Arizona Governor Jan Brewer assured the people of Arizona that she would do the right thing for the state via a tweet on February 25, and she kept her promise. The next day Gov. Brewer vetoed Senate Bill 1062, also known as the Religious Freedom Bill, a bill backed by Republicans which was designed to give…
International Mr. Leather, Andy Cross, on common misconceptions, queer teens in Alaska and bringing the leather community closer together. BY MARK ARIEL PHOTO BY: SYDNEY ERTHAL INTERNATIONAL MISTER LEATHER (IML) is an international conference and contest of leathermen held annually since 1979. Andy Cross, Mr. San Francisco Leather 2013, was named International Mr. Leather 2013…
Anti-Homosexuality Bill in Uganda; Nigerian homes raided to “cleanse” neighborhood of gays. Cry the beloved country. BY VICTOR MELAMED YOWERI MUSEVENI, the president of Uganda has decided to sign the highly-controversial Anti-Homosexuality Bill (AHB) into law, reports David Badash in The New Civil Rights Movement (thenewcivilrightsmovement.com). The bill is largely the result of America’s Christian…
Black & Tans, 1974 Celebrating 40 years of service in uniform. BY ROBERT BLACKMON IN JUNE 1974 a group of men decided to band together and make their mark on the local Los Angeles uniform community. Little did they know that forty years later they would leave a footprint that would forever change the way…
TOM OF FINLAND © 1990 Tom of Finland Foundation We have embraced everything from saving the rain forest to worrying about what kind of food our great grandchildren will eat … yet we can’t help confront the proverbial elephant in the room. BY ROBERT BLACKMON I AM A BIT NERVOUS about writing this article for…
This year’s LA Leather Pride theme is dedicated to the “only in LA” aspirations and accomplishments of the LA Band of Brothers. BY VICTOR MELAMED LA LEATHER PRIDE 2014, (with events taking place this month, March 23-30), will be a full week crammed with bigger, wilder, and hotter events than ever. The theme this year:…
Helmet courtesy of The Costume House Justin Emerick, the outgoing Mr. LA Leather, on exploring kinks, the fraternity of brotherhood and passing the torch. BY MARK ARIEL | PHOTO BY ANTHONY DURAN IN THE “THINGS-AREN’T-ALWAYS-WHAT-THEY-SEEM” CATEGORY this past year’s Mr. LA Leather would most likely be a strong contender for first place. Mild-mannered, affable, soft-spoken…
Dr. Tony Mills, International Mr. Leather 1998, on HIV, sex in the leather community and winning the IML competition. BY PAULO MURILLO TONY MILLS MD has had a medical practice devoted to holistic healthcare, focusing on nutrition, exercise and the wellness of gay men, since 1999. With over 5,000 men under his care—half of whom…
David McGrath, president and founder of “Twisted DNA 46 XY” on being sober, the leather fetish scene and living every day to the fullest, with integrity. BY PAULO MURILLO | PHOTO BY ANTHONY DURAN IF YOU HAD THE CHOICE to start the business of your dream, what would that business be? David McGrath, the president…
With cultural exposure to new and wide-ranging forms of sexual content there is a dire need for a renewed understanding of human sexuality. DR. OMAR MINWALLA ONE WOULD EXPECT PSYCHOTHERAPISTS, psychologists and mental health professionals to be relatively informed about the spectrum of human sexuality and how to help people discuss and integrate sexuality in…
>> BY PAULO MURILLO << CENTER RESPONDS TO FAILED ATTEMPT TO REPEAL TRANS RIGHTS BILL • The California’s Secretary of State reported last month that her office has finalized an exhaustive validation of signatures that were submitted to qualify a referendum to repeal AB 1266. She reports that proponents of the attempt to roll-back protections…
SATURDAY, MARCH 8 A GOLDEN GIRLS EXTRAVAGANZA! Mickys 8857 Santa Monica Boulevard. West Hollywood, 4pm-8pm. The LA Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence Present: #ThankU4BeingAFriend: A Golden Girls EXTRAVAGANZA, benefiting NKLA.org. DRAGGLE ROCK Gym Sportsbar, 8737 Santa Monica Blvd., WeHo, 8pm-11pm. A charity event for the L.A. Gay and Lesbian Center. AN EVENING WITH BRAHMS Long Beach Performing…
20TH ANNUAL STEVE CHASE HUMANITARIAN AWARDS > It was a dual anniversary when Desert AIDS Project marked 30 years of service at the 20th Annual Steve Chase Humanitarian Awards last month in Palm Springs. The Awards honored several members of the organization for their commitment to the cause. Celebrities at the event included Suzanne Somers,…
THE SILENT “G” Who’s looking out for our young gay men? BY ROB SMITH > A few weeks ago, I had the privilege of being one of five keynote speakers at the 2014 Midwest Bisexual Lesbian Gay Transgender and Ally College Conference in Kansas City, MO. Speaking for those 2,500 LGBT college students that were…
Consent And BDSM Certain sexual practices can be prosecuted under state criminal laws. This is true even when there is clear consent. BY DAVID HAKIMFAR • One of extraordinary qualities of the gay community is its acceptance and celebration of sexual expression within the many subgroups that make up the community as a whole. This…
THE DOMINO THEORY: MARRIAGE, THE ROAD TO VICTORY > Progress on marriage equality is now so fast and furious that even an excellent monthly magazine like THE FIGHT has trouble keeping up. Since our last communique, for example, the state of Nevada has abandoned its defense of its antigay amendment in the Ninth Circuit. A…
JUDGES MAY BE BARRED FROM BOY SCOUTS > California’s judicial branch is seeking public comment on a proposed rule that would prohibit judges from belonging to the Boy Scouts of America on grounds that the group discriminates against gays, reports The Associated Press. In 1996 the state Supreme Court banned judges from belonging to groups…
