Gay Chat: Top Gay Magnets in 2012

10: Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana

These two funky fashionistas have designed their way into our hearts. They may not know how to bed women, but they certainly know how to dress them!

09: Sean Hayes

As the drama queen sidekick of the Will is US sitcom Will and Grace, his prissy little sissy character has not put us off. The baby blues and the boy-next-door look still make him a firm fave.

08: Perez Hilton

He’s famous for bitching about famous bitches and rarely stays out of the headlines himself. Hilton has to be the homo we love to hate. Whatever the truth is behind how the celeb blogger’s body recently went from bulging to buffed, now he’s ditched the flab and firmed up, those biceps have got our blood pumping.

07: Giorgio Armani

The high priest of high fashion might share a complexion with some of his leather manbag creations, but by a pair of jeans with his name on and you’ll notice how they maximise your bulge! That’s sure to have earned him a fair few fans.

06: George Takei

This veteran actor is happily married now, but I’d like to think in his Star Trek days, when he wasn’t busy manning the helm of the Starship Enterprise, he could have been having a whole lot of fun discovering new worlds with Captain Kirk.

05: Queen Latifah

The hip hop diva hasn’t officially come out, but there are a whole lotta ladies who wouldn’t mind getting their hands on some of that regal booty! She’s soon to make her first official public appearance at this year’s Long Beach Lesbian and Gay Pride Festival, so gay or not, we gotta love a sista for that.

04: Boy George

The British pop prince and DJ made man make-up and guyliner cool for everyone back in the 80s. The public loves a survivor, and Boy George has made it through some serious highs and lows to maintain his status as a style icon.

03: George Michael

Cmon George! You weren’t fooling anyone in that Club Tropicana video, we always knew you were one of us. He brought cottaging to the mainstream; that’s something to be proud of. And the singer is always getting himself in trouble with the police for his sex, drugs and disco lifestyle. Can’t wait to find out what the next episode will be in his car-crash life-story.

02: Elton John

He has to be the ultimate Mr Uber Gay. Look up Homosexual in the dictionary and will be a big smiling photo of the mad hatter. He’s been making music forever and is showing no signs of letting up plus he’s responsible for THE most tear-jerking song ever penned, so he’s bound to stay in our consciousness for a long while yet.

01: Ricky Martin

The hip swivelling Latin megastar has finally decided he’s playing for our team. So now, he’s out and proud, can you think of anyone else with the full package like our Ricky to be our top gay celeb?

For more information go to ibnlive.in.com

For weekly gay news, chat and dating hook up at Maleforce.com

Gay Fun: Japan’s Taste for Gay Anime

To me, it always feels like everything in Japanese culture is cool. Cool design, clothes, music, TV and even porn. Japanese meme, Yaranaika Guy, is the ultimate in gay manga cool, which has withstood the test of time, unlike other internet viral characters. He’s been around for years and I understand why; I do find it hard to resist that hunky character in a manly mechanics overalls, luring me with the way he asks; “Do you wanna do it?” his signature proposal. As cheesy a gay chat up line as it sounds, it works for me.

Yaranaika Guy comes from the Kuso Miso Technique images created by Junichi Yamagawa, who was responsible for starting one of Japan’s first gay mags back in the 80’s. Even though gay and transvestite celebrities were big on Japanese TV, Japanese media as a whole did not acknowledge serious topics affecting the gay community at that time, such as Aids and sexual health.

There’s an icon considered the live action version of Yaranaika Guy. Gay porn star Billy Herrington breathes life into the meme. You might have seen him in porn flicks like HotMenCoolBoyz, but now he pops up regularly in the Japanese cartoon style which has caused him become an internet sensation, affectionately referred to as “Aniki” meaning “Big Brother”. I’m guessing “big” is not just referring to his muscles!

At a recent Nico Nico Douga event inChiba,Japan, Herrington struck a pose on a real version of the famous and much-loved anime Saber Motorcycle.

Nico Nico Douga is the trendy Japanese video sharing site that can take some credit for helping Herrington achieve his meme status, by circulating video mash-ups by his fans. His followers can get their hands on their idol, by snapping up one of the action figure dolls and probably get into some crazy behaviour like getting tucked in bed with the toy at night while fantasising about the real thing! I think I’ll stick to my Billy Herington mouse mat thanks!

