Kandahar, the "gay pal of South Asia" | MetaFilter

Contents:

• TWO-FACED THAILAND: THE UGLY SI OF 'ASIA’S GAY CAPAL'
• BANGKOK GAY NIGHTLIFE
• TOP 10 GAY CAPALS FOR TRAVELAUGT 25, 2021 BY EDOR--CHIEFDPE THE FACT THAT THERE ARE STILL POLIL REGIM AND EVEN SO-LLED SOCIAL GROUPS AND RELIG ANIZATNS THAT FAIL TO PREHEND THE TE MEANG OF EQUALY REGARDLS OF WHO PEOPLE CHOOSE TO LOVE, HOW THEY CHOOSE TO LOOK PUBLIC, AND WHO THEY CHOOSE TO BE, MORE AND MORE DIVIDUALS – AND UPL – ARE NOW G OUT TO THE OPEN PUBLICLY ANNOUNCG TO THE WHOLE WORLD THEIR TE INTI. AND WHILE THE RT OF THE WORLD IS SLOW G TO TERMS WH THE RIGHTS OF THE LGBT MUNY, THERE ARE THOSE THAT HAVE OPENLY EMBRACED THEM AND PROVID A SAFE HAVEN FOR THOSE WHO RELISH EQUAL RIGHTS REGARDLS OF SEXUAL PREFERENC OR ORIENTATN. INED, THE UNTRI AND CI HAVE PROVID REFUGE FOR THOSE WHO HAVE FACED RIDICULE AND NMNATN THEIR OWN UNTRI AND CI.WHILE ON THE WHOLE, THE WORLD IS A MUCH MORE AMENABLE TO GAY VISORS THAN ED TO BE, THERE ARE CERTA STATNS WHERE GAYS FEEL MORE FORTABLE AND WELE THAN OTHERS. THIS ARTICLE FOC ON TEN TOP STATNS THAT AREN’T JT GAY IENDLY; THEY ACTIVELY ENURAGE GAY VISORS AND GO ALL OUT TO MAKE SURE THEY HAVE THE BT TIME EVER.WHAT IS THE GAY CAPAL OF THE WORLD? SAN FRANCIS IS UALLY THE THE PLACE MOST PEOPLE WOULD SAY IS THE GAY PAL IF ASKED, BUT IF PENDS HOW YOU FE PAL. WE REARCHED THE HIGHT GAY MUNI PER PA, BUT EVEN THE DATA FOUND IS OUTDATED AND NOT PERFECT. THE REARCH N BE BASED ON PER PA, BUT PEOPLE ARE NOT ALWAYS OPEN AND HONT WHEN SURVEYED.REARCH HAS ALSO BEEN RRIED OUT BY HOW ‘GAY IENDLY’ CI ARE WHICH IS MUCH MORE MEASURABLE.WHAT IS THE GAY CAPAL OF THE USA?THE HUMAN RIGHTS CAMPA (HRC) NS A YEARLY MUNICIPAL EQUALIY INXCI ARE RANKED BY:NON-DISCRIMATN LAWS MUNICIPAL EMPLOYMENT POLICI CLIVENS OF CY SERVIC, LAW ENFORCEMENT (CLUDG HATE CRIM REPORTG) MUNICIPAL LEARSHIP ON MATTERS OF EQUALYTHOUGH THE MA NTENRS LIKE SAN FRANCIS, NEW YORK ARE HIGHT RANKED, THERE ARE MANY OTHER CI THAT DO VERY WELL UNR THE ABOVE CRERIA. WELL DONE PHEONIX, ORLANDO AND ATLANTA!!WHAT IS THE GAYT COUNTRY EUROPE?ACRDG TO REARCH, GERMANY HAS THE LARGT LGBT MUNY EUROPE, 7.4% OF GERMANS SAID THEY INTIFIED WH LGBT.ACRDG TO RABOW EUROPE THE BT UNTRY TERMS OF GAY IENDLY LEGISLATN MALTA!BT GAY CI THE WORLD (ACRDG TO )
• WHERE IS THE GAY CAPAL OF THE WORLD? TEN FABULO CONTENRS… ?
• WHAT IS THE GAY CAPAL OF THE WORLD? THIS LIST WILL TELL YOU!
• MANILA — THE NEXT GAY CAPAL OF ASIA
• THIS COUNTRY WAS JT VOTED BT DTATN ASIA FOR GAY TRAVELLERS
• CHENGDU: CHA’S ‘GAY PAL’ REF TO FOLD
• IS TEL AVIV THE GAY PAL OF THE WORLD?

