Could sport change your life?

When I was growing up I wasn’t a huge fan of sports. I was tall but skinny, and not very coordinated. Phys.Ed classes at school usually involved being picked last for teams and merciless teasing for being gay.

Unsurprisingly, this is a relatively common experience for gay men – sports clubs can be fairly unforgiving environments, and somehow seem to expose and amplify any confidence or identity issues that you may be grappling with.

While gay men knock it out of the park in terms of looking after their body and going to the gym (we’re about twice as likely to go to the gym then straight men), the participation level of gay men in sport is significantly lower than that of our straight
counterparts.

Does that matter? As long as we’re looking good who cares if we’re not playing sport?

I discussed this with Dr Qazi Ramen, assistant professor in cognitive biology at London’s Queen Mary University. According to Ramen, just focusing on the physical health benefits of sport is missing the bigger picture – that mental health is
actually the big danger zone for gay men:
‘Let’s look at some facts…’, says Ramen – talking quickly and with passion, ‘Scientific research is showing us that gay men are something like two to three times more likely to suffer from the entire range of psychiatric problems – including depression,
anxiety, panic, substance abuse, and suicide.”

But can playing sport have a positive impact on our mental health? I spoke to some of the sporty gays that I know to get their perspective, they came up with three compelling reasons why gay sport is the way forward.

1. Exercise

The physical benefits of playing sport and exercising are well documented and fairly self-evident. Giving your body a good workout occasionally is not only good for your physical health, but the adrenaline and endorphins released as part of physical
exercise have also been shown to have a positive impact on mental health as well.

Swimmer Claus Kruse took up sport to get his fitness and self-esteem back on track:
‘I wanted to get off my fat ass – I was becoming addicted to bad TV and was feeling lonely. I joined a gay sports club as I didn’t want to have to deal with some of the personal questions about your sexuality that you seem to get with straight clubs.’

Footballer Rory Desch stumbled across his club by accident:

‘At the time I was fitness mad, but it was mainly centered around the gym. I wanted to do something that would be outdoors. I saw an ad for a gay football club that trained near where I lived and decided to give it a try. The team were surprisingly welcoming – mixed abilities but the stronger players were very supportive and helpful, giving me much needed direction.’

Diver David Forrest reports that he joined a gay club primarily to keep fit:
‘I’d always been part of straight clubs previously, and I wanted to try something different – the gay club was a lot more fun, I instantly felt more comfortable.’

2. Meet People

The benefits of joining a sports club extend beyond the physical – clubs and teams can help to provide valuable social interaction, opening up new networks and contacts with people from different walks of life but with common interests.

Rugby player Niall Caverly joined a gay sports club on moving to London:
‘I’d never played rugby when growing up out of fear of being the gay kid on the team, so I’d mostly stuck with individual sports. But having moved to a new city I didn’t really know many people – so joining a sports club seemed like a good option. The Kings Cross Steelers take beginner rugby players so it was a great way to learn and be open and feel included.’

Swimmer Claus Kruse has definitely seen the social benefits of joining a sports club:
‘I’ve met a whole new crowd of guys and girls – it also helped me realize that the hunky guy on the swim team that I never had the guts to talk to on a night out has exactly the same insecurities as me.’

Runner David Maher was also looking to join a sports group for the social perspective:
‘I felt that I would be able to find like-minded people in a gay club. I hadn’t really had any exposure to team or club sports before and I thought I would feel more comfortable participating in a gay club.’

Footballer Rory Desch deliberately joined a gay sports club to meet more gay guys:
‘Having previously struggled to make many gay friends I thought it would be an opportunity to meet other gay men and interact socially with them, if only when training or playing games. I also thought that they might be more sympathetic to my lack of football skills (and they were), helping me to improve. All of a sudden I had this extended network of friends and acquaintances. I hadn’t appreciated the social opportunities I could experience by being a member of a team – after-game socials, nights out, and tournaments both home and abroad. For the first time in my gay life I felt I fitted in.’

3. Sex

There is a common misconception that gay sports clubs aren’t really about sport at all but are just an excuse for everyone to have sex with each other. While this is probably not true, opportunities to meet guys for sex are likely to increase if you’re out and about, being active and meeting new people – this builds your confidence and helps motivates you to stay active and focused.

Swimmer Pascal Anson cheekily but honestly answered that he joined a gay sports club for the sex, but instead he got ‘sport, sex, and drama!’ Anson has gone on to travel the world competing in gay sports swimming tournaments and has also established a gay swimming club in Brighton.

