#legendary tutu west

[tishrivers]

LEGENDARY TUTU WEST: LIPSS OTA Sept 26 (2022)

#tutu west #vogueedit #ballroomedit #whenyavoguingfem #nowholdthatposeforme #lgbtqedit #voguing #FQ Performance #danceedit #edit** #&* #a cultural reset #her hand performance insaneeeee #legendary tutu west #support black trans women

[greengirlfight]

💚GREEN GIRL BRACKET!💚

Here's the official bracket for the Green Girl Fight! The first round of polls will be posted in 4 parts, and each part will last a week. Round 1 polls will be tagged as #round 1, and I should have the first part up by June 26th! So start getting your propaganda ready!

Full list of names under the cut!

Elphaba/Wicked Witch of the West (Wicked/Wizard of Oz) VS Mossie (Cattails)

Takane Yamashiro (Touhou) VS Nepeta Leijon (Homestuck)

Tree Hugger (My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic) VS Rottytops (Shantae)

Collei (Genshin Impact) VS Emira Blight (The Owl House)

Ibara Shiozaki (My Hero Academia) VS Demeter (Lore Olympus)

Lime Cookie (Cookie Run) VS Usura (Princess Tutu)

Nott the Brave (Critical Role) VS FF/Foo Fighters (Jojo's Bizzare Adventure)

Vera Oberlin (Monster Prom) VS Saria (Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time)

Leaf Fairy Aoba (Guardian Tales) VS Kyoshi (Avatar The Last Airbender)

Jade Harley (Homestuck) VS Freya Fatima (Coffee Talk)

Wakasagihime (Touhou) VS Nevanthi (AFK Arena)

Frankie Stein (Monster High) VS Sam (Totally Spies)

Cure Oasis (Tropical Rogue Precure) VS Fauna (Sleeping Beauty)

Green M&M (M&M's Candy) VS Tiki (Fire Emblem)

The Dolorosa (Homestuck) VS Polaris (X-Men)

Mew Lettuce (Tokyo Mew Mew) VS Jessica Cruz (Green Lantern)

Doc Ock (Spiderverse) VS Sandy (TokiDoki: Cactus Friends)

Aisha (Winx Club) VS Fire (DC Comics)

Cure March (Smile Precure) VS Illusen (Neopets)

Lottie Person/Snotgirl (Snotgirl) VS Mashiro Kuna (Bleach)

Rhea (Fire Emblem) VS Ermes (Jojo's Bizzare Adventure)

Number 3/Kuki Sanban (Codename: Kids Next Door) VS Tisiphone (Hades)

Nasmira Satrinava (The Arcana Mystic Romance) VS Mei (Lego Monkie Kid)

Porrim Maryam (Homestuck) VS Tiana (Princess and the Frog)

Sailor Pluto (Sailor Moon) VS Pidge Holt (Voltron Legendary Defender)

Divine Beast of Harvest Mayreel (Guardian Tales) VS Disgust (Inside Out)

Vendetta (Making Friends) VS Scarah Screams (Monster High)

Terrible Tornado (One Punch Man) VS Gwen Mortia (Sleepless Domain)

INFP (MBTI) VS Hera Syndulla (Star Wars Rebels)

Buttercup (Powerpuff Girls) VS Cure Mint (Yes! Precure 5)

Peridot (Steven Universe) VS L'Archel (Fire Emblem)

Granny Smith (My Little Pony) VS Willow Park (The Owl House)

Nowi (Fire Emblem Awakening) VS Tsuyu Asui (My Hero Academia)

Peridot (Cucumber Quest) VS Cheadle Yorkshire (Hunter x Hunter)

Kirika Akatsuki (Symphogear) VS Tinkerbell (Disney Fairies)

Cure Felice (Mahoutsukai Precure) VS Minty (My Little Pony G3)

Amphitrite (Lore Olympus) VS Artemis (Hades)

Gamora (Marvel) VS Shiho Hinomori (Project Sekai: Colorful Stage)

Maleficent (Sleeping Beauty) VS Fearne Callaway (Critical Role)

Candice Catnipp (Bleach) VS Fink (OK KO!)

Miss Edel (Princess Tutu) VS Test Tube (Inanimate Insanity)

Honey Swamp (Monster High) VS Heather Duke (Heathers)

Harpy Gee (Harpy Gee) VS Sanae Kochiya (Touhou)

Jolyne Cujoh (Jojo's Bizzare Adventure) VS Lyn (Fire Emblem)

Sailor Neptune (Sailor Moon) VS Fiona (Shrek)

Marie (Splatoon) VS CC (Code Geass)

Flayn (Fire Emblem) VS Penny Polendina (RWBY)

Setsuna Tokage (My Hero Academia) VS Anode (Transformers IDW)

Sailor Jupiter (Sailor Moon) VS Chie Satonaka (Persona 4)

Rosie Cotton (Lord of the Rings) VS Gumi (Vocaloid)

Eternity Larva (Touhou) VS Mallow (Pokémon)

Gavial (Arknights) VS Nene Kusanagi (Project Sekai: Colorful Stage)

Marcy Wu (Amphibia) VS Marina (Splatoon)

Kaede Kayano (Assassination Classroom) VS Inko Midoriya (My Hero Academia)

Byleth (Fire Emblem Three Houses) VS Toph Beifong (Avatar The Last Airbender)

Te Fiti (Moana) VS Rina Touin (Mermaid Melody Pitchi Pitchi Pitch)

Venus McFlytrap (Monster High) VS Palmon (Digimon Adventure)

Tekno the Canary (Sonic) VS Ceres Fauna (HoloLive)

Cure Milky (Star Twinkle Precure) VS Shego (Kim Possible)

Clara Valac (Welcome to Demon School Iruma-Kun!) VS Dusa (Hades)

Futaba Sakura (Persona 5) VS Poison Ivy (DC Comics)

Kanaya Maryam (Homestuck) VS Rika (Pokémon Scarlet & Violet)

Surge the Tenrec (Sonic) VS She-Hulk (Marvel)

Sothis (Fire Emblem Three Houses) VS Rue (Sleepless Domain)

#green girl fight #brackets

[medullam]

Legendary Tutu West LSS [NYC, 2022]

Source: OTA

#tutu west #vogue fem #ballroom scene #nyc #2022

[themadscene]

Legendary Tutu West LSS (NYC, 2022)

[loopy777]

You've got me curious now as to what anime youve seen, enjoyed and why.

Oof, I don’t track that type of thing. I’ve been asked about anime I like previously, and I feel like I always forget something. I suppose I should start a MyAnimeList one of these days, just for reference.

So let’s list everything I can remember, as well as a pithy reaction.

Baccano!This one is just so much fun. It’s violent and crass in a classy way, it’s funny in a weird way, and it’s a great example of a non-linear narrative. I love it.

Code Geass (Season 1)Ugh, I only watched this one because people solicited my opinion on it. Well, my opinion is that it’s not as smart as it wants to be, there’s too much contrived melodrama (and considering the wild premise, that’s saying something), and Kallen would be a wonderful and interesting character if she wasn’t always being demeaned for fan-service. I quit when the first season finale kicked off, because I felt things were just getting too contrived. I hear it really fell apart in the second season.

Cowboy BebopI found this a bit pretentious. It had good episodes and bad episodes. The production quality is good. But I'm not sure why it's legendary. Still, I liked its sense of humor, and enjoyed it when it wasn’t trying to be super serious. My favorite character is Ed.

Demon SlayerI'm mainly watching this because my brother wanted to give it a try on Toonami, but I kind of checked out when it unceremoniously removed everything difficult about the sister being a demon and made her into an order-following sidekick that fits in a suitcase. Now the latest episode introduced a loud annoying side character, so we may quit. I have no idea why this one is so popular.

Fullmetal AlchemistCovered

Gatchaman CrowdsI was asked to watch this one, as well, but it went a lot better than Code Geass. It’s a bit weird, and I think it's naively optimistic about the internet in many ways, but I still found it's exploration of Internet-age superheroes to be interesting, and it's the best, most mature take on the Power Rangers-style ‘sentai’ genre that I've seen. I don't know how well it matches up with its Gatchaman legacy, but as its own thing, it's pretty good.

Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex (including 2nd Gig)This is another legendary one that I think is good but a bit over-rated. It's a good piece of modern Cyberpunk, but it's very talky, and very jargon-filled. I'm almost convinced that the viewer is not meant to follow half of the conversations, that they're just part of the ambiance. I tended to like the stand-alone episodes better than the storyline episodes. Still, it’s a very smart series, and probably the best thing in the franchise, from what I’ve heard.

Log Horizon (first season only)I’ll tell you what- I think it’s possible to make a good anime with the premise of people from the modern, real world entering a fantasy realm (either another dimension or a VR video game). Log Horizon did not end up being that ideal. The main character is a Gary Stu, his romances with girls who are either ten years old or just look like they’re ten years old are creepy, and it got boring seeing the protagonists’ plans always succeed without much of a hitch.

Lupin III (series 4 and 5)I like this franchise when it's being clever, when it's springing a twist while playing fair. Sometimes, though, it doesn't play fair with its twists, leaving me underwhelmed. And while the regular cast is amusing, they're fairly shallow characters; this isn't always a bad thing, as that allows them to slot into all kinds of genre fare, but does limit the storytelling ambitions. It’s fine.

