Originally this piece was going to be about the memorial in Havana, but then we discovered that people will be gathering in many unusual places... like Iceland!
Monday, December 6, 2010
Saturday, November 20, 2010
The LGBT scene in Sydney goes beyond the tourist maps
Check out the latest Pink Planet story at
http://www.thestar.com/travel/asiapacific/article/892942--gay-sydney-that-s-way-out-there
http://www.thestar.com/travel/asiapacific/article/892942--gay-sydney-that-s-way-out-there
Thursday, November 18, 2010
Friday, October 15, 2010
Pink Planet flips Down Under--here's the complete story
NEVER A DULL MOMENT IN SYDNEY’S GAY SCENE
by Julia Steinecke
The crowd is screaming with enthusiasm for a pretty woman in a 1950s dress with red taffeta, who’s lip-synching, “If I knew you were coming I’d have baked a cake.” By the end of the show she’s got the rolling pin sticking out of her strap-on-harness and she’s thrusting it into a pie, while the crowd treats her like a rock star.
The Supper Club, above the Oxford Hotel, is packed with lesbians, trans men and everyone in between for this Pussycat Club event, featuring burlesque by Lillian Starr.
Near Taylor Square, The Oxford (www.theoxfordhotel.com.au) is in the centre of Sydney’s LGBT scene, on a section of Oxford Street that has gay bars (often called “hotels”), shops and restaurants.
The scene is changing. When I stroll through on a Saturday night, I notice a lot of straight-looking people out for a good time. Some locals say that crime and violence are increasing in the area. I don’t feel threatened but, one night, I see over a dozen police officers gathered with a sniffer dog. After my visit I read reports of a bashing at the Colombian Hotel, in April. Four months later, a man reportedly attacks six people near Taylor Square.
Along with campaigning against violence, Australians are fighting for marriage rights and leading in global activism around gender issues. Same-sex marriage has been banned since 2004, but in 2009, ten thousand supporters across the country marched in favour of equal marriage, and, according to the Equal Love organization, they held the world’s largest mass illegal wedding. 2010 is the National Year of Action for equal marriage. After the March 20 demo in Sydney, I chat with some of the organizers, and meet norrie mAy-welby who was briefly recognised as the world’s first officially gender neutral person. In early March, norrie received an identity document with gender listed as “sex not specified” but a couple weeks later the Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages cancelled the document. Norrie has launched an appeal to the state Administrative Decisions Tribunal.
Sydney’s numerous gay-friendly beaches are an irresistible distraction from more serious issues. Tamarama (aka “Glamarama”) is a mixed beach specializing in hot bods. Lady Bay (aka “Lady Jane”) is a clothing-optional beach tucked under a scenic cliff and popular with gay men. As we peer down, my guide, Jason Webb, is surprised to see a couple of nude women lounging among the men. He points across to a small patch of sand on the other side of Sydney Harbour and tells me that it’s Obelisk Beach, a more secluded nude gay beach used by local guys. (See his descriptions at www.gaytraveller.com.au/NEW-SOUTH-WALES/Sydney/Beaches)
Lesbians are more likely to hang out at the McIvers Baths for women (www.nswoceanbaths.info/pools/b043.htm) at Coogee Beach. I arrive one morning and follow the plant-lined pathways down the cliff. The sun is shining directly on the rock-edged swimming pool, its water salted by the surf breaking on the edge. A group of older women swim past, wearing flowery bathing caps. Most of the area is invisible from above, but there are a couple of spots where men can lean over the cliff and catch a glimpse. Jillian Eugenios from LOTL Magazine tells me about the lesbians sunbathing who will leap up suddenly and shake a fist at the sky, yelling, “Get the f--- out of here!”
Everyone goes to the world-famous Bondi beach, home of the Drag Races during Mardi Gras. There’s a gay area on a grassy patch on the north side near Ramsgate Avenue. At the other end, Jason and I are dining at the Icebergs restaurant when Lady Gaga walks in with her bodyguards. We linger over our meal and steal a few glances at the surprisingly tiny singer in her Stars and Stripes dress.
Later that night we get a little more face time with Laidee Babooshka, at the Midnight Shift (www.themidnightshift.com) on Oxford. Her plastic polka-dot dress looks like it’s made from a game of Twister, with a double spinner bustier. On stage, she presides over a deep throat contest performed on a lifelike male appendage glued to the wall.