Water polo player Louis Chaidron happily reports that:
‘Your sex appeal just explodes when you say you’re in a water polo team – that’s not the only reason that I play water polo, but it’s definitely one of the positive aspects of the sport!’

Rugby player Niall Caverly confirms that:
‘Having “rugby player” written on your online profile is a great way to break the ice – often people will ask you about the club even just out of curiosity rather than hitting on you, or just as a way to start chatting instead of “Hi m8″.’

Gay sport – get into shape, meet new people, improve your sex life. Sign me up!

This article was originally published in FS Magazine.

Read more from Gareth Johnson

Read more gay sports stories

The post Could sport change your life? appeared first on Gay Star News.

Gareth Johnson

www.gaystarnews.com/article/could-sport-change-your-life/

15… No, Um, 10… No, Seven Times Madonna Was A Really Great Actress

Happy Birthday, Madonna!

The reigning Queen of Pop turns the big 5-7 today and to celebrate we thought rather than focus on her music career we’d take a look at her work as an actress instead.

Related: Remember Thirty Years Ago When Madonna Was A Huge Movie Star?

The general consensus among critics and fans alike is that, try as she might, acting is just not Madonna’s forte. As much as we’d like to see her one day accept the Academy Award for Best Actress, the Queen herself seems to understand that’s probably never going to happen, in part because people don’t want it to.

In 2008, she told an interviewer, “What film can survive people saying it’s going to be a bomb from the second it’s announced? Making movies is such an effort, and to do that over and over again, with the possibility that I am going to get the shit kicked out of me — and they really enjoy doing it — I mean, it doesn’t make sense. I have sort of let it go.”

Related: Happy Birthday, Madonna! 56 Reasons Why We Love The Queen Of Pop In GIFs

It’s true. Madonna holds the record for being the actress with the most Razzie Awards ever, with a grand total of 15 nominations and nine wins, including one for Worst Actress of the Century in 1999. But that doesn’t mean she’s hasn’t had a few shining moments on the silver screen.

Scroll down for 15… No, um, 10… No, seven times Madonna was a really great actress, and join us in wishing her a very happy birthday!

7. Dangerous Game

Seriously, what the hell is this movie even about and why did Madonna ever agree to do it? The gritty, convoluted film-within-a-film is boring to the point of being almost unwatchable. Madonna plays an actress who is being emotionally tortured by her director. Or something. Who really knows? Yet despite a truly terrible story and even worse script, she somehow manages to give a pretty solid performance. When asked about the film after its 1993 release, Madonna replied: “Even though it’s a shit movie and I hate it, I am good in it.” We concur.

6. The Hire

This cross between a short film and a car commercial was released in 2001. It was directed by Madge’s then-husband Guy Ritchie and was produced as part of a series for BMW. Madge channels herself when playing a verbally abusive singer being chauffeured to a performance venue. During the ride, the driver (played by Clive Owen) snaps and begins driving like a maniac, knocking her around in the backseat before she’s eventually catapulted from the vehicle and onto a red carpet in front of eager paparazzi. The film is one of Madge’s few attempts at “irony” that actually succeeds.

5. A League Of Their Own

It’s hard not to love Madonna as “All the Way” Mae in 1992’s A League of Their Own. She’s funny, sexy, and she has that great dance number at the juke joint where Marla Hooch gets wasted and meets her future husband. True, she doesn’t really bring anything to the role that any other actress couldn’t also convey. Except, of course, that she’s Madonna. And because of that she hits it out of the park. (Pun intended.)

4. Madonna’s Love Letter To Hydrangeas

This was a cellphone video shot in the style of a silent film that Lady M uploaded to her YouTube channel in 2012 after she was caught talking shit about a bouquet of hydrangeas presented to her by an adoring fan. Scripted dialogue has never been Madonna’s strong suit, so the silent film format really works to her benefit here. But the thing we love most about this video is the thing we love most about Madonna in general: She’s an unapologetic bitch.

3. Desperately Seeking Susan/Who’s That Girl

We’re lumping these two roles together because, honestly, Madge basically plays the same character in both films: A brassy blond from New York who finds herself caught up in some bizarro situation that forces her to rely on her street smarts. She pulls it off both times with humor and charisma, proving that with the right material, a patient director, and enough takes she can actually land a punch line. No, really, she can!

