QC Affirming Diversity

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Some churches will march Saturday in support of the annual Sacramento Pride Parade, but other religious groups are expected to be on hand to oppose the message the event sends.

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BALCONYTV DUBLIN 27/06/2009
The city centre of Dublin was filled with colour, noise, music whistles and chants this afternoon as thousands marched in this year’s gay pride march.

The parade was led by UCD academic Ailbhe Smyth and filled the whole length of O’Connell Street before ending at Dublin council city offices for music and speeches.

“Pride and Prejudice” was the main theme with many dressed in wedding gowns and tuxes. Crowds chanted: “What do we want? Marriage. When do we want it? Now.” Katherine Zappone and Ann Louise Gilligan marched in the dresses they wore for their Canadian wedding in 2003.

Organisers of the march estimate that 12,000 took part in the event, although other estimates put the figure lower than that.

The parade follows the publication of the Civil Partnership Bill by the Government yesterday that will give statutory partnership rights to gay and lesbian couples.

Some 60 people dressed in a half tux or wedding dress. Organised by Marriage Equality and Noise the move was to symbolise the “half measures” offered in the Bill.

Groups came from all over Ireland to take part including LGBT organisations from Kerry and Galway. Members of gay rugby and football teams marched alongside the gay and lesbian choir, and gay sections of Siptu, Into and Labour.

The Civil Partnership Bill giving statutory rights to gay and lesbian couples will be enacted and operational by the end of the year, the Government said yesterday.

It will allow same-sex couples to register their civil partnership and allow them to enjoy the same statutory protection as married couples across a wide range of areas. However, it stops short of allowing gay and lesbian couples to marry.

The rights and obligations include the protection of a shared home, pension rights, the right to succession and equality with married couples of treatment under the tax and social welfare codes.

- THE IRISH TIMES

http://www.dublinpride.org/

Tune in again tomorrow!!!

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Proceeds from the event will benefit the direct support services QCAD provides to gay and questioning
youth as well as the education outreach services to the community.A reception for students of the Figge Art Museum Drawing Academy. Just some clips from the reception. Angie is getting more established as a serious art student.

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The popularity of gay lifestyle is evident from the number of gay dating sites that has sprung up on Internet in recent times. It is a blessed platform for closeted gays to contact gay males for gay romance, love and sex relationship as anyone else would wish for. gays can search free gay personals on gay dating websites for gay relationship.

Out Personals

Out Personals, Queer - these words characterize gay lifestyle, which till today is not an accepted mode of life to a large populace on this planet. Even in modern, fast-paced societies where liberal attitudes and sexual liberation are a norm, gay men are looked down upon. Gay activity is sneered or frowned upon and they are looked down as queers or out personals the naming to is self explanatory.

Social Life

Country politics and social caretakers indulge in raging debates on gay lifestyles and gay rights in discussion forums, parliament, and conventions. There is a marked hesitancy in accepting gays in government services and other public enterprises, though some nations have accorded acceptance but more has to be done. In many instance persons discovered as following gay lifestyle have been debarred from office jobs and social circles.

The crux is that homosexuality is in practice since ages and it is still as popular, without any signs of receding or vanishing from the face of earth. Then why not accept it since it does not impinge on anyone’s privacy or way of life. Nor is it detrimental to the society since gay dating lifestyle is a much-closeted practice.

I am not advocating gay life as a gay-which I am not-but what I want to stress is that everyone has a right to express his or her sexuality and practice as long as it does not hurt others.

Gay Lifestyle and Relationship

The reason behind ridicule or sneer of gay lifestyle is that it is a biological aberrance as sex is for procreation and a man-to-man sex does not give birth to new being. But then, anal sex practice is not limited to gay couples only, it is much practiced by straight couples too, so what is funny. Any way gay love and romance is a very strong force that binds the gay couple together sometimes in permanent relationship.

Sex is for procreation but it is for pleasure too, and any which way you can. Therefore, “Out” sex practice is not restricted to guys only but rather practiced by straight lifestyle followers in some way or the other. So live and let live.

Jwaltz
http://www.articlesbase.com/dating-articles/online-gay-dating-relationship-and-lifestyle-120078.html

Snoopy, Superman’s crest and nautical star tattoos are all popular choices on a page deticated to pictures of Pride Tattoos.

There are three pages with pictures of terrific tattoos from around the world featured here. Being from Canada, one of my favorites is a multi-colour Canadian flag on page two.

If you’re interested in a Pride tattoo, this is a great place to get some terrific ideas. You’ll see that you’re only limited by your imagination. Please click here.

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Are all gay men just superficial disco bunnies with only one thing on their minds? The mass media would certainly have you believe that is so, and with figure heads such as Boy George and Julian Clary, who can blame the public for going along with this idea. Of course, straight acting gay men are just harder to detect. So homophobes continue with their prejudices and the 21st century, thinking gay man gets very lonely wondering where all the men like him are! How, then, do intelligent professional gay men meet each other? There are thousands of clubs and pubs, dating agencies and personal ads for cruising purposes, but it can be extremely difficult to meet professional gay friends for purely social purposes, where a deeper relationship may develop. This is where the gay dining club comes to the rescue. I recently tried Out & Out, London’s longest established dining club for professional gay men and was amazed at how civilized an evening with 40 gay men could be.

