The Spiritual Poverty of the Gay Lifestyle Today!

THE EARLY YEARSFortunately for all Americans thetrying to shirk this "seek but do not find" rigid pattern.
1960's, 70's and then 80's led first to greater sexualUnlike many happy bisexuals - gays and even many
freedom and liberation - and then to greater sexualLesbians - are still under this spell - notwithstanding that
honesty. The internet boom of the last decadeeven the major gay mecca cities San Francisco and
solidified those gains to the extent that there can likelyNew York closed the gay baths - gay bars are half in
never really be a return to the sexualnumber or half full today -yet the adult bookstores -
"dark ages".THE GAYS & THE "THREE B's"Gaysand videos - and pornographers are richer than ever -
and Lesbians had historically lived prior to the Stonewallharvesting a new crop of young twinks and studs for
Riots lives of quiet desperation "in the closet" facingtheir 15 minutes of fame every season of every year
overt hostility and repression every day of theiruntil the end of time. The internet has been a major
lives.After the STONEWALL RIOTS - our gay andboon to pornography and pornography sales
lesbian brothers and sisters overall marched straightworldwide especially in the gay "beefcake"
out of their closets and eventually right down MAINmarket.THE THREE B'S REPLACED BY MAJOR
STREET or FIFTH AVENUE or MARKET STREETMERCHANTS OF GREEDThings - largely due to
or SANTA MONICA BOULEVARD in their festiveAIDS as well as long-term maturing gay and lesbian
PRIDE PARADES across North America and nowcommunity - have changed and are changing - but the
across the world. Many gays and to a lesser extentchange from the "3 B's" holding the community in its
Lesbians want to be open about their sexualthrall has morphed into gross and crass materialism as
orientation - while this is NOT the case with mostsoon as the major marketing gurus found the Gay and
bisexuals - especially happy bisexuals.Soon acrossLesbian NICHE of affluent consumers with huge
America there were dozens of openly gay bars, adultdiscretionary spending who were eager to "Seek and
bookstores, and bathhouses in every major NorthFind" and then "Seek and Find" again - consumer
American city. Gay Community Centers sprouted ingoods and luxury travel and the like.NOW the vast
most every major North American city - save Sanmajority of the FORTUNE 500 companies market to
Francisco - where until recently the community was sothe Gay and Lesbian Community noting in their
fractious they could not even open such a center! Gaymarketing circles that the Gay and Lesbian market is
Community Centers with time became Gay andone of the larger and more affluent segments of
Lesbian Centers - then GLBT Centers and soon to betoday's marketplace. Gays and Lesbians who were
GLBT and P - polyamory - and Q centers -already as average American consumers easy prey
Queer.Maybe one fine day even the new, trendyfor materialism and
METROSEXUALS will join the sexual minorities toconsumerism were even more easily influenced when
party and to parade!The GAY PARADIGM - whichbuying this and that product led to acceptance by this
emerged as a result of this desire for being OPEN -or that major corporate icon, this or that major world
was often confrontational to the larger straightconglomerate - tied with greater status and greater
community with a certain "WE'RE QUEER and WE'RErank in one's millieu.HERE COME THE
HERE!" element in far too many areas of America. InALTERNATIVES:Finally, after this gay party and Pride
the gay era before AIDS the fact of life was that theparade - then gay + Lesbian party and parade - was
gay community was hijacked by the THREE B'S whofar along - here come some welcome alternatives.
