Canadian Olympians march for tolerance at Vancouver Pride Parade

in: http://www.edmontonjournal.com/sports/Canadian+Olympians+march+tolerance+Vancouver+Pride+Parade/8748166/story.html

Two Olympians representing Canada's Olympic Team marched in Vancouver's Pride Parade today.

Canadian Olympic officials say it was an effort to spread a message of tolerance, acceptance and diversity in light of Russia's anti-gay laws and the upcoming 2014 Olympic Games in Sochi.

Alpine skier and 2010 Olympian Mike Janyk and two-time Olympian snowboarder Mercedes Nicoll joined Pride participants as they marched through Vancouver's downtown and the West End.

Canadian Olympic Committee president Marcel Aubut says the coming together of COC and Pride is a reminder that sport is open to everyone, regardless of race, religion, creed or sexual orientation.

Anti-gay laws in Russia have provoked strong protest from Canada's gay community, and anti-Russian sentiment was visible throughout Sunday's Parade.

At least one marcher wore a T-shirt and hoisted a sign featuring a photoshopped image of Russian President Vladimir Putin wearing blue eye shadow and blush.

This is the first time the COC has participated in Pride festivals across the country — Olympians have already marched in Toronto and will also be present in the upcoming Pride celebrations in Ottawa, Calgary and Montreal.

http://www.edmontonjournal.com/sports/Canadian+Olympians+march+tolerance+Vancouver+Pride+Parade/8748166/story.html

Our thoughts on the LGBT Pride Parade 2013 (June 8, in Edmonton, AB, Canada)

Toronto shows its Pride

in: http://www.torontosun.com/2013/06/30/torontos-pride-parade-attracts-huge-crowd

Toronto’s 33rd annual Pride parade lived up to its expectations as participants strutted through downtown streets in extravagant costumes — or nothing at all.

The huge crowds of spectators — as well as those taking part in the parade — were in high spirits as they took over Yonge St. Sunday for one of the world’s largest Pride events.

“We continue to grow, and our supporters continue to grow, so we’re accommodating for that growth by extending the parade to Yonge and Dundas for the first time,” said Kevin Beaulieu, the Executive Director for Pride Toronto said.

Premiere Kathleen Wynne became the first Ontario premier to take part in the parade. Other politicians who took part in the event included Federal Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau.

Both attended a church service held before the parade kicked off.

Neither Trudeau nor Wynne were willing to comment at the parade itself, but both tweeted they were honoured to march together and show their support for Toronto’s gay community.

It’s an honour shared by Irene Miller, Toronto President of PFLAG (Parents For Lesbians And Gays), and the official grand marshall of Toronto Pride 2013.

“It’s an honor to be the grand marshall this year, especially in a progressive city like Toronto,” Miller said.

Miller added she’s looking forward to meeting with other PFLAG members and organizers from around the world at World Pride, which will take place in Toronto next June.

World Pride will attract people from around the globe. Pride Toronto has been preparing for the event since the group won the bid to host it in 2009, Beaulieu said.

It will be the first time the event will be hosted in a North American city.

“World Pride is an opportunity to remember we are part of a global community that is still facing issues, and after seeing the support, I know Toronto will be a great host,” Beaulieu said.

http://www.torontosun.com/2013/06/30/torontos-pride-parade-attracts-huge-crowd

US: Boy Scout leaders reprimanded for marching with gay pride parade

in: http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2013/06/16/us-boy-scout-leaders-reprimanded-for-marching-with-gay-pride-parade/

The Boy Scouts of America (BSA) has reprimanded two scout leaders who took part in a gay pride parade with several scouts.

Peter Brownstein and Neil Whitaker, who took part in the Utah Pride Parade in Salt Lake City on 2 June, were disciplined for violating the BSA’s policy prohibiting the use of scouting to promote a political agenda, said Salt Lake City BSA officials.

The Associated Press reports that the pair were warned that they would break the policy if they were to wear their uniforms at the march.

The pair of leaders wore their uniforms, however the scouts they were with did not. A former scout master, Dave McGrath of Idaho Falls, also attended, wearing his uniform.

“We were very disappointed that you used Scouting to advance the gay agenda at the Utah Pride Parade,” council leaders wrote, addressing Brownstein.

“You and others are welcome to participate in the parade as supportive citizens but not as uniformed members of the BSA.”

Whitaker had told the Salt Lake Tribune that the pair had never intended to promote a political agenda, but instead were celebrating a “cultural event”. He compared the march to the Days of ’47 Parade, which honours Utah pioneers, and usually includes uniformed boy scouts.

