Category Archives: Health and Wellness
#gaynews LGBTQ Movie FAIR HAVEN
KERSTIN KARLHUBER’S DEBUT FEATURE FILM FAIR HAVEN
STARRING TOM WOPAT, GREGORY HARRISON & MICHAEL GRANT
TACKLES POLITICALLY TOPICAL SUBJECT MATTER SUCH AS GAY CONVERSION THERAPY, LGBT YOUTH & RELIGION
Writer/Director Kerstin Karlhuber always knew she wanted to tell this story. She couldn’t have expected that its themes would become so deeply relevant to the current American political and social climate.
Kerstin’s debut feature film Fair Haven is a tender love story, a rural working class family drama, and a poignant exploration of the lingering effects of “gay conversion therapy” on a young man and the people he loves most. As America begins to come to terms with a new presidential administration, issues of LGBT rights and acceptance have once again been thrust to the forefront of the national conversation, with many fearful that the progress of recent years is in danger of being reversed.
Kerstin has dedicated the film to her late cousin Katelyn, a young transgender woman who tragically passed away soon after the film was completed.
“Spreading the message of acceptance and tolerance is our mission,” said Kerstin Karlhuber. “If we can help young people gain confidence in their differences and maybe open a few closed minds we’ll have achieved our goal.”
Fair Haven’s theatrical debut on March 3 and VOD/DVD release on March 7
A trailer for Fair Haven is available HERE.
Cuddling is Good for the Soul
STRAIGHT OR GAY – Everyone can benefit from Cuddling!
When H. Melinda Krakowski, a customer service representative in New York City, was married, she couldn’t shake the feeling that she was alone, even when her husband was in the room with her. That’s because they almost never touched, and she felt starved for physical affection.
After Krakowski and her husband separated, she sought out group activities to curb her loneliness. That’s when she discovered cuddle parties: gatherings for people to engage in consensual, nonsexual touch. One facilitator of these events, entrepreneur Adam Lippin, was in the process of creating a professional cuddling agency.
Lippin had gotten into yoga and meditation and wanted to start a new business venture that promoted wellness. His co-founder, Madelon Guinazzo, also a cuddle party facilitator, had already been seeing clients who paid her for private cuddle sessions. So late last year, the two scouted out cuddle party attendees who might be interested in working with them. Read more at WASHINGTON POST. Contact CUDDLIST for more information.
Crystal Meth, Gays and Addiction
Meth can be in crystalized form or powder, and varying in color from clear to chalky white, or yellowish brown to different shades of blue. All forms of meth can be snorted through the nose, smoked out of glass pipes, injected with syringes, or ingested orally.
The words addiction, drug addiction, alcoholism, and chemical dependency are common terms for abuse of alcohol or drugs. Addiction is a condition that results when a person ingests a substance (e.g., alcohol, cocaine, nicotine) or engages in an activity (e.g., gambling, sex, shopping) that can be pleasurable but the continued use/act of which becomes compulsive and interferes with ordinary life responsibilities, such as work, etc.
ANYTHING CAN BE ADDICTIVE! Especially when it feels good!
In a new article for POZ, writer Mathew Rodriguez examines Meth use in the gay community. READ IT HERE.
Dopamine produces a positive reaction to everyday occurrences that keep us alive. When we eat or drink, our body gives us dopamine. In fact, studies show that eating food releases about 150 units of dopamine. Sex (without drugs) releases 200 units, nicotine results in 250, and cocaine clocks in at 350. In comparison, crystal meth unleashes a whopping 1,100 units of dopamine.
Meth offers cheap and quick dopamine to those in need of a feel-good fix—and the American Psychological Association says that the LGBT community experiences much higher rates of general depression and anxiety than the rest of the population.
But there is good news. “One aspect of the meth mystique that needs to be challenged is that there is no hope,” Fawcett writes. “This is simply not true. While recovery from meth is difficult, it is absolutely possible.”
