Category Archives: Gay News World
Covid 19 and the Gay Lesbian LGBTQ Community
As the worldwide spread of COVID-19 has spiraled into a pandemic, national health organizations are warning that some members of the LGBTQ community may be “particularly vulnerable” to the effects of the virus.
While LGBTQ individuals have not been found to be more susceptible to contracting COVID-19, some health habits within the community,including significantly higher rates of smoking than the general population, have raised concern among health professionals.
Over 100 different national organizations,including Whitman-Walker Health and SAGE, have signed a letter created by the LGBT Cancer Network to bring attention to several factors that could mean the LGBTQ community is at a greater risk of complications from COVID-19, including:
- LGBTQ people smoke at rates 50% higher than the general population, which could be detrimental if a respiratory illness like COVID-19 is contracted.
- Higher rates of HIV and cancer in the LGBTQ community means that a greater number of people may have compromised immune systems, which leaves them more vulnerable to COVID-19 infections.
- Health care discrimination in America, including denial of care, unwelcoming attitudes and lack of understanding from staff and providers means LGBTQ people may be more reluctant to seek medical care. (SOURCE USA TODAY).
POZ.COM has also updated information about HIV and the Covid 19 virus. Go to poz.com/tag/coronavirus for continuing coverage of COVID-19.
LGBT Ski Trip to French Alps in 2020!
Val d’Isère is a ski resort in the French Alps, near the Italian border. With nearby Tignes, it’s part of the Espace Killy ski area. Here, ski lifts give access to sites like the steep Face de Bellevarde, a black-rated piste, and the Grande Motte glacier, known for summer ski runs. 300km of prepared pistes as well as some magnificent and easily accessible off-piste opportunities. You can tackle the iconic Face de Bellevarde with its great views across the Alps and the village down below. In town, bars and restaurants cluster around Avenue Olympique.
Come ski with Dave, an expert travel guide, on this one-of-a-kind LGBTQ excursion in the French Alps!
SPACE IS LIMITED!
WorldPride 2019 New York City
NYC Pride is proud to unveil the location and initial talent line-up of the official Opening Ceremony of WorldPride. The Wednesday, June 26, 2019, 7-10pm Ceremony will be formatted as a benefit concert at Barclays Center in Brooklyn. Proceeds from the ticket sales to this historic concert event will support Ali Forney Center, Immigration Equality, and SAGE – three leading organizations in the LGBTQIA+ movement based in New York City.
Prolific entertainer and internationally-recognized humanitarian, Whoopi Goldberg, will host the ceremony, featuring a growing medley of acclaimed speakers and performers. Cyndi Lauper, iconic performer for the LQBTQIA+ community and New Yorkers alike, leads the initial release of the talent line-up.
Cyndi Lauper is a groundbreaking Grammy, Emmy, and Tony Award-winning artist with global record sales in excess of 50 million. Her unmistakable voice, influential style, and infectious performances have catapulted her to stardom from her roots in Queens.
Chaka Khan, one of the world’s most gifted and celebrated musicians, will also perform at the WorldPride Opening Ceremony.
DAYA also joins the star-studded lineup for the WorldPride Opening Ceremony benefit concert.Ciara, a Grammy Award-winning singer/songwriter, producer, model and actress has sold more than 23 million records and 16 million singles worldwide, including chart-topping hits “Goodies,” “Ride,” “Oh,” “1, 2 Step,” “Body Party,” and “I Bet.”
Billy Porter is a Tony and Grammy Award-winning actor, singer, director, composer, and playwright from Pittsburgh, PA. He currently stars as ‘Pray Tell’, in in the FX series “Pose,” for which he has received both a Golden Globe and Critics Choice nomination for Best Actor in a Drama Series. Todrick Hall is a multi-talented singer, rapper, actor, director, choreographer, and YouTube personality who rose to prominence on American Idol.
Tickets start at $45
The Ali Forney Center is the nation’s largest and most comprehensive agency dedicated to LGBTQ homeless youths—assisting nearly 1,800 young people per year through a 24-hour Drop-In Center, which provides over 65,000 meals annually, medical and mental health services through an on-site clinic, and a scattered-site housing program.
SAGE is the world’s largest and oldest organization dedicated to improving the lives of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) older people. Founded in 1978, and headquartered in New York City, SAGE is an organization that offers supportive services and consumer resources to LGBT older people and their caregivers.
