My Small Gay World

Larry Craig: I'm Not Gay, by Avenue Q

2007-09-02T07:55:00.000-04:00

Okay, it never takes too long for at-home video editors to put together something outragiously funny and, oh, so timely. Avenue Q's wonderful puppetry and Senator Larry Craig, performing "If You were gay."

Mitt Romney: Gay Marriage, Abortion, and State's Power

2007-09-01T08:16:00.000-04:00

It's happening, slowly, two steps forward and one step back, but same sex couples are gaining their equality with their married straight peers. The recent Iowan court decision produced 65 pages explaining why denying same sex couples marriage is unconstitutional.

Already, the right-wing bigots are getting their statements out, and GOP gay-hater Mitt Romney was the first, wasting no time by saying, "The ruling is Iowa today is another example of an activist court and unelected judges trying to define marriage and disregard the will of the people as expressed through Iowa's Defense of Marriage Act. This once again highlights the need for a Federal Marriage Amendment to protect the traditional definition of marriage as between one man and one woman." Romney's claim for the need for a Federal Marriage Amendment shows he's treading in the footsteps of the current president's last campaign, where this issue was used to divert attention away from more important issues like war, poverty, children being left behind, and other policy failures.

Romney's trying to cover his ass on the abortion issue (once for it, now against it), and he can't seem to get his story straight, as it were when it comes to individual State's powers. A couple of weeks ago he said that as president he would allow individual states to keep abortion legal, two weeks after telling a national television audience that he supports a constitutional amendment to ban the procedure nationwide.

So, Mitt, baby, what's it going to be, either you give the States the power to oversee their reproductive laws AND you give them the power to oversee their marriage laws, or you try to pass an, unlikely, amendment to ban gay marriage and abortion. However, you can't have it both ways. Leave the abortion/gay marriage debates to the states.

What's Up with the Lambda Thing?

2007-08-26T08:16:00.000-04:00

There's Lambda Legal, Lambda Community Services, and even fraternity Delta Lambda Phi, to name a few. So, what's up with the Greek letter Lambda, and its connection to the gays?

The lambda was originally chosen by the Gay Activists Alliance of New York in 1970. The GAA was a group that broke away from the larger Gay Liberation Front at the end of 1969, only six months after it's foundation and the Stonewall Riots. While the GLF wanted to work side by side with the black and women's liberation movements to gain unity and acceptance, the GAA wanted to focus their efforts more concisely on only Gay and Lesbian issues.

Because of its official adoption by the GAA, which sponsored public events for the gay community, the lambda soon became a quick way for the members of the gay community to identify each other. The reasoning was that the lambda would easily be mistaken for a college fraternity symbol and ignored by the majority of the population. Eventually though, the GAA headquarters was torched by an arsonist, destroying not only the building but all of the organization's records, and the movement never recovered from the loss. The symbol, however, lived on.

Now, what the symbol means or meant when it was introduced are a prime topic for speculation and a morass of public rumoring. Some of the more popular rumors are:

Simply, the Greek letter "L" stands for "liberation."
The Greek Spartans believed that the lambda represented unity.
The Romans took it as meaning "the light of knowledge shining into the darkness of ignorance."
The charged energy of the gay movement. This stems from the lambda's use in chemistry and physics to denote energy in equations.
The synergy which results when gays and lesbians work together towards a common goal (a gestalt theory which also stems from the physics-energy theory)
The notion that straights and gays, or gays and lesbians, or any pairing of these three, are on different wavelengths when it comes to sex, sexuality, or even brain patterns. This again comes from the lambda's presence in chemistry and physics, where it is sometimes used to represent the wavelength of certain types of energy.
An iconic rendering of the scales of justice and the constant force that keeps opposing sides from overcoming each other. The hook at the bottom of the right leg would then signify the action and initiative needed to reach and maintain balance.

Whatever the lambda meant or means today, it's everywhere. Even though at one time it acquired a strictly male connotation, it is used by both gays and lesbians today. Back in December of 1974, the lambda was officially declared the international symbol for gay and lesbian rights by the International Gay Rights Congress in Edinburgh, Scotland.

Kill the Gays: A Comment from a Fundamentalist Priest

2007-08-17T07:29:00.000-04:00

A few posts ago, we discussed the culpability of clergy and so-called Christian bloggers in relation to gay bashings, and that the blood of all victims of gay bashing was on their hands. We received a comment to this post from an individual who is not only one of these clergy, but a blogger himself, and his comments were as inflammatory and gay-hating as you can get. I thought I'd go ahead and post it here, while at the same time answering some of the faulty logic inherent in this clergy’s misuse of the Bible.

Click Here for a Popup window with Offending Comments

That first comment, that “Terry Mark Mangum was right,” refers to a few weeks ago when Terry Mark Mangum murdered Ken Cummings, a gay man, and said God told him to kill a homosexual. So, by agreeing with the gay-killer, we're already we’re dealing with a sick clergy person:

"Terry Mark Mangum was right."
Okay, "Reverend," starting things of with this comment shows you for what you really are, a sick, warped person, who doesn't deserve to wear a collar, but a leash.

"The Bible is clear that homosexuals are sexual deviants and enemies of the LORD God. Your support of these sodomites is disgusting."
Actually, the Bible is NOT clear on homosexuals being deviants, and we'll get to that below. To call us enemies of God is laughable, as the majority of gays and lesbians I know are regular church/temple attendees, and support and volunteer time at their houses of worship. We are not "sodomites," but you are, and I suggest you read our piece on Sodom and Gomorrah to show you that you are the sodomite, not us. If the support of my people disgusts you, then I must be doing a good job, thanks!

"Whatever you think, you will not be able to change God's Word and will one day have to pay the price for not believing what God has written."
Firstly, I'm really hoping you don't believe that a few thousand years ago God whipped out his MAC, and actually wrote the bible him/herself while listening to illegally downloaded Madonna tunes. Honey, people have been changing "God's Word" since it was spoken through the human mouth. Sadly, the human mouth is not perfect, and brings with it filters of human experience that can misconstrue, distort, and misrepresent God's initial meaning.

Reverend Don, you and people like you DO NOT represent the Bible, nor Christianity, and the majority of people do not believe the Bible is static, but believe in a "Living Word," one that breaths, and grows, and changes with its ever-changing environment and time frame. As an alleged man of the cloth, you should well know that the Bible was heavily edited during the Council of Nicea, with some Gospels actually tossed out entirely, so don't feed us crap about changing God's word, when people like yourself have been doing it for millennium to continue the subjugation of people who are "not like you."

Leviticus 18:22 Thou shalt not lie with mankind, as with womankind: it is abomination.
Leviticus 20:13 If a man also lie with mankind, as he lieth with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination: they shall surely be put to death; their blood shall be upon them.
Ah, yes, start with Leviticus. Really, Don, put things in their contexts. Leviticus was written by the early Pharisees to separate the new nation of Israel from the philistines and other gentiles. The items delineated in Leviticus are not "sin," but are merely ritualistic Judaic "law." Because many of the gentile religions allowed male and female prostitution, which included male-male prostitution, the early Jewish elders wanted to set themselves apart from this, and that's why this "law" was enacted.

And you're just sick if you believe that the Leviticus laws hold today, and that gays should be executed. Unless you're Jewish, Reverend Don, why would you care about Judaic ritualistic law? Some of these ritualistic laws in Leviticus are downright stupid in today's world, like not touching anything of the pig (unclean), cursing your parents (punishable by death), or eating shellfish (same as being gay, an abomination). So, unless you've never played pigskin football or eaten bacon, never got mad at your parents, or never ate at a Red Lobster, then you have no right to make reference to Leviticus.

Romans 1:22-27
V22 Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools, V23 And changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things.
Reverend, this sounds more like you than we!

V24 Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies between themselves.
This reference, again, is to prostitution, not being gay.

V25 Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, Who is blessed for ever. Amen.
Sounds to me like you're worshiping the Bible more than God, reverend.

V26 For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature. (V27) And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompence of their error which was meet.
Hmmm, should that have been spelled "meat?" Either way, most academics read the passage as a condemnation merely of well-known pagan cults, which included homosexual acts in their worship practices, and not of gays in general. What is behind this passage is that God doesn't like when people, gay or straight, run around having tons of sex because they're in love with sex, which is lust, but that the God given gift of sexual contact between two people who love each other, gay or straight, is a wonderful thing.

I'll leave this, Reverend, by saying that we'll pray for you, that you will turn from this path of hatred, which goes so against the tenets of a loving God. We are initiating a fundamentalist reparative therapy group, and we can give you contacts of people who have turned away from the path you're on, and who have successfully become ex-fundamentalist.

For those of you who’d like to send Reverend Don an email, his email address is Glory2Jesus@ArmyofGod.com (wow, go figure!).

Give a Guy a Camera, and He'll Take a Picture of Another Guy

2007-08-17T06:46:00.000-04:00

Since the early days of photography, guys have been taking pictures of naked other guys. As early as 1872 Eadweard Muybridge began scientific studies that revealed the first male nude photographs unrelated to the typical artistic appreciation of the female nude.

Little attention was paid nude male photography until Philadelphia painter Thomas Eakins started taking pictures of male nudes for guidance in his painting. He lost his teaching position when he insisted that art students draw male models without their posing straps. The scandal brought a lot of attention to male nude photography, and then everyone got into the action...thank heavens!

For more information on the past 100 years of male nude photography, check out David Leddick's "The Male Nude: Traces its Evolution in the Photography of the 20th Century."

Goodly, Godly, Gay: Troy D. Perry

2007-08-12T06:12:00.000-04:00

What do you do when you're a defrocked gay priest in 1968 looking to support gay Christians, and spread the world that God loves them because God made them the way God wanted them --GAY? Well, you start your own gayish denomination that's what you do.

Meet the good Reverend Troy D. Perry, who has been in Christian ministry from the time he was thirteen. As a young man, he entered full-time ministry in a Pentecostal Church, and even married a pastor's daughter and had two sons. However, he was unable to ignore his gayness, which ultimately brought an end to his marriage and his ministry. He never expected to return to Christian ministry, but God had different plans.

In 1968, Perry, after paying countless witness to the verbal, physical, and mental abuse of gays by gay-haters, felt called to return to his faith and to offer a place for gay people to worship God. Perry took out an advertisement in the Advocate welcoming gay folk to a church service, which would take place in a small rented house Perry shared with a friend. Only 12 people showed up that day (an obviously biblical number), but that 12 would grow and grow into the Metropolitan Community Church (MCC) a denomination that now has more that 250 individual congregations world-wide.

Sadly, during this time, many of these congregations were the victims of hate crimes (yeah, that's right, hate the gays so much that you'd burn a church), and sadder still the fact that more than 6000 members died during early AIDS crisis. Through it all, the church burnings, the attacks against his church from other Christian denominations, Perry held strong, and joined many of his activist brothers and sisters in advancing LGBT rights.

Perry stepped down as MCC's leader in 2005, and remains active in the LGBT community. Troy Perry's contributions to introducing a gay-loving God to a gay-hating nation will be remembered, and his fostering of greater acceptance of gays in other denominations, his compassion to his God and church, and his work towards LGBT equality will certainly afford him a spot in any LGBT History book. For more information on the wonderful life of Troy Perry, Click Here, and for more information on the Metropolitan Church, Click Here.

Levi's Commercial: Targets Straights and Gays

2007-08-10T08:10:00.000-04:00

Although some other bloggers have cited the new and inclusive Levi's jeans commercial, we thought we'd share this with you as well, because we've been watching this commercial on straight and gay channels and loving it.

I first saw this on straight television, where this cute guy is pulling up his jeans, which also pulls up a telephone booth crashing through his floor with a female hottie inside--ready to go out on the town. When I saw this commercial on gay channel LOGO, I yawned, and was once again annoyed that advertisers use their straight commercials to try to target gay audiences. The cute guy starts pulling up his jeans, and to my surprise, when the telephone booth crashed through the floor, instead of the girl, there was this very cute guy inside.

Finally, an advertiser who knows that it doesn't add much cost when you're shooting a commercial to do a couple of takes, and maybe make one for the gays. Levi's has won a new customer here! Way to go! Watch the first video below for the straight version, then click the second for the gay one.

Gay Art: Raphael Perez

2007-08-10T07:27:00.000-04:00

Raphael Perez depicts intimate relationships between two people. Whether of two men or two women, or even mixed sex couples, his ability to paint "connections" between couples emerges with stark simplicity. Contrasts between dark and light, reflect the Yin Yang of relationships, and his use of red symbolizing masculinity, passion and dominance.

Raphael Perez, was born in 1965 and was raised in Jerusalem. He currently resides and works in Tel-Aviv. His works have been exhibited in several art galleries and GLBT community centers throughout Israel.

For more information on Perez and his work, Click Here!

Gay London Police Deputy on Shortlist for London's Mayor

2007-08-09T07:56:00.000-04:00

British papers have been reporting on the possibility that Brian Paddick, the highest-ranking openly gay police officer, has been short-listed to run for the Liberal Democrats as a candidate for the Mayor of London.

If elected, Paddick would be joining several gay mayors of other major European cities, including Berlin and Paris.

Lutheran Priests Come Out of the Closet

2007-08-08T19:06:00.000-04:00

Although I'm no longer a Lutheran (Evangelical Lutheran Church of America, when I was), I'm proud of the 83 Lutheran clergy who came out of the closet at the national church's biannual Assembly taking place in Chicago this week. The Lutheran Church has been grappling with what to do about its gay priests for years.

As it stands now, gay priests are welcome to lead parishes, but must remain celibate, and over the past few years a number of priests within the Lutheran Church have been defrocked for entering into same-sex relationships. The 83 pastors listed within the "coming out letter" distributed at the assembly included gay ministers now serving, those awaiting their own congregation, and those removed since the church-wide assembly in Orlando in 2005, where a move to suspend the celibacy requirement failed to get a majority vote.

For more information on this, and on Gay Lutherans in general, check out Lutherans Concerned, an excellent for you gay Luthies!

Americans for Truth: Stretching it a Bit

2007-08-07T07:03:00.000-04:00

Those idiots at the right-wing, religious, gay-hating Americans for Truth demonstrate once again that their name is a complete misnomer. From their website on August 2nd:

"We welcome homosexual (and liberal) activists who are not afraid of freedom and the battle of ideas to denounce the growing pro-”gay” trend of silencing opposing speech — whether it’s GLAAD threatening to sue a news producer to squelch a report on lesbian bullying; Britain trotting out the “anti-homophobia” police to crush that grave threat to democracy of a Christian passing out tracts at a “gay” event; or pro-homosexual militants claiming that decent religious people who agree with God about sexual sin are causing the murders of homosexuals like Matthew Shepard."

Okay, guys, when we remove the smoke and mirrors used by this group, we can "really" get down to the truth. The reference to GLAAD is from a story a couple of months ago that was done on the O'Reilly Factor. It seems Fox News (you know, that "conservative" channel) Crime Analyst Rod Wheeler detailed what he called a “national network” of so-called “lesbian gangs” that prey on young girls. Using exaggerated, sensational language, Wheeler claimed there are more than 150 such gangs in the Washington, D.C., area alone. Well, GLAAD debunked the story by calling the D.C. Metro Police Department’s Gay and Lesbian Liaison Unit, who said that they have 150 to 175 total gangs in the D.C. area, and that out of those only nine where the predominance of members are female, and that one simply can't make the jump that they are lesbians. So much for a "national network" of lesbian gangs.

