Justin Ocean

Photo: Flickr/simonsun08

Happy Holiday Homos! We at OutTraveler are off today, and so should you be. Have a picnic or BBQ, hit the beach, go for a jog, call the buds over for a construction project, take your bike out for a spin, catch some rays by the pool, or join in one of our country's numerous events and festivals that have Independance Day Gone Gay.

In honor of our nation's birth, and today being Hump Day, we've scoured from sea to shining sea the hive brain voyuers at Tap That Guy to find guys engaging in July 4th-appropriate activities -- and their birthday suits. God Bless America.

Shameless patriotism after the jump. (You're welcome.)

The fashion industry would not be the same if it weren’t for iconic French designer Jean Paul Gaultier. After premiering his first ready-to-wear collection in 1976 he went on to become an icon in French couture designs. Finally, they have made their way to the U.S. in an up-close-and-personal museum exhibit at the de Young Museum in San Francisco.

The openly gay Gaultier uses his designs to tackle gender and transgender issues through androgynous, gender-bending styles, meanwhile delving even further into some of the darker areas of the sexual revolution. Always provocative, he addresses issues of multiculturalism by bringing ethnic diversity to the Paris runway. Despite the gritty and sometimes controversial context of his collections, the clothes remain beautiful, superbly crafted with the finest dressmaking and detailing skills.

Facebook might have paid $1 billion for Instagram, but Pixable just made it priceless. The new photo inbox app collects pictures from social networks like Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, and then delivers them to your phone or into a live online slideshow based on what's most relevant. As far as our gay travel lives are concerned, that means one thing this time of year: PRIDE.

Check out the slideshow above, which culls everything with the hashtag #pride and sorts it based on popularlity (in this case, the number of re-tweets). So even if you weren't able to see the sashay down Fifth Avenue in New York this past Sunday, you can catch up here -- and everywhere. Check our Pride Calendar to know when to check back here and get your geographical fix.

Germany's greatest reunification since Berlin

Although we're not totally admitting to spending our youthful energies debating the dorky allure of Michael versus twink-tastic Justin (don't even get us started on Brian!) we're not going to deny it either. Not sure what we mean? Then this post isn't for you. But for those of you who were weened on Showtime's groundbreaking gay soap opera, Queer as Folk, and still think of Babylon whenever they enter an untsa-untsa gay club, take note: the ultimate QaF fan convention -- curiously named Rise'n' Shine -- is coming to Cologne, Germany this weekend.

Whether you roasted yourself to a crisp or kept it classy with the SPF, Memorial Day taught us all one thing: we need more beach in our life. And thanks to Casa Cupula in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, that need might soon be filled. Enter here through tomorrow to win a free weekend stay the boutique gay resort! Name, contact info, and send. Simple as pie.

And before you know it, you too may be chilling out in design-forward beachy bliss. Located appropriately enough on El Callejon de Igualidad (the Alley of Equality), just a 10-minute walk from the gay Blue Chairs Beach and the nightlife hot spots of Zona Romantica, Casa Cupula is close to all the action while providing the exclusivity of a hillside hideaway. Amenities include a clothing-optional heated pool (three pools in all), Jacuzzis, a home theater in every room, a gym, a spa, and a delicious restaurant which opened last year. Think the intimacy of a B&B with the service level of a high-end resort. 

Check out our Three Gay Days: Puerto Vallarta for more travel info. And visit CasaCupula.com to enter. Next drawing May 31, 2012.

Want to party in South Beach this June but don’t want to deal with packing and pat downs (the unwanted kind)? Or heading to NYC for Pride and wishing it was just a bit more beachy?

Well you’re in luck -- Lords South Beach, named one of the country's best hotels, will be taking up residence in Paul Stallings’s über-mod Hotel on Rivington and is bringing the Miami with it. Lords New York, a first-of-its-kind pop-up hotel concept, launches in time for NYC Pride week, June 18-30, and will offer the South Beach experience on the Lower East Side, from imported keycards to visiting staff. The lobby will be painted Ocean Drive hot pink, feature an inflatable version of the Lords South Beach mascot, a nine-foot fiberglass polar bear, and work by gay artists including Ricardo Bellino, known for his Nespresso cup portraits. Guests will also receive gift bags containing swag from Babeland toys, Perrier, and Out magazine.