Immigration Equality is the nation’s leading LGBTQ immigrant rights organization, representing and advocating for people from around the world fleeing violence, abuse and persecution because of their sexual orientation, gender identity or HIV status.
June 30, 2019 as NYC Pride welcomes all to a final celebration of pride from 7-10pm in NYC’s iconic Times Square.
The evening will provide a full slate of influential speakers and global musical talents who represent the cultural diversity, tenacity, and grace of the LGBTQIA+ community. One of the renowned artists slated to perform is Grammy-Award winning singer-songwriter, Melissa Etheridge.
Margaret Cho is set to host the occasion in Times Square.
Cho is a Grammy and Emmy Award nominated stand-up comedian, actress, and singer-songwriter. Through her hard work, Margaret has had the opportunity to be heard, to extend her point of view and become regarded as a true pioneer in her field.
Jake Shears and MNEK will also perform at the WorldPride Closing Ceremony.
THE PROM is the joyous Broadway hit that New York Magazine calls “smart and big-hearted” and The New York Times declares a Critic’s Pick! It’s a new musical comedy about big Broadway stars, a small town, and a love that unites them all.
Deborah Cox will perform in Times Square at the WorldPride Closing Ceremony on June 30th!
Deborah Cox possesses one of the most powerful and versatile contemporary voices of our time. The Canadian born star has an impressive list of #1 Billboard hit records, including twelve #1 songs on Billboard’s Hot Dance Club Play chart.
Additional talent will be announced in the weeks ahead.
FREE tickets and Paid tickets HERE
**To remain in compliance with the City there will be an extensive bag check and no provided restrooms. Please plan accordingly. **
Prohibited Items:
Weapons of ANY kind, Fireworks/explosives, Illegal Substances, Large or hard-sided coolers, Picnic Baskets, Pets, Glass containers of any kind, Alcohol (alcohol will be sold at the Festival), Instruments, Large backpacks, Laser pointers, Professional still camera equipment (no detachable lenses, no tripods, big zooms, or commercial use rigs), Audio/video recording equipment, Drones, No illegal vending is permitted. No unauthorized/unlicensed vendors allowed, nor Hoverboards.
Permitted Items:
Sunscreen, Hats, Sunglasses, Earplugs, Hilarious GIFs to send in response to your friends’ texts, Non-professional film, and digital cameras, Factory sealed bottles of water (non-glass containers), Phone charging case or phone charger, or Small backpacks or bags
Gay Pride Amsterdam 2019 Travel Deal
What better time to be in Amsterdam than Gay Pride!
Amsterdam Pride is one of the biggest gay events in the world. You will find street parties all weekend long, the best massive circuit parties and of course the famous Canal Parade through the historic Amsterdam Unesco canals on Saturday.
Gay Pride is one of the most busy weekends of the year in Amsterdam. Book NOW – you don’t want to disappointed!
Amsterdam Gay Pride is from 27 July till 4 August 2019, with the Canal Parade and street parties taking place between 2 & 4 August.
Every year Dave from Donovan Travel puts together an awesome package! Dave will hook you up! No matter where you are traveling from, Dave will take good care of you!
Office: (401) 885-3500
Email: dave@donovantravel.com
BEST New Years Eve RoofTops
Puerto Vallarta Was NOT Touched by Hurricane
Puerto Vallarta is fully operational with 100% of its hotel and restaurant facilities open, as well as its International Airport (PVR), marina, cruise port and Convention Center. All domestic and international airlines as well as buses, taxis and other ground transport companies resumed their normal service schedule within 2 days of the hurricane scare.
I just got back from Puerto Vallarta to celebrate HALLOWEEN and take part in their DAY OF THE DEAD festivities! EVERYTHING IS TOTALLY FINE THERE. The experienced no damage or problems from the hurricane – because it missed them. Everything is open just like business as usual!
Gay Pride 2014 is Coming ! To a City Near You!
GAY PRIDE IS COMING! Over the next 6 months, gay prides will be happening coast to coast!
