LGBT

Enough with the Misogynistic Lingo- Manhattan Digest

There’s a scene in “Orange is the New Black” where some of the inmates are talking about Robert Frost’s “The Road Less Traveled.” Piper then speaks up to mention how that poem isn’t about actually taking the road less traveled, in that both roads are exactly the same. The other people start rolling their eyes. Hopefully, I will be able to have this conversation with you today, without dragging out my college degree and giving you all some learning about your queer history.

100% Sexy: When Pride Becomes a Fashion Statement

by Greg Serebuoh

What do I love so much about 100%G?

Ever since I’d first heard about it, I had been trying to find the answer to that question. I met Peruvian photographer César Mansilla Sialer on a photo shoot for a swimwear campaign I was modeling for, and he was, as I like to say, the answer to all questions, so we stayed friends. It was César who first hipped me to 100%G (or OHP), a designer from his hometown of Lima.

Its design concept was straightforward. Skillfully cut, limited edition T-shirts made from soft, Peruvian cotton with simple words printed on the front.

Its online presence [NSFW] and marketing were equally straightforward. Witty and irreverent posts about boys, sex, and fun, pics of guys around the world sporting their gear, and campaigns that had a raw, DIY quality, like stealthy captures of those genuine, private moments, of modeling a new favorite outfit or dancing with total abandon in front of the mirror before a night out on the town (you know you do it too). Still, there was something more that drew me in.

It certainly helped that the face of its campaign was my old friend Tom Middleton, one of the former stars of Fuerza Bruta and current cast member of Hombre Vertiente. Tom’s devastatingly handsome looks, radiant smile, and tangible kindness made the shots effortlessly steamy.

The fact that the shirts framed the male form perfectly didn’t hurt either. And yet, there was more.

I still hadn’t figured it out, but I knew I had to be in on it, so I reached out to 100%G and ordered a couple of shirts from its latest campaign, “Party Animals.”

As I pulled my new shirts out of their packaging, reveling in the feel of the soft, smooth fabric against my fingers, my eye caught the writing on the inner printed tag: “One Hundred Percent Gay. One Hundred Percent Love.” G is for Gay? Apparently I had missed something key.

I took a look at its website: “Made 100% for the gay community. In Lima, we noticed an absence of trendy, fun, cool clothes made with the gay person in mind. That’s when the idea for 100%G began. We make our shirts using 100% Peruvian gay cotton, some of the best fabric in the world.”

First of all, clap clap clap and snap snap snap for the use of the term “gay cotton.”

But seriously, as I got a glimpse into the thinking behind the brand, everything began to come together for me, and I found my answer.

I love 100%G because it is deliciously sexy. If you know me well, you know that I love sex, not only as a physical act in which to partake (often…very often) but also as an idea. Sex or sexiness for me has to do with a lot more than just naked bodies and dim lighting or indeed marriage and heavy promises. It is a basic energy that courses through all of life, and 100%G taps into that fundamental energy in order to encourage a different kind of (gay) pride, more human, more inclusive, more complex, less complicated.

The irreverence. The unabashed, playful sensuality. The unapologetic attitude, free of rigid definitions and precarious binaries. And the beauty. Real beauty. The kind that comes not just from a pretty face and a hot body, but from an easy smile, a mischievous nature, a relaxed poise. Beauty that isn’t afraid to get messy, silly, or frisky. Beauty that doesn’t take itself too seriously because it knows that it’s here to stay.

100%G says that it is “STRAIGHT FRIENDLY.” Of course it is. Because the sexiness that it ascribes to is the kind that Idris Elba can wear just as easily. Or James Franco. Or Legolas Greenleaf (proud geek here). Or Lupita Nyong’o. Or you. It’s the guys and girls that turn you on, not just with their looks or what they say, but with the titillating ease with which they live in their own space. An uncomplicated confidence that is flexible, free, and universal.

At the base of the blog entries, the campaigns, the aesthetic, and the fashion design is this basic principle. I interviewed 100%G to get a bit more insight into their vision.

Tell me how 100%G began.

