Facebook bans content promoting ‘conversion therapy’

Facebook on Friday said it is banning content that promotes “conversion therapy,” which is based on the unfounded notion that gays can change their sexual orientation through psychological or spiritual intervention.

Facebook and its image-centric social network Instagram are updating policies to require removal of content that directly promotes conversion therapy when such posts are flagged by users, according to the California-based internet giant.


The move is an extension of an existing ban on ads that promote the tactic, which medical experts consider ineffective and often harmful.


“We don’t allow attacks against people based on sexual orientation or gender identity and are updating our policies to ban the promotion of conversion therapy services,” a Facebook spokesperson said in response to an AFP inquiry.


“We are always reviewing our policies and will continue to consult with experts and people with personal experiences to inform our approach.”

Conversion therapy “interventions” include electric shock, food deprivation and chemically-induced nausea, the American Medical Association has said in a report.


Empirical evidence demonstrates that sexuality and gender identities in people vary naturally, with the idea of “conversion” a misconception, the report said.

Such “sexual orientation change efforts” not only don’t work, but they may also cause significant distress, the AMA said, citing a study showing they caused depression, anxiety, alienation, and other ill effects.

Another study cited by the AMA found that nearly 30 percent of people who underwent conversion therapy reported suicide attempts.

Agence France-Presse

Everyone welcome? Gay football fans prepare for Qatar

World Cup 2022 host Qatar has given the clearest indication yet that LGBT fans will be welcome, engaging with gay supporters as it hosts the Club World Cup — despite criminalizing homosexuality.

Organisers of the 2022 soccer spectacle travelled to Britain in recent months to meet Liverpool fan clubs including the side’s gay supporters’ group, individuals briefed on the meeting have told AFP.

Paul Amann, founder of Liverpool’s LGBT supporters’ club Kop Outs, then undertook a fact-finding mission to Doha along with his husband in November at the invitation of the World Cup organisers.

“I’m very satisfied that their approach is to provide an ‘everyone is welcome’ ethos that does include respect, albeit through privacy,” he told AFP. “I’m not sure if rainbow flags generally will ever be accepted ‘in-country’, but maybe in stadia.”

Amman said he felt “paranoia is not needed as people will not pry into your personal business”.

“There was clearly some apprehension, indeed my husband said on the eve of flying that he wished he had not agreed to go,” the 50-year-old council worker wrote in a report for Kop Outs that he shared with AFP.

– ‘Being gay is haram’ –
The Kop Outs boast 150 full members and thousands of followers on social media. It is unclear how many LGBT fans from Liverpool and the other six teams participating in the Club Cup will make the journey to the Gulf for the tournament.

Club chief executive Peter Moore said in November that Liverpool had “received a number of assurances” on the issue from Qatari authorities.


There are no openly gay or bisexual players in the English men’s Premier League, but major clubs have implemented zero-tolerance policies for homophobia and embraced the “rainbow laces” campaign against discrimination.

Openly LGBT players are well represented in the English women’s game however, with former Lionesses captain, the defender Casey Stoney, the best known.

The chief executive of the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 Nasser al-Khater said in September that “any fan, of any gender, (sexual) orientation, religion, race (should) rest assured that Qatar is one of the most safe countries in the world — and they’ll all be welcome here”.



However he stressed that “public displays of affection are frowned upon, it’s not part of our culture — but that goes across the board to everybody”.

Amann said that “if people basically observe the no PDA advice, then I can’t see them being necessarily identifiable”.

Though there are no openly gay venues in Doha, a handful of bars are known to be more gay-friendly and attract a loyal clientele of airline staff, hospitality workers and other expatriates.

Web users do not face restrictions accessing gay dating apps like Grindr in Qatar, unlike other Gulf countries, although users rarely display identifiable pictures.

“We are living in a society where gay people are not recognised yet. Being gay is haram to their religion,” said a gay barman from the Philippines living in the conservative Muslim country who spoke on condition of anonymity.

“I think Qatar is not ready for it yet.”

He shared a commonly held fear that police monitor gay apps and periodically deport homosexuals — although there is limited evidence for this.

During a recent visit by the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention, three independent experts did however warn that at least one transgender person had been detained “until they changed their behaviour”.

The experts, who are independent of the UN, also reported the detention of individuals because of crimes linked to their sexuality.

“No one should be detained because of who they love,” said group member Elina Steinerte, a Latvian human rights expert.



– ‘Police yourself’ –
A gay choreographer visiting Qatar from South Africa described the country as “challenging”.

“The hardest thing is not being able to show any public displays of affection,” said the man who also declined to be named.

“You don’t quite realise how difficult it is to police yourself until you have to.”

During the last World Cup in Russia, international anti-discrimination network FARE opened a match-screening area for gay and ethnic minority football fans in Moscow.

The LGBT-friendly venue opened despite queer activism being severely restricted in Russia under a 2013 “gay propaganda” law forbidding the promotion of “non-traditional sexual relationships” to minors.

Neither FIFA nor the Qatari Supreme Committee organisers have so far publicised any special measures for gay fans ahead of the World Cup.

Pavel Klymenko of FARE said “we do have in mind something similar (for 2022) but need to see what is possible”.

“Qataris are good at engaging with people, assuring them all is fine — like with the Liverpool LGBT group. But in reality the level of tolerance for these issues might be way lower than in Russia.”

source: sports.inquirer.net

Gay couples plan mass weddings after Taiwan legalizes unions

TAIPEI, Taiwan — Gay couples in Taiwan plan a mass wedding registration after lawmakers voted to legalize same-sex marriage, a first in Asia and a boost for LGBT rights activists who had championed the cause for two decades.

Legislators pressured by LGBT groups as well as by church organizations opposed to the move on Friday approved most of a government-sponsored bill that recognizes same-sex marriages and gives couples many of the tax, insurance and child custody benefits available to male-female married couples.

That makes Taiwan the first place in Asia with a comprehensive law both allowing and laying out the terms of same-sex marriage.

Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen, a supporter of the law, tweeted: “On May 17th, 2019 in Taiwan, LoveWon. We took a big step toward true equality, and made Taiwan a better country.”

“It’s a breakthrough, I have to say so,” said Shiau Hong-chi, professor of gender studies and communications management at Shih-Hsin University in Taiwan.

Thousands of people, including same-sex couples, demonstrated Friday morning in the rainy streets outside parliament before the vote. Many carried rainbow-colored placards reading “The vote cannot fail.” About 50 opponents sat under a tent outside parliament and gave speeches favoring marriage between only men and women.

Taiwan’s Constitutional Court in May 2017 said the constitution allows same-sex marriages and gave parliament two years to adjust laws accordingly. The court order mobilized LGBT advocacy groups pushing for fair treatment, as well as opponents among church groups and advocates of traditional Chinese family values that stress the importance of marriage and producing offspring.

