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Tags: Gay Travel / Australia Travel / Islands / Cruises / → All Tags
World's First Gay Island (One Week Only)
Heading out on a gay cruise was already a bit yesterday when Aussie company AllGayCruises started up earlier this year, but now they've taken things to the next level. The company's now creating Australia's first gay island.
Strictly speaking, the island already exists--it's Lindeman Island off the Queensland coast--and it will only be gay for a week. But it sounds like it'll be a particularly colorful event. For six days immediately following the Sydney Mardi Gras in March 2008, AllGayCruises has basically rented out the whole of Lindeman Island for a massive gay party.
Seven big dance parties, a swimwear model contest, comedy nights and even the Gaylimpics will make sure that the fun really doesn't stop on Lindeman. You can already book accommodation, meal and party packages starting at A$1,299 per person ($1,150). Btw, the whole event is called Shipwrecked!, which we hope is not a bad sign of things to come.
Related Stories:
· Shipwrecked Island [Official Site]
· Australia Will Have First Gay Island [eTravel]
· Gay Cruising Catches Up Down Under [Jaunted]
[Photo: St. Murse]
Tags: Gay Travel / Clubs / Bars / Hotels / → All Tags
Argentina Travel: BA's Going Gay
Buenos Aires, the capital of the land of tango and macho gauchos, is going gay. Exhibit A in the transformation is the newly opened Axel Hotel, the first specifically-for-gay-customers property to open in the city. And though it offers up a marketing campaign featuring much racier photos than the hotel-provided pic above, the Axel isn't driving the change in attitudes. Instead, says Alexei Barrionuevo in the New York Times, the hotel is the result of a newly open society.
This summer the city hosted a soccer World Cup for gay players, soon after a TV dating show made waves by showing gay men kissing on camera. Five years ago, BA legalized same-sex unions. Before that, Argentina's president declared equal rights, regardless of sexual orientation. And as Buenos Aires warms, gay travelers have started dropping by. Trying to capitalize on the tourism boomlet, of course, is the Axel Hotel.
That said, there's more to see than the hotel. Partiers of any orientation are welcome at Kim y Novak, a grungy bar with nothing but debauchery on its blog. Downtown, Palacio Alsina draws a mixed crowd with its drag queen hostess and go-go dancers. And mega-club Amerika is still the gold standard for those into the gay clubbing scene.
Related Stories:
· Axel Hotels [Official Site]
· In Macho Argentina, a New Beacon [NYT]
· Gay Travel coverage [Jaunted]
Tags: Gay Travel / Parades / → All Tags
LA Pride 07: Rainbows Over City of Angels
Sunday, Santa Monica Boulevard will close its roadway for the people who patron most of its shops. The Pride 2007 Parade struts down the boulevard from Fairfax Avenue to Doheny Drive starting at 11 a.m.
A poll on the site asks attendees their motivations for attending the parade. It found 25 percent want to end hate, 25 percent hope for marriage equality, 23 percent are looking to find love, 8 percent are prompted by activism, and 4 percent by a love of volunteerism. Finally, 16 percent of attendees are simply searching for the perfect martini, they say. That's 101 percent. Apparently "mastering basic math" isn't one of the incentives.
With Paris chained to her mansion, looks like newly-out former NBA player John Amaechi will take on grand marshal duties this year.
Related Stories:
·LA Travel [Jaunted]
·Hotels in Los Angeles [HotelChatter]
Tags: Gay Travel / Cruises / Nude Cruises / Nudists / Nude Travel / → All Tags
Homorati To Cruise The Mediterranean In May
The folks over at Globorati, a most excellent luxury travel blog, let us know about a gay nude luxury voyage set for this May, complete with plenty of, um, gadgets, of course.
Sail into uncharted waters aboard a luxury Windstar yacht replete with flat-screen TVs and iPods for 148 guests who'll visit ports in Rome, Athens, Sorrento and Mykonos. Just imagine a gaycation without the attitude.
