Preach!

Unapologetic...I find this article compelling; it does resonate in a lot of its points to me. Thoughts?

I'm A Gay Man Who Loves Sex (And Here's Why That's Suddenly A Problem)
Noah Michelson, Editorial Director, The Huffington Post Voices

Oh the hours -- the afternoons! The days! The weekends! -- I have spent looking for and having sex. And oh the incomparable joy it's brought me!

But you're not really that shocked, are you? Of course you're not. After all, gay men have always had a bit of a reputation when it comes to sex. And why not? Unbridled by the restraints of "traditional" relationships and (until very recently) solely straight institutions like marriage and the nuclear family, we've long enjoyed the pursuit of sexual relations whenever, wherever, however and with whomever we could get our sweaty gay mitts on.

Even in the face of AIDS, which has ravaged our community and caused so many gay men -- myself included -- to tragically equate sex with death, we didn't stop looking for opportunities to get off, we just found ways to do it more safely.

No, pleasure has never been a dirty word for us, though many of our straight counterparts (who are, let's admit, equally interested in the same wondrous carnal arts but, thanks to our society's sturdy puritan mores, remain unable or forbidden to indulge in them or at the very least admit they secretly do indulge in them) may wish it otherwise.

And in some ways, I'm actually fine with that. As much as I want straights to join us in ushering in a brave new age of sexual liberation, I understand that change takes time and that thanks to a whole bunch of heady terms (think: religion, sexism, patriarchy) it's not as easy for them to partake in sex the way that gay men historically have.

But you know what I can't understand, and furthermore, won't stand for? Other gays playing sex police -- and it's starting to happen more and more.

Example A: A New York Times article entitled "Chelsea's Risque Businesses" from earlier this year, which highlights a number of gay parents living in what is perhaps one of the most famously gay neighborhoods in the world and who are now lamenting the fact that their children have to grow up just feet away from sex shops.

Some in the article worry about the storefronts' mannequins with their "bulging crotches," condoms strewn across the neighborhood's sidewalks and the daunting task of having to explain ads for a lubricant called "Boy Butter" to their kids. But here's a radical idea: How about instead of demonizing sex and the people who are looking for it and having it, we demonize our society that labels the sight of a bulging crotch (plastic or otherwise) as indecent and embarrassing and threatening. And, if you'll permit me just one more humble suggestion, how about we tell our kids exactly what Boy Butter is and why it exists and stop acting like it's something to be ashamed of? (I'll save my full rant about sex education for another time.)

Now that we can get married and queer people having children is becoming more and more accepted, it seems we've forgotten that sexual liberation has always been, in my mind at least, a cornerstone of queer liberation. And it seems some queers think we've just been having all of this sex and pushing back against all of these sexual boundaries for all of these years as just another way to pass the time until we could become just like straight people. Like, "Hmm. We can't get married yet. What should we do in the meantime? Needlepoint? Nah. Competitive baking? No. Oh, I've got it! Let's get off!"

As if the New York Times article isn't bad enough, earlier this week, in an op-ed for Elite Daily, Thomas Caramanno felt compelled to rail against "certain gay men who objectify other men and change sex partners as frequently as their 2(x)ist underwear" and who are giving a bad name to the gay men who "are currently in, or are actively pursuing, romantic relationships, [and] revere notions of monogamy and family."

Caramanno is disturbed by "the male gaze" and the way that he has been groped in gay clubs and "eyed by guys the way a hungry CrossFitter stares down a packet of bacon" (which, if you ask me, sounds pretty hot) but most shocking to him is that he's "been told by some men that this behavior is normal, acceptable and even desirable" (oh boy, he's just going to love this piece, isn't he?).

