Quid Pro Quo: Discounted Legal Fees For Gay Sex; Three Sexy Bears In A Honey Commercial; Females, Non-Binary Animators, and Sexual Harassment

Quid Pro Quo: Discounted Legal Fees For Gay Sex

This is not the first time I've ever seen something like this. This kind of thing happens all the time, and has been happening all the time for years. Like the Democratic politician in Washington, DC who used to keep his secret gay lover in a condo not far from where I live in New Hope. Even though this allegedly liberal Democrat was married (to a woman) with three kids in Washington, he never missed a weekend with his much, much younger rent boy. It's nothing new.

This is also a good example of how men are sexually harassed, too. Although you never hear about THAT anywhere these days.

A man alleges St. Clair County Circuit Judge Ron Duebbert of Illinois offered discounted legal fees in exchange for sex while Duebbert was in private practice.

The man, whose identity is being withheld as an alleged victim of sexual assault, made the claims in an affidavit filed Monday (23 October).

There's more here. It goes into more detail about the physical sexual harassment.

Three Sexy Bears In A Honey Commercial

I often find it amusing to make innocent "bear" references on social media to see how straight people will react. It's amazing how they don't know anything about gay culture...or gay bears. The gay guys all get it. But the straight people think I'm really talking about bears in the woods, even those who claim to know it all about "the gays."  It's interesting.

Rowse Honey is reinterpreting Goldilocks and the Three Bears in a decidedly fabulous way with their new ad series.

Aptly titled The Three Bears, the three-part series centers around three gay bears living together in a rustic cabin. Here’s the trailer for the series.

You can check that out here. It's a good one.

Females, Non-Binary Animators, and Sexual Harassment

Here's an example of how misguided the whole sexual abuse thing is with respect to men. They even say these things happen mostly to women, without even taking into consideration the fact that most men will NEVER discuss this topic aloud. Men (even gay men) have been trained to keep these things to themselves, especially when it involves a woman sexually harassing a man. And women do sexually harass men. I've experienced that myself so don't even try to argue that point with me.

In any event, this article talks about how those who are part of more marginalized groups experience more sexual harassment. This could be true. I don't know. I just know that men, in general, don't like to discuss these things aloud and I'm not sure there's ever been a valid study.

I don't doubt this kind of abuse happens to women all the time. I'm sure it does happen. This entire Hollywood sexual harassment scandal is starting to remind me of the sex abuse scandals in the Catholic Church...that Hollywood's filled with corruption. I'm only suggesting we include men, too. Otherwise, we (men) are going to have to begin using the word misandry a lot more in defense.

More than 200 female and gender nonconforming animators have signed an open letter to the animation community at large, urging ‘clear and enforceable’ sexual harassment/assault policies in every studio.

In the letter, they also write that they’d like to see an update to the Animation Guild constitution that would allow the Guild to ‘censure, fine, suspend or expel’ members who violate these policies. In addition, they would also like to see male colleagues ‘start speaking up and standing up for us.’

Here's the rest.  

Said With Care

Smashwords

Amazon

A PG Rated Gay Romance

Here's the Amazon link

Not All Gay Books Have Sex

In Their Prime by Ryan Field

Amazon

Smashwords

Gay Porn Star Matthew Rush's Illegal Drug Arrest; Sixty Thousand Dollars In Stolen Dildos; Jenna Jameson Isn't Happy With Transgender Playmate

Gay Porn Star Matthew Rush's Illegal Drug Arrest

I can't help thinking about the post I did yesterday where I saw people comparing gay porn films to gay erotic romance books. Some were actually defending their stand by using PC words like "inclusion," even though book publishing has nothing at all to do with producing porn films. The word inclusion doesn't even make sense in this particular context. They are two totally different industries...not genres, but industries. 

I once knew a gay porn star who led a very troubled life. He billed himself as sweet and innocent in public at events, and even passed a story around about how he was working his way through law school doing gay porn. When I asked him privately if any of that was true, he just smiled and told me to "get a life." 

So when I see stories like this one, I'm rarely shocked. I hate to see them. I wish things were different. The mug shot alone is heart wrenching.

Gay porn star Matthew Rush was arrested on Tuesday (19 September) in Broward County, Florida. Police arrested him for allegedly possessing meth and drug paraphernalia.

The Sword first reported the arrest and the arrest listing appeared on the Broward County Sherrif’s Office website.

 There's more here. It's a very unfortunate story, and the some of the comments are not kind. 

Sixty Thousand Dollars In Stolen Dildos

You don't hear something like THIS every day of the week.

$60,000 worth of dildos and butt plugs were stolen last Monday.

It is believed to be the biggest sex toy in history.