OHP was born out of a design project created by El Cartel Design Ghetto, out of a need not only to create a product that was commercially viable but also to communicate an idea. We strive to use skillful design to represent a lifestyle. We want to represent the gay lifestyle in a fun and light way.

Your campaigns and your branding seem to have a very specific intention. What inspires your choices in that regard?

We openly celebrate gay lifestyles and the idea of facing everything with a positive attitude. It has been an interesting task since we are based in Peru, which is a really conservative country. Even so, we’ve been noticing an incredible trend in the country, thousands of guys are coming out of the closet, and we obviously wanted to do what we could to make sure they were well represented.

What does it mean to be sexy?

Sexy is being exactly who you are. It’s being true to yourself in words and actions. It’s being part of a multifaceted, global community. Sexy is being proud of who you are.

Tell me about your current campaign.

Our current campaign is in dialogue with the issues that face our community today. We’re using it to support 100% Equality.

Theater Review: “Sex Tips for Straight Women from a Gay Man”

by Ryan Leeds

Sex Tips For Straight Women From A Gay Man. The title alone will elicit some hand-over mouth, embarrassed, red-faced giggles. The joke could easily stop there, much like movies which reveal all of the funny moments in the trailer. And while this cotton candy theater piece is not the most intellectually….er..um…”stimulating” bit to hit the off-Broadway boards, there are plenty of comical and charming moments in Matt Murphy’s sex-capade.

The plot and character development is nearly as thick as the 6 page program which, incidentally, is used later in the show for an audience participation “lesson”. But really– were you expecting the depth of Chekhov here? Sex Tips is set at the Midtown Manhattan Community College where Robyn (Lindsay Nicole Chambers) is hosting a “Meet the Authors” forum. Robyn is filling in for the professor who usually hosts the talk, but who has mysteriously died earlier in the afternoon. Could it be that Robyn has 86-ed the professor in order to catch the eye of Stefan (Andrew Brewer) , the hunky stage manager slash would be scientist who just might be talked removing his clothes. You just know where this is headed, don’t you? Leading this talk is guest author Dan (Jason Michael Snow), a fabulously gay Tony Robbins type. One can almost see the gleaming reflection and hear the “ding” when he smiles- and he does smile often. It’s no surprise that Snow has stepped into this role after having just been seen in The Book of Mormon. His squeaky-clean persona is on display once again, this time with impish delight. Chambers is endearing as the nerdy girl pining for her long time crush. With the look of a young Kathy Griffin and mannerisms of Kristen Wiig, her comic timing is flawless. Brewer rounds out this trio by simply being sexy, which was most likely the only character description in the script.

Sex Tips is rife with stereotypes by assuming that straight women are clueless in the sack, straight men are mere objects of lust, and flaming homosexuals wrote the book on sex. I suppose part of the latter is true given the fact the source material is derived from the 1997 best-selling work of the same name from Dan Anderson and Maggie Berman. Yet all is forgiven by the cartoonish cast of characters. Can we really analyze the sexual and gender politics of a play that includes a striptease starting in an astronaut suit with the song lyrics “I Am Scientist?” Exactly. Murphy is well aware of his audience and is rightfully banking on bounties of bachelorettes and gaggles of gays to fill the seats. Overall, Sex Tips is fun, but not nearly as naughty as the title suggests. The talented cast and sitcom-like pace will keep audiences blushing, smiling, and laughing for its’ intermission-less 80 minute running time. How you’ll practice and on whom is up to you. _________________________________________________

Sex Tips for Straight Women From a Gay Man now playing off-Broadway at the 777 Theater, 777 Eighth Avenue, at 47th Street, NY NY. For tickets, call: 866-811-4111 or visit the website www.sextipsplay.com

Turning our eyes blind to LGBTI inequality.

by Brian Connolly

hr-human-resources — Turning our eyes blind to inequality.