For better or worse, Oxford Street is livelier than ever, but a lot of Sydney’s LGBT scene has moved to neighbourhoods like Newtown that aren’t even on the tourist maps. Next month, Pink Planet checks out these gay ‘burbs.
BIO
Julia Steinecke (www.JuliaSt.net) is a Toronto-based freelance writer. Her visit was subsidized by Tourism Australia (www.australia.com) and Qantas (www.qantas.com).
JUST THE FACTS
Qantas (www.qantas.com) flies daily from Toronto to Sydney.
Accommodations and other information can be found at www.rainbowtourism.com and
www.gaytraveller.com.au. The Medusa (www.medusa.com.au) is very close to the action on Oxford Street. The Diamant (www.diamant.com.au) and the Sebel (www.mirvachotels.com/sebel-surry-hills-sydney) aren’t too far.
Local publications and flyers are available at The Bookshop (www.thebookshop.com.au) at 207 Oxford Street. Look for the Star Observer (www.starobserver.com.au) and LOTL (www.avalonmedia.com.au). Online resources include Sapphic Sydney (www.sapphicsydney.com.au) and Facebook pages like The Pussycat Club @ The Oxford Hotel, Fancy Piece, Points of Difference Events, and www.facebook.com/lillian.starr.
Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras (www.mardigras.org.au) runs from February 19 to March 6, 2011. One of the best ways for visitors to get involved is to be in the parade, as a group or a single. Apply in November.
NEVER A DULL MOMENT IN SYDNEY’S GAY SCENE
by Julia Steinecke
The crowd is screaming with enthusiasm for a pretty woman in a 1950s dress with red taffeta, who’s lip-synching, “If I knew you were coming I’d have baked a cake.” By the end of the show she’s got the rolling pin sticking out of her strap-on-harness and she’s thrusting it into a pie, while the crowd treats her like a rock star.
The Supper Club, above the Oxford Hotel, is packed with lesbians, trans men and everyone in between for this Pussycat Club event, featuring burlesque by Lillian Starr.
Near Taylor Square, The Oxford (www.theoxfordhotel.com.au) is in the centre of Sydney’s LGBT scene, on a section of Oxford Street that has gay bars (often called “hotels”), shops and restaurants.
The scene is changing. When I stroll through on a Saturday night, I notice a lot of straight-looking people out for a good time. Some locals say that crime and violence are increasing in the area. I don’t feel threatened but, one night, I see over a dozen police officers gathered with a sniffer dog. After my visit I read reports of a bashing at the Colombian Hotel, in April. Four months later, a man reportedly attacks six people near Taylor Square.
Along with campaigning against violence, Australians are fighting for marriage rights and leading in global activism around gender issues. Same-sex marriage has been banned since 2004, but in 2009, ten thousand supporters across the country marched in favour of equal marriage, and, according to the Equal Love organization, they held the world’s largest mass illegal wedding. 2010 is the National Year of Action for equal marriage. After the March 20 demo in Sydney, I chat with some of the organizers, and meet norrie mAy-welby who was briefly recognised as the world’s first officially gender neutral person. In early March, norrie received an identity document with gender listed as “sex not specified” but a couple weeks later the Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages cancelled the document. Norrie has launched an appeal to the state Administrative Decisions Tribunal.
Sydney’s numerous gay-friendly beaches are an irresistible distraction from more serious issues. Tamarama (aka “Glamarama”) is a mixed beach specializing in hot bods. Lady Bay (aka “Lady Jane”) is a clothing-optional beach tucked under a scenic cliff and popular with gay men. As we peer down, my guide, Jason Webb, is surprised to see a couple of nude women lounging among the men. He points across to a small patch of sand on the other side of Sydney Harbour and tells me that it’s Obelisk Beach, a more secluded nude gay beach used by local guys. (See his descriptions at www.gaytraveller.com.au/NEW-SOUTH-WALES/Sydney/Beaches)
Lesbians are more likely to hang out at the McIvers Baths for women (www.nswoceanbaths.info/pools/b043.htm) at Coogee Beach. I arrive one morning and follow the plant-lined pathways down the cliff. The sun is shining directly on the rock-edged swimming pool, its water salted by the surf breaking on the edge. A group of older women swim past, wearing flowery bathing caps. Most of the area is invisible from above, but there are a couple of spots where men can lean over the cliff and catch a glimpse. Jillian Eugenios from LOTL Magazine tells me about the lesbians sunbathing who will leap up suddenly and shake a fist at the sky, yelling, “Get the f--- out of here!”