Religion, conservative values and political systems that discourage LGBT activism have slowed momentum toward same-sex marriage in many Asian countries from Japan through much of Southeast Asia, although Thailand is exploring the legalization of same-sex civil partnerships.

“This will help spark a debate in Thailand, and hopefully will help Thailand move faster on our own partnership bill,” said Wattana Keiangpa of the Asia Pacific Coalition on Male Sexual Health.

Phil Robertson, deputy Asia director for Human Rights Watch, said Taiwan’s action should “sound a clarion call, kicking off a larger movement across Asia to ensure equality for LGBT people and pro-active protection of their rights by governments throughout the region. No more excuses!”

At least 20 same-sex couples are planning a mass marriage registration in Taipei on May 24, a spokesman for the advocacy group Marriage Equality Coalition Taiwan said. The newlyweds and hundreds of invitees will hold a mass party a day later on a blocked-off boulevard outside the presidential office, the event organizer said.


The law will give a boost to Jay Lin and his partner, who hope to marry and assume joint custody of their two 2-year-old sons. They plan to register after May 24.

“A lot of gay parents are excited about that already,” said Lin, a Taipei-based online streaming service founder.

“I think once more people are married and more families are more comfortable being out in public, that will naturally have a beneficial impact on society and on people’s minds,” Lin said.

Taiwan’s acceptance of gay and lesbian relationships began in the 1990s when leaders in today’s ruling Democratic Progressive Party championed the cause to help Taiwan stand out in Asia as an open society.

Although claimed by China as its own territory, Taiwan is a self-governing democracy with a vibrant civil society dedicated to promoting rights for sexual and ethnic minorities, women, the handicapped and others.

Mainland China, ruled by the authoritarian Communist Party, remains much more conservative and officials have repeatedly discouraged even the discussion of legalizing same-sex marriage.

Despite that, news of Taiwan’s new law was a major trending topic on social media in China, with more than 100 million views on the Twitter-like microblogging site Weibo.

Opponents in Taiwan raised fears of incest, insurance scams and children confused by having two mothers or two fathers. Both sides of the issue have held colorful street demonstrations and lobbied lawmakers.

“This is going to cause a lot of morality problems,” said Lin Shih-min with the Taiwan political action group Stability of Power, which opposed the law. “From the point of view of the children, they have the right to grow up with both a mother and a father.”

In November 2018, a majority of Taiwan voters rejected same-sex marriage in an advisory referendum. However, legislators favoring the bill, and voting separately on each item largely along party lines, said it followed the law as well as the spirit of the referendum. 



“We need to take responsibility for the referendum last year and we need to take responsibility for people who have suffered from incomplete laws or faced discrimination,” ruling party legislator Hsiao Bi-khim said during the three-hour parliament session.

source: newsinfo.inquirer.net

Gay sex ruling to free India’s ‘pink economy’

Mumbai, India – From LGBT nightclubs to “gaycations” and more, a court ruling legalizing homosexuality in India is set to unlock one of the world’s largest “pink economies”, experts said.

The Supreme Court’s historic decision last week to scrap a colonial-era ban on gay sex sparked joy as activists held rainbow-colored celebrations across the country.


Now the community can expect to see businesses lining up to offer a range of tailored products, in fashion, health and other industries, providing a massive boost to Asia’s third-biggest economy.

“It can bring billions of dollars to the Indian economy if they can activate the spending of gay people in India,” Keshav Suri, a hotelier and petitioner in the landmark case, told AFP.

“There is business to be done, real estate to be bought and sold, holidays and all the services that go with that.”

“The value of the pink economy and the social aspects of the LGBT community are too large now for us to ignore,” added Suri, executive director of the Lalit hotel group.

India is home to more than 55 million LGBT adults, according to Out Now Consulting, a marketing agency that helps businesses target gay and lesbian consumers.

Their nominal income is around $113 billion annually, the firm estimates. LGBT couples have fewer children than other groups and higher-than-average salaries, meaning plenty of disposable cash.

“They represent one of the world’s largest LGBT markets,” Ian Johnson, founder of the Australia-based Out Now Consulting, told AFP.

He made a prediction that drinks brands and travel companies will be the first to target the LGBT community following the scrapping of Section 377, which was introduced 157 years ago.

LGBT bars, clubs and cafes will provide new employment and boost sales in the food and alcohol industries while people will be able to attend holidays designed specifically for the gay market without fear of legal reprisal.

Nakshatra Bagwe, a Mumbai-based entrepreneur, runs The BackPack Travels, a company specializing in organizing trips for LGBT tourists.

He said it has been profitable since it was set up in October 2016 but he expects to see an increase in revenue following the law change.

“With legality and freedom on our side businesses will invest in the community and opportunities will increase in the coming years,” he told AFP.

Legal and free

Inder Vhatwar, another businessman based in India’s financial capital, also hopes to profit from the ruling by judges who said members of the gay community deserve an apology for the treatment they have suffered.

Shortly after gay sex was briefly decriminalized before by the Delhi High Court in 2009, Vhatwar opened a store called D’Kloset in Mumbai’s trendy neighborhood of Bandra, where several Bollywood stars live.

He sold glitzy clothes, handbags and party masks, but after the ban was reinstated in 2013 Vhatwar was evicted by his landlord.

“I faced a lot of challenges due to Section 377 and had to shut down but with this recent judgement I am planning to start the store again,” the 37-year-old told AFP.

Gay sex has long been a taboo subject for many in socially conservative India, with religious groups in particular fiercely opposing any liberalization of sexual morality.

The World Bank said in a 2014 report that homophobic attitudes and a reluctance to hire LGBT people hampered India’s economic growth by up to 1.7 percent annually.

Research shows that LGBT-friendly policies in the workplace, such as equality training and non-discriminatory hiring practices, can boost profitability.

Activists expressed hope the court ruling will help shift attitudes and boost the LGBT community’s economic engagement as the commercial benefits are realized.

“The LGBT community is definitely an untapped market. The business potential is huge and set to grow,” Parmesh Shahani, who heads up the cultural arm of India’s Godrej conglomerate, told AFP.

“The verdict will catalyze change and more companies will invest in products and services catering to the community. I hope the judgment creates more jobs and companies vie for LGBTQ talent,” he added. /kga

source: business.inquirer.net

Garrett Clayton comes out to discuss ‘serious’ matters

Actor Garrett Clayton, who starred in Disney’s “Teen Beach Movie” and “Teen Beach 2,” recently came out of the closet as gay, in an Instagram post about a project that affected him profoundly.

