Best Gay New York

CHINESE LGBT Film Festival At The Center September 5th

Best New Gay Travel Guide — Thu, 21 Aug 2008 13:00:21 GMT

Comrades: The Chinese LGBT Film Festival,

presented by Asia Catalyst, freeDimensional and

The Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Community Center, opens in New York on September 5, 2008 and will debut four films by some of China's most promising young filmmakers. With a successful 2001 opening in Beijing, the festival (the first of its kind in China) attracted the attention of Chinese media as well as the authorities and was eventually shut down by the Chinese National Security Agency.

The weekend showcase will run from
Friday, September 5 through
Sunday, September 7, 2008

at the Center - 208 West 13th Street.

Banned in Beijing, the Chinese LGBT Film Festival will give New Yorkers a glimpse into the hidden lives of gay Chinese. The festival includes both commercial and independent work that shows the broad spectrum of lesbian, gay and transgender experience as it is lived day-to-day in China.

Tickets can be ordered online.

Schedule -

East Palace, West Palace: Friday, Sept 5, Reception 6:00pm, Screening 7pm
TangTang: Saturday, Sept 6, Screening 2pm
Butterfly: Saturday, Sept 6, Reception 6pm, Panel Discussion 7pm, Screening 7:45pm
Welcome to Destination Shanghai: Sunday, September 7, Screening 2pm

Individual Screenings $12; Weekend Pass $35

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Trannies On Coney Island Beach and Circuit Boys and Deborah Cox on Fire Island August 16th

Best New Gay Travel Guide — Thu, 14 Aug 2008 08:19:25 GMT

What are you doing this weekend you hot tranny mess??

Saturday, August 16th, from 12pm - 5pm, the Gender Identity Project presents...Trans on the Sands day. A day on the beach for transgender and gender non-conforming people, our families and allies. Everyone is welcome!

Coney Island Beach
Directly across from the boardwalk
entrance to the New York Aquarium
Look for a sign that reads “G.I.P”

It's a free event!

Or if you a big circuit boy with muscles to show off and some money to spend, you may want to be on Fire Island at Whyte Hall in the Pines Saturday night for Deborah Cox in concert.

Platinum recording artist Deborah and her band celebrate the Pines community with a blend of her R&B anthems and songs of the 1950's jazz queen Dinah Washington.

Two shows at 7:30 and 9:30, tickets $100 - $200. This is one charity event that is not to be missed. 100% of ticket sales will benefit Pines Care Center, Seashore Defense Fund, Lyme Disease Prevention Fund, and the Whyte Hall Operating Fund.-

There are very few tickets left! HURRY!

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The Best of Gay New York!

Best New Gay Travel Guide — Sat, 09 Aug 2008 08:03:28 GMT

WELCOME TO BEST GAY NEW YORK!

We have officially launched this month and over the coming weeks, we'll be adding lots of information to this site!

Voted the most popular US destination by GLBT travelers, New York City has it all! One of the most vibrant gay scenes in one of the greatest cities in the world!

Let us be your guide to everything gay and gay-friendly in New York and also show you some things off the beaten path, that only the locals know about!

We’ll be covering it all! THE BEST OF GAY NEW YORK!

For advertising information and SEO perks for your business, contact us today!

Michael Snell and Derrick Sorles
(773) 878-5323
e- mail us

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Dance On The Runway and How Do I Look Re-examine The Ballrooms of Gay Harlem

Best New Gay Travel Guide — Sat, 09 Aug 2008 13:30:57 GMT

We just became familiar with a gay New York Blog that I wanted to share with you. DANCE ON THE RUNWAY is ran by Louis Flores.

Dance on the Runway is a blog about films and videos that intermingle the creativity of music and dance with the artistries of runway and fashion. On the blog, he also promotes a documentary called How Do I Look, by Wolfgang Busch.  He also shows other videos that combine dance and runway to give you inspiration about other physical expressions that are possible "on the catwalk."

During the 10 years of the making of this documentary, How Do I Look captured the Harlem "Ball" traditions that originated in the 70s, which was historically an off shot from the Harlem "Drag" Balls from the 20s.

Because of the loss of hundreds of members and leaders of the "Ball" community due to the HIV epidemic, the documnentary was able to record an important aspect of the history and legacy that was still available.

