The Gay Translator Book – Love and Hookups in 7 Languages
The Gay Translator: Love + Hookups in 7 Languages: 2nd Edition
Who doesn’t know how much gay guys love to jet off to foreign lands and, er, make foreign friends?
And while there are plenty of destination guides out there, online and off, how about something to help you break the ice, meet people, and have a relationship (or just a fling) with dudes who don’t speak your language well or at all?
Along with Spartacus International Gay Guide 2008 or Damron Mens Travel Guide (Damron Men’s Travel Guide) you’ll definitely want to pack a book or two from BabelCom’s cool “GayBabel” series: the seven-language Gay Translator and the bilingual Gay Spanish for Love + Hookups, Gay Italian, Gay French, and Gay German.
The Gay Translator: Love + Hookups in 7 Languages: 2nd Edition
These handy, pocket-size jobs (4¼” x 6″) sure ain’t your daddy’s fusty old phrasebooks. They start out with basics like “what’s your name,” “what’s your sign” and “is this your boyfriend?” From there things move on quickly to the bedroom (or bathhouse), covering lots of ground along the way: dating, falling in love, breaking up, making up, goodbyes, and even shopping for condoms, porn, and dildos (oh, and massages). They’re guaranteed to charm the pants off your foreign friends!
And there’s an extensive dictionary section with terms and expressions not covered in the phrases, from “fag hag” to “sixpack” to “wet dream.” Best of all, they’re the only gay phrasebooks on the market that aren’t jokey, but darn serious about real, steamy M2M sex – sure, there’s a touch of humor here and there, but we keep the “fabulous, mary!” flouncery to a minimum. It’s all about gettin’ some, in at least 76 destinations across the planet, as we cover Spanish, French, Italian, German, Portuguese, and Czech.
Particularly cool features of BabelCom’s gay phrasebooks:
● The guy(s) you’re with can use these books too, thanks to our multilingual tables of contents and page headers, plus easy pronunciation guides and “zebra-stripe” format.
● We throw in unique online dating/hookup translators with the most common expressions, abbreviations, and lingo in both English and the target language. Hey, how else would you figure out something like “wapo buska pas kaxas” (hottie ISO muscle bottom, in Spain)?
Last but not least, the final page in these books is also devoted to a “Cockulator” to help you convey your “assets” in metric (another mighty helpful thing to know online, no?).
BabelCom’s gay phrasebooks make super-fun gifts and, for the upcoming summer travel season, sizzling buys for anyone hot to globetrot – or just to get friendlier with foreign talent visiting or living in your own home town!
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Not So Gay Dubai – Just Say NO – To Sex, Drugs and Rock n’ Roll
Today the city of Dubai is one of the wealthiest and most modern anywhere, boasting the highest skyline in the Middle East including the two of the tallest hotels in the world, and soon, the tallest building in the world! We did a story a while back on DUBAI and the amazing (and beautiful) growth they are experiencing there.
Even though I would love to see it – as a gay person, it would be difficult to travel there I would think. There were some stories online recently that spoke about the fifth Dubai Desert Rock Festival and all the issues with sex and drugs.
“We are here to celebrate rock music in all its hedonistic, sex-and-drugs-and-rock’n’roll glory,” wrote John Clarke in The Times.
“But this is also a Muslim state. There are breaks between sets for prayers. The audience and bands are advised not to remove their T-shirts or engage in ‘any public demonstrations of affection’. No ‘offensive hand gestures’ are permitted and crowdsurfers face immediate ejection. So not quite Iggy Pop country then.”
Apart from the hotels, there is only one public bar – inevitably, an Irish one – where visitors can drink. The rapidly growing number of expatriates have to apply for a licence to drink at home. Many don’t, and rely on contacts with The Heineken Man, as the importers are known.
But it doesn’t matter – as long as you don’t get caught or openly disrespect the laws! Prostitution is rife but purveyed in hotel bars, not on the street.
Homosexuality is also illegal. Rob Harkavy, of gay travel company Respect Holidays says that he would refuse to take a booking to Dubai on principle. If you know the “right” people and the right places in Dubai, there is plenty of gay life. Some of the gay spots in Dubai you can even read about in the Spartacus Directory. However, you can’t compare the gay life here in Dubai with that of Western Europe. Here, it’s almost all “underground” and there are risks involved. – Do we really want to vacation that way??
