One thing that annoys me more than most is stereotypes. Probably stems from my life growing up gay, where the gay stereotype was shot at me from every direction in the media and I never really felt comfortable with it. But at the same time, here I am as a founder of a travel blog all about G-A-Y travel.

To me, gay travel isn’t anything special. Travel is just travel—gay, straight or anything else. But as a gay adult who has traveled around the world, it’s important for me to know there are plenty of other gay travelers out there—and also important for the world to know, too.

So, what is gay travel really all about? Is it about nightlife, luxury tours, group tours? I’m not sure there’s a single answer. Which is why it irks me so much when people think most gay travelers are interested in the same places, or in the same types of tours—more often than not of the luxury variety.

When I travel to the UK, for example, I’m not looking for luxury 5 star hotels in London. Not every gay traveler is enormously wealthy nor do we all want to shell out our money on an expensive hotel. I’d rather spend it on a longer vacation, nicer meals or even a second trip.

Within the demographic of gay travelers, there’s quite a big variety: backpackers, cruises, rtw, luxury, solo travel…. We’re not all interested in fancy rooms or boutique hotels. I’m a gay traveler, but also a gay backpacker. Luxury travel isn’t the same as gay travel—it’s just a part of it.

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Luxury travel – is it the same as “gay” travel? was originally published by adam on the best gay travel website: My Gay Travel Guide - hand-picked gay travel info, stories & tips

In advance of World Pride in London from 23 June to 8 July, the restaurant Chino Latino will offer a rainbow sushi roll.

Combining two of my favorite things: color AND sushi! The restaurant is located on the ground floor of the Park Plaza Riverbank hotel. The rainbow sushi maki roll will be available from 20 June to 19 July. Nom nom nom!

At just £10.50, the maki roll represents the rainbow flag commonly associated with the LGBT movement. Pride hits London from 23 June – 8 July so if you like sushi and or gays, head over to Chino Latino!

More info on the net:

Chino Latino
Monday to Friday 12-14:00
Monday to Saturday 18-22:30
Sundays 18-22:00

More info about World Pride at Park Plaza’s website.

Rainbow sushi in London was originally published by adam on the best gay travel website: My Gay Travel Guide - hand-picked gay travel info, stories & tips

The purpose of the international day against homophobia is to:

• promote loving relationships regardless of sexual orientation
• end discrimination based on sexual orientation
• promote an open-mindedness toward diversity
• show the devastating effects of homophobia

The day, abbreviated as IDAHO, was first started by Fondation Émergence. At the very least, I think you should be aware that homophobia exists. And is unfortunately enshrined in many countries’ laws and policies toward gay, lesbian and transgender citizens.

May 17 – International day against homophobia was originally published by adam on the best gay travel website: My Gay Travel Guide - hand-picked gay travel info, stories & tips

Intimate or arty events

If you’re looking for smaller, more intimate events or are particularly interested in art and culture, never fear, it’s not all big, bright lights and loud dance music. You’ll find plenty of smaller shows, more intimate events and comfortable bars for chilling out in Orlando.

I think one of the best resources for spotting one-of or special events has to be Watermark, particularly their events planner. No one is likely to love everything on their exhaustive list of LGBT events, but you’re sure to find at least one or two nights out worth investigating. It’s also a good place to pick up local news and offers reviews for arty goings on and it can be handy to have a look at what days out are coming up when you’re thinking of booking your flights to Orlando, Florida.

Big nights out with big names

For a totally surreal party experience, you have to get yourself along to one of the Gay Days at Orlando’s Disney World Resort. Right in the heart of cartoon cuteness, you can enjoy some spectacular dance parties, comedy nights or stunning parades at Disney World itself.

But it’s not only the Disney resort that’s home to Gay Days in Orlando, other top destinations like Universal and Seaworld host events too. These big events also tend to have host hotels attached, so you can potentially save money on your accommodation and stay right at the heart of the action.

For a female take on the fun, have a look at Girls in Wonderland. There you’ll find a breakdown of their events, the chance to buy tickets and accommodation and travel recommendations especially for women.

Bars and hangouts

All kinds of tastes are catered to in Orlando, from the flashy Mannequin’s Dance Palace with its spinning dance floor, thousands of glittery lights and crazy special effects, to the Bear Barn, the local go-to bar for furry bears and men of leather.

Sometimes though, all you want to do is chill out, and Hanks on Edgewater Drive is a legendary place to do it. It’s a friendly neighborhood bar with a very casual atmosphere and a good mix of customers. The Lava Lounge and Café is another welcoming spot, where you’ll find entertainment as well as DJs, but it can get pretty busy when the weekend rolls around.

Finding great places to stay

To be totally sure you’ll be staying somewhere good, it’s worth checking out LGBT friendly hotels and accommodations. Gay Cities seems to have a pretty good list along with some customer reviews, but if you’re looking to stay in a legendary gay resort, try Parliament House.

Get researching and start booking your cheap flights asap, there’s plenty of LGBT fun to be found in Orlando, Florida when you know where to look.

_{Photo credit: Jeff Kern
Thanks to James for providing some of the travel tips in this post.}

LGBT travel adventures in Orlando, Florida was originally published by adam on the best gay travel website: My Gay Travel Guide - hand-picked gay travel info, stories & tips

With news of Joe Biden’s public support for equality this week and Obama’s continued stubbornness in claiming an “evolving” stance on E-Q-U-A-L-I-T-Y, I’m getting pretty tired of the way things are.

Amy Davidson writes in an op-ed in The New Yorker:

“There are families whose lives will now get worse. They, and we, have arrived at a moment when politicians—including the President—need to say what they believe, what risks they are willing to take, and what, in the end, is worth fighting for.”

