The amazing gay travel organization, Oscar Wilde Tours, is putting on a new and fascinating tour of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City. “Unhung Heroes” will explore why so much artwork has men that are not the biggest down there. The tour will explore why this is and ask various questions: Was it artistic licensing? Was it considered hot? Or, perhaps men back then were just not as large in the pants as they are today? After the in-depth journey through the Met’s “Unhung Heroes,” the tour will then explore artwork in the other direction. Art that features…
Author: Keith Langston
Canadian nonprofit Rainbow Railroad has a mission: To help save LGBTQ people who are trapped in hostile nations. Earlier this year Brunei reversed its death penalty for gay sex, but still remains very dangerous for the LGBTQ community. And Brunei isn’t the only country with harsh anti-gay laws. According to CBS, same-sex relations are illegal in 70 countries, with 7 of those mandating the death penalty as punishment. Rainbow Railroad aims to provide a way for LGBTQ people to escape these dangerous areas so they can live the free, safe, and happy life they deserve. Rainbow Railroad executive director Kimahli…
In yet another blow to the LGBTQ community from the Trump administration, according to the New York Times, Washington Post, NBC News, and more, the US State Department will not allow US Embassies around the world to fly the pride flag during June. Multiple embassies requested permission, to which the State Department responded that flags could not be flown “on public-facing flagpoles,” according to the NYT article, but could still be flown in other places, such as inside… Sadly, this shouldn’t come as a surprise to anyone. The Trump administration has been avidly hateful of the LGBTQ community. Our current…
Back in 2016, the then 27-year-old architect, Alfie Arcuri, had a life-changing experience: He was selected to audition for Australia’s version of the popular reality series The Voice. Before he knew it, he was crowned the winner, had a record label, a hit album, and a future as a musician. Recently, I was lucky enough to sit down with this handsome and charming Aussie and ask him some questions about his life. With his cat (whom he adopted from Delta Goodrem) perched in his lap, and his dog asleep on the couch beside him, Alfie opened up about his life, his…
We’ve all heard the story of those pivotal events that took place at a New York City gay bar in the summer of 1969. What you might not know is the surprising events that took place after the notorious Stonewall Riots. As you can imagine, shortly after the riots the Stonewall was closed. A mafia-owned bar that was home to an uprising against cops wasn’t bound to last long. Flash forward fifty years to the present day. I’m standing in Christopher Park with three members from the National Parks Conservation Association. It’s pouring rain and I’m completely soaked because I…
This month marks the beginning of a new era for San Fransisco International Airport. The airport’s Terminal 1 has reopened after a $2.4 billion renovation as Harvey Milk Terminal 1. A giant banner now welcomes travelers as they approach the airport. The terminal, which is currently home to Jet Blue and Southwest, is destined to become the ultimate destination at SFO. The aim for the terminal was efficiency and relaxation. It was designed with high ceilings, retro furnishings, abundant sources of natural light, and even a yoga room! On top of the state-of-the-art facilities, the terminal has a permanent Harvey…
On Thursday, the New York City Council claimed to make a tough decision: They decided to put forward legislation that would reverse the city’s ban on gay conversion therapy. What are they thinking? This is a decision based on fear, and the law must not be repealed. So why would NYC want to allow gay conversion therapy? As the New York Times puts it, “The City Council fears that if a federal lawsuit challenging the ban were to reach the Supreme Court, the panel could issue a ruling that protected the practice.” In essence, the City Council is worried about…
On October 10, the Fort Lauderdale edition of the OUTshine Film Festival will return to the sunny coast of Florida. This year, the festival has 33 feature-length films and 18 shorts from 13 countries around the world. The event is being sponsored by Gilead, Broward County, and Culture Builds Florida. The festivities kick off October 10 with a screening of the comedy Adam by Rhys Ernst. The film has stirred up much controversy and praise over some of its themes, and is sure to be a hot talking point at this year’s festival. https://www.instagram.com/p/B096c97l1X0/?utm_source=ig_web_options_share_sheet After the screening, an opening…
What does flight insurance cover? In general, it covers canceling a flight due to things like illness, a death in the family, job loss, severe weather problems, an extreme accident that makes you unable to fly, and so on…but in general, we’re talking about illness. That’s the most common reason you’d need to cancel a flight. Let me explain what happened to me: Back in early May, I booked a flight home for June. By the time June rolled along, it would be around 4 months since I was sick last, so I purchased flight insurance just in case, because…
The website Apartment Guide just released the new list of America’s most expensive zip codes for renters. They collected data for rental prices for one bedroom apartments throughout the month of October and compiled the rankings. If you’re thinking 90210 is on the list… you’d be wrong. Manhattan isn’t even one of the most expensive places anymore! So, what zip codes did make the list…? 10.) 90292 Marina Del Rey, Los Angeles, California Avg. Price: $3,170 Marina Del Rey, one of LA’s beachside neighborhoods, has boomed in popularity recently. And why wouldn’t it? In Marina Del Rey you can…