Macross franchiseSuper Dimensional Fortress MacrossI still like the original, despite how dated it is. It's probably the best possible implementation of 'soap opera in space.'

Macross PlusI'm not sure why this one is so revered. I feel like it doesn't play fair with its mystery, despite being such a short story, and whole thing with the killer popstar AI just left me cold.

Macross 7I like the music, but the story really drags for the first half with a formula that’s repeated far too long, and then falls apart in the end. The love triangle isn’t resolved, and in fact I’m of the opinion that two of the participants didn’t even know they were in competition. The bad guys are allowed to sail off into the sunset, forgiven, despite still inhabiting the bodies of kidnapped humans. But this isn't a series you watch for the story; this is a series you watch because you like the idea of a rockstar flying into space in a transforming mecha, controlled by an electric guitar, to sing at alien invaders. Personally, I think the idea is dumb. Plus, this ruins the premise of the original series by adding in what is effectively magic.

Macross ZeroThis is pretty good and has the best dogfights in the series, but it has one of those weird arty endings that anime sometimes likes to do where no one can tell what actually happened and we need to find translated interviews with the creative team to get it explained.

Macross FrontierBy this point, I was wondering why everyone is so eager for the Macross franchise to get American distribution. It’s better than Macross 7, but feels like a first draft of the intended story, and the creative team lost track of their own subplots. The two AU movies do a more satisfying take on the same basic story, but sometimes they come across like an abridged recap of the series, so you really need to watch everything to get a satisfying experience. That said, the final experience was indeed fairly satisfying, making this the second best thing in the franchise for me. Still, I wouldn’t say it lives up to the original in any way.

Macross DeltaBoy, this one was dumb. Everything wrong with Frontier is worse here, with none of the good stuff.

The Melancholy of Haruhi SuzumiyaI still want an ending for this, despite nothing worthwhile coming from it since 2011. It wouldn't even be hard to pick it up again; set it in modern times, and explain the fact that everyone has smartphones now to be a result of some weird off-screen Haruhi antics.

Mobile Suit Gundam franchiseMobile Suit Gundam: Iron-Blooded OrphansI've only ever experienced the Gundam franchise because my brother wants to get into it and he keeps trying to find a vector. This was my first experience with it, and I found it very 'teenage boy,' in both tone and story. I was underwhelmed.

Mobile Suit Gundam Unicorn RE:0096Another case where the storytellers reached the end only to have forgotten the rest of the story. Why does that happen so often in anime? And I think it assumes the viewer is familiar with the whole rest of the franchise, because there was a lot that just went straight over my head but didn't seem like it was supposed to. Nice animation and art style, though.

Mobile Suit Gundam: The Origin - Advent of the Red CometEverything I said about Unicorn, only more.

My Hero AcademiaCovered

NichijouThis thing is still hilarious, even after a rewatch. Stick with the sub, as the new dub's voice-acting doesn't have the same range and power of the original, losing a lot of the humor.

Outlaw Star I'm struggling to remember a lot of this one. it’s another I watched because my brother was interested in it. I do recall that it was a fairly standard Space Western that ends in a way that's more like serious science fiction, and that for some reason a Japanese swordswoman in classic clothing was part of the cast. Now I wonder if that was an homage to Lupin III. Or maybe Japan just really loves throwing classic samurai into everything, regardless of setting or genre.

Pokemon (part of first series)I was in high school when this franchise first came to America, and for some reason all the geeks in my high school thought it was the greatest thing. The games were good, yeah, but the anime? I don't think it's bad for a kiddie cartoon, but it obviously has no greater ambitions than pleasantly occupying the kids for 22 minutes. Personally, what I really want is a series about Team Rocket done in the style of Cowboy Bebop.

Princess TutuCo-owner of the Best Magical Girl designation. I forget who asked me to watch this, but I owe them.

Puella Magi Madoka MagicaCo-owner of the Best Magical Girl designation. I still haven't bothered with anything but the original series, and I continue to be happy with that choice.

Samurai ChamplooI liked this better than Cowboy Bebop, but only because its ambitions were lower. It leaned more into its genre, had fun with its style more even when being serious, and as a result became more enjoyable. I overall liked going on a journey with these rascals, but I think it ended at a good point. I don’t need more.

Spice & Wolf (first season)I watched this on someone's suggestion, and found it a little underwhelming. What I really appreciated were the two main characters, especially that they seem to be into each other, romantically and sexually, and aren't freaked out by it while at the same time not being in a hurry to become a couple. It was just a kind of, "Yeah, this could really be something if we ever find the time." It was so amazingly mature and real. Too bad the main Economics plotlines just wound up being tepid.

Tekkaman BladeMy thoughts haven't changed on this.

Tiger & BunnyI'm still fond of this one, and I'm actually kind of curious to revisit it in light of My Hero Academia.

Transformers ‘Unicron Trilogy’These three cartoons are true anime, produced by and for Japan. (The other cartoons in the franchise were written, and sometimes animated, in the west.) It's garbage that assumes its child audience are morons, and on top of that the first two series wound up with laughably bad dubs. How this trilogy revitalized the franchise, I have no idea, and thankfully I'll never have to worry about it.

Volton (original)Either this or Robotech/Macross was my first anime; I was too young to say which I discovered first. I'll admit that the original Voltron isn't good, despite the toy being neat, but I have a soft spot for it. I tried the Netflix reboot, watching the first three episodes, and found it to be vacuous junk. Maybe some day a version of this will come along that will do justice to the toy.

And I think that’s it. If I remember anything I left off, I’ll reblog with the addition.

#Anonymous

[nathanhsantos]

Black Beauty

As a part of America’s Bicentennial in 1976, President Gerald Ford formally recognized Black History Month. The impetus for this month-long celebration began with educators at Kent State University in 1970, and the roots of this historical focus on contributions of people of African descent could be traced to the achievements of Dr. Carter G. Woodson.  

Woodson, only the second African-American (after W.E.B. Du Bois) to earn a doctorate from Harvard University championed the cause of researching and preserving the history of African-Americans, and among his many initiatives he launched the celebration of “Negro History Week” in February to coincide with the birthdays of Frederick Douglas and Abraham Lincoln.

The 1970s were rich with images of African pride, and establishing Black History Month at the start of the decade was apropos. The inertia of Black Pride would ultimately result in the historical inauguration of Barack Obama as President in 2009. Pop culture witnessed the popularity of Blaxploitation films such as “Shaft”, television situation comedies starring legendary comics like Redd Foxx, Bill Cosby, Jimmie Walker, and Richard Pryor, the immensely popular Soul Train created by Don Cornelius established an institution that chugged for 35 years, and Hank Aaron and Muhammad Ali hammered, floated, and stung as the most remarkable athletes of the 20thcentury.

The “Godfather of Soul,” James Brown, saddened by the gang warfare in Compton and Watts, utilized his powerful influence to regain the pride that he felt had been lost in the urban community.  Penning what became the anthem of the Black Pride movement, “Say It Loud,” he articulated individual responsibility and the recognition that each person’s uniqueness could energize the whole if the energy directed towards elevation, not destruction. He and his musical collaborator “Pee Wee” Ellis created a musical approach that opened the way for the emergence of Hip-Hop, with their long, looping vamps, the emphasis of beat 1, rather than 2 and 4, the percolating semiquaver guitar and the thumping Fender electric bass soon to be revolutionized by Larry Graham and Bootsy Collins.

It was in this context that Miles Davis permanently separated himself from the traditionalists of modern jazz and fully embracing the zeitgeist. Although baffling the critics who seemed to be invested in jazz music remaining as an elite idiom, those who knew Davis would not be surprised that he supported the Black Power movement fully, and found inspiration in James Brown’s grooves, Richard Pryor’s uncompromising commentary, and the ferocity and cadence of Muhammad Ali. Urged by his young new bride, Betty Mabry, his departure into “Black is Beautiful” fashion was underscored by his fascination with looping funk grooves, inspired by Brown’s “Say It Loud” and his experimentation with electric instruments. 

One need only study the covers encasing his newest records of this period to see surrealistic depictions of counterculture Afrocentric expression as in Bitches Brew (1969), urban ghetto caricatures of prostitutes, gays, activists, winos, and drug dealers as utilized on the 1972 project On The Corner to know what Miles was communicating in these years building to the establishment of Black History Month in 1976.

In his final decade of life, Davis’s advocacy of the Black Pride did not abate. His first album on Warner Brothers Records was released in 1986 called Tutu, named for the South African Nobel Peace Prize winner, Bishop Desmond Tutu. The project was another bold step in a different direction, employing Marcus Miller’s many skills to place Miles’s voice into a synthetic, digital context, maintaining the muscularity of a Mike Tyson-like jab, pungent harmonies and the abstraction of random, fragmented solo voices that defined the 1980s. 

The follow up to this album was Amandla, a Zulu word for “power” used to bring down Aprtheid. His final collaboration with Miller, Miles explored an amalgamation of styles including West Indian zouk (inspired by Kassav), go-go, hip-hop, funk, and even straight-ahead jazz.  The album cover for this project was his own collaboration with his artistic and romantic partner, Jo Gelbard, depicting his self-portrait with a map of Africa embedded within.  

