Summer events
from Out.com

New York City Pride Week 06/19/05--06/26/05 The most dynamic city on earth hosts, naturally, the most dynamic of pride celebrations, complete with a parade (half a million people strong), a mothers march against AIDS, a gay regatta with Stonewall Sails, dances on Pier 54, and the 25th anniversary celebration of the New York City Gay Men's Chorus. Four gay neighborhoods vie for the title of the city's queerest: the West Village, where the Stonewall Riots kicked off the modern gay rights movement; Chelsea, with its trendy boys, restaurants, and shops; the East Village, where you'll find no-frills bars and tattooed homos; and Hell's Kitchen, with its new gay bars and restaurants. The Places to Stay Chelsea Pines Inn 317 W. 14th St., (212) 929-1023. Top-rated B&B in an 1850 row house. Belvedere Hotel 319 W. 48th St., (212) 245-7000. Gay-friendly boutique hotel near Times Square. The Place to Play The Phoenix 447 E. 13th St., (212) 477-9979. Deliciously dark, cruisy East Village bar. Roxy 515 W. 18th St., (212) 645-5156. Huge, eternally popular dance party on Saturdays.

Hotter Than July 7/27/05--07/31/05 Hotter Than July in Detroit is one of the premier black GLBT pride celebrations in North America, featuring entertainment, spiritual activities, an educational forum, a jazz brunch, and a pride picnic among other events. Motown has long been a significant gay metropolis with a distinctive local African-American queer culture, so it's fitting that this grassroots social project should be a model for many black pride celebrations around the world. The city, home of the American automobile industry, Madonna, and techno music, has gay hot spots in both the downtown area and nearby suburbs, and it's mere minutes from Canada, where same-sex couples can get legally hitched. The Places to Stay Hilton Garden Inn 351 Gratiot Ave., (313) 967-0900. Downtown host hotel. The Place to Play Numbers 17518 Woodward Ave., (313) 868-9145. Dance club featuring late hours, driving beats, and a racially diverse crowd. Temple 344 W. Nine Mile Rd., (248) 414-7400. Newly renovated upscale nightspot in nearby Ferndale. The Place to Eat Twingo's 4710 N. Cass Ave., (313) 832-3832. Gay-owned restaurant, offering nouvelle French food and live jazz. Sweet Lorraine's 333 E. Jefferson Ave., (313) 223-3933. Self-described "world food" bistro. The Details www.hotterthanjuly.com

EuroPride 2005 06/17/05--06/27/05 This all-Europe pride festival takes place in Oslo, in the land of the midnight sun. Join more than 50,000 revelers for this 10-day celebration of arts and culture, including some colossal parties. See www.europride.no for details. Dancing on the Bay 7/3/05 Revel in the hot bodies of summer at the 10th annual Fire Island Pines benefit for the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Community Center in New York. For tix go to www.gaycenter.org. Best Little Hoedown in Texas 06/29/05--07/04/05 This country and western dancing competition in Dallas--benefiting the Resource Center of Dallas, the AIDS Resource Center, the Food Pantry, and Youth First Texas--will have you dancing so hard your feet might catch fire. To register go to www.hoedown2005.com. The Gathering 7/3/05--07/10/05 July is too hot for clothes. This all-nude event by International Men Enjoying Naturism at Camp Ramblewood in northern Maryland includes body painting, oil wrestling, a talent show, a crafts fair (Ouch! Watch those macrame knots!), an erotic food workshop (Don't ask us), massage classes, and aerobics. Register at www.imeninc.com, and pack light! Ben Patrick Johnson Book Reading 7/7/05 A Different Light Bookstore in West Hollywood will host out author Ben Patrick Johnson as he reads from his new work of fiction, Third and Heaven, on Thursday, July 7, at 7:30 p.m. For more information, visit www.ADifferentLightBookstore.com.