Meth use in the gay community. READ IT HERE.
CUDDLE, love, touch, acceptance and connection
We all want love, acceptance and connection with other people. We’re social beings, and this connection with others is part of our emotional, physical and spiritual DNA.
Touch plays an important role in building these connections, increasing scientific evidence clearly shows a connection that lack of touch can lead to depression, anxiety and a myriad of heath issues, and an inability to connect with others. We will be exploring the healing power of Non Sexual, Consensual Touch in detail in upcoming posts.
Most of us don’t get enough touch in our lives.
We’re touch-deprived, and most of us don’t even know it consciously. All we know is that there’s loneliness and stress and a deep sense of missing out. We feel this because there’s a biochemical yearning for something that is missing in our lives. And there is something missing: touch and the connection with others that it fosters.
“That’s why we started Cuddlist,” says Adam Lippin, Co-founder and CEO of CUDDLIST. “Safe, non-sexual, consensual touch fills a need that’s badly neglected in our society. Cuddling relaxes us and reduces stress at the very least, and on the deeper level it nourishes our soul and helps us get in touch with our higher self. Much like yoga and meditation, non-sexual touch is healing and transformative.”
Cuddlist brings together those who need touch (and that would be just about all of us!) with Certified, professional cuddlers who are experienced, safe, well-versed in cuddling techniques and follow a code of conduct that set the conditions for a great session.
While any two people can cuddle, of course, what sets Cuddlist apart is that we are creating the marketplace for transformative cuddling, and we bring the professionalism and best practices that make it work; Cuddlist training is overseen by my co-founder, Madelon Guinazzo, and she both has years of experience as a full-time Cuddlist and knowledge of what works in practice.
While Cuddlist is something special, and fills an important gap in our world, I also want to share what it means to me personally.
I’ve been a yoga and meditation practitioner for more than 20 years. Yoga has been an animating principle in my life that has seen me through college, drug addiction, the corporate world in New York, loss and death, and the birth of my son and my relationship with my amazing spouse. I’m also a touchy-feely “hugger,” and when I go to shake someone’s hand I’m keenly aware how restricted touch is in our society.
Most would agree that touch is therapeutic, and the rush of oxytocin we produce when we cuddle is great, but in my experience cuddling also can be something deeper.
American Buddhist Jack Kornfield, in his book, After the Ecstasy, the Laundry: How the Heart Grows Wise on the Spiritual Path, talks about how the simple act of being present can be a deeply spiritual practice. I think cuddling, if non-sexual and approached without expected outcomes in mind, can help us be present and raise our spiritual awareness.
So while I’m a “hugger,” and I immediately see the value that cuddling can play as a corrective in our society, I also think it contains a deeply spiritual component.
Indian civil rights leader Mohandas Gandhi said we must be the change we want to see in the world, and I want to play my part by encouraging non-sexual touch and the emergence of what might be called cuddle yoga.
“Touch is important, and we don’t get enough of it. I want to change that, and that’s why I, along with my Co-Founder, started Cuddlist. Will you join us?”
Find out more at CUDDLIST. Learn more; FIND a CUDDLIST and/or become a CUDDLIST!
HATE CRIME – Gay Couple Badly Burned
Marquez Tolbert and his boyfriend Anthony Gooden are recovering from second and third-degree burns after Gooden’s mother’s boyfriend threw boiling water on them in bed while they were sleeping after a long day of work.
He did it — because they are gay.
The 21-year-old and his boyfriend, Anthony Gooden, were severely burned last month when the men say Gooden’s mother’s boyfriend walked in on them sleeping in Gooden’s College Park apartment and poured scalding water all over them.
“I can barely think straight because the burning, the stinging is everywhere,” Tolbert said.Tolbert spent 10 days at Grady Memorial Hospital undergoing surgery that took skin from his thigh to replace skin on his back.
Tolbert left the hospital on Friday. Martin Blackwell is in custody.
