GLMA Annual Conference - Seattle, WA

The Gay and Lesbian Medical Association's 26th annual conference will take place Oct. 22-25 in Seattle and special early bird discounts end Sept. 1st.

The event is the largest gathering of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgendered (LGBT) healthcare professionals with diverse programming including workshops on HIV and AIDS (Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome), lesbian and transgender health, substance abuse, intersex health, and legal issues among other activities.

The conference takes place at the Renaissance Seattle Hotel and more information may be obtained at glma.org online.

Also on Oct. 22, the LGBT Healthcare 101 Seminar will be held to provide an overview of the subpopulations that make up this specific community, describe LGBT healthcare disparities, and detail best practices for providing care to these patients.

To register, access glma.org/lgbt101 on the Web.

In unrelated LGBT news, there's a new web site for greater Washington, D.C. area women called LesConnections.com that connects women to a variety of organizations that hold social, recreational, and other events. (Source: LC Magazine).

In other community news, if you want to travel to Atlantic Canada, check out what the Halifax Tourism Bureau has put together at RainbowHalifax.com. It's specifically tailored to the interests of LGBT consumers.

In LGBT travel news, Elda of Rhode Island, recommends Journeyweavers of Ithaca, NY when planning a trip to Costa Rica.

"We were desperately in need of a vacation, wanted to celebrate our retirements, and wished for something unique, adventurous, and not too expensive," she said. "In Costa Rica we had it all: the choice of Caribbean or Pacific waters, turtles laying eggs in the dark sands, the ground trembling beneath our feet due to reverbations from the very active Arenal volcano, night sounds of tree frogs and armadillos and even stranger bridges, and generous, friendly, welcoming people eager to try their English and totally accepting of our attempts at Spanish."