The second mis-truth comes from a story in South Wales, U.K., where during a gay Marde Gras event, some Christian fundamentalist entered the throng of gay revelers and started passing out anti-gay leaflets quoting the Bible. Now forgive me if you disagree, but I would hope that police would arrest a Ku Klux Klansman if he were passing out rascist pamphlets at a NAACP rally. Again, this underscores the double-standard these right-wing bigots apply when it comes to the debate between hate language and free speech, because you know very well they probably nodded in agreement when phag-hater Phred Phelps carried "God Hates Fags" placards outside Mathew Shepard's funeral.

As to "pro-homosexual militants claiming that decent religious people who agree with God about sexual sin are causing the murders of homosexuals," well, we covered that recently in a previous post, read it by Clicking Here!

Overpopulation + World Degradation = Don't Blame the Gays

2007-08-06T09:00:00.000-04:00

Okay, I’m watching NBC’s Today Show this morning, and a straight couple with seventeen biological children are being highlighted. Of course the treatment of the story is cute and smarmy, containing humorous little platitudes, but as a gay man who is constantly hearing arguments against gay marriage, or even the very logic behind same-sex relationships because we cannot “bare children,” the idea of a straight family with seventeen kids really irks me.

As a parent of four (two mine, two my partner’s), I want to leave this earth as I found it—though, even then it was on the decline. Therefore, I believe we shouldn't over-burden a planet that’s already stressed to the max by overly contributing to a population explosion. According to The Population Institute, an international, educational nonprofit organization that seeks to reduce rapid population growth:

“Climate change is perhaps the most crucial environmental challenge of this century. Eleven of the world’s 12 highest annual global temperatures on record have occurred since 1995, leading many of the world’s top scientists and environmentalists to conclude that global warming has begun in earnest.

While a great deal of attention has been paid to reducing emissions responsible for global warming, there has been far less focus on the role of population growth in climate change.

Population pressures are not the sole cause of global warming, but exacerbate ecological degradation. Providing effective voluntary family planning to the tens of millions of women worldwide who lack access to affordable reproductive health services would be a significant step towards reducing human impact on areas left vulnerable by climate change.”

The parents of these seventeen kids say they’re very religious, and that their children are all gifts from God. I believe this is a crappy diversion of their culpability in contributing to an over-populated world, and the environmental degradation of the planet. Naturally, if these kids had been adopted, this post might have lauded this couple, but that is not the case.

So, the next time you hear a gay-hater using the argument that being gay is wrong because gay relationships can’t produce children, tell them they’re full of crap, and that the overpopulation of the world is one of the prime reasons this planet is ailing. Also, dig a little deeper, and add that because a lot of gay couples who want children adopt, we not only don’t add to an ever-expanding population, but contribute to a reduction of the surplus population caused by gay-hating straights like themselves.

Fire Island Pines: Cocktails of Porn Stars

2007-08-05T09:41:00.000-04:00

Okay, I was out on Fire Island Pines yesterday (Saturday), and oh what fun we had. With high temps and sun galore, the boys were out on the beach in the masses.

Cocktails started early at the Blue Whale, and the low tea was tons of fun, with guys so squeezed in, it was impossible to walk through them without shirtless torsos sweatily gliding against each other.

Of course, the cherry on the cake was porn star Blu Kennedy (pictured above) bar tending at the High Tea. This handsome carrot-top pours one hard drink, has one hard body, and Clicking Here you'll see other hard things, though note for those less inclined to porn, this link is rated XXX.

Another successful day of romping in Fire Island Pines, oh, the joys of being gay.

Gay Humor: Queer Leprechan

2007-08-04T09:18:00.000-04:00

A tall man is in the mens room using the facilities. A short guy, about knee high, comes in and pulls up a stool, and starts taking a pee too. The tall guy keeps looking over his shoulder. The little guy says, "What the hell are you looking at?" and the tall guy replies, "Well, for you being such a short little guy, you have an awfully big pecker on you!"

"Well," says the short guy, "Of course I do. I am a leprechaun, and I can have anything I wish for!"

"A leprechaun, you say? Does that mean you can give me any thing I wish for?!" asks the tall man.

"Well, yes, but I am a gay leprechaun, so I'll want a favor in return," says the short guy.

After thinking, the tall guy says, "Alright then. I want a million dollars, a brand new mansion, and 2 brand new Porsches!"

"Fine!" says the short guy, "its all yours! But first I want you to pull your pants down, bend over and grab your ankles!"

So, the guy does it, and the short guy climbs back up on the stool, and really gives it to him! The guy is just moaning. The short guy says, "So tell me, What is your name?" The tall guy moans, and stomping his feet, he says, "My name is Bruce....."

"Bruce? How old are you?" asks the short guy.

Stomping his feet even harder, he moans, "I'm 32!"

The short guy says, "Bruce? You're 32 and you still believe in Leprechauns?!"

Italian Kiss-In

2007-08-03T09:06:00.000-04:00

Thank you fellow gays of Italy! A few weeks ago two guys were arrested for kissing each other on Via San Giovani in front of the Colosseum in Rome. Gay Italians came in the hundreds the other day for a mass kiss-in at Rome's famed Colosseum Thursday to protest the arrest.

If convicted the pair could be sentenced up to two years in prison. The couple had just left one of the number of gay clubs near the Colosseum last Saturday when they exchanged a kiss on Via San Giovani in front of the ruins. They were observed by a police officer and arrested.

The poopie heads of the police department, despite mounting pressure, said today that they were not going to drop "lewd conduct" charges against the two men.

Jerry Falwell and Teletubbies

2007-08-02T08:58:00.000-04:00

Okay, guys, maybe Jerry Falwell wasn't too far off track.

Barbara Gittings, Gay Pioneer, Dies at 75

2007-08-01T12:14:00.000-04:00

My Small Gay World only recently heard of the passing earlier this year of Barbara Gittings, a founding foremother of the LGBT movement. Barbara was often interviewed for TV, and many of these can occasionally be seen on shows and specials about the early LGBT movement. Those of you who have seen these clips will recall Barbara's wonderfully animated way of talking, yet her mild, mid-western accent was calmly disarming. Equality Forum announced Barbara's passing in the following press release.

PHILADELPHIA—Barbara Gittings, a seminal gay activist, died on Sunday, February 18. She was 75 and resided in Wilmington, Delaware. Her death was announced by her partner of 46 years, Kay Tobin Lahusen.

Malcolm Lazin, Executive Director of Equality Forum, noted, “Barbara Gittings is the mother of the GLBT civil rights movement. She is our Rosa Parks. Barbara helped organize the first gay and lesbian civil rights demonstrations in the face of a tsunami of homophobia. Her courage helped launch the GLBT civil rights movement.”

Barbara Gittings began her career in activism in 1958 when she founded the New York chapter of the Daughters of Bilitis (DOB), the first lesbian organization. She edited DOB’s national magazine The Ladder from 1963 to 1966. Describing those years, Gittings said, “There were scarcely 200 of us in the whole United States. It was like a club; we all knew each other.”

In 1965, Gittings marched in the first gay picket lines at the White House and other federal sites in Washington, DC to protest discrimination by the federal government. She joined other activists in the pioneering annual demonstrations for gay and lesbian civil rights held each July 4 from 1965 to 1969 at Independence Hall in Philadelphia. These seminal yearly protests laid the groundwork for the Stonewall rebellion in 1969 and the first New York gay pride parade in 1970. Gittings’ role in these early protests is featured prominently in Equality Forum's documentary, Gay Pioneers.

In the 1970s, Gittings campaigned with other activists to remove homosexuality from the American Psychiatric Association’s list of mental disorders. She recruited “Dr. H. Anonymous,” a gay psychiatrist who appeared, masked, on a panel at the 1972 APA conference to tell his colleagues why he couldn't be open in his own profession.

Gittings also crusaded to make gay literature available in libraries. Though not a librarian, Gittings found a home in the Gay Task Force of the American Library Association, the first gay caucus in a professional organization. She edited its Gay Bibliography and wrote a history of the group, Gays in Library Land. Her campaign to promote gay materials and eliminate discrimination in libraries was recognized in 2003 by an honorary lifetime membership conferred by the American Library Association.

For her lifetime of activist work, Gittings was selected as one of 31 leaders for GLBT History Month in October 2006.

Philadelphia: Get Your History Straight, and Your Nightlife Gay

2007-07-31T12:56:00.000-04:00

Philadelphia initiated a campaign to attract gay tourists to the city back in 2004, with clever advertising like the commercial below. The campaign was so successful, that the city saw a $153 return for every dollar spent on its marketing campaign, according to a 2005 gay tourism survey. Since then, many other cities, as well as companies, are coming up with clever gay tourist campaigns.

With gays in the U.S. spending 600 billion each year, it's no surprise we're starting to get more and more advertisers paying closer attention to us.

Killing in the Name of God

2007-07-30T07:00:00.000-04:00

The blood of all gays who have been beaten or murdered cover the hands of conservative Christians. They are as guilty as those who attack and kill gays. This seems harsh, but these clergy, bloggers, and others can't get it through their thick heads that when they tell their congregations or readers that being gay is bad, or sinful, and that gays are going to hell, it spurs those whose characters border on psychotic to go out and hurt gays. Do these priests and bloggers condone gay bashing, of course not (well, they probably do, but won't admit it), but they are nevertheless just as culpable as the perpetrators who attack gays.

Terry Mark Mangum of Cypress, Texas, murdered Kenneth Cummings back in June because he was gay, and last week told the press from his jail cell he did it for God, and that God asked him to carry out a code of retribution by killing a gay man, because "sexual perversion is the worst sin." Of course we have to question Mangum's sanity, but then again, aren't those who attack people usually two feathers short of a boa, anyway?

Like a host letting a drunk drive home after the party, these people deserve to be held accountable for the actions of others they spur on.

Work Bitch! Jonny McGovern's Hot, New Video

2007-07-29T09:45:00.000-04:00

Jonny McGovern, AKA the Gay Pimp, recently released a new piece/video "Something for the Fellows." As always, McGovern's music is racy, hot, and sexually charged. Better yet, the hot young guys he features in his video and what they do with Jonny and each other are even hotter. Sexy, sexy, sexy. The words, "work bitch" wonderfully laced throughout. Enjoy!

Remembering Paul Broussard: Murdered for being Gay

2007-07-28T06:56:00.000-04:00

Since the time of Cain killing Abel, depicted in the painting above, humans have found many reasons for murder, none so callous as because the victim was "different."

Seven years before the brutal death of Matthew Shepard, a young man named Paul Broussard was horrifically murdered by 10 teenagers. Broussard had been an Eagle Scout and played the clarinet in the school band and the church choir. He graduated with honors; 15th in a class of 469. He paid his own way through college by working two jobs, and graduated from Texas A&M with a degree in finance.

It was two o'clock in the morning on July 4th, when Broussard and two of his friends left Heaven, one of Houston's gay bars in the Montrose neighborhood. Only blocks away from home, their attackers, who had been drinking and doing drugs, pulled their cars up and asked the three for directions to the bar they had just left. When Broussard and his friends told them where it was, the teens got out of their cars and attacked the gay men with fists, steel-toed boots, nail-studded two-by-fours, and a knife wielded by Jon Buice. Broussard's friends escaped down a busy street, but he unfortunately headed down a dead end street, where he was surrounded by the attackers.

The ten young men were cheering and yelling as they attacked Broussard, who suffered abrasions, puncture wounds, a broken rib, bruised testicles, and three stab woulds. As he lay on the ground, almost unconscious, two of his attackers rifled through his pockets and took a comb as a souvenir. The ten young men then drove off, still cheering and yelling.

Broussard was treated by EMS at the scene, and then airlifted to St. Joseph's Hospital in Houston, where he died eight-and-a-half hours later. Broussard would have most likely survived the beating, but what killed him was the stabbing by attacker Jon Buice.

The ten teens were eventually caught, tried, and convicted, and served various terms. However, Buice received a sentence of 45 years behind bars due to his stabbing of Broussard, and is up for parole in October, having already been denied in 2003 and 2005.

Broussard's mother, Nancy Rodriguez, currently lives in Georgia. She has attended more than 20 parole hearings in her efforts to keep her son's assailants in prison. Says Rodriguez, "we have to start somewhere teaching our children to value people and life. That it is not acceptable to use language like fag, queer, fairy. If Paul’s story has touched the life of even one young person and made them stop and think about their actions, then maybe his death will not have been in vain."

Public Bathrooms, Fort Lauderdale, and Gay Hating

2007-07-27T06:43:00.000-04:00

You know, there's nothing worse than being deeply offended by someone, and then having them say, "oh, okay, let me apologize," only to have them offend you some more. That's what happened earlier this week with the idiot mayor of Fort Lauderdale, Jim Naugle.

Okay, it all started a couple of weeks ago, when Naugle got the idea that gays were having way too much sex in public bathrooms near ultra-gay Sebastian Beach, and made an announcement he wanted to spend $250,000 of taxpayers money to buy public toilets whose doors open automatically after a set amount of time, though not enough for a quickie (we suspect the mayor doesn't get enough sex of his own to know about quickies). Naugle, a Democrat, is not new to the gay-hating scene, having once said that homosexuality is "something so nasty and disgusting that it makes God want to vomit." Hopefully, God wouldn't have to hurl for for an extended amount of time, because God knows the bathroom door might automatically open.

Okay, if that weren't bad enough, earlier this week Naugle was going to make a public announcement, apparently to apologize for his gay hating. The gays and press gathered, and here's what the schmuck said, "I want to apologize to the children and parents of our community for not being aware of the problem,'' and then called on residents to inform police if they see gays engaging in sex in public restrooms.

As a regular to Fort Lauderdale, where gays bring in tens of millions of pink dollars each year, I'm not sure if I want to go there now. Well, of course I do, because the mayor isn't a complete reflection of the people of Fort Lauderdale (though one does wonder how this mega-idiot got elected), and the gays who own many of the hotels and other businesses in Fort Lauderdale are what make it such a special gay destination. Nevertheless, tourism to Fort Lauderdale has certainly taken a hit.

Inequities in Civil Unions/Domestic Partners Hurts Both Gay & Straight

2007-07-26T06:18:00.000-04:00

Fascinating, isn't it, that because some states have gone the way of civil unions or the lesser domestic partnerships for same-sex couples rather than marriage, gays and straights alike are finding themselves getting the shaft.

Hurting the Gays
A week or so ago we reported how the partners of civil unioned (I hate the term, but use it to underscore how silly-sounding it is) employees of UPS in New Jersey were being denied health benefits. We headlined that story "Don't Blame UPS," because it was the NJ legislature that decided to forgo marriage for the lesser, more demeaning civil union for its same-sex, tax-paying citizens.

UPS claims the inequity is due to a worker's union contract, and that had the NJ legislature given same sex couples marriage, they would have been obligated to give those same-sex spouses the same benefits. UPS offers full benefits to the partners of legally married same-sex couples in Massachusetts, so it's difficult not to believe them when they say they're bound by the workers union contract.

Hurting the Straights
California resident Ron Garber, whose divorced wife moved in with her lady partner, and with whom she not only domestic partnered (sic), but also took her new partner's last name, sued that the alimony payments he was making his ex-wife should end.

Not so says the Orange County judge, who ruled that a registered partnership is merely cohabitation, not marriage, and that Garber must keep writing the checks.

Separate but Equal Didn't Work for Blacks, Nor Will it for Gays
These stories highlight the undeniable fact that despite the attempt by state supreme court judges and state legislators to bring equal rights to same sex couples, by instituting civil unions rather than marriage, they create an institution that they believe is separate but equal, yet remains controversially connected and unequivocally unequal.

Gay Genie

2007-07-25T11:15:00.000-04:00

A gay guy was walking along the beach on Fire Island, you know, just in front of the Meat Rack, when he stumbled upon a Genie's lamp. He picked it up and rubbed it, and lo-and-behold, out popped a gay genie.

