In any country in the modern world, LGBT (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender) people have hurtles to jump. Being out and open about your sexuality can be met with anything from acceptance and love, to hatred, violence, and even prison terms and execution. Every country has different dynamics and social views. In some, we can "put a ring on it" and marry the ones we love. In others, we dare not speak a word of it for fear of hatred, violence, and even prison terms and execution. The situation in America is tottering at the more positive end - every year, more people come out in support of love, and more laws pass in our favor. But bigotry stemming primarily from Christianity and other Abrahamic religions is a discomfort and even danger to many LGBT people.

Everything is ready for the wedding between Fabio and Franco, a young Italian gay couple. The announcement has been made, the guest list drawn up, the suits selected and the cake topper chosen. Yet, one important detail is missing: the location.

The possibility of celebrating in Rome, where they live, will depend on the ability of Italy’s parliament to approve a pivotal yet contentious law on same-sex civil unions.

Nearly three-quarters of Russians believe that homosexually is morally unacceptable, more than disapprove of other hot-button issues such as extramarital affairs, gambling and abortion.

The numbers come from newly released data from the Pew Research Center, which surveyed Russians on their moral attitudes in spring 2013. Russian attitudes toward homosexuality have been at the forefront given the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi. Just eight months before the games, Russia's governmental body, the Duma, passed a law making it illegal to distribute homosexual "propaganda" to minors, which includes staging gay pride events and advocating for gay rights.

The head is supported by the neck, which is made up of seven bones (vertebrae) stacked one on top of the other. The vertebrae are cushioned by discs of cartilage and bound together with ligaments. Muscles provide movement and additional support.

The neck is very mobile, as it was designed to service the eyes. Trauma, poor posture and degenerative diseases, such as arthritis, are the most common causes of neck pain. There is good evidence to show that exercise helps reduce these symptoms.

The shoulder is a ball and socket joint with a large range of movement. The shoulder joint relies heavily on the shoulder muscles for stability. Any dysfunction of these muscles or other anatomical structures, such as the collarbone, shoulder blade or joint itself, can cause pain and mobility problems.

Treatments such as physiotherapy, osteopathy or remedial massage can generally help neck and shoulder pain.

There's a lot more to the gay scene in Paris than just the Marais - so we asked the experts at The Gay Locals to come up with a list of ten things you probably didn't know about gay men in Paris.

The city’s major gay district, the Marais, is slowly turning into a boutique shopping centre with Givenchy and The Kooples next door to its many gay bars.

It’s hard not to be a bit nostalgic for the 1990s and early 2000s when the Parisian gay scene was arguably at its best. The gay community, however, has faced change before, and it’ll take more than a Prada shop to snuff out the city's gay scene – plus, who buys Prada anyway?

There’s something about Rome that can push you back into the closet. Sure, the ancients were known for a little man-on-man canoodling: One of their most celebrated emperors,Hadrian - a notorious daddy-bear type - created an entire cult around his famously beautiful companion, Antinous, who died at the tender age of 19. (Hadrian’s much-suffering wife, Sabina, can be seen scowling down in centuries-old sculptures throughout Italy, looking decidedly unsatisfied.) And in the 16th century, Tuscan-born artist Giovanni Antonio Bazzi made a name for himself while working in Baroque Rome under the nom de fresco Il Sodoma. (“Which he acquired for the obvious reasons,” a prominent Italian aristocrat once told me, her arched eyebrow audible even over the phone.)

But for a city long associated with Heralded Homosexuals of History, both purported (Michelangelo) and confirmed (Valentino), my boyfriend and I found very few visible signs of gay life during the two years we called Rome home.

A guide to Gay Berlin

Berlin will impress you, regardless of whether you’re visiting the German capital for the first time or if you’re catching up with a city that has re-invented itself after the fall of the wall in 1989. It is both modern and old, warm and cold, green and industrial, local and international. Because the city was divided in two for almost 30 years, which you will still notice today, Berlin has developed very distinctively.