Said Tolbert: “Martin pulled me up and said, ‘Get out of my house with all that gay. I couldn’t stop screaming.”
Blackwell reportedly told police he was disgusted by the fact they are gay and said:
“They’ll be all right. It was just a little hot water on them.”
HOPEFULLY – Blackwell may face federal hate crime charges.
There is a GoFundMe for their hospital bills.
PrEP Works…usually
Poz’s Trenton Straube has published the first interview with the 44-year-old Canadian gay man known as “Joe,” who is the first recorded person to contract HIV while using PrEP with evidence of strict adherence.
His doctor said, “Because we’ve always suspected that this potentially could happen, and now we’ve shown that it can happen, people need this information to make decisions about their sexual health that feel right for them,” Dr. David Knox told me by phone yesterday. “The more information, the better. And that’s the bottom line.”
Thanks to the blood tests he was given that were able to point to the relative time of HIV transmission, Joe says that he knows the guy he contracted it from:
He’s in a relationship and “discreet.” We met on bbrt [a bareback community], and he says he’s negative. I prefer to be with people who are positive and know it and are on meds—I’m on PrEP, you’re undetectable, the chances of transmission are like negative 10 percent—but I broke my rule with this guy. So it was with him, I think—it was a bit of a busy period. I reached out to him and he says, “Well, I’m not worried, I’m OK. But I’ll go see a doctor.” And I checked in with him again: “Have you gone? What are the results?” “Oh I’m really busy and haven’t had a chance.” I checked in again. “Oh, I’m out of town on work.” Checked again, and he stopped replying to me. To be honest, I gave up. I don’t need to be vindicated or have him say I’m sorry or whatever. I just wanted to let him know. It’s being socially responsible.
Unicorns and Poop with Squatty Potty
This promo has NOT been paid for – we just thought it was so fabulous, IT HAD TO SHARED.
It is done in the same comical vain as the people behind POO POURRI. (Plus actor WES TOLMAN is WAYYY HOT!)
Pooping will never be the same. This Unicorn shows the effects of improper toilet posture and how it can affect your health. The Squatty Potty toilet stool has been featured on Shark Tank and Dr OZ show and has thousands of happy customers. WATCH
The story of how, Bobby, Judy, and Bill (Squatty Potty founders) ignored their investors and followed their gut—taking a BIG risk on a pooping unicorn that made millions. The viral video campaign created more sales than anything Squatty Potty had done previously.
see also BEHIND THE SCENES
Model Max Emerson Nude and Naked
Max Emerson Nude and Naked? Well……sort of!
Max Emerson in Hashtag Living with Baker Machado @Maxisms
Hashtag Living, with Baker Machado, is on World of Wonder’s WOW Presents Network.
see also MAXISM does DRAGcon
LGBT Addiction Resources – Quit Alcohol
As a lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender (LGBT) individual, you are faced with many unnecessary challenges. One of which is related to receiving treatment for a drug or alcohol addiction. You may not feel comfortable seeking treatment through traditional means, which can have a negative impact on the progress you make.
Drug abuse and addiction continue to present challenges for the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender community. There is not much research available regarding actual statistics and data, but it is believed that the rate of substance abuse is higher within the LGBT community than the general population.
Gay Student News – Financial Aid
There’s no doubt pursuing a graduate degree can be a demanding and intense experience, and navigating your school options can be complicated and challenging. In addition to finding the best degree programs or schools, the rising tuition costs, existing student loan debt or financial constraints can make returning to school feel daunting.
In this guide, you will find a variety of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and questioning (LGBTQ) scholarships in popular career fields such as the arts, physical or social sciences, advocacy and education, tips and resources for funding your master’s degree, and a scholarship application checklist to help you succeed in your academic pursuits.
@ GO GRAD, they have just released a useful guide, Scholarships & Financial Aid for LGBTQ Students. This guide provides a comprehensive list of scholarships for LGBTQ students planning for their graduate education. The guide is broken down by subject, and includes pertinent information for applying for scholarships, and even tips for applying and securing financial aid. Check out all of the info HERE!
