Hold on to the railing, kids: Travelicious is back.
In this edition, we pile into the Swedish HomoMobil (above) to check out the Nordic nation’s win on a world gay-friendliness list, head to Orlando to hear about its bid for the 2018 Gay Games, and learn more about a change in U.S. policy that will soon welcome gay families home as one unit.
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Victory So Swede
Sweden tops the Spartacus International Gay Travel Index
How about we take this to the next level?
Our newsletter is like a refreshing cocktail (or mocktail) of LGBTQ+ entertainment and pop culture, served up with a side of eye-candy.
Leaping lingonberries! Berlin-based Spartacus International Gay Guide has published its index of the most LGBT-friendly destinations in the world, and Scandinavian queer darling Sweden has topped the list, scoring the highest possible cumulative score in the index’s 15 categories.
The categories range from the very positive ways (anti-discrimination legislation, marketing to the LGBT community) to the very negative (hostility by locals, death sentences) that a nation can prove (or not) its gay friendliness.
Belgium and the Netherlands tied for second on the Spartacus list, each just scoring just a point less than Sweden on the scale. Iceland and Canada then tied for fourth.
So where’s the good ol’ USA in all of this? Tied with seven other nations for—ready for this?—36th place. Countries scoring the same as America include Bulgaria, Cambodia, and Croatia.
It could be much worse: At the bottom of the list in 126th place is Iran, just beating out the United Arab Emirates and Jamaica for the least gay-friendly land on earth.
But lest you think they don’t love us, Spartacus also produced a special state-by-state Gay Travel Index USA. Tied for number 1 there are New York and Massachusetts, followed by most of the rest of New England — Vermont, New Hampshire and Connecticut — tied for number 3.
Bottoming that list? A two-way tie between North Carolina and Alabama.
Photo by JSolomon
Magic Queendom?
Orlando bids to host the 2018 Gay Games
The Orlando Sentinal and Outsports are reporting that Orlando, Florida will be among the main bidders for the tenth Gay Games in 2018. The family-holiday capital will compete with at least three other cities—London, Paris, and an as yet unnamed city in Brazil — for the upcoming sportsfest.
The Orlando bid is part of the work of a new LGBT-focused Orlando visitors bureau called Orlando Gay Travel, which seeks to bring more homo holidayers—beyond the very successful but just once-a-year Gay Days at Disneyworld—to the tourism-driven city.
“I think the LGBT community tends to feel that Gay Days is the only gay-friendly event that is happening in Orlando,” Mikael Audebert, executive director Orlando Gay Travel, told the Sentinel.
Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer is all for bidding for the quadrennial gay sports event. “Orlando has created a reputation for fairness, equality, diversity and tolerance, and would be a perfect locale to host this,” he said.
Outsports points out that Orlando may have a tough time in the 2018 running, since the next Gay Games in 2014 are already scheduled for Cleveland. The USA hasn’t hosted back to back games since San Francisco held the first two in 1982 and 1986.
Never mind, says Audebert. “We are going to work with the entire region to make this happen,” he vowed.
Photo by Jeff Kern
Local Customs
Welcome back to the USA, you big wonderful gay family, you
The U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has announced its plans to change the way gay families are viewed when they enter to the United States from abroad —or rather, that it would finally like to start recognizing them as families at all.
Currently, the CBP’s definition of a what constitutes a family is limited to individuals related by blood, marriage, or adoption. This forces LGBT families entering the U.S.—foreigners and Americans alike — to either fill out a separate forms for each adult, or potentially face harsh treatment at the hands of rule-enforcing U.S. immigration officials.
The proposed change would update the CBP definition to include LGBT families, as well as foster children, stepchildren, half-siblings, legal wards, and other dependents.
“[The] CBP does not believe that the current definition encompasses other relationships where members of the public travel together as a family,” the department rather boldly states in its proposal, which must now await a public comment period and further review before actually coming to fruition.
