Category Archives: Gay

Men of Twitter: Valentine’s day edition

Posted on February 13, 2012 | 1 comment

Each Monday I post #MenOfTwitter profiles of men whom I think you may enjoy following. Since Valentine’s Day is this week I wanted to feature couples.

I hope you enjoy this Valentine’s Day / Week edition of Men of Twitter. If you share a Twitter handle or are part of a couple who both use Twitter regularly on separate handles, be sure to leave a comment about yourself and include your Twitter handle(s).

(Jan 2011 Photo by Christopher Polk/Getty Images North America)

Neil Patrick Harris (@ActuallyNPH) and David Burka (@DavidBurtka)      This Hollywood couple first openly admitted they were dating back in the fall of 2007, but they have been together since 2004.  In 2010 the two adopted twins and currently wait for marriage to be legalized in their home state of California.  I could say quite a bit more about these two but I figure the longevity of their relationship in an industry notorious for marriages that last for 72 days (or less) speaks for itself.

Perhaps this next couple lacks the Hollywood buzz the first couple enjoys but Henry (@AkennedyRent) and Aaron (@doschain98) are just as proud to be together.  By sheer coincidence they share the same last name and like their famous counterparts in this week’s Men of Twitter they are are not yet married. Its not legal in their home state of NJ (at least not yet).

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Fenway Men’s Event: March 3, 2012

Posted on February 10, 2012 | 2 comments

 The Fenway Health Clinic’s annual Men’s Event is just a few weeks away.  This fundraiser which draws more than 1,300 gay men and their allies helps fund one of the nation’s leading and largest GLBT healthcare clinics.  This year’s award recipient is Massachusetts Representative Barney Frank.  Rep Frank will certainly add color to the evening speaking freely about issues pertaining to GLBT health, healthcare in general and issues of equality and social justice.

Don’t have tickets yet? You can buy them here.

I’ll be talking more about the black tie affair in the weeks that follow but for now I’ll leave you with picture of Sergio & Jesse from the 2011 Men’s Event.

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Posted in Boston, Gay

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The Real Men of Atlantis

Posted on February 10, 2012 | 1 comment

Earlier this week I posted photos of guys from the Atlantis Events cruise I recently attended. You can see them here, The Real Men of Atlantis and Men of Atlantis. Here are a few more photos of guys I met last week.Jason is a nurse who wanted to get away from Toronto’s chilly winter and have a week of fun.  It’s odd how some people I rarely or never saw and then others I continued to bump into.  Jason was part of that second group and I’m so glad he was. He’s an absolute sweetheart.

Gregory was one of the Atlantis staff on board helping poor saps like me navigate their way around the ship and answering questions. As it turns out, Greg also happens to live one block from me in Boston. I had no idea until we started chatting.  This interesting guy is all smiles and very friendly.

Fernando came all the way from Columbia and when I met him mid way through the week at one of the bars on the 5th deck he was still trying to figure out what to make of the trip.  He loved the social aspect of the cruise and was considering checking out one of the singles parties. I wonder if this nice Latino met someone?

Daniel has a shy but friendly demeanor.  He is from the Salt Lake City area and recently met someone, which might explain his winsome smile.  Aside from meeting him briefly in the middle of the week I’m not sure that we crossed paths a second time.

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Posted in Gay, Travel

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Where have all the gay bookstores gone?

Posted on February 9, 2012 | 9 comments

Earlier this year, I wrote a quick post about the demise of LGBT bookstores after reading Queerty’s article,The Last Chapter: A Look At LGBT Bookstores Around the World.

Not too long ago most large cities had a collection of LGBT bookstores, but over the years, most of these have closed.  Truth be told, I’m not much of a shopper, but I’ve always enjoyed nosing around a neighborhood bookstore and have visited a few of the places featured in the article.

After my initial post, several people made suggestions to the list of LGBT bookstores still in operation.  I wanted to give Boston’s Calamus Books a shout out and promote those remaining stores that serve our community.  If you live in one of these towns or plan on visiting – consider showing your support and making your next purchase of books, cards, DVDs or magazines there.

