Daily Loaf

I’m still amazed when I hear about someone getting married because of faith and not love.  That fact that people are still marrying out of necessity to their religion is astonishing. Take Alex for instance.  I don’t personally know Alex, but he is a friend of a friend.  Recently his story reminded me how some people still hide who they are in order to be accepted by church or family.  Alex is gay, yet he lives the life of a straight man to his friends, family, church, and even his fiance. Read the rest of this entry »

Until recently there has been relatively little research that combats or supports the common conservative argument that gay couples are unfit foster parents. As reported in a recent New York Times article, the studies on gay parents are finally coming in, proving what half of the nation already suspected: gay parents provide the same quality of upbringing as their straight counterparts, with a few improvements.

The findings are reported in Abbie E. Goldberg’s new book, Lesbian and Gay Parents and Their Children, which analysis more than 100 academic studies on the subject. Read the rest of this entry »

Everyone has a secret.  Some may be juicy while others may be plain Jane, but simply put, everyone has something that no one else knows.

If you are reading my blogs you know a few of my secrets.   I blog mainly about my open marriage, my body, and my sex life. This isn’t really a secret to you, but the general population (i.e. most people close to me have no clue I do this).  It’s a big secret to me and I absolutely love having it. Read the rest of this entry »

Homosexuality has long been difficult to explain in terms of natural selection, as homosexuals reproduce at a lower frequency than their heterosexual counterparts. This would seemingly doom genes related to homosexuality to extinction. However, the fact that homosexuality exists in such a large variety of species suggests that it in some way offers an evolutionary advantage. Otherwise, genes that code for homosexuality would die off (off course this presupposes that you believe homosexuality is determined by nature as opposed to nurture). While homosexuality may not be entirely hereditary, evidence strongly suggests it is largely determined by genetics. Proof of this is the high rate of homosexuality in identical twins, at least for males. Read the rest of this entry »

Internet dating has fast become a popular way to meet people. There are sites for every type of relationship: singles, couples, swingers, cheaters, gay, lesbian, bisexual, and friends. However, the universe of the internet continues to expand, delving into ever more specific niches. Here are some samples of the hyper specific dating sites I’ve come across.

My favorite site so far is Cougarlife.  I’m not quite a cougar (I’m 37), but I do fancy a younger 20-something man, and would be happy to join this site!

For those who have a very particular fetish, you may find a potential partner in Extreme Restraints Dating, where members are encouraged to explore their hidden fantasies.  I poked around this site (its free!) and discovered there are some real hotties with fetishes I’ve never even imagined! Read the rest of this entry »

“When it comes to family, we are all still children at heart. No matter how old we get we always need a place to call home because, without the people who love you most, you can’t help but feel alone in the world. Fortunately, misery loves company — for now, at least”
-xoxo gossip girl

When Upper East Siders play games, they go all out, no holds barred: sex, pot, and money are always on the table. Serena and Nate went all out this week and played a little game of poker for a mere 25 grand entry fee — but for different reasons. Serena thought they were on the same team, and that they were gambling to get her boyfriend Carter’s debts to the Buckley family erased. But Nate was trying to get his cousin Tripp elected to office by gambling a picture of Tripp seemingly smoking a bong and then using a bait and switch later, because nothing is ever what it seems in the world of Gossip Girl.

Nate should know by now to never mess with Serena. When she found out Nate lied and played her in order to help his cousin instead of helping her, she flipped the tables and outed Nate for his bait and switch. She got Carter’s debt erased, but he was anything but grateful — he claims he wanted to do this for himself, and for her to let him prove that he could — but I think there is another card up Carter’s sleeve.

One Queen B always has something up her sleeve, and this week was no different. Blair has her new minions in full effect — headbands and all (thank god for the return of the headbands.) But Blair always has a prize to win, and this week she wanted to make the NYU freshman toast at Parents Weekend. She was willing to go to all lengths to get this toast; it would be her first crowning moment at NYU. You can always expect the unexpected with Blair Waldorf and she will do anything to win — anything but lose her beloved Chuck (pictured).

The alumni deciding who would give the toast wanted something she had … a kiss from Chuck Bass. Although Chuck Bass may wear a lot of purple, he is not a gay man. Or, at least we didn’t think so — but Chuck Bass, the famous womanizing badass, kissed Read the rest of this entry »

Sex and the City star Cynthia Nixon and pop music sex symbol Lady Gaga, among countless others, addressed the National Equality March on Washington yesterday.

