japanese swords, wiis, and sex toys

Well we all know that the Japanese have really made some prominent contributions to the world, most notably in samurai swords, technology, and my current favorite -- Nintendo Wii. But others would argue that one of the greatest contributions the Japanese have made is the Tenga Flip Hole onacup.

The original Tenga just helped two Japanese men, Norihiro Taneichi and Masanobu Sato, broke the world record at Masturbate - A - Thorn 2008. Where else but in San Francisco would such an event be held? This past Sunday, dozens of contestant paid $20 for the right to enter a masturbation contest at the Center for Sex & Culture in the Mission district.



The surprise guests of honor were three Japanese men – all had come from Tokyo unannounced. One said he was an editor of a magazine similar to Maxim. The other two wore red jumpsuits with the slogan “New Adult Concept” printed up one side. They were apparently doing marketing research for the Tenga – a Japanese version of vagina in a can. They too became record breakers.



After 8 hours and 40 minutes, when both had broken the world record, Taneichi finally gave up. After all, he had already won the honor of “farthest distance come to come” by about 10 minutes. Both men seemed exhausted, and cited jet lag and sleepiness as their biggest challenges. But in the end, 20 years of intense training helped Sato pull though, he said.

As the competition wound down, a group of naked men approached Tsuyoshi Yoshida, the International Division manager of Tenga. Did he have any more of those? How did they work? Could they be purchased on the Internet? Yoshida had them each insert a finger inside a tester Tenga, and their smiling faces reflected just how vaginal the lubed soft plastic felt. “Oh yeah,” one said.



In approximately two months, Yoshida says, the Tenga will hit the American market. But why wait? For those who enjoy self pleasure and instant gratification: www.kanojotoys.com

free trannies

Let me tell you why i love san francisco. As a gay guy living close to the gayborhood, i can walk over to badlands or BOC for a quick rump shake. I can chill at the lookout or moby's and toss one back. I can . . . but not that I would ever want to . . . but I can walk a few blocks over to eros or collingwood park and use myself as bait for the creepy crawlies who are cruising for some hanky panky. But sadly, the boys in beijing can't.

According to an AIDS activist, Beijing police have launched a series of raids on gay saunas, clubs, and popular cruising spots in what looks like a scheme to clean up the city before the summer Olympics. He said that on march 17 some 30 policemen, some of them in "special forces" uniforms, descended on Dandong Park near Tiananmen Square. The park is the capital's most famous gay cruising spot. They pulled in more than 40 people, checked their identity papers, took their photos and pulled those without ID in for further questioning.

Three days later, more than 10 police cars visited "Oasis" club, the most popular gay bath house in Beijing. They detained 74 people, including staff, masseurs and clients, said Wan. Several other raids on parks and saunas have also taken place while earlier in March, Destination, the main gay club, was hit by police on a busy Saturday night. A chat room announcement now reads as follows: "these days, Beijing is clearing out the city and carrying out a crackdown on sex work, the police has currently detained more than 80 sex workers, this website does not welcome people with illegal intentions, and hopes everyone works together to fight illegal behavior, thanks for your cooperation!"

As the activist Wan said, "We should clearly tell the Chinese government that this situation is not acceptable and you have to respect human rights before the Olympics and not just to clean up the city to ensure security."

You tell 'em Wan! Free Tibet and Free the Trannies!

Beijing's Final Score:

gay or asian?

"One cruises for chicken, the other takes it General Tso-style. Whether you're into shrimp balls or shaved balls, entering the dragon requires imperial tastes. So choke up on your chopsticks, and make sure your labels are showing. Study hard Grasshopper: A sharp eye will always take hom the plumpest eel."

That's what the caption reads on the page of this Details magazine article from April 2004 I believe. This Anthropology section in the magazine always picks out a certain class or type of people to screw around with, but this particular article really hit some nerves with people from our community. In fact, it really hit some nerves with people in the straight community too, since whitney mcnally is basically saying that she can't tell the difference between asians and gays. That's at least how they interpreted it at least.

Details magazine, which has a subscription of over 400,000 (including a large number of gay readers) has run McNally’s “Anthropology” series for some time. Other titles have included “Gay or British?” and “Gay or Jesus?” This is the first time, however, that media watchdogs have jumped on Details for their satirical approach to stereotypes since it began running in August 2003.