Civil Rights Act To Include LGBT Protections
FINALLY!
The White House announced on Tuesday its endorsement of legislation that would amend the 1964 Civil Rights Act to ban discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity via The Equality Act.
The Washington Post reports:
Speaking to reporters, White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest said the administration “has been reviewing for several weeks” the bill. “It is now clear that the administration strongly supports the equality act,” he said, adding it would advance the civil rights of “millions of Americans.”
Earnest added the White House would “work to ensure that the legislative process produces something that balances “the bedrock principles of civil rights with the religious liberty that we hold dear in this country.” Although there is little chance that this Congress will approve the legislation — which was introduced in July by Democratic Sens. Jeff Merkley (Ore.), Tammy Baldwin (Wis.) and Cory Booker (N.J.) — President Obama’s support elevates to greater prominence the question of whether lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender Americans need greater legal safeguards.
And while the majority of the community and its leading organizations support the Equality Act fully, he once LGBT equality grassroots group GetEQUAL led by Heather Cronk and Angela Peoples is asking the LGBT movement to focus on race and transexual issues instead and not support amending the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Log Cabin Republicans Executive Director Gregory T. Angelo also states that his group does not support the legislation.
While as for now as long as the Republican party holds the House and senate hostage it’s little more than a
Yoga Phobia @ Yogaphobia.com
Do you have Yogaphobia?
Aubrey Warren will help you overcome your fear by showing you the 10 MOST BASIC YOGA postures in 16 minutes.
Have you considered starting your yoga journey, but don’t know where to start? Start HERE FOR FREE!
Streaming access to Yogaphobia is free. If you would like to buy your own digital copy, you can hit the button above or visit the Yogaphobia Store to see more videos.
Mr. Gay World 2010 Dies
So many of take for granted our health. We can go, at any time….Charl van den Berg, who in 2010 won the Mr. Gay World competition in Oslo, Norway, has died at the age of 33 from a short battle with lymphatic cancer.
Announcing van den Berg’s death, Mr. Gay World competition organizers wrote “We have lost a member of our family, a hero and a friend. Charl van den Berg will always be an icon to many around the world.”
Read More HERE
HIV NEWS – Terry Curry
HIV Equal Online Senior Editor, Tyler Curry, created a short film about the difference between the HIV of today versus the AIDS of yesterday.
This is dedicated to the long-term survivors and the ones we lost in the fight.
#Live
Happy and Gay! Gay Happiness Index
115,000 gay men told us!
Because of the Internet, online gay communities like PlanetRomeo are able to offer support for gay men that they may not be able to get anywhere else. Being at the heart of 1.8 million men globally, we have access to both the audience and resources to do this research for the very first time.
Incredibly, more than 115,000 gay men from all over the world participated in the HAPPINESS survey.
We initiated the research and collaborated with the Johannes Gutenberg University of Mainz (JGUM), Germany who designed a qualified scientific questionnaire and executed the survey.
ICELAND GAYS were the HAPPIEST.
UGANDA GAYS were the unhappiest 🙁
See how your country stacks up. (United States came in 29th out of 127).
This Book is GAY
There is a long running joke that after “coming out”, we should get a membership card and an instruction manual! This is that manual!
James Dawson’s THIS BOOK IS GAY, provides a straightforward and witty breakdown of all things LGBT.
As a former health teacher and acclaimed young adult author, James Dawson gives an honest, humorous, and informative guide to topics including coming out, hooking up, dating, bullying and homo/transphobia, politics, religious views, and more. It includes real stories from people across gender and sexual spectrums, the smashing of myths and prejudices, and hilarious illustrations by Spike Gerrell, allowing readers to learn what it’s like growing up LGBT.
This book encourages people to realize their best self in whichever way they identify (or don’t) and whomever they love. As a comical and informative instruction manual, James Dawson tells it like it is so that the readers may go out and experience for themselves.