Clayton, who also starred in “King Cobra” as a young gay porn actor, disclosed that he is dating another man, Los Angeles-based writer Blake Knight.

“When I read the script for ‘Reach,’ I immediately knew it was a film I had to be a part of,” the 27-year-old said. “I have personally dealt with suicide within my own family, intense bullying in high school, and—on top of it all—myself and the man I’ve been in a relationship with for a long time (@hrhblakeknight) have both experienced shootings within our hometown school systems, and have witnessed the heartache that takes place in affected communities after such tragic events.”

Clayton, whose recent theater projects include “God Looked Away” and “Sleeping Beauty and Her Winter Knight,” added, “These topics—not always easy to discuss—are close to my heart and, knowing how serious they are, I wanted to share this with you all… If watching it helps even one person, then it was all worth it.”

Posted on Knight’s page are photos of them together, and a message of thanks for the support given by Clayton’s fans.—OLIVER PULUMBARIT

source: entertainment.inquirer.net

Australian leader says gay marriage could be law this year

CANBERRA, Australia — Australia’s prime minister said Tuesday that Parliament could legalize gay marriage this year if the nation’s voters endorse it in a rare nonbinding poll in November.

Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull said he expected the public would support marriage equality in the so-called plebiscite, and that he would personally campaign for a ‘yes’ vote. It would be only the fourth time in Australian history, and first time in 43 years, that the government puts a legally nonbinding question to the electorate.

“I have other calls on my time as prime minister, but I will certainly support a ‘yes’ vote,” Turnbull told reporters.

The conservative Liberal Party-led coalition was narrowly re-elected in July 2016 with a promise to let voters decide whether Australia should recognize same-sex marriage through a popular vote. But the Senate in November blocked the plebiscite, which would cost 170 million Australian dollars ($135 million) and promote a divisive public debate.

The Liberal Party held a crisis meeting late Monday to resolve infighting and rejected a push to allow lawmakers to decide the issue now.

The government on Tuesday endorsed the party decision to ask the Senate this week to reconsider allowing the plebiscite, which would be held Nov. 25. Voting would be compulsory and failure to vote would be punishable by a fine, though a voluntary vote would be held if the Senate again rejects the measure.

The result would not be legally binding and some lawmakers have already declared it would not sway their vote on gay marriage legislation.

If most Australians want gay marriage, the Parliament would vote on legislation before the last two-week session of Parliament of the year ends on Dec. 7.

“Strong leaders carry out their promises, weak leaders break them,” Turnbull told reporters.

Gay-rights advocates say enough lawmakers already back marriage equality to make same-sex marriage legal in Australia now. For the first time in Australian history, both the prime minister and opposition leader back the reform.

Rights advocates see the plebiscite as both a delaying tactic forced by a hard right-wing minority and a strategy to undermine political support.

Opponents of the plebiscite argue that the government-funded advertising campaigns for the cases for and against would give authority to bigoted and homophobic arguments. Supporters say it would give ordinary people a voice in a debate dominated by activists.

If the Senate again blocks the plebiscite, the government intends to hold a voluntary postal plebiscite by Nov. 15. Voters would mail in their opinions instead of using ballot boxes at a cost of up to AU$122 million. Responses would be voluntary and therefore less indicative of public opinion.

Opponents argue that the postal plebiscite would also need Senate approval, and have threatened a court challenge if it proceeds. Turnbull said he is confident that the postal option did not need Senate endorsement.

Finance Minister Mathias Cormann, the government’s deputy Senate leader and an opponent of same-sex marriage, said some type of plebiscite is essential if Parliament is to decide the marriage equality question.

Sen. Nick Xenophon said his minor party’s opposition had not changed since they opposed the plebiscite in the November vote.

Lyle Shelton, managing director of the Australian Christian Lobby, said his advocacy group had collected 55,000 signatures on a petition demanding a plebiscite.

Sheldon handed the petition to Sen. Cory Bernardi, leader of the minor Australian Conservatives party, to present to the Senate. Bernardi has said he would vote against gay marriage regardless of what the plebiscite found.

source: newsinfo.inquirer.net

Greyson comes out

Greyson Chance, the singer who, as a 12-year-old, received international attention after his cover of Lady Gaga’s “Paparazzi” went viral, has come out as gay in a recent Instagram post.

Chance, now 19, said he “fully realized” he’s gay when he was 16, but decided not to publicize it as a “matter of privacy.”

“I was still trying to find comfort and confidence within my own skin,” he wrote.

Greyson added: “I encourage anyone who [is] navigating their sexuality to devote as much time as they need to the process of finding self-confidence, self-acceptance and self-love.” —ALLAN POLICARPIO

source: entertainment.inquirer.net

Russia asked to end alleged killings of gays in Chechnya

MOSCOW— International organizations on Thursday urged the Russian government to investigate the reported abuse and killings of gay men in Russia’s southern republic of Chechnya.

The respected Russian newspaper Novaya Gazeta reported earlier this month that police in the predominantly Muslim republic of Chechnya have rounded up more than 100 men suspected of homosexuality and that at least three of them have been killed.

Chechen authorities have denied the reports, while the spokesman for leader Ramzan Kadyrov insisted there were no gay people in Chechnya.

The United Nations’ High Commissioner for Human Rights called upon the Russian government in a statement “to put an end to the persecution of people perceived to be gay or bisexual … who are living in a climate of fear fueled by homophobic speeches by local authorities.”

Separately, the director of the human rights office at the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, Michael Georg Link, said Thursday that Moscow must “urgently investigate the alleged disappearance, torture and other ill-treatment” of gay men in Chechnya.

After two separatist wars in the 1990s, predominantly Muslim Chechnya became increasingly conservative under late President Akhmat Kadyrov and then his son Ramzan.

Novaya Gazeta also reported this month that Chechen authorities are running a secret prison in the town of Argun where men suspected of being gay are kept and tortured.

Several hundred people rallied on Wednesday evening outside the Russian embassy in London, waving rainbow flags. One placard read “Love is love” in Russian.

source: newsinfo.inquirer.net

Rainbow flag creator Gilbert Baker dead at 65

LOS ANGELES—American artist Gilbert Baker, who created the rainbow flag recognized around the world as a symbol of gay pride, has died, close friend and rights activist Cleve Jones announced Friday.

Baker, who was 65, came up with the iconic eight-colored banner for San Francisco’s 1978 gay freedom day, a precursor to the modern pride festival, having taught himself to sew in his 20s.

The former soldier was heavily involved within the San Francisco LGBT rights movement and was a close friend of murdered activist and politician Harvey Milk.

“I am heartbroken. My dearest friend in the world is gone. Gilbert gave the world the Rainbow Flag; he gave me 40 years of love and friendship,” Jones posted on Facebook.