In honesty, I was slightly offended by this piece at first, especially since it was probably written by some waspy ass white girl who doesn't have a picture on google images because she'd probably break your screen. At the end of the day though, I took a look at the ambiguous qualities of gays and asians that whitney mcnally points out to see how well I stacked up.

1. Dior sunglasses - I know what Dior is and I don't dare buy them because my fat ass would probably just sit on them within the first month.

2. Ryan Seacrest hair - Okay, okay . . . I used to spike my hair up. I always got compared to Bart Simpson though who is at least way cooler than Seacrest even as a cartoon.

3. Delicate features - Growing up I always thought that chicks dig scars, and so I have a couple here and there that I took great pride in. I'm pleased to say that now the boys dig the scars. ;-)

4. D&G suede jacket - Oh. Whoops. I actually do own a suede jacket. But it aint Dolce and Gobana or whatever that brand is. Isn't that a country in africa?

5. White t-shirt - No thanks. You guys always see me in my wifebeaters.

6. Ladyboy fingers - How did I end up with short and stubby fingers that are in a perpetual curl? I think because I played with Jack and Jill so much as a teen. Does anyone get that joke?

7. Louis Vuitton bag - Sadly, I admit that I know many gaysians that have at the minimum an LV knock off. Fauxis Vuitton is everywhere.

8. Evisu Jeans - I don't even know what this means. Is that a new color?

9. Metallic sneakers - Really? I wear boring gray new balances I bought for $80 at a Nordstrom half-anniversary year sale in San Diego.

mardi gras down undah

I've always heard incredible things about sydney's annual mardi gras. This year i decided to check it out with my own two eyes, and it was just my luck this year was the 30th anniversary. Parades, parties, and probably even pedophiles . . . this mardi gras had just a little something for everyone. Word on the street was that over 150 floats participated in the parade, and we're talking full on productions with stereo sound, confetti blasters, and glittery costumes. This is so unlike san francisco's gay pride parade, where we put half ass people waving rainbow flags on top of winnebagos and call them floats. In the end, i suppose we have the same political message to send across. As Korean-American comedian margaret cho said, “you don’t have to make a choice between being an activist and having some fun.”

The Asian Marching Boys celebrated their 10th parade with a bigger, more vibrant float, producer Wayne Daly said. “The group is growing and our float encapsulates the whole concept of mardi gras and what we have set out to do and have achieved over the last ten years, which is to incorporate the entire community into our group. We’ve got guys, girls, those identified as straight as well as gay and lesbian. It’s a great mix, not necessarily all asian.”

 

Mardi Gras. Toybox. Homesexual. These parties were out of this world and put gay days orlando to shame. Imagine 30,000 gay people packed into the actual mardi gras main party (which sold out), with scores of jaw-dropping shirtless men swapping sweat inside the royal hall of industries. The sweat poured well into the next day at toybox with a blinding laser exhibition accompanied by an energetic trance backbeat at luna park. Nothing like the warm sydney sun shining down on you while chatting up blokes by the sydney harbour. If you made it to see offer nissim spin at homesexual over by darling harbour, then you probably still remember that bitch being dramatically late. I personally thought that venue was incredible, though I admit in my haze i couldn't decipher one level from the next. If it weren't for offer's giant spotlight behind him i would have never found the main dance floor.

After a week of meeting old and new mates, i found myself hanging out at the air new zealand lounge en route back to san francisco. What could possible be a better way to end such a fun week than stuffing my face full of kiwi brownies and knowing i'd be wrapped up in bed with my baby in one short flight?  

men like me

A few fridays ago marked the conclusion of the exhibition titled, 'men like me', a thought provoking artistic and photographic display at the melbourne queer festival called midsumma. "Men like me" is about photography, portraiture and the male body - asian masculinity. The photographers come from six different countries and three strands of photography - artist, career photographer and hobbyist.

I think this exhibit was a bold statement in the gay community to combat the common stereotypes of asian male feminimity, particularly in the western worlds. These images challenged many misperceptions and I commend the artists who either saw the need or had the desire to shed new light on our community.

"This show is one part masturbational and three parts thoughtful."

