Tag Archives: LGBT

April 4, 2018 · 10:00 am

A Queens’ Museum in Great Britain

QueenEngland

There is more than one Queen in England.

And soon their histories will find national representation.

Queer Britain is working to establish the UK’s first national LGBTQ+ museum.  With an anticipated opening in 2021, the brick- and-mortar museum will host permanent and temporary exhibits, with an innovative digital presence.  It will feature objects and records from the worlds of art, fashion, film, literature, TV, theatre, news, music, diaries, letters, photographs and legal records.

According to London Mayor Sadiq Kahn, “As Mayor, it’s so important to me that London is seen as a city where LGBTQ+ people feel valued, happy and safe – this sends a clear message to the world that London is a beacon of diversity.”

Queer Britain hopes its museum extends beyond celebrating  modern-day gay London and creates historical context.   As its website further explains, “Many young people now have a strong sense of freedom about identity, but not how these were formed or the lives of those who came before them. A healthy plant needs deep roots.”

For more information, visit QueerBritain.org.uk.

QueerBritainIMAGES COURTESY OF BISHOPSGATE INSTITUTE / (CC) LSE / NAPOLEON SARONY / JANE MCCORMICK SMITH / BEX WADE / ROBERT TAYLOR (via Queer Britain)

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December 21, 2012 · 1:19 pm

The Week in Travel (12/21/12)

The world of travel moves fast!   Let’s keep up–together.   On Fridays,  Traveling IQ curates the highlights from the past week:

SantaClausthroughsecurity

Has Santa been naughty or nice?

*Need a little help getting into the Holiday spirit?  Tour the most Christmassy places on the planet (via CNN) and follow Mr. Claus around the world (via CNN).

*Oh New Year’s Eve, how you force unattainable expectations!  This year, visit a spot worthy of welcoming 2013. (via CNN).

*Gay marriage has a new Caribbean destination.  The tiny island of Saba, located in the Dutch Caribbean, has legalized gay and lesbian marriage (via Passport Magazine).

*Tourists are not flocking to war-torn Gaza, but if they could, they would discover ancient archeological ruins and Mediterranean coastlines.  Michael Luongo offers a glimpse into what tourism in the region could be (via Huffington Post).

*Skiing is a seasonal sport for most.  Surprise, it’s always winter(y) somewhere.  Ski bums can spend all year on the slopes (via NY Times).

*Our vacation photos had a stressful week.  On Monday, Instascamgram announced it had the right to sell your photos (via CNET) before assuring us it didn’t (via CNET).  Confused and betrayed, photographers started dating new photo sharing apps, or at least embarking on open relationships (via Huffington Post).

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

(Photo via CNN)

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November 9, 2012 · 11:32 am

The Week in Travel (10/9/12)

The world of travel moves fast!   Let’s keep up–together.   On Fridays,  Traveling IQ curates the highlights from the past week:

*It was a good political week for gay destination weddings.  In the United States, voters made history by endorsing gay marriage–for the first time by popular vote–in Maine, Maryland and Washington state, and rejecting a ballot measure that would have enshrined anti-gay marriage law in the Minnesota constitution (via Huffington Post).  In Europe, Spain’s highest court upheld their law legalizing same-sex marriage, and the French Cabinet pushed ahead a bill that could see gay marriage legalized by next year.  (via Bloomberg)

*Will Puerto Rico become the 51st U.S. State?  Well, it’s complicated.  (via Miami Herald)

*Sri Lanka tops travel list for 2013.  (via Lonely Planet)

*Snacking on a cannoli on the Spanish Steps… Fuhgeddaboudit!  Rome is cracking down on public eating and drinking at historic sites.  (via New York Times)

*157 million (North, Central and South) Americans traveled to Europe last year, with London being the most popular destination.  See how your favorite city stacks up.  (via European Parliament News)

*Want to go fruit picking in Sweden?  Take the elevator.  A vertical farming building, currently in construction, will move plants on tracks from top to bottom floors to take advantage of sunlight and make harvesting easier.  (via Wall Street Journal)

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

(Photo by Ted S. Warren/AP, via Seattle PI)

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September 25, 2012 · 2:00 pm

NYC Celebrates Furry octoBEARfeast

Photo: Dick Mitchell, Model: Gio Photo: Dick Mitchell,  Model: Gio

Before winter hibernation, New York City bears are having a ball, and you’re invited to flaunt your PETA-approved fur for a good cause.   For the first time, the city’s LGBT Community Center (commonly called “the Center”) is expanding their popular gay bear dance party, Fur Ball, into octoBEARfest:  “a week-long celebration of everything furry.”

