California-LGBTI youth four times more likely to attempt suicide than peers.

Lawmakers in California have passed a bill they hope will save the lives of LGBTI youth who are four times more likely to attempt suicide than their peers.

The bill, AB 2246, requires schools in the state to have comprehensive suicide prevention plans for students in grades 7-12.

(Democratic lawmaker Patrick O'Donnell says AB 2246 can save lives.)

Gay London - London is groovy man, and not just because of the mod ‘70s! London abides even after more than two millennia, maintaining its international importance as a commercial and cultural center. Gay London has also quietly developed a robust and visible LGBT community centered around the busy SoHo District. At one time the center of queer partying and clubbing, this London locality has bloomed into a gentler, more balanced alternative to the overindulgences of other hardcore gay party areas like the Vauxhall Gay Village. The historical perviness of Soho has also been toned down in recent times with the closing of the Soho Revue bar, making it the end of night terminus of Central London pets after a difficult day on the job.

You can’t get any more international than London. Over 300 languages are spoken locally, and more visitors pop through London than any other city in the world, visiting Big Ben, Buckingham Palace, and all the royal in-betweens. There are more theaters than New York, and many of the world-class museums – such as the wonderful Tate Modern – are free.

You can’t help who you fall in love with. That’s a lesson I learned the hard way, but now that I’m getting older I’m starting to find love in unexpected avenues.

As gay guys get older we tend to never give up our obsession with youth and beauty. Why should we? It’s everywhere we turn. And for the most part, when we’re young and beautiful we know we’re young and beautiful. So we spread our wings as far as we can while we still can… and everyone notices. We want that power back.

Whether you’re an older man dating a younger guy or a younger guy dating an older man, many of us start questioning ourselves: is it smart to date someone half my age? But trust me when I say if you really love him, you wouldn’t be asking yourself this question - at all.

I’ve been in love with countless of straight guys in my life-they all broke my heart, obviously. I was young and new to the experience. Now that I’m older I often wonder how many straight guys have been in love with me.

When I say love I don’t mean sexual attraction. I mean real love-the kind we see in movies: emotional, head over heels, romantic, sensually stimulating kind of love. Can this type of emotion exist among straight and gay males?

Personally I think it can, but too often society doesn’t know what to call it. Falling in love with a person has nothing to do with sexual feelings. It’s a heart-to-heart, soulful experience, but as guys we associate the two. We don’t know how to describe it otherwise.

Men don’t have the same contact rules as women do. We’re often afraid to show any kind of close connection with another guy-even gay guys. In my experience it’s because we always assume the other will think we fancy them, so instead of risking it we’d rather keep a safe distance.

I see male friendships everywhere and they’re amazing. There is a brotherhood that seems to be tighter than family sometimes, but for whatever reason our culture made it into something else. So when a straight guy starts to have a close bond with a gay man, his first instinct is to shut it off: “Does this mean I’m gay?” he’ll ask himself.

Australia - It is now over a year since then prime minister Tony Abbott emerged from a marathon six hour joint party room meeting to thrash out a political solution to the “marriage equality issue”.
That meeting decided that a plebiscite would be conducted some time in the future. Senator Cory Bernardi announced: “I expect my colleagues will abide by the party policy and we can go forward and focus on the things that are truly important to the people of Australia”. This comment alone is enough to tell us that Bernardi and people who share his anti-equality views either fail to understand how offensive their views are, or just don’t care who they hurt.

To say that the totemic civil rights issue of our times for Australia’s LGBT community is not “truly important” just makes me shake my head with incredulity.

Spain-A monumental 34km bike ride across this vibrant Spanish region throws up several surprises.

We all know that Ibiza, Gran Canaria and Sitges are the holy trinity of Spain’s LGBTI holiday destinations.

Look at what most gay tour operators offer and you’d be forgiven for thinking this was all Spain consisted of. Bustling beaches, a club on every corner and mornings spent nursing a hangover. And then there’s Barcelona…

We’ve all been there…and loved every minute. But what if you want a break from the bars – a real getaway? Is there an alternative? We packed our bags and cycled across Spain to find out. 

If there’s one thing you can’t blame a man for, it’s staring at another man’s body. Whether it’s sexual or for sizing up, we find it fascinating. That’s the truth.
This is evident throughout human history and since the beginning of visual arts. Human beings have always loved each other’s bodies. It stimulates our appetite and arouses an urge that ignites creativity. Skin-to-skin contact releases hormones that make us feel secure and balanced, so it’s no wonder we fantasize about it constantly.