Thousands of supporters descended on the Washington Mall on Sunday, October 11, 2009 in the largest gay rights rally in nearly a decade.

The rally called upon President Obama to ensure equal protection for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people in all matters governed by civil law in all 50 states. Read the rest of this entry »

In case you weren’t paying attention, there’s a garage rock revival going greatly surpassing the one that happened at the beginning of the century (think White Stripes, Strokes, etc.). But what differentiates this one from the previous is attention to detail. Attempting to replicate the ruckus as a relic rather than a slick re-invention, San Francisco’s Hunx and His Punx (comprised of members from NoBunny and Gravy Train) emulates the Twist rhythms and Buddy Holly backbeats of early rock ‘n’ roll, and succeeds in merging these classic idiosyncrasies with whiny and scrappy power pop.

Gay Singles includes a collection of 7″s put out by various record labels over the last year or so, though it’s really more like a greatest hits compilation. As part of a greater whole, each single exceeds well beyond the limitations of the shorter release while maintaining the robust zing of an A-side and retaining that energy throughout, which makes Gay Singles more cohesive than other singles collections. As the French are often known to announce “Tout le tueur, aucun remplisseur” (”All killer, no filler.”)

You could set it next to early Pretty Things, or organ-heavy garage and it’d be hard to guess the decade it comes from. Call it post-punk Bill Haley, if you will, or a long-lost slower Ramones, albeit draped in a pink cape, because where Hunx truly subverts the genre is through lyrics that are incredibly homoerotic, although limited to the perspective of a young teen craving carnal satisfaction. Songs about junior prom and other puerile nonsense are told with the simple vision of peevish love appropriate for a juvenile to bear at such an inexperienced age, like in the early ’60s, when sexuality was poorly and crudely coded. Read the rest of this entry »

Everyone’s favorite gay, straight-talkin’, potty-mouthed sex advice columnist, Dan Savage, visits USF Tampa tonight as part of the University Lecture Series. Bring your hammer: it’s time to put another nail “Dear Abby’s” coffin.

Amid the rumors that his “Savage Love” syndicated weekly column could be HBO-ified for sex- and cable-loving audiences across the nation, the busy writer and Editor of The Stranger visits to provide witty insight to the masses of Tampa Bay at “Savage Love Live”– but be forewarned: his answers are often unexpected, but they’re never couched in compliments. If you’re one of the brave souls who dare submit their queries in the question and answer session, may I suggest a raincoat in the likely case that you’ll be weathering a shitstorm? Read the rest of this entry »

Marvel Comics has always been known for its human touch – for its focus on continuity before capes. Spider-Man wasn’t born of Krypton, but Queens: your average boy next door. The Fantastic Four were fantastic, yes, but a family first. Before getting his act together, Tony Stark, Iron Man, drank more than my dad on a Monday. They’re human.

It’s that touch that has drawn readers (and conglomerates) to their pages for 70 years. Man before Super, Woman before Wonder.

In 1963, the X-Men blasted, flew, bounced and ice-slid into the comics world as character first – but also social commentary.

Before this, superheroes were always different – “special” – but with few exceptions, praised for it. Any minority could enjoy them next to the majority, perhaps identifying with their differences: but what about their acceptance? Could they identify with that?

Spider-Man was often looked down upon by the city he protected, but his powers were the result of circumstance. Bruce Wayne was feared for his differences – but he had elected to become Batman. (Not to mention that, by day, he was a millionaire. Tough life.)

But the X-Men – that was it. That was the key. It wasn’t choice that made them who they’d become. It wasn’t circumstance that had made them different.

It was birth. Read the rest of this entry »

Flannel-wearing, wrench-wielding, mullet-rocking dykes. This is what we’re not. Well, not all of us…

I surround myself with a group of fabulous, interesting, women-loving women. To others — and by others, I mean heterosexuals, namely of the right-wing persuasion — lesbian women are all the same. Gay people, in general, are all the same. The women are tough and probably play a sport of some sort, and the men walk on their tiptoes and most likely have glitter somewhere in their medicine cabinets. Sure, there’s truth in all stereotypes. In this case, we’re all women who have sex with women. This is what we have in common.

In our little group, we divide ourselves into “girls’ team” (GT) and “boys’ team” (BT). There are certain rules and gender roles that accompany our team-status. Read the rest of this entry »

Shatterstar, Rictor and their ambiguous relationship always had a cult following, seen here in Marvel's 1999 X-Force Annual. Property of Marvel Comics.