*UPDATE! Well, I wrote this between North Carolina’s bigoted law approval and when Obama publicly announced his support for full equality. It seems he may have read Davidson’s op-ed after all, and for this I’m very grateful!

For more about North Carolina’s new law, head over to Waegook Tom and read his opinion on the state, its law and boycotts: North Carolina sucks.

North Carolina and Amendment 1 was originally published by adam on the best gay travel website: My Gay Travel Guide - hand-picked gay travel info, stories & tips

Nearly a year after the passage of same-sex marriage in New York, the city is encouraging travel to the five boroughs over a two-month period beginning in June. The City is poised to welcome even more visitors from around the world who can experience firsthand the diversity, excitement and history that comes with New York City’s lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender heritage. From the annual flagship Heritage of Pride events taking place June 16–24 in Manhattan to other celebratory events in The Bronx, Brooklyn, Queens and Staten Island throughout June and July, the City is brimming with gay pride activity. A full listing of pride events throughout the City can be found at nycgo.com/pride.

NYC celebrates one year of marriage equality was originally published by adam on the best gay travel website: My Gay Travel Guide - hand-picked gay travel info, stories & tips

Read: Airlines do at least one thing right: LGBT equality

Is this a growing trend or something that’s been around a while? I like to see airlines that do this, and I may be more likely to book through an airline that I know has something like this on offer. These airline mini-sites are typically better than the usual “gay travel” fanfare. For example, they’re less likely to flaunt half-naked men and flashy neon nightlife. Instead, they focus on the destination itself. Take, for instance, the diversity mini-site from LAN:

As a gay traveler, I’d much rather see a destination for what it is rather than a jacked up version for what many advertisers may see us as: sex-crazed adolescents. It seems that airlines, once again, know the gay travel market best.

On the web:

American Airlines Rainbow

LAN Diversity

AirBerlin

Airlines and LGBT diversity was originally published by adam on the best gay travel website: My Gay Travel Guide - hand-picked gay travel info, stories & tips

The documentary focuses on the happiness of life experiences that everyone shares—homosexuals and heterosexuals alike. The 16 minute documentary shows Nhojj at home, in the rehearsal studio, and on stage. Nhojj shares his work and talks about his band, the creative process, his sexuality and his perception of God.

The short film was originally created to share the “Out & Proud” Brooklyn Museum concert and rehearsal process with fans on Nhojj’s website and social networks. Emmy-nominated Michael Burlingame (“Sting at the Hollywood Bowl”)  expanded the project to include interviews, and intertwined Nhojj’s message as a gay activist with his music and song lyrics.

I’m not usually one to listen to gay-specific music, so I’m curious: have you heard of this guy?

Documentary on Caribbean homosexual musician ‘Nhojj’ was originally published by adam on the best gay travel website: My Gay Travel Guide - hand-picked gay travel info, stories & tips

The gay scene in Madrid is fun, vibrant and exciting. The Chueca area (pronounced Choo-aye-ka) is well-known for having the best gay clubs, coffee shops and bars. The annual Gay Pride is held in the centre of the city and is always a crazy day full of fancy dress and live events celebrating the city’s gay community.

There are plenty of cheap Madrid hotels, but if you’re looking for a fun one on the gay scene try Gay Hostel Puerta Del Sol Madrid. It only has private rooms so it’s actually more like a hotel. It’s also close to all of Madrid’s main attractions and is a friendly place that often has free tickets to the best gay discos of Madrid. All rooms are private and you’ll get Wi-Fi and breakfast included in the price. It’s also right next to the best of Madrid’s gay nightlife in the famous Chueca area. Private rooms start at €22 per person per night.

Bars and clubs

Chueca is in the old part of Madrid so as well as being fun and lively it’s also beautiful to look at. Like the rest of Spain, in Madrid it’s normal to eat out after 10pm, hit the bars at 1am and party on till past 4am when the clubs close.

La Lupe de Chueca is one of the most popular gay bars in Madrid. Get there early to bag the enormous orange mattress at the far end of the bar where you can relax in the cushions and call in the cocktails. They also do food and some nights have flamenco acts showing off their stuff.

If you’re in Madrid for some serious partying action you need to get to ATTACK Fun SX Gay Bar, previously known as Blue Bar Madrid . They have different themed nights every day of the week and are open till late.

For an after party with a theme go to the Leather Club in Chueca. It’s open from 6am to 3pm and judging by its size is always popular with the locals and tourists.

Saunas and gyms

The most famous gay sauna in Madrid is the Premium Sauna by Opera tube station. Entrance starts from €10 and they have a dark room, a Jacuzzi, a bar and a steam room.  You could also try the legendary Sauna Paraiso. It used to be known as the best gay sauna in Madrid before all the others came along. If you’re 40+ the Sauna Puerta de Toledo caters specifically for you and is the perfect place to wind down in the evenings after a busy day sightseeing.

Wherever you decide to stay in Madrid, with HostelBookers.com you can always get good quality accommodation to suit your budget.

Photos (1), (2)

Gay guide to Madrid was originally published by adam on the best gay travel website: My Gay Travel Guide - hand-picked gay travel info, stories & tips

The designers (map-makers?) famous for creating maps based on stereotypes did it again with this map of European penis sizes! Based on data I can only assume was heavily researched, the map certainly is an attention-grabber. It’s also got the potential to draw in tourism to some countries that probably could use a little PR!

You can buy the print over here as a poster.

Map of European penis sizes was originally published by adam on the best gay travel website: My Gay Travel Guide - hand-picked gay travel info, stories & tips