On Valentines’ Day 2005 a public pro-gay marriage rally was held in central Mexico City at Alameda Park. Hundreds of LGBT couples showed up amid speeches, music and dancing to sign their names on a "Registro de Sociedades de Convivencia" form. The ‘officials’, dressed in academic caps and gowns were members of PFLAG (Parents and
Vietnam – Hue City
Hue city is another cultural and historic gem of Vietnam. With 290,00 people the city is alive with commerce, tourism, ancient and modern buildings, ambitious citizens and painful war memories (now mostly out of mind). The major attractions now are not religious but historic. The huge Citadel (Imperial City), once the seat of emperors’ mightly
Vietnam – Hue-Emperor Tombs
From 1802 to 1945 Vietnam was ruled by a series of Nguyen dynasty emperors who lived extravagant lives while most of the population lived as paupers. When these leaders died, monumental tomb sites–some like miniature towns–were built south of Hue along the Perfume River. Guidebooks list seven major tomb sites that have become major tourist
Israel – Jerusalem & Central
The modern state of Israel has its roots in the Land of Israel (Eretz Yisrael), a concept central to Judaism for over 3000 years. After World War I, the League of Nations approved the British Mandate of Palestine with the intent of creating a "national home for the Jewish people." In 1947, the United Nations
Israel – Jerusalem (2006)
Jerusalem downtown–old and new–is like a museum of history. The beautiful limestone buildings and classic architecture create a visually rewarding backdrop to one’s personal imaginings about the sacred and profane acts that happened here. It’s a city of great contrasts, with orthodox Jews, secular gays, conservative Muslims, tourists and Zionist Christian pilgrims wandering the streets
Vietnam – Danang Area
Danang is a city of about a million people. It is the major commerical hub for central Viet Nam but most tourists pass through on their way north to historic Hue or south to picturesque Hoi An. For many American visitors the name is synonymous with the war. The enormous military base was often in
Vietnam – Demilitarized Zone of the War
Before the American War (1965-75) the Ben Hai River divided ‘democratic’ South Viet Nam and communist North Viet Nam. The demilitarized zone spread about 5 km north and south of the river. During the war the DMZ was heavily militarized and became one of the most savaged places on earth. Located here was the huge
Israel – Tel Aviv 1
Even during the July 2005 war with Hezbollah in Jordan, the beaches were busy with sun-seekers.. Tel Aviv has miles of white sand beaches that attract tens of thousands of Europeans, especially French, in the summer. A mere war didn’t seem sufficient reason to stay away, as the photos indicate. In the mosaic of beach-bums
New Zealand – South Island
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses (the North Island and the South Island) and numerous smaller islands, most notably Stewart Island/Rakiura and the Chatham Islands. The indigenous Ma¯ori named New Zealand Aotearoa, which is commonly translated into English as The Land of the Long White Cloud.