I’m listening to RuPaul’s new CD. RuPaul, the famous drag queen. It’s circumstantial, to be honest. I like dance music; I like pop. It’s music that doesn’t require much thought, which can be nice for an over-thinker.

I’m not listening to RuPaul because I’m gay. I’m not listening to RuPaul because she’s gay. That being said, it is refreshing to hear a genre of music I enjoy that reflects a part of myself.

Note: I am not a drag queen.

It got me thinking. (I did say I was an over-thinker.) Not about the bass in my walk — but rather about another of my passions.

Before I am a music lover, before I am a gay man, I am a comic addict. I’m not talking about Adam Sandler, or whoever the kids think is funny these days. I’m talking about comic books. Twenty-two-page, released every Wednesday, coming-soon-to-a-big-screen-near-you bliss.

I decided I wanted to write for Marvel Comics sometime in the womb, and I was introduced to the world of comic lore around 1991. The comic I started collecting was X-Men Unlimited #6, about a mutant-turned-pterodactyl attacking some of my favorite X-Men. Every panel was bliss, artwork and the written word joining together to entertain and induce addiction.

But I digress. This actually does relate to RuPaul, though indirectly. I’ve never lobbied for gay characters in Marvel’s pages. To place them for some twisted version of affirmative action (like the character of Northstar in Uncanny X-Men) would be foul play and distasteful.

Read the rest of this entry »

People never cease to amaze me when pushing their bodies’ artistic boundaries.  I thought I was daring when I got my nose pierced.  I was in Amsterdam at the time, high on mushrooms, and I thought that a piece of metal in my nose was just what I needed. I’m usually too much of a pussy for shit like this, but some people get off on this kind of pain.  Below, I’ve included some of the most piercing pictures of painful piercings. I can’t even imagine how these people felt during their artistic voyage of self discovery!  My own story of getting my face pierced went a something like this:

Read the rest of this entry »

For more news and reviews of the summer’s biggest movies, check out the CL Movies & Television site.

Screening information: Outrage is screening exactly once, Wed., July 15 at 7 p.m. at Tampa Pitcher Show, 14416 N. Dale Mabry, Tampa, 813-963-0578. The film carries no MPAA rating.

If there’s a central message to Kirby Dick’s Outrage, it’s that living life denying one’s sexual orientation is an awful existence. Not only is the closeted person lying to their family and friends — often at great emotional cost to everyone involved — they are lying to themselves. There’s a lot of self-hatred hanging in the closet, and it’s an old saw that the most homophobic folks are the most in denial. Still, a person’s choice to keep their preference private is their own. But what about politicians living in the closet who work to advance anti-gay-rights legislation? Don’t they deserve to be exposed?
Read the rest of this entry »

For more news and reviews of the summer’s biggest movies, check out the CL Movies & Television site.

I’ve never been smacked in the face with a dick, but I imagine the experience is a lot like watching Brüno. The first 15 minutes of the movie is a penis shock-and-awe campaign, with a pink bunny-costume dick, a dick on the end of a stick and a talking dick that shouts “Brüno!” out of its peehole. That’s in addition to the many items — dicks, dildos, champagne bottles, etc. — going in and out of assholes obscured only by a little black dot. If there is one word to describe Brüno, it’s Cocktastic.

(Listen to Joe and Joran break down the movie in this week’s Reel Projections podcast after the jump)

Read the rest of this entry »

That was one question I asked myself after an incident a few years ago. I met a man in his mid 30s at a bar in South Tampa. He was a well-dressed Italian man with a nice athletic build. We exchanged numbers and that was that. I left the bar and forgot about even giving my number away.

The following week I get a text asking to hang out. I figured what the hell, I’m the adventurous type — why not see what happens. I was a little bit horny anyway, but figured I could probably control myself.

I get over to his place, played with his cute little dog, watched some baseball, and sipped a cran and vodka. We both got a few drinks in us.

Read below the jump for the rest [probably NSFW]:

Read the rest of this entry »

Arts on 9th is a new facility in Ybor City, featuring a theater, art gallery, photography studio and shop. It’s a welcome addition to the Bay area scene, which ought to have 20 such spaces. But the first play offered there — Bathhouse: The Musical by Tim Evanicki and Esther Daack — is far from impressive.