“We weren’t rallying for a politician or political event,” said Whitaker. “To me, it was being supportive of my fellow human beings.”

Both leaders have refused to sign an apology letter which would acknowledge that they violated the BSA’s policy, and that they were disobedient.

The pair have been threatened with the revocation of their Scouting membership if they commit a similar offence in future.

The decision by the Utah BSA council is backed up by the national organisation. Deron Smith, a national spokesman for the BSA said: ”These individuals, many of whom are not registered in Scouting, expressed a personal opinion and do not represent the Boy Scouts of America,”

“Scouting is taking appropriate steps to respond to this issue,” continued Smith.

Valarie Larabee, executive director of Utah Pride Center, which organises Utah Pride, condemned the decision by the BSA.

“Any discipline or questioning of members of the Scouting family who participated in our procession as a member of our color guard, a unit carrying out nation’s flag, would be deplorable,” she said in a statement.

Back in May, the BSA’s final vote on the issue of gay members took place in Dallas-Fort Worth, Grapevine, where over 60% of the 1,400 strong national council of local leaders, voted to lift the national ban. The ban on adult members remains in place.

http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2013/06/16/us-boy-scout-leaders-reprimanded-for-marching-with-gay-pride-parade/

Edmonton Pride Parade 2013

 


Edmonton's Pride Parade on June 8, 2013 - this is the entire parade as it passes by 103 Street and 102 Avenue, in front of the historic Revillon Building.

Traffic control refuses Mumbai Pride permission to march

in: http://gaystarnews.com/article/traffic-control-refuses-mumbai-pride-permission-march150113

Police give permission, but traffic control reject application for fifth Queer Azaadi Pride march in Mumbai, India


 

Traffic control has refused Queer Azaadi (freedom) Mumbai (QAM) permission to march through the city on Saturday 2 February.

Local police has agreed permission for the parade, which has been held every year since 2008, but traffic control rejected the organizers' application.

'They have just rejected our file without even meeting us or giving us any clear explanation,' organizer Pallav Patankar told Gay Star News.

'But we intend o speak to higher authorities and not let it go so easily.'

Patankar said he believed the hiccup was 'just Indian bureaucracy' rather than attempt to censor an expression of LGBT rights. He said there have been a lot of public protests in Mumbai recently and the authorities may feel that because QAM are not a political party, nor have political backing, 'we are the easiest voices to silence'.

'We, the LGBT community, walk the pride march to tell the nation that we are part of this country,' Patankar told Times of India. 'By denying us the right to march, we are being denied our right of free expression.'

The QAM festival started on Sunday with a kite flying event on Mumbai's Juhu Beach and a queer games competition.

The full program includes theatre, a meeting for families, a treasure hunt, an open mic night, films, a rock concert and a flashmob.

QAM 2012 was a resounding success despite police interrupting a pre-festival fundraiser at the behest of a maverick 'moral guardian'.

Last September police in the southern Indian city of Hyderabad refused permission for the first LGBT pride march there. 

 

 

http://gaystarnews.com/article/traffic-control-refuses-mumbai-pride-permission-march150113

Taiwan Pride promos

in: http://www.gaystarnews.com/article/taiwan-pride-promos221012

The organizers of Saturday’s Taiwan Pride have released heartwarming promotional videos

Taiwan Pride, the biggest pride march in Asia, is on Saturday (27 October) with 50,000 people expected to march through the streets of Taipei. The organizers have released another two promotional videos, in addition to this one released earlier this month.

Do you, Andy… shows Andy, a cute Taiwanese guy, about to propose to his boyfriend of ‘four years eight months and ten days’ before his parents walk into the restaurant, throwing him entirely. The foursome end up eating together and in the end, after much awkwardness on Andy’s part, his parents let him know they accept him and his boyfriend Jeffrey.

The second video Be Yourself shows ordinary Taiwanese people going about their daily business with the message ‘be proud, be happy, be counted, be yourself’ to a catchy soundtrack.

Taiwan has one of the best LGBT rights records in Asia. The first Pride march was in 2003, the same year same-sex marriage legislation was proposed but not passed. This year, two gay men fought to have their union legally recognized by the state and a lesbian couple married in a non-legal binding Buddhist ceremony in August.

If you’re heading to Taipei for Pride, find out what else to do there here.

