Gay-rights activists boycott Utah resorts

Because of the Mormon Church's influence of the California vote on Proposition 8, gay-rights activists are advocating boycotting both the ski resorts, and the Sundance Film Festival. Apparently, the Mormon Church encouraged its members to work to pass California's Proposition 8 by volunteering their time and money for the campaign. As a result, thousands of  dedicated and homophobic Mormons worked as grassroots volunteers, while donating millions of dollars to the campaign. See Gay-rights activists boycott Utah resorts
Examiner.com -

Iran's gay exiles seek help in Turkey

ISTANBUL - Gays, lesbians and transsexuals suffer discrimination throughout the world, but in Iran, the difficulties are compounded by the government’s denial of their very existence.

"There are no gays in Iran" was the statement made in New York last year by the Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmedinejad in response to a question on the difficulties gays faced in Iran. It was met with incredulous smiles from the American audience he was addressing, but certainly could not have been more hurtful to the gays of his country.

Aside from negative social reactions toward people who are gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender, or LGBT, the Islamic government of Iran recognizes homosexual intercourse as a "crime," penalized, at worst with the death penalty, at best a whipping.

This is why Iranian LGBTs, like many other oppressed groups, are looking for ways to flee their home country and many use Turkey as a temporary stop, until their asylum applications elsewhere are approved.

Arsham Parsi, an Iranian gay rights activist and founder of the Canada-based organization "Iranian Queer Railroad," tries to help asylum-seeking Iranian LGBTs during the lengthy and often painful asylum process. As he was a refugee himself in the past, Parsi knows personally the difficulties Iranian homosexuals endure while trying to escape, having experienced it first hand on his own "trip" from Iran to Canada, through Turkey.  See Iran’s gay exiles seek help in Turkey
Hürriyet, Turkey

Gay Tour Operator Announces Launch Of Lgbt Family Tours

Canadian based OUT Adventures today announced 8 new Family trips which are dedicated to LGBT parents with children above the age of 6. Trips will operate in Thailand, Vietnam, India, China, South Africa, Spain and Italy with a maximum of 14 passengers per departure.

“We recognized that LGBT parents are very interested in introducing their children to new cultures around the world,” says Co-Founder Robert Sharp.

Robert’s partner and Co-Founder Steven Larkin adds “As well, we really wanted to offer gay and lesbian parents affordable travel options outside of traditional resort or cruise packages.”

OUT Adventures will operate 14 Family departures closed to LGBT parents. Trips are tailored to meet the needs of families with children and begin at $1015 USD for a 14 day trip to Thailand including a visit to an Elephant conservation park. All trips will have a strong focus on responsible travel by using locally owned hotels, restaurants and also interaction with local communities, both LGBT and mainstream.

The company is also leading this niche market by operating in a manner that contributes to the well being of the planet – from using green power in the OUT Adventures head office to including carbon emission off-setting in the cost of approximately 15% of its trips in its first year and in all trips by 2010.

In order to provide the best itineraries at the most affordable prices, OUT Adventures has partnered with one of the world’s leading adventure tour operators, Intrepid Travel which will allow OUT to contract with a global network of destination management companies under the Intrepid brand.

Trips are available directly through the OUT Adventures website at www.out-adventures.com and travel agents worldwide.

For more information please contact Robert Sharp at robert ( @ ) out-adventures dot com or 416 dot 583 dot 2680 dot

About OUT Adventures Inc.
Toronto, Canada based OUT Adventures was founded by partners Steven Larkin and Robert Sharp and provides affordable and eco-friendly small group adventures to the LGBT community with over 35 worldwide destinations. OUT Adventures is a proud member of the International Gay & Lesbian Travel Association and the Travel Industry Council of Ontario. Visit www.out-adventures.com for more information and a complete product offering or join the OUT Adventures Facebook group at http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=38662329761.

Portugal's Sapphic Secret

If Paris is a woman, Lisbon should be a lesbian. It is a city with steep hills that demand sensible shoes, a city where the greatest fado singers are strong, sultry women and whose complex weave of traditional and cutting edge inspires endless processing. And then, of course, there's that name.