All that being said, why do straight guys get in a tizzy when another man checks them out? No one is grabbing their junk or forcing him to grab theirs (though we dream of it). The bottom line is pure old-fashioned homophobia.

But here’s the thing, fellas: if you weren’t something to idolize, we wouldn’t be staring in the first place. Don’t you want your endless hours at the gym to mean something? Think about it, gay mens are the best judges when it comes to beauty.

We basically invented pop culture. You should be flattered!

There is a double standard. Straight guys look at women all the time and expect them to be smitten. They’ll say that by wearing revealing clothing, women are asking to be hit on. But what about guys who run around with their shirts off, or wear tank tops in the summer?

At the end of the day, it’s not about sex. It’s about admiration. If admiring someone’s beauty causes the beautiful to get pissed off, he (or she) ought to reexamine what it means to be human.

Look at statues from the Greek and Roman periods. Most were half-naked men, distinguished by physique and strength-drawn by men! Guys idolize each other because at one point in our evolutionary history, strength and aggression stood a better chance of survival.

Australia - Andrew Shaw looks at issues around adoption in Australia, and specifically how proposed new laws in Queensland could benefit gay and lesbian carers...
At the start of August, when the Queensland government announced that the state’s laws would be amended to allow same-sex couples and singles to adopt, the response on social media was ecstatic – and bemused.

If gays and lesbians were trusted to take on responsibilities for children and adoption laws could be passed without a plebiscite, what was the problem with marriage equality? In many people’s minds the two issues are linked. But marriage has nothing to do with children in the eyes of the law, says Rodney Chiang-Cruise from Gay Dads Australia.

Lord Michael Cashman is to briefly reprise his famous role as Colin Russell in EastEnders, 30 years after he first arrived in Walford.

The 65-year-old appeared on the soap for three years from 1986 and generated headlines when his character had the first gay kiss in a British soap opera with boyfriend Barry Clark, played by Gary Hailes.

Show bosses are keeping details of Colin's return tightly under wraps but his visit is set to raise a big question for Dot Branning (June Brown) when he appears in two episodes next month.

Get the scoop on this essential macronutrient for optimal muscle gains and training performance.

1. Are all proteins the same?

Not by a long shot.

“If you had a list of biological values of how protein is broken down, whey would be at the top. And then dairy, and the rest fall underneath,” Lynn explains. “The pea and potato proteins aren’t terrible - let’s call them C-grade protein - but they’re not A-list.

New York - The modern gay rights movement got its start in Manhattan's West Village in 1969, at the mafia-owned dive the Stonewall Inn. Today, the Stonewall is still standing (and wasrecently made an NYC landmark) and is just one of many LGBT watering holes still dotting the historic neighborhood. (In fact, Stonewall isn't even the neighborhood's oldest gay haunt; that honor goes to Julius's.) Gay bars here tend to veer toward the divey side, and that's just fine by us. There's a timeless and thoroughly accessible vibe here that just can't be replicated at the sleek drinkeries uptown in Hell's Kitchen.

Gay married couple LaVell Lewis-Christian and his husband Eric Christian share their story with GSN.

LaVell’s childhood

I grew up in a religious family where they felt church was the cure for everything and would talk at the child rather than with their child.

I was the eldest of three boys in the projects of Fort Pierce, Florida. My mom was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in 1990 and wheelchair bound by 1992 so for me it was tough. I had to help out around the house and take care of my mom and two brothers.

I really didn’t know what it was to be a kid and play with the other kids in the neighborhood. I would go to school, come home, clean and help my mom while my brothers enjoy childhood.

A new study has found that a surprising number of same-sex couples employ traditional gender stereotypes when dividing up household chores.
The study, titled “Making Money, Doing Gender, or Being Essentialist? Partner Characteristics and Americans’ Attitudes Toward Housework,” was conducted by Indiana University and surveyed over 1,000 people. Researchers learned that gender stereotypes play a large part in how same-sex couples determine who does what around the house.

Respondents were given information about either a heterosexual or same-sex couple, including each person’s occupation and income level, as well as their hobbies and interests. They were then asked to assign tasks between each of the same-sex partners.

Several gay ministers will write to church leaders to say they are already in same-sex marriage and want official position reconsidered.
A group of gay Church of England clergy are set to reveal that they have married their partners, defying the official line taken by church leaders on same-sex marriage.
A dozen gay ministers are to sign an open letter that also urges the church to allow clergy to carry out blessings for parishioners entering into same-sex marriages.