In Quincy Troupe’s newest publication, Miles & Me, he describes Miles as an “unreconstructed black man” with a fiercely tough and unapproachable demeanor, and an uncompromising champion of urban culture.  Critical of his heroes Louis Armstrong and Dizzy Gillespie for smiling, and emulating the boldness of Jack Johnson in an out of the boxing ring, he represents a figure who spent his life obsessively looking forward and challenging the world to keep up with him.  To understand Black History from 1926-1991, one need to look no further than the remarkable life of Miles Davis.

#miles davis #James Brown #Black History Month #Bishop Desmond Tutu #On The Corner #carter g. woodson #Amandla #Marcus Miller

[operafantomet]

Christine’s Masquerade costume: the good, the neutral and the bad

THE GOOD: The replica costume looks good in most incarnations (though I rant about the current West End & remade Restaged our ones a lot, and would place them in the “bad” category if I had room for it). I’m especially fond of those featuring a tutu-like tulle skirt, as a hint to Christine’s ballet past. And it’s wonderfully allegoric, with symbolism of sunset/sunrise, sky/heaven and moon/stars. Here’s Elizabeth Welch wearing two quite different but equally lovely ones - the US version, and the German version.

THE NEUTRAL: A lot of the costumes in this category have elements of cool stuff going on. Some are symbolic, but end up looking bland. Some are well made and exquisite, but doesn’t quite feel like they have an idea behind them.

I have a weak spot for the original West End costume, for example, but what the heck is it supposed to BE (Bo Peep? Saloon girl?) and it also screams the 1980s. So I’m not sad it was replaced, but it’s a guilty pleasure. Then there’s the Czech costume, with lots of cool details, a killer tiara, nice boots and a detailed construction. But again - what is it supposed to be? I also think it’s not particularly elegant. Cool, sure. But not elegant.

Then there’s the Polish one. Basically just an overblown 1860s ball gown. Pretty, yes. Nice bodice, yes. Frilly, yes. But more huge and fluffy than interesting. That said, it’s well constructed, and cool when dancing.

Equally, the Hungarian one. Ignore that this is a poorly photoshopped photo, I’ve never full a colour full shot of this that’s not been the size of a stamp. You get the basics here. The bodice starts well, but then it has a modern prom dress finish in the waist and skirt. Also, what’s she’s supposed to BE? A blue rose? This could have been so nice with a different skirt, but as it is now it looks as generic and modern as can be.

The Romanian one does at least have a bit of symbolism, with Christine featured as an angel. Angel of Music? Innocence? I also like the ballet look of it. But the bodice looks awfully modern, and the angel symbolism seems a bit too obvious and bland. So lots of potential but poorly executed.

The 2004 movie also has nice symbolism, with roses, and Christine becoming gradually more “rosy” under the influence of the Phantom. And the construction of this, and in particular the bodice and the backdrape, is really beautiful. And yet... on screen it just looked like a giant 1860s ballgown. It was also mighty annoying that Christine was the only to miss the black/white/metallic colour code on the invitation... Like, could you make it more obvious? As i’ve written many times before, it would rocked SO hard if they’d instead feature her in the “Think of Me” dress, so she basically would be Empress Sissi facing Emperor Napoleon (Red Death). THAT would be cool symbolism. But it’s a really pretty costume on its own, with some really nice details and symbolism.

THE BAD: The Estonian one. Jeeez. First, it screams modern: shiny and strapless bodice, tulle skirt over a visible crinoline. The bright red with black details also drowns in the sea of others wearing red and black. I’m glad Christine read the colour code this time around, but her costume would have needed more details to stand out. Sparkle, backdrape, a more ornamental bodice, a splendid headgear, anything really. Also, a hint of symbolism is sorely lacking. She’s just very... red.

My least favourite ever, though... Finland. Always Finland. WHY are Christine and Raoul fitted with cheap-looking Spamalot costumes?

Are they singing “The Song That Goes Like This”? Did they join a local Shakespeare company? Is Raoul broke in this version and had to raid the local WalMart before Halloween? Leather pants and bare shoulders with shiny stretch (?) on top? These costumes are so legendary bad I can’t believe a professional opera house made them. But hey, at least they wear something symbolic/historical for the Masquerade, I guess I should be happy...

#star princess #masquerade #christine daae #costume nerding #good neutral bad

[yourbohofashionblog-blog]

Punk Style and Jewelry

The 1970s from the West. Factors of punk style comprise figurines, dyed hair, body jewellery, BDSM style, leather, chains and hooks. Original punk design used everyday objects like decorations, such as security pins and even razor blades. Punks also took clothing and customized them with sleeves, graffiti, studs or chains, and utilized advanced juxtapositions, such as a ballet tutu with manly boots. The intention would be to deliberately shock boho décor            . It's stated that the punk Movement was mostly anti-fashion. In reality, among the leaders of punk, John Lydon (best-known by his stage name, Johnny Rotten), after wore a pink garbage bag for a dress. Because of this, it's ironic that punk afterwards became a fashion fad, as seen in things such as Karl Lagerfield's creations for Chanel in 2011. However, irony is something which the punk scene appreciated.

Before she turned into a world-renowned style superstar, Westwood was a primary school teacher who made her very own jewelry and sold it in a market stall in Portobello Road in London. Westwood afterwards met Malcolm McLaren (who became director of the Sex Pistols), and together they started a style outlet. In 1975, they started to market homemade fetish wear and T-shirts such as the legendary"God Save the Queen" layout, that was duplicated for this day. The design later evolved in a variety of ways as Westwood's collections shifted. Other things are skeletons in rose gold, skull studs and rings at the fashion of armour. Leader of punk style, and attracted upmarket punk posh to wealthy fashion-forward clients. She decorated clothes with gold and silver chains and security pins. Zandra Rhodes is famous for getting brilliant colored hair and sporting daring, theatrical-style makeup. She's generated high-end jewelry which features punk style security hooks and spikes. This is believed to have motivated a Versace dress held together by golden safety pins, worn by Liz Hurley into the premiere of Four Weddings and a Funeral. Her jewellery incorporates the very same motifs. Fashion designer that integrated street style into his ranges and also caused a stir with his sleeves for men, bondage-wear and application of unconventional versions, such as bigger versions, old versions and models with tattoos and body jewelry. The London punk scene brought him and Vivienne Westwood and Malcolm McLaren's store influenced his designs. Jean-Paul Gaultier's Spring 2011 assortment was a union of punk and cancan dancing fashion with notable mohawk hair fashions, with titles such as"Vicious" and"I'm an anarchist". Damien Hirst is a modern Artist and jewellery designer who's confessed to being"a punk at heart" and has obtained some inspiration for his work in the punk fashion. Hirst collaborated with Alexander McQueen to look a group of scarves. Though Hirst was too young to find that the growth of punk culture, he's integrated the design to his jewelry, clothes and artwork. Hirst's 2007 piece of artwork called,"For the Love of God" is a platinum copy of a human skull, with its first teeth. The skull is coated with thousands of glistening diamonds, (8,601, to be precise ) with the crowning glory a sizable, pear-shaped pink diamond. It's regarded as the most expensive bit of modern work. Another of Hirst's similar bits is that a platinum throw of a 19 century baby's skull covered in pavé set pink and white diamonds. Artist, John LeKay said that a few of Hirst's thoughts came from LeKay's particular work, such as a skull covered in crystal stone, qualified Spiritus Callidus. Introduced a new approach to punk trend from the 1990s and beyond. He took fashion displays to new levels with prohibitive body jewellery inspired by different culture and a daring depiction of Joel-Peter Witkin's bizarre photo,"Sanitarium". While he had been affected by several historical phases and aspects of life and civilization, McQueen's inclination to challenge established standards could be regarded as punky. His final collection was punk-inspired and his jewellery range frequently featured skull issues.

Some authentic punks consider that It ought to be a doctrine that's felt, instead of worn as a style choice. Therefore, integrating and sporting punk style for a badge of"trendy", with no understanding of this civilization can have the contrary impact. However, some might say that style is affected by art and culture, and should be entertaining. If society generally isn't"permitted" to deal with punk for a fad, it might wind up designated to museums instead of mainstream culture.

In 1995, a prehistoric obsidian bracelet has been found in Asikli Höyük in Turkey in the 8th century BC. The workmanship of this bracelet is a good deal more sophisticated than has been formerly thought possible at this moment. It's symmetrical and finely polished using a central round ridge. An older green rock bracelet (chlorite) was afterwards found in Siberia at 2008. It's supposedly around 40,000 years old, therefore is regarded as the earliest rock bracelet on the planet. It's supposed to function as Denisovan origin.

Additional Stays found in Europe show that European Homo sapiens wore beadsmade from bone and utilized ivory decorations. The Venus of all Hohle Fels (view, top image) is a female figurine carved out of a piece of mammoth tusk that might have been used as an amulet and worn as a necklace. Instead of having a head, the dividing has a loop on top. It was discovered in Germany at 2008 and is thought to be approximately 40,000 years of age. Around precisely the exact same period in prehistory, ancient Africans in Twilight Cave at Kenya made beads out of ostrich eggshell.

All these Ancient decorations are amazingly old, but jewellery components dating back much earlier than that are Nassariusshell beads. The shells come in the species of marine mollusk and have been located in Skhul Cave in Israel. Considering that the cubes had been perforated, it's believed that they have been used as ancient beads. It might also be noticed that some surfaces had rubbed together and worn skinnier with the years, which further suggests that they had been strung together. On the other hand, the African beads weren't quite as old as those out of Israel.

