THEGAYUK

Tag: Top List

  • 10 Things I Learnt at A Steps Concert

    On Friday 1st December, a moment that I had been hoping would happen for twenty years finally arrived… I attended a Steps concert.

    Back in the day, as a thirteen-year-old gay boy, I was one of their biggest fans. Sadly, I never got to see them live, so when they reformed and announced a tour, I knew I had to get tickets and join them for a party on the dancefloor.

    With the sassiest drag queen in the land, Sassi Afrika, in tow, I sashayed into the arena with high expectations. It was worth the twenty-year wait, as they put on a five-star show, but it was also a great learning experience. Here are ten things I learnt by attending a Steps concert.

    They know how to make an entrance

    The entrance was terrific and set the tone for the rest of the show. Dancers with red cloaks and golden glitter face masks moved around the stage carrying flame torches. Steps then arrived on stage, with their identities hidden by red cloaks and glitter face masks too. Dancers then pulled off the cloaks, the masks came off, and the band burst into singing their comeback single, “Scared of the Dark”.

    They know their audience

    Looking around at the crowd gathered at the arena confirmed my suspicions that the audience would be mainly made up of gay men and ladies of a certain age. There were probably more gay men at Steps than were at the Kylie Minogue concert I went to a few years ago. The rest of the audience was mostly people in their 30s and 40s who were big Steps fans two decades ago.

    Throughout the show, there were nice references to many of their fans being gay. A male dancer accompanied H. When the backing dancers had their own performance segment, there was a male dance couple and a female dance couple. H was jokingly flirting with one of the male dancers, which was quite entertaining. Finally, at one point in the show the words ‘Love Wins’ was displayed on a screen in rainbow coloured letters. They were all nice touches that gave a nod to their gay fans. It seemed genuine too, rather than contrived.

    Heterosexual men attend Steps concerts

    Who knew? There were heterosexual couples in attendance, and at one point a man got down on one knee and proposed to his girlfriend. Thankfully she said yes. I always thought that concert proposals were a bit cringe and embarrassing, but having seen one with my own eyes, it was actually quite beautiful and added to what was already a great night.

    Lee can sing

    Again, who knew? I had thought that Lee’s main purpose was to provide some eye candy. While he is very handsome, he can also sing. In the early days of Steps, Lee didn’t really have an opportunity to sing. However, on their new album, he has more singing duties. This enabled him to sing solo parts during the concert, and I was surprised by how good his vocals are. They were on a par with everyone else’s. In fact, everyone’s vocals on the night were outstanding.

    They throw everything at their live shows

    This concert was visually one of the best I have ever been to. The lighting and fantastic set added so much to a brilliant show. The dance routines were spot on and completely in time. The backing dancers were amazing. The audience interaction and previously mentioned nods to their gay fans were really nice touches. It was clear that this is a group who are at the top of their game and happy to show everyone just how good they are. It was a world-class concert.

    Vengaboys are a fantastic support act


    When Vengaboys burst on to the stage, I was happy to hop on the Vengabus with them. Their one-hour set was full on and packed with high energy dance routines and impressive live vocals. I’d forgotten how many hits Vengaboys had and it was nice to hear them again. One thing puzzled me though. Vengaboys do not appear to have aged a day in twenty years. I need to know their secret.

    Steps fans are the friendliest

    I’ve been to a lot of concerts, and there is normally an idiot somewhere nearby. So, it was nice to chat with some lovely people at the Steps concert, share dance routines and have a good laugh with them. Complete strangers were talking to each other, dancing with each other, and have a fantastic time. It was nice to see and experience that.

    Glitter is a must

    I let the side down by not wearing any glitter, devil horns or flashing hat. Much of the audience was dressed up for the gig, and glitter was popular. If I see Steps again, I’m going head to toe in glitter. As the saying goes, when in doubt, add more glitter.

    Sassi Afrika knows every dance Steps routine

    Sassi Afrika is a glorious creature and had been teasing the dance routines. However, nothing prepared me for the show that she put on next to me. From beginning to end, Sassi did every single dance routine, and each move was spot on. If Steps ever need a replacement for Claire, they should give Sassi a call.

    Time has been kind to Steps songs

    We all know that Steps were known for being a bit cheesy in their heyday. However, time has been very kind to their songs. Each song sounded fantastic and somehow better today than when they were released. The material from their new album is very good and very relevant for today’s market. It’s a Steps sound, but with a mature twist. With such an outstanding back catalogue of classic hits, this was always going to be a great show.

     

    Tickets are available for Glasgow Date (7th December), Cardiff (10th December)

  • MASSAGE | How to give your boyfriend a massage he won’t forget

    You know that story of Aladdin? The one where he rubs his lamp and gets his wishes? Well, imagine your partner’s body is that lamp. A little bit of rubbing in the right places will have him granting your every desire.

    Massage is a feel-good indulgence, and it has real health benefits. It’ll improve circulation by encouraging the flow of blood to your body’s tissues and get rid of metabolites such as lactic acids. By stimulating the lymph nodes, you can improve the immune system, but best of all it stimulates the endorphins. You know, the body’s natural feel-good chemical.

    So get your hands busy on your man – don’t go straight for the genie (new penis euphemism) try and rub around elsewhere and you’ll have him granting at least three wishes.

    Preparation.

    Ask your gentleman to lie stomach down on the bed. Naked. Now, this is the tricky bit, because you’ll probably want to get right down to business, but hold out – it will be worth it.

    Put some pillows under his stomach to support the lower back. You – the masseur, should wear some loose fitting cotton, full-length joggers or pyjamas. If you don’t, the massage will feel quite prickly once you start using oils.

    Have the lights turned low, maybe some candles? Massage candles are incredible to use. After the fragrant candle is lit, its wax melts into a pleasantly warm massage oil. Just pour a little oil onto your partner for a pampering, indulging and nourishing massage. Available for £9.99 in two scents, A Trip To Athens and A Trip To Rome. Both smell absolutely divine.

