Being Green is HOT!!!

The following is a celebration of Earth Day, April 22, 2008. Be green by recycling your outgrown jocks, leathers, so that all hot men can enjoy them. After all, that's really what Craig's List is all about.

By Dave White
From The Advocate May 6, 2008

I read a lot of magazines. I know that’s not very green. But I have to know what’s going on. And I feel gross bringing my laptop into the bathroom. I especially read a lot of magazines about awesome (and usually expensive) furniture.

I used to love the design magazine Nest because the people in there would do stuff like wrap their staircases in electrical tape and then be all proud of it. It was a magazine less about being crazy-rich than being simply plain old crazy.

Anyway, Nest is long gone. So now I like Domino. It seems aimed at 23-year-old women, but I like it anyway. I especially like its feature about eco-people and their green lives, written as a daily timetable (“11 a.m.: Jet to Paris. To offset my carbon footprint I log on to a website that plants trees in your name and have Oregon personally reforested. Slide on Hermès sleep mask and slumber righteously.”). Here’s my own green day:

6 a.m.: Be kissed awake by the roar of garbage trucks. They say RECYCLING on the side, but I think they don’t mean it since it seems they dump all the recycling bin stuff right in with the other trash. Smell their exhaust through my open bedroom window. We have no air-conditioning. This already makes me way greener than almost all of you. How will you catch up to Eco-Me?

6:20 a.m.: Stand on my apartment balcony drinking green tea. I’d buy the fair-trade kind, but it doesn’t taste as good. And none of it tastes as good as grape soda. But that’s a sacrifice I make for the planet.

7 a.m.: Wash dishes from night before. Scrub the sink with environmentally friendly yet useless powder that is not as good as Comet. Feel despair over white enamel slowly turning brown.

8:30 a.m.: Morning walk with my husband/partner/whatever. My eco-suit = threadbare sweatpants, T-shirt my friend Lydia made for me that reads R. KELLY IS MAGIC, and most progressively, New Balance shoes that are not from Nike and therefore not glued together by child slaves. You’re welcome, child slaves.

10 a.m.: Commute to work—from the kitchen to my desk. Don’t hate me because I figured out a way to get paid for sitting around at home in my pajamas and never having to drive anywhere except to the grocery store that’s three blocks away.

11:30 a.m.: Drive to that grocery store. Bring own bags. While driving home think about how Godzilla vs. the Smog Monster is better than An Inconvenient Truth.
Noon: Eat lunch. Toss orange peel into the wrong trash can. Get berated by husband/partner/whatever. When he demands that I retrieve the peels, inform him I’ve already washed my hands and that to stick them into trash would mean rewashing them, and doesn’t he care about water, Mother Earth’s most precious resource? Watch as he sticks his own hands into the trash.

2:30 p.m.: Writer’s block. Need a snack. Organically harvested goji berries are gnarly, no matter how many antioxidants they have. Go to my local fancy bakery for some of those French macarons, like the kind Kirsten Dunst ate in Marie Antoinette. There’s nothing green about this except the color of the pistachio-flavored ones.

3:15 p.m.: Watch Oprah. She’s got a bunch of Dumpster-diving “freegans” on her show. Enjoy pausing TiVo each time she makes the “eww” face. Pay bills online while watching the show. Get tiny thrill at how superior and futuristic I am for not using paper or stamps.

5 p.m.: Go to a home store and spend a lot of money on one-of-a-kind shelves made from reclaimed wood. Bring them home and stack old issues of magazines on them.

Other than being dumpster freegans, there are some great ideas to live the "green" life in one's own way.

Gay men have been pioneers in recycling such items as used jock straps, leather, saliva and other stuff. So we don't have to buy the latest toy, trash stuff just because it isn't in style, follow the A gay crowd.

It is HOT to recycle. And I give my Mega Hairy Muscle Hug seal of approval to every guy who does so.

We Constantly Are Getting Screwed by "The Man" Whether We Like It or Not

Gay Couples Face Extra Financial Challenges
April 08, 2008 02:21 PM ET Kimberly Palmer

It may pay to get married, but not everyone has that option. The Human Rights Campaign, a civil rights organization for people who are gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgendered, launched a campaign this week to bring attention to the financial challenges that same-sex couples are forced to deal with. The group points out that gay and lesbian couples lack the protection and benefits conferred by over 1,000 different federal provisions.

Among the disadvantages that gay couples face compared with legally married ones:
Unmarried couples often cannot include each other on employer-based health plans without paying tax penalties.

They often lack job protection when taking time off to care for their partner.
They can not give Social Security survivor benefits to their partner.
The campaign offers more information and tips for dealing with such challenges.

Yep as April 15th approaches, the hard, fast truth prevails. We pay far more taxes if we are a unmarried couple than our straight married couple counterparts do. It ain't fair, and it sucks.

Lurking Behind Those Hopeful Statistics About New HIV Cases Was A False Positive. Revised Stats Show, NEW HIV Cases Had Been Greatly Underestimated

CDC announces sharp increase in U.S. HIV cases Agency says spike due to enhanced reporting; critics argue it shows prevention failures

By RYAN LEE, Southern Voice Mar 28, 12:45 PM

The number of people in the United States reported to have HIV increased by about 50 percent from 2005 to 2006, according to data released this week by the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention.

In 2006, at least 52,878 Americans were reported having HIV, compared to 35,537 in 2005, according to the CDC's annual HIV/AIDS surveillance report. Experts said that part of the increase is due to large states like California and Illinois being included in the CDC's estimate for the first time, as well as increases in risky sexual behavior that are also being borne out in rising STD rates.

"The numbers are far higher than what's previously been reported," said Michael Weinstein, president of the AIDS Healthcare Foundation in Los Angeles, in a teleconference Friday. "This means many more infections now and as far as the eye can see."

CDC officials were emphatic that the higher number of HIV cases reported "do not represent an increase in the epidemic."

"Instead, it's more about our surveillance system than any increase," CDC spokesperson Jennifer Ruth said Friday.

The CDC only recently tied HIV reporting to the amount of money states receive to fight HIV, meaning new numbers are beginning to come in as more states report HIV cases in compliance with CDC standards. In 2005, the CDC's HIV/AIDS surveillance report included data from 38 states and territories, compared to the 50 states and areas that contributed data to the 2006 surveillance report.

Georgia, which was one of the last states to conform to CDC's confidential name-based system for reporting HIV cases, ranked eighth in the number of HIV cases reported in 2006, according to the surveillance report.

The full scope of the HIV/AIDS epidemic in Georgia is still unavailable due to the lag in reporting numbers, and it will be years until data trickles in from states to give CDC the most accurate picture of the epidemic in America, said Whitney Engeran, director of the public health division at AIDS Healthcare Foundation.

"We just don't know where this will end," Engeran said. "We could be seeing more and more numbers coming in from the CDC as more states come online, and, of course, that means more and more people being infected."

The increase in cases is occurring in the total number of HIV infections states report to the CDC, but other data suggests the actual prevalence of HIV is not rising, Ruth said.

"When you look at diagnoses by year, they remain stable for the last few years," Ruth said.
But the higher number of total cases is a "catastrophe" that reveals the misguided strategies of the government's HIV-prevention efforts, and the lack of CDC's leadership in marshaling a response to the epidemic, Weinstein said.