The film focused on the Icon and Legend Pepper Labeija, Willi Ninja, Tracy Africa, Kevin Omni, Jose Xtravaganza and Octavia St. Laurent, who took their talents outside the "Ball" community successfully and opened many doors for their community. The "children" are gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender African American and Hispanic members of the "Houses." Their goal is to be voted into the "Ballroom Hall of Fame" one day, the ultimate "Ballroom" achievement. Their highly competitive functions at "Balls," builds their self esteem and furthers their performance skills.

By living on the edge, their natural artistic progression perfected their improvisational voguing, fashion and runway performance skills on the catwalk and is the reason why they have become such trend setters and inspirations worldwide.

BUY THE DVD   "How Do I Look?!"

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BASH'D - GAY RAP OPERA in New York City at the Zipper Factory

Best New Gay Travel Guide — Fri, 08 Aug 2008 14:42:38 GMT

A “gay rap opera” ?

Yes, you read correctly!

Has rap ever moved ya to tears??

It begins like a hip-hop party, with two MCs present and rapping. The performers have their own lavender spin on the genre: They pour out a flowery flow of queer-positive rhymes, their gay pride inflated to profane braggadocio.

"It’s Eminem for the M4M set: skip-hop. Acted out with unflagging energy by its authors, Chris Craddock and Nathan Cuckow, the show moves from winking truculence to outlaw melodrama: a West Side Story twist on familiar urban tropes of discrimination, violence, revenge and police brutality. And the lyrics, laid over Aaron Macri’s throbbing music, prove anew that rap and theater are well-matched bedfellows." says TIME OUT.

Talkin in Broadway said, "Craddock and Cuckow haven't just co-opted the form for purposes of gimmickry. They, along with their composer Aaron Macri, use the violent music of the streets to examine and condemn the hate that dare not speak its name - as well as the reciprocal evil such hatred can inspire in even the purest of souls. In BASH'd, those souls manifest themselves in two ways: as the young Canadian men Jack and Dillon, who meet, marry, and then have their happiness ripped apart by intolerance; and the rappers who are presenting and performing their mosh-pit morality tale, T-Bag (Craddock) and Feminem (Cuckow). The two may not agree on certain details or political considerations, but they're uncommonly invested in seeing Jack and Dillon make it, despite all the forces - family, government, strangers - who might prefer they didn't. "

Craddock explained the show’s plea as, “Let’s unify, let’s get people together instead of separating people out into categories of gay and straight and so forth.” If the show begins as a celebratory nod toward gay culture, a call for the audience to “limp your wrists in the air,” it ends with a warning for all, regardless of sexual orientation: “Violence begets itself, that’s a fact you see./Even if you win, they’ll be a price to pay./Why don’t you save yourself some trouble, just walk away.”

Mondays 8pm , Thursdays 8pm , Fridays 7:30pm, 10pm , Saturdays 8pm
Buy $25 ticket at the box office 1 hr. prior to Friday 10PM show only in cash, and also get a FREE cocktail.

Zipper Factory

336 W 37th St (between Eighth and Ninth Aves)
Midtown West 212-352-3101
Subway: A, C, E, 1, 2, 3 to 34th St–Penn Station

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New York Broadway Bares Benefit Books BACKSTAGE PASS Still Available!

Best New Gay Travel Guide — Thu, 07 Aug 2008 13:34:57 GMT

Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS (BC/EFA) is the nation's leading industry-based, not-for-profit AIDS fundraising and grant making organization.

BC/EFA is the on-going, committed response from the American Theatre community to an urgent worldwide health crisis.

By drawing upon the talents, resources, and generosity of this community, BC/EFA raises funds for AIDS-related causes across the United States.

Since its founding in 1988, BC/EFA has raised over $140 million for critically needed services for people with AIDS, HIV or HIV-related illnesses.

Jerry Mitchell, Tony award-winning choreographer, was amazed at the tremendous attention his nearly naked body garnered in Tommy Tune’s production of The Will Rogers Follies in 1990.

He quickly capitalized on this fascination with exposed skin to raise funds for the Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS (BC/EFA) organization.