    Let’s begin…

    Place a pillow under his head so he can rest his head on one side comfortably.

    Feet. Gently rotate each foot in circular motions three times clockwise and anticlockwise. Cup your hands around the ankles and rub downwards towards the toes. Work your thumbs into the sole of each foot and the arch of the foot. Feet carry a lot of tension, especially if your man spends a lot of time on his feet. Gently pull each toe to help release any tension in the toes. Sometimes you may hear them click as they release, this is fine and normal. Listen to his reaction. You soon learn what he loves and what he’s less keen on.

    Legs. Working upwards, warm some essential oil into the palm of your hands and work your palm upwards towards the heart. Use moderate strength. When you reach the calf area use your thumbs to massage into each of the calves. The calves are huge and strong muscles and may need extra attention. Keep the massage movement long and sweeping. The blood should really start pumping as you near the…

    Buttocks. As tempted as you might be to stop off here and end the massage tour of his body, don’t! It will be all worth the while when you’re done. The butt is the biggest muscle in the body; you can apply much greater pressure here to help release any tension that he may have. If your man is feeling a little self-conscious, then always massage from the outside edge of the buttock to the middle – if you work the other way round you will open the cheeks of the buttocks and expose him, which may make him feel uncomfortable.

    Back. Running your fingers up your partner’s back should have him squirming in pleasure. The back is a massive erogenous zone for many men – so he’ll enjoy a variety of different techniques here. Tracing his spine with your two thumbs run the entire length of the backbone, stretching out the top of the neck when you get there. The lower and middle back may be carrying a lot of stress, especially if he works in an office all day and sits for extended periods. Using some more oils and gauging your partner’s reactions start are the base of his back and work the muscly area either side of his spine. The shoulders may be tense so begin gently with your thumbs, progressively increasing the pressure to rub out those crunchy muscles.

    Shoulders. Work your thumbs in circular motions; gently apply pressure and kneading the muscles. Be careful not to place both hands on the neck as this will feel like you’re about to strangle him.

    Neck. It’s a susceptible area, so again be gentle. Gently stroke and work your thumbs and fingers into the sides of the neck. Work your way into the back of the head, and lightly knead the scalp.

    With long sweeping motions run your hands doing his neck to his coccyx (tailbone just above his asshole.) Do this a few times. This should really get him purring. Run your fingers down his crack to his scrotum – he’ll most naturally open his legs wider for you to gain access. Run your fingers around the area to really get his passion lit.

    Then let the passion commence. You can use the oils to have a slippery time together rubbing your bodies against each other – but it is best to rub away oils from the anus if you are going to penetrate. Essential and other massage oils will damage condoms and weaken condoms.

    Always use a water-based lube with condoms. Never use essential oils as a lubricant for sex. You don’t want to end up in A&E. 

  • 9 Things Only Assholes Do When They Travel

    9 Things Only Assholes Do When They Travel

    Take your damned laptop out of your cabin bag… creep.

    In this golden age of travel, most of the millennial generation have been on international flights by the time they hit puberty. But just because travel is such a regular part of our lives these days, it doesn’t mean that all etiquette should go out the window. It’s very easy to let jet lag and frustration get the better of you, but if you’re doing any of these nine things, then you’re probably a travel asshole and should stop immediately.

    Note: This listicle may contain angry ranting and passive aggressive comments from a traveller who gets very irritable when flying.

    1. Treating airport and airline staff like crap

    andreas160578 / Pixabay

    We’ve all seen those TV shows in which airport staff are screamed at by angry tourists with a 4-hour delay. But more often than not it’s not their fault. Imagine yourself in their shoes before taking your jet lag-fuelled frustration out on them.

    2. Rummaging for your passport when you get to the check-in counter

    gay travel tips

    You’ve been queuing for the last 20 minutes to check in, that’s plenty of time to get out your passport and any other documentation that you know you’ll need when you get to the check-in counter.

    You know they need to see your passport, so have it out and ready to speed things up.

    3. Leaving liquids in your carry-on

    Even if you’ve never flown before, surely you must know that you can’t take liquids in your carry-on luggage.

    There are signs saying this pretty much everywhere.

    So if you have to take liquids on board, put them in a plastic baggy BEFORE you get to the airport. And please please please, don’t be that jerk who gets all the way to the security check before taking them out of your bag.

    What do you think the rest of us have been doing while we queued?!

    4. Same with laptops

    Now I don’t know why the X-Ray machine needs your laptop to be out of your bag, but it does. So use your time while waiting to take it out (along with your liquids), so you can put it straight in that plastic tub and head straight through.

    5. Rushing to board at the gate

    Most boarding procedures call up passengers to board based on their zones, so know which one is yours and wait your turn. Those with children and those needing assistance will always board first, but don’t panic; they’re not taking your seat, it’ll still be there for you when you board in a minute. You’re going to be sitting in it for the next few hours, what’s your rush?

     

    6. Blocking the aisles while boarding

    gay travel tips

    You might need to go through your bag to take out your book, snacks, and iPad, but please don’t do it while standing in the aisle.

    There are a lot of people trying to get to their seat, and they shouldn’t have to wait for you to find and untangle your headphones before getting past.

    7. Using the bathroom while people are boarding

    You know what’s more annoying than someone standing in the aisle while 200 people try to board a plane? Someone walking in the opposite direction of 200 people trying to board a flight. Either use the loo before you get on board or hold it until you’re up in the air.

    8. Putting your seat back while someone behind you is eating

    That’s just a dick move. You’re probably eating too, so sit up straight and let them eat their “delicious” aeroplane meal in peace.

    9. Getting up before the seat belt sign has been turned off

    Gadini / Pixabay

    They say this every time, and without fail a load of jerks will jump out of their seats the second the plane touches the ground to clamber for their bags. Wait until it’s safe and then chill out and get your bag.