2. MDNA Skin Commercial

Did you know Madonna has a skincare line? It’s called MDNA Skin and you can only buy it at department store kiosks in Japan. In 2014, she released this trippy black-and-white commercial for it. It depicts the singer wearing a black trench coat and underwear as she writhes around on her bathroom floor. “Having good skin is important to me,” she purrs, “but so are other things. … Chrome clay mask. Serum. Skin rejuvenator. Can you feel it? The future? Love? Now.” The film works because it’s only a minute long, so it never gets boring, and it leaves the viewer wondering, “What the hell did I just watch?”

1. Evita

This long-form music video film is probably the closest Madge will ever come to clenching an Oscar. Sadly, she was snubbed by the Academy, who didn’t even give her a nomination. She did, however, take home the Golden Globe for Best Actress in a Musical or Comedy in 1996. And she deserved it. Not only did she carry the film, but she had a record 85 costume changes and she was pregnant during shooting. Evita was a huge hit at the box office, raking in nearly $145 million, and it remains one of the strongest performances in Madonna’s entire movie catalog.

Related: Rebel Heart: Madonna’s Most High Profile BFF Breakups And What We Can All Learn From Them

Graham Gremore

feedproxy.google.com/~r/queerty2/~3/D3k00CRND1Q/15-no-um-10-no-seven-times-madonna-was-a-really-great-actress-20150816

Dolce & Gabbana sorry for anti-gay, ‘synthetic’ babies comments

It’s five months late but Domenico Dolce has finally apologized for negative comments he and partner Stefano Gabbana made about same-sex parents and calling babies conceived via in vitro fertilization and artificial insemination ‘synthetic’.

The Italian designers, who make up luxury fashion brand Dolce & Gabbana, are gay and were once a couple.

Dolce was quoted as saying in a Vogue magazine article published on Friday, ‘I am so sorry. It was not my intention to offend anyone.’

‘I’ve done some soul-searching,’ he added. ‘I’ve talked to Stefano a lot about this. I’ve realized that my words were inappropriate, and I apologize. They are just kids… You don’t need labels, baby labels.’

On IVF births, he said, ‘I think everybody chooses for themselves. I don’t know everything about IVF, but I love it when people are happy. It’s like medicine. Science has been put on the table to help people.’

In March, the pair told Italian magazine Panorama, ‘We oppose gay adoptions. The only family is the traditional one. No chemical offsprings and rented uterus: life has a natural flow, there are things that should not be changed.’

Dolce said, ‘You are born to a mother and a father – or at least that’s how it should be. I call children of chemistry, synthetic children. Rented wombs, semen chosen from a catalog,’ while his partner added, ‘the only family is the traditional one.’

They later issued a statement but stopped short of making an apology after their comments sparked a sparked a backlash and angered gay celebrity fathers such as Elton John and Ricky Martin.

John, who has two sons conceived via IVF with husband David Furnish, called their thinking ‘archaic’ and called for a boycott of the fashion brand.

‘How dare you refer to my beautiful children as “synthetic”,’ Elton John wrote on Instagram. ‘And shame on you for wagging your judgmental little fingers at IVF — a miracle that has allowed legions of loving people, both straight and gay, to fulfil their dream of having children.’

Ricky Martin said, ‘Your voices are too powerful to be spreading too much hate. Wake up, it’s 2015. Love yourself guys.’

Gabbana also told Vogue he has pondered becoming a father and/or adopting a child.

Their home country however does not recognize same-sex marriage or civil partnerships.

‘When they ask if I wanted to be a parent, I say yes, of course, why not? But it’s not possible in Italy,’ he told Vogue. ‘I had thought of going to California and having a baby, but I couldn’t bring the baby back to Italy, because you need the mother’s passport. I asked about adoption in Italy. It’s very hard for a straight couple here—imagine if you are gay!’

Dolce also said in the interview that certain choices other gay men and women have made for themselves are not open to him because of his Catholic beliefs.

The post Dolce & Gabbana sorry for anti-gay, ‘synthetic’ babies comments appeared first on Gay Star News.

Sylvia Tan

www.gaystarnews.com/article/dolce-gabbana-sorry-for-anti-gay-synthetic-babies-comments/

Masked Men Smoke-Bomb Ukraine Gay Event

They hurled several bombs into an Odessa venue where an LGBT forum was about to take place, then fled.

read more

Trudy Ring

www.advocate.com/world/2015/08/15/masked-men-smoke-bomb-ukraine-gay-event

Trans-attracted Men, You Have a Duty to Speak Up
Amber Monroe‘s body was found on August 8th after she was shot and killed. K.C. Haggard was brutally stabbed to death on July 23rd. India Clarke was beaten to death, three days prior. This past Monday, police in Dallas identified the body of Shade Schuler.