Sequin season is upon us -- just check our Pride Calendar.

By now you’ve probably sworn off carbs, picked out an outfit and a back-up outfit, and hit the gym like it’s your job, all just in case you meet that certain someone. But, wouldn’t the romance be better with a really sexy accent? Well, thanks to Hilton Hotels and their WorldPride 2012 Giveaway that tall, dark, handsome, stranger could be British.

Hilton Hotels is offering you the chance to be a VIP at London’s biggest pride celebration ever and it’s all free: two round-trip airfare tickets, two nights (July 6 – July 8) at the five-star Waldorf Hilton two VIP tickets to WorldPride 2012, and a one year digital subscription to our big bro, Out magazine.

All you have to do, is enter. Link below.

Can you believe, it's been nearly a year since New York State legalized gay marriage, effectively doubling the amount of U.S. citizens eligible to tie the knot? Neither can we, and neither can NYC & Company, NYC's tourism organization, which just released it's two-month game plan to welcome even more visitors from around the world to experience firsthand the diversity, excitement and history that comes with New York City’s LGBT heritage. From the annual flagship Heritage of Pride events taking place June 16–24 in Manhattan to other celebratory events in The Bronx, Brooklyn, Queens and Staten Island throughout June and July, the City is brimming with gay pride activity. Highlights below:

Manhattan

NYC Pride put on by Heritage of Pride take place June 16-24 with a theme of “Share the Love”. 
·        The Rally (Saturday, June 16, 3–6pm at the East River Bandshell at FDR and Houston) will feature well-known performers and motivational speakers from the LGBT community to kick off this year's Pride Week events. The event is free and open to the public; no tickets are necessary.
·        Rapture on the River: A Women's Dance (Saturday, June 23, 4–11pm, Pier 57 at 15th Street and West Side Highway – Hudson River Park) has decided to supersize this year’s version with an extended edition, adding three hours to the event to create a day-to-night party that won’t disappoint. Tickets go on sale May 1. Event venue is enclosed.
·        The March (Sunday, June 24; step-off begins at noon,starts at 36th Street and Fifth Avenue, ends at Christopher and Greenwich Streets), which began as a civil rights demonstration the year after the Stonewall Riots, is now also a celebration of gay rights as well as recognition of causes, such as the fight against AIDS. For smaller crowds, visitors should watch anywhere from the teens to the 30s on Fifth Avenue, and for larger crowds and high energy, anywhere in the Village is ideal. This event is free and open to the public; no tickets are necessary.
·        PrideFest (Sunday, June 24, 11am–7pm, Hudson Street between Abingdon Square and West 14th Street), the annual LGBT street fair, brings together local residents and families, community leaders, area business owners, and visitors for a day of fun and celebration. The event is free and open to the public; no tickets are necessary.
·        Dance on the Pier: Dance 26 (Sunday, June 24, 8pm–2am),Pier 57 at 15th Street and West Side Highway), featuring the Perry Twins and Boris, will culminate in a fireworks display at 10:30pm. All proceeds from the Dance on the Pier will benefit NYC's LGBT Pride Week events and community organizations. Event venue is enclosed.

Staten Island 

Celebrate the annual Staten Island LGBT Parade & Festival on Saturday, June 2, from noon to 5 pm at Tompkinsville Park. Check  for more details.
 

Queens

Celebrate the 20th anniversary of Queens Pride at the Queens Pride Parade & Multicultural Festival, on Sunday, June 3, in Jackson Heights. The parade begins at noon, going down 37th Avenue from 84th Street to 75th Street), and will feature special guests, including the cast of Wicked. A festival will take place from 11am to 6pm at 75th Avenue and 37th Road. 
 