This exhibition took us above and beyond the visual traditions of blue magazine and expectations of the artistic gay agenda. The images were sexy, provocative, and in your face. These photographers came from varying backgrounds and ethnicities. See how these gay asian men wish themselves and men like themselves to be viewed.

first all-gay asian cruise cancelled

It seems like the interest and popularity of gay cruises has grown exponentially over recent years. The success of atlantis cruises here in the states has certainly proved that this is a lucrative market that is going over well with the gay boys. The excitement has cross the pacific ocean into asia, which was expecting its own series of all-gay cruise events led by sanctuary cruises.

Unfortunately, the organizer has recently made public the cancellation its maiden voyage, set to be asia's first gay cruise. This inaugural sanctuary cruise was slated to be a 6-day cruise set to sail on march 27, 2008 from hong kong.

sanctuary cruise was prepared to take thousands of gay boys on royal caribbean's rhapsody of the seas cruise ship on an ocean journy to okinawa and xiamen before returning to hk on april 1, 2008. DJ tony moran was signed on to make his first asian appearance since the nation VI party.

Sanctuary cruise said in the statement that they were "devastated" when they learned of the withdrawal in financing support, which was contractually agreed upon previously.

"Our intention was to give our community in asia, a sanctuary of our own. Unfortunately, we are now forced to cancel the event. We apologize for the inconvenience caused," said sanctuary cruise vacations, "we took a risk in bringing a new concept to asia and you took a risk in supporting our venture. We are eternally grateful for your support".

Now that sanctuary has pulled out for not being able to pull together their capital, i wonder if atlantis will expand their scope and hit these markets. Or, does atlantis already have something to do with the reason why sanctuary has lost its financing?

rice queen advice column

Some people just have way too much time on their hands to be writing to advice columns, but the topic below was published in asianweek and happened to catch my attention . . .

Dear Q:
I’m a white dude who’s very much in love with my Chinese American boyfriend. The thing is, sometimes he gets insanely jealous if I flirt or look at other Asian guys — any Asian guy, even on television. When we talk about it, he gets upset and says he feels unspecial and threatened. I say there’s no harm in what I’m doing, and I can’t explain why I love Asian guys; I just do. I also point out that he has only dated white guys, but that pisses him off.

The sex is great, we share bank accounts, our families love us, and we just bought a two-bedroom in a stunning Victorian. We’ve got everything for a great, lasting relationship except he has this annoying complex. It’s breaking us up almost literally because he wants an explanation.
What am I supposed to do as an attractive gay guy walking down Castro and cruising guys like any normal male would (and should be allowed to) when it’s upsetting the man in my bed? Hope you can help. This sucks.

– Craving Guys East and West
-------------------------------------------------------------
Dear Craving Guys,
Let me parse: the problem is not that you dig “Gaysians,” but that your BF has an issue with it. It’s not that looking at other guys is a crime, according to your question; it’s looking at other Gaysians, and that means — drum roll, please — your BF hates himself.

I know that sounds cruel and not helpful. He hates that he doesn’t have the same attraction as you do, which is to say he doesn’t find Asians attractive, which is to say he doesn’t find himself attractive. Which means you have to do the thing that all good lovers do: love him a little harder.

I know people have dreamy ideals of what a relationship is supposed to be, but looking at gorgeous people is hardly an offense. Having sex with Brad Pitt wouldn’t be either.

Are you licking your chops at redheads and African Americans? If not, then another analysis might be that he feels you like him for his Asian-ness, but not because he’s a really wonderful, smart and charming person. Unspecial, you said. Reduced, I’d say.

I’m sure your BF knows that he’s supposed to find Asians attractive, too, but the truth is that you don’t have to be physically attracted to your own race. It’s never about the thing you’re supposed to do as much as the thing that is you — with every bit of awareness about the complexity and shortcoming of it all. Love is not a conversion project, nor should it be burdened with issues of representation. You love him. He loves you. The end.
--------------------------------------------------------------

Having lived in both asia and in u.s. cities with high asian populations, i've gotten my fair exposure to gaysians and rice queens. I was recently in l.a. for new year's eve and caught one of my friends in a predicament somewhat reflective of the advice seeker's complaints. We were at a party where my asian friend was upset with his white boyfriend for flirting with other 'gaysians' on the dance floor. I took a moment out of my booty shaking rhythm to survey the scene and sure enough witnessed white boyfriend's roving eyeballs (and hands). As it relates to the advice column above, i can't say that my friend hates himself because of his boyfriend's flirtatiousness. I think he just needs to be a little less sensitive and build up some tougher skin. I told him not to worry so much about his boyfriend and loosen up his own inhibitions a bit. While i certainly wasn't condoning they open up in any way, i simply wanted my friend to relax and act naturally.