The Genie said, "Hey girlfriend, wassup?"

The amazed man asked if he got three wishes.

"Nope, just one...due to inflation, constant downsizing, low wages, third-world countries, my new pumps pinching my big toes, and fierce global competition, I can only grant you one wish. So...what'll it be? The complete set of Tyson Cane videos? A copy of the Marilyn Monroe Happy Birthday Mr. President sequined dress in your size with matching shoes?"

The man shook his head 'no', and didn't hesitate. He said, "I want peace in the Middle East. See this map? I want these countries to stop fighting with each other."

The Genie looked at the map and shrieked, "Miss Thaaaaaang, I don't think so, not in this lifetime!! These countries have been at war for thousands of years. I'm good, but not THAT good! I don't think it can be done. Make another wish."

The man thought for a minute and said, "Well, I've never been able to find the right man, you know, one that's considerate and fun, warm and affectionate, gorgeous, is well endowed, only wants sex from me, doesn't do drugs or drink too much, has a great job with a good income, likes to cook and helps with the housecleaning, and gets along with my family, doesn't watch sports all the time, and tells me I always look fabulous, and is great in bed. That's what I wish for... the perfect guy to have as my lover."

The Genie let out a long sigh, clutched his hand to his heart and said, "Oh, Miss Thang...let me see that map again."

Gay Bankers: Dow Jones to Go Homophobic

2007-07-24T06:33:00.000-04:00

You gay bankers and financial sector guys might want to pay close attention to Rupert Murdoch's present attempt to purchase Dow Jones, which publishes The Wall Street Journal. You see, Murdoch already owns the uber-conservative Fox network, as well as the gay-hating New York Post (see July 21st posting below), and a slew of papers and networks nationwide. Fears are, even amongst many WSJ reporters, that Murdoch would inject his own straight, conservative agenda within the publication. Murdoch, on gay marriage, says "I believe it is wrong."

The Bancroft family owns a majority of voting shares of Dow Jones, and they remain split on whether to accept the offer, as they, too, have some degree of fear that the company could be editorially compromised were Murdoch to own the WSJ.

The Dow Jones board has already approved a deal to sell the firm but it is unclear if the Bancrofts, who are the controlling shareholders, will follow suit given that several members have been actively courting alternative bidders.

More to follow, though if Murdoch buys the Dow Jones, we wouldn't rely on it for the details.

Lauding Out Sports Figures

2007-07-23T09:44:00.000-04:00

Although there are many closeted professional sports players, both retired or still active, there are still many brave souls who did finally come out at some point. They deserve to be lauded.

Here's a brief, though not complete, history of gays coming out in the professional and competitive sports world.

1920 - Openly gay Bill Tilden wins the men's singles title at Wimbledon, going on to win two more Wimbledon titles, seven U.S. championships, and leads U.S. teams to seven Davis Cup victories.

1968 - Tom Waddell, a 30-year-old Army physician, places sixth in the Olympic decathlon.

1975 - David Kopay, the NFL running back who played for five teams (San Francisco, Detroit, Washington, New Orleans, Green Bay) between 1964-72, becomes the first professional team-sport athlete to come out three years after retiring.

1981 - Billie Jean King is "outed" when ex-lover Marilyn Barnett sues her for "galimony" while she is married to Larry King.

1981 - Martina Navratilova publicly reveals that she is a lesbian.

1982 - The first Gay Olympic Games takes place in San Francisco.

1983 - Bob Paris wins the Mr. America and Mr. Universe bodybuilding titles. In 1989, he reveals his homosexuality to the bodybuilding community during an interview with Ironman magazine.

1987 - Jerry Smith, a tight end with the Washington Redskins from 1965-77, dies of AIDS complications. Smith never acknowledged that he was gay, but in David Kopay's autobiography, Smith was described as his first love.

1988 - Bruce Hayes, an Olympic swimmer who won a gold medal in 1984 as a member of the 800-meter freestyle relay, comes out publicly at the Gay Games and wins seven gold medals in competition.

Martina Navratilova's announcement that she is a lesbian cost her endorsement dollars but won her respect from other players.

1992 - Matthew Hall, a figure skater on the Canadian National Team, comes out.

Roy Simmons, an offensive guard for the New York Giants and later Washington Redskins, reveals he is gay during an appearance on The Phil Donahue Show.

1993 - David Slattery, general manager of the Washington Redskins in the early 1970's, comes out.

Glenn Burke, former outfielder with the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Oakland A's, comes out publicly during an interview. During the same interview in which he admits his homosexuality, Burke says he believes he was traded from the Dodgers because management suspected his was gay.

1994 - Greg Louganis, four-time Olympic gold medalist in diving who becomes HIV-positive, comes out in public at the Gay Games.

Missy Giove, an openly lesbian mountain biker, wins her first world title. Considered the Michael Jordan of her sport, she subsequently wins back-to-back world titles in 1996 and '97.

1995 - Ian Roberts, whose picture you see at the top of this post, is one of Australia's most popular rugby players, poses nude for a gay magazine. In the same issue, Roberts speaks about being "part of a different group ... an outsider." He becomes the first major sports figure in Australia to come out.

1996 - Muffin Spencer-Devlin, an 18-year LPGA veteran, speaks about being a lesbian in the March 18 issue of Sports Illustrated.

Rudy Galindo, the national men's skating champion, discusses being a gay man in the book Inside Edge: A Revealing Journey Into the Secret World of Figure Skating. Doug Mattis, another professional skater, comes out not long afterward.

David Pichler and Patrick Jeffrey, two openly gay U.S. divers, compete in the Atlanta Olympics.

1998 - Michael Muska, a former track-and-field coach at Auburn and Northwestern, is named athletic director at Oberlin College. Muska is the first openly gay man to hold such a position in college sports.

Openly gay Greg Louganis, in a special Goodwill Games edition of New York 1 News' nightly sports program, says that several athletes in professional team sports have asked him for advice about going public with their homosexuality.

2002 -Esera Tuaolo, having retired from sports, announced publicly that he is gay, and lives with his partner, Mitchell Wherley, and their children.

2007 - Former NBA player John Amaechi comes out on ESPN's Outside the Lines program.

(Information courtesy The Advocate and ESPN)

Gays Invented Sunday Brunch

2007-07-22T05:26:00.000-04:00

Sunday mornings are made for sleeping in and hanging out in bed. That's why we gays invented Sunday brunch, so's we can stay in bed as long as we can. So, today's post is a pictorial of, well, Sunday mornings and guys staying in bed. Your only decision now is where you'll do brunch later.

New York Post: Gay Hating Rag

2007-07-21T14:27:00.000-04:00

The New York Post once again proves it's a gay-hating rag. A week or two ago it ran a cartoon by gay-hater Sean Delonas (not his first anti-gay cartoon, mind you). The cartoon depicted openly gay former New Jersey Governor Jim McGreevey, envisioning himself to be "the rightful Miss N.J." and blackmailing the current scandalized holder of the title, Amy Polumbo. Clad in a bikini, high-heels, crown, and sash, McGreevey stands in a room holding a threat letter while a man waiting in bed is spotlighted in the background.

Now, the NY Post is a paper usually read by under-educated, boorish troglodytes who still tote bumperstickers declaring "Bush in 2004," so it's no surprise this rag panders to this group with things like anti-gay cartoons (God knows they only look at the pictures anyway). During New Jersey's debate on gay marriage, a Delonas cartoon depicted a man at a New Jesey marriage license window with a sheep under his arm.

We're pretty sure Delonas wouldn't indulge in the insulting stereotyping of blacks, Jews, hispanics, or other minorities in his cartoons (well, he probably would, but why end his career, not that he's the best cartoonist or anything). So, like the playground bully we had to deal with when we were kids, we now must deal with this bully.
The Gay Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD) has the story and the cartoons at their website, just Click Here.

So, go ahead and contact the following, and tell them what gay-hating idiots they are:

Mr. Jesse Angelo, Managing Editor jangelo@nypost.com

Sean Delonas, Cartoonist
General Line: 212-930-8000
seandelonas@gmail.com

Letters to the Editor
letters@nypost.com

Dear Anita

2007-07-20T10:12:00.000-04:00

Dear Anita -

Hey, girlfriend! Just wanted to drop you a note, letting you know that we gays have made a lot of headway in gaining our rights. True, you were successful back in the late 70s in fooling people in Florida that your "Save the Children" campaign was based on what Wikipedia quotes you as saying was "Christian beliefs regarding the sinfulness of homosexuality and the perceived threat of homosexual recruitment of children and child molestation."

We've come a long way, and it took a lot of effort on our part to prove how wrong you were. Many Christian denominations now fully accept being gay as just another part of God's schematic layout, and that "homosexuality" is also apparent in the animal kingdom.

As to recruitment, we've been able to convince many of your former supporters using the argument that how can people be recruited to be gay, when we gays grew up within straight families, living in straight neighborhoods, and had no contact with anyone gay. Nobody converted us, Anita, but it would have been helpful having a few mentors to show us as young people that we were not destine to be the decrepit demons you said we would be.

As to child molestation, honey, please! It's been shown that gays, based on percentages, are no less likely than straights to be child molesters, and therefore, as we are a minority within the general public, more straights are child molesters than gays.

Why you would ruin your career by getting involved in such a ploy as "Save the Children" is beyond most of us. However, the gay-hating you seeded and nurtured in our country, the deep-seated fear you caused innocent straight people, the damage you caused us that took a generation to overcome, and the lives you attempted to ruin, gives us great satisfaction in recalling the final undoing of your own. Well, that's about all for now.

Best, David

P.S. The Florida Orange Growers' Association sends their regards!

In Search of Gay Bars: Islands of Gaydom

2007-07-19T12:45:00.000-04:00

When travelling by yourself to more remote places on business, pleasure, or because you just plain have to, don't take for granted the possibility that your destination might have a local gay watering hole.

For instance, this post comes to you from beautiful dowtown Glens Falls, NY. Not the biggest of cities, and certainly not the most liberal part of the Empire State, however I've found this little oasis called The Bar (right on South Street for you uninformed locals), that offers local and visiting gays in the Lake George area a chance to hang with our own kind.

Just because you're travelling in some remote area, don't be missled into thinking the gays are all in hiding and have no local hangout, do a Google search for "gay bar" with the name of your destination, and you might be surprised to find it has a hole in the wall just for you.

Two Guys Kissing

2007-07-18T14:30:00.000-04:00

There is something preciously sweet seeing two guys kiss. There exists this wonderful juxtaposition between their masculinity and the gentle and endearing qualities of the very act itself. As Eve Glicksman once said, "ancient lovers believed a kiss would literally unite their souls," and we tend to agree. Here's a wonderful gay video of guys kissing for your voyeuristic pleasures...enjoy!

Gay-Hating Gay Hypocrites: History Repeats Itself

2007-07-17T07:25:00.000-04:00

The Republican Party has quite a few closeted queens. They might consider themselves straight, they're married with children, but at the same time they seem to like dick, and I don't mean Cheney. Now, whether they're gay or bisexual doesn't matter, what does matter is that while they'll back home telling their constituents they're against gay marriage, they're pro-family, and that they're all for any anti-gay legislation, they're out at nights in the Capital looking for a quick sexual encounter with another guy.

You remember Republican Congressmen Mark Foley of Florida, when last year his provocative, evocative, instant messages to a young male page were disclosed, and found to contain very sexual language. Naturally, these homoerotic IMs caused his downfall.

Just last week, Republican State Representative Bob Allen, a foe of LGBT rights in Florida, was charged with offering a cop $20 for oral sex in a washroom at Veteran's Memorial Park in Titusville. The fact that he's a co-chair of John McCain's presidential campaign in Florida is a salient piece of information. Again, another gay-hating gay down for the count.

"Out" of the Beltway, and on a local level, who can forget Jim West, the Republican Mayor of Spokane (Washington), who was caught IMing and trying to pick up a 17 year-old guy online. Again, even though he was very anti-gay in his dealings as mayor, like proposing a ban on gays from working in Washington's schools, he was caught.

The fact is Foley, Allen, and West are gay-haters who, themselves, are "somehow" gay. They've contributed to making laws that are anti-gay, but think nothing of going out in search of a little hook-up with some guy. Further, they give fodder to those gay-haters who think all gay men are out for is nothing more than picking up some young hottie and having sex with them.

These gay-hating gays are not the first to get caught, there will be more, as there has been in the past, going back to when men first started making laws against homosexuality.

Take for instance John Atherton (1598-1640). Atherton came from a wealthy family in England, went to Oxford, and then became a priest in the Anglican church. Rumor has it he'd been fooling around with other guys since his school days. Atherton left England to move to Ireland, where he became Lord Bishop of Waterford and Lismore in 1636. In his role as Lord Bishop, he successfully campaigned for the passage of an act that instituted the death penalty for the vice of buggery, you know, anal sex. Well, within four years, Atherton became one of the first men accused under this statute, and was subsequently hanged for the very gay-hating law he himself had enacted.

Let this be a lesson to those closeted Uncle Toms of the gays who work to undermine gay equal rights; you will be found, caught, and your lives ruined. Either come out of the closet, or stop your anti-gay politics; being versatile doesn't always mean having it both ways.

Gay Humor: Giving Head

2007-07-16T11:46:00.000-04:00

A dumb, blond twink goes to the counter of a drug store and asked the clerk, "What can I do to get rid of my boyfriend's dandruff?"

"Simple," replied the clerk, "give him some Head & Shoulders."

The twink raised an eyebrow, "how do you give shoulders?"

Rita Booke: Sodom, Gomorrah, and the Gays

2007-07-15T06:25:00.000-04:00

Resident drag queen and answerer-of-all-questions Rita Booke is asked:

Hi, Rita -
I've heard that the story of Sodom and Gomorrah is not really about homosexuality, but something to do with hospitality. I'd love to use this in an argument with some of my homophobic family members who refer to it, but need elaboration. Can you help?

Honey, this story in the Bible has been used against us time and again. The cities of Sodom and Gomorrah were destroyed not because the inhabitants were gay, but because they were inhospitable to Lot's visitors at a time when it was usual practice to help out travelers and strangers. In the time of Lot, if you had a long journey, people in other towns or cities would easily take you into their house, feed you, even let you sleep the night if need be. This goes back to, "do onto others as you would have others do unto you." It was considered the right thing to do. Not being welcoming to Lot's guests, who were actually angels in disguise, and being downright inhospitable to them, was what did Sodom and Gomorrah in.

Secondly, babycakes, many people make the mistake of believing that whenever the bible says "to know" someone that it means to have sex. Our Puritanical history is such that although many ultra-conservative religious folk have this disgust towards this wonderful thing God has given us, at the same time they have this unnatural fascination with it, especially gay sex. Therefore, any time they see in the Bible sentences like, "and they wanted to know them," they think it means "and they wanted to have sex with them."

Most Biblical authorities believe this is not the case, and that in most instances, when you see the bible saying, "to know," it means just that. So, when the men of Sodom asked Lot to bring out his friends so that they can know them, they were really just wanting to get acquainted with them, and to make sure they weren't spies from some other city-state in the area. However, this doesn't excuse them, and they were still a mob that was being mobbish, inhospitable, and acting very aggressively towards Lot and his guests.

At some point, the mob becomes so unruly, that Lot actually offers his daughter as a sex-toy to them, to save his guests from harm (women were considered property and sex-toys anyway). So, here's your best argument: if Lot had lived in this city for so long, one would think he would have known they were all gay, so why the hell would he offer his daughter to them? Remind your relatives this was the same daughter who he later had sex with...ahem!

