Gay Tel Aviv (from Cleveland Indy Media Center)

NEW YORK - Tel Aviv welcomes gay tourists

It's not the first image that comes to mind when you think of the Middle East.

Thousands of gay people and their supporters marching through streets decorated with rainbow flags to a beach packed for a gay pride festival. But that was the scene last weekend in Tel Aviv as Israel's Mediterranean metropolis greeted its 11th Pride celebration that is coinciding this year with the city's 100th birthday.

Tel Aviv is one of the most gay-friendly cites in the world. Although there are no official numbers, estimates put the gay population at anywhere from 15 percent to 30 percent. The city's population is estimated at 391,000.

That political clout has translated into the city building and fully funding its LGBT center and footing the bill for the Pride parade. Tel Aviv's mayor, Ron Huldai, told the Bay Area Reporter last week that his city very much welcomes gay tourism.

When hearing that this reporter was from San Francisco, Huldai said, "You are the capital of the [gay] community."

When asked if he had ever been to San Francisco, Huldai, said, "Yes, I like San Francisco very much."

Gays in Tel Aviv are not only protected by the city government, but by the Israeli government.

Read the Full Story：Cleveland Indy Media Center

Flomax linked to cataract surgery complications (from www.reuters.com)

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Older men who take tamsulosin -- better known by the brand name Flomax -- for BPH or benign prostate enlargement within 14 days of cataract surgery have a somewhat increased risk for complications, according to a report in this week's Journal of the American Medical Association.

Other similar medications do not increase the risk of these complications -- which include lens loss, retinal detachment, and inflammation -- according to Dr. Chaim M. Bell, from St. Michael's Hospital, Toronto, and colleagues.

The findings come from a study of 96,128 men, 66 years or older, who underwent cataract surgery in Ontario, Canada from 2002 to 2007. Of these patients, 3550 had taken tamsulosin within 14 days of surgery and 7426 had recent taken other so-called alpha-blocking agents.

Overall, 284 patients experienced an adverse event related to cataract surgery, and 280 of them were matched by age, surgeon, and year of surgery to 1102 patients who did not experience complications.

The report shows that the patients with complications were 2.3 times more likely to have recently taken tamsulosin than the comparison group. By contrast, no significant differences were noted in recent or prior exposure to other alpha-blockers.

The researchers calculate that for every 255 cataract surgery patients who have recently taken tamsulosin, 1 will develop a serious postop complication.

Read the Full Story：www.reuters.com

Dutchess receives $1.4 million in HIV/AIDS funding (from www.midhudsonnews.com)

POUGHKEEPSIE - Dutchess County has been awarded more than $1.4 million for the development and expansion systems of care to meet the primary care needs of persons living with HIV/AIDS, including racial and ethnic minorities disproportionately impacted.

“Dutchess County has been a proactive participant in the national Ryan White initiative to mitigate the impact of the HIV/AIDS epidemic,” said County Executive William Steinhaus. “These funds enable us to maintain the community capacity we have built and provide the needed services that would be difficult to achieve relying solely on our local budget funds.”

The awards include $1.3 million from the 2009 PART A Title I funding stream of the Ryan White HIV/AIDS Treatment Modernization Act of 2006, and $115,000 made available through the Minority AIDS Initiative of the same Act.

The Ryan White Program was amended in December 2006, when Congress established a new competitive Minority AIDS Initiative grant program in response to the growing and disproportionate impact of the HIV/AIDS epidemic in some minority communities. The most recent data available from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention shows racial and ethnic minorities represent the highest number of new AIDS cases nationwide, and 70 percent of people living with AIDS. HIV disease has become a leading cause of death for African Americans.

Read the Full Story：www.midhudsonnews.com

New York City Launches Gay-Friendly Travel Deals (from travel.latimes.com)

New York City's marketing arm is reaching out in an international effort to promote gay travel to the Big Apple. NY1's Valarie D'Elia filed the following report.