“I can’t stop crying. I love you forever Gilbert Baker.”

He didn’t reveal the cause, but the San Francisco Chronicle said the artist had died in his sleep at his home in New York late Thursday.

Jones urged San Francisco friends to gather for an evening vigil under a rainbow flag in the city’s Castro district.

The news prompted an outpouring of tributes and expressions of grief on social media.

“Rainbows weep. Our world is far less colorful without you, my love,” tweeted filmmaker Dustin Lance Black, who won an Oscar for the screenplay to the 2008 biopic “Milk,” starring Sean Penn as the gay politician.

Baker, born in Kansas in 1951, served for two years in the army, according to his website, and was stationed him in San Francisco just as the gay liberation movement was gathering momentum.

“I just talked to Gilbert last month. He gave us his best and the rainbow flag will be an even more treasured keepsake of our history,” posted Robert York, a senior director at healthcare lobby group the National Quality Forum.

source: lifestyle.inquirer.net

Gay parents fight for custody with surrogate in Thailand

BANGKOK — An American-Spanish same-sex couple opened a high-profile custody battle in Thailand on Wednesday for a baby girl born to a surrogate mother, who decided she wanted to keep the child when she found out they were gay.

The case is complicated by the fact that Thai law does not recognize same-sex marriages and also by a new law that bans commercial surrogacy, which took effect after baby Carmen’s birth.

The couple — American Gordon Lake and Spaniard Manuel Santos, both 41 — have been stuck in Thailand since launching their legal battle after Carmen was born in January 2015.

“It’s the day we’ve been waiting for — for a long, long time. Today is one of the most important days of our lives,” Lake said outside Bangkok’s Juvenile and Family Court. “The court should give us custody of Carmen because it’s the right thing to do.”

Lake is the biological father of baby Carmen, who is now 14 months old, while the egg came from an anonymous donor, not the Thai surrogate, Patidta Kusolsang.

When Carmen was born, Patidta handed over the baby to Lake and Santos, who left the hospital with the infant. But they say Patidta then changed her mind and refused to sign the documents to allow Carmen to get a passport so they could leave Thailand.

Lake and Santos were told she had thought they were an “ordinary family and that she worried for Carmen’s upbringing,” according to a message Lake posted on a crowd funding site that has raised $36,000 to help cover the costs of the trial and staying in Thailand.

Patidta’s lawyer declined to speak to reporters at the court Wednesday. Testimony from both sides is scheduled to end March 31.

Lake has said he doesn’t know why the surrogate says she didn’t know he was gay. He says he was clear about that from the start with their surrogacy agency, called New Life, which has branches in several countries.

The Bangkok-based New Life office has closed since commercial surrogacy was outlawed in Thailand in July 2015, following several high-profile scandals. There was a grace period provided for parents whose babies were already on the way, and Lake says he hopes the judge is sympathetic to them.

“It was always known it was a surrogacy agreement. We’re the intended parents. We’re the people that wanted to have a child,” said Lake, who is originally from New Jersey. “We just want to go home and we just want to be a family. A normal boring family.”

Carmen has lived with the couple since her birth, and they carried her into the court on Wednesday.

The couple’s lawyer, Rachapol Sirikulchit, says he is confident they will be awarded custody and take the baby with them to Spain, where they live.

“Baby Carmen has the right to be with her biological father, who supports her financially and has cared for her since she was born,” Rachapol said. “The priority is to consider the benefit for children and that they have the right to live with their biological parent.”

source: newsinfo.inquirer.net

WATCH: Gay marriage proposal on Beijing’s subway gets buzz online

One man’s unconventional marriage proposal to his boyfriend onboard the subway in Beijing has set tongues wagging—in a good way—on the Internet.

Online news site Shanghaiist reported that the proposal took place on a rainbow-decorated train carriage on Line 1 of Beijing’s metro system.

A 43-second video posted on YouTube showed the man kneeling down in front of his stunned partner as he popped the all-important question while holding out a watch.

“Today I invite all the people we know and do not know to bear witness,” he declared in Mandarin as the majority of commuters in the carriage cheered him on and broke into applause.

There were also calls for them to kiss as they embraced each other after the successful proposal.

Images of the incident have since gone viral in China, with microblogging site Weibo flooded with positive comments and messages of encouragement for the couple.

The original post has been shared more than 10,000 times on Weibo, CNN reported.

One user wrote: “This type of love really needs courage, bless you!”




Gay marriage is not legal in China, although public perception towards rights for gays has shifted for the better. Homosexuality was decriminalized in 1997.

In June, gay dating app Blued tied up with popular Chinese online shopping site Taobao to send 10 gay couples to the US to get hitched legally.


A gay couple also held their wedding ceremony in Beijing, a day after the US legalized same sex marriage in all 50 states on June 26.

source: newsinfo.inquirer.net

Study reveals gay discrimination in sports

SYDNEY, Australia—One in four gay men said they had received verbal threats of harm or had been bullied while participating in sports, and around 80 percent of people said they had witnessed such discrimination, according to a survey of 9,500 respondents.

The findings were contained in ‘Out on the Fields’, released Sunday, which officials said was the first international study and the largest conducted on discrimination against gay, lesbian and bisexual participants in sports.

The study, which also canvassed heterosexual respondents, surveyed nearly 3,000 people in Australia, 2,025 in the United States and 1,780 in Britain. The study was also conducted in Canada, New Zealand and Ireland.

It was initiated by organizers of the Bingham Cup, a gay rugby tournament held in Sydney last year.

The results from the on-line study were reviewed by seven academics from six universities, including Victoria University in Australia, Penn State University and the University of Massachusetts in the United States, Brunel University in Britain and the University of Winnipeg and Laval University in Canada.

The study also showed one in four gay men did not play youth team sports because of negative experiences in school physical education classes, or because they feared they would be rejected because of their sexuality.

It said 46 percent of all participants and 54 percent of gay men believe LGB people are “not accepted at all” or only “accepted a little” in sporting culture.

And 84 percent of gay men and 82 percent of lesbians in the study said they had received verbal slurs.

The study was open to anyone, although heterosexual participants were given fewer questions than lesbian, gay and bisexual participants. About 2,500 of the respondents were heterosexual.

In the United States, 55 percent of the 2,025 respondents were gay men. The U.S. ranked highest for discrimination in some areas, with 54 percent of participants there saying lesbian, gay and bisexual people in sports were accepted only slightly or not at all.

Openly gay former Wales rugby star Gareth Thomas said “this massive international study has cast a very bright and much-needed light” on the issue.

Former Australia rugby captain John Eales said that “as a father I was really disappointed to hear how widespread homophobia is in some parts of sport, especially the PE classes and spectator stands where so many kids learn how to behave.”

source: sports.inquirer.net

Elton John to marry longtime partner

WASHINGTON — Pop icon Elton John says he will tie the knot with partner David Furnish now that his native Britain has legalized gay marriage.