Even Older ancient jewelry exists. A pair of white-tailed eagle talons which were found in Croatia are approximately 130,000 years old and are considered to have been polished, strung on a bracelet or necklace and worn as jewellery bracelets. Cuts and notches on the eagle talons provide us a sign of how they had been utilized by their own Neanderthal owners hippie jewelry .

After Learning a bit about ancient ornaments, we could observe that our ancestors Weren't as straightforward as we previously believed and frequently portray them to be. In Reality, sophisticated humans existed, complete with jewellery designers, before While we Can glimpse ancient jewelry, there Are still many questions regarding how and why it had been used. Maybe future Discoveries will let us find out more about a few of the fascinating artifacts above. Surely began the ball rolling wikipedia .

#goodie bag midi rings hippie jewelry boho earrings bohemian rings

[fadingfartconnoisseur]

Great LGBT Events to Visit (Other than Pride)

All travelers are different and I’ve included a LGBT column on the website to talk about issues that affect those members of our community. I want everyone to have the travel knowledge they need! In this semi-monthly column, we hear from voices in the LGBT community about their experiences on the road, safety tips, events, and overall advice for other LGBT travelers! Returning this month is our column leader, Adam from travelsofadam.com.

It was raining when I walked up to the park entrance, decked out in a brightly colored banner and a row of security staff checking bags. In front of me, a guy was wearing a pink tutu under a blue poncho and two girls to my right had faces painted with more colors than I could count. Ahead of me, I could hear the beats from a faraway stage. A little while later, the rain clouds disappeared and a rainbow lit up the sky. No, this wasn’t your typical music festival, nor was it a Gay Pride festival — it was Milkshake Festival in Amsterdam.

Milkshake Festival takes place the week before Amsterdam’s annual Gay Pride and is labeled as a festival “for all who love” (raises hand). Most major queer performers, from Peaches and Mykki Blanco to crossover indie acts like Hercules and the Love Affair, have performed here. There are bright colors, crazy costumes, incredible performances, half-naked dance parties, drugs, and people of all shapes and sizes. It’s wild and it’s wonderful! And it’s more than just a celebration of LGBT pride — it promotes and celebrates queer culture like only a multicultural, independent, and original festival can.

Gay Pride festivals in the West were once opportunities to be visible and publicly demand equal rights; as more and more of those rights have materialized (especially in the past few years), the political aspect of many Gay Prides has diminished. That’s not to say it’s totally gone (read on), but these days, a lot of our Gay Pride celebrations center around headline bands, parades, parties, and plenty of skin.

Gay Pride is a lot of fun — but the fun doesn’t have to stop there. All year long, there are dozens of festivals and events celebrating LGBT culture, sports, and arts, some specialized for different segments of our community or particular fields of interest. It’s a great way to experience a new destination, surrounded by like-minded travelers and locals. These are some of my other favorite events and festivals worth traveling for:

LGBT Film Festivals

Even if you’re not a film aficionado (spoiler alert: I am!), film festivals are a great way to experience LGBT or queer culture. There are literally hundreds of LGBT-specific film festivals taking place around the world. From small towns like Bloomington, Indiana (Bloomington PRIDE Film Festival) to less-than-expected cities like Fort Worth, Texas (Q Cinema), these are often fun events to meet other LGBT locals and see outstanding cinema. And the best part? They happen year-round!

At the Q Cinema Film Festival this winter in Fort Worth, local and regional filmmakers from Ohio to Louisiana premiered their works. It was a small and casual affair at the Fort Worth Community Arts Center, catered by local businesses and an easy place to meet filmmakers, actors, and documentarians between screenings. “Professional lesbian” stand-up comic Vickie Shaw (who has performed on LOGO and Olivia Cruises and at HRC events) had the audience in tears from laughter. Featuring the best empanadas I’ve had in Texas, it was a fun weekend.

Bigger LGBT film festivals like the legendary OutFest in Los Angeles or BFI Flare in London are as popular for industry insiders as they are for local film fans and visitors. At these larger events, you generally need tickets in advance — especially for big-picture premieres. In February, the leading Berlinale International Film Festival presents the Teddy Awards for excellence in LGBT cinema; past Teddy winners — about murder, mystery, sexual desire, and everyday themes — have often been attended by A-list celebrities (cue James Franco, who seems to show up to every gay event).

Why visit an LGBT film festival? While more often than not big Hollywood productions don’t include LGBT characters (exception this Oscar season: Moonlight), at an LGBT film festival, you’ll find films touching on every aspect of queer identity and culture. (Check out my picks for independent gay cinema from 2016.) Besides, everyone loves to see a bit of themselves portrayed in the movies. Movies can also be the perfect kind of escapism, the chance to see different scenarios related to our own personal experiences or emotions.

Art, Music, and Theater Festivals

Sure, it’s a stereotype that a lot of those in the art, music, and theater industries might identify as LGBT, but that’s what makes these institutions so colorful. Around the world, there are many cultural festivals and events tailored specifically to LGBT artists and performers. Each May, the International Dublin Gay Theatre Festival celebrates LGBT artists, writers, and performers in the hometown of celebrated gay writer Oscar Wilde. Theater companies from around the world get the chance to show their work — including but not limited to musicals, dramas, comedies, and cabaret — over two weeks throughout Dublin. With both free and paid events, it’s a fun way to experience Ireland’s LGBT culture and history.

Afterward, a lot of artists bring their successful submissions to the Edinburgh Festival Fringe. Though not explicitly gay, it always includes plenty of LGBT artists. And naturally, because of the large number of international performers and creatives in Edinburgh during the month — whether as spectators or performers — there’s just a great big gay vibe in the city.

Gay Sporting Events

While a lot of the biggest gay events occur in the summertime, there are plenty of gay festivals each winter, too. Gay ski weeks are a thing: imagine drag queens in hot tubs, daytime adventures from skiing to snowshoeing (or lounging by the fireplace with a hot cup of cocoa), and steamy, late-night parties. European Gay Ski Week takes place in Switzerland each winter, while North America’s largest ski area celebrates Whistler Pride & Ski Week each January. There’s a definite party vibe to these ski events, but in such a relaxing and peaceful setting, it’s easy to enjoy as a couple or a single.

Gay sports don’t just happen in winter, though; there’s also the annual World OutGames that rotates locations around the world (this year it’s in Miami). At the OutGames, you’ll find tens of thousands of athletes competing in everything from beach volleyball to wrestling (and even chess!), as well as cultural happenings and a human rights conference (see below). At the OutGames 2013 in Antwerp, the entire city turned into a festival, with fit men and women storming the city. Suddenly, gay bars and clubs were crowded with LGBT tourists and the whole city was decked out with rainbow flags. The other major LGBT sporting event is the quadrennial Gay Games, taking place next in Paris in 2018, with a similar goal to promote equality through sport.

And if cowboys and cowgirls are more your style, there are the many gay rodeos in the United States organized by the International Gay Rodeo Association.

Attending any gay sporting event as an athlete is always fun (plus there’s the prospect of trophies and prizes), but usually these are big events that overtake towns and cities, turning them into temporary queer meccas and creating a way for anyone to enjoy somewhere new safely and comfortably out.

Lesbian & Transgender Festivals

Some segments of the LGBT community are regularly sidelined in many events and festivals. Lesbians have a handful of events around the world to look forward to each year, however — from the annual ELLA International Lesbian Festival each summer in Spain to The Dinah in Palm Springs. Both are heavily attended by international visitors and include music acts, parties, and more — all with a very festive vibe and in summery locations, so expect bikinis, sunglasses, and lots of swimming (or poolside lounging).

Since 2006, the National Transgender Charity has hosted an annual transgender festival called Sparkle in the Park in Manchester (arguably the UK’s gayest city), at the Sackville Gardens (where a National Transgender Memorial stands) in the city’s gay village; last year there were over 12,000 attendees. There’s free music, entertainment, and educational workshops. Alongside the festival, a “fringe” event features plenty of cabaret, music, theater, and comedy.

Political, Human Rights, and Tech Events & Conferences

In addition to the many fun festivals and events described, many LGBT events are also still entrenched in serious political activism. Even the gay sporting events like OutGames run alongside LGBT conferences dealing with activism and politics. And many Gay Pride festivals are attended by local political action groups, political parties, and activist organizations.

But there are also many conferences year-round by national and global organizations dealing exclusively with human rights. In Fort Lauderdale each autumn, the city hosts the Southern Comfort Conference where transgender activists and educators gather for learning and networking. Other activists and allies meet each year at conferences organized by OutRight International, the National LGBTQ Task Force, and the ILGA — offering community leaders from around the world a chance to meet and plan LGBT equality initiatives around the world.

Gay Circuit Parties

There are mega-parties that take place annually around the world, catering to different segments. For example, Sitges Bear Week hosts thousands of bears on the Spanish beaches each September, while Provincetown attracts bears and their admirers for the annual Provincetown Bear Week each July. Then there are circuit parties, popular for a particular subset of gay men. While these mega dance-parties have been around for decades, it’s Barcelona’s annual Circuit Festival which has made the mega electronic-music parties popular again.

