lesbian publications. Gay Ft. Lauderdale has three popular gay beach areas on Fort Lauderdale’s 23 miles of wide, sandy beach.
Fort Lauderdale continues to reign supreme as one of the most popular gay destinations in North America.
Read more on SoBe from Natalie O’Neill.
Visit Fort Lauderdale Sunny.org info Get a Free Fort Lauderdale calendar/planner!
The Best Gay Travel Guide
New Gay Travel Guide is MOBILE on your Smart Phone
DID YOU KNOW….
You can now get
NEW GAY TRAVEL GUIDE
formatted for your phone?!
NEW GAY TRAVEL
GUIDE MOBILE
Mexico City Accepts Gay Marriage and Adoption
enacted Latin America’s first law recognizing gay marriage Tuesday and said it hopes to attract same-sex couples from around the world to wed.
The law, approved by city legislators on Dec. 21, was published in Mexico City’s official register Tuesday and will take effect in March. It will allow same-sex couples to adopt children and municipal officials say it will make Mexico’s capital a “vanguard city” — and attract extra tourism revenues.
“Mexico City will become a center, where (gay) people from all over the world will be able to come and have their wedding, and then spend their honeymoon here,” said Alejandro Rojas, the city tourism secretary.
“We are already in talks with some travel agencies that are planning to offer package tours that include flights, hotels, guides, and everything they need for the wedding, like banquets,” said Rojas. “We are going to become a city on a par with Venice or San Francisco” — the current leader in the gay travel market segment.
The annual economic impact of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender travelers is about $70 billion in the United States alone, according to Community Marketing Inc., a tourism research company that specializes in gay and lesbian consumers.
Gay marriages of foreigners in Mexico City would presumably only be recognized by countries and states that also have legalized same-sex marriage. An exception is New York State, which doesn’t allow same-sex marriages but which recognizes those which were performed legally in other jurisdictions.
Mexico City’s law allows same-sex couples to adopt children, apply for bank loans together, inherit wealth and be included in the insurance policies of their spouse, rights they were denied under civil unions allowed in the city.
And of course, even as Mexico City officials celebrated enactment of the law, others vowed to stop the marriages from taking place.
No Gay Travel to Uganda Anytime Soon!
living in a country that HATES gays?
Life imprisonment is the minimum punishment for anyone convicted of having gay sex, under an anti-homosexuality bill currently before Uganda‘s parliament.
If the accused person is HIV positive or a serial offender, or a “person of authority” over the other partner, or if the “victim” is under 18, a conviction will result in the death penalty.
Members of the public are obliged to report any homosexual activity to police with 24 hours or risk up to three years in jail – a scenario that human rights campaigners say will result in a witchhunt. Ugandans breaking the new law abroad will be subject to extradition requests.
AND GET THIS – just to add fuel to the fire of Ugandas deeply-rooted homophobia, a US-linked evangelical campaign alleging that gay men are trying to “recruit” schoolchildren, and that homosexuality is a habit that can be “cured”, has ensured widespread public support for the bill.
Both Britain and Canada’s prime ministers have told President Yoweri Museveni that a proposed law that would result in homosexuals in Uganda being imprisoned for life or even executed needs to be withdrawn.
further reading –
Read More About Uganda’s Homophobia and this form of genocide at Guardian UK.
Gay Rights Uganda Gay Uganda Blog
The Best Gay Travel Guide
Gay Travel to Nepal – Get Married on Mt. Everest
Nepal, is a landlocked country in South Asia and the world’s youngest republic. It is bordered to the north by the People’s Republic of China, and to the south, east, and west by the Republic of India. Nepal is a country of highly diverse and rich geography, culture, and religions. The mountainous north has eight of the world’s ten highest mountains, including the highest, Mount Everest.
Nepal’s quest to appeal to the gay and lesbian market continues with a new LGBT tour company. Nepal’s first and only openly-gay member of parliament and founder of the country’s gay rights movement, Sunil Babu Pant, has started the republic’s first travel agency for gay travelers and is encouraging gay couples to get married in Nepal.
The company is called Pink Mountain Travels and Toursand Pant is energetic about its offerings, “For gay couples who want a memorable wedding, we are offering to hold it at the Everest base camp,” Pant said. “Or it can be in Mustang (Nepal’s northernmost district that was once part of an ancient Tibetan kingdom).
“We are offering lavish bridal processions on elephant back and a glittering package for the bride that includes exotic bridal gowns as well as makeup.”
