Check out the episode as Marc and Fausto give us a musical send-off — onto our next 100 episodes!

Joe and Babe Show #50: 100th Podcast Celebration!

EMIS – The European MSM (men who have sex with men) Internet Survey conducted the largest study about MSM in Europe with about 180,000 participants and 38 countries. (All results in a PDF file)

According to the study your chances of having sex with as man are the highest in France, Netherlands, Belgium and on Malta. It seems France really is the country of love, 38% of all French guys had over 10 sex partners the last 12 months.  In Netherlands  37% and in Belgium as well as on Malta 33% of all guys had over 10 sex partners the last 12 months. The European average is 20%.

Oral sex is the most popular kind of sex, followed by giving/receiving a hand-job and anal sex. The chances of having anal sex are the highest in Moldova, Russia, Portugal and Spain, Belarus. The most anal sex have guys from Moldova (94% of all guys), followed by guys from Russia, Portugal (91% ) and Spain,Belarus (90%).  On average 85% of all European MSN have anal sex.

If you look for a serious relationship with a man your chances are the highest in Belarus, Russia and Ukraine. 53% of all gay guys in Belarus are in a steady relationship with a man, followed by Russia with 52% and Ukraine 49%. On average 38% of all European gay, bi guys are in a steady relationship with man.

The most favourite place to get in contact, meet men is on the Internet. Followed by sex venues, including gay saunas and backrooms of bars, clubs.  59% of all European guys have met a man via the Internet in the last 12 months. Particular in Bosnia Herzegovina (77% of all guys) , in Turkey (71% ) and in Croatia (70%) the Internet was a popular way to get to know men. While 16% of all European guys have met a man at a sex venue.  To meet men at a sex venue is most popular in Netherlands (30%) , France, Belgium(26%) and Switzerland (25%.)

Unfortunately there is also always the risk of getting infected with HIV when you have unprotected sex with a guy. The highest possible HIV transmission risk in the previous 12 months, defined as unprotected sex with men whose HIV status is unknown or different from the own status , was in  Turkey (49%),  Romania (42%) and Belarus (40%). While the lowest risk was in Luxembourg (21%), Switzerland (22%) and Austria (23%). On average 32% of all European men had unprotected sex with other men whose HIV status was unknown or different from their own status.

Lady Gaga Cover “the edge of glory” on Ukulele by Aiden James

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Ifti Nasim

Ifti Nasim, a good friend of mine, died late Friday night. For those not fortunate enough to have known him, here is a quick sketch of who he was.

Ifti was perhaps the most prominent political and cultural voice in Chicago’s vibrant South Asian community. A Pakistani-American who left his native country in the 1960s to escape homophobia and an arranged marriage, Nasim spoke out early and often against war and racism promoted by some in his adopted country, and homophobia promoted by religious mis-leaders.

His first claim to fame was as the world’s first openly gay, Urdu language published poet, and eventually became in constant demand to appear at literary gatherings around the world. Locally he hosted the weekly Sargam radio program on WSBC-AM and was Midwest Editor of the Weekly News Pakistan. He personally helped many young LGBT Pakistanis traverse the same immigration obstacles that he surmounted decades earlier as a young man.

As the years went on, Ifti became one of the few people in the Devon Avenue community who could bring together the many diverse factions within the community when events demanded it. The fact that he could do this while being openly gay for decades, forcing many to look beyond their prejudices, showed the deep respect that he commanded.

In early 2003 in the run up to the U.S. invasion of Iraq, the George W. Bush administration hyped the forthcoming war by demanding the “registrations” of immigrants from various predominantly Muslim countries, a prelude to the deportations of many. Chicago’s large Pakistani-American community was particularly in the cross-hairs. In this atmosphere of fear, Ifti was the key man who was able to bring together the most multi-racial anti-war protest this city has ever seen – 5,000 marching in 15 degree weather on Devon Avenue in February 2003 demanding an end to the racist registrations and no war on Iraq.

The crowd on that bitterly cold day was about half South Asian, and half of the program was controlled by that community. Without Ifti’s contacts with the many political factions in that community, the protest would not have been possible. As it turns out, he devoted so much energy to it that on the night before it, he suffered his first heart attack and landed in critical condition in the hospital.