The top-selling artist told NBC’s “Today” show that “we’ll do it very quietly.”

“But we will do it and it will be a joyous occasion,” John added.




The couple, who have two children together, entered into a civil partnership in 2005.

A historic law legalizing same-sex marriage took effect in England and Wales on Saturday, the final stage in the long fight for legal equality for gays and lesbians.

Civil partnerships have been legal there since 2005.

“I’m very proud of Britain and the laws that we’ve seen come into existence since we’ve been together,” John said in excerpts of the interview set to air Monday.

“For this legislation to come through is joyous, and we should celebrate it. We shouldn’t just say, ‘Oh, well we have a civil partnership. We’re not going to bother to get married.’ We will get married.”

Furnish told the Las Vegas Review-Journal in a separate interview that an intimate ceremony would take place in May.

“I think what we’ll do is go to a registry office in England in May, and take the boys with us, and a couple of witnesses,” the publication quoted him as saying.

source: entertainment.inquirer.net

‘My Husband’s Lover’ accomplished much, but ended unsatisfyingly

GMA 7’s soap “My Husband’s Lover” ended last week after a successful four-month run. Moving, grueling and baffling at different points, the series expectedly ended with its manly gay characters finally getting their much-deserved happily-ever-after. But the less than grandiose resolution left this viewer unsatisfied.

The series dealt with the love triangle involving Lally (Carla Abellana), her husband Vincent (Tom Rodriguez), and his lover Eric (Dennis Trillo). In the first month or so, the characters’ bonds were sturdily established, the illicit relationship the source of much-appreciated conflict and tension.

After the revelation of the affair—which was executed rather impressively—we hoped that it would continue to explore subplots and arcs that could stem from that main plot. The show did, to an extent, but disappointingly, it didn’t always succeed in presenting other ideas as creatively.

One of the things that “My Husband’s Lover” did right was the sensitive tackling of controversial, gay-related topics.

For one, there is a clear clarification that homosexuality is not an abnormality or disease, as declared by a psychiatrist character. This fact strengthened Vincent’s acceptance of his gayness, much to the chagrin of his cure-seeking mom Elaine (Kuh Ledesma).

Another issue it expounded on is the difference between gay men and transgenders. Vincent talked to Lally about his cousin Zandro (Keempee de Leon), who dresses and identifies as a woman.

Third, it dispelled the myth that only gay men can get stricken with HIV. Vincent’s extremely homophobic dad Armando (Roi Vinzon) was diagnosed positive for the virus; he was initially shocked to discover that his affairs with women could lead to such a consequence.




It’s unique and brave in that respect, having inserted such long-established “facts” into the narrative. It was a breath of fresh air; it depicted a variety of issues positively as opposed to prior demeaning portrayals of gay people as punchlines and perverts.

The storytelling was adventurous (the camerawork, transitions and compositions were artistic) although there were times when it just got clunky.

Vincent figured in a number of iffy parts, including his abduction scene. He was forced by his father to attend military camp; the henchmen attempted to beat the gay out of him, to no avail. This long ordeal came off as stretched out and sometimes comical; Rodriguez, however, was consistent with his long-transfixed pained look through that arc and after Vincent’s failed suicide.

Forgiveness was a recurring theme. After much drama, Lally forgave Vincent and Eric; Elaine forgave her villainous hubby; Vincent forgave his dad eventually as well. The violent, gay-bashing general didn’t deserve it, but the show chose redemption over more lasting comeuppance, which felt forced.

The Tom-Dennis pairing spawned an album, “TomDen,” currently an iTunes hit. There is also a DVD collection of “MHL” episodes being released, which contain deleted scenes. Milking the show’s success is timely and perhaps fitting, but we wish the series itself had ended in grand fashion. While flawed, it was mostly a source of “alternative” entertainment, and accomplished much in so short a time. Still, “My Husband’s Lover’s” loyal viewers deserved better. Sure, it was an okay finale, but the show, without showing important glimpses or flashes of the happy repercussions, just ended.

source: entertainment.inquirer.net

A different gay story

Joel Lamangan’s  “Lihis,” one of the films to be shown at the Sineng Pambansa All-Masters Series (Sept. 11-17 in all SM Cinemas), is about love in time of war. As gay rebels Jake Cuenca (Cesar) and Joem Bascon (Dominador) struggle against oppression,  they find comfort in each other’s arms. Don’t dismiss it as an off-shoot of “My Husband’s Lover.”  It scratches beneath the surface to find secrets that the hearts of gays have never told. It’s brave and tender in equal parts. “Lihis” explores the road less traveled and shows that it’s the destination that makes the downtrodden’s  journey worthwhile.


JAKE CUENCA

How did you prepare for your gay role?

I’ve had some projects before where I also portrayed a gay man but this is the boldest and most daring. All I did was trust my director  and get into character.

How did Joem Bascon and you manage to feel comfy doing your love scenes?

It helped that  that Joem and I are good friends. We’re both from Star Magic. We just discussed our roles and how to attack them. Naturally, I felt some discomfort when we were given instructions by Direk Joel but when the camera rolled, I just gave it my all.

What did the film teach you about gays?

It’s not just about a gay relationship. The film is also about struggle in all forms—not just gender but social and political struggles as well, which we all encounter till now.

How do you handle gay fans, who are too forward?

I respect them. As long as they don’t offend me then I’m  cool with that.

Why is “Lihis” a must-see?

People should watch our film because it’s about relationships and struggles in a different perspective. Plus, there are some scenes, which Joem and I did here that I think I can no longer do or will take a long time before I do it again.




JOEL LAMANGAN

How did you make Jake and Joem comfortable during their love scenes?

Well, I talked to them to explain the scenes and characters.  I told them how I planned to do their love scenes and both of them agreed to do it. From the very beginning, they knew that they are both gays in the movie.  But this is a different gay story because this is about people who are being erased in history because of their political belief [and] their gender or behavior which might be contradictory to the existing norms of society.

How did “Lihis” come about?

Ricky Lee and I had always wanted to make a story on people’s plight and struggle against the accepted behavior of an oppressive society.  We wanted to show stories of people not being mentioned in history because they behaved and believed differently.  Such is the case of Jake and Joem in the story.

What are your do’s and don’ts on the set?

I hate people coming late on the set. I hate artists making people wait for hours and hours.  They do not have the right to make people wait just because they are actors.

What is your advice to aspiring film makers?

Make films not just for the International audience and for the Festival audience but for the Filipino people.

What would you like to change or improve in the industry?