“It’s really an acknowledgement of what’s obvious to most people: that gay families are families, and should be treated as such when they enter the United States,” Rachel B. Tiven, executive director of Immigration Equality, told the Miami Herald‘s Steve Rothaus.
Photo by greenmelinda
jason
Sweden is actually not very gay-friendly. While it may appear to be gay-friendly at the legal level, socially it’s not. The social attitude to gay men is one of apathy, not acceptance. Don’t confuse apathy with acceptance.
Jesse Archer
Jason, I’ve been several times to Sweden and find it very accepting. How can you make such a sweeping statement without citing examples? And how can you have apathy towards a group of people? That doesn’t even make logical sense.
Dan Allen
@Jesse Archer: Jag älskar dig, Jesse Archer.
Freddie
Yeah Jason, that’s why over 70% of Swedes support gay marriage and adoption rights
FridaTibetans
Totally thought the headline would lead to a Fredrik Eklund article…
DouggSeven
I am in love with the expression on that broad’s face in that pic.
Mark
As a North Carolinian, I’m kind of finding it hard to swallow that NC is more homophobic than Mississippi or South Carolina…
TH
While I’m happy to read about Customs recognizing same sex families at border posts, this isn’t going to help me and my British partner enter the US, which we do often.
The Real Mike in Asheville
@Mark: Is there really that much of a difference: marriage ban (by law, constitutional amendment to be voted on in May), no anti-discrimination, no civil partnerships, and lots and lots of hypocrisy of Old Testament selective bigotry. Well, at least my hubby and I are in Asheville.
The Real Mike in Asheville
I certainly hope that the Gay Games organizers, particularly the international groups, take a serious review of the anti-gay hostility under Florida law that can have serious adverse effects against gays and lesbians, their spouses and partners and children. You may very well be legally married and recognized as a family in your home country, but in Florida, that means NOTHING. That God-awful state inserts itself into separating gay families and citizens’ privacy — keeping spouses of years apart in hospitals, enacting personally directed anti-family legislation — remember Terri Schiavo and Elian Gonzales — to fit their narrow-minded bigotry.
While there are many supporters of gay rights and gay families in Florida, officially though, it is a cesspool of anti-gay bigotry and discrimination. Do not risk that you are the one who is denied your rights.
codyj
@real mike in asheville, so true, i love weather here (fla) but thats it…we are ,indeed surrounded by narrow fundies,older repubs with 1900s views and morals,catholic die hards, and tons of ‘back room’ good ole boys politicians.
Sol Invictus
There is equal age of consent in Venezuela so technically it should be tied for 56th… which is better than I ever expected to be honest [:
Martin
@jason: Jason, i have a swdish boyfriend and live part time in Stockholm. Sweden is a very good country to be gay in. Better than Denmark. Only problem is muslim population which can react unpredictably, and so you need to be careful in Tunnelbana (subway) etc.
The ordinary swede is very very tolerant and treat us as they would any other couple.
Sweden deserves the credit! Jag älskar Sverige!!
Frederick
I’d be curious to see where California ranks on the list of how gay-friendly the different states are. I realize we’re still dealing with the aftermath of Prop. 8 (hopefully, it will be gone soon), but I do feel CA has some of the most gay-friendly laws in the U.S. I live in the Bay Area, which I personally feel is more gay-friendly than NYC-samesex marriage being the only advantage the Empire State has over the Golden State.
Dan Allen
@DouggSeven: Thanks Dougg, I took that pic at Stockholm Europride in 2008, and I totally agree… there’s something so subtly wonderful about her expression that it’s one of my favorite shots.
Texndoc
I’ve been to a very gay friendly city and country that has the largest gay pride turnout consistently year after year, routinely well over a million supporters, but people are usually looking to Europe : Sao Paulo, Brazil.
Ewoks R Us
I sooo want to marry that hot blonde in the first pic!