If at work you were exposed to a flippant potential act of inequality…… would you turn your eyes blind to LGBTI inequality? I at the time merely raised a chuckled eyebrow and let it pass. During my day I got angry as if I let the “cause” down……. beating myself up with the stonewall for not standing up against it. Now if I raised the issue there and then chances are the unwittingly innocent party would say “I am sorry I did not realize your were gay”. Am I trying to find homophobia where none exists, are we consumed with “fighting for our rights” that we forget that not every scenario is a direct attack on the LGBTI community, but more a matter of perception and communication. So did a simple act such as not disclosing information about a gay group in my work place be grounds for homophobia, not wearing a pink badge or inexperience at communicating LGBTI information?

A little background, the aforementioned potential LGBTI offender was a member of Human Resources, and its this fact that incited me to write this. Surely Human Resources should be the most inclusive, equality led proponents in our work places?

Do we expect too much from people these days in our march to equality, lets face it we still struggle to communicate with each other on a neutral level as a species. Can we really expect slip ups like this to go unnoticed or unchallenged and just mark them as another ‘whoopsie’ in communication as we fumble our way through speech with a stranger. Suffice to say I was annoyed there was an omission of “gay” in my meeting with HR and by right could report or raise it an issue. Though the question I ask myself, does it ruin my life and others? Whatever I decide I will continue living my life as an open gay man in and outside of my professional life uninhibited by others.

Putting the Versatile Back in Versatile-Bottom

by David Baxter

I’m sure that many of my readers have gotten to that point in a Grindr/Scruff conversation where it turns out that both of you are versatile bottoms and the conversation grinds to a halt. Yet, both of you/us have the term “versatile” in the label, so you’d think that someone would be able to step up to the plate and take charge.

PORN STAR – Taking C*ck up my @ss! (Bottoms Up!)

by Charlie Harding

Yes folks, Twitter don’t lie, I HAVE FILMED MY FIRST SCENE AS A BOTTOM! Men.com asked me to be their TOP to BOTTOM for the fifth installment in the series entitled “TOP to BOTTOM 5: Daddy’s Turn!” (and rewarded me handsomely for it I might add!). I have to say I had a great time shooting it, and hope you all enjoy seeing it when it debuts on Men.com November 22^nd. By the way, the preview is up on the site now… So here’s some fun trivia and behind the scenes moments from the day of filming!

We filmed the scene in Atlanta in my actual condo. My partner Scotty Rage (@scottyragexxx) and I bought a loft about a year ago, and celebrated that anniversary by opening the unit up the men.com production crew! We shot the entire scene in our living room on the leather couch that has been in my family for almost 30 years! And Yes that is also our 6’ by 6’shower stall in the scene… it has two shower heads and a tub in the enclosure and can hold about 8 big muscle guys… (dirty smirk)

Scotty Rage plays my partner in the scene (LOL big acting stretch there, huh!). Scotty and I open the scene together and set the tone and premise that leads to my bottoming for Colby Jansen. Colby and I have been friends for a long time, and really enjoy getting to work together. He and Scotty also have hit it off well, so the day was a reunion of sorts and more like a bunch of friends hanging out (and fucking), which made for a super fun time.

Colby Jansen and Charlie Harding — photo by men.com

Scotty also took on the role of Craft Services for the shoot. Given that we are all friends (the production crew included), Scotty went out and bought fried chicken, potato salad, wrap sandwiches and sodas for everyone before they arrived. Needless to say we appreciated the food and drink and it made the entire day like a big picnic!

During the shoot, our two dogs got out and ran away! That’s right, our two dogs somehow made it out the back door, through the fence around our patio and took off down the road. Scotty, after filming his portion of the scene, discovered the jail breakers had run, and spent the next two hours driving around the neighborhood looking for them. Don’t worry folks, he found them safe and sound…2 miles away from our condo!

This was the first time Scotty had ever seen me perform on set. While Scotty has gone on multiple trips with me when I was shooting, and been to many of the studios, he had never actually been there live while I was filming. At one point while Colby is inside me, plowing away, I glanced over and there’s Scotty just off set in the bedroom doorway rubbing his… well, needless to say I think the scene turned him on!