What this all boils down to, at least in my opinion, is human nature. Boys will be boys, and gay boys will forever be thinking with their dicks and not their brains in most instances. So when i walk around castro and 18th and notice an asian/white couple where the white guy is checking me out, i don't think he's 'reducing' his boyfriend or making him feel 'unspecial' in any way. He's just appreciating something that is aesthetically pleasing to him. And don't think that this only happens in the asian/white relationship dynamic. This happens with all different types of couples out there too: same-race and inter-race, gay and straight, bears and twinks . . . it doesn't matter. My advice would be to act more discreetly and be more mindful of your boyfriend. A simple eye contact is fine, but a neck breaking head turn might be excessive.

Example: bush checking out some guy on the side while holding hands with his oblivious boyfriend.

Where boys were kings . . .

I recently came across an article in the new york times that discussed how asian societies are slowing gravitating towards a greater appreciation of baby girls. Here's an excerpt . . .

In south korea, once one of asia's most rigidly patriarchal societies, a centuries-old preference for baby boys is fast receding. In china in 2005, the ratio was 120 boys born for every 100 girls. The united nations population fund warned in an october report that the rampant tinkering with nature's probabilities in asia could eventually lead to increased sexual violence and trafficking of women as a generation of boys find marriage prospects severely limited.

So overall i'm glad to see that asia's improving economy has helped girls hold a higher place in society. Gone are the days where the subservient wife married into the husband's family and served the father-in-law porridge on her knees. The cost of increased societal equalization has come at a steep price. This economic freight train has also reduced the desire for hard working, sweaty muscle bound, farmboys performing back breaking hand jobs. I mean labor. Some in our gay world would argue this equilibrium came at too high a price. But luckily the damage has been done already. Generations before us have bred in favor of boys, and by the time it becomes 1:1, you and i will have passed our sexual primes long ago.

In actuality though, the notion of a hot asian farmer to me is somewhat unimaginable given the migrant workers i used to see in shanghai from the countryside. Sexual thoughts aside, how could you not find asian boys adorable when you see pictures like this little guy?

Gay? Yes. Why?

1) notice the tanktop
2) and the butt pockets that match
3) and the fact that he's smiling for the camera

Looks like he's gonna be a bottom boy.

the humor in craigslist m4m posts

I often get a kick out of ads in craigslist looking for ass. I've never used it for hookups, and based on some of the ads i've seen, i don't even know why people even try to.

Here's one from the san francisco area that my friend forwarded to me . . . you just gotta love those pictures.

wanting ASIAN encounter at Steamworks at Noon ......today...... (berkeley)

I really need a hot encounter with an ASIAN at Steamworks in Berkeley at noon on Tuesday.

I'll have a room, warm massage oil, hard d*ck that needs release and strong hands to give you a great massage.

Don't be late.... I really want to meet you there. Can you make it? Let me know.

I'm a handsome GWM, average build, moderately hairy and haven't had a release in a week. I'm going crazy just thinking about being with you.

.
.
.
.
.

when I see the pics below I can't wait to see you on Tuesday.

why does the old stuff always go to asia?

This kind of reminds me of when I was in wellington, new zealand about five years ago. My buddies and i were walking around some pedestrian street and saw fliers for a coolio concert. Even five years ago, coolio had been wiped off the pop charts with only a couple hit singles several years prior.

So now junior vasquez is making guest appearances in asia. Is this another sign that the party scene is blossoming in asia? Or is this just a case of a second tier dj looking to make a buck?

I've heard all the hype junior's created over the past month or so, but as someone who has seen junior's demise in popularity here in the states, i have mixed feelings about his performance in singapore and tokyo. On one hand, i'm happy to see that asia is starting to attract big name producers and djs from the usa (e.g., tony moran). On the other hand, no reputable club in new york or los angeles of today would throw a party with junior headlining. I can't help but get this impression that junior is trying to create a second life for himself in a different part of the world.

As a self-proclaimed godfather of disco during the peak of its era in new york city, junior has created quite a grand reputation for himself. I owe junior. I can remember my very first club event in new york city, moving my feet and body to a dark musical rhythm. I would later find out that the mastermind behind the beats was actually junior. I just hope he's doing the same for some other young boy out there in asia.