Many gay people do live in Dubai and, as long as you’re quiet and don’t draw attention to yourselves, you should be fine. Finding other gay people is, however, a big challenge. It can be a problem to find hotel allowing gay people to order one bedroom with one bad, or to rent some other Dubai property for their vacation. However there are many gay men & women there, and as long as they don’t flaunt it publicly everywhere you go, there is no problem whatsoever. – In other words, keep the closet door closed tightly.
Drugs ARE NOT tolerated. A Swiss man imprisoned for ‘possession’ of three poppy seeds on his clothing after he ate a bread roll at Heathrow. Among substances banned by Dubai are foods containing poppy seeds; melatonin, which is taken to ease the effects of jetlag; codeine, a common ingredient in pain relief medication, and any trace of drugs such as cannabis, however small.
So do many gay people go there?
Who has been there?
Would love to hear our readers feedback!
BREAKING NEWS! Pregnant Transgender Man Thomas Beatie Just Gave Birth to Baby Girl!
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The transgender man who made national news earlier this year when he revealed he was pregnant has given birth to a healthy baby girl.
Thomas Beatie, 34, became pregnant through artificial insemination. The Oregon man is resting and healthy. The birth was natural.
He was registered under a fictitious name and separated from other birthing mothers. – He actually gave birth Sunday, but news hit the Internet just hours ago.
Beatie, who was born a woman, kept his female sex organs.
“I actually opted not to do anything to my reproductive organs because I wanted to have a child one day,” he told Oprah Winfrey earlier this year. “I see pregnancy as a process and it doesn’t define who I am.”
Gay Comedian does US of ANT – LOGO TV and ANT Tackle Small Town Gay Living
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DO SMALL TOWNS WITH NO GAYS SCARE YOU??
It scared gay comedian ANT too! However, some interesting things were discovered along his journey.
U.S. of ANT follows the often outrageous and always comical writer/comedian as he travels across America in search of gay life.
From East to West and all points in between, ANT captures the diversity of the LGBT community and the personal stories of small town gay America through the eyes of both the gay and straight residents. His journey across the country reaffirms that spirit and humor are alive and well in the gay heartland.
It wasn’t easy but he found a few gay people in Montana, and a few more in Mississippi. Then he went to North Carolina and he found some gay couples raising kids. Alabama, Texas, and the not-so-popular gay spots of Florida, ANT crawls through them all!
I was born a little city town boy and was 18 I ran the hell away and never looked back. I am big city guy. I love lots of options and freedom of choices in a big city. But hey, everyone likes something different. Some want the quiet gay life. To each his own.
ANT did 7 episodes for LOGO tv and you can rent the DVD online today!
San Francisco Gay Pride Parade LIVE
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Can’t be in a big city for Pride? Get your Pride on online!
The San Francisco Pride Parade will broadcast LIVE Sunday 29th @ 10am!
(they didn’t tell us if that Eastern time? or Pacific…..sorry)
Police Ready For Possible Attacks For Budapest Gay Pride
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Budapest police are preparing for organised attacks by Hungary’s far right during the upcoming gay pride parade. Far-right leaders Gyorgy Budahazy and Laszlo Toroczkai have published a statement on the internet, inviting “Hungarian patriots” to travel to Budapest on July 5 to “protect Hungary’s honour” from the international gay community.
Police are reluctant to say how many far-right protesters they are expecting to disrupt the event and decline to give any details of police preparations for security reasons.
But police are expecting harsher and more frequent attacks than during last year’s gay pride march when a dozen people, including a German citizen, were beaten in various parts of the city by skinheads and eight attackers were arrested, said the paper.
Only one anti-gay demonstration has been officially registered. Rendszervalto Forum, a far-right group, will follow up the gay pride parade by marching the same route after the event.
On June 11, the Budapest police chief published an online statement banning this year’s gay pride event, claiming that it would obstruct main traffic arteries in central Budapest. Following protests by numerous civil organisations, the Budapest mayor and liberal politicians, he withdrew the ban the following day.
VISIT GAY BUDAPEST
Taschen’s BIG PENIS BOOK and BIG BOOK OF BREASTS
You are probably asking yourself, “What do these books have to do with travel??”
Well, they feature breasts and penis from around the world and are must have summer reads!
(Though they are a bit heavy and BIG to tote to the beach….)
Shipping any day! THE BIG PENIS BOOK – 7 pounds of penis
12″ x 12″ hardcover for $60 with 400 pages!