The arches of the rainbow will be spanning the continents this year as NYC & Company embarks on a multi-million dollar advertising campaign to solidify the city's place as the number one destination for gay and lesbian travel.

The Big Apple commands almost one quarter share of all gay leisure travel and has a reputation for being very gay-friendly.

The "Rainbow Pilgrimage" initiative is timed to coincide with the 40th anniversary of the Stonewall Riots in Greenwich Village, which sparked the Gay Rights movement and the resulting Gay Pride Celebration that takes place annually in late June.

The tourism campaign will reach out domestically as well, to the gay market in Canada, Great Britain and Spain. It will emphasize a visit to New York as a "rite of passage" for the gay and lesbian traveler.

A special micro website includes listings of gay landmarks, gay-friendly restaurants, clubs and a calendar of events, as well as a Travelocity booking engine.

Now here's a D'Elia's Deal you don't want to miss to make a rainbow pilgrimage visit to New York City. Buy one night at any one of 26 participating New York City hotels or one ticket to an attraction or Broadway show and get the second for half off.

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Read the Full Story：travel.latimes.com

Hawaii: A good deal in a bad economy (from www.ebar.com)

Hawaii — Hawaii's best-known and unofficially gay beach is called Queen's Surf Beach. It gets its name from its royal past, not its current clientele. The beach is at the Diamond Head end of Waikiki Beach, across from the Kapiolani Park and Zoo, opposite the beach concession stand.

The two most popular gay clubs in Hawaii, Hula's and Angles, sponsor gay catamaran cruises on Saturdays and Sundays respectively. For information on how to buy tickets, stop by the bars when you get in town or check out the bars' Web sites.

The aforementioned Hula's is across the street from Kapiolani Park and steps from Queen's Surf Beach. Hula's is undoubtedly one of the most beautiful gay bars in the world because of its open-air spectacular view of Diamond Head and Kapiolani Park. Check its Web site for details of special events and daily themes. You can grab a quick meal at its cafe. The fabulous chef, Nick Tatta, is famous for his delicious quesadillas. Hula's is on the second floor of the Waikiki Grand Hotel. To get there, walk through the lobby of the hotel and either take the elevator or stairs to the second floor. By the way, on the first floor, check out the gay store 80% Straight. You will receive a discount if you bring a copy of the store's home page.

Read the Full Story：www.ebar.com

International Gay & Lesbian Travel Association partnered with Cruise Lines International Association
(from Steve Rothaus' Gay South Florida)

Florida — The International Gay & Lesbian Travel Association (IGLTA) and the Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) are proud to announce a new cooperative agreement that will bring the two organizations together on a variety of educational, marketing and member recruitment opportunities.

Under the new agreement, IGLTA and CLIA will not only exchange memberships, but also work together to identify prospective members and joint visibility opportunities in domestic and international markets. Both organizations will support and recognize each other as industry partners at their respective events and annual conventions, including registrations and trade show exposition space.

“With a growing and diversifying membership, IGLTA and its leaders have been focused on increasing the organization’s strategic ties within the travel industry, and this new partnership with CLIA is a major component of that continued outreach,” said IGLTA Executive Director John Tanzella. “I have no doubt that our working together is going to mean many great things for both our membership rosters and the industry at large.”

Read the Full Story：Steve Rothaus' Gay South Florida

As America’s seventh largest city, San Diego ranks fifth as the most visited – and for good reason. With the best climate in North America, averaging 70 degrees year-round, it sits like a painting with the Pacific Ocean at its feet and puffy white clouds hanging overhead. And it’s gay friendly, making it the perfect spot to take your honey to, or suggest he take you to.

Sure, it’s got Sea World, and Tijuana is just a taxi ride away, but this beach city is also home to the nation’s only gay surf club (eye candy alert!) and tons of shopping. Oh, and there’s lots of culture, including the city’s world famous Balboa Park, which houses museums, horticulture and America’s best zoo.

