Ewan Phelan, Photographer, Shares Intimate Queer Boudoir Photos (NSFW)

Ewan Phelan, Photographer, Shares Intimate Queer Boudoir Photos (NSFW)
Note: The images below may not be appropriate for viewing in work or other sensitive environments.

For years, photographer Ewan Phelan and his wife Brianna have documented some of the most striking and intimate moments between couples in their bedrooms.

The pair are traveling educators and photographers, specifically experts on boudoir photography, and their work has taken them around the world. They also regularly teach at international conferences and together have made Rangefinder Magazine‘s list of the Top 10 Educators To Watch.

Together, the pair’s work explores the idea that nudity and sexuality are not shameful parts of the human experience. We should always be proud of who we are and our capacity to share intimacy with others — and it shouldn’t necessarily be something that needs to be hidden away from the public eye.

Now, Ewan Phelan is sharing some of these boudoir images with The Huffington Post. These are not “just pretty photos,” Phelan told The Huffington Post. “They are an extension of the individual in them, and of myself.” The photographer said viewers “should walk away feeling something from these images — good or bad.” Check out the photos and a full interview with Phelan below.

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“Like all of my work, I approach shoots with major themes in mind that I want to get across to the viewer, and to my clients who are in the photos,” Phelan told The Huffington Post. “I want to be able to show the viewer how I see the world. I want to show the true rawness of emotion, vulnerability and strength that is found in our sexuality. And, specifically for couples, I want to be able to show the true connection that exists between them in those intimate moments.”

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“The motto of my work is either love it or hate it — just don’t only like it,” Phelan continued. “I want to confront the viewer and make them ask themselves: What it is about my work that makes them feel uncomfortable. What makes them uncomfortable about sexuality? I want them to ask themselves why are they afraid of accepting such an important part of what makes them who they are. Our sexuality makes up a huge part of who we are as a species and as an individual. No one should be ashamed of it. Nudity and sexuality are not things that need to be hidden behind closed doors, ashamed of, or not talked about. If it became common conversation, not taboo, then maybe we could do a better job for the next generation coming up than was ever done for us.”

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“I hope that for those who feel like they have to hide who they are, or who have had part of themselves suppressed for whatever reason, will find the strength in seeing these photos — LBGT or straight,” Phelan also stated. “That they should not be afraid to express themselves as sexual beings. There is empowerment through doing so, not shame. I want these individuals to see that they are not alone and that those who try to shame people for the expression of their sexuality are on the wrong side of history. I hope that these photos will bring people together to see that love and passion is all the same between those who share it with each other. I want viewers to be drawn into my world, see it the way I do and to be comforted or confronted with it. They should walk away feeling something from these images — good or bad. These are not just pretty photos. They are an extension of the individuals in them, and of myself.

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Want to see more from Phelan? Check out the photographer’s Instagram here or his wife, Brianna Phelan’s, here. You can see more of their work at Do More Wear Less or Last Forty Percent.

— This feed and its contents are the property of The Huffington Post, and use is subject to our terms. It may be used for personal consumption, but may not be distributed on a website.

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Minister: ‘Australia cannot allow gay marriage as it will damage cattle exports’

Minister: ‘Australia cannot allow gay marriage as it will damage cattle exports’

Australia cannot allow same-sex couples to marry or it will damage cattle exports, according to a minister.

Agriculture minister Barnaby Joyce has warned many of the country’s cattle currently goes to south east Asia, and hears being ‘judged’.

‘Where we live economically is south east Asia, that’s where our cattle go,’ Joyce told the ABC network.

‘When we go there, there are judgments whether you like it or not that are made about us. They see us as decadent.’

Barrie Cassidy, the host of the Insiders program on which Joyce was appearing, replied: ‘Would they see us embracing gay marriage as decadence?’

‘I think that in some instances they would, yeah,’ Joyce responded.

If you think you recognize Joyce’s name, you might remember him from when he threatened to euthanize Johnny Depp’s dogs.

Australia has repeatedly knocked back attempts to legalize same-sex marriage, despite there being huge public support.

And if it does, there is absolutely no evidence that it would affect cattle exports.

A spokesperson for the Herefordshire Cattle Society has said that he has seen ‘no drop whatsoever’ in exports after England and Wales’ same-sex marriage came into effect last year.

‘I cannot for the life of me see what the connection is between same-sex marriage and cattle exports,’ they told Gay Star News.