"The CDC has essentially hidden this information," said Weinstein, who believes that the dramatic increase in annual HIV infections will prompt a paradigm shift in how researchers view the disease's domestic impact.

"What are the implications of [the new higher estimate] in terms of human cost, financial cost and in terms of having an effective prevention campaign?" Weinstein said.

With all this finger pointing, it seems that valuable time has been lost in fighting the spread of HIV. Young gay men are most at risk, and it is a shame that due to a lack of better outreach, the old abstinence message has failed. Instead, there should be graphic instruction, using posters, erotic comics, soft porn, anything realistic that teaches them that it is sexy and indeed safer, to fuck with a condom hugging their erection. Safer sex using condoms is the ONLY way to fuck. NO ANDS, IFS OR BARE BACK BUTT FUCKS!!!!

A Flick To Keep In Mind for a Future Rainy Day Afternoon and Other Nuggets

Howdy guys. Something to recommend as a coming attraction in your Netflix queue. A good flick, according to the review, for a cuddle buddy rainy afternoon.

By the way, I wish all of you an enjoyable Easter weekend. Hoping that the Hunky Easter Bunny hops by your house with an Easter basket filled of creamy treats to enjoy.

Relax, It's Just Sex

It’s what comes after that should make you a little nervous.
By Kyle Buchanan

From The Advocate April 8, 2008

A Four Letter WordDirected by Casper AndreasStarring Jesse Archer, Charlie David, and Cory GrantEmbrem Entertainment

For an inveterate party boy like A Four Letter Word’s Luke, sex is all-consuming -- at least until it’s over. Better at remembering body parts than faces, Luke (Jesse Archer) spends every New York minute on the prowl until he has a transformative encounter with a mysterious hunk named Stephen (Charlie David).

Something about this sex was different, Luke insists: “I think we even looked each other in the eyes.” A drama queen who speaks exclusively in bons mots, Luke can deflect any oncoming relationship with a well-placed quip -- but for Stephen, is he willing to make an exception?

Straight romantic comedies tend to save their kiss for the final reel, but the modern gay rom-com is a different breed. In these films the leads have moved well beyond kissing by act 2, and “I love you” is an obstacle, not a goal. Love isn’t just a four-letter word, it’s a test -- and one that many gay men, including Luke, keep putting off. After all, why should they work at a relationship when casual encounters come so easily?

Director Casper Andreas knows this terrain well, as you might expect from someone whose previous film was called Slutty Summer. What you might not expect is the level of wit in this modest production, which is so familiar and confident with its characters that it feels like the third season of a lost Logo series.

Archer and David are both appealing, but Cory Grant makes the strongest impression as Zeke, an activist who works with Luke and challenges him to justify his reputation as a “gay cliché.” Luke doesn’t pretend to have all the answers, but by the time things wrap up he’s matured just enough. He may not have passed the test yet, but at least he’s been studying.

Sexually Transmitted Diseases Among Gay Men Go Underreported since sexually active Gay Men Skip Being Tested Annually

From the article below, all the more reason to play safe and stay healthy.

Sex Diseases in Many Gay Men Go Unfound, Experts Say
'Many cases of sexually transmitted diseases are escaping detection because gay men are not being tested each year as advised, federal health officials said Wednesday.'


By LAWRENCE K. ALTMAN
Published: March 13, 2008
Many cases of sexually transmitted diseases are escaping detection because gay men are not being tested each year as advised, federal health officials said Wednesday. And if the men do show up, the officials added, many doctors and clinics are not following screening recommendations.

But more cases could be detected if the government approved new ways to use a type of DNA test that is already on the market, the officials and researchers said in a news conference at a scientific meeting in Chicago.

They said the test, used in new ways, could detect twice as many cases of gonorrhea and chlamydia as standard tests.
Those diseases, along with syphilis, whose incidence continues to increase, are “a major threat to gay and bisexual men’s health,” said Dr. Kevin Fenton, a top official of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Dr. Fenton noted that such diseases increased the risk of contracting and spreading H.I.V., the virus that causes AIDS.

Screening for sexually transmitted infections is a critical part of medical care for sexually active men. The C.D.C. recommends annual blood tests for H.I.V. and syphilis, and other tests for gonorrhea and chlamydia.

Gonorrhea tests should include specimens from all potential sites of exposure — throat, genitals and rectum — because identifying and treating all such infections is essential for preventing spread of the disease.

“There are circumstances where the recommendations are not being followed,” said Dr. John M. Douglas Jr., who directs the Division of S.T.D. Prevention at the disease control centers.
Dr. Douglas added that some doctors did not recognize the problem while others seemed to think “that maybe the guidelines do not apply to my patient population.”

Supporting evidence came from C.D.C. researchers, who reported three studies at the meeting showing that the screening rates were too low.

Dr. Kristen Mahle’s study found that among gay men who showed no symptoms of gonorrhea, more than a third of rectal infections with the disease, and more than a quarter of throat infections, were missed because many were not tested at all anatomical sites of recent exposure.

Dr. Eric Tai’s study surveyed non-H.I.V.-positive gay men in 15 cities from 2003 to 2005 and found that only 39 percent reported having been tested for syphilis, and only 36 percent for gonorrhea.

Dr. Karen Hoover found that while doctors tested 82 percent of H.I.V.-positive gay men in eight cities for syphilis in 2005, they tested 22 percent or fewer for gonorrhea and chlamydia.
One problem is that public health departments that run sexual disease clinics do not have adequate staffs and budgets to do comprehensive testing.

“Let’s be honest, resources are a challenge at a federal, state and local level,” said Dr. Douglas, of the disease control centers. “We are trying to be as innovative as we can with public health resources,” but “we need help from others.”

Another problem is that newer tests are not being used as much as they should be, Dr. Douglas said.

The DNA test that Dr. Douglas and others described as promising is called NAAT, for nucleic acid amplification test. It is generally more accurate and easier to use, and it can detect at least twice as many gonorrhea and chlamydia infections in the throat and rectum, according to studies by Dr. Julius Schachter of the University of California, San Francisco, and others. Moreover, it is faster than the traditional bacterial culture tests.

The Food and Drug Administration has approved three NAATs to screen for gonorrhea and chlamydia in the genitalia, but not the throat or rectum.

Dr. Schachter’s team, which included the San Francisco Department of Public Health, sought to determine whether the marketed NAATs were also effective in throat and rectal screening.
The C.D.C. is working with the food and drug agency and with test manufacturers to gather, analyze and coordinate the submission of data for federal approval of NAATs for use in the throat and rectum.

The San Francisco Department of Public Health has conducted a study that met F.D.A. requirements for such use. Now the health department uses NAATs to test for chlamydia and gonorrhea at all three anatomic sites.

So guys, for all of our sakes, fuck with a condom, have plenty of foreplay, and love your partner as much as you love yourself. Enjoy each other for years to come.

The Launch of Gay Hotels with ATTITUDE and other travel tips.

Zurich) LGBT travelers who for years have complained there is a wide spectrum of quality among gay hotels may soon find a sign atop some that attest to high standards.

Attitude Hotels launched this week with the goal of providing travelers with a way a telling if a hotel is up to snuff.

