Posted on by Queer News

Lesbian seeking gay man for marriage

The app, called Queers, allows gay men to connect to a network of over 4000 lesbians in order to enter into a ‘co-operative marriage’.

The agreement which is referred to as a ‘xinghun’ in China, operates much like the Western notion of a beard, whereby a person may date someone in order to conceal their sexuality.

Users of the app have explained a xinghun allows them to continue with the appearance of heterosexuality and conceal their sexuality from oftentimes conservative parents.

Although China decriminalised homosexuality in 1997, many of the nation’s older generation still view being lesbian or gay as a mental illness (China removed the classification of homosexuality as a mental disorder in 2001).

Founder of Queers, Liao Zhuoying said since the app launched two weeks ago, he has had over 10,000 users sign up.

Liao said Queers was a by-product of his company’s dating and meet-up apps, Gaypark and Lespark. He told the South China Post he had noticed a section of gay men were searching for lesbian wives whilst on his sites so he conducted a survey to canvas the needs of his community and Queers was born…

Posted on by Queer News

Transgender Youth at Risk

No one wants to go to the doctor, right? Studies indicate that young people especially do not seek health care unless they are sick or in crisis. Of course, these studies usually describe only a certain segment of young people – namely those with homes, with families, in school, and not gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender (GLBT) identified. Strangely, these are the youth most likely to be healthy and not engage in risky behaviors in the first place.

Recent studies of New York City’s homeless youth, unsurprisingly, show many pressing health care needs. Because of the exposure they endure on the street, these youth are particularly susceptible to many negative health conditions. Violence, rape, sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), tuberculosis (TB), HIV/AIDS, poor nutrition, poor hygiene, chemical dependency and a host of other health-related issues that are the result of surviving on the street are not uncommon. However, one study also showed that when youth on the street have a respectful, trusting and meaningful relationship with an outreach worker they are more likely to seek health care services – both acute services (like STD treatment) and preventive services (like immunizations). Also, when connected to a respectful outreach worker or team offering referrals, they are apt to seek social and psychosocial services from youth-serving agencies. They are even more likely to access care when those health and social services are appropriate to their needs, respectful, and accessible on all levels (no cost, easily reachable location, culturally competent staff).

Many youth expressing non-gender conforming behavior or identifying as transgender find themselves rejected by family, school, church, peers and other communities of origin. They often become homeless and unemployable, and are forced into the street economy – very often into sex work. Compared to their gay, lesbian and bisexual (GLB) peers, transgender youth are often far more marginalized and disenfranchised, often finding themselves unwelcome even at GLB youth-serving agencies. ‘Traditional’ housing alternatives, drug treatment programs, health centers and other services are ill-prepared to work with transgender youth in any kind of affirming, supportive manner. The educational system, while slowly moving towards a more GLB friendly environment is still transgender-ignorant and -phobic. These places for youth refuse to deal with young people who do not fit their ‘norms.’ Youth who present these challenges are often just left out.

Transgender Youth Health Risks

The list of negative influences could go on, and unfortunately the result is the same: transgender youth become further at-risk. Those on the street are often faced with double and triple stigmas that can directly and negatively impact their health. For instance, transgender youth taking hormones are often doing so without the supervision of a licensed medical provider. They may be using bootleg substances, may be over self medicating, and may be incorrectly injecting or sharing needles to administer their hormones.

Few medical providers are adequately trained in the proper hormonal treatment of transgender people, and those that are, rarely provide care to minors without parental consent. Since parental consent is not the norm, especially for those who are homeless or otherwise detached from their families, many young people legitimately requiring hormonal therapy go without until they reach the age of majority. They also encounter disreputable providers with a ‘street reputation’ who are willing to sell hormones to anyone with the resources to afford them, but who dangerously and unethically do not provide the comprehensive follow-up that is critical to successful therapy. Hormone therapy, with either female or male hormones is not without risks and needs to be regularly monitored for negative side effects that can be life threatening. The risk-taking behaviors in which homeless transgender youth engage to get the money to pay for their illicit hormones also places their health in jeopardy. The economics of sex work puts youth at risk for HIV/AIDS and STD’s, exploitation and violence, and chemical dependency. ‘Johns’ and ‘dates’ usually pay more money or provide more drugs if condoms are not used. Youth also use crack or other illegal substances to ‘numb the pain’ of their lives and make the sex work tolerable, impairing their judgment and lowering their resistance.

