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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.
Gay New Years Eve From Around The World
Everybody has had at least one New Year’s dud, where plans didn’t materialize as expected and the final countdown ended up taking place in a lame bar, or worse, stuck in a car or taxi, trying to get somewhere at Midnight!!
It starts around Sydney and travels time zone by time zone around the globe like some sort of well-coordinated pre-planned pyrotechnic explosion.
SYDNEY. Take your choice – party on the water, party on the bridge or party in a pub. The first major city to celebrate the coming of the New Year is also one of the best. How good is Sydney? The fireworks end at 12:15 but the celebrations last until dawn.
Top Tip: Wear black. That’s the wardrobe color of choice for social Sydneysiders.
Weather: It’s summer so pretty warm, but have a light jacket handy.
San Francisco, CA – Perhaps the greatest of all American cities, San Francisco doesn’t hesitate to let its hair down on New Year’s — literally. The town’s huge gay community is influential in setting the New Year’s party vibe, as clubs stock their December 31st lineups with burlesque shows, drag queens and DJs obsessed with Cher and Madonna. Salsa dancing parties abound, and the city’s “street crawl” features the usual mix of fireworks and revelry.
New York City – Perhaps the epicenter of the US on New Years Eve. New York City is still the place to be on New Year’s Eve. New York remains the control center for celebrations across the continent, which is why hundreds of thousands of people will pack themselves into the colorful Times Square to watch Dick Clark possibly, Ryan Seacrest for sure, count down the seconds until the ball drops. As with everything else in New York, you’re sure to find entertainment for New Year’s, whether it’s the corner pub or cabaret or the sweaty confines of hot clubs uptown, midtown and downtown.Touch Nightclub is a new club in the heart of Time Square. Club TOUCH promises to be a celebrity filled party on 3 levels.
Weather: Usually COLD!
PRAGUE. One of the world’s most beautiful cities attracts people from throughout Europe because they know a great party when the see one. Prague is an awesome place to play anytime and on the Big Night it literally explodes. That’s because the Czechs just love fireworks. Wander in and out of the many pubs and cafes but at midnight go to Old Town Square or Charles Bridge. Climb the hill to the Prague Castle or the “Stalin statue,” where the fireworks are launched for an overview of the whole crazy scene. Prague is unbelievably inexpensive; your crowns go a long. long way. Czech it out!
Top Tip: Watch out for flying fireworks of every size and description.
Weather: The average temperature for January is -1.3C (30F), so it’s cold. This makes quick jaunts into the many cafes a requirement.
IN LONDON, you have your choice of a BEARS AND BIG BLOKES New Years Eve at the Eagle , or maybe something on the KINKY side. Kinky Trade brings together 3 big promoters…Trade, Juicy and Lovechild for a wild evening with lasers, pyrotechs and more.
MATINEE LONDON will provide a spectacular after-hours party for the late night owls who just can quit celebrating. Starts at 5am and runs thru the early afternoon of New Years Day! Read more at Patroc London.
The ball is dropping; the champagne is popping. Grab your goofy hat and ring in next year with a rockin New Year s Eve party.
I think I will celebrate quietly with friends!
HAPPY NEW YEAR FROM NEW GAY TRAVEL GUIDES
Gay Europe …on a Discount. Savings Everywhere, if You Look Hard Enough
I love EUROPE!
It is SO Romantic with it’s old history and breathtaking architecture! Many people think Europe is expensive…and it can be. But it can be fun and inexpensive as well. You just have to plan.
PRAGUE is still on the Czech Crown. They now expect to join the EURO by 2014! (They keep pushing it off!) Food and drink in ordinary shops and restaurants in Prague is generally cheaper than in Western Europe. Drinks in ordinary pubs is markedly cheaper.
Clothing can be hit and miss. Some cheap things, some more expensive. But overall, Prague is amazing city at great prices.