Barcelona’s Circuit Festival has become so big and so popular since starting up in 2007, the entire city seems to be overflowing with hunky gay men for weeks leading up to and following the festival. With beach and foam parties, all-day & night DJs, and (so it seems) a rule that requires men to go topless, similar gay circuit festivals are now popular around the world from Bangkok (GCircuit during Songkran) to Tel Aviv, Amsterdam and WE Party in Madrid.

Similar parties to the circuit festivals include Southern Decadence in New Orleans (friends swear by it being one of the best parties in Nola, the “gay Mardi Gras”) and White Party in Miami. And then there are the Gay Days Orlando — the first Saturday of June where tens of thousands of gays and lesbians descend upon the Magic Kingdom and at hotel pool parties throughout the city for sun and fun.

Other LGBT Events

Not all LGBT events are based around big parties, however. Just as the full LGBTQ spectrum includes so many varied sexualities and gender identities, it makes sense there’d be an equally wide range of events for every type of individual. In Sonoma each Spring there’s the Gay Wine Weekend for three days of tastings, dancing and food in a picturesque setting. In Slovenia, Pink Week is a week-long experience through the country including wine tastings, museum tours and culminating in a formal ball to benefit LGBT organizations in the country. Vienna’s annual Life Ball takes place in the Vienna City Hall and is one of the world’s biggest AIDS charity events, while Black Tie in Dallas, Texas similarly raises donations each year for both local and national LGBT organizations.

Events like the #UNIT Festival in Berlin or the Lesbians Who Tech summit (this year in San Francisco) promote LGBT technology and science for general audiences. In two of the world’s biggest tech hubs, these are events where technology and queer culture intersect, giving LGBT start-up employees and entrepreneurs the chance to network, brainstorm, and discuss ideas and innovations in related industries. Past presentation topics have included hackathons, feminism, and virtual reality — all from a queer perspective — and LGBTQ apps and queer history (or in some cases, both at once).

Family-friendly LGBT events are increasingly popular as well, including many zoos from Berlin to Washington, D.C. which open up for specific “gay days” to promote family equality. Check local LGBT community centers for the most up-to-date listings of similar events. Globally, Wikipedia has the most comprehensive list of LGBT events, while Travel Gay Europe and Travel Gay Asia both have up-to-date event, festival, and party listings for each respective continent. Sometimes events are canceled due to poor attendance, so always make sure to check with organizers when making travel plans.

****

To be LGBTQ is to be a part of a really diverse community. Luckily for us, there are so many different LGBT events for so many different niches and interests, it’s easy to find a cool festival or event abroad or at home. Traveling to an event like this is a great way to meet other like-minded travelers — those that share the same passions and interests — or to experience a new place through a comfortable or familiar lens.

P.S. –  If you would like to help underprivileged students travel more and expand their world view, we’re currently fundraising for a group of students to go volunteer in Ecuador. Help us reach our goal, change someone’s life by exposing them to the world of travel, and get some travel swag in the process. 

Photo Credits: 2, 3, 6, 8

The post Great LGBT Events to Visit (Other than Pride) appeared first on Nomadic Matt's Travel Site.

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[touristguidebuzz]

Great LGBT Events to Visit (Other than Pride)

All travelers are different and I’ve included a LGBT column on the website to talk about issues that affect those members of our community. I want everyone to have the travel knowledge they need! In this semi-monthly column, we hear from voices in the LGBT community about their experiences on the road, safety tips, events, and overall advice for other LGBT travelers! Returning this month is our column leader, Adam from travelsofadam.com.

It was raining when I walked up to the park entrance, decked out in a brightly colored banner and a row of security staff checking bags. In front of me, a guy was wearing a pink tutu under a blue poncho and two girls to my right had faces painted with more colors than I could count. Ahead of me, I could hear the beats from a faraway stage. A little while later, the rain clouds disappeared and a rainbow lit up the sky. No, this wasn’t your typical music festival, nor was it a Gay Pride festival — it was Milkshake Festival in Amsterdam.

Milkshake Festival takes place the week before Amsterdam’s annual Gay Pride and is labeled as a festival “for all who love” (raises hand). Most major queer performers, from Peaches and Mykki Blanco to crossover indie acts like Hercules and the Love Affair, have performed here. There are bright colors, crazy costumes, incredible performances, half-naked dance parties, drugs, and people of all shapes and sizes. It’s wild and it’s wonderful! And it’s more than just a celebration of LGBT pride — it promotes and celebrates queer culture like only a multicultural, independent, and original festival can.

Gay Pride festivals in the West were once opportunities to be visible and publicly demand equal rights; as more and more of those rights have materialized (especially in the past few years), the political aspect of many Gay Prides has diminished. That’s not to say it’s totally gone (read on), but these days, a lot of our Gay Pride celebrations center around headline bands, parades, parties, and plenty of skin.

Gay Pride is a lot of fun — but the fun doesn’t have to stop there. All year long, there are dozens of festivals and events celebrating LGBT culture, sports, and arts, some specialized for different segments of our community or particular fields of interest. It’s a great way to experience a new destination, surrounded by like-minded travelers and locals. These are some of my other favorite events and festivals worth traveling for:

LGBT Film Festivals

Even if you’re not a film aficionado (spoiler alert: I am!), film festivals are a great way to experience LGBT or queer culture. There are literally hundreds of LGBT-specific film festivals taking place around the world. From small towns like Bloomington, Indiana (Bloomington PRIDE Film Festival) to less-than-expected cities like Fort Worth, Texas (Q Cinema), these are often fun events to meet other LGBT locals and see outstanding cinema. And the best part? They happen year-round!

At the Q Cinema Film Festival this winter in Fort Worth, local and regional filmmakers from Ohio to Louisiana premiered their works. It was a small and casual affair at the Fort Worth Community Arts Center, catered by local businesses and an easy place to meet filmmakers, actors, and documentarians between screenings. “Professional lesbian” stand-up comic Vickie Shaw (who has performed on LOGO and Olivia Cruises and at HRC events) had the audience in tears from laughter. Featuring the best empanadas I’ve had in Texas, it was a fun weekend.

Bigger LGBT film festivals like the legendary OutFest in Los Angeles or BFI Flare in London are as popular for industry insiders as they are for local film fans and visitors. At these larger events, you generally need tickets in advance — especially for big-picture premieres. In February, the leading Berlinale International Film Festival presents the Teddy Awards for excellence in LGBT cinema; past Teddy winners — about murder, mystery, sexual desire, and everyday themes — have often been attended by A-list celebrities (cue James Franco, who seems to show up to every gay event).

Why visit an LGBT film festival? While more often than not big Hollywood productions don’t include LGBT characters (exception this Oscar season: Moonlight), at an LGBT film festival, you’ll find films touching on every aspect of queer identity and culture. (Check out my picks for independent gay cinema from 2016.) Besides, everyone loves to see a bit of themselves portrayed in the movies. Movies can also be the perfect kind of escapism, the chance to see different scenarios related to our own personal experiences or emotions.

Art, Music, and Theater Festivals

Sure, it’s a stereotype that a lot of those in the art, music, and theater industries might identify as LGBT, but that’s what makes these institutions so colorful. Around the world, there are many cultural festivals and events tailored specifically to LGBT artists and performers. Each May, the International Dublin Gay Theatre Festival celebrates LGBT artists, writers, and performers in the hometown of celebrated gay writer Oscar Wilde. Theater companies from around the world get the chance to show their work — including but not limited to musicals, dramas, comedies, and cabaret — over two weeks throughout Dublin. With both free and paid events, it’s a fun way to experience Ireland’s LGBT culture and history.

Afterward, a lot of artists bring their successful submissions to the Edinburgh Festival Fringe. Though not explicitly gay, it always includes plenty of LGBT artists. And naturally, because of the large number of international performers and creatives in Edinburgh during the month — whether as spectators or performers — there’s just a great big gay vibe in the city.

Gay Sporting Events

While a lot of the biggest gay events occur in the summertime, there are plenty of gay festivals each winter, too. Gay ski weeks are a thing: imagine drag queens in hot tubs, daytime adventures from skiing to snowshoeing (or lounging by the fireplace with a hot cup of cocoa), and steamy, late-night parties. European Gay Ski Week takes place in Switzerland each winter, while North America’s largest ski area celebrates Whistler Pride & Ski Week each January. There’s a definite party vibe to these ski events, but in such a relaxing and peaceful setting, it’s easy to enjoy as a couple or a single.

Gay sports don’t just happen in winter, though; there’s also the annual World OutGames that rotates locations around the world (this year it’s in Miami). At the OutGames, you’ll find tens of thousands of athletes competing in everything from beach volleyball to wrestling (and even chess!), as well as cultural happenings and a human rights conference (see below). At the OutGames 2013 in Antwerp, the entire city turned into a festival, with fit men and women storming the city. Suddenly, gay bars and clubs were crowded with LGBT tourists and the whole city was decked out with rainbow flags. The other major LGBT sporting event is the quadrennial Gay Games, taking place next in Paris in 2018, with a similar goal to promote equality through sport.

And if cowboys and cowgirls are more your style, there are the many gay rodeos in the United States organized by the International Gay Rodeo Association.

Attending any gay sporting event as an athlete is always fun (plus there’s the prospect of trophies and prizes), but usually these are big events that overtake towns and cities, turning them into temporary queer meccas and creating a way for anyone to enjoy somewhere new safely and comfortably out.