Ultimately, he wants us to "strive to attach a different kind of value to sex, one that does not use it as the sole basis of our collective identify and mode of communication," which, when you peel away the hyperbole (because, as much as I love sex, it's obviously not the sole basis of my identity or mode of communication), is essentially exactly what so many of our straight counterparts want from us. And he's not alone. I can't count the number of times that I've heard other queers saying things like "isn't it time we grow up and stop wearing jock straps on Pride floats?" or "how are we supposed to demand equal rights if we can't stop being so promiscuous?" And all of that kind of thinking is... well... aside from reeking of sexphobia and internalized homophobia... just plain gross.

I believe sex is a gift that allows us to connect with others (and ourselves) for a night, for a lifetime or just for 25 minutes during our lunch break. I believe sex and pleasure are nothing short of magical and transformative. I believe queer people have been appointed by some higher power to help change the way that our society thinks about sex. And I refuse to believe that just because queer people are increasingly being folded into the mainstream, we should give up fighting for all of the things we've been fighting for all these years. The goal has never been to get the same rights as non-queer people so we could be just like non-queer people, even though some, like Caramanno, might argue otherwise. We're supposed to be leading by example and showing that sex is not scary, sex is not dirty, sex doesn't need to be with just one partner and in a healthy, happy society, sex should be an important and inspiring way of connecting with one another. If I had it my way we'd have sex shops in every neighborhood right next to the local McDonald's and we'd talk about sex in every school and we wouldn't give films with sexual content NC-17 ratings while slapping PG-13 ratings on mindnumbingly violent films.

But for those of you who are already headed to the comments section below to tell me you love sex, you just think it's something that should be kept private, that's fine. I don't need to see you on XTube being bent over your Ikea coffee table (though I'll watch if you want to send me a link). But there's a difference between privacy and a refusal to accept, understand and discuss sex as the natural, beautiful (and, yes, ridiculously hot and thrilling and sometimes raunchy) event it should be.

Can you be queer and want a monogamous relationship and two kids and a chocolate labradoodle curled up at the end of your bed where you have sex once a week in the missionary position after the 10:30 rerun of "Seinfeld" has aired? Of course you can. And I'm still fighting for your right to be able to do that. Sexual liberation comes in all kinds of shapes and sizes and flavors and we should all be able to do whatever we want (as long as everyone involved is consenting and no one is being hurt -- unless they are asking to be). But the second you start telling me that I'm a bad guy -- and what's more, a bad gay -- if I don't "revere notions of the family and monogamy," we've got a big problem.

So, let's make a deal: I won't ask you to have more sex with more people or have sex the same way that I have sex or wear a jockstrap in public or visit a sex shop or try Boy Butter. But you have to stop telling me and everyone else that it's unsavory to want sex simply for sex's sake or how it is or isn't OK to find it or how often it's OK to want it and with whom and where. When you do that, you're buying into the same broken nightmare we've been fighting against for years. Instead, let's welcome the stunning progress that we've recently made with open arms and unzipped pants. We can get married, we can have children, we can be upstanding members of society and we can still happily and proudly get our brains fucked out as hard and as often as we want by as many people as we want without being blamed for ruining everything for everyone.

OK? OK!

Pole Poll

Well, you guys satisfyingly validated my impressions of you being sick perverts once again (*whew!*). Early polling indicated I might have been in the minority when considering if the opportunity rose to don/sniff/suck/fap into a hot guys sweaty lycra, would you take it?

It's an interesting phenomenon. I can certainly appreciate all the pics of muscular, bonered, sexy men on the Internet in all types of form fitting lycra spandex outfits, however nothing gets me going more than the view of a guy with sweat stains in his lycra. Why?

I guess it indicates that the guy is utilizing the spandex gear for what it was meant for, but also that the guy himself has been exerting a physical effort towards a fitness, competitive, or personal goal, and this is symbolic of the effort to achieve it.

It's hard finding pics of guys in sweaty lycra....culturally, sweat stains and sweaty bodies are considered dirty, though that glistening is a sexual turn-on for many (of us here ;-)). It's strange, isn't it?

Now I can say with pride in my readership that you guys did not disappoint. I'm so happy a majority of you said you would do the same thing.

