Happy Thanksgiving

Countries vote to accept execution of gays

The United Nations has removed a plea for lesbians, gays and bisexuals not to be executed in a narrow vote.








The United Nations has removed a plea for lesbians, gays and bisexuals not to be executed in a narrow vote.

For the last 10 years sexual orientation has been included in a list of discriminatory grounds for executions – gay rights activists say the vote to remove that listing is “dangerous and disturbing.”

The UN resolution urges countries to protect the right to life of all people, calling on them to investigate killings based on discriminatory grounds. Sexual orientation was previously listed as one of these forms of discrimination, alongside ethnicity, religious belief and linguistic minorities.

Others protected by the resolution were human rights defenders (like journalists, lawyers and demonstrators), street children and members of indigenous communities.

But now sexual orientation has been taken out of the list. The amendment was supported by Benin in Africa on behalf of the African Group in the UN General Assembly. It passed on a narrow vote of 79 for, 70 against , 17 abstentions and 26 absent.

Some of those voting to remove sexual orientation were countries where gays are known to be or thought to be executed or summarily killed including Iran, Nigeria, Sudan, Saudi Arabia, Yemen and Iraq.

The UK, US, Australia, New Zealand and many European countries voted in favour of gays.

Cary Alan Johnson, Executive Director of the International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission, said: “This vote is a dangerous and disturbing development. It essentially removes the important recognition of the particular vulnerability faced by lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people – a recognition that is crucial at a time when 76 countries around the world criminalise homosexuality, five consider it a capital crime and countries like Uganda are considering adding the death penalty to their laws criminalising homosexuality.”

Barcelona Circuit Festival 2011- Dates Confirmed

The Barcelona Circuit Festival, Europe’s biggest gay event has confirmed the dates for 2011 event. Next year, the Barcelona Circuit Festival will take place from Thursday the 4th to Sunday the 14th of August. That’s 10 days of non-stop parties and events, with more days to party on the beach, in the clubs and in the bars of Gay Barcelona and Sitges.
Hotels during this time are at a premium, so book early and get a great rate, especially in the gay area of Barcelona Eixample.
We also have over 200 apartments available in Barcelona. Check their rates here.

Panache

Top Eco-friendly Hotels in North America

As green becomes the new black in the travel world, these are the hottest eco-friendly properties.

1. The Orchard Garden Hotel
San Francisco
www.theorchardgardenhotel.com
Green light: This LEED-certified (U.S. Green Building Council's Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design program) hotel hasn't sacrificed even an inch of luxury in its pursuit of green perfection. It features nontoxic paints, glues and varnishes, energy-efficient lighting, and Forest Stewardship Council-certified wood. If it can be organic or recycled, at the Orchard Garden, you can bet your planet it is.

2. 70 Park Avenue
New York City
www.70parkave.com
Green light: In addition to Kimpton Hotels' company-wide EarthCare eco-program, 70 Park Avenue goes one step further with the repurposing of kitchen oil in biodiesel, discounts for hybrid drivers and even an eco-concierge.

3. Gaia Napa
American Canyon, Calif.
www.gaianapavalleyhotel.com
Green light: Open since fall 2007, the Gaia was constructed with as many recycled materials and as little energy as possible. Recycled carpet content and low-emission paint also star, as does every luxurious feature you can imagine, including a decadent spa.

4. Zion Lodge
Zion, Utah
www.zionlodge.com
Green light: Zion's Green Suites (including sustainable features such as bamboo floors, recycled carpet content, organic linens and key card lighting controls) are testing grounds for the ambitious project of making all 5,000 Xanterra-operated rooms as environmentally sustainable as possible. The Xanterra-operated resort won the Sustainable Hotel of the Year Award for its efforts.

5. Hotel Triton
San Francisco
www.hoteltriton.com
Green light: Hotel Triton started with an eco-floor back in the 1990s; this spread to all floors in 2003, and its environmental efforts inspired Kimpton Hotels' current company-wide eco-program.

6. Hilton
Vancouver, Wash.
www.hilton.com
Green light: This hotel just across the bridge from Portland, Ore., recycled 75 percent of its construction waste and continues to live up to its LEED certification by offering refueling stations for electric cars, conserving water, reducing energy use, and with a local eco-friendly philosophy that extends to the hotel's restaurant, Gray's at the Park.

7. Marriott
Bethesda, Md.
www.marriott.com
Green light: The blueprint for future green Marriott hotels, this was the first hotel and conference center in the United States to win LEED certification for its environmental design.

8. Hotel Monaco
Seattle
www.monaco-seattle.com
Green light: While it would quite easy to fill an eco Top 10 entirely with Kimpton properties, this one stands out for the way executive chef Jason McClure of the hotel's Sazerac makes every effort to integrate green hues into his kitchen, from eco-initiatives such as recycling, composting food and using organic, local foods and sustainable seafood, to making the switch to recyclable or recycled to-go containers.

9. Hotelito Desconocido
Jalisco, Mexico s
www.hotelito.com
Green light: Solar power and candles are used instead of electricity and accommodations are bamboo, palm leaf,and clay huts in a protected wetland estuary overlooking the Pacific.

10. Habitat Suites
Austin, Texas
www.habitatsuites.com
Green light: Part of the Green Hotels Association since 1991, natural pesticides (ladybugs!), cooling shade trees and a substantial amount of its power from a photovoltaic system, feature at the Habitat Suites.