PORN STAR – Bareback or condoms? (my thoughts and an announcement)

by Charlie Harding

In the past couple weeks, the controversy over bareback porn reared its head again. The announcement by Lucas Entertainment that they were starting a bareback line of films (after many years of intense criticism of performers who bareback and studios who filmed it) seemed to be the spark that reignited that controversial fire. The announcement that Porn Superstar Trenton Ducati had been signed as their first bareback exclusive star added to the chatter… both positive and negative.

My first point is about bareback versus condom porn in general. I find it interesting that we only find condom-less porn as being taboo in the gay porn culture. The majority of straight porn has been bareback for years, and with much less talk and scorn for its stars. Bareback straight porn is the norm, and no one seems to question that. In the gay world, after our ranks were decimated by HIV/AIDS in the past decades, we developed an extreme sensitivity to illness exposure and for some reason it was deemed that porn should be forced to carry the burden of being the role model for gay sex. While I understand that porn has an opportunity to teach a lesson, we need to remember that’s not the main reason it exists. PORN IS CREATED TO ENTERTAIN AND PROVIDE A FANTASY, not necessarily as a tool for social activism.

The next point on which I pondered after Trenton’s recent move to bareback porn, has to do with public disclosure of a porn star’s HIV status. Trenton talked about making responsible, informed decisions as to who he will or won’t film with, and caught a lot of negative comments with his first bareback flip-flop scene partner choice of Blue Bailey. As I read through the public comments section of one of the porn blogs that talked about the scene, the commenters spouted mostly gossip, rumor and shock. Many of the folks were making huge assumptions and leaps calling Trenton HIV positive simply because he shot bareback porn, or because of who he chose to shoot with. My point? Unless you are actually having sex with him, his status whether negative or positive, does not directly concern you. Each of us in the industry make informed decisions as to what risks we are willing to take, and act accordingly. A performer’s HIV status is no one’s business except their own and their sex partners both in front of and behind the camera. Again, PORN IS A FANTASY created to entertain, so as long as you enjoy seeing the activities on-screen, then it is serving its purpose.

My third point is this. If bareback porn offends you, DON’T WATCH IT. Here’s another example… While country music isn’t something I enjoy, I don’t rally against it and try to force others not to listen to it. I just choose to change the station to a different type of music. As a consumer, that’s what we can do. Watch what you enjoy, and ignore the rest. But it is not your right to force me to only watch what YOU think is appropriate. I’m not going to limit your choices, so don’t try to limit mine.

My final announcement and point is that I am now also filming both condom and bareback porn. As this article is being published, I am actually on set filming a bareback scene with my special buddy Mike Dozer (@mikedozerxxx). He and I have an amazing chemistry, enjoy each other immensely on and off the set and wanted to take our connection and put it on film. Does me shooting bareback mean that my HIV status will be questioned? YES, unfortunately it will. I can say that I just tested again 7 days ago for a shoot I have in a week with a condom using studio, and I am still HIV negative, not that its anyone’s business but mine and my sex partners. Am I being irresponsible by choosing to film bareback? No, I am choosing based on my own research and the information I have, to do something that I WANT TO DO with scene partners that I WANT TO DO. I am continuing as I always have to take whatever level of risk (or lack thereof) I am comfortable with, and producing FANTASY material for the public to enjoy. I am not attempting to convince everyone to have bareback sex, and I am not saying anyone else should stop using condoms. Will I have people angry and upset that I am choosing to film bareback as well as condom porn now? OF COURSE I WILL. And I tell those folks this: Watch what you want to watch, just like I will film what I want to film. There’s enough porn out there for everyone!

Are You Skipping Ender’s Game- An Interview With Geeks Out

by David Baxter

Tomorrow, or tonight at midnight, if you’re that big a fan, the movie of “Ender’s Game” will come out. What you might not know is that there has been a grassroots movement, spearheaded by the folks at Geeks Out, to “Skip Ender’s Game.” I know a lot of people who have had questions and concerns about the reasons to boycott the movie, along with people who have no idea why anyone should boycott the movie. So, I sat down with one of the founding members of Geeks Out for a chat about the movie and the boycott. [Read more…] about Are You Skipping Ender’s Game- An Interview With Geeks Out

