| THE EARLY YEARSFortunately for all Americans | | | | this spell - notwithstanding that even the |
| the 1960's, 70's and then 80's led first to | | | | major gay mecca cities San Francisco and New |
| greater sexual freedom and liberation - and | | | | York closed the gay baths - gay bars are half |
| then to greater sexual honesty. The internet | | | | in number or half full today -yet the adult |
| boom of the last decade solidified those | | | | bookstores - and videos - and pornographers |
| gains to the extent that there can likely | | | | are richer than ever - harvesting a new crop |
| never really be a return to the sexual | | | | of young twinks and studs for their 15 |
| | | | minutes of fame every season of every year |
| "dark ages".THE GAYS & THE "THREE B's"Gays | | | | until the end of time. The internet has been |
| and Lesbians had historically lived prior to | | | | a major boon to pornography and pornography |
| the Stonewall Riots lives of quiet | | | | sales worldwide especially in the gay |
| desperation "in the closet" facing overt | | | | "beefcake" market.THE THREE B'S REPLACED BY |
| hostility and repression every day of their | | | | MAJOR MERCHANTS OF GREEDThings - largely due |
| lives.After the STONEWALL RIOTS - our gay and | | | | to AIDS as well as long-term maturing gay and |
| lesbian brothers and sisters overall marched | | | | lesbian community - have changed and are |
| straight out of their closets and eventually | | | | changing - but the change from the "3 B's" |
| right down MAIN STREET or FIFTH AVENUE or | | | | holding the community in its thrall has |
| MARKET STREET or SANTA MONICA BOULEVARD in | | | | morphed into gross and crass materialism as |
| their festive PRIDE PARADES across North | | | | soon as the major marketing gurus found the |
| America and now across the world. Many gays | | | | Gay and Lesbian NICHE of affluent consumers |
| and to a lesser extent Lesbians want to be | | | | with huge discretionary spending who were |
| open about their sexual orientation - while | | | | eager to "Seek and Find" and then "Seek and |
| this is NOT the case with most bisexuals - | | | | Find" again - consumer goods and luxury |
| especially happy bisexuals.Soon across | | | | travel and the like.NOW the vast majority of |
| America there were dozens of openly gay bars, | | | | the FORTUNE 500 companies market to the Gay |
| adult bookstores, and bathhouses in every | | | | and Lesbian Community noting in their |
| major North American city. Gay Community | | | | |
| Centers sprouted in most every major North | | | | marketing circles that the Gay and Lesbian |
| American city - save San Francisco - where | | | | market is one of the larger and more affluent |
| until recently the community was so fractious | | | | segments of today's marketplace. Gays and |
| they could not even open such a center! Gay | | | | Lesbians who were already as average American |
| Community Centers with time became Gay and | | | | consumers easy prey for materialism and |
| Lesbian Centers - then GLBT Centers and soon | | | | |
| to be GLBT and P - polyamory - and Q centers | | | | consumerism were even more easily influenced |
| - Queer.Maybe one fine day even the new, | | | | when buying this and that product led to |
| trendy METROSEXUALS will join the sexual | | | | acceptance by this or that major corporate |
| minorities to party and to parade!The GAY | | | | icon, this or that major world conglomerate - |
| PARADIGM - which emerged as a result of this | | | | tied with greater status and greater rank in |
| desire for being OPEN - was often | | | | one's millieu.HERE COME THE |
| confrontational to the larger straight | | | | ALTERNATIVES:Finally, after this gay party |
| community with a certain "WE'RE QUEER and | | | | and Pride parade - then gay + Lesbian party |
| WE'RE HERE!" element in far too many areas of | | | | and parade - was far along - here come some |
| America. In the gay era before AIDS the fact | | | | welcome alternatives. The Metropolitian |
| of life was that the gay community was | | | | Community Church has been with us for decades |
| hijacked by the THREE B'S who made a killing | | | | and has sought to help fill the spiritual |
| - and also ultimately killed off thousands if | | | | hunger of many gays and lesbians who want to |
| not millions of gays. They are the BARS, the | | | | find that solace and inner peace in a gay and |
| BATHS, and the BOOKSTORES. Their agenda was | | | | Lesbian religious setting.Many mainstream |
| to make FILTHY LUCRE and they did so | | | | Christian churches have embraced the gay and |
| rapaciously for years and years. Gay | | | | lesbian community in many outreach programs |
| communities in these early years - including | | | | as the Churchof Christ and the Unitarian |
| their activists and journalists became | | | | Universalists and the gay and lesbian support |