Over the next 18 years, this “ah-ha” moment grew into the annual tradition that is Broadway Bares—an event where the most beautiful bodies of New York City’s theater community take it all off and do what they do best—strut their stuff!

Backstage Pass: Broadway Bares is a titillating photographic chronicle of how one bright young man in a loincloth, dancing atop a giant drum on a Broadway stage, began one of the Great White Way’s most worthy and exciting traditions!

The book features sizzling behind-the-scene photos, performance shots, and stunning studio stills of men and women from the Broadway stage who have been a part of this spectacular burlesque event over the years.

It includes as little text as costumes worn in the show, but the history is succinctly outlined and mentions the names of the A-list celebrities who have proudly participated in the proceedings, including Cyndi Lauper, Alan Cumming, David Hyde Pierce, and Nathan Lane.

Seven thousand attended the two shows in 2007 and the event has raised nearly five million dollars to date. Proceeds from the sales of Backstage Pass will go to benefit BC/EFA.

Jerry Mitchell is the creator and Executive Producer of this annual charitable event. Mitchell is one of Broadway’s most acclaimed choreographers, responsible for the original productions of Hairspray, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, and The Full Monty, as well as the Broadway revival of La Cage aux Folles, for which he won the Tony Award. His choreography is featured in films such as Hedwig and the Angry Inch, Scent of a Woman, and In & Out. Most recently, he directed and choreographed the Broadway smash hit Legally Blonde, and is presently the co-host of Bravo’s Step It Up and Dance television series. This is SERIOUS, MUST-SEE DANCE!

The show originally played here in New York in June and the beautiful hard-cover collection immediately followed. Signed copies of the book are available from Broadway Cares for $70, regular copies are $55, and Amazon still has a few Backstage Pass: Broadway Bares left at $34. Also at their store online, you can pick up Auction items, programs, DVDs, clothing and all kinds of keepsakes that will help raise money for the cause!

For their eighteenth year, producer Jerry Mitchell and director Denis Jones (both of whom were shirtless by the end of the evening) chose an Alice in Wonderland theme. In general, Bares is an exercise in self-loathing: Broadway dancers have the kinds of bodies that only cover models for Maxim and Men's Health should possess. But nestled in between countless exposed buttocks and bedazzled pasties were a satisfying number of hilarious celebrity cameos (not even including George Wendt, who was in the audience). Nathan Lane and Andrea Martin took the stage as Cheshire cats, and The Little Dog Laughed Tony winner Julie White appeared as the Mock Turtle. "Hey Caterpillar," she cried, kicking off a line we are definitely going to use the next time we run into our high-school nemesis.

All royalties from Broadway Bares: Backstage Pass will benefit Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS.

All images © Backstage Pass by Jerry Mitchell,
Universe Publishing, 2008

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Gay Naturists Gathering in Pocono Mountains and Michael Formika DJ's.....nude?

Best New Gay Travel Guide — Thu, 07 Aug 2008 13:34:40 GMT

GAY NATURISTS INTERNATIONAL will hold their Annual Men's Nude Retreat / Gathering August 22nd - 24th, in the Pocono Mountains of Pennsylvania.
(The whole event runs the 20th - 29th)

Gay, bisexual, and gay-friendly men gather each year for this annual Gathering. You must be at least 21 years old. Men only. Over 800 guests!

This year, party promoter/performer Michael "Mistress Formika" Jones will DJ, and rumour has it, he will in fact DJ nude! (Michael pictured here with mega star Amanda LePore. Have you ever seen her nude? She rocks!)

Gay Naturists International (GNI), is an independent organization of gay male nudists/naturists that traces its history to 1981 as a special interest group with The Naturist Society. In 1992, GNI became an independent organization.

GNI and its affiliated clubs now have over 6,000 members in 12 countries who enjoy nude recreational and social activities.

Don't miss the GATHERING!

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Boys In The Pool First Fridays - Boy's Night at FUERZABRUTA

Best New Gay Travel Guide — Thu, 31 Jul 2008 08:37:56 GMT

fuer • za • bru • ta

\ f'where - zah - broo - tah \

Approaching it's one year anniversary in New York, Fuerzabruta is A non-stop collision of dynamic music, visceral emotion, and kinetic aerial imagery, FUERZABRUTA is one of the most exciting events of the fall season.