Watch Do you, Andy… here:

Watch Be Yourself here:

http://www.gaystarnews.com/article/taiwan-pride-promos221012

El Pais on Madrid Pride which took place last weekend

in: http://elpais.com/elpais/


A view of Saturday's parade between Puerta de Alcalá and Plaza de España. / EMILIO NARANJO (EFE)

Between 700,000 (according to police) and 1.2 million people (according to organizers) packed into downtown Madrid to watch the Gay Pride parade on Saturday. The highlight of the five-day celebration featured 19 floats that slowly covered the distance between Puerta de Alcalá and Plaza de España amid loud music and wild dancing; yet the festive mood barely concealed widespread concern that the Constitutional Court might be on the verge of repealing groundbreaking legislation allowing same-sex marriage in Spain.

Another cause for concern was the recent budget cut to the public health system, which some fear will affect access to HIV treatments.

Indeed, several people complained about a lack of real content in an event that has grown to become one of Europe’s largest celebrations of LGTB Pride (Lesbian, Gay, Transsexual and Bisexual), a term that event organizers prefer to Gay Pride.

“I’ve participated in many of these,” recalled Javier, 57. “We demanded real political change. Right now this looks like a carnival.”

Another popular event during the Gay Pride celebration was the Carrera de Tacones, a race in which runners compete in stiletto shoes. The competition has been held for 18 years on Pelayo street, in the heart of Chueca, Madrid’s gay neighborhood. The winner this year was a 29-year-old who called himself “Alien” and who left his competition far behind.

But demonstrating for gay rights was not always this easy or this much fun. Victoria Virtudes, “Vito” to her friends, is a 55-year-old activist who has been on the front lines since the late 1970s, and she remembers harsher times.

“They hurled eggs at us and called us butches,” she said. One of the first street demonstrations she went to was in Plaza de Callao, and it was organized by Madrid’s association of lesbian feminists. She is unsure whether it was in 1976 or 1977, “but it’s been over 35 years for sure.” They were just around 20 women present, and Spain was still in a transitional phase that felt more dictatorial than democratic.

Now Vito looks around at Plaza de Chueca, the symbol of the battle for gay rights since 1978, and congratulates herself on everything that has been achieved since the days when they were considered “socially dangerous” under Franco. “We’d lost our fear of coming out of the closet and the homes where we were hiding. But we were also perplexed. We thought there would be very few of us, and in the end it turned into a full-fledged demonstration.”

Alejandro Alder joined the movement much more recently having been born in that key transitional year of 1978. “We have references to look up to. We are still fighting for the same things: freedom, respect for diversity and human rights. We want to be exactly the same as a heterosexual.”

http://elpais.com/

Video report from last weekend's Dublin Pride

Thousands of people flocked to the Gay Pride Parade in Dublin last Saturday, despite the rainclounds. Organisers estimated between 25,000 and 30,000 people were involved. This was the first year that the parade included members of national and international police forces, and representatives from all political parties. 

Chairwoman of Dublin Pride 2012 Jo McNamara talks about the parade and its theme: "Show Your True Colours".

Today in LGBT History

July 1, 1972 – The first Gay Pride march in England takes place.

Creator of Rainbow Flag Shares His Memories of the Movement

in: http://www.edgeboston.com/

The rainbow flag 

On June 19, artist Gilbert Baker, who created the rainbow flag in 1978, shared his memories of that period and the flag’s creation in a discussion at the GLBT Historical Society in San Francisco with longtime activist and friend, Cleve Jones.

The rainbow flag is so iconic, so ubiquitous, so universally recognized, that there is a habitual tendency to think that it has always flown to represent queer Pride. Yet it is not so: it was created and consciously adopted in the streets of San Francisco, when activists spoke of gay liberation rather than LGBT acceptance in the after-fires of the political fires of the late 1970s. And no, it wasn’t created because we’re all friends of Dorothy.

"1977 -- that was a pivotal year," Baker said. "That was the year of Anita Bryant. That was he year Harvey (Milk) was elected. That was the year we became galvanized."

Paul Boneberg, Executive Director of the GLBT Historical Society, Rainbow flag creator Gilbert Baker and activist Cleve Jones  (Source:Roger Brigham)

It was also the year after the American Bicentennial Celebration, a period that Baker said made him more flag conscious as cranked out hundreds of banners and signs for the endless parades that activists were busily organizing.

"I thought, ’You know, we ought to have a flag,’" Baker said. "A flag is something you can’t disarm. What makes a flag a flag is that people own it. It connects to their souls. It belongs to them."