Everyone goes to the world-famous Bondi beach, home of the Drag Races during Mardi Gras. There’s a gay area on a grassy patch on the north side near Ramsgate Avenue. At the other end, Jason and I are dining at the Icebergs restaurant when Lady Gaga walks in with her bodyguards. We linger over our meal and steal a few glances at the surprisingly tiny singer in her Stars and Stripes dress.
Later that night we get a little more face time with Laidee Babooshka, at the Midnight Shift (www.themidnightshift.com) on Oxford. Her plastic polka-dot dress looks like it’s made from a game of Twister, with a double spinner bustier. On stage, she presides over a deep throat contest performed on a lifelike male appendage glued to the wall.
For better or worse, Oxford Street is livelier than ever, but a lot of Sydney’s LGBT scene has moved to neighbourhoods like Newtown that aren’t even on the tourist maps. Next month, Pink Planet checks out these gay ‘burbs.
BIO
Julia Steinecke (www.JuliaSt.net) is a Toronto-based freelance writer. Her visit was subsidized by Tourism Australia (www.australia.com) and Qantas (www.qantas.com).
JUST THE FACTS
Qantas (www.qantas.com) flies daily from Toronto to Sydney.
Accommodations and other information can be found at www.rainbowtourism.com and
www.gaytraveller.com.au. The Medusa (www.medusa.com.au) is very close to the action on Oxford Street. The Diamant (www.diamant.com.au) and the Sebel (www.mirvachotels.com/sebel-surry-hills-sydney) aren’t too far.
Local publications and flyers are available at The Bookshop (www.thebookshop.com.au) at 207 Oxford Street. Look for the Star Observer (www.starobserver.com.au) and LOTL (www.avalonmedia.com.au). Online resources include Sapphic Sydney (www.sapphicsydney.com.au) and Facebook pages like The Pussycat Club @ The Oxford Hotel, Fancy Piece, Points of Difference Events, and www.facebook.com/lillian.starr.
Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras (www.mardigras.org.au) runs from February 19 to March 6, 2011. One of the best ways for visitors to get involved is to be in the parade, as a group or a single. Apply in November.
Tuesday, September 21, 2010
THIS DESERT IS NOT A DRAG
Except on Sunday nights at Toucans
By Julia Steinecke
PALM SPRINGS, CALIFORNIA—How do you describe a gay scene in a city where at least a third of the population is LGBT? Almost every bar is a gay bar sometimes. In every neighbourhood you’ll see middle aged gay men and lesbians walking their dogs, getting out of their classic cars, tending their cactus gardens.
Still, I’d have to say, the ambience at Toucans Tiki Lounge on a Sunday night is especially gay. This north end LGBT venue, popular with locals, is packed for the weekly show of Tommi Rose and the Playgirls. Under the thatched ceiling and fake parrots, it’s hard to move through the crowd. Half a dozen drag queens perform everything from Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds to Melissa Etheridge’s, “I’m the Only One”. Tommi herself comes on as Dinah Shore in a retina-burning yellow dress to celebrate Dinah Shore Week. Then, as Helen Reddy, she sings, “I Don’t Know How to Love Him.” When she reaches the line, “I've had so many men before, in very many ways,” she swings her butt up in the air suggestively and the audience cheers.
Since the 1930s Palm Springs has been known as a secluded getaway for Hollywood Stars, including some, like Rock Hudson, who had a secret. When the town was hit by recessions in the 80s and 90s, it was LGBT folks who started fixing up the old mid-century Modern buildings, turning many into small resorts. The city continues to attract gays and lesbians who are also spreading through the other cities of the Coachella Valley. In 2003 the city elected its first LGBT and first African-American mayor. The current Mayor is also gay. The police department might not be with the program yet: in 2009 they conducted a controversial sting operation and arrested 24 men on indecent exposure charges.
Around 30 gay resorts (mostly male-only and legally clothing-optional) are scattered around town, but the highest concentration is in an area just south of downtown known as Warm Sands and nicknamed, “Warm Glands.” Choosing a guesthouse may be the most difficult and exhausting part of your visit. I see a range from tattered old budget-style rooms to luxurious suites, hosted by a range of people from a wholesome guy who likes to hike in the desert, to a mid-day drinker who greets me with a big weird hug. The ones that sell day passes to non-guests may have a particularly cruisy atmosphere.
