Gay for dummies

My first top was an anagram for Brain. He was not especially smart but tried his best to be helpful. He advised me to accept him as if he were the morning’s first shit, pushing out to pull his fullness in.

“Just think about how hot this is,” he said.

I was eighteen, a year younger than Thinker. His basement bedroom was cool, 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 good as in the Gettysburg Review, Bennington Review, and the Gay & Lesbian Review. A PhD candidate at the University of North Texas, he serves as editor in chief for American Literary Review. His website is

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Jos Charles

It’s neat,
like debt, like language,

Justin Taylor

In which

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 join us in person, and we’re beyond delighted to share the encounter digitally with our Surface Level Insiders who couldn’t be there.

During Part 2 of this special series, we are excited to welcome producer, writer, and director Patrik-Ian Polk to our Surface Level family. We continue the conversation with a unique perspective on sexual health from a member of our community 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 decent line between secrecy and privacy. It was an honor to have this conversation with someone we admire, and we are excited to share this raw and honest discussion with our audience.

We grasp a lot, but we

LGBTQ+ For Dummies

Illustrations by Dayna Patel.

If you don't know, now you know.

As someone who thinks of myself as a pretty clued-in millennial, I have to admit when it comes to Queer terms I am, or was, somewhat perplexed. I don’t know about you, but this intricate acronym has expanded a bit since my last elevated 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 gain 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 collapse into, and is determined by the reproductive functions we’re born with.

*Some cultures have more than two categories.

Gender

Once your sex is identified, society essentially hands you a manual on how to behave: how to dress, communicate and act so people around y

Not to be overcome to press by Expand Some Balls And Quit, Gareth and Jon shove forward the publication hang out of their own non-fiction volume:

Man Affectionate For Dummies

A Actual 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 like Gareth and Jon express themselves to one another through the physical act 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 book 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 ponder this book would execute anything for us, but boy was I erroneous. The authors’ – who are a genuine homosexual couple – frank guide 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