The Myth of the "Gay Community"
Are you a regular guy having trouble connecting to gay community? The trouble is not within you - it's due to the unfortunate fact that the gay community doesn't exist. At least, not in the way you think it does. The term gay community arose as a political term in the 80s, to describe a class of increasingly visible and vocal citizens and voters. And it was true that many queer folks then (and now) feel united in the common struggle for equal rights, basic respect, and the f
Is Homophobia a Mental Disorder?
When I was doing research for my graduate thesis, I came across a fascinating and--for its time--radical theory that homophobia, rather than homosexuality, better fits the criteria for a "mental illness." The proponent of this notion was a psychologist, George Weinberg, who in fact invented the term homophobia and helped lead the effort to remove homosexuality from the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders in the early 1970s. Weinberg contended that homophobi
Exciting & Helpful or Disappointing & Pointless? Thoughts on Grindr, Scruff, Growlr, etc.
Nevermind that its logo looks like serial killer in a hockey mask—Grindr is harmless and fun, right? I have given a lot of thought to that question over the years as Grindr (along with its competitors Scruff, GROWLr, Recon, and Jack'D) has come into near-universal use among gay men. In some ways, these "social networking apps" (AKA hookup apps) represent a culmination of the gay male sexual liberation movement - a technologicy that can aid gay men in satisfying their desire f