Half the signatories have already declared themselves to be in a gay marriage, including Andrew Foreshew-Cain, who was one of the first priests to openly defy the ruling.

Germany - a country that is welcoming for all, and also has something for everyone to enjoy too. Germany’s gay scene is of course legendary - some may say second-to-none - with a huge variety of events, venues, prides, parties, festivals and communities in cities and towns the length and breadth of the country.
Gay life can be experienced in every region of our country. Gay communities all over Germany are well integrated into the societies that they are part of - and gay celebrations will often attract the widespread support and participation of everybody - regardless of their age, gender or sexuality - but that’s just the start of the adventure for LGBT visitors.

A rich history and colorful traditions mix with a contemporary culture and truly progressive thinking, to make Germany one of the most dynamic and exciting countries to visit in the world. These pages show just some of the highlights - but there’s much, much more. Our cuisine, art, architecture, society, values and technology all push the boundaries - and re-define the norm. In Germany, we like to believe that anything is possible - and we aren’t afraid to think big.

We hope you enjoy what you see and read here, and that you’ll be inspired to come and see for yourself. The invitation is open - and you’ll also be very, very welcome.

Gay Culture

Germany is a collection of 16 regions or Länder, which each has its own distinctive and unique character. Together they collectively offer a diverse range of cultural attractions - with everything from classic to contemporary.

Germany has been called Das Land der Dichter und Denker "the country of poets and philosophers", and has been central to the development of Western thinking and culture for many centuries. This progressive tradition continues to this day - and Germany is proud of the pivotal role that we play globally in shaping the modern world. Great pride is taken in how Germans are early adopters of new technology, and champions of liberal attitudes including social justice issues.

The arts, culture and science are highly-prized in Germany too. Cultural institutions enjoy significant support from the government, and participation, interest, attendance and engagement by the general public remains consistently high. You will also find that modern technology is embraced in Germany too. Sustainability and innovative thinking are a way of life here - just as they have always been.

We are sure that you will enjoy the diversity of our cultural heritage - and be inspired, stimulated and maybe more than a little surprised too at what you find when you next visit.

GERMANY'S GAY AND LESBIAN CULTURE

Germany’s LGBT culture and communities are thriving, and are now an intrinsic part of the lively and friendly atmosphere you can find in many of Germany’s towns and cities. Thanks to progressive legislation and an atmosphere of mutual respect for everyone, Germany is now one of the most progressive countries in Europe for LGBT people to live, work and of course visit too.

There are active gay communities in all of the major cities, and LGBT organisations and groups have also sprung up in smaller towns all across the country.

This of course means that there is a great wealth of activities for LGBT people to enjoy when they come to visit. The variety on offer has something to suit everyone - a wide range of cultural attractions, breathtaking scenic beauty, and the highly organised gay communities enable you to feel right at home, and experience a truly memorable trip - or the most relaxing vacation!

GAY GERMANY - FROM PAST TO PRESENT

The road to equality for German LGBT people is a long one, that started as far back as the end of the 19th century. As early as 1895, Karl Heinrich Ulrichs (the first-known gay activist) supported homosexual rights in his speech on Lawyer's Day in Munich. Magnus Hirschfeld established the first Scientific Institute for Research on Homosexuality in Berlin in 1897; furthermore, the city of Berlin also lays claim to the world's first Gay Museum, which opened in 1985.

In the 1960s huge strides forward were also achieved for the rights of gay and lesbian people in Germany. Homosexuality became no longer punishable by law in East Germany in 1968 and in West Germany in 1969.

More recently, in 2001, a "Life Partnership Law" was introduced by the Federal Government allowing 'registered partnerships' for same-sex couples and giving LGBT people rights and obligations in areas such as inheritance, alimony, health insurance, immigration and name change. Since January 2005 registered same-sex couples are allowed to adopt (stepchild adoption only), and procedures with regard to division of property and alimony have been improved. The debate about same-sex marriage is still on the agenda in the German parliament.

In May 2008, the Memorial to Gays persecuted by the Nazis was opened in Berlin. A concrete slab reminds of the prosecuted gays and lesbians in the Third Reich with a film projection of a never ending scene of a same-sex couple kissing - every two years it will change from men to women or vice versa.

How to get there?

Germany's transport infrastructure is among the best in Europe. As well as the extent of the network, the excellent links between different modes of transport enable everyone to travel between places quickly and easily.