Rhode Island Governor Gina Raimondo has signed into law a new bill to grant benefits for LGBTQ veterans who were discharged because their sexual orientation. The law will help anyone who was discharged under old policies such as ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,’ among others. According to US News, “The new law provides a petition process to have a discharge from service recorded as honorable for veterans who received a general or other than honorable discharge due solely to their sexual orientation. An honorable discharge is the only type that entails full benefits.” Today, the Modern Military Association of America, the…
December 1st marks World AIDS Day this year. The event was created in 1988 to raise awareness for the AIDS pandemic around the world. This is the event’s 31st year. So, how will people around the planet be commemorating the day? Here’s a list of some of the events taking place to help raise awareness of AIDS/HIV and to encourage HIV testing, treatment, and prevention. By Keith Langston MAUI, HAWAII On December 1st, the Maui AIDS Foundation will gather at the VFW hall to to unite in the fight against HIV, to show support for people living with HIV, and…
Flash Pack, the travel and adventure company for solo travelers in their 30’s and 40’s has just released a list of the best places to take a holiday from the holidays. If you’re the kind of person who would rather travel during this festive time of year, then these great destinations may be perfect for you. Pack you bags, tell your family you’ll see them next year, and head out on an epic journey with a group of other solo travelers. By Keith Langston JORDAN Christmas lights are great and make the season festive, but wouldn’t you prefer to…
Today, the onePULSE Foundation, which was created in memory of those who lost their lives in the 2016 shooting, has announced that they have created 49 scholarships – one in honor of each victim – that will be given to students who are looking to pursue higher education. They can be used in universities, in career studies, and technical colleges. Each scholarship is dedicated to the passions and interests of each of the victims. Scholarships are available for a wide range of studies including, nursing, business, cosmetology, journalism, education, and many that are open to any area of study. The…
Lil Nas X, the country-rapper best known for his mega-hit “Old Town Road” has just been nominated for six Grammys, including Album of the Year, Record of the Year, and Best New Artist. This honors Lil Nas X as the first openly gay rapper to be nominated for a top award in rap history. On top of his monumental Grammy nominations, he already made history earlier this month when he won a Country Music Award, becoming the first openly gay man to win a CMA ever. So far, his hit single, “Old Town Road” has gained over 388 million views on…
There are some amazing travel opportunities out there that will give you an epic vacation, while also giving back to the community. If you want to help make a difference in someone’s life this holiday season, check out these wonderful hotels and resorts that are taking charitable donations to a whole new level. ANDAZ HOTELS AND RESORTS Andaz hotels and resorts, by Hyatt, are some of the coolest, freshest, trendiest hotels around the world. They offer upscale luxury with a contemporary sleekness. Making the chain even better is that three of their resorts, The Andaz West Hollywood, Scottsdale, and…
New alarming information has been released by the Web Integrity Project revealing that the Trump administration is altering and deleting information about LGBTQ people. According to Fast Company, the organization discovered shocking and horrific slashes in the amount of information being released by the Trump administration in regards to LGBT people throughout numerous government agencies. Examples included in the investigation is the switching of “LGBT” to “LGB” on the CDC website, The Office of Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity deleted information about rights for LGBT and HIV positive people, and there’s been a 40% decrease in the use of the…
Earlier this year, it was requested that a few crosswalks in the small town of Chilliwack, BC would be painted rainbow in honor of Pride. Sadly, the city council voted it down. According to HuffPost, Councilwoman Sue Knott stated, “When it comes to painting a rainbow on a crosswalk, or baby feet, crosses, anti immigration or anything else, it becomes a political statement…It also becomes a target for vandalism and a canvas for intolerance and hate. You cannot change attitudes by painting crosswalks.” It seems that many people in the community did not agree with the City Council’s views. And…
Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey announced today that Twitter will be banning all political ads, globally. In true twitter form, the announcement came via tweet. In it, Dorsey stated: https://twitter.com/jack/status/1189634360472829952?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1189634360472829952&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.nytimes.com%2F2019%2F10%2F30%2Ftechnology%2Ftwitter-political-ads-ban.html For anyone out there wondering why this is, here is a great example. Political ads can come in various forms. Political ads can be harmless, such as this ad by Elizabeth Warren: But political ads can also be extremely divisive, offensive, hurtful, and untrue. Here’s an advertisement that has recently popped up on a popular movie website. Many say that allowing ads like this to be spread around the country, simply…
Claudia Lopez was recently elected the mayor of Bogota, Colombia, making her the first female and first LGBTQ mayor in the city’s history. Lopez ran on a platform promising to combat political corruption and promoting civil rights for everyone. Upon hearing the news of her election, Lopez said, “This is the day of the woman, we knew that only by uniting could we win. We did that. We united, we won, and we made history!” Lopez received over 1 million votes, beating her opponent by 2.7 percentage points, electing her as one of the most important political figures in Colombia.…
