Crush of The Day: Matt Rood

Our Crush of The Day is Matt Rood. Matt was crowned Mr Gay Europe 2017 at Pride Park in Stockholm, Sweden, during Stockholm Pride, August 5, 2017.

Before he won the competition, Matt shared, "Taking part would enable me to use this as a platform to help promote equality in the adoption and fostering services. As a former foster carer and an out and proud gay man I have knowledge and experience of this subject and would like to encourage a positive attitude globally. This opportunity has excited me from the very first moment."

When he's not winning contests the handsome 37 year-old is a professional dog walker and dog trainer.

Enjoy these sexy, bulge-tastic shirtless pics of Matt Rood, Mr Gay Europe 2017!

Photos: Hirsute Male We Salute You (Part 4)

Hirsute - According to one source, the word is defined as "coarse, stiff hairs". Well, that's a pretty good way to describe this group of sexy men for whom being hairy of chest (and other parts) is an intense source of pride and for those of us who enjoy the hirsute male, an intense source of desire.

News and Pop Culture Round-Up

International Mr Leather Bear Weekend
International Mr Leather Bear Weekend is taking place in Baltimore, Maryland from October 6 - 8, 2017. The prize package includes over $3000 in cash and prizes. This includes a custom leather sash, custom leather vest and leather backpatch, $1000 from Jack Daniel’s, $500 from The Baltimore Eagle, and more! Check out all the schedule, prices and information on how to compete right here!

Canada to Apologize to LGBT People Forced Out of Military and Public Service

Canada’s government has said it will formally apologize to the thousands of Canadians who suffered injustices during a decades-long campaign to root out homosexuality from the military and public service, bringing it in line with a longstanding demand by advocates. The apology is expected to take place in early autumn. Public consultations are under way – led by the MP Randy Boissonnault, the prime minister’s special adviser on LGBT issues – in an attempt to capture a full picture of the wrongs inflicted by the federal government during a period of some three decades. READ MORE

Former Teen Pop Star Aaron Carter Comes Out As Bisexual

Former teen pop star Aaron Carter came out as bisexual to his fans last night via social media. “There’s something I’d like to say that I feel is important for myself and my identity that has been weighing on my chest for nearly half of my life,” shared the 29-year-old singer. “I grew up in this entertainment industry at a very young age and when I was around 13-years-old I started to find boys and girls attractive,” Carter continues. “There were years that went by that I thought about, but it wasn’t until I was 17-years-old, after a few relationships with girls, I had an experience with a male that I had an attraction to who I also worked with and grew up with.” READ MORE

Traffic Numbers Are Cratering for the Right-Wing News Site, Breitbart

With its former chairman Steve Bannon as White House chief strategist and plans for an ambitious international expansion, Breitbart was supposed to be on its way to becoming a media behemoth in the Trump era, one with unparalleled access and a passionate audience. “While several publishers have enjoyed an uptick in traffic due to election coverage, we are proud to have built a massive and deeply-rooted community that will remain long after the election cycle fades,” Larry Solov, Breitbart’s C.E.O., predicted back in November. Just a few months later, the numbers have a different story to tell. As of May 26, 2017, according to Alexa.com—the same web-ranking analytics company that Breitbart drew its numbers from in January—Fox News is the 64th most-trafficked site in the country. Huffington Post is at 60. Buzzfeed is at 50. The Washington Post, on the strength of a series of eye-popping scoops, is at 41. Breitbart is in 281st place. READ MORE

Actor-Singer Usher Being Sued For Giving Herpes to a Man and 2 Women

The story is that Usher is being sued by three people who say that the R&B singer had sex with all three of them (at different times) after 2012. The problem is that Usher apparently had herpes since 2009 and did not inform any of the other parties of this fact before engaging in sex with them. This has led to the upcoming court case. So far, all three of the people suing Usher have remained anonymous. All that we know is that it is in fact two women and one man. But, while one woman and the man will remain anonymous and referred to as Jane and John Doe, the other woman will release her identity on Monday. In addition, the celebrity attorney who is defending the three people is Lisa Bloom. She is most recently known for being Kathy Griffin’s attorney during the whole bloody Trump head fiasco. READ MORE