Of course, your evil family members will come up with arguments like gays can convert, so it's possible to have sex with a women, but tell them that argument is not good enough, and demand again, if Lot knew he was in a city full of homosexuals, why would he offer them his own daughter? My stars, even Jesus knew it was a story of inhospitality, cited in the Bible when he told his disciples, "If anyone will not welcome you or listen to your words, shake the dust off your feet when you leave that home or town. I tell you the truth, it will be more bearable for Sodom and Gomorrah on the day of judgment than for that town." Also remember that not once in the Bible did Jesus ever mention anything about homosexuality.

Remember, though, that people like this are never convinced, but at least you may have gotten them to think. As each of us has our own personal religious beliefs, tell them to believe what they want, but that you believe the story of Sodom and Gomorrah is about people who are inhospitable, unwelcoming, and not accepting of others to the table of God, and then ask these relatives which neighborhood in Sodom they're originally from.

Good luck, sweetie, you're going to need it!

Rita

Gay Cops Have an Agenda, and a GOAL

2007-07-14T10:23:00.000-04:00

It was a Fall evening in 1981, when a retired NYPD detective and an NYPD sergeant got together for dinner. The detective, Sam Ciccone, presented sergeant Charles Cochrane with the idea for creating a gay fraternal organization within the NYPD. The name of the organization would be Gay Officers Action League, and would represent gay and lesbian members of police service and would receive the same recognition, rights, benefits and privileges accorded to the more traditional fraternal groups. These groups had for many years influenced and dominated criminal justice agencies across the country. Lesbians and gays in the department had no such advocates.

A month later on November 21, 1981, Sergeant Cochrane, a 14 year veteran of the NYPD, created shock waves by testifying before a City Council hearing in favor of a gay rights bill. Following on the testimony of a Patrolmen’s Benevolent Association Vice President who denounced the bill and declared he didn’t know of any homosexual police officers, Cochrane stunned those present by announcing, “I am very proud of being a New York City Police Officer, and I am equally proud of being gay.” There was no turning back.

On April 19, 1982 Cochrane and Ciccone proudly signed their names to the legal and public documents that incorporated GOAL. By this action the Gay Officers Action League, Inc. became the first official police fraternal society in the world to represent lesbian and gay people within the criminal justice system.

It was not an easy start, and through the 1980s and into the 90s, GOAL continued to push for recognition and support of LGBT officers, sometimes having to bring lawsuits against the the PBA and city. Their efforts paid off, and GOAL attained full recognition as a true fraternal NYPD organization.

Since then, GOAL chapters have been created in every section of the United States. For more information on GOAL NYPD, Click Here. For a list of Gay/Lesbian Criminal Justice organizations, including GOAL chapters, Click Here.

(As much of this text is derived from NYPD GAOL's website, it remains Copyrighted 2006 - Gay Officers Action League)

Reparative Therapy: Psycho, Psicko, Psychiatrists

2007-07-13T17:32:00.000-04:00

You know how they say what comes around goes around? Well, in an interesting development, the American Psychological Association next week will discuss "Reparative Therapy," you know, the therapy that allegedly makes gay people straight (read "back in the closet"). What's ironically beautiful here is that there was a time when any attempt to turn gays straight was accepted by the APA. That changed, though, in 1973, when the APA finally agreed that being gay was merely another aspect of human sexuality--basically saying, "if you're gay, you're not a psycho."

In 2000, the APA Assembly and Board approved a statement saying they were concerned about the use of reparative therapy on gays and lesbians. However, the statement being discussed next week would directly confirm that reparative therapy is misleading, damages young gays and lesbians, aggravates internalized homophobia, and depresses those in therapy, pushing them deeper into states of self-loathing. So, now we come full circle, in that the APA will be discussing the idea that so-called psychiatrists who apply reparative therapy are, themselves, the psychos, and not the gays they're attempting to "cure."

Of course, the gay-hating religious organizations like Focus on the Family are declaring this as an anti-Christian ploy by the pro-homosexual lobby, and that Christianity is being unfairly targeted. Again, what comes around goes around, and it's delightfully delicious to have these right-wing, Bible-thumping, gay-haters on the defensive. There is a God.

Rowing: Don't Neglect that Machine

2007-07-12T06:33:00.000-04:00

In your gym, and almost always neglected by you gym bunnies, is the rowing machine. You know, there's a reason why we sigh, gasp, and ogle after those guys who belong to a crew, because their bodies are usually very cut, hot, and sexy! On top of working many of your core muscles, the cardio alone is a major benefit, burning about 800 calories an hour. You'll find few machines in the gym that have such a unique combination of cardio and muscle training, working arm, back, shoulder, and abdomen muscles. A few tips:

Keep your grip loose.
Bend forward at the hips.
Don't risk injury by overarching your back.

However, if you're lucky enough to live in a major city, there's a good chance there's a gay rowing club in your city, and during the summer months get outside, and do the real thing. For more information, check out the Gay and Lesbian Rowing Federation, or Gaycrawler's list of gay rowing clubs by Clicking Here.

Don't Blame UPS, Blame New Jersey Assembly

2007-07-11T07:57:00.000-04:00

Okay, so UPS isn't offering its gay unioned couples the same benefits they offer straight married employees, and by unioned we mean those who belong to a "workers" union, though of course they would still be required to be "civil" unioned by the state of New Jersey. See how confusing things are when state assemblies choose civil unions over marriage when it comes to same sex couples?

Actually, UPS offers its non-unioned unioned employees more benefits than you can imagine. According to a UPS statement, these include "health care, medical leave, pension rights, funeral leave, relocation and transfer benefits." According to the Human Rights Campaign (HRC), UPS does a pretty good job at equality for gays.

On October 25, 2006 The Supreme Court of New Jersey gave New Jersey lawmakers 180 days to rewrite the state's marriage laws to include same-sex marriage, or create a new system of civil unions for them. Sadly, they chose the latter, and thereby set confusion, and inequity, into motion.

Tonight: Gay Animation - Rick and Steve

2007-07-10T08:20:00.000-04:00

Rick and Steve are allegedly the "happiest gay couple in the world," which to premise an animated show is hysterical from the get-go. The American gay channel Logo's new show, aptly titled "Rick and Steve," debuts tonight (10pm EST), and is a must-see.

With twinks and daddies, lesbians and gays, the show looks to be off to a good start. Look for Rick and Steve's discussion about doing a three-some, and who they'd want to be the third (and it ain't Brad Pitt). Laugh as their conversations about their cat "Pussy" include loads of double entendres.

Puppets with sassy, gay dialogue is fun, but add the list of actors doing the voices, and it's even more fun. From Peter Paige (Queer as Folk), to Margaret Cho (herself), to Wilson Cruz (My So-Called Life), to Alan Cummings (himself), the cast is strong, funny, and very gay! For a preview, click the arrow below. Enjoy!

Gays, San Diego Padres, and the Lord

2007-07-09T09:23:00.000-04:00

Religious groups in San Diego have their panties in a bunch, as the Padres hosted an LGBT day at PETCO Park. It was also a day that free hats were being given to children under 14 years of age. Some of their outright stupid, idiotic remarks include the following, as always, with comments from My Small Gay World:

According to the California Catholic Daily, Richard Thompson, president and chief counsel of the Thomas More Law Center commented, “In my opinion, this confluence of events is not a mistake. The Padres are playing the part of the Pied Pieper leading unsuspecting children into accepting the homosexual lifestyle as normal. Children should not be subjected to the ‘in-your-face’ antics of these radical groups. The Thomas More Law Center wants unsuspecting parents that hope to get their children a free hat and maybe allow their children to run the bases at PETCO to know that they are also walking into a modern day scene of Sodom and Gomorrah.”
What a gay-hating schmuck. Again, right-wing, conservative religious folk erroneously connect gays to "converting" children to being gay. Further, Sodom and Gomorrah was a story in the Bible not about homosexuality, but intolerance and inhospitality, a biblical message Richard Thomson needs to learn.

Thomas More's director of communications, Brian Rooney, stated, “These so-called ‘gay pride’ events are often debauched affairs of gross and inappropriate displays of public affection.
Right, Brian, baby, it's okay for two straights to walk hand-in-hand in public, but God forbid two loving, partnered gays should do the same. Maybe you need to join the 21st, century, and realize times and attitudes change, or, as Thomas More himself once said, "To be educated, a person doesn't have to know much or be informed, but he or she does have to have been exposed vulnerably to the transformative events of an engaged human life."

J.D. Loveland, development director of Set Free Ministries, an El Cajon-based Christian organization had this to say, as reported by signonsandiego.com, "Homosexuality is a sin, and promoting it with a Pride Night when thousands of kids are also going to be (at the ballpark) is wrong. So we took a moral stand. We're not anti-gay. We're anti-anti-Christian.” What a twit! As we've warned readers before, the minute you hear "we're not anti-gay," you can bet your pink, bottom dollar that they are. What bothers us the most is that she first says homosexuality is a sin, and then suggests that our very existence is anti-Christian (why else would she feel the need to qualify herself as "anti-anti-Christian?). Right, she's not a gay-hater at all!

Although these religious nuts tried to have a boycott, even standing at the gates warning people as they went in about the "evils" that lurked inside, official attendance for the game was 41,026, just short of a capacity crowd for the 42,685-seat ballpark.

(Of course, that hottie you see above is none other than gay former San Diego Padres player Billy Bean. Click Here for more on Bean's wonderful story.)

Four Gay Sons

2007-07-08T15:54:00.000-04:00

Four men went golfing together one day; three headed to the first tee and one went into the club house to take care of the bill. The three men started talking, bragging about their sons. The first man told the others, "My son is a home builder and he's so successful that he gave a friend a new home - for free."

The second man said, "My son was a car salesman and now he owns a multi-line dealership. He's so successful that he gave a friend two Cadillacs."

The third man, not wanting to be outdone bragged, "My son is a stock broker and he's doing so well that he gave his friend an entire stock portfolio."

The fourth man joined them on the tee after a few minutes of taking care of business. The first man mentioned, "We were just talking about our sons. How is yours doing?" The fourth man replied, "Well, you know my son is gay, and although I'm not totally thrilled about it, his last three boyfriends gave him a house, two cars, and a stock portfolio."

A Love Story: The War Hero and the Prince

2007-07-07T06:47:00.000-04:00

It was a love blessed by God. Their souls were bound together, and they loved, and lived, and laughed, and cried together. One was a war hero who had proved himself again and again in battle, and the other was a young prince, ready and willing to ascend his father's throne.

However, the prince's father didn't take too well to his son's partner, not because they were gay, but because the great war hero, his son's partner, was getting more attention than the king.

The king arranged for one of his daughters to marry the war hero, and told the hero, "I guess this makes me your father in law twice," referring, of course, to his son, the war hero's "other" spouse.

Still not happy, the miserable king forces the hero into exile with a bounty on his head, and gets so pissed off at the prince, his son, that he calls him a faggot in a brilliant rage.

The war hero and prince secretly meet, however, and love each other, and promise they will always love each other to the very end. And they did.

This story is brought to you courtesy of the Bible, and tells the story of the love between David and Jonathan. For more information about this biblical, same sex love story, Click Here.

Thank God for Fridays...and Eye Candy!

2007-07-06T11:34:00.000-04:00

Okay, it's Friday, and so let's get down and boogie with a little eye candy, and gear up for a fabulous weekend! Just click the arrow below.

Gay Cowboys and Washington D.C.

2007-07-05T07:02:00.000-04:00

Rugged, butch, and riding, gay cowboys have gotten a lot of attention since Brokeback Mountain was introduced in movie theaters two years ago.

Though there are gay rodeos annually throughout the United States and Canada, and all under the auspices of the International Gay Rodeo Association (IGRA), one in particular takes place right in Washington D.C.

The Atlantic States Gay Rodeo Association's (ASGRA) annual Atlantic Stampede, held this year September 7-9, is sure to entice those with even the most modest interest in cowboys, country western music, or just plain having fun, and "fun" is the active verb.

"First, you do not have to be a cowboy to come to the rodeo," says Patrick Hunter, ASGRA's PR Chairman, "because although the participants might be gay cowboys and cowgirls, most of the people in the stands are there to take in the excitement." People come from as far north as up-state New York, and as far south as Atlanta, Georgia to ASGRA's rodeo, and participants come from even farther. Events include your regular rough-and-tumble bull riding, calf roping, and barrel racing, but there are also "camp" events, like Goat Dressing, were two teams race to put a pair of undies on, you got it, a goat.

Hunter says that even though the rodeo is the center event, running on Saturday and Sunday, the parties and "saloons" that take place during the weekend's nights are tons of fun, with two-step dancing, camp-performers, Rodeo Royalty, and hundreds of boot-wearing, tight-denim baring broncos, all out to have a great time.

Hunter tells us, "the night events are a lot of fun, and people within the D.C. area, even though they may not make it to the rodeo itself, come to these parties." These events include Friday night's Stampede Saloon, and Saturday's not-to-be-missed Harvest Moon Ball.

You gay parents, uncles, and aunts might want to introduce your kids to rodeo at ASGRA's Stampede, because the event is not only "Family" friendly, it's family friendly, including a number of newly added children's rodeo events; the Stick Horse Race, where kids race around the arena on stick horses and the Piggy Back Flag Race, where an adult piggy backs a kid; retrieves a flag from a bucket and tries to place the flag in another bucket accross the arena in the best time. Winners in each event will receive $25.

"This year, we want to get some of those folks who bring their youngins not only watching the rodeo but also involved as well." Hunter says. "Both these events are a fun safe way to give them the opportunity to really be part of the rodeo excitement inside the arena."

The rodeo's host hotel is the Hyatt Regency Washington on Capitol Hill, and ASGRA has worked a discount room rate for those rodeo-goers who want to take in the full weekend. For more information on the Stampede gay rodeo, Click Here!

Photos copyrighted by and courtesy of
Adam Kirkpatrick.

Happy Forth of July!

2007-07-04T12:29:00.000-04:00

Today the United States celebrates Independence Day, and what better way to celebrate than wrapping oneself in your favorite flag, and celebrating your own independence by making fireworks with your boyfriend, partner, trick, or yourself!

A Literary Coming Out

2007-07-03T19:24:00.000-04:00

If you are gay, and have not read any of Armistead Maupin's Tales of the City books, you are missing a big part of being gay. To be at a cocktail party, and not be able to say you've read Maupin is admitting that you're a troglodytic heathen, with no sophistication or intellectualism. Start by reading Tales of the City with its adventures of main character, hottie Michael (Mouse) Tolliver, but don't miss the others, because they are full of beautiful gayness...and no, watching the episodes on Logo don't count; reading Maupin's words colors things that celluloid cannot.

To give you a taste, when the closeted-to-his-parents Michael learns that his folks in Florida are supporting Anita Bryant's anti-gay "Save Our Children" crusade, he finally comes out to them in a letter that is powerfully moving, greatly back-boned, and to this day generates more requests for reprint permission than anything Maupin has written. Read every word, and relish the righteous anger that guides Michael to come out to his parents:

Dear Mama,

I'm sorry it's taken me so long to write. Every time I try to write to you and Papa I realize I'm not saying the things that are in my heart. That would be O.K., if I loved you any less than I do, but you are still my parents and I am still your child.

I have friends who think I'm foolish to write this letter. I hope they're wrong. I hope their doubts are based on parents who loved and trusted them less than mine do. I hope especially that you'll see this as an act of love on my part, a sign of my continuing need to share my life with you.

I wouldn't have written, I guess, if you hadn't told me about your involvement in the Save Our Children campaign. That, more than anything, made it clear that my responsibility was to tell you the truth, that your own child is homosexual, and that I never needed saving from anything except the cruel and ignorant piety of people like Anita Bryant.