‘It has certainly not had an effect on us, and I’m absolutely 100% sure no one – whether they are a buyer or a breeder – cares.’

The post Minister: ‘Australia cannot allow gay marriage as it will damage cattle exports’ appeared first on Gay Star News.

Joe Morgan

www.gaystarnews.com/article/minister-australia-cannot-allow-gay-marriage-as-it-will-damage-cattle-exports/

Brian Sims Kicks Off Shark Week, Breaks The Internet Again

Brian Sims Kicks Off Shark Week, Breaks The Internet Again

Brian Sims

Gay Pennsylvania State Representative Brian Sims shared a photo on Sunday that officially constitutes the lawmaker’s second attempt to #BreakTheInternet.

Sims’ first #BreakTheInternet moment came last year in the form of a #tbt pic from his college football days looking rather hunky. 

His latest cyber assault on our senses shows the legislator riding a giant mechanical shark to kick off the beginning of shark week, a week of programming on the Discovery Channel devoted to all things shark.

Sims posted the above photo on Facebook, captioning it only, “I got this!” Yes you do, Sims.

 

 

 

The post Brian Sims Kicks Off Shark Week, Breaks The Internet Again appeared first on Towleroad.


Sean Mandell

Brian Sims Kicks Off Shark Week, Breaks The Internet Again

How living in a US gayborhood affects the price of your home

How living in a US gayborhood affects the price of your home

Gay neighborhoods are not just more expensive than most other neighborhoods in their metropolitan area, they also appreciate more quickly.

In the last three years, home prices in neighborhoods with high numbers of male same-sex couples have increased by an average of 23%, according to a new study by online real estate service Trulia; prices in lesbian neighborhoods rose by 18%.

‘Gay couples tend to have higher disposable incomes’, explained Ralph McLaughlin, working as a housing economist with Trulia, in an interview with Yahoo.

‘Now that the economy is recovering, couples with higher incomes may be looking to locate in these neighborhoods because they tend to have higher amenities and tend to be located in more expensive and faster growing metropolitan areas.’

The study shows lesbian neighborhoods to be appreciating faster, which McLaughlin says may have three reasons.

Gay neighborhoods weren’t hit as hard during the recession in comparison to their female counterparts, meaning neighborhoods with more female couples could be experiencing a rebound effect; gentrification is also a likely cause.

‘Lesbian neighborhoods tend to be a little bit more family friendly, and lesbian couples in general tend to have more children than gay couples,’ McLaughlin continued.

‘So it could be, now that the economy is getting better, [lesbians] may be looking to locate into traditional lesbian neighborhoods to start and raise their families.’

Leading Trulia’s list of the top 10 gay neighborhoods is Palm Springs, where prices rose by 65% – from a median price of $158 (€143.30, £101.55) in 2012 to $260 (€235.78, £167.12) today.

Prices in Redwood Heights / Skyline in Oakland appreciated equally fast and the average rise of  64% in house prices puts the area in the leading position in Trulia’s comparison of lesbian neighborhoods.

But gayborhoods don’t just clock some of the highest rises in house prices – they’re also generally more expensive, with areas like West Hollywood and Provincetown seeing prices at a level roughly 120% above prices in their metro.

The Supreme Court ruling on gay marriage, which hadn’t been announced at the time of the interview, may see same-sex couples turn away from traditional gay-friendly neighborhoods, McLaughlin speculated.

‘Traditionally, same-sex couples have actually gathered in enclaves across the country because being in a same-sex relationship wasn’t as socially accepted as it is now,’ he said.

‘What we could see is actually a spreading out of concentrations of gay couples around the country.’

The post How living in a US gayborhood affects the price of your home appeared first on Gay Star News.

Stefanie Gerdes

www.gaystarnews.com/article/how-living-in-a-us-gayborhood-affects-the-price-of-your-home/

Korea’s first gay married couple launches first challenge to marriage law

Korea’s first gay married couple launches first challenge to marriage law

Korea’s first gay married couple Monday (6 July) has filed a suit against the registry office that refused to register their union – the first legal challenge of its kind in the conservative country.

Film director Kim Jho Gwang-soo, 50, and producer Dave Kim, 31, wed in Seoul in September 2013 at at public ceremony attended by 2,000 people.

They tried to register their marriage at their local registry office in December that year but were told civil law did not recognize same-sex unions. They appealed in May 2014 but their application was rejected again.

Kim Jho is now taking their case to court, accusing the office of denying them their constitutional rights to equal treatment.