Supportive Health Services

Managing the health care of a transgender youth is a complicated matter. A patient-provider relationship requires several critical components for maximum positive effect: an ongoing and trusting relationship between the youth and the provider; a commitment by the provider to addressing the stigmas, disenfranchisement, and added challenges faced by transgender youth; and a personal commitment by the young person to their overall health and well-being. Since many of us are not the best health care consumers, empowering youth to accept this personal commitment may be the most critical component.

Transgender youth and their providers must realize the holistic health needs other than just those surrounding gender identity. Gender transitioning is never a simple matter of merely taking hormones. Optimally, it includes primary health care, psychosocial support, mental health services, peer support and education. For those on the street, case management (including entitlements and benefits advocacy), supportive housing services, harm reduction and drug treatment services, HIV/AIDS care, and employment and educational opportunities are required as well. We also must not overlook the necessity of educating transgender youth and all youth to make healthy choices. This is done through comprehensive health and sexuality education on issues including proper diet and nutrition, pregnancy prevention, HIV prevention, self breast or testicular examinations, and vaccinations.

For Community Health Project’s Transgender Health and Education (THE) Clinic, the combination of mental health and peer support services appears to be the single best predictor of successful transition. Social isolation can be a devastating factor in the lives of all GLB and transgender youth. When transgender youth find peer support, role modeling and mentorship from peer counselors, the results are positive and life-affirming.

Economic Barriers to Services

Of course, the health care described above is not inexpensive. Few transgender youth are medically insured, privately or publicly. Coverage for hormone treatment, even for those with insurance, is not always immediate. In the age of managed care, few health centers or private physicians are prepared or able to provide the intensive medical and case management services needed to appropriately care for transgender youth. The economic realities of this situation strongly contribute to transgender youth engaging in sex work and being exposed to the potentially negative health outcomes resulting from it. There is no simple answer. The economic, ethical, racial, class and access issues involved are complicated. Even health care systems designed for the underserved are not often designed to be able to meet the specific needs of transgender individuals. Those that are, are also faced with the medical ethics issues surrounding hormonal therapy for minors. Those that have surmounted the ethical issues and are willing to treat transgender youth are often themselves small and underfunded.

A systematic shift must begin at the community-based level, with youth workers and the transgender youth they serve. Youth-serving agencies working with transgender youth must give their clients tools to become empowered as educated health care consumers. Agencies must provide materials designed by and for transgender youth to reach them and attractive, supportive environments in which to learn. Youth-serving agencies must adopt non-judgmental harm reduction models of care to support transgender youth in their struggle to balance making their transitions while staying healthy. Agencies must meet youth where they are at, even while they are surviving in an economic and social system designed to keep them on the streets, engaging in sex work, and receiving services from disreputable providers. Education must include not only safer sex, but safer sex work, safer needle use and access to needle exchange programs, development of peer and other support systems, and instruction on how to talk to a medical provider.

An effective health education component for transgender youth must include specific information about the health risks associated with cross gender hormone therapy, so that young people can make informed choices about their lives. See inset.

Furthermore, youth-serving agencies must aggressively advocate for funding for this medically and socially underserved group of young people in today’s climate of shrinking funding and services, and social stigmatizing and scapegoating. For instance, the 12 or so GLB health centers around the country need to examine their own motives, missions, ethics and purposes, and be encouraged to include both GLB and transgender youth care in the array of services they offer.