Not the best video, but gives you an idea of junior . . .

asian men redefined 2008 calendar

Some of you may remember an eternity ago when my photographer friend danny dan here in san fran did a calendar showcasing asian men. Actually it was a year ago.

After the success of danny dan's 2007 calendar, he proudly brings you his second calendar; asian men redefined 2008 calendar, benefiting the asian & pacific islander wellness center (www.apiwellness.org), with photography by dannydan (www.dannydanphoto.com). I think it's honorable that he would partner up with these organizations to promote asian men in the media and contribute to a good social cause in our community.

So let's get to the good stuff . . . The asian men redefined 2008 calendar features:

13 asian men (cover + 12 months), glossy 12"x12" full color calendar with date box, and 39 original photographs of dannydan photography.

The calendar is available at the calendar launch party on saturday, october 27th, 2007. In san fran. At the end up. Which by the way is no the host of fag fridays (now at pink in the mission).

You may also purchase the calendar online through this website by paypal. You don't have to have paypal account. The calendar is usd $18 + s/h.

Mean while here are some pictures to keep you entertained until our calendar arrives in the mail:

gay travel expo in san fran

I'm not one for expos in most instances, but since the words gay and travel preceded the word expo in this case i decided to check it out. Seventy exhibitors lined a ballroom in the cathedral hill hotel in san francisco last week to showcase a wide array of gay and gay-friendly travel choices. The event was the gay life travel expo, a traveling road show targeted toward gays and lesbians.

On a side note, i'm not sure why they chose the cathedral hill hotel of all the world class properties located in san fran. Guess the organizers were cheap.

This year's show on october 2 (my dumbass accidentally showed up a week early) included booths from places as familiar as the russian river to tour companies specializing in travel to africa, south america, the south pacific, and of course, asia. Business organizations and tourist boards from longtime gay favorite destinations such as Key West were represented, as were relatively newer markets on the gay travel scene. Surprisingly, there was a fair number of vendors representing the asian markets, including abercrombie & kent and japan airlines.

Said hiro kamado, who represents JALPAK, a division of japan airlines that operates as a full service travel agency, "japan has been changing a lot over 20 years but it's still not like europe or san francisco. But compared to other asian markets japan is very open."

I don't know about that, since the most recent tokyo pride attracted a whopping 3,000 or so people (which is a bit shabby in my opinion). I've heard that it's not quite acceptable to be out and about in japan, but sinve i haven't spent much time there i really can't say. Still, my suspicions lead me to think that hiro kamado of JALPAK is makin shit up so the a-list gays will spend their money in b-list tokyo. Just kidding . . . i'm in no position to pass any judgment here.

In any event, the expo attracted a wide variety of attendees, from avid travelers looking for the next unexplored destination to others who were more into window-shopping for that next vacation. Most tables included souvenirs, food, and assorted handouts designed to entice attendees to take a closer look and to take something to remind them of the destination once they returned home. I'm a bit surprised there was no representation from w hotels, my once favorite chain but slowly falling down my ranks.

Know your airport codes?

The expo moved to SAN last week. It goes next to IAD. and then FLL, where it will coincide with community marketing's annual international conference on gay and lesbian tourism. The expo wraps up the year in ATL.

Source: Ed Walsh

Ed Walsh's multimedia blog on the expo can be seen at www.gaytravelexpo.blogspot.com

downelink gets a paycheck from logo

Downelink.com is one of the first gay social networking websites i used. Ironically i was living in shanghai when i first heard about the site. Yes, it's pretty pathetic when a local shanghainese gay boy has to introduce something that was born in the united states. I'll admit i was hooked on this website, which took pride in being dedicated to 'multicultural' gay communities. "With more than 400,000 members, about 72% of downelink.com users are black, asian, or latino, and the gender breakdown is balanced between men and women."




The original founders of downelink.com, danny nguyen, michael abraham, and ronaldo mabagos just got a little bit richer. The logo network (the gay channel) here in the united states just bought downelink.com. Keep in mind that viacom backs the logo network up, and viacom has some deep, deep pockets.

Let me point out that their last names seem to provide a good indication of multiculturalism in the founding fathers. I'm glad that they've been able to reap the rewards of their successful website. I joined the site back in 2004, when there were probably only 35,000 members (and a lot fewer lesbos on the site). Nothing against the ladies . . . but i almost attribute my reluctance to continue logging on to the site to the high proportion of chicks and not enough dicks.

