The Spiritual Poverty of the Gay Lifestyle Today!

THE EARLY YEARSFortunately for all Americansdo not find" rigid pattern. Unlike many happy
the 1960's, 70's and then 80's led first to greaterbisexuals - gays and even many Lesbians - are
sexual freedom and liberation - and then tostill under this spell - notwithstanding that even the
greater sexual honesty. The internet boom of themajor gay mecca cities San Francisco and New
last decade solidified those gains to the extentYork closed the gay baths - gay bars are half in
that there can likely never really be a return tonumber or half full today -yet the adult
the sexualbookstores - and videos - and pornographers are
"dark ages".THE GAYS & THE "THREE B's"Gaysricher than ever - harvesting a new crop of
and Lesbians had historically lived prior to theyoung twinks and studs for their 15 minutes of
Stonewall Riots lives of quiet desperation "in thefame every season of every year until the end
closet" facing overt hostility and repression everyof time. The internet has been a major boon to
day of their lives.After the STONEWALL RIOTS -pornography and pornography sales worldwide
our gay and lesbian brothers and sisters overallespecially in the gay "beefcake" market.THE
marched straight out of their closets andTHREE B'S REPLACED BY MAJOR MERCHANTS
eventually right down MAIN STREET or FIFTHOF GREEDThings - largely due to AIDS as well as
AVENUE or MARKET STREET or SANTAlong-term maturing gay and lesbian community -
MONICA BOULEVARD in their festive PRIDEhave changed and are changing - but the change
PARADES across North America and now acrossfrom the "3 B's" holding the community in its thrall
the world. Many gays and to a lesser extenthas morphed into gross and crass materialism as
Lesbians want to be open about their sexualsoon as the major marketing gurus found the
orientation - while this is NOT the case with mostGay and Lesbian NICHE of affluent consumers
bisexuals - especially happy bisexuals.Soon acrosswith huge discretionary spending who were eager
America there were dozens of openly gay bars,to "Seek and Find" and then "Seek and Find" again
adult bookstores, and bathhouses in every major- consumer goods and luxury travel and the
North American city. Gay Community Centerslike.NOW the vast majority of the FORTUNE 500
sprouted in most every major North Americancompanies market to the Gay and Lesbian
city - save San Francisco - where until recentlyCommunity noting in their
the community was so fractious they could notmarketing circles that the Gay and Lesbian
even open such a center! Gay Communitymarket is one of the larger and more affluent
Centers with time became Gay and Lesbiansegments of today's marketplace. Gays and
Centers - then GLBT Centers and soon to beLesbians who were already as average American
GLBT and P - polyamory - and Q centers -consumers easy prey for materialism and
Queer.Maybe one fine day even the new, trendyconsumerism were even more easily influenced
METROSEXUALS will join the sexual minorities towhen buying this and that product led to
party and to parade!The GAY PARADIGM - whichacceptance by this or that major corporate icon,
emerged as a result of this desire for being OPENthis or that major world conglomerate - tied with
- was often confrontational to the larger straightgreater status and greater rank in one's
community with a certain "WE'RE QUEER andmillieu.HERE COME THE ALTERNATIVES:Finally,
WE'RE HERE!" element in far too many areas ofafter this gay party and Pride parade - then gay
America. In the gay era before AIDS the fact of+ Lesbian party and parade - was far along -
life was that the gay community was hijacked byhere come some welcome alternatives. The
the THREE B'S who made a killing - and alsoMetropolitian Community Church has been with us
ultimately killed off thousands if not millions offor decades and has sought to help fill the spiritual
gays. They are the BARS, the BATHS, and thehunger of many gays and lesbians who want to
BOOKSTORES. Their agenda was to makefind that solace and inner peace in a gay and
FILTHY LUCRE and they did so rapaciously forLesbian religious setting.Many mainstream Christian
years and years. Gay communities in these earlychurches have embraced the gay and lesbian
years - including their activists and journalistscommunity in many outreach programs as the
became dependent on these deep pockets butChurchof Christ and the Unitarian/Universalists and
they too were all too often caught in the thrall ofthe gay and lesbian support groups and
the 3 B's AGENDA - even hidden agenda of SEEKorganizations within their home churches as
BUT DO NOT FIND.Even today the "beau ideal" ofDignity, Integritry, and the Brethern and the like.