Fun Toys London were showcasing their products at Venus Berlin, an erotic and lifestyle sectors trade fair.

There's more here. They are asking people to keep a lookout for dildos being sold by unauthorized dealers.  

Jenna Jameson Isn't Happy With Transgender Playmate

Jenna Jameson is a former Playboy model, and now she's speaking up against the new trans playmate. It was only a matter of time. 

'I think it’s setting fire to an iconic brand and pandering to this ridiculous PC world we live in,’ Jameson said via Twitter on 19 October.

‘I just think it’s a ridiculous attempt by Playboy to stay relevant. It is a foolish decision that alienates its consumer base,’ Jameson told Fox News.

More here. At the end of the article there's a very smart example of the last time Playboy experienced this kind of criticism. 

Said With Care

Smashwords

Amazon

A PG Rated Gay Romance

Here's the Amazon link

Not All Gay Books Have Sex

In Their Prime by Ryan Field

Amazon

Smashwords

You Don't Like Sex In Gay Erotic Romance Books, BUT, Gay Porn Films Are Okay With You?

You Don't Like Sex In Gay Erotic Romance Books, BUT, Gay Porn Films Are Okay With You?

Over the weekend I saw a few interesting posts and comments on social media where some people stated they don't like sex in gay erotic romance books...they skip over the sex scenes or they just don't read them at all...but they are just fine with gay porn. Not gay porn in books. I'm talking about gay porn like in films, where gay men (or more likely gay for pay straight men) have all kinds of sex with other men...for money. Gay Internet porn, where there's no love or emotion; just sex. Gay porn, where you'll never see a happy ending, on screen or in real life.

I'm no prude. I have no problem with gay porn (or any porn) and I've written my share of gay erotic romance books and stories. In fact, I support anyone in the adult entertainment industry because more often than not they are exploited for little compensation, and objectified more so than anyone else on the planet. It's not an easy life, not by any means. And these days, with everyone getting their porn for free, the money isn't even as good as it was at one time. So make no mistake, I do not judge porn or the people working in the industry. I've known people who work in the porn industry and I've seen how hard their lives can be. 

What I'm curious about is the concept that some people, evidently, dislike sex scenes in gay erotic romance books, but they see nothing wrong with glorifying gay porn. I honestly don't get that entire concept. I don't have a problem with either porn or erotic romance. But more than that, I don't have a problem with gay romance novels that don't have any sex at all. In the past year, every single title I have released has been a gay romance with NO explicit sex scenes. They've all been PG rated. There's really no specific reason for this other than the fact that I didn't think the stories needed sex scenes to move them forward. And I will write more erotic gay romance in the future. 

When I released two versions (yes, two versions of one book) of Chase of a Dream I believe I was the only writer out there who ever self-censored his own books in order to give readers a choice. So far I think I'm still the only one who ever did this. There is a full length version of Chase of a Dream, and a censored version. One has explicit sex scenes, one doesn't. While I did this to give readers a choice, I also did it to show that it could be done. I've always believed the definition of a true erotic romance is a book where the story is still able to remain strong without the sex scenes. The sex scenes should move the story forward, but that's it.  In Chase of a Dream I only had to remove about 7,000 words, which was nothing for a book that long.  

I also did this with Meadows Are Not Forever. This book was originally released with a completely different title, through a publisher. And when the rights reverted back to me I decided the book didn't need sex scenes, so I removed them and changed the title. And to my own surprise, Meadows Are Not Forever has received some of the most positive unsolicited book reviews I have ever had. And I'm truly thankful to those readers who left these random reviews because I wasn't even sure myself if I was doing the right thing by removing the sex scenes. (You never really know for certain.) 

With all that said, what's up with these conflicting opinions? I don't get it. They skip over sex scenes in gay erotic romance novels, but they smile, giggle, and take selfies with people who produce the most explicit gay porn videos on the Internet? That doesn't make sense. And just how is the gay porn industry connected to happily-ever-after gay erotic romance novels? I don't see a connection. Gay porn films are not even remotely connected to book publishing. And again, I'm not judging porn films, but I do not see the connection. Even mainstream books like Fifty Shades of Grey are NOT considered porn. The FSoG movie wasn't a porn film. It was an erotic romance. 

So it's really not even possible for me to draw a conclusion this time. I'm only trying to point out that there's a big difference between publishing happily-ever-after gay erotic romance novels that celebrate love and marriage, and producing gay porn films that are just about sex for the sake of sexual pleasure. Both are valid, both are professional, and both are entertaining. BUT, both are very different.    