‘Today might be an important giant step for not just me and Kim but all LGBTs in the nation,’ he wrote on Facebook.

‘I hope the court proves today the first clause of Article 11 in the constitution – which states that all citizens are equal under the law – is effective and not limited to the constitutional meaning.’

An estimated 20,000 people marched in Seoul Pride last week, which was protested by hundreds of hate-filled Christians, some of whom tried to lie in the street to disrupt proceedings.

‘The US Supreme Court decision was the result of a battle that’s been going on since the 1960s,’ Kim Jho told the revelers.

‘I believe it will not take South Korea as long as the US to legalize same-sex marriage.’

The post Korea’s first gay married couple launches first challenge to marriage law appeared first on Gay Star News.

Darren Wee

www.gaystarnews.com/article/koreas-first-gay-married-couple-launches-first-challenge-to-marriage-law/

Five Reasons Marriage May Not Be Easy In Small-Town America Despite Your New Legal Equality

Five Reasons Marriage May Not Be Easy In Small-Town America Despite Your New Legal Equality

Small TownThe Supreme Court ruling on marriage equality remains cause for celebration, but as the resistance that quickly sprung up shows, not everyplace is going to embrace it. That’s likely to be a particular problem in small town America.

Even in the deep south, major cities have large LGBT communities, with all the political connections that implies. Small town America is another question altogether, despite the stereotype that small-town America values–mom, pop, and a couple of kids–would seem to lend itself to marriage. In fact, it will be much easier in the fast-lane urban environments where family values are a bit more complicated.

While marriage is legal there, here are five reasons why it may not necessarily be easy.

1. You could get fired. This is the most real threat that couples could face. In the majority of states, you have no legal protection in the workplace. If you’re boss finds out you are gay because you got married, you could be fired faster than it takes to say “I do.” (You just know that Catholic dioceses across the nation have ordered someone to scan wedding announcements so that they can identify the next teacher to dismiss.) States that don’t have protections won’t be adding them, as opponents of marriage equality will make a point of stopping anything remotely pro-gay in its tracks. And forget about federal protections. The Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA) is going nowhere as long as conservative Republicans control the House.

2. You could lose your home. This is a corollary of getting fired. In many communities you don’t have housing protection either. If you’re landlord wants to throw you out because he can’t stand the idea of your being married, he can do so. You might have a case that you were discriminated against on the basis of marital status. But you’ll still have to find a new home in the meantime.

3. You’re on the front line of the religious liberty war. Every holier-than-thou county clerk, baker and wedding photographer is aching to make a statement about their personal beliefs. They won’t be making those statements in Chelsea or West Hollywood, because they are much more likely to be living in small towns, especially in the South. Moreover, it won’t just be wedding vendors. For example, accountants may not want to prepare your joint tax return. (Thank God for Turbo Tax.) Religious liberty is the next big fight, and there is an army of pro bono lawyers ready to defend the right of wingnuts everywhere to discriminate against you.

4. Marriage is much more public than you imagine. Thought that you’d just have a quiet little ceremony? Your marriage certificate is a matter of public record. Small town papers still often publish the names of everyone who has taken out a marriage license. It takes some looking to find the information, but it’s out there. And at least in the early days, you can count on some self-appointed defenders of the faith to be looking really hard for the first signs that their community is going to hell in a pink handbasket.

5. Harsh words lead to harsh deeds. This is potentially the most troubling consequence of the marriage ruling. It’s easy to laugh off the bloviating of Bobby Jindal and Mike Huckabee, to say nothing of the apocalyptic rantings of religious right leaders. But look at how high they have raised the stakes with their rhetoric by describing the Supreme Court decision as illegal, a threat to Christians and destructive to democracy. Those are dangerous arguments to throw around because they can take root in unstable personalities. While antigay attacks can happen even in the most accepting cities, the attitudes in small towns may make them more fertile ground.

It’s a testament to the bravery and resilience of the LGBT community in small-town America that it has been front and center in celebrating the Supreme Court ruling. Ultimately, nothing will stop couples from expressing their love for one another. But as we move ahead in the coming weeks and months, let’s not forget that for some of us, that expression is going to carry more risk than it will in big cities.

But every risk has a reward. By showing their communities what love can look like, small-town couples will change attitudes that must be changed. It’s all about coming out.

And for many of us the biggest coming out of all may be getting married.

Photo credit: faungg’s photos

JohnGallagher

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