Founder Pedro Castro, a Portuguese-born lawyer and travel marketer based in Zurich says the company would not own the hotels but license its name if the facility met its requirements.
Attitude would inspect the hotels and do annual follow-ups to assure the standards are being met.

Already some two dozen hotels that market to the LGBT community have been approved.
So far only two of the hotels are in the US - The Royal Palms and the Flamingo Inn, both in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. UK properties include London's Myhotel, Bloomsbury and Legends hotel in Brighton.

Castro said that the Attitude sign would guarantee the hotel is "the place to stay for discerning gay and lesbian travelers."

He said he expects to increase the number of hotels to about 100 and the Attitude Web site would allow people to see details of the properties, their location relative to LGBT neighborhoods, and the chance to book reservations online.

"In the short term, Attitude Hotels hopes to increase its selection of hotels, first in France, Italy, Greece and Spain," said Castro. "Thereafter, we will concentrate on providing a wider variety of travel possibilities in North America."

Hotels would be listed as Premium, Comfort, or Value, depending on price and amenities.
Castro said he came up with the idea for Attitude after discovering it was difficult to find good LGBT hotels and becoming disillusioned with the "gay-friendly" approach of many major hotel chains.
Surveys indicate that in the US alone LGBT spending power tops $65 billion a year.
More:
http://www.365gay.com/Newscon08/03/030708hotel.htm

Whether these accommodations will be too froo froo or within the tastes and standards of most of us remains to be seen.

But here's someplace where I think we could all hang our hats and enjoy ourselves.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/03/04/AR2008030403145.htmlThe Washington Post

In Texas, a Gay Bar's Patrons Toast Wednesday, March 5, 2008; C01GUN BARREL CITY, Tex., March 4 --

We Shoot Straight With You" is the slogan of this small, quiet, conservative town of 5,000 about 50 miles southeast of Dallas.

Which puts a wry, sardonic smile on the faces of the patrons of Friends, known throughout this lakeside area as the "friendliest gay bar in Texas."Defiant is one way to describe the joint. Gay bars usually hang a rainbow flag to signal that, well, this is a gay bar. At Friends, right off Gun Barrel Lane and situated across from the cemetery, the flag doesn't fly. It's not mere cloth. Instead, it's painted on a piece of wood nailed to the building -- which, by the way, is bright turquoise.

The Lone Star State has a sizable gay population, many of them concentrated in Austin, Houston and Dallas. But Friends is a more laid-back, welcoming place full of older, middle-class and mostly coupled-up patrons. Kind of like "Cheers," where everyone knows your name, except they're wearing T-shirts that read "I love Cowboys" and baseball caps from Budweiser with a small rainbow flag. Jokes Bobbie Aldridge, 67, a retired teacher: "This is like a community center. Or a retirement home."

Drag shows at Friends, with entertainers named Momma, D'Aundra and Sable Alexander, draw a crowd, mostly gay but also straight. (D'Aundra and Momma, a.k.a. Scott Denny, 36, and Gaylon Maddox, 52, are longtime partners. They're both nurses.)

Musical productions presented by the club's acting troupe, Friends Players, are renowned, too. Choreographed and directed by Jim Gribben, who's been coming to the club since it opened 18 years ago, the shows bring in money, which the club donates to charities for abused children and other causes. Gribben and Co. are now working on "Grease: The Later Years." Next comes their version of "Hee Haw."

Last October, Out magazine named Friends one of the 50 greatest gay clubs in the world.

Maybe next time anyone of us is in the area, we might want to check it out and share our own observations of this great gay watering hole. Sounds like a place I'd want to stop by and sit a spell.

Fat Chance That You'll Ever Want To Meet Up With Mr. Phoney Baloney

The following sounds extreme, but it has happened and will happen in our cyberworld.

Sometimes a make-believe relationship is better than the real thing.
By Q. Allan Brocka

From The Advocate March 11, 2008

I knew my new boyfriend was fake right from the start. It was obvious: He had unbelievably sexy pictures, a modeling career, obscenely rich parents, an Ivy League education, and a brand-new record deal at a Big Label -- all at the age of 26. OK, maybe I could buy all that. But add the fact that he wanted to be with me and it was too good to be true.

Our romance began with an online message. He said something snarky. I said I liked his moxie. My jaw dropped at his too-hot-to-be-real JPEGs. Our one-liners continued as he sent a wide-enough range of pictures to convince me he was an actual person. Not that it mattered, with him in New York and me in Los Angeles.

HIM: This sucks, let’s talk on the phone.
ME: If you mean phone sex, not my thing.
HIM: Don’t be retarded.

He had me at retarded. He was charming, funny, and had a sexy voice and impressive vocabulary. I lay in bed and we talked for the next three hours. His name was Josh Alexander.* (*not his real name) (**not that he used his real name) (But it could have been Buzz or Bolt)

Josh spent seven years traveling the world as a fashion model. He’d invested his earnings well, and with his inheritance he was set for life. He had a knack for songwriting and sometimes performed at friends’ parties. (THE BULLSHIT IS PILING UP AT THIS POINT) (BUT WAIT,THERE'S MORE)

That’s where he was discovered by a music exec from Big Label, which was throwing tons of money behind him and his debut album. In fact, Big Label’s chairman was personally grooming him to be a rock star.

He enjoyed the fuss but ultimately didn’t give a shit about fame or the music business. His real dream was to open a Cuban-style catering company in Northern California. He wanted kids, a house, a giant kitchen, and me.

When we finally hung up, I was buzzing with that incredible high you can only get from a really good conversation. I smiled and thought, He’s totally fake.

The next day we chatted for two more hours. It became a nightly ritual. Over the next two months we shared every detail of our lives, the exciting to the mundane.

His stories ranged from his first runway job when he had no idea what the hell he was doing (as Giorgio Armani himself stitched him into a suit) to the time LL Cool J propositioned him in Paris. I knew how his parents met, about his father’s affair, his immigrant grandfather who built their fortune from nothing. I knew about his childhood, his brothers, and each of his ex-boyfriends. I knew more about Josh than most of my friends.

I decided, as long I didn’t spend money and wasn’t turning down actual dates, I had nothing to lose. When I’d tell him he was fake, he’d laugh and list attributes that made me seem too good to be true. I told you he was charming. Sometimes I’d ask random questions to test him. He always gave an impromptu but riveting answer. Then he’d bust me: “There, now do you think I’m real?”

One night he announced, “Guess who you’re having dinner with in three weeks?” Josh was finally coming to L.A.!

A week later he stopped calling and his online profile disappeared.

I called and e-mailed repeatedly. No response. I thought our finale would be more dramatic. Maybe I’d find proof he was fake or we’d have a disastrous first date.

But he simply vanished. When a friend randomly mentions he’s buddies with the founder of Big Label, I tell him my story and he offers to look into it. Turns out there is indeed a Josh Alexander, some guy in Florida who once submitted a demo to them. That’s it.

My friend suggests that Josh Alexander isn’t my fake boyfriend in New York. My fake boyfriend is likely someone who’s obsessed with Josh Alexander, because psychotic con artists tend to appropriate other people’s identities. And now that he knows all about my life, there’s a distinct possibility he’s pretending to be me with someone else.

