More than 1,000 pairs of thick, meaty, man legs from around the world will be tackling, sweating and piling on each other for three days when Manchester, England hosts the Bingham Cup, the world championship of gay and inclusive rugby teams.

The Bingham Cup is a biennial event awarded by the International Gay Rugby Association and Board, and named after September 11 hero and gay rugby player, Mark Bingham, who died on United Airlines Flight 93.

From June 1 to 3, Manchester will host more than 30 rugby teams from 15 countries competing to topple the current champions, New York’s Gotham Knights, who defeated the previously twice-crowned Sydney Convicts at the 2010 tournament in Minneapolis.

It is particularly poignant that Gotham Knights was founded by Scott Glaessgen and Mark Bingham, who prior to his untimely death was a part-time New York City resident and business owner.  A personal note from Alice Hoagland, Mark’s mom, posted on the Facebook page of the Manchester Bingham Cup states: “You know, the Bingham Cup really is a special event for me. The fact you chose to name the tournament in Mark’s memory makes me very proud. What touches me most, though, is the spirit that it evokes and an idea which was close to Mark’s heart – that anyone, regardless of who they are, can grab a ball and a jersey and run onto a rugby pitch.”

Alice will be attending the 6^th Bingham Cup in Manchester, as she has every Bingham Cup since the first tournament was held in San Francisco in 2002.

For more information about the tournament visit BinghamCup.com

For more information about the host city check out VisitManchester.com and its LGBT-specific section.

Room Service Fitness

*Hilton Hotels are working it out.    Guests at the Hilton McLean Tysons Corner and the Hilton San Francisco Union Square will now have the option of staying in a Yoga Room or Cardio Room, each with a king bed and all the equipment needed for your workout routine.  (via USA Today)

*Enjoy the silence because flying is about to get louder.  By the end of the year, Virgin Atlantic will start offering mobile phone access in the air. (via Wired)

*High Dining, Adored!  This summer, New Yorkers will find more intimate dining settings on rooftops and upstairs decks throughout the city. (via New York Times)

*Gay Marriage in the Caribbean?  The government in Trinidad and Tobago is considering whether or not it wants to approve gay and lesbian marriage and will soon announce its decision. (via Passport Magazine)

*The Southwestern United States will see the sun’s annulus.  This Sunday afternoon, an annular solar eclipse will block most of the sun’s disc.  A few National Parks will be offering spectacular views.   (via ABC News)

What did I miss?  Share your favorite travel news in the comments below or by posting on the Traveling IQ Facebook page.

(Photo courtesy of My Bizarre World)

The Sailors are coming to town and this year—for the first time ever—they can be openly gay.

From May 23 to 30, thousands of men and women serving on U.S. Navy and U.S. Coastguard ships will debark onto the streets of Manhattan for the annual Fleet Week New York.   According to the event’s website “Fleet Week New York is the City’s celebration of the sea services… [providing] an opportunity for the citizens of New York City and the surrounding Tri-State area to meet Sailors, Marines and Coast Guardsmen, as well as witness first hand the latest capabilities of today’s Navy, Marine Corps and Coast Guard Team.”

This year will also mark the first Fleet Week since the repeal of Don’t Ask Don’t Tell, the U.S. policy that kept gay and lesbian troops from serving openly in the military until September 20, 2011.

To help celebrate, THE OUT NYC, the city’s first gay urban resort, is unveiling its Served with Pride package for any guest with a valid military ID.  This package will continue indefinitely, offering our service men and women:

• 30% off the best available rate
• Complimentary Served with Pride t-shirt or tank top
• Complimentary Wi-Fi
• Complimentary continental breakfast

So let’s welcome our troops to fully–and openly–explore New York City this Fleet Week.

Brooklyn’s Like Buttah

*Berlin’s new airport is grounded!  The opening date for the highly anticipated Berlin-Brandenburg International Airport (BER)  has been pushed from June 3 to an “after the summer break” undetermined date. (via USA Today)

*Hungover in Vegas? The “Hangover Heaven” bus will have you feeling better and back to the bar in no time.  On the bus, treatment can take less than an hour for a $90 basic IV of saline solution, B vitamins and vitamin C. A premium package, $150, includes two bags. (via Miami Herald)

*Pay your taxes or stay home.  A  measure approved by the U.S. Senate  authorizes the State Department, as instructed by the IRS, to take the passport of any American citizen with a back tax debt of more than $50,000.  The bill is still required to pass the House and the President, before it can become law.  (via San Francisco Chronicle)

*Klout & Cathay Pacific partner.  A Klout score of 40 or higher now grants you entrance to the Cathay Pacific First and Business Class Lounge at San Francisco Airport.  (via Code Nast Traveler)

*Brooklyn people are the luckiest people in the world:  Barbra Streisand will perform in her native borough for the first time evah! …at the Barclays Center on October 11. (via AOL.com)

What did I miss?  Share your favorite travel news in the comments below or by posting on the Traveling IQ Facebook page.