PHOENIX PRIDE April 5-6, 2014
MIAMI PRIDE April 11-13
TOKYO PRIDE April 27rh
SAO PAULO PRIDE May 4th, 2014 – the BIGGEST in the WORLD
NEW JERSEY PRIDE June 1st, 2014
LOS ANGELES PRIDE June 6th-8th
MILWAUKEE WI Pride June 6th-8th
CAPITAL PRIDE DC June 6th-8th
DETROIT PRIDE June 7th-8th
HONOLULU PRIDE June 7th
PHILADELPHIA PRIDE June 8th
BOSTON PRIDE June 8th-16th
KEY WEST PRIDE June 11th-15th 2014
NASHVILLE PRIDE June 12th-14th
SITGES SPAIN PRIDE June 12th-16th
PITTSBURGH PRIDE June 14th-15th
BERLIN PRIDE June 14th-15th
OSLO PRIDE June 20th-29th
HOUSTON GAY PRIDE June 20th-29th
TORONTO PRIDE June 20th-29th – BIGGEST in NORTH AMERICA!
PLUS in 2014, Toronto will actually be WORLD PRIDE with even BIGGER crowds
RHODE ISLAND / PROVIDENCE PRIDE June 21st
NEW YORK CITY PRIDE June 24th-29th
TAMPA FL PRIDE June 27th-29th
PARIS PRIDE June 28th
LONDON PRIDE June 28th
MINNEAPOLIS PRIDE June 28th-29th
CHICAGO PRIDE FEST June 21st – 22nd
(they are trying to fill in the days in between to make a full week of pride)
CHICAGO PRIDE June 29th
SEATTLE GAY PRIDE June 29th
MADRID PRIDE July 2nd-6th
COLOGNE GERMANY PRIDE July 6th
SAN DIEGO PRIDE July 18th-20th
STOCKHOLM PRIDE July 28th – Aug. 2nd
MONTREAL PRIDE July July 28th-Aug. 3rd
AMSTERDAM PRIDE August 1st-3rd – with floats on the canal!
ANTWERP PRIDE August 4th-11th
REYKJAVIK PRIDE August 5th-10th
CHICAGO MARKET DAYS – August 9th-10th (not really pride – but a big party!)
OTTAWA PRIDE August 15th-24th
PRAGUE PRIDE August 11th-17th
COPENHAGEN PRIDE August 26th-31st
ATLANTA PRIDE August 27th-Sept. 1st
SOUTHERN DECADENCE – August 27th-September 1 (not really pride – but a big party)
LAS VEGAS PRIDE September 2nd-8th
AUSTIN TX PRIDE September 20th
DALLAS PRIDE September 21st
MAUI HAWAII October 4th-5th
GAY PRIDE is a time of celebration and with that, usually comes some drinking. MAKE SURE YOU DRINK WATER AS WELL! Keep yourself hydrated! You don’t want to go to the hospital with your boa and go go shorts on! (poor guy!)
No Reason to NOT Pick up your Dog’s POOP!
Is there anything worse, then walking down the street, minding your
own business, and step in some business! Dog Poop. It stinks and it’s
messy, it’s nasty, there is NO REASON for it and Dog owners need to
take responsibility. (Did you knowrats LOVE it?!)
they don’t bother to pick up their dogs poop! If you own a dog, clean up after it!
The island of Capri (Italy) is going high-tech to deal with an age-old problem: dog
poop.They have solved the problem and more cities are talking about it.
The mayor of the island, located off the coast of Naples, is determined to
rid Capri of the rather distasteful predicament by using DNA testing.
The small island is a large tourist destination and is home to 7,305 people
owning 1,000 dogs. Unfortunately, some of the residents seem unwilling to scoop
up poop. In order to maintain the pristine setting Capri is famous for, the city
is using technology to track down pet owners who befoul the town by leaving
piles of scat behind.
The mayor plans to take advantage of a law that requires dogs to undergo a
blood test for canine diseases. The city will use the blood to perform DNA tests
on puppy excrement and identify the source of the smelly mess.
EVERY dog owner needs these! The BEST Poop bags ever invented!
If your dog poops in Brunete, a small town just west of Madrid, Spain, the city will box it up like a gourmet confection and post it back to you straightaway.
this is the first we’ve heard of a country’s postal service stepping
into the fray by dispatching canine excrement through the mail.
Gay Marriage Comes to the UK! Great Britain to Celebrate next!