Out & Out was started by the disarmingly charming and truly scrumptious Julia Melinek. Eleven years ago, opera singer Julia (she’s sung Madam Butterfly for English National Opera) and fellow warbler, Mark Glanville (more recently the author of best – selling book The Goldberg Variations) realised that they were so good at organising dinner parties for gay colleagues that they might as well do it professionally. As Out & Out, they booked a stand at a Gay lifestyle exhibition at Earl’s Court and pretty much became an instant success. Today they’re the biggest dining club for professional gay men in the UK, with a membership that sometimes hits a thousand. They are not just another gay dating service in London. Through the gay dining club format, members can meet new friends, network professionally and chat without any of the posing and cruising obligations of the scene.

How did they do it? Professional fag hag (it’s her description) Julia reckons that, as far as social skills are concerned, “you’re born that way.” But she likens her table – hopping duties at Out & Out functions to those of the circus plate spinner, forever dashing to give the plate at the end another twirl. Having seen her in action, I can confirm that, like the guy with the plates, she performs apparently effortlessly. But what is it with Julia and gay men? “There’s a special relationship between straight women and gay men,” she explains. “It’s like the girlie friendship, opposite sexes getting on with each other without the sexual tension.” The personal touch extends to communications with the Out & Out office. There are no mail-shots. Julia and Mark can spend eight hours a day on the phone, telling members about upcoming lunches and dinners, plus other events including theatre visits, foreign trips and boat cruises. Clearly the label ‘Gay Dining Club’ only reveals part of the picture as members use the club for professional networking purposes, expanding their social horizons, debates, message posting and of course, inevitably, for gay dating.

But, ultimately, is it all about sex? Surprisingly, no. “It’s far less a sexual thing than the scene,” says Julia. I accepted an invitation to the gallery bar of the Cross Keys, a beautiful old pub in Chelsea, where Out & Out celebrated Valentine’s Day. The mix of men was much as Julia had described, all ages, classes and races, but “the common denominator is intelligence, those who enjoy a dinner party atmosphere as opposed to posing and cruising.”

After a 17 year relationship broke up, lawyer David T found it very difficult to “let loose” again. “In the bars I was very conscious of being older,” he told me, “but here, as you can see, the age range is very wide.” At Out & Out he has made a lot of gay friends, some men he now sees independently. What about romance? None as yet. David feels that Out & Out is primarily a social group. But then I met David L and William R who have been together for three years after meeting at an Out & Out function. “Jules is very good at judging,” said David. “She sits people next to each other if she thinks they’re going to get on. With us, she got it right.” “I didn’t want a gay dating agency when I joined Out and Out,” said William “I was far more interested in networking with professional gay men and meeting new friends….but then I met David, and the rest is history!”

Now David is trying to get William to County Hall! “We’ll invite Mark and Jules,” David promised.

Pankaj Mohan
http://www.articlesbase.com/sexuality-articles/more-to-gay-life-than-sex-55292.html

Fashion video and TV will become huge online in the coming years. Here you will find out why fashion TV and video online is set for huge growth online in the coming years.

So, why are websites providing fashion TV and videos online for free?

Quite simply it appeals to everyone.

Both men and women have an interest and it helps websites sell by capturing a captive audience.

Today, fashion is a huge business and we are all more conscious of our appearance than ever before.

We live in the age of the celebrity, of looking good and youthful.

Fashion TV provides escapism, fun.

For the viewer on one side and on the other side advertisers know that everyone wants to watch it, so advertising revenue is big, so it makes sense to provide it free.

1. Women

We all know woman love fashion. They can keep up with the latest trends and tips. No surprises here.

2. Men

Men love fashion TV if it’s just to look at some stunning models!

Today, men are becoming just as image conscious as women and the huge gay community is the most image conscious group and they have money.

Getting a captive audience

Advertisers know that fashion sells a look and a lifestyle we all aspire to.

Fashion TV set to music is a great way to keep people on their websites.

It’s easy on the eye, with beautiful people and a lifestyle most people aspire to.

Add in some music and its fun escapist entertainment.

Expect to see a huge increase in fashion and lifestyle TV and video streamed live on the internet as advertisers exploit its popularity.

Which of course is good news for viewers as well.

Sacha Tarkovsky
http://www.articlesbase.com/clothing-articles/fashion-tv-why-free-fashion-tv-online-is-set-to-grow-67780.html

Transgender adults are not a new theory or issues in society. The fact of sex change operations and the rights of individuals that identify with the opposite sex, however is a new battle today. In past years individuals that were labeled one gender, but felt they belonged to the opposite gender were shunned and regarded as weird or abnormal. It is only recently that a term has been assigned, Gender Identity Disorder.