Baker said he did not want to work with the symbols of oppression that had been adopted in the early victim politics.

"The Lambda was a little obscure," he said, "and the triangles were given to us by the Nazis."

He began researching rainbows and their uses in the Bible, in Native cultures and in the psychedelic hippy peace and freedom culture of the Sixties. 

"It represents all the colors, all the genders, all the humanity," Baker said. "I wanted to expand on the use of visual images that would not depend on language."

Gilbert Baker  

Baker said the first two flags were made using all-natural materials and dyes in the fashion of the day. But the colors ran when they got wet. In addition, the flag started off with eight colors, not the six it has now, and each color stood for something different: pink (sex), red (life), orange (healing), yellow (sun), green (nature), turquoise (magic), blue (serenity) and lavender (spirit).

"Eight is a very magical number," said Baker. "It’s symmetrical, and allowed me to split them into hot and cold colors. It gave me a way to incorporate pink. Of course, it was a fuschia hot pink. And it allowed me to bring in turquoise, connecting to Native island cultures."

But, in the long run, the eight color flag was too complicated and costly to reproduce in the pre-digital age of four-color printing. So he dropped pink and turquoise.

"I felt strange because I was giving up sex and magic," Baker said with a laugh.

Jones said there was a lot of community conversation at the time about the need for a unifying symbol.

"When that went up the flag pole, all conversation on it stopped," Jones said. "Everybody just embraced it."

It seemed, Baker and Jones said, that just about everyone wanted the gay flags except the flag industry: world of flag-makers and vexilographers.

"It took about 10 years," Baker said, recounting how he cut his hair and dressed in business attire in order to try to fit in at the flag industry conventions. "They pretty much decide on what a flag is. They would not even entertain a motion that there even was such a thing as a gay flag. A lot of good old boy flag companies down in Texas didn’t want to know anything about a gay flag."

Gilbert Baker’s sea-to-sea rainbow flag is displayed in Key West in 2003  

But when one took a chance and made 5,000 little flags for Baker, they sold out in two hours. Game over, battle won.

Now they are everywhere, and the rainbow is incorporated in knick-knacks and collectibles. Jones teased Baker about not having patented the symbol.

"How do you feel when you see all this rainbow crap and you don’t stand to make a penny off it?" Jones asked.

"It’s not about money," Baker teased back. "It’s about power."

There have been some iconic world record moments for the flag since then, such as the Stonewall 25 flag in New York City in 1994, and the sea-to-sea rainbow flag in Key West in 2003 on the 25th anniversary of the flag. 

And there have been the grim reminders of why the flag was needed, as when a parade of the flag in a celebration in Stockholm drew 300,000 spectators, and then was disrupted when gangs of young neo-Nazis grabbed and brutally beat some of the spectators.

"It blew my mind," Baker said. "There is this resistance that comes to us in the form of violence. We’re lucky to be in America. I think about those gay people in China who can’t come out -- making those rainbow tchotchkes and they can never come out. Or Uganda: there wasn’t any ’Will and Grace’ in Uganda. Our liberation is an ongoing struggle. It was before us and it will be in the generations after us. It’s more than the colors we can see: It’s the colors that we can’t see, the thing that go past our own lives."

For information about ongoing exhibits and presentations at the GLBT Historical Society, 4127 18th Street, a half a block off Castro Street, visit www.glbthistory.org.

http://www.edgeboston.com/

Top 10 rules for celebrating Pride

in: http://www.anchoragepress.com/

It’s that time of year again; the drag queens are pulling out the bingo cards, floats are being decorated, and rainbow flags are being waved. Anchorage Pride is in full swing. This week-long festival every June is a time for the GLBT community and their allies to come together, educate the greater community, and have fun in the process through large GLBT-themed events, many of which are marketed as family friendly.

There are just a few, teeny teensy rules you should adhere to if you want to have the best possible time without irritating everyone else.

1.  Dress however you want, but respect the family environment.

Pride is a time to be yourself, and one of the easiest ways to do that is to dress up. Do you have a thing for cat ears? Go ahead and wear them. Bikinis, however, aren’t necessarily family friendly. Neither are the raver outfits that look like bikinis with a tiny tutu attached. Men, please wear pants (drag queens excluded, of course); we don’t want to take our kids to the festival to have fun and suddenly come face to face with a naked man wearing only a codpiece and body paint. If you’re secure enough to dress that scantily, more power to you, but please be respectful of the fact that this year’s Pride parade and festival are geared toward families; we don’t feel like scarring the kids quite yet.