The whole freaking world will have gay marriage before the US does!
repressed ways in matters of the heart. But when it came time to debate
same-sex marriage, it was France that betrayed a deep conservative
streak in sometimes violent protests — while the British showed
themselves to be modern and tolerant.
With little fanfare or controversy, Britain announced Wednesday
that Queen Elizabeth II — hardly a social radical — had signed into law
a bill legalizing same-sex marriages in England and Wales. France has
also legalized gay marriages, but only after a series of gigantic
protests attracting families from the traditional heartland that
revealed a deeply split society.
Gay Friendly Travel…And not so gay friendly
Do oyu travel to cities that are not friendly? It’s kind of scary I think…..
Spartacus International Gay Travel Index
has come out with its listing of least ‘gay-friendly’ countries to
travel to and several Latin American countries are at the top of that
list. – Not surprising, because Catholic countries are usually less welcoming.
138 countries were ranked and close to the bottom coming at #104 were
Honduras, Panama and Peru. VATICAN CITY, Jamaica, Russia, Egypt, Dubai are there too. The ranking took into consideration a
country’s HIV-travel restrictions, religious stances on homosexuality,
anti-gay legislation enacted, crimes against homosexuals and the
countries stance on gay marriage.
Globally Sweden was deemed the most gay-friendly country, followed by Belgium, France, Netherlands and the UK. Iran was
deemed the least friendliest toward gay coming in dead last. Mexico
came in at #45 ahead of the USA which came in at #47.
ABBA Museum will Open in Stockholm Sweden
MAMA MIA!
How Do You Decide Where to Travel To?
How do you decide where you plan to travel to?
Do you like history and culture?
or gay fun?
The University of Tennessee and the University of South Carolina are
conducting research concerning the travel motives and expenditures of
members of the LGBT community.
is estimated that tourism is a $1.3 trillion industry, of which $65
billion is generated by LGBT tourists (CMI, 2011).
continues to be a vast amount of research conducted on the various
motivators that lead people to travel, there are very few studies that
explore LGBT tourists’ motivations.
PLEASE TAKE A FEW MINUTES AND HELP WITH THIS SURVEY!
Birmingham UK Shows New Gay Mascot for Village
Birmingham Pride is the largest free gay and
lesbian event in the United Kingdom.
It takes place in
Birmingham – this year June 2 & 3, 2012. . The spectacular ‘Carnival
Parade’ passes through the city-centre from Victoria Square and makes
its way through the streets of the city to the “gay village”.
Launched from Victoria Square in Birmingham’s city centre at 12 noon on Saturday 2nd the Carnival Parade route will be our best and most visible procession through the city ever!
This year it will wind its way down Colmore Row, and include other streets like Bull Street, Temple Street, Colmore Row and New Street, before finishing right in the heart of the Gay Village area for festival-goers to continue the celebrations.
Huge tents act as nightclubs for gay and straight revellers alike. In
the daytime, specialist stalls and fairground rides make good
entertainment. Many famous music acts perform on stage throughout the
festival. Take a look at the Birmingham Pride Website
A huge, rhinestone-encrusted sculpture of a rhinoceros is planned to mark entry to the city’s gay village.But it may be installed in time for Pride –
Partly funded by Birmingham’s LGBT
group and remaining cash from grants awarded for the council’s
initiative to improve the city centre, the horned beast will stand at
the junction of Bromsgrove and Hurst Streets as a mascot for the city’s
gay village. The sculpture’s bling armoury is intended to reflect
Birmingham’s history as a jewellery-producing city.
The full cost of the model, is £15,000 with Birmingham City
Council providing the bulk. Those behind the beast said that a rhino had
been chosen as they are “associated with strength and were originally a
symbol of the gay rights movement in the United States.”
David Viney of Birmingham LGBT told the Birmingham Mail: “This is a
hugely exciting project that represents the culmination of four years’
work between Birmingham LGBT and the city council to create a truly
iconic piece of art.”
Not everyone was quite so enthusiastic about the project, however,
and a spokesman for the Taxpayers’ Alliance said: “Taxpayers will wonder
why Birmingham City Council are blowing money on public art at a time
when it’s pleading poverty in other areas. Art projects like this are
capable of raising money for themselves.”
see also Birmingham UK Gay Places
Gay Travel to Homophobic cities
By now you have heard all about the 2 men being arrested on a gay cruise this past week –
the
2 men have been released after paying $3000 in fines! They were
paraded thru the streets to a bank, to withdrawl money and crowds
yelled slurs at them!