The country is criss-crossed by 12,700 kilometres of autobahn and a rail network of nearly 35,000 kilometres with around 5,400 stations, while air passengers have more than 40 airports to choose from. If you prefer to explore at a more relaxed pace, make for a minor road – one of the country's 150 or so scenic routes perhaps – or why not take a branch line train into the countryside?

Whether you're dashing to a business meeting or taking a laid-back tour, Germany has the means of transport to suit.

Hotels

Germany’s hotel industry offers something for every style, taste and budget - from large top-end luxury hotels to small design-lead boutique properties, quirky and arty urban bolt-holes, or a quiet traditional retreat tucked away in the country. No matter where you decide to stay, the choice is practically endless - and we hope that you will be inspired by the choice and variety of accommodation that is looking to welcome you on your next visit to Germany.

Search best gay friendly hotel in here:

Booking.com

Studies poke holes in a statistical sacred cow - especially where lesbians are concerned.
“There are all kinds of gay people,” begins the first edition of Free Your Mind, a 1996 support book for gay, lesbian, bisexual youth and their allies. “No one is sure what percentage of the population is gay or lesbian, and there is considerable ongoing debate. ”
Ultimately, the book suggests, the percentages don’t matter. Being gay or lesbian just means being attracted to someone of the same sex. “Gay and lesbian,” written in one breath, are just words for two gendered versions of the same thing.

This is roughly the same story I heard in my first real conversation about homosexuality in grade school. “Anyone can be gay,” my best friend told me with wide-eyed sincerity over the vinyl cafeteria table. And it happens to one in 10 people, she added, probably unwittingly quoting 1940s sexologist Alfred Kinsey.

A feeling can disappear just as quickly as it came. In a single day we have thousands of feelings, but underneath it all there is an absolute truth that defines them.
True love isn’t what we see in movies, though we try desperately to mimic it. We search all our lives to find a man who “completes” us, that inspires us to rise above the ashes of heartache and reach our dream selves. But at the end of the rainbow, we usually discover that his love only lasted a day…
Most of our childhood is spent moment-to-moment, completely present in the happenings of the world. We see a frog leap in the grass: “This is the coolest thing ever!” Our favorite superhero defeats his sworn enemy: “At last, peace is restored! Yes!” Our sister steals our favorite blanket: “Give it back! I hate you, forever!”

Human behavior relies on momentary impulses like the ones we have as kids. As we become adults, we start an incredulous search for meaning: What is the theme of my life? Why am I the way I am? Why do I feel the things I feel? Why am I sad? Why am I happy? Once we reach a certain age we stop being guided by intuition and start relying on intellect. But life requires a balance of both.

No one teaches us how to fall in love. It just happens, mostly when we least expect it and often with the wrong types of guys at first. We don’t know they’re wrong at the beginning. Sometimes it takes years to see a pattern, but once we do we are finally able to decipher the meaning behind it.

Falling in love is as impulsive as a child. It’s momentary. It lasts for a short while-hours, sometimes days or weeks.True love is something that grows over time. It blooms little by little, as he passed the tests you’ve laid out in front of him (whether you’re aware of it or not): loyalty, trust, dependence, support, etc. Your brain working in tandem with your heart, until at last your whole being says, Yes! This one. This one!

A fellow reporter and friend of mine tore into my cubicle the other day to express his outrage over an article that appeared in The Daily Beast. He’s gay, and like many gay journalists, he questioned the ethics of Daily Beast reporter Nico Hines. My colleague was so disturbed that he told me for that for the first time in his career, he emailed another journalist to express his concern about their work. He was not alone.
“I Got Three Grindr Dates in an Hour in the Olympic Village” was a detailed account of how Hines went on dating apps to find out if Olympic athletes were hooking up. What it ended up being was a lesson in journalism ethics. Hines, who is straight and married with a child, says he told people he was a journalist. But he doesn’t say if he told the people he was interviewing that he was writing an article about them. 

As journalists, our code of ethics begins with an unwritten pledge to do no harm, to be fair, and to be accurate. Hines missed the boat on the first two. The reporting was unethical, extremely careless about individual privacy, and potentially dangerous to the athletes.

1. Who to Invite
Of course, you can invite your go-to group of friends or have them each bring a +1, but if you want to spice things up and meet new people, try inviting a wild card by using Hoppr by Absolut. The mobile web-app lets you attend nearby house parties or invite folks over to yours. Because we all know the best way to meet someone new is over good food and drink! 