Haiti – Jacmel & Port-au-Prince
Haiti occupies the island of Hispaniola, along with the Dominican Republic, in the Caribbean The total area of Haiti is 27,750 square kilometres (10,714 sq mi) and its capital is Port-au-Prince. Jacmel is a serene port town with an estimated population of 40,000 and growing. The city has not changed much since the late 19th
Canada – OutGames: Human Rights Conference
Four days prior to the OutGames sports events an international gay human rights conference was held at the Palais des Congres in downtown Montreal, July 26-29, 2006. 1500 delegates from over 100 countries attended making it the largest LGBT rights conference ever held. Organizers plan to hold similar conferences with future OutGames. More information can
Jordan – Amman City (2)
Amman is a vibrant sprawling capital city of about 3 million people. Since the peace accord with Israel in 1994 it has seen steady growth uninterrupted by politcal uncertainty as well as the smooth passage from the beloved King Hussein to his son, King Abdullah in 1999. Amman has all the amenities and advantages of
Jordan – Jerash Ancient Roman City (1)
Modern Jerash is a modest city 40 miles north of Amman. It was originally established as a major Roman Empire outpost in the Middle East that flourished from the 2nd to the 5th centuries CE. Today the ruins of this extensive ancient city offer an impressive glimpse into the brilliant design, engineering and construction skills
Jordan – Jerash Ancient Roman City (2)
Modern Jerash is a modest city 40 miles north of Amman. It was originally established as a major Roman Empire outpost in the Middle East that flourished from the 2nd to the 5th centuries CE. Today the ruins of this extensive ancient city offer an impressive glimpse into the brilliant design, engineering and construction skills
Israel – Jerusalem Separation Wall
A tour of Jerusalem’s ‘dark side’ was offered free of charge by Amos Gil, chairman of Ir Amim a non-partisan advisory and monitoring organization in Jerusalem that observes and analyses military, political and social events including the construction of the separation wall, begun in 2004. For five disturbing hours, by bus and on foot, we
Israel – Tel Aviv 2
If you want to find the Israel that many gay and lesbian citizens know, go for a stroll along Tel Aviv’s Rothschild Boulevard on any day of the week. You won’t find a gay parade there or the gay center. What you will see are numerous blue and white Israel flags hanging from balconies of
Israel – Jordan via Allenby/ K. Hussein Bridge
The journey from Jerusalem to Amman, Jordan overland is only about 50 miles (80km) but the experience is a long one, taking three or four hours by way of the Allenby/King Hussein Bridge that spans the Jordan River between Israel and Jordan. In Israel, coming and going, there are at least three checkpoints and numerous
Australia – Sydney to Melbourne
By train from Sydney to Melbourne is a comfortable way to see the rural lanscapes of southern Australia. It’s only 442 miles / 712 km and passes through green agricultural land. Read the gay Australia story
Australia – Melbourne to Warrnambool
By car and ferry from Melbourne to Warrnambool along the south coast of Victoria state. Warrnambool is a regional city with a population of about 31,000 people. It is at the western end of the Great Ocean Road, 265 kilometres and 3 hours from Melbourne. Read the gay Australia story
Australia – Warrnambool to Adelaide
By way of car along the Prince’s Highway skirting pastoral farms and rugged coastal scenes. The beautiful ride passes through the town of Mount Gambier with its various quirky landmarks. Read the gay Australia story
Australia – Adelaide City
Adelaide is the capital and most populous city of the Australian state of South Australia, and is the fifth largest city in Australia, with a population of over 1.1 million. Each year it has a spirited Pride March and diverse LGBT Feast Festival (photos #24-34) that includes artistic performances (photos #29-30) and seminars– including one
Australia – Perth City
Perth is the capital and largest city of the Australian state of Western Australia, and the fourth-largest city in Australia, with a population of about 1.5 million. (2045 miles/3290 kms from Sydney) It’s a handsome city on the coast with a modest-sized gay community. Just south of Perth is the resort coast town of Freemantle,
Canada – OutGames: Swimming & Dragon Boats
The swimming took place in the 1976 Olympic stadium pool, a 50 meter pool with separate diving and warm-up pools. The estimate was about 900 swimmers from 20 countries. Most of the images here speak for themselves. The last dozen images in this gallery were taken at the Dragon Boat competition held at another Olympic
Canada – OutGames: Montreal City (1)
Montreal was the host city for the first world OutGames in August 2006. The city was welcoming and blocked traffic from the main street of The Village, the gay district, as thousand of visitors strolled up and down shopping and eating at the many cafes and restaurants–and looking at each other. The opening and closing
Canada – OutGames: Opening Ceremony (2)
About 11,000 athletes from 60 countries marched into the 1976 Olympic Stadium to open the OutGames before an audience of 75,000. The featured speakers were the mayor of Montreal, Olympic swimming medalist Mark Tewksbury and tennis champ Martina Navratilova. The featured openly lesbian singer was k.d.lang.