    We’re not going anywhere yet as they haven’t parked the plane, so there’s no need to elbow Grandma out of the way to get your bags before she does.

  • 9 of the best gay chat sites

    9 of the best gay chat sites

    If you’re looking for a community of gay and bisexual men in the UK there are many forums, chat sites and apps to choose from each offering different types of experience and communities.

    Whether you’re looking for dates, mates or fetes here are some of our favourites.

    THEGAYUK Chat

    Okay, we’re blowing our own trumpet here, but THEGAYUK’s community is an entirely different concept adding content and members together. So as stories are developing on the site and around the globe, we invite our users to get involved with the story and add their voices. There are forums, private messages, user photo galleries. It’s a relatively new service, so membership is building. It’s free to join and use. What’s more, we use our community to help shape our content. So if you have opinions that you want to get heard then you should join us!

    Fitladz

    Fitladz is one of our favourite haunts. It’s bitchy, fast-moving and has a real community feel to it. There’s usually between 600 and 1500 guys on at any point and has a fantastic forum system, with people bringing up all manner of subjects for the community to discuss. Basic membership is free and there is an option to upgrade.

    Realjock

    If fitness and the gym is more your scene Realjock.com is the place for you to hang in, although the membership tends to be US skewed, there are lots of Brits in the membership. Registration is free and will give you access to thousands of forums and millions (yes millions of posts). Apparently, they have nearly 400,000 members so as they say variety is the spice of life. The interface is simple looking and perhaps a little dated.

    Gaydar

    Who could forget the daddy of gay chat, Gaydar? The site has been through a major redesign and overhaul. It has a very clean interface and the old chat rooms are still intact but do seem a little quieter than when Gaydar was the only – or the major player in town. It’s clean and well laid out. There isn’t a guy aged over 35 who probably didn’t have a Gaydar account at some point! Maybe it’s time to dust off the old log in and get back on.

    Onlylads

    It took an age to join onlylads – because the activation code took forever to arrive in my inbox, although the site does allow for Facebook login, not everyone will want to use their other social media accounts to log in. The site claims to have over 100,000 profiles and come from all over the world. There’s no forum or chat room – but it does allow you to message individual members. It’s very clean looking and the interface is unfussy and user-friendly.

    b-gay.com

    b-gay.com has been around since 1999 and offers a lot of good and interesting gay and bi lifestyle content, however, its chat service has a lot of work needed to make it stand up against its rivals. It runs on Javascript or flash – which not every browser or user wants or has turned on. There doesn’t look to be a place where you can log in and create a profile. It’s all a bit anonymous to be a good social site for users. Great for lifestyle content not so great for social.

    Caffmos

    Caffmos is one of the most established social networks and its speciality is older guys, after all, it does stand for Contacts And Friendship For Men Over Sixty. The creators at Caffmos say that “friendship matters” and it’s been designed in a way to help the flow of conversations. It also offers verified photos – brilliant to ensure that the person is who they say they are. It also has an intelligent way of matching you to like-minded people by asking you to fill out three of your interests. It’s all quite old school but we love it.

    Squirt.org

    Rude and lewd and if you like that, then Squirt is the place for you. You get 10 days for free and you can see a lot of guys in your ten days. The idea of this site is to hook up, cruise online and generally get your rocks off, it’s more like the dating app experience, but for your desktop and mobile.

    By far one of biggest on the web is FabGuys, which has been entertaining the gays since 2010. It’s a British made website and has a verification system so you know you’re talking to real guys. It has a simple and easy to use looking website.

  • 10 totally homoerotic horror movies that aren’t suppose to be gay

    10 totally homoerotic horror movies that aren’t suppose to be gay

    With Halloween just around the corner, we thought we’d look through the campest, gayest most homoerotic movies ever to grace this planet.

    The way-to-good looking heartthrob, who incidentally always has great hair, teeth and wears Daz white Ts only to eventually get ripped and shredded by an ugly monster, it’s a bit like Saturday nights out in town.

    10. Jeepers Creepers 2


    First in our list of homoerotic horror movies is the 2005 flick Jeepers Creepers. The first time we see the winged monster from Jeepers Creepers (in the first movie) he’s preying after some boy in a cornfield, clearly, after tasting boy fear, he can’t help himself but go after an entire busload of jocks. It’s a bit like Bait Bus but messier, a bit like HazeHim.com but deadlier. So after the bus, they are all travelling on, suffers a flat tyre, the boys proceed to lie on top of the bus half naked basking in the sunshine as well as taking extended urinating breaks together.

    After doing away with the grown-ups on the trip the Monster starts picking on the jocks, leaving the first victim half naked and provocatively draped on the ground for the remainder of the film. Hot and Homoerotic.

    Gay Rating 60%  BUY DVD FROM AMAZON

    9. Hostel

    Clean freak, misogynist, Christian Bale naked. Gay. The way in which he kills his female callers, hookers and models suggest a certain, I dunno, hatred of women. I’m not sure, but it’s a theory and I’m putting it out there. However, he does put an axe in Jared Leto’s face and let’s face it if that isn’t a euphemism I’m not sure what is…

    Gay Rating 75%  BUY DVD FROM AMAZON

    Nightmare On Elm Street

    Johnny Depp in a tiny, itty bitty crop top, with TV on his crotch, being pulled through a bed. Gay. End Of.

    Gay Rating 83%  BUY DVD FROM AMAZON

    NEXT: More Nightmare On Elm Street

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  • Four ways to strengthen your bromances and friendships

    Get by with a little help…

    The Spice Girls were all over this with their friendship never ends shenanigans… but having friends in your life is key to a healthy life and can, according to AXA PPP Healthcare even protect you from the common cold.