Gay Story: Mama Gloria Starts a Charm School and Becomes Mother Figure to LGBT Youth in Chicago

A transgender OAP has set up a charm school in Chicago to pass on her years of experience living as a woman.

66 year old retired nurse, Gloria Allen, was inspired to kick off the service during regular lunch meetings with other Lesbian Gay Bisexual and Transgender senior citizens at her local community centre. She noticed the young people that used the centre, which offers services to the LGBT community, dressed and acted inappropriately.

She has set out to guide the kids out by passing on what she has learned through her life experiences. Now, at the centre, “Mama Gloria” gives classes dedicated to everything from how to dress and how to carry yourself to staying healthy and applying make-up.

The oldest of 14 children and daughter of a 1950’s centerfold model, Gloria lived as a woman from the age of 24, getting tips on how to behave and dress in a womanly fashion from the female members of her family. She gathered more tricks-of-the-trade from older transgender women around her.

Things were probably a bit tougher for Gloria living on the South Side of Chicago around the time she had her gender reassignment surgery at the age of 37. She has used her life’s journey, the adventures and pitfalls, to school the teens she teaches.

Here at Maleforce we take our hats off to Mama Gloria taking on the role surrogate of mother to young LGBT who may not have people around to help them through the ups and downs of growing up, exploring their sexuality and seeking out their identity.

For full story go to ChicagoTribune.com

gay news: london’s mayoral candidates unite over gay rights

It seems the one thing that could unite London’s mayoral candidates in the mad scramble up to the election on May 3rd, is gay rights.

Good ole Boris Johnson stepped in to stop a series of ads, set to appear on London’s buses, by a Christian group preaching they can cure gays with “reparative therapy”. The Core Issue Trust (CIT) was set to run the adverts on five routes through the centre of the capital.

The ads read: “Not gay! Post-gay, ex-gay and proud. Get over it!” which is an obvious dig at gay rights organisation Stonewall and their well known slogan, “Some people are gay – Get over it”. The mayor thwarted the campaign in response furious protest on twitter.

In spite of the incumbent Mayor’s block on the campaign, the Christian group have still managed o draw a fair bit of attention to themselves promoting the use of therapy to change the sexual orientation of gay people . The leader of the Core Issues Trust, Mike Davies, describes homosexual behaviour is “sinful” and his orgaisation offers to sponsor the cost of the treatment.

This episode prompted Boris to promise he will set manifesto on gay rights, before next month’s mayoral election, at a recent hosting. His four political rivals for the London Mayor’s job were quick to jump on the bandwagon at the gathering in London’s South Bank, brandishing Stonewall t-shirts and setting out their gay-friendly agendas to grab the pink vote and court the potential 350,000 gay voters in the city.

Former mayor and Labour candidate, Ken Livingstone told the audience Muslims have now become the target for the bigotry of right-wing groups that had been previously reserved for blacks, Irish and gays. He has promised to appoint a LGBT advisor if he is elected. Liberal Democrat candidate reveled he was bullied at school for being gay and pledged to stamp out homophobia and racism in the police force.

The CIT adverts may have become part of a media frenzy and vehicle for politicians’ hook, but the silver lining is the forum becomes open for discussion. Stonewall’s CEO, Ben Summerskill, made it clear he was happy to see that the main candidates for mayor are vying for the attention of LGBT Londoners.

Leading medical and psychiatric organisations reject the idea of a ‘cure’ for homosexuality, and believe this kind of practice only serves to breed a culture of prejudice. But if therapy could be effective to change the way we are, shouldn’t we start research into a cure for small-minded and bigoted behaviour?

Gay Chat News: The Good, the Gay and the Ugly

Anne Hathaway – who is set to play Catwoman in the new Batman film next year – has spoken out about gay marriage. Being a New Jersey girl with a gay brother, she has called on her home state to follow New York’s lead. Quoted from Interview magazine, the Devil Wears Prada star said; “They need to get on the New York bandwagon and legalise gay marriage.” This is most prevalent as a lesbian was refused a wedding dress in New Jersey last week due to the fact she was marrying another woman.

A noted supporter of gay rights, the Hollywood star hopes other US States will follow suit. As well as her on-going support for gay rights, Hathaway has also recorded a video message for the It Gets Better campaign.