So forgive the place if its scenes of dyke life are not so easily stumbled upon. While gay boys have a lineup of at least six nightspots to call their own, Lisbon has no exclusively lesbian bars or clubs. In the streets you'll spot no hand-holding girls (or boys, for that matter) thanks to a lingering old-world culture. But what you will find are Lisboans with a warm and accepting attitude plus a smattering of mixed hangouts worth seeking out. The quiet area off Avenida da Liberdade is home to one, Os Tibetanos (Rua do Solitre 117, 011-21-314-2038)--a rare vegetarian restaurant (it's all about fish in this town) with a romantic back garden -- but most lesbian-friendly venues lie in the hip hoods of Bairro Alto and Principe Real.

Bairro Alto is set on a steep hillside, where peaks offer vistas of the Tagus River and coral roof–topped city skyline. The neighborhood is a romantic jumble of cobblestone roads and apartments with brightly tiled facades, a place where local kids kick around soccer balls and fresh laundry billows from balconies. Come nighttime, the volume cranks way up as eateries and bars pack in young partiers who spill onto the narrow streets, drinks in hand. While some girls join the hordes of gay men who have their first round of cocktails at Portas Largas (Rua Atalaia 105, 011-21-346-6379), most head to Primas (Rua Atalaia 144-146, 011-21-342-5925), a mellow, 20-year-old pub with Foosball and one-Euro beers that is owned by Spanish sisters Conchita and Prima Martinez. "We are both lesbians," says the affable Conchita. "I'm very proud of this."

Nearby is the incense filled, blue-lit cave called Purex (Rua dos Salgadeiras 28, 011-96-348-8641). And though it likes to call its crowd "mixed," various clues -- including a poster for a feminist art show and the gaggles of girls filing inside--indicate it's clearly another dyke favorite. (While in the hood, keep your eyes peeled for posters announcing occasional special events, or check lesboa.blogspot.com -- though it's in Portuguese--for updates.)

 See Portugal's Sapphic Secret
Gay Wired, CA

Leading Gay Holiday Company Signs Major Deal With Leading Gay Magazine!

Mantrav gets into bed with attitude!

Despite the current economic uncertainties two of the biggest names in the “Gay World” have joined up to enhance what they offer to the gay community

attitude magazine, the UK’s best selling gay magazine, and Mantrav International, the Leading Gay Travel Specialist, have announced their travel & media partnership for the next twelve months.

Mantrav International Group consists of a gay & lesbian travel agency, based near Gatwick and benefits from offices in the USA with associate agents in Australia, Ireland & the Netherlands. The company also boasts two gay resorts, Club Mancha 1 & 2 in Gran Canaria.

While much of the deal is tightly under wraps, it’s seen as much more than just an advertising contract. Mantrav International will be supplying several editorial pieces on the unique aspects of gay travel not only in the places known and loved by many gay men & lesbians but also more obscure and fantastic destinations in the Far East and Americas over the next 12 months. They will be assisting the attitude editorial staff with their planned features and also adding competitions on a regular basis, and that’s just to start with.

Andrew Jones, the Director of Marketing for Mantrav International Group said “We’re very excited to be working with such an amazing team at attitude; we want to show that gay businesses can not only work together but also produce results that benefit the entire gay community.” When asked about the current crises in financial markets and the recent closures of other gay travel agencies & operators he went on to say: “As I have said before it is a dire shame that Throb, Respect, Sensations & World Pride Travel have all gone out of business, but I hope this deal not only cements Mantrav’s future as the Leading Gay Travel Specialist but also shows our customers old and new that we are here to stay and we will continue to improve our services and do the best we can for the people who choose to use us.”

attitude recently launched its new look website www.attitude.co.uk which includes a facebook like community interaction, a shop and also a classifieds directory amongst many other aspects. Being added to the website soon will be a Travel section by Mantrav with their most popular destinations of Mykonos, Sitges Gran Canaria, Ibiza and also in January their new “Distinctive Collection” created for those travellers who want to indulge themselves on holiday at any cost! So attitude’s website visitors can have a look on what’s on offer and even book a holiday from the website.