After the bust out success of The Big Book of Breasts TASCHEN presents the perfect companion, the fascinating phallus illustrated throughout history.
In The Big Penis Book we explore the centuries-old fascination with the large phallus, a fascination common to men and women alike. This hefty book is profusely illustrated with over 400 historic photos of spectacular male endowments, including rare photos of the legendary John Holmes. The majority of the photographs are from the 1970s, when the sexual revolution first freed photographers to depict the male entirely nude. Photographers include Bob Mizer of Athletic Model Guild, David Hurles of Old Reliable, Colt, Falcon, Sierra Domino, Third World, and Champion Studios, with each of these iconic photographers interviewed or profiled, along with information about each of their models.
See a video of the editor Dian Hanson
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Top Israeli Court Refuses to Ban Gay Pride Parade Event
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OCCUPIED JERUSALEM-
Israel’s Supreme Court has rejected a petition to ban this year’s Jerusalem Gay Pride parade, an annual event that has been the focus of violent controversy in the Holy City in the past.
The petition, submitted by a group of hardline Jewish activists, called the parade scheduled for Thursday a “provocation.”
Jerusalem municipality had also objected to the event, with city spokesman Gidi Schmerling warning that it “harms social relations.”
But the court said in its ruling that the organizers of the event declared that they did not intend the parade to be provocative.
In 2005 an ultra-orthodox Jew stabbed three participants and was subsequently sentenced to 12 years in prison.
The following year the venue was switched to a sports stadium following violent protests by ultra-orthodox Jews and rightwing opponents who consider the event “a profanity” of the Holy City.
Last year about 2,500 gays and activists marched down King David Street despite protests by thousands of people.
Jerusalem Open House, the gay rights group organizing the event, said the parade would put Jerusalem and Israel “to the true test of democracy and civil rights.”
“Though we expect the struggle to be tough, we will not let the threats of violence silence us or challenge Israeli democracy,” the group said in a statement.
Halifax Gets Gayer and Gayer – Rosie and R Family Docks There Next Month
HALIFAX, NOVA SCOTIA, CANADA –
Perched on the edge of the Atlantic, the beautiful port city of Halifax promises to welcome gays with opens arms and get your gay travel adventure off on the right foot! We love that when cities do that!
Much of the downtown and historic waterfront of this seaside city has been preserved and lovingly restored, creating a wonderful array of art galleries, museums, intriguing shops, sidewalk cafés, restaurants, lively pubs, and stirring nightlife. So it’s no surprise that Harper’s Bazaar magazine rated Halifax as one of North America’s hippest towns. For gay travel and adventure with groove, this is your city.
When Rosie O’Donnell and the R FAMILY Cruise first came to the city in 2005, Halifax received international recognition as a gay friendly travel destination. O’Donnell strongly praised Canada for its openness and leadership in gay rights.
Halifax’s reputation for gay friendly travel will be reaffirmed with the return of R Family Vacations’ cruise with Rosie O’Donnell and guests this July 13-20. O’Donnell, along with more than 2000 gays, lesbians, their families and friends will disembark from the Norwegian Dawn in Halifax’s historic port to enjoy the welcoming gay travel destination.
The timing of the 2008 cruise coincides with preparations for Halifax Pride Festival, Atlantic Canada’s biggest Pride Festival, which launches the week after Rosie and crew visit Halifax.
“Everyone at R Family Vacations is excited that our cruise is returning to Halifax again this summer,” says Gregg Kaminsky, founding partner of R Family Vacations.
“It is a port that we’ve known we wanted to visit again.” Kaminsky says that Halifax is a perfect gay family travel destination because of the incredible variety of excursions and sightseeing opportunities.
“In our five years, Halifax is certainly one of the most welcoming ports we’ve ever experienced,” he says.
Visit Gay Canada HALIFAX and Gay Halifax and Rainbow Halifax for more Gay Halifax information!
ATTENTION! Gay Couples 18-28 Planning To Marry This Summer….MTV WANTS YOU!
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In the last few months, there have been thousands of articles cranked out by the media around the topic of gay weddings, especially in California. – So why not make a reality show about it?!
Enter MTV. From Hawaii to California, Gay Destination weddings are becoming incredibly popular. Are you Gay and going somewhere far from home to tie the knot?
I just got a call from MTV – they want to hear from you if your heading to California this summer to tie the knot! Make your wedding even more extraordinary by having MTV document your journey.