Yup, there it is, plain as day in the website's disclaimer--This voyage is for men who enjoy sailing nude.
The cruise organizers also promise "an Internet Café steps from the Roman ruins".
Gaycations, social networking cruises, and the possibility of clothes free wireless--sounds like Homorati 2.0 has arrived.
[Photo: dominiqs81]
Related Stories:
·Cruise Organizer [SourceEvents]
Tags: Los Angeles / Craigslist / Missed Connections / Gay Travel / Food / Restaurants / → All Tags
Most Missed in L.A.
You'd think that in L.A., most missed connections occur on the highway, but the most secret admirations seem to originate at the gym (or gym parking lot) and Starbucks. If you don't like scouting out potential lovers at the gym and are hoping to branch out when it comes to coffee, here are a few places in town where the most Craigslist Missed Connections take place:
Fred 62
1854 N. Vermont Ave., L.A.
According to the L.A. Times, "the place has all the elements of a traditional American coffee shop" that serves "New Age diner cuisine that is consistently good." Enjoy punnily-named dishes as you check out the talent.
Pavilion's
8969 Santa Monica Blvd., West Hollywood
This is a grocery store. We're not sure what it is with the grocery stores in L.A. but people sure like spotting each other there. Maybe it's the temptation of all the food they're not eating. M4M spottings abound at this particular location. Heterosexual couples should try just about any Trader Joe's outpost.
Marco's Trattoria & Pizzeria
8136 Santa Monica Blvd., West Hollywood
"Marcos is where you will find the best Italian food at affordable prices. The space is intimate and charming. Food prepared just the way you like it." So says the Marco's website. Enjoy the airy atmosphere while you look for potential lovers or celebrity customers like Sam Mendes and Clay Aiken.
Related Stories:
· Missed Connections Coverage [Jaunted]
Tags: Gay Travel / Cruises / Australia / → All Tags
Gay Cruising Catches Up Down Under
Gay cruises are not new in the northern hemisphere, but down in Australia it's all just about to begin. Being billed by promoters as "the most exciting & innovative cruise to ever depart from Australia," All Gay Cruises start running in March next year.
Almost 2000 passengers are expected to board the NaviGAYtion cruise that leaves Sydney on March 29. It then cruises to--well, to nowhere--and arrives back in Sydney four days later. Having no cruise destination is something Australians are pretty well accustomed to--check your map and you'll see you need a lot of time to get anywhere Down Under--so gay cruisers are ready to just party for the full 65 hour trip. Swimwear competitions, six major parties, eight international DJs and comedy and cabaret shows are set to keep them busy and on board until Sydney pops up on the radar again.
[Photo: Steve J]
Tags: Travel News / Gay Travel / → All Tags
Top 10 Worst Countries For Gays
Queerty points us to a story listing the world's worst countries to visit if you're gay.
The list:
- Uganda
- Iran
- Egypt
- Saudi Arabia
- Nigeria
- United Arab Emirates
- Cameroon
- Poland
- Nepal
- India
Uganda: Last July, the government of Uganda approved a constitutional amendment banning equal marriage rights for gays. Consensual homosexual sex can be punished by life in prison.
Iran: People with HIV face discrimination in employment and at school. Intercourse between two men is punishable by death and homosexual acts that do not involve intercourse are punishable by 100 lashes. Two young men, at least one a minor, were executed in Mashad last July, some claim, for being gay.
Oh, and we should add, quick research revealed that some US states are not so gay friendly themselves:
Virginia, United Stats: Appears to use the sodomy law to target homosexuals. Recently among the sixteen states that toughened their marriage laws. These sixteen states, including Virginia, either prohibit same-sex marriage, strengthened pre-existing gay marriage bans and/or prohibit granting marriage-like benefits to same-sex couples in lieu of marriage such as those provided under Vermont's civil unions law.
Guess Virginia isn't for *all* lovers.
Related Stories:
· Level of Amenities is Rising [Sovo.com]
