Record turnout for San Francisco Gay Pride this year

by Iva Skoch on

I happened to be in San Francisco for this year’s Gay Pride weekend. So did an estimated 1,2 million other tourists, including men, women and the currently undecided.

Lots of people came here this year to get married since it is now legal in California. Lots of people came to make political statements: “I am thirteen and I understand equality. Why doesn’t McCain?” Others came to criticize Boy Scouts of America for raising kids into homophobic adults. Yet another poster said “Christian + Gay = OK.”

It was especially entertaining to watch the unsuspecting tourists stumbling upon the parade on their way fromSan Francisco’s main tourist trap, Fisherman’s Wharf. Different city completely! Yeah, they sell cheesy T-shirts here, too, but they are more original. I mean, what little kid wouldn’t love a T-shirt that says: “I [heart] my mommies.”

One of my favorite people was the guy in the picture. Part backpacker, part nudist. I could only aspire to that kind of liberation.

Air New Zealand to Offer Gay-Themed Flight

by Catherine Bodry on

Bring on the feather boas, shimmery eye makeup, and stiletto heels. And if you want to sleep, maybe some sleeping pills, because Air New Zealand’s gay-themed flight from San Francisco to Sydney promises to be 14 hours of nonstop fun.

The flight is scheduled to depart February 25 for the Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras in Sydney, Australia, which is one of the world’s most well-attended gay events. Passengers can expect drag queens, pink cocktails, and a cabaret, as well as gay-friendly movies and a “Get-Onboard Girlfriend” going away party.

Air New Zealand flight-tested a similar theme for Sydney’s Mardi Gras in 2007, when flight attendants wore pink feather boas and the pilot donned fairy wings. American Airlines, Air Canada, and other airline companies have become visible sponsors of gay pride events, but none so far have used “campy” programming to appeal to gay and lesbian travelers.

I’m a married, heterosexual woman, but this is one 14-hour flight I just might actually enjoy.