LGBT bookstores listed by city:

Amsterdam – Vrolijk  Ann Arbor – Common Language Bookstore  Atlanta – Outwrite  Boston – Calamus Books  Chicago – Unabridged Bookstore  London – Gay’s the word  Melbourne – Hares & Hyenas  Paris – Les Mots a la Bouche  Philadelphia – Giovanni’s Room  Provincetown – Now Voyager Bookstore  Sydney – The Bookshop  Vancouver – Little Sisters

Share this post or the information provided above on your facebook page. If you live near one of these places; not only check them out but bring a friend along as well.

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Hotties on the T!

Posted on February 9, 2012 | 6 comments

Those who live in and are familiar with Boston know that the mass transit system formally known as the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority is better known as and commonly referred to as the “T”.

A gay blogger has started snapping photos of guys riding the T called “Hotties on the T“. According to the blog, “Its pictures of men. Taken by men. On the T.”  Are you a voyeur? You can check out this new blog  here, Hotties on the T!

Here is a recent post entitled, “Pea Coat Perfection”

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Posted in Boston, Gay

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The Real Men of Atlantis

Posted on February 7, 2012 | 4 comments

Atlantis Events is masterful at creating marketing materials depicting men under 30 with less than 2% body fat, perfect sun-kissed skin with no hint of tan lines and a million dollar smile. While the cruise had many who fit this image perfectly, there was a wide range of men of different ages, shapes and sizes.

Here is a random sampling of men who may not appear in an Atlantis Events brochures or videos but who provide an accurate representation.

Chuck and Michael have been married for 5 years and live in Pensacola,  FL. They are regular Atlantis cruise goers and commented that this year’s cruise was far better because it wasn’t sold out so there was more room to move around and easier to enjoy the ships amenities.

Jeff and Abram (from Seattle) once upon a time were a couple but now are best friends.  They were fixtures at this bar on deck 5; always smiling and chatting with everyone. Some of their favorite things about the cruise? People watching (no surprise there).

Theo and Demos live in Cape Town South Africa and have been together for 2.5 years. They are part of a larger group of six other South Africans. They are a very cute couple to watch together and I bumped into them wherever I went.  Their favorite thing about the cruise ship? The shows.

Jie, Jett and Jehd flew down from chilly Toronto to enjoy the Atlantis Cruise. They too were part of a larger group of six friends who planned this trip together. This group of single men were enjoying the company of friends and a reprieve from Canada’s winter.

David and Eric live in New York City and are newlyweds.  When I met them on the ship they were busy signing up for the 2013 Atlantis Cruise to New Zealand and Australia.  Their favorite part of the cruise? Comfortable being themselves since everyone else is gay.

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Posted in Gay, Travel

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2012 Atlantis Caribbean Cruise on the Allure

Posted on February 7, 2012 | 7 comments

I’ve recently returned from my first cruise.  There were eight of us in total who joined thousands of gay men from around the world for the Atlantis seven day cruise through the Western Caribbean.

Perhaps you’re curious to see what one of these cruises is like. It’s impossible to capture everything – there is too much to see and do, but here is a quick 5 minute video of my take on the 2012 Atlantis Caribbean Cruise aboard Royal Caribbean’s Allure of the Seas.

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Posted in Gay, Travel, Video

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Men of Atlantis

Posted on February 6, 2012 | 6 comments

I’ve just returned from my first Atlantis cruise.  For those not familiar, Atlantis Events is a gay owned events company that produces all-gay cruise and resort vacations around the world.

I’ll talk more about Atlantis and my experience on the cruise ship Allure in future posts, but today I thought I’d suspend my “Men of Twitter” this week and replace it with a “Men of Atlantis” posting. Here are just a few of the guys who joined me on the week long Caribbean cruise.

For those fans of my weekly Men of Twitter postings, thank you for visiting. I hope you like this one-time special “Men of”… and next Monday I’ll return with a brand new Men of Twitter.

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Posted in Gay, Travel

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What’s love got to do with it

Posted on February 2, 2012 | Leave a comment

I’m currently away celebrating Sergio’s birthday on the Atlantis Caribbean Cruise. While travelling I have no internet connection so I  thought I’d feature some of my favorite and most read posts from the past year. I’ll be back to active blogging when I return in February.