2.  Wear deodorant. For the love of God, wear deodorant.

Just because Pride’s parade and festival are outside doesn’t mean that we can’t smell you. If it’s sunny and warm, we will, and we’ll hate you for it. In fact, if you plan to spend more than, say, two hours at the festival, bring deodorant with you. It’s not that difficult to excuse yourself to a bathroom and put on another layer once in a while, and the less human sweat we smell, the happier we’ll all be. Nothing ruins a community gathering like strong B.O.

3.  Pass on the pot.

Legal or not, tons of people in Anchorage smoke weed. If you go to Pride this weekend, please hold off. This goes back to the family friendly bit; people who take kids to parades and festivals hate smelling pot on the breeze even more than body odor. It stinks, and it makes parents uncomfortable to have their kids around. If you need to be high to have a good time at the festival, then maybe you should go do something more interesting.

4.  Don’t get wasted.

This isn’t a bar, it’s a festival at a park; don’t come drunk. In addition to being annoying as hell, there are kids around. Have a beer before you show up if you want, but don’t get sloshed. Even if there weren’t kids around, it would still be annoying to those of us trying to have a good time. It’s like with smoking weed; if you need to get drunk to have fun, party somewhere else.

5.  Control your kids.

Time to pick on the parents a bit; yes, the parade and festival are family friendly, but that doesn’t mean you can just let your kids run wild. Unattended children are a pain in the neck—they interrupt the stage show, they run into us when they aren’t looking, and they make other kids whine about why they can’t go and run around as well. And, if your children do misbehave, don’t yell at them for twenty minutes to “come back here,” go and grab them yourself. Get off your butt and take control of your kids; don’t interrupt our fun day with your lazy yelling.

6.  Tip the performers.

You don’t have to tip every single performer on stage, and the ones you do tip don’t need five dollar bills, but it is polite to show your appreciation to them. The performers at PrideFest aren’t paid for entertaining you, so a dollar here and there shows that you care. If you don’t want to interrupt the performance, there is usually a hat or basket nearby designated for tips - put it there instead.

7. If you are watching a performance, shut up.

It’s common courtesy people; if you are sitting on the grass watching the show, don’t talk so loudly that the people around you can’t enjoy it. By all means, communicate with your friends, but don’t be the one the rest of the crowd turns around and glares at.

8. Don’t just take free stuff from booths, learn about them.

This probably a moot point, but the vendors at PrideFest will undoubtedly have free items on their tables that are up for grabs. Go ahead and grab them (after making sure they are free) but don’t immediately walk away; talk to the vendor about their organization. It’s simple courtesy, instead of paying them money, you are paying them your time. There is nothing more disrespectful than walking up to a person, grabbing their stuff, and then completely ignoring them. You are better than that.

9.  Pick up your trash.

There are trash bins all over the park strip, use them; trash is gross.

10.  Mingle.

Possibly the most important rule about Pride; talk to the people around you. The idea of Pride is community, so if you go to the parade or festival, don’t be afraid to be a neighbor and say hello. And if someone approaches you with a conversation, don’t immediately write them off as a creeper; building bridges and forming new acquaintances is what community is all about. Embrace it. Unless you can tell that person isn’t wearing deodorant, then you can shun them.

http://www.anchoragepress.com/

Today in LGBT History

June 25, 1978 – The rainbow flag representing gay pride is flown for the first time in the San Francisco Gay Freedom Day Parade.

Marcha do Orgulho LGBT 2012 este sábado

in: http://www.destak.pt/


Este sábado, dia 23 de junho, realiza-se a 13ª Marcha do Orgulho LGBT, que parte às 17h do Príncipe Real.

Segundo a ILGA em comunicado, «num país em que a igualdade no acesso ao casamento é já uma realidade instituída e em que a Lei da Identidade de Género colocou Portugal como exemplo a seguir no respeito pelos Direitos Humanos das pessoas transexuais», a associação celebra também o trabalho já realizado de formação anti-discriminação nas áreas da segurança, da justiça e da saúde, para que o acesso a estas áreas exista de facto para todas as pessoas - sabendo que é apenas o início de um longo processo.

