When ‘Butching Up’ Is a Survival Mechanism
We saw a character on Insecure do it — is “code-switching” practical or cowardly? Sampson McCormick shares his experience.
www.advocate.com/commentary/2017/7/28/when-butching-survival-mechanism
Monthly Archives: July 2017
Gay men’s evolutionary purpose is to be great babysitters, researcher says
Gay men’s evolutionary purpose is to be great babysitters, researcher says
“They’re really good to have around in the family, sort of like an extra set of hands,” researcher Francisco Gomez Jimenez says.
Documentary Goes Behind the Scenes in Tokyo’s Gay-for-Pay Male Brothel : WATCH
Documentary Goes Behind the Scenes in Tokyo’s Gay-for-Pay Male Brothel : WATCH
Boys for Sale is a new documentary that explores the phenomenon of the urisen, or male brothel, in Tokyo, in which male sex workers, also called urisen, often identify as straight yet make themselves available to an all-male clientele for cash.
Directed by Itako in his first effort, the 76-minute film made its North American screen debut at Outfest in Los Angeles earlier this month.
Itako sat down with several of the sex workers to gather impressions of their world. British magazine Gay Times explains:
Itako visits famous gay district Shinjuku 2 Chome to sit down with several male prostitutes – or “urisen” – ranging from 19 to 30 years old, who discuss the ins and outs of their job in engrossing detail.
The sexually explicit experiences are presented as illustrations in a bid to represent all aspects of their lives on screen. Some of the boys choose to hide their identity by donning masks to hide their faces, while others just don’t care.
A large majority of the boys feature claim to be straight, and some of them have girlfriends. When asked how they’re able to sleep with men who they aren’t attracted to, one of the boys answered: “I’m detached. My mind goes blank.”
The boys share how they got into the business of selling their bodies, with some explaining that they hadn’t been dating at that time and they needed money. Many of them were homeless following being orphaned by natural disasters.
It also touches on broader issues such as the country’s hypocrisy when it comes to sex, and the spread of the HIV virus, which is not acknowledged by the government.
Itako also offers this vignette on the film’s official website:
I followed my subject, a transgender woman, into a dark bar hidden away on the second floor of a building in 2-chome. “For only having a few seats, there are an awful lot of bartenders here,” I thought, glancing at the 10 or so young guys behind the bar. Opening what I thought was a drink menu, inside were photos of the young guys, together with fact sheets detailing their ages (18-24), hobbies, body measurements and sexuality (mostly straight). Next to this was a list of sexual acts each was willing to do with men and a price list.
I needed to know more — how they could claim to be straight but engage in sex work with men — but the only way to speak with the boys was to purchase them and bring them upstairs to a sex room…
Watch the trailer below:
The post Documentary Goes Behind the Scenes in Tokyo’s Gay-for-Pay Male Brothel : WATCH appeared first on Towleroad.
Documentary Goes Behind the Scenes in Tokyo’s Gay-for-Pay Male Brothel : WATCH
Is the Queer Community Eating Its Own (Again)?
Is the Queer Community Eating Its Own (Again)?
Recent battles over the rainbow flag and the Star of David have exposed long-simmering biases.
www.advocate.com/commentary/2017/7/28/queer-community-eating-its-own-again
Trans Airman Sgt. Logan Ireland ain’t afraid to stand up to President Donald Trump
Trans Airman Sgt. Logan Ireland ain’t afraid to stand up to President Donald Trump
“I would like to see them try to kick me out of my military.”
Provincetown LGBT Stories, Ana Brnabic, HAIM, Leon Panetta, Jeff Sessions, North Korea, Nyle DiMarco: HOT LINKS
Provincetown LGBT Stories, Ana Brnabic, HAIM, Leon Panetta, Jeff Sessions, North Korea, Nyle DiMarco: HOT LINKS
LGBT GENERATIONS. If you’re in Provincetown this coming Monday, July 31, make sure you don’t miss a night of storytelling about Ptown’s LGBT history from The Generations Project. More info HERE. Ticket info HERE.
NYT. In one day, Trump lands three punches against gay rights.
LEON PANETTA. Trump’s transgender ban undermines military readiness. ” I think it frankly undermines something that has made the United States the strongest military power on the face of the earth. The fact that we allow everyone to serve our country, we’ve opened the doors to people that want to be good soldiers and serve this country, regardless of race, regardless of color or creed, regardless of gender, regardless of sexual orientation. If they can be a good soldier, then they ought to be given the opportunity to serve. ”
COKE ZERO. Just WTF is going on here?
SERBIA. New PM Ana Brnabic says she doesn’t want to be known as the “gay prime minister”: “Serbia is changing and changing fast, and if you will, I am part of that change, but I do not want to be branded ‘Serbia’s gay PM’. The message we need to send is about competence, professionalism and trustworthiness.”
NORTH KOREA. Missile launched into Sea of Japan: “The Japanese government said it believes a North Korean missile was launched and then fell in waters off Japan’s coast, in what’s known as the Exclusive Economic Zone. Japan’s coast guard is warning ships in the area to look out for debris and alert the government if anything is found, according to NHK, Japan’s national public broadcasting organization. A senior Japanese official said the missile flew for approximately 45 minutes.”
NYLE DIMARCO. Putting on a gun show.
NEWT GINGRICH. Ripping Scaramucci: “I think Scaramucci is full of himself, I think he got down here from New York and he is all excited,” Gingrich told Ingraham. “Frankly, he is talking more than he is thinking. He needs to slow down and learn the business.”
SESSIONS. I’ll jail White House leakers: “Some people need to go to jail,” Sessions said Thursday in an interview with Tucker Carlson of Fox News. “If we can make cases, they are going to jail.”