It’s crazy, but despite the big fat lie part, my connection with my fake boyfriend still feels more substantial than most of my real relationships. Maybe it’s because I gave him chances that are hard to give when you’re looking someone in the eye. Maybe I finally heard the things I wanted someone to say. Or maybe I’m just into psychopaths, because, sad as it is, if my fake boyfriend called, I’d probably take him back.

NOT!!! Guys you are too smart to fall for such a set up. When a guy seems too good to be true, then maybe it's a sign to stand back. Hell, all of us have met this type of guy. Some of them are so transparent. Others are merely pathetic.

So just don't fall for the sweet talk and the pretty face. Like the commercial used to say, "Always Rely on Genuine GM Parts from Mr. GoodWrench". A guy that is handy with his toolbox is a guy to keep around. WOOF. Mega hairy muscle hugs and Happy March.

The Latest On the Harvey Milk Film, Scriptwriter, Dustin Lance Black

The following is an article from the Bay Area Reporter on the screenwriter who is currently involved in the big screen pic about the life, loves and sad ending of the first modern day gay leader, Harvey Milk.

Castro couch-surfing with 'Milk' screenwriter Dustin Lanceby David Lamble It's late on a sunny Thursday morning in the Castro when a slim and radiantly beautiful young man, someone who would not seem out of place on the set of a Harry Potter movie, climbs the stairs of my Market Street flat, plops himself down on the worn, black couch, and explains why he's spent nearly half his life pursuing a dream to turn the life of a martyred gay politician into a film.

Dustin Lance Black is a polite and focused young man, a multi-talented writer/filmmaker who's spent the decade since college finding a creative platform to exorcise the demons of a complicated childhood spent boomeranging between military installations in the Central Valley and a Texas city that's home to the Alamo and his Mormon parents.

For the last couple of years, Black has been leading a kind of double life: by day, a staff writer for the wickedly funny HBO series Big Love, a witty satire on the cultural baggage shared by Utah's surviving polygamist families and the Church of Jesus Christ of the Latter Day Saints.

Weekends have found Black shooting up I-5, listening to a stack of opera CDs favored by his hero Harvey Milk, on a mission to track down every surviving member of Milk's political clan.For nearly a quarter century, the desire to fashion a fictional template for the slain gay politician's achingly brief career has tempted and ultimately frustrated talents from fabled director Oliver Stone to Milk biographer Randy Shilts.

To Black, the core of the problem has always been to locate the emotional heartbeat of the story, the elusive but vital role Milk has played in the imaginations of generations of queer kids looking for a father figure in the miasma of myth that has grown up around him.

"It was tough. It was clearly, in my mind, a gay movie. I wasn't so interested in the politics, I wasn't so interested in Dan White; I was interested in this man who, to me at least, was a father figure to his people to people who lost their fathers, their parents and their families because of their sexuality. Here was this father figure, and it was something I craved!"

Boy crushChildhood for Lance Black meant growing up in San Antonio, Texas, surrounded by military bases. "I had my first crushes on a boy neighbor when I was like six, seven. I knew what was going on, I knew I liked him, but what Texas did and what the culture of growing up Mormon, growing up military [reinforced], was, the very second thought I had, 'I really like that boy, and it's not just as a friend,' the very second thought was, 'I'm sick, I'm wrong, I'm going to hell. And if I ever admit it, I'll be hurt, and I'll be brought down.'"

It wasn't until college and he was well on his way to fulfilling his dreams that Black discovered an alternative to the mantras of guilt and silence, of duty and obedience promoted by the army and the church. He discovered his father figure; fittingly, for a boy yearning to be a filmmaker, he found him at the movies.

It was in the mid-90s that Black first saw Rob Epstein's Oscar-winning documentary, The Times of Harvey Milk. "When I was in high school, we moved from Texas to Salinas, California. My stepdad had been transferred to Fort Ord. I started getting into theatre and acting, working at The Western Stage down in the Salinas-Monterey area, coming up here for TV auditions, and getting to know, for the first time in my life, out gay men."It was the late 80s, early 90s, it wasn't a hopeful time in San Francisco. The one story of hope you did hear was about Harvey Milk, this one man who accomplished so much in a short period of time, and was really the charismatic leader that people were looking for when I was here.

"In college, when I first saw a copy of the documentary, I remember just breaking down into tears. I thought, 'I just want to do something with this, why hasn't someone done something with this?'"The key to the puzzle, to separating fact from fiction about Milk, lay in a chance introduction to the late supervisor's former aide and disciple Cleve Jones. Jones brought Black into the circle of Milk's political family: photographer Danny Nicoletta, Milk's one-time City Hall assistant and leather-jacketed friend Anne Kronenberg, and members of the Democratic Party machine whose grip on election success frustrated Milk's ambitions.Black admits to suffering from the professional screenwriter's greatest curse: the sprawling script that attempts to cover every possible facet of a hopelessly complex story. "You learn to kill your babies, whole scenes and chapters" must fall out of the script. In effect, "you're killing real people," excising colorful moments in Milk's life involving his eventual successor, Harry Britt; his 1976 race for an a state assembly seat in the Castro (lost to Art Agnos); and much of the vital battle to defeat the anti-gay-schoolteacher ballot initiative sponsored by right-wing state senator John Briggs.

For Black, one of the hardest tasks was not to oversimplify Milk's often tortured emotional journey. He pruned more than a dozen boyfriends down to two indispensable lovers: Scott Smith, perhaps the one true love (played in the film by Indiewood heartthrob James Franco); and one of Harvey's last flames, the mercurial Jack Lira (Mexican filmmaking sensation Diego Luna), the boyfriend who stood arm-in-arm with Milk as the newly elected "Mayor of Castro Street" joined his friends and neighbors in a joyful stroll down Market Street to an outdoor swearing-in ceremony. As Milk once quipped, "Sex entered into it, on the front page of The Examiner, there's Supervisor Harvey Milk with his lover."

Through the travail of draft after draft, as the Milk script was winnowed down to the core beats about the man, Black never forgot the little boy from San Antonio whose Texas childhood shadowed his dreams. "Texas kept me very quiet. I became intensely shy, I had thoughts of suicide. I was a pretty dark kid, because I had an acute awareness of my sexuality, and was absolutely convinced that I was wrong.

In his Hope Speech, Harvey Milk says, 'There's that kid in San Antonio, and he heard tonight that a gay man was elected to public office, and that will give him hope.' And when I first heard that speech, it really did that. It really, really gave me hope, for the first time."

I've been waiting for this big screen adaptation of Harvey Milk's life for a long time.

I hope none of us will be disappointed. Since Harvey's death, there has never been a "national" gay leader to take his place. Maybe this movie will inspire that special person to become a national gay leader and help win the right of LGBT to marry in every state in the Union.

We can only be so hopeful.

If It's in Print,then It Must Be True. Study Finds That Committed Same-Sex Couples Are More Satisfied With Each Other than Married Hetero Couples

SAN DIEGO -- A study from San Diego State University suggests that committed same-sex couples are more satisfied with their partners than married heterosexual couples.

The study surveyed same-sex couples who had civil unions in Vermont, same-sex couples not in civil unions and married heterosexual couples, over a three-year period.

Results of the study showed that same-sex couples reported greater relationship quality, compatibility, intimacy and lower levels of conflict than married couples.