Congrats! Matt Rood Crowned Mr Gay Europe 2017

Written by James Ledward

Matt Rood was crowned Mr Gay Europe at Stockholm Pride on Saturday, August 5, 2017. Tore Aasheim, the MGE president, said: “Matt Rood is one of the most dedicated and hardworking gay activist that I have had the honour to get to know through Mr Gay Europe. With his big heart, his kind attitude but also strong devotion, and with a project that shows that he really put his money where his mouth is.” Matt’s campaign for the competition was called Pride Families and for three years he was a foster carer helping ten children. He wants to use his new title as Mr Gay Europe, and his experience as a foster carer as a platform to promote awareness showing that LGBT+ people can adopt and foster children providing them with loving, safe and nurturing homes. READ MORE

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Crush of The Day: Matt Rood Shirtless Gallery

We Tell Ourselves Good People Can’t Be Racist

We tell ourselves that good people can’t be racist. We seem to think that true racism only exists in the hearts of evil people. We tell ourselves that racism is about moral values, when instead it is about the survival strategy of systemic power. When a large proportion of the population votes for politicians and political efforts that explicitly use racism as a campaigning tool, we tell ourselves that such huge sections of the electorate simply cannot be racist, as that would render them heartless monsters. But this isn’t about good and bad people.

For so long, the bar of racism has been set by the activity of white nationalists.

If all racism was as easy to spot and denounce as white extremism is, the task of the anti-racist would be simple. People feel that if a racist attack has not occurred, or the word “nigger” has not been uttered, an action can’t be racist. If a black person hasn’t been abused or spat at in the street, it’s not racist. But racism thrives in places where those in charge do not align themselves with white extremist politics. The problem must run deeper.

Excerpt from Reni Eddo-Lodge's excellent article, Why I’m No Longer Talking to White People About Race

Top 100 Gay/Bi/Fluid Male Celebrities in Hollywood in 2017

Actors Reid Ewing (L) and Colman Domingo (R)

As more and more celebrities come out of the closet we can celebrate our community being represented in all aspects of entertainment. Here's a list of the "Top 100 Gay/Bi/Fluid Male Celebrities in Hollywood" in 2017. Watch the video below:



H/T Timothy Joe Schlink Thanks for sharing!

Voter Suppression In America: The Cumulative, Destructive Effect It Has On Our Democracy

Written by Chris Coons and Nicole Austin-Hillery

Over the past several months, we’ve heard a lot about the Russian government’s interference in our 2016 election, and rightly so. But we’ve heard less about another threat that has nothing to do with Vladimir Putin but is just as destructive and just as effective at undermining the integrity of our democracy: a decades-long assault on voting rights. This campaign is nothing less than a sustained attack on American democracy from within. We have no doubt that voter suppression laws have been “passed with racially discriminatory intent,” as federal courts have recognized. We also know that others were passed with an unacceptable tolerance of discriminatory effects. In 2013, those who seek to discriminate were empowered by the Supreme Court’s decision in Shelby County v. Holder, which struck down a key part of the Voting Rights Act, the landmark law that was one of the greatest achievements of the modern civil rights movement. These days, discriminatory barriers to the ballot box often hide behind seemingly benign objectives of “fighting voter fraud” and “protecting election integrity.” READ MORE

Meet Openly Gay Ballet Dancer Harper Watters

Written by Donalevan Maines

Openly gay 25-year-old Harper Watters first began dancing around age five “purely because I had so much energy.” He now dances with the Houston Ballet’s main company.

Dancing is a silent art form, says Harper Watters, but his success at Houston Ballet has taught him that he has a voice. “There is a lot of power in words,” explains the out 24-year-old dancer in the company’s corps de ballet. “I have been solely focused on being a dancer, but I realize there is so much more I want to do, and feel like I have to offer.”

On social media, he says, “People reach out to me daily for advice. I tell them to embrace who you are, fully embrace your passion and go with that, full-force. I also have a platform to tell the world how Houston is a mecca for the arts, especially ballet. It’s really important to share that message.”

Beyond his career as a dancer with an insanely sculpted body, Watters believes that projects lie ahead that will allow him to inspire others “to stay true to yourself 100 percent and not suppress aspects of who you are.” The projects “might be in front of the camera; they might be bringing people like me into the dance world. I don’t know.”

