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Cheapflights.com Celebrates Gay Pride Month


BOSTON–(BUSINESS WIRE)–It’s time to kick up your heels and be “Mary!” The month of June not only marks the official start of summer, but also commemorates the anniversary of the modern gay rights movement. Cities across the globe take this opportunity to celebrate freedom and equality for everyone regardless of their sexual orientation.

From parades with lavish floats to family-oriented picnics in the park, dozens of major cities play host to gay pride festivities each year, with many taking place next month. Cheapflights.com wants to help revelers commemorate Gay Pride Month by spotlighting some of the best events — large and small — taking place across America.

“Gay pride festivals and parades are some of the most colorful and unique ways to experience a city’s culture,” said Carl Schwartz, chief travel officer for Cheapflights.com. “Most major metropolitan centers celebrate gay pride throughout the month of June and there are some great travel deals available.”

Tips to Celebrate Gay Pride Month

  • Plan ahead. If you’re visiting a large gay pride celebration like those in New York, Los Angeles or San Francisco, now is the time to book your airfare and hotel accommodations. Also, be sure to look for special last-minute airfare deals on Web sites such as Cheapflights.com which offer a number of money-saving ways to reach your destination. For example, round-trip airfares between Boston and San Francisco can be purchased for as low as $270, while Baltimore-New York fares are $170 and flights from Atlanta to Los Angeles are $285.
  • Book with a trusted resource. Like any type of travel, it’s important to book with a company or organization that understands your needs and what you’re looking to get out of your experience. Many cruises, tours and vacation packages focus specifically on gay tourists, ensuring that hotels and resorts are gay friendly and avoiding any awkward situations.
  • Venture outside the box. Instead of celebrating the same way you did last year — whether it was by attending a large, weeklong series of events or a smaller one-day affair — consider a change of pace by checking out a nearby city or town that celebrates in its own way. After all, celebrating your uniqueness is what it’s all about.

Gay Pride Festivals

  • Major Pride Festivals in June: Among the North American cities that will host gay pride festivals in June are New York, Chicago, Boston and Philadelphia in the East and Denver, Seattle, San Francisco and Los Angeles in the West. Multiple events take place over the course of several days and typically feature activities geared for single travelers as well as couples and families.
  • Additional 2008 Pride Celebrations: If you’re unable to attend the June celebrations, consider taking part in other major events throughout the summer in cities such as Atlanta and San Diego in July, Vancouver and New Orleans in August, and Dallas in September. From live concerts and dance parties to thought-provoking art exhibits, poetry readings and theater performances, these and other cities around the country show their pride in many different ways.
  • Lesser-Known Festivals: Not all pride celebrations are made up of tens of thousands of partiers descending on the country’s largest cities. Many “small-town” events are more people-focused and allow participants to experience specific interests which take place throughout the year. Gay pride activities are scheduled in cities like Salt Lake City, Utah (June 6-8), Austin, Texas (June 14), Portland, Oregon (June 14-15) and Bloomington, Indiana, which will host its annual GLBT Film Festival event the last weekend of January, 2009.

For more information, visit the Cheapflights.com Gay and Lesbian Travel Tips page at www.cheapflights.com/travel-tips/gay-and-lesbian-travel/.

Cheapflights.com gives gay pride gurus who are flexible with their travel schedules and destination choices the opportunity to score cheap flight deals to celebrations near and far. The site’s unique destination-first model uses a simple “From” and “To” search model, so there’s no need to always worry about specific dates and times to slow you down.

About Cheapflights.com

Cheapflights.com is the best place to find cheap flight deals and up-to-date travel information. As a leading U.S. travel search engine, the site publishes one of the largest selections of airfare deals available online from a huge range of flight providers. Every day, travelers can search more than one million flight deals from both traditional and low-cost airlines, as well as smaller specialty-travel providers, plus handpicked deals and flight offers exclusive to Cheapflights.com. The site’s Useful Flight Tools section and Flight News blog are packed with travel tips, news and information to help flyers enjoy the best possible travel experience, every time they fly.


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