Adonis Lounge’s 4th Anniversary October 25th & 26th!

by Ryan Shea

As someone who has been in the gay culture of Manhattan for quite some time now, I have seen several businesses come and go but never really gain any traction in the ever changing gay scene. Adonis Lounge is not one of them. In fact, it has become a gay institution here that started merely with an idea that gained and grew over the years. Owner Tim De Itturiaga who I have had the pleasure of not only meeting but becoming very good friends with, has mastered the art of bringing fans back by having top of the line guys available at their disposal for anything from a friendly conversation to a private dance. Now there is much reason to celebrate as Adonis Lounge is celebrating it’s fourth anniversary this weekend and they are planning on making it one of their best (if not their best) weekends yet.

The weekend actually begins a day earlier (Saturday is their usual day) with a special added performance for one night only at Lucky Cheng’s on 240 West 52nd Street. After that is when the real anniversary party begins the next night at Club Evolve (221 East 58th Street, between 2nd and 3rd) where Adonis is always held. They have two huge headliners that many a gay man should be familiar with. One is Randy Blue mainstay Sean Zevron and Dominic Ford exclusive Lance Luciano, both who are guaranteed to get the crowd’s hearts racing amongst other things. Giggity.

They are also flying in people for this special night, including five premiere models from Las Vegas as well as some of their most popular NYC regulars all guaranteed for you and your friends to have one hell of a night. Adonis Lounge over the past couple of years has played host to some of the biggest names in the business from Samuel Colt, Jason Adonis and Jesse Santana to name a few. It provides a welcoming and safe environment to many and its business has now gone bi-coastal with the recent opening of its Los Angeles location. So if you are in the NYC area this weekend and want to do something that is a little different but good fun at the same time, stop on down to Adonis Lounge and have a good time. Check out their official website for more information.

Lights, Camera, and a Golden Chariot to the Bronx

by Walter Reed

The boogie down Bronx got the party started well after dark. Perhaps it was the proximity of apartment buildings that line the Grand Concourse, a street name that suffered from delusions of grandeur. However, my Grindr application kept me distracted while Tiny entertained his guests behind a closed door.

We arrived by taxi to an eclectic neighborhood. Tiny was formidable, at 7ft tall in heels. He was brought down to earth when he pulled his dress up and started peeing in the middle of the street. The inevitable pit stop concluded after a long night of binge drinking at Secrets, where I told Miss America to not let those hoes hate on her. How classy and delightful! She laughed and I bought another cocktail.

I accompanied Tiny to the Bronx, because the trek to Brooklyn was endless. So, there we were walking, until we ran into his husband, who was heading out to start his shift at some fast food institution. However, I had no idea that was license for Tiny to start his shift as well. Who had time to do hair when you can suck and go for ten minutes per session? You don’t even have to go to college to learn that. It’s a trade he picked up at night school on the corner of Teen Pregnancy and Abortion.

Four guys and four hours later, his blond mane and smeared make-up made him look exhausted. His night time drag was show time for his sex sessions. Drag is the thing when dealing with sex zombies in the neighborhood. He handled the men one at a time like a self-checkout line—CVS style. No CVS card required. One more guy probably would have gotten us free burgers and fries.

Instead he charged $20 for each joyride, whether the client got off or not. Apparently, they had 15 minutes to reach their euphoric destination. You can tell, which ones did based upon their facial expressions when they left the room.

“You going to do me like that,” he said. “I’m a good customer.”

Tiny dismissed him and brought the next one in. Survey says out of the four candidates, two smiles, a frown, and a blank expression equipped with a limp were recorded. The findings were inclusive.

As the sun soared, I began to reflect on the events that transpired, until Tiny appeared at the entrance of his doorway, naked with two hands covering his Yankee doodle. Was the gateway to $20 happy meals opening up for me? Some portals should remain closed, and luckily for me it did.

“At $20 a pop, does that make me a prostitute?” Tiny asked. “Well, I don’t care. I made my cab money back.”

I shrugged my shoulders and took another sip of wine. I couldn’t handle hard news before noon.

LGBT

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