It isn’t very hard to understand why there is still so much prejudice and diversity inAmericawhen you think that there were still fifteen States that outlawed sodomy until 2003. Florida was one of those States and even though they still don’t accept it, they cannot legally enforce their own ruling on sodomy thanks to the government.

It’s strange to think of Florida clinging on to this law for so long, especially as the Sunshine State is home to a very large and diverse group of clusters such as Miami Beach, Key West, Fort Lauderdale, Palm Beach and even Disney World. But it must say something about the mentality and tolerance of some of the heterosexual populous. In fact a once celebrated teacher of Social Studies has recently been suspended from teaching after making anti-gay comments on his personal FaceBook account. “I’m watching the news, eating dinner, when the story about New York Okaying same sex unions came on and I almost threw up. And now they showed two guys kissing after their announcement. If they want to call it a union, go ahead. But don’t insult a man and woman’s marriage by throwing it in the same cesspool as same-sex whatever! God will not be mocked. When did this sin become acceptable???”

I am a big believer in freedom of speech, but this man is a school teacher (for Social Studies… maybe he needs to go back to school himself!) He is shaping young people’s minds and how they will perceive the world as adults. Closed-minded and bigoted people should not be allowed to teach in schools (or be in government… yes, I do mean you Michelle Bachmann!)

For as long as I can remember, gay men have been banned from donating blood in the UK. This has always been a bone of contention and just another shocking blow for equality. To say gay men are at a higher risk is factually wrong. There is a higher infection rate of STIs with heterosexuals, homosexuals are more likely to get checked out at the clinic than their straight counterparts – and we get free condoms and lube in every gay bar and club. The gay community is now more savvy when it comes to STIs and probably more cautious ever since HIV/AIDS hit our community three decades ago.

A new petition is currently online calling for an end to the gay blood donation ban. We here at Gay Chat Towers signed it today and know that there is an evidence-based review underway with an announcement of any changes from the health association likely to be soon.

But this is not the first time a call on the ban has been incited. In 2008 an identical campaign was put forward (bloodban) and still hasn’t achieved its goal of 5000 signatures. This new petition has already reached almost that in a matter of weeks. Maybe people have now realised that this on-going saga is not just about equality, but about saving people’s lives.

My boyfriend, best friend and I were watching old music videos on YouTube at the weekend. Late at night and rather inebriated, we danced around as we watched Club Tropicana and couldn’t believe just howcamp George Michael and Andrew Ridgley look in that video. How did we not know about George back then? (Okay, we kinda guessed.) Even though they are both very flamboyant, they are still surrounded by and flirting with scantily-clad women. It’s a little unsettling to look back at now!

Since the break-up of 80s pop sensation Wham! George began a successful solo career that wasn’t even damaged by his very public, gay outing in 1998. The music video “Outside” which played homage to and glorified his cruising habits was seen by most as harmless fun – all except Marcelo Rodriguez of course, who was the officer that caught George in the LA public toilet.

George has done a lot for gay rights and HIV/Aids charities over the years. Being a close friend of Elton John who runs the Aids Foundation; together they have performed at money-raising galas and many charity gigs. But George has never really being known as a gay activist even though he has been out of the closet for thirteen years. In NME Magazine recently, George addressed this point by saying he plans to release a gay album to make up for “letting the gay kids down”.

It’s pegged to be a dance album and will be a collaboration with gay/gay friendly artists. “I’ll be 48 when the album comes out, but I have to say that gay men’s relationship with dance music probably doesn’t end at the same time as straight people’s does.” Ain’t that the truth George!

Terry Gee

Gay Chat News: Are you proud to be gay?

It’s a very wide and open question, but something that we here at Gay Chat Towers would be interested to hear about.

For me personally, I love being gay. I am an out and proud man, I love my boyfriend and openly show him affection when we’re out in public with no fear or trepidation. But, I realise I am living in London which is known to be more tolerant than most cities. I also have a good network of friends who accept me for who I am without question. I live in a protected, gay bubble where the heterosexual community poses no threat to my lifestyle or whom I love.

Londonis very different from Yorkshire where I grew up, holding hands with a person of the same sex in public could cause quite a lot of animosity and even violence from fellow residents. I find that lack of education; knowledge and exposure are key factors to homophobia. Think about how most parents react when we first come out as being gay. For mine, there were tears, tantrums, arguments and hurtful things said and done. But as time goes on, they saw that this is who I am. I am still their son and what does it matter who and of what sex I fall in love with?