One nice bonus to customers booking holidays with Mantrav in future is that they will be offered reduced subscription rates to attitude magazine, starting with a special offer fro 6 month subscription £9.99!

Visiting Gay Kansas City: Everything is Up-to-Date

Everything is indeed up to date in Kansas City, “the City of Fountains”. Actually there are more fountains in Kansas City than in any other city with the exception of Rome, Italy! Many of the Boulevards and Avenues are filled with water fountains and statues.

With a metro area population of nearly 2 million, Kansas City really has it all. From sports, arts, shopping, dining, partying and plenty of museums, everything you are looking for can be found in Kansas City.

Actually there are three parts of Kansas City: Kansas City, Missouri (the major city); Kansas City, Kansas across the State Line and to the south of Kansas City, Kansas lies Johnson County, Kansas, the affluent suburbs which is comprised of about 15 smaller cities.

The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art (below) is one of the finest art museums in the entire Midwest featuring a world class Chinese collection. The new Bloch building which adjoins the museum is filled with contemporary art and photography. See Visiting Gay Kansas City: Everything is Up-to-Date
Gayapolis

Church and state: The issue of Prop. 8

James Brosnahan

Sunday, November 9, 2008

Proposition 8 has passed, denying to some the right enjoyed by other citizens in California, the right to marry. Now, the central question for the courts to decide is: Are gays in California equal, or can members of certain churches declare them constitutionally inferior?

The approval of a constitutional ban on gay marriage raises troubling but age-old issues concerning the lines between religion and government. Before the founders of our country separated church and state, there were hundreds of years of turmoil caused by one religion dominating the government and using it against nonbelievers.

In the aftermath of Tuesday's vote, do gays and lesbians in California have a reason to believe that they have been abused, discriminated against and relegated to a separate-but-equal status?

Yes, and that's why this fight is far from over. There will be a challenge under the U.S. Constitution. In the 1960s, the U.S. Supreme Court struck down a California constitutional amendment that limited fair housing on the grounds that prejudice could not be put into a state Constitution.

No one can forecast the outcome of this next fight, but there is bound to be some fallout that may harm those religions that so vehemently insisted that their beliefs be placed in the California Constitution. All religions require tolerance to flourish, but in Proposition 8 some religious groups aimed at and wounded gay people in California.

The drafters of the U.S. Constitution had a brilliant, experienced view concerning the importance of drawing the lines to protect religion on the one hand and civil government on the other. They put those lines in the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. Today, those lines are very relevant.

Government may not attack religion. Californians who have religious beliefs concerning the proper scope of marriage may exercise those rights as they see fit. Churches have always been able to proceed as they wish concerning marriage ceremonies. There was no mandate to suppress religious beliefs. This should be obvious to everyone in California because of our tolerance of all religions.

That the supporters of Proposition 8 were motivated by religious beliefs cannot be denied. Now the religious beliefs of some Californians are in our Constitution and, until overturned, govern us all whether we like it or not.

The other branch of the First Amendment is equally important. The state may not establish a religion. The state may not take principles of religious belief from a religion, any religion, and establish it as the law applicable to all. This line establishing the double branch of protection of religion on the one hand and no establishment on the other was arrived at after hundreds of years of turmoil.

Historically, marriage was used as a method of oppressing a despised group. These lessons of history are relevant to reflect on today. In Ireland, for 150 years, the penal laws provided that no Protestant could marry a Catholic.

Much more recent in the United States were the rules against marriage between a black person and a white person. These were struck down by the U.S. Supreme Court in the 1960s and the California Supreme Court in the 1940s. Using the civil marriage ceremony as a method of expressing governmental disdain toward a particular group is as old as the Sierra Nevada. It has been an assault on tolerance.

Finally, marriage is a fundamental right in constitutional analysis. There are very few things in life more important than the ability to choose one's partner. Marriage is not just a word; it is a status, a state of mind, a way of being. Look in any direction and you will see examples of the people's respect for the institution of marriage.