(Photo courtesy of AOL)

Photo courtesy of Hash, Marihuana & Hemp Museum, Amsterdam

The world of travel moves fast!  Let’s keep up, together.  Today, Traveling IQ launches the first installment of “The Week in Travel” series, featuring noteworthy travel stories from the past week:

*LGA is the bottom!  Sorry New York, but La Guardia has been ranked “America’s Worst Airport” by Travel & Leisure readers.  Minneapolis-St. Paul (MSP) has been crowned the top. (via Travel & Leisure)

*Dude, where’s my Amsterdam?  A Dutch court has upheld the ban on selling marijuana to tourists.  The proposed members-only “weed pass”, which limits the sale of marijuana to Dutch residents over age 18, is potentially rolling out  Jan. 1, 2013. (via USA Today)

*The ship of dreams (again?!).  Let’s hope history doesn’t repeat itself:  An Australian billionaire is planning to build a modern-day replica of the Titanic.  The maiden voyage is being planned for 2016 and will follow the same route as the original, from England to New York.  (via USA Today)

*In gay news, the NYC Pier Dance is moving indoors.  One of the most popular New York City Pride events, the Dance on the Pier, which has traditionally been held outdoors on Pier 54 is moving to the covered Pier 57.  Pier 54 has been deemed structurally unsound.  (via Next Magazine)

*In China, it really is a small world after all.  Now, you can walk from Britain to Spain and never leave Shanghai, where themed housing developments  are replicating famous cities from around the world.  (via Weird Asia News)

What did I miss?  Share your favorite travel news in the comments below or by posting on the Traveling IQ Facebook page.

OK, this post is way overdue.  I was extremely honored in March to receive the “Awesome Blog Content” award from Mark, the Mancunian blogger of the vibes, with whom I share a love of cats, travel, photography and the Kinsey scale, among many other things.   Mark lives in the Northern Quarter of Manchester, England–a city that I’m dying to visit–and gives great blog.

Now to accept this award, the rules mandate that I describe myself or my blog using every letter of the alphabet and pass on the award to six fellow bloggers–easier said than done considering all the fantastic blogs I read and all the letters that compose the English alphabet.  But I could not let his opportunity pass without 1) thanking Mark and 2) paying this award forward to a few of the fabulous people that touch my world-wide-webbed world. So here we go, the following is a bit stream of consciousness… some words are adjectives, some nouns, etc., but they all describe me, or the me I tell myself I am, or Traveling IQ or what it strives to be… or they are things I just really like… such as margaritas… I really like margaritas… they are like limeade with a built-in self esteem booster.

Actor, Boozy, Cuban, Disorganized, Espirituano, Flirty, Gluttonous, Heretic, Intrigued, Jaunty, Kooky, Loud, Margarita, Nincompoop, Optimist, Procrastinator, Qualitative, Rambunctious, Sun-worshiper, Titillated,  Understanding, Vodka, W(o)(a)ndering, XXX, Yearning, Zippy.

And now for my favorite part of this project.  Six really cool people (in no particular order) who I hope will intrigue you as much as they have me over the last few years:

*EdSalvato.com:  Ed Salvato has, as stated on his website, “spent the last 14 years in the world of LGBT travel and tourism on just every angle you can imagine: editorial, marketing, communications, product development, sponsorships, events and more.”  The man juggles multiple gay travel balls better than anyone I know (insert joke here).  He was one of the first editors that ever published my work and he’s one of the best, most professional communicators I’ve encountered in this crazy business.

*Carlos Melia Blog: Carlos Melia is pure travel porn, in every possible way.  Not only is he extremely handsome and features prominently in many of his pictures, but this former Mr. Gay International (no joke!) is also constantly traveling to–and tirelessly posting from–the most fabulous destinations imaginable.    The man is a traveling machine.  Though it’s difficult not to envy his life at times (and his Mr. Gayness), I greatly admire his incredible work ethic (and, oh yeah, his Mr. Gayness too).

*The Butterfly Jar:  This Tumblr blog  highlights the versatile and beautiful work of NY-based photographer Chasi Annexy.  Chasi is a kick ass photographer of people, travel, lifestyle, performance and all-around awesomeness (her official website is chasiannexyphotography.com).  As the photographer of Salseek.com she captures the beauty, sexiness and flair of salsa dancers; as a travel and documentary photographer she manages to create infinitely intriguing photos of people in both exceptional and mundane settings.  I’ve also been fortunate to take a writing class with Chasi and can tell you 1) she’s a fantastic writer and 2) her hips don’t lie… even when visiting a tea garden outside of Darjeeling.

*Voyage Addicted: Or “Adiccion a Viajar” is the travel blog of Jose Ferri of Valencia, Spain.  Jose works with Valencia Guias and was the fabulous guide who took me on the walking tour of Centro Historico that I describe in my Washington Post article.  He also, in a short time, became a great new friend and took it upon himself to show me a Valencia that I would’ve never found on my own.  He writes  about his fantastic travels and not only allows me to discover beautiful new places but also forces me to practice my Spanish.

