Subaru's GLAAD
Ski Week
The Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation and Telluride Ski Resort are hosting Gay Ski Week in Telluride presented by Subaru, Feb. 28-March 7.
Telluride and GLAAD are also offering an online register-to-win trip to the event at www.glaadgayskiweek.com . The trip includes four days and three nights accommodations, lift tickets and GLAAD passes which provide entry to all official events.
Mountain Lodge at Telluride has been selected as the Host Hotel site.
Call ( 970 ) 728-7432.
Gay Hotel Group Forms
A new organization, World's Foremost Gay and Lesbian Hotels, said it will aim to help the gay and lesbian traveler identify the best gay accommodations available worldwide, reports South Florida Business Journal. Membership is limited to properties that meet guidelines in standards and operation. 'Members also need to demonstrate a consistent history of support for local gay causes and good staffing practices,' the group said. 'All members also accept reservations from travel agents or directly from the gay traveling public.'
Richard Gray is the first president of the group and owner of The Royal Palms Resort of Fort Lauderdale. The initial members of World's Foremost Gay Hotels include: Turtle Cove in Cairns, Australia; The Hacienda in Palm Springs, Calif.; The Parker Guesthouse in San Francisco; The Brass Key in Provincetown; The Highlands Inn in Bethlehem, N.H.; and Big Ruby's locations in Key West, Costa Rica and the South of France.
Fire Island Web site
FireIslandMan.com launched the Web site DragQueenInvasion.com dedicated to the Drag Queens and Drag Kings, who every year celebrate Independence Day by daring to be different in the world-famous 4th of July Cherry Grove Drag Queen Invasion of The Fire Island Pines.
Cherry Grove and The Fire Island Pines of Fire Island, New York, is host to a deep, rich international artistic community. The Fire Island Drag Queen Invasion is audacious, fun and a brilliant American Queer celebration of diversity and freedom launched in response to discrimination within the queer community.
According to legend, in 1976 a Cherry Grove man in drag ( Teri Warren ) was denied service at the Botel, a Pines restaurant and bar. Upon hearing about this blatant discrimination against one of her sisters, the newly crowned Homecoming Queen of Cherry Grove, Panzi ( Thom Hansen ) took it upon herself to lead a small group of brazen Cherry Grove 'girls' in a water taxi to The Pines harbor one hot afternoon for what they expected to be a confrontational meeting by The Pines men.
On the contrary. The Pines men were so surprised and entertained by this 'Drag Queen Invasion' that they welcomed the Drag Queens to drinks at the Blue Whale bar for what now is an annual celebration. The Invasion starts every 4th of July at Noon in downtown Cherry Grove as a parade of hundreds of Drag Queens and Drag Kings boarding a big ferry and disembarking in The Pines harbor to the welcoming music and cheers of thousands of gay men, lesbians, other queers and straight admirers.
The Gay Dollar
'When civic leaders [ in Fort Lauderdale ] rolled out the rainbow carpet here almost a decade ago, Fort Lauderdale was nearly alone among destinations in trying to woo gay and lesbian travelers,' USA Today reported recently. 'A growing number of cities are following Fort Lauderdale in flaunting a gay-friendly image. Among them are long-established gay destinations such as
Key West. But there are less likely spots, too: Bloomington, Ind., capitalized on its existing slogan, 'Come Out and Play,' by adding the rainbow colors that symbolize gay pride. New Haven, Conn., touts concerts by the state's Gay Men's Chorus in a brochure titled 'Your Alternative Getaway.' Philadelphia showcases its 'gayborhood' and runs ads with Ben Franklin flying a rainbow kite. And this spring, the 'City of Brotherly Love and Sisterly Attraction' will break ground among U.S. travel spots by becoming the first to launch gay-specific TV commercials.'
About a dozen U.S. destinations have jumped with Fort Lauderdale into advertising to gays and lesbians. Others include Miami, Minneapolis, San Diego, Portland, Ore., and Palm Springs, Calif., USA Today reported. Some cities—including Dallas, Atlanta, and Chicago—are weighing how to shape gay-friendly campaigns.
The Boston Globe reports St. Louis is targeting the mighty gay dollar.
Holland in 2004
The small sampling of events on this list makes clear that there are numerous reasons to make Holland an exciting travel destination in 2004. Visit Holland and experience the most appreciated Dutch tradition of all—a warm and memorable welcome.
The Van Gogh Museum, the Flower Parade, Queen's Day, National Windmill Day & National Cycling Day, the Holland Festival in Amsterdam, and much more. See the Web site www.holland.com .