The Fuzzy Wuzzy festivities kick off with sustenance.  On Monday, October 1, the boys will celebrate Bear-BQ at Bone Lick Park restaurant with $3 shots and drafts, $3.50 margaritas, and 35¢ wings.  Tuesday brings the Bears & Beers fundraising dinner, with unlimited food and drinks and optional VIP bourbon tasting, at 508 Gastrobrewery.

To help you find the perfect napping partner after all that food, the Center will host Bear Bating on Thursday, October 4, a speed-dating event for bears and their admirers; and then the big daddy event of the week, Fur Ball on Saturday, October 6.

Headlined by DJ Corey Craig,  Fur Ball’s estimated  900 guests will take over every floor of the Center, with two dance floors, go-go-bears, and an outdoor garden.  And more importantly, all proceeds benefit the Center, whose programs range from hosting arts and entertainment events, advocacy groups and family gatherings, to offering youth, recovery and wellness programs.

So let your hair down, wear your God-given fur out, and celebrate for a Grrrrrrreat cause.

Visit the Center’s octoBEARfest website for tickets and additional information.

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September 21, 2012 · 1:12 pm

The Week in Travel (9/21/12)

The world of travel moves fast!   Let’s keep up–together.   On Fridays,  Traveling IQ curates the highlights from the past week:

San Francisco  (Photo by Jeremy Brooks/Flickr)

*What’s the best place to wear skinny jeans, thick-rimmed glasses and a precisely-trimmed messy beard? Sorry Williamsburg, but the Silver Lake neighborhood of Los Angeles has been named “America’s Best Hipster Neighborhood.”  (via Forbes)

*Your mama taught you to look both ways before crossing the street.  Now, just in case you are too busy texting, New York City streets are going to remind you.  (via NY Daily News)

*What apps do you need to enhance your next trip?  Travel bloggers extraordinaire Carlos Melia and Matt Long break down the best travel apps to download.  (via dot 429  & Landlopers)

*Too many options can make traveling just as confusing as too few.  In New York City, where gay and lesbian visitors are welcomed at most hotels, start your search with one of  “The 51 Gayest Hotels in NYC.”  (via ManAboutWorld)

*To ban cock rings or not to ban cock rings–that is the San Francisco question:
Whether ’tis nobler in the Castro to suffer
The studs and straps of outrageous penile adornment
Or to make legislation against the naked troubles
And by opposing end them.  (via The Huffington Post)

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

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August 24, 2012 · 10:03 am

The Week in Travel (8/24/12)

The world of travel moves fast!   Let’s keep up–together.   On Fridays,  Traveling IQ curates the highlights from the past week:

Ruff Life

*New York City’s High Line, the park built atop an old elevated railway, has completely transformed the West Side of Manhattan, and not everyone is happy about it.  (via NY Times)

*Uganda, the African country known for its horrific “Kill the Gays Bill” that seeks to punish homosexuality with a death sentence, held its first ever gay pride parade with nearly a hundred people.   (via The New Yorker)

*Suffering from constipation during your travels?  Chew gum.  Nauseous?  Eat ginger.  (via NY Times)

*Run, fetch, poop, sleep:  It’s a dog’s life!  Fido deserves a vacation too.  (via Out Traveler)

*Stay ahead of the curve–quite literally–at this year’s best up-and-coming hotels.  (via Travel & Leisure)

*Americans eager to travel to Cuba may have to wait a little longer as the U.S. puts the breaks on “people to people” licenses.  (via USA Today)

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

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July 17, 2012 · 7:00 am

Amsterdam’s Milkshake Festival

Amsterdam’s Milkshake is bringing all the boys and girls to the Westerpark yard on Sunday, July 22.

Under the tag line, “For boys who love girls who love girls who love boys who love boys…” the inaugural Milkshake Festival will present five stages, featuring music, dancing, performance art, and an all-out celebration of Amsterdam’s liberal character.