Gay Russian Singer Allegedly Abducted/Murdered In Chechnya; Victim of Russia's Gay Purge Speaks Up; Long Island Tupperware Queen's Rise and Fall

Gay Russian Singer Allegedly Abducted/Murdered In Chechnya

I've seen this story in many places today, but so far I'm not sure if anything has been confirmed. And as usual the mainstream media hasn't posted anything at all.

The article to which I'm linking now is a somewhat comprehensive piece that discusses a few important things with regard to what's happening to gays in Chechnya. It goes into detail about what actually does happen to gay men in these gay concentration camps, with a first hand account from a gay man who was detained and then released.

It also discusses the Russian pop singer, Zelim Bakaev, 26, and his mysterious disappearance. It's complicated, and no one is certain about anything yet. 

Sadly, new reports are now starting to surface stating that Bakaev had been apprehended, tortured and subsequently murdered within 10-13 hours of being in the Chechen capital. Bakaev’s mother had previously reported him as missing to the police in Grozny on August 17, almost two weeks after his disappearance and during which time the singer’s Instagram account was suddenly deleted.

There's more here. There's something going on over there, it's not good, and no one is getting the full story.

There's more at this link, too. 

Victim of Russia's Gay Purge Speaks Up

Here's more about the gay man who is speaking up with regard to his first hand account of what happened to him in a gay concentration camp in Chechnya.

Maxim Lapunov is the first person to go public with torture allegations without hiding his identity. At a press conference in Moscow on Monday, he said he was held in a basement for 12 days in March and beaten by Chechen security forces, who demanded to know whether he was gay and for him to give the names of his sexual partners.

There's a great deal more here. Lapunov claims he was literally grabbed from the street, taken to some kind of "police facility," and held captive while he listened to others moaning in pain. 

Long Island Tupperware Queen's Rise and Fall 

On a much lighter note, here's a story about the rise and fall of a once upon a time drag queen who sold Tupperware. 

Bobbi was known to her clients as Aunt Barbara, a drag queen who dressed in 1960s-era getups, lots of makeup, and a black bob wig. Her sales pitch included lots of attitude and sassy comebacks.

“Most people thought it was a great, fun thing to do in their house,” 48-year-old Bobbi tells ABC Newsin a new documentary short. “It was a comedy show, but it was a comedy show in their minds because it was a man dressed as a woman playing a character.”

Here's more. There's a fascinating twist to all this. It's much too in-depth for me to explain here, and I don't want to get it wrong. So you'll have to click the link. 

The comments are interesting, too. I think this would make a great book, and a movie. 

 Said With Care

Smashwords

Amazon

A PG Rated Gay Romance

Here's the Amazon link

Not All Gay Books Have Sex

In Their Prime by Ryan Field

Amazon

Smashwords

Interview With Matthew Camp Go-Go Boy; Her Husband Was A Bathroom Gay Bottom; Teen Sex Assault: Gay Hollywood Agent Fired

Interview With Matthew Camp Go-Go Boy

I don't know much about Matthew Camp, but here's an interview he recently did that discusses his movie, Getting Go, and sexual health.

You have nearly half a million Instagram followers. What’s your secret?

The one thing I can say to people who are expressing themselves through social media like Instagram and other platforms is that it’s important to be yourself, do the things that you want to do, and present yourself the way that you want to present yourself. Follow the same rules that you do in life, be nice to people, treat everyone with respect, and be yourself.

Here's the rest. Seems like a nice guy. 

Her Husband Was A Bathroom Gay Bottom

Here's the story of a woman who heard a rumor that her husband was once with a man, and he was the bottom. AND...his friend watched him bottoming in a bathroom. 

I recently heard through his best friend that back in college before we were together he apparently got drunk invited an openly gay man to the bathroom and was the bottom in a gay encounter. His bi best guy friend (not the one who told me about this) apparently was in the room and pleasured himself to the whole encounter. His best friend (guy who told me) didn’t witness it but was told about it by the gay guy. His best friend questioned the bi guy in the corner and he confirmed the story was true.

Of course this whole conversation takes place on Reddit, of course, and there are comments and replies. You can check it out here. 

Teen Sex Assault: Gay Hollywood Agent Fired

The sexual assault allegations continue to surface in Hollywood, and it makes you wonder just WTF has been going on out there all this time. It's also with both men and women. 

Amid a flurry of sexual misconduct allegations, and after losing two high-profile clients because of the charges, Hollywood agent Tyler Grasham has been fired from the Agency for the Performing Arts (APA).

Here's the rest. It gets much worse. I don't think I've seen anything quite like this since all the sexual abuse charges exploded in the Catholic Church. 