Lesbian & Transgender Festivals

Some segments of the LGBT community are regularly sidelined in many events and festivals. Lesbians have a handful of events around the world to look forward to each year, however — from the annual ELLA International Lesbian Festival each summer in Spain to The Dinah in Palm Springs. Both are heavily attended by international visitors and include music acts, parties, and more — all with a very festive vibe and in summery locations, so expect bikinis, sunglasses, and lots of swimming (or poolside lounging).

Since 2006, the National Transgender Charity has hosted an annual transgender festival called Sparkle in the Park in Manchester (arguably the UK’s gayest city), at the Sackville Gardens (where a National Transgender Memorial stands) in the city’s gay village; last year there were over 12,000 attendees. There’s free music, entertainment, and educational workshops. Alongside the festival, a “fringe” event features plenty of cabaret, music, theater, and comedy.

Political, Human Rights, and Tech Events & Conferences

In addition to the many fun festivals and events described, many LGBT events are also still entrenched in serious political activism. Even the gay sporting events like OutGames run alongside LGBT conferences dealing with activism and politics. And many Gay Pride festivals are attended by local political action groups, political parties, and activist organizations.

But there are also many conferences year-round by national and global organizations dealing exclusively with human rights. In Fort Lauderdale each autumn, the city hosts the Southern Comfort Conference where transgender activists and educators gather for learning and networking. Other activists and allies meet each year at conferences organized by OutRight International, the National LGBTQ Task Force, and the ILGA — offering community leaders from around the world a chance to meet and plan LGBT equality initiatives around the world.

Gay Circuit Parties

There are mega-parties that take place annually around the world, catering to different segments. For example, Sitges Bear Week hosts thousands of bears on the Spanish beaches each September, while Provincetown attracts bears and their admirers for the annual Provincetown Bear Week each July. Then there are circuit parties, popular for a particular subset of gay men. While these mega dance-parties have been around for decades, it’s Barcelona’s annual Circuit Festival which has made the mega electronic-music parties popular again.

Barcelona’s Circuit Festival has become so big and so popular since starting up in 2007, the entire city seems to be overflowing with hunky gay men for weeks leading up to and following the festival. With beach and foam parties, all-day & night DJs, and (so it seems) a rule that requires men to go topless, similar gay circuit festivals are now popular around the world from Bangkok (GCircuit during Songkran) to Tel Aviv, Amsterdam and WE Party in Madrid.

Similar parties to the circuit festivals include Southern Decadence in New Orleans (friends swear by it being one of the best parties in Nola, the “gay Mardi Gras”) and White Party in Miami. And then there are the Gay Days Orlando — the first Saturday of June where tens of thousands of gays and lesbians descend upon the Magic Kingdom and at hotel pool parties throughout the city for sun and fun.

Other LGBT Events

Not all LGBT events are based around big parties, however. Just as the full LGBTQ spectrum includes so many varied sexualities and gender identities, it makes sense there’d be an equally wide range of events for every type of individual. In Sonoma each Spring there’s the Gay Wine Weekend for three days of tastings, dancing and food in a picturesque setting. In Slovenia, Pink Week is a week-long experience through the country including wine tastings, museum tours and culminating in a formal ball to benefit LGBT organizations in the country. Vienna’s annual Life Ball takes place in the Vienna City Hall and is one of the world’s biggest AIDS charity events, while Black Tie in Dallas, Texas similarly raises donations each year for both local and national LGBT organizations.

Events like the #UNIT Festival in Berlin or the Lesbians Who Tech summit (this year in San Francisco) promote LGBT technology and science for general audiences. In two of the world’s biggest tech hubs, these are events where technology and queer culture intersect, giving LGBT start-up employees and entrepreneurs the chance to network, brainstorm, and discuss ideas and innovations in related industries. Past presentation topics have included hackathons, feminism, and virtual reality — all from a queer perspective — and LGBTQ apps and queer history (or in some cases, both at once).

Family-friendly LGBT events are increasingly popular as well, including many zoos from Berlin to Washington, D.C. which open up for specific “gay days” to promote family equality. Check local LGBT community centers for the most up-to-date listings of similar events. Globally, Wikipedia has the most comprehensive list of LGBT events, while Travel Gay Europe and Travel Gay Asia both have up-to-date event, festival, and party listings for each respective continent. Sometimes events are canceled due to poor attendance, so always make sure to check with organizers when making travel plans.

****

To be LGBTQ is to be a part of a really diverse community. Luckily for us, there are so many different LGBT events for so many different niches and interests, it’s easy to find a cool festival or event abroad or at home. Traveling to an event like this is a great way to meet other like-minded travelers — those that share the same passions and interests — or to experience a new place through a comfortable or familiar lens.

P.S. –  If you would like to help underprivileged students travel more and expand their world view, we’re currently fundraising for a group of students to go volunteer in Ecuador. Help us reach our goal, change someone’s life by exposing them to the world of travel, and get some travel swag in the process. 

Photo Credits: 2, 3, 6, 8

The post Great LGBT Events to Visit (Other than Pride) appeared first on Nomadic Matt's Travel Site.

[tamboradventure]

Great LGBT Events to Visit (Other than Pride)

All travelers are different and I’ve included a LGBT column on the website to talk about issues that affect those members of our community. I want everyone to have the travel knowledge they need! In this semi-monthly column, we hear from voices in the LGBT community about their experiences on the road, safety tips, events, and overall advice for other LGBT travelers! Returning this month is our column leader, Adam from travelsofadam.com.

It was raining when I walked up to the park entrance, decked out in a brightly colored banner and a row of security staff checking bags. In front of me, a guy was wearing a pink tutu under a blue poncho and two girls to my right had faces painted with more colors than I could count. Ahead of me, I could hear the beats from a faraway stage. A little while later, the rain clouds disappeared and a rainbow lit up the sky. No, this wasn’t your typical music festival, nor was it a Gay Pride festival — it was Milkshake Festival in Amsterdam.

Milkshake Festival takes place the week before Amsterdam’s annual Gay Pride and is labeled as a festival “for all who love” (raises hand). Most major queer performers, from Peaches and Mykki Blanco to crossover indie acts like Hercules and the Love Affair, have performed here. There are bright colors, crazy costumes, incredible performances, half-naked dance parties, drugs, and people of all shapes and sizes. It’s wild and it’s wonderful! And it’s more than just a celebration of LGBT pride — it promotes and celebrates queer culture like only a multicultural, independent, and original festival can.

Gay Pride festivals in the West were once opportunities to be visible and publicly demand equal rights; as more and more of those rights have materialized (especially in the past few years), the political aspect of many Gay Prides has diminished. That’s not to say it’s totally gone (read on), but these days, a lot of our Gay Pride celebrations center around headline bands, parades, parties, and plenty of skin.

Gay Pride is a lot of fun — but the fun doesn’t have to stop there. All year long, there are dozens of festivals and events celebrating LGBT culture, sports, and arts, some specialized for different segments of our community or particular fields of interest. It’s a great way to experience a new destination, surrounded by like-minded travelers and locals. These are some of my other favorite events and festivals worth traveling for:

LGBT Film Festivals

Even if you’re not a film aficionado (spoiler alert: I am!), film festivals are a great way to experience LGBT or queer culture. There are literally hundreds of LGBT-specific film festivals taking place around the world. From small towns like Bloomington, Indiana (Bloomington PRIDE Film Festival) to less-than-expected cities like Fort Worth, Texas (Q Cinema), these are often fun events to meet other LGBT locals and see outstanding cinema. And the best part? They happen year-round!

At the Q Cinema Film Festival this winter in Fort Worth, local and regional filmmakers from Ohio to Louisiana premiered their works. It was a small and casual affair at the Fort Worth Community Arts Center, catered by local businesses and an easy place to meet filmmakers, actors, and documentarians between screenings. “Professional lesbian” stand-up comic Vickie Shaw (who has performed on LOGO and Olivia Cruises and at HRC events) had the audience in tears from laughter. Featuring the best empanadas I’ve had in Texas, it was a fun weekend.

Bigger LGBT film festivals like the legendary OutFest in Los Angeles or BFI Flare in London are as popular for industry insiders as they are for local film fans and visitors. At these larger events, you generally need tickets in advance — especially for big-picture premieres. In February, the leading Berlinale International Film Festival presents the Teddy Awards for excellence in LGBT cinema; past Teddy winners — about murder, mystery, sexual desire, and everyday themes — have often been attended by A-list celebrities (cue James Franco, who seems to show up to every gay event).

Why visit an LGBT film festival? While more often than not big Hollywood productions don’t include LGBT characters (exception this Oscar season: Moonlight), at an LGBT film festival, you’ll find films touching on every aspect of queer identity and culture. (Check out my picks for independent gay cinema from 2016.) Besides, everyone loves to see a bit of themselves portrayed in the movies. Movies can also be the perfect kind of escapism, the chance to see different scenarios related to our own personal experiences or emotions.