    They told us,

    Most of us, when asked to think of all the benefits of having friends, will come up with things like companionship, good laughs, support, conversation, sharing meals together and so on. But there’s one big perk that is often overlooked and worth considering: friends will increase your chances of living a longer and healthier life.

    It starts with the heart. It’s probably no accident that it is often referred to as more than a muscle pumping blood and as a source of love, friendship and soul. Research shows that social isolation or a lack of friends puts you at higher risk of cardiovascular disease, and will cut your life expectancy.

    Friendship is a protective barrier against minor illnesses too, including the common cold.

    Four tactics to make your friendships strong.

    Make friendship a priority. With our hectic lives it’s all too easy for ‘friend time’ to be squeezed out and pushed down your priority list. Don’t let it happen. Schedule time for friends in your diary just as you would a dental appointment or a date. Make the time sacred and don’t cancel unless there is a true emergency. If your friends are many and the time slots in your diary few, think about bringing some friends together!

    Brush up on your listening skills. There’s no greater gift you can give a friend than your undivided attention, lots of eye contact, and the time and space for them to talk about what’s on their mind, knowing you are going to support and not judge them.

    Friendships, like any relationship, can become stale if you’re not paying attention. Inject fresh life into them by doing something different and surprising. Change the place and frequency of meeting. Arrive with a bunch of flowers if you don’t normally, and do things on the spur of the moment!

    Shy at parties? Worried about how you’re coming across? It may be time to place your ego to the side and exercise your ‘curiosity muscle’, simply by taking a genuine interest in others. All the research shows that it is the art of being genuinely curious and attentive that makes someone come off as a brilliant conversationalist, rather than having lots of clever things to say!

  • 10 of the best pop songs to come out to for #NationalComingOutDay

    In the olden days (I’m talking about G-A-Y at the Astoria), when I used to go out as an excitable newbie gay and was able to wear stomach revealing tees, Pop music was my haven.

    Pop music of the late 90s and early 2000s seemed to know my man loving ways and was only to happy to deliver thumping after thumping hit for me to perform my little camp heart out on the sticky floors of that old, fondly missed haunt.

    1) Geri, the official gift to gay men delivered ‘Lift Me Up’ / ‘Look At Me’ / ‘Bag It Up’. No list of coming out songs is complete without one Ginger song and she’s given us at least 3. Geri’s debut solo album Schizo-Phonic offered up a plethora of camptastic tunes. I still put on ‘Bag It Up’ from time to time and it still makes me jig. Yes I said ‘jig’ and I’m owning it.


    2) ‘Get This Party Started‘, When Pink slammed onto the scene with this song it almost became a homo chant. “I’m coming out, so you better get this party started’. Its place in the annals of gay culture was cemented when the Dame of Bassey made her almost definitive version of the classic for that M&S advert.


    3) ‘One Day In Your Life’, at the height of Anastacia’s greatness the ab’d goddess with the huge voice was churning out stompers like nobody’s business. ‘One Day In Your Life’ has such a seriously strong chorus that it has become one of my all time club classics.


    4) ‘I Am What I Am’, The Dame of Bassey (Shirley Bassey). Ok, this isn’t one that featured much in the clubs – but sexuality affirmed men (and some who are yet to discover their true selves) with feather boas across the nation kick out their legs in unison whenever this track is played. It is against the law not to do some kind of jazz hand whilst this is playing – fact.


    5) ‘Can’t Take That Away’, just before the true madness of Mariah Carey was unleashed upon the world, the stratospheric octaved diva delivered probably her most camp, dramatic and butterfly filled song ever – with a ‘love and respect’ yourself theme, what self-respecting gay can’t listen to this with a tear in his eye and a knowing in his heart?


    6) Britney was on fire (and had a full head of hair) at the beginning of the noughties and ‘Stronger’ was a killer track. Pre ‘Madonna kiss’ post ‘I’m a naughty school girl’ – Brit knew the way forward was her gays.

     


    7) ‘It’s Raining Men’ is a track, which just needs to feature on this list. It’s a floor filler. Geri’s is okay, but you can’t beat the original Weather Girls’ version, it only counts if you clap in the right place – those who miss the double clap HANG YOUR HEAD IN SHAME.


    8) Remember Holly Valance, that Neighbours star turned pop princess? Vaguely? Well, she burst onto the scene with a seriously sexy number ‘Kiss Kiss’, which I remember making an impact – in my bedroom, but that’s not for here!


    9) ‘Beautiful’, by XTina featured a rather hot gay couple in the video – which gets my vote and the song, has a gooey, lovey vibe, which makes me feel my most beautiful.


    10) ‘I’m Coming Out’, Diana Ross sang this song either with full knowledge of the gay anthem she was about to create or in complete naivety. It features one of the longest introductions in the world, but lyrically this song has to come in at number 1. It says what it does on the tin (if it had a tin).

    What are your TOP coming out songs?

  • 12 Amazing coming out YouTube videos

    To celebrate National Coming Out Day 2017, we’re enjoying the best coming out videos on YouTube.

    Taking to YouTube is now one of the best ways for stars to talk directly to their fans, especially about painful or personal experiences. Their stories are told in their own voice and there’s no distortion of the truth. Here are the Top 12 coming out videos on Youtube

    These brave men and women made the decision to come out on their own terms and we applaud them.

    Matt And Blue, Actor and Musician

    434,286 views


    Despite coming out through a Twitter post back in 2013, Matt Dallas and his partner Blue Hamilton decided to make a coming out video to talk about the how’s, the why’s and the everything’s… Super cute and really fun.

     

    George Shelley, Union J Singer

    525,096 views

    Before it was removed, Union J singer George Shelley, posted a video telling his fans he had something he wanted to talk about. In his video he says that he’s attracted to men and women and that labels like gay or bi were “old fashioned”.

