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Hello hello — happy Sunday! We're spending this weekend in Brussels (waffles strictly for research purposes), so keep an eye out for our gay guide to Belgium. Here's what's on tap:
🎄 The 11 gayest Christmas markets in the world
🍃 Our favorite CBD brand is 50% off
🛷 Sleigh the Rhine with Two Bad Tourists for Christmas 2027
✈️ Alaska Airlines fall flights sale covers Boston to Hawaii
🚨 Cops raided a gay bar weeks before Asia's biggest Pride
👀 And: steamy photos from RU5H, the "sex-progressive" gay cruise
Plus: all the latest in gay travel news. Let's get into it. 👇
The 11 GAYEST Christmas Markets in the World
Mulled wine, drag queens, and a guy in a Santa hat who is definitely on Grindr. Welcome to Christmas market season, gay edition.
Cologne's Heavenue (Nov 16 – Dec 23) comes with an XXL Glühwein palace and drag bingo. Munich's Pink Christmas, the OG queer market, turns 21 this year in the Glockenbachviertel. And Berlin's Christmas Avenue sits right under the U-Bahn tracks at Nollendorfplatz, so you come up the stairs straight into the Glühwein.
The markets open mid-to-late November and German market weekends fill up FAST, so now's the time to book.
The CBD Brand that Actually Does What It Says
CBD is having a moment and CBD brands are everywhere right now. But with so many options, it can be tough to know what to look for – and which brands actually follow through on their claims.
That’s where CBDistillery sets itself apart. For the past decade, all of CBDistillery's products have been made with non-GMO, US-grown industrial hemp and with 100% clean ingredients – no corn syrup or artificial colors, flavors, preservatives or sweeteners.
They frequently introduce new and innovative products formulated to meet a variety of wellness needs and customer preferences. And every single batch of CBDistillery’s gummies, oil tinctures, topicals and softgels are tested by an independent, accredited lab to make sure what’s in the package matches what’s on the label.
Right now, CBDistillery is offering our readers a special deal: save 50% on orders of $75 or more with code NEWS50!
Sleigh the Rhine with Two Bad Tourists for Christmas 2027
Our friends at Two Bad Tourists are giving Christmas a queer little makeover in 2027 with their Christmas Magic Along the Rhine river cruise from December 20–27, 2027.
Sail through Germany, France and Switzerland with a group of LGBTQ+ travelers, visiting storybook towns, festive Christmas markets, castles and cathedrals along the way.
The journey starts in Düsseldorf and includes stops in Koblenz, Cochem, Rüdesheim, Speyer, Strasbourg, Breisach and Basel, with Christmas Eve spent in Speyer beneath its illuminated Imperial Cathedral. Your home for the week is VIVA MOMENTS, where an open bar, gourmet meals, high tea, Wi-Fi, onboard entertainment and shore excursions are all included, plus group cocktail hours, dinners and activities hosted by Two Bad Tourists.
With 130+ 5-star reviews across TripAdvisor and Google, they know how to bring LGBTQ+ travelers together. So forget the usual holiday routine and spend Christmas markets by day, an open bar by night, and a very gay Christmas adventure along the Rhine.
Your fall escape awaits
Mountain air, city lights or somewhere new? There's still time to make your fall plans take flight with Alaska Airlines. See the fall foliage in Boston, sip cider in Seattle, or swap your flannel for a swimsuit and head to Hawai'i.
Subject to availability. Terms and conditions apply.
Taipei cops RAIDED a gay bar 4 weeks before Asia's biggest Pride
Photo: Lei Kuang / CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Taipei throws the biggest Pride party in East Asia. Four weeks before this year's, the city's cops spent a Saturday afternoon raiding a gay bar.
Last week, police walked into Commander D, a BDSM-themed gay bar in Ximending, with a search warrant. The raid ran about five hours.