Even though for several years his health was not good, Ifti supported various GLN actions and anti-war actions we were involved in, continuing to contribute financially to GLN when his health prevented his personal participation. Here is a link which discusses his activism around the murder of Haroon Paryani, a Pakistani cab driver, by a politically connected white gay man, Michael Jackson. While many white gay “leaders” circled the wagons around Jackson, Ifti and us stood against this.

To the annoyance of some and the delight of the rest of us, Ifti was gender-bending long before it became fashionable. Back in about 2000 we in Chicago’s Gay Liberation Network were in the midst of a campaign against then-Cook County State’s Attorney Dick Devine over his refusal to criminally prosecute Chicago police officers who committed brutality against LGBTs and others. Devine and Daley were principally responsible for the failure to rein in the infamous Jon Burge. So when we learned that a local organization was going to give Devine its “Abraham Lincoln Award” in the heart of the Loop, we were particularly incensed, and announced a picket of people dressed up like Abraham Lincoln, complete with stove pipe hats and long black beards. Ifti did us one better – he showed up as Mary Todd Lincoln, complete with frilly, long-flowing dress.

Ifti’s sense of humor and graciousness will be greatly missed. For those of a younger generation who were not fortunate enough to have known him, you should know that Ifti was breaking barriers in Chicago’s LGBT and South Asian communities before many of you were even born. We are fortunate to be able to build on his legacy.

Here is Ifti on an October 2008 program discussing war and civil liberties.

Ifty Nasim

I do have to say as a gay Mississippian that this is no surprise.

Chinese Bride discovers that her groom is gay when confronted by his boyfriend.

Far from a dirty word, “lesbian folk music” is a term that has the power to pique my interest and make me run to check out the woman holding the title. While the stalwarts like Amy Ray and Jill Sobule are still around doing great work, a new generation has emerged to carry the torch. To the likes of Chris Pureka and An Horse comes Nicole Reynolds. The Pittsburgh native (and former attendant of local Goucher College) has a tiny, heartwrenching voice that is the perfect medium for some big ideas.
She busted out her powerful track “Like an Ocean” at the DC-are Iota Club for us back in January. It’s has a great message about persecution and self-reliance that should make sense for anyone who was told that they grew up wrong. Check it out!

Congratulations Don! What a man, what a mighty good man.

CNN Don Lemon comes out in his new book Transparent:

“Today I chose to step out on faith and begin openly living my own truth. And let me say right up front that I hope many of you will be inspired to do the same thing in your daily lives. Some of the things I’ve chosen to reveal in my book Transparent were very difficult to share with even those closest to me.

There was a time when I was terrified of revealing these things to the person I love most in this world – my own mother. But when I finally mustered the courage to tell her that I had been molested as a child and that I was born gay, my life began to change in positive ways that I never imagined possible. Yet I still chose to keep those secrets hidden from the world. I, like most gay people, lived a life of fear. Fear that if some employers, co-workers, friends, neighbors and family members learned of my sexuality, I would be shunned, mocked and ostracized. It is a burden that millions of people carry with them every single day. And sadly, while the mockery and ostracizing are realized by millions of people every day, I truly believe it doesn’t have to happen and that’s why I feel compelled to share what I’ve written in Transparent.

As a journalist I believe that part of my mission is to shed light onto dark places. So, the disclosure of this information does not inhibit in any way my ability to be the professional, fair and objective journalist I have always been.

My book is dedicated to the memory of Rutgers University student Tyler Clementi, who jumped to his death from a bridge after his dorm mates streamed his private business over the Internet for the world to see. Tyler might still be with us today if more gay men and women had chosen to live proudly and openly. It is also dedicated to the millions of young, gay people who believe they are alone when dealing with their own sexual identities. You are not alone! There are people, like me and many others, who are thriving in their personal and professional lives and although we sometimes have a hard time with it ourselves, we are here to show you by example that you too can overcome any obstacle as long as you stay strong and, most of all, stay alive.”

Just for fun, here’s some sexy shirtless pics of Don Lemon playing doctor.

My the fierce be with you.

Julia describes sex as a Sewage Treatment Plant next to an Amusement Park to her curious daughter.  Then, she introduces her daughter to internet porn.  Her daughter, Mulan, then extrapolates what gay sex must be like and explains it to her mother.  LOL  Finally, Mulan is completely stumped by lesbian sex and cannot figure that one out!!  LMAO!!!!!

Possibly NSFW.  Definitely funny.

Fausto Fernós and R2D2 at the C2E2 Expo, 2011 - Chicago, IL - photo by Marc Felion

Are you right now in Texas?