     

    Billy Gillman, Singer

    1,077,637 views


    Just days after fellow country singer Ty Herndon came out, Billy Gillman made this emotional YouTube video. In the five and a half minute video the vocalist talked about life with his partner and his difficultly with major record labels wanting to re-sign him, despite selling 5 million records.

    Daniel Newman, Actor

    2,330,031 views

    When an actor comes out, it’s big news, when the show that he on is one of the biggest shows on the planet, it’s MASSIVE news. Daniel Newman came out this year, in a video he titled, #OutAndProud.

     

    Lucas Cruickshank, YouTuber

    5,274,279 views


    In possibly the most fun coming out video Lucas literally burst out of the closet and into the open after one fan asked the simple question “are you gay”.

     

    Troye Sivan, X Men Actor turned singer

    7,629,630 views


    X Men actor Troye came out on YouTube at the age of 18 in 2013. In his emotional video he said,

    “I’m terrified. I know that some people are going to have a problem with this. This could kind of change everything for me, but it shouldn’t have to. And that’s why I’m making this video, and that’s why I think it’s important for people to make these kinds of videos.”

    Shane Dawson, YouTuber

    9,034,704 views


    In 2015 Shane Dawson came out as bisexual in a video that has now been seen over 7 million times. He said, emotionally,

    “This is a really hard video to make. I’m really scared… I never thought I would be making this, ever. I woke up this morning and I just had to.

    “I’m making this video because I feel like it could help a lot of people. Over the last year, I’ve been extremely sexually confused.

    “I always wished that I was gay, that I was just 100 percent gay. It would be a lot easier to be accepted by people… but I’m not.

     

    Joey Graceffa, YouTuber

    7,910,702 views


    Gorgeous Joey came out on YouTube as gay in 2015. He went on to release a music video which featured a pretty hot, non heteronormative story line of princes falling in love with each other.

     

    Connor Franta, YouTuber,

    11,776,973 views


    Connor Franta’s coming out video made mainstream news. In a video simply named “Coming Out” the YouTuber told his 3.6 subscribers that he was gay, saying,

    “I’m sitting here with no script, no plan, no fancy editing, and I’m just gonna be really honest,”

    Tom Daley, Diver,

    12,263,378 views


    The Olympic champion diver took to YouTube at the end of 2013 to say that he was in a relationship with a man. He described the posting of the video as a “hard decision to make” but ultimately he wanted his fans to hear it directly from him.

    Ingrid Nilsen, YouTuber.

    16,886,975 views


    Ingrid came out as gay in 2015 in a highly emotional video and is to date the second most viewed coming out YouTube video, which might be down to the fact that the vlogger has nearly 4 million subscribers.

     

    The Rhodes Bros

    25,014,703 views


    Reaching out far ahead of any other YouTube coming out video is the Rhodes’ twins coming out as gay to their father on the phone. The video had huge media pick up which help ratchet the views to over 21 million.

  • Six reasons guys may engage in the services of a sex worker

    Six reasons guys may engage in the services of a sex worker

    Writing in 2013, writer Greg Mitchell outlined six reasons why men might call upon the services of an escort and asked if Prostitution was the last taboo.

    FILE PHOTO

    One will typically find, when talking about sex, that a gay man will say something along the lines of, “I’d never use an escort. I don’t have to.” The inference being, that they are too sexy, good-looking young or whatever for them to even consider the services of a sex worker. Well, let me tell you, there are many reasons a guy might choose to see an escort, and usually, it has very little to do with the way they look. Most are just average guys, the kind of guy you might have winked at in a bar, and some of the ones I’ve seen have been downright gorgeous. Admittedly, there are a few who look better with the lights out, but for the most part, they are just ordinary guys.

    Six reasons

    1. He’s in a long-term relationship. He still loves his partner, but his partner doesn’t enjoy the same sort of sex he does. Seeing an escort is far safer than picking someone up on the internet or in a bar. His partner is far less likely to find out about it, and the escort is far less likely to turn into a bunny boiler.

    2. Maybe he’s disabled in some way. We do tend to forget the physical needs of the disabled, as if a disability should condemn someone to a life time of celibacy. One of my clients, a sweet and gentle man, had lost both his legs in an accident. Sex wasn’t easy for him, but it was possible and he still had needs. Much better to use the service of a professional.

    3. This is one of the most surprising, but it happens. A young guy, who wants someone with a bit of experience to each them a few things. I wrote an article about one such experience for my blog. Take a look

    4. The businessman in town for a couple of nights. He has a limited amount of time and doesn’t want to waste it hanging around in bars or trying to find someone on Grindr or Scruff (you know how time-consuming that can be). The answer, call an escort. Even better, make the booking before you arrive in town. You may be surprised to hear that many book in advance.

    5. Those who want to have sex with that particular escort; probably because they’ve seen him in a movie (escorting and porn often go together).

    6. Someone who wants to explore and indulge a particular fetish. Believe it or not, it can be safer to explore this with an escort, someone who has a website and umpteen ads on various sites, than someone who is a complete unknown.

    Do we really wish to criminalise these men? Absolutely not, nor should the State be interfering in what is, after all, a transaction between two consenting adults. It’s my contention that the problems of trafficking, drugs and coercion could be more easily be dealt with by decriminalising and regulating the industry, rather than creating more bands of legislation and driving the industry further underground. It’s called the oldest profession in the world for a reason, and it’s time that our attitudes to both sex and the sex industry became more grown up.

    Read the original article here

  • The Winners of RuPaul’s Drag Race – Where Are they Now?

    Hey Squirrel Friends, with 2018 promising to bring us two seasons of Drag Race madness (Season 10 and All-Stars 3), we thought it was time to take a look at what the winning queens are up to now – whether they’ve sashayed their way to mainstream success like a modern-day RuPaul, or been left behind like Roxxxy Andrews at the bus stop…

    The Winners of RuPaul's Drag Race - Where Are they Now?