TWO-FACED THAILAND: THE UGLY SI OF 'ASIA’S GAY CAPAL'

Thailand has been marketg self recent years as a “pk” tourist statn, a untry iendly to queer travelers seekg everythg om gay go-go bars to bety pageants featurg trans women (known Thailand as “kathoey” or “ladyboys”. )And the strategy seems to be year, foreigners scend on Bangkok’s gay bars drov, and many flock to the untry’s clics to unrgo genr nfirmatn activists say this queer-iendly image is only sk ep. “There is a quote [that says] that Thai society unofficially accepts, but officially rejects, gay and lbian people, ” Anjana Suvarnananda, print of LGBT rights group Anjaree, told Phet News 2013.

”LGBT activists say, however, that the new law, though very posive, is but a small step forward for the are still no laws or polici place protectg LGBT people on the grounds of sexual orientatn Thailand, which crimalized homosexualy the 1950s.

BANGKOK GAY NIGHTLIFE

Speakg to the Bangkok Post, activist Naiyana Supapung relled a se of a gay child who tried to kill himself by drkg sectici after he was “huiated by a teacher who had orred him to stop speakg and actg like a girl.

TOP 10 GAY CAPALS FOR TRAVELAUGT 25, 2021 BY EDOR--CHIEFDPE THE FACT THAT THERE ARE STILL POLIL REGIM AND EVEN SO-LLED SOCIAL GROUPS AND RELIG ANIZATNS THAT FAIL TO PREHEND THE TE MEANG OF EQUALY REGARDLS OF WHO PEOPLE CHOOSE TO LOVE, HOW THEY CHOOSE TO LOOK PUBLIC, AND WHO THEY CHOOSE TO BE, MORE AND MORE DIVIDUALS – AND UPL – ARE NOW G OUT TO THE OPEN PUBLICLY ANNOUNCG TO THE WHOLE WORLD THEIR TE INTI. AND WHILE THE RT OF THE WORLD IS SLOW G TO TERMS WH THE RIGHTS OF THE LGBT MUNY, THERE ARE THOSE THAT HAVE OPENLY EMBRACED THEM AND PROVID A SAFE HAVEN FOR THOSE WHO RELISH EQUAL RIGHTS REGARDLS OF SEXUAL PREFERENC OR ORIENTATN. INED, THE UNTRI AND CI HAVE PROVID REFUGE FOR THOSE WHO HAVE FACED RIDICULE AND NMNATN THEIR OWN UNTRI AND CI.WHILE ON THE WHOLE, THE WORLD IS A MUCH MORE AMENABLE TO GAY VISORS THAN ED TO BE, THERE ARE CERTA STATNS WHERE GAYS FEEL MORE FORTABLE AND WELE THAN OTHERS. THIS ARTICLE FOC ON TEN TOP STATNS THAT AREN’T JT GAY IENDLY; THEY ACTIVELY ENURAGE GAY VISORS AND GO ALL OUT TO MAKE SURE THEY HAVE THE BT TIME EVER.WHAT IS THE GAY CAPAL OF THE WORLD? SAN FRANCIS IS UALLY THE THE PLACE MOST PEOPLE WOULD SAY IS THE GAY PAL IF ASKED, BUT IF PENDS HOW YOU FE PAL. WE REARCHED THE HIGHT GAY MUNI PER PA, BUT EVEN THE DATA FOUND IS OUTDATED AND NOT PERFECT. THE REARCH N BE BASED ON PER PA, BUT PEOPLE ARE NOT ALWAYS OPEN AND HONT WHEN SURVEYED.REARCH HAS ALSO BEEN RRIED OUT BY HOW ‘GAY IENDLY’ CI ARE WHICH IS MUCH MORE MEASURABLE.WHAT IS THE GAY CAPAL OF THE USA?THE HUMAN RIGHTS CAMPA (HRC) NS A YEARLY MUNICIPAL EQUALIY INXCI ARE RANKED BY:NON-DISCRIMATN LAWS MUNICIPAL EMPLOYMENT POLICI CLIVENS OF CY SERVIC, LAW ENFORCEMENT (CLUDG HATE CRIM REPORTG) MUNICIPAL LEARSHIP ON MATTERS OF EQUALYTHOUGH THE MA NTENRS LIKE SAN FRANCIS, NEW YORK ARE HIGHT RANKED, THERE ARE MANY OTHER CI THAT DO VERY WELL UNR THE ABOVE CRERIA. WELL DONE PHEONIX, ORLANDO AND ATLANTA!!WHAT IS THE GAYT COUNTRY EUROPE?ACRDG TO REARCH, GERMANY HAS THE LARGT LGBT MUNY EUROPE, 7.4% OF GERMANS SAID THEY INTIFIED WH LGBT.ACRDG TO RABOW EUROPE THE BT UNTRY TERMS OF GAY IENDLY LEGISLATN MALTA!BT GAY CI THE WORLD (ACRDG TO )

