SEX N' EMOTIONS: CAN YOU MOVE BEYOND BEING SEX BUDDIES?

You've been seeing a guy for a few months. He is great to be with and very affectionate, but when the morning arrives you both usually go your separate ways. He does keep in contact with you when we are not together, but your lives are very much separate. He says he likes you a lot but does not want to rush things. How do you get him to spend more time with you without appearing clingy and emotionally attached even though you are?

STEVE GRAND GIVES PERFECT RESPONSE TO HATERS WHO CRITICIZED HIS 'GAY' SWIMWEAR

Openly gay country singer Steve Grand has responded to negative comments he received after posting a photo on Instagram in which he posed in a skimpy pair of swimming trunks.

Although many of his followers praised him (‘If you’ve got it, flaunt it’), others accused him of being ‘immodest’ or wearing an item of clothing that was ‘stereotypically gay’.

Grand responded to the haters in a conversation with Underwear News Briefs.

‘I try not to pay too much attention. At some point in life it’s important to realize that no matter what you do, people are going to have something to say about it so you may as well do/wear what makes you happy.

‘I’ve seen a small number of gay men criticize my choice of swimwear for being immodest and ‘stereotypically gay.’

‘People are entitled to feel however they feel, but again, I wear what I wear for me and not for them; because it makes me feel good. I’m not looking for everyone’s approval all of the time.

‘There is a time and place for modesty, but, for me at least, a hot summer day in Chicago, on a boat with a bunch of other gay dudes is not one of them.

‘And frankly I don’t care what some may consider to be a gay stereotype or not, and anyone using that as some kind of jab is probably grappling with their own internalized homophobia. I wear what makes me happy.’

SOURCE: GAY STAR NEWS

SUP BRO: EIGHT THINGS GAY MEN NEED STRAIGHT DUDES TO KNOW

The chasm that has divided homo and hetero men seems to be closing fast. Straight dudes are opening up about the subject of anal play, and gay/straight bromances — not to mention cross-sexuality cuddling — are becoming increasingly popular. Still, there’s work to be done.

One can never have too many friends. We’re totally happy to open up our social circles and welcome males of the opposite sexuality into our folds, provided we’re all on the same page.

Here are eight things we’d like our straight brethren to know before we take our relationships to the next level:

TODAY IS MILK CHOCOLATE DAY!

JAKE GYLLENHAAL MISSES HEATH LEDGER 'AS A HUMAN BEING'; SAYS 'BROKEBACK' CHANGED HIM

Actor Jake Gyllenhaal recently discussed the legacy of Brokeback Mountain and how Heath Ledger's death has affected him.

Gyllenhaal, who is currently promoting his latest film Southpaw, played gay opposite Ledger in Brokeback Mountain, which recently celebrated its tenth anniversary.

In an interview with NPR, Gyllenhaal said that while he and Ledger felt “uncomfortable” at times, they both believed in the film's message.

“It was fascinating, particularly because I don't think we knew what a success the movie would be, what it would become and it was an intimate and really scary thing for me and Heath, in particular, to dive into,” Gyllenhall said. “It was uncomfortable for both of us in some of the scenes, and yet we both deeply believed in what the movie was saying. … At the time it was pretty unreal. ... The emotional response you get from that movie from people who see that movie, I think it was one of the first movies where people would go, 'Oh, I can see it as love.' Believe me, we got a lot of other responses, too.”

He went on to discuss Ledger's 2008 accidental death from a prescription drug overdose.

“I miss him as a human being and I miss working with him and what an unfortunate thing it is that we won't be able to see the beauty of his expression,” Gyllenhaal said.

“I'm trying to be present where I am. I'm trying to have relationships that are as real as they possibly can be on a movie set, be close to people because I know that it's precious. And I know, not only can this career end in a very short period of time and this or that can happen, but also that life is precious. I think losing Heath and being a part of a family that was something like the movie, that movie we all made together, makes you see that, makes you appreciate that and hopefully moves you away from the things that really don't matter to the things that do,” he added.

