Tabla de contenidos para February - March 2020 en The Advocate

ANGLESEY ISLAND Château Rhianfa Hotel on the Menai Strait is a Victorian estate home modeled on the famed 16th-century French Renaissance Chenonceau Chateau. (ChateauRhianfa.com) Dylans is a lively yet unpretentious restaurant overlooking the water at the Menai Bridge featuring everything from fresh seafood to pizzas and burgers. (DylansRestaurant.co.uk) DWYRYD Portmeirion Village Hotel and Restaurant is perhaps the most unusual hotel and dining experience in the country. (Portmeirion.wales) ST. DAVID Twr y Felin Hotel features Penrhiw Priory and Roch Castle repurposed into a luxury art hotel. The Bas Restaurant in the priory is a culinary experience unto itself. (TwrYFelinHotel.com) SAUNDERSFOOT St. Bride’s Spa Hotel is a modern luxury hotel on the beach overlooking the famed Victorian seaside village. The hotel’s Cliff Restaurant features stunning views and some of the best lamb…

CABO. To many Americans, particularly those who grew up in Southern California, those four letters can conjure iniquitous images of barely clad (and mostly straight) spring breakers sweating out tequila shots in thumping beachfront bars. Not necessarily a bad thing if you’re a horny college kid, but if you’re looking for a more authentic, refined, and grown-up experience in Baja, you don’t have to look far. The word cabo in Spanish simply means “cape”—and accurately describes the geography of the greater area known as Los Cabos, which encompasses the southern tip of the Baja California Peninsula, located in the Mexican state of Baja California Sur. Two major towns—and the 20-mile stretch of luxury beachfront resorts, properties, and world-renowned golf courses between them—drive the local economy. The more widely known of…

Founded in 2009 by four college friends—Tao Tao, Martin Sieber, Tobias Rein, and Johannes Reck (left)—GetYourGuide is transforming travel one memorable moment at a time. The app-based software makes it easier for travelers to connect with local guides to explore and experience destinations through curated tours and events. By analyzing a decade’s worth of data, GetYourGuide is also able to forecast tourist traffic patterns to help venues (and guides) distribute visitors more evenly over the business day. Last year, Fast Company listed GetYourGuide as one of its Most Innovative Companies for its impact on reducing the effects of over-tourism. Millions of people have already used the app to bring their travel dreams to life, and the company is harnessing their data to create better experiences. The idea was spawned after…

Just Hanging Around Wherever your travels take you, I swear by this portable travel hammock by Republic of Durable Goods. The Mock One has drink holders, a basket underneath it, and handy side pocket for things like phones, keys, and wallets—because nothing’s more annoying than to have to sit all your stuff on the sand beneath you when there are no tables. It’s also super simple to set up (one not-very-strong person can easily do it) and to throw in your trunk. It requires no trees or posts, and its long legs ensure a solid stance on sand, grass, mud, well, everywhere else I've tried. ($175, RepublicOfDurableGoods.com) Do Not Disturb (The Force) Frequent travelers know all too well the discomfort of being completely pooped in public spaces, far from the…

And Then We Danced, a film about gay dancers in the nation of Georgia, made international headlines last year when hundreds of masked protesters with pyrotechnics rioted outside the Amirani Cinema in the capital city of Tbilisi. Its run was cut to three short days due to the disruptions. “It’s so insane that people had to be brave in order to go see a film and risk getting beaten up or even worse,” director Levan Akin tells The Advocate. However, the Swedish filmmaker, who has Georgian-born parents, contends the protesters reflected a minority opinion toward LGBTQ people within the country. “They scream the loudest and they’re very aggressive, but I think the major population in Georgia supports this film,” Akin asserts. What got lost in the headlines were audience members…

It’s hard not to laugh at anything Josh Thomas says. The 32-year-old Australian stand-up comedian, writer, and showrunner of Freeform’s Everything’s Gonna Be Okay is honest, unpretentious, and a breath of fresh air compared with the Hollywood elitism consuming social media. In 2007, Thomas wowed international audiences with his first solo show, Please Like Me, which ultimately became a series for the Australian Broadcasting Corporation. The semi-autobiographical show was nominated for an International Emmy Award for Best Comedy Series, and was praised by critics for its humorous and realistic portrayal of dark themes like depression. Now Thomas is making a highly anticipated return to television with Freeform’s Everything’s Gonna Be Okay, which follows a trio of siblings (Thomas, Maeve Press, and Kayla Cromer) who are forced to care for each…

