America's Notorious Ex-Gay Center: JONAH; Black and Gay In America After Being Away for a Decade; Ramon Canyon by Ryan Field
America's Notorious Ex-Gay Center: JONAH
Even though it's hard to believe there are still people who believe a gay person can become straight, this is going on.
A lawsuit being referred to as the first of its kind was recently brought up against the organization, JONAH, by former patients. JONAH is short for Jews Offering New Alternatives to Homosexuality. They think they can cure gay people.
It sounds like absolute torture.
"Other clients were required to reenact childhood trauma, including childhood sexual trauma, under the theory that the reason people become gay is that they've suffered some sort of trauma in childhood that is thrown them off the normal path towards heterosexuality," Dinielli tells Queerty. "Some were required as a part of the program to disrobe in front of the counselor."
Here's a link for the rest.
Black and Gay In America After Being Away for a Decade
A black gay man who has been living outside the US for over a decade will be returning soon, and he's been writing about his thoughts and feelings with regard to returning to the US. I find it interesting because I think a lot of things have changed for the better (for gay people...I can't comment on the experience for gay black people). But I've been here as a gay person. I haven't been living in another country depending on hearsay from questionable friends and news articles that may or may not be true. And from what I see on social media, most news stories are either untrue or highly slanted in one direction or another. But more than that, most people only read headlines.
I will be returning to an America post-Trayvon Martin, Eric Garner, Sandra Bland, Moonlight, Get Out, Black Panther, Empire, and Jussie Smollett, where to be black still can be beautiful and dangerous — but to an exponentially greater degree of both.
Here's a link for this one. It's very well written, well executed, and has a unique POV. I'm looking forward to a follow up and reading about his actual experience and how he feels about being back in the US. He has a very honest voice and he sounds like a natural writer.
So many things have changed. For one thing, Mayor Pete Buttigieg is seriously running for President, as an openly gay legally married man. And for the first time the mainstream media is actually paying attention to him. That's huge for gay people.
Reader Reviews for Sleepless In San Francisco
"I loved the romance between Ed and Jonathan. Noah was adorable. All the supporting characters added so much to the richness of the storybook romance."
"I read a lot of Ryan's books, but really loved this one. The main character reminded me of someone... read it and see."
"All the supporting characters added so much to the richness of the storybook romance. I'll even admit that though most books in this genre may bring a smile to my face; they seldom bring tears. This one got me at the end. I would desperately like a second chapter to see where they go from here."
Ramon Canyon
A Gay Western Romance
When Flynn had to leave Ramon Canyon 10 years earlier at the age of 18, he never thought he would return. He'd been caught in the act on his hands and knees with another cowboy his age by the town's worst gossip, Sally May Johansson, and he knew he couldn't remain there. So he set off without looking back, and found other places in the world where he could live his life and build his fortune. But no matter where he went he never stopped thinking about Ramon Canyon, and the young man named Jasper with whom he'd been in love.
Eventually, he wound up in Europe with other like-minded people who understood him, where he amassed a great fortune and educated himself with the finer things in life. He told himself he'd never return to Ramon Canyon again, but then he ran into an old family friend who told him what had happened to his family and the ranch where he'd grown up. And that's when he knew he had to return for his revenge.
After a 10 year absence, most people thought Flynn was dead. But that didn't stop him from riding through Ramon Canyon with his head high and his shoulders square. He realized how much he missed Ramon Canyon, and now that he had money, a purpose, and goals he didn't have to run anymore. The timing was perfect and they needed him as much as he needed to be there. The only thing that was missing was the love of his life, and Flynn wasn't sure he'd ever figure that out. However, he still had a few unexpected surprises coming his way.