Bars are also scattered around town, and the lines between straight and gay establishments are blurred. Not far from Warm Sands, there’s a cluster of full-time gay bars and businesses on East Arenas Road between Indian Canyon Drive and Calle Encilia, where some weekends are busy and some are not. As one hotel clerk tells me, “Palm Springs is not a nightlife place—it’s about partying during the day. You find a nice pool and spend the day, then have dinner with a bottle of wine and some friends.”
Triangle Inn owner, Michael Green likes the ambience. “Having lived in a large city, and grown up in a tiny town,” he says, “Palm Springs has an urban sensibility in a small town setting. I think it’s the best of both of those worlds.”
On my last day, I finally get a chance to venture into the desert. It’s in bloom this spring, after an unusually rainy winter (meaning, it actually rained). Clumps of yellow flowers dot the boulder-strewn landscape, and trickles of water run at the bottom of the arid valleys. To the urban and small-town aspects of this place, I would add, wilderness.
Julia Steinecke is a Toronto-based freelance writer. Her visit was subsidized by the Palm Springs Bureau of Tourism, the Riviera Resort and Spa, Holiday Inn, Travelodge and Bike Palm Springs.
JUST THE FACTS
Where to stay
Options for men include the Triangle Inn (www.triangle-inn.com); All Worlds, where four varied resorts combine to make one large clothing optional place (www.allworldsresorts.com); and East Canyon Hotel and Spa, a men’s resort where the shorts stay on (www.eastcanyonps.com). Women can choose between Casitas Laquita, with colourful Mexican-style décor (www.casitaslaquita.com); and Queen of Hearts, on a quieter street (www.queenofheartsps.com). Mainstream stays include the Riviera Resort and Spa near Toucans (www.psriviera.com).
Getting around
Most people rent cars, but one of the best ways to get around, day or night, is on a bicycle, which you can rent at Bike Palm Springs (www.bikepsrentals.com). Bring a bright bicycle light because many streets are unlit to allow for star gazing.
For more information
Pick up local publications like the Desert Daily Guide (www.desertdailyguide.com), The BottomLine Magazine (www.psbottomline.com), and Talk of Palm Springs (www.talkpublications.com) at Toucans, or the Gaymart on Arenas. Online information can be found at www.lspotpalmsprings.com (for lesbians),
www.palmspringsgayinfo.com (from the Desert Gay Tourism Guild) and www.visitgaypalmsprings.com (from the Palm Springs Bureau of Tourism). For information on some of the numerous LGBT events in Palm Springs, check out these recent Pink Planet columns: www.thestar.com/travel/article/766961--a-world-of-lgbt-festivals and www.thestar.com/travel/northamerica/article/795930--dinah-shore-lives-on-in-the-desert
Except on Sunday nights at Toucans
By Julia Steinecke
PALM SPRINGS, CALIFORNIA—How do you describe a gay scene in a city where at least a third of the population is LGBT? Almost every bar is a gay bar sometimes. In every neighbourhood you’ll see middle aged gay men and lesbians walking their dogs, getting out of their classic cars, tending their cactus gardens.
Still, I’d have to say, the ambience at Toucans Tiki Lounge on a Sunday night is especially gay. This north end LGBT venue, popular with locals, is packed for the weekly show of Tommi Rose and the Playgirls. Under the thatched ceiling and fake parrots, it’s hard to move through the crowd. Half a dozen drag queens perform everything from Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds to Melissa Etheridge’s, “I’m the Only One”. Tommi herself comes on as Dinah Shore in a retina-burning yellow dress to celebrate Dinah Shore Week. Then, as Helen Reddy, she sings, “I Don’t Know How to Love Him.” When she reaches the line, “I've had so many men before, in very many ways,” she swings her butt up in the air suggestively and the audience cheers.
Since the 1930s Palm Springs has been known as a secluded getaway for Hollywood Stars, including some, like Rock Hudson, who had a secret. When the town was hit by recessions in the 80s and 90s, it was LGBT folks who started fixing up the old mid-century Modern buildings, turning many into small resorts. The city continues to attract gays and lesbians who are also spreading through the other cities of the Coachella Valley. In 2003 the city elected its first LGBT and first African-American mayor. The current Mayor is also gay. The police department might not be with the program yet: in 2009 they conducted a controversial sting operation and arrested 24 men on indecent exposure charges.
Around 30 gay resorts (mostly male-only and legally clothing-optional) are scattered around town, but the highest concentration is in an area just south of downtown known as Warm Sands and nicknamed, “Warm Glands.” Choosing a guesthouse may be the most difficult and exhausting part of your visit. I see a range from tattered old budget-style rooms to luxurious suites, hosted by a range of people from a wholesome guy who likes to hike in the desert, to a mid-day drinker who greets me with a big weird hug. The ones that sell day passes to non-guests may have a particularly cruisy atmosphere.