It is ironic that while the medical profession has advanced to the point of being able to effectively and appropriately treat transgender individuals, there is an internalized system-wide phobia that prohibits it from embracing the challenge. On the brighter side, there are a few pioneering health care programs that have begun addressing the needs of transgender individuals, and are leading the way for these services to become more mainstream in both GLBT and traditional health care settings. Unfortunately, in the meanwhile, the health and well-being of transgender youth hangs in jeopardy.

Possible side effects for males taking female hormones (Estrogen or Progesterone) may include: blood clots; abnormal lipids (elevated cholesterol and triglycerides); increased risk of heart attack and stroke; breast tumors/cancer; increased prolactin/pituitary tumors; high blood pressure; prostate enlargement/tumor; elevated liver enzymes’ hepatitis; acne; irreversible body changes/breast growth; worsening of psychiatric conditions when starting and stopping treatment; depression; suicide; and/or increased incidence of unexplained death.

Possible side effects for females taking male hormones (Testosterone) may include: bleeding due to a decrease of blood clotting factors; blood cell abnormalities; elevated cholesterol and triglycerides; increased risk of heart attack and stroke; increased prolactin/pituitary tumors; hypertension; no menstrual periods or other menstrual irregularities; elevated liver enzymes/hepatitis/jaundice; high calcium; retention of water, sodium, chloride, potassium and inorganic phosphates; acne; irreversible body changes including deepening of the voice, hair growth and clitoral enlargement; worsening of psychiatric conditions when starting or stopping treatment; depression/anxiety/excitation; suicide; and/or increased incidence of unexplained death.

Richard Haynes is the Associate Executive Director of the Community Health Project (CHP) in New York City. CHP provides free, confidential medical care and health services, including HIV-related, to GLBT, homeless, runaway and throwaway youth on-site and via Health Outreach To Teens (HOTT) mobile medical van. Contact: CHP, 208 West 13th Street, 2nd Floor, New York, NY 10011, 212-675-3559.

By Richard Haynes

1999, amboyz.org

Posted on by Queer News

Lesbian Literature: Sub-Saharan Africa

Many Sub-Sahara African novels/ebooks depict homosexuality negatively and as a product of the West.

There are some incredible pro-gay novels.

An example is No Past, No Present, No Future (1973) by Yulisa Amadu Maddy. This novel follows the lives of three African men who migrate to Europe. One of the characters, Joe Bengoh, is homosexual and the novel not only traces his earliest experiences with a mission priest, but also explores his two friends prejudice towards him – they view homosexuality as sick and morally inferior and so reject him. In the end, however, Joe is the only one of the three whose acknowledgment of his true self does not destroy him. Another of Maddy’s novels, Our Sister Killjoy, openly discusses being lesbian.

After the end of apartheid, and the growth of LGBT rights, there was a growth of LGBT South African literature. These include Mark Behr’s Embrace (2000), Ian Murray’s For the Wings of a Dove (2000), Michiel Heyns’s The Children’s Day (2002), Barry Levy’s Burning Bright (2004) and Craig Higginson’s The Hill (2005), which all deal with boys’ developing sexuality.

Women have made a smaller contribution to LGBT literature in South Africa compared with their male counterparts.

One LGBT-themed book is Open: An Erotic Anthology by South African Women Writers (Schimke 2008), which contains a significant number of stories about being lesbian or bisexual. Other female writers who have LGBT themes in their wok include Suzy Bell, Makhosazana Xaba, Liesl Jobson, Sarah Lotz and Lauren Beukes.

Unfortunately, few works published so far examine homosexuality from a black woman’s perspective, although Jane Bennett’s collection of short stories, Porcupine (2008) includes a representation of being black and a lesbian.

Go Tell it to the Sun by Wame Molefhe has a short story “Sethuya Likes Girls Better”, depicting a married woman forced to suppress her sexuality to conform to societal pressures; while Black Bull, Ancestors and Me is a memoir of sangoma, a traditional healer and lesbian.

paula key has a comment.