But then I read stories of people in countries where being gay is punishable by death or lifetime imprisonment; people who fear to walk out of their own home in case they are attacked and tortured. Countries where government officials and religious bodies tell the populous that being gay is a choice and it is wrong. How can being gay truly be a choice? Would anyone choose a life of persecution, the loss of friends and family and fear of the world outside because of who they are? No one would put themselves through that if they could help it. Being gay was hard enough for me growing up in Yorkshire, so I can’t imagine just how bad it is in places like Uganda and some major Muslim countries. If being gay really was a choice, there would be no gay people living in those places at all.

But what about you? Where do you live and how has being gay affected your day-to-day life? I imagine the residents of San Francisco are only too happy to welcome another gay person into their protective care; but what about people who live inmiddle Americaand the deep south? From what I have read, these places still have low tolerance from what they consider “the norm”. Were you forced into a heterosexual union or even been sent to one of the clinics that say they can “cure” homosexuality? Maybe you have been fighting who you really are and have only just come out or are you still in the closet?

We all must face challenges in life and sometimes they can feel too hard to bear. We find a brick wall in front of us with no way of scaling it to get over to the other side. But there is more than one way to get over such obstacles. Most of the people on Maleforce will have gone through similar situations and had to face the wall. Just speak to them and ask. I’m sure most will have a story to tell. A lot of people will have pushed and shoved, knocked through the bricks one by one and fought their way to the other side. For me, I had my friends to help me through it and their faith in me gave me the strength I needed. And then there are the few people who don’t have the support of their peers, don’t have the tools to get through the wall and feel trapped in a place they don’t belong in. It is to those people who I say there is always hope and help out there. For the fortunate ones who don’t live in repressive countries where the internet is monitored and blocked, find a local support centre and speak to someone there. These are always confidential and can help with getting your life back on track and give you the tools to break down that wall.

Always try and remember that if you are gay, this can’t be changed – and why should it? You are a loving human being with the same rights as everyone else on this planet. And as terrible and futile as life can feel at times, remember that there is nothing wrong with you, the only wrong in this instance are certain people’s misguided views on homosexuality. This is changing rapidly and I honestly believe that in time, prejudice will be a thing of the past. Try and keep that in mind. They are the ones we should pity, as they are a dying breed whose beliefs are so wrong they are now being exposed for the evil bigots they truly are. Let that thought to spur you on, find people who can help you grow and get past a stage in your life that is being repressed by the smaller man.

I am a gay man and wouldn’t change it for the world.

Terry Gee

The 56th Eurovision Song Contest – Dusseldorf 2011

We are now only days away from the competition final of the biggest music contest on the planet. But who will win? Blue say ‘I Can’ but who will be the real victor?

The atmosphere here at Gay Chat Towers is intense. As always I would like to see my favourite win, which this year isn’t the UK (again) – although I know a lot of other people who are routing for Blue. To understand the enormity and importance of this competition we first have to take a short trip back in time. The Second World War ended in 1945 andEuropewas still in pieces. Trying to reunite the people was a daunting and almost impossible task. Television was still in its infancy yet by the 1950s, TV was already becoming the main source to reach people on a global scale.

In 1955 the European Broadcasting Union came up with the idea of a European song competition televised across the lands. Just seven countries took park in the first show back in 1956: Italy, Belgium, Germany, France, Luxembourg, Switzerlandand The Netherlands. Can you imagine how strange it must have been for countries that had been at war? Killing each other in their thousands just ten years before and now, performing on stage together in a frivolous television programme. These people were true pioneers in uniting the Europe we know today.

The following year, Austria, The United Kingdom and Denmark joined with more following in the years to come, making up the 43 countries we have today.

Nowadays, The Eurovision Song Contest is the biggest competition of its kind, pulling in around 125 million viewers for the live final. It sometimes may come across as being camp and cheesy, but it is never offensive, is always good fun and (especially in the gay world) brings nations together in a celebration of song and dance. Don’t forget, this competition has made some of the world’s greatest pop stars including: Sandie Shaw, Bucks Fizz, Celine Dion and Abba.