2. What to Wear

1. He tries to find commonalities.
When a gay guy is flirting with you he’ll often try and find similar interests, even if he has to dig for them. “Oh my gosh, you like Scandal? I f*cking love Scandal!” “I see you’re wearing an X-Men shirt-I left mine at home.”
This is the number one sign that someone is trying to impress you-whether it’s because he likes you or is just trying to get on your good side is your call, but this is nearly always a clue he wants your attention. Take it as it is.

2. You seem to be the only person he’s focusing on.

You both might be in a crowded room with friends and/or colleagues, but for whatever reason he is dead focused on you, and you know it. We all know when one particular person can’t keep his attention away because the energy changes-like we’re being hunted (in a good way).

A guy who is there to make friends and hang out doesn’t focus on one particular person. He’s there to have fun. So seeing a guy whose body language, eye contact, comments and laughter is all rooted from You is a red flag to knowing you’re definitely on his radar.

3. He tries to defend you in front of people.

When your buddies tease you it can be funny, but the guy who wants to be on your side will always say, “Ahh… leave him alone [chuckle],” or “Oh my gosh that was so mean…[chuckle],” or “At least he doesn’t have a… [laugh from the crowd].”

He feels a duty to defend you because he likes you. He wants you to feel protected around him because he’s a man and we all have that pressure when our emotions get in the way. Little acts like these show you his heart is open to you.


4. He goes for personal humor.

The experienced flirter knows to go for the gold by trying to make you belly laugh rather than giggle. In order to do that he needs to spark your personal sense of humor, which is something he must find himself.

There’s a difference between general humor: topics relating to politics, pop culture, etc; and personal humor: goofy antics, subject matter only you and he know about, etc. It takes a while to find what makes you tick, but when he does it’s all up hill. This is when you know he’s really digging hard to impress you.

London-About 200 people take part in mass kiss-in after pair were asked to leave supermarket in east London for holding hands.
It was a defiant public display of affection like no other. About 200 people wielding rainbow flags filled the aisles of a Sainsbury’s store to stage a mass “kissathon” in protest after a gay couple were ejected from the supermarket for holding hands.
Thomas Rees, 32, and his boyfriend Joshua Bradwell, 25, were reportedly reprimanded by security at the store on Hackney Road, east London, after a customer deemed their holding hands to be “inappropriate”.

In response, dozens of gay men and women arrived at the store, set up speaker systems blasting out Diana Ross and Donna Summer before heading inside to kiss each other amid the canned goods and fresh fruit and veg.

Australia-Professor Paula Gerber, President of the Kaleidoscope Human Rights Foundation, writes why Australia’s delay in introducing equal marriage is costing it more than most people think.
As we head into the second half of 2016, some might accuse Australia of fiddling while Rome burns. We are debating the why, when and how of a plebiscite on marriage equality when lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex (LGBTI) people in other countries are being persecuted and killed because of who they are.

Achieving marriage equality in much of the Americas and Europe has freed advocates in those parts of the world to start playing a more active role in fighting for the human rights of LGBTI people globally.

We’ve all done breakups the wrong way. We have fought, broken trust, shouted, and lied through so many bad breakups that when good, healthy breakups come along (calm conversations on the sofa) they feel unfamiliar and wrong.
Things weren’t so bad once, right? You met him at a gay bar, or on Grindr. What started as a hookup became a dinner, then a cuddle, then another dinner - and then you’re waiting for him to text you back. And then you find yourself daring to mouth the words “I like you,” “Are we dating?” and then “I love you.” Things are great for a while. But then fights start, the sex dwindles, or he wants things you don’t want. Then someday after a shouting match, you know.

Divorces, breakups, and relocations are among the most difficult experiences a person can have. On a body stress level, they are equated to the death of a loved one. People stop eating. We dip into unhealthy habits.

You’re sitting with your friends at a coffee shop when the hottest guy you’ve ever seen walks in. Instantly, the room closes on him (and his biceps). You’re sure he’s your future husband, but how the f**k do you convince him?
We’ve all been in these situations before, and yes it’s always awkward. Your heart starts racing, sweat begins to bead, and too many questions invade your head that it becomes difficult to function. But all you have to do is swallow your pride and trust yourself. Start with these simple tips:

1. Don’t be a cliché.

As someone who isn’t exactly an ideal beauty, it’s easy to look at male comedians on screen and watch how they win lovers by making them laugh rather than flexing in a swimsuit. But we’re not Ben Stiller; we are not Adam Sandler; we are not Jason Segal. We’re ourselves, and that’s what we need to own.