Russian LGBT activist, Yelena Grigoryeva, was stabbed to death this summer due to a dangerous website calling itself “SAW” based upon the popular horror franchise. For those unaware of the film, the plot centers around a deranged madman dying of cancer. He believes he can atone for his sins before death by torturing people who have done bad things. However, there is one significant difference between the film and this Russian site that the founders clearly didn’t understand. In SAW, the point was to torture the victims, while giving them the option to survive. It was about making a sacrifice…
On September 24, the ACLU was presented with the Emmy for Outstanding Short Documentary for their film Trans in America: Texas Strong. The film was made in partnership with Little by Little Films, and was distributed by Conde Nast’s LGBTQ brand, Them. The film centers around 8-year-old transgender child Kai Shappley and her mother Kimberly. At a very young age Kai showed signs that she didn’t identity with her gender at birth. Her mother, Kimberly, struggled with trying to understand and comprehend what was happening. Finally, Kimberly accepted her daughter Kai and embraced her with love and affection. However, with…
This year, the National LGBTQ Task Force will put on their 23rd Gala in the heart of Miami Beach at the gorgeous Fountainbleau Resort on Saturday, October 19. Seeing as this is the 50th anniversary of Stonewall, this year’s theme will be Fifty Years of FIERCE! According to the organization, “Fierce describes the activists, drag queens and kings, the leather daddies and biker babes, the gender-queer fashionistas and transgender stars. Fierce is the power in which we live our lives and the progress we’ve made in the fight for our rights to exist as we choose!” The event will begin with…
Adam Berry is having a bit of a moment. His paranormal investigation show Kindred Spirits is one of Travel Channel’s most popular, and is currently filming its fourth season. Adam also participates in Strange Escapes with his Kindred Spirits co-star Amy Bruni, where the two, along with other paranormal professionals, guide participants through ghost hunts at some of America’s most haunted locals. And to top it all off, he’s happily married to his handsome husband, Ben Berry. Seeing as October is here, autumn is in the air, and Halloween in fast approaching, I sat down with Adam to ask him…
Going along with the global trend of reverting to conservatism, Indonesia, the world’s largest muslim nation, will most likely vote to amend its penal code this month. The revisions to the law will consider acts such as adultly, extramarital sex, abortion, and contraception as “social evils.” Even scarier, the law would forbid “obscene public acts” and the definition of such acts has been left intentionally vague to include whatever prosecutors would like it to. This will be especially hurtful to the LGBTQ community, whom already face extreme segregation and oppression within Indonesia. Since gay couples can’t marry, all homosexual sex…
Suburban Toronto has a new bus taking residents to wherever they need to go… it’s a giant pink bus, with images of famous LGBTQ Canadians on its side. Inside, the bus is filled with facts, information cards, and words of encouragement, all meant to educate people on the LGBTQ community, as well as to inspire LGBTQ riders to feel comfortable being themselves. https://twitter.com/blogTO/status/1145470835018350593 The idea for the bus began with the nonprofit LoveisLoveisLove, after famed Canadian philanthropist Kathryn E. Langley Hope gave the organization a hefty donation to make it happen. The goal was to operate the bus during Pride…
Equaldex is a user-generated “knowledge base,” as founder Dan Leveille put it during our interview. Leveille works for a marketing company by day, and his education background is in web development, but he has a passion for LGBTQ rights and wants to use his skills to help the cause, thus, Equaldex was born. When he founded the website, he had a tall order to fill. He wanted to create an easy-to-use website that informed readers of LGBTQ rights in every country across the globe. As time went on, the website generated traction and has been featured in publications like AirBnb…
We’ve all asked the question: How do I save money while on vacation? The standard responses we get are: “Visit somewhere where the American dollar goes far,” or “Travel during the off-season.” But let’s discuss some other ways to save money when traveling. The suggestions below might just be your ticket to having a fantastic holiday without spending a lot of money. Price match, even if it isn’t technically offered. Sites like Expedia, Orbitz, and Kayak have dramatically changed the world of travel, and they have seriously pissed off hotel chains and airlines. Nowadays, most companies offer price-matching or…
I recently sat down with Patricia Schultz, author of the wildly successful book (turned into more books, calendars, travel journals, and even a Travel Channel TV show…) 1,000 Places to See Before You Die. A new edition of her famous book has just been release as a vivid and stunning pictorial journey around the globe with 1,000 Places to See Before You Die: The World as You’ve Never Seen it Before. We met for tea at the newly opened Hudson Yards on the west side of Manhattan, which has recently undergone a multi-billion dollar reinvention project. The new Hudson Yards…
A new campaign, “Deutschland fliegt nicht” translated to ‘Germany Doesn’t Fly’ is aiming to curb carbon emissions by encouraging Germans to rethink their domestic and short-haul flights. The first goal is to try get as many people as possible not to fly during the week of February 10 -16, 2020. According to the group, “The nationwide campaign ‘Germany doesn’t fly’ is much more than a normal protest. Simply not flying is more effective than waiting for bans, regulations and laws.” The goal is to get Germany (and the rest of the world) to recognize and understand the immense amount of…