No evento, estarão os Pink Singers, um grande coro LGBT de Londres que, depois da Marcha, dará um concerto na Festa Pré-Arraial que terá lugar no Teatro do Bairro a partir das 23h30. A festa, de entrada livre, contará ainda com a participação do coro da ILGA Portugal (CoLeGaS - http://coro.ilga-portugal.pt) e com DJ sets (Tagus Queen e Mário Valente), anunciando também o Arraial Pride, que vai encher o Terreiro do Paço das cores do arco-íris uma semana depois, no dia 30 de junho.

http://www.destak.pt/

On Vienna Pride which took place last weekend

in: http://www.austriantimes.at/?id=24775




Organisers say that around 110,000 people took part in this year's annual gay pride parade In Vienna on Saturday.

The march included gays and lesbians from across Europe as well as tens of thousands of locals who joined in to back demands for more rights.

Much of the city centre, including Vienna's historic Ring avenue, was closed to traffic as floats and marchers — some in colourful costumes, some bare-chested — strutted and danced their way past crowds of spectators.

Police reported no incidents.

The march — traditionally one of Europe's biggest — comes just weeks before Vienna hosts its annual Life Ball, an extravagant charity gala dedicated to raising money for people with HIV and AIDS.


http://www.austriantimes.at/?id=24775

Zagreb Pride

in: http://www.b92.net/


(Tanjug, file)



Croatia’s Foreign Minister Vesna Pusić and several MPs joined the members of the LGBT population in their walk around the city.

The Croatian police are out in force in order to keep the parade participants safe.

The organizers stressed earlier that they wanted to warn that gay people had the right to live their lives the way they wanted to.

They also called on all citizens, regardless of whether they belong to the LGBT community or not, to join the parade and support the LGBT community’s right to equality and dignity.

The organizers said they expected more than 5,000 people at the Saturday parade.

“We want to show that we have the right to public assembly, that our families exist and that they should be regulated by laws,” Marko Jurčić, one of the organizers, pointed out.


http://www.b92.net/

Parada Gay espera milhões a lutar contra a homofobia

in: http://www.dn.pt/

A 16.ª edição da Parada LGBT (Lésbicas, Gays, Bissexuais e Transexuais) contra a homofobia de São Paulo realiza-se no domingo e espera milhões de pessoas num dos ex-libris da cidade, a avenida Paulista.

O tema da parada deste ano é "Homofobia tem cura: educação e criminalização", uma referência a um projeto de lei que circula no congresso brasileiro para tornar criminalizar a homofobia.

Outra reivindicação do evento é a distribuição a professores do ensino secundário de materiais informativos e didáticos para prepará-los para lidar com a diversidade entre alunos, projeto anunciado pelo governo em 2011, mas abandonado após polémicas com parlamentares religiosos.

Um português de 49 anos, morador em Lisboa, que este ano irá participar pela segunda vez na parada, afirma que o evento é uma grande "festa", mas que desconhece o efeito da manifestação nas políticas brasileiras de inclusão.

"É uma festa, só alegria, sem preconceito, sem discriminação, mas reivindica-se muito pouco", disse à Lusa.

A parada é o principal evento do mês do Orgulho LGBT, que conta com atividades como palestras, debates públicos, festas, feiras culturais e workshops.

http://www.dn.pt/

São Paulo and the world’s biggest gay Pride

in: http://www.gaystarnews.com/

As 4.5 million get ready to party at São Paulo Pride, we check out this stunning and surprising Brazilian city

Photo by Dan Littauer.

Forget New York, Mardi Gras or any pride event you’ve ever been to or seen. On Sunday (10 June) more than 4.5 million lesbians, gays, bisexuals, transgender people and their friends will be partying at the biggest and most spectacular gay pride festival in the world – in São Paulo, Brazil.

This is one huge street party. You’ll meet people from all over Brazil and beyond, including gay Indians, cowboys, German Brazilians, farmers, glamorous boys and girls, the local paulistanos and the transvestites which will show how to party!

People join the march dancing alongside (and on top of) flamboyant, exuberant and imaginative floats known as ‘trio elétricos’ created by various organisations, groups and clubs from all over Brazil and beyond.

So get ready after you’ve recovered from Saturday night and make your way to the meeting point for pride at the fabulous Museum of Art of São Paulo or MASP as everyone calls it, a must for culture vultures right at the middle of São Paulo's sky-scraper lined Avenida Paulista.

Pride starts officially at noon but things really get moving around 2pm to 3pm. The parade is 2.6 miles long (4.2 km) and ends at Rooselvelt Square, in old Downtown São Paulo, at around 10pm.