This year alone in the United States, thirteen trans women have been murdered, eleven of them were trans women of color. The National Coalition of Anti-Violence Programs documented that 55% of anti-LGBTQ homicide victims last year were trans women, half were trans women of color.

While there are many factors contributing to this epidemic of hate and violence against trans women of color, I want to focus on the role of silence and shame in a group of men that have a special responsibility to speak out against this crisis. I’m talking about men like me.

I am a Black man who is in love with a Black trans woman.

Last summer, I participated in a rally for Islan Nettles on the one year anniversary of her brutal murder. I remember reading her story and collapsing into tears. Islan’s death was the result of hate, hatred of her very existence as a Black trans woman. I realized that the failure to confront the public shaming of trans-attracted men not only has deep psychological impacts on men like me, but far more importantly, it fuels the cycle of violence against trans people by dehumanizing them. Remaining silent about our relationships further entrenches the narrative that they are nothing but a fetish, a shameful secret. This reduces our partners to objects and objectification is at the root of dehumanization.

As a heterosexual cisgendered man in a society that rewards me for these things, I realized I had a duty to share my story without shame.

Ever since I became aware of my own sexuality and began to express myself accordingly, people began labeling me as gay. I knew that I was attracted to trans women, I knew I wasn’t gay, but I didn’t understand gender and sexuality in a way that I could articulate my truth to others. I thought I was the only one who felt this way, I felt alone. In high school, I was teased mercilessly and homophobic slurs were hurled at me on an almost daily basis. I remember an adolescence of desperate attempts to slip under the radar, evade ridicule, and deny myself.

Now I know that there are many other heterosexual cisgendered men who are attracted to trans women, but the lack of any unified voice from our part against the epidemic of anti-trans violence, is indicative of the stigma and shame that surrounds our sexual and romantic relationships.

As someone who is in love with a Black trans woman, it hurts me to think that she could be murdered in the streets simply for being who she is.

Trans women of color are on the front lines of the Movement for Black Lives – marching, organizing, and putting their lives on the line for the liberation struggle of all Black people. We – trans-attracted men – cannot allow society to continue shaming us into silence when that silence makes our partners all the more vulnerable to hate and violence. Openly loving a trans woman might seem like a courageous act, but it is not nearly enough. Circumstances demand that we come out as a community, speak out, and join the struggle to ensure that trans lives truly matter.

— This feed and its contents are the property of The Huffington Post, and use is subject to our terms. It may be used for personal consumption, but may not be distributed on a website.

feeds.huffingtonpost.com/c/35496/f/677065/s/490410fc/sc/14/l/0L0Shuffingtonpost0N0Cjose0Emonzon0Ctransattracted0Emen0Eyou0Eha0Ib0I79929880Bhtml0Dutm0Ihp0Iref0Fgay0Evoices0Gir0FGay0KVoices/story01.htm

Asian pupils, parents and teachers turn schools purple to support LGBTI youth

LGBTI students across Asia are being made to feel safe in the classroom thanks to a new campaign.

Backed by groups including the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the campaign, #PurpleMySchool, encourages young people to wear, draw or make something purple in support of LGBTI youth.

‘Many young lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex people are bullied over their sexuality or gender identity, and walking into school every day can fill them with fear and dread,’ the Purple My School Facebook page explains.

‘Show that they can feel safe with you, in your classroom or school.’

Students from Harbin Medical University, China wear purple in support of LGBTI youth

Since its launch, to coincide with International Youth Day on 12 August, the campaign has received submissions from students, teachers and parents across the Asia-Pacific region, including Vietnam, Indonesia, Myanmar, Thailand, China and the Philippines.

These include wearing purple ribbons, creating purple flower garlands, making special t-shirts, or even simply turning up to school in a variety of purple outfits.

But spending the day being creative wearing purple is only an outward sign of three inward pledges all the participants are making to support LGBTI youth.

Anyone sharing a photo is urged to ‘never tolerate or excuse bullying’, to ‘be a person that young LGBTI people can turn to’, and to do what they can to ‘create a safe space for young LGBTI students’.

Students from Samar State University, Philippines, celebrate diversity

From now until 10 December, those taking part in the campaign can submit their photos; the best images will be collated and published in a publication about bullying, with materials available in Indonesian, Chinese, English, Vietnamese, Hindi and Thai.

The post Asian pupils, parents and teachers turn schools purple to support LGBTI youth appeared first on Gay Star News.

Mel Spencer

www.gaystarnews.com/article/asian-pupils-parents-and-teachers-turn-schools-purple-to-support-lgbti-youth/