Don’t bother exchanging money before you go. The simplest means of obtaining currency in Prague is to withdraw Czech Crowns from a cash point machine (ATM). They accept debit/credit cards backed by Visa, Mastercard/EuroCard, Maestro and American Express. You normally get an excellent exchange rate, but check with your own bank what their international card transaction fees are.
You may pay 2 fee’s.
Tips are welcomed by staff working in the tourist industry in Prague, although generally tipping is relaxed and workers do not chase them. 5% is appropriate. 10% they will love you.
Live like the locals – get an apartment. Don’t rely on expensive hotels. If you want an authentic experience, check out apartments. Stay right in a neighborhood, shop at the corner market for wine and cheese and snacks to fill your fridge. Who needs room-service?!
Also worth checking out are guest houses and boutique hotels. OUR FAVORITE is TEMPLE PRAGUE . Temple Prague comprises of three separate venues. Club Temple, Temple Hotel and the newly-opened Coffee Bar. You can always be assured of a warm welcome at Temple Prague. It is ran by an American fellow and his all male staff is amazing!
The building and rooms have been painstakingly restored and really beautiful. Situated directly between Club Temple and Monty Bar, Club Temple Hotel is ideally and centrally situated to enjoy both Prague’s lively gay scene and also major tourist attractions.
They offer a selection of suites and standard rooms to match all tastes and budgets. Range is about $65 – $120 american dollars. Their friendly and helpful staff are on hand to take care of your every need during your stay with them.
Like any other city, tourists can be an easy mark. I found Prague to be a very safe city to walk around. Public transport, even at night, is used by everyone, young and old alike. The town is very walkable. Assaults are extremely rare. As in any city though, the tourist is a target for the unscrupulous: Pickpockets are skillful, so keep a close eye on valuables at all times – don’t use your back pocket for your wallet and avoid hanging your handbag on your chair in public places.
Beware over-charging in restaurants and clubs by checking the bill thoroughly. In taxis, insist the taxi driver puts the meter on or agree a price before you enter the taxi. – The Prague rent boys were more aggressive than the pickpockets! I seemed to run into them everywhere I went! But they are very nice. Most are quite adorable in fact. Honest guys just trying to make a living. When a young man says, “Do you want to go make some business?” he is looking to be paid for services. But even that, is very inexpensive.
PARIS is stunning also and romantic! But HOW DO YOU DO PARIS CHEAP, you ask?
Restaurants can be outrageous. You can have a couple burgers and 2 glasses of wine for $70 easily! The BEST meal I ever had WAS NOT indoors at a fancy restaurant..but on the river, al fresco. Shop at the local markets. Grab some fruit, cheese, wine, sausage and some pastries and have a fantastic lunch on the banks of the Seine River! Spectacular views – and deliciously romantic. In the summer months, people even sun bathe out there, nude!
One good thing about dining in restaurants; Paris SLASHED their restaurant VAT tax this past summer from 19.5% down to 5.5%. SO that helps a lot on the bill.
BIKES – you can rent a bike for $1.50 a day! Discover the city on a Velib. Pick up and drop off at 1,400 locations all over the city.
The $3.50 Swim! Visit the floating Josephine Baker pool. La Piscine Josephine Baker is more of a swimming pool barge that is situated on the bank of the River Seine.
This floating swimming pool is open all year round and has a roof that retracts so that it becomes open air in the summer months and the pool can cater for around 300 people.
La Piscine Josephine Baker is situated in the 13th arrondissement of Paris permanently moored at the Quai Francois Mauriac on left bank of the River Seine and replaces the Piscine Deligny that sank a few years ago.
Take in a movie. at the vintage Art Moderne Theater – Forget the mega multiplex! This is a real theater!
EXPLORE – In the spring and summer, locals flock in droves to the banks of the Canal Saint-Martin to picnic and strum guitars, sip on wine and smoke joints! Cafés and quirky boutiques flank the water and iron footbridges.