I am still in the process of making my ebook stories universal. Jo of the Outback, I set in Australia and it explores the love of a white woman and aboriginal woman. (interracial).

Lt. Dee: Army Nurse, Vietnam. Explores a fictitious love in a war zone. Lieutenant Dee is from a white Mennonite family and she falls in love with an American Native Indian woman. (interracial).

Jazz: Jet Setting Carpenter. This ebook is set in London, England. She is a daughter of an Indian father and mother. Her partners are from various nationalities as she treats the city of London as her bedroom.

My intention is to set one of my next novels in Africa. I would like both women to be African. If you have any stories or it is your African lesbian story – please contact me through the comments section. I would love to invite you to be a guest writer. paula.

If you live in Africa – my ebooks are available on Amazon.com.

Paula, 2015, stories4hotbloodedlesbians.com

 

Posted on by Queer News

Online Gay Dating Safety

Much as I think online dating services are a great way to meet men, there is to a degree a darker side to these places. But then, you could also say the same about any other place that men go to meet other men.

However, one of the things about online dating services, pick up spots, chat lines and other similar places, is that quite often one is given either complete anonymity or the sense of anonymity.

Being anonymous can be nice, but with it comes an element of risk when it comes to finding dates online.

Personally, I have never had any major problems arise from meeting with guys that I’ve found on the Internet.

One of the reasons for such good fortune is because I’ve always used a pretty selective process in just who I’ll meet. I’ll admit that I haven’t always gone out with great guys as a result but I have been able to eliminate the truly questionable guys.

Lets face it; all sorts of people log onto the Internet and some of those people are just plain creepy to say the least.

I do know people that haven’t been as lucky as me. Fortunately, none of them met with actual violence. They did receive threats though; which was scary enough.

I’ve read a lot of “rules for dating safely” and here’s the problem I have with most of them…They’re mostly one sided.

For instance, it’s a little much to expect a guy to give you their phone number, (home and/or work) so that you can verify their story and existence, if you’re not willing to do the same. A lot of these tips or “rules” tell you to do just that — get their info but don’t give out your’s.

Here’s my general rule of thumb…If you’re not willing to divulge some aspect of your life or a specific about yourself; don’t expect to receive that type of information from the other guy.

The best piece of advice I can give you and one of the few hard and fast “dating safety rules” that I’ll give, is to use your best judgment and exercise some common sense; regardless of how you meet other men.

Other Safety Tips You Might Want To Consider:

• Ask for a recent photo of the guy; if you’ve got questions in your mind ask for photo ID.

A friend of mine was starting to have serious questions about a guy they had been chatting to online…When asked for photo ID, the guy emailed my friend an obviously doctored driver’s license. The friend decided not to meet the guy and the threats started pouring in…

• Agree to meet in a mutually chosen location; one that has a lot of other people around.

• Let someone know that you’re going on a date with someone you’ve just met. Give them, (a friend possibly) the “Who, What, Where, When” details.

• Write the details of your date down on a piece of paper and stick it to your fridge or someplace that people will find if the worst actually happens.

• Try and find out a little about the other guys background or life; that way you can look for any inconsistencies either before or during the actual date.

• Don’t go someplace or do something that you’re not comfortable with.

• Trust your gut instincts! If something feels or sounds fishy; don’t ignore it. Actually, this rule isn’t optional — this is the second hard and fast rule that I’ll give.

Remember, going on a date and meeting guys online is supposed to be fun but be careful out there so that you can keep on having fun meeting neat, interesting and sexy guys.

Posted on by Queer News

Gay Dating

Life is full of drudges and undeserved, I assure you, but there is still time this minute to whet your spear, cure your weakness, and make yourself a hero once again!