Swass Pride! LOL

Now to think about what the next poll is going to be.....:)

Plug And Play

Regulation London provides a pretty comprehensive blog entry regarding the variety of butt toys available out there, what advantages/disadvantages (mostly advantages!) each has and how to create a training plan for more experienced butt play.

PLUG AND PLAY
July 29, 2015 by RegulationTeam.

Butt plugs come in many shapes and sizes; from egg plugs to mega milk its, animal tails to tunnel plugs. At Regulation we have over 60 varieties and each one does something different to the other. How do you know which one is best for you? Are you looking to challenge yourself? Expand your horizons? Or just get your rocks off? Sit down and relax your sphincters as we delve into the deep and see what we can find.

Conventional Plugs
The conventional butt plug is the humble beginning for anyone exploring anal play, it's the true workhorse of the butt plug range. You will go back to it again and again when you want to get started. Usually these plugs have a simple rounded shape that is ergonomic to your insides and will feel comfortable to leave in for a satisfying full feeling.

The best example of a conventional plug is the Square Peg Egg plug, it’s rounded, soft and comes in 6 different sizes so you can easily find one that’s comfortable or offers a challenge. With its soft bronze high quality silicone, the Square Peg Egg is by far the most comfortable plug on the market.

"You don't have to be a pup to enjoy the sensation of the tail wagging and moving the plug around inside you."

Tail Plugs
Animal Tail plugs combine conventional plugs with the addition of a wagging tail. You don’t have to be a pup to enjoy the sensation of the tail wagging and moving the plug around inside you. If you are into dog or pup play, these tails will complete your look.

At Regulation we have three types of tail plugs, the Puppy Tail (pictured above), Woof Tail, and Bon4 tail. The puppy is designed to wag the most, the woof looks more realistic and the Bon4 is made of a super smooth material, which feels great.

Stretching Plugs
Next up are stretching plugs, these are designed to help you slowly work your way up to the next level. They normally start small and slowly get much larger. Simple in design they tend to be longer than the conventional plug. Some great examples would be the crack attack plugs, or the Elie dark crystal style plugs. You can see they are designed with a strong taper.



Inflatable Plugs
Inflatable Intruder Plug Inflatable Intruder Plug
If you want to stretch and want something that will mold itself to your shape we have inflatable plugs by Denber, these are solid cores with a latex surround that inflate with the use of a small hand pump. Perfect for gradual size increases.

Challenging Plugs
Our next category is Challenging plugs; these are designed for the more advanced thrill seekers among us. They are usually either strangely shaped with ripples or are larger than most would be able to take. A great example would be the Bulder Boras Plug, which is pointy, bulbous and genuinely frightens me a little bit, in a good way. Or the B-52 which is… quite large.

**Check out Bad Dragon's full list of "challenges"!!!

Sensational Plugs
Our penultimate category is our most Sensational. These plugs are designed to please, stimulate and feel awesome. There is no conventional shape to these plugs, which come in a vast array of quirky shapes and sizes.


Take the Charlie horse as an example, this small looking plug allows for even the entry level player to feel the full effects of anal play. Its shape is designed so that it directly rubs its ridges against the prostate.

Sensational Plugs From left: Small Pegger Thrasher, Large Pegger Thrasher, Twist, Mega Milk It, Charlie Horse.

If you are an advanced player however meet Charlie’s big brother, the Mega Milk it. This square peg delight has large super soft ridges, which will stimulate your prostate more than anything you have ever felt before.

Tunnel Plugs
Our last category is tunnel plugs, these are hollow plugs designed either for fucking inside, or dirtier play that I’ll let you imagine for yourself.

Oxballs Butt Hole

A great example is the Oxballs Butt Hole (pictured above); this plug is ribbed both for pleasure and structural support. Available in three sizes this plug is ergonomically shaped for a snug fit. With the addition of the extra hole you can put pretty much anything in there, more butt plugs, piss, water.