I'm sorry, Mama. Not for what I am, but for how you must feel at this moment. I know what that feeling is, for I felt it for most of my life. Revulsion, shame, disbelief - rejection through fear of something I knew, even as a child, was as basic to my nature as the color of my eyes.

No, Mama, I wasn't "recruited." No seasoned homosexual ever served as my mentor. But you know what? I wish someone had. I wish someone older than me and wiser than the people in Orlando had taken me aside and said, "You're all right, kid. You can grow up to be a doctor or a teacher just like anyone else. You're not crazy or sick or evil. You can succeed and be happy and find peace with friends - all kinds of friends - who don't give a damn who you go to bed with. Most of all, though, you can love and be loved, without hating yourself for it."

But no one ever said that to me, Mama. I had to find it out on my own, with the help of the city that has become my home. I know this may be hard for you to believe, but San Francisco is full of men and women, both straight and gay, who don't consider sexuality in measuring the worth of another human being.

These aren't radicals or weirdos, Mama. They are shop clerks and bankers and little old ladies and people who nod and smile to you when you meet them on the bus. Their attitude is neither patronizing nor pitying. And their message is so simple: Yes, you are a person. Yes, I like you. Yes, it's all right for you to like me, too.

I know what you must be thinking now. You're asking yourself: What did we do wrong? How did we let this happen? Which one of us made him that way?

I can't answer that, Mama. In the long run, I guess I really don't care. All I know is this: If you and Papa are responsible for the way I am, then I thank you with all my heart, for it's the light and the joy of my life.

I know I can't tell you what it is to be gay. But I can tell you what it's not.

It's not hiding behind words, Mama. Like family and decency and Christianity. It's not fearing your body, or the pleasures that God made for it. It's not judging your neighbor, except when he's crass or unkind.

Being gay has taught me tolerance, compassion and humility. It has shown me the limitless possibilities of living. It has given me people whose passion and kindness and sensitivity have provided a constant source of strength. It has brought me into the family of man, Mama, and I like it here. I like it.

There's not much else I can say, except that I'm the same Michael you've always known. You just know me better now. I have never consciously done anything to hurt you. I never will.

Please don't feel you have to answer this right away. It's enough for me to know that I no longer have to lie to the people who taught me to value the truth.

Mary Ann sends her love.

Everything is fine at 28 Barbary Lane.

Your loving son,
Michael

(Now, run out and by your first Maupin book, and enjoy!)

Homophobic Shibboleths

2007-07-02T06:37:00.000-04:00

Recently we had the pleasure of giving kudos to a straight blogger and his blog (Steve Likes to Curse) for a wonderful piece he wrote in support of gay marriage--his words were most supportive, and he used words indicative of someone gay-friendly.

However, nothing bothers me more than individuals who "claim" to be okay with gays, but in fact show that they are not by certain shibboleths they use. For instance, there is one key word that is very indicative of someone who is deeply homophobic, despite what they might say to the contrary, and that word is "homosexual." You see, those straight folk who are really on our side usually only use this word when placed next to heterosexual, quoting someone else, or tongue-in-cheek. Hiding-homophobes almost never use the word "gay."

Another phrase you'll see pop up with homophobes who pretend to be okay with the gays is, "I don't care what people do in the privacy of their own bedroom...," and is one of the deepest digs they can give. You see, being gay to homophobes is purely sexual, that's all it is. Being gay to them only means gay sex, and ignores the bonded relationships, love, camaraderie, parenthood, and human emotion that are just as strong as any sexual urges.

Another shibboleth to look out for is the word "lifestyle," because true straight allies know to use the word orientation, understanding that many gays live a lifestyle very much akin to their straight neighbors, and that it's only their sexual orientation that differs.

So, the next time you're listening to someone claiming to be comfortable and okay with gays, pay close attention to the words they use, because if you listen closely, you'll find that they just might secretly be gay-hating homophobes.

American Gays Should Be Nervous

2007-07-01T08:09:00.000-04:00

In light of the recent US Supreme Court's ruling that basically rescinded the Brown v. the Board of Education ruling that desegregated the nation's schools, gays in the U.S. have a lot to fear.

As the current, highly conservative court shows it has no respect for stare decisis, a term meaning subsequent supreme courts will respect the decisions made by previous high courts, it is only a matter of time before some bible-thumping state sues to reinstate its sodomy laws, making it once again illegal to be gay in said right-wing, idiotic states--you know, the type that rhyme with shmoklahoma.

As the court has brought us right back to the 1950s on issues of civil rights for blacks, remember what it was like for gays back in the '50s, with the likes of Joseph McCarthy's witch hunts, and which included routing gays from their closets.

Yes, the current supreme court reflects a backward trend in this country, one that was set several years ago when George Bush became president. For those American readers of My Small Gay World who are ex-pats living abroad...stay put, it still ain't safe to come home!

Gay Commercial: Boy Toy from Hyundai

2007-06-30T07:19:00.000-04:00

One of our favorite gay videos comes again from France. It's a commercial for Hyundai, aptly titled "Boy Toy." In it, a middle-aged woman is driving around with her obvioulsly much younger boyfriend. As she's pulling up to stop at a light, she recognizes her husband's car. Pulling the passenger seat lever to hide her boyfriend, she pulls up next to her husband, shows him that she's picked up his shirts at the cleaners, and drives off, using the lever to once again bring her cuttie into view.

However, the video then switches to the car of the husband, where we see his hand reaching for his passenger seat's lever, only to raise his own "boy toy" up and into view. Of course the commercial wasn't allowed to air in the U.S., but received acclaim in the European countries in which it was shown...enjoy!

Gay World News Roundup

2007-06-29T07:50:00.000-04:00

A lot has happened this week on the world-wide political scene, and for those who've missed them, here's what happened, with critique and comment by My Small Gay World:

U.K. - Tony Blair Resigns
Announced a few months ago that after ten years as Prime Minister, Tony Blair officially stepped down this week. What's really queer is that despite being best buds with gay-hating president Bush, Tony-baby has been very supportive of gays in England, and in March he became the first British Prime Minister to address an LGBT civil rights group, telling Stonewall that the partnership law gave him "real joy". He said when the first set of ceremonies took place he did "a little skip" in celebration." Skip on, Tony, we'll miss you!

Russia - Gay Hating Mayor Yuri Luzhkov Re-Elected
Luzhkov-the-Terrible was re-elected to his fifth term as mayor of Moscow, just as police dispersed a small group of LGBT activists protesting against Luzhkov in front of the European Union office in Moscow. About two dozen gays were demanding that the EU impose a visa ban on the mayor over his opposition to LGBT rights. Luzhkov's re-election does not bode well for our gay brothers and sisters in Moscow. Hang in their you guys of All of Russia, we're rooting for you!

USA - Bush Plans to Veto Washington DC Budget Due to DP Registry
President Bush says he'll veto budget appropriations for the District of Columbia unless the measure contains language barring the district from using any of the money for its domestic partner registry. For those who may not be aware, the USA's Capital is listed as a "state," but as the seat of the Federal Government, is really a "Federal District," and lacks many of the autonomies and privileges that the States have, and many of its laws and budgets are at the discretion of Congress and the President.

Well, because of this, Bush can use his veto power over the Democratically passed D.C. budget, which included monies for Washington's Domestic Partner Registry, citing that "under Federal law, legal marriage is the union between a man and a woman. Federal tax dollars are not used to extend employment benefits to domestic partners of Federal employees, and D.C. should not enjoy an exception to this rule." Domestic Partnerships are not marriage, but it would take a president with an actual IQ to be able to figure that out. Gosh, 2008 can't come soon enough!

Canadian Anglicans Back-Track on Blessing Same Sex Marriages/Unions
We were all holding our breaths, but The Anglican Church of Canada let us down, and delegates voting Sunday at the General Synod rejected the idea of letting individual dioceses decide whether their priests could perform blessing ceremonies for same sex couples who were married in civil ceremonies.

However, the General Synod did agree that same sex blessings do not conflict with its core doctrine, a decision that paves the way for the practice. Two steps forward, one step back.

Gay Art: Colourist Jean-Marc Plassard

2007-06-28T06:13:00.000-04:00

Jean-Marc Plassard was born in Saint Etienne en Bresse, a small village in central France, in March 1961. The youngest of three boys, he grew up in this region and from an early age showed a keen aptitude for art-related work.

Jean-Marc classifies himself as a colourist and describes his artistic motivations as 'Desire, Love & Sensuality '. Generally his paintings depict sensual pleasures of the male physique. A provocative and sensitive view of the male form. Specifically, they are an oeuvre in a modern, figurative style, using light, colour and contrast to create atmosphere and texture.

Jean-Marc's use of color and subject has an almost Warhol feel, that translates wonderfully to his canvas. For more information on the wonderful work of Plassard, check out his website by Clicking Here!
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Pride Month: The Shot Heard Round the World

2007-06-27T09:29:00.000-04:00

June 27, 1969 - Gay customers fight back during police raid on Greenwich Village gay bar called Stonewall Inn. It turns into a riot and marks the beginning of the contemporary gay liberation movement. Yep, tonight is historically the evening that set all of this in motion, when a bunch of queens at the Stonewall Inn gay bar threw down the gauntlet after repeated raids on the bar, and said they were'nt going to take police abuse any more. It created a riot, as other gays, bohemains, and other sympathizers joined the riot, which lasted the next few days.

Take a moment to think about these brave souls, whose actions launched a movement that has, to this day, brought us many good things.

Rumors Abound: Wentworth's Dating Luke

2007-06-26T06:50:00.000-04:00

Okay, guys, you know we here at My Small Gay World would walk on our lips before gossiping...oh, who the hell are we kidding!

According to King of Gossips, Perez Hilton blog, hottie Wentworth Miller of Fox's Prison Break fame is dating just-as-cute actor Luke McFarlane.

From Perez Hilton's Blog:

Quote: Wentworth and Luke have been secretly dating for almost six months now,” says an impeccable source close to the pair. “They’ve been very quiet about their relationship, obviously, as Wentworth is not out of the closet.”

Things between the pair are so serious that the couple are talking about moving in together, we hear.

“They spend a lot of time at each other’s houses,” says our mole. “Wentworth has been pretty reclusive since he’s become famous and he’s been even more of a shut-in since he started dating Luke.” End Quote!

We've been hot and drooling over Wentworth for two seasons now, and it would be a coup were he to come out of the closet. Hey, isn't Fox that conservative, right-wing station? Nah, couldn't be!

Gay History: Today's Birthday - Larry Kramer

2007-06-25T07:06:00.000-04:00

Sitting on the messy floor of my den is a book whose cover shouts loud and clear "Faggots!" I've only been given it recently, and that's why it remains unread, but I promise to read it, for the shear historic and sarcastic content, context, and most importantly, it's author, who celebrates his birthday today. It is, of course, none other than Larry Kramer.

Kramer was born in 1935 to a professional family in Bridgeport, Connecticut. After receiving his B.A. from Yale in 1957, he joined the Army for a year. When he got out of the military, he entered the entertainment industry, working first for the William Morris Agency and then for Columbia Pictures. His love of words led him to his first screenplay for the 1969 movie adaptation of D. H. Lawrence's Women in Love, for which he also co-produced, and received an Academy Award nomination.

According to Gregory Bredbeck, Associate Professor of English at the University of California, Riverside, "Kramer gained prominence in the world of gay writing in 1978, when his novel Faggots was published. A scathing satire of the gay circuit in Manhattan and on Fire Island, the novel traces the life and neuroses of Fred Lemish, a middle-aged Jewish gay man looking for love in a world that only wants to have sex. The world of fast-lane gay New York becomes the real subject of the book, and Kramer's narrative focuses on the drug and alcohol abuse, the sado-masochism and the promiscuity that he sees as both typical and reprehensible."

Spurned on by the fact that the media and government* were paying little attention to the "Gay Cancer" that was beginning to plague gay men, and which would later be known as AIDS, Kramer co-founded the Gay Men's Health Crisis in New York in 1981. As Bredbeck notes, "Disenchanted with what he perceived to be the lethal dangers of an uncontrollable AIDS bureaucracy, he founded AIDS Coalition to Unleash Power (ACT UP) in 1988." Though non-violent, the organization led very provocative protests, doing anything to draw attention to the scurge. Their tactics were seen as distasteful by many, including within the gay community, but their loud voices could not be ignored, and through their efforts, attention started to be paid. Kramer was there, in the front lines, leading the way.

Larry Kramer, it is said, will be best remembered as the man who almost single-handedly began the gay political response to AIDS in America, launching a political activism within the gay community that to this day is reflected in other organizations like the Gay and Lesbian Task Force, HRC, LAMBDA Legal, and many others.

Happy Birthday, Larry!!!

*By the time President Reagan even mentioned AIDS, 36,058 Americans had been diagnosed with the disease and 20,849 had already died.

I Am What I Am...GAY!

2007-06-24T06:16:00.000-04:00

I am what I am

And what I am needs no excuses
I deal my own deck
Sometimes the aces sometimes the deuces
It's one life and there's no return and no deposit
One life so it's time to open up your closet
Life's not worth a dam till you can shout out
I am what I am

I am up early this morning, desperately, carefully, attentively selecting what I'll wear today, and going through a number of boxes looking for my chain of rainbow rings, which I think will look nice against my black muscle tee. These are not my only preparations, and I feel comforted that I am not alone, as an estimated 1.2 million GLBT folk in the New York City area are doing the same this morning. Today is Gay Pride in NYC, and we'll once again turn the place into one big party!

I like to correct my friends who call it a parade. I can understand their belief it's a parade, with floats, all the colorful people, and the celebration of all that we've gained in our fight for equal treatment, rights, and respect. However, it was started, and continues to be, a march for the rights and respect we must still fight for.

There are many forces working against us, and we must never forget their dark, mean-spirited presence. However, today is a day we can let go, and celebrate who we are, how we are, and what we are, individually and collectively.

One of my friends assigns various ring-tones to each of his friends, and has mine set to the tune "I am What I Am," originally from musical hit La Cage aux Folles, and made popular by Gloria Gaynor's dance remix of the same. Who couldn't love this piece, especially on Pride Sunday, where each of us can celebrate and say, I am what I am.

Greek Gods, Twinks, and This Bud's for You

2007-06-23T07:18:00.000-04:00

Okay, guys, maybe you don't yet know the Greek myth of Ganymede, but we'll briefly go over it.

Ganymede was this young twink way back in those "Grecian" times. He was unbelievably beautiful, with a nice body and bubble-butt to boot.

Ganymede's beauty was such that one day, Zeus noticed it, and instantly fell in love with the young man. Zeus wooed and flirted, and tried every line in the book, but Ganymede wasn't biting (holding out for the Rolex, no doubt). Well, it came to the point that Zeus had enough playing around, he was a god after all, and so swept down in the form of an eagle, and snatched the lad up, brought him back to Mt. Olympus, and made him water bearer to the gods; read poolboy.

How homoerotic can you get, right? Well, not enough for Anheuser-Busch, it would seem. In the early years of the last century, the beer company used the story of Ganymede and Zeus to market Budweiser beer. If you look at the ad above, you'll see that Ganymede is holding a nice cold bottle of Budweiser! As the Anheuser-Busch logo is that of an eagle, it's no surprise they'd use the story, but the fact that it's based on the homoerotic story of a male god falling in love with a male human, that does come as a surprise.

As a side note, and not to give A-B a free plug, but if you look at most LGBT events throughout the US, you'll see Bud Light as a sponsor, so maybe they've always been after the gay market, even way back when.

Early Acceptance of African Americans to Gays

2007-06-22T06:48:00.000-04:00

“To compare civil rights with gay rights is to compare my skin with their sin." Dwight McKissic, President of the Southern Baptists of Texas Convention’s Pastors’ Conference.