Ined, the untri and ci have provid refuge for those who have faced ridicule and nmnatn their own untri and on the whole, the world is a much more amenable to gay visors than ed to be, there are certa statns where gays feel more fortable and wele than others.

This article foc on ten top statns that aren’t jt gay iendly; they actively enurage gay visors and go all out to make sure they have the bt time is the Gay Capal of the world? Bt Gay Ci the World (acrdg to )Contents San Francis Sydney BrightonAmsterdamBerl Mexi, Puerto Vallarta Chelsea and Greenwich Village (NYC) R Prague BangkokCopenhagen: The Birthplace of Gay RightsToronto: The Bean of LGBTQ Rights San FrancisFor those who have been before, will e as no surprise to see San Francis at the top of the list.

Kemptown, or Camptown, is the heart of all, wh numero gay owned hotels, bars, fés, snas and even bookshops, and there is also a ‘Gay’s the Word’ walkg tour to enjoy. Kls Wowere, the openly gay mayor, outed himself wh the immortal words “I’m gay and that’s a good thg”, and beftg the centralised nature of the cy, there is no specific gay ghetto, and there are tablished scen throughout Berl.

WHERE IS THE GAY CAPAL OF THE WORLD? TEN FABULO CONTENRS… ?

Chelsea and Greenwich Village (NYC)The Chelsea and Greenwich Village areas of New York Cy are synonymo wh gay life, and both boast a thrivg and very ‘out there’ scene. The gay scene is fairly prolific neverthels, wh the heart of beg the bars, which more often than not have baret wh a highly mp Gay Capals than nearly ma the cut! Copenhagen: The Birthplace of Gay RightsLong before the equaly qutn me to the nscns of the global muny the early 90s, this cy well-known for s lorful history, s LEGO herage, and s Nordic cuise, pneered champng the rights of lbians, gays, bisexuals, and transgenrs when , as a natn, was the first to openly regnize same-sex relatnships or partnerships 1989.

Fast forward more than a later 2012 and openly gay upl were now able to get wed the Church, although they were only the 8th Europe and 11th the world to do so at the time.

Wh a functnal yet very edgy fashn scene, Copenhagen has been a perennial favore of world-class gay uturiers, stylists, artists, and signers who fd Denmark’s exceptnally warm and vg hospaly as major reasons for settg up shop the land.

WHAT IS THE GAY CAPAL OF THE WORLD? THIS LIST WILL TELL YOU!

Of urse, the Danish enomy and fancial astcture are one of the bt Europe and has been the blueprt for other enomi the are also an exceptnal array of gay-iendly cktail bars and boutique acmodatn that are pecially signed for same-sex partnerships.

All year round, queer events pack the lendar, further attractg tens of thoands of foreign gay visors the untry eher to partake the celebratns or to simply make a vow of loyalty and openns to their rpective partners. More than half a century later, the cy is now pockmarked wh a lot of openly gay bars and entertament tablishments cludg clubs and rtrants that are fast beg the favore of the global y muny. One n always try Café Intime, Osr Bar and Café, Vela, and Jsie at Jolene, jt to name a the tourism partment of Denmark aptly puts s advertisg mpaigns, Copenhagen is where you make iends, fall love, and make tly lastg memori regardls of whether you’re gay or not.

MANILA — THE NEXT GAY CAPAL OF ASIA

For the bt openly gay tablishments, head to Queer Wt as has an excg array of bs, f, bars, rtrants, and galleri owned and managed by gays and may not have been the first regnizg same-sex partnerships, but Toronto n hold the distctn of extendg the equaly bate to clu queer dividuals.