Attitude towards work.  Working hours should be human in the sense that nobody should be allowed to work for 24 hours or 48 hours without any sleep and be paid only [for work done in] a day or two days.

Why must we watch “Lihis”?

Because “Lihis” is a story of people who did not have any voice before, [those] who were long forgotten.  It is now time for them to be known by the very people to whom they dedicated their lives in pursuit of democracy.  This is a story that has never been told.

source: entertainment.inquirer.net

Lady Gaga supports LGBT people in Russia, invites arrest from authorities

US superstar Lady Gaga has revealed her support for LGBT people in Russia, after it was recently revealed that she had been accused of spreading 'gay propaganda' in the country during her 2012 visit.

The 'Marry The Night' singer has been criticised by Russian politicians of promoting homosexuality during her 2012 Born This Way ball tour, as well as travelling to the country without the appropriate paperwork. The country has also come under scrutiny in the press recently concerning its treatment of gay and lesbian people, where homophobia is still a widespread issue among the population.

Lady Gaga took to Facebook and Twitter to address the Russian situation, and the accusations levelled at her.

"Sending bravery to LGBTs in Russia," she wrote on Facebook. "The rise in government abuse is archaic. Hosing teenagers with pepper spray? Beatings? Mother Russia? The Russian government is criminal. Oppression will be met with revolution. Russian LGBTs you are not alone. We will fight for your freedom.

"Why didn't you arrest me when you had the chance, Russia? Because you didn't want answer to the world?"

She also took to Twitter to repeat her message.




An investigation has recently been launched into Gaga's time spent in Russia following the second allegation that she broke the law by possessing the incorrect visa.

The star has been accused of performing in the country on a tourist visa, another illegal act, as the singer was making money.


A statement from Russia has been released claiming "The visas issued were of the basic cultural exchange sort, which does not grant their bearers the right to engage in any commercial activity."

The cases will now be forwarded to the Foreign Ministry and the Federal Migration Service for further investigation.


source: gigwise.com

LGBT Fil-Ams hail same-sex marriage triumphs

SAN FRANCISCO—Darwin Dayan and his husband, Deo Patrimonio-Martin, who have been together for 18 years and wed five years ago, screamed with delight when they heard that DOMA had been struck down.  Their union in 2008 remains valid because they luckily wed during the brief period when same-sex marriage was legal in California.

The United States Supreme Court on June 26, the last day of its session this term, issued two stunning decisions on same-sex marriage that were heard around the world.

It overturned the Defense of Marriage Act’s (DOMA) federal ban on same- sex marriage as unconstitutional, thus allowing married same-sex couples in states where same sex-marriage is legal to receive federal benefits. The highest court of the land also ruled that proponents of California’s Proposition 8, banning same-sex marriage, had no standing or right to appeal the district court’s ruling that the initiative violated the state Constitution, thus facilitating the resumption of same-sex marriages in the country’s most populous state.

Elated

Like Dayan and Patrimonio-Martin, other members of the Filipino LGBT community were elated by these historical rulings, which brought them a step closer to achieving full equality.

Dayan welcomes the ruling, which not only recognizes their marriage on the federal level, but also makes it easier for him and Patrimonio-Martin, a pharmacist, to handle their estate and file taxes like any straight couple. Dayan, a consultant for a human resources firm in San Francisco, has had a long history of activism in the LGBT community. In the 1990s, he served as co-chair of the board of directors of the Gay Asian Pacific Alliance and the Filipino Task Force on AIDS.

Jay and Shirley Mercado, who are advocates for marriage equality and the comprehensive immigration reform bill, were watching the morning news on TV when they heard the Supreme Court decisions.

“We jumped for joy, tears in our eyes, and could not believe what we were hearing,” Jay Mercado recalls. Jay, who works in the insurance industry, and Shirley, who manages a day care center at their home, have been together for 27 years and married in San Francisco in 2004 when same sex-marriage was legal for a few months in California.   However, the passage of Proposition 8 in 2008 invalidated their union. The Mercados have 16-year-old twin sons, Jashley and Joriene.

Jay says, “The decisions brought our family honor and dignity, and now we do not have to worry about Shirl’s immigration status in the future.”  The Department of Homeland Security has already issued an official statement confirming that in view of the DOMA decision immigration visa petitions may now be filed on behalf of a same-sex spouse in the same manner as an opposite-sex spouse. Mercado, who is a US citizen, will be able to file a petition for US residency for her wife, Shirley.






Far-reaching effects


The Supreme Court’s decisions will have far-reaching effects throughout the rest of the country. The demise of DOMA paves the path for legal challenges against the remaining 37 states that still ban same-sex marriage. But the Court ruling, which only allows federal benefits to married same-sex couples that reside in states that allow such unions, still poses a real dilemma for couples that decide to move to states that do not allow them.

The Supreme Court’s decision on California’s Proposition 8, which was based on technicality rather than its constitutionality, also promises to trigger a tsunami of lawsuits from same-sex couples living in those 37 states. Though the Court fell short of declaring a sweeping endorsement of same-sex marriage in the two cases, it is clear that the country would never be the same again.

As same-sex marriage is now legal in 13 states, including California and the District of Columbia, 30 percent, or about one-third of the country’s population, now lives in states where same-sex marriage is allowed.  David Boies, a lead attorney in the challenge to Proposition 8, said in a statement published in the San Francisco Chronicle, “The principles the court articulated today mean that we are going to have marriage equality in all 50 states. It’s just a question of time now.”



Unfinished fight
Nevertheless, the LGBT community and its supporters are aware that there is still lot of work ahead. Anti-same-sex marriage groups and individuals, including Republican politicians like Senator Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, have vowed to continue their crusade against marriage equality. Graham was quoted as declaring, “Today’s Supreme Court ruling will not change South Carolina law, and I will continue to fight for and defend the traditional definition of marriage.”

In view of this polarizing political landscape, Jamie Manson, an award-winning columnist for the National Catholic Reporter, issued a cautionary tale. Manson stated, “If right-wing lawmakers are successful in restricting voter eligibility among the disenfranchised, LGBT civil rights will be as vulnerable as government entitlement, civil liberties, collective bargaining and protections for immigrants.”

Manson notes that a mere 24 hours before announcing the same-sex marriage decisions, the Supreme Court gutted a key provision of the Voting Rights Act that had subjected states that have historically practiced racial discrimination and want to amend their voting laws to strict scrutiny.

Voting rights and gay rights

Manson says, “The fight against voter suppression laws and the fight for LGBT rights share some deep connections. At the most fundamental level, both are civil rights battles for equal protection under the law.”