Posted by ryan field at 10:32 AM 0 comments
Labels: America's Notorious Ex-Gay Center: JONAH; Black and Gay In America After Being Away for a Decade; Ramon Canyon by Ryan Field
Amy Schumer's Dumb Repulsive Gay Jokes; Gay Sex In Brunei Now Punishable with Death by Stoning If Witnessed by a Muslim; Gay Fabulosity; Blissfully Yours by Ryan Field
Amy Schumer's Dumb Repulsive Gay Jokes
I have never been a fan of Amy Schumer's brand of comedy...if you could even call it that. I never found her funny. In fact, I have no idea what other people see in her, or how she even manages to make a living doing comedy. But most of all, what is up with Netflix, and how out of touch are they over there, to give Schumer a comedy special? She's as funny as a brick.
And now she's being called out for dumb repulsive gay jokes. It's pretty bad.
Schumer also makes a crack about straight men seeming gay if they act too sentimental or romantic, and then makes some stupid remark about how all male costume designers are gay.
You can read the rest here. They put up the tweets of people who responded to Schumer.
Someone in the comments mentions Joan Rivers. But there's a HUGE difference between Joan Rivers and Amy Schumer. Rivers was funny, and she was brilliant...smart and clever.
Gay Sex In Brunei Now Punishable with Death by Stoning If Witnessed by a Muslim
Here's more on the global front from Brunei...a vile, inhumane country with no respect.
Beginning next week, statutes in the Southeast Asian nation will go into effect that allow death by stoning for adultery and gay sex, the New York Times reports.
It gets much worse. Just so this is clear. This new law is for all citizens of all religions, however, a person can only be convicted if the gay sex is witnessed by Muslims.
And, though the law will apply to citizens of all religions, a person can only be convicted under this law if multiple Muslim people witness the queer sex or adultery.
You can read the rest, here.
Gay Fabulosity
On a much more positive note, and a much lighter note, here's a story where they talk about what triggers 'gay fabulosity.' It's all about songs that trigger excitement, not to mention a multitude of other emotions. And frankly, I think this applies to straight people, too. I think many people react to music this way, especially at weddings.
Here are those queer-friendly jams — starting with the two songs the original poster cited and continuing with the responses as ranked by their upvotes.
Here's the rest. It's a great list, and it's a huge part of gay culture, too.
Fresh Release
Reader Reviews:
I read a lot of Ryan's books, but really loved this one. The main character reminded me of someone... read it and see.
A PG Rated Gay Romance
Here's the Amazon link
In Paperback or E-book, Amazon
Blissfully Yours
Kendle's Fire
Not All Gay Books Have Sex
Labels: Amy Schumer's Dumb Repulsive Gay Jokes; Gay Sex In Brunei Now Punishable with Death by Stoning If Witnessed by a Muslim; Gay Fabulosity; Blissfully Yours by Ryan Field
George Clooney On Boycotting Hotels Over Brunei Anti-Gay Death Laws; Mayor Pete Buttigieg Talks About Growing Up Gay; How To Pronounce Buttigieg; Ramon Canyon by Ryan Field
George Clooney On Boycotting Hotels Over Brunei Anti-Gay Death Laws
I was talking about this the other day with someone, and I was wondering what happened to the original boycott. I know I posted about this story back in 2014. The owner of specific Los Angeles hotels is allegedly responsible for some of the worst anti-gay death laws in the world. So when I saw this about George Clooney trending everywhere today I had to post something.
In a guest column for Deadline, Clooney writes about how Brunei, a tiny monarchy rich with oil, on April 3 "will begin stoning and whipping to death any of its citizens that are proved to be gay," in accordance with a new law. The man behind the anti-gay law in the Southeast Asian country? The Sultan of Brunei, who owns Dorchester Collection hotel group, which owns properties including The Bel-Air and The Beverly Hills Hotel.
You can read it in full, here. Clooney made some excellent points.
Mayor Pete Buttigieg Talks About Growing Up Gay
As Pete Buttigieg moves forward in his quest for the presidency, I'm seeing more articles and comments about him everywhere. He seems to be gaining that proverbial momentum and I hope it continues. I think if he were to be the Democratic candidate it would make for an interesting election year.
In this Mother Jones article he talks about growing up gay in Indiana. I don't think there's a gay person on the planet who cannot relate to this.