A large group of Californians has now been denied that fundamental institution. These folks are our neighbors, our friends, our colleagues and our relatives. The constitutional promise of this state is, as the California Supreme Court held, that they are equally protected in the enjoyment of rights by all Californians. But the voters have spoken.

Now it will be up to the courts to explain whether equality is real - or just an illusion. I would not wish to be the one to justify this vote to a gay woman going to Afghanistan in the military, to a gay police officer who risks everything so we may be safe or any of the other thousands of gays and lesbians in California who contribute so much to our culture, our advancement and our well being.

I cannot square this vote with my view that Californians are decent, accepting and tolerant. But I know that the gays and lesbians of California, like the oppressed Catholics of Ireland who lived under penal laws, will fight this visible, constitutional, embarrassing injustice until it is no more. And when that day comes, we will live in a better state.

James Brosnahan, author of the "Trial Handbook for California Lawyers," is a senior partner at the Morrison & Foerster law firm in San Francisco.

http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/11/09/INUV13V3I2.DTL

This article appeared on page G - 3 of the San Francisco Chronicle

See Church and state: The issue of Prop. 8

California Gay Marriage Ban Bad For Business

SAN FRANCISCO — A week before Election Day, Christopher Burnett's floral shop filled an order for one of the many same-sex weddings he has worked in the last five months: eight corsages, a dozen boutonnieres and two bouquets for the two brides, each with three dozen roses.

Now, Mr. Burnett said, since Tuesday's voter approval of Proposition 8, which amended the state's Constitution to recognize only marriages between men and women, that type of business is gone.

"I have done a gay wedding every week," he said. "And so it's very disheartening, because other business is very slow."

Even as opponents of the measure officially conceded defeat on Thursday, California business owners — particularly those in the marriage business — were trying to determine how many wedding cakes would now go unsold and how many tuxedos unrented.

Arturo Cobos, a manager at Kard Zone in the city's traditionally gay Castro neighborhood, said he had done "big sales" of same-sex wedding cards and other trinkets since marriages began in June, but had recently stopped stocking new goods.

"We were afraid that they would pass Proposition 8," Mr. Cobos said, "and that's exactly what happened."

In Palm Springs, another gay-friendly city, Mayor Steve Pougnet said he had performed 115 same-sex weddings since June, when such ceremonies began, some of which had as many as 180 guests. By contrast, this week the city has canceled eight planned ceremonies.

"That's a huge economic impact, which is gone in these difficult economic times," said Mr. Pougnet, who is openly gay and married his partner in September.

Another mayor, Gavin Newsom of San Francisco, was blunt.

"It's a great day for Massachusetts," Mr. Newsom said, referring to one of only two remaining states to allow same-sex marriage. The other, Connecticut, legalized such unions in October.

The approval of Proposition 8 comes even as the state is suffering through another bout of bad economic news. On Thursday, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, who opposed Proposition 8, in part on economic grounds, announced that the state's budget deficit had already swelled to $11.2 billion for the coming year, and called the Legislature back into session and proposed higher taxes to address the budget problems.

David Paisley, a San Francisco-based marketing executive with a specialty in gay tourism, said California had four of the nation's top 10 destinations for gay travelers: San Francisco, Palm Springs, Los Angeles and San Diego.

Mr. Paisley said that it was too early to speculate on the exact economic impact of Proposition 8, but that some public relations damage might have already been done.

"California has always been perceived on the vanguard of gay-friendly destinations," he said. "Well, when a ballot measure passes says it's not, it's terrible publicity for gay and lesbian tourism."

California Gay Marriage Ban Bad For Business

Prop. 8 foes concede defeat, vow to fight on

Opponents of Proposition 8, after taking a close look at the ballot totals from Tuesday's election, today conceded defeat in their effort to keep same-sex marriage legal in California.

The estimated 3 million votes yet to be counted across the state are not enough to close the 500,000-vote lead the "Yes" side holds with all California precincts reporting, officials from the No on 8 campaign said.