On Sundays, two streets running parallel to the canal, Quai de Valmy and Quai de Jemmapes, are reserved for pedestrians and cyclists—perfect for renting a bike and seeing the city from a fresh angle.
TRAINS – the train is a great way to explore Europe.
THIS IS THE BEST TIP OF ALL. I am all about efficiency. And after all, don’t you want to make the most of your vacation time? Plan to sleep on the train in between cities. You’ll save money and make the most of your time. Think about it…explore London or Rome or Paris by day. Have a nice dinner somewhere. Then instead of staying at a pricey hotel, you head for the train station. Snuggle up in your little Schlafwagen (sleeper). Sip on wine as the night fades away. Sleep all night as the train transports you through fields and pastures, and when you wake up, you are in a new country!
There are also cheap flights for city-hopping between countries. FLYLC has fares as low as $10 one way! Just watch for any added fees. Also places like Travel Zoo offer last minute updates and sales.
Gay Hostels in another way to save some big bucks – and maybe meet some other fin single people! Stay in London for about $45 a night or Madrid, Spain for about $30 a night.
Think outside the box when you travel and avoid the tourist traps.
It’ll be fun and exciting!
I HateTaxis.com An International Travelers’ Transportation Guide
Several pages of scribbled notes were drawn up on the idea to an ongoing problem and possible solution that travelers (namely themselves) faced in their various global travel pursuits – GROUND TRANSPORTATION OPTIONS.
Sure one can book their plane ticket, hotel room, car rental, and even attractions online but something very important was amiss in the new age of travel e-convenience. Simply put, how does one get from the airport to their desired destination and where does one find all of these ground transportation options in a centralized website location?
Like most travelers out there, both brothers have individually and collectively experienced the shark tank feeding frenzy of extortion at various airports as soon as one clears customs with your luggage. Looking dumbfounded, not knowing the going rates of services, and being hassled after a long flight most often leaves you in a state of complete vulnerability.
The common resultant outcome is that you end up paying a ridiculous amount of money to get to your hotel and sometimes this unfortunately shapes your first impression of the city or country you are in. The name of this website is thus a half jocular expression of this frustration.
The website concept then expanded to include information about country profiles (including cultural tips), medical information, electrical information, visas, lost luggage, currency conversion and the list keeps expanding. This was done to avoid surfing several different other websites for this information or shelling out a small fortune for a country guide book every time you step on a plane. Guide books can also become out of date relatively quickly.
“Our primary goal is to provide a FREE centralized & constantly updated global ground transportation repository so that travelers like ourselves are empowered upon arrival. We do make recommendations based on our research and if you do not agree with our thoughts please let us know why. If several individuals are not happy with a particular airport shuttle service in Miami, for example, then we will seriously look at revising our recommendation. “
Check it out I HATE TAXIS!
The Best Gay Travel Guide
Christmas in California – 101st Newport Beach Christmas Boat Parade
and Orange County!
It’s one of our favorite places and great ANYTIME of the year! And if you can get out this way during the holidays, the Christmas Boat Parade in Newport Beach, is not to be missed!
Tucked away on Southern California’s Orange County coastline lies the famed getaway destination of Newport Beach, a Southern California coastal fantasyland of accessible luxury, the perfect escape from ordinary life for sophisticated fun seekers and families. Located only 45 minutes south of Los Angeles, Newport is a calming world away from the urban metropolis. Just 10 miles from Anaheim and
With nine miles of pristine beaches, charming villages, upscale shopping, premier golf courses, spectacular dining and year-round Mediterranean weather–Newport Beach combines the cosmopolitan flair of a modern city with the casual vibe of a postcard perfect beach town featuring one of the world’s largest small yacht harbors. Coupled with both natural and manmade beauty, Newport Beach is a place that allows visitors to thoroughly relax and enjoy laidback sophistication at its finest.
It’s the longest-running holiday boat parade and most elaborate holiday celebration on water in the country featuring over 100 vessels and dating back to 1908. – So this year is the 101st Annual!