Thanks for while it lasted though. DL certainly helped me get a good share of hook ups and home wrecks in my early days of being out. :-)





URBAN RICE
-------------------
Friday Weekcap:
UR* - malaysia to block planned gay church
UR* - laws roars one more slur for the road
UR* - kimora lee simmons – life in the fab lane

not much pride in tokyo

Nearly 3,000 people took their pride of being gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender to the streets of Tokyo Saturday and led the annual Pride Parade. Numerous floats decorated in rainbow-colored balloons and flags blasted music from speakers while participants wearing pink boas or g-strings danced and waved to the onlookers.

While the number of participants to the tokyo pride parade has been increasing every year, many still choose to remain anonymous in japan and others refrain from marching in the parade for fear of being recognized as being gay or lesbian, according to the pride parade committee.



Because people of the sexual minority community still experience difficulties coming out to their coworkers and families, the sixth annual event called for visibility of gays and lesbians in society and promoted their presence in the mainstream society.

By contrast, the recent vancouver pride event boasted 385,000 participants and spectators compared to tokyo's weak 3,000. And don't even try to think that vancouver has more people to begin with. Vancouver has only 600,000 compared to tokyo's 12 million. That's a lot of fuckin' closet cases out there in tokyo. But it looks like great strides are being made, and there are people in tokyo who understand the importance of creating a society of tolerance. We should all give a standing ovation to the brave pioneers out there standing up for their fellow closet cases.

"We need to create a society where gay and lesbian people can live as who they are without a fear of discrimination," a panelist said at a symposium staged at a Tokyo park, where at least 5,000 participants of sexual minorities and their supporters gathered.

This year marks the first time that the event received support from the government, namely the health, labor and welfare ministry and tokyo metropolitan government, aki nonaka of tokyo pride parade said. This is partly because the governments have recognized the committee's efforts to promote HIV prevention.

Japan is the only industrialized nation that sees the number of HIV infections continuously rising, with the number of newly-infected patients hitting a record high in 2006 to 914, according to the government's AIDS Surveillance Committee. I think it's shameful that HIV is rising in a society that is so educated, conservative, and developed. If that's the public image of gays out there - HIV infested transporters - then i too might be a bit reluctant to be out in the open. Tough call on that one.

Come on Japan . . . let's get your act together!




Look at these cuties in camo!

Hongcouver Pride

Hey everyone, my apologies for the delayed post. Spent the weekend on catalina island off the coast of southern california with the hubby. One shade darker, i'm finally ready to write about my experience at vancouver pride last weekend . . . my first international pride festival.

According to the vancouver pride society, last weekend’s vancouver pride was the most successful to date.

"We had nearly 80,000 more spectators at the parade, totaling 385,000 people, and the festival attendance was 80,000, which is quite a difference from the 55,000 who turned out last year," john boychuk, president of the vancouver pride society, said in a release. "In terms of economic impact, we estimate the pride parade brought a staggering $66 million into vancouver. The higher the attendance, the larger the fiscal reward, and we hope to host 500,000 people next year for our 30th anniversary."



There were tons and tons of people out in full force last weekend, around west end, the clubs, and down davie street. Prior to arriving a friend of mine from shanghai, robbie, used the term 'hongcouver' in reference to vancouver. I got the idea that there would be a boat load of asian immigrants upon arrival, but i greatly underestimated the asian population once i landed at YVR. I almost felt like i was in asia to a small degree. I would later find out that the vancouver population is roughly 40% chinese, let alone other asian ethnicities. It was the first time robbie and i had ever seen a homeless asian person outside of asia.

Hongcouver may have boasted a great pride parade and a beautiful city, but the parties were dragging for such a large event. The party venues were a bit out of the way, and i couldn't help but feel like i was in a high school auditorium at times. I had heard 'rapture' was the annual party event, but for some reason the promoters bailed and closed up shop. Either way, the weekend was salvaged by a new event promoter, bno events, who got tony moran and manny lehman to throw one hell of a party line-up.

thai cops punished by hello kitty

So this is something that i've found rather amusing . . .

Police chiefs in bangkok have come up with a new way of punishing officers who break the rules - an eye-catching hello kitty armband. The armband is large, bright pink and has a hello kitty motif with two hearts embroidered on it.