"While we think the margin will close, we are convinced we will not be able to overcome the small deficit we are in and that Proposition 8 will pass," Geoff Kors, executive director of Equality California, said in a telephone news conference this morning.

The measure, a constitutional amendment that bans same-sex marriage in the state, has received 52.5 percent of votes in favor to 47.5 percent of votes against it.

Kors and other opponents of the measure complained today about what they considered to be false statements and questionable tactics from Prop. 8 supporters.

They also predicted victory for the rights of same-sex couples in the future.

"That day is not today and it may not be tomorrow but I do not believe it is far off," said Kate Kendell, executive director of the National Center for Lesbian Rights.

Prop. 8 supporters won a surprisingly widespread victory Tuesday, winning almost everywhere in the state but in the Bay Area and a few other counties. Voters in Florida and Arizona also voted in favor of constitutional bans on same-sex marriage.

Prop. 8 Foes Throw In Towel

Noisy Prop. 8 protest snarls L.A. traffic

More than 2,000 people protesting California's new ban on gay marriage marched through streets Thursday, snarling afternoon rush-hour traffic on the west side as hundreds of police officers sought to contain them.

Two people were arrested after a confrontation between the crowd and an occupant of a pickup truck that had a banner supporting Proposition 8, the ballot measure that banned gay marriage. Seven arrests occurred during Los Angeles-area street marches late Wednesday.

Some spectators cheered from apartment balconies; one person threw eggs at the marchers.

The demonstration began at a Mormon temple complex in Westwood where marchers protested the church's support of Proposition 8, which won 52 percent support Tuesday for its definition of marriage as a heterosexual union. Gay marriage had only been allowed in California for a matter of months since a state Supreme Court decision earlier this year.

The march was noisy, with chants of "Separate church and state" and "What do we want? Equal rights." Some waved signs saying "No on H8" or "I didn't vote against your marriage," and many equated the issue with the civil rights struggle.

"I'm disappointed in the Californians who voted for this," said F. Damion Barela, 43, a Studio City resident who married his husband nearly five months ago. "I understand the African-American and Latino communities voted heavily in favor of Proposition 8. To them I say, shame on you because you should know what this feels like."

Brief violence erupted when marchers surrounded the pickup bearing a pro-Proposition 8 sign. Protesters ripped the sign, and an occupant of the vehicle got out and knocked down a protester. A demonstrator, Maurice Carriere, 27, of Studio City, ended up with a bloody nose in the fracas. He told police he didn't see the punch coming. Officers arrested two people and put them in a patrol car. It was not clear who they were.

The march initially focused on the Mormon temple because gay rights advocates claim the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints spent millions to air deceptive advertisements in support of Proposition 8, and the church should lose its tax-exempt status.

Noisy Prop. 8 protest snarls L.A. traffic

Unfortunate news has dimmed the exhilaration of this historic, life-changing election.

Unfortunate news has dimmed the exhilaration of this historic, life-changing election.

I am deeply disappointed to report anti-LGBT marriage bans passed in Florida and Arizona, and in Arkansas voters voted to bar all unmarried people, LGBT or straight, from adopting children or serving as foster parents.

Meanwhile media outlets have begun to report bad news for marriage equality in California. However, the Human Rights Campaign just participated in a conference call with our coalition partners and we firmly believe that all votes should be counted before calling the race. Several million votes in California have yet to be counted. Now is not the time to speculate on somebody's fundamental rights. So we are waiting to see the final results from those ballots and will be issuing a statement after the race has been called. Please stay tuned.

While this news certainly put a damper on such a historic election, we should celebrate the fact that our movement came together in an unprecedented way, and worked tirelessly to defeat these amendments, and millions voted with us yesterday.

It is indeed a bitter pill to swallow. But we cannot allow distorted facts or shallow tactics – the foundation on which our opponents built their campaigns – to break our spirits. We are on the right side of history – and we will continue this journey.