Brooklyn

On Saturday, June 9, starting at 9am, celebrate the 16th annual Brooklyn Pride at Bartel-Pritchard Circle, 15th Street and Prospect Park West, at Prospect Park. The theme is “Pride Links Us Together.” 
Event highlights include: 
·        Pride 5K Fun Run (registration begins at 8am; run starts at 9am)
·        Multicultural Festival (11am–6pm)
·        Kids Space (noon–4pm)
·        Pride Happy Hour – participating restaurants along Fifth Avenue (details to be later announced)
·        Night Pride Parade (on Fifth Avenue from 14th Street to Sterling Place; 7:30pm kick-off; the first “Night Time Parade” in the Northeast

The Bronx

Bronx Pride Festival is tentatively scheduled for Saturday, July 21, from noon to 6pm at Crotona Park (Claremont Parkway and Crotona Avenue). The event will also feature a festival that will include entertainment, a health fair, food and memorabilia.

Check out NYCgo.com/pride for a full listing of pride events throughout the city and NYCgo.com/gay for info on NYC’s LGBT history and offerings, as well as the “NYC I DO” initiatve to encourage more marriages in the City. If you're in the mood to party, weekly listings and culture bible Next Magazine has you covered.

Checking in with Out’s correspondents as they crisscross the world...

Who: Carlos Mayor, a Barcelona-based literary translator and journalist (www.CarlosMayor.com), February-March 2012.

Where I Went: Nicaragua, the biggest country in Central America, full of colorful and fascinating places with amazing natural beauty—colonial Granada, isolated white-sanded Playa Tamarindo, Ometepe island with its twin volcanoes, natural parks and reserves, and the charismatic little villages around Masaya.

Of the transportation trifecta -- trains, planes, and automobiles -- Switzerland particularly wins in the train category. So it's no surprise that its latest campaign to call attention to its serious breathtaking natural wonders and the fun of riding the rails, centers not on a thin-eyebrowed harlot, but on a subway car.

All aboard the S Train!

From now till May 12, everyday commuters and tourists that ride New York City's S Train, the subway shuttle that runs on a 0.8-mi route in a blistering 1 minute between Times Square and Grand Central Station, are greeted with cars plastered in images of the stunning countryside. On the outside. On the walls. Even on the seats. 

You can consider it a moment of "ahhhh" -- and also an invitation.

Each week, airline tickets, rail passes, and other prizes are up for grabs. All you have to do is answer some Swiss trivia questions. Enter here. Drawings will be held April 23, April 30, May 7 and May 14, 2012.

Not yer mamma's wedding cake

Here’s the tally: Seven states and the District of Columbia recognize gay marriage, with another 11 recognizing civil partnerships. Prop 18 has been declared unconstitutional, and a Supreme Court showdown seems likely. Progress is clear and the ultimate showdown in the wedding wars is on the horizon: planning the damn things! Especially when you're considering the destination sort.

Might we suggest a ceremony with a Velociraptor?

Pride is right around the corner, and that can only mean one thing: You'll need to figure out where you're going to sleep. I mean, let's be real: Between all the dancing and drinking, passing out in a gutter or on a bartop is an option, but let's keep it classy. That's where The Hilton comes in. Hilton Hotels & Resorts, the flagship brand of Hilton Worldwide, recently announced the "Stay Hilton. Go Out" package for those planning on traveling for Pride this summer.

The offer — which includes reduced room rates (about 10%), double Hilton HHonors points, free high-speed Internet, late checkout when available and a free one-year digital subscription to yours truly, Out Magazine — will be available at 140 Hilton properties worldwide. (I know you're especially eyeing that late-checkout part, right? Perfect if you have a hangover.)

And that's not all: Today through April 29, those who visit Hilton.com/GoOut can enter to win a trip to Gay Days Orlando (May 29 - June 4), which includes round-trip airfare for two people, a six-night stay at Hilton Orlando, and VIP passes to all Gay Day events. No purchase necessary but you need to be a Hilton HHonors member; sign-up is free.

So what are you waiting for? Book those rooms and sign up for the sweepstakes!