The energy of the huge partying crowds, the dazzling array of floats, amazing drag and music all surrounded by sky scrapers that rival New York’s or Dubai will be an experience you will cherish for the rest of your life. It’s a huge street party and you can move from float to float, each having its own DJs and fans. And, of course, pride also has a political message, this year’s theme is ‘Homophobia has a cure: legislation and education!’

But before we even get to Sunday, there are some other events you shouldn’t miss in the lead-up.

On Thursday (7 June), there will be the Cultural LGBT fair from 10am until 10pm in the pedestrianized area of central São Paulo called Vale do Anhangabaú. There are stalls, shops, musicians, food, parties, dancing, and much more. The atmosphere is friendly, fun and relaxed meaning it’s a great opportunity to get chatting to local gay, bi and trans people and also to learn about the various groups involved in the community projects throughout Brazil. Admission is free.

On Saturday (9 June) you’ll be spoiled for choice. You can head out early (10am) to the Gay Dayat the São Paulo’s Hopi Hari park that puts other amusement parks to shame, with singers, shows, drag, DJs, and, of course, jam rides jam-packed full of gays. You can buy tickets at the Cultural LGBT fair or online.

If you decided to stay in town or came back early from Hopi Hari, then at 5pm on Saturday the world renowned drag volleyball tournament is taking place with glitter, glamour, extravaganza jaw opening action accompanied by DJs, another free event.

Parties start early, including the amazing Girasol (Sunflower) party at Clube Nacional, from 4pm until late. Meanwhile bears have their own biggest Latin America’s party called Ursound (Bear Sound) happening on Friday, Saturday and Sunday (the last day includes food) and DJs from Argentina and Spain.

Beyond the parties, São Paulo, affectionately known as Sampa, is a fantastic melting pot on par or even surpassing multicultural cities like New York and London. Greater Sampa has nearly 30million inhabitants and is the economic and cultural heart and centre of South America. Best of all it is a really gay friendly city, having been voted the fourth most LGBT-friendly destination, coming on top of London and Madrid.

The old Downton, called simply Centro (centre) boasts fantastic art-deco buildings and skyscrapers, including architectural gems like Neimeyer’s Copan or the breath taking BANESPA retro-skyscraper which sports an amazing view from its top floor restaurant.

Centro is also home to fantastic Museum of the Portuguese Language housed in the impressive train station Estação da Luz which was built by the British. And if you’re after art don’t miss the Pinacoteca, the most important art collection in Latin America.

Centro also has its gay scene which caters for a more mixed, traditional crowd as well as Latin America’s biggest bear community, largely clustered around Largo do Arouche Streett and Avenida Doutor Vieira de Carvalho Street. Checkout Soda Pop Bar, number 43 on that street, enjoy a drink and ask friendly owner Marcelo for tips where to go later.

You should also visit the Liberdade neighborhood, home to the biggest Japanese community outside of Japan, with road signs in Japanese and Portuguese and lots of places to eat delicious and affordable sushi!

Bella Vista is the Italian quarter, while the Jardims neighbourhood is the posh shopping area, with a fantastic array of boutique shops, restaurants and cafés as well some of the most trendy gay and lesbian bars and cafés. Try the hip lounge Sonique for starters and then chat to the locals about where to go.

If you want a place to have the most amazing cocktail over a pool with a view on to the glittering sky-scrapers of São Paulo – head out to the Skye-Lounge, a fashionable bar where you have to dress to impress but are guaranteed to be dazzled in return. If you’re looking for a place to stay, then the Lounge is part of one of the world’s most breathtakingly beautiful design hotels – Unique, a name which sums up the place pretty well.

There is no better time than during gay pride to discover this incredible American megalopolis with one of the world’s most fantastic and diverse gay scenes.

http://www.gaystarnews.com/

'CNN' elege as melhores paradas do orgulho gay

in: http://vidaeestilo.terra.com.br/

Em Amsterdan, a parada do orgulho LGBT acontece em barcos, no Canal Prinsengracht e Rio Amstel
Foto: Amsterdan Gay Pride / Canal Parade



Nesta temporada, política e festa se misturam. Gays, lésbicas, bissexuais, transgêneros e simpatizantes, além de organizarem incríveis festas, reinvidicam seus direitos, discutem saúde e buscam respeito. Ao invés de visitar as paradas mais famosas como Nova York e São Francisco, a CNN sugere você procure por lugares inusitados, com festas tão boas quanto as das cidades já consagradas por suas festas gays.


