5 THINGS TO KNOW

A tweet expressing what so many are thinking.

A tweet about gay culture with a heartbreaking twist has gone viral for the best reason. The tweet, which was only written yesterday but has since been retweeted nearly 30,000 times was written by a man from the US. “Gay culture is being a teenager when you’re 30 because your teenage years were not yours to live,” he wrote.

5 THINGS TO KNOW

Body dysmorphia magnified in the gay porn industry.

When I entered the adult industry, the warped sense of self I already felt was magnified more than I’d ever imagined possible. I have never been lied to more than when I stare into a mirror. After an eight mile run and an hour of heavy lifting in the gym, I find myself drenched in sweat, drinking a recovery shake before my full-length mirror. I’m wearing little more than glorified underwear, and I am underwhelmed.

5 THINGS TO KNOW

The challenges of a gay marriage.

“While there are lots of books about how to plan your gay wedding, there are virtually none that address what to do after the honeymoon is over,” begins author and psychotherapist Michael Dale Kimmel. After seeing hundreds—maybe a thousand—gay couples wrestling with the institution of marriage, he came to recognize that two men in a marriage have different needs and different dynamics than heterosexual and lesbian couples. “There are a lot of aspects of heterosexual marriage that don’t work particularly well for us.

DESTINATIONS

Oakland welcomes its first LGBT center.

Oakland’s first LGBTQ Community Center is scheduled to open on Sept. 7 on Lakeshore Avenue. The opening of the center comes just days before the Oakland LGBTQ Pride Parade & Festival on Sunday, Sept. 10, in Uptown.

5 THINGS TO KNOW

Isolation from both “teams” at the heart of bisexual health issues.

“Double discrimination” and loneliness put bisexual individuals at “higher risk for poor mental health outcomes,” according to a recent study out of American University. The study compared the mental health of bisexual men and women to that of gay men, lesbians and heterosexuals.

HEROES

History’s top lesbian heroes.

History is full of lesbians and bisexual women who helped pave the way for us current lady-lovers. From 17th century queens and sword-slingers to 20th century movie stars and activists, here are some of our favourite famous trailblazers who enjoyed the company of women.

HEALTH

It’s a bisexual world at Harvard.

Bisexuals are at least 400 percent more prevalent in Harvard University’s incoming class of freshmen than they are in the general population. While approximately 1.8 percent of the general United States population identifies as bisexual, 7.9 percent of Harvard’s Class of 2021 says they are bisexual.