"I'm offended that they're comparing (gay rights) to civil rights. Marriage is not a civil right, and the struggle of gay and lesbian people cannot be compared to the struggle of blacks." Reverend Jeffrey Brown, a Baptist minister from Massachusetts .

Any attempt to parallel the gay marriage movement with the African-American struggle is "offensive," declares Reverend Jesse Lee Peterson, the civil rights movement is "not about sex."

These words are most offensive, and we have seen many quotes by African Americans declaring their disgust that equal rights for gays is oftentimes compared to the equal rights of African Americans in the United States.

However, keep in mind these words come from so-called men of the cloth, and that there are many, many African Americans who support equal rights for gays. Gay African Americans are working hard to convince their straight counterparts that the similarities for the struggle for equal rights are strong, though their detractors are holding strong.

However, there was a time when blacks and gays (of both races), looked forward to mixing, dancing, and partying. At the height of the Harlem Renaissance during the 1920s and 1930s, African Americans in Harlem not only tolerated gays, but accepted and welcomed them into bars and clubs.Of course, many of these African Americans were gay themselves, like eminent poet Langston Huges, as well as many of the top performers of the day who performed in these speakeasies like Gladys Bently, but the majority were straight, albeit progressive.

Further, there's a strong connection between African Americans' early acceptance of gays, and their own continued struggle for equality, and this connection is reflected in a gay black man named Bayard Rustin. Rustin came of age during the Harlem Renaissance, and lived openly gay throughout his life.

Rustin became so politically active on behalf of the push for civil rights for blacks, that Reverend Martin Luther King, Jr. put him in charge of the Montgomery Bus Boycott and the 1963 March on Washington (where King gave his famed "I Have A Dream" speech). The early acceptance of gays by African Americans gave Rustin the strength and acceptance of himself to push for equality.
Now, it is true that on a societal level, we can say that this inter-mingling and support was a paradigm of the time. After all, it took place in New York, and a few other major cities , but it is clearly indicative of a support and acceptance of gays by African Americans.

So, the next time we hear African American leaders denouncing the comparison of gay civil rights to the struggle for the civil rights of blacks, let's recall that there is still strong support for gays among African Americans today, and that support goes back well over 80 years.

Log Cabin Republicans: Victory in New York

2007-06-21T17:12:00.000-04:00

Yes, another post about Gay Marriage...this one I couldn't pass up, because as you readers well know, My Small Gay World isn't really supportive of the Log Cabin Republicans, and so this is more about them, than gay marriage.

Yesterday the New York State Legislature assembly passed a bill that would make same-sex marriage possible. Of course, a lot of this was voted on party lines, with most Republicans voting against it. However, with a heavy lobbying effort on the part of Log Cabin Republicans, they were able to get four Republicans to vote for the bill. No easy task, but it did make New York the first state to pass a same-sex marriage act with bipartisan support. Although California's assembly and senate have both voted for gay marriage (later to be vetoed by Arnold), not a single Republican in California voted for the measures.

So, although we're still a bit leery about the efficacy of the Log Cabin Republicans, in this case they've proved themselves well, and we wish them tons of luck working with the NY Senate's Republicans...they'll need it!

Same Sex Marriage, Massacusetts, and Straight Supporters

2007-06-20T08:31:00.000-04:00

"The people of the United States don’t want same-sex marriage. Whether this is true or not doesn’t matter; on civil rights issues, what the people want is irrelevant. Opponents of gay marriage attack the Massachusetts SJC decision as judicial activism, but name me one significant civil rights victory in the last century that wasn’t the result of judicial activism. We celebrate the anniversary of Brown vs. Board of Education of Topeka, not the anniversary of Congress or the people of Kansas voting to end segregation. The Supreme Court of the United States didn’t leave the question of segregation up to the people; it decided for itself that it was unconstitutional and had to be abolished. Thirteen years later it was another Supreme Court decision, Loving vs. Virginia, which outlawed anti-miscegenation laws, finally guaranteeing the right to interracial marriage. Does this mean the courts always ought to overrule the people? Of course not. But in matters of civil rights, when the legislature or the people are clearly unwilling to take on the work of reform themselves, the court must act."

This is from essayist Steve Shives, who modestly claims not to be "especially intelligent or eloquent." Steve's a handsome, straight, baseball-loving bearded dude who is, in fact, very intelligent and eloquent, and writes about a whole slew of topics. This was from an article posted on his website just this afternoon, and already picked up by American Chronicle. You can read the rest of Steve's article (and we suggest you do), by going to Steve's website, wonderfully named, Steve Likes to Curse.

Thanks, Steve! And although you're playing for the other team, it's good to know we have you rooting for us!

Male Model: Nick Auger

2007-06-19T07:44:00.000-04:00

When searching for the Hottie of the Day, we came across this amazingly hot guy. Fitness model Nick Auger, now 25, is seen on blogs, YouTube, and other websites. A lot of the information across the internet repeats the same information, though, and seems dated back to 2004 when Auger appeared on cover of The Fitness RX. Rumor has it he's still modeling in NYC, but one would think that his agent and promoters would get the guy a dedicated website.

If you have the latest scoop on Nick, post a message, we're all wondering what he's up to!

Mitt Romney: Queer and Present Danger

2007-06-18T06:49:00.000-04:00

In the movie, Latter Days, as lead character Aaron Davis is about to be excommunicated by his Mormon leader dad for being gay, the following dialogue takes place, which we've seen powerfully quoted on other blogs, websites, etc.:

"This isn't easy for me Aaron. But in light of your abnormal and abominable state, and your refusal to see that you've been duped into some hogwash alternative lifestyle. I wish my shame was enough for the both of us. Not to mention the shame you've brought to our church, our family, our ancestors... "

"Wait a minute, our ancestors? Dad, your grandfather had at least a half dozen wives, and that goes for every single person in this room. I've say we're the original definition of 'alternative lifestyle.'"

A devout Mormon, Mitt Romney is dead-set against same-sex marriage, and a Romney administration would see little difference from that of the Bush administration on any gay-related matters.

As governor of Massachusetts, Romney did everything he could to circumvent gay marriage, and luckily enough for the gays of Mass, his circumventions were quite unsuccessful. However, he's been outspending the likes of opponent Giuliani on pre-primary spending, and is one of the front-runners for the presidential nomination. Here are just a few quotes from Romney, with comments from My Small Gay World (naturally):

"America cannot continue to lead the family of nations around the world if we suffer the collapse of the family here at home." So, with straights divorcing at 51%, families breaking up because of infidelity, and the continued escalation of children born out of wedlock, it makes perfect sense that gay marriage is the culprit...yeah, right!

"I feel very deeply about the need to respect and tolerate people of different social - or sexual orientation. But at the same time, I believe marriage should be preserved as an institution for one man and one woman." Mitt, baby, you've already shown that you don't respect us, because you don't respect our relationships. Further, don't insult us by saying you'll "tolerate" us, we're fighting for nothing short of acceptance.

"Like me, the great majority of Americans wish both to preserve the traditional definition of marriage and to oppose bias and intolerance directed towards gays and lesbians." Okay, we don't know which of Romney's speechwriters wrote this crap, but the word oxyMORONIC, certainly comes to mind.

Keep in mind this guy could be the next president. From what we've seen so far, as gay citizens, we are up against a mitt-igating danger.

Happy Father's Day

2007-06-17T20:23:00.000-04:00

Whether through surrogate, adoption, or the old fashion way, here's to all you gay dads!

Gay Art: Steve Walker - Just Guys

2007-06-16T10:04:00.000-04:00

Artist Steve Walker's paintings are stirring, emotionally charged, and gentle. "As a homosexual I have been moved, educated, and inspired by works that deal with a heterosexual context," says Walker. "Why would I assume that a heterosexual would be incapable of appreciating work that speaks to common themes in life, as seen through my eyes as a gay man. If the heterosexual population is unable to do this, then the loss is theirs, not mine." It would be hard to imagine anyone, straight or gay, who wouldn't be moved by Walker's treatment of male couples.

If Walker were an abstract painter or a landscape artist, he says his sexual orientation wouldn't matter. But since his paintings are about gay life, his sexual orientation becomes more important than his cultural background, age, or nationality. Lucky for us!

For more of Steve Walker's wonderful imagery, check out his website by Clicking Here.

Gay Marriage: Now on to New York!

2007-06-15T07:20:00.000-04:00

Okay, we've won in Massachusetts, but what many folk don't realize is that within the next week and a half, it's possible that a marriage bill will be voted on in the New York Assembly. Assemblymember Daniel O’Donnell (D-Manhattan, and yes, Rosie's out and proud gay brother) is spearheading the bill in the Assembly, which was initially introduced by Assemblymember Richard Gottfried (D-Manhattan) who has championed it since 2002.

Says Empire State Pride Agenda Executive Director Alan Van Capelle, “Each day that our families are without the hundreds of protections and responsibilities that the state provides through marriage is another day our families remain vulnerable. Passing this bill in the Assembly this year will continue the momentum that has already begun to put an end to the discriminatory denial of marriage to the hundreds of thousands of same-sex couples and their families who live in New York State.”

If you're in New York, and want to let your assemblymember know you want them to co-sponsor, or at least vote affirmatively, to this legislation, the Empire State Pride Agenda's website has an easy-to-use, pre-scripted email form you can send to your assemblymember, just Click Here. You don't even have to look up who your assembly member is, it's done automatically using your zip code.

Gay marriage is happening, it's coming, and our opponents are frightened, and it's causing them to be even more active, we need to be just as active.

Note: Okay, guys, because we've been a bit on the political side yesterday and today, here's a New York hottie for you, he needs your support, so if you're a NY resident, go to the Empire State Pride Agenda's website by clicking the hottie.

Eventful Day for Gay Marriage in Massachusetts

2007-06-14T10:40:00.000-04:00

Keep your fingers crossed, guys, as the Massachusetts State Legislature votes today on putting forth an amendment doing away with gay marriage. It must first be approved by 25% of the legislators, and then next year it would go to the voters.

What's wrong here, democratically speaking, is that one of the tenets of most constitutions, regardless of what country or state you're in, is the protection of a minority from the wills, prejudices, and follies of a majority. Certainly what we have in the case of putting the "gay marriage" question to voters is placing the right to the pursuit of happiness of a minority in the hands of the majority. It's just wrong.

We'll report to you later, when we here how the vote went. Until then, keep you fingers crossed that the bill fails.

News Flash!
An amazing change in expected votes from Massachusetts has squelched the anti-gay move to bring the issue to the voters. Even down to the last hour, nobody knew which way the vote would go. What was needed by our adversaries was only 50 votes, but they failed by five. Unless there is some legal ground for opposing organizations to use, the process to try againmeans it couldn't get to voters (even if it passed) until 2012.

Congratulations you gays of Mass, you've worked hard to divert this attack, and you won!!! Happy Pride!

Gay Bomb: Make the Enemy Play

2007-06-13T20:55:00.000-04:00

You gotta hand it to those crazy guys within the US Military. It's now been proven that they had requested over 7 million dollars in research funding for a pheromone bomb that would make opposing forces turn gay and screw each other silly and, well, how to put this succinctly, thus opening themselves wide for US Forces penetration.

Pentagon officials on Friday confirmed to CBS station KPIX-TV in San Francisco that military leaders had considered, albeit for a short time, building the so-called gay bomb. This all came about when Edward Hammond of Berkeley's Sunshine Project, a group dedicated to routing waste in government spending, used the Freedom of Information Act to obtain a copy of the proposal from the Air Force's Wright Laboratory in Dayton, Ohio.

The proposal suggested, "One distasteful but completely non-lethal example would be strong aphrodisiacs, especially if the chemical also caused homosexual behavior," and suggested asking for $7.5 million to develop such a chemical weapon. Okay, did they really have to use the word "distasteful?"

Frankly, a "gay bomb" attack on an opposing force that included enough "friendly fire" on our own guys could end war forever!

Gay Haters are Angry

2007-06-12T16:08:00.000-04:00

Oh, the gay-haters at Americans for Truth are really pissed off, and a tad afraid, because gays have enough power to prevent a gay-hating Surgeon General from being appointed! Here are some quotes from Americans for Truth's gay-hating president, Peter LaBarbera:

"Folks, anti-Christian homosexual activists and their liberal allies are out again in force to take down another good man — Dr. James Holsinger, Jr., President Bush's nominee for U.S. Surgeon General — who happens to agree with the ancient Judeo-Christian moral understanding of homosexual practice as unnatural, unhealthy and wrong."

When mentioning that gay-hating Surgeon General nominee Holsinger also believes homosexuality can be "cured," LaBarbera, ever the "expert" on things gay, says...

"The fact is, thousands of men's and women's lives have been changed through ex-"gay" ministries and church outreaches to bringing healing to people with unwanted homosexual attractions. So the Left is now calling for “investigations” into Christian nominees’ churches?"

You'll also note that LaBarbera always uses quotes around the word "gay," because it's the "gay-haters" way.

So, guys, if you're reading this in the good ole USA, and want to further piss off the likes of LaBarbera, then send an easy pre-written email to your senators, courtesy of the Human Rights Campaign, telling them you think gay-hating Dr. James Holsinger shouldn't be the next Surgeon General:

Click Here to piss off the "Christian" fanatics!

Thank you for your activism!

Gay Politicians

2007-06-11T06:06:00.000-04:00

Pride continues here at My Small Gay World during June, and today we're talking gay politics. This past weekend I was at a Pride event where I had the pleasure of running into a key staffer at the Log Cabin Republicans, himself a politician, and we discussed a number of things that I'll probably go into in another post, but for this more liberal leaning blogger, it was a very agreeable discussion (we also learned we live in the same village...and I thought I knew all the gays in town!). However, it got me thinking about gay politicians, and how bold one must be to be an openly gay politician in the world today.

For instance, the mayors of both Berlin and Paris are gay, and the next in line for the mayoral position in New York is lesbian Christine Quinn. But, that's only three, there are many out, gay politicians around the world, like Spain's Pedro Zerolo, or maybe Volker Beck of Germany, or even Israel's Uzi Even. The list is very impressive, and we should be proud that in many countries we are well represented by our gay brethren in congresses, parliaments, and caucuses around this Small Gay World.

For a list of openly gay politicians and their backgrounds and rise to power, Click Here!

When You Care Enough to Send the Very Offensive

2007-06-10T09:31:00.000-04:00

You're in a Hallmark store, browsing for a Father's Day card. You find one that features a photo of an idyllic, upscale picnic spread: plaid blanket, wicker basket, a bottle of wine and two glasses, a round of bread, a fruit plate. Above the photo, the card read, "Dad, how about a Father's Day picnic?" The punch line inside: "Too queer? Yeah, I thought so too."

Well, it happened to one person, who then reported the card to The Advocate, who called Hallmark on the offensive card. According to Hallmark’s media liaison, Deidre Parkes, the company would pull the cards from shelves immediately. Parkes told the Advocate, “[Hallmark’s business unit] reviewed it today and did all agree that it was in poor judgment to include the card in the line,” Parkes said in an e-mail Thursday. “We are stopping the shipping of the card, and we will not produce it again. Hallmark's intent is never to offend, and we're truly sorry if that is the case here.”

That's all well and good, but the question remains, how in hell did a card like this get past editors, reviewers, and "business units" to even be on store shelves in the first place?

Gay Art: Johan Ekkel - Dutch Treat

2007-06-09T07:00:00.000-04:00

A graduate of the Royal Academy of Art and Design in Den Bosch in the Netherlands, Johan Ekkel has worked as an illustrator for advertising agencies and book and magazine publishers for well over 20 years. After an early retirement, he went back to his true love, painting naked men.