51 customers were taken in for questioning under a public-decency law, the owner was arrested, and the big haul was… used condoms. At a gay bar. On a Saturday. Crime of the century!
Then the audio leaked of an officer mocking a disabled customer, six cops got disciplined, about 100 people marched from the Red House to the police station, and the mayor (up for re-election next month, funny timing) apologized.
So if you've got flights booked for Taiwan Pride on Saturday, October 31, do you cancel?
We break down what the law actually targets, what to carry, what to do if police show up, and the after-parade spot where 10–15 gay bars share one courtyard.
Travel News for Gays on the Go
What's worth knowing in queer travel this week — from major headlines to the best finds worth your clicks.
⚖️ Queer Politics & Rights
Ahead of the midterms, Meta is paying at least 29 anti-LGBTQ accounts for their posts, including the vile ‘Libs of TikTok’ account. Vote accordingly.
Hungary's new government just repealed Orbán's 2021 anti-LGBTQ+ "promotion" law, 139–51 (the Pride-march ban fallout isn't settled yet, so watch this space before booking Budapest Pride)
Florida's DEI crackdown just cost Fort Lauderdale's Stonewall National Museum its county funding — even after it scrubbed the word "LGBTQ+" from the application. In Florida this winter? Go visit and buy something.
Delta pushed its new Atlanta–Riyadh nonstop to at least March 2027 after deadly strikes on Riyadh's airport (and a reminder that Saudi Arabia still lists the death penalty for same-sex activity — #pass)
Ronan Farrow's new investigation goes after Grindr training its AI on your photos and taps by default (pronounced "gay-eye," sadly). Go flip the opt-out in Privacy Settings before your next trip.
Chick-fil-A's CEO was asked about LGBTQ+ equality on Today and danced around it like a Sunday closure. Airport food court gays, choose wisely.
A Jersey City gay bar fired its trivia host for crowning a team name that joked about an alleged sexual assault. Correct answer, Pint.
This restaurant offers Pay What You Can dining, and just 2 months in, it's a huge success
🏳️🌈 Travel Inspiration
Heading home for the holidays? Thanksgiving fares are up about 31% this year. The cheapest day to fly out is Monday, Nov. 23 — and Sunday the 29th is the one to avoid. Book now, cry less.
Out Adventures just added six gay group tours for 2028, from a Baja gay expedition cruise to Sicily and the Kerry Way.
Key West's Fantasy Fest is on now through Oct 25, with the parade Saturday the 24th. This year's theme is "Musical Icons and Iconic Musicals," so expect a LOT of Elphabas.
📈 Culture & Visibility Wins
Pedro Pascal and his trans sister Lux hugged it out on the red carpet at the London Film Festival. Protect them both.
28 years on, Matthew Shepard's friends look back on his life and the fight it started
The LGBTQ+ climate isn't sending people back into the closet — it's doing the opposite. Love that for us.
💋 Sexy Stuff
The photos are in from RU5H, the self-described "sex-progressive" gay cruise that sailed to Nassau with live shows on the pool deck (yes, THOSE kinds of shows). Bring sunscreen. Everywhere.
The Red, White & Royal Wedding sequel just got an R rating for "sexual content/nudity". The monarchy has never been more relevant.
Season 2 isn't until spring, but the gays are already planning a very Heated Rivalry Halloween 🏒
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Q&A Time:
Last time, we asked: Do you prefer to cruise in-person or use the apps?
87.5% of you said in-person — 12.5% said the apps. Eye contact is SO back:
"keep it real ……..the first look …… the lingering look …. it’s on" — xtn.jn — sameeee
"People are flakes on the apps. If you are there in person, then it is a matter of two consenting people who are real and in the moment." — samclary — all of this
"Easier to cut through the BS and directly engage with the person." — devi3ant
"Real time, face to face" — cjbourdony
This week, we want to know:
Where are you spending Halloween this year?
That's all for this week — thanks for reading — we'll see you next week 😘😘