Gay for dummies
Surface Level
Damon, Jordan, and Tony are curious – where’s the line between secrecy and privacy?
This National Black HIV/AIDS Day, we had the privilege of hosting Harlem Stage Presents: Surface Level Live, powered by Gilead Sciences. We are grateful for those who were able to connect us in person, and we’re beyond excited to share the experience digitally with our Surface Level Insiders who couldn’t be there.
During Part 2 of this special series, we are thrilled to welcome producer, writer, and director Patrik-Ian Polk to our Surface Level family. We carry on the conversation with a singular perspective on sexual health from a member of our group who lived through the AIDS crisis. We also discuss how his beloved work, such as Noah’s Arc, has addressed issues related to sexual health, the evolution of expectations surrounding the disclosure of HIV status over time, and the fine line between secrecy and privacy. It was an honor to hold this conversation with someone we admire, and we are elated to share this raw and honest discussion with our audience.
We know a lot, but we
LGBTQ+ For Dummies
Illustrations by Dayna Patel.
If you don't realize, now you know.
As someone who thinks of myself as a pretty clued-in millennial, I have to admit when it comes to LGBTQ+ terms I am, or was, somewhat perplexed. I don’t recognize about you, but this intricate acronym has expanded a bit since my last high school health lesson, and as someone who identifies as a straight cisgendered female it can be hard to keep up with the ever-increasing list of letters. But, y’know what? It’s and we should all know what each and every one of these terms means – so here’s your chance to get educated:
First, let’s cover the basics:
Sex
While most often used in reference to what goes on between the sheets, ‘sex’ is actually a mass noun that includes the two* primary categories we humans fall into, and is determined by the reproductive functions we’re born with.
*Some cultures possess more than two categories.
Gender
Once your sex is identified, society essentially hands you a manual on how to behave: how to dress, speak and perform so people around y
Not to be beaten to squeeze by Grow Some Balls And Quit, Gareth and Jon push forward the publication date of their own non-fiction volume:
Guy Love For Dummies
A Real Eye-Opener by C. Waltham
I’ve always been curious about my sexuality. Am I gay? Am I straight? I just don’t know. This book has helped me a lot: seeing how an “out” couple enjoy Gareth and Jon express themselves to one another through the physical behave of lovemaking has helped me to realise my potential as a mincing shirt-lifter, and the illustrative pictures on the full-colour foldouts in the middle of the manual are breathtaking. If, like me, you’ve ever wondered about man-on-man sex, this is the manual for you.
Good, but not great by bookworm
I’ve been in a sexual relationship with a man for several years now, and to be honest, I didn’t think this novel would do anything for us, but boy was I wrong. The authors’ – who are a genuine queer couple – frank advice revamped our sex life: more sex, better sex, and we’ve even discovered a new-found love for “toys” (thanks Chapter 6)
The down-to-earth tips i
My first top was an anagram for Brain. He was not especially intelligent but tried his foremost to be helpful. He advised me to approve him as if he were the morning’s first shit, pushing out to pull his fullness in.
*
“Just think about how boiling this is,” he said.
*
I was eighteen, a year younger than Brain. His basement bedroom was freezing, the TV in the rumpus room blaring decapitation sound effects as Final Destination 2 threaded its tape in the VCR’s mouth. I told him I was comfortable through gritted teeth until he no longer cared I was lying.
*
A bottom should be palpable and mute / As a globed fruit.
James Davis is the author of the poetry collection Club Q (Waywiser ), which won the Anthony Hecht Prize. His poetry has been featured on NBC News and CBC Radio, as successfully as in the Gettysburg Review, Bennington Review, and the Gay & Queer woman Review. A PhD candidate at the University of North Texas, he serves as editor in principal for American Literary Review. His website is
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Jos Charles
It’s neat,
like debt, like language,
Justin Taylor
In which