The 37-year-old Pant, who founded the Blue Diamond Society (BDS) in 2001 to start a gay rights movement whose growth has today taken Asia by surprise, says the new travel agency would help generate employment opportunities for gays and lesbians, who have skills but don’t get opportunities due to the bias still prevailing in society against them.
In November 2008, Nepal’s Supreme Court struck a huge blow for gay rights, asking the government to end all discrimination against the community and make new laws to meet their needs.
This includes formulating laws to allow same-sex marriages, making Nepal the only country in South Asia to give the official seal of approval to such unions.
READ MORE AT THAINDIAN
How do you feel about getting married on the snowy slopes of Mount Everest?
I don’t like being all bundled up – but I think it’s a great idea!
The Best Gay Travel Guide
HIV Travel Ban to be Lifted January 2010!
As it was, the ban stopped people who have lived legally in this country for years from going abroad out of fear that they would not be allowed back in. The U.S. has been among a dozen countries that bar entry to travelers with visas or anyone seeking a green card based on their HIV status. The law effectively has kept out thousands of students, tourists and refugees and has complicated the adoption of children with HIV.
The ban was put into place in 1987, when it was widely thought that HIV could be spread as easily as a cold. Now many more treatments for the disease exist, and there is no reason to fear that allowing people with HIV into the country will significantly impact its spread.
On a bigger scale, after 22 years, the biennial International AIDS Conference will return to the United States in 2012.
The six-day summit has drawn in recent years about 25,000 HIV/AIDS researchers, medical professionals, activists and policy makers. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton announced the decision to bring the conference to Washington in 2012 during a White House event on the eve of World AIDS Day.
During the event, Clinton’s condemnation of laws that criminalize being gay drew applause.
“We have to stand against any efforts to marginalize and criminalize and penalize members of the LGBT [Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender] community worldwide. It is an unacceptable step backwards on behalf of human rights, but it is also a step that undermines the effectiveness of efforts to fight the disease worldwide,” she said.
Immigration Equality, a group that advocates on behalf of LGBT immigrants, said the ban took a heavy toll on the U.S.
“The United States has paid a heavy price, in terms of its reputation in the scientific community, because of its antiquated policies on HIV-positive immigrants and visitors,” Steve Ralls, director of communications for the group, told On Top Magazine in an email.
The new rule goes into effect on January 4!
Comcast Goes After The Gay Travel Market
25 years ago, I was selling ad space for a small regional gay rag. It was so hard trying to convince straight businesses, the value and power of the gay dollar.
Fast foward, Corporate America has finally figured out Gay business is big business, and gay travel is even bigger business. Comcast Spotlight acknowledged that fact when they launched the Gay Travel On Demand Channel Oct. 14. Subscribers can now click onto tourism videos featuring Gay Chicago and Gay Friendly Halifax.
Canada is a prime destination for gay travel and the LGBT travel market is so desirable to Canadian businesses that FlyNovaScotia.com not only sponsored a travel video on behalf of its capital city of Halifax ( 2006 population: 372,679 ) but it also sponsored the Gay Chicago video, which opens and closes with an ad driving viewers to the province’s tourism Web site.
The unfortunate part is you have to have Comcast. “The goal is to create an On Demand gay travel guide on Comcast that is populated with dozens of gay travel videos for our customers to peruse at will,” said NGLCC member and Comcast Spotlight integrated marketing manager, Nancy Newman. “The platform is free and available 24/7 to all 16 million Comcast digital subscribers.”
“I want the Gay Travel Channel to exist throughout the nation,” she says. “We want to see a dozen, two dozen, videos up there from Gay Chicago to Gay-friendly Thailand. My favorite line is ‘crawl, walk, run’—we’re crawling right now, but we’ll getting there.”
New Gay Travel Guide
Anti Gay Tension and HomoPhobia Still Very Present in Puerto Rico
Lopez Mercado was partially burned, decapitated and with both arms and legs dismembered from his torso.
The police investigator suggested that Lopez Mercado deserved what he got because of the “type of lifestyle” he was leading. –
Seriously?? WTF?!
I bet the tourism board loves that!
According to Puerto Rican activists, Puerto Rico has never classified the murder of a gay man as a hate crime.
“Equality Forum calls on US Attorney General Eric Holder to have the FBI investigate,” stated Malcolm Lazin, Executive Director, Equality Forum. “The Matthew Shepard Amendment empowers and requires the federal government to prosecute this horrific murder.”
Lazin served as a federal prosecutor; received the US Attorney General’s Distinguished Service Award, the department’s highest annual honor; and was the Chair of the Pennsylvania Crime Commission.