Boston, Estados Unidos 
A Boston Pride é mais que uma grande festa. O evento inclui discussão sobre direitos humanos, educação, saúde. Além disso, nesse ano, irá contar com a exposição Pride: 40 Anos de Protesto & Celebration, que mostra a história da luta LGBT nos Estados Unidos. A festa começa no sábado, 9 de junho, e se estende por todo o final de semana.  O frequentador deve escolher o estilo musical que mais lhe agrada e buscar um bloco pelas ruas e avenidas da cidade.


Tel Aviv, Israel 
Durante ets época do ano, Tel Aviv faz jus à fama de capital gay do Oriente Médio. Nesta época, a cidade se pinta e até as faixas de pedestres recebem as cores do arco-íris, símbolo da luta LGBT. Durante toda a semana - de 3 a 8 de junho, clubes e bares estão cheios e eventos especiais, previstos na agenda. Na sexta-feira (8), uma das maiores festas da cidade começa no Gan Meir Garden, um pequeno parque frequentado pela comunidade gay, e termina no Mediterranean Sea. Para aproveitar a estadia, visite Hilton Beach, o Observatório Azrieli e o museu Beit Ha'ir.


Amsterdam, Holanda
Ao contrário da maioria das paradas gays, em Amsterdan, ela não conta com carros alegóricos. O desfile é todo feito em barcos e, no total, serão 75 embarcações decoradas, desfilando pelo Canal Prinsengracht e Rio Amstel. A Canal Parade acontece no dia 4 de agosto, porém, reserve um tempo para ir ao Pink Point e, também, visitar a casa de Anne Frank, um símbolo de luta pela liberdade, e, ainda, aproveite para conhecer uma das centenas de cervejarias da cidade.


Asheville, Estados Unidos
Conhecida por sua cena cultural vibrante e por suas políticas progressistas, Asheville recebeu o título de uma das cidades mais gays da América. O festival, chamado de Blue Ride Pride, é pequeno e reúne em média 10 mil pessoas em um dia repleto de música, oficinas e atividades familiares. Neste ano, a parada contará com protestos à aprovação da lei proíbe o casamento gay, na Carolina do Norte.


Atlanta, Estados Unidos

O Atlanta Pride é um dos maiores do país e atrai milhares de pessoas. As comemorações começam bem antes do dia da festa, no dia 14 de outubro. A cidade conta com uma série de pré-eventos, como uma vigília da AIDS, uma exposição com cartazes de combate ao HIV, debates sobre direitos humanos e eventos literários. Ainda, vale reservar um tempo para visitar Centro Martin Luther King e o Jardim Zoológico no Grant Park.

http://vidaeestilo.terra.com.br/

Moscow Gay Pride Banned For 100 Years

in: http://en.rian.ru/society/20120607/173899632.html





The Moscow City Court upheld on Thursday a district court’s decision to ban gay parades in Moscow for the next 100 years, Gayrussia.ru reported.

The ban came after Moscow gay activists submitted requests on August 23, 2011, to the City Hall to hold gay rallies up until 2112. The LGBT-activists used a loophole in the law that only determines the deadline for submitting rally applications (no later than 30-45 days before the event), but does not state how far in advance events can be submitted.

Moscow City Court dismissed the requests, with the district court issuing a 100-year ban on public homosexual rallies, according to Gayrussia.ru.

After the city’s main court upheld the district court’s decision, Moscow gay rights activist Nikolai Alexeyev told Gayrussia.ru that he would appeal to the European Court on Human Rights in Strasbourg.
Alexeyev, the leader of GayRussia, also said on Thursday in his Twitter that he had paid the first fine for propagating homosexual "propaganda."

The activist is the first to be fined 5,000 rubles ($170) under a new local anti-gay law in St. Petersburg after he was detained for picketing outside St. Petersburg's legislature building in April in protest at what he described as the "homophobic" new law.

The legislation, which makes it illegal to "disseminate homosexual propaganda" among minors, was signed by St. Petersburg Governor Georgy Poltavchenko in March, making it the fourth Russian city to adopt such a ban.

Several politicians and church figures have called for the law, which sets fines of up to to 500,000 rubles ($17,000) for violations, to be passed at the federal level.

Homosexuality was only decriminalized in Russia in 1993, and anti-gay sentiments remain strong in society, including Russia's political establishment. In 2007, Former Moscow Mayor Yury Luzhkov described attempts to hold a Gay Parade in the capital as "satanic." No Gay Parade has ever been officially permitted in Russia.


http://en.rian.ru/society/20120607/173899632.html