Aug 19 2010

Is My Husband GAY?

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Thanks to the succinct and scientifically sound theories of one Stephenson Billings, I am finally coming to terms with the fact that my husband may in fact be GAY. I have never so much as whispered it out loud, but now I’m shouting it from the mountaintop in the hopes that I may save just one marriage out there. Here is the article that Mr. Billings wrote for Christwire.org – the words that brought me into the light, and my husband out of the closet:

Is My Husband GAY? – By Stephenson Billings

Right now in America there are over 2 million couples secretly struggling with homosexuality in their marriages. Are you one of them? Are you having intimacy issues? Are you suspicious about your husband’s late night activities? Or are you oblivious to a problem that could be putting your health and the livelihood of your family at risk? Don’t tell yourself that you’re simply being paranoid without taking a closer look!

Homosexuality can pop up at any time during a long-term relationship. Your spouse may have been experimenting with the “gay” lifestyle even before you met. Maybe he’s just using you as unwitting cover as he seeks playmates in the heterosexual world. For these types, the shame of being “outed” is so great that they will go to extremes to hide their lustful activities, even tricking a woman to marry them to appear normal in society. Sometimes it’s the nervous family who has rushed a young man into marriage out of a fear that his secret will be exposed. For others, homosexuality can appear later in life when men crave some escape from the monotony of careers and home life. Same-sex experimentation is also connected to drug or alcohol abuse. Crystal meth and other narcotics are proven to lower inhibitions and to drive people to take incredible risks to feed their habits.

For the wife unsure about her husband’s proclivities, the most important thing is to first confirm your suspicions. Drawing on the expertise of spiritual and medical professionals, Christwire has put together a list of 15 commonly-accepted characteristics of men struggling with homosexuality within a marriage:

1) Secretive late night use of cellphones and computers
Porn addiction is closely associated with homosexuality and a secretive nature implies he’s trying to hide something from you. Be on the lookout for a man who doesn’t want to web surf or answer phone calls in your presence. Texting is another favorite trick used by adulterers. For the sake of trust, a married couple should share everything, including phone logs, email accounts, chat friends and website histories.

2) Looks at other men in a flirtatious way
When you’re out in public, does he spend too much time looking at other men? Is he fond of winking at people? Does he get visibly upset when someone does not return a compliment about his physical appearance?

3) Feigning attention in church and prayer groups
Have you noticed a lack of interest in spiritual issues? Does it ever seem as if he’s just using church as an excuse to spend time around young men? Does he volunteer to mentor in all-male groups?

4) Overly fastidious about his appearance and the home
Natural men have a certain amount of grit about them. They sweat and they smell. Homosexuals often abhor this sort of thing and will also be incredibly particular about the cleanliness of the home. Does your man tweeze his eyebrows, trim his pubic hairs or use face moisturizers? Is he picky about brand name shampoos? Does he spend more time getting ready for a night out than you do?

5) Gym membership but no interest in sports
Gay men use the gym as a place to socialize and to have secret liaisons in the bathrooms. They like to work out their bodies without the competition of sports play. Afterward, they use the showers and steam rooms to engage in sexual activity beyond the prying eyes of women. If your man returns from the gym too exhausted to talk or have sex, that is a worrisome sign.

6) Clothes that are too tight and too “trendy”
Gay men don’t need words to communicate their availability for sex “hook ups.” They silently broadcast the news by showing off their lean, hard bodies in designer clothing labels. If your husband owns skinny jeans and looks at his buttocks in the mirror or if he wears an inordinate number of small-sized t-shirts, it is probably worthwhile to pay more attention to his private activities.

7) Strange sexual demands
Fetishism is a sign that a man is seeking a harder thrill beyond the normal intimacy of heterosexual relations. The woman may not appeal to the deep desires that are coming to the surface as the marriage drags on. If there is a sudden interest in sodomy, sadomasochism, lubricants, role-play, sex toys or other non-traditional intercourse methods, this is clearly an indication of deep emotional abnormalities.

8 )  More interested in the men than the women in pornographic films
Pornography is a dangerous element in any marriage but there are many Christians who feel watching it does add something to their sexual lives. If you have gone down this road and find that your man perks up at the sight of the men in these sorts of videos, you should be concerned. If he selects films because of specific male actors, this is an obvious sign that he is suffering from a crisis of ego and desire.

9) Travels frequently to big cities or Asia
Some husbands will spend a great deal of money traveling far from home to hide their deplorable same-sex actions. Big cities offer indulgence of every kind. From gay bars and clubs to prostitutes and sex bathhouses, a man seeking encounters can find them easily if he’s so inclined. Is there ever really a good excuse for a husband to visit Thailand or San Francisco without his wife?

10) Too many friendly young male friends
Someone who makes an extra effort to surround themselves with younger men should raise concerns in any community. If this is the case with your husband, ask yourself if he prefers their company to that of women. Do they touch each other or embrace in long hugs? Do they exchange expensive, personal gifts like scarves or cologne?

11) Sassy, sarcastic and ironic around his friends
A man who is secretly engaged in homosexual activity with others may exhibit feminine qualities when they get together in a group. In a sense, he has “let his hair down” and this will be seen in excessive back talk and speaking with one’s hands.