From today, officers who are late, park in the wrong place or commit other minor transgressions will have to wear it for several days. The armband is designed to shame the wearer, police officials said.

"This is to help build discipline. We should not let small offences go unnoticed," police colonel pongpat chayapan said. "Guilty officers will be made to wear the armbands in the office for a few days, with instructions not to disclose their offences. Let people guess what they have done," he said.

Further offenses would be dealt with using a more traditional disciplinary panel, he said.

ian mckellen gives singapore a bitch slap

For those who don't know, ian mckellen played gandalf, the good wizard in the lord of the rings movie series. Now he's playing gay rights activist in singapore, a nation with some of the hottest guys in the world yet some of the most outdated views on homosexuality in the world.

Indignation, singapore's pride festival, has begun (not without controversy, as noted below) and has received words of support (above) from ian mckellen, who has been in the country performing shakespeare's "king lear" and chekhov's "the seagull". Since arriving in singapore, mckellen has been vocal about the country's repressive laws criminalizing homosexuality.



On their website, organizers note that mckellen also got the taste of gay culture and nightlife he was looking for while visiting: "In his free time, he popped into mox, a gay bar, and spent an evening at powerhouse on its regular sunday gay night. He also caught a matinee performance of “asian boys vol 3 - happy endings”, staged by wild rice theatre. Before he left, he took up people like us’ request to make a short video."

Mckellen's message: "Hello, this is ian mckellen. i’m speaking to you from singapore where i’ve had the most wonderful time with the royal shakespeare company working at the esplanade theatre for the singapore repertory theatre. I knew very little about singapore until i came here and i was immediately encaptured by the beauty of the place, the old buildings as well as the new, the old culture and the new, and the people, who were unfailingly friendly and helpful at every turn. And of course, being openly gay, i managed to meet a lot of gay people . . .

. . . And then we come to the one thing i don’t like about singapore, which is 377A. You know that law. It’s a british law, and why the hell you’ve not got rid of it, i’m not quite sure. Well, I am sure, because it’s taken us a long time in the united kingdom and the rest of the world to deal with these old problems, these ancient attitudes which need to be removed if we’re going to be part of the 21st century. So it’s very important that gay people, wherever they are, should identify themselves, stick up for themselves, represent themselves, modestly and positively, so the rest of the world knows that we’re here and we’re not going to go away. And we’re happy to be here . . .

. . . And that’s why indignation is so important. Have a wonderful time. I congratulate the organisers and i hope it’s a step, certainly in the right direction, but a positive step towards one day getting rid of 377A. And you know i’m on your side, and i send you all my love. Bye Bye."

In mid-July he spoke out on a radio show: "Just treat us with respect like we treat everybody else and the world will be a better place, i think. Coming to singapore where unfortunately you've still got those dreadful laws that we british left behind . . . it's about time singapore grew up, i think, and realised that gay people are here to stay."

source: towleroad


URBAN RICE
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Friday Weekcap:
UR* - new gay social services centre opens in hong kong
UR* - ian mckellen creates video message to gays in singapore
UR* - singapore bans photo exhibition of gay kissing

cut sleeve boys

Cut sleeve boys is a film that confidently addresses and breaks down the stereotypes surrounding the portrayal of asian men throughout the history of cinema. Often portrayed as waiters, gangsters, or prostitutes, asian men have been repeatedly marginalized when appearing on the silver screen. The lack of authentic representation of chinese culture within the british media drove filmmaker ray yeung, a chinese man living in london, to write and direct a film that addresses the chinese-british experience, as well as certain taboos, stereotypes, and various social issues within the gay community. Mel and ash, two gay asian men living in lndon, are the main characters and their non-stereotypical portrayal in the film breaks away from the typical representation of gay chinese men, especially in the character of mel. He is a strong, masculine character who is not defined by his heritage. While the character of ash is effeminate and “camp,” these are the attributes that make him stronger than his so-called masculine counter-parts.

Cut sleeve boys is a quirky stir fried journey of self discovery and ultimately, a makeover of the british chinese gay experience.