The Matthew Shepard Amendment to the federal hate crimes act includes among other protected categories, sexual orientation. President Obama signed the bill into law on October 28, 2009. The federal hate crimes act enables federal agents to investigate hate crimes, especially where there does not appear that a full and fair investigation will be undertaken.
Puerto Rican gay activist Pedro Julio Serrano stated, “It is inconceivable that the investigating officer suggests that the victim deserved his fate, like a woman deserves rape for wearing a short skirt.”
“Equality Forum joins Puerto Rican activists in condemning the statements of the investigator and calls on Police Superintendent Figueroa Sancha to terminate the officer,” stated Malcolm Lazin. “It is clear that without federal intervention, there can be no fair and complete investigation.”
Several days after the tragedy a suspect was picked up. The man arrested in connection with the murder of gay Puerto Rico teenage Jorge Steven Lopez Mercado will reportedly use the ‘gay panic’ defense. SERIOUSLY? Do you ever hear gay people killing straight people and pleading the straight panic denfense??
A police report said that Juan A Martinez Matos, 26, murdered the 19-year-old after finding out he was a man. Police say Lopez Mercado was picked up in a red light district by Matos while dressed in women’s clothes. ….hmmmm. and that made him so mad, and he freaked out and butchered, set aflame and killed someone? I think he should plead the SNAPPED defense and they need to figure out what pushes someone to hate SO MUCH, that this can happen in this day and age?!
Vigils are being help around the world this week for this tragic loss.
Equality Forum is a national and international GLBT civil rights organization with an educational focus. Equality Forum coordinates GLBT History Month, produces documentary films, undertakes high impact initiatives and presents annually the largest national and international GLBT civil rights forum.
Gay Couple From Toronto Detained in DUBAI For a Month!
Rocky Sharma and Stephen Macleod, who have been together for 10 years, were stopped upon arrival in Dubai on Aug 2, where they planned to spend the day before returning to Toronto from a vacation in India.
Macleod had a bottle of the prescription arthritis medication Celebrex in his suitcase. They were told Celebrex is a controlled substance in UAE and, even though they did not present themselves to border officials as a couple, both partners were detained.
“I think they thought we were gay and we would have some party drugs with us,” says Sharma, who is now safely back at home with his partner. “They were definitely targeting people who are young, from the western world and nicely dressed, like they are going to party.”
The UAE has very tough drug laws. Even over-the-counter medications that include traces of codeine are restricted. Possession can result in lengthy jail sentences, heavy fines or the death penalty, according to an advisory issued by the Canadian Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade (DFAIT).
They were not given an opportunity to contact a lawyer or consular officials but Sharma managed to contact friends at home on his Blackberry, which he had on him at the time of his arrest. Those friends gave him the emergency contact number of the Canadian embassy in Abu Dhabi, which Sharma called before his Blackberry was confiscated. Sharma’s family also contacted DFAIT in Canada but their efforts were stymied by the long weekend.
“When I sent the message, we were thinking we were going back home,” says Sharma. “That’s when I took it out of my bag and sent the SOS message. They were taking us toward the airport, but I’m glad I sent it because they were taking us to the detention centre. We were very lucky about that.”
Sharma and Macleod were forced by their captors to submit urine samples for drug testing. Sharma says they were told they were being held pending the results of the urine tests. They were kept in a filthy prison cell with eight other prisoners for 10 days before they were sent to separate prisons.
“If you get a blanket and a pillow you’re very lucky,” he says. “For the first few days we slept on the floor. The bathroom conditions were just a hole in the ground for 200 people. Food was just rice with some kind of sauce on it three times a day.”
For the next 18 days, Sharma and Macleod could only communicate with each other via the case worker provided by the Canadian consulate.
“That was one of the worst parts, because I had no idea how he was doing, he had no idea how I was doing,” says Sharma. “We were told by the embassy not to even hint that we were a couple, to act like we were only friends, and that’s what we did.”
Homosexuality is punishable by death in UAE.
Even when the couple was formally declared innocent by the Dubai prosecution on Aug 18, they were kept another 11 days while their paperwork was processed.
DFAIT currently advises travellers to the UAE to “exercise high degree of caution” but does not issue an official warning against travel. Anyone carrying personal medication is advised to consult the UAE Ministry of Health Drug Control Department before travelling to confirm that the medication is allowed in the country.
Sharma says he and his partner will never return to the Emirates after their experience.
Harrah’s, Atlantic City Hope to Become ‘gay friendly’ Destinations
Harrah’s Entertainment has been committed to creating a diverse, inclusive environment for employees, guests and communities for some time now. As the only gaming organization to obtain a perfect score on the HRC’s Corporate Equality Index Harrah’s is committed to the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) community. Harrah’s recently received HRC’s Best Place to work for LGBT Equality.