Many of the people living in the body of the wrong gender feel trapped and alone. Most are ashamed and afraid because of society’s harsh criticism and outcast techniques. There are many terms and names that have been assigned to transgender individuals, which can be considered derogatory, and for the use of exploitation in most cases. Transgender adults are considered an umbrella category in which there are many classes of individuals. One of the largest classes of transgender individuals are male-to-female transgendered people, who have breasts and other secondary sex characteristics typical of an adult female, but who have not undergone genital reassignment surgery. They are born males but identify with the female class and most often have characteristics of females. Generally a transwoman is a male with characteristics of a female that eventually begins to live as a woman. Most of them have more feminine characteristics and sometimes will even have female genitalia as well.

In some cases male-to-female transgendered people will undergo hormone replacement therapy and a breast implant to help with their life as a woman. This has a drastic affect on their lives and they face many issues in society that can devastate their life. Society does not have a good understanding of these individuals and they are often targets of cruel and harsh punishment. There are many jokes and issues of poking fun and very subservient treatment to transgendered people.

Shemales are a hot topic in the pornography industry. Many people are curious and will subscribe to websites and magazines to see what they are. This is a fantasy of many to be with an individual that exhibits characteristics of two different genders. Around the country there are also escort services that pride themselves in the specialty of shemale escorts. There is big money in the industry and many transwomen fall prey to the lures of financial gain.

Here are some facts about male-to-female transgendered people:

1. Male-to-female transgendered people do not feel like they are only half-female or half person. Most are offended by the media portrayal of the incorrect lifestyle. These individuals are normal people that you would not recognize as transgendered if they did not tell you

2. Most transwomen never go reconstructive genitalia surgery because they feel it is not necessary in their true identity.

3. Contrary to popular belief most male-to-female transgendered people are comfortable with the fact that they have male genitalia but live as a female.

4. Transwomen do not work any different or have lessened ability because they live in different clothes.

5. Regardless of the movie industry and pornographic portrayal most of them do not illicit illegal sexual acts or engage in fooling their partner.

6. According to the American Psychological Association there are approximately 1 in 30,000 individuals in America that transition from male to female and 1 per 100,000 that transition from female to male.

7. Male-to-female transgendered people are not gay, they simply feel that they are in the wrong gender body.

Donald List
http://www.articlesbase.com/sexuality-articles/maletofemale-transgendered-people-94634.html

Lesbian love is nothing new; Sappho was an Ancient Greek poetess who was born on the island of Lesbos. Many of her love poems were addressed to other women and the female narrators in many of her works speak of infatuations and love for various women. The word “lesbian” derives from the island on which she lived and her name is the origin of the word “sapphic”. However, until recently, the idea of one woman loving another, let alone sleeping with another female has been perceived as something either very unusual and rare, or just downright strange. Over the last few years, there’s been a gradual sea-change in regard to the general perception of what being ‘lesbian’ really means. The traditional image of the cropped haired, rather aggressive looking, butch dyke might still apply to some gay women, but now we’re coming out of the closet in our millions and the world can see that actually, in most cases, we look just like the girl next door.

This mass ‘coming out’ is partly due to the proliferation of lesbian-centric resources on the internet; type in the word ‘lesbian’ into any of the search engines and you’ll see a plethora of heavily populated chat rooms, directories, forums and dating sites like PlanetSappho.com which are the exclusive territory of sapphic women. It is this availability of male-free communities that has coaxed so many gay, bisexual and even bi-curious ladies out of their closets and into the open. Also, we now see major cultural icons like Madonna kissing Britney Spears kissing each other full on the lips in front of a television audience of millions which is exactly the right heterosexual seal of ‘cool’ that we lesbians have waited such a long time to see. Over the years, there have been a great many famous lesbians in both film and music but, unfortunately, they were just too frightened to come out and publicly admit it. Now we have Ellen DeGeneres and KD Lang - both of whom have an army of straight, non-judgmental fans.

The outcome of all this is that there is no longer a social stigma attached to the concept of women dating women or straight women experimenting with their sexuality by taking a same sex partner. Gay guys have been doing it for years but now there’s no reason for any woman to feel repressed or uncertain about dating or sleeping with someone of their own sex. Being who we are or want to be is no longer just a possibility, it’s a right and it’s also something that’s now accepted by our straight counterparts.

Whilst the word ‘lesbian’ is an all encompassing description for a gay woman, it doesn’t do justice to the many different types of female who embrace the lifestyle. There are the traditional dykes as well as femmes/lipstsick lesbians whose ultra-feminine appearance would give no clue as to their sexual inclinations and bi-sexual and bi-curious women who occasionally indulge the lesbian side of their sexual and emotional psyches. Just because you don’t have the shaved head and the tattoos doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy yourself sexually with another woman if that’s what you want to do. So sisters…there’s never been a better time to be a lesbian and now is the time to come out of the closet and be loud and proud about joys of lesbian loving!

Sarah Harris
http://www.articlesbase.com/sexuality-articles/sisters-are-doin-it-for-themselves-58337.html