The best places to rest your head and make your base at are in the historic Gaslamp district. We recommend the Lofts on 5th Avenue at the Hilton in the Gaslamp Quarter (hilton.com). The 30 unique, private “hotel within a hotel” lofts are spacious, hip and regal without being stuffy. We love the in-room spa tubs for two, and suspect even Paris would proclaim this place as “hot.” Head Concierge Mike Denton will steer you toward boys’ town’s best, a short cab ride up to Hillcrest.

Read the Full Story：www.gaytravelnews.com

In the aftermath of 9-11 attacks in 2001, gays were among the first to board planes and travel, providing a lifeline for South Florida tourism. Marketers swooned over the resilience of gay tourists, who tend not to have children and generally travel more than average.

But in today's global recession, even gays are cutting back on trips. While lesbians and gay men still travel more than most, they too are reducing the frequency of their holidays, the days they stay and how much they spend, often booking last-minute to secure value deals.

South Florida, home to three major U.S. destinations for gays in Fort Lauderdale, Miami Beach and Key West, also finds more rivals chasing the lucrative gay market, especially advertising powerhouse Las Vegas.

The upshot: South Florida's travel industry can't count on as many gay travel dollars this year.

"No segment of the market is immune today — not gays and not luxury travelers," said Nicki E. Grossman, president of the Greater Fort Lauderdale Convention and Visitors Bureau.

Nationwide, gay travel is conservatively estimated at 5 percent of U.S. travel spending, or about $70 billion last year, according to San Francisco-based Community Marketing, which specializes in gay travel research.

In South Florida, the impact is greater. Broward County Click here for restaurant inspection reports estimates that gays account for 10 percent of visitor spending, or roughly $1 billion last year, the tourism bureau said. Gays say they enjoy the area's easy access, warm weather and the active resident gay community that operates more than 150 businesses geared toward gays.

But gay hotelier Roger Handevidt, owner of the 14-unit Orton Terrace in Fort Lauderdale, can testify to tough times now. His hotel had 12 percent more rooms empty in December than a year earlier, and he's sweetened deals to lure guests this winter: three nights paid, one free.

Read the Full Story：www.palmbeachpost.com

Travel agents hoping to cash in on the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender market should advertise a specialisation.

Community Marketing, a gay and lesbian market research company, argues holidaymakers in the LGBT market are seasoned travellers with disposable income as they are not restricted by families and are in double-income relationships.

Community Marketing president Thomas Roth said while agents will be expected to have some sensitivity towards the gay market, for instance knowing which destinations are gay-friendly, it will be their own specialisations which act as the draw.

Roth said: "[LGBT customers] don't just sit in front of a travel agent and say: 'I want to take a holiday' they'll have some idea of what they want.

"The more specialist agents are, the more likely they are going to be successful with the LGBT market."

However, Roth said the LGBT community needs guidance on how package holidays have changed in recent years.

Roth said: "The market needs education. When we talk to our focus groups they feel that package holidays restrict them too much. They feel they are very seasoned travellers and they don't want to be put in a box and shipped off.

"What they don't realise is that the package market has changed an awful lot and offers customers more choice."

Roth advised agents to find out more about the LGBT market by reading the gay press and using Spartacus gay travel guides.

Read the Full Story：www.travelweekly.co.uk

Old pictures of Buenos Aires at the turn of the last century show hundreds of men, mostly Italian immigrants, in deep embraces on the streets, smiling as they tango with one another. It's not that the city was gay-friendly back then. Instead, tango was considered so obscene at the time that women never dared to dance it.

Still, with tango the symbol of modern Argentina, when the 2nd Annual International Gay Tango Festival held its event in Buenos Aires in early December, participants were both turning the dance on its head and going back to its same-sex roots.

The event, cosponsored by the gay male tango ensemble La Marshall and the lesbian group Tango Queer, was held in venues gay and straight throughout the city. Most attendees were locals, but New Yorkers were represented as well.