"Whether its quirky shapes, simple pleasures or intense fun, there is a plug for everyone."

Material
The last important thing to consider when choosing a plug is what it’s made of. Some materials are inherently softer than others. The two main materials plugs are made of are Vinyl and Silicone. Vinyl is a firm and smooth material that flexes but doesn’t contract. Silicone on the other hand can be anything from firm to super soft and usually flexes easily. Sometimes plugs have a seam from where the molds meet the other half. Higher quality plugs such as square peg don’t have seams because they are formed from a single mold.


Whether its quirky shapes, simple pleasures or intense fun, there is a plug for everyone. Here at Regulation we cater to all tastes and we are committed to finding ever more ways for you to pleasure your prostate.

There are SO many options, here is an interesting one, the Cruising Anal Tool Kit self-lubricating dildo kit from Regulation.

And here is an alien "Ovipositor" from Primal Hardwere, which deposits a gelatin alien egg wherever you want!

Butt toys are so much fun and for gearheads, a great addition for any phase of a long buttplay session! :)

Given the dizzying variety of possibilities from great companies like Oxballs, Square Peg, Bad Dragon, and so many more...silicone plugs and toys seem to be today's most popular choices as they don't degrade the same way as vinyl to potentially become a burning (and 'who-knows-what-else-it-is-doing-to-your-body?' fear) mess!!!

Latex Boy

Advocacy

Activist Surfs In Hazmat Suit To Depict The Possible Future Of Oceans

Read More: http://www.trueactivist.com/activist-surfs-in-hazmat-suit-to-depict-the-possible-future-of-oceans/

After an unfortunate incident in Los Angeles, this activist became inspired to raise awareness about ocean pollution.

If you can’t get enough blue crush, you best become an environmental activist stat, as the future isn’t looking too good for the future of oceans if more isn’t done to curb pollution.
This is the message photographer and activist Michael Dryland seeks to convey, after an unfortunate incident in Los Angeles opened his eyes to how awful the pollution problem is becoming.

As Dryland shared with BoredPanda, in 2014 he traveled to Los Angeles to see and photograph his childhood friend, as well as learn how to surf.

Not thinking twice about the heavy rain the night before, Michael woke up one morning and asked his friend if they could go out on the water. To his surprise, his friend responded with, “Are you crazy? No one goes in the water after it rains. You could get MRSA, hep C, virus, respiratory infection, etc.”

That’s because the infrequent rains in Los Angeles caused nearly 10 billion gallons of rain runoff – polluted with sewage, garbage, oil, and other matter – to run down the streets, into the sand and into the ocean.

Because the ocean remained toxic for three days after the heavy rain, Dryland missed out on the opportunity to surf. Something positive did come out of the trip, however, and that was the inspiration to create a project portraying the future of surfing if more isn’t done to curb pollution. 
According to his website, the HAZMAT Surfing collection features surfers, lifeguards, and beach goers wearing HAZMAT suits to protect themselves from the contaminated waters around Venice Beach, California.

Dryland Productions partnered with the Surfrider Foundation to raise awareness and capture the reality of where the future of oceans might be headed if the current pollution trends are not remedied.

Michael believes that if pollution is not reduced immediately, in 25 years people will have to wear a hazmat suit just to play in the ocean. (How frightening is that thought?)

If you don’t think paddleboarding or surfing in a hazmat suit would be fun, start reducing your carbon footprint today.

Read More: http://www.trueactivist.com/activist-surfs-in-hazmat-suit-to-depict-the-possible-future-of-oceans/

History Repeating?

James Makings, a big supporter of the Manchester Rubbermen and blogger, posted an Origin story on his A Rubber Perspective blog today that I thought was poignant and I wanted to re-post here. Not only because of its candor but also because this story is similar to mine. I think many of us rubbermen today can relate to James' story. Thanks for sharing James, and thanks for letting me repost!