Ekkel's almost painterly quality, mixed with a fantasised reality, yields images that are provoking and emotional.

For more information on Ekkel, his work, and the opportunity to purchase Ekkel's art, Click Here!

Gay Pride: Milking It

2007-06-08T07:01:00.000-04:00

"Milk's body lay in state alongside that of Mayor George Moscone in the City Hall Rotunda where a memorial service took place on November 29, 1978. Later the same day, a special memorial service was held at temple Emmanue-El, the first time an openly gay rabbi was permitted to officiate at that temple." Harvey Milk, Second Sight, by Bob Kelly.

In our continued Pride postings this month, we're taking a short pictorial look at photos of and by a young Harvey Milk, gaydom's first martyr. American politician and gay rights activist, Milk was the first openly gay city supervisor of San Francisco, California. He and Mayor George Moscone were assassinated in 1978. Milk's assassin, Dan White, was sentenced to seven years in prison. Outrage over the verdict led to widespread rioting in San Francisco by enraged homosexuals and others. Milk lived openly at a time when doing so could severely restrict one's rise to success, in many it contributed to their failure. Not Milk, who rose to become one of the first openly gay politicians in gay history.

Harvey Milk, circa 1957

Harvey Milk and friends in New York, 1965

Joe Campbell, Milk's long-term companion

Milk, Miami Beach, 1965

Milk, circa 1963

For more information on Harvey Milk, check out Wikipedia's listing, and for more on the Harvey Milk pictorial, check out Bob Kelly's "Harvey Milk, Second Sight" display.

Gay Lives, HIV, and Searching for Love

2007-06-07T00:48:00.000-04:00

Leave it to the French! This is one of the best gayest videos. Although getting its HIV and condom messages across, it does so by demonstrating the life of a gay dude, his many affairs to find love, and the dead-ends in which many lead. After a gay-bashing, he finally hooks up with Mr. Right, or in this case, Dr. Right. Again, leave it to the French! Dieu aime le français!

(Note, however, that this video is well more than PG related. What more would you expect from My Small Gay World?)

Choosing a Bathing Suit: Not an Easy Task

2007-06-06T06:46:00.000-04:00

Now that summer is here for those in the northern hemispheres, many of you will be looking for a new bathing suit. It never fails to surprise me that despite being more fashion conscious than our straight brethren, I often see gay guys in bathing suits that are most unflattering. It's really not a pattern issue (though trust me, that always needs to be kept in mind), but more the style and cut as determined by our body shape.

For Skinny Guys or Thinly Built Guys: For those of you on the skinny side, you'll be glad to know that you are one of the few who can get away wearing anything thongish, or stringy, or bikini-esque...these are not a problem for you. However, do try to stay away from those bathing suits that are too revealing, and do nothing more than cover your genitalia. If you're wearing these, you're probably in a place that is clothing optional anyway, and should just be naked.

For Medium Built Guys: You're built, and carry a muscular frame, and your strong, square shape is accentuated by a medium, or mid-level cut.

For Larger Guys: Fear not, there are actually more options for larger guys. In your case, it's best to go for a longer cut bathing suit that goes to just above the knees. The length adds a slimmer effect, as long as you don't wear the waist up to your chest, you'll do fine.

Bathing Suite Tips: Unless you're heading to the Fire Island Pines Meat Rack, stay away from dental floss bathing suites or those new bathing suits that actually come with a cock ring, because the beach or pool is not the place for an inflated over-ego...or member!
Even if you're in shape, but might have a bit of a belly, remember to get a bathing suit that comes as close, if not right up, to that line between lower flatter abdomen and tummy. The waist of your swimsuit should be right at that line; an inch above or an inch below, and you're just highlighting your belly.

All white bathing suits can get comments like, "Nice underwear!"

Gay Couples Split by Immigration Laws

2007-06-05T05:54:00.000-04:00

Gay news site 365gay.com reports today of the arrest of Eric Affholter, the head of the St. Louis office of the Missouri public defender's office. It appears Affholter allegedly arranged a sham marriage to keep his foreign gay partner in the country by having his partner marry a female subordinate within the public defender's office. Following his arrest, Affholter was released on $50,000 bond and has resigned his position.

Sadly, events like this are not uncommon, and gay US citizens and their foreign-born partners are constantly having to jump through hoops to keep their loved ones in the country. The straights have it easy, because all they have to do is marry their partners, but gays do not have this option because under the federal Defense of Marriage Act, immigration law does not recognize same-sex unions--hell, it doesn't even allow for sponsorships of a same-sex partner.

This means that same sex couples that have been legally married in Massachusetts, Canada, the Netherlands, or Belgium, will not be able to immigrate based on their marriage. Worse off are those partnerships where the partner facing deportation is about to be returned to a country that persecutes gays. Who can blame anyone for arranging sham marriages with female pals to keep ones partner from getting kicked out of the country.

However, things might be looking brighter, as the Uniting American Families Act (UAFA), a bill sponsored by Rep. Jerrold Nadler (D-NY) and Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-VT), will allow citizens and legal residents in same-sex relationships to sponsor their partners for immigration purposes. The UAFA applies the same standards to same-sex couples that the United States applies to opposite-sex couples where one member is seeking to bring a foreign partner into the country.

For more information on how you can support bi-national gay couples, check out Immigration Equality's website. Also, if you'd like to send a quick and easy email to your congressperson in support of the Uniting American Families Act, Click Here to go to HRC's online Congressional Connection emailer.

Paris Hilton: In Jail

2007-06-04T06:30:00.000-04:00

Well, it's official. Today, Paris Hilton, only hours after attending the MTV Movie Awards, surrendered herself to the L.A. County Jail, where she'll serve her 23-day sentence. Hilton made a statement through her attorney before entering the jail, "This is an important point in my life and I need to take responsibility for my actions. In the future, I plan on taking more of an active role in the decisions I make." Hmmm, like she didn't take an active role in the decision to drive drunk, thus causing the situation she now finds herself?

Capping things off, Hilton's record company, Warner Bros., has allegedly dropped her, claiming they're 'not expecting any new Paris Hilton material in the foreseeable future.'

Beatitudes or Gay Attitudes

2007-06-03T06:22:00.000-04:00

"The Bible contains six admonishments to homosexuals and 362 admonishments to heterosexuals. That doesn't mean that God doesn't love heterosexuals, it's just that they need more supervision." - Lynn Lavner, Lesbian Comic.

As today is Sunday, let's keep things biblical, but with a gay twist. Today's lesson is on the Beatitudes, directives from Jesus to the Gays:

Fabulous are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Fabulicious are the mourners, for they will be comforted.
Faboo are those who hunger and thirst after righteousness, for they will be filled.
Fabulous are those persecuted for seeking righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Fabuliciousness are the meek, they will inherit the earth.
Fabulous are the merciful, for they will obtain mercy.
Fab are the pure of heart, for they will see God.
Fabumungous are the peacemakers, for they will be called the children of God.

Gay Art: Michael Breyette

2007-06-02T06:07:00.000-04:00

Gay art has very much changed from its early days of Grecian urns with images of Zeus hitting on twink Ganymede, and the depiction of man-to-man relationship, in a loving sense, has fully evolved into intimate, sensual, and fully recognizable, almost tangible, emotion.
Michael Breyette exhibits all of this in his art. More so, however, is his use of two hot guys in emotional moments. Sometimes it's a quick hook-up between two construction workers, sometimes it's between a couple who obviously love each other and sharing a tender moment, and sometimes it can even reflect the emotion of pain.
Whatever the venue, Breyette fills his canvasses with candid feeling. Check out Michael Breyette's website at www.studio1088.com.

This Day in Gay History: Henry Gerber

2007-06-01T16:26:00.000-04:00

On June 1st, 1924, Henry Gerber had an article published in Modern Thinker that attacked the view that homosexuality is a neurosis. Gerber, a postal worker in Chicago, started the Society for Human Rights, which is America's first known gay rights organization. According to the society's mission statement, "The Society for Human Rights is formed to promote and protect the interests of people who are abused and hindered in the legal pursuit of happiness which is guaranteed them by the Declaration of Independence, and to combat the public prejudices against them."

Gerber went on to distribute a newsletter called "Friends and Freedom," for which he was arrested and held for three days without a warrant or being charged with any infractions. Upon release, he lost his job for "conduct unbecoming a postal worker." For a more complete profile of Gerber, Click Here.

As June is traditionally filled with Pride festivals, parades, marches, and more, My Small Gay World will celebrate along with you. We'll note historical figures, brave people who've paved the way and upon whose shoulders we stand, and events that have shaped where we are today. Take pride, be gay!

Gay Healthcare is Hard to Find

2007-05-31T07:25:00.000-04:00

While recently sitting in a jacuzzi with a bunch of hot naked men (I was on vacation), I got into a discussion with a nurse about the need for gays to have better access to healthcare. You see, many of us see straight doctors, and even many gay-friendly doctors aren't aware of how they should be treating us differently from their straight male patients. They're oftentimes not aware that we need regular pap tests for HPV virus, hepatitis vaccination, and STD testing for those of us who are, well, er, sexually active.

According to the Gay Lesbian Medical Association (GLMA), "there is still considerable ignorance about LGBT health issues, with many assuming that LGBT health involves only HIV/AIDS. In fact, the full scope of the LGBT health agenda includes breast and cervical cancer, hepatitis, mental health, substance abuse, tobacco use, depression, access to care for transgender persons, and other concerns."

So, how can one go about finding a doctor who's aware of health issues affecting gay men? Well, in the USA, check out GLMA's website, where they have a Doctors Referral webpage. In other countries, check out the following:

The UK's Gay and Lesbian Association of Doctors and Dentists
secretary@gladd.org.uk
http://www.gladd.org.uk

Homoscarabins
A group for French lesbian and gay medical students
E-mail - homoscarabins@free.fr
http://fr.groups.yahoo.com/group/homoscarabins/

Netzwerk lesbischer Aerztinnen
A group for lesbian doctors in German-speaking countries
http://www.netzwerk-charlotte.de

SOGLAD
The Southern Ontario Gay & Lesbian Association of Doctors
Email - SOGLAD@web.net
http://www.utoronto.ca/diversity_in_medicine/glbtmeds/events.htm

ALMA
The Australian Lesbian Medical Association
A group for lesbian doctors, medical students and their partners.
http://www.almas.net.au

From Russia, With Hate

2007-05-30T06:36:00.001-04:00

There is a wonderful Russian expression that says, "You may forget with whom you've laughed, but you will never forget with whom you've cried." It is with the gays of Russia with whom we now cry, and who we should keep in our thoughts.

The 100 peaceful gay protesters were merely trying to deliver a letter to the mayor of Moscow this past Sunday, signed by some 40 European lawmakers, appealing the city's ban on a march that would have taken place that same day, and which would have marked the 14th anniversary of Russia's decriminalization of being gay. What they met, instead, was an attack by a crowed of religious zealots, Moskovite skinheads, and according to many observers, the police themselves, who were supposedly there to protect the gay rights activists.

Instead of protecting them, the police arrested a dozen or so of the gay rights activists, which included Russian gay rights movement leader Nikolai Alexeyev, Marco Cappato, a European Parliament deputy from Italy, and German parliament member Volker Beck. Cappato claims he was arrested merely because he started shouting for police to intercede when the violent gay opponents started attacking another EU Parliament member, so of course instead of coming to the aid of the other MP, they arrested Cappato.

Although Moscow police took into custody a dozen or so peaceful gay rights activists, all but one of their violent opponents were arrested. Sadly, although it's been 14 years since the law decriminalizing homosexuality went into effect, it would seem that on the socio-religious sense, Russia hasn't budged on its acceptance of gays.

So, today we cry for our gay and lesbian brothers and sisters in Russia, and keep them in our thoughts.

Charles Nelson Reilly: Dead at 76

2007-05-29T06:59:00.000-04:00

Along with the invariably queer Paul Lynde of TV fagotry, Charles Nelson Reilly comes to mind as one of the most gayest individuals on TV during the 70s and 80s. Sadly, Reilly passed away this past Friday due to complications from pneumonia, and is survived by his his partner, Patrick Hughes.

Although a blatant generalization of gay men, who can forget Reilly's ultra-nervous and queer character Claymore Gregg on TV's "The Ghost and Mrs. Muir"? Later, when he started appearing in the gameshow circuit, Reilly took to extravagantly queer outfits, including many bright colored suits, hats, and ascots. His quick witted barbs were notorious for double entendres as only a gay man can deliver.

Reilly once recalled being told by a network executive that "they don't let queers on television." Well, due to wonderful contributions from individuals like Charles Nelson Reilly, they did, they do, and they will progressively continue to do so in the future.

Honoring Gay Soldiers

2007-05-28T08:06:00.000-04:00

Today marks the United States' observance of Memorial Day, where those who have served in the military and who made the greatest sacrifice are honored. How many of those we honor today were gay is anybody's guess, but we know they served. Although they served their country bravely, they were forced by a conservative-laden military to serve hidden in their khaki closets. The US Military needs to wake up, and join its close friends around the world who do allow their gay citizens to serve openly in their respective militaries.

Twenty-four nations, including Great Britain, Australia, Canada and Israel, already allow open service by gays and lesbians, and none have reported morale or recruitment problems. And although the US Military is concerned about morale of straight soldiers serving along gay soldiers, nine of these nations allowed their open service members to fight alongside American troops in Operation Iraqi Freedom, and twelve nations allowed open service members to fight alongside U.S. troops in Operation Enduring Freedom.

This post honors all openly gay military service members who have made the greatest sacrifice for their country, and for all those who now serve, as openly as they can. For more information, check out the American Veterans for Equal Rights, The Military Education Initiative, and Servicemembers Legal Defense Network.

President Lincoln: Gay as a Maypole

2007-05-27T15:54:00.000-04:00

When Abe Lincoln moved to Springfield, Illinois, he met Joshua Speed, who became a close friend, though that's what John G. Nicolay and John Hay, two early biographers, called it. However, Lincoln and Speed shared a bed for four years, and Lincoln's letters to Speed before and after Speed's wedding in 1842 are as queer as can be, with several of them signed ''Yours forever.''

So, President Lincoln wants to take you to a gay bar, or at least that's the title of this entertaining video for your enjoyment. Cheers, from My Small Gay World.

Gay Fort Lauderdale: All Male Resorts

2007-05-26T15:17:00.000-04:00

There's something to be said about staying at all-male resorts. As I sit writing this poolside, there are tons of hotties, some in bathing suites, more without, either in the pool, or lying and tanning (hopefully they've applied their sunscreen to the appropriate locations).

We're staying at the Elysium here in Fort Lauderdale, and I can certainly recommend it should you be considering a Florida getaway. With very nice rooms, a staff that is very attentive, and two pools and a jacuzzi to choose between, there's always something to do when not out gallivanting the Greater Fort Lauderdale area.

More importantly, the guests all really bond quickly, and guys introduce themselves without hesitation, and the first question is always "where are you from?" The guys here come from all over the United States, and the world beyond. The other day we were chatting it up with a cuttie from Canada, today we were in the jacuzzi with two guys from The Netherlands, so it's very tres international. It is, indeed, a Small Gay World.

Gay as a Maypole

2007-05-25T10:13:00.000-04:00

This post, as has the last couple of days, comes to you from sunny, tres gay, Fort Lauderdale. My partner and I just got back from a morning walk along the ocean, where we passed Sebastian Beach, the "gay" beach. Being morning and all, it was quite vacant, save for a group of six guys setting up for the day. I tapped my partner, motioned to them, and asked, "so, you think they're gay?" Looking over at their rainbow beach umbrella, his response was an expression he has picked up from me, which is, "gay as a Maypole."