Newport Beach Christmas Boat Parade is older than such holiday events as the tree lighting at Rockefeller Center or the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade.
John Scarpa, an Italian gondolier, and Joseph Beek, the principal forces in the early development of Balboa Island, arrive in the Newport Harbor area in 1900. These two men establish the Tournament of Lights—an event that will continue for the century to come.
In July 1908, the first lighted boat parade takes place. Scarpa, along with his fellow small boat operators, create a loosely organized affair consisting of nine vessels. The parade, illuminated by Japanese lanterns, is led by Scarpa’s gondola followed by eight canoes. Thus, he is credited with creating the first lighted boat parade.
Decorated multi-million dollar yachts, kayaks, canoes and other small boats will light up the harbor as a dazzling array of holiday lights and music fill the air.
Parade kicks off on Wednesday, December 16 at 6:30PM and runs nightly until Sunday, December 20th, 2009. Charting a 14 mile route throughout Newport Harbor.
Viewing areas available for the public on public beaches located on Balboa Peninsula, the Fun Zone and Balboa Island. Additionally, several establishments along the waterfront offer prime viewing.
Never compromising a beautiful Mediterranean climate for any of life’s greatest pleasures, Newport Beach rings in the holidays with truly memorable and festive seasonal celebrations!
Christmas Boat Parade Newport Beach
Orange County and Anaheim LGBT Anaheim and Orange County
Christmas from Gay – and Not So Gay – Places Around The World
CHRISTMAS FROM AROUND THE WORLD!
Above – The Capitol Christmas tree in Washington, D.C., is decorated with 3,000 ornaments
that are the handiwork of U.S. schoolchildren. Encircling evergreens
in the ‘Pathway of Peace’ represent the 50 U.S. states.
Below – A token of gratitude for Britain’s aid during World War II,
the Christmas tree in London’s Trafalgar Square has been the
annual gift of the people of Norway since 1947.
Above – Simple and quaint. Illuminating the Gothic facades of Prague’s Old Town Square,
and casting its glow over the manger display of the famous Christmas market,
is a grand tree cut in the Sumava mountains in the southern Czech Republic.
Below – Gay Paris – Ooh la la Galeries Lafayette!
In Paris, even the Christmas trees are chic. With its monumental, baroque dome,
plus 10 stories of lights and high fashion, it’s no surprise this show-stopping
department store draws more visitors than the Louvre and the Eiffel Tower.
Above – The world’s largest Christmas tree display rises up the slopes
of Monte Ingino outside of Gubbio, in Italy’s Umbria region. Composed of about
500 lights connected by 40,000 feet of wire, the ‘tree’ is a modern marvel for an ancient city.
Below – The largest Christmas tree in Europe (more than 230 feet tall)
can be found in the Praça do Comércio in Lisbon, Portugal. Thousands
of lights adorn the tree, adding to the special
enchantment of the city during the holiday season.
Above – Moscow celebrates Christmas according to the Russian Orthodox
calendar on Jan. 7. For weeks beforehand, the city is alive with festivities in
anticipation of Father Frost’s arrival on his magical troika with the Snow Maiden.
He and his helper deliver gifts under the New Year tree,
or yolka, which is traditionally a fir.
Below – A Christmas tree befitting Tokyo’s nighttime neon display
is projected onto the exterior of the Grand Prince Hotel Akasaka.
Above – Leave it those crazy glass blowing Italians!
Venice ‘s Murano Island renowned throughout the world for its quality
glasswork is home to the tallest glass tree in the world. Sculpted by master
glass blower Simone Cenedese, the artistic Christmas tree is a
modern reflection of the holiday season.
Below – The Gayest Place on Earth?
West Hollywood.
It is said that more than 33% of it’s population identify with being LGBT!
That a lot of gays!