With over 3.5 million inhabitants, Berlin has a rich history that dates back from the late 12th century. It has been the capital of the Kingdom of Prussia, the German Empire, the Weimar Republic, the Third Reich and is now again the capital of the re-unified Germany. Its diverse history is reflected in its architectural legacy, with representatives of almost every architectural style. Post war reconstruction and development following unification and its reinstallation as the German capital, has led to a boom in modern construction. The reconstruction of areas such as the Potsdamer Platz and the new government buildings are in strong contrast to old buildings such those seen on the boulevard Unter den Linden.

Many gay men leave the bush and head for the city, looking for love, acceptance and good times. What is life like for those who are left behind, though? Alana Valentine travelled to Broome to find out what it’s like to be a gay man in regional WA.
Ever since Jimmy Sommerville sang his plaintive falsetto anthem ‘Small Town Boy’ we’ve been familiar with gay men leaving the regional towns where they grew up and travelling to the city looking for love, liberation and an all round gay good time.

When I told a homosexual friend of mine from Sydney that I was travelling to Broome and I intended to seek out the gay community for their opinion on life in regional Australia, he could barely control his laughter. ‘I’ll be surprised if you can find anyone who will even come out to you,’ he said.

Between the popular vote to take away the marriage rights of same sex couples in California, passing of same-sex marriage bans in several states, and President elect Barack Obama including full civil unions for LGBT couples as part of this civil rights platform, there has been a lot of recent attention on same sex relationships. Opponents of marriage rights for same sex couples generally argue that it redefines marriage away from its current and "traditional" form and that children are best raised by two opposite sex parents. Advocates for allowing same sex couples the right to marry argue that marriage confers over a thousand rights that they are currently denied, like the ability to inherit property, visit a sick partner in the hospital, and provide citizenship for non-citizen spouses. See the U.S. General Accounting Office's report for the full list the 1,049 rights. Advocates also argue that children do just as well when raised by same-sex parents and that marriage provides a number of psychological and health benefits that they are currently denied.

If you’re in Australia for Mardi Gras, why not make a memorable holiday out of it by visiting some of the country’s most beautiful and queer-friendly destinations?

Sydney

The New South Wales capital has long been recognised as one of the top destinations in the world for LGBTQI travellers, and around Mardi Gras time, you’ll feel like the whole city has turned gay.

We probably don’t need to tell you that much of the party action in Sydney occurs around Oxford Street in Darlinghurst and King Street in Newtown, or that the most popular gay city beaches are at North Bondi and Tamarama. 

Instead here are some less obvious things to make your stay more memorable. If you’re looking for slightly less busy beach options, La Perouse at Little Congwong is a better place for a picnic and frolic, while Lady Jane and Obelisk beach all attract a diverse queer crowd.

Gout causes attacks of pain and swelling in one or more joints. An anti-inflammatory painkiller usually eases an attack quickly. Lifestyle factors may reduce the risk of having gout attacks. These include losing weight (if overweight), eating a healthy diet, and not drinking much alcohol or sugar-sweetened soft drinks. If gout attacks recur, then taking vitamin C supplements and/or allopurinol each day can prevent them.

What is gout and what causes it?

Gout causes attacks of painful inflammation in one or more joints. It is a type of arthritis (although it is very different to the more common rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis). The pain of a gout attack can be severe.

Gout is caused by a chemical in the blood called uric acid (urate). Uric acid is usually harmless and is made in the body. Most is passed out with the urine and some from the gut with the stools (faeces). In people with gout the amount of uric acid in the blood builds up. From time to time the level may become too high and tiny grit-like crystals of uric acid may form. The crystals typically collect in a joint. The crystals irritate the tissues in the joint to cause inflammation, swelling and pain - a gout attack.

Note: some people have a high level of uric acid but do not form crystals or have gout. Also, rarely, some people with a normal level of uric acid have gout attacks. However, as a rule, the higher the level of uric acid, the greater the chance of developing gout.