the American gay community is someIslam offered up "Gay Muslim" groups and there
twenty-something twink or hunk or military type -are many GLBT groups for Jews, Buddhists, and
portrayed again and again for decades endlesslyother faiths.Many gay and lesbians have also
and all but mindlessly. This beau ideal type canexplored alternatives to organized religions with
never be snared and brought home to one's bed -New Age thinking, yoga, Scientology
save at a hefty price (escorts and models orand other stops on that long travelled road the
trade) - much less to one's life and family! BillionsAmerican pursuit of happiness trail.Microcosm vs.
have been and will continue to be made on theMacrocosm:Maybe gays and lesbians just finally
backs and knees of these 18 to 25 year olds whocaught up with the mainstream of American life -
are then cast off for next year's "model". Nothinggross, crass materialism being catered to and
is sadder than meeting a middle-aged towel boycajoled into more and more consumer spending
at a gay bath or spa or a broken down bartenderand more and more consumer debt to "Seek and
at some gay bar who openly laments that heFind" and then continually in yet more and more
was once "somebody" in the gay limelight yearsrounds of self-indulgence and over-indulgence to
ago.The NOT so secret moneymaking agenda of"Seek and Find" again and again. Sadly there is no
the POWERS THAT BE in the gay community -"silver bullet" for the Gay and Lesbian community
the 3 B's and their legion of co- conspirators wasnor American society as a whole. When and
"SEEK BUT DO NOT FIND". Gay men HAD to gowhere will we all find something more valuable,
out as often as possible to the bars, the baths orreliable and relevant - than buy, buy, buy and
the bookstores - as they might be missing out onmore, more, more? When?Best Wishes & Big
something or someone. Even if they foundHugs,
someone it was and is all too often a one-nightStewart ("Mac") McCloud
stand if not a 15 minute standup. One gay friendFounder & President
recently admitted to me he had not had horizontalThe Bi MEN NETWORK
gay sex since the AIDS epidemic was full-blown
(i.e. two decades). While many gay men do find250,000+ Men with us!Stewart (Mac) McCloud is
long-term committed relationships - as the newthe Founder and President of the Bi Men Network
Gay Episcopal Bishop of New Hampshire - far too- - the world's largest social and support
many will regale you with Elizabeth Taylor-esqueorganization for bisexual men, bi-curious males,
tales of their 13 husbands and numerous affairs -gay guys, and bi couples - now with over 1/4
few lasting more than a season or two. BUT -million members. With members on all six
the 3 B's want gays "to seek but do not find" -continents - the Bi Men Network brings together
to be good consumers - good customers! Iboth bi and bi-curious men and bi couples on one
attended University of California's Hastings Collegeside and gay men on the other. Many of the gay
of the Law in San Francisco in the early 70's andmen who join the Bi Men Network were once bi
one openly notorious homosexual law studentthemselves, or enjoy bi men or are gay men
openly proclaimed that his small gay bar and its 11who are often alienated from and disaffected by
long-term regular patrons who cashed their everythe gay mainstream and gay lifestyle. Annual Bi
paycheck there paid his way through law school.Men Getaway Weekend held each Spring in Las
He admitted that over two dozen such "regulars"Vegas. Bi Men Network offers support and
were openly feted at all major holidays and theirresources for its worldwide membership and a
every birthday to keep them as "regulars".Evenmeans to make new friends both online and
to this day - the GAY PARADIGM - the GAYoffline. Free!
COMMUNITY is still trying to shirk this "seek but