"If you think about same sex couples, you have two women or two men, who were raised in more similar ways. They're both from 'Mars,' both from 'Venus,' and so it's actually not surprising that when it comes to relationship satisfaction they do better," said Esther Rothblum, SDSU professor.

"Because of this they may not have to negotiate the huge barriers that men and women do in terms of how they view conflict, provide emotional support or handle childrearing," said Rothblum.

According to the study, same-sex couples were indistinguishable from heterosexual married couples on many other relationship variables, including the number of children, sexual behavior and frequency of contact with their parents with or without their partners.

This was the first study to follow same-sex couples in civil unions over time. It was published in the January issue of Developmental Psychology.

Well, finally a study that gets it right. Happy buddy body bonding. WOOF.

Some Last Minute Valentine's Day Suggestions To Surprise Your Snuggly Honey Buns

Thought I'd share with you some fun ways for you and your sweetie to celebrate Valentine's Day this year. For those of you who have been reading my blog posts over the years, I am, I admit, a romantic at heart.

So that's why I love to celebrate Valentine's Day. It is the one day that you can show a loved one that you think of him in that special way.

So indulge yourself, make rich, chocolate a part of the celebration.

Here I have shared with you two items that I have found over the internet.

I'm not endorsing a product or vendor, just suggesting some ideas.

Chocolate body paint seems to be a very hot item this year.

So why not try it on yourself and your man. I really think a lot of tongue licking fun can be share between you.

And don't forget the whipped cream and cordial cherry on top for the crowning touch.

All of this foreplay will lead to some climatic bursts of creamy enjoyment. And don't worry about the calories, guys. All of that energy expended into the creamy passionate spooning and licking will more than offset any calorie intake. That I can promise. Cross my heart.

I can bet on that. I wish all of you sweet pleasures and Mega Hairy Muscle Hugs of Valentine Day love.

There's a fuzzy cupid out there just ready to point his long firm arrow that's shielded with a chocolate favored condom into your love cave. HMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM.

There Are Mighty Big Holes in This Swiss Twist Mix-Up Where HIV-Positive Sexual Partners Having Unprotected Sex Are Defined As Practicing Safer Sex

Swiss change safe sex message on HIVSay people with virus can have unprotected sex with partnersGENEVA (AP) Jan 31, 3:15 PM


Swiss AIDS experts said Thursday that some people with HIV who meet strict conditions and are under treatment can safely have unprotected sex with non-infected partners.

The proposal astonished AIDS researchers in Europe and North America who have long argued that safe sex with a condom is the single most effective way of preventing the spread of the disease — apart from abstinence.

"Not only is (the Swiss proposal) dangerous, it's misleading and it is not considering the implications of the biological facts involved with HIV transmission," said Jay Levy, director of the Laboratory for Tumor and AIDS Virus Research at the University of California in San Francisco.

The Swiss National AIDS Commission said patients who can satisfy strict conditions, including successful antiretroviral treatment to suppress the virus and who do not have any other sexually transmitted diseases, do not pose a danger to others. The proposal was published this week in the Bulletin of Swiss Medicine.

The Swiss scientists took as their starting point a 1999 study by the U.S. Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention, which showed that transmission depends strongly on the viral load in the blood.

The other studies had also found that patients on regular AIDS treatment did not pass on the virus, and that HIV could not be detected in their genital fluids.

"Let's be clear, the decision has to remain with the HIV-negative partner," said Pietro Vernazza, head of infectious diseases at the cantonal hospital of St. Gallen in Switzerland and an author of the report.

The studies cited by the Swiss commission did not themselves definitively conclude whether people with HIV and on antiretroviral treatment could safely have unprotected sex without passing on the virus.

The World Health Organization said Switzerland would be the first country in the world to try this approach.

"There is still some concern that you can never guarantee that somebody will not be infectious, and the evidence I have to say is not conclusive," said Charlie Gilks, director of AIDS treatment and prevention at WHO.

"We are not going to be changing in any way our very clear recommendations that people on treatment continue to practice safer sex, including protected sex with a condom, in any relationship," he added.

In any case, of the 2 million people worldwide now receiving HIV treatment, only a very small number receive medical care comparable to that in Switzerland, Gilks said.

This is a crazy, insane notion proposed by the Swiss. I can't believe a powerful and influencial body like the Swiss National AIDS Commission could reach such a conclusion.

And with such a romantic holiday, Valentine's Day, coming up, this definitely sends a mixed message.

Stay Clean by Playing Clean

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Making This New Year The Best Ever

Howdy guys and a super Happy New Year to Each and Every One of you.

Hoping your New Year so far has been fantastic and fulfilling. WOOOF.

To start off the New Year, it's time for a Top 10 list.

David Goulart of the Edge New England shares his thoughts on the Top Ten Gay Myths.

Enjoy!!!

From Edge New England TOP 10 GAY MYTHSby David Goulart
Sunday Jan 6, 2008

1. The myth of gay recruitment. I can and did find a spouse from the existing pool of gay people the Creator created. I am not out to convert you or your kids. Don't want to. Don't need to. God gave me plenty of people to choose from. I chose one already.

Yes, God gave us gaydar. We need to practice using it more. Use it or lose it, as the saying goes.

2. Being gay is about more than sex. My gayness is based in love, notsex. I have an emotional, intimate connection with my spouse. Sure, we have sex, but it doesn't define us as a couple, or as people. I admire him for his kindness, his honesty, his commitment to his family, his intelligence, and dedication to OUR family to name just a few.

But when it cums to sex, what glorious, safer sex levels of enjoyment and intimacy it can be.

3. Pedophiles come in all forms. There are "bad gay people" just as there are "bad straight people." We've got some pedophiles among our group; so do you - you actually have MORE. Can we agree to focus on fighting pedophilia? Gay, straight. Doesn't matter. Pedophiles are bad for kids.

Amen. Pedophiles need help to control their disease.

4. The gay community is diverse. We are not all men in leather thongs with feather boas dancing on top of Gay Pride Parade floats. We're not all male, all white, all rich or all anything else.

We are the rainbow, we are the world. So straights, get used to it. By the way, WOOOF, keep the leather thong and studed jockstrap, drop the feather boas.

5. Some of us believe in God. If James Lipton of the Actor's Studio ever has occasion to interview me, I have a ready-made answer to one of his standard questions. When I arrive at Heaven's Pearly Gates, the first thing I hope to hear God say is: "Yes, David, you have a reservation -but I'm afraid I don't see Pat Robertson or Jerry Falwell on the list."The God I believe in is loving, libratory and downright radical. (and I know wishing hell on anyone isn't exactly a demonstration of loving).

Couldn't agree more.

6. I already can get married in a church. Some Christian denominations allow for this. Others don't. I'm not asking your church to bless me and my spouse. When it comes to "gay marriage," all we're after is the civil stuff. You know, things like having the rights of a spouse when my partner's dying in the hospital. Being able provide for my partner should I pass away and not worry about a distant relative taking thehouse and more. Those sorts of things.

One day, we all shall the right to marry the loves of our lives in any type of ceremony, civil, religious, or otherwise.

7. Slurs go both ways (pun intended.) The gay community has names foryou, too. I won't call you a "breeder," if you don't call me a "sodomite" or "faggot."