| dependent on these deep pockets but they too | | | | groups and organizations within their home |
| were all too often caught in the thrall of | | | | churches as Dignity, Integritry, and the |
| the 3 B's AGENDA - even hidden agenda of SEEK | | | | Brethern and the like. Islam offered up "Gay |
| BUT DO NOT FIND.Even today the "beau ideal" | | | | Muslim" groups and there are many GLBT groups |
| of the American gay community is some | | | | for Jews, Buddhists, and other faiths.Many |
| twenty-something twink or hunk or military | | | | gay and lesbians have also explored |
| type - portrayed again and again for decades | | | | alternatives to organized religions with New |
| endlessly and all but mindlessly. This beau | | | | Age thinking, yoga, Scientology |
| ideal type can never be snared and brought | | | | |
| home to one's bed - save at a hefty price | | | | and other stops on that long travelled road |
| (escorts and models or trade) - much less to | | | | the American pursuit of happiness |
| one's life and family! Billions have been and | | | | trail.Microcosm vs. Macrocosm:Maybe gays and |
| will continue to be made on the backs and | | | | lesbians just finally caught up with the |
| knees of these 18 to 25 year olds who are | | | | mainstream of American life - gross, crass |
| then cast off for next year's "model". | | | | materialism being catered to and cajoled |
| Nothing is sadder than meeting a middle-aged | | | | into more and more consumer spending and more |
| towel boy at a gay bath or spa or a broken | | | | and more consumer debt to "Seek and Find" and |
| down bartender at some gay bar who openly | | | | then continually in yet more and more rounds |
| laments that he was once "somebody" in the | | | | of self-indulgence and over-indulgence to |
| gay limelight years ago.The NOT so secret | | | | "Seek and Find" again and again. Sadly there |
| moneymaking agenda of the POWERS THAT BE in | | | | is no "silver bullet" for the Gay and Lesbian |
| the gay community - the 3 B's and their | | | | community nor American society as a whole. |
| legion of co- conspirators was "SEEK BUT DO | | | | When and where will we all find something |
| NOT FIND". Gay men HAD to go out as often as | | | | more valuable, reliable and relevant - than |
| possible to the bars, the baths or the | | | | buy, buy, buy and more, more, more? When?Best |
| bookstores - as they might be missing out on | | | | Wishes & Big Hugs, |
| something or someone. Even if they found | | | | |
| someone it was and is all too often a | | | | Stewart ("Mac") McCloud |
| one-night stand if not a 15 minute standup. | | | | |
| One gay friend recently admitted to me he had | | | | Founder & President |
| not had horizontal gay sex since the AIDS | | | | |
| epidemic was full-blown (i.e. two decades). | | | | The Bi MEN NETWORK |
| While many gay men do find long-term | | | | |
| committed relationships - as the new Gay | | | | |
| Episcopal Bishop of New Hampshire - far too | | | | |
| many will regale you with Elizabeth | | | | 250,000+ Men with us!Stewart (Mac) McCloud |
| Taylor-esque tales of their 13 husbands and | | | | is the Founder and President of the Bi Men |
| numerous affairs - few lasting more than a | | | | Network - - the world's largest social and |
| season or two. BUT - the 3 B's want gays "to | | | | support organization for bisexual men, |
| seek but do not find" - to be good consumers | | | | bi-curious males, gay guys, and bi couples - |
| - good customers! I attended University of | | | | now with over 1/4 million members. With |
| California's Hastings College of the Law in | | | | members on all six continents - the Bi Men |
| San Francisco in the early 70's and one | | | | Network brings together both bi and |
| openly notorious homosexual law student | | | | bi-curious men and bi couples on one side and |
| openly proclaimed that his small gay bar and | | | | gay men on the other. Many of the gay men who |
| its 11 long-term regular patrons who cashed | | | | join the Bi Men Network were once bi |
| their every paycheck there paid his way | | | | themselves, or enjoy bi men or are gay men |
| through law school. He admitted that over two | | | | who are often alienated from and disaffected |
| dozen such "regulars" were openly feted at | | | | by the gay mainstream and gay lifestyle. |
| all major holidays and their every birthday | | | | Annual Bi Men Getaway Weekend held each |
| to keep them as "regulars".Even to this day - | | | | Spring in Las Vegas. Bi Men Network offers |
| the GAY PARADIGM - the GAY COMMUNITY is still | | | | support and resources for its worldwide |
| trying to shirk this "seek but do not find" | | | | membership and a means to make new friends |
| rigid pattern. Unlike many happy bisexuals - | | | | both online and offline. Free! |
| gays and even many Lesbians - are still under | | | | |