Originally Posted October 2011

David Samuel Levinson writes an interesting article in the current issue of Out Magazine entitled, Are you interested? The article addresses what is salvaged when a relationship you never thought you wanted ends.

The brief article is an interesting read and I couldn’t help but identify with the “untrusting and cynical” single David – I meet various forms of that David (both male and female) here in Boston all the time.

The introspective article addresses how the author does meet someone (not the man of his dreams by the way) and how the relationship evolves.  There is no storybook ending with this particular romance but its hardly a tragedy either. I think many people can personally relate or have witnessed this drama play out with friends and family.  Although there are no real answers provided by the author, it doesn’t detract from the story which concludes:

“But I had become someone else, someone better for knowing Markus. I was finally and, I hoped, inevitably the kind of guy who could look beyond tight black jeans and pink T-shirts — beyond his own bad habits and his gory past — and love.”

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This is Him!

Posted on February 1, 2012 | 2 comments

I’m currently away celebrating Sergio’s birthday on the Atlantis Caribbean Cruise. While travelling I have no internet connection so I  thought I’d feature some of my favorite and most read posts from the past year. I’ll be back to active blogging when I return in February.

Originally Posted June 2011

Dan Savage poignant “It Gets Better Campaign” came about because of a grim reality regarding how marginalized gay and lesbian kids feel and the bullying that further isolates them. This past weekend, I was reminded of the happier side of Dan Savage’s campaign – the part that addresses “The Better”…

There is a young man (18 years old to be exact) who lives in my complex. At first glance he looks like a tough city kid. His Boston accent, stocky build which mimics his gigantic father and cigarette permanently hanging from his lips makes him look anything like his friendly, easy-going personality. This kid (let’s call him Adam), comes from a solid blue collar, take no crap kind of family. We’ve been neighbors for a few years now and while I don’t know his whole story, I do know that he’s gay.

As far as I was aware, he was closeted (maybe he still is). However, the other day he told me with quite a bit of pride that his boyfriend was coming to visit him. I was happy for him and told him so, but it wasn’t until I saw him later this weekend that I realized how happy. On Sunday afternoon as my partner and I were driving through the courtyard we looked up and saw Adam with a friend. When Adam recognized us he lit up and started shouting as loud as he could pointing to the other young man. “This is Him!” I think he must have said it 2-3 more times at the top of his lungs. He was so excited and proud. And seeing this young, tough-kid from Boston all excited to be with his boyfriend and to be shouting it for all the world to hear made me think you know what Dan Savage is right, it does get better. And if you’re lucky like Adam – you don’t have to wait that long to realize it.

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When was your gay adolescence

Posted on January 31, 2012 | 2 comments

I’m currently away celebrating Sergio’s birthday on the Atlantis Caribbean Cruise. While travelling I have no internet connection so I  thought I’d feature some of my favorite and most read posts from the past year. I’ll be back to active blogging when I return in February.

Originally Posted June 2011

Have you heard of the movie Beginners directed by Mike Mills and starring Ewan McGregor and Christopher Plummer? The movie is based on Mike Mill’s real life and his relationship with his Dad who at the ripe age of 70 (and 6-mos after his wife’s passing) reveals that he’s gay. The movie chronicles the father’s exuberant embracing of his ‘new gay life’ and Mike’s relationship with his Dad as well as his new girlfriend.

It got me to thinking when I first came out in my late 20s and the ‘exuberance’ or rush that I felt. I could totally relate to this 70 year old man played by Christopher Plummer. Watching an interview with Mike Mills, he referred to the phenomenon as a second or ‘gay adolescence’, which I thought was a perfect term. For many people who come out later in life it does seem like they go through a second adolescence filled with boy crushes, drama and a lot of emotional energy.

Regardless of whether you’ve heard the term second adolescence or gay adolescence. Did you come out after your teenage years? And if so, did you also enjoy an intense second ‘gay adolescence’? Do tell…

Thanks to Jen on twitter who alerted me to a NPR interview of the director you can watch here.