Let us not forget that we saw many glimmers of hope for LGBT equality across the country last night. We increased the ranks of pro-equality lawmakers in both the House and the Senate. Rep. Marilyn Musgrave (R-CO), ringleader of the campaign to write discrimination into the U.S. Constitution, was soundly defeated. Jared Polis (D-CO) became the first openly gay man ever to be elected to Congress as a non-incumbent. Democrats took the New York State Senate, giving us our best chance ever to pass a same-sex marriage law in a legislature. We beat back a ballot question in Connecticut that could have threatened our recent victory there. In fact, marriages begin next week. And we elected Barack Obama as our next President, ending eight years of anti-LGBT policies. I truly believe that despite these setbacks, our nation is moving in the right direction.

After fighting for years, so many victories are now within reach. And thanks to yesterday's victories, we can now pass critical LGBT equality measures like the Matthew Shepard Hate Crimes Act and begin unraveling the damage of the last eight years.

I vow to you today that HRC will not give up, nor will we retreat. Moving forward, HRC will:

• Continue our efforts to win incremental victories for relationship recognition, so that legally married lesbian and gay couples in Massachusetts and Connecticut have full standing under federal law; the same holds true for civil unions and domestic partnerships in places like New Hampshire, Vermont and Oregon.
• Use amendments and other legislative vehicles in Congress to establish growing equality for LGBT Americans under federal tax, Social Security, pension, insurance and other laws – piecing together as many of the rights of marriage as we can until the full victory is achieved in years to come.
• Work with our allies in New York to make good on the extraordinary opportunity presented by the election of a new fair-minded majority in the State Senate, which paves the way for the nation's first-ever legislatively achieved marriage equality victory. We are also simultaneously working on marriage equality in New Jersey.

Together, like we have done some many times before, we fought the good fight until the bitter end.

In Florida, HRC contributed $120,000 to Florida Red & Blue (backers of the SayNo2 campaign), including $50,000 of early seed money that allowed the campaign to raise significant additional funds and provided high-level fundraising consulting for the campaign. We started building an early base for campaign operations by sending staff to Florida and conducting volunteer trainings during the January Presidential Primary. We held a Camp Equality election skills training in Fort Lauderdale and mobilized hundreds of volunteers. And in the final weeks, four additional HRC staffers and a Campaign College participant were sent to work on the ground in Florida.

In Arizona, HRC contributed $50,000 to Arizona Together for media production and air time. We had three HRC staffers and one Campaign College participant on the ground. We also held a Camp Equality election skills training in Phoenix and mobilized the participants to work on this issue.

In Arkansas, HRC provided half of the funding necessary for the Arkansas Families First campaign to hire a campaign manager. We deployed a Campaign College participant to work on the campaign for 12 weeks, and an HRC staffer to work on the campaign during the final push.

And in California, HRC participated fully as a member of the marriage coalition executive committee, with unprecedented on-the-ground support, and extensive voter mobilization efforts. I am proud that HRC was the second largest funder of No on Prop. 8, behind Equality California, in what ended up being the most expensive campaign in the nation next to the presidential race. When all was said and done, HRC and our members invested nearly $3.5 million directly to the efforts in California. But our messages of fairness and reason were met with appalling messages of fear, distortion and downright hate that our opponents put forth on television, on radio, across the Internet, and in Sunday sermons.

In 2000, a similar marriage ban in California was passed by a margin of 61% to 39%. So the closeness of this race and the positive shift in public opinion underscores that it is only a matter of time before we add more states to the march for marriage equality. As Obama said last night, "That's the true genius of America – that America can change."

Yesterday, an unfortunate majority of voters stood with the most extreme and negative elements of society to deny the rights of loving and committed gay and lesbian couples. But it's not the first time that has happened to us, and it won't be the last. It doesn't change the fact that we are married. It doesn't change the fact that we have families. Make no mistake. We are bowed, but not discouraged. We are sad, but not disheartened. We grieve, but not as those who are without hope.

Today we will mourn the losses in Florida, Arizona and Arkansas, but tomorrow let's resolve to lift one another up, and continue our march forward.

Remember, our marriages didn't begin with a decision of the court, and they will not end with a vote of the people.

 

Warmly,

 

 
Joe Solmonese
President