TRUE LIFE: I’m Having a Destination Wedding
True Life employs first-person narrative storytelling to provide a window into the lives of young Americans. The show will focus on the growing trend of young people choosing to get married thousands of miles from home. – Especially for gay people who may be taking off to California or somewhere else, to be legally recognized for their partnership.
“We’re looking to follow young people who are getting married this July or August that appear to be between the ages of 18 and 28. Email married2@mtvstaff.com and tell us your story. Please be sure to include your name, age, location, date of the wedding, phone number, and a photo.”
GLAMPING and the Clayoquot Wildness Resort
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GLAMPING? What is it?? I just found out!
While doing some research I came across Clayoquot Wilderness Resort and their blog. They are located in the fragile Clayoquot Sound Biosphere reserve near the seaside village of Tofino, British Columbia.
In the decade since opening, the resort has grown its ‘soft adventure and soft beds’ program into one of the most exclusive and unique vacation offerings in the world.
Clayoquot Wilderness Resort promises discriminating travellers an ultra-luxurious eco-destination, four-star accommodations, otherworldly coastal cuisine, super natural adventure, and some of the most breathtakingly beautiful wilderness frontier left on the planet.
Glamping- It’s on everyone’s lips. So why not provide a definition, especially from us, the original glamping destination outside of Africa. We’ve been glamping for over eight years, so as a glamping authority here is our definition.
Glamping is:
• Stepping into the middle of a rainforest after a fresh rain
• Feeding eagles from the side of your kayak
• Horseback riding in the morning and deep sea fishing in the afternoon
• Enough fresh air to make you dizzy
• Able to push your comfort levels
• Dodging black bears
• Five star Adirondack amenities
• A hot stone massage on the side of a rushing river
• Able to remind you of times gone by
• A place where your family can join you
• Unlimited choice- when you want to dine, when you want to play, when you want to relax
• Socializing
Glamping is not:
• Your typical 5 star experience
• A chocolate on your pillow
• Just a place to put your head at night
• A minibar
• Dodging traffic
• A suit and tie for dinner
• Where you play video games
• Dinner and a movie
• Stuffiness
• Solitary
I hope this helps in explaining what ‘true’ glamping is, from the mouths of those that started the trend.
Visit their site and blog and discover Clayoquot Wildness!
Eric and Todd Dammann – Hottie Twin Gay Guys in Seattle with Voices, Guitars and a Webcam!
Ah, Seattle!
The 5 best things about Seattle:
1) Seattle is gorgeous.
2) The proximity to a lot of outdoor activities.
3) The people in general are more polite than the rest of the country.
4) The culture is great. Great restaurants, and great arts.
5) The Dammann Twins – Eric and Todd.
They sing, play guitar, and are both gay!
YouTube is an amazing tool that wasn’t around when I was a kid! Now anyone with a webcam and some talent have amazing opportunities and in fact, can be discovered through the Internet.
The guys covered Brittney’s GIMME MORE and it has been viewed by nearly half a million people!
At 21, these two Seattle boys are finishing college, packing their bags and heading to sunny California!
I caught up with the guys this week, in between finals!
“Moving to California is definitely next on our priority list. After we finish up some college work here in Seattle, we will be doing all we can to set up home base somewhere near Los Angeles. With all of the opportunities for performing and promotion down there, it is something we are looking forward to.
We want our fans to know that we are working hard to write and record some great music that is going to be very symbolic of who we are as artists. So many people have reached out to us and given us words of support and encouragement. We appreciate it all so much and everyday are more and more surprised and flattered by the messages and letters our listeners are sending. It is our ultimate hope to someday tour and see all these fans in person!
We don’t have a record deal yet. This project is more of a demo than a full fledged album. The record we are working on is about 75% complete. We still have to finish writing and recording a few songs to make sure we have material that is not only work we’re proud of, but a collection that is as diverse and well rounded. After that, we will spend some time mastering the tracks and making sure all of the kinks are worked out.
It’s our first time really doing something like this by ourselves. Everything from the song writing, recording, and mixing, to the vocals and instrumentals are being done by us alone. It’s a big task to undertake but this is something we’ve always wanted to do. Music is our life, and we couldn’t imagine living without it!”
The duo was recently interviewed by Out magazine / PopNography ,
What inspired you to start putting videos up on YouTube?
Do you think part of the appeal is that a lot of people have twin fantasies?