    Bebe Zahara Benet

    via GIPHY

    Kicking things off, it’s time to shout “CAMEROON!” for Season 1 Winner Bebe Zahara Benet
    In the realms of fandom, Season 1 has taken on a mythical status due to just how hard it is to find – not available on streaming or on-demand services, it’s almost as difficult to watch as Valentina in a lip sync. As a result, the queens of season 1 are not as well-known as the ones from later seasons – despite it being an enjoyable season with some great performers such as Victoria “Porkchop” Parker (Hey Porkchop!), Tammie Brown and Ongina. Bebe Zahara Benet won the competition with fierce outfits, big hair and a lot of international influence – and she’s worked consistently ever since. She’s released several singles, recently stomped down the catwalk for Marco Marco, and is still performing Drag on a regular basis

    Tyra Sanchez

    via GIPHY

    Ah, the other Tyra.

    Beautiful, unpredictable Tyra was one of the youngest contestants ever to appear on the show, beating Raven to the crown and going on to be maybe the most controversial winner that Drag Race has seen. Not one to back down from a fight, she’s become embroiled in spats with various other Drag Race alumni and faced outrage for some of her Twitter comments. She recently (falsely) declared fellow Season 2 competitor as dead – resulting in a spat that involved fellow Queens Raven and Tatianna.

    Away from shady outbursts on Twitter though, she’s proven herself to be a real force to be reckoned with – her looks are stunning and she’s in high demand as a Drag Race performer, recently appearing at Drag Con in New York.

    Raja

    via GIPHY

    Season 3 introduced the world to some brilliant performers – Carmen Carrera, Manila Luzon and Stacey Layne Matthews amongst others. Raja gave a knockout snatch game performance as Tyra Banks, stunned with her fashion-forward outfits, and took part in perhaps the sexiest lipsync of all time – cavorting with Carmen Carrera to Paula Abdul’s “Straight Up”. Since winning Season 3, Raja is probably best known for her work with Raven on World of Wonder’s “Fashion Photo Ruview”, which provides fashion critiques on outfits worn by Drag Queens – mainly current contestants and alumni of Drag Race. Outside of drag, Raja (or Sutan) is an in-demand make-up artist, appeared in the music video for Blondie’s “Princess of Mars” earlier this year, and has just completed a summer-long run of her one-woman show, “Gawdess”

    Sharon Needles

    via GIPHY

    Beautiful, spooky and stupid – Sharon Needles won a season often considered one of the show’s best, what with Willam’s shock removal, Phi Phi and Sharon’s fierce rivalry, and literally every moment involving the large and in charge, chunky yet funky, Latrice Royale.

    Sharon’s horror-inspired drag brought something fresh to the Drag Race world – that combined with a quick wit and likeable manner made her a worthy winner, and she’s gone on to be incredibly successful. Since the show Needles has released two albums, hosted evenings of horror films on Logo TV, and even had a day named in her honour in her native Pittsburgh. Recently featuring in a fantastic interview about her love of horror films for the BFI, Sharon continues to be in high demand as a touring artist, and will be returning to the UK in both October and December this year to give us her brand of intelligent, unique and bloody drag.

    Chad Michaels

    via GIPHY

    2012 saw the arrival of All-Stars – a season that invited contestants from the previous four seasons a chance to return and compete for a place in the “All-Stars Hall of Fame”. Forcing contestants to pair up made for hugely entertaining viewing, even if the “She-Mergency” Lip Sync concept fell a little flat. Fourth season Queen and Cher impersonator Chad Michaels fought his way to the top spot, and since securing his spot in the Drag Race Hall of Fame, is still in high demand both as a drag performer and as an uncannily accurate Cher lookalike. Recent television appearances included 2 Broke Girls and Jane the Virgin, and whilst Chad’s website is currently in progress, social media shows that he’s still performing – recently appearing at RuPaul’s Drag Con in New York.

    Jinkx Monsoon

    via GIPHY

    It was Monsoon season all over the world in Season 5, when the world’s best (and possibly only) narcoleptic Jewish drag queen took the crown. In a series packed with drama – from the rivalry of Alyssa and Coco through to the unholy trinity that was Rolaskatox, Jinkx’s sweet nature and sheer talent saw her rising above the rest – entertaining as Little Edie in Snatch Game and destroying Detox with an accomplished lip-sync to Yma Sumac’s “Malambo No 1”.

    Since appearing in the show Jinkx has had huge success in the theatre – appearing in Hedwig and the Angry Inch, Hairspray, and in Cabaret musical The Vaudevillians. Jinkx also recently voiced a character in the tv show Steven Universe, which sparked some controversy, with some fans upset that a drag queen was voicing a character whose species had, up until then, been voiced by women. Jinkx was more than happy to set the record straight on social media, letting fans know that the character is supposed to be non-binary, something Jinkx identifies as, preferring the pronouns they/them when not in drag. This autumn sees Jinkx appearing in “Hokem Pokem” – a parody of Hocus Pocus starring Peaches Christ and Holestar, and will also be touring the UK throughout November and December in a new production of The Vaudevillians.

    Bianca Del Rio

    via GIPHY

    Season 6 got off to a sickening start with a varied bunch of Queens – rock chick Adore Delano, fishy Queen Courtney Act, and long tall glass of dairy, Milk, amongst others. Costume designer Roy Haylock stood out from the start as the hilarious Bianca Del Rio and won with a combination of humour, sarcasm, and a surprisingly big heart. Able to whip up a dress in under five minutes and read a Queen to filth in a few choice words, Del Rio has gone on to be one of the most successful winners ever. Since leaving the show she’s had several sell-out stand-up comedy tours, starred in her own film (Hurricane Bianca – worth a watch!), with Hurricane Bianca 2: From Russia with Hate, due out later this year. Bianca’s about to embark on a tour of Australia and New Zealand this November, before returning to the UK on her “Blame it on Bianca Del Rio” tour, with dates starting in Liverpool July 2018.