Watters was born in Atlanta, Georgia, to a teenage mother and a father who was in jail. Two weeks later, he was adopted and began his life as the only child of a white couple in Dover, New Hampshire. The dancer considers them his only immediate family. READ MORE

Why Companies Should Lead the LGBT Equality Revolution

Written by Ken Janssens and Selisse Berry

Nikki Haley, America's ambassador to the United Nations, issued a statement reaffirming U.S. commitment to non-discrimination and calling for accountability for Chechen authorities who, according to reports, have arbitrarily detained, tortured and killed gay men in concentration camps, thus evoking Nazi Germany's persecution of LGBT people.

Those shocking reports are a reminder of the complex and often dangerous landscape LGBT people face across the globe. In 23 countries same-sex couples can get married, but in 76 countries we can be arrested just for being who we are. Given this paradox of progress and backlash, it's more important than ever to consider the role business leaders can play to shift culture and advance LGBT equality around the world. New research shows how far we've come—though we still have much to do. READ MORE

Stop the Normalization of Trump

Political journalism tends to treat every story like the ones that came before it. So what happens when politics in the Trump era goes off the rails? Carlos Maza has an excellent report on the normalization of Donald Trump. Watch the video below.

Tragedy and Grief: A Few Thoughts On The Pulse Nightclub Massacre

There's no rule book for offering advice on how best to handle a tragedy. We all experience horrific events that happen throughout life in our own way. Some of us get angry and become vocal public activists, while others quietly volunteer at the nearest LGBT community center. There's no right or wrong way to help. Each approach is needed. The key thing to remember is to DO SOMETHING when and if you can. It's apathy that kills a community. Not bullets or beatings or anti-LGBT laws. Apathy.

I was moved by the honesty evident in this article, "How to Talk to a Queer Person Who is Afraid of Dying". It was written by Carlos Maza and in it he shares how he experienced so much fear upon hearing the news of the Pulse Nightclub Massacre.

Carlos Maza writes:

I wish I could say I attended a rally or a vigil, or even just got drunk at a bar with my queer brothers and sisters. I wish I could say I became a living testament to LGBT courage in the face of violence and hatred.

But I didn’t. I lay on my couch and imagined being shot and killed in a bathroom.

I understand why so many people have chosen to respond to the massacre in Orlando with proud public displays of solidarity with and support for the LGBT community. The history of LGBT people in the United States is a story of resilience, even in the face of incredible pain and loss. We respond to a world that asks us to disappear by chanting, “We’re here! We’re queer! Get used to it!” We celebrate Pride partly as an act of defiance and perseverance. 

After the shooting in Orlando, it’s tempting to push ahead to the part where the LGBT community pulls itself up by its bootstraps and recommits to fighting bigotry and making the world a more welcoming place. I am tempted by that, too.

At the same time, LGBT people aren’t superheroes. What happened in Orlando opened wounds in people thousands of miles away from the gunman. LGBT people are grappling with the fact that there is no such thing as a “safe space,” that we created the idea of a “safe space” to stay sane, but it is an illusion.

It’s hard to overstate the mental and emotional damage that realization has on queer people. For me, it has been a profoundly isolating experience. Fear makes you want to retreat from the world, makes you want to stop talking and pull away from anything that might put you at risk. READ MORE

Video: Healing Through Art, Dance and Music (Pulse - Unify Over Violence)

While writing the post for Pulse Nightclub Massacre: Year End Special Video Report I was reminded of how powerful art, dance and music are to us in the LGBTQ community. I can think of no better example of this than the deeply moving tribute song, "Pulse", which was created within hours of the Pulse Nightclub Massacre, by openly gay singer-songwriters, Brandon Skeie and Eli Lieb. The song gave much comfort to those of us who grieved this senseless loss of lives at the hands of a terrorist.

Muse Dance Company & MusEffect produced a loving tribute of their own. The dance piece, "Pulse - Unify Over Violence", was dedicated to the victims of the Orlando Pulse Nightclub shooting.

Muse Dance Company & MusEffect share about their project: "This Summer we teamed up with Muse Media and the incredible artists of The Muse Experience of 2016 to develop a piece that is close to our hearts. It is our mission to see this PSA initiate the conversation needed most in our society right now. There are far too many humans loosing their lives over nothing they've done but pure and simply because of who they are. Why not choose to celebrate diversity, practice tolerance and learn from those who've ended their stories far too soon. Let us put an end to these senseless deaths and unify over violence." Watch the video below.