Having already taken South America and Europe by storm, this all-new work from the creators of the revolutionary theatre spectacle De La Guarda defies easy categorization.

Featuring mind-blowing visual effects that must be seen to be believed - a man running full throttle through a series of moving walls, women frolicking in a watery world suspended just inches above the audience - FUERZABRUTA is a theatrical experience that floods the senses.

and Summer just got a little hotter....

FRIDAY AUGUST 1st, and the first Friday
of every month 10:30pm is BOYS NIGHT!
$75 tickets for just $45 !

At BOYS NIGHT, the sexy men of FUERZABRUTA come front and center as they slam, slip and slide in a giant pool that hovers just inches above the audience. The ripped performers, thumpin' soundtrack and explosive 4am energy make this a one of a kind party!

FUERZABRUTA (brute force) is a heart-pounding theatrical event that features a nonstop collision of pulsating music, visceral emotion, and aerial imagery.

The Village Voice likens it to "AN ARGENTINE NIGHTCLUB ON ACID!" "HOT, WET, HARD, AND FAST" exclaims HX Magazine. And Towleroad.com writes "IT'S AS CLOSE AS YOU'LL EVER GET TO RAVE IN IBIZA WITHOUT PAYING FOR A ROUNDTRIP TICKET."

Daryl Roth Theatre
101 East 15th Street at Union Square

Watch the Fuerzabruta trailer on YouTube

Find them Fuerzabruta on MySpace

Buy Discount Tickets
for Fuerzabruta BOYS NIGHT

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NYPL Hosts Focus on the 70s: The Fabulous Photography of Kenn Duncan

Best New Gay Travel Guide — Tue, 29 Jul 2008 15:39:13 GMT

A major retrospective exhibition of Kenn Duncan’s work, Focus on the 70s: The Fabulous Photography of Kenn Duncan, including many of the images which will be seen in the fourth coming book Divas!: The Fabulous Photography of Kenn Duncan (Photography), (October 2008, Universe Publishing)

will be on view at The New York Public Library for the Performing Arts at Lincoln Center

starting this week July 30
through October 25, 2008.

Photographs of an effervescent Bette Midler twirling barefoot in a summer dress, a sensual Alexander Gudonov staring intently into the camera, a youthful Diane Keaton with the cast of Hair, and an ethereal portrait of transgender Andy Warhol superstar Candy Darling wrapped in furs are all part of a comprehensive exhibition featuring materials from the archive of renowned portrait and fashion photographer Kenn Duncan.

Duncan was an amazing artist who truly shined in the 1970's. This retrospective of Duncan’s 20-year career features approximately 400 photographs and includes his iconic images of Mikhail Baryshnikov, Eartha Kitt, Angela Lansbury, Peter Martins, Bette Midler, the cast of Hair, as well as selections of his nudes, his fashion portfolios, and his work with hundreds of celebrities including shock rock legend Alice Cooper, Al Pacino, and Christopher Walken.

Focus on the 70s: The Fabulous Photography of Kenn Duncan is on display in the Donald and Mary Oenslager Gallery of The New York Public Library for the Performing Arts, Dorothy and Lewis B. Cullman Center, located at 40 Lincoln Center Plaza, and Admission is free!

Read more about Kenn Duncan and the NYPL exhibit online!

Pre-order the fourthcoming book
Divas!: The Fabulous Photography of Kenn Duncan (Photography) now and SAVE!

(Divas! © by The New York Public Library, Astor, Lenox and Tilden Foundations ,
Universe Publishing, 2008.)

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Brown Girls Burlesque

Best New Gay Travel Guide — Fri, 25 Jul 2008 11:09:32 GMT

Brown Girls Burlesque (BGB)" is a collective of women of color dedicated to creating our own reflection in an art form that we have supported and enjoyed but traditionally, has not well-represented people of color.

Our mission is to take our rightful place on the stage to celebrate our cultures, sexuality and artistry with humor, fierceness and nudity. "

When they play, they theatre is packed to watch these women of color, some of whom are queer, put their spin on burlesque.

Check out their MySpace page to see when and where they are performing next!

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Korean Gay Feature NO REGRET Opens in New York This Weekend

Best New Gay Travel Guide — Tue, 22 Jul 2008 14:10:27 GMT

Regent Releasing newest film is the the Korean's gay feature "No Regret" which opens in New York City & Los Angeles this weekend!