Art, Music, and Theater Festivals

Sure, it’s a stereotype that a lot of those in the art, music, and theater industries might identify as LGBT, but that’s what makes these institutions so colorful. Around the world, there are many cultural festivals and events tailored specifically to LGBT artists and performers. Each May, the International Dublin Gay Theatre Festival celebrates LGBT artists, writers, and performers in the hometown of celebrated gay writer Oscar Wilde. Theater companies from around the world get the chance to show their work — including but not limited to musicals, dramas, comedies, and cabaret — over two weeks throughout Dublin. With both free and paid events, it’s a fun way to experience Ireland’s LGBT culture and history.

Afterward, a lot of artists bring their successful submissions to the Edinburgh Festival Fringe. Though not explicitly gay, it always includes plenty of LGBT artists. And naturally, because of the large number of international performers and creatives in Edinburgh during the month — whether as spectators or performers — there’s just a great big gay vibe in the city.

Gay Sporting Events

While a lot of the biggest gay events occur in the summertime, there are plenty of gay festivals each winter, too. Gay ski weeks are a thing: imagine drag queens in hot tubs, daytime adventures from skiing to snowshoeing (or lounging by the fireplace with a hot cup of cocoa), and steamy, late-night parties. European Gay Ski Week takes place in Switzerland each winter, while North America’s largest ski area celebrates Whistler Pride & Ski Week each January. There’s a definite party vibe to these ski events, but in such a relaxing and peaceful setting, it’s easy to enjoy as a couple or a single.

Gay sports don’t just happen in winter, though; there’s also the annual World OutGames that rotates locations around the world (this year it’s in Miami). At the OutGames, you’ll find tens of thousands of athletes competing in everything from beach volleyball to wrestling (and even chess!), as well as cultural happenings and a human rights conference (see below). At the OutGames 2013 in Antwerp, the entire city turned into a festival, with fit men and women storming the city. Suddenly, gay bars and clubs were crowded with LGBT tourists and the whole city was decked out with rainbow flags. The other major LGBT sporting event is the quadrennial Gay Games, taking place next in Paris in 2018, with a similar goal to promote equality through sport.

And if cowboys and cowgirls are more your style, there are the many gay rodeos in the United States organized by the International Gay Rodeo Association.

Attending any gay sporting event as an athlete is always fun (plus there’s the prospect of trophies and prizes), but usually these are big events that overtake towns and cities, turning them into temporary queer meccas and creating a way for anyone to enjoy somewhere new safely and comfortably out.

Lesbian & Transgender Festivals

Some segments of the LGBT community are regularly sidelined in many events and festivals. Lesbians have a handful of events around the world to look forward to each year, however — from the annual ELLA International Lesbian Festival each summer in Spain to The Dinah in Palm Springs. Both are heavily attended by international visitors and include music acts, parties, and more — all with a very festive vibe and in summery locations, so expect bikinis, sunglasses, and lots of swimming (or poolside lounging).

Since 2006, the National Transgender Charity has hosted an annual transgender festival called Sparkle in the Park in Manchester (arguably the UK’s gayest city), at the Sackville Gardens (where a National Transgender Memorial stands) in the city’s gay village; last year there were over 12,000 attendees. There’s free music, entertainment, and educational workshops. Alongside the festival, a “fringe” event features plenty of cabaret, music, theater, and comedy.

Political, Human Rights, and Tech Events & Conferences

In addition to the many fun festivals and events described, many LGBT events are also still entrenched in serious political activism. Even the gay sporting events like OutGames run alongside LGBT conferences dealing with activism and politics. And many Gay Pride festivals are attended by local political action groups, political parties, and activist organizations.

But there are also many conferences year-round by national and global organizations dealing exclusively with human rights. In Fort Lauderdale each autumn, the city hosts the Southern Comfort Conference where transgender activists and educators gather for learning and networking. Other activists and allies meet each year at conferences organized by OutRight International, the National LGBTQ Task Force, and the ILGA — offering community leaders from around the world a chance to meet and plan LGBT equality initiatives around the world.

Gay Circuit Parties

There are mega-parties that take place annually around the world, catering to different segments. For example, Sitges Bear Week hosts thousands of bears on the Spanish beaches each September, while Provincetown attracts bears and their admirers for the annual Provincetown Bear Week each July. Then there are circuit parties, popular for a particular subset of gay men. While these mega dance-parties have been around for decades, it’s Barcelona’s annual Circuit Festival which has made the mega electronic-music parties popular again.

Barcelona’s Circuit Festival has become so big and so popular since starting up in 2007, the entire city seems to be overflowing with hunky gay men for weeks leading up to and following the festival. With beach and foam parties, all-day & night DJs, and (so it seems) a rule that requires men to go topless, similar gay circuit festivals are now popular around the world from Bangkok (GCircuit during Songkran) to Tel Aviv, Amsterdam and WE Party in Madrid.

Similar parties to the circuit festivals include Southern Decadence in New Orleans (friends swear by it being one of the best parties in Nola, the “gay Mardi Gras”) and White Party in Miami. And then there are the Gay Days Orlando — the first Saturday of June where tens of thousands of gays and lesbians descend upon the Magic Kingdom and at hotel pool parties throughout the city for sun and fun.

Other LGBT Events

Not all LGBT events are based around big parties, however. Just as the full LGBTQ spectrum includes so many varied sexualities and gender identities, it makes sense there’d be an equally wide range of events for every type of individual. In Sonoma each Spring there’s the Gay Wine Weekend for three days of tastings, dancing and food in a picturesque setting. In Slovenia, Pink Week is a week-long experience through the country including wine tastings, museum tours and culminating in a formal ball to benefit LGBT organizations in the country. Vienna’s annual Life Ball takes place in the Vienna City Hall and is one of the world’s biggest AIDS charity events, while Black Tie in Dallas, Texas similarly raises donations each year for both local and national LGBT organizations.

Events like the #UNIT Festival in Berlin or the Lesbians Who Tech summit (this year in San Francisco) promote LGBT technology and science for general audiences. In two of the world’s biggest tech hubs, these are events where technology and queer culture intersect, giving LGBT start-up employees and entrepreneurs the chance to network, brainstorm, and discuss ideas and innovations in related industries. Past presentation topics have included hackathons, feminism, and virtual reality — all from a queer perspective — and LGBTQ apps and queer history (or in some cases, both at once).

Family-friendly LGBT events are increasingly popular as well, including many zoos from Berlin to Washington, D.C. which open up for specific “gay days” to promote family equality. Check local LGBT community centers for the most up-to-date listings of similar events. Globally, Wikipedia has the most comprehensive list of LGBT events, while Travel Gay Europe and Travel Gay Asia both have up-to-date event, festival, and party listings for each respective continent. Sometimes events are canceled due to poor attendance, so always make sure to check with organizers when making travel plans.

****

To be LGBTQ is to be a part of a really diverse community. Luckily for us, there are so many different LGBT events for so many different niches and interests, it’s easy to find a cool festival or event abroad or at home. Traveling to an event like this is a great way to meet other like-minded travelers — those that share the same passions and interests — or to experience a new place through a comfortable or familiar lens.

P.S. –  If you would like to help underprivileged students travel more and expand their world view, we’re currently fundraising for a group of students to go volunteer in Ecuador. Help us reach our goal, change someone’s life by exposing them to the world of travel, and get some travel swag in the process. 

Photo Credits: 1, 3, 6, 8

The post Great LGBT Events to Visit (Other than Pride) appeared first on Nomadic Matt's Travel Site.

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Great LGBT Events to Visit (Other than Pride)

All travelers are different and I’ve included a LGBT column on the website to talk about issues that affect those members of our community. I want everyone to have the travel knowledge they need! In this semi-monthly column, we hear from voices in the LGBT community about their experiences on the road, safety tips, events, and overall advice for other LGBT travelers! Returning this month is our column leader, Adam from travelsofadam.com.

It was raining when I walked up to the park entrance, decked out in a brightly colored banner and a row of security staff checking bags. In front of me, a guy was wearing a pink tutu under a blue poncho and two girls to my right had faces painted with more colors than I could count. Ahead of me, I could hear the beats from a faraway stage. A little while later, the rain clouds disappeared and a rainbow lit up the sky. No, this wasn’t your typical music festival, nor was it a Gay Pride festival — it was Milkshake Festival in Amsterdam.

Milkshake Festival takes place the week before Amsterdam’s annual Gay Pride and is labeled as a festival “for all who love” (raises hand). Most major queer performers, from Peaches and Mykki Blanco to crossover indie acts like Hercules and the Love Affair, have performed here. There are bright colors, crazy costumes, incredible performances, half-naked dance parties, drugs, and people of all shapes and sizes. It’s wild and it’s wonderful! And it’s more than just a celebration of LGBT pride — it promotes and celebrates queer culture like only a multicultural, independent, and original festival can.

Gay Pride festivals in the West were once opportunities to be visible and publicly demand equal rights; as more and more of those rights have materialized (especially in the past few years), the political aspect of many Gay Prides has diminished. That’s not to say it’s totally gone (read on), but these days, a lot of our Gay Pride celebrations center around headline bands, parades, parties, and plenty of skin.