Whether you have recently come out or have been out – I think this book can offer something for everyone. There is great section about the bible. And how to come back at people and argue things they try to refer to to from the bible and Leviticus!
For about $10 this is a very useful book! BUY IT! This Book is Gay
After being published in Great Britain, This Book is Gay was named one of Guardian’s Best Books of the Year.
Boy Scouts Challenge
- Scouts For Equality has challenged Boy Scouts President Bob Gates to overturn the Scouts’ policy banning gay adults!
- Anyone can make a donation directly to the Boy Scouts to support the challenge – but the Scouts won’t get the money unless they reverse their discriminatory policy
- $53,000 has been raised ! 4 days LEFT!
This is made possible by the new crowdfunding platform Challeng.org, which aggregates charitable donations to enact social change. This campaign is the official launch for Challeng.
Did Your Mom Inspire You?
Countdown to Mother’s Day!
Very seldom in life do we meet people with such amazing gifts that we are left stunned. Earnestine Robinson is one of those rare people. She is able to create music so intricate, many consider it impossible to do without a background in music. Despite no formal music training, with her faith and family, she rises from humble southern roots to become an unlikely composer of classical music that takes her all the way to Carnegie Hall and to a world premiere in Europe.
Earnestine does not question her source. She trusts God to guide her and just continues to create extraordinary music that has taken her all the way to Carnegie Hall three times.
While some stories are interesting and others explore and push the reader to think, it is usually the inspirational stories that touch the soul. Her book “Driven by Faith” is a “must-read” for anyone who has struggled to answer the question, “Why am I here?”
Earnestine’s gift is more than just creating some of the most beautiful music you will ever hear. It’s also about family, faith and giving back. To this end, Earnestine and her family are holding a contest, one that could include you and your mother.
Join us for this very unique “Countdown to Mother’s Day!”
1. Submit in 500 words or less your special Mother’s Day story. It can be funny, sentimental, inspirational, bold or all of these and more. Submit HERE.
2. Each day, prior to Mother’s Day, come back and share special thoughts you have on the upcoming special day on Earnestine’s timeline on Facebook.
3. Share your thoughts with all your friends.
The first 100 people to actively post on Earnestine’s timeline will win the opportunity to participate in a special live, online Earnestine Robinson Master Class. She will discuss and take questions on how to find your purpose and the role of faith in reaching your destiny.
On Mother’s Day, three winners will be chosen and each receive a $100 gift card from Amazon and a copy of Earnestine’s book “Driven By Faith”. Each of the stories will be posted on Earnestine’s Facebook page.
Make this your best Mother’s Day ever!
Bill to Protect Homeless Youth
Yesterday, Congressman Dave Reichert (WA-8) and Congressman John Yarmuth (KY-3) introduced H.R. 1779, the Runaway and Homeless Youth and Trafficking Prevention Act, to reauthorize the Runaway and Homeless Youth Act (RHYA).
The reauthorization recognizes the needs of all young people, including lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) youth experiencing homelessness. Research continues to show that while LGBT youth make up just seven percent of the general youth population, they comprise 40 percent of the 1.6 million youth that are homeless in America each year.
“We have a responsibility to help the most vulnerable,” said Rep. Reichert. “Many of our most vulnerable are children who have for one reason or another been forced to live on the streets. Too often we fail to see these kids and we leave them without opportunities to rebuild their lives. This bill will help us to fix that, and it will help us provide shelter for children in need and set them up to become successful adults.”
RHYA is our nation’s only federal law that specifically funds vital services for homeless youth, including street outreach, basic shelter, and transitional living programs.
“This legislation will help us meet our responsibility to combat youth homelessness and ensure that homeless young people in America have a place to seek shelter and find safety,” said Rep. Yarmuth. “When a child is homeless, they don’t just lose the security of a safe place to sleep, they miss out on opportunities for future success.”