Dating for gays is a pesky dilemma. The hours you spend hunta’ the one (one more than one, in some cities) is meant to be consumed by the company you keep and the outings you create together (fect)! Yet when your muscles have gone tired and your heart has gone clammy, it may be best to deliver yourself unto the acquaintance just as a spear on a painted stone, an arrow at the ready. Do it Quick, but do it timidly. Dating for gays must not be grises en hautescé (hideous?) but instead, a fashion in progress. In other words, don’t try to be fresh as a daisy but instead, show the sausage coming at all.

Dating for gays does not have to be time-consuming but it sure does demand patience. It takes a lot of perseverance but then, the prospective of a true relationship will forever remain a hot potato in the mind.

Dating for gays does not have to be complicated, but it sure does demand its due. It is said that the first impression is the only impression, but shouldn’t that be applied to the various other possible aspects of a person’s personality? Coming late to an agreed meeting because you arrived at the wrong venue, a mistaken set-up or even a misstep on your part can be unforgivable. Being a person able to blend into any aspect of society while being an ardent and confident flirt is also something to be admired. Coming from a gay perspective, perhaps it can be generalized that,

1) being a closet hater is not the basis for dating;

2) self- trilogying is not acceptable when it comes to a good correspondence; and

3) hiding your sexual preference is a measure of emotional insecurity.

Dating for gays does not have to be painful. Hanging out a little bit, staying in the same part of the club, and even a orthodox wedding can give the gay individual an additional slew of confidence that is most sorely needed during the times when the individual is at his most comfortable. Alright, so the end of the date may have gone well, but the dating gay works his way through the miles to attain his goal during the initial stages of the relationship.

It’s an ironic phenomenon that the dating style adopted by so many gay individuals is one of the most common ways through which laziness has set in. Whenever every other person is having fun, catching the bar camper with his top on or coming in late for a screening, and yet when he stays loyal to the club he belongs to, his peers declare him as a guy who belongs in the “gal pal’s” circle, and not in the “woman’s” one.

No matter what method you may use to finally meat up for your chosen meat, be it a dance club, bar or as we, the ever righteous generation of gay, love to call it, the pleasure of dating for gays is to be found. Though hearing them say that love is blind, it seems that the ultimate Blind Faith gives the gay individuals the confidence to go on a sizzle.

Written by AI

Posted on by Queer News

The Female Attraction to Gay Men

However some of what seems to be positive attention about gay males seems to be negative in context. For example most females who view gay male dating is geared towards long lasting relationships. The idea that women engage in gay male dating for a short term sexual encounter and then expect the men to offer marriage in the next heat of the moment is a myth. It is further suggested that being gay is a poor choice of lifestyle because there is a higher than average failure rate in gay male relationships.

When viewing hit television shows, it is interesting that the gay male character is never the normalverse, whether it be through on-screen as well as off-screen relationships. Remember the resistance that gay males are met with, their families and peers does nothing to encourage them to fall in love with the partner they perceive them selves to be with. They usually must put up with the humiliation of being bread winners and providers in communities which they perceive themselves to be inferior. Whilst being Labrador to cute and loving pets and attending puppy HAS outings, the straight females are lesbians and have girlfriends for company and in comfort. It might be a comical picture but the gay male is usually left out in relation to the heterosexual dating partner. Lesbian couple is seen as being petite and delightsome and not the strong yet tender gender we perceive the gay male to be at times. Relationships are tiring and hard work and can be a hassle and a challenge and in the end, most daters opt badly for love over the partner that they perceive as being better for them.

Love is what a person must have for itself in order to give it the life to give to another person. Sometimes when the partner you have chosen is not falling for you, it is consideredImproper, and many millions of dollars is paid each year to settle claims out of court or tooodlesome couplewrong couplesout of relationships, where each of them thought that their pile controller was better than relational authority. These people have been exploited and thoroughly miserable. Con artists exploit human sentiments, love, trust, sexual preferences and family values using motives of greed. The burden of emotions like love is lighter for them than for individuals who are lonely or contented with their alternate lives. These people are less likely to engage in risky behaviors related to sexual behaviors and are less likely than heterosexuals to have homeless partners, or to engage in risk taking behaviors that could later lead to death.