And at the epicenter is THE ABBEY – BEST GAY BAR IN THE WORLD,
as voted recently by TripOut Gay Travel Awards & Logo.
(photo Wayne Castro)
H A P P Y H O L I D A Y S !
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Best Gay Cities
Gay Space Travel – One Step Closer For Mankind Thanks To Richard Branson
Outer Space Travel with VIRGIN
and Richard Branson 1 year ago.
Now it is one step closer!
As Britain’s most visible showman-entrepreneur unveiled his latest creation in the southern California desert this week – a giant fantasy of a flying machine that promises to take tourists out of the Earth’s atmosphere into outer space as soon as 2011 – everything was in place for the aviation equivalent of a glitzy Hollywood premiere. Except the weather.
The Guardian reported, “What he didn’t have, though, was the kindness of the elements. The temperature hovered somewhere just above freezing. Driving rain gave way to howling winds of 50mph and even the occasional flurry of sleet and snow.
VIP guests and “future astronauts” – the 300 or more people who have pledged $200,000 (£122,000) each for a place on board SpaceShipTwo and the chance to boldly go where only a handful of professional space travelers have gone before – were gracious and filled with excitement, nonetheless.”
Branson claims their technology is 50 years ahead of NASA’s. Burt Rutan, the engineering genius who figured out how to build a craft that could re-enter the atmosphere “carefree” without the need for nerve-rackingly precise piloting by either humans or computers, was also on hand.
“This is the sexiest spaceship ever,” Branson declared, mustering what must have been his last few drops of enthusiasm.
Governor Schwarzenegger and Richardson each broke a champagne bottle over the ship’s nose, bestowing upon it the name VSS Enterprise (pure Star Trek, as Virgin Galactic acknowledged), then retreated for the evening.
It’s really all a bit amazing that this project is finally a reality – in under 5 years! Not that we ever doubted the fruition of a project backed by a man such as Richard Branson. The guy is an iconic legend of our time!
SEE MORE AT SE7EN MAGAZINE
Best Gay Travel Guide
A Traveler’s Guide To Online Gay Dating
Gay dating online and traveling both let you explore what you want, when you want. And, should you find someone or somewhere interesting, you can stay for as long as you want in order to enjoy getting all you can out of the experience.
Travelers speak their own language, and the gay men and lesbian women you find on gay dating sites online do too. If you’re thinking of signing up to an online gay dating site like www.pridedating.com let other singles know you’re an experienced traveler.
Finding the right gay or lesbian match by using your common experiences and leisure pursuits will make for a stronger bond between the two of you. Searching for a special homosexual partner means you’ve got to do a lot of roaming through personals though.
However; when you find a gay or lesbian partner who can relate to your interests and experiences, you’ll be well on your way to sharing a familiar and intimate relationship. Don’t give up, keep searching those personals and find your match today!
About the only dissimilarity between traveling and gay dating online would be that to find a match, you don’t have to leave your home. But, just like traveling, gay dating online is full of all the adventure and fun you’ve been searching for!
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!
Jamaica and their Homophobia is Back in the News Again
Come to Jamaica, Man!
Tropical paradise?
Not so much!
Come and get bashed
is more like it!
Jamaica and their homophobic attitude is in the news once again. Our blogging buddy and award-winning journalist Lyndon Evans ran a piece today about Jamiaca’s Homophobia.
In a recent gay quarrel, one gay man attacked another. But the hospital in Jamaica tried to say this happens all the time amongst the gays and it is rarely a hate crime against the gays.
Thats a lie. Most Americans think of Jamaica as an island of happiness, home to marijuana and Bob Marley. Few realize that Jamaica is actually home to rampant homophobia that isn’t even remotely veiled. Attacks on homosexuals on the island are not limited to verbal assault; Jamaican homosexuals often face very real violence if they come out of the closet, with nowhere to turn.