made a killing - and also ultimately killed off thousands ifThe Metropolitian Community Church has been with us
not millions of gays. They are the BARS, the BATHS,for decades and has sought to help fill the spiritual
and the BOOKSTORES. Their agenda was to makehunger of many gays and lesbians who want to find
FILTHY LUCRE and they did so rapaciously for yearsthat solace and inner peace in a gay and Lesbian
and years. Gay communities in these early years -religious setting.Many mainstream Christian churches
including their activists and journalists becamehave embraced the gay and lesbian community in
dependent on these deep pockets but they too weremany outreach programs as the Churchof Christ and
all too often caught in the thrall of the 3 B's AGENDA -the Unitarian/Universalists and the gay and lesbian
even hidden agenda of SEEK BUT DO NOTsupport groups and organizations within their home
FIND.Even today the "beau ideal" of the American gaychurches as Dignity, Integritry, and the Brethern and the
community is some twenty-something twink or hunk orlike. Islam offered up "Gay Muslim" groups and there
military type - portrayed again and again for decadesare many GLBT groups for Jews, Buddhists, and other
endlessly and all but mindlessly. This beau ideal typefaiths.Many gay and lesbians have also explored
can never be snared and brought home to one's bed -alternatives to organized religions with New Age
save at a hefty price (escorts and models or trade) -thinking, yoga, Scientology
much less to one's life and family! Billions have beenand other stops on that long travelled road the
and will continue to be made on the backs and kneesAmerican pursuit of happiness trail.Microcosm vs.
of these 18 to 25 year olds who are then cast off forMacrocosm:Maybe gays and lesbians just finally
next year's "model". Nothing is sadder than meeting acaught up with the mainstream of American life -
middle-aged towel boy at a gay bath or spa or agross, crass materialism being catered to and cajoled
broken down bartender at some gay bar who openlyinto more and more consumer spending and more and
laments that he was once "somebody" in the gaymore consumer debt to "Seek and Find" and then
limelight years ago.The NOT so secret moneymakingcontinually in yet more and more rounds of
agenda of the POWERS THAT BE in the gayself-indulgence and over-indulgence to "Seek and Find"
community - the 3 B's and their legion of co-again and again. Sadly there is no "silver bullet" for the
conspirators was "SEEK BUT DO NOT FIND". GayGay and Lesbian community nor American society as
men HAD to go out as often as possible to the bars,a whole. When and where will we all find something
the baths or the bookstores - as they might be missingmore valuable, reliable and relevant - than buy, buy, buy
out on something or someone. Even if they foundand more, more, more? When?Best Wishes & Big
someone it was and is all too often a one-night stand ifHugs,
not a 15 minute standup. One gay friend recentlyStewart ("Mac") McCloud
admitted to me he had not had horizontal gay sexFounder & President
since the AIDS epidemic was full-blown (i.e. twoThe Bi MEN NETWORK
decades). While many gay men do find long-term
committed relationships - as the new Gay Episcopal250,000+ Men with us!Stewart (Mac) McCloud is the
Bishop of New Hampshire - far too many will regaleFounder and President of the Bi Men Network - - the
you with Elizabeth Taylor-esque tales of their 13world's largest social and support organization for
husbands and numerous affairs - few lasting morebisexual men, bi-curious males, gay guys, and bi
than a season or two. BUT - the 3 B's want gays "tocouples - now with over 1/4 million members. With
seek but do not find" - to be good consumers - goodmembers on all six continents - the Bi Men Network
customers! I attended University of California's Hastingsbrings together both bi and bi-curious men and bi
College of the Law in San Francisco in the early 70'scouples on one side and gay men on the other. Many
and one openly notorious homosexual law studentof the gay men who join the Bi Men Network were
openly proclaimed that his small gay bar and its 11once bi themselves, or enjoy bi men or are gay men
long-term regular patrons who cashed their everywho are often alienated from and disaffected by the
paycheck there paid his way through law school. Hegay mainstream and gay lifestyle. Annual Bi Men
admitted that over two dozen such "regulars" wereGetaway Weekend held each Spring in Las Vegas. Bi
openly feted at all major holidays and their everyMen Network offers support and resources for its
birthday to keep them as "regulars".Even to this day -worldwide membership and a means to make new
the GAY PARADIGM - the GAY COMMUNITY is stillfriends both online and offline. Free!