| 5/23/08 | Baggage discrimination! The gay tax |
| Last week American Airlines announced that it would begin charging $15 for the first checked bag on all domestic flights. This news comes on the heels of announcements from airlines like United and Virgin which charge similar fees for a second piece of checked luggage. All of these new regulations necessarily mean most gays and drag queens will almost automatically be punished as a result. And that is just so, so wrong.
With the ban on carryon liquids already in place, where will we place our fragrances and other toiletries.
Moreover, how can we be expected to pack a week or more of fabulousness into a single carry on? How will our favorite drag queens pack their wigs? The answer is that we can’t.
So the new fuel sur tax is also something of a gay tax and I for one call for a boycott.
Let the LGBT masses stand up and revolt. It ain’t gay marriage but it is discrimination and no infraction go unanswered. Time to rise up ladies! |
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| 5/15/08 | Remembering Airport Angels |
| There is so much talk about surly flight attendants and customer ‘un-friendly’ airline personnel these days that it seems the ones that make flying a pleasure don’t get nearly enough recognition. Here I’m talking about the women and men with kindly faces and broad smiles who actually fix problems efficiently and quickly when it seems all hope is lost; the warm, forgiving souls that let you slide when your bag is a few pounds overweight and those blessed few remaining airline personnel whose personalities remind us of where the phrase ‘flying the friendly skies’ got its genesis. I know these folks are rare commodities nowadays, but I always say we’ve got to learn to acknowledge the good with the bad.
So here’s to all those airport angels out there. May your wings never get clipped. Next time you see one, give ‘em a shout out, a pat on the back and encourage them, because lord knows we need to keep their spirits up. Because when they’re happy, we’re all happy.
Can I get an ‘amen’? |
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| 5/2/08 | Another gay reason to visit Costa Rica |
| The times they are a-changin’!
White sand beaches and unspoiled nature trails aside, Costa Rica boasts yet another attribute gay and lesbian travelers can celebrate – the island is becoming increasing gay friendly by the day.
This week the government of Costa Rica announced its decision to officially recognize The International Day Against Homophobia (IDAHO) on May 17 for the very first time.
IDAHO day is currently marked in over 50 countries on the anniversary of the day in 1990 when the World Health Organisation removed homosexuality from its list of mental illnesses.
The President of the Republic of Costa Rica, Dr Oscar Arias Sanchez and the Health Minister, Maria Luisa Avila. said that public institutions in the Latin American nation must "facilitate, promote and support activities directed at the eradication of homophobia."
The health minister also took the opportunity in public remarks to emphasize that homophobia had been a constraint for those who want to fight against AIDS.
Kudos to Costa Rica! |
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| 4/25/08 | London's Questionably Gay-Friendly Mayor... |
| Ken Livingston, Mayor of London, has refused to financially support the 2008 International Gay & Lesbian Football Association World Championship game which is scheduled to take place in London this August. Now the IGLFAWC is faced with a funding shortfall that could be the death knell of the entire enterprise.
Simultaneously, according to PinkNews, Mr. Livingstone is actively campaigning for gay votes in his re-election campaign against Brian Paddick, an openly gay candidate in the race. The mayor even recently took a tour of Soho bars with a band of supporters to elicit support, which seems contradictory to his stance regarding the IGLFAWC.
So the question is how gay friendly is London’s current mayor? And is his recent show of support for the gay community genuine or purely political? Something tells me that the folks over at the IGLFAWC who are trying to scrape together a mere $60,000 to stay afloat while the Mayor’s office attempts to raise millions to support the 2012 Olympics would probably say the latter. |
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