Thelma Estrada, a San Francisco attorney and Filipino community activist, agrees with Manson. Estrada, who is the current president of a local union of attorneys and a longtime supporter of gay rights, states, “The struggle of the LGBT community for equal protection under the law is part of the civil rights struggle. Just as we demand for equality for gay rights, we should also demand for equality at the voting booth. We need to affirm our commitment to fight discrimination of any kind.”

Fighting for equality is something that the Mercados, Dayan and many members of the Fil-Am LGBT community have shown they could do very well. They campaigned tirelessly against Proposition 8 and supported the battle for marriage equality by fundraising, making speeches, joining rallies and lobbying Congress. While pledging to continue the struggle for LGBT rights, they also see the need to defend other civil rights issues.

Jay Mercado says, “The LGBT and other communities should fight for any issues that will make us all equal.” Dayan echoes Mercado, stating, “As minorities, we need to watch out for laws and edicts that affect each of us. That’s why it’s often perplexing to me when people of color would make homophobic comments or be against marriage equality when we are all fighting for fairness and equality under the law.”

source: globalnation.inquirer.net

Thousands protest gay marriage in Paris

PARIS – At least 150,000 demonstrators took to the streets of Paris to protest a new law allowing gay marriage, a largely peaceful gathering that later turned violent as riot police battled hundreds of right-wingers.

Police said they had made a total of 293 arrests and that six people were injured in the course of Sunday’s demonstration: four police officers, an AFP photographer and a protester.

Interior Minister Manuel Valls, in a statement, blamed the “extreme right” for the violence.

“These incidents were provoked by several hundred individuals, most from the extreme right and the (nationalist) Identity Bloc, who violently attacked police,” he added.

The rally came as the jury at the Cannes film festival in southern France on Sunday awarded its Palme d’Or top prize to the sexually graphic lesbian love story “Blue is the Warmest Colour” by French-Tunisian director Abdellatif Kechiche.

The main demonstration on Sunday saw three separate processions converging on the Invalides esplanade, filling the huge promenade with pink and blue — the colours adopted by the anti-gay marriage movement.

Police said 150,000 people turned out to protest, a figure immediately contested by organisers who said one million opponents of the law had shown up.

Some of the far-right activists briefly unfurled a banner at the ruling Socialist party’s headquarters urging President Francois Hollande to resign.

As the protestors dispersed, after a largely peaceful march, police said up to 500 people began attacking them by throwing metal barriers, smoke flares and beer bottles.

The youths shouted slogans against the government such as “Socialist dictatorship” and also threw objects at journalists covering the event.

Late Saturday, police had detained 50 people involved in an anti-gay marriage protest on the busy Champs-Elysees avenue.

Fears of unrest at Sunday’s protest had been fuelled by violence that erupted earlier this month during celebrations marking football club Paris Saint-Germain’s league victory, which saw tourists attacked and shop and car windows smashed.

Some 4,500 security forces were mobilised for Sunday’s demonstration that was billed as a last-ditch show of force by opponents of the bill allowing same-sex marriage and adoption, which was voted into law on May 18 following months of bitter protests.

But those in the protest ignored the recent tensions, bringing their children along as others had in previous demonstrations.

“We keep hearing about a far-right movement, I can see only families here,” said one man called Raoul, who came from the city of Dijon.

Onlookers were instead treated to creative forms of protest. One man dressed in black held a scythe and wore a mask of Hollande as he stood behind a coffin containing a mannequin dressed as Marianne, the emblem of France.

“Hollande, your mother isn’t called Robert”, shouted some of the demonstrators in a slogan that gained in popularity as the afternoon progressed.

Supporters and opponents of the bill began protesting last autumn when it was adopted by the cabinet, and continued to do so at regular intervals throughout the country during the legislative process.

The definitive vote in the French parliament came on April 23 when the law was passed legalizing both homosexual marriages and adoptions by gay couples.

One of Hollande’s campaign pledges, it has proved hugely divisive in a country that is officially secular but predominantly Catholic.

France is the 14th country to legalise same-sex marriage, an issue that has also divided opinion in many other nations.

In Brazil, tens of thousands of evangelical Christians marched in Rio de Janeiro on Saturday protesting a recent legal ruling allowing gay marriage.

And in Poland, some 10,000 protesters marched Sunday in solidarity with opponents of the French law, to defend the traditional family structure.

But according to a survey published Sunday in the Journal du Dimanche, nearly three-quarters of French people are tired of the anti-bill protests and think they should stop.

Another potential flashpoint will be in the southern town of Montpellier on Wednesday when the country’s first gay wedding is due to take place.

source: newsinfo.inquirer.net

Boy Scouts approve plan to accept openly gay boys

GRAPEVINE, Texas — The Boy Scouts of America is throwing open its ranks to gay Scouts but not gay adult Scout leaders — a fiercely contested compromise that some warn could fracture the organization and lead to mass defections.

The Scouts on Thursday stressed that their organization of about 2.6 million boys and about 1 million adult leaders and volunteers would not condone sexual conduct by any Scout — gay or straight.

But the bitter debate is not over. Liberal Scout leaders have made clear they want the ban on gay adults lifted as well.

Thursday’s National Council vote result was welcomed by many gay rights groups, but many religious institutions — which charter about 70 percent of the more than 100,000 U.S. Scouting units — were upset. Some threatened to defect if the ban were lifted.

“We are deeply saddened,” said Frank Page, president of the Southern Baptist Convention’s executive committee. “Homosexual behavior is incompatible with the principles enshrined in the Scout oath and Scout law.”

Some of the scouting group’s largest sponsors are relatively conservative denominations that have supported the broad ban on gay members and leaders — notably the Roman Catholic Church, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and Southern Baptist churches.

The policy change takes effect Jan. 1. Thursday’s vote came after a survey of more than 200,000 leaders, parents and youth members earlier this year. Sixty-one percent supported the policy of excluding gays, while 34 percent opposed it.

However, most parents of young Scouts opposed the ban. That tracks with a growing national acceptance of gay rights in the U.S., especially among the younger generations.

Pascal Tessier, an openly gay 16-year-old Boy Scout, was elated by the outcome.

“I was thinking that today could be my last day as a Boy Scout,” Tessier said. “Obviously, for gay Scouts like me, this vote is life-changing.”

The BSA, which celebrated its 100th anniversary in 2010, has long excluded both gays and atheists. But protests over the no-gays policy gained momentum in 2000, when the U.S. Supreme Court upheld the BSA’s right to exclude gays. Scout units lost sponsorships by public schools and other entities that adhered to nondiscrimination policies.

“I’m so proud of how far we’ve come, but until there’s a place for everyone in Scouting, my work will continue,” said Jennifer Tyrrell, whose ouster as a Cub Scout den leader because she is lesbian launched a national protest movement.

The Mormon church reacted positively. “We trust that BSA will implement and administer the approved policy in an appropriate and effective manner,” an official church statement said.