Eric: YouTube really has become one of the cultural artifacts of this technology dominated/cyber space century. We love to sing and perform, so we figured, why not put it up on a site that would allow all our family and friends see what we’re up to? I love the idea of being able to have a digital platform where you can share your creative abilities with anyone who cares to watch.
Todd: I honestly laugh at the whole twin fantasy idea. I guess as a twin, it’s hard for me to look past my own relationship with Eric when I think about it. But I guess if that makes people listen, then I’m cool with it! If they come into it with that fantasy, I hope they’ll discover the talent underneath the fantasy!
The guys were asked recently if they have tried out for American Idol before?
“We tried out for the last season of American Idol. It was an interesting experience to say the least. Out of the 10,000 contestants trying out in Seattle, we made it to the top 100. We were obviously thrilled, but after continuing on, it became increasingly obvious that this was hardly a singing competition. Just like all “reality” shows, there’s very little real anything on the show.”
Don’t worry guys –
you are well on your way!
Stop by their MySpace page and listen to their music!
Eric has his own page and so does Todd as well.
It’s Official ! Gay Couples Can Get Married in California!
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According to the Associated Press – Dozens of gay couples were married Monday night after California became the second state to allow same-sex nuptials, offering a preview of the euphoria and anger to come as gay couples from across the nation head west to wed.
At least five county clerks around the state extended their hours to honor specific couples or to mark the historic occasion, and many couples exchanged vows on the spot. The May 15 California Supreme Court order overturning bans on same-sex marriage became final at 5:01 p.m.
“I never thought I’d see this,” Michael Groark, 61, said at a San Francisco sports bar, watching on television as Mayor Gavin Newsom officiated the first same-sex wedding in the city. Newsom helped launch the series of lawsuits that led the court to strike down California’s one-man-one-woman marriage laws.
A big rush to the altar was expected today, when most counties planned to start issuing marriage licenses to gay couples. Hundreds, perhaps thousands, of couples nationwide are expected to seize the opportunity to make their unions official in the eyes of the law.
Groups that oppose same-sex marriage have pursued several legal avenues to stop the weddings, including asking the California Supreme Court to postpone its decision until after the November initiative. The high court denied that request.
In Sonoma County, Melanie Phoenix, 47, and Terry Robinson, 48, were first in line to get a license. Together for almost 26 years, they plan to wed in August.
“It’s a historic occasion,” Phoenix said. “I never believed it was really possible until Gavin Newsom took the first step in 2004.”
Unlike Massachusetts, which legalized gay marriage in 2004, California has no residency requirement for marriage licenses, and that is expected to draw a great number of out-of-state couples. The turnout could also be boosted by New York state’s recent announcement that it will recognize gay marriages performed in other jurisdictions. Gov. David A. Paterson has directed all state agencies to begin to revise their policies and regulations to recognize same-sex marriages performed in other jurisdictions, like Massachusetts, California and Canada.
A UCLA study issued last week estimated that half of California’s more than 100,000 same-sex couples will get married over the next three years, and 68,000 more out-of-state couples will travel here to exchange vows.
GOOD TIMES WE ARE LIVING IN!
CELEBRATE!
Valeriya…The Russian Madonna?
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She’s had 17 number one hits in her homeland, sold 100 million records but the so-called ‘Russian Madonna’ has remained unknown in the UK and the US – until now. Enter Valeriya.
Andy McSmith from the Independent UK says, “She is A slim, blonde singer with a vulnerable look and an involved history may be about to burst upon us, as Russia’s biggest cultural export since Shostakovich. Or she may just be another artist trying to break into the Western music market and not making it, the victim of a cultural prejudice that says that countries where they don’t speak English can’t do rock’n’roll.”
Adam Lake from PinkNews, UK interviewed her a few weeks ago…
Valeriya desperately needs to get herself a fan base. With comparisons to the likes of Madonna and Kylie, does she envisage become a gay icon?
By the look on her face she doesn’t seem too keen on the idea:
“I am original, I have a different style and a different voice.”
“I don’t like the term gay icon, I just want to be an icon!
“I wouldn’t mind if they like me, why not. I think that the gay people are very creative, they feel everything very well and have good taste.”
She recently worked with Bee Gee’s Robin Gibb on a remake of “Stayin Alive.”
Next stop? The US?
3 Islanders sue Lesbos!
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ATHENS, Greece – Three islanders from Lesbos told a court Tuesday that gay women insult their home‘s identity by calling themselves lesbians.