A Personal Rubber Journey.

I’ve been a practising fetishist for at least 12 years now, from that time as a relatively innocent 13 year old who had just got a pair of lycra shorts for school, that for some reason gave him a rock hard boner, right up to know, a fully functioning (yeah right) 25-year-old, who is a regular on the London fetish scene, and is eagerly awaiting his first Berlin Folsom trip in September.

I was on a certain well-known fetish site at the tender age of 15, and was far too terrified to actually meet anyone (which in hindsight is a good thing as that would have been statutory rape.)  I discovered this site after 2 years of internet browsing for things that tickled my pickle. When I discovered the lycra shorts got my blood pumping, and I finally worked out why I got a stiffy every time I saw someone in a wetsuit, I saw no harm in have a little browse of google images for these particular things – I honestly don’t know how the previous generations of fetish men coped without the internet!

This in turn lead me to discovering the site http://www.wetsuitlads.co.uk/, suddenly I realised I wasn’t the only person who was into this stuff! From there I discovered a little material called rubber. I think the first time I came across it was a latex clothing site based in the US that had a particularly hot latino model (another weakness), Instantly I was hooked, I would go on the site all the time, print out the pictures and do what teen boys do. This in turn lead me to discovering Gear Fetish, Rubber Zone and of course Recon, then World Rubbermen, and thus my integration into the fetish world had begun.

Fast forward a few years to me being 18. On my 18th birthday I finally bought a premium membership to Recon, I started using Recon Chat a lot to get to know people, and I’d started to get some rubber gear of my own. Often I’d gear up when I had the house to myself and do webcam shows of me in my rubber usually with a fag hanging out of my mouth…looks like not a lot has changed except the medium I show off in! This contented me for a while, I would meet up with guys for horny sessions, and was really loving this new sexual side of me – I was never the teenage gay that fooled around with a mate at school or had a boyfriend from the Y to make out with, this was finally my sexual revolution! I had one particular playmate called Ben who I first met at that sort of time and am still in occasional contact with today, and he’s as horny as ever!

After a while, around the age of 20, I started to want to check out this fetish scene I’d heard about, The Hoist, Backstreet, Full Fetish, they all sounded like such exciting places and I wanted to experience them all! I finally got my chance when I got approached by Regulation about cutting hair for them in-store during fetish week (I’m not a hairdresser, I worked in Ann Summers at the time, but I had a mohawk I cut myself so apparently this qualified me), I declined the offer to cut hair, but asked if I could help out in-store anyway to which they said yes. I’d never even been in a proper fetish shop at the time, so I was pretty fucking nervous to say the least. After the shift had finished I got paid £50, and a £50 store voucher, which I immediately spent on a rubber vest and shorts. The guys announced they had spare ticket for Full Fetish that night and did I want to go? Obviously I did, so I rang my mum, made my excuses for staying in London, and got ready to go. I can honestly say, I have never been so scared to walk into a room in my life. It’s hard to imagine now, but walking into a fetish party as a total newbie is one of the scariest things any young gay can experience. Luckily I bumped into a few guys I’d chatted to on Recon, a few of whom I still know to this day, and for the most time had a good time. The only hairy moments for me were standing outside smoking and people pulling my codpiece off and undoing the back zip on my shorts – this horrified me! The whole blatant cruising thing was not something I had come across, which in turn lead me to avoiding the entire play area like the plague. Too be honest, this is something that has stuck with me to this day, I’m not a lover of dark rooms, and sex in clubs, I will do it occasionally, but I’m much more likely to be found at the bar or in the smoking area than in the dark rooms, especially at the big parties.

After that It took me a good 2 years, possibly even three, to go to another fetish night, and that was Gummi at the Hoist. I always went with my mate Mark, who would effectively look after me, make sure I got drunk, and then let me stay at his. Knowing Mark was great in those early days (and still is) because through him I got to know a fair few of my contemporaries, including Rob and Miles, and really start to fit in to the scene.