Axel Dremer, a Buenos Aires native who now lives in New York, found it both exhilarating and challenging to be at the festival, especially the night at Confiteria Ideal, one of the city's most traditional tango venues. Full of marble columns, stained glass, and bronze, along with the aura of tradition that regulates the male and the female gender roles in the dance, the location has been used in movies like the 1998 "Tango," and in the scenes where Madonna and Antonio Banderas tango and argue in the 1996 film "Evita."

"It made me very nervous to dance with another guy, because this is a traditional place," Dremer said. But as the night progressed, he became more comfortable. "I know many people here are not queer, but they are open-minded if they are watching it. But it's such a strong symbol here."

Read the Full Story：www.gaycitynews.com

Things are looking up for RSVP Vacations, the big gay and lesbian cruise operator.

After cutting back its offerings this year following a change in ownership, the 22-year-old company is expanding again in 2009 with five cruises aimed at the gay and lesbian market.

RSVP says the voyages -- three on large ships, two on small ships -- will double its capacity for the year. Last year, the company operated just three cruises, only one of which was on a large ship.

As in the past, RSVP is chartering entire ships for its 2009 cruises -- from Holland America, Norwegian Cruise Line and river cruise operator Amadeus.

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The full-year lineup, announced this month, includes:

-- An Eastern Caribbean cruise on Holland America's Eurodam. The 2,104-passenger vessel departs Fort Lauderdale on Feb. 2 for a seven-night voyage to the Turks & Caicos; San Juan, Puerto Rico; St. John, U.S. Virgin Islands; and Holland America's private island, Half Moon Cay in the Bahamas. Cabins strart at $899 per person, based on double occupancy.

-- A Mexican Riviera Cruise on Norwegian Star. Departing Los Angeles on April 18, the seven-night voyage calls in Cabo San Lucas, Mazatlan and Puerto Vallarta. Cabins start at $799 per person.

-- Two European river cruises on the Amadeus Amalyra. Back-to-back, nine-night voyages on Aug. 7 and Aug. 14 will explore Central Europe. The first trip follows the Moselle, Rhine, and Main rivers with stops in Cochem, Koblenz, Rudesheim, Frankfurt, Miltenberg, Wertheim, Wurzburg and Bamberg before ending in Nuremberg. The second trip heads through the Bavarian forests of Germany to Regensberg and Passau before continuing along the Danube to Linz and Melk. Cabins for each of the nine-night trips start at $2,769 per person.

-- An Alaska Cruise on Holland America's Westerdam. Departing from Seattle on Aug. 23, the seven-night voyage includes a visit to famed Glacier Bay and calls in Juneau, Sitka and Ketchikan in Alaska as well as Victoria, Canada. Cabins start at $949 per person.
Read the Full Story：www.usatoday.com

According to a recent nationwide survey, gay, lesbian and bisexual (GLB) adults who are online are more likely to book hotel reservations through online portals than heterosexual online adults. While fully 35 percent of heterosexual respondents said they don’t book travel online, fewer than one in five (18%) GLB respondents said they did not.

About one-half (52%) of GLB respondents were likely to visit Travelocity.com when making hotel reservations, compared to 40 percent of non-gay respondents. Gay and non-gay use of Expedia.com did not vary much (45 percent of GLBs said they are likely to visit Expedia.com compared with 40% of non-gays). Forty-six percent of GLB respondents are likely to visit Orbitz.com compared to 33 percent of non-gays.

These are the results of a survey of 2,630 U.S. adults, of whom 177 were self-identified as gay, lesbian or bisexual. The online survey was conducted between March 8 and 14, 2005 by Harris Interactive(R), a worldwide market research and consulting firm, in conjunction with Witeck-Combs Communications, Inc., a strategic public relations and marketing communications firm with special expertise in the gay market.