Using Queer to self define us is an acceptable all encompassing term. Daddies, bears, fuzzies, woof, and other expressions are terms of endearment.

8. Rainbows belong to us. Please quit putting rainbow stickers on yourcars. Please quit hanging rainbow flower leis on your rear view mirrors.Contrary to popular belief, not all of us are equipped with 100-percent accurate gaydar, and if you have rainbows all over your person or property, we may well assume you are a "member of the family."

Like lojack, there should be a better way to spot gay hunks on the open highway, aside from the blue and gold equal sign bumper stickers.

9. We have the same problems you do. We worry about making a living, putting food on the table, paying the bills, staying healthy, getting ahead just like you do. Just because many of us walk around with a huge smile and seem to be optimistic doesn't mean we are not worried on the inside. It does not mean life is a basket of daisies, we just choose to keep our problems private.

So true, so true. And that's why I hope our votes will count this year. After all, "it's the economy, stupid!!!!", as we seek changes in our country from our Presidential aspirants.

10. We notice your inconsistencies. If you really, really don't like gay people and think gay sex is disgusting, quit buying porn with women having sex with women. (That's gay sex. In some cases, it's bisexual sex, if a real - not plastic - penis is involved.) Americans spend a billion dollars a year on porn; it's been a long time since someone produced a "straight" porn film that didn't have two women going at it.If you quit buying this stuff, maybe the porn industry would fold -something that, I think, might benefit women across all orientations.

Safer Gay sex is fuckin awesome. Definitely worth repeating.

I'd like to add some of my own observations as well as add some others to the list.

11. Only bottom boys have bubble butts. NOT!!! I can show you plenty of top guys with hot buns. Too bad they are only for looking and not fucking. I guess all of that ramming action keeps top guy's butts from sagging.

12. Safer sex is boring. NOT!!!! Fucking with a condom and incorporating foreplay in the sexplay is the hottest form of m2m sex around. Something that I hope more guys resolve to enjoy in the New Year.

Well, there you have it. Feel free to express your own observations.

Mega hairy muscle hugs everyday to make this world a better place to live.

Hoping We Never Live Through Another Year Like This One!!!

The Sissy Awards

What a gay year 2007 was!!!! Can't wait to see how 2008 turns out for the gay history book.

Every year we have to endure our fair share of idiots, but this year takes the cake. So we here at The Advocate have reinstated our annual sissy awards, recognizing those who show arrogant stupidity, dishonesty, or just a severe lack of spine. From Paris Hilton to Peter Pace, let's give it up for this year's winners losers.
By Alonso Duralde
From The Advocate January 15, 2008

Sissy Political Party -- The Republicans

If there’s one thing right-wing pols like better than blocking gay rights, it’s having gay sex. And 2007 gave us multiple orgasms:U.S. senator Larry Craig introduced us to the term “wide stance” when he was busted in a Minnesota airport for putting the moves on an undercover cop in the next stall. Craig pled guilty but held on to his seat (no, the one in the Senate).National Association of Evangelicals president Ted Haggard, outed as a regular customer by a gay hustler, magically became heterosexual after just three weeks in rehab. Lindsay Lohan would kill her dealer for results like that.

Glenn Murphy Jr., newly elected chair of the Young Republican National Federation, resigned in August after his arrest for performing oral sex on a sleeping acquaintance. In 1998 he’d committed a similar crime on a dude whose girlfriend was in the same room!Florida state representative Bob Allen offered to pay an undercover cop $20 to let Allen give him a blow job in a restroom. Preferring to play it racist rather than gay, Allen claimed he’d acted out of fear of the African-American men hanging out nearby. Result: He looked racist, gay, and stupid. Allen had been John McCain’s presidential campaign cochair for Florida.

Sissy Extracurricular Activity of the Year -- Public bathroom sex

Jim Naugle, mayor of Fort Lauderdale, Fla., lobbied his city to spend $250,000 on “robo-toilets” in order to discourage gay men from having sex in public restrooms. Naugle said he was fighting to keep gays from taking over the city. Only two problems with that reasoning: There’d been no recent arrests for sex in restrooms, and anyway, Jim, it’s not so much gay men in all those stalls -- it's guys like the 20 men arrested in one month at a New York roadside restroom. Nineteen of them (including a Rotary Club president) were married. The 20th? A Catholic priest.

Sissy Vacation Destination -- Fort Lauderdale

Gay visitors to the Florida vacation spot have more to worry about than automated pissoirs. You might get verbally queer-bashed at the airport. In May, as a law professor and his partner waited for their luggage, a voice on the P.A. system started reading from Leviticus, saying, “A man who lies with another man as he would a woman is subject to death.” The mystery evangelist did not share the Bible’s views about parking in a red zone.

Sissy Grandpa -- Vice President Dick Cheney

Mary Cheney had a baby in May, and Mary’s proud papa huffed to interviewers that any questions about the blessed event were “out of line.” Does the VP know his alleged boss referred to Mary and her partner, Heather Poe, as the child’s “parents” on the White House website?

Second Verse, Sissy as the First -- Pope Benedict XVI

It wouldn’t be a sissy roundup without the pederast enablers at the Vatican. Prada-wearing devil Pope Benedict XVI reminded us that the Roman Catholic Church’s opposition to gay marriage is “nonnegotiable,” and an archbishop kicked in that same-sex marriage is “evil.” Meanwhile a Vatican monsignor, caught on hidden camera making advances to a youth, claimed that he was only pretending as part of his ministry. Is that what the kids are calling it these days?

Sissy Word of the Year -- FAGGOT!

An oldie but a goodie, this epithet had a banner year in 2007. Isaiah Washington allegedly used the word on the set of Grey’s Anatomy, definitely used it at the Golden Globes telecast, then went into “gay rehab” and hired a gay publicist. Results: Washington got fired, GLAAD got a new celebrity PSA, and classy costar T.R. Knight got better story lines.

Media opportunist Ann Coulter hurled the faggot taunt at John Edwards, leading to a public smackdown from the awesome Elizabeth Edwards and, regrettably, lots more TV time for Coulter. CBS Sports college basketball announcer Billy Packer -- who, with a name like that, obviously has issues -- used the term “fag out” on Charlie Rose. Rose’s viewers were so shocked they woke up.

Sissy Candy of the Year -- Snickers

Remember this fun Super Bowl commercial? Two mechanics eat a Snickers bar from opposite ends and wind up accidentally meeting in a kiss. Ew! To restore the manly vibe, one of them slams a car hood down on his buddy’s head. On the Snickers website folks enjoyed three other versions of the ad, all violent, plus clips of Super Bowl players watching the spots and making faces of disgust when the dudes kiss. Sweet!

MY comment: I still think this commerical wasn't bad and could have been really hot, except for the ending. How childish.

Sissy Sportsman of the Year -- Tim Hardaway

When retired NBA player John Amaechi came out, ex-player Tim Hardaway favored a radio interviewer with the following: “Well, you know, I hate gay people, so I let it be known, I don’t like gay people. I don’t like to be around gay people. Yeah, I’m homophobic. I don’t like it. It shouldn’t be in the world for that or in the United States for that. So yeah, I don’t like it.” Hardaway later said he’s sorry. But we knew that already.