Honorable mentions:
Maho Bay Camp, St. John, U.S. Virgin Islands; www.maho.org
DoubleTree Lloyd Center, Portland, Ore.; www.doubletreeportlandgree.com
The Equus Hotel, Waikiki, Oahu, Hawaii; www.aquaresorts.com s
Solage, Calistoga, Calif.; www.solagecalistoga.com
Fairmont Kea Lani, Maui, Hawaii; www.fairmont.com
The Woodstocker Inn, Woodstock, Vt.; www.woodstockervt.com
Ambrose Hotel, Los Angeles; www.ambrosehotel.com
Seaport Hotel, Boston; www.seaportboston.com
Ahu Pohaku Ho'omaluhia, Kohala, Big Island, Hawaii; www.hawaii-island-retreat.com
Inn by the Sea, Cape Elizabeth, Maine; www.innbytheseacom

The United States of America

Staying Gay: Top Gay-friendly Hotel Companies

Avoid awkward questions at check in (you two gentlemen want one bed?). Discover the best gay-friendly hotel companies around.

For top-notch gay stays, we're beginning to be spoiled for choice. Attitude Hotels offers an extensive portfolio of hotels in three categories, Premium, Comfort, and Value, from the United Kingdom to Florida. Another excellent all-gay accommodation option is World's Foremost Gay and Lesbian Hotels, an intimate collection of some of the absolute best LGBT hotels, resorts, guesthouses and inns that includes The Cabana at Waikiki ; Fort Lauderdale's Royal Palms; Provincetown's Brass Key and the two top women's properties in the United States, the Highlands Inn in Bethlehem, N.H., and Pearl's Rainbow, Key West, Fla.

Some mainstream hotel companies trot eagerly out of their way to make LGBT travelers welcome at their properties, from putting together gay-specific websites and Pride packages to offering discounts and local scene advice to gay and lesbian travelers. These five homo-loving hotel companies deserve particular recognition for their efforts in making our overnights away from home a real treat.

1. Kimpton Hotels
www.kimptonhotels.com/programs/lgbt.aspx
With an impressive 100 percent score in the Human Rights Campaign's Equality Index for four years running for the way it treats its gay staff, Kimpton was always going to make this list. However, it doesn't stop there. The company wins extra points for advertising in LGBT media, donating to gay charitable causes and offering Pride discounts (10 percent when you type "PRI" into the rate code field) and packages, such as 70 Park Avenue's "Propose on Pride" package; from $249) in New York City.

2. W Hotels
www.welcometowhotels.com/pride
With innovative LGBT marketing campaigns and extra feathers in its cap for attention to detail, such as same-sex-inclusive wording in marketing efforts like the "Wow Vows" campaign, it's no wonder W wins so many gay admirers. The Pride 365 package includes hot rooms, cocktails and extras from subscriptions to Out and Out Traveler to a Puma travel wallet.

3. Hyatt
www.hyatt.com/hyatt/resorts/lgbt/index.jsp?icamp=HY_LGBT_BF
Another hotel collection with a perfect score from HRC, Hyatt also won 2006's PlanetOut Travel Award for Best Hotel Collection for LGBT Travelers. One of the first national hotel chains to advertise in LGBT media, Hyatt is also a sponsor of the GLAAD Media Awards.

4. Red Carnation
www.redcarnationhotels.com/gay_friendly_hotels
At Red Carnation's nine four- and five-star properties, all guests receive the same welcome. Concierges are ready to dispense insider tips on local gay scenes, and the hotels in London often host civil-partnership ceremonies. In addition to London, the group has hotels in Geneva, Palm Beach, Fla., and Cape Town, South Africa.

5. Joie de Vivre
www.jdvhotels.com
All of Joie de Vivre's 37 California hotels are gay-friendly, and LGBT occupancy ranges from 10 percent to 100 percent at San Francisco hotels during Pride, but the hip Phoenix and the sophisticated Hotel Rex are particularly gay-popular. The company, California's largest independent boutique hotelier, has a city guide, "The Gay Life: San Francisco Style," ready for guests at all its hotels.

Top Resorts

Five queer meccas that offer something for every gay traveler, even in the off-season.

Fire Island
Fire Island can be whatever you want it to be, whether you prefer staying in and cooking with friends or dancing to techno on the pier. Best week for partying: the Pines Party, held the last weekend of July, or the Ascension Party, August 14–16. The beach calms down on weekdays during the summer and after Labor Day. If you can’t worm your way into a friend’s share for the night, you can always stay at the legendary Belvedere or the new, more chic Madison in the Pines.

Palm Springs
Surrounded by the California desert, Palm Springs can feel like a gay space station on the moon. Go for dinner at local gay faves Tropicale, Purple Palm, or the Parker, or go to Koffi and see if you can spot the professional porn stars on a java break. Most big events, like the White Party, happen in the cooler months (October–May), but if you can stand the extreme heat, check out the low rates available during the Palm Springs Summer Splash, from June 1 to September 30.

Provincetown
On the surface, Provincetown looks quaint. But anyone who’s been there knows how nutty the place can get. Still, the beaches are some of the most tranquil in the world. Provincetown organizes various weeks dedicated to specific demographics: Bear Week (July 11–18), Carnival (August 16–22), and Women’s Week (October 9–18). But if you’re seeking peace and quiet, come in May or after Labor Day.

Russian River
This mountain area 70 miles north of San Francisco gets chilly at night but heats up with visitors on weekends. It gets predictably busy on holidays like the Fourth of July weekend, Labor Day, and San Francisco gay pride in June. Lazy Bear Weekend (July 29–August 3) is turning out to be a popular draw for bears and their admirers.

Key West
As in Palm Springs, this Florida town’s off-season tends to be the hot summer months. But its PrideFest (June 6–14) is active with celebration, and Tropical Heat weekend (August 20–23) offers four days of craziness, including clothing-optional events.

Gold