Cut sleeve boys also deals with the media-driven obsession of youth and beauty, which is magnified within the gay community. Mel and ash both find it difficult to come to terms with getting older, and are forced to re-evaluate their priorities in life as they realize their youth is fading away. Mel tries everything from face scrubs to hair dying in order to maintain his beauty, while ash sees that his campiness is often discriminated against within the gay community’s dating scene. His chance encounter with the transgender diane sparks his curiosity in becoming a cross dresser, and he discovers that finding a “real” man is just a pair of jimmy choos away.

The film also gives a fresh look at inter-racial relationships, with mel’s steamy relationship to the white country boy, todd, along with ash’s attraction to the macho, ex-military man, ross. The film, through these relationships, breaks away from racial stereotypes while boldly redefining the gay asian experience. Many gay asian films center on the coming out process and the inherent lack of acceptance within asian culture in regards to homosexuality, but cut sleeve boys focuses on the problems that gay chinese men face after the coming out process. It does not deal with the stereotypical stories about gay asians and their experiences with immigration or the inability to communicate. Mel and ash are already assimilated into the british culture and the film is then free to explore their lives as out gay men comfortable with their cultural background.

asian marching boys present: masquerade

A friend of mine in sydney told me about a local community group called asian marching boys, founded in 1999 and promotes the visibility of asian gay men in australia. The group's goal is to help encourage the asian gay community to take a more pro-active role in the search for their cultural, sexual, and political identity.

I wish i had known about this group when i was recently in sydney, as i probably would have swung by their offices for a chat about sexual racism and discrimination in australia. You may have missed my previous posting: no asians, no fems. I'm quite relieved to see that there's somewhat of a support network for the gay asian community down under. I can see how a strong member base could really help aussie asians to find and make like minded friends - particularly those recent immigrants who could use a helping hand in transitioning into western culture.



This year the marching boys are celebrating the theme 'faces of asia masquerade', which "reflects the marginalisation often felt by and/or imposed upon members of the glbt community in some asian countries, and the consequential need for disguise and discretion. Initially, the performers appear in masks, concealing their identities, later unmasking to represent awakening and a greater level of acceptance, which is almost taken for granted in many other countries."



Spokesman wayne daly said people needed to realize that asian men were as diverse as any other culture and had been unfairly stereotyped as a group of young men who went in search of older father figures.

“The funny thing is that the misconception can arise because asian guys tend to appear a lot younger compared to australian guys.”

Asian marching boys is produced in partnership with the asian project of acon. For more information on this group and to make a donation, please visit the asian marching boys website or send an e-mail to info@asianmarchingboys.org.



source: asian marching boys, sydney star observer


URBAN RICE
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Friday Weekcap:
UR* - HIV infection rates are growing among MSM in Africa, Asia and Latin America
UR* - Elton John regrets not speaking up on gay rights sooner

san diego pride. i think i missed it (again)

First and foremost i'd like to apologize for the delayed posting. I just returned from san diego for their pride festivities, and boy was it a whopper of a party weekend.

Sit down. Let me give you some history. I was at san diego pride last year and it was probably one of my very first circuit parties. At that time, i didn't even know what a circuit party was. Back then i thought the dances i was going to were just the official parties of the pride festival.

Good lord, how i've progressed in the last year. I've learned quite a few things about the circuit scene since then. For starters I could tell you who the prominent dj's are and distinguish one's style from the next. I've learned some of the more classic circuit songs and know some mind blowing club remixes of new top 40 songs. I've also learned how certain circuit boys got so damn muscular, how you know when someone is cruising you, how the dance floor can sometimes get racially divided, and why there's security in the bathrooms - though i'll never completely understand that one but for different reasons than the obvious. This past weekend i learned not to eat a triple stack bacon cheeseburger before partying. You'll make your neighbors move . . . and not in the same way the music does.

But i gotta say that i'm a bit of an oddball when it comes to judging the success of a circuit party. For most people i know, they rave about the hot guys with their shirts off, exposing barrel chests and washboard abs. Then they might talk about how good the music was. While i consider those two things important, especially the tunes, i am absolutely captivated by the lighting of the party. I think at the peak of the party, the strobes and lasers can fuck with you just as much as the music can.

All in all, it's that perfect combination of dark lighting, trippy music, and sexy men that make me a follower of these circuit parties as opposed to your standard bars and watering holes. This past weekend in san diego was no exception, and as i stepped out of the after hours club at 6:30 am, i realized that i had missed the actual pride parade for the second year in a row.

Special thanks to hoya, davie, laramie, and everyone else who helped make san diego pride a memorable weekend.