Just last month a community called McGregor Gully in East Kingston, Jamaica ordered all gays to leave their community by October 30th – The homophobes said they won’t stop until their community is “gay free” and those that do not leave will have to “suffer the consequences.”
“According to the residents, the main problem is a local hangout that is frequented by lesbians who ‘kiss, hug, and even touch each other.’ And the community’s anger is directed mostly at those lesbians, though any gay men who reside in the area are also expected to leave. The residents say they will not stop until their community is “gay free” and are not afraid of resorting to extreme measures, though they would not explicitly say what those measures might be.”
New Gay Travel Guide
Great iPhone Travel Apps for Any Traveler
A while back we discussed some neat
iPhone apps for the gay traveler.
But there are hundreds of useful apps for just about ALL travelers.
Here are some more of my favorites…
Traveling by car maybe this holiday season? You might want Trapster. Get alerts you as you approach police speed traps! What a concept.
Since you are driving by car you may also want CHEAP GAS. Find the cheapest gasoline nearest to where you are, then map a route to where the cheap gas is.
Maybe you are flying – and woke up late! That’s a nightmare to be in! NEXT FLIGHT ($2.99) Next Flight tracks scheduled departures from more than 4,200 airports.
Traveling International? How many pounds = $100? Get CURRENCY. provides up-to-date exchange rate information for over 90 currencies and 100 countries! Great for traveling when you need to get the latest exchange rates.
HEAR PLANET delivers location information that really speaks to you. It’s like having a professional tour guide always by your side. Leave those bulky tour books behind and let HearPlanet show you the way.
Sit or Squat! Now this can be very useful! Especially if you’re out shopping and that fresh fish you had for lunch wasn’t so fresh! Find a toilet anywhere in the world.
Start searching for a public toilet. Just enter an address, zipcode, city, or interesection in the search bar and you’ll be on your way to finding your next pit stop!
PLUS it tells you whether or not that place is worth even sitting or squatting (or standing) at.
UrbanSpoon is the gold standard in the U.S., London, Melbourne, and Sydney: Shake your phone, watch the dials spin like an old-school slot machine, and up comes the best guide to local restaurants yet.
Where shows you what’s around you, from Starbucks to movie theaters and show times. Everything from local weather, news, entertainment, restaurant reviews, gas prices, and Yellow Pages listings near your current location. Using GPS and cell-tower triangulation, WHERE can determine your position and displays all relevant information for that area.
There is a popular saying in Florida…lyrics from an Alan Jackson song….It’s 5:00 somewhere..it’s time for a drink! With Happy Houred find out where the booze is at! Available for about a dozen big cities right now, you have access to every happy hour in their national database. And, to make sure all of the happy hours we offer are as up to date as possible, we let you tell us where to find the cheapest beers, tastiest half priced burgers, and craziest shot specials in your city.
Everytime I go to New York City, I am overwhelmed by their subway system and scared I am going to end up in Hoboken! KICK MAP was designed to get more people to ride New York City’s subway system. Created with clarity and ease of use, it allows riders to navigate this vast system easily and without uncertainty. The subway map is the key to understanding this most complex subway in the world, which has 26 separate lines and 468 stations.
Know of a must-have app we missed? Tell us about it!
New Gay Travel Guide
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
What Color is Your Brain? Travel Smarter, Stress Less, Pack Better, Enjoy More!
Are your traveling companions soap opera divas or members of The Joint Chiefs of Staff?
Is preparing for your vacation like baking an old family recipe or reading directions for a computer program?
You will wonder no longer, when our guest blogger, Sheila Glazov, offers you tips, from her latest book, What Color Is Your Brain: A Fun and Fascinating Approach to Understanding Yourself and Others.
Sheila’s book and personality profile simplifies the complex nature of your character traits and talents, and explains why your perspectives differ from the viewpoints of others.
Understanding the people you are related to or must relate to when you travel, will be a “No Brainer.”
Glazov’s theory is: Everyone is a blend of the four “Brain Colors.”
