This blog is a companion to our PinkBananaMedia.com Blog, focusing more on stories, photos, events and other less-business-related (but more fun) happenings we're involved with in the LGBT world.
Party history was made: First time ever a Medieval Castle was turned into a WWII battleship
Sir Ivan & Dina Lohan
Pop-dance recording artist Sir Ivan closed out the summer this year with yet another giant bash at his Hamptons Castle with his Sailors and Sinners Soiree. Men wore all white and sailor hats, and the women were dressed in burlesque outfits with feathered boas. TMZ favorite Dina Lohan, George Wayne of Vanity Fair and CBS’s Bart Scott (a former NY Jet) were among the 500+ guests in attendance. Global DJ, songwriter and remixer Sin Morera, who recently headlined at Vienna’s Life Ball, the largest AIDS fundraiser in all of Europe, kept the crowd dancing all night.
Party history was made when, for one night only, Sir Ivan’s entire medieval-style Castle was transformed into a WWII battleship, the U.S.S. Sir Ivan’s Castle. The entire three-story structure was draped in grey muslin fabric. A large American flag flew above at the prow of the ship and an enormous golden anchor was at the stern. Giant life preservers were hung from all the Castle balconies and the battleship was moored by inches-thick shipping rope cables tethered to oversized cleats at the edges of the swimming pool.
Sir Ivan's Castle Before Its Transformation
U.S.S. Sir Ivan's Castle During Its Transformation
The Brig
The brig (left) was borrowed from Sir Ivan's elegant Marquis de Sade-inspired dungeon that remains hidden in the Castle at all times. Revelers that took the “Make Love Not War” party theme too literally were thrown into the brig while ProSieben TV from Germany filmed the event for Sir Ivan’s European fans.
Later in the evening, performance artist Admiral Sir Ivan put on a spectacular show, calling through a giant megaphone, “All Hands on Deck! We are under attack! Man your battle stations!” With red lights flashing, sirens blaring and naval tune “Anchor’s Away” blazing through the Castle’s nightclub quality sound system, a multitude of brightly lit yellow glow sticks torpedoed from the battleship turrets above into the infinity pool below. Sir Ivan then shared with his guests, “I wish we were in a world where wars were fought with glow sticks,” and thanked everyone for supporting his non-profit organization, The Peaceman Foundation, which fights against hatred, bullying and P.T.S.D. Sir Ivan and his Foundation are staunch supporters of the LGBT community and made a substantial contribution to The Trevor Project. They also donate to the Wounded Warrior Project, which serves veterans and servicemembers who incurred a physical or mental injury, illness or wound, co-incident to their military service on or after September 11, 2001 and their families, including treatment of P.T.S.D.
Sir Ivan Thanking Everyone For Supporting The Peaceman Foundation
For more about recording artist Sir Ivan and The Peaceman Foundation, visit: http://SirIvan.com
In the news recently were a series of articles about how an increasing number of Americans are traveling to Germany for their education, as German universities offer free education to both their citizens and foreign students alike. That's just the cherry on top when it comes to LGBT visitors to Germany, who have been coming year after year to enjoy all that Germany has to offer the LGBT traveler. With Germany's progressive acceptance of gay & lesbian life, ranging from its varied nightlife in Berlin to its same-sex domestic partnership laws, it's no wonder it ranks as one of the top European destinations gays & lesbians travel to year after year (source: Community Marketing & Insights, 20th LGBT Tourism & Hospitality Survey) . While someone speaking English in Germany can get by in most places, having at least a foundation in basic German will open up a whole host of life experiences and opportunities simply not available to those not understanding
On June 22nd, just days before San Francisco Pride officially began, Hotel VIA held a pre-launch event with a panel entitled "How Technology Can Enhance the Guest Experience". Moderated by Gwyneth Borden, Executive Director of the Golden Gate Restaurant Association, along with notable panelists including Ted Girdner of Comcast Business, Barbara Perzigian of Hotel VIA and celebrity chef Robert Irvine, the panel touched on some of the cutting-edge features Comcast Business has brought to the hospitality industry. Comcast equipped the hotel with a Passive Optical LAN (POL)-based Ethernet solution with a five gigabit per second (Gbps) service enabling guests and employees to access the internet anytime, anywhere on the hotel property. With this secure and efficient network solution, Hotel VIA’s guests are able to connect to an unlimited number of devices and have instant access to high-speed data, voice and video. With this service in place, Hotel VIA was able to offer its gu
Equality California Institute today announced its 2017 class of Equality California-Comcast Fellows, and the commencement of the program’s seventh year. The Equality California-Comcast Fellowship is a leadership development program in which six exceptional LGBT or ally college students are placed in the offices of California legislators or other government officials. Fellows gain first-hand experience working with legislators, government officials and their staff, and develop key leadership skills. Their presence increases LGBTQ visibility in the Capitol and gives government officials direct interaction with members of the LGBTQ community. “It is more important now than ever to make sure we have adequately prepared the next generation of LGBTQ leadership,” said Rick Zbur, executive director of Equality California. “Our partnership with the Comcast Foundation helps address the traditional underrepresentation of LGBTQ people in government and helps advance equality by famili
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