Gay Travel United Kingdom

Chinese gay bars open, activism slowed during Olympics:

Fri, 22 Aug 2008 08:39:27 +0200

The first paragraph of the Aug. 9 entry on John Amaechi’s blog could have been written by any Olympic tourist guilty of staying up too late to take in the local culture.

“I had to wake up at 6 a.m. this morning, which was not fun considering I had been up until 3 a.m., watching the opening ceremony and hanging out at ‘Destination’ again,” he wrote. “I have to say that it got busy very late — I am officially too old for bars that close at 5 a.m.”

Only Amaechi isn’t just any tourist, and Destination isn’t just any bar. Last year, Amaechi made worldwide headlines when he became the first NBA player to come out as gay, three years after retiring from professional basketball. And Destination is the most popular, contemporary gay bar in Beijing, which some activists had fretted would face closure as the Chinese government tried to strictly manage the city’s image during the Olympic Games. Now, Amaechi, who once feared being ostracized in the sports world, is in Beijing to broadcast Olympic basketball games for the BBC. And the party at Destination continues, drawing a mix of Chinese citizens, ex-pats, and tourists.

“It is a sizeable club, very pleasant staff, which is not a given in every gay bar,” Amaechi told the Blade.

Amaechi noted a lack of racial diversity — “Not many black people about in Beijing outside of the athletes” — and a lack of dancing on weeknights, but otherwise found Destination to be similar to many high-end Western gay bars. Destination’s Edmund Yang confirmed that the club, which recently expanded from one floor to two, is open and thriving with the Olympics underway.

“So far we have seen more foreign visitors coming to Destination,” he said. “We had a large crowd on the dance floor on Aug. 9, Saturday. The highlight of the night was most of them singing along to the chorus of ‘YMCA’ when I played this oldie towards the end of my set.”

But while gay nightlife has continued in Beijing during the Olympics, Chinese activists acknowledge that the Games have impacted their work.
Source: http://www.washingtonblade.com

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Gay friendly Hotels in India:

Thu, 21 Aug 2008 10:56:46 +0200

If wondering in a conservative country like India, does the concept of Gay and Lesbian friendly hotels exists??? Don’t worry with the nation is developing on a fast pace and at least the urbane people of India have started accepting the broader way of thinking in life. The young generation of the country is also working towards getting equality and respect for the same sex relations.

Talking about the Gay and Lesbian friendly hotels in India, there are not just hotels, which warmly welcome you with an acceptance for the same sex relations, but also there are hotels that are owned and run by Gay and Lesbian population in India.

A few such hotels are Tharavadu Heritage home and Tharavadu house boat in Kumarakom in Kerela, Kamath Residency in Nagothane at Maharashtra, Hotel Ajanta, Hotel Orchid Gardens, Hotel Hyatt Regency in New Delhi, Umaid Bhavan, Umaid Mahal in Jaipur - Rajasthan. These all hotels are Gay and Lesbian friendly hotels. What’s more, there is a much larger list, which covers places like Jaisalmer in Rajasthan and Tamil Nadu. In fact, the Tiger Hotel Sarover Hotel in Udaipur, one of the numerous other Gay/Lesbian owned and run hotels, is an only Gay and Lesbian accommodation hotel! A few of these hotels also give 10% or more discounts on mentioning Gay journey, while making the bookings.

Thus, without giving a thought, you can book your flights for an Indian holiday with your Gay or Lesbian partner and have a wonderful time, with all the luxuries and adventure at your disposal… all the best!

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Most alcohol rehab programs have an aftercare program:

Thu, 14 Aug 2008 08:20:27 +0200

Gay and Lesbian Relapse Prevention Whether gay, lesbian or bisexual, it is important to follow a certain set of guidelines if you hope to remain drug and alcohol free. If you have completed a stay in an alcohol rehab then you should become involved in their aftercare program. Most alcohol rehab programs have an aftercare program that meets at least once a month.

Get ancient and enjoy the stories from history at Mumbai, the financial capital of India, with your Gay or Lesbian partner! Starting with a trip to adore the Indian art and culture depicting the Indian god that is Lord Siva’s Natraja and get lost in the beauty of stone carved Elephanta Caves.

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Gay Travel to The Magnificent Golden Triangle:

Tue, 12 Aug 2008 11:49:29 +0200

The Golden Triangle is one tour package that basks in consistent glory for being a particularly haunted travel circuit. The tour package is especially designed for the international tourists to give them a taste of the soul of North Indian culture and tradition and the exotic splendor of India’s rich heritage.
Easily the most famous of all tours in India - the Golden Triangle generally covers New Delhi, Agra and Jaipur by most of the Indian tour and travel agencies.