They admit they were nearly naked, on their balcony.
The couple, Dennis Mayer and John Hart say they
were taunted all night long in a jail cell with no light, no water, and
no toilet. The courts wanted to have their rectums inspected for signs
of anal sex, but that was eventually dropped.
Dennis Mayer said he has no doubt they were arrested in Dominica because they were gay.
Police
said it was because they were seen having sex in public on the balcony
of their ship cabin. Mayer said they were not having sex, but were
‘partially clothed’.
AGAIN, I ask, why does Atlantis or anyone gay support these anti-gay ports?! It’s ridiculous.
I would avoid Dominica, Jamaica, Guyana, Iraq, Iran, Dubai, most of Africa, Uganda, and lots of little islands! – Check this map out!
The brown areas reflect the DEATH PENALTY!
Red areas = Life in Prison!
Gay Sitges Carnival Feb 16-22
More than 200,000 people will visit Sitges, Spain during the Carnival
festivities with all of the gay bars open in town, two huge parades on
the Saturday and Tuesday and more glitter than you have ever seen! Feb. 16-22.
There are still great locations and great deals!
Carnival has to be Sitges’ wildest party. Even though it is on in
February it is still the hottest party in town! On the most popular days
you will find partygoers dancing on the major streets
across the town.
The busy months of July and August look positively
dead! Gay boys and girls from the 4 corners of the world descend on our
little town and party the week away!
Jueves Lardero or Fat Tuesday,marks the beginning of carnival with a
huge celebration of local dishes and the arrival of the King of the
Carnestoltes and ends with the Burial of a Sardine on Ash Wednesday.
There’s more to do than eat, though.
Sitges Carnival is a full 7 days of parties and events. The King arrives on Thursday
the 16th of February, however the gay parties kick off the week before from Saturday the 11th.
Each of the gay bars and clubs has their own theme and their own special night so there is always something to do. And remember its all about your costume so make sure you bring something sparkly.
Gay Texas Couple Survive Italian Cruise Ship Disaster
A gay couple from Austin, Texas, were among those who survived the sinking of
the Costa Concordia cruise ship off the coast of Italy over the weekend.
Blake Miller, left, and Steve Garcia. It was both men’s first cruise and Miller’s first time in Europe. They
told the Today show on Sunday they had been to one of the ship’s bars
and were planning on going to another when the ship started to list.
After they went back to their cabin, they heard a horrible scraping
sound. Fortunately the couple had read about the location of the
lifeboats. – See why it is important to pay attention to safety features?!
Read more at Dallas Voice
*The captain of the ship is being
interrogated by prosecutors and a judge will decide on whether to keep
him under arrest for allegedly abandoning the vessel before rescue
efforts ended.
Cptn. Francesco Schettino was ordered by a Coast Guard official to return to the cruise
liner to help with rescue efforts about three hours after the accident,
according to audio of telephone conversations between them posted on
daily Corriere della Sera’s website today.
Schettino didn’t return to the ship and took a taxi on Giglio before
being arrested, media including Sky TG24 said. He is accused of
manslaughter and abandoning the Costa Concordia when passengers were
still on board “since we know he was in the harbor about midnight,”
Francesco Verusio, chief prosecutor in Grosseto, said in a Jan. 15
interview. He is also accused of causing the accident that left at least
six people dead.
Is Tel Aviv Really The Best Gay City as Some Voters Declare?
TEL AVIV is being touted by some
as THE BEST GAY CITY.
Hmmmm, really? The BEST? I am always skeptical by these random voting contests….How many people voted? Was the voting controlled and limited to one vote per person? or could ballot stuffing have taken place? If 1000 people voted, was it a true random sampling?
We have watched Tel Aviv grow in popularity over the last 5 years. They do have a powerful PR and Marketing team, I will give them that. Their presence in the media has grown at leaps and bounds over the last 5 years. But are they the BEST? or perhaps the best up-and-coming?
In a world-wide survey hosted GayCities.com and American Airlines,
43 percent of voters cast their ballot in favor of the White City,
pushing it ahead of other proud towns including New York, Toronto and
London.