For many years Scotland just did not do gay. Homosexuality was dangerous and taboo, and it was actually against the law right up to the 1980s. So how did a country that seemed to take pride in its prejudices end up with the best gay rights in Europe?

Post-war Scotland was a deeply conservative place. In fact, half the country voted Tory in 1950 and most people attended the Kirk on a Sunday. Sex was rarely, if ever, mentioned.

If talking about the birds and bees in the 1950s was taboo then mention of the possibility of bees getting together with each other was totally forbidden.

Dr Jeff Meek, the author of Queer Voices in Post-War Scotland, says: "There was almost a bar on talking about same-sex desire."

France is one of the most centralized countries in the world and Paris is the capital of all things French. Exhibiting perhaps a tiny bit of chauvinism, Parisians divide their country into two parts: Paris and "province", the provinces. It is true, at least in terms of gay life, that the rest of France tends to follow Paris's lead. But by no means should you as a gay visitor in France limit your stay to Paris, which would be like going to the USA and only seeing New York. France with a capital "F" exists outside the Paris city limits, and is a far cry from the gay cultural desert that Parisians would have you believe.

Germany lags behind many of its western counterparts when it comes to gay rights, still maintaining tighter restrictions. As the US Supreme Court considers the constitutionality of gay marriage, The Local looks at LGBT rights in Germany.

1. Gay marriage is still not legal

Same-sex couples may enter into a civil union, which entails many of the same rights as a heterosexual marriage, but many rights have been won within individual court cases rather than by top-down legislation.

This makes Germany stand out when compared to its western European allies who have passed same-sex marriage legislation, like France and the United Kingdom.

Most of Germany’s border states have also legalized gay marriage, such as the Netherlands which passed same-sex marriage legislation nearly 15 years ago, making it the first country in the world to do so.

The vertebral column (backbone) is made up of 33 vertebrae separated by spongy disks and classified into four distinct areas. The cervical area consists of seven bony parts in the neck; the thoracic spine consists of 12 bony parts in the back area; the lumbar spine consists of five bony segments in the lower back area; five sacral bones (fused into one bone, the sacrum); and four coccygeal bones (fused into one bone, the coccyx).

Between each vertebra is a fibrous disc with a jelly-like core. These cushions of cartilage allow the body to accept and dissipate load across multiple levels in the spine and still allow for the flexibility required for performing normal activities of daily living. As the body twists, bends, flexes and extends, the intervertebral discs are constantly changing their shape.

How many people in the UK are gay, lesbian or bisexual? The Office for National Statistics reckons it's 1.5% while the Kinsey report says it's 10%. Who's right?

For every 100 people in Britain, just 1 will identify themselves as gay or lesbian according to the latest government statistics. The numbers (which include gender, location and age) may come as a surprise - but why?

1.5% of the UK?

In its 'Integrated Household Survey', the Office for National Statistics asks 178,197 people about their sexual identity - and the vast majority of them choose to answer.

93.5% of people said they were 'heterosexual' or 'straight', just 1.1% said they were 'gay' or 'lesbian' and 0.4% said they were bisexual. The small fraction that was left either refused to answer or said they didn't know. Altogether, amounts to about 545,000 homosexual and 220,000 bisexual adults in the UK.

The claim that just 1.5% of people in Britain are gay, lesbian or bisexual will come as a surprise to some - even perhaps those in government. When they were analysing the financial implications of the new Civil Partnerships Act, the Treasury estimated it was 6%. Stonewall, a gay rights charity reckon that 5-7% "is a reasonable estimate".

Northern Italy offers gay travelers everything that makes medieval Italy seductive – from the art-filled towns of the Veneto to the grand old ports of Trieste and Genoa. Tuscany has always ben the most famous and glamorous of the regions of Northern Italy. The landscape of rolling hills studded with rocket pines is some of the most beautiful in Europe. Florence and Venice are the big two tourist towns - both relatively well preserved, and overcome by tourists in summer. Milan can be a lot of fun - and has a lot more in the way of gay bars, clubs and saunas for gay travellers. And up-and-coming Umbria, as beautiful as Tuscany, offers northern italian delights at a lower price.