SOURCE: ON TOP MAG

READ THE AMAZING THING THAT CANDY CRUSH SAGA DID AFTER ONE OF ITS GAY STAFF MEMBERS WAS ATTACKED

The NOH8 campaign is currently on a tour of three European cities thanks to sponsorship from online games company King – the brand behind the phenomenally popular Candy Crush Saga and Farm Heroes, among hundreds of other games.

King was originally founded in Stockholm in 2003. It experienced stratospheric growth this decade following the phenomenal success of Candy Crush Saga. It now employs approximately 1,400 people worldwide.

However, this current initiative goes beyond a mere desire to demonstrate that the company values diversity and inclusion. It came about after one of its own staff members experienced a homophobic assault last year.

The staff member concerned is based in Europe and wishes to remain anonymous. Thankfully, he made a quick physical recovery and was able to soon resume work, but his colleagues were shaken by the incident.

‘At the time, a lot of us at King were shocked and felt helpless,’ says tech engineer Isaac Trumbo.

Trumbo, who joined the company in early 2014, is involved in King’s LGBT employee network: Royal LGBT and friends.

‘Everyone was asking whether they could do something, to show that we were not OK with this, and to show solidarity with him, so I thought about the NOH8 campaign.

‘I used to live in California and I was aware of it from very early on, and I knew that the campaign stood for equality.

‘I also knew that people involved with the photographs said that it was an amazing experience and that it was a form of activism that everyone could get behind. So I contacted them and they were willing to collaborate with us and that’s how it came about.’

NOH8 was launched in California in 2008 as a reaction to Prop 8 – the legislation barring same-sex marriage in the state.

It was launched by photographer celebrity photographerAdam Bouska and partner Jeff Parshley. Since that time, the ‘silent protest’ has grown to include thousands of photos of supporters – all with duct tape over their mouth and the NOH8 logo on their face.

King helped the NOH8 team travel to Europe. They did a photo session at King’s offices in Covent Garden on Wednesday, which was open to employees and members of the public.

There will be a second session in Barcelona’s W Hotel on Sunday (26 July) and then on Tuesday (28 July) at the Nordic Light Hotel in Stockholm; it’s the first time NOH8 have done photos in Spain or Sweden. Members of the public can simply turn up to be photographed but should wear a white shirt.

Participants will need to pay a small fee to be photographed by Bouska (around $38/€35 for a solo portrait).

Money raised from the photo sessions will cover minimum expenses and go towards helping NOH8, a registered non-profit organization continue its work in highlighting discrimination.

‘They’re just great people and they do a great job with the people they’re photographing. It’s a pleasure to be collaborating with them,’ says Trumbo, who is accompanying them to each European destination.

Jeff Parshley told Gay Star Business that he and Bouska were still blown away by how NOH8 resonated with people.

‘As the founders, it still amazes us when the message of NOH8 is recognized around the world.

‘Since we are entrenched in the daily operations we sometimes forget how much it has grown since its inception. We have created a massive facade on the outside yet, to us, the campaign is just beginning and still very grass roots.

‘The global message of anti-bullying and anti-discrimination is very important. We are just happy people around the world choose the NOH8 Campaign as their outlet to speak out and show support for equality world wide.’

He also said that despite the SCOTUS ruling on same-sex marriage in the US, much more needs to be done. Accordingly, NOH8 had evolved since its inception, ‘to encompass any form of discrimination or inequality of any kind.

‘The message of NOH8 can be interpreted in so many different ways and for so many different reasons and we love that. We are all different and we all deserve to be treated equally in all aspects of life.’

SOURCE: GAY STAR NEWS

POLARIZATION LEADS TO "US VS. THEM"

Polarization leads to "us vs. them" ways of thinking. Divide and conquer is a tactic that has been used successfully by the power elite of the world for centuries. 

As long as people focus on blaming and attacking "the enemy," they are not likely to look for the deeper causes of their problems. Controlling factions of the power elite work to keep public and media attention focused on issues which divide us into two polarized camps, so that their greatest concerns of power and control go unnoticed. 

The power brokers then control both sides of the divided public by assuring that corporate ownership of the media and key candidates from all political parties support their deeper power and polarization agendas, which often involve war profiteering.