RUSSIA. Kremlin orders U.S. to cut hundreds of Russia staff, seizes properties: “Moscow ordered the US to reduce its diplomatic presence in Russia to 455 diplomats and staff and also barred it from using a Moscow summer house and storage facility.”
UNDERWEAR SHARE. Cristiano Ronaldo got locked out of his hotel room.
COVER OF THE DAY. HAIM covers Shania Twain’s “That Don’t Impress Me Much”.
FRIDAY FLASH. Kelechi Kalu.
The post Provincetown LGBT Stories, Ana Brnabic, HAIM, Leon Panetta, Jeff Sessions, North Korea, Nyle DiMarco: HOT LINKS appeared first on Towleroad.
Democratic National Convention Breakout Stars Unite For One-Year Anniversary of Historic Night
Democratic National Convention Breakout Stars Unite For One-Year Anniversary of Historic Night
Amidst ongoing attacks on the rights of marginalized Americans, HRC released an inspiring video message featuring many of the breakout stars from the 2016 Democratic National Convention. Their message of hope and power marks the one-year anniversary of the final night of the convention, which featured the moving address by Gold Star father Khizr Khan and the groundbreaking speech by HRC’s Sarah McBride, the first openly transgender person in U.S. history to address a major party convention.
Joining Khan and McBride in the video are fellow convention speakers DREAMer Astrid Silva, international disability rights activist Anastasia Somoza, anti-gun violence advocate and a “Mother of the Movement” Lucia McBath, and Karla Ortiz, the 12-year-old daughter of undocumented parents who shared her fears of the prospect of her family’s separation and deportation.
“In the year since the convention, the Human Rights Campaign has joined with our members, supporters, and organizational partners to stand up against hate in all of its forms,” said HRC National Press Secretary Sarah McBride. “The vision of America presented on stage at last year’s Democratic convention lives on in the everyday activists and advocates marching, calling, writing, and speaking out across the country. From responding to attacks on transgender troops to protesting heartless attempts to rip health care away from millions of Americans, we have seen the power of our voices and continue to know that we remain stronger together.”
During his first six months in office, Donald Trump and Mike Pence have sought to turn back the clock on our nation’s progress, including instituting an un-American Muslim ban, rescinding the Deferred Action for Parents of Americans (DAPA) program, fighting to rip health care away from millions of Americans, revoking lifesaving guidance promoting the protection of transgender students, and reinstating a ban on transgender military service members.
With each attack, a growing movement of resistance has filled parks, streets and airports, written and called members of Congress and spoken out against the politics of hate. This week alone, HRC members and supporters have made more than 60,000 calls to the White House and to the Senate to fight back against Trump’s impromptu ban on transgender service members and a coordinated effort to dismantle crucial, life-saving health care affecting as many as 32 million Americans.
“The only way to fight un-American hate is to unite and push back with one voice and by standing together against divisiveness,” said Khizr Khan. “In our society we come with different identities including gender, race, religion, class, sexual orientation, national origin, but have equal dignity and equal rights guaranteed by our constitution and founding values. I have travelled throughout the country and majority of America is with us and supports the fundamental right of equality for all Americans.”
Watch the inspiring video below or click here.
Check out an exclusive sneak peek of Monday’s all new ‘Shadowhunters’
Check out an exclusive sneak peek of Monday’s all new ‘Shadowhunters’
Courtesy of Freeform
In this Monday’s all new episode of Shadowhunters, titled “Awake, Arise, or Be Forever Fallen,” Magnus is forced to make a tough decision as the Shadowhunters get nearer to closing in on Jonathan’s location. Check out this exclusive sneak peek of Magnus and Alec sharing a sweet moment, and don’t miss Shadowhunters on Monday, July 31 at 8/7c on Freeform.
Shadowhunters is a show based on The Mortal Instruments series by Cassandra Clare and is currently in its second season. The series received the GLAAD Media Award for Outstanding Drama Series at this year’s 28th Annual GLAAD Media Award for its portrayal of the relationship between bisexual warlock Magnus Bane and gay Shadowhunter Alec Lightwood, better known together as “Malec.”
GLAAD’s ’16-’17 Where We Are On TV Report reported an increase in bisexual representation on both broadcast and streaming platforms and a slight decrease in bisexual representation in cable series. However, bisexual women outnumber bisexual men on every platform. Shadowhunters is one of a handful of shows that is helping to turn that tide of representation for bi men. Magnus, as the centuries-old High Warlock of Brooklyn, often works alongside his love interest Alec (a half-angel, half-human shadowhunter) to protect the world from threats. During the series’ first season, Magnus low-key affirmations of his sexuality and references to his past relationships have made it clear that he is bisexual without his sexuality being his sole defining characteristic or story. It is rare enough for a television series to include a well-written and nuanced bisexual male character, and it is even more rare for that character to be one of the leads. Hopefully, characters like Magnus will lead the way for increased and improved representation. In the series’ second season, the show has also began exploring the backstory of Raphael Santiago, the leader of one of New York’s vampire clans; he is one of the only canonically asexual characters to be on television now.
Be sure to catch Shadowhunters new episode “Aware, Arise, or Be Forever Fallen” on Monday, July 31st at 8/7c on Freeform!
July 28, 2017
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www.glaad.org/blog/check-out-exclusive-sneak-peek-mondays-all-new-shadowhunters
Day 1? Transgender Military Ban Protests
Day 1? Transgender Military Ban Protests
www.advocate.com/photography/2017/7/28/day-1-transgender-military-ban-protests