The handsome guy posted at the beginning of the post has nothing to do with the movie but would be just the kind of guy who would have stopped me dead in my tracks. I’ve been looking for an excuse to post this picture and it seems that although my ‘gay adolescence’ is some years behind me now; some things never go away. I like that I remain a bit boy crazy.

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Is it trendy underwear or underoos

Posted on January 31, 2012 | 2 comments

I’m currently away celebrating Sergio’s birthday on the Atlantis Caribbean Cruise. While travelling I have no internet connection so I  thought I’d feature some of my favorite and most read posts from the past year. I’ll be back to active blogging when I return in February.

Originally Posted April 2011

Are you noticing that more gay men and their metrosexual brethren seem to be wearing what I can only refer to as underoos for adults. Whenever I’m at the gym I see men walking around in underwear that resembles the popular children’s brand we all had as kids. I don’t know why, but I find it unnerving to see a grown man at the gym taking off his shirt, tie and dress pants to be standing in some cartoonish boxer briefs discussing his plans for the evening.

Initially I thought it might be an age thing, but today at the gym I saw a guy my own age standing in Hello Kitty underwear. Everyone reading this must think I’m a crumudgeon, but I’m not. I really appreciate whimsy and have a great sense of humor, but this is one fashion trend that definitely escapes me. However, I will admit it was rather fun pulling down these photos from online. Now if only all the men buying this underwear looked like these models maybe it wouldn’t bother me quite so much.

I won’t even bother to comment on underwear that tries to be cute or make a statement, because I will sound like a grumpy old man. However, I may have to revisit this if only to find more photos to rail against in a later post -LoL-.

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NoH8 photo shoot in Boston

Posted on January 30, 2012 | 1 comment

I’m currently away celebrating Sergio’s birthday on the Atlantis Caribbean Cruise. While travelling I have no internet connection so I  thought I’d feature some of my favorite and most read posts from the past year. I’ll be back to active blogging when I return in February.

Originally Posted March 2011

The NOH8 Campaign came to Boston today w/ celebrity photographer Adam Bouska snapping photographs. For a brief while the W Boston Hotel had the vibe of a very friendly Tea Dance with hundreds of people mingling and dancing to great music as DJs entertained everyone. I arrived with my Partner, Sergio, just after 4pm. I quickly found out that I was to be #374 photographed and that they would not photograph more than 700 – glad I was not fashionably late!

It was a fantastic way to spend an afternoon and I enjoyed meeting and chatting with people. My phone really does not take great pictures and Sergio’s phone died early so I’ve only included a handful of pictures from the day. I’ll proudly post the photograph Adam took when I receive it in approximately 6 weeks. Until then, these will have to do.

NOH8 DJs played an excellent mix that made the time fly

Adam snapping photos of people at W Hotel Boston

Everyone was happy to strike a pose

All told it was a fantastic experience. If interested you can visit the NOH8 website to see when Adam will be visiting your home town.

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Posted in Gay, Poltics

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Atlantis Caribbean Cruise

Posted on January 29, 2012 | 5 comments

On Friday I flew down to Fort Lauderdale, and today a group of nine of us will join 5,100+ other men on the Atlantis Allure Caribbean Cruise.

I’ve never been on a cruise before and wonder what I’ll make of the experience.  I’m fairly certain it will be a memorable, and after I return, I’ll be sure to blog about it and share some photos.

In the days that follow, I won’t have access to the internet so I’m scheduling posts from some of my most liked / and commented upon posts over the past few years to fill the void while I’m “cruising” the Caribbean.

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Sh*t gay guys say…

Posted on January 26, 2012 | 3 comments

I’m not sure I’ve said everything in this 75-second video but it certainly made me chuckle.  I think this might be more of a “West coast” gay vernacular.

I think I could come up with some pretty funny phrases guys in Boston and the Northeast are more prone to say. Words that come to mind “Provincetown” and “Boatslip“.

Phrases you might hear locally, “He lives on the Red Line, I live on the Green Line; it wasn’t going to work.” and “Dorchester isn’t that far away.”

What might you add to the list? 

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Posted in Gay, Humor, People say the funniest things, Video

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