It is mandatory that parents, together with a life partner, encourage their children to marry within their own sex and to reject social pressure to have sex with an extra gender. It is also mandatory that each individual family member acknowledge that the decision to have sex must be made by two people who have been interacting for some time and who are comfortable with each other, with the understanding that the couple does not know everything about each other. A child, and a single mother in particular, does not need the pressure from his or her father, or the fear of losing his father’s approval, or the rumors from neighborhood, school, work, and in the temperature of public opinion to convince a decision that is not theirs to make. The child, and the single mother in particular, should be able to speak freely and clearly with each other about the desires of the child and the relationship the couple has….

Posted on by Queer News

Gay Dating Tips: First Date Tips for Shy Guys

Going out on your first date with a guy or meeting a guy for the first time can be a bit of a nerve racking experience, especially if your one of those shy guys.

Let me tell you something; I’m one of those shy guys. But, this is one shy guy who decided that unless he did something about it, he was never going to get laid or have a boyfriend if he didn’t get out there.

Here’s my short list of the things that I have done or used in order to get over shyness, meet interesting guys and have a “successful first date”.

But first, I’ve got to tell you, that I consider every date that I’ve ever gone on a success. Why? For starters, I’m still alive to talk and write about it. And because every date, no matter how lousy or dull was a learning experience and one more date that I DID go on.

The important thing is to get out there and start meeting guys; start making friends and get off the couch or out of your bedroom.

6 Tips for Your Successful First Date

1. Have confidence in yourself, your abilities and that the date will go well.

Guys are attracted to guys who have or exude confidence. Confidence is about knowing who you are, what you want and knowing that you’ll get it.

2. Don’t think of it as a date, think of it as meeting someone interesting, for lunch, dinner, drinks, coffee, or whatever it is you plan to do. By throwing away the “date” label you can get down to just having a pleasant outing with the guy with no “date expectations”.

3. Relax and just be you. Trying to conjure up some sort of false persona is pointless, you might impress yourself for a second or two and maybe even the other guy for a moment; until he figures out its all hype or “bull”.

It’s OK to be you and if the other guy isn’t interested in you it’s no big deal, because there’s thousands and thousands of gay men out there.

4. Arrive a little bit early. I like to arrive at places a little early for a variety of reasons, but I’ve found it a helpful habit if I’m feeling a bit nervous or shy too.

When you’re going out to a restaurant or a coffee shop, if you arrive a bit early you can go to the washroom without deserting your date, compose yourself, fix your hair, wash those sweaty palms and relieve yourself if necessary.

Arriving a little early or exactly on time also means that you won’t be rushed and you won’t be puffing out excuses as to why you were late. It just makes things easier and less stressed initially.

5. Dress for the occasion and location. You don’t need to look like a Queer Eye for the Straight Guy makeover, but if you dress nicely and appropriately for the occasion and the location, you’ll not only look great, you’ll feel great. You’ll be confident that you’re in the right attire for wherever it is you’re going out to.

And now, for my ultimate not-so-secret dating tip for shy guys…

6. Wear your “power underwear” when you go out on a date, especially your first date. If you don’t have a pair of “power underwear”, get some. The idea is to get something that makes you feel incredibly powerful and sexy.

I find that thongs in purple, red or black, fit the bill for my power underwear. They allow you to feel and be powerful, sexy, flirty, and confident; all the things you need on a date.

It doesn’t matter if you don’t end up in the sack or on the floor later on in the evening. Power underwear is something that can give the shy guy that extra little edge.

Wishing you joy and dating success!