07/25/08 New York @ Cinema Village

Set in Seoul, South Korea, "No Regret" centers on Sumin (Lee Young-Hoon), who leaves the orphanage where he grew up and heads to the city to study art design.

After losing his job at a factory due to layoffs, he finds himself working as a prostitute in a gay bar.

Initially Sumin resists the advances of Jaemin (Lee Han), who comes from a rich and conservative family that doesn’t accept his sexual identity.

Eventually Sumin succumbs to Jaemin’s advances, after they briefly experience happiness as passionate lovers, Sumin and Jaemin’s relationship falls into heartache and tragedy.

Watch the movie trailer for NO REGRET!

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Where The (gay) Boys Are...Pier 45 Hudson River Park New York City

Best New Gay Travel Guide — Wed, 23 Jul 2008 11:06:16 GMT

You don't have to schlep to the beach or Central Park to hang out with the boys and catch some rays....downtown is always hopping at the Hudson River Park- a magnificent rehabilitation of the Piers. Hudson River Park is the largest open space project to undergo construction in Manhattan since the completion of Central Park. The 550 acre park extends from 59th Street south to Battery Park.

Pier 45 / Christopher Street Pier is of course, the gayest. Lots of hotties sunning themselves when the weather is nice!

There is so much to do at the park....

free concerts, free movies, dance events, fishing, batting cages, golf lessons, sailing, swimming, kayaking, heck, you can even take trapeze lessons and end up working for Cirque du Soleil!

Most areas of the park, including the piers, close at 1 AM. The bike path is open 24 hours-a-day, and several areas (such as playgrounds) close at dusk. Some special areas of the park may close earlier. Park bathrooms close at dusk.

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Pride in The City - July 31 - August 1

Best New Gay Travel Guide — Mon, 21 Jul 2008 11:28:04 GMT

In 2003, POCC conceptualized the idea of Pride in the City and identified Black pride celebrations as a unique venue to bring culturally relevant prevention strategies to the Black gay community. For the past four years, Pride in the City (PITC) has been NYC’s premiere Black pride celebration. Pride in the City has strived to build and affirm the Black lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community in New York City. By providing opportunities for cultural celebration, networking, education and increasing individual member’s connection to community and its resources. PITC has grown into NYC’s largest Black pride event.

For a complete schedule of all the PRIDE IN CITY events, stop by their site!

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Movies With A View - The Best Place to See an Outdoor Movie in New York City! THURSDAYS!

Best New Gay Travel Guide — Thu, 10 Jul 2008 13:33:29 GMT

(photo by   Julienne Schaer - NYC Event Photographer!)

New York's favorite outdoor film series returns Thursdays, starting July 10, an exciting line-up in the most spectacular location imaginable -- Brooklyn Bridge Park!

Get ready for the ninth annual Movies With A View outdoor film series! Each Thursday evening, beginning July 10, Brooklyn Radio DJs set the scene with pre-film mood music, while RICE provides delicious dinners on site. Feel like riding your bike down to the park? No problem, the folks from Transportation Alternatives provide free valet bike parking. Pack a picnic and enjoy the sunset over the NYC skyline.

All films are free and are screened on the lawn of the Empire-Fulton Ferry State Park section of Brooklyn Bridge Park.

Nearest subways: A/C to High Street;
2/3 to Clark Street; F to York Street.

No alcohol or pets are allowed at this event.

COMPLETE SCHEDULE

July 10           Stand By Me
July 17          Invasion of the Body Snatchers
July 24         Wallace and Gromit: Curse Of The Were Rabbit
July 31       Ace In The Hole

August 7         Pleasantville
August 14       Cabaret
August 21      Being There
August 28      The Shining

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Fire Island Pines BAY DANCE July 4th to Benefit THE CENTER

Best New Gay Travel Guide — Thu, 03 Jul 2008 15:52:44 GMT

Bay Dance 2008 - Friday, July 4, 2008,

6-10 PM DJ Roland Belmares

Hosted and produced once again by Fund in the Sun. The Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Community Center is very happy to once again be named one of this year's beneficiaries at this not-to-be missed event in the Pines!

