LIFESTYLES Archives | Page 594 of 633

Life as a gay father to a kid with disabilities.

August 31, 2017 compassq Comments Off

What’s it like to be a gay dad with a severely disabled child? I spoke with two fathers who have been caring for their profoundly autistic kids for many years. What came through was a portrait of men who had been compelled to find some way to make sense of their gay identities, which emerged for them later in life, within unusually complex lives. For both, being out offers a more authentic way of living; but any exploration of gayness is necessarily subordinated to the needs of their children.

Burke County Pride kicks off in Morganton, NC.

August 31, 2017 compassq Comments Off

Alone and afraid, Seth Loven began to cry. But it was not the Seth Loven of today — the 23-year-old who aims to inspire others and who takes pride in who he is. This version of Loven was crying because his teenage mind couldn’t take one more second of people making fun of him. And as he fought back tears caused by constant jokes about his sexual orientation, he also fought back the urge to take his own life.

Mid-Missouri celebrates Pride.

August 31, 2017 compassq Comments Off

In celebration of the LGBTQ commuity’s increasing visiblity in Mid-Missouri, LGBTQ organizations Mid-Missouri Pride and The Center Project came together to host their 14th annual PrideFest on Saturday at Rose Music Hall. The festival lasted from 1-10 p.m. and featured an array of performances and guest speakers, from live musical groups to an interfaith sermon from local LGBTQ-allied clergy and even a pole dance routine from Muse Pole Fitness dancers. The festival closed with the Downtown Hometown Drag Show, headlined by Roxxxy Andrews and showcasing 15 other local entertainers.

Gay & bisexual European immigrants face higher risk to HIV.

August 31, 2017 compassq Comments Off

Gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men (MSM) often are motivated to embark on new lives in supportive countries to escape oppression and experience freedoms unavailable in their home countries. However, a recent study addressing the MSM migrant community shows that structural stigma (e.g., laws and policies promoting the unequal treatment of oppressed populations) may put this intersectional population at a higher risk of HIV exposure.

The German gay and bisexual pay gap.

August 31, 2017 compassq Comments Off

Homo- and bisexual men on average earn 2 euros less per hour than their straight colleagues, according to an economic study. That’s despite being more likely to earn higher qualifications and work in white-collar jobs. In its first study on Germany’s “Sexuality Pay Gap,” the German Institute for Economic Research (DIW) on Thursday reported that gay men earn on average markedly less than their straight male colleagues, despite generally boasting higher qualifications.

Denver is the hot, new LGBT destination.

August 31, 2017 compassq Comments Off

As soon as I entered Denver’s lesbian bar, Blush and Blu, I was made to feel very welcome. Although predominantly gay women, the bar is popular with the trans community and gay men who appreciate its welcoming vibe. “I am from Houston, Texas. I love this place; they make you feel at home,” Sandra Leal said when I was there earlier this month, before the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey hit Leal’s hometown. Echoed my bar-mate on the left, Alexander Hugg, “You become a regular very super early here.”

Why is the LGBT community less healthy than their straight counterparts?

August 31, 2017 compassq Comments Off

There’s a health trend that researchers want the LGBT community to be aware of: Lesbian and gay adults over 50 are found to be in poorer health than heterosexuals, according to a University of Washington School of Social Work study. The UW study is the first to use national, population-based data, to look at adult health by sexual orientation. UW Professor Karen Fredriksen-Goldsen was a lead researcher.