We’re paying tribute this week to those cities that have taken monumental strides in rights for the LGBT community. These gay-friendly spots are great places for a party especially during festival time, but they are wonderful holiday destinations in their own right too.
ATHENS
Some of the first-recorded mentions of same-sex relationships, unions and marriages trace back to Ancient Greece in 7th Century B.C. Socially accepted relationships between older men of status and teenage boys were prevalent throughout society in Athens, as were more formal unions among couples now cited in ancient writings. Though relationships between two men were eventually banned, thousands of years later, Greece is back on track. In 2011, more than 10,000 activists marched at the annual Athens Gay Pride parade to show their support for LGBT rights.
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NETHERLANDS
The Dutch have it good. The bicycle is an accepted mode of transport; the government doles out vakantiegeld, or holiday money, annually for citizens to use on summer travel; and marriage and adoption rights for same-sex couples abound. Renowned for being the first country to legalise gay marriage in 2001, the Netherlands was voted the largest supporter of same-sex marriage in 2006 by the European Union and is a popular destination for LGBT travellers.
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TEL AVIV
Tel Aviv as a Gay Pride destination may not come immediately to mind, but Israel is a leader in LGBT rights in the Middle East and is ahead of the curve when it comes to adoption, marriage and military equality for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender-identified people. Homosexuals are allowed to serve openly in the military (1993), same-sex couples have the same inheritance rights as couples of the opposite sex (2004) and individuals in a lesbian couple are able to adopt each other’s children (2005).
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BERLIN
While Germany has a reputation for tradition in some ways, it also has a reputation for tolerance towards freedom of expression. As such, it’s no surprise that it’s one of the world’s most progressive nations for same sex relations, which were legalised by East Germany in 1968 and applied throughout the country in 1994. Its capital, Berlin, is one of the most gay-friendly cities in Europe, and has a week of wonderful events including the Lesbian and Gay Street Fair, Berlin Pride Parade, Gay Night at the Zoo, and the CSD on the Spree when six rainbow ships cruise through the city.
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HAWAII
While the US considers same-sex marriage legislation – or lack thereof – a thing of the Noughties, Hawaii was involved in heated debates on the topic since 1993. The Supreme Court of the 50th state to join the union made a big case in Baehr v. Lewin when it ruled that limiting marriage to opposite-sex couples is presumably unconstitutional. Today civil union laws are still pending for 2012, but the archipelago of islands is home to a diverse gay community, as well as host to thousands of gay travellers each year.
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LOS ANGELES
One of the first national gay rights organisations, the Mattachine Society, was founded in Los Angeles by Harry Hay in 1950 to help improve the civil rights of homosexuals. Eventually expanding to San Francisco, Chicago, D.C. and New York, the group assisted victimised men and women, and educated citizens on the treatment of gays and lesbians during the 50s and 60s. Today the City of Angels still brims with art and culture nurtured by its active LGBT community.
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SAN FRANCISCO
For decades members of LGBT community have flocked to San Francisco seeking equality and a chance to belong. It was Harvey Milk in the 1970s who encouraged a generation of men and women to mobilise and fight for civil rights and changes in legislation. The first openly gay man elected to office in California, Milk was a beacon for a younger generation and a martyr for homosexuals nationwide. San Francisco mourned after his assassination in 1978, and continues to revere Milk as an icon for the city and the gay rights movement.
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NEW YORK
The Stonewall Riots in New York’s Greenwich Village incited the first gay rights movement in the United States in 1969. When police raided a local gay bar that summer, compelled activists around the downtown neighborhood and beyond fought back. Organizations in New York and nationwide formed, and – to honor the one-year anniversary of the riot – activists marched from downtown to Central Park in the first-ever gay pride march in the country. Today Greenwich Village, or ‘The Village,’ offers restaurants, theaters and a thriving art scene cultivated by the liberated men and women who were called to action more than 40 years ago.
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VANCOUVER
The Pride celebrations in Vancouver are the largest in Western Canada; last year’s festivities attracted more than 500,000 participants. The Vancouver Pride Society is in the final year of its three-year theme of Educate, Liberate, Celebrate. Highlights of the festival, which starts on June 25 with the East Side Pride and culminates on 31 July with the Pride Parade, a family-friendly event that starts in Downtown Vancouver and ends at Sunset Beach, where live music will boom through the afternoon.
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SAO PAULO
More than three million revellers gathered in Sao Paulo last year, making it the world’s largest gay pride event. This year’s celebration will take place on June 26. The parade is the headline event. It starts at the Museum of Modern Art of Sao Paulo at noon and gets to Praça Rooselvelt, in Downtown Sao Paulo, late that night. The colourful floats, carnival-style costumes of the participants and pumping music make this an experience you won’t want to miss.
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If you’re thinking of celebrating your wedding abroad, check out this list of top 10 destinations for gay weddings.
(Images: Athens – www.athenspride.eu; Amsterdam – FaceMePLS; Tel Aviv – Kinneret; Berlin – norbert_blech; Hawaii – D’Arcy Norman; Los Angeles – www.lapride.org; San Francisco – ingridtaylar; New York – Kevin Coles; Sao Paulo – Milton Jung CBNSP; Vancouver – vl04)