Also known as Mytilini, Lesbos was the home of the ancient poet Sappho, who praised love among women. It is a major travel destination for gay women.
A spokeswoman for the group accused the plaintiffs of homophobia.
“What will they do next, sue the United Nations? They, too, use the term lesbian,” Vlami said.
Lawyers from both sides are to submit written arguments on Wednesday, and the court is expected to issue its decision in the next six months.
Are they serious?!
According to PINK NEWS-
“This would be hilariously funny if it wasn’t so pathetic – and so scary.
“Since it’s a universally legally recognised term, their case will likely be thrown out, but with the New Democracy regime, one never knows how much pandering will go on.”
A survey published on December 2006 showed that 16% of Greeks surveyed support same-sex marriage and 11% recognise same-sex couple’s right to adopt.
These figures are considerably below the 27-member European Union average of 44% and 33% respectively and place Greece in the lowest ranks of the European Union along with Poland, Latvia, Lithuania, Bulgaria, Romania and Cyprus.
Florent Restaurant New York City to Close This Month
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SAD BUT TRUE!
The legendary gay 24/7 Florent Restaurant in New York Citys meat packing disctrict will close it’s doors on Gay Pride June 29th!
High-end boutiques, high-end hotels, and the soon-to-be unveiled high-end high-line park have forced Florent’s rent up from $5,000 to $45,000 a month. They are currently holding auctions on EBAY of
Flo-morabilia, with proceeds benefiting the staff.
The bistro’s goodbye is in the final weeks; each week was dedicated to one of the Kubler-Ross stages of grief. Denial, Anger, Bargaining, Depression, and Acceptance.
Each theme week has special dishes, decor and performances by familiar faces like burlesque star Dirty Martini, all leading up to a big sad send-off on June 29th, Gay Pride Day.
The quirky French bistro – housed in an old diner that was a speakeasy in the ‘20s and a favorite greasy spoon for longshoremen and meatpackers in the ‘50s – has become even more cherished in recent years as a corrective to the fratastic Bridge and Tunnel scene dominating the neighborhood.
Owner Morellet, however, refuses to be maudlin about Florent’s fate. “I used to be the light in the middle of the darkness, and now I suppose I am the dark spot in the middle of the light,” he told me. “Of course I have prayed that maybe I would be saved at the last minute by a collapse of the world economy. And when it became real? Yes, I drove out to my lake house in New Jersey and wept for three days straight. But,” he quickly added, “only three days!”
READ MORE IN NY MAG!
Jay Leno Shows Support for Gay Marriage at Abbey in West Hollywood
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Talk show host Jay Leno showed up at the symbolic mass commitment ceremony at the Abbey in West Hollywood Wednesday night to show his support for gay marriage.
Leno – who several times has been criticized for being insensitive towards LGBT people on his late night talk show – said he didn’t understand why people are concerned about gays being allowed to marry.
Daily News’ Greg Hernandez
interviewed Leno at the event:
Greg: What do you think about gay marriage in California and all that’s happened in the last few weeks?
Jay: “Well, I come from Massachusetts and they have it there and the sky didn’t fall in, everyone seems to be fine. It’s one of those things where it’s a matter of time, you sort of ease into it and you see what happens.”
Greg: Do you have any friends who you want to see married?
Jay: Oh, I have a lot of gay friends. We have a couple of gay couples at ‘The Tonight Show’ who’ve been together 7,8,9 years.
“But you know what’s so funny to me, it’s how people miss out on the economic benefits just in terms of catering and flowers and planning. The services that come with it. I see all the companies that have benefited from gay travel. If you look at it, gay people have probably the most disposable income of any group and the businesses that cater to them do very well. So it just seems like common sense. Gas is four bucks a gallon. For me to worry about what Larry and Bob are doing seems sort of ridiculous.
Greg: Were we too hard on you over the whole Ryan Phillippe thing? (Leno was blasted for asking the actor to give him his “gayest look” while guesting. He later apologized for any offense)
Jay: “That seemed a little over the top to me, I have to admit. Only because it was not my intention. When I’ve had straight actors on who’ve played sexy roles, I’ll say, ‘Give me your sexiest face.’ So, when I said it to Ryan, we had said he’s a kid from a Baptist community who was now playing a gay part and I said, ‘OK, now give me your gayest look’ knowing he wouldn’t do it. You laugh and OK fine. Obviously it upset some people. Hey look, I’m an entertainer, sometimes you annoy people, you make people mad. Alright, that happens. But, I really think there are bigger issues than that. That’s a classic case where you’re not talking about morality or lifestyle, you’re just talking about silly stuff.”