Treating gay life as if it had no reality outside the sexual, it’s essentially an evening of soft porn, of real and metaphorical crotch-grabbing with songs titled “Penises are like Snowflakes” and “Clicking for Dick.” The irony is that the four onstage performers — Toph McRae, Jason Crase, Alexander Ferguson and Christopher McCabe — are expert singer/dancers, and a few of the show’s songs feature attractive melodies and thrilling harmonies.

But again and again, the lyrics aren’t much better than what you’d find on a bathroom Read the rest of this entry »

Watch out everybody, Bridget’s unleashed for the summer!

Well, you know, that really is an overstatement ‘cos I’m not much of a late night gal, but the Gorilla Theatre is dark for the summer (which means we don’t have any shows going on and I’m working “normal” hours) so it’s time for me to get out more and …. to see theatre in other places.  This week I went to an All Out Rep show at the Ritz, I visited Arts on 9th, and went to the 5th Annual Night of Alternative Theatre at American Stage in St. Pete.

Oh, and I welcome all your comments on this blog (like “stop writing about yourself already” or “what’s with the strange European punctuation?”) so please chip in, loveys! Read the rest of this entry »

Here are some commonly used terms in the swinger culture, as defined by our resident swinging correspondent, Rebecca (a.k.a.: Soccer Mom):

Unicorn: Single female. This person will always be in great demand and rarely seen.

Bisexual: A male or female who enjoys being with someone of the same sex. This will include oral sex, mutual masturbation, sex with hands, toys, penetration etc. Females are widely accepted, but unfortunately males still face some stigma with this label.

Socially bisexual: Male or female who will interact in a sexual manner with the opposite sex while in public, but does not practice bisexuality as a lifestyle. I don’t totally understand the purpose of this term, but would appreciate feedback.
Read the rest of this entry »

I have a secret I can no longer keep. It burns my soul and pains my conscience. I had an affair. I loved a man powerful in Florida politics, and he loved me back. I cannot reveal his name. My honor and his lawyers do not permit me. I will refer to him only as C. He currently seeks more power, and I know that rumors will begin to fly, so I submit my story publicly to save us both, and our love, from the public’s harsh scrutiny. Read the rest of this entry »

“Bring on the Men and Let the Fun Begin.”  That was the opening number of M.A.D Theatre’s Broadway Gay Cabaret (M.A.D. stands for Music, Acting and Dance).  And they truly did bring on the fun.

I walked into Streetcar Charlie’s in Ybor not really knowing what to expect.  As a friend of mine said, it could be really good, or it could be really bad.  There was a small stage area with a white gauzy curtain.  The performers (about ten men and women) were dressed in basic black and added props appropriate to the various songs.

Director, producer and performer Justyn Wade Dansby introduced the show as a “Fabaret” that would cover the themes of love, life, happiness and unhappiness, and he was right.

I was pleasantly surprised.  The group had some truly kick-ass voices. Read the rest of this entry »

There’s been this new sound swirling around; it sounds like hip hop but with an electro beat … I’m no music critic and my vocabulary to breakdown the proper terminology is laughable. All I know is this sound is propped up by new female “alternative” artists, and they all have a killer style.

In our first Fusionistas podcast (embedded below, check it) my guest is Shunda K, creator of the group Yo! Majesty. We have a candid conversation about where she’s been and where shes going, and how she was a forerunner of this new sound. Shunda has been collaborating with many artists on different tracks and we’ll link you some so you can hear for yourself. (check ‘em down below)

Read the rest of this entry »

Being a reasonably fit, attractive, and ambiguously straight man, I’ve long assumed that I held a certain power over gay men looking to convert me — like a kind of gay kryptonite. I imagine myself the male version of that attractive girl friend who does all the things the boys do — booze, ballgames, and talking shit — but who never lets guy friends in her pants. So, it was with a certain amount of arrogance that I pranced over to Czar this Saturday to the after party for CLIP (Tampa’s gay and lesbian Film Festival) only to be turned away because I was not on the guest list. I blamed this on Kelly and her lack of a penis.

To be fair, my name is rarely on the guest list at events I’m scheduled to work. I probably said something like, “let me have my people call your people.” The doorman gave me a courteous smile before popping inside to get his boss.

I tried to maintain my cool by fluffing my hair and ignoring a guy in line who was carrying on like a drunken sorority girl; he was stumbling in his heeled shoes while calling his friends bitch and yelling about how hot he was.  Read the rest of this entry »