You have a right to feel good about yourself, no matter who you are. Feeling beautiful is something that some men may be unfamiliar with. This can be especially true for gay men, who have grown up in a society that is critical of them in a variety of ways. However, beauty basically boils down to personal presentation, confidence, and personality. Learning better personal grooming, wardrobe, and lifestyle habits can help you look and feel your best, while developing your personality, passions, and self esteem will let your true inner beauty shine.

Method 1: Embracing Your Existing Beauty

1. Work on developing your self esteem. 

Gay men, in particular, may have had years of self doubt and questioning due to living with homophobia in all its forms. This takes time and effort to shake off!

- Take the time to identify what you think is beautiful about yourself, and nurture that beauty instead of doubting it.
- You should also believe other people when they tell you you are beautiful. They are telling you the truth as they see it!

2. Fight internalized homophobia. 

It can be hard to find stereotypically "gay" aspects of your composure or personality beautiful. This is because straight society has defined these things as undesirable. Instead of falling prey to these ideas, embrace your "gay voice" or mannerisms that are stereotypically associated with gay men.

3. Focus on developing your passions and skills. 

Attractiveness may have less to do with physical traits than other character traits, such as a sense of humor or a sharp intellect. Become really good at something. Do projects or hobbies you love to do. Develop a career that is fulfilling. Having passions, skills, and pursuits makes you a more interesting, and attractive, person.

4. Don't compare yourself to others. 

It can be easy to see someone and think, "I wish I could look that good." This can be especially hard in the gay community, where looks and traditional attractiveness tends to take center stage. However, this accomplishes nothing. Instead of comparing yourself to others, embrace your own looks.
Learn to recognize your own beauty, and let the good aspects of your looks and style make you feel more confident.

5. Find a gay community that embraces your beauty. 

There is no one way to be a beautiful and attractive gay man. Some gay men find skinny, hairless men beautiful. Other gay men prefer hairy, large men. In other words, if you want to feel beautiful you don't necessarily need to change yourself. Instead, you can surround yourself with people who like you as you are!
It is undeniable that it feels good when someone else thinks you are beautiful. If you are around people that fill you with self doubt and self hatred, those people are toxic. Find other people that can see the beauty that already exists in you.

While many countries hotly debate the issue of same-sex marriage, it has been 15 years since its legalisation in the Netherlands. More than twenty countries* have followed the Dutch example.

Here, euronews takes a look back on the step-by-step process that made the Netherlands the first country in the world to introduce gay marriage, and what the situation is today.

A step-by-step process

Traditionally, Dutch society is organised around ‘pillars’, one for each group of society (Protestants, Catholics, liberals, social-democrats). Each pillar had its political party, its unions, education system and hospitals. It was “the Catholic psychiatric hospitals, facing a great number of severely depressed homosexual patients, who started to raise their voices against discrimination” explains Laurent Chambon, a French sociologist living in Amsterdam, by phone to euronews.

For Chambon, this progressive position taken by Dutch Catholics differs from the official Catholic Church view on the matter, because of the Catholics’ minority status in the Netherlands. “They are a minority and thus tend to be more progressive, similarly to the Jewish minority.”

Under the fleeting light of an autumn half-moon, an Italian medical student made his way to the top of a modern high-rise in east Rome, not far from an ancient arch built by the emperor Claudius.

From the 11th floor of the apartment block, which once housed a pasta factory, the 21-year-old could probably just discern the darkened outline of the Colosseum about a mile away. It may have been the last thing he saw.

"I'm gay," the student, identified only as Simone D., said in a note discovered after he jumped to his death. "Italy is a free country. But there are homophobes, and those like that must search their consciences."

His suicide in the early hours of Oct. 27 brought sorrow to this city, but also a tragic sense of familiarity. It was at least the third death in Rome within 12 months of a young person who had decided to end his life out of despair over being gay or over the harassment he had endured. Two months earlier, a 14-year-old boy leaped from his balcony; before that, a 15-year-old hanged himself.