    Violet Chachki

    via GIPHY

    Season 7 introduced some serious fan favourites to the world of Drag Race, with characters like Katya, Trixie Mattel and Ginger Minj battling it out to take the crown. In the end, Violet Chachki ruled victorious with her incredible sense of style, her burlesque and bondage-inspired looks combining the vintage aesthetic of Bettie Page with the modern designs of Thierry Mugler. Since leaving the show, Violet has been in high demand as both a model and a performer, and can currently be seen touring the US on the Werq the World Tour.

     

    Bob The Drag Queen

    via GIPHY

    Entering the workroom “Purse First” was Bob the Drag Queen – who’d been inspired into doing drag after watching Season 1 and loving the work of Bebe Zahara Benet. Bob was a clear frontrunner throughout the competition – beating off experienced Queens such as the caustic Acid Betty, and Britney impersonator Derrick Barry. Making it to the final three with lovable Kim Chi and long-legged Naomi Smalls, Bob’s comedy skills saw him snatch the crown and reign supreme. Bob’s been a busy winner – his TV Special Suspiciously Large Woman debuted, he starred in the film Cherry Pop, and has even released his own comic book “Kickass Drag Queen”. He’s currently also touring the US in the Werq the World Tour.

     

    Alaska Thunderfuck 5000

    via GIPHY

    Originally appearing in season five of Drag Race, Alaska returned for All-Stars 2 along with fan favourites such as Katya, Detox, Alyssa Edwards and Adore Delano.

    The competition was ridiculously tough, but Alaska came out on top almost every week– and even a last-minute meltdown (poor performance in a task had her offering a bribe to Detox to let her stay) didn’t stop her from claiming that crown. Since winning she’s released a few singles, both independently and with the “AAA Girls” – (a group consisting of Alaska and fellow drag queens Willam and Courtney Act) and walked in a Marco Marco fashion show. She’s set to be touring across the US with the AAA girls over the next month, but is returning to the UK for a few shows in mid-October.

     

    Sasha Velour

    Season 9 marked a big change for Drag Race – with the show moving to main channel VH1, earning it far more viewers than ever before. A strong cast of characters entered the workshop – and whilst some disappointed (courtesy of Charlie Hides performing an entirely stationary lip-sync, and Miss Valentina demanding to keep it on…), others rose to the top, forming a final four packed full of top talent and tight tucks. A new channel meant a new concept for the finale, with the four top queens entering into a “Lip Sync Tournament”. A quick change by Peppermint and a legendary wig reveal by Sasha Velour led to them battling it out in the final lip sync, with Sasha Velour coming out on top. An artistic, intelligent and sensitive Queen, Sasha was already an established figure on the Brooklyn drag scene, publishing a drag magazine called Velour, and hosting a monthly drag show called “Nightgowns”. Work on these projects has continued into Sasha’s reign,  and she’s spending the next few months touring the US. 2018 will see her heading over to Europe and the UK with her Party Monster Ball – guest starring the drinkable Milk and legendary icon Amanda Lepore.

     

    The Future

    Think you done already done had herses? Well, think again – in a reveal almost as good as Roxxy Andrews infamous second wig, 2018 will see not one, but two seasons of Drag Race airing. January will see All-Stars 3 hit screens, with the Queens rumoured to be competing ranging from Season 1 Winner Bebe Zahara Benet through to Season 9’s Aja. That’ll be followed by Season 10, which should be airing in late spring/summer 2018. Again, Queens for that are unconfirmed – with the exception of Eureka O’Hara, returning after her knee-popping exit in Season 9.

    As the show approaches its 10th Anniversary, the fabulous engine that is RuPaul’s Drag Race shows no sign of slowing down. Filling the screens with love, pathos and a cast of sickeningly talented performers, it’s become clear that the world needs RuPaul’s Drag Race now more than ever.

     

    Can I get an Amen?

     

  • Top 10 Most Shocking Moments From RuPaul’s Drag Race

    RuPaul’s Drag Race has become a phenomenon of epic proportions in the gay community, serving us sickening looks and gag-worthy moments since its debut in 2009. Here are our 10 most fiercest, most shocking moments that left us with our wigs snatched, hunty.

    10. Violet Chachki’s Teeny-Tiny Cinched Waist

    In the “Death Becomes Her” challenge of season 7, Violet used her notoriously trim waist to her advantage. All 18 inches of it. In a sickening look that received literal gasps from RuPaul herself, Violet cinched her waist so tight she was serving numb-from-the-waist-down realness. Although she lost the challenge to Katya’s shark leg look, the outfit is legendary and will no doubt go down in herstory as one of the most wheeze-worthy – albeit most dangerous – looks ever on the runway.

    9. Tyra’s win over Raven

    Everyone knew unforgettable fashionista Tyra Sanchez was a shoo-in for top three, maybe even top two. But everyone thought fan favourite and queen of all things dark and beautiful, Raven, was the definitive winner of season 2. Needless to say, fans were as gagged as Tyra was when she was crowned the winner. Not only was their lip sync finale one of the most neck-to-neck, nail-biting sequences of the show’s herstory, I think I speak for everyone when I say Tyra’s breathless breakdown was literally the reaction of all of us watching. Same, Miss Thang. Same.

    8. Ongina’s HIV Status

    Season one was a season of remarkable firsts, for obvious reasons. But one – if not the – stand-out moment from the freshmen run of RuPaul’s Drag Race was Ongina bravely announcing and embracing her status as HIV positive after winning the Mac Viva-Glam challenge. Even today in 2017 it’s still quite taboo to talk about the subject, can you imagine the absolute courage it must have taken for Ongina to do it in 2009? She paved the way for queens further down the line to open up and talk freely about it, such as Trinity K. Bonet, as well as creating a safe, loving space and opening up the conversation for transgender drag queens Sonique, Carmen Carrera, Monica Beverly Hillz and the first trans finalist Peppermint.