Harrah’s Entertainment has endorsed the passage of a Federal Employment Non-Discrimination Act to ensure that no employee in the United States may be fired for their sexual orientation or gender expression. This year Harrah’s Entertainment is a major sponsor of the Human Rights Campaign (HRC). The Harrah’s Foundation was also a sponsor of this year’s Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation Media Awards (GLAAD) held in Los Angeles and televised on the Bravo Network.
So what’s next? The world’s largest casino company will begin courting gay and lesbian travelers in hopes of attracting new customers to a market decimated by the recession and competition from Pennsylvania slot parlors.
The push to establish Atlantic City as a “gay friendly” town not only underscores the need to expand the customer base, but also reflects a shift in the cultural landscape, said Jennifer Weissman, regional vice president of marketing for Harrah’s Entertainment Inc.
“We believe our customer base comes from all cultures, all sexual orientations and all backgrounds. We really believe that our customers will embrace this,” she said.
Harrah’s has been catering to gay and lesbian travelers at its Las Vegas casinos for a few years, but will launch a similar campaign in the country’s second-largest gambling market with an “Out in Atlantic City” weekend of partying Sept. 25-27. The event, expected to draw more than 1,000 people, will bring some of the best-known names in the gay and lesbian entertainment scene to the Harrah’s casinos.
Amanda Lepore, a transsexual icon and New York nightlife host, will kick things off with a party Sept. 25 at Club Worship at Showboat Casino Hotel’s House of Blues. The weekend will also include appearances by singer and “Dyke Diva” Lori Michaels and the cast members of Showtime’s lesbian-themed show “The L Word.”
Lance Bass, of ‘N Sync fame, and Jai Rodriguez, of the Bravo Network’s show “Queer Eye for the Straight Guy,” will host a party at Caesars Atlantic City. Rodriguez will also host a game of bingo at Harrah’s Resort, with proceeds benefiting the South Jersey AIDS Alliance.
While Atlantic City may not become the next San Francisco for gay travel, tourism officials believe the resort’s evolution into a more upscale gambling and entertainment hub fits the lifestyle of gay and lesbian customers.
“What the gay market is looking for is high-end retail, accommodation and nightlife, and that’s what we have,” said Jeffrey Vasser, president of the Atlantic City Convention & Visitors Authority. “The more we reinforce the fact that Atlantic City is a gay-friendly destination, the better off we will be in attracting that market, which is a very upscale market.”
Separate of the Harrah’s campaign, the Atlantic City Convention & Visitors Authority has reached out to the gay and lesbian community through the gay travel media and by having a promotions booth at a gay-themed consumer show in New York.
In addition, a private, nonprofit organization called the Greater Atlantic City GLBT Alliance was formed recently to promote gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender businesses and people in the surrounding area.
Donald Wittkowski: Press of Atlantic City
New Gay Travel Guide and Best Gay Cities
Gay Rights March on Washington Will Move Forward in October
After much uncertainty, Equality Across America, the new grassroots network calling for Federal action to protect the rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender Americans, has moved forward with plans for a massive national day of action on Sunday, October 11, 2009.
On October 10-11, 2009, we will gather in Washington, D.C. from all across America to let our elected leaders know that now is the time for full equal rights for LGBT people. This is simply a major national strategy to kick start our national grassroots Equality Across America campaign. We will gather. We will strategize. We will march. And we will leave energized and empowered to do the work that needs to be done in every community across the nation.
This is only the beginning.
We hope to see a shift in strategy to one that will secure full equality in all 50 states. We look back to 1963 and 64 when the historic civil rights movement made its transition from fighting local battles to winning national victory with the passage of the civil rights act. It’s time for that passage for LGBT Americans.
Major national LGBT organizations including the Gay Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD) and the Universal Fellowship of Metropolitan Community Churches (MCC) have endorsed the march as have local and state grassroots organizations like Join the Impact Chicago, One Struggle One Fight and Freedom Democrats of Miami-Dade.
It will be HUGE!
In other gay political news, former President Bill Clinton said Aug. 13 that he regrets the way his Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell military gay ban was implemented, and that he doesn’t “like” the Defense of Marriage Act he signed into law. – Well thanks Bill, it’s a little late now! But in both cases, it was the lesser of 2 evils. He added that “and I am proud to say that the State Department was the first federal department to restore benefits to gay partners in the Obama administration, and I think we are going forward in the right direction now for federal employees.”