The biggest mistake you can make is to “be” someone else when we’re trying to impress a guy. The best way to impress someone is to be genuine. Authenticity turns us into a magnet – it’s magical. The more relaxed and balanced we are, the more relaxed we make others.

2. He’s not God.

When a 10 walks into a room full of 6’s and 7’s, it’s interesting to watch what happens. Most of them unconsciously give him their power. It’s as if whoever is the “hottest” guy in the room automatically becomes eye candy, which means the rest of us gleam passively into his control. Don’t be that guy.

Super hot people are used to others bowing at their feet. It’s not their fault; it’s ours. We’re the ones who give him the power, but while the rest of the minions continue to bow, you should stand tall. He is your equal. Knock him off his pedestal, and he’ll respect you a lot more.

Never “apologize” for anything. It’s okay to be shy or taken aback by his beauty, but never look away because you feel you’re unworthy of him. Believe me, beauty fades but confidence is forever. Own yourself and he will be the one who’s insecure – he’ll be pressured to prove himself without the smolder, which reminds him he’s mortal.

US-Senator Marco Rubio of Florida, who has faced widespread condemnation for agreeing to speak at a conference alongside Christian conservatives who have denounced homosexuality and gay rights, used his speech to the group on Friday to warn of the costs of intolerance.
His remarks in Orlando, Fla., not far from the site of the massacre at a gay nightclub in June, were his most extensive yet in public on the subject of prejudice against gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people. And he struck a notably softer tone than during his campaign for the Republican presidential nomination, during which he repeatedly reaffirmed his opposition to same-sex marriage.

Using the shorthand LGBT several times, Mr. Rubio told the group that the perception that many Christians are anti-gay is harming their faith. He urged them to resist passing judgment on gays.

Humans are structured to behave selfishly. Everything we experience in life is captured inside a realm of our own understanding. That’s the bubble of reality we translate as truth. Anything that exists outside this bubble seems to be of no concern for us, though we want it to be.
Deep down, we want connection. We talk about how important it is, how good it feels, how important it is for self-value, yet more often than not we fail at it because we’ve forgotten how.

Men are taught never to display their emotions...

We’re raised with the idea that an emotional man is a weak man. But the consequences of being emotionless is a well-constructed emotional Wall that’s hard to break down.

Our way of life in America doesn’t help. If you’ve traveled to Europe or South America, you’d agree that people have a different relationship with each other-they look at strangers in the eye and smile, they laugh, they help. They connect.

In a major city like New York or Los Angeles, connection is rare. Sometimes we go on without it for so long that after a few months, we become hard and cold. Without connection there is no empathy or compassion. Emotional vulnerability is an asset that is always rewarding so long as we try to know each other.

We’re trained to stay disconnected with people. It’s easy to recognize the emotional walls we carry in a place like New York City. No one wants to have a genuine connection because at the end of the day, we’re afraid of each other’s judgment. 

Chester Wenger, a Mennonite pastor who sacrificed his ministry by officiating his son’s same-sex marriage, is an examplar of “generous orthodoxy”  showing “respect for the body he is trying to heal,” says journalist and commentator Malcolm Gladwell.
Gladwell, famed for explaining cultural trends in his book The Tipping Point,profiles Wenger on Thursday’s episode of his Revisionist History podcast.

Wenger, now 98, says he had little knowledge about homosexuality for much of his life, and when his son Phil came out as gay, the minister thought it was a phase Phil would get over. Eventually it became clear it was not a phase, and Phil was expelled from the Mennonite Church (by another clergy member, not his father). Wenger and his wife urged Phil to maintain his faith in Jesus Christ nonetheless.

I never thought the word “grownup” would refer to me-I was happy to be a manchild. But I’m starting to understand that being an adult requires an adjustment in priorities whether it’s comfortable or not.
The epiphany came after dating a man who had all his sh*t together. You see, I was stupid enough to associate myself with an unproductive group of kids after college that my life started to mirror theirs. I didn’t want things to change. I thought college parties, sleeping till two, hooking up, dorm life and never-ending keg stands would last forever. It didn’t.

Meeting a guy who’s already bought a house, paid off his student loans, and dare I say, has a car in New York City, was intimidating.
I’m still that friend who needs to check his bank account every five seconds in case something unforeseen went through that will prevent me from buying groceries-and by groceries I mean a couple Cliff bars and a Gatorade. But he’s taught me incredible things about relationships and personal evolvement than anyone I’ve ever dated.