“I applaud Congressmen Reichert and Yarmuth for introducing the Runaway and Homeless Youth and Trafficking Prevention Act,” said Cyndi Lauper, Co-Founder of the True Colors Fund. “No young person deserves to be homeless, but they do deserve to have access to safe, supportive, and inclusive services if they find themselves on the streets. The time to act is now, because homeless youth don’t have the time for us to wait until tomorrow.”
The True Colors Fund strongly supports this Act, which strengthens critical services in the effort to end youth homelessness.
Read the full press release to learn more about the effort to reauthorize RHYA, and voice your support for all youth on Facebook and Twitter.
Born This Way Foundation and YALE
Today, the Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence, in partnership with Born This Way Foundation, launched the Emotion Revolution initiative to build awareness of the critical role emotions play in young people’s learning, decision-making, and overall wellness.
The initiative will begin with an unprecedented online survey of high-school age youth nation-wide, exploring how young people feel, how they want to feel, and how to bridge the gap between the two. This data will strengthen the scientific understanding of how to most effectively build positive school climates and empower young people with the emotional tools they need to lead happy, healthy, and productive lives. The survey is available at EmotionRevolution.org beginning today, April 9, 2015.
Results from the survey will be presented at the Emotion Revolution Summit in October. Hosted at Yale University, the Summit will feature youth participants from around the country as well as special guests, including Yale President Peter Salovey, Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence Director Marc Brackett, and Born This Way Foundation Co-Founders Cynthia Germanotta and Lady Gaga.
The summit will serve as a platform to unveil the findings of the study as well as offer youth the opportunity to share their ideas for creating improved learning environments with key educators, academics, and policy makers. A major goal of the summit is to create momentum around the national social and emotional learning (SEL) movement and to provide youth and educators with the resources they need to accelerate positive changes in their schools and communities.
The need for an Emotion Revolution has never been greater. Far too many young people today are feeling overwhelmed, isolated, and bored. According to the American Psychological Association, for the first time high school-age youth are feeling more stressed than adults. Left unchecked, such emotions can impair mental and physical health, interfere with learning, and hinder prospects for future success. The Emotion Revolution is dedicated to helping to reverse these trends.
“Born This Way Foundation is excited to partner with the Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence on this important initiative,” said Cynthia Germonatta, Co-Founder and President of Born This Way Foundation. “Our organizations are dedicated to empowering young people in order to make the world a kinder and braver place. This survey is a fundamental step towards accomplishing that goal.”
“Emotions drive learning, decision making, relationships, and health. Research has shown us repeatedly that the skills of emotional intelligence profoundly impact a person’s ability to thrive – academically, personally, and professionally,” said Marc Brackett, Director of the Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence. “The Emotion Revolution survey will allow us to take the emotional temperature of young people around the country, improving our understanding of how to best equip them with the tools they need to succeed in every facet of life.”
Instagram Couple Justin Moore and Nick Grant
What started out as a scrapbook for this sexy couple is trending!
“We’re just having fun. We’re not representing anyone but ourselves.”
Meet Justin Moore and Nick Grant.
Read the interview at New Now Next
Follow them on Instagram
Diversity & Inclusion – Love Has No Labels
BRILLIANT!
No wonder this went viral this week! The Ad Council did an excellent job communicating love is love.
While the vast majority of Americans consider themselves unprejudiced, many of us unintentionally make snap judgments about people based on what we see—whether it’s race, age, gender, religion, sexuality, or disability. This may be a significant reason many people in the U.S. report they feel discriminated against. Subconscious prejudice—called “implicit bias”—has profound implications for how we view and interact with others who are different from us. It can hinder a person’s ability to find a job, secure a loan, rent an apartment, or get a fair trial, perpetuating disparities in American society. The Love Has No Labels campaign challenges us to open our eyes to our bias and prejudice and work to stop it in ourselves, our friends, our families, and our colleagues.
Rethink your bias at LovehasnoLabels.com. WATCH