As stated on their website, the outdoor festival will promote a strict “Free Love & Tolerance” policy, inviting everyone to be themselves:  “Life is a party thanks to the great diversity of skin colors, religions, sexual preferences and male and female forms… Thick, thin, small, large, gay, straight, trans, travo, black or white: people are the salt of the earth and this is what we celebrate!”

So check your attitude at the gate, and take a big gulp of Amsterdam’s thick, frothy, all-welcoming blend.  Confused?  Don’t worry, they can teach you, but they’ll have to charge… an entrance fee of 32.50 euros (about $40).

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July 11, 2012 · 11:31 am

A Lisbon Beach Day

…he’s waiting just outside of Lisbon

With summer temperatures rising, visitors to Lisbon are finding it a little easier to enjoy a day on the beach. Though accessible by public transportation, planning the journey—especially for a tourist—can be daunting. Relax. Forget the bus to the train to the tram to the… With prices starting at 35 euros (about $43), your personal, gay tour guide from Lisbon Beach will pick you up at your hotel in a private car, drive you to the beach of your choice (from family-friendly to “We-are-family” friendly), and pick you up when you’re done. He can also coordinate a picnic, beach umbrellas and help you sort through the nightlife options available later.

The most popular gay beach, known as Beach 19 or Praia 19, sits on the Costa da Caparica, about a 30-minute drive out of the city center, and a world away from the bustling capital.  Part of a nature reserve, the area contains an expansive, sandy beach  along the ocean and more remote sand dunes sometimes used to cruise for new acquaintances.   As it is a nudist beach, your suit is optional.

Should you choose to make a fashionable impression, the new men’s boutique UP! town Lisboa has you covered. Opened this Spring in the trendy Bairro Alto neighborhood,  life/business partners Jacob and Bruno have turned an old bookstore into a shopping destination. With a combination of local, European and American brands such as ES Collection, Havana & Co., Ganesh and Ajaxx63, UP! town Lisboa carries  sexy bathing suits and stylish casual wear for fashion-minded gentlemen.

So enjoy all the sights, culture and history of Portugal’s capital… and then enjoy a beautiful beach break from it all.

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June 13, 2012 · 9:11 am

IQ on Proud FM: Lisbon, Portugal

Lisbon, Portugal

Ivan Quintanilla is the featured travel expert on Toronto’s Proud FM Radio “Your Morning With Richard & Chris.”

Click on the link below to hear Ivan and the boys talk about gay travel to Lisbon, Portugal:

Ivan on Proud FM-Lisbon-Portugal

*Learn more about Lisbon on the city’s tourism website at  VisitLisboa.com
*Stay up-to-date on the gay scene by visiting  LisbonBeach.com

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June 6, 2012 · 9:00 am

Lords Pops Big Apple

Lords South Beach celebrates NY Pride, polar bear and all

The Lords South Beach is making a colorful splash on New York’s Lower East Side this gay pride.  From June 18-24, Miami’s gay boutique hotel will invade the Hotel on Rivington, creating New York City’s first ever Pride pop-up hotel:  Lords New York.

And pop it will.  The Lords New York will feature a hot pink lobby, a New York version of the Lords South Beach beloved polar bear sculpture, and pop art portraits of Elizabeth Taylor (who watches over guests in every room of the Miami property).

The Lords New York is also bringing the party up north.  The Lords Penthouse series will occupy the Owner’s Suite of the Hotel on Rivington to host “Proud to Party”–a fetish beach party–with DJ Vito Fun on Friday, June 22.  The next morning, the hotel joins OUT Magazine in hosting the “Proud to be Creative” brunch at the hotel’s CO-OP restaurant with food, drink, music, and a special art installation.

The Lords New York at the Hotel on Rivington LGBT Pride Package Includes:

  • 15% Savings off the Best Available Rates
  • Exclusive access to the “Proud to Party” event on Fri., June 22nd
  • 2 welcome cocktails in CO-OP Food & Drink
  • Lords New York welcome gift bag
  • Priority reservations to the “Proud to be Creative” Brunch on Sat., June 23rd

Want to make more of an impact on our community?   Put your money where your pride is.  The Lords is introducing a New York version of its “Rooms that Matter” program.  Upon check-in, guests can choose to donate $10 to either the Aqua Foundation or Hetrick-Martin Institute. Last year, a similar Lords South Beach program raised over $10,000 for designated LGBT charities.

For more information on all the events or to book your reservation, visit LordsNY.com.

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