Money and possessions don’t matter when it comes to love. We’re all afraid of being judged because, as millenials, we have anxiety with success. We graduated at the peek of the recession, a time when there were very little opportunities, and still contain a bit of hopelessness when it comes to our own potential. These aspects come back to haunt us in our relationships, so seeing a man who’s more well off than we are makes us feel like we did something wrong.

We did nothing wrong. Everyone is born to a different circumstance and we’re all doing the best we can with that circumstance. Making lemons into lemonade is the name of the game, so being around a man who’s made a hell of a lemonade stand inspired me to think of my own situation and how I can change it, but first I had to get out of my head.

He has just broken up with a guy whom he'd been with for the past six years
In his latest interview with Out magazine, cover boy Colton Haynes shares more about his secret past as a closeted gay man.
Even though the 28-year-old former Teen Wolf actor only came out to the world and his millions of fans a couple of months back, he had actually told his friends and family that he’s gay when he was 14.
Colton shared that he’d known he liked boys since he was in first grade, but when he came out in school, he was met with bullying - so bad that his older brother Clinton had to meet him outside of class to protect him.

He also revealed that he experimented with both sexes during his youth, but it’s the boys that he settled with.

Daily exercise needed to lower the risk of five studied diseases by at least 20 percent is higher than the minimum recommended by the World Health Organization.
Five studied diseases include: diabetes, stroke and heart disease, breast and bowel cancer,
The 35-year-study focus on the link between physical exertion whether gardening or long-distance running and those five.
The benefits of exercise are well known and beyond dispute.
Most health authorities issue guidelines on the bare minimum required to help ward off numerous ailments made worse by a sedentary lifestyle.

But despite a mountain of research, "we still do not definitively know how much the type and quantity of physical activity reduces the risk of common conditions," a team of scientists led by Hmwe Kyu of the Institue for Health Metrics at the University of Washington in Seattle said in a statement.

Gay travel in Vietnam-Foreign tourists to Vietnam could soon have their visas emailed.
Vietnam is working on a scheme to grant electronic visas for foreign visitors in a bid to attract more tourists to the country and boost the domestic tourism industry.
Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc told tourism development conference on Tuesday that the government has allocated VND200 billion ($8.8 million) to speed up the project so that the e-visa system can be launched on January 1, 2017.
Nguyen Xuan Phuc asked the ministries of finance, public security and foreign affairs to determine e-visa fees and ensure foreign tourists are warmly welcomed upon arrival.

The e-visas will be issued to applicants in a printer-friendly email after they fill out an online application form. This system is believed to greatly speed up the entire visa process, according to Kenneth Atkinson, chairman of the Tourism Working Group under the Vietnam Business Forum, a consortium of international and local business associations and chambers of commerce.

A state judicial panel on Monday refused to dismiss an ethics complaint against Alabama Chief Justice Roy Moore, saying that Moore will go to trial in September on accusations that he urged 68 probate judges to defy the federal courts on same-sex marriage.
The Alabama Court of the Judiciary, a state panel that disciplines judges, refused dueling requests to either dismiss the complaint against Moore outright or go ahead and remove him from office. Chief Judge Michael Joiner said the case will go to trial Sept. 28. The panel of nine judges will hear the case and decide whether Moore violated judicial ethics and if so, what punishment he will face.

The decision came down shortly after the conclusion of a 60-minute hearing in which Moore was alternately portrayed as a politician on a mission to block gay couples from marrying in Alabama or a judge who was merely trying answer questions from confused probate judges. Moore - who was ousted from office by the court in 2003 for refusing to remove a Ten Commandments monument from the state judicial building - could be removed as chief justice for a second time.

“We are here to talk about Chief Justice Roy Moore and his repeated refusal to follow the rule of law,” John Carroll, a former federal magistrate representing the Judicial Inquiry Commission, told the court. Carroll said Moore abused his power as chief justice to promote a private agenda against same-sex marriage.

The complaint stems from a Jan. 6 memo he sent probate judges. Moore wrote that a March order from the state Supreme Court to refuse marriage licenses to gay couples remained in full force and effect. The order came even though the U.S. Supreme Court had effectively legalized same-sex marriage nationwide six months prior and a federal judge said Alabama should follow that decision.