Milan and Gays
During BIT Milan ( Borsa Internazionale del Turismo ) , the gay and lesbian travel workshop 'Queer Travel Mart' will take place again Feb. 14-17, 2004. Started in 2003 with 16 sqm. of exhibition space, the QTM has doubled its space to 32 sqm. in 2004.
The number of co-exhibitors, which will position themselves with gay-oriented offers on the Italian travel market, ranges from Vienna Tourist Board and Austrian Airlines to the Italian gay tour operator ArcoTurismo by OverTheRainbow and the Gay Village in Rome. E-mail: alfred@qtm-expo.com or see www.qtm-expo.com .
MyGayCruise Launched
MyGayweb.com has now launched MyGayCruise.com; a site developed to promote 'gay' group cruises to the LGBT community.
Family Pride
The Family Pride Coalition hosts its first Family Pride Coalition Weekend at Walt Disney World Resorts in Orlando, Fla. This Family Pride event will take place June 17-20 ( Father's Day weekend ) and has been specially designed for LGBT parents and their families.
See www.familypride.org .
R Family Vacations
Media icon Rosie O'Donnell has expanded her reach to include gay family vacations.
R Family Vacations was founded by Rosie and her partner, Kelli O'Donnell and travel entrepreneur Gregg Kaminsky. R Family Vacations introduces the very first all-gay and lesbian family vacation packages.
This unique endeavor comes to fruition with an inaugural gay and lesbian family cruise to Florida and the Bahamas. The weeklong cruise on the new Norwegian Dawn departs from New York City July 11, 2004. Ports of call include Port Canaveral, Key West, Nassau and Norwegian Cruise Line's own private Bahamian island.
For more information, visit www.rfamilyvacations.com or call 1-866-R-FAM-VAC.
Anchorage Guide
The free 2004 Official Anchorage Visitors Guide, produced by the Anchorage Convention & Visitors Bureau, helps with trip-planning and is full of information, local and statewide activities, events, a pullout map, sample itineraries, and more. See the Web site, www.anchorage.net . Call ( 800 ) 478-1255 or by exploring www.anchorage.net .
There aren't many places where events such as the 'oyster shucking contest,' 'snowshoe softball,' and 'Eskimo blanket toss,' get top billing. Of course, there aren't many events like the Anchorage Fur Rendezvous. Traditionally a 10-day winter celebration, Fur Rondy, dubbed affectionately by Alaskans, will extend to a 17-day winter festival, Feb. 20 -March 7, 2004.
Along with the traditional favorites such as Ice Bowling, the Grand Prix Auto Race and the World Championship Sled Dog Races, there are a few new events that will make this year's Rondy fever a little hotter. For more information on Anchorage. See see www.furrondy.net .
OK, you ask, what about specific gay or women's stuff? Well, while football fans around the country watch two top teams in the U.S. battle for first place in the National Football League, women of all ages will be gathering in Anchorage on Super Bowl Sunday, Feb. 1, for the 8th Annual Ski for Women, the largest, women-only ski event in the U.S.
The Alaska Ski for Women began in 1997 to raise awareness and funds for the Abused Women's Aid In Crisis ( AWAIC ) program in Anchorage. Event organizers chose Super Bowl Sunday for the ski event to draw attention to the fact that when people gather to celebrate at home, it is often stressful, which can contribute to domestic violence. More than 1,500 women turned out to support the 2003 event, and organizers expect even more in 2004. See the Web site www.alaskaskiforwomen.org .
There are lots of queers in the great north state—you just may have a longer cruise time to find them.
Fab Fest 2004
Melissa Frantz & Associates, creators of 2003's Miami Beach International World of Beer Festival and the recently revealed SoBe Fest 2004: A Taste of the Beach, have announced a name change in the upcoming event.
Now monikered FAB Fest ( for food, arts and beverages ) , the name more accurately reflects the character of the event.
The multicultural extravaganza is Feb. 6-8 in South Beach.
See www.fabfest.com .
White Party Fundraising
Flash Back–Fast Forward White Party 2003 week of fundraising events raised an estimated $775,000 for Care Resource, South Florida's one source for HIV/AIDS services. Early estimates on ticket sales reveal that 11,500 guests from across the globe attended White Party 2003 events.
See www.whiteparty.com for White Party 2004 updates.
Ski Week Questions
The future of Altitude, the biggest gay ski-week in North America, is up in the air following the death of its founder and organizer, Brent Benaschak, reports Vancouver's The Province. Altitude draws about 3,500 people.