View the video of the Brandon Skeie and Eli Lieb song, "Pulse" here.

WATCH VIDEO: Healing Through Art, Dance and Music (Pulse - Unify Over Violence)

The 8 Minute Ab Routine

Grenade's fitness trainer Jamie Alderton demonstrate's his 8 minute ab workout in this helpful video.

His ab routine includes the following 4 exercises:

• Half sits
• Leg raises
• Plank position
• Knee crunches

When doing this 8 minute ab workout Jamie says you'll achieve the best results by doing the 4 exercises with NO rest in between sets.

Follow Jamie Alderton on Twitter and visit Grenade

Watch: Jamie Alderton's 8 Minute Ab Routine

Gay Men Prefer Bearded Partners: Study

Written by Jess Jones

Researchers from The University of Queensland have found gay men prefer beards. “Homosexual men preferred hairier stimuli than heterosexual women, supporting past findings that homosexual men have strong preferences for masculine traits,” wrote the researchers. READ MORE

Chechnya Has Moved Their Gay Concentration Camp According To A New Report

Written by Beatrice Hazlehurst

In a story that becomes increasingly horrific by the minute, Chechnya are still very much carrying out their "gay purge", but due to global backlash and pressure from the Russian media they're having to do so more covertly. When an investigation team from Novaya Gazeta arrived at the camp as described by former inmates, they found the location completely abandoned and covered in debris. The group then headed to another rumored prison, a Special Police Force training base in Terek (60km North) but were turned away from the areas by authorities because "training was taking place."

Human Rights Watch has affirmed Novaya Gazeta's findings, saying they were "consistent" with reports they themselves had received. "The information published by Novaya Gazeta is consistent with the reports Human Rights Watch recently received from numerous trusted sources, including sources on the ground." They said in a statement. "The number of sources and the consistency of the stories leaves us with no doubt that these devastating developments have indeed occurred."
READ MORE

The 10 Most Influential Gay Male Journalists And Role Models

"Amid the sea of bad news and negativity there’s always a bright light somewhere. With the media under constant attack, I think it’s important to recognize the gay journalists who are good at their jobs, and report the news in a civil and straightforward way. They serve the public interest with integrity. They’re honest and factual and tell the truth, and they’re outstanding representatives of the LGBT community," writes Roy Steele. "This is my subjective list of the top ten most influential gay male journalists and role models, working in the media today (in alphabetical order)."

Frank Bruni, The New York Times
Jonathan Capehart, The Washington Post
Anderson Cooper, CNN Glenn Greenwald, The Intercept
Steve Kornacki, MSNBC
Don Lemon, CNN
Richard Quest, CNN
Thomas Roberts, MSNBC
Shepard Smith, Fox
Pete Williams, NBC News

Continue reading... 10 Most Influential Gay Male Journalists And Role Models

World OutGames Sporting Events Canceled

Written by Joey Flechas, Steve Rothaus and Susan Miller

The long-planned sporting and cultural event known as the World OutGames, a 10-day LGBT-themed event advertised as a spectacular gathering of athletes from around the world, unraveled Friday about 24 hours before the opening ceremonies.

Organizers announced that the opening and closing ceremonies, along with nearly all of its sports events, were canceled due to financial issues. The bombshell revelation came via a short Facebook post from the event’s board of directors Friday. “It is with deep regret that due to financial burdens, World OutGames must cancel its sports programming and Opening and Closing Ceremony with the exception of soccer, aquatics and country western dance,” reads the text. “The Human Rights Conference and cultural programs will continue as planned. We thank everyone who has supported the effort and apologize to those who will be impacted by this difficult decision.” And with that, the high hopes for the 10-day event were dashed as athletes from around the world streamed into Miami, ready to compete only to learn the games were canceled. Some arrived before the announcement, and others found out mid-air.

“This just displays bad management that has a serious financial impact on many people,” said Peter Clancy, a businessman from Belgium who was two hours away from Miami when he learned the news online. He was going to compete in track and field, and his partner was due to run in the half-marathon. “Last minute notice also shows a complete lack of respect for the participants and especially those of us traveling from other continents,” he said. READ MORE

Hat Tip: Kenneth in the 212

Are Male Movie Stars Too Muscular Now?