Gay Pride is a lot of fun — but the fun doesn’t have to stop there. All year long, there are dozens of festivals and events celebrating LGBT culture, sports, and arts, some specialized for different segments of our community or particular fields of interest. It’s a great way to experience a new destination, surrounded by like-minded travelers and locals. These are some of my other favorite events and festivals worth traveling for:

LGBT Film Festivals

Even if you’re not a film aficionado (spoiler alert: I am!), film festivals are a great way to experience LGBT or queer culture. There are literally hundreds of LGBT-specific film festivals taking place around the world. From small towns like Bloomington, Indiana (Bloomington PRIDE Film Festival) to less-than-expected cities like Fort Worth, Texas (Q Cinema), these are often fun events to meet other LGBT locals and see outstanding cinema. And the best part? They happen year-round!

At the Q Cinema Film Festival this winter in Fort Worth, local and regional filmmakers from Ohio to Louisiana premiered their works. It was a small and casual affair at the Fort Worth Community Arts Center, catered by local businesses and an easy place to meet filmmakers, actors, and documentarians between screenings. “Professional lesbian” stand-up comic Vickie Shaw (who has performed on LOGO and Olivia Cruises and at HRC events) had the audience in tears from laughter. Featuring the best empanadas I’ve had in Texas, it was a fun weekend.

Bigger LGBT film festivals like the legendary OutFest in Los Angeles or BFI Flare in London are as popular for industry insiders as they are for local film fans and visitors. At these larger events, you generally need tickets in advance — especially for big-picture premieres. In February, the leading Berlinale International Film Festival presents the Teddy Awards for excellence in LGBT cinema; past Teddy winners — about murder, mystery, sexual desire, and everyday themes — have often been attended by A-list celebrities (cue James Franco, who seems to show up to every gay event).

Why visit an LGBT film festival? While more often than not big Hollywood productions don’t include LGBT characters (exception this Oscar season: Moonlight), at an LGBT film festival, you’ll find films touching on every aspect of queer identity and culture. (Check out my picks for independent gay cinema from 2016.) Besides, everyone loves to see a bit of themselves portrayed in the movies. Movies can also be the perfect kind of escapism, the chance to see different scenarios related to our own personal experiences or emotions.

Art, Music, and Theater Festivals

Sure, it’s a stereotype that a lot of those in the art, music, and theater industries might identify as LGBT, but that’s what makes these institutions so colorful. Around the world, there are many cultural festivals and events tailored specifically to LGBT artists and performers. Each May, the International Dublin Gay Theatre Festival celebrates LGBT artists, writers, and performers in the hometown of celebrated gay writer Oscar Wilde. Theater companies from around the world get the chance to show their work — including but not limited to musicals, dramas, comedies, and cabaret — over two weeks throughout Dublin. With both free and paid events, it’s a fun way to experience Ireland’s LGBT culture and history.

Afterward, a lot of artists bring their successful submissions to the Edinburgh Festival Fringe. Though not explicitly gay, it always includes plenty of LGBT artists. And naturally, because of the large number of international performers and creatives in Edinburgh during the month — whether as spectators or performers — there’s just a great big gay vibe in the city.

Gay Sporting Events

While a lot of the biggest gay events occur in the summertime, there are plenty of gay festivals each winter, too. Gay ski weeks are a thing: imagine drag queens in hot tubs, daytime adventures from skiing to snowshoeing (or lounging by the fireplace with a hot cup of cocoa), and steamy, late-night parties. European Gay Ski Week takes place in Switzerland each winter, while North America’s largest ski area celebrates Whistler Pride & Ski Week each January. There’s a definite party vibe to these ski events, but in such a relaxing and peaceful setting, it’s easy to enjoy as a couple or a single.

Gay sports don’t just happen in winter, though; there’s also the annual World OutGames that rotates locations around the world (this year it’s in Miami). At the OutGames, you’ll find tens of thousands of athletes competing in everything from beach volleyball to wrestling (and even chess!), as well as cultural happenings and a human rights conference (see below). At the OutGames 2013 in Antwerp, the entire city turned into a festival, with fit men and women storming the city. Suddenly, gay bars and clubs were crowded with LGBT tourists and the whole city was decked out with rainbow flags. The other major LGBT sporting event is the quadrennial Gay Games, taking place next in Paris in 2018, with a similar goal to promote equality through sport.

And if cowboys and cowgirls are more your style, there are the many gay rodeos in the United States organized by the International Gay Rodeo Association.

Attending any gay sporting event as an athlete is always fun (plus there’s the prospect of trophies and prizes), but usually these are big events that overtake towns and cities, turning them into temporary queer meccas and creating a way for anyone to enjoy somewhere new safely and comfortably out.

Lesbian & Transgender Festivals

Some segments of the LGBT community are regularly sidelined in many events and festivals. Lesbians have a handful of events around the world to look forward to each year, however — from the annual ELLA International Lesbian Festival each summer in Spain to The Dinah in Palm Springs. Both are heavily attended by international visitors and include music acts, parties, and more — all with a very festive vibe and in summery locations, so expect bikinis, sunglasses, and lots of swimming (or poolside lounging).

Since 2006, the National Transgender Charity has hosted an annual transgender festival called Sparkle in the Park in Manchester (arguably the UK’s gayest city), at the Sackville Gardens (where a National Transgender Memorial stands) in the city’s gay village; last year there were over 12,000 attendees. There’s free music, entertainment, and educational workshops. Alongside the festival, a “fringe” event features plenty of cabaret, music, theater, and comedy.

Political, Human Rights, and Tech Events & Conferences

In addition to the many fun festivals and events described, many LGBT events are also still entrenched in serious political activism. Even the gay sporting events like OutGames run alongside LGBT conferences dealing with activism and politics. And many Gay Pride festivals are attended by local political action groups, political parties, and activist organizations.

But there are also many conferences year-round by national and global organizations dealing exclusively with human rights. In Fort Lauderdale each autumn, the city hosts the Southern Comfort Conference where transgender activists and educators gather for learning and networking. Other activists and allies meet each year at conferences organized by OutRight International, the National LGBTQ Task Force, and the ILGA — offering community leaders from around the world a chance to meet and plan LGBT equality initiatives around the world.

Gay Circuit Parties

There are mega-parties that take place annually around the world, catering to different segments. For example, Sitges Bear Week hosts thousands of bears on the Spanish beaches each September, while Provincetown attracts bears and their admirers for the annual Provincetown Bear Week each July. Then there are circuit parties, popular for a particular subset of gay men. While these mega dance-parties have been around for decades, it’s Barcelona’s annual Circuit Festival which has made the mega electronic-music parties popular again.

Barcelona’s Circuit Festival has become so big and so popular since starting up in 2007, the entire city seems to be overflowing with hunky gay men for weeks leading up to and following the festival. With beach and foam parties, all-day & night DJs, and (so it seems) a rule that requires men to go topless, similar gay circuit festivals are now popular around the world from Bangkok (GCircuit during Songkran) to Tel Aviv, Amsterdam and WE Party in Madrid.

Similar parties to the circuit festivals include Southern Decadence in New Orleans (friends swear by it being one of the best parties in Nola, the “gay Mardi Gras”) and White Party in Miami. And then there are the Gay Days Orlando — the first Saturday of June where tens of thousands of gays and lesbians descend upon the Magic Kingdom and at hotel pool parties throughout the city for sun and fun.

Other LGBT Events

Not all LGBT events are based around big parties, however. Just as the full LGBTQ spectrum includes so many varied sexualities and gender identities, it makes sense there’d be an equally wide range of events for every type of individual. In Sonoma each Spring there’s the Gay Wine Weekend for three days of tastings, dancing and food in a picturesque setting. In Slovenia, Pink Week is a week-long experience through the country including wine tastings, museum tours and culminating in a formal ball to benefit LGBT organizations in the country. Vienna’s annual Life Ball takes place in the Vienna City Hall and is one of the world’s biggest AIDS charity events, while Black Tie in Dallas, Texas similarly raises donations each year for both local and national LGBT organizations.

Events like the #UNIT Festival in Berlin or the Lesbians Who Tech summit (this year in San Francisco) promote LGBT technology and science for general audiences. In two of the world’s biggest tech hubs, these are events where technology and queer culture intersect, giving LGBT start-up employees and entrepreneurs the chance to network, brainstorm, and discuss ideas and innovations in related industries. Past presentation topics have included hackathons, feminism, and virtual reality — all from a queer perspective — and LGBTQ apps and queer history (or in some cases, both at once).

Family-friendly LGBT events are increasingly popular as well, including many zoos from Berlin to Washington, D.C. which open up for specific “gay days” to promote family equality. Check local LGBT community centers for the most up-to-date listings of similar events. Globally, Wikipedia has the most comprehensive list of LGBT events, while Travel Gay Europe and Travel Gay Asia both have up-to-date event, festival, and party listings for each respective continent. Sometimes events are canceled due to poor attendance, so always make sure to check with organizers when making travel plans.

****

To be LGBTQ is to be a part of a really diverse community. Luckily for us, there are so many different LGBT events for so many different niches and interests, it’s easy to find a cool festival or event abroad or at home. Traveling to an event like this is a great way to meet other like-minded travelers — those that share the same passions and interests — or to experience a new place through a comfortable or familiar lens.

P.S. –  If you would like to help underprivileged students travel more and expand their world view, we’re currently fundraising for a group of students to go volunteer in Ecuador. Help us reach our goal, change someone’s life by exposing them to the world of travel, and get some travel swag in the process. 

Photo Credits: 1, 3, 6, 8

The post Great LGBT Events to Visit (Other than Pride) appeared first on Nomadic Matt's Travel Site.