BREAKING NEWS – Clinton Concedes to Obama
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Sen. Hillary Clinton, D-N.Y., will end her presidential bid Saturday in Washington, D.C., surrounded by supporters, some of whom are devasted and angry that her campaign to become the nation’s first woman presidential nominee has ended.
The former first lady is expected to thank supporters, formally endorse Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., and urge Democrats to unite behind him in an effort to defeat presumptive Republican nominee Sen. John McCain in November.
It’s a dramatic end to one of the longest, most closely fought primary races in recent history, and one that is unbelievable to many of Clinton’s most ardent supporters.
READ MORE AT ABC News !
Powerhouse Books – NYC Go-Go
Slava Mogutin, the notorious Russian dissident-turned-art star and creator of the critically acclaimed Lost Boys (powerHouse Books, 2006), returns with his second monograph, NYC Go-Go, a tribute to the golden age of New York City nightlife.
The once glittering club world had all but disappeared by the time Mogutin arrived in America in the mid-1990s. Under Mayor Rudy Giuliani’s controversial “Quality of Life” campaign, downtown clubs paid the ultimate price: owners were branded community pariahs and paid crippling fines for alleged disruptiveness, while others were prosecuted for criminal acts; many legendary night spots were wiped off the map altogether.
In his new book, Mogutin documents the ever-shrinking downtown gay scene, taking us inside a few remaining joints like the Cock, Boysroom, and Mr. Black. NYC Go-Go is a raunchy journey into the underworld inhabited by hustlers, go-go boys and their admirers.
Some of them are “rough trade”—thugs with criminal pasts, busted for prostitution, drugs or armed assaults—while others are “gay for pay,” married with kids and hustling for their families. NYC Go-Go captures the spirit of a scene under fire with Mogutin’s trademark raw, in-your face style.
The Best of Gay New York and New Gay Travel Guide
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Gay Czech Republic Steps Up with First Pride Parade
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For the first time, the city of Brno in the Czech Republic (South Moravia – about 2 – 2.5 hours from Prague by car) organizes an LGBTIQ pride event – the parade and an accompanying programme. June 28th!
The Queer parade in Brno supports lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex and all queer people’s rights, visibility and self-identity.
“Come and join us to show your queer pride and promote tolerance, respect and colourful society!”
Although the Registered Partnership Act was adopted in 2006, by which the Czech Republic has joined countries promoting respect for sexual minorities, there are still many problems that call for general attention. We want to contribute to the public discussion on issues ranging from the rights of same-sex parents, through the absence of equal rights for individual adoptions for registered partners, bullying of LGBTIQ youth, the invisibility of LGBTIQ seniors, to severe violations of transgender persons amounting to breaches of fundamental human rights and freedoms.
Indeed, the Czech Republic still lags behind some Western European states that have gone much further to ease barriers for same-sex couples. There is low public support for allowing gay and lesbian couples to adopt children, homophobia lingers, and there is a growing concern that not enough public resources are devoted to addressing the growth in HIV infections, particularly among homosexual men.
Nevertheless, gay organizations from across the region continue to look to the Czech example. Its law on registered partnerships makes the country a uniquely liberal outpost in post-communist Central Europe. Julius Kolenic, head of Slovakia’s Inakost (Otherness), says one of his organization’s biggest concerns is the “the homophobic speech of some [Slovak] politicians.” Regarding same-sex couples’ rights, Kolenic laments that “once again the Czech Republic is ahead of us.”
At the end of the year, the country’s two largest cities, Prague and Brno, will host their ninth gay and lesbian film festival, Mezipatra (Mezzanines).
And the country is still seen as an oasis for gay activists in neighboring Slovakia and Poland. According to an international poll conducted in the fall of 2005, the Czech gay server 004.cz reported, only 39 percent of Slovaks agreed with registered partnership for same-sex couples. In the same poll, 36 percent supported the idea in Hungary and 42 percent in Poland.
My partner and I just got back from Prague – And I can tell you, it was a wonderful trip and we can not wait to go back! In the coming weeks, we will feature several stories on Gay Prague and the Czech Republic.
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