Many GLB online consumers rely on gay-specific travel expertise when queried on the type of resources used when planning destination travel. Outside of the assistance gays seek from friends and relatives (58%), gay-specific websites (32%), such as Outandabout.com and Gay.com, top the list of resources gays use to learn about future leisure travel destinations they consider visiting. Close behind are national gay magazines (25%), such as Passport, Genre, and Out Traveler, and gay-specific travel books (22%), such as Damron and Odysseus guides.

“Clearly, the honeymoon with online travel sites is likely to grow as more gay and lesbian consumers flock to specialized media and other gay-specific travel and tourism resources. When making leisure travel destination decisions, GLB travelers are seeking direction on how they can spend their dollars on both gay-friendly travel channels and destinations,” said John Butler, Senior Marketing and Communications Strategist for Witeck-Combs Communications.

America's LGBT community and their allies are calling in “gay” today to volunteer in their local LGBT communities to protest the passage of anti-gay constitutional amendments in Arizona, Florida, and California.

Wherever possible, gay Americans and allies plan to volunteer for local gay and civil rights organisations.

As well as being Day Without A Gay, today is also International Human Rights Day, and is the perfect time for the LGBT community to take a historic stance against hatred, by donating their time to a variety of different causes in order to raise public awareness of the need for LGBT equality in marriage and in other civil rights.

Every day since Election Day, thousands have protested up and down streets in cities across California, including Los Angeles, San Diego, San Francisco and Sacramento. Now the LGBT community and their supporters are teaming up to show America and the world the posititve spirit of the gay community through volunteering.

The protest isn't limited to America - LGBT people and their allies across the world are also volunteering on December 10th to show their support in face of legislation which has been passed that denies or prevents the legalisation of same sex marriage in Florida and Arizona, the elimination of same sex marriage in California (Prop 8) and measures introduced that prevent gay adoption in Arkansas.

The LGF would like to thank their very own Gay Without A Day Volunteer, Michelle Nolan, from New Hampshire (US). Michelle is currently studying at Manchester University and gave up researching in the library for a day, to volunteer in the LGF offices. Michelle wanted to get involved in the Day Without A Gay Prop 8 protest because of her interest in politics, she said: "I worked on different campaigns over the summer and wanted to continue my involvement."

Worringly, in 30 States in America, it is still legal for employers to fire their employees for being gay!
Read the Full Story：www.lgf.org.uk

Compared to straight men, gay men are more likely to be left-handed, to be the younger siblings of older brothers, and to have hair that whorls in a counterclockwise direction.

US researchers are finding common biological traits among gay men, feeding a growing consensus that sexual orientation is an inborn combination of genetic and environmental factors that largely decide a person's sexual attractions before they are born.

Such findings - including a highly anticipated study this winter - would further inform the debate over whether homosexuality is innate or a choice, an undercurrent of California's recent Proposition 8 campaign in which television commercials warned that "schools would begin teaching second-graders that boys could marry boys", suggesting homosexuality would then spread.

Some scientists say the political and moral debate over same-sex marriage frequently strayed from established scientific evidence, including comments by Republican vice-presidential candidate Sarah Palin that homosexuality is "a choice" and "a decision".

Until 2007, CNN polls had found that a majority of Americans believed gay people could change their sexual orientation if they chose to; it was only last year that a majority for the first time said homosexuality was an inborn trait.

Christian groups such as Exodus International argue "that homosexuals who desire to change can do so". One prominent psychiatrist, Dr Robert Spitzer of Columbia University, found controversial evidence that therapy can cause some gay people to change to a heterosexual orientation, although the study concluded that a "complete change" was uncommon.

While sexual behaviour may be chosen, the preponderance of researchers say attraction is dictated by biology, with no demonstrated contribution from social factors such as parenting or other factors after birth.
Read the Full Story：www.guardian.co.uk

Thirty years ago, San Francisco City Supervisor Harvey Milk, eerily predicting his death, said, "If a bullet should enter my brain, let that bullet destroy every closet door." Soon after, he was gunned down by a disgruntled political adversary, but his words have proven prophetic as Milk has become a hero to thousands of oppressed and frightened Americans -- a man many consider their "gay Martin Luther King."