Come join some of the biggest names in queer online culture at a fabulous soiree to kick of SXSW, the film, interactive and music festivals and conference that takes place every spring in Austin, Texas. This year’s featured panelist is Paul Reubens, best known for being Pee Wee Herman. Yeah, it’s our kind of conference.

Network with other queer/LGBT bloggers, filmmakers and musicians including Fausto Fernós and Marc Felion from the Feast of Fun podcast.

Feast of Fun SXSW Queer Meetup
Friday, March 11 at 7pm-9pm
Oil Can Harry’s
Facebook Link | Special hookup for SXSW Attendees (bring your badge) or
folks who follow @oilcanharrys on Twitter. (Bring your smartphone or proof)
Light food and refreshments served.

Photos from last year’s SXSW 2010 Party.

Every year in the spring, thousands of internet and filmmaking rock stars (and rock-star-rock-stars) gather in Austin, Texas for South by Southwest, the interactive, film, and music conference that originally began as a music festival in the late 80s. Today it’s a big deal, bringing the biggest names in the industry together with everyday people in a mixing of the minds– a delicious burrito full of culture and fun.

As a way to say thanks to all the fabulous people who are here for the conference, we’re throwing a party on Friday, March 11 at 7-9pm at Oil Can Harry’s -the- hottest gay bar with the cutest guys and gals.

Come meet me (Fausto Fernós), Marc Felion and a bunch of internet rock stars knocking down the drinks and having a great time.

Bring a camera and your iPhone, these things usually get wild.

Spoiler:

Jughead is gay.

Why did it pick the panda as a thumbnail?

My newsreader picked the panda thumbnail for this article on the controversy surrounding the “.gay” domain. When did pandas go gay?

Maybe this did it-

Clip found via my old college buddy Alison’s blog The Queer and Now.

In 2010, Gossip was nominated for a GLAAD Media Award for “Outstanding Music Artist” for their album Music for Men during the 21st GLAAD Media Awards.[11]

In 2010, Gossip was nominated for an ECHO Award, alongside groups such as Depeche Mode and U2.[12]
Fausto and Marc should definitely interview the lead singer or the whole group from “Gossip” on the Feast of Fun.

Disciples from Jordan Currier on Vimeo.

Hey Feast of Fun listeners! I was on the podcast last January when I was in Chicago and had a great time. I talked about growing up as a gay Mormon.

During the summer I was interviewd for a documentray about gay Mormons. It premiered last week in downtown Phoenix and now it’s online, so I’m sharing it here. I think it’s a powerful film, and I’m not just saying that because I’m in. I’m really proud to be a part of it.

I hope you like it.

The government’s attitude toward gay groups resembles the way it treats ethnic minorities. It distrusts any group, whether Tibetans fighting for freedom of worship or gay activists agitating for marriage rights, whose goals ostensibly don’t line up with those of the majority. “In this kind of system, the government fears all sorts of minorities,” says Wei Xiaogang, host of the LGBT Webcast Queer Comrades. “It doesn’t know how much power it should give them.” Seen in this light, actions like shutting down the Mr. Gay China pageant last January represent a broader unease toward diversity in the country.

“China’s feel is a bit like ancient Rome,” says Li Yinhe, a professor at China’s Academy of Social Sciences who is known as the country’s premier sexologist. “If you do something gay it doesn’t mean you’re gay.” In other words, men having sex with men falls under the category—culturally and politically—of something allowed, perhaps even more so than in the U.S., provided that it doesn’t lead to a group agitating for rights, and providing that it’s unspoken, and done behind closed doors.

Homosexuality is a human-rights issue that China is willing to compromise on,” says a gay Chinese media executive who, unsurprisingly, declined to be quoted by name.

Read the complete article

Watch it before it gets yanked!

Wilde Pug is closing and Fat Cat bar located just down the block pokes fun at the demise of the Oscar Wilde inspired bar.

The sign feature’s Oscar Wilde’s quote- “Work is the curse of the drinking class” and features the author’s head in a Photoshop disaster as a DJ.

It’s remarkable how many people change their tune after saying that gay is choice when they are confronted with the question “When did you choose to be straight?”

Mahmoud Ahmadinejad

There may be no openly gay people in Iran due to the fact that the punishment for being gay is execution.

Follow the link for more including a personal account of a gay Iranian asylum-seeker-