(New York City with 14 per cent, Toronto with 7 per cent, Sao Paulo with 6 per cent, Madrid and London with 5 per cent each and New Orleans and Mexico City with 4 per cent each.)
I think it all just depends on who you ask and who is surveyed! Tel Aviv is the gay mecca of the Middle East, for sure, and boasts of plenty of
designers, fashionistas, night clubs, fancy beaches, shopping malls and
outlets, DJs, women activists, gays, jews and financiers. You really
couldn’t find a more open-minded place like Tel Aviv outside of Israël. Tel Aviv, in sharp contrast to Jerusalem, is a liberal, hedonistic and secular city, where leisure life revolves around beaches, cafes and nightclubs.
Lonely Planet named it one of its top three cities in the world for
2011, describing it as “the flipside of Jerusalem, a modern Sin City on
the sea rather than an ancient Holy City on a hill” and adding: “There
are more bars than synagogues, God is a DJ and everyone’s body is a
temple.” The Israeli-Palestinian conflict is rarely on the radar.
That said,
According to Tel Aviv’s 30-year-old deputy mayor, Asaf Zamir, 16% to 17% of the city’s 403,000 population is gay. That’s pretty gay!
“It’s
a very strong community here, a comfortable arena for the gay
community. Two men walking hand in hand is a very normal thing,” he
said.
The city municipality funded a gay centre and was promoting gay tourism, he added.
They even have a gay pride parade each year – that has grown to about 100,000 local people! And also about 5,000 gay tourists, 25% MORE than 2010. So it is growing.
Amsterdam, Barcelona, London, Prague…there are so many amazing choices. Just depends on what you want? Value? Nightlife? Culture?
As for Tel Aviv – The weather is hot, the guys are hot, it’s a hot city!
Gay Tel Aviv4U – The official LGBT site
(* Before traveling to questionable foreign countries, it is best to check for travel warnings online. Trip Out Travel says, Terrorism is a reality in Tel Aviv. Tourists are advised
not to take buses and to only take registered cabs with green flags.)
LinkedIn Pulls Ad for Gay Travel Guide
Canada’s XTRA reports, “The professional networking site LinkedIn has pulled an ad for a gay travel guide, claiming it contains “inappropriate content or language.”
“It’s baffling,” says Robert Christofle at Open Mic Press/Icon Empire Press.
Christofle says he’s been promoting The Gay Travel Guide For Tops And Bottoms on a variety of sites, many of them straight, without incident. But LinkedIn, which has networks ostensibly catering to gay professionals, censored the ad.
LinkedIn says it pulled the ad due to its sexual content.
“LinkedIn is a professional networking platform and, as such, there has never been a place on it for ads that feature or promote explicit sexual content or products of any kind,” spokesperson Danielle Restivo told Xtra on Sept 1.
LinkedIn says it pulled the ad due to its sexual content.
“LinkedIn is a professional networking platform and, as such, there has never been a place on it for ads that feature or promote explicit sexual content or products of any kind,” spokesperson Danielle Restivo told Xtra.
Google Ad and Facebook haven’t objected to the ad, Christofle notes. “Out of the three different advertising sites, only LinkedIn has a target gay networking site, and they are the only ones to pull the ad.”
Read the full article on XTRA
BUY THE BOOK! The Gay Travel Guide For Tops And Bottoms
Gay Jazz blossoms in Europe – GALLAVIN is Mad About The Boy
It is one of the eastern suburbs of the city of Lausanne, located on the shores of Lake Geneva (Lac Léman) and at the foot of the vineyards of Lavaux on the road to Vevey and Montreux.
Pully Switerland….
Pully is a municipality in Switzerland in the canton of Vaud, located in the district of Lavaux-Oron.
Gallavin swings with the boundaries of genders. Independent jazz singer, Gallavin releases his first music video of “Mad about the Boy”, Noël Coward most famous song.
JAZZ AND GAY…With the participation of the artists-travesties of the Cabaret-Bar “Chez Maman” in Brussels, the Anglo-Swiss jazz singer plays with the social norms, and offers a music video rich of identities but also sexual diversities.
In the velvet world of vocal jazz, no one was expecting that the song of Noël Coward Mad about the Boy, mostly known for Dinah Washington’s interpretation, could be once sung by a man.