Her research shows that, of the American adult population:
· 35 to 40% are “Yellow Brain” Responsible Planners
· 35 to 40% are “Blue Brain” Flexible Helpers
· 10 to 15% are “Green Brain” Logical Problem solvers
· 10 to 15% are “Orange Brain” Fun-Loving Risk-Takers
Yellow Brainers: Save their money for a well-planned vacation. They prepare their clothing, organize their equipment and pack their suitcases in advance for their excursion. They value all-inclusive destinations or tours that have structured and scheduled activities.
Blue Brainers: Consider the people, not the price tag of trip. They enjoy helping everyone gather their belongings for a family vacation. They love picturesque destinations, with a homey atmosphere, where they can later capture their memories in a scrapbook.
Green Brainers: Develop a precise travel budget. They utilize an “only the essentials” packing system. Their preference is traveling alone or with a small group on historical or educational tours. They reserve accommodations that offer privacy and technology.
Orange Brainers: Splurge on and during their vacations. They pack at the last minute for their spur of the moment getaways that offer adventure and a variety of activities. Their accommodations do not have to be fancy, but must provide entertainment and fun.
Additional information:
· To learn more about Sheila, her workshops, books and blog SHEILA GLAZOV.
· Sheila Glazov is an award winning and internationally recognized author, personality type expert, professional speaker and educator.
· 10% of the royalties from the sale of Sheila’s books is allocated to JDRF (Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation).
Researchers in Texas May Have Found a Way to Kill the HIV Virus
Researchers in Texas say they may have found a way to kill the HIV virus. The idea would be used, not only to control the disease for people already infected, but actually prevent infection for anybody who might be at risk!
There is going to be a HUGE piece of news released on December 1st – World Aids Day!
And check this out – Actors, performers, comedians, HIV activists, and scientists come together for this PSA to show support for Covalent Immunology, and Dr. Sudhir Paul. The Cast includes Lady Bunny, Justin Bond, Ben Andrews, Angie Pontani, Kristen Renton, Thea Gill, Wilson Cruz, The Pixie Harlots, and Hydeia Broadbent.
$5 is all it takes – lets face it, a cure and vaccine isn’t gonna come from the big pharma, its gonna come from a brilliant scholar/researcher…DR. PAUL!!
WATCH THE VIDEO
END HIV Covalent Immunology Foundation
READ MORE AT FOX NEWS
Commentary by Lyndon Evans – Focus on the Rainbow
Gay Travel in Amsterdam Just Got Easier and Better!
This past August 2009, Mayor Job Cohen opened the Gay Tourist Information Center (GAYtic) at Spuistraat 44 in Amsterdam. An official tourist agency specializing in Amsterdam gay tourist information, GAYtic is the first and only such organisation in the world.
(The press release was buried in the huge stacks we recieve! OOOPS! Sorry for the delay – but better late than never!)
GAYtic meets the needs of the many tourists seeking a one-stop-shop for information on Amsterdam’s gay hotels, bars, events, tours and more. Visitors can order a personalised GAYtic Information Kit on the GAYtic website as well as Amsterdam’s city discount pass, the I amsterdam Card.
The kit includes:
– the Amsterdam gay magazines Gay&Night and Gay News (bi-lingual in English and Dutch)
– the gay map of Amsterdam
– flyers and brochures for all Amsterdam parties and venues for the period of your stay
– a coupon-book with discount coupons adding up to more than 250 euro
– general tourist information
– a surprise gadget as a gift from us here at GAYtic
and a FREE freshly brewed coffee when you come by to pick up your kit!
Although open-minded Amsterdam is considered an ideal gay travel destination, some unfortunate instances of intolerance do occur from time to time. In cooperation with Amsterdam’s Roze in het Blauw (Pink in Blue) — a network that represents the interests of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people within and outside the police — GAYtic also supports gay travellers in need of support or help.
New Gay Travel Guide and Best Gay Cities
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.