But still, I had never been to Rubber Reunion at Backstreet, and I had decided that seeing as I went to Gummi semi-regularly, I’d be totally fine going on my own, so I booked a hotel and off I went. Well, those that go will know that Gummi and Rubber Reunion are completely different beasts. Walking into Rubber Reunion was like walking into a local pub in a strange part of the country where everyone knows each other. The age range is typically older and I 100% felt like the new, young guy. No-one spoke to me, I just stood at the bar and drank, and drank, and drank, eventually I got chatting to a few people, most notably Bryan, who has kind of looked out for me since, (If you ask him he’ll deny this completely), but that didn’t stop me getting absolutely trashed and waking up at my hotel room, on my own, with no idea how I got there.

From then on I made it my mission to be at everything I could, when I moved up to London in 2014, I already had a pretty big gear collection, and was pretty much a regular at Gummi, so it very easily became a regular part of my life, I’ve made some great friends on the fetish scene such as Dom, Tom, and Neil, and that’s even how I met one of my best mates, and flat mate, Liam.

But recently something has felt off to me. The scene is changing and I’m not sure why or how we can stop it. A huge part of the scene is run online these days, not only with Recon, but through the Rubbermen Groups on Facebook – of which I’m a member of 3. The London Rubbermen page was revolutionary in making the London scene come alive again, some of the old guard would say perhaps it’s changed it for the worse, but largely I would say its been a good change, Miles and team have done a great job for the most part of promoting events and the group, and bringing in new guys to the scene, but recently there has even been a shift on that platform, perhaps its the contrast with the mighty Manchester Rubbermen group, which seems to be going from strength to strength.

I don’t know what it is, but our scene is dying, and I for one think that’s a terrible shame. We gays are known for our in-bitching and clique-making, but for once I think we all need to put this aside and band together for the sake of our scene. You now seem to have the old guard which refuse to go to Gummi because its “too young and chatty”, you have the Gummi regulars who value the night, and then there seems to be another set that has come up, who happily post all over the LRM page, and go to their events, but don’t actually seem to support the nights already existing. Up against behemoth events such as Hotwired and London Fetish Week, places like The Hoist and Backstreet are loosing out. In fact, it wouldn’t surprise me if in a year neither are open any longer, and perhaps that’s a good thing, because if we don’t have them there, perhaps we can appreciate them by missing them, and a new venue can rise up like a phoenix.

So next time you are sat there debating whether to rubber up and cruise Recon, don’t. Go to Gummi or Rubber Reunion, and meet some guys in a sleazy setting, have some real pervy sex, and you never know, there might be some young, drunk 18-year-old newbie who needs some guidance in this crazy fetish world, and you could be the guy to help him.

Anatomical

I want this hood!

https://www.etsy.com/shop/TheKinkON

Exciting News!

I am very stoked to have been asked to be a judge for Mr. International Rubber 19: Destination Rubber. It will be a great time!

MIR19 JUDGES AND TALLY MASTERS ANNOUNCED

We are pleased to announce the panel of Judges and Tally Masters for the 19th annual contest to be held November 6 - 8, 2015. They are as follows:
Brian Conway - Denver, Colorado, United States
Reid Dalgleish - Vancouver, Canada
Steve Dupont - Saco, Maine, United States
Paul Lewis - London, England
David Merrill - Washington, DC, United States
Greg Osko - Warsaw, Poland
Max Samauth - MIR18 of Amstelveen, Amsterdam

As in years past, audience members attending the Mr. International Rubber contest will also cast their vote to help select Mr. International Rubber. YOU can be a judge too!

Tally Masters for MIR19 are as follows:
Justin Herren - Chicago, Illinois, United States
Luis Tipantasig - Chicago, Illinois, United States

See complete bios and photos of Judges and Tally Masters at http://mirubber.com/about/whos-who/

Rubberstud(s) of the Week #381

Rubberstud of the Week #380