"You think there's something wrong with you," Buttigieg says of being in the closet in high school. The 37-year-old mayor stands out for being the first openly gay man to run for president from a major party—his husband is a fun Twitter follow.
Here's the rest of the piece, and there's a video. If you haven't seen Buttigieg in action you really should take the time to do it now. There's something different about him in a good way. And it's not just because he's gay. He reminds me of a good common sense Democrat, the kind we haven't seen for a very long time. People who read this blog know that I rarely get political and I never make political comments unless I truly believe in something, or someone.
How To Pronounce Buttigieg
I think a lot of people are wondering about this. I've heard Pete Buttigieg's name mispronounced so many times I can't even count them. So this article should clear things up.
• Boot-a-judge
• Buddha-judge
Labels: George Clooney On Boycotting Hotels Over Brunei Anti-Gay Death Laws; Mayor Pete Buttigieg Talks About Growing Up Gay; How to Pronounce Buttigieg; Ramon Canyon by Ryan Field
50 Cent Isn't Getting It and Thinks Gay Men Date Trans Women; The Village People Performing At Stockholm Pride; Ramon Canyon by Ryan Field
50 Cent Isn't Getting It and Thinks Gay Men Date Trans Women
I know that headline sounds absolutely ridiculous, but it's true. People like this 50 Cent person simply do not get the fact that openly gay men don't date women...ever. He also doesn't know about transphobic slurs either.
In the now-deleted post to his Instagram account, 50 Cent captions the audio of Young Buck: "wait if you're in a relationship with a tr*nny, you're gay. That's a boy, boy! It's cool Buck you're gonna be big down the gay bars, gimme a call."
Here's the rest. Unfortunately, there are millions more like 50 Cent who just do not understand that if a man is dating a trans woman the odds are that man is NOT gay.
It's really not that complicated.
Trans women identify as women. Gay men identify as men and they are attracted to men. Gay men date men. I swear I'm not making this up.
The Village People Performing At Stockholm Pride
This is interesting to see. After all these years, The Village People are still going strong. Well, at least the brand is still going strong. And people still seem to enjoy the retro music. Well, most people.
Legendary disco band Village People will make a special appearance at Stockholm Pride next summer.
It's not all perfect because many of the band members are new, and there has been some controversy over that. You can read more about it, here, where they give you a run down on The Village People history, which actually dates all the way back to 1977.
Labels: 50 Cent Isn't Getting It and Thinks Gay Men Date Trans Women; The Village People Performing At Stockholm Pride; Ramon Canyon by Ryan Field
Straight Guys Who Cuddle With Other Men; Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras May Change Name; Sleepless In San Francisco by Ryan Field
Straight Guys Who Cuddle With Other Men
I guess I must be missing something. I've never met a straight guy who likes to cuddle with other men, but according to this article I'm in the minority. And this place where they do this is local for me, only about a half hour away from New Hope.
Members of the Men's Therapeutic Cuddle Group of Plymouth Meeting, Pennsylvania (an area 30 minutes north of Philadelphia) try to heal each other's trauma through clothed cuddling sessions.
You can read the rest, here. There are rules and regulations (no sex), and they screen everyone. There's only one comment right now, and it's not the most encouraging.
I don't know what happens if a guy who is cuddling gets bone.
Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras May Change Name
I remember reading a novel that was focused on Sydney's Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras, which dated back to the retro gay 70s. I found if fascinating. But other than that I don't know much about it...except that it's always been a huge event there for LGBT people.
In what appears to be an attempt at making the event more inclusive for "everyone," they're talking about removing the words "gay" and "lesbian."
'You may have heard that we have begun consultation to address the feedback by some members, community groups, event organisers, patrons and visitors that the name of our organisation is not inclusive – only specifying 'Gay' and 'Lesbian', without mention of any other sexuality or gender identity.
Here's a link to more. I remember the old days in publishing where literary agents would take query letters for the "Gay/Lesbian" genre and it always sounded so closed to me. I never liked it. I think most places in publishing now ask for LGBTQ content, not just "Gay/Lesbian." I think everyone should consider making changes as times change.
