Autumn 2024. Ten years after my first trip to Seoul in 2014, I am returning to the Republic of Korea, better known as South Korea. Not solo this time, but with Oriol, who has never been to Korea. On the itinerary: flying with Qatar Airways to Incheon via Doha, the capital Seoul, the historic city…
Tag: United Arab Emirates
UPDATE | 65 countries where gay sex is illegal in 2025
The tally of countries with anti-homosexuality laws has again risen to 65 with last month’s official publication of a homophobic new penal code in Mali in West Africa, Erasing 76 Crimes reports. This means that in January 2025, 65 countries (and other entities) criminalise gay sex.
Dubai: embracing the artificial
With nearly 17 million visitors in 2023 Dubai is the third most visited city in the world. I am a regular viewer of the European edition of CNN, a channel on which Dubai is often promoted as a tourist destination. This and my urge to travel to new places brought me to Dubai. It’s a…
ANTWERP | Jewelry Days on 30 November and 1 December 2024
Coming weekend, the Antwerp Diamond Exchange is hosting the Jewelry Days, aimed at promoting the diamond and jewelry market in Antwerp.
European Union, Switzerland, Iceland, Norway, Liechtenstein introduce European Travel Information and Authorisation System (ETIAS) from May 2025
On 14 September 2024, the European Union launched its website for ETIAS, the European Travel Information and Authorisation System. The scheme will start being applied from May 2025.
United Kingdom introduces mandatory Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) for US, Canada, Australia, EU citizens from 2025
The Government of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is expanding its Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) scheme to citizens of the European Union. Applying for the British ETA will cost you 10 pounds sterling.
FLEVOLAND | Lelystad
From December 2024, the Benelux train Brussels in Belgium to Amsterdam in the Netherlands will not terminate at Amsterdam Central Station, but at Amsterdam South (Zuid). There the Brusselaar or Amsterdammer will become a domestic train to Lelystad. An excuse for Danny and I to travel all the way to the province of Flevoland to…
ILGA WORLD | Despite more legal protections for LGBTI people, stark opposition has been a recurring theme in debates in every UN member State
‘Laws on Us‘ is the new landmark report by worldwide LGBTQIA+ advocacy organisation ILGA World, mapping laws affecting LGBTI communities across the world. Together with the ILGA World Database, it follows in the footsteps of previous landmark reports by the organisation, namely, the ‘State-Sponsored Homophobia‘ and the ‘Trans Legal Mapping Report‘, and equally encompasses issues…
UPDATE | 64 countries where gay sex is illegal
On 22 April 2024, the High Court of Dominica in the island nation of Dominica in the Caribbean struck down its ant-sodomy law. Time for an update. Both ILGA World and Erasing 76 Crimes count the countries and US states which have laws against gay sex. Spoiler alert: the number of countries criminalising gay sex…
Grindr Unwrapped: Belgium and the Netherlands are lands of leather men and twinks
December is the time of the year for lists and recaps and gay dating hookup app Grindr did just that. It tells us some semi interesting facts about typical or not queer destinations we (don’t) go to.