Outbyowner.com's travel blog: We're goin places

What Exactly is Gay Friendly

outbyowner — Fri, 09 Feb 2007 09:10:47 +0000

How many times have you heard “We’re Gay friendly?” I was having lunch the other day at the Liberty Cafe with Alison Terry-Evans , founder of San Francisco’s Hillgirlz.com. Great site. At one point we began to talk about the LGBT travel industry. Over the years there’s been an explosion of travel related services focusing on the LGBT community. LGBT travel is a $54 billion dollar industry. That’s a lot of moola. So, it’s no surprise that corporations who have historically ignored the LGBT community are now creating programs to attract this lucrative market. They use phrases like we’re gay friendly. I hadn’t given it much thought as I was just happy to feel apart of and to feel validated by the corporate establishment. Maybe now I would not have to field questions like two double beds or one king? Yet, I seriously started thinking well what exactly does Gay friendly mean? Well let’s see. It could mean that we believe all persons are entitled to the priviledges granted to all Americans regardless of sexual preference. It could mean that we believe all people are created equal regardless of sexual preference. It could mean you have a lot of moola and we want it. We’ve mastered the art of persuasive marketing and we’ll do whatever we have to in order to get a piece of the fat ass $54 billion dollar pie. We haven’t really supported you as community but we realize that many of you have a tremendous amount of disposable income. We realize that many of you love to travel. So, we’ve had a change of heart and come to our senses. It pays to be Gay friendly. But what is gay friendly. Well were hoping that it embodies more than an add campaign to target gay dollars. We’re hoping that it reflects a corporate belief and philosophy in the value of all humans regardless of gender preferences. We’re hoping that gay friendly extends beyond the bottom line to a real presence in corporate giving, hiring and management. We’re still not really sure what is gay friendly but one thing we are sure of is that we know it when we feel it.

Where in the world . . .

outbyowner — Fri, 09 Feb 2007 08:31:51 +0000

Can you guess

Garden of Eden: Costa Rica

outbyowner — Sun, 21 Jan 2007 10:28:31 +0000

What an amazingly beautiful country. Costa Rica is an adventure traveler’s paradise. Although the rumblings of tourism have increased steadily over the last five years there are still places to be discovered. You better go soon. Costa Rica is still the Garden of Eden.

From Costa Rica 2006

Welcome to Outbyowner.com January 15, 2007. I can’t think of anything I’d rather do than travel the globe. I always feel like I’m discovering new worlds, learning about new and old cultures. Always, no matter what, I am often reminded of just how fortunate I am to be living in a country with such prosperity. Traveling, besides recharging my batteries, quenches my sense of adventure and my thirst for excitement. I have dove with manta rays in the pacific ocean at night, zipped lined across the jungles, stood atop the jungle canopy in Tikal, walked the ruins of Angor wat, traded shoes for rugs in Morocco. I have strolled the maze like environs of the souks in Marrakesh, ridden motorcycles in the streets of Ho Chi Minh city and eaten things I never thought I’d eat. I have stood atop the Great wall, and marveled at a creation that cannot be expressed in words. I have enjoyed every minute of it. I dream of Everest, Tibet, Macchu Pichu, the great barrier reef, the Sahara. I just got back from a month in Costa Rica where fui a la esculea, COSI por una mes. Estuve estudiando espanol. When not in school my temporary address was Manuel Antonio beach. Monkeys, sloths, butterflys, horses and beaches abound. What an amazingly beautiful and raw country. Tourism, although taking hold like wild bamboo has not entirely rob Costa Rica of it’s culture. Visit now. I found the ticos and the expats alike to be exceedingly helpful and friendly. Mono Azul, on the main road to Manuel Antonio was fantastic. Besides having daily 12 step meetings there, they have a small size hotel, clean and accomodating. They can schedule outings, tell you where to go and where not to go. But of course your are wondering what was it like to be “out and about” as a lesbian. Well, the living is easy. Seems, atleast, in Quepos and Manuel Antonio little attention is wasted on gender preference. There is a strong a thriving LGBT community in Costa Rica. Check out Gaia Hotel and Game Reserve, one of the only 5 star luxury accomodations in the area and LGBT friendly. Happy travels.