Written by E. Alex Jung

The past few years have seen our male stars’ physiques inflate at a level unmatched by anything but college tuition. It’s hard to pinpoint when exactly this started, but my mind jumps to the early 2000s, when Tobey Maguire flashed a blink-and-you-miss-them set of abs in Spider-Man, and Will Smith’s chest looked appropriately puffy in Ali. Later, we watched in awe as Gerard Butler screamed “Sparta!” with abs that inspired Dionysian glee, and Taylor Lautner blew up his body in the manner of a figurative (but sadly, not literal) Stretch Armstrong. But what began as a charming summertime diversion has become a full-blown epidemic in the new decade, as superhero franchises engage in a literal arms race, with actors pushing their bodies beyond their natural proportions.

It’s hard to see this trend slowing down in the immediate future, not with more superhero movies on the assembly line and already talk of another Baywatch sequel [starring Zac Efron pictured above]. Besides, the contemporary rush toward onscreen swollness is only mirroring what’s happening in the real world, where a number of very American preoccupations — the idea that “more is better,” the fetishization of self-reliance, the ascendance of social media — have come together to create a generation of protein-chugging fitness buffs. Hot male bodies proliferate across Twitter in ways their female counterparts can’t, and they act as avatars for all sorts of feelings the internet loves, like pride, humor, political solidarity, and horniness. READ MORE

WATCH: Shirtless Broadway Hunk, Benjamin Walker, Perform "Selling Out"

Actor Benjamin Walker recently appeared on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert. Watch him and the cast of the hit Broadway show, "American Psycho: The Musical" perform the show's opening number, "Selling Out". It's a catchy tune and he's a sexy, shirtless hunk. What's not to like?! :) Enjoy!

Watch: Benjamin Walker and the cast of "American Psycho: The Musical" perform, "Selling Out"

Via Youtube Channel: Greenleaf Productions

Small Cities In Conservative America Are Standing Up for LGBTQ Rights

Written by Letitia Stein

When Mike Lujano and George Lenz hoisted a rainbow flag outside their business in a Victorian brownstone on Market Street two decades ago, they found that few neighbors in socially conservative Wheeling, West Virginia, knew it was a symbol of gay pride. The married owners of Edna's hair salon in this faded industrial city of 28,000 at the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains never dreamed that one day they would be at a packed city council meeting, cheering the passage of an ordinance barring discrimination over sexual orientation and gender identity. Defying stereotypes in the U.S. culture wars over lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender rights, Wheeling is among a recent wave of small cities, many in parts of the country that voted for Republican President Donald Trump, to embrace these protections. "We told people this wasn't a bad place," said Lujano, 53, who was in the audience when the ordinance passed in late December. "Finally, this confirmed it."

About 50 U.S. municipalities in 15 states have added LGBTQ nondiscrimination measures since 2015, when same-sex marriage was legalized nationwide. More than half of those cities and towns are located in counties that backed Trump in November's election, and all are in states he won. Local leaders say accepting diversity is not just the right thing to do, but needed to attract jobs and investment. They concede the measures alone may not land a Fortune 500 employer but argue the protections are necessary for smaller markets to appeal to many corporations with LGBTQ-friendly policies.

While the verdict remains out in Wheeling and other places with recently adopted protections, the cost of opposing LGBTQ advancement has run in the hundreds of millions of dollars in North Carolina. Last year the state lost major entertainment events and planned jobs expansions by PayPal and Deutsche Bank in the protests over a state law restricting bathroom access for transgender people.

In Indiana, Vice President Mike Pence's hometown of Columbus saw an all-Republican city council unanimously pass LGBTQ protections after he signed as governor a religion law in 2015 that was widely decried as discriminatory and prompted some conventions to go elsewhere. "Republicans don't speak with one voice on this issue," said Columbus Mayor Jim Lienhoop. "In a small town, you really do live with the laws that you create. It makes it all a little bit more real that we see some people - we actually know them - who might be affected."

Across the United States, 19 states have LGBTQ nondiscrimination protections that typically guard against being fired from jobs, kicked out of housing or denied services in places like restaurants or hotels. Reuters found that about four out of five cities with populations greater than 250,000 are covered with at least some protections. READ MORE