This year the Center celebrates 25 years of service to New York City's LGBT community. The Center offers nearly 30 mental health, social service, public policy, educational and cultural programs for LGBT adults and youth. Each week, more than 6,000 people come to the Center, and more than 300 groups meet in our home. And thanks to the funds raised through Bay Dance, and thanks to Fund in the Sun's generous support, the Center will be able to keep its doors open for 25 more years to come.

Buy tickets now!
And please note that 100% of proceeds raised through ticket sales
on the Center website will benefit the Center.

Hosted by Fund in the Sun at
531 Sail Walk
The Pines, Fire Island

Bay Dance is a great way to celebrate the Fourth of July Weekend in Fire Island while enjoying an amazing bayside view. There are various levels of support offered, and we hope you will consider a significant gift in honor of the Center's 25th anniversary! Please click the appropriate level below to purchase tickets. All tickets will be available for pick up on the pier in the Pines, 2:30-5:30 pm the day of the party, and can be picked up with a photo ID and the credit card used to purchase tickets.

Bay Dance is hosted and produced by Fund in the Sun,
with additional support by the Pines Commercial Properties.

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What Does Gay Pride Mean To You?

Best New Gay Travel Guide — Tue, 24 Jun 2008 15:13:25 GMT

June is GAY PRIDE month around the world!

It is traditionally celebrated the last Sunday of June, in most cities. Pride celebrations stemmed from the Stonewall Riots in New York City.

The Stonewall Riots were a series of violent conflicts between LGBT people and New York City police officers that began during a 28 June 1969 police raid, and lasted several days. They were centered at the Stonewall Inn and are widely recognized as the catalyst for the modern-day movement towards LGBT rights.

Gay pride or LGBT pride refers to a world wide movement and philosophy asserting that lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender individuals should be proud of their sexual orientation and gender identity.

Heterosexual people have sometimes asked me, "Why do you have to have a pride day? Why are you so proud? We don't have straight pride day?" - It's about not feeling ashamed of who we are. It's about showing people our numbers, that we are in fact EVERYWHERE. We come in all shapes, sizes and colors.
Gay pride is about appreciating yourself and other members of our community for being different. GAY PRIDE means accepting yourself and celebrating who you are.

Gay pride advocates work for equal "rights and benefits" for LGBT people. The movement has three main premises:

- that people should be proud of their sexual orientation and gender identity,

- that sexual diversity is a gift,

- and that sexual orientation and gender identity are inherent and cannot be intentionally altered.

Someone at Cedar Rapids Pride said, "Often the hardest person to come out to is yourself. GAY PRIDE doesn't just happen. It is hard work to overcome the profound effects of abusive religion and cultural abandonment that afflict all minorities. Self-esteem is the greatest achievement that you can reach in life. Your sense of self-worth is so valuable, that you work hard all of your life to find and express it. To reach your goal of self-esteem and happiness requires knowledge and positive experience."

Jed Ryan from Lick The Web says, "So, what is "Gay Pride?" It may not be so important that we find a universal definition. What's more important is that all of us feel positively and lovingly about being who we are-- in our case, definitely including but not limited to being gay, lesbian, bisexual, or transgendered-- at least for one moment in our lives and hopefully more. And that can be in June or any other month, at the Parade or any other location, or whether you're 17 or 70. Ultimately, the real and most important meaning of "pride" is in within each one of us."

Marches celebrating Pride (pride parades) are celebrated worldwide, and every year, the number of gay people and their supporters grows bigger and bigger! We're here, we're queer, you'd better get used to it!

Michael Snell
New Gay Travel Guide

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Coney Island 2008 Mermaid Parade - Saturday June 21

Best New Gay Travel Guide — Thu, 19 Jun 2008 08:26:07 GMT

A completely original creation of Coney Island USA, the Mermaid Parade is the nation's largest art parade and one of New York City's greatest summer events. Saturday, June 21st, 2pm

Founded in 1983 by Coney Island USA, the not-for-profit arts organization that also produces the Coney island Circus Sideshow, the Mermaid Parade pays homage to Coney Island's forgotten Mardi Gras which lasted from 1903 to 1954, and draws from a host of other sources resulting in a wonderful and wacky event that is unique to Coney Island.