Children make a lot of excuses. They do a lot of judging based off of appearances. It’s troubling, particularly when it’s dinnertime. My youngest, Tristan, won’t eat meatballs for these reasons: They look boring, they’re not square, and they look like cooked zombies. Recently I was told the worst excuse ever—though it had nothing to do with food and everything to do with my oldest son, Titan, who is 7. “Miss Tiffanie,” my son’s best friend began one day while over after school. “I invited the boy down the street to come play with us. But he said he can’t be friends with Titan, because you’re a little person and he doesn’t like little people.” My heart sank. I made an excuse of my own to enter the kitchen, where…

Late last year, queer social media blew up with anticipation in response to Freeform announcing that Grey’s Anatomy’s Jake Borelli was slated to star in The Thing About Harry, a bona fide romantic comedy featuring two men falling in love. After all, despite the progress in LGBTQ visibility over the past few years—in films like Love, Simon, Booksmart, and Call Me By Your Name; and on TV, in Pose and Freeform’s own Good Trouble—an old-fashioned queer rom-com with missed connections and giant overtures has by and large eluded LGBTQ viewers. Borelli, who plays the sweet nerdy intern Levi on the long-running ABC medical drama, Grey’s Anatomy, came out publicly in 2018. He’s the perfect guy to play The Thing About Harry’s lead character Sam, a witty, intellectual gay man who…

It is 4 p.m. on a Sunday in July and the streets of the Shinjuku Ni-chōme neighborhood are empty. However, appearances are not reality. This area of Tokyo has the world’s highest concentration of gay bars (an estimated 350). But it takes a guide to find the hidden gems. I found my guide in Graham Kolbeins, the director of the documentary Queer Japan. With dyed-pink hair and an impressive beard, he leads me down a narrow alley with a concrete floor to Okamaruto. The bar is owned by Toh Ogura, also known as Margarette, a drag performer famous in Tokyo. I stand at over six feet tall and duck to enter the doorway. I find my way up a thin flight of stairs. The walls are lined with small black-and-white…

Historic, quaint, and picturesque were the descriptors that came to mind as I contemplated my upcoming trip to Wales. By the time I was on the way home, rugged and adventurous topped my list of adjectives. When I arrived in this New Jersey-sized country on the western edge of the isle of Great Britain, I had expected medieval castles, small villages complete with gentle yet noisy rivers, miles of unspoiled coastline, and an endless supply of local pubs. My expectations were quickly hurled out the window as I zip-lined over a series of quarries hundreds of feet deep in the wilds of Snowdonia. They were completely shredded and thrown to the wind as, clad in little more than a wetsuit and helmet, I jumped off a cliff into the roiling…

A unique culture exists within the bayou cities outlining the Gulf of Mexico. A mix of Mexican, Cajun, Creole, and African- and Native American traditions encapsulate a wide range of influences that have stood the tests of time, progress, and conservation. One of its brightest cities is a shining example of how design and vision come together without sacrificing heritage. Houston (dubbed the “Bayou City”) has a long-cherished Tejano culture, a mindset where Mexico and Texas merge, which continues to galvanize its residents to preserve all aspects of their shared identities. The sense of Houston’s pride and forward-thinking attitude is palpable everywhere, but it’s especially visible in the bustling food and hospitality scene. Of course, that may be due to Houston being one of the most welcoming cities for refugees.…

As I bite into a hibiscus tinga taco wrapped inside a jicama tortilla, downing a tamarind and pasilla pepper margarita, I stare into her eyes and ask again: “What’s this one?” I’m halfway through a taco and margarita tasting when the lovely younger woman across from me smiles before answering, “Zarandeado shrimp and salmon.” Though I’m certainly not on a date, every time she smiles, I think I should be. I’m at the Marriott Puerto Vallarta in the middle of its Ceviche and Tequila Bar, sampling food and drinks with a group of women we’re calling the “Traveling Fridas.” It’s a girlfriends getaway, but unlike the boozy bacchanals that make up drunken straight girl bridal trips and post-divorce getaways, like our namesake, Frida Kahlo, we’re all about the art. (And…

