Whilst travelling Europe over the June-July period I was sure to bump into at
least one pride festival, and sure enough, I found what I was looking for in
Berlin. You really don´t have to look far to find the thriving gay culture in
Berlin, summed up in their annual Christopher Street Day, the equivalent of our
Pride Parade.
The street party happens during the day, beginning the
walk down the main Berlin streets shortly after midday, really making it a
family-friendly event. Lollies are handed out to the kids in the street, and for
those who have a sweet tooth like me.... I had no shame in reaching for the
lollipops! If there´s any way to teach tolerance and acceptance, it´s by handing
out lollies to children who will then grow up remembering the fun times they had
at the gay parade.
Street drinking is allowed in Gemany, making the
parade even jollier. Some may think this makes it less child-friendly, but
there´s generally a respectful atmosphere and the Germans are very efficient in
cleaning up the bottle-infested post-parade streets.
The paraders are
extravagant with really creative costumes, such as Xena and her Gabrielle,
rainbow angels, men dressed as shower blocks, armies upon armies of beautiful
Thai trannies and spacemen, one guy in a diving suit clad in a rainbow flag,
another dressed as a a gum machine, nun-queens... the list goes on.
The
floats are equally awesome with bus-tops full of people waving flags, from the
standard rainbow flag, to the EU flag, and flags from many different countries.
There were several floats for certain countries, especially the Netherlands,
which seemed to have three floats of people!
I found it really cool to
see a float or two dedicated to organisations which take action for change in
countries where alternate sexualities are still taboo, and in some still
illegal. With an openly gay mayor in Berlin, Klaus Wowereit, and the right to
marry all over the country, it´s no surprise that there are so many gay people
from all over Europe (and the world) soaking up the freedom here. Just walking
through the streets of Berlin, you can see that there is a general tolerance for
same-sex couples and as a young lesbian I felt very comfortable.
I was
lucky enough to be staying with a friend who lives in Kreuzberg, one of the more
liberal (little ´´L´´! liberal) and quirky regions of Berlin which used to be
the gay quarter. Today it´s apparent that lots of gay people still live here,
simply walking down Bergmanstraße you can see plenty of same-sex couples hanging
out on this bustling and lively cafe strip. The current gay quarter in Berlin is
in the expensive Schöneberg where you´ll find a pink triangle plaque in memory
of the 7000 homosexuals who were killed during the Nazi regime.
Another
must-see for gay travellers in Berlin is the Schwulles Muzeum (Gay Museum),
dedicated to the history of homosexuals in Germany. It´s definitely worth
checking it out, if not for the captivating history, but for the art.
So
if you´re gay and travelling around Europe, don´t miss the open and friendly
city of Berlin!
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Newly elected Opposition Leader Colin Barnett has denied he promised to roll back key aspects of the Gallop Government's gay and lesbian law reforms during his unsuccessful campaign to become Premier in 2005, and claims he will not do so if elected this time.
The Great Gay & Lesbian Debate will return for this year’s Pride
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Berlin's mayor has led a protest against vandals
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Newly elected Opposition Leader Colin Barnett has denied he promised to roll back key aspects of the Gallop Government's gay and lesbian law reforms during his unsuccessful campaign to become Premier in 2005, and claims he will not do so if elected this time.
The Great Gay & Lesbian Debate will return for this year’s Pride
Festival, with the event to be staged at the Astor Cinema on the
evening of Thursday 16th October, commencing at 7pm.
Connections Nightclub will join forces with Sydney's Midnight Shift and former London Trade promoter Rod Lay to present Hunk on Saturday 6th September. CNC proprietor Tim Brown hopes the event will be the first of a series of monthly events featuring top international DJs.
Pride WA has appointed a strategic planner with the financial
backing of Connections Nightclub. Appointee Trudy Turner is already
working on obtaining corporate sponsorship for the remainder of 2008 as
well as funding for next year's festival.
Berlin's mayor has led a protest against vandals
who damaged the city's new memorial to gay victims of the Nazis. Police
say someone broke a window - a key part of the memorial - allowing visitors to
peer into a gray concrete slab to see an image of a same-sex couple kissing.
More 
After
being shunned for decades due to blackmail concerns, gay and lesbian Britons are now being sought as spies by domestic spy agency MI5. Expat Aussie activist Peter Tatchell says the policy change is long overdue. More 
Singer Kate Perry is not only a non-lesbian, but a non-lesbian out of favour with her parents and GLBT commentators over her number one hit that may imply she has lesbionic tendencies. Can't a girl say she kissed a girl without all this drama? More 
The ACT Government will not support a Greens push to reinstate its original
legislation on same-sex civil unions, which would have allowed gay and
lesbian couples to celebrate their unions with legal ceremonies. Pressure from the Rudd Government saw the proposal watered down earlier
this year. More 
Cosmopolitan Tel Aviv is attracting thousands of gay tourists, while conservative, religious Jerusalem lives in fear of Pride parades. The gay tourism boom is a double-edged sword for Israel, where it seems nothing is ever easy. More 
Gay men considering adult circumcision to reduce the risk of HIV
infection may gain no benefit and instead end risking sexual dysfunction and becoming bottoms according to new Australian research reported in the 
This week’s news that a lesbian couple in California filed for divorce
just three days after their June wedding – citing irreconcilable
differences – just confirmed my complete lack of interest in the
dreaded, world shattering, election clinching “gay marriage”.
Irreconcilable differences?
So, Madge's little bro, Christopher Ciccione, has written his autobiography, and it’s called Life with My Sister Madonna.
That tells you something before you even get to the very
unflattering photo of her Madgesty on the cover, looking every one of
her nearly 50 years.
Jeff Kennett should be sacked as Chairman of national depression initiative Beyond Blue for his homophobic support for the Bonneydoon Football Club, which recently sacked a trainer upon learning he was gay. We shouldn't be surprised though - homophobia in professional sports is rife.
I often get some dykestrous teasing about my taste in Hollywood leading
actors: I love watching Johnny Depp and George Clooney and I'm a sucker
for a Jeff Bridges movie. Well fair enough, I'm a lesbian who has a
soft spot for aging pretty boys. So, sue me!
George Pell's assertion that Australia must populate or perish is at odds with the Pope's view that Catholics must find a style of life that eases the problems caused to the environment. Not that Pell is worried about the environment - his real and unmentionable concern is Christians being outnumbered by Muslims.