The Mermaid Parade celebrates the sand, the sea, the salt air and the beginning of summer, as well as the history and mythology of Coney Island, Coney Island pride, and artistic self-expression.

The Parade is followed by the Mermaid Parade Ball, a post-parade gathering where costumed parade participants can get together with each other and parade spectators to listen to live music, purchase raffle tickets, and watch burlesque and sideshow acts performed by some of New York City's hottest burlesque stars.

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Florent Restaurant Closes its Door June 29th

Best New Gay Travel Guide — Tue, 10 Jun 2008 10:30:46 GMT

SAD BUT TRUE!

The legendary gay 24/7 Florent Restaurant in New York Citys meat packing disctrict will close it's doors on Gay Pride June 29th!

High-end boutiques, high-end hotels, and the soon-to-be unveiled high-end high-line park have forced Florent’s rent up from $5,000 to $45,000 a month. They are currently holding auctions on EBAY of
Flo-morabilia, with proceeds benefiting the staff.

The bistro's goodbye is in the final weeks; each week was dedicated to one of the Kubler-Ross stages of grief. Denial, Anger, Bargaining, Depression, and Acceptance.

Each theme week has special dishes, decor and performances by familiar faces like burlesque star Dirty Martini, all leading up to a big sad send-off on June 29th, Gay Pride Day.

The quirky French bistro – housed in an old diner that was a speakeasy in the ‘20s and a favorite greasy spoon for longshoremen and meatpackers in the ‘50s – has become even more cherished in recent years as a corrective to the fratastic Bridge and Tunnel scene dominating the neighborhood.

Owner Morellet, however, refuses to be maudlin about Florent’s fate. “I used to be the light in the middle of the darkness, and now I suppose I am the dark spot in the middle of the light,” he told me. “Of course I have prayed that maybe I would be saved at the last minute by a collapse of the world economy. And when it became real? Yes, I drove out to my lake house in New Jersey and wept for three days straight. But,” he quickly added, “only three days!”

READ MORE IN NY MAG!

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Powerhouse Books - NYC GO-GO by Slava Mogutin

Best New Gay Travel Guide — Fri, 06 Jun 2008 15:36:59 GMT

Slava Mogutin, the notorious Russian dissident-turned-art star and creator of the critically acclaimed Lost Boys (powerHouse Books, 2006), returns with his second monograph, NYC Go-Go, a tribute to the golden age of New York City nightlife.

The once glittering club world had all but disappeared by the time Mogutin arrived in America in the mid-1990s. Under Mayor Rudy Giuliani’s controversial “Quality of Life” campaign, downtown clubs paid the ultimate price: owners were branded community pariahs and paid crippling fines for alleged disruptiveness, while others were prosecuted for criminal acts; many legendary night spots were wiped off the map altogether.

In his new book, Mogutin documents the ever-shrinking downtown gay scene, taking us inside a few remaining joints like the Cock, Boysroom, and Mr. Black. NYC Go-Go is a raunchy journey into the underworld inhabited by hustlers, go-go boys and their admirers.

Some of them are “rough trade”—thugs with criminal pasts, busted for prostitution, drugs or armed assaults—while others are “gay for pay,” married with kids and hustling for their families. NYC Go-Go captures the spirit of a scene under fire with Mogutin’s trademark raw, in-your face style.

The Best of Gay New York and New Gay Travel Guide

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Thursday Night Free Gay Fun in New York @ The Back Room

Best New Gay Travel Guide — Tue, 03 Jun 2008 17:30:14 GMT

It's Thursday night after work, need a release?

Come on down to the gayest night in Ochi's Lounge. 353 W. 14th, A to 14th St., East of 9th

Back Room is the weekly, self-proclaimed "Gayest Hour and a Half" of comedy you'll find out there.
"Take three parts fag, one part hag and a gaggle of gay comics."

Paul Case, Shawn Hollenbach, Dave Rubin and Jenny Rubin bring you New York's
only underground (literally) gay comedy show in NYC. The comics have been seen on here!,
Logo, VH1, MTV, Comedy Central, and some newbies who you'll later say, "I saw them when."

Date: Thursdays Time: 9:00pm - 10:30pm Cost:Free, one food/drink item minimum

The Best of Gay New York

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