12) Love of pop culture
It’s quite common for young men to enjoy the science fiction end of popular culture, but when your husband becomes overly obsessed with romantic and feminine shows, that is cause for alarm. Gossip websites, Glee and The Golden Girls are three well-documented icons of the gay movement that genuine heterosexual men avoid.

13) Extroverted about his bare chest in public
Does he go shirtless in the back yard or at picnics when other men are around? Does he wear a speedo at the beach? Does it seem like he’s purposely standing right in the middle of a crowd to show off his chest and arm muscles, peppering people with questions about how strong he looks? He may be craving physical affirmation from other men and desperately looking for hints of shared desires in those around him.

14) Sudden heavy drinking
Sometimes people dealing with an unbearable emotional issue like homosexuality will turn to alcohol to hide their distress. Does your man disappear on drinking binges for long hours without answering his cellphone? Is there a strange odor about him when he returns, some strange mix of cigarettes and gel? Does he cry frequently?

15) Ladies, have you dated men in the past who turned out to be gay?
This is an important question to ask yourself when your marriage starts to have problems. Statistics have shown that women who have encountered gay men romantically in the past are the most likely to repeat this mistake in future relationships. If you answered yes, you should ask yourself whether you’re honestly looking for a man or just a shopping companion. Is sharing gossip more important to you than raising children? Ultimately, it’s a question of getting your priorities straight!

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Thank you, Mr. Billings, for helping me to confirm that my husband is in fact GAY. As you state, “the most important thing is to first confirm your suspicions.” But wait, what do I do now? I’m married to a GAY man! This is devastating. I hope you have a follow-up article as to how to solve this problem, because I’m kind of in a bind here. You can’t just open up this flaming can of feather boas and expect him not to put one on. Please post some sort of advice on how to deal with this mess that you have, in essence, created for us. Also, I went to your website, and I have to ask that you please take down all those pictures of shirtless guys – you are not helping my husband’s problem IN THE LEAST when he goes to find spiritual words of anti-gay rhetoric and ends up salivating over hunks in Speedos and bondage gear. Hello, he’s GAY!


Jun 30 2010

The Rainbow Connection

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This was the sky over our home when we had those late afternoon storms on Monday.

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It’s a fitting scene, marking the end of another Gay Pride month, and paving the yellow-brick way into July, the month in which I officially came out as a gay man - way back in 1997.

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This year I’ll be celebrating my marriage and my ten-year anniversary with Andy during the month of July, and while 1997 was a very good year, 2010 is just a little bit better.

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PS – Bonus Track: Kermit the Frog


Jun 14 2010

Gay Pride – Albany, NY

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There is no one more appropriate to lead off Albany’s Gay Pride Parade than these two. This is Charlie Ferrusi and Timmy Howard, the two gentlemen who were recently crowned Prom King and Queen at Hudson High School. The full story (one of them at least) is right here, and it’s touching and hopeful.

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This is Andy checking out the make and model of the automobile that Michael Weidrich rode in.

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I love this.

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The HomoRadio Crew… live on the air.

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The Emperor.

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Ulysses in the center, who worked his ass off to make much of today happen.

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John, who wrongfully claimed he doesn’t take a good picture.

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The brilliant Carmie Hope and uber-fabulous Whiskey Sour (aka Kevin Bruce).

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Above is Assemblymember John J. McEneny, which means nothing to me, but Andy says he’s a good guy. He was actually parked right next to us and left when we did, so Andy had a brief chat and handshake with him. Unfortunately, at this point in time most politicians fail to impress me.

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I actually didn’t even notice the guy in the red jockstrap showing off his ass until I got home and looked at these photos (and I’m okay with that.)

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One of my favorite singer-singwriters, Jeremy James, and his fiance Josh.

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Real estate extraordinaire Christopher Broughton of Keller Williams Realty and GayAlbanyOnline.com.

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One of my fave ladies, the beautiful Bonnie.

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And the perfect ending to any Gay Pride Day – a run-in with Mark and Herb.


Jun 13 2010

This Year’s Pride Outfit

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I was wrong – gay pride isn’t about sequins and short shorts – it’s about jodhpurs and suspenders (intentionally backward). And a Jean Paul Gaultier denim jacket in the event of rain (not shown).

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[More photos to follow...]


Jun 13 2010

Gay Pride 2010

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This is the artist J. Bone’s rendition of the outfit I wore to last year’s Pride Parade in Albany, NY. I think I like his version of it better than the real thing (which veered intentionally close to Richard Simmons territory). Today my outfit is decidedly different – think equestrian soldier.

The Gay Pride celebration in Albany has grown quite impressive over the last few years, and this one may be the biggest yet. I’ve mentioned my occasional ambivalence towards the idea of gay pride, but when I’m surrounded by happy and hopeful people in support of equal rights, I also feel like I belong.

It’s not something that most gay people get to feel very often. We can be alienated and mistreated by our families and society, in ways both overt and subliminal. The world is overwhelmingly heterosexual, and the most simple and basic activities of life – going to work, eating at a restaurant, seeing a movie – can be isolating and depressing.

That’s why so many of us have to create our own families - out of our friends – where we know we will always belong, where we are no longer different. On this day, I am especially reminded of that.

Now, onto the parade and the party.

{Here’s the real-life version of last year’s outfit, because it’s not Gay Pride without a sequined head-band and short shorts.} 

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