Labels: Straight Guys Who Cuddle With Other Men; Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras May Change Name; Sleepless In San Francisco by Ryan Field
Jussie Smollett Is Cleared of All Charges; Ben Whishaw On His Sexuality; Kendle's Fire by Ryan Field
Jussie Smollett Is Cleared Of All Charges
I didn't really wanted to post anything about this, but it happened, and it's pop culture news. So here it is.
All charges against Jussie Smollett were dropped. Prosecutors said this:
After reviewing all of the facts and circumstances of the case, including Mr. Smollett's volunteer service in the community and agreement to forfeit his bond to the City of Chicago, we believe this outcome is a just disposition and appropriate resolution to this case.
You can read the rest here. There are quite a few comments, many of which are not favorable toward Smollett. Some people get downright vicious.
This makes me wonder about the future.
Ben Whishaw On His Sexuality
For those who don't know, Ben Whishaw is a British actor who recently headlined in the streaming series, A Very English Scandal. According to this article, he came out publicly in 2013. I don't know much about him other than what I read in passing.
"I don't think it's the be-all and end-all, and since revealing my sexuality I haven't had any negative effects."
Here's a link to this one. Whishaw also starred in a series I loved on Netflix titled, A London Spy. I liked A Very English Scandal, too, mostly because Wishsaw starred in it. He's talented.
A Novel Examining Masculinity
Amazon Reader Review:
"This is GREAT story!! It's wonderful in its exploration of sexuality and masculinity. The story is well done and beautifully done. The story flows beautifully and the characters are wonderfully written."
Even though Kendle is an openly gay ex-Marine, he's been questioning his masculinity all of his life. He's always been what people expect a man to be, in spite of the fact that he's never been completely comfortable living up to these expectations.
He also has a few secrets. The kind of secrets a man can only talk about with the most intimate people in his life. One of those people is his best friend and part time lover, Dale. And their relationship is not without a few unusual quirks and ironies either, especially when it comes to the way Kendle explains his relationship with Dale to his own parents.
After a string of bad career decisions and awkward mistakes, it's not until Kendle meets a young guy named Walter that his life begins to come together. It's a journey filled with as much joy as heartbreak, with a few bittersweet twists in between. As Kendle opens himself up to new possibilities, he finds himself in the midst of life altering changes that leave him devastated. And there's a point where he's not sure he can get through any of it.
Labels: Jussie Smollett Is Cleared of All Charges; Ben Whishaw On His Sexuality; Kendle's Fire by Ryan Field
Spain's First Gay Police Wedding; Andrew Rannells' Book Has Too Many D@$ks; Sleepless In San Francisco by Ryan Field
Spain's First Gay Police Wedding
This was nice to see, especially since I've been following legalized marriage here on the blog since 2009.
Spain may have legalized same-sex marriage in 2005 (the third country in the world to legalize same-sex marraige), but it has only just celebrated the first ever same-sex marriage between officers in the country's national police force this weekend.
You can check it out, here. There are some excellent photos, all of which show how dignified this event was.
Andrew Rannells' Book Has Too Many D#$ks
Andrew Rannells has been promoting his new memoir, Too Much Is Never Enough, and this story made me smile a little. It's about the sexual content in his book. I always made sure my mom read my PG rated books. And I did warn her about the others with sexual content. To this day I've never been sure if she read them or not.
This is what Rannells told his mom:
"I just said if she had any questions about what anything was," he told Meyers, "or what terms were, she should ask my younger sister Natalie. I just told her, 'Look, if you get to a chapter and there's, like, too many d*cks in it, just skim ahead. You don't need to read all of it.'"
Here's a link to this one. There's a video, too. I haven't read the book, but I probably will.
Labels: Spain's First Gay Police Wedding; Andrew Rannells' Book Has Too Many D@$ks; Sleepless In San Francisco by Ryan Field
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The Pet Rescue Guy by Ryan Field: FREE EXCERPT