Posted on by Queer News

An Arab Gay Experience

I was molested by several men when I was a child. When I became a teenager I became very religious and tried to block my gay fantasies, something which proved to be very difficult. At the same time I was reading a lot of English language publications, such as Time, Newsweek and the Economist. There, I found gay culture and at 19 I decided that I was gay. It took another year for my first adult sexual encounter.

I was in medical school at the University of Jordan. We were studying ophthalmoscopy, the science of how to examine someone’s eyes. A colleague proposed that we go to a separate room in the hospital to practice on each other, and we did.

Instead of looking at my eyes he landed at my neck and mouth kissing and biting. I said no but I meant yes. This started a sexual relationship. However, since he was the active partner, he considered himself straight and me gay. There was a little of psychological abuse there.

We lived at the second circle. I started walking at night like most people of the time between the first and third circles. Soon, I discovered people driving slowly behind me and would also follow me into side streets. One guy picked me up and we had sex that night. At the end, he offered me a five dinar bill. I felt like a prostitute and I threw the money in his face. He did not mean harm but I took an offence at it. The guy met me several times after that, I think he liked me but I could never forgive him and he knew it.

All my Arab encounters were with men who were either married or who married later. I felt that to be gay in a western sense is not yet an Arab idea. This was in the years 1983-1989. Please remember the confidentiality issue since I am not out to my family, although I think that they know.

The Following Was received by e-mail from a gay Arab

30.7.98 N.S. @ Ahbab

Posted on by Queer News

Lesbian Life In Morocco: Lonely and Fearful

“To live happily, live hidden.” This tends to be the slogan of the LGBTI community in Morocco. This is oneof the most liberal Muslim countries, but under the law, committing unnatural acts with the same sex is punishable. The prison terms can range from 6 months to 3 years. Todate, no lesbian has been imprisoned. Algeria and Tunisia have similar bans.

Affection in Public, but No Relationship

Affection between women is common. Girls link arms and stroll hand-in-hand. They even sit and cuddle. However, a lesbian relationship has to be secret or carried out in another country. Some lesbians are fortunate to study abroad. For straight and lesbian women marriage or escape overseas tends to be the most common way to leave the family home. Like in parts of China, the LGBTI community often has ‘arranged’ marriages.

Lonely and Fearful

The internet allows lesbians to reach gay forums world-wide; one of which is LGBT Maroc. Some of the comments and questions are sad such as “How do I become heterosexual?” There is also another internet site/forum called Lesbiennes du Maroc.

Perhaps more significantly, the government unofficially tolerates Kif-Kif, the only organization advocating for LGBT rights in Morocco. Kif-Kif’s main office sits across the border in Madrid, and its visibility is limited to low-profile conferences and Mithly, a new publication, distributed quietly, that features LGBT voices. Established six years ago, Kif-Kif has sought unsuccessfully to become a legal association in Morocco.

To our Moroccan Lesbian Sisters:

Be careful but do find love with another woman.

Paula, 2018, stories4hotbloodedlesbians.com

Posted on by Queer News

Gay Movies, DVD Films and Videos

Here’s some of my favorite “gay movies” that are great for those times when you just feel like staying at home and curling up with someone nice on the sofa. It makes for a pleasant evening of entertainment, and who knows… These movies have been known to lead to other pleasant activities afterwards

Adam & Steve

Adam & Steve is a twisted movie all about making love work-whatever the odds.

In the 1980s, Adam (Craig Chester) and Steve (Malcolm Gets) had a horrifically embarrassing one-night stand. When they meet again years later, they fail to recognize each other and fall in love-as do their wisecracking best friends (Parker Posey and Chris Kattan).

Another Gay Movie

In the dirtiest, funniest, most scandalous gay-teen-sex-comedy-parody ever, four gay friends make a pact to lose their virginity by the end of the summer…

But that’s easier said than done, as the boys face giant sex toys, naked celebrities, masochistic teachers and an uncontrollable romance with a quiche.