Studi that try to do this often look at polil or legal metrics such as eedom to marry, or laws protectg agast discrimatn.Equalx, a llaborative knowledge base for the global LGBT movement that maps the legaly of homosexualy, intifi a number of factors cludg eedom to change genr and to adopt – although hasn’t ranked untri or ci orr of bt to worst.An x om the Human Rights Campaign looks at municipal servic, law enforcement and the cy learship’s public posn on equaly across the US.Seventy-eight out of 506 US ci had a “perfect sre” of 100, for reasons such as troducg trans-clive health benefs to cy employe, as Brookgs, South Dakota. Photograph: Brigte MERLE/Getty Imag/Photononstop RF“Morn strongholds for LGBTQI culture rema wtern Europe and Canada,” says Merryn Johns, edor and chief for Curve, a lbian-foced magaze New York.Arguably the size of the LGBT populatn urban areas uld reflect the level of iendls, as “many LGBTI folk head to ci om ral areas bee of the promise of a eer, more tolerant life there,” says André du Plsis, executive director of the Internatnal Lbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans and Intersex Associatn.A study of US metro areas found San Francis has the biggt proportn of LGBT rints the untry at 6.2%, followed by Portland and At.

San Francis has often been lled the “gay pal of the world” for s culture of tolerance and vibrant scene.But even when ci seem progrsive on the surface, the lived experience of members of the LGBT muny n tell a dramatilly different story.“For a certa social strata [sic], Cape Town and Johannburg are gay mecs, but at the same time black lbians livg poor areas there are alg wh vlence and targeted rape,” says Graeme Reid, director of the LGBT rights programme at Human Rights Watch.A study 2017 found that four 10 LGBT South Ains know of someone who has been killed for “beg or spected of beg” LGBT.

THIS COUNTRY WAS JT VOTED BT DTATN ASIA FOR GAY TRAVELLERS

However, the last year has seen rerd numbers of vlent attacks agast the queer muny.Brazilian Print Jair Bolsonaro once said: ‘Y, I’m homophobic – and very proud of .’ Photograph: Evaristo Sa/AFP/Getty ImagAnd wh a newly elected far-right ernment, there are fears uld get worse.“Wh the electn of an openly homophobic print, Jair Bolsonaro, who has famoly said he would rather have a ad son than a gay son, R’s reputatn as a statn cy may falter, and vlence crease,” Reid says. “R is seen as a liberated cy, but also has high levels of [homophobic] vlence.”‘Gay Disneyland’Conversely, some untri wh backward and dangero attus to the LGBT muny, such as Iran and Sdi Arabia, discreet but vibrant unrground scen n thrive. This is even the se Rsia, where activists say two people were killed last week and nearly 40 taed, as part of a new homophobic crackdown by police the Chechnya regn.“You’ll fd a gay scene many plac that may surprise you,” says Ed Salvato, an LGBT travel expert.

“Some plac like Mosw and St Petersburghave vibrant gay muni, spe the homophobic laws there.”In Dubl, an excg scene explod out of a stnchly Catholic untry.“Dubl is like gay Disneyland now, and that wasn’t the se 20 or 30 years ago,” says Prof Andrew Reynolds, founr of the Universy of North Carola’s LGBTQ Reprentatn and Rights Rearch Iniative.“Wh the last uple of referendums, Ireland and Dubl have embraced their new prentatn as an clive, progrsive and lovg place.”When Reynolds vised Ireland 2016, many om the LGBT populatn told him stori of growg up nservative astal towns and movg away due to prejudice.

CHENGDU: CHA’S ‘GAY PAL’ REF TO FOLD

And November, Jared Polis beme the first openly gay man to be elected as a US state ernor.In Poland, one of Europe’s most Catholic and nservative untri, voters the small cy of Slupsk this year elected a gay atheist mayor, Robert Biedron. Jt a few years ago, Biedron was attacked on the streets of his cy bee of his sexualy.In Kathmandu, Nepal, Sunil Pant beme Asia’s first openly gay feral-level elected official 2008, rultg a spate of public scty.“I thk that the spoff is that Kathmandu is a lot more gay-iendly than was before,” says Reynolds.

IS TEL AVIV THE GAY PAL OF THE WORLD?

After an exhilaratg night out, relax at the Chakran Sna or Babylon, two popular men’s hangouts that feature snas, gyms, and rtrants or check to a fabulo gay hotel. Over the past few s, hundreds of bs have opened up that are specifilly targeted toward the gay muny, so no matter what you want to do on your trip, you’ll feel right at home. Although ’s not specifilly gay-foced, you’ll also want to stroll through the Red Light District, a historilly sex-posive area of town wh plenty of sex shops and fetish attractns.

There’s also tons of gay shoppg London, like Gay’s The World, a gay and lbian bookstore, or Prowler, a liftyle store where you n also fd tickets to London’s hottt gay events.