*PhotoBotos.com:   Created by brothers Charlie and Tom, this photography website uploads a new image daily with a detailed description.  Photographers will appreciate all the technical jargon; I love the beautiful pictures.  I first discovered this site when they posted “Go Your Own Road” by Swedish photographer Erik Johansson, and have been hooked ever since.

*Humans of New York:  According to the website, “Humans of New York began as one man’s effort to construct a photographic census of the city of New York.”  And boy do we have some colorful characters in NYC!  This site captures New Yorkers from all walks of life and is a constant reminder of just how special this city truly is.  Brandon’s captions are also witty, funny, and offer an insightful glimpse into the people that make New York… well, New York.  If you like the photographs, I suggest “liking” the Facebook page as he posts photos even more frequently on Facebook.

(And while we’re on the subject of Facebook, I would be forever grateful if you visited Traveling IQ on Facebook and perhaps “liked” me too.  Thank you!)

Winter Party

“Now this is the winter outfit I’ve been waiting to wear all season,” said my new friend Richard as he strutted onto the pool deck of Miami Beach’s Surfcomber Hotel. He wore short shorts and a naked torso, accessorized by a pearly white smile.  “I have friends who go skiing every year, and I say ‘No thank you!’ My way of celebrating winter is to get as far away from it as I possibly can.”  And so every year, he and a group of friends from Chicago trade their winter coats for… well, as little as possible.

With an average temperature of 76°, Miami has been officially inviting the gay community and its friends to celebrate winter under the hot Florida sun for nineteen years.  Yet from its inception, the goals of the aptly named Winter Party have extended beyond a good time…

Read the full article on TravelSquire.com

Photos by Juan Saco Mironoff

Life Ball

One of the most extravagant fundraisers in the world and Europe’s biggest HIV/AIDS benefit, the Life Ball shakes up the Viennese ball tradition, adds a modern twist, and serves an incomparable cocktail of glamor, fantasy, and philanthropy.  Equal parts theatrical performance, fashion show, red carpet event, educational forum and celebration of life, the full fabulousness of Life Ball explodes onto Vienna on May 19, celebrating the event’s 20^th Anniversary.

Last year’s event raised a record 1.9 million Euros for HIV/AIDS relief projects worldwide and assembled a group of international spokespersons including President Bill Clinton, Janet Jackson, Brooke Shields, Elton John and Donatella Versace, alongside Austrian political leaders.

Under this year’s slogan, “Fight the Flames of Ignorance,” the two-hour opening celebration and fashion show will feature hundreds of performers and attract more than 40,000 people in extravagant fire-themed costumes on Vienna’s City Hall Square.  This ain’t your typical Halloween parade. Much time, money, skill and creativity go into each of these designs.  To give you an idea, Steele Luxury Travel, the exclusive USA-based tour operator for the Life Ball, hires a designer to take individual’s measurements and create costumes for its entire group.

2011 Fashion Show by Dsquared2

Once the opening festivities are completed outside, the 3,780 lucky ticket holders head into the historic City Hall for the actual event, dressed in full costume or black tie.  “Once you go inside there are rooms upon rooms of DJs and performances,” says Dane Steele of Steele Luxury Travel.  “You’ll see Amanda Lepore in one room and Katie Perry performing in another room, and about 40 different DJs from all over the world.  You think you’ve seen it all, and then you step into another room and have a completely different experience.  There’s nothing like it in the world.”  Steele’s website goes on to describe the Life Ball as a “phantasmagoria of light and sound, music and dance.”

And most importantly, the glitz and glamor is fabulous for a purpose.   Over the last nineteen years, the Life Ball has raised over 17 million Euros and is currently supporting AIDS projects in 35 countries.

For more information visit LifeBall.org.

To book a travel package visit SteeleTravel.com.

Life Ball must truly be seen to be believed, catch a glimpse of last year’s event in the video below:

Photos: © Life Ball

The weekend is packed with block parties, dance parties and pool parties as only Miami can offer.  For all events and information visit MiamiBeachGayPride.com

And to get you in the mood, here’s a photo tour of last year’s festivities:

New York’s Museum of Arts and Design (MAD) is once again celebrating the marriage of visual art and dance with the 2^nd season of “Dance Under the Influence.”

MAD explores the point at which craftsmanship, art and design intersect in the visual arts today.  Now, “Dance Under the Influence” is highlighting the artistry behind movement.

“MAD is a very hands-on museum. One reason why it wanted to do this series is because I would be presenting real live dancers and choreographers, who would be able to explain their process after the performance,” explains Valerie Gladstone, guest-curator of the series.

This season’s audiences can expect a diverse program including flamenco, tap, ballet, Indian classical dance, and postmodern contemporary dance—each with post-performance discussions.

Get your tickets early: this season’s first installment sold out both nights.  The next “Dance Under the Influence” performance on March 30 and 31 at 7:30pm will feature Ailey II, Jonah Bokaer, Holley Farmer, Jared Grimes and Dormeshia Sumbry-Edwards, among others. Tickets are $20 ($12 for MAD members and students).

For more information and to purchase tickets visit madmuseum.org

(Image courtesy of Stephen Petronio, photographed by Sarah Silver)