With a dozen jokes a minute and who’s who of gay celebrities. Another Gay Movie is a candy-colored romp where getting laid is all that matters!

The Mostly Unfabulous Social Life of Ethan Green

Based on the popular comic strip of the same name this movie was a hit on the queer film festival circuit.

You think you have dating problems…

Ethan Green, the adorable professional assistant, attempts to make sense out of love, romance and everything in between in this romantic gay comedy.

Fabulous! The Story of Queer Cinema

The most entertaining gay history lesson you’ve ever had. Picks up where The Celluloid Closet left off! The superstars of gay and lesbian cinema shine in this amazing overview of LGBT film history.

Fabulous! The Story of Queer Cinema is packed with smart interviews and a tremendous array of film clips from the greatest movies of the genre celebrating more than half a century of queer independent filmmaking.

From Kenneth Anger’s pioneering, Fireworks (1947) to the smash hit blockbuster Brokeback Mountain.

Starring John Waters, Wilson Cruz, Guinevere Turner, Peter Paige, B. Ruby Rich, Gus Van Sant, Alan Cumming, and many more…

Brokeback Mountain

Ang Lee’s award winning and emotion stirring film, based on Annie Proulx’s short story is now available on DVD!

It’s the story of how two male lovers in the American West, during the 60’s are bound by their expected roles, how they rebel against them, and the repercussions for each of doing so.

This edition of Brokeback Mountain also includes some featurettes and interviews. A great addition to your DVD library.

Dorian Blues

If you like coming-of-age comedies then you might like watching Dorian Blues.

Dorian Blues is a bright, cheerful story about a small-town young man who realizes why he’s such a misfit — he’s gay!

Before his homophobic, Nixon-loving dad can throw him out of the house, he’s off to NYU where our hero encounters a new world of coffee houses, sophisticates and handsome men…(Sounds like a plan…)

Big Eden

Big Eden has won the audience awards at just about every gay and lesbian film festival there is. It’s also been labled as a great date movie, and I’d have to agree with that. It’s got all of the elements of a great “feel good, tear jerker, boy gets boy movie” — with some wonderful surprises and twists!

Henry (Arye Gross) is an artist living in New York but still carrying a torch for the guy he had a crush on in high school. When his grandfather has a stroke, Henry returns to his Montana hometown, Big Eden. Oh, and wouldn’t you know it, but Henry’s high school crush has since married, had children, and divorced–and seems ready to take some very different steps with his life.

Big Eden is one of those implausibly tolerant towns where lesbians kiss each other in public and old coots in cowboy hats try to play matchmaker with bashful queers.

Touch Of Pink

I enjoyed watching Touch of Pink when it was in the theaters so I’m going to get a copy of it for my DVD library.

It’s one of those comedic dramas of which there’s plenty of both in this particular movie. In fact at times Touch of Pink leans towards being kind of sappy; but in this case I was able to bear it.

The film explores the interacial gay relationship of a young, South Asian Canadian based in London and his English lover.

There’s an interesting plot device where Alim, (Jimi Mistry) is caught up in the romance, and dreams of old Hollywood that he thinks he’s living with the spirit of Cary Grant, (Kyle MacLachlan); That makes for some funny moments.

Trick

trick has been called “Magical”, “Sweet”, and “Engaging”, and I must say that the reviewers are right on all counts and then some.

The basic premise is that boy, (Gabriel an aspiring writer of Broadway musicals) meets boy, (Mark, a muscled stripper) on a subway and its lust at first sight – they are cruising for sex after all!

All they want to do is find a place for a quick tumble… and that remains their problem for the entire night right into the next day.

Throughout the night and during their cross-town Manhattan adventure/search for somewhere private, Gabriel and Mark’s relationship develops into something more than either of them had been looking for.

Tying the Knot

Tying the Knot is a critically-acclaimed film festival favorite.

This documentary is about the ferocious political battle in the US between gay people who want to marry and those determined to stop them.