The National Catholic Committee on Scouting responded cautiously, saying it would assess the possible impact of the change on Catholic-sponsored Scout units.

The BSA could take a hit financially with the new policy. Many Scout units in conservative areas fear their local donors will stop giving if the ban on gay youth is lifted.

“The Boy Scouts of America will not sacrifice its mission, or the youth served by the movement, by allowing the organization to be consumed by a single, divisive, and unresolved societal issue,” a BSA statement said.

source: newsinfo.inquirer.net

For gay travelers: Sights to see in Vienna in 48 hours

VIENNA - Vienna's opulent Habsburg-era coffee houses, architecture, palaces, operas, and other cultural institutions give the city an air of imperial grandeur.

Yet the Austrian capital with 1.7 million residents is not stuck in the past, regularly topping quality of life lists and hosting numerous large-scale gay events such as the Life Ball, Rainbow Parade, Rainbow Ball, and Identities Queer Film Festival.

This month Vienna reviewed its gay and lesbian tourism strategy and is now promoting its music, culture and imperial history to LGBT travellers with money to spend.

Reuters correspondents with local knowledge help visitors get the most out of a short stay in Vienna, once home to the likes of Sigmund Freud, Austrian author Arthur Schnitzler and Empress Elisabeth, known as Sisi to her family and friends. Friday

4:30 p.m. - Start with a visit to Schloss Belvedere, the former residence of Prince Eugene of Savoy (1663-1736),that houses the world's largest Gustav Klimt collection. The baroque palace is a showcase of the prince's power in Habsburg Austria, after he repelled the Turks who were laying siege to Vienna.

Rumoured to be gay, his sister-in-law is reported to have said: "He doesn't trouble himself with ladies, a nice couple of page boys would be more his thing." The palace is home to Klimt's most famous painting, "The Kiss".

6:30 p.m. - Time for some food and philosophy at a Viennese coffee house. Legend has it that when the Turkish army was repelled in 1683, they left sacks of coffee beans behind, thus sparking the coffee houses for which Vienna is famous. For an expensive coffee try Cafe Central, whose patrons included Freud, Adolf Hitler, Vladimir Lenin, and Leon Trotsky in 1913 alone. (http://www.palaisevents.at/cafecentral.html)

7:30 p.m - Attend a concert in the golden hall of the Wiener Musikverein but be sure to buy tickets in advance as the philharmonic orchestra tends to be booked months out.

10:00 p.m. - Wind through the narrow medieval streets of the first district to find the wine bar Santo Spirito. Frequented by local performers and a gay favourite, the bar plays classical music with baroque and camp flair. (http://www.santospirito.at/)

Saturday

9 a.m. - Grab a snack and coffee in one of dozens of cafes in the Naschmarkt, an open-air market stretching between the Karlsplatz and Kettenbrueckengasse U-bahn stations. An established gay haunt, Cafe Savoy near the end of the Naschmarkt has chandeliers, statues and wood paneling, enlarged by one of largest single-piece mirrors in Europe. (http://www.savoy.at/)

10:30 a.m.- Take the U-bahn to the south-west of the city to the 1,441-room rococo Schoenbrunn, the Habsburg imperial palace and summer residence of Viennese icon Empress Elisabeth. Known as one of the most beautiful queens in Europe, she maintained a 19 inch waist through strict diet and a workout routine unique for the 19th century. (http://www.schoenbrunn.at/en.html)

12:30 p.m. - Head north to grab a book at the Loewenherz Bookstore, one of the largest gay bookstores in Europe with over 12,000 titles, and have lunch at neighbouring Cafe Berg.

Loewenherz is named after Richard the Lionheart. As the story goes, Vienna's original city wall was built from ransom money gained from the release of Richard the Lionheart in the 11th century. The ransom was only made possible because his male lover Blondel heard his love song coming from Castle Duernstein.

2:00 p.m. - Meander along the Ringstrasse, the imperial circular boulevard which replaced the city walls and is lined with a wealth of beautiful buildings. Enter the Albertina Museum in the Hofburg Palace, which boasts the largest and most valuable graphic collections in the world. The 18th century founder, Archduchess Marie Christine, is reputed to have been in a lesbian relationship with her sister-in-law, Isabella, the first wife of Emperor Joseph II. (http://www.albertina.at/en

4:00 p.m. - Continue to the gothic Stephansdom Cathedral in the centre square and climb the tower for an excellent view of the Austrian capital before heading down Kartnerstrasse, making a short detour to Kaiserbruendl sauna, Vienna's best known gay sauna harking back to days of Habsburg grandeur. The sauna was frequented by one of Emperor Franz Joseph's brothers who had a special entrance made for incognito access.

6:00 p.m. - Any visit to Vienna involves having a Wiener Schnitzel, a cutlet of breaded veal or pork, served with potato salad. Gaesthaus Ubl in the Wieden district with simple wood tables, white walls, and a traditional menu is a local favourite.

8:00 p.m. - Dress to impress and enjoy the grandeur of the Vienna State Opera House. Two gay architects, Eduard van der Nuell and August Sicard von Sicardsburg, designed the building, but Van der Nuell committed suicide in 1868 before its completion after criticism of the building. (http://www.wiener-staatsoper.at)

Sunday

9:00 a.m. - Start the morning with breakfast at any of the number of cafes in the trendy and artsy MuseumsQuartier (MQ). These former Habsburg stables have been transformed into a plaza of culture that features museums, galleries, restaurants and shops. (http://www.mqw.at/en/)

10:00 a.m. - A favourite in MQ is the Leopold Museum, which houses the largest collection of Expressionist artist Egon Schiele's works. It recently drew the crowds (including naturists in a special viewing) with the exhibit "Naked Men", a homage to male nudity. (http://www.leopoldmuseum.org/en)

11:00 a.m. - See the pomp and majesty of the Lipizzaner horses as they perform a classical dressage at the Spanish Riding School inside the Hofburg palace. The school has been practising the art for over 440 years. (http://www.srs.at/en/)

1:00 p.m. - A catholic country, most stores are closed on Sunday so do as the Viennese and head to Prater for an afternoon in the park. Grab a sausage from a food stand and head to Riesenrad, featured in the Orson Welles film "The Third Man".

3:00 p.m. - End your stay in Vienna at a traditional wine tavern, or Heuriger, in Grinzing or Doebling districts on the outer edges of the city. Vienna has 1,680 acres of vineyards located inside the city limits. Enjoy some hearty Austrian food like Schweinebraten (roast pork) and Kaiserschmarrn (strips of pancake served with fruit compote) and say "Prost!" with a glass of Gruener Veltliner, a popular local white wine. - Reuters

source: gmanetwork.com