This year, Blue are representing the United Kingdom, and after last year’s utter disaster (Pete Waterman – seriously!) the UK really needs to get into at least the top 10. With a well-known pop group and a catchy song, (which I personally think is far too twee and 90s boy band) it is looking very likely that they will be in the top 5 and even have a real shot at taking home first place. The UK hasn’t won the contest since 1997 and after coming last in 2010 we really need this. If we did win, our calendars are going to be pretty full next year as the UK is already hosting the Olympics, the Paralympics, the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee and World Pride.

2012 is looking to be a year of non-stop celebration… Bring it on!

Terry Gee

U.K. Sporting Bodies Sign Gay Charter

Gay rights campaigners have welcomed a new charter that aims to stamp out homophobia and transphobia within U.K. sports. The Charter for Action was signed this week by major sporting bodies including The Football Association, the England and Wales Cricket Board, the Rugby Football League and the Rugby Football Union.

They join the Lawn Tennis Association and the London Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games (LOCOG) in being the first major sports to sign up to the initiative. Equalities minister Lynne Featherstone has urged more associations, groups and individuals to add their signatures.

“Sport should be about what you can do, not who you are. But too many lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people feel that the sports field is not somewhere they can be themselves, and that prejudice and discrimination will mean their sexuality is always talked about more than their ability with a ball, bat or racket…” she said.

“Homophobia and transphobia has no place in sport and I’m delighted that so many sporting bodies are backing our campaign to stamp it out at all levels, from local parks to Olympic stadiums.”

Published this week, the charter is one part of a new action plan that sets out the government’s initiatives for supporting LGBT equality in the coming year.

Alex Horne, General Secretary of the Football Association, said “The FA and its stakeholders have worked hard over the years in providing football for all and ensuring that football stadia are open to everyone and are both family and LGTB friendly.

“We’ve seen real progress over the last 20 years when it comes to tackling racism and that’s something football should be proud of. We remain committed to our long-term goal of removing all forms of discrimination, such as homophobia, out of the game.”

We are all massive sports fans here in the gay chat team and have an appreciation for football, rugby, tennis etc that goes far beyond sitting on the sidelines! We’ve shown our support for the charter by visiting and liking the Charter for Action Facebook page. Why not sign up too and join us in supporting our out sports men and women? Game on!

Gary Cosby

Obama Administration Will No Longer Defend Federal Law Banning Gay Marriage

Gaga Targets Gay Discrimination

Lady Gaga has scored yet another hit for gay rights by persuading retail giant Target to reconsider its funding of anti-gay causes. In return for the rights to sell an exclusive edition of the singer’s new album Born This Way, Target has also agreed to start donating to gay charities.

In a meeting that Gaga describes as being “intense” the Poker Face singer took Target to task over its funding of causes that advocate discrimination against gay people.

Target has previously come under fire for a $150,000 donation it made to U.S. political action group MN Forward who supported high profile Republican nominee Tom Emmer in his bid for governor, Minnesota in 2010.

Emmer is on record as supporting a state constitutional amendment banning civil recognition of same-sex marriages or its legal equivalent. It has been reported that Emmer’s bid campaign included funding to fiercely anti-gay Christian youth ministry You Can Run But You Can’t Hide International.

Despite publicly apologising for the donation Target has continued to support causes branded questionable by gay rights activists. The company does however pay benefits to partners of gay employees and staff members have praised the firm as a gay-friendly employer.

Gaga’s deal with Target includes a special edition of her forthcoming CD release Born This Way, which includes extra tracks and remixes exclusively available from the discount retailer. In return Target has agreed to discontinue funding causes with anti-gay links and instead fund more gay charities.

In an interview with Billboard, the 24-year-old superstar said: “That discussion was one of the most intense conversations I’ve ever had in a business meeting. Part of my deal with target is that they have to start affiliating themselves with LGBT charity groups and begin to reform and make amends for the mistakes they’ve made in the past… Our relationship is hinged upon their reform in the company to support the gay community and to redeem the mistakes they’ve made supporting those [antigay] groups.”

Here at the Haus of Gay Chat we already think Gaga is God, and the Target deal yet another example of her continued commitment to gay rights. We highly recommend rushing out and buying her new album when it’s released worldwide in May. Go gays! Go Gaga!

Gary Cosby

Story Update March 9, 2011 The partnership between Lady Gaga and Target has dissolved. No official statement has been made, however it has been reported that the deal was ended by mutual agreement. GC