Bakery Battles: Colorado Cake Shop Refuses to Make Anti-LGBT Cake

A bakery is facing a discrimination complaint after refusing to make a cake with anti-LGBT words and images.

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Stevie St. John

www.advocate.com/politics/religion/2015/01/17/bakery-battles-colorado-cake-shop-refuses-make-anti-lgbt-cake

The Difference Between Dating Men And Boys

When does a boy become a man? Is it an age thing? When you’re 35, perhaps? We know plenty of 35-year-olds who still act like teenagers. Go to any gay bar in the country and you’ll find middle-aged men squeezed into Abercrombie T-shirts proving it every night.

Maybe it’s an experience thing. As soon as you rack up enough real-world lessons, you start to view the world and yourself in a new way.

For gay men, it seems to be somewhere in the middle. Sure, age is a factor. A 45 year-old is more likely to be emotionally mature than a 25 year-old, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t exceptions.

In dating, the feeling of seeing a boy or a man can be dramatically different. We teamed up with our friends at Compatible Partners to offer some guidance on the two.

1. Grown up men don’t chase

Dating in your twenties and even through your thirties can feel like a flashy Vegas casino game. Sometimes you’re up, sometimes you’re down, but you’re always standing at the table ready to swallow those complimentary cocktails.

Dating apps don’t help. We woof at each other, swipe one another and “load more guys” in a never ending carnival ride of sex and desire. Gaming dynamics are purposefully built into these hook-up tools to keep it fun, and to keep you coming back to chase the next hottest thing.

The idea of sex as a conquest is a boyish pursuit. But there’s a flip side to beware of.

If you’re interested in a man and he’s not going all-out schoolboy crush on you, you may need to make the first move. Let him know you’re interested, and if he feels the same, take it from there.

2. Grown up men know how to communicate

As guys mature, they tend to be more comfortable in their own skin. That translates into being more comfortable in general. They’ve had time to find their center, and are able to communicate directly and vulnerably.

As maturity grows, the ego tends to shrink a bit. A successful relationship winds up hinging on a devoted desire to give the other person happiness rather than taking from your partner what you think you need. These dynamics can get mighty tricky unless the channel of communication is wide open.

3. Grown up men would rather be alone than be with the wrong guy

Being comfortable on your own is a vital quality in becoming a man. The most successful relationships are two people spinning independently, together. One partner shouldn’t rely on the other to stand up straight.

In our 20s and 30s we might be looking for someone to create a new reality with, but as we get older it becomes more about sharing your already developed existence, and having someone else share theirs with you. Of course you still might end up falling head over heels for one another and integrating more deeply into each other’s lives, but it should be a fully intentional move — not just “because it felt OK.”

Dan Tracer

feedproxy.google.com/~r/queerty2/~3/6bDbStuHpec/the-difference-between-dating-men-and-boys-20150117

Artist Spotlight: Fernando Bayona

Fernando Bayona creates incredible scenery as part of his photographic exploration of the human heart.

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Christopher Harrity

www.advocate.com/arts-entertainment/art/artist-spotlight/2015/01/17/artist-spotlight-fernando-bayona

This 13-Year-Old’s Response To Her Brother Coming Out And Being Told It’s Wrong To Be Gay Is Awesome

The Catholic Church has long served as a roadblock for full acceptance of LGBT people. But these times they are a-changing. And they’re changing fast.

A user on Imgur, the popular online image hosting service, recently posted a screenshot of a text message he received from his 13-year-old sister, Paige. What she wrote to her gay brother will totally make your day and possibly even restore your faith in humanity.

Check it out:

You go, Paige! We couldn’t have said it better ourselves. It’s strong-willed, free-thinking young people like yourself who are paving the way for a more loving and accepting world.

Related stories:

“Forrest Gump” Actor Gary Sinise Cancels Appearance at Antigay Catholic Hate Rally

10 Bible-Based Reasons Why Christians Should Love Homosexuality

Is Pope Francis About To Sever The Catholic Church’s Alliance With Anti-Gay Evangelicals?

Graham Gremore

feedproxy.google.com/~r/queerty2/~3/lUvC-KJat_E/this-13-year-olds-response-to-her-brother-coming-out-and-being-told-its-wrong-to-be-gay-is-awesome-20150117

Why My Friends and Family Slut Shamed Me for Contracting an STI
Until very recently, I had been single and dating for about the past four months. I had been on dates with several men during that time, and while it may seem shocking to some, I had sex with a portion of those men. A few weeks ago I began experiencing the classic symptoms of an STI, so I went to my doctor right away.

I was not surprised when I was immediately treated with antibiotics to attack both gonorrhea and chlamydia, as they tend to go hand in hand. My test results came back, and, as expected, I tested positive for both gonorrhea and chlamydia. By the time we knew the results, I had already been successfully treated and cured.

I had disclosed this information to some of my closest family and friends only to be greeted with an attitude of slut shaming. I got the same response from nearly everyone I told. They would all mention something sort of like this: “I’m glad to hear you got treated, but you should really be more careful and use protection.”

Perhaps the people who said these things are just ignorant of how these kinds of STIs are spread, but I was highly offended by these comments, because I do use protection, and I am very aware of my sexual health. I always use protection during penetrative sex and recently got a prescription to begin taking Truvada as PrEP.

Here’s the thing: Many of these common and easily curable STIs can easily be spread through non-penetrative sex. I know for a fact that everyone who preached to me about practicing “safer sex” does not use protection for oral and other non-penetrative forms of sex. Yet they somehow find it appropriate to stigmatize my sexual behavior simply because I contracted two of the most common STIs.

In fact, after the first signs of some type of infection, I immediately visited my physician and got treated. I also notified everyone who may have been exposed. I did all the right things, but because the infections I contracted were of a sexual nature, for some reason they felt I needed some sort of lecture on safer sex. None of these people lectured me about hand washing the last time I caught a cold.

Based on the amount of people who asked me if gonorrhea and chlamydia were treatable, my takeaway from this experience is that these people are the ones who need to practice safer sex and be more aware of their sexual health. I don’t think anyone meant to slut shame me, but I do think they lack basic knowledge regarding STIs and how they’re spread.

This is precisely why people don’t openly discuss their sexual health, because people are afraid of being stigmatized by those who are uninformed. It’s also the reason that so many of these diseases continue to spread, because people think they’re practicing “safe sex” when in reality they should probably go get tested for STIs.

www.huffingtonpost.com/ed-coffin/why-my-friends-and-family_b_6481744.html?utm_hp_ref=gay-voices&ir=Gay+Voices