Said With Care

Smashwords

Amazon

A PG Rated Gay Romance

Here's the Amazon link

Not All Gay Books Have Sex

In Their Prime by Ryan Field

Amazon

Smashwords

Military Swim Team Captain Comes Out; AIDS: A Gay Man's Final Phone Call; Paraguay Passes Russian Like Ban On Books With Gay Content In Schools

Military Swim Team Captain Comes Out

Here's one of the more positive aspects of National Coming Out Day. I sometimes worry that it puts too much pressure on some gay men, but, evidently, not all.

On 11 October, John Kim truly embraced National Coming Out Day. A swim team captain at the Virginia Military Institute, he was nervous to tell his coaches and teammates.

‘My fear was based on the school being conservative and tradition-laden,’ Kim wrote in an honest and moving piece for Outsports.

The rest is here. I always repeat this because I think it's important. I know coming out is different for everyone. I know it's not easy for anyone. But I have never once seen anyone who did come out regret that decision later. 

AIDS: A Gay Man's Final Phone Call

There's an  @the_aids_memorial Instagram account and they've been posting images of people who died as a result of AIDS, and also recollections of people from family and friends. This week a friend of someone who had AIDS posted about his final phone call with that someone, and it is gripping. 

‘John’s death was not directly a result of AIDS. Diagnosed 6 months before his death in 1988, the ultimate gym rat, he refused to watch himself wither away.

‘He chose to take his own life his way on his terms. He did it when he was on the phone with me. He was in NYC. I was in Houston. He took pills. We spent about 4 hours talking and sharing all the joy of the adventures we shared.

There's more to the story here. 

Paraguay Passes Russian Like Ban On Books With Gay Content In Schools

This is something I take very seriously. It's one of the worst kinds of oppression, because they are denying people the opportunity to learn something.   

Paraguay has passed a Russian style ‘gay propaganda’ ban in schools.

The Ministry of Education has stopped public schools from using or spreading materials on ‘gender ideology’, in an effort to promote ‘traditional values’ and the ‘traditional family’.

They plan to burn any books that mention gender ideology. 

Here's the rest. If you're as unfamiliar with Paraguay as I am, you can read more about it here. 

Said With Care

Smashwords

Amazon

A PG Rated Gay Romance

Here's the Amazon link

Not All Gay Books Have Sex

In Their Prime by Ryan Field

Amazon

Smashwords

Playboy's First Ever Transgender Playmate; HRC and What's Happening to Gays In Chechnya; "BPM" A Film About Paris' ACT UP 90s Movement; Interview With Robin Campillo Writer Director

Playboy's First Ever Transgender Playmate

Here's another example of how pop culture is helping to change the world.

Playboy Magazine makes history by naming its first ever transgender Playmate.

The publication featured other transgender people during its 64-year run, but never as an official Playmate. Now, French model Ines Rau takes that title.

There's more here. 

HRC and What's Happening to Gays In Chechnya

I cannot stress enough how serious this is. Finally, someone's asking questions and speaking up about it.

The Human Rights campaign filed a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) to request the release of a letter Tillerson reportedly wrote to Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov about the situation in Chechnya.

Here's the rest. Read the entire piece. It's that important.

"BPM" A Film About Paris' ACT UP 90s Movement

I know nothing about this film, so I'm only linking right now. It looks great, and I'm hoping it's nothing like the white-washed Stonewall debacle that was released not too long ago here in the US.

This year France selected as their official entry BPM (Beats Per Minute), a film about a group of tireless HIV/AIDS activists in the 1990s in Paris.

BPM, written and directed by Robin Campillo, has already won the Grand Prix at the 2017 Cannes Film Festival, earning overwhelming acclaim from audiences and critics at the festival.

Here's more. 

Interview With Robin Campillo Writer Director

I was so curious about BPM I found this interview with Robin Campillo.

What made you decide to go back to your Act Up period 20 years later?

First of all, inside of me it just had to come out. Then there was all the debate about gay marriage in France and the question of continuing the campaign for safe sex among gays. I wanted to talk to today’s young gays, but not in a paternalistic way. It simply seemed to me that my story was forgotten or misunderstood. Telling it was also a way of talking about a moment when a certain number of people, especially on the gay scene, said to themselves, “We’re not going to be passive victims of this disease anymore, we’re going to become influential participants.” This moment of realization happened at that moment among the members of Act Up. We were fed up with being “nice gays” who were victims of the epidemic, and we became “nasty queers” who decided to burst forth into the public eye.

Here's the rest. I have a feeling BPM is going to be excellent. Pay attention, Hollywood and Oscar people who think Call Me By Your Name is a gay romance, they do it better over there all the time. 

Said With Care

Smashwords

Amazon

A PG Rated Gay Romance

Here's the Amazon link

Not All Gay Books Have Sex

In Their Prime by Ryan Field

Amazon

Smashwords