We walked along, and I started pondering this expression, rolling it around in my head. What in God's name can be gay about a pole in which multicolored ribbons are strung, and people parade around it, braiding these ribbons. But, then it started to dawn on me, that the Maypole is very communal, very binding, very gay.

You see, having been here at the gay resort we're staying at, I've been constantly reminded how tight-knit we are, how respectful we are to each other, how we share this gay camaraderie. The multi-colored ribbons of the Maypole, as they wrap around each other, are similar to how each of us intertwines and somehow connect with each other within our Small Gay World. It's a good thing.

So, the next time you hear someone saying "Gay as a Maypole," think of our close, tight-knit community, and say, "yes, gay as a maypole, indeed!"

The Meat Rack

2007-05-24T07:48:00.000-04:00

Foreboding, yet peaceful, scary but fun, quiet with the occasional orgasmic moan, the Meat Rack in Fire Island is all of this, and more. The Meat Rack is a stretch of knotty pines and dunes that sit between Fire Island Pines and Cherry Grove, with paths that meander through it, some leading to well-placed, secluded dead ends.

The Meat Rack gets its name because it's the place to go for an outdoor, semi-private hook-up. Guys can be seen at all hours of the day (I've seen 'em as early as six o'clock in the morning), wandering around looking for another wandering hottie to get it on with. Ever the decorative community that we are, bags of condoms hang from branches for safe-sex-in-the-sun. Now, as mentioned, there are paths that meander and wind their way through the Meat Rack, though there is one main path that takes people between The Pines and Cherry Grove, and which is clearly marked with a tree that has a band of white spray paint at every ten yards or so; it's easy to get lost, and that's precisely what many guys try to do.

I recall a few years ago, having gotten up early, when two friends and I decided to go for a walk through the Meat Rack for breakfast in Cherry Grove. We were silent as we walked through the dark forest, with only the loud morning songs of the birds above. Patches of sunlight filtered through and hit the ground here and there as we followed the main path. My friends didn't notice him, but I did. Up a wooded hill, about 20 yards away, he was standing motionless and leaning with his back against a tree. His sunglasses hid his eyes, but I knew they were following us as we walked by. Freeky doesn't begin to describe the incident, which I later told my friends after we were finishing breakfast, and who agreed that it was very eerie.

However, don't let this scare you from a visit--usually when I walk through the Meat Rack, I pass couples walking through hand-in-hand, groups of friends on their way to the beach, or the lone wanderer, who usually will still give a smile (albeit flirtatiously). If you're not the sort for quick, al fresco hookups, but enjoy some X-Rated entertainment, then the Meat Rack offers some, well, meaty diversions. I have a friend who loves to walk through the Meat Rack looking for a show, and he never fails to regale me with tales of two or three hot guys going at it, while a gaggle of voyeurs stand watching.

So, whether you're a bird watcher, a guy watcher, or just out for a sexual hook-up in the dunes, the Meat Rack has something for everyone.

God Hates Jerry Farwell

2007-05-23T04:30:00.000-04:00

Ya gotta almost feel sorry for Jerry Farwell (okay, I do sometimes have a heart, even for homo-haters like Farwell). Only about 8,000 mourners attended the guy's funeral yesterday, which is small compared to the state-like funeral he would have received 15 years ago. More important, and indicating that Farwell had long been losing clout, was that none of the GOP presidential candidates attended, and the Bush White House, which wouldn't exist were it not for the help of Farwell, only sent a mid-level aide.

What is interesting, and humorously ironic, is that Fred Phelps and members of his gay-hating Westobo Baptist Church demonstrated outside the funeral. They carried placards accusing Falwell of being in league with gays and of cozying up to Israel. The church, which operates the GodHatesFags website, called Falwell a "corpulent false prophet" and said he "spent his entire life prophesying lies and false doctrines like 'God loves everyone.'" So, according to Fred Phelps and his gang, God probably didn't love Farwell.

March on, Gays of Poland

2007-05-22T06:29:00.001-04:00

Kudos to the gays of Poland, who successfully held their Gay Pride Parade on Saturday, despite heavy opposition from politicians and religious groups. Over 5,000 showed up for the event, where in past years, gay rights rallies in Warsaw and the western city of Poznan resulted in violent clashes, no incidents were reported Saturday.

Though successful, the gays of Poland have a lot on their plate. Just last week Education Minister Roman Giertych unveiled draft legislation Wednesday that would make it a criminal offence to "promote homosexual propaganda" in schools, which means no discussion of homosexuality in schools and other academic institutions. LGBT organizations would be barred from schools and teachers who reveal their homosexuality will be fired from work.

...As to New York Pride

2007-05-22T06:00:00.000-04:00

You might hear rumors that NYC's Pride has been called off this year (yeah, like that could ever happen). What has happened, though, is that the organizers have, for the moment, cancelled PrideFest, which is the big block party that occurs after the parade, due to their dissatisfaction of where the city has been placing them in the cramped West Village. PrideFest organizers want it moved to Chelsea, a much better choice we believe.

Conservatism: Once Not a Bad Thing

2007-05-21T06:39:00.000-04:00

The Associate Press the other day reported how longshot Republican presidential candidates Sam Brownback and Mike Huckabee were well received in Florida by a socially conservative group who applauded their anti-abortion, anti-gay marriage and pro-faith messages Saturday night.

Of course, there were your usual quotes, like "You need to redefine the definition of marriage as a union of a man and a woman. It's critical," from Brownback, a Kansas senator. However, what really surprised me was this one, which wasn't from either of the GOP presidential candidates, but from an attendee at the event: "The top tier, in my estimation, does not fit the definition of what a true conservative has historically been in this country," said Roy Tanner, 50, of Orlando. "If it is meant to be, these guys will break out of the pack. I'd be happy if either got elected."

A few weeks ago, I made an entry that may have alienated a few of our gay GOP readers called Gay Republicans: Wasting Time. You see, Mr. Tanner's quote above bothers me to the point that it would now lead me to explain why I wrote that entry, and by doing so, out myself as having once been a Republican.

Mr. Tanner says that the leading GOP presidential contenders do "not fit the definition of what a true conservative has historically been in this country." Well, Mr. Tanner's historical revisionism goes hand in hand with ideas like marriage having been a sacred institution for over 2000 years (historically it's been nothing more than the selling of girls to other families).

Mr. Tanner is wrong! Historically, conservatism in this country meant smaller government, less infringement on state and individual rights, and a tight fiscal policy. For generations leading up to the late 70's, that's what it was, until the likes of Jerry Farwell, Ronald Reagan, and a host of others came onto the scene, indoctrinating conservatism with a very subjective Christian morality, so that today, the idea of conservatism means doing what the Bible says. It's not too different from the Islamic fundamentalists you see in Iran, and this country has similarly been approaching what could be called a theocracy.

Being a conservative is not a bad thing, as long as if it's that old-time conservatism of good governance, keeping track of the country's purse strings, and staying out of people's business. However, that is no longer what it means to be conservative, where a strict code of morality, as interpreted solely by the religious right, is enforced and followed, and why, as a young man in the late 80's, I turned from it, and walked away.

Fashion Advice: The Scent of a Man

2007-05-19T16:49:00.000-04:00

Okay, this is going to be one of the gayest posts yet! Few people really know how to go about selecting a cologne to wear. A guy walks up to a counter, spritzes his wrist, smells, and tries to figure out if he likes it or not. This is not the way to go about selecting one's cologne.

Colognes have what are called notes, and these are top, middle, and base. The top note is what you smell the second you dab on a fragrance. This is not the best time to be trying to see if you like a cologne or note, because most of what you're smelling is the fragrance, but with a lot of evaporating alcohol, which can take several minutes to fully evaporate.

The middle note is when all of the alcohol has evaporated, leaving a strong, full flavor of the essence of the cologne. This can last up to a half hour.

The base note is the scent that sticks with you the rest of the day. Like when you walk past the cutie in the next cubicle, and he says, "hey, you smell really nice...I mean, really NICE!" Okay, I do get carried away.

So, when you're next selecting a new cologne, dab a brand on one wrist, another brand on your other wrist, and go and do some shopping. After about 20 minutes, take a whiff, and that's the actual essence of the cologne. So, if you like one over the other, buy it. And remember, do not bathe yourself in cologne, a dab to the wrists and behind your ears is all you need to make another guy take note.

Brits Institute Fabulous Punishment for Hate Crime Offenders

2007-05-18T15:58:00.000-04:00

Brighton's hate crime unit has meted out an eye-for-an-eye punishment to a homophobic teenager. The teen, who had been part of a group who gay bashed a high school teacher in Dukes Mound, Brighton, was ordered to work for a day as an intern at Southern England's fag rag 3SIXTY as part of his sentence.

The lad's alternative punishment would have been to run around Brighton in drag, walking into pubs, and yelling "the Seagull's suck!"
(For those elsewhere in this small gay world, the Seagull's are Brighton's revered soccer team)

Fired, Hired, Quitting

2007-05-17T20:47:00.000-04:00

Resident drag queen Rita Booke is asked...

Dear Miss Booke -
I'm a marketing executive, and have recently been offered a new job. However, they want me to start immediately, but I feel I owe some advance notice to my current employer, who has treated me pretty well over the past few years. What should I do?

Honey child, I'm no human resources director, but I have many friends who have lately been in your position. There was a time when worker and employer had this arrangement where, "you don't quit, and I won't fire your ass." That led to a time where it was more like, "I'll let you know before you're being fired, but you give me two weeks notice if you quit."

Well, all of that is out the window now. Lately, employers have taken to walking into someone's office, saying you're fired, and having security march them out the door, only to have their "belongings" delivered to them at some later point in time.

Something tells me that your current employer would do that to you now, so regardless of how good they've treated you in the past, do to them what they'd do to you. It's a dog eat dog, small gay world out there, and if they're going to treat you like dog-poo, you may as well do the same to them. Whatever your choice, good luck to you!

Heaven's Gate: Gay as a Maypole

2007-05-16T20:25:00.000-04:00

Okay, I don't want to belabor Jerry Farwell's death...oh, who are we kidding, of course I do! Well, it's always been my personal daydream that when folk like Jerry Farwell get to heaven, Saint Peter is, in fact, really Carson Kressley!

Farwell: Saint Peter, we finally meet! But, why are the gates closed, and why are you dressed like that!?
Kressley: Honey, those gates aren't opening for you until you change those clothes, I mean, get a fashion sense, sister.
Farwell: But, wait, I don't understand...
Kressley: Look, sweetie, all your life you persecuted the gays, and well, I'm gay and not exactly happy with you. I'd let you in, but I can't for your own good.
Farwell: My own good? What do you mean?
Kressley: Yep, hon, for your own good. You see, if you think I'm pissed at you, you should see Archangel Michael!

News Flash: Jerry Farwell Dead

2007-05-15T14:28:00.000-04:00

Time to celebrate! That's right, Jerry Farwell, hater of gays, is dead at 73.

Farwell, a television evangelist, founded the Moral Majority in 1979, and used the conservative Christian movement to mold the religious right into a political power whose influence continues (obviously) to this day.

While Perez Hilton is outing famous people left and right today, it was Jerry Farwell who first held this position when he outed children's favorite Teletubby Tinky Winky. Falwell claimed, "the character is clearly a fount of gayness. He is purple, the gay color, he has an antenna shaped like a triangle, the gay symbol, and he carries a purse, something all gay people do."

Well, this gay man is grabbing his purse, and flying out the door to grab a cosmopolitan to celebrate!

Queer Duck

2007-05-15T06:27:00.000-04:00

A man walks up to his partner with a duck under his arm.
"See? This is the pig I've been fcuking."
"That's no pig, you stupid idiot, that's a duck," his partner tells him.
"I wasn't talking to you," says the guy with the duck.

And You Think You Have It Bad

2007-05-14T16:32:00.000-04:00

Whether you're reading this in St. Claire Shores USA, Budapest Hungary, or Jinan China, and you are gay and think your government sucks in its treatment of gays, be thankful that you are not in any city or town or village in Iran. Some international gay rights groups believe that more than 4,000 lesbians and gay men have been executed since the Ayatollahs seized power there in 1979, and where Homosexuality is a capital crime under Sharia, or Islamic, law. That's about 150 gays a month executed by the government.

You might remember the stir that was caused when two gay Iranian teenagers, one 18, the other believed to be 16 or 17, were executed two years ago for the "crime" of homosexuality. The two youths were hanged in the city of Mashhad in north-eastern Iran (photo above).

Well, Iran is making the news again for the same reason, as the Toronto-based Iranian Queer Organization, IRQO, said it has learned that just four days ago, police arrested as many as 87 gays at a private house party. The arrests were made in Isfahan, and IRQO said that police converged on the house where a man was celebrating his birthday. The report said that police brutally assaulted the man and others, including his parents.

One attendee who got away said that, "guests had come from Shiraz, Tehran, Shahin Shahr to Isfahan for the birthday. When they were coming out of the house followed by the police, their clothes were ripped, their faces and bodies were covered in blood. They were beaten up badly.”

Now, these 87 are being tortured in jail, and many will end up executed for being gay. So, whether you're in China, the US, or Hungary, you might think it's bad, but it's not as bad as those in Tehran, or Mashhad, or Isfahan, or anywhere in Iran. Click here for more information on the Iranian Queer Organization

Mother's Day Sucks

2007-05-13T06:16:00.000-04:00

This past week I've received tons of email spam from 1800flowers, Harry and David, and other such companies, saying it's not too late to get something for my mother for Mother's Day. Well, yes it is, because she died two months ago, and I wish she were here to mock my cynicism. However, were she here, I'd have no reason to be cynical today, now would I?

If your mother hasn't disowned you for being gay, or like in my case transferred to the other side, and is even mildly accepting of you, make sure you call her today (you should have already sent a card this past Wednesday!), because time is fleeting, and talk is cheap...meaning most cell phone plans have free calls on weekends, so call your mom!

Fire Island Pines Cam

2007-05-12T14:41:00.000-04:00

Now that the summer season is picking up in New York, for those of you who are Fire Island fans like myself, but don’t have a house, or a summer share, or friends out on the island with a house, or can only get out there once in a while, then fear not. You can get a dose of Fire Island Pines online, right here at My Small Gay World.

Come back and look at this during warm summer afternoons, and you’ll get a dose of Fire Island Pines.

Courtesy of the Pines Pantry

Please note, though, that sometimes the network is down, in which case the box above will be blank, and occasionally the image will freeze after a certain number of frames, but if you refresh the page, you’ll get it moving again.

Blowjobs Give Cancer

2007-05-11T05:26:00.000-04:00

Stop Freaking out...calm down and I'll explain. A new study in the New England Journal of Medicine has found a link between the Human Papilloma virus (HPV) and throat cancer. The findings confirm that oral sex is a risk factor for throat cancer. Although the risk is relatively small, the study, and much of the straight media, seem to be placing little importance on what this means for gays.

For years now, gay men have been told that, similar to cervical cancer in women caused by HPV, we should get regular anal PAP smears to see if we have the virus. Yet, we're given no information in this study that might even suggest how concerned gay men should be about oral sex, including the regular blowjob, but just as important, rimming. Basically, if we're told we should get PAP smears, it would naturally follow that there's the potential for HPV to exist in a guy's butt. So, rimming has the potential of transferring HPV to the rimmer, see?

I have read the full report, done by John's Hopkins, and nowhere in the report is there a mention of gays, and so we, and our gay and gay-friendly doctors, are left making assumptions and guesses as to how this news affects our health.

I am not a doctor, and none of this should be considered medical advice from yours truly, but what I'm trying to do is point out that this report and its media coverage all but ignore gay men, for which this study clearly affects, and they shy away from its implications to gay men. Why does that sound so familiar? Silence = Death.