Sissy Cinema -- Tie: Wild Hogs and I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry

Because you can’t really choose between a midlife-crisis movie about four suburbanites who love to wear leather and ride motorcycles but are TOTALLY IN NO WAY GAY and a comedy about two straight firemen who get civil-unionized for the health benefits but are TOTALLY IN NO WAY GAY.

My comment: These flicks were so awlful, they should be forever forgotten.

Sissy Celebrities -- Mark Wahlberg and John Travolta

Of course, actors were perfectly capable of saying stupid things even if they weren’t appearing in awful movies:Former underwear model Mark Wahlberg says he turned down the chance to be in Brokeback Mountain because the script “creeped him out.” Mind you, this is the guy who said yes to Four Brothers and The Truth About Charlie.

Wild Hogs star John Travolta told the press there was “nothing gay” about Hairspray. Except its gay director. And the gay director of the original movie. And the gay men who wrote the songs. And several of its stars. My comment: So John is "gay for pay"?

Sissy Stud -- Marine Corporal Matt Sanchez

The Iraq War vet became a right-wing poster boy when he complained about being silenced by student activists at Columbia University. After he posed for pictures with the sulfur-reeking Ann Coulter and took his conservative-victim shtick to Fox News, it turned out Sanchez was already a celebrity in gay circles -- as man-on-man porn star Rod Majors and as (shades of Jeff Gannon) an escort. Shut up!

My comment: This is a sad commentary of a gay man who can't handle being gay. A real loser, in my book.

Sissy Waste of Space -- Paris Hilton

Arrests aside, it was still a spotty year for the heiress (and onetime grand marshal of the Los Angeles gay pride parade). In early 2007 an old tape surfaced in which she used both the n and f words; in September, paparazzi video showed Hilton stepping into a puddle and observing, “Oh, my God, I have, like, AIDS.”

Sissy Bloviator -- Bill O’Reilly

Fox’s star windbag keeps claiming he “gets it” about gays. Oh, really? Check out these O’Reilly insights:There’s a “national underground network” of lesbians terrorizing the nation, raping women, randomly attacking hetero men, and indoctrinating young girls. (O’Reilly later admitted this was “overstated.”)

It was “insane” and “inappropriate” for the San Diego Padres to host a gay pride night at the same game where kids under 12 got free hats. “Thousands of gay adults showed up and commingled with straight families,” he reported.

J.K. Rowling is a “provocateur” for saying that Harry Potter’s Professor Dumbledore is gay. Huffed O’Reilly: “Many parents are worried in America about the gay agenda and indoctrination of their children to see homosexuality in a certain way.” (In this same segment, O’Reilly had to be told that Rowling is a woman.)

My comment: This guy is a dumb-ass, and should forever be ignored.

Stop-the-Presses Sissies -- The Hollywood Reporter and Reuters

Both tried to yank THR writer Ray Richmond’s obituary of Merv Griffin because it discussed Griffin’s homosexuality -- the worst-kept secret in show business outside Kenny Rogers’s face-lifts.

My comment: As a little kid watching this show in the late afternoons, I had my first experience with gaydar. What a flamming queen.

Sissy Internationale -- Mahmoud Ahmadinejad

At a speech at Columbia University, the Iranian president claimed that his country had no homosexuals. Not true, actually -- but not for lack of trying on Ahmadinejad’s part.

Four-star Sissy -- Gen. Peter Pace

During his tenure as chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Pace called homosexuality “immoral” and compared it to adultery. Pace did not comment on rumors that his mother wears combat boots.

Senatorial Sissy -- Dianne Feinstein

Whatever mojo the California senator got out of shakily announcing the murder of Harvey Milk officially expired when the right-leaning Democrat -- “Joe Lieberman in a dress,” to some wags -- jumped the aisle and approved the nomination of Judge Leslie Southwick for the fifth circuit court of appeals. Southwick had advocated removing gay parents’ biological children from their homes.

Supersissy -- Spirit Warriors

After Marvel Comics finally stopped slapping an adults-only label on any comic book with a gay or lesbian character, born-again actor Stephen Baldwin -- a.k.a. the boring Baldwin -- promoted his crappy Jesus-y graphic novel Spirit Warriors in this press release: “With the most prominent comic book company lightening up its rating system, how can parents be sure their youngsters won’t get their hands on age-inappropriate material?”

Shabbat Sissies -- Haredi Rabbis and Followers

After extremist rabbis from the Eda Haredit sect put a curse on Jerusalem Pride, a Jerusalem city council member and representative of the city’s gays and lesbians received death threats; his phone number had been posted on Haredi Web forums. Moments before the pride parade began, police arrested an ultra-Orthodox Jewish man carrying an explosive device.

“Who Would Jesus Smear?” Sissies --

Focus on the Family and the American Family Association When former Joint Chiefs chairman John Shalikashvili came out against “don’t ask, don’t tell,” the good folks at Focus and AMA painted the U.S. Army general as a dupe of homosexual activists who took advantage after he suffered a debilitating stroke. The stroke, alas, happened in 2004.

And there you have it, the very worst of being gay in 2007. How we all endured this, is any one's guess.

I wish all of your MEGA Hairy Muscle hugs of peace, love and Christmas and Holiday joy, and here's hoping that 2008 will be less stressful and less divisive.

Gay on Saturday night, Straight on Sunday afternoon. Is That Any Kind of Life, Switching One's Sexuality ON and OFF,to Suit The Mood or Situation?

The following discussion has been getting a lot of traction in the blog world this past week?

Do you think something like this could happen, or is it something from the pages of the Twilight Zone?

Turning Homosexuality On and Off
By John Tierney

What if you could take a drug that would quickly alter your sexual orientation from straight to gay, or vice versa?

To their surprise, neurobiologists have discovered that homosexuality can be turned on or off in fruit flies. They’d known that sexual orientation can be genetically programmed, but they didn’t realize it could also be altered by giving a drug that changes the way the flies’ sensory circuits react to pheromones.

Within hours of the treatment, previously heterosexual male fruit flies would be courting other males, and treatment could also cause flies who had been engaging in homosexual behavior to become exclusively heterosexual, the neurobiologists report in Nature Neuroscience. You can read a summary of it here from the University of Illinois at Chicago, the home of one of the researchers, David Featherstone.

“It was amazing,” Dr. Featherstone said. “I never thought we’d be able to do that sort of thing, because sexual orientation is supposed to be hard-wired. This fundamentally changes how we think about this behavior.”

The writer asked Dr. Featherstone if it might be possible one day to quickly alter humans’ sexual orientation. Here’s his answer:

"Although I am not sure my research is a big step in this direction, I think that ultimately the answer will be: Yes. After all, the goal of neuroscience is a complete understanding of brain function. Understanding in science is typically demonstrated by the ability to control a process."

"This morning, I received an email from a transsexual 5 years into her hormone therapy. She told me she regularly modifies her libido and orientation with diet and drugs. She even sent me a scientific reference explaining why her regimen might work. Now that is amazing research. "

The question of whether or not homosexuality should be turned on and off is not a scientific question. It is an ethical/societal dilemma. I am glad my work is stimulating the discussion earlier rather than later. History is replete with poorly thought out attempts to ‘cure’ societal/behavioral ‘illnesses’ that turned out, with proper perspective, to not be ‘illnesses’ at all.
So let the discussion begin. The author doesn't think of homosexuality or heterosexuality as an “illness” to be “cured,” but I wonder how people would use the ability to control sexual orientation — to have a designer libido.