    7. Adore Delano Willingly Dropping out of All Stars 2

    Many fans don’t know about the RuPaul spin-off All Stars show that brings back past legendary queens to compete in an uber-intense race to be in the Drag Hall of Fame. Adore had the briefest of brief appearances on its second season. After some extremely harsh criticism on the first day, Adore was shaken and immediately brought back to all the insecurities she felt when originally competing in season 6. In her words, she felt like she had to keep proving her drag was meaningful after so many years and although she expressed remorse over her decision on the reunion it’s still tough to watch her admit to Ru that she wants to go home. It’s also heartbreaking knowing how talented Adore is and how far she could have potentially gone.

    6. Bianca Del Rio as Judge Judy

    While this selection isn’t shocking per se, notorious insult comedy queen Bianca Del Rio slayed as Judge Judy on the season 6 Snatch Game. From her eerily accurate makeup to her impossibly snappy Judy comebacks, Bianca gave the performance Michelle Visage – among many – had been dying to see. After all, Judge Judy had never been done before and as one of Ru’s faves, it was just a matter of time. Well, Bianca certainly did raise the bar for anyone who dares to follow her act. If her standup and her consistent reads were anything to go by, Bianca was probably the only queen who could have served it like she did. Piping hot.

    5. The Season 8 Lip Sync Finale Extravaganza

    Season 8 brought us Bob The Drag Queen, appropriately titled, Naomi Smalls, also known as The Legs, and Kim Chi, makeup creative extraordinaire. These three went on to be the top contestants of their season, packing back-to-back lip syncs of original songs with choreographed performances that left the crowd roaring in the finale. Kim Chi proved dancing during a lip sync is overrated with her killer “Fat, Fem & Asian” lip sync. She wore a gorgeously gargantuan gown, while the men around her swayed with claws, and looked elegant and campy – letting loose at the end with what can only be described as gyrating. Naomi stuck to her guns, or should we say her buns, with her song, “Legs”, encompassing her passion for modelling all the while highlighting her self-appointed best feature. Bob The Drag Queen who (SPOILERS) ended up snatching the crown also snatched our wigs with her song, “I Don’t Like To Show Off”, in which – yep, you guessed it – she showed off in the best possible way. All three performances are available to watch on the Logo YouTube channel.

    4. Mimi Imfirst vs. India Farrah


    Drag is not, I repeat – not, a contact sport. Whatever was going through Mimi’s mind when she picked up India like some kind of drag wrestler is, to this day, beyond me. Her lip sync was doomed from the start, her shoddy wardrobe was malfunctioning, her dance was uninteresting and India was obviously going to be staying while Mimi was sashaying. Her solution was, apparently, to try to divert all the attention to herself but it only resulted in the judges struggling not to laugh and Ru sending her home for her poor taste and lack of judgement. Picking someone up during a lip sync is a definite no-no, but it will also always one more thing to write in the herstory books.

    3. Valentina’s Mask Debacle & The Aftermath


    I like to think I’m not alone when I talk about my love-hate relationship with Valentina. The season 9 beauty was effortlessly charming and stunning, quickly winning the judge’s approval with her unflinching ability to dedicate herself to any task and her always on-point runway looks. It was no wonder the fans felt so warmly towards her. Which was why so many were heartbroken when she was sent home for not knowing the words to her lip sync song, she tried to cover it up with her club kid mask and RuPaul ultimately had to stop the lip sync to demand she show her lips. But the truth came out when the reunion aired and fans who, like me, aren’t on the Twitterverse or up to date on their drag social media knowledge found out about the dark side of Valentina. Die-hard fans are no new thing, even to Drag Race. I sipped my tea watching queen after queen attack Valentina for a maelstrom of things; first of, neglecting to defend Alexis Michele or Nina Bo’Nina Brown while her fans incessantly bullied them was something else altogether, then Shea did most certainly not come to play, pulling out receipts the whole reunion, and apparently Farrah’s on-screen friendship with Valentina didn’t last long after the cameras stopped rolling. A black spot was marked on Valentina’s once pristine rep and the latest drag gossip has some more sins to add to her list. Red M and Ms, anyone?

    2. Roxxxy’s Double Wig Reveal

    If Don’t Pick Up A Fellow Drag Queen is rule number one on the list of things NOT to do during a lip sync, snatching your own wig is a very close second. But Roxxxy Andrews, top three finalists during season 5, proved this rule to be fine on occasion. Her lip sync against Alyssa Edwards is known as one of the most recognisable lip syncs ever to hit the stage of RuPaul’s Drag Race. Ru herself was gagged, Michelle whooped and hollered – when was the last time you saw Visage whoop and holler ever? Jaws dropped as Roxxxy revealed her much more hair whip-friendlier wig and rocked out to the song like she was Willow Smith herself, leading both her and Alyssa to be safe.

    1. Willam’s Sudden Disqualification

    And lastly, Willam’s out of the blue disqualification from the show lands on the number one most shocking spot on this list. Willam was a character who didn’t Rupologize over ANYTHING and her no-explanation sashay away came out of a left field. Fans had to wait until the finale to finally learn that she was breaking the rules and having secret rendezvous meetings with her husband in her hotel room. Ru, of course, couldn’t allow her to continue on in the competition (as fierce as she was) and sent her on her merry way after hurling backstage. I’m a firm believer in Willam at least landing in the top three if she had not been disqualified, a first for the show, but since leaving Willam has gone on to form the drag girl group The AAA Girls with Alaska and Courtney Act, write a book and even have her own talkshow on Fullscreen.

     

    Do you agree with our list? Sound off in the comments below and remember: If you don’t love yourself, how in the hell are you gonna love somebody else?