And yet, it seems that Noël Coward had in fact written that song for his long term partner Graham Payn, a South-African actor. Gallavin intends, through his interpretation, to give the song its original essence back, and places himself beyond the traditional values of vocal jazz where one is either a “Crooner” or a “Diva”.
Willing to question the social norms of a musical world rather conservative, Gallavin casts the artists-travesties of the legendary Cabaret-Bar “Chez Maman” in Brussels. They become the time of the song the main characters blurring the lines between genders and sexual attraction, and opening a world where girls, who are actually boys, are mad about a boy who is in love with a girl, who was once a boy…
The music video of Mad about the Boy can be seen on Gallavin’s Internet website Gallavin.com or on Gallavin’s Youtube page Youtube.com/user/MrGallavin.
Steven William Derendinger (- Gallavin) was born on the 27th September 1975 in Sierre. Swiss and British, he grew up in Lausanne where he studied at the University of Lausanne and was graduated
with a Master of Arts (MA).
He began to sing as an autodidact and took part in different local musical productions. He formed the jazz band “Late Nights” in 1999, with which he performed in different
venues such as the Cully Jazz Festival. He recorded previously in 1996 a demo album with seven original songs with his band “Mind the Sun.”
In parallel, Steven committed as a volunteer for the LGBT rights where he worked from August 2004 until March 2010 as president of the Association VoGay in the canton Vaud. He appeared formerly in
2000 in the publication of Stéphane Riethauser, “A visage découvert”. In 2003, Steven worked for his final academic paper on “the linguistic insecurity of gay men in western Switzerland”. This paper was
published twice. (Michael Groneberg, « L’homme – créature sexuelle », 2006, et Christophe Bareille, « Homosexualité : révélateur social ? », 2010).
Beside his associative commitments, Steven worked on the promotion of gay men’s health. In April
2005, he began his career as a scientist collaborator in the AIDS unit of the Federal Office of Public Health in Bern, where he became quickly project manager for HIV prevention among gay men and male prostitution in Switzerland. Meanwhile, Steven never left his musical activities and defined in 2008 the project Mad about the Boy, which he produced independently in 2009, and released in 2010.
For Steven, this debut album articulates one decade of involvement in the LGBT rights and the promotion of gay men’s health with his solo career as an independent jazz singer under the name of Gallavin.
With the album Mad about the Boy, Gallavin places himself beyond the stereotypes of “Crooner or
Diva” in jazz. Through his interpretation, Gallavin gives to some of the greatest jazz songs their
original essence back. Noël Coward’s song Mad about the Boy – mostly known for Dinah
Washington’s interpretation – was written, for instance, for his long term lover, Graham Payn, a South African actor. Cole Porter – authors of the most known American vocal jazz songs – was also homosexual. The consideration of his homosexuality opens then infinite new fields of interpretation of his work. Gallavin offers with Mad about the Boy, an intimate and sometimes fragile album. Orchestrated by Pierre Sottas, the album is open to all vocal jazz lovers regardless of their gender or sexual orientation.
HIGHLY RECOMMEND!! BUY OR DOWNLAOD AT iTUNES
Catch Gallavin LIVE!
First Gay Pride Celebration in Prague a Big Success
As Saturday’s march went ahead in light drizzle, riot police held back dozens of far-right extremists who had gathered to shout abusive slogans. But the abuse and moist conditions did not dampen the party atmosphere, as marchers danced to music played from loudspeakers mounted on vans.
Several thousand people marched in the first LGBT Pride parade in the Czech capital Saturday as riot police contained antigay protesters assembled to decry the event.
The BBC reports on the inaugural Pride march and five-day festival, which took place despite claims from Deputy Chancellor Petr Hajek that Mayor Bohuslav Svoboda should not support “deviant fellow citizens.” Conservative president Vaclav Klaus backed his aide, but 13 countries, including the United States, issued a statement in support of the celebration.
The BBC reports that Some 300 police officers worked the scene to prevent the kind of clashes between participants and counterprotesters that occurred at a Pride march in Brno, the second-largest city in the Czech Republic, in 2008.
The march was to culminate in a series of concerts on an island in the Vltava river, as part of a five-day festival comprising some 80 events — concerts, films, seminars, exhibitions and parties — in 30 venues around the capital.
More photos online at BLESK