Milk, an activist and Castro Street businessman, was the nation's first openly gay elected official. He refused to back down in the face of a tidal wave of adversity that included the failed 1978 California ballot measure Proposition 6, which would have mandated firing gay teachers in public schools, and Anita Bryant's 1977 anti-gay "Save Our Children" crusade.

Randy Shilts wrote about Milk's life in his uncompromising 1982 biography, "The Mayor of Castro Street," and the 1984 Oscar-winner for best documentary, "The Times of Harvey Milk," was heralded for its unbiased look at Milk's quest for equal rights.

Now, Portland-based filmmaker Gus Van Sant has again brought Harvey Milk's political life front and center with "Milk," his stirring and humane new film -- and it has arrived at another tumultuous time for gay rights. Two decades after Prop. 6, Californians this month were faced with another contentious ballot issue to curb gay rights. But this time it passed. Proposition 8, which was approved by voters 52 to 48 percent, changes the state's constitution to ban same-sex marriage (at the time, California was only the second state in the nation, after Massachusetts, to permit it)
Read the Full Story：http://seattlepi.nwsource.com

Santa Rosa officials last week certified an environmental document, clearing the way for construction of the county's first full-spectrum LGBT retirement community.

After some 45 minutes of comments, the city's planning commissioners voted unanimously to approve the environmental impact report for Fountaingrove Lodge, a 148-unit development that Oakmont Senior Living plans to build in the east Santa Rosa hills.

The city has designated the scenic Fountaingrove Ranch area for both individual and group living developments like Fountaingrove Lodge.

At the November 13 hearing for the plan, commissioners listened quietly as a handful of project opponents said the EIR did not adequately address environmental concerns on the 9.85-acre site.

Jim McMillan, a member of the Fountaingrove Ranch Master Association, called the proposed retirement home "a mass intrusion into our neighborhood," and said the EIR was "unresponsive to community issues."

Saying they were concerned about such issues as air quality, greenhouse gases, tree removal, earthquake safety and traffic, association members had turned the normally one-year EIR process into a two-year ordeal. The lengthy process cost developers over half a million dollars, according to Wes Winter, marketing director for Fountaingrove Lodge.

Winter said the EIR for Varenna, a larger retirement community the developers built a few years ago close to the Fountaingrove Lodge site, took only a year. The difference, according to Winter, is that Varenna is not geared to gays and lesbians.

But, in the end, planning commissioners disagreed with Fountaingrove Lodge opponents, saying the EIR is complete enough to be a starting point for further negotiations over construction of the retirement community.

While voicing his approval of the EIR, Santa Rosa Planning Commissioner John Walsh admonished association members for saying their concerns were only environmental when, in his opinion, they were based on prejudice.

"We shouldn't find cause to keep score on the peaceful activities of our neighbors," he told them.

But most of the 100-plus people who packed the city council chambers were there to support the project, wearing chartreuse armbands provided by the development company. Several of them spoke before the commission, urging its members to let the project move forward.

Read the Full Story： http://www.ebar.com/

Albany - Senator Kenneth P. LaValle, (R-1st) who ran unopposed in his bid for re-election to the New York State Senate's first district, received 34.27 percent of the 211,945 votes cast in Tuesday's election. The incumbent senator has maintained his seat in the state senate since 1976.

With 100 percent of the 266 district reports, LaValle received 72,624 votes, 56,957 of which were cast by Republican registered voters. The senator also picked up 8,276 votes from the Independence line and 7,391 votes from the Conservative line.

Commenting on the sway to a Democratic majority in the State Senate, LaValle thanked his supporters and asserted that he remains firmly committed to protecting the interests of his Senate district.

“The coming months will demonstrate how a Democratic Senate, focused on an urban rather than a suburban-rural agenda, will impact Long Island,” LaValle commented. “We are entering uncharted waters, however, I have always fought for my constituency and will continue to give 110 percent of my effort to protecting the interests of the First Senate District.”