Bars are also scattered around town, and the lines between straight and gay establishments are blurred. Not far from Warm Sands, there’s a cluster of full-time gay bars and businesses on East Arenas Road between Indian Canyon Drive and Calle Encilia, where some weekends are busy and some are not. As one hotel clerk tells me, “Palm Springs is not a nightlife place—it’s about partying during the day. You find a nice pool and spend the day, then have dinner with a bottle of wine and some friends.”
Triangle Inn owner, Michael Green likes the ambience. “Having lived in a large city, and grown up in a tiny town,” he says, “Palm Springs has an urban sensibility in a small town setting. I think it’s the best of both of those worlds.”
On my last day, I finally get a chance to venture into the desert. It’s in bloom this spring, after an unusually rainy winter (meaning, it actually rained). Clumps of yellow flowers dot the boulder-strewn landscape, and trickles of water run at the bottom of the arid valleys. To the urban and small-town aspects of this place, I would add, wilderness.
Julia Steinecke is a Toronto-based freelance writer. Her visit was subsidized by the Palm Springs Bureau of Tourism, the Riviera Resort and Spa, Holiday Inn, Travelodge and Bike Palm Springs.
JUST THE FACTS
Where to stay
Options for men include the Triangle Inn (www.triangle-inn.com); All Worlds, where four varied resorts combine to make one large clothing optional place (www.allworldsresorts.com); and East Canyon Hotel and Spa, a men’s resort where the shorts stay on (www.eastcanyonps.com). Women can choose between Casitas Laquita, with colourful Mexican-style décor (www.casitaslaquita.com); and Queen of Hearts, on a quieter street (www.queenofheartsps.com). Mainstream stays include the Riviera Resort and Spa near Toucans (www.psriviera.com).
Getting around
Most people rent cars, but one of the best ways to get around, day or night, is on a bicycle, which you can rent at Bike Palm Springs (www.bikepsrentals.com). Bring a bright bicycle light because many streets are unlit to allow for star gazing.
For more information
Pick up local publications like the Desert Daily Guide (www.desertdailyguide.com), The BottomLine Magazine (www.psbottomline.com), and Talk of Palm Springs (www.talkpublications.com) at Toucans, or the Gaymart on Arenas. Online information can be found at www.lspotpalmsprings.com (for lesbians),
www.palmspringsgayinfo.com (from the Desert Gay Tourism Guild) and www.visitgaypalmsprings.com (from the Palm Springs Bureau of Tourism). For information on some of the numerous LGBT events in Palm Springs, check out these recent Pink Planet columns: www.thestar.com/travel/article/766961--a-world-of-lgbt-festivals and www.thestar.com/travel/northamerica/article/795930--dinah-shore-lives-on-in-the-desert
Friday, June 18, 2010
Pink Planet in New York City
Check out my latest Toronto Star piece at www.thestar.com/travel/northamerica/article/824602--new-york-has-a-gaybourhood-for-every-taste. We did so much, it was hard to fit in all into 750 words!
If the Cheer New York link in the Toronto Star page doesn't work, you can catch it here.
Some more info on local resources:
One of the best places to pick up local scene publications is The Centre (www.gaycenter.org) at 208 West 13 th Street, tel 212-620-7310. Look for Next (www.nextmagazine.com), Gay City News (www.gaycitynews.com) and Go (www.gomag.com). You’ll find countless bar listings as well as a selection of gay-themed theatre and comedy happenings. For more information on New York City, visit www.nycgo.com
To everyone in NYC right now, Happy Pride!
If the Cheer New York link in the Toronto Star page doesn't work, you can catch it here.
Some more info on local resources:
One of the best places to pick up local scene publications is The Centre (www.gaycenter.org) at 208 West 13 th Street, tel 212-620-7310. Look for Next (www.nextmagazine.com), Gay City News (www.gaycitynews.com) and Go (www.gomag.com). You’ll find countless bar listings as well as a selection of gay-themed theatre and comedy happenings. For more information on New York City, visit www.nycgo.com
To everyone in NYC right now, Happy Pride!
Saturday, February 6, 2010
Be my Facebook friend
Now you can keep in touch and meet other readers. My Facebook name is Julia Steinecke Traveller. See you there!
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