“Do all lovers feel like they’re inventing something?” the betrothed Heloise whispers to Marianne, the young woman hired by her mother to surreptitiously paint her portrait as a promise of her marriage to a Milanese nobleman in Portrait of a Lady on Fire. Tasked with posing as a walking companion to ultimately paint Heloise’s portrait without her knowledge because the young woman rejects the marriage, Marianne drinks in the visage of her soon-to-be lover. She pauses to take mental snapshots of the ear she will later kiss, the hands that will eventually entwine with hers and that will intimately know her. Marianne, one of a few women who painted portraiture work circa 1760, then retreats to her quarters in a remote house inhabited solely by women in Brittany (Heloise’s mother…

The recent arrest and conviction of Reynhard Sinaga, a gay serial rapist living in the United Kingdom, has ignited heated discussions around issues of prejudice and discrimination in both Western and Eastern cultures. The 36-year-old Indonesian national was found guilty of 136 counts of rape, eight counts of attempted rape, 14 counts of sexual assault, and one count of assault by penetration, against a total of 48 victims—making him the most prolific serial rapist in the U.K.’s history. Beyond the unfathomable effects this type of violent crime has on its victims and their mental and emotional health, what kind of global impact do such crimes have on the advancement of civil rights for immigrants and LGBTQ people worldwide when the perpetrator is from within these communities? Many activists argue that…

Justin Michael Williams, a dynamic author, musician, public speaker, and meditation teacher, possesses a warmth and wisdom that defies his just-over three decades on the planet. But whether Williams was born a baby Buddha or had to work hard to become a master of mindfulness who now shares stages with Deepak Chopra, he is certain of this: he was born Black and queer. His childhood wasn’t always easy in Pittsburgh, Calif., a rough suburb just outside Oakland, where he says, “There’s gunshot holes outside of the house I grew up in.” Looking back, his parents “did the best they could” and gave him “a lot of love,” but he also recalls feeling isolated, shamed, and bullied for being different. “The challenges of being a young, queer, Black boy, you know,…

The Spa at the Mandarin Oriental in Tokyo bills itself as “a heavenly space in the sky” and “an ethereal journey.” This is no exaggeration. Floating 37 stories above the Japanese capital, the spa boasts some of the city’s best views—a stretch of buildings during the day, a stunning sunset, and a sea of lights at night. Guests are invited to arrive one hour before their scheduled appointment in order to enjoy these views from the sauna and dipping pools, which face a glass wall with Tokyo’s twinkling portrait. During a Tuesday evening visit in July, this reporter had the area to himself and took advantage of these facilities, as well as a steam room and showers. Clothes and shoes are checked into a locker and swapped for a yukata…

While South Beach and Key West garner more attention, Fort Lauderdale has been vying for the title of Florida’s most LGBTQ-welcoming city for decades. The city held it’s first Pride celebration in 1977, which was born—like the queer rights movement itself—from anger rather than celebration, in an outpouring of protestation following a successful state referendum that overturned Miami-Dade County’s landmark gay rights ordinance. That history is one reason why, when establishing what is now the largest LGBTQ circulating library in the U.S., the community named it Stonewall National Museum and Archives, to carry on the commitment to social change. This year, Fort Lauderdale will reiterate that commitment as it hosts the first Pride of the Americas, April 21-26. The event, a combination Pride celebration and a multi-track conference, is expected…

A decade ago, Lucy Hale began her run on a little juggernaut that centered female friendship and a gay leading character as part of the quartet of teens who faced an omniscient cyberbully for seven seasons on Pretty Little Liars. Now she’s back as the titular character on The CW’s aspirational Riverdale spin-off Katy Keene from creator-showrunner Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa. In it, Katy is a hopeful fashion designer who places her career aspirations and friendships with her squad (which includes two queer characters) above romance. “What I loved about PLL and what I love about Katy Keene is that there’s space for everyone. Why not encourage everyone to be their best self?” Hale says. Shows with solidarity among women and LGBTQ visibility have proliferated over the past decade, but Katy Keene…

MATTHEW LOPEZ IS all smiles as he sits contentedly on a couch backstage during a rehearsal of The Inheritance, his latest play and the first to make it on Broadway. It’s October 2019, and the energy leading into the show’s November opening is high. But this kind of anticipation isn’t new for theater people like Lopez. After The Inheritance opened to positive reviews in London—winning 2019 Laurence Olivier Awards for Best Play, Best Lighting (Jon Clark), Best Director (Stephen Daldry), and Best Actor (Kyle Soller)—audiences knew it would bring something special when it arrived in New York City. They were right. Based loosely on Howards End by E.M. Forster, the gay author of novels like A Room With a View and Maurice who remained closeted his entire career, The Inheritance…