In terms of higher education, LaValle said he was "saddened" that the change in state leadership also means he will no longer chair the Senate Higher Education Committee. The senator will hold the position of ranking member of the committee and, as such, will remain active in higher education decisions.

Read the Full Story： http://www.hamptons.com/

As a wedding gift to friend and celebrity publicist Howard Bragman and his longtime partner, Chuck O'Donnell, Bratton made it official: He and his wife, former Court TV diva Rikki Kleiman, strongly believe that gays have a right to marry. And in honor of Bragman and O'Donnell, who wed this past week in Norwalk, the chief and Kleiman have made a donation to Equality California, a group seeking to stop a state ballot measure this November that would ban same-sex marriages.

"The Constitution guarantees life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness," Bratton said this week. "I see no reason why gays can't pursue happiness through marriage."

After learning of the Bragman-O'Donnell union a few days ago, Bratton and Kleiman asked the couple what they would like as a wedding present. Bragman was direct: No gifts -- instead, make a donation to Equality California to help stop Prop. 8. And please make it public.

Other friends of Bragman and O'Donnell -- who was USC's Tommy Trojan for 10 years -- have done the same. They include tennis star Martina Navratilova and former "Grey's Anatomy" actor Isaiah Washington. (He's been trying to make amends with the gay community since he was caught uttering an antigay slur backstage at the Golden Globes in January 2007; Bragman is his PR rep.)
The veteran celebrity spin master is hopeful that others will make donations to Equality California's efforts to stop Prop. 8 this fall.
"So many of these ballot initiatives seem esoteric and hypothetical," Bragman said. "Our marriage changed that for people who know us. Our love, respect and commitment has the power to change hearts and minds and make an ethereal concept real."
Read the Full Story：http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/news/.....7500028.story

The openly gay US Episcopal bishop at the centre of the Anglican church's global battle over homosexuality, has entered into a civil union with his longtime partner at a private ceremony.

About 120 guests gathered at St Paul's Church in New Hampshire for Saturday's ceremony for Bishop Gene Robinson and his partner of more than 19 years, Mark Andrews. The event was kept private out of respect for next month's worldwide Anglican conference, Robinson's spokesman, Mike Barwell, said on Sunday.

"It was absolutely joyful," Barwell said by telephone. "A lot of his supporters and friends were there, including many members of the gay and lesbian community."

The 77 million-member Anglican Communion, a global federation of national churches, has been in upheaval since 2003 when the Episcopal Church consecrated Robinson as the first bishop known to be in an openly homosexual relationship in more than four centuries of church history.

The Episcopal Church is the US branch of the worldwide Anglican Communion.

Disputes over scriptural authority, the blessing of gay unions and other matters have become a worldwide issue and threaten turmoil this summer when Anglicans gather for their once-a-decade Lambeth Conference in Britain.

Robinson has in the past received death threats and wore a bulletproof vest under his vestments at his consecration in 2003. Two uniformed police officers stood guard at Saturday's ceremony in the state capital Concord, said Barwell.

Robinson and Andrews held two ceremonies - a non-religious one in which they became legal partners followed by a formal church service to give blessings to God for their relationship.

Robinson, 61, a divorced father of two, praised New Hampshire's lawmakers when they passed legislation last year to make the state the fourth in the country where same-sex civil unions are legal. The law took effect on January 1.

Robinson has suggested states go further and follow Massachusetts, which in 2003 became the first US state to legalise gay marriage.

Robinson has said he wanted to enter into the civil union before leaving for England to ensure Andrew and his two daughters had legal protections given the threats to his life.

Civil unions grant largely the same state rights as married couples - from insurance coverage to tax benefits and hospital visiting rights - but lack the full, federal legal protections of marriage.

Robinson has been excluded from the Anglican Communion's Lambeth Conference but plans to attend as an outside observer.