Delhi, the capital city of India, is divided into two parts, that is, old Delhi and New Delhi. The city has a great collection of ancient monuments with beautiful architecture, which depicts amazing art and culture. In Old and New Delhi one can see the example set for the developing nation. Where in old Delhi you can have a wonderful time savoring the kebabs and shopping for beautiful pieces of jewellery and embroidered clothes at the same time you can enjoy the fast paced metro life in New Delhi at Bars, Pubs and Discos.

From Delhi the triangle travel continues to Jaipur in Rajasthan the colorful state of India. Here one can enjoy the visit to lavish Palaces, enjoy shopping colorful cottons with bandhani prints, famous lac bangles and see the wonderful folk dances, and how can one ever miss the fabulous music by the Rajasthani people. The state also hosts the luxurious train that is Palace on Wheels for a pure palatial experience.

The journey from Jaipur continues to the city of love - Agra, where you can see the seventh wonder of the world - The Taj Mahal. The white monument is indeed a pure proof of love in the world. Here you can take the pledge of loving your Gay or Lesbian partner and strengthen your bond by gifting your love a souvenir of Taj Mahal to show the truthfulness of your love. With the foreground of the River Yamuna, Taj Mahal’s image in the river seems even more beautiful and serene on the full moon night. Its truly a once in lifetime experience to witness the spectacular Taj Mahal before your eyes, holding hand of your beloved gay/ lesbian partner and feeling peacefully lost in many long romantic moments…. aah.. the thought itself is so captivating.. ! So why kill time in anything else? Come to the Golden Triangle and assuredly get lost with your love in the city of love!

For gay and lesbian travel hotels and bars visit here http://www.gaypedia.com

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Weather fails to rain on Gay Pride parade:

Mon, 11 Aug 2008 06:18:28 +0200

More than 4,000 people were dancing in the streets of Belfast yesterday with protesters and bad weather failing to dampen the enthusiasm of Gay Pride revellers. A small crowd of demonstrators sang gospel songs as the colourful parade snaked its way through the city centre.

DUP MP Iris Robinson is on holiday, but her recent controversial remarks about gays were the focus of much attention at the parade.

One cheeky float (inset) manned by a troupe of drag queens was nicknamed ‘Iris, Wicked Witch Of The North’, complete with a colourful caricature of her head!

One woman carried a poster, with the message ‘Jesus Loves Everyone’, in response to Mrs Robinson describing homosexuality as “an abomination”.

Parade participants were led by drag queen Titti Von Tramp (right) and a posse of feather boa-wearing, bare chested men. The parade concluded with a Belfast Pride party at Custom House Square.

Source: http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/

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California’s top spots for gay travelers:

Tue, 15 Jul 2008 13:46:46 +0200

San Francisco, West Hollywood, Palm Springs and San Diego are among the top four favored California destinations for gay and lesbian travelers, according to a recent Travel Industry Association survey.

And with last week’s launch of same-sex marriages, the four are trumpeting (in some cases loudly) just how favored they are and how much they have to offer in terms of wedding rites, honeymoons and travel opportunities for the gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender communities.

In Los Angeles, West Hollywood’s marketing and visitors bureau says that community has the state’s largest gay and lesbian population and the largest Gay Pride festival on the West Coast, and includes LA’s most popular gay nightclubs and businesses — all great reasons, it says, to spend some honeymoon time there.

Source: http://seattletimes.nwsource.com

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Gays march with Pride in Indian cities:

Tue, 15 Jul 2008 13:27:45 +0200

In a first of its kind in India, a Gay Pride parade was held in three Indian cities on Sunday. Bangalore, Delhi and Kolkata saw hundreds of people embracing their identity and proudly proclaiming their sexuality through a celebration of colour and music.

Over 500 sexual minorities marched five km in Bangalore, asking for rights to exist and to repeal section 377 of the constitution, which criminalizes sexual minorities. Many of the people, most of them from the lesbian and gay community, as well as transgender, came out most proudly with a host of supporters looking on.

For transgender like Chandni, the march was an opportunity to tell the world and her family, that she was proud of her sexual identity.

Chandni struggled for over 15 years with her identity till she changed her gender. A job with an NGO that works with transgenders helped her professionally and financially. She set up home in one of Bangalore’s best-known residential areas.

With an adopted daughter to raise, Chandni says she wants to make sure others like her get a chance at life.

”Nobody accepted me. My family asked me to leave. There were a lot of expectations as I was their only son but I decided I would only be happy if I face my fear. Now I have a daughter and I am happy and here to create awareness about people like me,” said chandani, participant.

It was not just sexual minorities that turned up at the parade. There were those who came just to show support. ”We are here to create a noise for something we believe in,” sad Pallavi Chander, theatre personality. ”It’s a celebration and people like us are out to create awareness,” said Ekta Mittal, theatre personality.

It may have been a celebration but what Bangalore’s first queer pride march has achieved is enormous, an awareness about sexual minorities which was earlier missing in the city.

source: http://www.ndtv.com

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