A lawyer for Moore said the chief justice was only clarifying the status of the state injunction that was issued in March because probate judges were asking questions about it.

“The probate judges were flapping in the wind. They were wondering what to do,” his lawyer, Mat Staver, told the court. Moore’s order was merely a legal “truism” that the order had not been lifted by the state court, he argued.

Staver, in defending Moore, repeatedly emphasized a section of the January order where Moore told the probate judges that he was not at “liberty to provide any guidance to Alabama probate judges on the effect of (the U.S. Supreme Court ruling) on the existing orders of the Alabama Supreme Court.”

Carroll countered that Moore’s intent was clear: to try to urge probate judges to fight against same-sex marriage.

Moore acted on his own by sending the order after unsuccessfully urging his fellow justices to take some action regarding the March order in the wake of the U.S. Supreme Court decision, something pointing out by both sides in the hearing.

The Monday hearing took on some of the theater and spectacle that accompanied the 2003 dismissal with passionate protests outside the court. Moore’s supporters and opponents held dueling rallies outside the court building ahead of the hearing, at times standing within a few feet of each other as they chanted and waved competing signs such as “No Moore” or “Judge Moore is right.”

Moore entered the packed courtroom to applause from his supporters. After the hearing, he spoke to a sign-waving crowd outside, saying there is “no evidence” he broke judicial ethics and that he never told judges what to do.

“They said I tried to influence them. I said it’s their decision,” Moore said.

Moore said the complaint was filed against him by people who “don’t want anybody opposing any agenda of the homosexual movement.”

The Southern Poverty Law Center, a civil rights legal advocacy group, filed the complaint against Moore that led to the ethics charges, and its director said Moore was clearly urging the judges to defy the courts on gay marriage and was now trying to “save his skin by playing word games.”

“Alabama is a great state and deserves better than a chief justice who thinks he is above the law. We’ve said it many times. He acts as if he is the ayatollah of Alabama,” SPLC President Richard Cohen said after the hearing.

Ambrosia Starling, the stage name of a small-town Alabama drag queen, was among the speakers against Moore.

“We lost the war between the states. That means the Supreme Court holds the final authority over jurisdiction of law,” Starling drawled.

Linda Chasom drove three hours from Georgia to attend the rally in support of Moore. She said she thought Moore was being persecuted for his conservative Christian beliefs.

“My family is being persecuted. Judge Roy Moore is part of my family as a believer,” Chasom said.

By KIM CHANDLER and JAY REEVES/lgbtqnation

2016 marked a huge milestone for the new gay beach festival called TropOut, which debuted on the island of Phuket is southern Thailand. The event was masterminded by founder Aaron Zoanetti after finding a lack of diverse travel experiences designed with LGBT people in mind.
Feeling comfortable in a new destination as an LGBT traveler is always an issue particularly for gay friends or couples traveling together. So with that goal in mind, Thailand was not surprisingly selected as the location for the first event. I attended the festival from April 3rd through 9th and was amazed by what came together.

This wasn’t my first trip to Thailand but it was certainty my favourite. Having not been in Asia for nearly four years I had almost forgotten the attention to service and detail that one experiences and Thailand is no exception. I flew from London Heathrow via Bangkok to Phuket and was lucky enough to get an upgrade to business class.

The Gay Vista Social Club (GVSC) started as a MeetUp club for gay men in and around their 20’s who didn’t want to deal with the drama of the bar and club scene.
“Meet people who are people, in settings where you can actually meet people … and have fun,” reads the GVSC Facebook page. “Maybe just find new friends, maybe network, maybe find the man of your dreams … trade business referrals, and explore the hidden gems and activities the beautiful city of Miami and its surrounding areas have to offer!”

Last month the club rebranded itself as a group catering to Millennials (around 18 – 40 years old) but the club is open to members of all ages and backgrounds.

1. Overview
* Cholesterol
The two major forms of cholesterol found in your body are high-density lipoprotein (HDL) and low-density lipoprotein (LDL).
HDL, or “good cholesterol”, has a protective effect on your heart. HDL transports harmful cholesterol out of your arteries. Doctors usually recommend that you have a high level of HDL cholesterol.
LDL, or “bad cholesterol”, is made by your body and also absorbed from cholesterol-rich foods such as red meat and dairy. LDL can combine with other fats and substances, creating blockages in your arteries. This can reduce your blood flow and cause serious health problems.

* Lipid Disorder

A lipid disorder means that you have high levels of either low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, or elevated levels of fats called triglycerides.