For almost half a century, Georg and Dietmar have been a happy couple. But Georg knows that other gay people their age weren’t so lucky and that lives were destroyed by laws and by being ostracized by society. This is why he has committed himself to fighting for justice, with a mix of youthful energy and old-age wisdom.

65-year-old Georg smiles at me with young eyes, as I talk to him about his long-term relationship with Dietmar and ask him to give our readers some advice for a successful partnership. He feels he isn’t able to do so “since every relationship is very different and everybody has to figure out for themselves what works. You know, sometimes we ourselves are still blown away by the fact that we’ve been together for almost 44 years, and especially by how time has flown.”

He’s also happy to share that they’ve been in an open relationship for a few years now, which has been very fulfilling for both of them. However, that’s not what defines the relationship: “Our loving relationship goes way beyond sexuality,” Georg states, and Dietmar agrees.

The one vital thing is that they have so much in common after all these years. Their shared memories and experiences are continually deepening.

If you have been through people bullying you because of your sexual orientation, it can be very discouraging. These are some steps to help you deal with the bullying.

1. Explain it to them. 

Sometimes the bullying is because the person isn't properly informed about your sexuality. Explaining it could help them to understand you are the way you are, and that you can't help it.
Older people who grew up in a homophobic environment may have been raised to believe that being gay is wrong. People like your grandma may be like this. Just try to either explain it to them, or just tell them the bare minimum, and they should understand.

2. Don't react! 

Most of the time it is because they want to get a reaction from you. Just walk past and ignore them. Even if they don't go away you aren't provoking them to do anything worse.

3. Sometimes people are homophobic because of their religion. 

If this is the case, try to explain to them that you are different because you were born that way, and that it is not your fault.

Last spring the rights of same-sex couples gained recognition in a number of places throughout the world. In the United States, three states—Delaware, Minnesota, and Rhode Island—legalized same-sex marriage, while supreme courts in two heavyweights on the international scene, Brazil and Germany, struck down statutes discriminating against homosexuals in the name of equality under the law. All these places have quite different social structures and legal systems, yet gay marriage did not stir much controversy in any of them.

But it was different in France—and for regrettable reasons. To be sure, on May 18 President François Hollande did sign a law stipulating that “marriage is a contract between two persons who are either of the same sex or of a different sex.” Eleven days later, Hélène Mandroux, the mayor of Montpellier, was the first public official to wed a homosexual couple.

But what fears and turmoil the debate aroused! On May 21 the right-wing historian Dominique Venner (a former member of the OAS, the clandestine organization created to kill Charles de Gaulle in order avenge the loss of Algeria) committed suicide on the altar of the Cathedral of Notre Dame in Paris. Venner wanted, he said, to “awaken consciences” and stir them against “the erosion of European civilization.” Other opponents of the law summoned a long list of natural right and counterrevolutionary thinkers, from Thomas Aquinas to Joseph de Maistre.

Daily Dos and Don'ts for Ulcerative Colitis

When you experience an ulcerative colitis flare, it's easy to assign blame, be it on last night's spicy dinner or on that extra-large coffee. In actuality, flares are unpredictable — there are no proven triggers or foolproof ways to prevent them.

The most important thing to do if you have ulcerative colitis? "Take your medications as prescribed and work closely with your doctor to stay well," says Richard Bloomfeld, MD, a gastroenterologist and associate professor at the Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center in Winston-Salem, N.C.

However, when you're experiencing active ulcerative colitis symptoms, certain bad habits can make you feel worse or keep you from reaching remission. Avoiding these common mistakes is an important part of ulcerative colitis management.

Mistake No. 1: Skipping Medications

A variety of medications are used to treat ulcerative colitis, depending on the severity of your condition and your overall health. But it doesn't matter whether your doctor has you taking an anti-inflammatory drug, an immunosuppressant, or a combination of medications — none of them will work if you don't take them as your doctor prescribes.