Would some people, gay or straight, who weren’t having luck attracting one gender decide to switch to the other? Would some people casually switch back and forth?

Would some social conservatives (like Leon Kass), who normally object to biologists “playing god” and pharmacologists altering “human nature,” change their minds and urge the use of biotechnology to promote heterosexuality?

Would some social liberals try to restrict the use of this biotechnology? Would parents, gay or straight, want to regulate their children’s sexual orientation — and should they or their children be allowed to do so?

187 comments so far...

This is something that some guys, I would believe, would experiment with, to explore their "straight " side. For me personally, I wouldn't even be interested. I like who I am, and I like the fact that I enjoy loving and having sex with men, men who share my same plumbing, and who I have a lot of experience in making sure certain parts of the male anatomy are functioning to perfection. WOOOF. To me, there isn't any better way. To male buddy body bonding, may it continue to flourish and expand to the end of time.

Check out my Slide Show!

Ten Things Every Gay Man Should Know. Wow, This Is Way Too Easy. What about the other 59?

Something I thought I'd share with you. Our lives can't be that easy.

10 things every gay man should know Filed by: Bill Browning December 3, 2007 1:27 PM

Don't you wish being gay came with an owner's manual sometimes? Wouldn't it make things so much easier if we just had a checklist?

In that spirit, Bill shares with us what he considers to be the top ten things every gay man should know.

1. You will never find "the one" by trolling for sex on Manhunt.

2. Just because you're part of a minority group doesn't mean you know how all other minorities feel.

3. Some churches don't think you're sinful and in need of redemption.

4. You don't have to be married to be in a committed relationship.

5. HIV/AIDS is a gay disease. So are cancer, leukemia, bipolar disorderand cerebral palsy.

6. Just because you're "straight-acting" doesn't mean you're better than someone who's not.

7. Dick size does matter, but not as much as knowing how to use what you've got.

8. You are not the spokesperson for our cause. Others might have a different experience.

9. Steel Magnolias is not the best movie ever made. Neither is Brokeback Mountain.

10. Ass-less chaps are not appropriate evening wear for a fancy restaurant.

Now they tell me. I was thinking about wearing my chaps bare butt and booted later today for my post-opp visit with my surgeon.

Hey guys, last week I had two hernias repaired. I guess that's the down side of being a top man.

But I am feeling much better having them repaired, than I did before the operation. I'm still pretty much black and blue, so that's not a pretty sight.

Mega hairy muscle hugs to you guys. Hoping all is well, sexy, and horny with each and every one of you, studs. WOOF.

World AIDS Day 2007. A Grim Reminder of the Nightmare Gay Men Continue to Live With, and Will Continue to, Unless, Commonsense Prevails

Today, marks yet another observance of World AIDS Day. This is one observance that I wish, would no longer have to take place. But it will, as long as, safer sex is not practiced.

I have continuously advocated safer sex as a reoccurring theme throughout the existence of this blog. I have begged, made numerous examples of hot alternatives to unsafe sex, pleaded, whatever, to draw attention to why the spread of HIV among gay men can never be condoned. It has to be condemned and the only way to fuck safely is by using condoms.

Yes, new revised UN statistics make the disease less threatening and less of an epidemic. I guess, for that, we should be grateful. But this really doesn't matter if one more gay man is infected today and tonight.

So, if there is a gay god, please sprinkle some cautious fairy dust among all gay men having sex to prevent the spread of any more infection tonight.

I cringe when this observance falls on Saturday, because this night makes gay men seem more vulnerable to unsafe sex temptation. If only all gay men getting together tonight could give each other mega hairy muscle hugs and body bond safely, with a lot of hot foreplay, and wake up tomorrow in each others arms, knowing that they survived the night without getting infected.

Then I would become a true believer in fairy tales.

This is What I Don't Call, Buddy Body Bonding

Posted on November 19, 2007 at 5:14 am (PST)

CNN aired this incredible tape of two gay men fist fighting in the middle of the freeway in Phoenix, Arizona. Notice how no one stops to intervene. One of the guys tried to throw himself into traffic, but then his self esteem sunk even lower after he failed to kill himself. Neither guy was hit buy traffic, but they were both arrested on domestic violence charges because they admitted to being "boyfriends," as CNN likes to avoid the "gay" word. Drama drama drama

This is exactly the kind of behavior that I can't tolerate within the gay male tribe. This public blowup shows that these guys truly deserve each other. Better them being together than being separate to make other gay men's lives in the Phoenix area miserable.

Giving Thanks For Us, This All Embracing Band of Gay Brothers

Defiance and Attitude: An Exhibition of Queer Art Made in Texas
Artist Harmony Hammond curates a new show examining the double meaning of "Y Que?"

From October 5th until November 17th, Landmark Arts and the School of Art in the College of Visual and Performing Arts at Texas Tech University will present Y Que? —Queer Art Made in Texas, curated by prolific artist Harmony Hammond, in the Landmark Gallery of the Art Building.

According to Hammond, the show “expresses defiance and attitude. Y Que? has a double meaning. One the one hand it implies, ‘Yeah, I’m queer, so what? What’s it to you?’ But it also implies a continuation: ‘…and what else? OK, so you’re queer, but what else are you?’ Texan, Chicano/a, African-American, etc.” (The above art work and written description courtesy of Peter Schaus, and Out magazine.)

It takes a lesbian to document via visual art what, we, as gay men, meaningfully represent, as a tribe. Sure, we love to fuck and get fucked, but hey, it's about something higher, more gratifying, more structural.

I recently came across a question on the hot gay male site, http://www.realjock.com/, in their forum section. The hottie who posted, wanted to start a discussion. He wanted to know, if it was alright not to like his fellow gay men, because he found fault in some of their ways, and could not quite come to associate himself with "every" gay man.

One commenter wrote, that he, as a gay man, must accept all gay men unconditionally. Well, while I welcome this thought, I don't necessarily agree.

We are all different, in so many delightful ways. True, we have our gayness as a common thread, and I, for one, am glad of that. But true, buddy body bonding, and acceptance, requires liking and connecting with that other dude. If sparks don't fly, then a common kinship just doesn't get established.

While I have written many times that I can find at least one thing, one attribute, to find attractive about another guy, that doesn't mean that a guy can't have more than one thing to like.

For instance, rudeness is something that turns me off. I believe in being civil with everyone, no exceptions. For me, rudeness, is the break off, turn off. I'm human, guys, and I can't tolerate rudeness. Deception, I can accept, rudeness, I can't. Even when a fellow gay dude swipes my photo and identifies it as it being him, I can accept that.

For me, you guys are a band of brothers. I like every one of you. If I could, I would want to give each and every one of you, mega hairy muscle hugs, to show my appreciation for your years of being who you are, just great guys.

For me, that's what Thanksgiving is all about.

And also for me, a turkey baster has multiple uses as a toy to enjoy with a bud, besides helping to give the turkey a golden brown color. Bon apetit, and have a great Thanksgiving.