Celebrate Gay Pride in Ottawa Canada August 21-30
Ottawa is an open, friendly and welcoming destination for gay and lesbian travelers. Canada’s Capital has an LGBT pedigree that extends back to the first-ever gay and lesbian public demonstration in Canada (1971), and that in recent years included perhaps the most public gay marriage of all time between two gay stars of the TV program The Amazing Race.
Today, Ottawa is home to a proud and active gay and lesbian community with an ever-expanding variety of clubs, organizations, activities and events – including a very boisterous annual Pride Week celebration – that reflects the diversity of the local community.
The centre of gay and lesbian life is the area around Bank Street and Somerset in the downtown core. The growing gaybourhood has shops and bars and is the home base for local institutions serving the LGBT community.
Explore it by day—or by night. But don’t feel you have to limit yourself to one neighbourhood. There are things happening all over. On Sunday evenings, for example, there’s a lesbian coffee club in suburban Barrhaven. You’ll find gays and lesbians all over the city, doing the active things Ottawans do. Check publications such as Capital Xtra for listings and up-to-date information.
CAPITAL PRIDE, Ottawa’s most colorful event, takes place August 21st – 30th, 2009. More than 50,000 people are expected at the week long celebartion!
Highlights of the 2009 festival include:
· The annual and highly-anticipated Capital Pride Parade on August 30, which is historically well-attended by members of the gay, lesbian, bisexual, trans, two-spirited and questioning (GLBTTQ) community and their friends and allies;
· The 2009 Capital Pride festival at Ottawa City Hall immediately following the parade, featuring music, entertainment and an information fair;
· New and expanded events including the Pride Family Street Fair, the Diversity Fun Run, Rainbow Party 10, and youth events hosted by the new Capital Pride Youth group (CPY-A set of “Spy’s”).
Capital Pride has geared up with several community partners to bring the community a more diverse set of events, providing something for all demographics of the GLBTTQ community.
Capital Pride also announced that the 2009 Parade Marshal would be long-time community and trans-rights activist Joanne Law. Capital Pride also officially launched its first issue of its new quarterly Capital Pride newsletter, helping the community stay more connected to their Pride committee.
The theme for the 2009 festival, “Capital Pride on the Map”, recognizes the significant place the festival holds in the Ottawa–Gatineau festival season.
The Capital Pride Festival has made leaps and bound throughout its 20-year history, growing to be Canada’s fourth-largest Pride celebration. Also incorporated into the theme Capital Prides new logo, whose purple star is the symbol marking a capital city on a map.
Ottawa is blessed with a natural setting offering boundless opportunities for outdoor recreation. Paved recreational paths welcome cyclists, inline skaters and joggers across the region and on Sunday mornings from May through September, several streets are closed to cars for Sunday Bikedays. The region’s many waterways are ideal for kayaking, canoeing and boating, and the upper Ottawa River offers some of the best whitewater rafting anywhere. And nearby Gatineau Park offers hiking, rock climbing, camping, exciting zip line aerial experiences and more.
Ottawa is also city of museums, galleries, and theatres showcasing the best in Canadian and world culture. 5-Diamond dining, a vast selection of international cuisines, relaxed, casual fare – Ottawa offers restaurants and culinary experiences to suit every palate, with a thriving local culinary scene and local chefs making names for themselves at home and abroad.
Dining districts include the courtyards and outdoor cafés of the historic ByWard Market, great Asian dining along Somerset Street West, Italian along Preston Street, and a mix of culinary treats along Elgin Street, Bank Street and surrounding neighbourhoods.
Ottawa is just a two-hour drive west of Montreal, just a one-hour flight from Toronto and New York City and a two-hour flight from Chicago. Superb air, rail and road connections make Canada’s capital easily accessible.
CAPITAL PRIDE OTTAWA LGBT TOURISM
ARC THE.HOTEL is proud to sponsor Capital Pride 2009 and is offering a special Capital Pride rate beginning at $119 for a Classic Room with Queen-size bed*. Comfort and luxury are paired with contemporary design in the serene and sophisticated ARC The.Hotel Ottawa. The premier design boutique hotel in Canada’s capital offers luxuriously appointed rooms in an intimate atmosphere to ensure you feel energized and relaxed. Minutes away from Ottawa International Airport and close to all major Ottawa attractions.
Please contact the hotel for details and availability, or visit www.arcthehotel.com.
*Rates quoted are for double occupancy and do not include applicable taxes and fees.
Reserve your room today at 1-800-699-2516 – Be sure to ask for the special RAINBOW RATE.
BEST GAY CITIES New Gay Travel Guide
